Chapter 4
Merak and Mira awoke to find themselves tied up to polls inside the village. Mira shook off the last bit of tranquillizer and looked at Merak.
"Are you ok?" She asked.
"Yeah, but I don't have my saber. I think I dropped it."
"Well I still have mine hidden, and a trick up my sleeve. We wait before we make our move."
"what move, we are tied up inside a droid village." Merak said agitated that he was shown up by droids.
"I promised Luke I wouldn't let you get yourself killed, but I didn't agree to having you try to kill me. I don't car what Skywalker says, you pull that stunt with the speeder again, I'll personally make sure you end up becoming part of the force permanently."
"We are tied to polls in a village with no hope of rescue, and your talking about speeders?" Merak asked, clearly confused. "I wasn't trying to run you over you know."
Just then the same protocol droid appeared in front of the two tied up Jedi.
"You are Jedi I presume?" The droid said.
"Yes, I am Jedi Knight Merak Cassidy. This is.."
"I am no one in particular, I am a Jedi, but not one of renown." Mira said, cutting Merak off before he said to much.
"I see. Well because you are a Jedi, our rules state that you will be given a chance to prove yourself if you pass, Master Ori will see you. If not, we will make sure to send your box to the new Jedi temple for a proper Jedi burial."
"I see, so how do we prove ourselves?" Merak asked.
Mira shook her head, she didn't like the idea that their fates would be decided by the skills of Merak.
The two Jedi were cut down and escorted to a circular walled off section. Merak was given his saber once more. Then the two were pushed in and the door closed. The floor beneath them lowered and revealed two doorways. surrounded by pieces of droids. The doors opened and two rather large security droids that were built like tanks appeared, each holding two light sabers. Mira pulled her saber from it's hiding spot and activated it. While Merak's was a bright blue, Mira's was teal.
"Let it be known if these Jedi's survive, then they will be allowed audience with our master." the silver protocol droid said to a now gathered group of various droids.
"I have a really bad feeling about this." Mira said.
"You do, well, I was going to say the same thing." Merak stated.
"I highly doubt it kid." Mira thought to herself.
Just then the droids advanced on the Jedi. Mira was the more experienced in saber battles and quickly had the advantage over her droid. Merak on the other hand was clearly fighting to keep from loosing and arm or hand. Blow after blow echoed around the walls. While Mira was able to keep up with her droid and slice off one arm, Merak fell to the ground by the force of one blow, dropped his saber, rolled out of the way to avoid more blows. He rolled over his saber, grabbed it, activated it and was barely able to block a death blow from the droid.
"Mira!" He yelled.
Mira had had enough toying. With a wave of her hand she used the force to slam the droid into the wall. Then taking a thermal detonator from her belt she activated it and threw it onto the droid. A second later the droid exploded sending smoke and parts everywhere.
Merak was stunned slightly by the blast, only to quickly regroup. He rolled again, this time getting a piece of his cloak sliced by the saber of his droid.
He raised his saber to block the blow of both sabers. He wasn't strong enough to push off the droid. It lowered the sabers and pushed them closer to Merak. Suddenly Merak saw two blades rip thru the droid in a large X, one green the other teal. The droids fell apart in four pieces to the ground. Mira was standing behind the droid and used the force to push the rest into the corner. She deactivated her sabers and put them away. She then outstretched her hand to lift Merak up. He grabbed it and once they were both standing he looked at her.
"I. I'm sorry. I guess I really shouldn't be a Jedi knight after all." He said sadly.
"This is not the time nor the place. Skills come with experience." Mira said, placing a hand on the young knights shoulder. The floor under them moved up to it's original position. The wall opened and the protocol droid was there waiting. He nodded to them both.
"Do you with to see the master now?" He asked.
"Yes, we do." Merak stated.
The droid nodded and waved for them both to follow. The droid lead them to a rather small hut near the back of the town. It wasn't anything anyone would expect from the master of the town. The droid asked them to wait and went inside the tiny hut. It appeared a short time later.
"Ori asks what is it that you want?"
Mira took charge. " We only want to know if she had seen the crash of a ship a few years back. My partner and I are looking for the one known as B.C. Orion. On orders from Master Luke Skywalker."
The droid nodded and went again into the hut, appearing again a short time later.
"Master Ori knows nothing of this bounty hunter of whom you speak." The droid replied. "I'm sorry, but there is no more information to give."
"We never said she was a bounty hunter. If she doesn't know anything, then how did she know B.C. Orion was a bounty hunter?" Merak asked.
The droid faltered and backed away from the Jedi.
"Ori had stated that some Jedi's might come looking for her one day. Which is why you were captured, and not killed. Our protocol states if they were to pass the trial, then we were to get rid of them. I have given you the information of which I know. Nothing more."
"How did Ori create this place? What is the reason behind it? A droid village?" Merak asked.
The protocol droid started to answer his many questions.
Mira took a step back and then something caught her eye. Another hut, different from the others. While Merak listened to the droid she moved toward the mud hut. But before she could get close enough two more large security droids stepped in front of her and blocked her way.
"She's in there isn't she?" Mira said.
The protocol droid lowered his head. He knew he'd been found out and then looked up.
"She doesn't like visitors. I was only following orders. Those who do not are given to the Jawas to be sold or dismantled."
The door to the hut opened up behind the droids, but Mira's view was blocked.
"Move, I want to see the guests who passed the trials and are so interested in seeing me." came a female voice.
The two security droids parted and Merak and Mira got a good sight of the woman before them. Her long black hair was tied back. She wore black shirt tied off by a leather belt and black pants. Her boots were leather. Her face however gave the most telling sign. One could tell age had taken a bit of a toll on her, age and the heat of the planet. One eye was covered with a patch, however it didn't cover up a lot of the scaring around the eye. She walked with a limp over to the two Jedi. She looked at Merak intently.
"Let's get out of the sun. Come, I've some refreshment inside."
Merak looked to Mira who nodded. The two Jedi entered the hut to find out it lowered into a rather vast home. It was built into the land, rather them above it. A large workshop was over in the corner and it had many conveniences.
"Ori, we came to ask what you knew of the crash of B.C. Orion. The bartender in Moss Eisley said you may have heard or seen something." Merak asked.
"Nope, B.C. Orion is dead. I can tell you that much. I run a droid trade here. Run's pretty smoothly. I get scraps and parts from the Jawas that they gather. Create my droids. If their good enough I'll keep them here in the village to run things. IF not I sell them to the Jawas who sell them to buyers. When the buyers get fed up they toss them out. The Jawas pick them up as parts, bring them back here where I buy the parts for half the price I sold the droid for. Keeps my running. Louie gets my supplies and my skiff droids pick up my supplies. It's a rather solitary life, but one I prefer.
"So you like the company of droids rather to people?" Merak asked.
"Yep, You can always trust a droid, and if you ever get angry or fed up with one.." Ori stated.
"You can turn them off." Mira interrupted and finished Ori's sentence.
"I see you've heard that saying before." Ori said.
"Yes, from someone I knew long ago, in the Second Great War, against Emperor Scorpious." Mira stated as she looked to Ori.
Ori clearly became a bit tense, rose up and hobbled over to the makeshift kitchen and got the Jedi their drinks of water.
"From who did you hear that?" Ori asked Mira.
"B.C. Orion said it about her droid Hunter. She too was very fond of her droids."
Ori looked away and then back to the Jedi.
"As I said, B.C. Orion is dead. Now finish your drinks. I've had my droids bring your speeders in, repair the broken one. I must ask you to leave my town." She said coldly.
"Merak wait outside please." Mira said sternly to the young Jedi.
Merak looked at her and then to Ori.
"why, she said B.C. Orion is dead. We have to go back and tell Master Skywalker. He will want to know."
"He will, Now leave, I'm not asking, I'm telling you." Mira said sternly.
Merak got the hint and left the tiny hut, closing the door behind him but not going very far.
Mira looked at Ori and shook her head.
"Enough of the ruse old friend. You can fool the young ones B.C., but you can't fool me." Mira said.