| ***** "I’m not sure how this dance G-GOOOOOOOOOOES!" Leona yelled as Griff whipped her into a spin, twirling her first out and then back in towards him. "Relax. I know it." He muttered. "I’m just not very good at it. I’ve got three left feet." He picked her up by the waist and held her aloft, much to the approval of most of the males watching who got more of a show then they bargained for. Leona squealed. "Don’t you mean two left feet?" "N-no." He confessed as he pirouetted her in mid air and caught her again. Just. "Three, definitely. I tend to be a little bit clumsy, you know? Tripping over the extra foot I don’t have." "You haven’t been taking lessons from my padawan, have you?" Leona asked nervously as he tilted her headfirst towards the ground. "I’m OK with a starship or a blaster. But take it from me," he panted slightly, "dancing is not really high on the list of prerequisite skills for someone like myself…" "I believe you!" Leona gasped, as she felt her back snap slightly with the effort of keeping up with the smuggler. Physician heal thyself, she thought morosely. Round and round and round…Leona thought she could see stars whirling past her eyes. She had no idea how Corellians could do this sort of dance. Surely it would make them sick long before they ever got to the fourth partner! Griff deftly tried a split leap which didn’t quite come off and he landed with all the grace and elegance of a Flipperphant down on one knee. "Festerin’ baldrons!" He groaned. "Hey, youngster." Lilith nudged Jemmiah but spoke out to the crowd. "I think his girdle’s snapped!" Rendar ignored the jibe and reached up for Leona’s hand, clasping it tightly and pulling her down towards him over his bended knee. She gave a concerned little squeal.] "Don’t worry." He reassured her once more. "Trust me. Every thing is under control…" As Leona tried to get her balance, Griff adjusted his position and unknowingly stood on the end of the healer’s split dress. He tried to gently hoist her forwards again off his knee but perhaps proved to be a tad too energetic with his move. When Leona was propelled forward, there came an almighty tearing sound. And a stunned silence from the audience who had up until that point been clapping in time to the music. Leona’s dress had been split right up the side. "Keep going!" Mace gestured to an embarrassed Griff and the three astonished co-dancers. Lilith was doubled over with laughter. She wasn’t the only one. Jemmiah spotted Sal-Fina clearly having the time of her life. I’ll fix her, she thought. "I hope this is all goin’ down on the holocam!" Lilith choked with glee. Leona stood, feeling humiliated at the edge of the group, valiantly attempting to hold her dress together with her hands as Krelo took to the floor. Jemmiah walked over to her, searching in her shoulder bag for something that might help. "Here," she said, offering Leona the use of several pin clasps. "It might just hold it together until we get back." "Thanks." She mumbled gratefully, taking the proffered pins and attempting to reattach her dress along the hem. "I don’t think I dare go to the next Cantina looking like this, though." "Well, that would be a pity." A deep voice said from behind her. She turned round and to her astonishment saw Qui-Gon Jinn standing towering above her. "Here." He said, offering her his robe. "Nobody will notice you in that. It might be a bit long for you," his lips pursed in a small smile, "but I think possibly it’s a better alternative than freezing to death." "T-thank you." She replied in surprise, taking the robe from him. "For the record, I thought you danced very well." He then turned to glance at Jemmiah. "Although I hardly think it’s the sort of thing you should be doing. Especially not with a concussion." Jemmiah sighed. She’d thought everyone had forgotten about that. The Corellian girl glanced across at Sal-Fina and her face quirked into a grin. Sal-Fina was no longer smiling. ***** Sybelle tried to ignore the glances of the other padawans and masters gathered around the table, but it was obvious that they were having fun at her expense as much as Griff's. She sipped her drink nonchalantly, trying to look as if she didn't give a damn. Of course she didn't mind Griff dancing with Leona; the thought of Griff making advances towards the shy little healer almost made her laugh out loud. Anyway, the little incident with the dress splitting seemed to have brought her and Qui Gon closer together. Ooooh, the gossip! Sybelle could hardly wait to tell everyone she knew. However, The spectacle of Griff dancing with Krelo was considerably more irritating, especially as she seemed to be putting her hands in places Sybelle herself hadn't ventured to until their third date. Griff looked decidedly uncomfortable, and the smirk on Lilith's face suggested that this whole thing was carefully pre meditated. Sybelle began considering ideas for revenge. This would have to be good. ***** Krelo stood up, took a running jump into Griff’s arms…and promptly flattened him. "I just got up!" He wailed. "It’s good exercise," she smiled dazzlingly at the smuggler who now had a visible set of boot marks all over his clothes. "I don’t need this kind of exercise." He panted. "Oh? What kind do you prefer?" She winked suggestively at him, nearly causing him to fall once again. "I really HATE dancing." He complained, pausing to wipe the sweat off his brow. Krelo tutted. "You’re not in condition, smuggler boy." He opened his mouth wide with indignity and then closed it swiftly with an audible snap. Fine, he thought. I’m not in condition. Well, I’ll show you! He started his serenading, slow walk around her, eyeing her like a cannoid with a vrelt in an alley. Krelo did not like that one little bit. She’d been happy enough to grope him as per Lilith’s instructions but now… "It’s been a long time since you got to rip the clothes off a beautiful lady." Lilith snickered from the side. "What about Sybelle?" Jemmiah asked, standing next to the tall woman. "I said lady, didn’t I kid?" Lilith answered with a smirk. Jemmiah barked out a brief laugh, aware that Lilith was watching her. "Ooooh. Nasty. Almost makes up for her calling me a Corellian Doxy." "Did she?" Pondered Lilith, still studying Jemmiah. "Tell me," she said eventually as Griff’s spins and turns became more elaborate, "have you ever considered taking up the smuggling game?" Jemmiah blinked. "I can’t say as I have." She admitted. "But then again, I can’t say I’ve given my future much consideration at all. Infact I don’t like to. You never know what’s round the corner." Her face clouded a second or two before she added, "Live life for the moment, that’s my motto." "And mine." Replied Lilith. "You should think about it." Strange conversation, Jemmiah thought silently as she took another sip from her drink. In front of them a clearly red faced Griff was birling his partner into a swift clinch. Jemmiah and Lilith watched as Griff proceeded to pinch Krelo’s behind when nobody was looking. "Big mistake." Lilith said, folding her arms. "He’d better not try that with me." Jemmiah said with steel in her voice. "I doubt if he’d dare." Lilith smiled. "I think everyone was very impressed with the way that you fight off drunken undesirables." Krelo was fuming. Her advances to him had just been a bit of harmless fun. The attack on her person had been the final insult. For the last five minutes she had endured all manner of stamped toes and bruises to her legs…but pinching her rear? The nerve of the man! Slowly, she began to use the force to undo Griff’s belt buckle. It was a very gradual process so that he wouldn’t notice, and yet bit by ever increasing bit his best smuggler’s pants began to inch their way down his legs. Another few violent spins should do the trick, she noticed with satisfaction… "Go on girl!" Lilith hissed in delight. "Let’s see you get out of this!" Krelo narrowed her eyes as she called once more on the force to spin him around like a thin, uprooted tree in a tornado. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Griff yelled as he lost all sense of being connected to his feet. "Lemmmme go!" "Let you go?" Krelo shrugged. "Fine. If that’s really what you want." Before he’d even finished getting the words out of his mouth, he knew it had been a bad mistake to say them. Krelo loosed her force spin a suddenly as she had begun it, leaving Griff disoriented and still spinning even when his feet had planted themselves firmly to the ground. One minute his head was still going round, and the next there was a distinct chill round his legs. "That’ll teach you to deny people their clothing in full view of the public!" Lilith said with satisfaction. Griff looked down, and made a grab for his pants. "The force moves in mysterious ways…" smiled Krelo, making a show of dusting her hands. "And here’s someone who will perform wonders with you." She looked towards the Corellian girl. "Jemmiah, he’s all yours." Jemmy grinned at Sybelle, and then at Griff. "It’ll be my pleasure." ***** The expression on everyone’s faces was priceless, thought Meri. As Griff tried his best to restore some pride to his wounded dignity with a series of sensuous passes and lascivious looks, the rest of the party observed with distinctly mixed feelings. Obi-Wan was not enjoying the spectacle. Jemmiah was an accomplished dancer and had the air of someone who not only knew this fact but was quite prepared to go that little extra for effect. The fact that the effect called for her to be pawed around by a smuggler was not something that appealed to the padawan in any way. Worse still, she seemed to be enjoying it. Qui-Gon was not happy either. He had always been over protective of her, and the sight of Griff’s wandering hands did nothing to change his attitude. A bit of fun could so easily escalate into something more serious, he thought irritably. One quick glance at Sybelle confirmed that Krelo was no longer at the top of her hit list. Her boyfriend had quickly overtaken her in the revenge stakes. Kryztan sat watching with a mixture of rapt fascination and barely restrained jealously. He’d been watching Jemmiah for months and months now although she didn’t seem to be aware of his presence. When he had finally managed to tear his eyes from his would be partner, he risked an annoyed glance at Kenobi. He found Obi-Wan staring right back at him. It’s not fair, Kryztan thought miserably. I’m so much better looking than him. I have any number of women running after me and yet the one I want is paying me not the slightest attention. What do I have to do to get her to drop him and take up with me? Kryztan watched Griff’s attentions getting more ardent and resolved to snatch her away from Kenobi at all costs. Tonight if possible. Healer Leona watched the grim expression on Qui-Gon’s face and felt a slight unease spread through her. He’d given her his cloak. He’d given her his glass of Alderaani rum. Everything had been fine whilst they had watched Krelo put Rendar in an arm lock. Now it was as if some great big cloud had been cast over the whole evening as distaste registered on his features. "She’s a good dancer." She offered hesitantly. "Too good." Jinn muttered. "Why are you so protective of her?" Leona asked, instantly wishing she hadn’t. Sith, this alcohol really was making her lose her inhibitions! He looked at her for a while, as if debating whether or not to answer. "It’s a long story." He replied eventually. "I’ll tell you later." Later? Leona began to think she was making progress! Jemmiah winked at Obi-Wan as Griff held her in such a tight squeeze that she thought she might smother. This was getting a little too passionate, even for her. Time to put her plan into action. As she circled him, she passed by the table next to Meri who was still armed with the holocam. She mouthed to her ‘Have you got it?’ and received a nod in the affirmative. Obi-Wan watched with a frown as he saw his girlfriend snatch something white from Meri’s pocket and then, hiding the mystery object from his vision, began to stalk back towards her dance partner. Griff thought that things were going rather well for once. Given a decent partner he had shown that he too could deliver the goods when it mattered. The surprise on his face turned to one of pleasure as he felt Jemmiah’s hands press down on his rear. Whilst Sybelle fumed, everyone else started to giggle. Griff continued to spin Jemmiah elaborately and as he turned his back towards his audience everybody saw exactly what her straying hands had been up to. There, stuck to his behind was a white sticker with a big, red ‘L’ for Learner written on it, exactly the kind that the kiddies-learner speeder drivers had to wear. Sybelle nearly wept tears of outrage. Tough, thought Jemmy. She started it. The smuggler proceeded to spin her around, grabbing her by the waist and then lowering her headfirst towards the ground. The floor went past Jemmiah’s nose very rapidly indeed... and suddenly she felt everything fade to black. "Force!." An-Paj grimaced as he realized what had happened before everyone else. "Stop right there, Rendar!" "What have I done?" He asked. "Damn!" Yelled Qui-Gon getting to his feet in a hurry. "I knew this would happen." As the little group of concerned bystanders around Jemmiah grew, Lilith walked over to Griff and tapped him roughly on the shoulder. He spun round with finely honed reflexes only to find himself level with Lilith’s chin. "That’s some record you’ve got tonight, boy." She teased. "How does it read? Stripped one, assaulted one, flattened one? That’s quite good." She looked at his backside before adding, "for a beginner." The tall woman cracked her knuckles. "Let’s see how you measure up to me!" Jemmiah’s eyelids batted open. "How do you feel?" An-Paj asked quietly. "Er…surprisingly OK." She looked up at the collection of worried faces hovering about her. "Really. I’m fine now." "I’m not prepared to take the risk." Qui-Gon said flatly. "You’re going back to the infirmary." She struggled to sit up. "I might as well be dead for all the fun I’m allowed." "I am trying to stop you from killing yourself." Qui-Gon replied with a certain edge to his voice. "I would advise you to heed An-Paj’s opinion." "No. Wait." Jemmiah glared hotly. "I am sixteen years old and I am responsible for myself. I answer to nobody except me. I can make my own decisions and I have decided to remain with everyone else." She stuck her chin out defiantly. "I’m sorry if you don’t like it, but that’s what I’m doing." Qui-Gon was completely taken aback by her outburst. "Fine." He snapped. "Drink yourself into a Corellian stupor if you wish. Just don’t expect me to scrape you off the floor when everything goes horizontal." "I don’t." She growled back at him, dusting her dress down. She shook her head before walking away. "One little dizzy spell and he’s got me fitted up for the mortuary…" Jinn put a hand to his head. "Damn." He muttered. "What was all that about?" Windu asked. "It’s called teenage angst. I’m sure you must remember it, Mace. Even if it was ever such a long time ago." Berlingside replied. "I got this all the time with Kryztan. He could be a real moody little so-and-so when he wanted to be." Qui-Gon sighed. He spotted Jemmiah wandering over to the bar and looking at her wrist chrono. Kryztan Harkley sat down beside her and started to engage her in conversation, whilst beside him he felt Obi-Wan began to seethe once more. When his padawan made to follow her over, Qui-Gon put an arm on his shoulder. "No, Obi-Wan. Let her calm down first." "But master, you don’t…" "I’ve told you already, padawan." Kenobi looked at his feet. And then at Kryztan. Sithspit! He’d been dreading this all night! "Do you want to talk about it now?" Leona asked, offering him a shoulder to cry on. "Later." He smiled sadly. "Much later." Their eyes were drawn to the sight of Captain Demodae and a nervous Griff Rendar facing up to each other. She cracked her knuckles. "Let’s see how you measure up to me." They heard her say, before she cut to the chase and picked him clean off the floor and held him aloft above her head, which was no mean feet considering that Griff was not particularly small himself. She continued to hold him up as he struggled futilely, swinging his arms and legs about like a demented fur-spider. "Who’s got the fastest ship in the galaxy?" Lilith called as she twirled round. "Y-you have!" Gasped Rendar. "Sorry, you’ll have to speak up!" She crowed. "YOU HAVE." He wailed. "I’m glad we agree on something at last." Lilith said before depositing him in a big heap on the floor. "I don’t know about his perfect partner," Lilith smiled to the others, "but I think you could say he’s met his match!" Is that right, Rendar thought angrily? We’ll see about that! ***** "Time to finish the dance, Rendar," Lilith purred. She was going to enjoy this greatly. The Corellian Dance of Passion was not meant to be danced as a joke, but this was Truth or Dare, a tradition nearly as old as the Dance itself. It deserved to be finished with style, no matter why it was being danced. With a wicked smile on her lips, the freighter captain grabbed Griff's hand and jerked him back into the center of the floor. She immediately twisted into a spin that wrapped his arm around her waist and stopped her chest to chest with him. The amazonish woman smiled a smug feral grin down at him and saw him wince. She was good at this one and had done it many times before. Out of the corner of her eye, Lilith caught sight of Sybelle standing on the sidelines. The padawan was starting to visibly smolder. She obviously didn't like it that her boyfriend was performing the Dance of Passion with everyone but her, or that all his partners were making him look like a fool. Well, that little vixen deserved a little cutting down for calling Jemmiah a Corellian doxy. We Corellians have to stick up for each other in this cruel galaxy. On sudden inspiration Lilith changed her tactics. Two birds with one stone. Oh, Rendar would still feel like a Bantha trying to tango with a Trianni, but it wouldn't look like nearly as bad to the watchers as the last three partners had. Maybe she could get Sybelle to spontaneously combust. Jemmiah watched Lilith's style and approved whole-heartedly. It was always nice to see experience in action. Griff spun the taller woman in and out, carefully keeping his groping tame. He was well aware of the blaster still hanging on Demodae's hip and with as close as he was getting to her, he was now aware that she had other weapons besides the obvious one. He twirled her around in circles as they danced, body to body, in the most suggestive manner. And Lilith played her part to the hilt. Her looks and glances were enough to make the younger Jedi blush and the older ones raise their eyebrows. Her body language, the way her hands trailed lingeringly across Griff's body, had the young men gulping their drinks, the women frowning, and the older men murmuring appreciatively. Best of all, Sybelle was shooting them both laser-charged death looks. And the whole time she emphasized her height advantage over Rendar at every opportunity. Griff was red in the face, and not just from exertion, though he was huffing and puffing like an ancient steam engine. Though Lilith was still bumping Griff off balance and tripping up his timing, it appeared to those watching that she was trying valiantly to steady him and follow his timing. Like she was really getting into it and all those rumors of animosity were really just that. Rumors. The music ended suddenly and so did the Dance of Passion, with Griff and Lilith nose to nose, body to body, arms wrapped tightly around each other and practically lip-locked. Demodae raised a single bleached eyebrow at him and slipped out of his arms with a small expression of wistfullness to add the crowning touch. In the sudden silence, all the onlookers and many of the bar's patrons suddenly clapped wildly. As she walked away from her erstwhile partner, Lilith gave Krelo and Jemmiah a sly wink. Sybelle looked ready to commit murder. Bent over, hands on his knees to catch his breath, chest heaving, Griff managed to gasp, "My turn to choose?" Lilith felt a prickle race up her spine and stifled a sudden shiver. She didn't much like the tome of his voice or the hard glitter in his eyes. "Yes," Qui-Gon answered, "It's your turn to pick." Dex Berlingside leaned close to Qui-Gon and whispered loudly, "The next one will have to be a real doosy to top that!" "Fine." Griff was finally getting control of his breathing and there was both triumph and challenge in his voice. "Lilith, Truth or Dare?" Lilith's eyes narrowed as everyone turned to look at her. They were all waiting with anticipation to hear her choice. Well, there was no way this side of the galactic rim that she was going to pick Truth. Rendar knew too many details about the deals she'd made, her regular customers and the sorts of cargoes she carried for them for her to risk him asking about that. Not only was she surrounded by Jedi, but her reputation was built on discretion and reliability. Both could be hurt by an ill-considered word. It appeared that she had no real choice. "Dare," she stated calmly, though her heart thumped heavily in her chest. That was the thrill of it though. The not knowing, the uncertainty, the adrenaline rush of danger, no matter how slight. She knew that if she could just get that kid Jemmiah to make a single short run with her the girl would be hooked for sure. Griff thought furiously. He had hoped that Demodae would pick Truth, though he could hardly blame her for not doing so. Well, she and her Jedi friend had humiliated him with a dance, and turn about was fair play. "Since we've all already seen your legs, Baby, let's see the rest. I dare you to do a strip tease right here and now." Lilith's muddy green eyes glinted hard as durasteel. An elbow from Krelo got her attention, though, and turned it toward Sybelle. The smuggler almost broke down laughing right then and there. Griff Rendar had just cooked his own goose! Lilith nodded once decisively and stepped back into the center of the circle of chairs to the interested murmur of all the older folk. Qui-Gon and Mace turned as one to tell all the Padawans to retire somewhere else for a few minutes, but one look was all they needed to tell them they'd have a riot on their hands if they tried. The tipsy and outright drunken male padawans very much want to see this dare happen. "Kre, get me some music," Lilith asked, then stood waiting while her friend hurried off to sort through the cantina's paltry collection. |
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| A Night to (almost) Remember |
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