I’ve received several unverified reports that this library has secret records documenting the Knights of the Ordu Aspectu—if they exist, I need to get to them before the Imperials have them destroyed—

LONA APHRA:

“Unverified reports”…“If they exist”…do you hear yourself? You’re willing to put us in the line of an Imperial firing squad—or worse—for unsubstantiated hunches and flights of fancy. And you want to take our child with you!

APHRA (narration):

Look, my dad is not in the running for any Parent of the Millennium awards. Or even Parent of the Last Fifteen Minutes. But if I’m choosing, I’ll always choose “potential harm’s way” over “safe but so mind-numbingly dull that you spend most days counting dust motes on the crumbling leaves of chatterplants.” At least Dad had a purpose in life. Mom’s purpose was mostly “don’t die.”

KORIN APHRA:

Chelli is interested in my research—

LONA APHRA:

Chelli is six!

KORIN APHRA:

And already, she shows such promise—I could really use her help on this trip. She’s so fascinated by my work—whenever I talk about how restoring the Knights could bring light and balance to the galaxy…I can see that yearning in her eyes. That desire to make her mark, to change the world, to be great.

She wants to do incredible things in her life, Lona. She’s like me: never satisfied with simply existing. She wants to live.

LONA APHRA:

Then why do you want to take her on a dangerous research trip where she’ll probably end up dead?

YOUNG APHRA:

Mama! Daddy!

APHRA (narration):

Yes, this is where I decided—strategically—to emerge. I wasn’t the smartest kid, but I knew that as soon as I toddled in, looking all cute and helpless, they’d pay attention to me and stop fighting.

Hmm, you know what? Actually, I was pretty smart.

YOUNG APHRA:

Why are you yelling?

LONA APHRA:

Oh, Chelli…we’re just having a…discussion…

KORIN APHRA:

That’s right, Little Boop! Say…how would you like to go on a super-important research mission with your dad—

LONA APHRA:

Korin!

[sotto, gritted teeth]

We’re not finished talking about this. And we never agreed—

KORIN APHRA:

No, we can’t agree. So it should be up to Chelli, don’t you think? She’s perfectly capable of making her own decisions—

LONA APHRA:

She’s a child—

KORIN APHRA:

Nonsense. You’re a big girl, aren’t you, Little Boop?

YOUNG APHRA:

Um…yeah?

KORIN APHRA:

So what do you want to do? Stay here and play with your tooka? Or go on an adventure with your dad?

YOUNG APHRA:

Adventure!

KORIN APHRA:

Then adventure it shall be!

LONA APHRA:

Korin…

KORIN APHRA:

She’s decided, Lona—she wants to expand her horizons. And that’s that.

APHRA (narration):