Chapter 3: Brave New World
0 BBY
Chaos, that was his best word for it. Sword Squadron had been stationed on ground in a few months, on Col, a planet in the Outer Rim. It had been peaceful enough, but a few weeks earlier, riots had broken out.
There were loud persistent rumors, the destruction of Alderaan, by an imperial super weapon, later destroyed by the Rebels, over some desolate planet. Mathian had hoped it to not be true when he had first heard it, but the reaction from the Imperial Garrison stationed on the planet had disproved it. They had been brutal, to brutal for this to be fake.
He remembered it clearly. Just a few days before, leaders of the riots had been publicly executed, and it had been broadcast to not only the rest of the planet, but the rest of the system.
It had been a clear warning, and a frightening one at that.
He had been stupid, naive, he didn't want to believe the Empire could do such a thing, but with it's reaction to the news and the many sources claiming it to be true, he had begun to believe them. Casradi had too. All of them, even the past ones, about the Empires massacres and other horrendous war crimes.
They had talked about it, and finally they knew exactly what to do.
Safe, they were safe, for the time being.
It had been weeks, but they had finally gotten the opportunity to flee from the empire. They had gotten out and met with a smuggler, Casradi had hired, he gave them two civilian jackets, it would cover the insignia on the black suits, and the stormtroopers on their night shifts hopefully wouldn't see through the "Disguise". "Look on the bright side, at least i don't have to wear that stupid cap." Mathian had thought.
Here they were, aboard the smugglers ship, on route to the Casjib system, in the Outer Rim.
"Time for a new life."
"Good luck." The Duros smuggler said, and turned around walking towards his ship.
"We will definitely need it." Casradi said.
"Yeah." Mathian muttered.
A long time went by searching for a place with beds for rent, but finally they found it.
A small but comfortable place. Away from the empire.
While speaking with the cashier, a kind looking woman, a man appeared from another room. The man caught Mathian and Casradi's attention. While his looks were not anything special, brown eyes, white hair, it was the way he carried himself, like a military man.
It worried him, what if he was an Imperial Spy? Even if he just happened to run into them, he would still be dangerous. But why did they run, he had asked himself, but how could they attempt to legally divorced themselves from the Empire? They had killed hundreds of rioters, when it was not necessary, why wouldn't they kill them, if they knew to much about Imperial Military Protocol, or because of the current turmoil?
He was becoming more paranoid, "He is just a former soldier, calm down." He tried to reassure himself with his thought.
"Something wrong?" The man said, in a powerful voice.
"No, we have just had a long day." Casradi said, as she smiled at him.
"She always knows how to handle a situation." Mathian thought, a smile emerging on his face.
"Enjoy your stay." the woman said after a few moments of silence.
"Thanks."
Mathian would enjoy the peace the stay would provide, as long as he was able.