Entry 51

I arrived on Hapes two days later and was met at the spaceport by Commander Tavik himself. I guess Tenel Ka or Jacen told him to expect my arrival. He strutted to my Stealth X with the telltale Void Jumper swagger. I once tried to pull off that cocky stride, but Zylie told me it looked like either my underwear was too tight or I needed some hemorrhoid cream. I must admit, Tavik pulls it off without looking like he's wearing restricting undergarments or is in the need of medicinal ointments. I climbed down from my ship, secured the cockpit, and pulled out a small carry all bag from the side fuselage compartment as the older man came up next to me and slapped a hand on the shoulder. "Tantiss! I figured 'you-know-who' would send somebody to check on the situation." He looked me up and down. "Nice flight suit, but lose the lightsaber. Hapans are not very accepting of Jedi. Jacen and Tenel Ka are tolerated because they are no longer part of the order."

I nodded as I removed my saber from my belt and slipped it into a side cargo pocket. "Is the insurrection put down?"

He dropped his hand from my shoulder and gestured for me to follow him. "I believe so."

I glanced over to him. "Have you gotten any intelligence from the survivors?"

He chuckled as he opened the door to a parked speeder. "Get in and we'll talk." He looked around the spaceport. "There are too many eyes and ears in the public."

I entered the luxurious speeder with blasterproof windows and doors. Once Deke was inside he grinned good-naturedly. "It's good to see you again. How is your mom and dad?"

I shrugged as he started the vehicle and sped off in the direction of the palace. "Who knows about my dad? He's always off doing something dangerous. My mom is probably safe on Indupar baking cookies or getting a massage from her favorite masseur."

Tavik laughed. "Living in a palace is a nice cushy life. I don't blame your parents for leaving the frugal quarters of the Jedi Academy to live in the extravagant suites of a royal house. I know I would rather be here and saving the Queen than working as a void jumper, living in the mud, eating dehydrated rations and hoping there isn't a malfunction of the urination evacuation system of my armor while I'm off killing the enemy."

I shook my head and gave a snort. "Don't lie to me. You miss the thrill of the drop and the vanquishing of the enemy."

Tavik laughed. "That is the beauty of working with Tenel Ka…I'm always annihilating adversaries. She has a never-ending stream of rivals trying to kill her."

"That's true," I said. "So, have you questioned the survivors?"

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "There are no survivors."

My brow rose in shock. "You didn't take prisoners?"

He gave me an indignant glower. "I didn't take prisoners because these people fought to the death."

"Who are they? Are they mercenaries?"

He made an incredulous expression. "Do you know any mercenaries that fight to the death? Unless they thought I was going to capture and torture them, mercenaries would surrender and try to work out a deal. They would give up the name of their employer for leniency."

"What if they thought their employer would kill their families if they surrendered? I hate to say it, but I have seen that tactic carried out on various planets."

Tavik thought about it. "Maybe, but these people look Hapan."

"Really? Hapans may be classified as near human, but to me they look just like every other human in the galaxy, so how could you tell?"

He gave me a sidelong glance. "They are beautiful. The Hapan people may have the darkest souls in the universe, but their exterior is drop dead gorgeous. I may not like them, with the exception of the queen and her kids, but I have to admit they have a flawless beauty. That's why I think these insurgents were Hapan, they are attractive…all of them. And if they were hired by the Hapan royals…well then your theory might be right. The royals would slaughter the families of any disloyal foot soldiers. They would be better off fighting to the death, rather to face the wrath of these backstabbing royals."

The speeder was nearing the royal palace and I was astonished by the extent of the destruction. The palace was in ruins. Construction workers, police, and rescue personnel were climbing over the rubble as heavy lifting droids raised huge chunks of duracrete. I assume they were looking for survivors or perhaps this was a recovery mission. I turned to Deke. "When was the last time a survivor was discovered?"

"Yesterday. It was one of the maids." He shook his head sadly. "She died in the hospital."

We drove by large barricades with armed soldier keeping reporters and looters out of the area. To my surprise, Tavik didn't slow down but went right by the palace.
I looked back at the scene of destruction. "I was hoping to poke around and try to use the Force to figure out the identity of the attackers."

Tavik shook his head. "The place is now a crime scene. It is off limits to nonessential personnel."

I gave him a curious look. "And you are commander of the Queen's security. Surely you could get me in."

He made a humphing noise. "The investigation has been taken over by the Hapan Consortium Investigation Bureau." He gave me a sidelong glance. "Since this was an attack on all royals, every royal house is under suspicion, including the Queen and her private security detail."

"Then where are we going?"

"My quarters. I can brief you there."

I nodded. "Commander Tavik, who told you about the impending attack?"

He grunted. "That again? The Queen sent you to pump me for information, did she?" He pulled into a vehicle garage attached to what looked like a luxury apartment building. "I told her that I promised my contact that I wouldn't reveal my source."

I nodded. "Fair enough…but what are you giving them in return?"

He jerked the wheel of the speeder, pulled into a parking spot and stopping so abruptly it nearly caused me to hit my head on the dashboard of the vehicle. He turned and glared at me.

"You know, not every person on this planet is a conniving, backstabbing bastard that always has an angle to play. I may be giving my contacts something, but it is of no concern to the Queen. I am not doing anything to hurt her or her family. I am not going to give up my sources." He gave me a hard look. "You of all people should know some secrets are too dangerous to get out in the open. Sometimes we keep our confidences to maintain the safety of our friends and loved ones."

My breath caught in my throat. I was sure he was referring to my son. "Me, of all people? What do you know, or what do you think you know?"

He chuckled as he unbuckled his restraints. "I know your family has been keeping a very big secret."

I laughed. "I'm not falling for that trick. You are fishing for information."

"Damn." He grinned. "You are smarter than your father. I always get him with that ploy."

He opened the door and got out of the vehicle. I pushed open the heavy durasteel door on my side and exited the vehicle as I joined Deke at the rear of the speeder. He walked toward an elevator while giving me a wave to follow. "Come on, we'll go to my quarters and we can have a chat."

My unease began to grow. If my dad always falls for Deke's fishing expeditions, then what information is he privy to? Does he know about my son, or was he referring to Jacen and his fall to the darkside? I guess I will have to wait and find out.