Holshef

Holshef was a human male native of the Outer Rim Territories planet Lothal. Although he had a great love for his homeworld, Holshef was disturbed by its slow ruination by the Galactic Empire. By 4 BBY, he was an old man with wispy white hair who painted and wrote poetry. His artistic expressions against the Empire's actions on Lothal resulted in an arrest warrant and forced him into hiding. He paid credits to Yahenna Laxo of the Gray Syndicate to stay safe from Imperial attention.

As rebellious activities increased on Lothal, the Empire also increased its efforts in corralling the planet's criminal underworld, and few elements escaped attention. The Empire targeted the Gray Syndicate's gambling operations and warehouses, before finally accomplishing the Syndicate's near total destruction by raiding its headquarters and killing Laxo. Her death left Holshef in danger, as there remained an Imperial bounty issued for the old man's capture. Thus, Merei Spanjaf, a human female who had come to know and like Holshef through her activities with the Syndicate, sought to spirit him off Lothal.

With the Empire further tightening its grip, Spanjaf eventually removed the artist from his place of hiding in a hasty and risky plan to escape. Holshef loathed giving up the only planet he had ever known, but Spanjaf convinced him that nothing good could result from his remaining. By then, the two were directly targeted by a dangerous bounty hunter, though a wild chase left the hunter dead, and Holshef escaped the planet with the help of a cantina owner known as Old Jho and was dropped off on the planet Garel.

Text and facts from the “Holshef” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.