Entry 13

Pol Haus was transmitting via encrypted holo-transceiver and asked to talk with me privately, making both Aren and Degan look at me with some suspicion. I simply shrugged my shoulders in confusion as they exited the office.

The Zabrak Sector Police Prefect looked gaunt and grief-stricken. "Jax, I need your help. I need a Jedi."

"To save Sheel. I was told." Sheel Mafeen was a well-known Togruta poetess who worked with the resistance. Since she moved from city-to-city and planet-to-planet to do recitals she was the perfect operative to carry messages between various Whiplash and resistance enclaves.

"Yes," he looked down and appeared to fidget in his seat. "Jax, I know you went after Yimmon because he was a key player of Whiplash. Your team risked their lives to literally save the organization, but Sheel…Sheel and I were never key players in the resistance until the recent deaths of Tuden Sal and the other Whiplash operatives." He paused and took a deep breath. "I've talked to Yimmon and he and I both know Sheel doesn't have any strategic information that would warrant a near suicidal rescue mission…especially because she wasn't arrested for being a Whiplash operative and therefore it is doubtful she will be interrogated by members of the Inquisitorius."

My brow rose. "Why did she get arrested then?"

Pol had trouble maintaining his composure and he let out a contemptuous laugh. "For writing a poem and reciting it at a public venue—a poem which some Imperial officer deemed seditious in nature. That was all it took for her to be arrested and shipped off to a prison planet."

It felt like the air was pulled from my lungs. A prison planet was no place for a poetess. "I'm so sorry. So…Yimmon doesn't think she is worth sending a rescue team?" Once I said the words I realized how awful and callous they sound. I couldn't believe Yimmon would abandon one of our own.

Haus' bottom lip started to tremble and he bit down on it. He looked directly at me and I could see unshed tears in his eyes. "Yimmon is a leader who is looking out for the organization. He knows getting her off the planet would jeopardize much needed Whiplash operatives and it is unlikely any mission would succeed."

I sat there silently waiting for him to continue. "Jax…I have a relationship with Sheel. It was only the start of a relationship, I admit. After the death of so many whiplash leaders on Coruscant we realized life is short. We both were attracted to each other and were always close friends…but recently it became more…and then she was pulled away from me."

My heart and stomach sank. Pol Haus had just lost his lover to the Imperials and Yimmon had proclaimed her not worthy of a rescue mission. "Haus, I'm so sorry." And I was sorry. I knew exactly what he was going through. I finally found love with Laranth and then she was brutally torn from my life, but there was one difference. Laranth was dead, Sheel may very well be alive and well…for now.

"I can't ask you to risk your life to rescue her, but I know only a Jedi could pull off the impossible. Still…I…oh…kriff…maybe this is a bad idea. I can't ask you to do this."

"You don't have to ask Pol. I'll do it. You are with law enforcement. Knowing you, you already have a plan."

He let out a shuddered breath and this times tears did escape his eyes. "Thank you! Thank you! Can you come to Coruscant? I think I may be able to get you in as a guard of a prison barge."

I nodded. "I'll be there."

Entry 14

When I exited the office Aren Folee and Degan Cor fell in step with me. "What was that about? Why the secrecy?"

I stopped and turned to Aren. Her pale grey eyes stared at me suspiciously.

"Pol Haus made a personal plea to me as a friend to help him rescue Sheel."

Degan ran his hand through his dark hair looking perplexed. "Why would he need to do that? Weren't we going to do that anyway?"

I shook my head. "Yimmon doesn't think a rescue mission has any chance of success." I know my jaw clenched at the thought. "He's not sending anyone to save her."

Aren appeared stunned. "Oh," she said sadly. "I disagree with his decision, but I'm not a Cerean with a binary brain. He probably knows something we don't."

"Yimmon is the leader of Whiplash, not the Antarian Rangers." Degan gave me a level gaze. "Have you officially thrown your lot in with us?"

I nodded. "I told Whiplash it was too dangerous for me to stay on Coruscant. My intent is to remain with the Rangers."

"Good." Degan smiled and I could see his approval in his eyes. "For the last six hundred years the Antarian Rangers have supported and served the Jedi Knights…and since you are the last known Jedi…just let us know what you need and we'll get it for you."

I smiled at the man and gave him a friendly squeeze of his shoulder. "Thank you. I need to get to Coruscant. Pol has a plan."

I said my goodbyes the two leaders and headed back to my cabin to pack. I didn't like leaving Magash and Sacha right when I was going to begin their training, but that would just have to wait.

I went to Den and I-Five cabin to tell them I was going to Coruscant alone. That news was met with great resistance.

"No kark'n way you are going back to Coruscant alone," Den informed me in no uncertain terms. "Every time you run off unaccompanied you almost get killed. If I-Five, Sacha and I didn't coincidently go to Kantaros Station to try to rescue Yimmon ourselves you'd probably be dead. It took all of us to survive and if Sheel is on a prison planet you are going to need all the help you can get."

"I managed to survive on the streets of Coruscant long before I met you two," I reminded them.

"Let us at least come to Coruscant with you when you talk to Pol Haus," I-Five requested. "His plan may need a droid." He looked down at Den Dhur. "Or a short, stubborn Sullustan."

"No, you're not going with me."

"Where are you going?" I heard a female voice behind me. I turned and found Sacha and Magash standing in the open doorway.

"I'm going to Coruscant for a mission. I'll be back in no time. I need you to stay here."

"He's going to rescue Sheel Mafeen from a prison planet," Den announced to the women. I cringed knowing this was not going to go over well with Sacha.

"You're not going anywhere without your team," she said emphatically.

"We're not a team," I tried to reason with her.

Sacha put her hands on her hips and glared at me. "You once told me we made a great team! Or are we a team only when it is convenient for you?"

"Sacha…" I began and then trailed off. I did tell her we were a team and to be honest we were a very effective and cohesive fighting unit. Unfortunately this was a mission for a lone Jedi.

Magash stepped forward. She was still wearing that ridiculous jumpsuit, but the expression on her face was dead serious.

"Jax Pavan, today you asked me to be part of your clan." She turned to face Sacha before her gazed moved to I-Five and Den. "You wanted me to work together with your group. You said we would all be part of the Antarian Rangers clan." Her eyes narrowed. "Clan members fight together. To leave without us would bring dishonorable upon me. I would be seen as a disgraced fighter to my people…not worthy to remain a member of the Singing Mountain Clan."

I groaned softly. I didn't know enough about Dathomir culture to determine if she was exaggerating the truth or not. My head dropped in defeat. "I guess there is no point in arguing. Even if I managed to sneak off planet, you'll be right behind me, right?"

Sacha smirked. "Right."

I sighed deeply. "I guess we all are going to Coruscant."