| ***** Lilith had just polished off her screwdriver and was about to order another when her mouth dropped open to it's widest extension and was slow to return to its normal position. Her hand pounced on Krelo's shoulder. The Jedi frowned, "What-" but the freighter captain's hand was already jerking her around to stare in the direction of the door. "Isn't that-" Lilith began. "Master Jinn!" Krelo finished for her, stark astonishment evident in her voice. "And Master Windu and a whole speeder full of Knights and Padawans." "I wonder what they're doing here?" "I dunno. Especially since the singing thingy fund-raiser is set to start in just a couple of hours." Lilith turned her muddy green eyes from the tan-clad Jedi invading their watering hole to her friend. "Could this, by any chance, be what the rumors were about?" As the Jedi lined up at the bar, the bartender began setting up the drinks. To the astonishment of the two women, not a single credit changed hands. "A cantina crawl!" Lilith hissed out in an astonished tone. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes! Jedi on a cantina crawl!" "Well, I'm a Jedi," Krelo stated firmly. "I think you and I ought to tag along." A wicked grin stretched the woman's lips. "Just to keep an eye on them, of course." "Oh, of course. We wouldn't think of taking advantage of the free drinks or anything." Demodae agreed with a solemn expression of innocence. "No, not us." They sat back and watched as the whole row of Jedi downed their drinks. Not a few sputtered and coughed their way through the first round. Others took it with experienced ease and it was surprising to the watching women which Jedi fell into which category. When Krelo caught sight of Padawan Kenobi and his entourage as they entered the Smuggler's Way it wasn't hard to figure out the architect behind tonight's entertainment. "Jemmiah." "Hmm?" "Jemmiah, the Corellian hanging on Kenobi's arm." Lilith turned to look and sure enough, the girl had a way about her. It wasn't necessarily the way she dressed, but the way she walked, the way her eyes sparkled with mischief, the sly grin on her face. "Hmm, I could have done wonders with that girl if I'd gotten to her before the Jedi did." Lilith watched as Jemmiah and friends joined the line-up at the bar counter and changed her estimation. "On second thought, I could still do wonders with that girl. I'll bet you anything she'd make a first class smuggler." "You'd be right, Lil." Krelo muttered. "That girl has been in more trouble and caused more trouble than my little cousin, Kresa, ever dreamed of." The Knight's light blue eyes followed every move Jemmiah made. "And from the look of things she's about to cause more." Lilith's hand came to rest on Krelo's shoulder again. "And we have ring-side seats, my friend. Sit back and enjoy the show!" ***** Running behind schedule Leona found herself alone hailing an air taxi to get her to the first destination. After being dropped off in front of the Smuggler's Way she pushed open the door just a wedge to peek inside. "Sithspit." She said to herself in horror. She had expected the others to be dressed in a similar fashion, not in their traditional Jedi attire. She had never thought to ask what to wear, just assumed that everyone would be dressed in more, well more non-Jedi like clothes. Cripes, I can't go in there like this, she thought to herself, just as two rather burly looking gentlemen, pushed her through the opened door. "Come on, sweetie" one of them said, eyeing her up and down. "Looking for anyone special?" he smiled at her widely. "Ah, no...I'm ah...meeting someone." she answered scanning the room quickly. At one end of the bar stood the masters and older knights, at the other end she spotted Obi-wan and the other padawans. Remembering her duty, that to watch over Jemmiah she steeled her reserve and slowly made her way to the group. Krelo couldn't believe her eyes when she saw who pushed through the doors next. "Will ya look at that!" Lilith followed her friend's gaze till her eyes settled on a lovely looking lady in a silver/greyish dress. "Why? You know her?" "Yeah, she's one of the healers. Leona, also known as Doctor Prude." The amazement still rang in Krelo's voice. Lilith laughed, her deep husky voice drawing appreciate looks. "She doesn't look much like a prude to me." "Yeah. We'll have to think of something else to call her behind her back." Krelo retorted. "Through, for the life of me I never thought I'd ever see her in anything like that, and I think she's wearing make-up too." "Tonight is going to be one surprise after another, Krelo, my friend, if the start is anything to judge by." Lilith raised her drink in a silent toast to the cantina crawling Jedi and smothered a snicker at the stories she would have to tell in the cantinas at her next port of call. Krelo just shook her head and wished desperately for the holocamera she'd left in her apartment. She just knew she was going to miss some of the best blackmail material this side of the Outer Rim. ***** Jay Abran sat at the bar, wondering what to order for his first drink of the evening. Nothing too strong, he thought, at least not until after the Masters are too pasted to care. He noticed Garos Hmiol had already ordered a drink of...what was that? As the young man turned Abran got a good look at the glass. Oh, Force; tell me that's not water! "Hey, kid!" "Huh?" He said, looking to see who had spoken. An old man sat at a wooden table against the wall. A plate of Nerf sausages sat in front of him, and another man worked at a stove behind him. "Who, me?" "Yeah. Wanna try a free sample?" "Why?" Asked Abran, suspicious. "I need to get signatures of satisfied customers or this won't be put into production. Come on, help me out here." "Alright." he popped one of the sausages into his mouth. "Hmm, not bad." He thanked the man and signed the petition. "Hey Pops." "What, is the next batch done already?" said the old man as Abran walked away. "No, but shouldn't you have told him about the, ah, side effect of your sausages?" The cook asked. "Are you kidding? Noone would ever try it then." He smiled. "Besides, it's not my fault they cause severe flatulence " ***** Simeon and Kenobi walked over to Hmiol. The masters were always insisting they talk to Garos, but it was like holding a conversation with a wall. "What are you drinking?" asked Simeon. "Water." replied Garos in his usual one word manner. "Wa-Wa-Water???" Obi-wan said in disbelief. "Why?" "I've never had alcohol." "Oh you poor boy!" Cates exclaimed. "We'll fix that right now!" Simeon grabbed the glass of water and threw it in the nearest waste unit before turning to the bartender. "One glass of Calamari Riptide." He ordered. Obi-wan started to speck. "Simeon, are you sure-" Cates cut him off. "It'll be fine. Trust me." After the LAST time I trusted you? Hutt chance. he thought, but said nothing. The drink arrived and Simeon handed it to Hmiol. "Thank you...I think." "Don't mention it." Cates tossed over his shoulder as he walked away. After they had left, Hmiol cautiously took a sip. Wow! This is good! His tastebuds screamed. Finishing the rest of the glass quickly, he ordered another. And another, and another... ***** Sybelle sat on a stool by the bar, glaring at Harkley. "What are you trying to do, set him on fire?" she heard a familiar voice at her shoulder. "Griff!" she shouted, throwing herself at her surprised looking boyfriend. "So, what's wrong with Harkley today?" Griff asked, slipping an arm around her waist. "Did he criticize your lipgloss or something?" "No, he's just trying to cause trouble." Sybelle shot Harkley another poisonous look as he gazed lustfully in Jemmiah's direction. "Talking of trouble" Griff said quietly, "What are those two doing here?" "Who?" Sybelle asked. "There." Griff pointed to two women loitering near the edge of the group. "Oh, one of them's a Jedi" Sybelle told him. "Yes, and the other one just took away half my business." Griff retorted. Sybelle could see this would not end well if Griff's Corellian temper got out of control. She decided to change the subject. "What sort of business?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes and moving closer to him. "I'll tell you later" Griff winked. ***** Demodae stiffened suddenly and Krelo glanced at her in alarm when the Jedi felt the vibes the bleached blond beside her was giving off. "What is it?" she hissed to her friend. "That man who just came in, the one with the older padawan?" "Yeah, I see him." "He's in my line of work." "What's he doing here?" Lilith raised an eyebrow as she gazed over Krelo's shoulder. "It looks like he's groping his girlfriend." She made a disapproving sound. "He's much too old and much too sophisticated for her. And, yep, he's spotted me. This is going to make for an even more interesting evening than we thought, Kre. I just convinced the Corellian ambassador that his, well, shall we say 'special goods'," Krelo smirked at the euphemism, "were safer in my hands than Griff's. Not to mention that the Scorpion has been modified to get .07 past light speed faster than Griff's vessel." The woman glanced down at her boots in attempted modesty. "And then there's the small fact that I'm actually taller than he is. He's always hated that." "Sounds like a loser." "He's a tough customer. And he can be a real pain if he wants to be. He knows I've taken that shipment for the ambassador. Old Haveton can't get in trouble because of his diplomatic immunity, but if I get caught moving that stuff," Lilith smiled wolfishly," Not that I will, mind you, but if I get caught I'll be the one left holding the bag." "Then com M1-CK and make sure he keeps an eye on things. He's smart enough to stash them some place safe where no one will find them." Krelo suggested. "No, they're safe enough for right now. They're not even on board yet, but that doesn't mean Bantha poodoo. Griff'll find someway to make my life miserable. He's good at getting revenge." Krelo made a dismissive noise. "If he gets to be a pain, just let me know and I'll wave my hand and make him forget. It's the least I can do for the woman who saved my life." ***** "He’s watching you again." "Who is?" Jemmiah craned her head round, slowly taking in the various mixtures of aliens, humanoids and padawans that filled the bar. "Him." Kenobi stared from under dark brows at the dashingly handsome figure of Kryztan Harkley. "He’s hardly taken his eyes off you since we got in the hover-bus." A muscle in his face twitched ever so slightly, betraying his annoyance. "You’re jealous." Jemmiah looked surprised. She desperately wanted to spare a quick glance at Kryztan to see if he really WAS staring at her like Obi-Wan had said, but resisted the temptation. It wouldn’t do to upset Ben. Mind you, it was flattering that someone as attractive as Harkley was looking in her direction… Stop it, she chided herself. You are treading into very dangerous territory. If she were honest, she didn’t really fancy Kryztan at all. But she still felt honored. And a little excited. She’d never had two men pawing the floor over her before. As for Kryztan: he was just too polished. Too smooth. There was none of Jay Abran’s cockiness. None of Simeon’s appealing helplessness. He didn’t have Ben’s cute dimples, either, or Qui-Gon’s tall, stoic dignity… Hell! Where did that last thought come from, she thought in disgust. Ugh! Obi-Wan gulped at his drink. "What if I am?" He replied coolly. "Jealousy leads to the darkside." She tried to recover her composure. "Then I’m a Sith apprentice." He growled, not taking his glare from Kryztan for one minute. "Calm down." Jemmiah slid her hand across the bar and placed it on his. "There’s no contest here. This isn’t his teeth marks I’ve got in my neck." She indicated the bite, which she had managed to hide with a velvet neck chain. "Sorry." Kenobi smiled. "Don’t apologize to me. I just hope it’s gone away before Evla comes back." The hand stretched up to take hold of his padawan braid, and she started twisting it round her fingers. "I can’t believe how much this has grown since I first met you. I had just turned ten and you were, what, about fourteen? I could go skipping with this now!" "I can’t believe how much you’ve grown, either!" He replied cheekily, eyes sweeping the curvy figure up and down. "Impudent gundark!" She tugged the braid and pulled him forward, kissing him on the lips. Ha! Kenobi was ecstatic. There was no way Kryztan Harkley would miss that one! Sybelle watched as Kryztan grimaced to himself, then turned to stare despondently into his glass. Good! Let’s hope he gets the message, she thought irritably. Obi-Wan cares what happens to Jemmiah. It’s more than Kryztan ever would. He was a trophy hunter in the same way as his master Dex Berlingside was. Both had an eye for the ladies, especially the ones that always seemed just out of their reach. It was different in this case, though, she realized grimly. He was completely smitten and had been for some months. Sybelle had been aware that Kryztan had been watching Jemmiah for a good while now, and the whole affair was beginning to smack of obsessiveness. He’d even taken to following her around, but staying at a respectable distance. The more she thought about it, the worse her bad feeling got. Far from the despairing look he had worn only moments earlier, there was now in its place the determined glint of battle in Kryztan’s eyes. Sybelle had toyed with the idea of telling Master Jinn about the padawan’s feelings at one stage. Perhaps she would still. One thing was for sure, if Obi-Wan ever found out that his girlfriend was being stalked, Kryztan would be in deep poodoo. "Force preserve us!" Qui-Gon’s eyes opened to an impossible size. "It’s HER!" Mace followed his friends’ gaze until he saw the object of Qui-Gon’s distaste. "Oh." Windu said. "You mean Sal-Fina." "Yes." He hissed. "Can’t you two be nice to each other, just now and again?" Mace asked. "Sorry, did you say something there? I think I must be going deaf." Qui-Gon swept back his long hair and placed a hand to his ear. "Ok, ok." Windu laughed. "I admit it was a stupid idea." "That woman is just plain trouble." Jinn groused. "Look at her." Mace did look at her and realized that despite his protestations, Qui-Gon was doing the same. Intensely. Oh, ho! Mace grinned. That’s the way things are, is it? Sal-Fina was roughly fifty years old, and yet she could easily have been in her mid thirties. Blonde, shoulder length hair and grey eyes topped with fine, gold lashes picked her out from many of her drinking buddies alongside her. Even in the comfortable, unflattering Jedi garb Sal-Fina looked elegance personified. Tall, and willowy, she was a striking figure and yet she was not a favorite amongst the other knights and masters. She had a clipped manner with all but her spoiled little clone of a padawan, and a conceit of herself that far surpassed Jemmiah. As the Corellian girl had once said of Sal-Fina, a person could sometimes be too beautiful. Qui-Gon understood. Infact, Jemmiah and Sal-Fina’s padawan did NOT get on at all. Ambianca was friends with Jemmiah’s temple rival, padawan Junine. It had been hate at first sight. The fact that Jemmiah had once emptied a bucket of soapy water over Junine in retaliation for a prank played on Obi-Wan had not really gone any way towards reconciling the two of them, and an enforced month of living with Sal-Fina and her padawan from hell had convinced the then eleven year old Jemmiah that she might have to commit murder to save her sanity… As he continued staring, Mace stood up. "Strong measures they give in this place." He commented thoughtfully, twirling his glass. "I didn’t think you’d complain." Qui-Gon retorted. "If you’re heading over that way, could you get me a refill." "Sure. What’s your poison?" He asked. "Alderaani Black rum." Jinn said. "Already?" Mace rolled his eyes. "You don’t waste any time hitting the hard stuff, do you? What’s wrong? Guilty conscience?" Windu guessed. "Possibly." Jinn conceded. "I keep thinking of how we grounded Obi-Wan and the others. Perhaps we were a little harsh. And then there’s poor Jemmiah stuck in a hospital bed with only the healers for company." He broke into a smile for the first time that evening. "I don’t know who I feel sorry for most, her or the healers. An-Paj will have his hands full!" "I’ll bet she’s feeling miserable." Mace deliberately tried to make him feel guiltier. "Don’t." Qui-Gon muttered. "I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy." He looked at Sal-Fina again. "Maybe." Mace sighed and walked towards the bar. Dwelling on the padawans left behind would do no good. They had to get some serious drinking done. He attracted the attention of the barman and asked for two Alderaani black Rums. What the heck, he thought. Better keep Qui-Gon company. Whilst he was waiting for his order, he glanced to his right and caught sight of… Healer Leona? No. It couldn’t be. Not dressed like that. His eyes told him what his brain refused to believe. He found himself whistling appreciatively through his teeth. Who would have thought it! And dressed so stunningly! Well, now. This would be a challenge. Already he saw Master Berlingside’s eyes light up and those of a few others, too. Leona looked almost hesitant as she scanned the bar. She’d seen padawan Kenobi’s group scattered at the back of the establishment, trying to shield themselves away from Qui-Gon, Adi Gallia and the others for as long as possible. She saw her own apprentice Dimallie coughing and spluttering over some concoction that Simeon Cates was trying to get her to drink, whilst Jemmiah seemed to have her mind set on acquiring a matching bite to the other side of her neck… Then she looked across at the masters and knights who were legitimately on the premises. Mace Windu was at the bar, along with the jovial Dex Berlingside. Depa Billaba and Vernice Ashdal were in quiet discussion with each other. That lecherous vrelt Fin-Tial was sporting a grin the size of a bloated Hutt as he looked across at padawans Meri and Junine who were in the company of some golden haired girl Leona didn’t really know. She spotted, much to her dismay, the tall and leggy blonde that Jemmiah had been describing. Sal…Sal something or other. And then she saw Qui-Gon staring at the woman she’d heard so much about. Her heart sank. This is so stupid, she thought. What must I look like? I’ll bet everyone thinks I look a complete idiot! Her instinct to run again came to the fore, but she knew if she fled now after all her hard work she’d never be able to forgive herself. Or look Qui-Gon in the eye again Not that she ever had. It’s now or never, she swallowed, as she took a few steps towards Qui-Gon Jinn. Suddenly, there was a tug on her arm. "Healer Leona?" Menali-Jay Abran smiled in astonishment. "Sainted stars! You look absolutely fantastic, if you don’t mind me saying." "N-not in the least." Leona blushed. "It’s very good of you to say so…" "Come on," he started to pull her away towards the group at the back. "Jemmiah’s about to start the Corellian rules drinking deathmatch." "Would that involve alcohol, by any chance?" Leona asked weakly, trying to resist his pull but failing miserably. "Oh, I should say so!" Abran grinned. "The rules are straight forward enough. I’m sure you’ll catch on, but we’ll have to hurry if you want to sit in." "But-" Leona gasped as she darted a look over in Mater Windu’s direction. "Is that Leona???" The Corellian voice of Jemmiah Gleshan was suddenly at her side. She wheeled round to meet her. "How are you feeling?" Demanded Leona. "Fine. Everything’s a bit blurry but hey, that’s what you expect in a cantina, isn’t it!" She grabbed her other arm and the two hauled her towards their private party. "Blurry?" Leona was concerned. "Have you been drinking?" "Nope. Not much, anyway." "How much is not much?" Leona frowned. "One Flame-Out, a pink ice-slammer and a bottle of Corelli Fire Scorch." Jemmiah recited. "You promised me you wouldn’t drink!" Leona was upset. "That’s NOT drinking!" Jemmiah replied. "Not compared to what I usually have." She gazed at the healer. "Nice frock!" "Nevermind my dress." Leona retorted, disgusted. "You are going to do yourself some serious damage the way you are carrying on. I’m going to be keeping an eye on you, every cantina we get to. The minute I see you looking remotely jaded I’m calling a transport to take you back to the temple." "You’re worse than Qui-Gon." Jemmy pouted. "At least he’s got some common sense." Leona rejoined. She gave a last, fleeting glance at Qui-Gon and stopped the struggle. This way at least she could make good her threat to watch over the errant Corellian. Mace watched in amazement as he caught sight of what appeared to be a struggling Healer Leona being bundled indignantly away by Jay Abran and Jemmiah Gleshan in the direction of the darkened back section of the bar. His mouth was left hanging open as he saw the small group of padawans, some of whom had been forbidden by their masters to attend. And as for Jemmiah, she should have been lying in bed at the healers! Sithspit, Qui-Gon would be horrified if he ever found this out! Mace took a big breath, and resolved not to say a word. If his friend found out the truth, it certainly wouldn’t be from him… "Here are the rules, for all those who are new to this sort of thing." Jemmiah felt her head swim slightly, but carried on regardless. "In this deck of Corellian Sabacc cards, we have for suits." She held up a pack of cards depicting various scenes of jollity and inebriation on the back. "There are four Aces. Each person is given a card in succession. The person who gets the first Ace has to order the most hideous concoction you can imagine. Anything goes. Then you go round everyone again until the next Ace has been dealt. That person adds to the ingredients with some more drinks. Same again for the person who gets the third Ace, who’ll have to be very imaginative to top the whole thing off." She paused, eyeing everyone round the bar. "The person who gets the last Ace has to drink every last drop in one go, without spilling it." "That’s horrific!" Leona looked shocked. "No, it’s a harmless piece of fun." Kenobi put his arm round Jemmiah’s waist and squeezed her, a move that wasn’t lost on Leona. Qui-Gon would be outraged with his padawan if he were to see how he was carrying on. They all settled around a table, some that were only watching remained standing to give the participants some room. "Jay Abran’s the dealer." Jemmiah announced, seating herself beside Obi-Wan. "Anyone else want in? Last chance." "I’m in." Kryztan Harkley moved towards the table and sat opposite Jemmiah and Kenobi. The latter gritted his teeth, and Jemmiah covered her discomfort as best she could. Kryztan just sat and stared at her. "Fireworks here, I think." Letina muttered to Sybelle. In the end, the final group consisted of Sybelle, Griff, Simeon, Kryztan, Jay Abran, Jodi Mullicar, Jemmiah, Obi-Wan, Letina and an extremely nervous Dimallie. Leona was horrified. Oh, padawan, what are you doing, she thought desperately. "Everyone ready?" She looked at Obi-Wan. "Remember, one, two and three will think it…" "ONLY NUMBER FOUR WILL DRINK IT!" Came back the chorused reply. "May the force be with us, friends," Jemmiah grinned, "and let the game begin!" ***** Are you trying to get her attention?" Mace asked as he placed the drink in front of his friend, whose head was still craned in the direction of his ex. Qui-Gon's head swung around with the speed of a Dagoban viper. "No, of course I'm not!" he glared at Mace. "The last thing I need is a confrontation with that woman." "Then may I suggest staring at her is not the best means to avoid that." Qui-Gon opened his mouth, ready to deny the ridiculous accusation. He wasn't staring at her, he was just...just, oh hell, alright he was staring, so what. Mace watched with amusement as the display of emotions played over Qui-Gon's face. He knew his friend for far too long not to realize there was still an attraction on his part for the self-absorbed blonde Jedi. "Maybe I should just contact Obi-Wan, see how he's doing and check up on Jemmiah." Qui-Gon stated suddenly, making a move as if to leave. "No" Mace blurted quickly, grabbing Qui-Gon by the arm. "They're old enough to take care of themselves and anyway, when was the last time we spent a quiet evening out among friends. Let's just enjoy ourselves while we have the opportunity." Raising his glass toward Qui-Gon, "Here's to a quiet evening on the town." Mace toasted, casting a surreptitious glance at the back of the bar where Obi-Wan and Jemmiah hid. "To a quiet evening." Qui-Gon replied, his eyes skeptically drawn down the bar toward Sal-Fina. "Master Jinn is staring at you." Ambianca said with relish to her master. "So let him stare." Sal-Fina answered crisply, tossing her hair back with a quick shake of her head. A gratified smile coming to her lips. "Maybe he wants to speak with you." Ambianca suggested, observing the way her master's body language changed with the knowledge of being watched. "Well, if Master Jinn has anything to say to me, he can very well find his way here on his own." Sal-Fina said arrogantly. "Padawan, you must learn that a confident woman does not go about chasing after every man that looks her way." Ambianca smiled appreciatively, knowing what her master was talking about. She had studied the woman for years, saw the way her master attracted male attention without ever really trying. Always in control. It was no secret she wanted to be just like her, and had been thrilled when chosen as her padawan. She didn't care that others thought of her as spoiled and conceited. Sal-Fina told her it was only their jealousy and insecurities that caused them to think of her such. That it only meant she was better than them and they knew it. Taking a drink from her own glass she resolved to learn everything she could from her master, to emulate her in every possible way. She'd show everyone she was also a woman to be reckoned with, just like Sal-Fina. ***** Near the table where the game was getting under way, Garos sat. Or at least, he tried to sit. Everything was blurry. He wondered briefly if he was drunk. Nah, you have to have like a hundred drinks to get drunk, don't you? I only had about thirty. It's just the smoke. "Guess I hurt one more won't." He said as he walked to the bar. Then he laughed aloud. "Yoda I like master sound!" ***** I am so BORED, thought Meri, as she listened to Ambianca and Junine discussing their top ten favorite padawans in the temple. What I wouldn’t give for some fun around this place! Ambianca toyed with her long, golden braid. "That Jay Abran’s kind of easy on the eyes, don’t you think?" She looked round with a scowl reminiscent of her master pasted across her delicate features. "Where is he, do you know? He was one of the padawans who were signed up for this thing. I saw his name on the list." She sipped at her drink. "So was that Kryztan Harkley. Now HE’s really something special." Meri sighed. The conversation had been going on like this ever since they had arrived. "He knows it, too." Junine sniffed. "He really thinks he’s the catch of the temple." "Well, he is." Ambianca smiled. A sly little glint appeared in her eyes. "Word is he’s got himself all hot and bothered over a girl a few years junior to himself." "WHO! WHO!" Junine almost wrung her hands together in excitement. There was nothing she liked better than juicy gossip or temple scandal. Ambianca smirked. "That’s the weird thing about it. He’s head over heels for our Corellian street rat." "Jemmiah?" Junine spat the words out. "You have GOT to be joking! What would a handsome boy like Kryz do moping about after THAT?" "She’s very pretty, I think." Meri retorted. "And she seems to have captured Kenobi’s heart." Junine made a disparaging sound. "It won’t last. He just can’t see past her rather obvious charms." "Which she’s at great pains to show off, considering the way she dresses." Ambianca added. "Although I agree with Meri. She certainly has improved in the last few years. She was quite unpromising to start off with. Tangled hair falling into her face, with those eyes that were just too big for her head. And scrawny! You could have threaded her through a needle when she first came to Coruscant!" "That’s because she was half starved to death, as I recall." Meri felt disgusted. Junine made a face. "I have to say she’s pulled out all the stops on this fundraiser, though." Ambianca admitted reluctantly. "It sure as heck beats this singing contest thing they’ve got lined up afterwards." She barked a harsh laugh. "Poor Jemmiah. Stuck with the healers whilst we get to go out and enjoy ourselves. I almost feel sorry for her." "You could have fooled me." Meri stood up abruptly. "I’m going to get another drink." She didn’t stop to ask if the others wanted a refill. |
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| A Night to (almost) Remember |
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