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There was no sense in prolonging this. Jax turned his attention to Tuden Sal. “A wise man asked me a question not long ago. He asked me if I countenanced the same sort of tactics that Palpatine and Vader would use, how I would distinguish myself from them. I didn’t have an answer to that question. And, in the absence of that answer, I can’t give my active approval of this … mission.”

There was a flurry of startled words, and Jax found himself assailed anew by the strength of their emotional reactions. Rhinann and Den were literally gaping at him, while Dejah took a step backward, visibly stunned and bewildered.

Jax started for the entry to the gallery. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to call Pol Haus.”

On his way to his room, he glanced down to the studio floor where Kaj was in the midst of what seemed a very fine meal, indeed. The aroma alone made Jax’s stomach growl, reminding him how long it had been since he’d eaten. The boy paused long enough to smile up at him, a look of contentment on his face.

I’m glad someone’s happy, Jax thought.

He went into his bedchamber, intending to close the door behind him, but Dejah took up a spot in the doorway before he could.

“You’re making a mistake,” she told him. “This plot of Sal’s is the best way of restoring the Republic and putting an end to Palpatine’s cruelty.”

“I-Five is an independent being, Dejah. He can make this decision on his own.”

“He refuses to. For all that he swears he’s owned by no man, he certainly seems to be owned by you.”

“That’s not fair to either me or I-Five.”

“So you’re just going to go along, like always, solving cases for Pol Haus and pecking at the Empire’s armored flank until you exhaust yourself?”

He met her gaze, feeling a warm rush of heat as he did. She was fully armed, he realized, and probably always had been where he was concerned. Why? Was it so important to her that she have a fleeting physical relationship with a Jedi that she’d intentionally numb him to what was going on around him?

“Is that what I’m doing, Dejah?” he asked. “Is that what we are—me, Laranth, Thi Xon Yimmon, the entire Whiplash? Just annoying little gnats buzzing around a juggernaut we can never hope to bring down?”

She advanced into the room, fists clenched, fire sparking in her eyes. “I’m no military strategist, Jax, but even I know that if you want to take down a superior force—be it a beast or an army—you take off its head. No other strategy makes the least bit of sense when you have such meager resources.”

He smiled wryly. “You’ve been talking to Sal.”

“Yes. And I think what he says makes a lot of sense.”

Jax nodded. It did make a lot of sense. In fact, Sal was right. That was the textbook strategy under the circumstances. “Did you bring him here?” he asked mildly.

“He brought himself here. I simply let him in.”

He gestured at the HoloNet node in the corner of his room. “I need to talk—”

“To Pol Haus? So you said. What are you going to do, give Kaj up to him?”

“No. Thi Xon Yimmon believes Haus is trustworthy. I want to give him a chance to lay out his ideas.”

“You’re going to betray that boy.”

Jax felt a stab of unease. “I would never do that. I hope you won’t suggest to him that I would.”

She seemed crestfallen and contrite. “I’m sorry. That was a stupid, indefensible thing for me to say. I’m … I’m just not used to feeling like this.”

She might have said more, but I-Five announced his presence with that peculiar throat-clearing sound he’d cultivated. With a last glance at Jax, Dejah excused herself and slipped out of the room past the droid, who watched her leave with an expression that somehow managed to be speculative.

I’m not used to feeling like this. Jax suspected that meant the Zeltron was simply not used to being told no. She was used to getting her own way. He realized he was disappointed on two counts—disappointed in Dejah for directing her wiles at him and at himself for not realizing it.

Jax stowed his thoughts and looked at I-Five. He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I-Five. I just can’t—”

“You don’t need to apologize to me, Jax. You