Survivor of Order 66

Chapter Four: Forced Hand

Zeako's words echoed through Martus' head as he strolled down towards the market place, BD-4 doing its best to keep up with its distracted master. BD trilled, but Martus didn't seem to pay him any attention, but another series of beeps snapped him awake. "I'm sorry, BD. I'm just a little occupied in thought, is all. Didn't mean to ignore you." BD gave a forgiving chirp, before catching his lens on one of the vendor tables. Martus watched as the little droid hopped up on the booth, filled with many colorful paintings and artwork. BD scanned one just as the human owner noticed them, "Ah, company. How is Master Martus today?" "Fine, Azelko," Martus answered as he took the artist's hand, "Just taking a walk." Azelko then look at the droid that continued to study his work. "What an interesting little droid. Is it yours?" "Yes," Martus answered as he reached for BD-4. "Sorry about him, but he just seems interested in your paintings." "Stop," Azelko called out just as Martus picked up his droid. "Leave him. I see a blank canvas, begging for my expertise." The droid and his master looked at each other before the Jedi asked for clarification. "A...canvas?" "Yes. Your droid lacks expression, personality, flare. I would be more than happy to share some of my creativity with him." The Jedi looked back to his droid, who trilled happily as he awaited his master's answer. "Well," Martus began, "if BD wants decoration, I'll let him." BD beeped happily and practically jumped out of Martus' arms and onto the table. "Well, then. I'll begin showering your droid in my creativity," Azelko stated as he motioned BD-4 to follow him to the back of the booth. "Come back in half an hour or so." Martus stated to his droid as he walked off, "I'll be back, BD. Try to behave." The droid gave a sarcastic beep, the Jedi continued on through the marketplace.

"You're not eating. You feeling OK, Martus?" Martus snapped out of his train of thought as he looked to see Jin-oki standing over his table, concerned. The Jedi shrugged his friend's question off, "I'm fine. Just tired." Jin-oki pulled up a chair and sat across from Martus, who could feel the Ishi Tib's eyes piercing his efforts to hide his worries. After a few seconds of just chatter from the patrons, Jin-oki spoke, "It's a...Jedi thing, isn't it?" Martus just sighed, before nodding, his only reply to his friend. "Listen, I get I'm not a Jedi. But if something is troubling you this much, maybe it would help to talk about it?" "But what I say," Martus spoke up as he returned his gaze to Jin-oki, "may just give you unnecessary worry. This is my problem. " "I'm not offering unwanted help," Jin-oki retorted, "just to help ease your worrying, is all." The Jedi wanted his friend not to worry, but his willingness to share the burden that clouded his mind made Martus smile. "Fine," Martus admitted defeat, "I'll share. I sense dark times ahead. I feel like an evil is tracking my every move, waiting for me to falter and reveal myself to them. To the Empire." "But the Empire has no reach out here," Jin-oki comforted. "Galtomas is the perfect place for you to hide." "But for how long?" Martus continued. "Zeako and I fear that sooner or later, they and others that work under them will come to this world." The bird-lizard alien turned a shade lighter at the mention of Zeako, "You... You still speak in person with our guardian?" Martus had forgotten, he was the only one on Galtomas that saw Zeako as anything more than a mysterious being that watches over them. "Yes, I do. He is more attuned to the Force than I, and-" Martus began, but his mouth then lacked the words to continue. As a wave of cold washed over him, and through the faded voice of Jin-oki calling for him, Martus heard other sounds. He could hear yelling, men crying out in anguish, and he could make out the growls of a large animal in the attack. Zeako! An uproar causes Martus to snap back, looking towards the source with Jin-oki. Several soldiers dressed in white armor, broke off as they fanned out throughout the establishment, guns held up and ready. "I can't believe this," Jin-oki stated in shock at the sight of the soldiers, "stormtroopers!" The stormtroopers were forcing people up from their seats, escorting them outside, and one trooper walks up to Martus' and Jin-oki's table. The stormtrooper looks between the two before ordering, "You two, up. Line up outside with the rest." "Do what they say," Martus whispered to his friend as the soldier followed closely behind them. "We don't want to give them a reason to harm us." Jin-oki only nodded, both being pushed outside, finding the scene that awaited them.