Empire's Child

Chapter 1

Without warning, Star Destroyers appear in the sky on a bright day. People of all ages stop in their tracks and stare. Parents frantically call for their children, and vendors quickly pack up their items and rush indoors. Amidst the chaos, I stand pressed against a wall to avoid the stampede of people. As I gaze up at the sky, I am fascinated by the sight of the ships. I have always been interested in them, even to the point of buying (cough cough stole cough) a speeder bike that I later took apart just to see how it worked. However, I couldn't figure out how to put it back together and had to sell the parts. Suddenly, carrier ships land on the outskirts of town, and soldiers in white armor emerge, shooting at random people. Startled, I run down a side street and hear indistinct chatter from around a bend, causing me to skid in the opposite direction. I race around another corner and collide with a soldier.

"After her!" The lead soldier shouts. I skid to a halt and whip around, fleeing in the opposite direction.

"But she's just a kid. Can't we go chase someone else?" Another complains.

"Everyone in town is supposed to be rounded up. That includes kids. Get her!" The troopers finally agree and start running, but by now I've got a good head-start. And I know the town better than they do. Whipping around multiple corners, I come to the edge of town. I'd thought that if I left the town, I could hide in the surrounding rocks or something, but there's a perimeter of troopers encircling the town. I'm trapped.

I stop, my heart beating frantically in my chest. The stormtroopers behind me round the bend. One of the troopers guarding the perimeter comes around to block off my escape. I back up until I hit a wall. "Set your blaster to stun." One trooper says. Another trooper holds his gun up to point at me. Instincts take hold. I put my hands out a push them back. It feels as if some sort of power flows through me, turning solid and punching the stormtroopers back. After all, I don't make contact, but they're all flung back against the far wall and hit with a loud crack.

I stand there, stunned, for a moment. Then I remember what's going on and I start running again. But it's too late. The sound of mechanical breathing fills the air around me and I freeze. I try to run, but it feels like I'm stuck in a rock. I can't move. I can't turn, but I can hear the breathing coming closer. The feeling releases so suddenly I fall over. My head cracks against a rock and I fall unconscious.

I wake up in a cold sweat. I'd had the weirdest dream. Something with being trapped in rock and the Empire. My eyes land on a stormtrooper. Oh, no. This isn't my room. This is a ship.

I'm sitting up, leaning against a silver wall. My hands are bound. The handcuffs glow blue on the insides. I look around frantically. I'm terrified. I want to go home. My eyes fill with tears. I wipe them away with my sleeve, but it doesn't do any good. I'm full-on crying when the ship rumbles and the doors open. I press myself against the wall. Outside, I can hear the same mechanical breathing I'd heard before. I try to engage the tactic I'd used in the city, where if you're still and quiet, people will glance over you. Unless they're looking for you. A person enters the ship. He has a black suit on, and a black helmet that echoes the shape of a face. He's the one with mechanical breathing. I freeze. I'm so scared. This must be Darth Vader. People on my home moon talked about the Emperor's apprentice. They say he's deadly. Darth Vader approaches me. I shrink away. He grabs my shoulder and pulls me to my feet. I scramble to get my balance. I'm pulled out of the ship and away. My shoes, designed to help me balance on uneven rocky surfaces, do absolutely nothing to help me walk on the floor's metal grating.

I'm pulled into a waiting area for what I think are elevators. I've never been in one before. My home moon didn't have many tall buildings, and even the few we did have were only open to important people. Not orphans that live on the street. I'm pulled into an elevator, once one comes. "Where are you taking me?" I ask in a small voice. Darth Vader doesn't answer. I look around, trying to find an escape route, but the elevator is small and moving fast. There's no way to get out of it. The elevator jerks to a sudden halt and I lose my balance, falling to the ground. The doors open, revealing stormtroopers. They step back, saying they'll take the next one, but that's all the time I need. By the time Darth Vader looks down, wondering why I haven't stood back up, I'm halfway down the hall.

My breathing is heavy and echos as I sprint down one hall after another. My hands are still bound in front of me, which makes it harder to balance but what I'm pretty sure is pure panic keeps me up. I'm looking for a hanger, or escape pods, or something that'll get me off this ship. The smooth metal is seriously nothing like rocks I'd grown up running on. My feet, expecting hollows and dips, scramble on the slippery surface. I mutter a curse, slow down for just a second, and throw my shoes away. I'll run faster without them. My mottled light gray, dark gray, and white shirt and pants don't help me blend in with the walls of the ship. Stormtroopers easily spot me, and soon red blaster fire follows me. I manage to duck or dodge most of the blasts, which I count as a welcome miracle. But I did say most. One blast grazes my arm, leaving a small burn. Another singes my hair. Then a blast hits my knee. I fall as a dark burn forms where it hit. My leg won't support my weight, but I pull myself up anyway. I limp as fast as I can, hopping away. It feels like my leg has been dipped in fire. Tears streak down my face, despite my efforts to keep them back. I'm much slower now, and it doesn't take much time for the troopers to catch up. They grab my arms, pulling me to a stop. I scream and thrash, trying to get away. One trooper hits me with a shot from his blaster, but not a normal blast. Instead of a red shot, this one is circular and blue. It hits and I fall limp, stunned.