Vape walked into the Fishtank, where all the pilots gathered to talk, drink, or just refuel with a good meal. It was one of the things she liked about the CRS Morning Star — the Citizen's Mug on the FRG Regis hadn't been as neat as the Fishtank. It was a little dark and humid, but she enjoyed staring at the huge aquarium that ran along one wall.

"—so that was the last time I ever tried that, you can be sure!"

She looked up and saw many of her friends crowded around a table and laughing. They saw her and waved her over. Some of them were still snickering at whatever the first person had been saying. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

"We got off on the subject of crazy things we did before we signed up," Leo explained.

"So—what's the craziest thing you ever did before joining the Alliance, Vape?"

Vape grinned, realizing why everyone had been laughing. "Oh, boy. You mean other than putting honey on eggs for breakfast?"

Angel made a face. "Gross!"

Vape snickered. "Yep. I liked them, too, at the time. I was pretty little."

After a moment's thought, Vape dredged up an old memory. "Okay, you lot, I think I've got it. The first time I escaped Imperial clutches! Here goes--"

. . .

"Vwrrrm!" Chelsey thwacked her friend with her stick. "Har! Gotcha, Nirm!"

"Ow!" Nirm complained. "Don't hit so hard, A'ruka!"

"Sorry. Got carried away." Chelsey was momentarily downcast. "You're not supposed to call me A'ruka, you know. My name is Chelsey now—Mother says so."

"All right," Nirm agreed, poking her with his stick. "Just don't hit so hard. These are supposed to be lightsabers, not clubs!"

"Sorry," Chelsey repeated. She leveled her stick at him again. "Have at you!"

Making lightsaber noises, the two of them set to dueling again. Chelsey was only seven years old, but she fought well. Swordfighting was an ancient art and tradition where she and her mother had come from, the planet Eh'shu'lah. Despite the fact they had left their planet a year ago, her mother had insisted she learn their traditions.

"Yah! Squelch!" Chelsey shouted, poking Nirm's chest with her stick. "I am the Jedi master now!"

Nirm crumpled to the ground, pretending to choke and die. Meanwhile, the two of them didn't notice a third person approach.

"What are you guys doing?"

Chelsey looked up to see a nine-year-old boy. She recognized him as the son of a Imperial captain stationed in the city. She smiled, too young to hold any malice against the Empire. "Want to duel?"

"Okay," the boy agreed. Nirm gave him his stick, and he and Chelsey faced each other.

They clacked their sticks together energetically, but Chelsey quickly got the upper hand despite her small stature. She whapped him on the neck. "Vwwrmm! Slorck! You're dead!"

He frowned and tried to retaliate. It was obvious that he wasn't willing to admit defeat.

Chelsey dodged, blocking his blow with ease. "Hey, you're dead!"

"I am not!" he retorted. "You barely touched my neck."

"Yeah, but we're Jedi knights and these are lightsabers," Chelsey reasoned. "It only takes a tap to hack off your head."

"Jedi?" he asked, looking shocked.

"Yes!" She rapped him on the head with her stick. "There! See? You're dead. Fall over!"

"I'm telling on you!" the boy shouted, running away.

Chelsey and Nirm looked at each other. Chelsey was puzzled. "What's wrong with him?"

Nirm looked nervous. "I don't know, but the Empire doesn't like Jedi. I hear they had them all killed."

"They killed the Jedi?" Chelsey demanded angrily. "How could they? The Jedi were warriors of good!"

"Not all of them," Nirm reminded her. "Some turned to the dark side."

"Oh. Yeah." Chelsey frowned. Something wasn't adding up, but she wasn't sure what.

After a moment, they shrugged and went back to fighting. It wasn't long before they had completely forgotten the incident. Then stormtroopers arrived, and the boy was with them.

"That's her!" the boy declared, pointing.

The pair of white-clad troopers took Chelsey by the arm. "Come with us, kid."

"Hey!" Chelsey protested. "What did I do? Let go of me!"

She struggled at first, but her mother had told her to always cooperate with the authorities. She submitted and let them take her to the nearby station.

People whispered in the street as they passed, and some of them looked angry, though she know why. When they reached the station, she grew nervous. The building was angular and ominous. It was coldly void of decoration, save for a few Imperial logos.

The stormtroopers led her down bright corridors to an important looking office. Chelsey assumed the man inside was the person in charge. He had stern features, and she guessed that there wasn't the slightest bit of fat on his chiseled, muscular frame. He looked like he could fight a pack of Gundarks single-handedly.

"This kid was pretending to be a Jedi," one of the troopers explained. "She obviously has access to black market Jedi propaganda."

The stern man eyed her. "That's a serious offense, you know."

Chelsey stared at them, getting more nervous by the moment. She wished her mother was with her—she always knew what to do. But then again, it was her mother who had raised her on stories about the Jedi.

"Look, kid," the man offered, "what have you got? Smuggled holovids? Black market toys? Maybe even a Jedi medallion?"

Chelsey frowned. "N-no."

The man hunched closer over his desk. "Maybe you know someone who has . . . unnatural powers?"

"No," Chelsey repeated.

The man scowled. "Than how do you know of the Jedi?"

"Just stories my—" Chelsey stopped. "Stories someone told me."

"Who told you?" the man demanded. "Who has been spreading their vile propaganda?"

Chelsey shook her head, knowing if she said, her mother would be in trouble.

"This is a very serious offense, kid," the man warned. "Tell me!"

Chelsey repressed a gulp. Then she realized what hadn't made sense earlier, and an idea formed in her mind. She leveled her stick at the man. "I am Lord Vader! Bow before me, or I will be forced to show you the true power of the Force!"

They all stared for a moment, so she continued. "I've heard lots about Vader! He's a powerful Jedi. You don't like him?"

The Imperials glanced at each other. Jedi propaganda had been outlawed, but kids being taught to admire Darth Vader were another matter.

"And the Emperor, too!" Chelsey went on. She wiggled her fingers. "You better be careful—he might zap you with lightning!"

The stern man almost cracked a smile. "You were told stories about Lord Vader and Emperor Palpatine?"

"Of course! They're really powerful, and they can do all sorts of neat stuff!" Chelsey exclaimed, carefully not mentioning that they were also evil. She squinted at the man and waved her hand at him. "We're done here. The kid is free to go."

The man chuckled. "All right, guys—let her go. I'm sure Vader and Palpatine don't mind having young fans."

. . .

Vape laughed. "Man, I thought I was so dead, but my crazy plan worked! That was my first encounter with the local Imperial authorities, before I learned how vile they all were."

"You were only seven at the time?" Yale asked, still smiling at the story.

"Yeah." Vape shuddered. "I got mad at them after that, because my mother wouldn't tell me any more stories about the Jedi and the Force. My run-ins with them got worse after that, and so here I am."

Ranger nudged Yale. "If you ask me, she got crazier after joining the Alliance!"

"Hey! That's not true!" Vape kicked Ranger's shin under the table. Then she looked around. "Say, anyone want a drink? I make superb colored fizzy water!"