Prequel to Lions, Tigers, and Padawans, Oh My!. A fundraising bar crawl? Only Jemmiah could arrange something like that.

Note: This is a group fic written mostly by Jemmiah, with a little help from (in order of posting): Sybelle, Jedi Kylenn, HealerLeona, Wampasmak, Lilith Demodae, LadyJedith, Krelo Rei'ch, Jedi_Daphne, and mouse2. The original thread can be found at theforce.net.

Disclaimer: Qui-gon Jinn, Obi-wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Yoda, Depa Bilaba and the universe they live in belong to George Lucas. They are respectfully borrowed with no intent to profit thereby.


~~~~~~~


�Oh, Mace,� Berlingside wept with laughter, �if you could only see your face.�

Windu did not want to hear what Dex had to say about his face. The only face he cared about at the moment was Jay Abran�s and hitting it with a heavy industrial brick. Calm down, Mace. That�s not the way of the Jedi.

By degrees the master regained some of his composure and gradually let his anger dissipate into the force. He gave his best attempt at a smile.

�Did you REALLY think that was me?� Depa Billaba sulked, holding out her own slender ankle for inspection.

�Of course not.� Mace wiped his brow. �No, I was just��

�Pulling your leg!� finished Jemmiah, enjoying the discomfort that was easily readable on Windu�s features. �I�m sorry, Mace. No more leg jokes. I promise.�

�Me too.� Obi-Wan agreed. He nodded over to Simeon and indicated a refill was on the cards for everyone. �Come on,� he addressed his comrades in alcohol, �we have a lot of drinking to do.�

�Yeah, let�s get molassed.� Jemmy smiled wickedly.

�Really steaming.� Abran agreed, fingering a small rip in his stockings.

�Or legless.� Kenobi replied looking at Mace with an evil grin.

That does it, thought Mace. I don�t care if the little toad IS Qui-Gon�s padawan. He is SO dead.

�Master Windu?� Kenobi appeared at the master�s shoulder, �how did you recognize Jemmy�s legs?� His expression had suddenly turned serious.

Windu felt triumphant.

�That�s for me to know,� he replied, looking at Jemmiah, �and you not to.�

He grabbed an orangey looking drink from the tray Simeon was carrying and walked away, leaving Obi-Wan to fret by himself.

�Mace, it�s your turn.� Qui-Gon slapped him on the shoulder by way of consolation.

�Yes, so it is.� Windu let his gaze trawl the group for several moments, taking in each face and summing up his options. He let his stare touch upon Kenobi briefly before darting away again. Swirling his drink thoughtfully, he smiled at the table.

�You all thought I was going to pick on Obi-Wan, didn�t you?� Mace didn�t look up from the tabletop but continued with his manic grin.

�Well, I just want you to know that you�re all absolutely, totally and completely�CORRECT!� His eyes snapped up to the now very nervous padawan. �There�s not a Sith�s chance that I�d pass up the opportunity to humiliate this impertinent brat after some of the stunts he�s pulled over the years.� He leaned forwards angrily in Kenobi�s direction. �The smell still won�t come out my clothes from that water garden episode!�

He drummed his fingers loudly on the table. �So, what�s it to be, Kenobi? Truth or dare?�

Obi-Wan was not sure he fancied his chances either way.

�D-dare.� He answered tentatively.

�Good!� Mace rubbed his hands together. �Letina, ask the proprietor of this establishment if she has any hot Banajj crisps.�

Kenobi frowned. This wasn�t what he had expected.

�We all know that you�re fond of snacking, isn�t that right Obi-Wan?�

�I�ll say.� Qui-Gon mumbled.

�Seeing as eating is such a big favorite of yours, we�re going to give you the chance to do just that.�

�Yes?� Obi-Wan�s concern grew more by the second.

�After all, it�s not without reason that your master has nicknamed you �the termite,� is it?�

�Did he really?� Kenobi glared at Qui-Gon who shrugged the heated stare away.

�Rather apt, I thought.� Jinn smiled. �You can clean out a refrigeration unit at fifty paces.�

�Thanks.� The apprentice grumbled. �So what�s the big dare?� He wished he hadn�t asked that.

The opened packet of Banajj crisps arrived on a plate.

�Eat them.�

Kenobi blinked in dismay. �What, ALL of them?� His voice rose in alarm. �But nobody can eat more than four at a time.�

�I�m sure you�ll manage just fine.� Mace cooed.

�But after the fourth it�s like eating glue!� Kenobi complained. �They dry out your mouth and you can�t swallow��

�That�s a pity.� Mace folded his arms. �Because you�ve got to eat the whole packet. He smiled at the horrified padawan.

�Get munching.�

�This is beyond a joke, Mace.� Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow at his friend as he watched his padawan valiantly try to force another crisp into his mouth.

�How many is that now?� Dex Berlingside whispered to Leona, who was watching Kenobi�s facial contortions with a mixture of amazement and distress.

�Seven, I think. I�ve lost count.� She nodded at the clearly Ill young man. �I think he has, too.�

Jemmiah glared at Windu. �This is sick.�

�Don�t mention being sick.� Kenobi said almost unintelligibly through mouthfuls of crisps, spraying crumbs all over the place.

�Such a messy eater.� Tssked Mace. �I can see why termite is an appropriate name, considering the devastation he leaves behind.�

�You are horrible.� Jemmiah grumped at Mace.

�That�s right.� Windu agreed. Just to emphasize his point he pushed over the last four square, fist-sized crisps and pointed at the tray. �Get eating,� he tapped.

�Mace.� Qui-Gon shook his head. �This is unfair.�

�Retribution, my friend. Pure and simple.�

�He looks like a Corellian Sand Hamster with his cheeks stuffed full of food!� Simeon observed. Kenobi broke off his chewing long enough to kick Simeon under the table.

�Sorry, was that your foot, Simeon?� he asked with his mouth like glue.

�Yes.� Cates said angrily.

�Good.� He started chewing again, and felt distinctly nauseous.

�Let him have some water.� Berlingside suggested.

�No.� Windu insisted. �Where�s the fun in that?�

�This isn�t fun.� Kenobi indicated his dry mouth, hardly able to swallow. At least that�s what they supposed he had said. It was a bit difficult to tell precisely what the padawan had mumbled.

�Not for you,� Mace replied brightly, �for me!�

Obi-Wan�s eyes pleaded with his master, who returned a sympathetic look which said �I wish I could help you, Padawan, but��

�I feel sick.� He said suddenly, placing a hand up to his mouth.

�Oh, that IS a pity. You�ve still got all those other crisps to eat.�

�No, I AM going to be sick!� Obi-Wan hurled himself up out his seat and out towards the nearest fresher.

Mace watched him leave. �The boy has no stamina,� he sighed.

�And how many do you think you could have managed. Seven? Eight?� Jinn watched as Jemmiah followed Obi-Wan out of the bar to check up on him.

�Eight? Sith no. I can�t eat more than three without wanting to up-chuck everywhere.� Mace smiled.

Qui-Gon levered himself up and made to follow his padawan but Berlingside waved him back down.

�He�ll be alright, Qui. He won�t want you to see him all distressed like that. Let Jemmiah look after him for a bit. I�m sure he�ll be fine.�

�In that case I shall pick the next person on behalf of my padawan.� He looked at Meri. �Truth or dare?�

*******

�That was a horrible thing to do to anyone.� Jemmiah�s protective streak began to make itself known as she met a white faced Kenobi coming out of the fresher. �Silly question I know, but are you Okay?�

He nodded. �Sand hamster, indeed,� he growled.

Lowering himself down to sit on the floor he balefully glanced about him. �And where�s my master? It�s nice to see how concerned he is about me.�

�Quite.� Jemmy agreed, ruffling the short-cropped hair affectionately. He closed his eyes. �Thanks for coming to see if I was alright,� he mumbled.

She hugged him. �I�ve got a little surprise for Master Windu lined up. I�ll show him not to pick on you like that!� She kissed him on the cheek. �You�ll help me, won�t you?�

Kenobi smiled. �I don�t think I�ve ever had a female fighting to restore my honor before.�

�Oh, believe me, he�s picked a fight with the wrong person.� Jemmiah reassured him, playing with the long padawan braid. �You know Gargamein�s Tattoo shop, don�t you?� she asked him.

�Yes.� He nodded wearily.

�I�m going to put in yet another call to a friend and see if I can�t persuade someone to assist me in this little matter of revenge.�

She stopped and sniffed the air. �I know I�m going to regret asking this, but what is that smell you�re covered with?�

Kenobi flashed a rather desperate smile at her.

*******

�Truth.� Meri didn�t hesitate. She had no wish to follow in Kenobi�s footsteps.

Qui-Gon looked at her. �What�s the most embarrassing fantasy or dream you�ve had involving anyone from the temple, and who were they?�

She looked shocked. Sith! How on Coruscant could she avoid telling the truth about a certain person without them realizing that she was deceiving them? Carefully, she went over Master Jinn�s words in her head. The most embarrassing one was actually involving somebody else�

�I once dreamt that myself and another Jedi were riding through the ornamental gardens in the temple onboard scooter grass cutters.� She blushed.

�What�s so wrong about that?� Windu asked.

�We were naked.� She confessed.

A small round of whooping and hand clapping started up.

�And who was the lucky man?�

She gulped.

�Master Yoda.�

*******

�Sith, that was embarrassing.� Meri muttered, fanning her scarlet face with her hand.

�How do you think WE feel.� Sybelle relied with disbelief. �I mean�urgh! Major URGH!�

�It�s an image which is going to stay with me for the rest of my life.� Simeon smiled.

�What, Master Yoda naked on the back of a lawn cutter?� Qui-Gon laughed.

�No.� His smile became a grin. �Meri naked on the back of a lawn cutter.� Cates sighed.

�DON�T even think about it.� Warned Meri heatedly.

Jinn received a nudge. �Uh-oh. The wanderer returns.� Mace whispered as a clearly disgruntled Kenobi made his way back to the fray. Qui-Gon�s eyes narrowed fractionally as he saw Jemmiah�s arm defiantly linked through his padawan�s arm.

So did Kryztan�s eyes.

�And how are we feeling, Kenobi?� Mace asked. �No hard feelings, huh?� He stretched out a conciliatory hand.

Jinn was surprised when Obi-Wan clasped the proffered hand very readily.

�No hard feelings.� Replied Kenobi. �I promise I have no plans for revenge.� He smiled openly at Mace before winking at his girlfriend.

Qui-Gon caught the look and understood the meaning. It said quite clearly �I may not have any plans for getting even, but that doesn�t mean that somebody else doesn�t.�

Mace was in trouble if his fate was in Jemmiah�s hands.

�Whose turn is it?� Kenobi asked.

�Meri gets to pick.� Depa Billaba replied.

�I missed Meri?� Obi-Wan grimaced. �Not fair! What did she pick?�

�Truth.� Grinned Letina.

�And?� Prompted Jemmiah.

�You don�t want to know.� Qui-Gon answered. �Believe me. The image is VERY unpleasant.�

Meri bit her lip with concentration. �I pick the illustrious Mr. Griff Rendar esquire. I want to see if he�s as good as his reputation makes him out to be.�

�We�d all like to see that, Sweetie,� drawled Lilith from the back of the group.

Griff glared at the smuggler. Too late to back down now. �Fine,� he said. �I pick dare.�

�Excellent!� Meri clapped her hands. �Your dare is to perform the Corellian Dance of Passion.�

Griff rounded his eyes. �I...I can�t dance very well.�

�That�s Okay. I�ll make sure you have the best teachers.� She looked about her. �You�ll need four partners, as you know, so I think we shall have�� Her eyes cast about her for likely victims. �Healer Leona, Krelo, Jemmiah and Captain Demodae, in that order.�

Griff looked as if he�d been stung. �You must be joking!�

�Why?� Meri asked.

�Well, because she�s�� he faltered.

�What, sweetie? Taller than you?� Lilith finished off.

That was the last straw.

�I accept.� He replied disdainfully.

Inwardly, he quaked. The Dance of Passion was not only extremely energetic and fast; it involved a considerable amount of physical contact. Some might even call it tacky.

Intricate twirls and spins were to be interlaced with passionate embraces and lustful looks. The idea was that the male dancer had to search for a partner amongst the four candidates. As he rejected the first and moved onto the next the dance stepped up a gear and got even steamier, and so on with each new partner.

�This should be good.� Jinn smiled as he watched the five dancers step onto the floor. �I don�t think I�ve ever seen this particular dance before.�

�Nor me, Master.� Obi-Wan let his eyes follow Jemmiah as she waited patiently besides Lilith.

As he looked down the line of ladies and came finally to the imposing figure of Lilith Demodae, Griff really wished he�d picked truth.

Dex Berlingside nodded to indicate he�d found some suitable music on the Cantina�s antiquated sound system. �Begin!� He smiled.

�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 Okay 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. Everything 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. Oooh, 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, am I? 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. �Oooh. 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. In fact 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.

�Sith.� 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 Okay.� 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. Sith! 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.

Lilith stood poised in the center of the ring of chairs and in a few moments the first strains of music drifted over the group. Most all the other noises in the cantina had stopped. The game had attracted a lot of attention and now almost the entire patronage of the cantina was waiting eagerly for the show to begin.

The first few throbbing beats echoed out and Demodae heeled out of her boots in a sinuous move and kicked them slowly out of the way. The ululating melody seemed to call to her and her body began to move with it, her hands rising above her head and her eyes half closing.

Krelo knows me better than I thought. The music is perfect. It must be a Jedi thing.

Griff was in for a surprise. He was expecting her to be bad at this, but for anyone who had done the Dance of Passion as many times as she had this was almost as easy as breathing.

Lilith's body twisted and writhed in a sultry, seductive manner her hips making small cirlces, her shoulders rising and dropping as her hands and arms waved above her and all eyes were locked on the smuggler with the unusual talents.

As the first line of words rolled out, Lilith's eyes came back open and her hands fell to the edges of her vest, pulling and tugging, but not quite removing. Her knees bent and she slithered in a downward motion her head rolling side to side hypnotically in time to the slow beat.

I dream of rain, aee lay de ae lay,
I dream of gardens in the desert sand.
As she stood, her hands fell, taking the vest with them, in opposing motions, her head thrown back.

I wake in pain, aee lay de ae lay,
I dream of love as time runs through my hands.
Lilith turned toward Qui-Gon, her smile a come-hither invitation and her movements suggesting interesting possibilities. She minced closer on the balls of her feet and pirouetted, depositing her vest in his lap before moving on.

I dream of fire, ae lay de ae lay,
These dreams are tied to a horse that will never tire.
Lilith's hands dropped to the waistband of her pants for the second time that evening. Her hips circled wider and her fingers played enticingly with the clasp before opening it and beginning to slowly ease the garment down her legs. As the music throbbed, rising and falling with the background singer's wailing in a dead language long forgotten, Captain Demodae straightened, letting the subtle motion of her legs encourage the slide of fabric toward the floor.

Simeon's jaw lay on his chest and Dimallie gave him an irritated whack on the shoulder, but he never took his eyes off the mesmerizing sight before him. Obi-wan took one glance at the look on Jemmiah's face and force his expression, through a supreme effort of will, to remain bland and uninterested. He wanted to survive the night after all. Dex had to elbow Mace who had leaned forward onto the edge of his chair. "So," he whispered to the council member, "are those legs as nice as they look?"

"Oh yes," Mace replied as quietly as he could and still be heard over the continuing music. "But I didn't realize just what I had in my hands at the time."

Qui-Gon's head was tipped slightly sideways as if to get a different angle on things. And Griff had a very pleased look on his face. He still hadn't noticed that Sybelle was getting angrier and angrier by the second.

And in the flames, ae lay de ae lay,

Lilith drifted, light as a desert breeze despite the handicap of her falling breeches, over in Mace's direction. When she stood in front of him.

Her shadows play in the shape of a man's desire.

She lifted one long leg from her pants, lifting it up and up until her foot was extended up over the master's head. It came back down in a slow, torturous motion and in its place the other rose, still carrying the black Nerf leather breeches.

This desert rose, ae lay de ae lay,

In a movement of supreme muscle control and grace, Lilith deposited her pants over Mace Windu's shoulder, her toes dragging lightly across his chest on the way back down. And then she moved on.

Each of her veils a secret promise.

Male patrons from other parts of the cantina were now gathering closer, some even trying to push through the circle of chairs. In a concerted movement, several of the older padawans and masters stood and glared them back. The men retreated. Drunk, or not, no one wants to start a fight with a Jedi.

This desert flower, ae lay de ae lay,
no sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this.

Lilith smiled softly, at her protectors, now thoroughly enjoying herself. She'd never had such an attentive audience before.

Having thanked her earlier benefactors in what she thought a very appropriate manner, given the circumstances, she moved on to her victim.

Griff watched her glide toward him, her motions slow, filled with suggestions of carnal knowledge. She paused once in the very middle of the circle, one leg rising, brushing against the other, lifting the edge of her loose blouse enticingly, and them she was moving again, advancing toward her prey.

And as she turns, ae lay de ae lay,
this way she moves in the logic of all my dreams.
This fire burns, ae lay de ae lay,
I realize that nothing's as it seems.

Lilith pause only long enough to make a quick assessment of Sybelle's temper. It was boiling and about to go over. The fact that Griff was totally engrossed in Demodae's performance was not helping matters in the least either.

Lilith's hands were now working on the fastenings for her blouse, loosening the lacings at throat and wrist. She rolled back the sleeves in sensuous motions and everyone could see the throwing daggers strapped to her left forearm and the vibroblade attached with a quick-release to her right forearm.

I dream of rain, ae lay be ae lay,
I dream of gardens in the sand.
I wake in pain, ae lay de ae lay,
I dream of love as time runs through my hands.

She moved forward, her long legs practically straddling Griff's legs as he sat in his chair. The man's grin only became wider as Lilith danced just for him.

Or so he thought.

She was also dancing for his girlfriend.

I dream of rain, ae lay de ae lay,
I lift my gaze to empty skies above.
I close my eyes, this rare perfume
Is the sweet intoxication of her love.

Lilith's hands never quite touched the skin as they flitted back and forth around Griff's head and chest. She tugged at her blouse at first one corner then the other, giving tantalizing glimpses of her black lacy underpants and hints of what lay above that.

Sweet desert rose, ae lay de ae lay,
This memory of Eden haunts us all.
Lilith's hands raised up over her head and her blouse floated right up and off, landing at Griff's feet and revealing a black lace bra. Unnoticed, Krelo's hand fell back to the holocam she held. Anything to help a friend. Lilith slowly wove forward in time to the pulsating rhythm of the music.

This desert rose, this rare perfume,
Is the sweet intoxication of the fall.
With the last aching strains of melody, Lilith leaned forward and placed a whisper soft brush of her lips on the corner of Griff's mouth.

Suddenly all business, she rose, collected her clothing from it's various repositories and bowed to the thundering applause that came from beyond the circle of chairs.

�Bit difficult to surpass that!� Jemmiah smirked over her glass.

�I don�t know.� Kryztan arched an eyebrow comically. �I�m sure we could think of something if we put our minds to it.�

�Is that right?� She muttered, wondering at the strangely sweet taste of her Flame out. She smacked her lips, puzzling over it for a moment, then dismissed as not important.

Kryztan watched her out the corner of his eye.

�Who�s next, Lilith?� Krelo called.