A not-so-long time ago in Norfolk, Virginia, a little girl fell in love with "Star Wars." When Layla Murphy found her father's old "Star Wars" toys, she, like so many others, found her place in a galaxy far, far away.

And a galaxy full of Siths and scoundrels and Stormtroopers can seem tame compared to school bullies. When Murphy moved to a new school, she was teased by girls for liking "Star Wars" because it was for boys.

Of course that's not true -- Leia is the most badass princess around -- but it hurt.

"At this new school Layla started coming home more quiet and less of herself," Layla's mother, Nicolette Molina, said, "and started asking not to wear her shirts or R2-D2 jacket."

"She was asked if she was turning into a boy."

The Rebel Alliance would never stand for that, so when fellow "Star Wars" fan Jason Tuttle caught wind of the disturbance in the Force, he rallied the 501st Legion, a charitable fan group, to support Murphy. Tuttle sent patches, stickers and a lot of encouragement her way.

Murphy even received custom Stormtrooper armor originally built for another girl who had been a victim of the dark side of bullying, Katie Goldman. Wearing her armor, Murphy got the chance to meet everyone's favorite geek, "Weird Al" Yankovic, who's known for his Jedi-like whit and "Star Wars" parodies.

And while she might be a little short for a Stormtrooper, Murphy loves surprising those who expect a little boy behind the mask.