The Ancient One laughed. "I'm sometimes called that," he answered, "but I'm really not that bad. I would never hurt a pretty little girl like you."
"Not in any way that she'd mind," one of the young Imperial soldiers muttered, "she might even like it."
The Imperial commander backhanded the young man, driving him into the wall. His ceremonial dagger came out and he would've driven it into the young man's chest had not The Ancient One seized his hand and stopped the thrust in mid stroke.
"Calm down, commander!" The Ancient One snapped. "Stand down!"
"I am applying discipline," the commander growled, "which is my right."
"Right!" The Ancient One answered, "But proper discipline, in this situation should be ten good lashes in public and an apology to his comrades for making such a statement in their presence, not death! We have lost too many tonight. A life should not be spent so foolishly!"
"I accept my Imperial Majesty's rebuke," the commander snapped. "I will see that the discipline he recommends is carried out. You are quite right. I have lost eight of my charges tonight. It will not go well for me. You may release my hand."
The Ancient One did so and the commander stabbed his hand with his dagger, wiped it on his jacket, and put it away.
"Ow!" the little girl cried. "Why did he do that?"
"They're a very proud people," The Ancient One answered. "He drew his weapon. He could not put it away without it drawing blood. You'll find that they demand obedience, but when it is given they lavish affection. He will be a very good father."
"Oh!" the little girl sighed, "Really?"
"Of course!" the Imperial commander answered. "It would only be proper. Now please, will you tell His Majesty what you told us?"
"I'll try!" the little girl answered. "Daddy and his friends are always angry. When they get drinking they're talking all the time about the betrayal, how their noble lady was made to kill herself, and how they had to have revenge. Then they started talking about having a device, that it was going to help them extract their revenge, that their Imperial blood would be avenged. I didn't like that word, device. I kept hearing it on t.v. and I knew it was a very bad thing that would hurt a lot of people. I saw father using his badge. He would put the thing in the back of it and listen. Sometimes he would hear people talking. One day one of his friends was using it and he told him never to do it, that if he used it too long the beacon would turn on, because he didn't have his bio signs. So I took the badge and hid in the woods, and plugged the thing in. Daddy's people came looking for me. They shot at me twice. Then these people came and brought me aboard this pretty thing. And those poor men were killed. That's all I can tell you. Daddy's farm is only a little ways from here. I could see on that thing," she pointed to a viewscreen, "when we were coming down again."
The Ancient One straightened. "Thank you dear!" he praised. "That was very helpful. You did a very courageous thing! You did a very good thing." He turned to the commander. "You are forgiven, commander. I'll go reconoitor that farm but I've got a feeling they're long gone. They probably took off when they found out she had the shield."
"Your majesty," the commander snapped, "Imperial blood has been shed."
"I understand Imperial pride," The Ancient One answered. "If at all possible, I will let you and your forces conclude this thing. But if the situation arises where the natives might have an opportunity to deal with these people, I will have to let them do that. You must understand that. The word device frightens me just as much as it frightens that young lady. If I don't come back in half an hour you'll know there's nothing at the farm. Continue your repairs and get to hell out of here!"
"Oh!" the commander snapped, "We tried to signal the natives using those codes you gave us. They did not respond."
"That's something I'd better look into!" The Ancient One snapped. He went outside and took wing with the Imperial soldiers crying his Imperial name. They checked the farm. As The Ancient One had suspected it had been stripped. The occupants were gone. He doubted they had gone very far, but they had gone. "This is going to be trouble!" he told Durga, "This is going to be REAL trouble!"
"What more could happen?" Durga asked.
"I don't even want to think about it!" The Ancient One sighed. "But let's do a spiro around the area. I want to see if I can find anything. This is really gonna be trouble! One little tiny mistake, one damned little mistake and it's coming back to haunt us over and over again! Why did I ever tell The Imperials that the founders of their royal line were Havens, members of my race?"
"How would you have known," Durga answered, "that they would use that as an excuse to try to claim soveriegnty over the Earth?"
The Ancient One shook his head. "I just should've been more careful!" he repeated. "I just should've been more careful!" He took wing and Durga followed.