After the birth of their daughter who they named Jackie, Janice's attitude towards me changed dramatically.  True to her word she no longer treated me like her little princess but rather like a servant girl. Richard however, still treated me as if I were his daughter which often made Janice angry.  "Stop coddling the little brat!" She would scold him.

A few days after Janice gave birth to Jackie I
looked down into the crib puzzled. How could something so small and cute cause me such grief? It was then that saw my special pacifier in the baby's mouth. "That's mine." I said with a frown and suddenly the pacifier was in my hands. This caused Jackie to wake up and start crying.

"What did you do?" Janice yelled at me angrily shoving me away from the crib. "Shhh. It's ok Princess, mommy's here. Mommy's here. Did that bad girl wake you up?" Janice asked glaring angrily at me. Jackie just whimpered in reply. "Don't you ever go near by daughter again you little brat!"  Janice spat at me.

"I just wanted to see her." I replied clenching the pacifier in my fist.

"What are you holding in your fist?" Jackie asked with a frown.

"Nothing." I replied.

Looking in the crib Janice turned and looked at me. "Where's Jackie's binky? Catherine did you take the pacifier away from my daughter?" Janice demanded with a frown.

"It's mine. My binky not hers, mine!" I replied crossing my arms and stomping my feet an angry pout on my face.

"Give it to me." Janice growled.

"No. Its mine!" I replied stubbornly.

"Catherine I said give me that pacifier!" Janice growled grabbing me roughly by the arm and swatting my behind.

"Why don't you love me any more mommy?" I asked puzzled.

"Love you? Why would I love a disgusting little creature like you? I have never, nor will I ever love you. You are nothing but a worthless little brat! You have never been, nor will you ever be a part of this family!" Janice replied. "Now give me back that pacifier." As tears started filling my eyes Janice frowned. "What are you crying about? Stop that this instant! Give me that!" Janice replied angrily.

"But." I started to reply.

"But what?" Janice asked irritatedly.

"I'm a princess too, daddy said so." I replied.

" I want to make something perfectly clear to you. You are not nor have you ever been a princess and You are not a member of this family. You certainly are not my daughter. Your a pebble in my shoe that I am forced to tolerate. Now give me that pacifier and get out of my sight!" Janice growled at me.

"No! It's mine and she's can't have it!" I replied angrily running out the door.

"Catherine get back here this instant!" Janice yelled.

"No! I'm going to run away and never come back." I replied with a  running further down the corridor.

Janice sighed and shook her head. As she reentered the house. "Patch me through to my husband immediately."

"Hello honey, how is your day going?"

"This isn't a social call dear. That little brat Catherine has run away." Janice replied.

"Why would she do that?" Richard asked concerned.

"She stole Jackie's pacifier and when I insisted she give it back she refused. I was so frustrated with her behavior that I spanked her." Janice replied.

"You hit her?"

"She gave me no choice Richard. She sasses me and refused to give the pacifier back. She said she wished our little princess had never been born."

"What pacifier did she steal?"

"Why does that matter? What matters is she stole it right out of Jackie's mouth." Janice replied angrily.

"Honey, you know Catherine doesn't respond well to being yelled at. Did you even try asking nicely for her to give it back?" Richard asked.

"Of course I asked nicely! Richard I want the little brat caught and I want her punished!" Janice replies angrily.

Richard sighed "yes dear. I'll go look for her right away."

Meanwhile, as I was running away I ran straight into Lord Vader. "Where are you off to in such a hurry little one? Wait, I know you, your Lieutenant Leeson's little girl aren't you?"

I shook my head no. "Mommy doesn't love me anymore and daddy's not going to love me either when mommy tells him what I did." I replied tearfully.

"There, there little one, come stop your crying it will be alright." Vader replied kneeling down to wipe away my tears. "Now what's all  this about your mother not loving you?"

"She had a new baby."

"I see." Vader replied. "What makes you think that because your mom and dad had a new baby that they won't love you anymore?"

"Mommy told me so." I replied my eyes filling with tears once more. "She says dat me was neba a memba of de famiwy. Dat me is just an unwanted bwat dat they brwought home chase dey fewt sowwy fowa me."

"Catherine! What are you doing here? Your mother's worries sick about you! Stop bothering Lord Vader and go home!" Richard said grabbing a hold of my arm. "I'm so sorry Lord Vader. Catherine knows better then to bother you." Richard said with an apologetic smile.

"That's alright she wasn't bothering me.  She really is a sweet child. Which is why I'm a little disturbed to hear that she feels so unloved."

Richard frowned "now why would she tell you something like that? She knows better then to tell lies like that."

"So you and your wife didn't have a baby recently?" Vader asked.

"Well, yes my wife and I were blessed with a beautiful baby girl recently. However, Catherine knows that we still love her don't you Catherine?" Richard asked me with a frown.
Tears filled my eyes and I looked down at the floor. "Catherine you will answer me when I ask you a question. Now, you know that my wife and I love you don't you?"

"No. She doesn't. She hates me and she calls me lots of mean names and always wants to punish me. She gave my binky to the baby. It's my binky I don't want to share it." I replied tearfully.

"I see." Vader replied looking down at the pacifier in my hand. He frowned beneath his mask. Something seemed oddly familiar about that binky. "May I see that?"

"Nu. It mine."

At this, Vader chuckled slightly as Richard's became as white as a sheet. "I am so sorry Lord Vader. Catherine give Lord Vader the binky this instant!" Richard hissed at her.

"Nu wanna. My binky." Catherine replies clutching the binky tightly.

Richard frowned Catherine was being a brat and making him look bad in front of Lord Vader. "Catherine I won't tell you again do as Lord Vader asks." When Catherine refused to do instructed he grabbed her roughly by the arm.

"Daddy you is huwting me."

Richard ignored Catherine and turned to Vader. "I am so sorry Lord Vader. If you'll excuse us I have to have a word with my daughter." Richard said through clenched teeth as he handed Vader the binky. Vader noticed that Richard spat out the word daughter as if disgusted by it.

As Vader looked at the binky in his hand he let out a low growl. This was the binky that he had made Padme for his unborn child. Where did this child come by it? Vader was pulled out of his theoughtd when he heard Catherine let a wail. "Me sowwy daddy."

"I don't appreciate having my work day interrupted to have to deal with your reckless behavior.

"Me sowwy daddy." I replied tears streaming down my face.

"Now come on we will discuss this behavior when we get home." Richard replied grabbing my hand and dragging me down the corridor. Once around the corner Richard glared angrily at me. "How dare you embarrass me in front of Lord Vader like that!" Richard hissed slapping Me across the face.

"I should have listened to my wife. You there, that is take this child to the nearest detention center. Inform the officer in charge that I want him to break her sprit. She's an unwanted unloved little brat. and it's high time that she learned her place. She is to given daily beatings until she can learn respect authority and learn to do as she is told."  Richard ordered.

"Sir aren't you being a little harsh? I mean, it's normal for a child her age to behave like this. Especially after the birth of a sibling. All your daughter..."

"She's no daughter of mine!" Richard hissed glaring at me his eyes filled with hatred.
"Besides, this is no concern of yours. I will do with this child as I see fit. Now do as your ordered or I'll have you demoted."

"Yes sir." The Officer replied taking my hand. I couldn't help but sob as I watched Richard storm off down the hallway. He didn't love me anymore and it was all my fault. Now the officer knew the officer in charge of the nearest facility and he knew that he didn't have the time nor the patience to deal with children.

"I know I'm supposed to deliver you to the detention center but I know the officer in charge and he his cruel. No one deserves to be treated the way he treats his prisoners and defiantly not a child." The officer told me. "So the question is, what am going to do with you?"

"You could adopt me."

The officer laughed. "I have no time to raise a child. Besides, I can't do that even if I wanted too. Lieutenant Leeson's instructions were clear. He'll have me demoted or worse, if he finds out that I disobeyed his direct orders." He replied. 

"You could bring me to the academy."

"While the academy is known for its training it is out of the question. General Leeson inspects the academy cadets to determine where they will be assigned. Sooner or later he'd run into you and then I'd be in big trouble. So the question still remains what am I going to do with you?"

"Sunny where have you been? Never mind! We have new orders. We are to go to Tatooine to check out some minor disturbances that have been happening in that area. Why do you have Lieutenant Leeson's little girl with you? You don't have time to be playing babysitter. We have orders to report to the docking bay immediately. So drop the kid off at the care center and let's go. The Lieutenant can pick his daughter up at the end of his shift."

"She isn't his daughter and He has made it clear that he wants nothing more to do with her."

"That's nonsense."

"Do you remember that small cargo ship we encountered a few years ago."

"Yea. It was filled with rebel sympathizers. Governor Tarkin ordered all aboard to be executed including an infant if I remember correctly. What does that have to do with anything?"

I nodding in the kid's direction. "The kid is the infant that was aboard the ship."

"Come again?"

"The Lieutenant disobeyed direct orders and took the infant home instead of carrying out the execution because his wife was barren. However, now that his wife has given birth to a daughter he no longer has a desire to raise her as his own."

"Look, not to sound unsympathetic or anything but it's really not our problem. We don't have time to spend worrying about the welfare of the kid."

"I hate to admit it but your right. However, she was placed in my custody until I bring her to the detention center."

"We don't have time for that. Our transport leaves in ten minutes."

"Then I have no choice but to bring her with us."

"You've got to be kidding me. Tattoine's spaceport is is no place to bring a kid."

"I know but it's not like I can carry out my orders concerning her and I can't leave her to wander the spaceship. So we are out of options."

"Fine. Bring the kid but she's your responsibility."