A Night to (Almost) Remember

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.


~~~~~~~


"Split up!" yelled Rela, her breath visible before her in the cold night air.

"What!" Spider exclaimed, "We're in enough trouble as it is without getting lost as well."

"Heck, Rela must we?" Jemmy panted. "If you're bad in enclosed spaces, I have to tell you that I am VERY bad in darkened alleyways."

"Enough of your personal life." Spider said dryly. "What do we do, guys?"

Rela scanned the area quickly and came to a decision. "We hide, we climb, we run."

"Climb?" Spider echoed.

"Over the wall," Rela explained with a dart of her eyes. " It's the quickest route to Scruffy Dirk's."

"It's OK for you guys," Jemmiah flicked her hair out of her face, "I'm wearing a dress. And boots! If I'd known we were going mountaineering I would've worn something more substantial. And my head is killing me!"

"Don't stand there gabbing." Rela firmly shoved the younger girl between the shoulder blades. "I can hear 'em coming. Crouch behind that rain barrel. Spider n' me will draw 'em away. Then we'll double back and follow you."

"We will?" Spider retorted.

"Wait a few minutes until after we've gone," Rela added, already retreating a few steps, "then get your rear over that wall, sister."

Jemmiah heard them run away from her little darkened hiding place and groaned. She's lost count of the number of headache pills she'd swallowed already. Very nearly one at every cantina they'd stopped at. Except for the Hell's Chance. She'd taken two there whilst nobody was looking�

Oh, well. She didn't s'pose it mattered if she took another one.

If Qui-Gon was awake and fully in control of his senses when next they met up, she was in no doubts that her next destination would be a return trip to the infirmary. Commanding her aching head to pull itself together, Jemmiah had decided that enough time had elapsed since the speeder had gone past to risk a shot at the wall.

It was VERY big.

Jemmy cast her eyes round and came across some old wooden crates in the corner and decided that they would make an adequate flight of stairs. Nothing if not creative, Jemmiah stacked them against the wall, wincing at the splinters she incurred whilst stacking them.

This had better work, she thought grimly.

Taking a deep breath, the Corellian girl stepped tentatively onto the lowest ledge, wobbling precariously as the wood bent slightly under her weight. Pulling herself onto the next level she began to gain confidence.

Until her boot went right through the timber all the way up to her thigh.

Letting out an annoyed yell which she quickly stifled for fear of alerting anyone to her presence, Jemmy tried to pull her leg out of the hole without leaving too much of her skin behind.

It didn't work.

Great, she thought sarcastically as she took in the multiple abrasions, just great. Now she KNEW she was in line for the infirmary and no mistake!

Frustration spurring her on, Jemmiah grabbed the top of the wall and pulled herself up�and then missed her handhold on the other side and fell to the ground. That's it, Jemmy thought as she lay dazedly on the paving, I'll just die here.

She was drunk; she was hurt and thoroughly teed-off! For a few moments she toyed with the idea of getting up and then rejected it. If the pavement wanted her for a friend, who was she to argue? And anyhow, if she stood up, fate would almost certainly have something even nastier planned for her�

No. She closed her eyes. A few moments rest would do no harm whatsoever�

*******

Obi-Wan grinned.

There were eight snails in the race. A lot of silly money was being wagered on the outcome. Of course, it was all going to go to the Infirmary.

Of course it was.

Kenobi had no doubts that his money would go towards setting up an Obi-Wan fund for a new liver. He was going to need it after tonight. The thought of excessive alcohol brought Jemmy firmly back into his mind. She was Corellian, which in itself seemed to give her an unfair advantage in alcoholic-tolerance, but she had also been sneaking drinks off friends and getting into cantinas since she'd turned fourteen. As soon as she'd hit sixteen she'd really made the most of the legality of the situation. To tell the truth, he sometimes felt hard-pressed to keep up with her.

He didn't think that she had any sort of addiction to anything, except perhaps for finding trouble. But it was that very unpredictability that Obi-Wan found so exciting. When she walked into a room, it didn't so much light up as sparkle. If he were waiting on the room sparkling with her presence at the moment he would be sorely disappointed because she had still not arrived. He was beginning to worry again.

"Right, ladies and gents. I am acting as the judge to ensure there is no foul play." Mace clapped his hands in a school masterish way.

"How can there be foul play in a snail race?" Simeon asked innocently.

"Well, er�I don't know!" Mace scowled.

"Do you think we've got a set of little wheels on our representative?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Less of your lip, Kenobi or I'll have your snail disqualified." Mace snorted.

The eight snails were placed on the wooden track.

"In trap 1: Goodtime Gertie.
In trap 2: Lady J
In trap 3: Frisky Freda
In trap 4: Zippy
In trap 5: Nifty Ned
In trap 6: Flash Boy
In trap 7: Petula
In trap 8: Scrumpy Jo"

"I think he likes the sound of his own voice," muttered Obi-Wan.

"I've already warned you, Kenobi," Windu growled.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes but said nothing. "OK." Mace took his position on the adjudicators' seat. "Are we ready?"

"Did you fix Harkley's snail?" Obi-Wan hissed to Simeon.

"Oh, yes." Cates winked. "I can't see it winning."

"Good."

"�Then ready, steady�GO!" Screamed Mace, as everyone gathered round to se the greatest showdown in recent mollusk history.

Simeon smiled. His money was safe, at least�

*******

"Think it's safe to go back?" hissed Rela at Spider, who was hiding behind some railings just opposite her.

Spider strained her ears and heard nothing. "Think we've lost 'em." She nodded. "That was well scary though."

"Yeah," agreed Rela. "But kinda fun, too."

Spider grinned slyly. "I know what you mean. You know, we should go on these sort of outings more often. It's been a new experience for me."

"What, getting drunk?" Rela asked in disbelief.

"No, watching the Jedi getting plastered." She answered. "C'mon. Let's see if we can catch up with Jemmy."

"If I know her she'll already be sitting propping up the bar somewhere." Rela snickered. "Although I'm not sure how much longer she'll last out."

Their journey back was slow and cautious in the extreme. There seemed little point to Rela in getting themselves caught when they'd gone to so much trouble to avoid just that in the first place.

"D'you think Lilith and Krelo are OK?" Spider frowned as they approached the spot where they'd last seen Jemmiah.

"Those two? Yeah, they're bombproof. One's a Jedi and the other's, well�Lilith."

Rela glanced around. "Jemmy?" she hissed.

Nothing.

"Jemmiah?" Spider added her low voice to Rela's. "Looks like she's gone over already."

"Yeah," Rela frowned, spotting the cobbled wooden cases, "I s'pose we ought to get after her."

"Maybe we should be a bit more careful then she was." Spider laughed at the hole in the wood. "Trust her to pick something rotten to stand on!"

Spider, being that bit taller, decided to go over first and help Rela up if she needed it.

"Whatever you do, don't fall." Was Rela's only useful piece of advice.

"Ha ha�" Spider replied as she pulled herself to the top.

And on looking down on the ground got the shock of her life.

"Rela!" Spider's voice shrieked as she sat on the top of the wall. "Get up here quick!"

Rela's eyes flashed in annoyance. "Give me a chance, will you?" She scrambled over the uppermost box and reached for the top of the wall, grunting as she hoisted herself into a sitting position. "Now, what's all the hullabaloo?" she glared as Spider prepared to jump. She took in the prone figure lying at the foot of the wall.

"Hell, Spider - why didn't you say anything?" She yelled as the tattooed girl dropped to the ground. "Is she OK?"

"What does it look like?" Spider's voice bit back.

"Help me down," Rela instructed.

"But Jem�"

"I'm smaller than you. I have further to fall." The red head prepared to scramble down. Spider's arms collected her half way.

"S'pose she's dead?" Spider gulped, afraid to go any further.

"Then she's not going to do you any harm." Rela hurried to the Corellian. "You know, for someone who feeds her snakes live rodents you're sure as heck squeamish!"

"We're not talking about rodents, we're talking about Jemmy," Spider hissed, but drew closer all the same.

Rela's fingers went to Jemmiah's neck in search of a pulse, and it was with considerable gratitude that she located one almost straight away. "Phew, that's a relief," she muttered. "I think she's just unconscious. Probably her concussion's caught up with her at last."

She slapped Jemmy's face a couple more times in an effort to get her to wake up. "Jemmy? C'mon sweetie, give us a smile."

"Shouldn't we get An-Paj?" Spider asked with open concern. "She's obviously not well and�"

"You do that and that's her evening over with. Finished. Ended. And I'm telling you," Rela tried to peel Jemmy's eyelids back, "she is NOT going to thank you for that."

Jemmiah gave a slight moan as Rela continued to slap her face gently. "At last!" Rela sighed.

"Hurts." Jemmy mumbled.

"Where, can you tell me?" Rela asked. "Is it your head? Did you fall?"

"Yeah�" she said in a distinctly distant voice. "Fell. My leg."

"Let's see." Rela squinted in the dark. She worked her hands carefully down until Jemmy flinched.

"Sith!" she whimpered.

"Was that sore?" Rela asked.

Spider just looked at her.

"I hate to tell you this," Rela said after a moment, "but you've got half a tree stuck in the top of your leg. It looks like somebody's been stabbing a Jemmiah effigy with little pins, coz you've got splinters everywhere."

"Do you think An-Paj will notice?" Jemmy asked in a voice that sounded too far away to be hers.

"Unless he's blind," Spider replied.

"I'd settle for blind drunk." Rela answered. "They're gonna have to come out or you're leg is apt to get all infected."

"Don't worry," Jemmy closed her eyes again, "I'll grow another one."

Rela and Spider exchanged glances.

"Awwww, heck!" Rela cursed. "She's gone and drunk herself into a stupor. Believe me, I know about these things. Only I did it without the aid of any other substances."

Rela leaned over Jemmiah. "Have you been taking more of those tablets?" she accused.

"Ohhhhhh, let me die." Jemmy moaned.

"How many have you taken?" Spider yelled in her ear.

"A few. Not�many."

"How many is not many?" Rela asked in dogged fashion.

"Hmmm�how many cantinas have there been?" She half smiled.

There was a deadly pause.

"Jemmy, you PLANK!" Spider shouted as she grabbed the bottle. "The label says one every four hours, not four every one hour! And what else does it say? NOT to be taken with alcohol. Do you hear that? NOT? As in DON'T do it?"

"Great, what do we do now?" Rela asked dryly.

Spider regarded her friend, as she lay doped to the eyeballs. "In all the old holo films I've seen, you have to walk the person up and down to keep them from passing out." she said.

Rela nodded. "That's what we'll do." She grabbed Jemmy's arm and started to pull her. "C'mon Jem. We're going for a nice little walk. You'll like that."

"Where's Ben?" Jemmiah looked confused. "I was s'posed to do something with him�"

"That's going to have to wait." Rela snorted. "Even half dead you've got a one track mind. Help me, Spider."

"N-no. You don't understand." Jemmy paused, trying to remember. She screwed up her face as she sought the answer. "Snails," she said.

"Oh, no." Rela grimaced. "She's worse than I thought. Now she's hallucinating. There's only one thing for it."

"What?" Spider asked.

"We can't take her back like this. I'm afraid it's time for the old salt water remedy."

"Rela�"

"It's necessary. It's the only way she'll get to stay away from the infirmary."

"But�"

"She's seeing snails, for heaven's sake!"

Spider nodded reluctantly.

"Stay here with her. See if you can get her to limp about a bit. Get the circulation going."

"Where are you heading?" Spider called.

"There's a small Corellian eatery not far from here. I know one of the girls that works there. She'll help us out." Rela disappeared round the left side of the road, leaving Spider to drag Jemmiah round and round and round�

*******

Rela returned some ten minutes later bearing a flask in her hands.

"Right. Who's holding her and who's helping her drink?" Rela asked.

"YOU are helping her drink." Spider informed her. "I am staying as far back as I can."

"This is your friend," Rela reminded her.

"There are some things that even friends will not do."

Rela blew out a deep breath. "Fine." She said as she unscrewed the flask top. "Hold her steady."

Spider put her in an arm lock.

"Got a drink for you, Jemmy. It'll make you feel better, OK?"

"Huh?" she replied.

"Oh, just drink it." Rela said crossly. "Remember. Take a long drink. Swallow it. Run to the gutter, got that?"

"Drink, swallow, gutter." Jemmy mumbled.

"That's it, yeah." She held up the flask and forced the girl to take a good, lengthy drink of the contents.

And then jumped back.

*******

"GO ON GERTIE!" Yelled Simeon. "You can do it!"

"That a girl, Freda!" Dex shouted encouragement to his representative.

Mace regarded the whole seen with hazy bemusement. Jodi's snail, Zippy, was living up to his name and had stormed (in as much as a snail could storm) into the lead, with Freda and Gertie a close second, running eyestalk to eyestalk. Lady J was proving most uncooperative.

Simeon grinned.

He'd taken the necessary precautions in insuring Kryztan's snail would not get very far. A chance few moment alone with the competitors whilst the others had been at the bar drinking had enabled him to feed Lady J some draught ale. Snails were very partial to it, so it seemed. This one was no exception.

Of course, the temptation to wager on whom would cross the line last had been too much for Simeon. This time he had the feeling he was going to come out on top.

Obi-Wan regarded the whole seen with great satisfaction. His snail was still in with a chance of winning. Kryztan's snail, short of sprouting wings or roller skates, wasn't.

Now, if only Jemmiah would turn up�

*******

"Gutter, Jemmy. I said gutter. Didn't you hear me?" Rela ground her teeth. "What is wrong with everyone tonight? First Simeon and now you? Does everyone have the desire to be sick on me?"

Rela stood in the middle of the street and shouted: "If there's anyone else who'd like to vomit all over Rela Quinn, please come and take your best shot!"

"I feel dreadful," Jemmiah gasped.

"That's what happens when you mix pills and alcohol." Rela snapped. "Don't do it again. Next time I'll leave you in the street."

"Rela!" Spider frowned.

"Well, it's not fair!" Rela grumbled as she regarded her spoiled footwear. "I told Qui-Gon that these boots were reliable and never let me down, but I never put this idiot friend of mine into the equation."

She walked over to Jemmiah. "Finished?" she asked bluntly.

Jemmy nodded.

"Good." Rela put her arm over her shoulder. "Let's get to the cantina."

Half dragging, half supporting Jemmiah the two girls tried to hurry onwards so as to miss as little as the action as possible. "What did you have planned here, I wonder?" Rela asked.

"Snails." Jemmy said weakly.

"Awww, not again Jemmy!" Rela frowned. "Look, you'll have to stop this snail rubbish before An-Paj sees you or it'll be hospital food at dawn."

"But I'm sure that�" Jemmy began.

"Look, hush up and try and look sober. We're going in."

Rela put her hands on the door and tried to push. It wouldn't budge. "Hellfire, what's going on?" she cursed.

"Leave it Rela, they've locked it. We'll find the other door." Spider answered.

"She'll never make it." Rela looked ruefully at Jemmiah. "Just give me a minute and I'll have that baby open�here we go."

*******

Obi-Wan yelled in delight.

Gertie was winning by an eye.

Simeon was also looking more than happy with himself as Lady J had contented itself with falling asleep near the start line.

"Only a few more inches to go!" Mace tried to provide an exciting commentary of the final stages. The Jedi were going crazy as they cheered and clapped as Obi-Wan's snail made the last few agonizing perambulations to the line.

"And it's Goodtime Gertie! Goodtime Gertie is nearly there! Let's here a big Jedisome cheer for�"

Mace was cut off by a thud as the door was flung back against the wall.

"Who locked the festerin' door?" yelled Rela, as she and Spider hauled Jemmiah towards the group.

There was a crunching sound under her foot.

"What the�?" Rela looked down.

The cheering stopped very suddenly.

Obi-Wan swallowed.

"Goodbye, Gertie," he muttered.

*******

Lilith used the time it took them to walk to the next cantina to closely examine the rest of her stash. She only half listened to Krelo's exclamations of disbelief. "I can't believe that you managed to tell the almost complete truth without once saying anything that could be construed as bad."

There were only a few credit chips, but they were all had high denominations. Don't Jedi carry anything less than 50s?*

"It's all in the wording," she explained absently. There was the gold keycard and ID of course, but what was . . . was that a navel ring?! Lilith held up the small piece of jewelry to the scanty light of a street lamp they were passing under and nodded to herself, yes, yes it was. Of course, now she was going to have to check. Qui-Gon hadn't struck her as the type to go in for that sort of thing. And if it wasn't his, whose was it?

"Lilith!"

"What?"

"You aren't listening to me."

"Sure I am."

"You just agreed that you were desperately in love with Griff Rendar."

"And if you ever tell him I will deny it to the death," Demodae replied, unruffled. "It's amazing the things people carry around in their pockets," she murmured a moment later, examining yet another surprise.

"Like what?"

"Oh, nothing." Lilith quickly stuffed everything back in her pockets, hoping to change the subject. After all, she carried some interesting things in her own pockets, so she shouldn't be talking.

They took their time, enjoying the light evening air and arrived through the front door just in time to see Jemmiah and friends stumble into the middle of the race.

"Urgh�what is that?" Rela groaned as she looked at the sole of her boot. "As if my feet haven't been through enough already in the last half hour." She peered at the deceased mollusk with a shudder. "Looks like crunchy chewin' gum." Her disgust grew further as she tried to clean the mess off by wiping her foot on the leg of a nearby table. "Looks like something slimy just died�"

"It was a snail," Simeon supplied.

"It was MY snail," Obi-Wan said indignantly.

"Sorry?" Rela frowned.

A horrid thought occurred to her. "Er�I'm sorry Jemmy." She couldn't quite look the Corellian in the face. "But Spider n' me thought that�"

"Don't bring ME into this. It was your idea," Spider muttered.

Jemmy looked between Rela and Spider, then back again. "See? Told you it was snails�an' you made me sick for no reason." She moaned. "So I'm not speaking to you ever again."

"How was I s'posed to know?" Rela replied cagily. "I mean, snail racing�"

She looked at the floor again. "Sainted sausages, these suckers can move!" she said in surprise.

"Except for mine," Obi-Wan said pointedly. "It's not going anywhere fast, is it?"

He looked at the unsteady Jemmiah. "Sith! Jemmy�your leg!" he cried.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You look like you've been put in front of an Ewok firing squad!"

"Eh?" She looked down. "Oh hell!" She said, before passing out.

There was a moment of confusion before An-Paj pushed through the crowd of Jedi.

"Never fear, An-Paj is here," he said confidently, swerving at the last moment to avoid a snail. "Now, what seems to be the trouble�oh, dear." He frowned as he examined the patient with a cursory glance.

Obi-Wan looked at the healer. "Is it bad?"

"Bad?" An-Paj said.

"Very bad?" Obi-Wan amended with a gulp.

"Beyond help, I should think. Leona, have you got those sterile dressings?"

"Beyond help!" Kenobi gasped. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying it's not within my means to do anything."

Simeon, Rela and Obi-Wan looked at each other in horror.

"There must be something you can do?" Obi-Wan's mouth felt very dry.

"No." He paused for a moment as if breaking bad news, "I'm afraid these stockings are damaged irreparably."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. "Stockings," he hissed.

"Yes." An-Paj smiled. "Had you going for a bit, didn't I?" He looked about in the medi-pack for the tweezers that he'd put in earlier that day. "Just as well she was wearing these high boots, otherwise the damage might have been so much worse." He peered closely at the biggest foreign body embedded in the leg. "Ouch! That's got to hurt. Just as well she passed out. Rather saves me from whacking her on the head with something hard."

A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes as he stared at Dimallie. "Oh, sorry I forgot. You already did that, didn't you?"

Dimallie turned red in the face.

"No matter." He flexed the tweezers. "Got those dressings ready?" he asked Leona. Leona nodded. "Right then, you nasty splinter. Let's see what you're like against the angel of mercy�"

He clamped the tweezers carefully round the large piece of wood and gradually drew it out bit by bit. The groans and sympathetic winces were drowned out only by the sound of Obi-Wan, Garos Hmiol and Jay Abran hitting the floor. "People seem to be dropping like flies round here. All because of a little blood." An-Paj observed. "Healer Territ, would you mind clearing away the corpses?"

As Gethin moved forward to help carry Obi-Wan to the side, An-Paj took another look at the wound. "Hmm, there's still more in there. I'll have to do some more ferreting around." He noticed that both Rela and Spider had the good sense to look away, yet all the others had crowded closer for a better view. Never one to pass up the opportunity for a laugh, An-Paj thought his comic timing was about due for a test.

He put the tweezers against the remainder of the splinter and pretended to pull, gritting his teeth with the sheer effort. "Gods, this is really stuck." he gasped, allowing a smiling Leona to wipe his brow. "Come on you horrible piece of wood! Get the better of me, would you?"

An-Paj pretended to pull and pull but to no avail. "I think it most be almost to the bone, Leona." He said in an over loud voice. "I might have to widen the wound in order to�" Two more thuds sounded the passing out of Mace Windu and Griff Rendar.

"So much for the big, touch smuggler routine," Lilith Demodae's voice sounded as she looked in dismay at Jemmiah. "What happened to the kid?" She looked down at her boot. "Oh, swinging Werrads, what is this sticky thing under my foot?"

"Not you as well." Rela groaned.

"I don't care," Simeon grinned as he brandished his winnings, "I've done very well out of this evening."

Rela nodded. "Good," She said as she swiped the credits out of his hand, "this'll help pay for the clothing that you so considerably decided to puke all over."

"But there's more than enough there," Simeon complained.

"Even better. It'll help pay for the boots that your friend," she indicated the wakening form of Jemmiah, "managed so considerably to puke all over."

Lilith winked at Krelo.

"Why don't we see if we can help Master Jinn?" she said with an evil looking smile. "Maybe we could use that trick with the force and sober him up a bit."

Then out the corner of her mouth: "And see if that naval ring belongs to him!"

An-Paj smiled as Jemmiah opened an eye.

"All over." He soothed.

"Y-yeah?" she mumbled.

"I'm afraid you lost your leg," added the healer, "but just think of the time you'll save painting your toe nails."

Jemmiah closed her eyes again.

"Infirmary humor's obviously not to everyone's liking," he sighed.

*******

Krelo and Lilith flanked Qui-Gon at the bar and ordered drinks from the tender. Shortly, one Alderaani orange juice (looking remarkably like an Alderaani screwdriver) and a mineral water (masquerading as white vermouth) and a small cup of caff arrived on the counter in front of them.

"Want me to start sobering him up now?" Krelo asked, looking around and checking to make sure everyone else was looking elsewhere. Everyone who wasn't passed out was watching An-Paj finish, so there was little chance anyone would pay them any attention for a little while.

"Okay, but very slowly. I don't want him sober while I'm checking for that ring. In fact, I don't want him conscious." Which, fortunately, he wasn't. Lilith draped one arm across Qui-Gon's shoulders and slipped the other hand into his tunic.

*******

Simeon looked unhappily at his now empty hands and thought about his winnings, which were now Rela's winnings, he supposed. He glanced around, wondering if he should go get another drink and spotted the threesome at the bar. Blinking and rubbing at his bleary, unfocused eyes, he looked again, startled.

He walked slowly over to where Obi-wan was just coming back around and leaned over the slightly groggy padawan. "Don't look now, Obi-wan, but I think Captain Demodae is groping your master."

"What?!"

Obi-Wan's startled exclamation turned several heads.

"Well, it certainly looks to me like she's got her hand down his tunic," Simeon stated clearly.

*******

Darned sash thingy getting in my way, Lilith grumbled as her hand groped farther downward. Krelo had one hand on the man's shoulder and one eye on the medical gathering in the corner.

"Hurry up. He'll be coming around soon," the knight urged.

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying. Why do you Jedi insist on wearing so many layers of clothing?" Lilith griped.

"Izz a little more fun to take them all off," a slurred, happy sounding voice said in her ear.

Lilith jerked her hand out of Qui-Gon's tunics and froze as his head came to rest on her shoulder. "Mmmmmm, donnn't stop now, that was niiice, Leona."

"I warned you," Krelo hissed at her friend.

"Well, keep going!" Lilith hissed right back. "He called me 'Leona'."

"Too late!"

Lilith had snatched up the cup of caff and was raising it to Qui-Gon's lips when an outraged voice spoke from behind her.

"Just what are you doing to my master?!"

Lilith jerked around at the sound of Obi-Wan's voice, accidentally splashing the quite warm caff right in Qui-Gon's face. That had the effect of sobering him up even faster. The smuggler stared over Qui-Gon's shoulder at his apprentice, wondering exactly what that mix of emotions on the young man's face was. There was righteous indignation, certainly, but there was also a healthy dash of embarrassment and, was that envy? Lilith shot a glance at Jemmiah. Yup, envy.

If he can't have his girl, why should his master, hunh?

Standing a bit farther back was Simeon. Qui-Gon was shaking his head like he was trying to clear it and Krelo eased her hand off his shoulder and into her lap as unobtrusively as possible. Lilith made shushing motions at Obi-wan, but the young man wouldn't take the hint.

"What were you doing?" he asked again, and this time Simeon and Dex and Leona all began to wander over to see what the fuss was about. Lilith wanted to beat her head against the bar top. Better yet, she wanted to beat Obi-Wan's head against it. But it was too late. A general migration had started and soon everyone except Kryztan, who had kept his distance from the tall Corellian all evening, had gathered around.

"Jedi can tell if you're lying," Obi-wan declared and Lilith shot a quick glance at her friend. Krelo nodded, wincing slightly, and Lilith felt her stomach tie itself in a knot. She didn't mind dishing dirt on people. Didn't mind embarrassing them when they were perfectly coherent and able to fight back to the best of their ability, no matter how meager that ability might prove, but she hated messing with the minds of drunks. It was an unfair fight.

"Krelo and I were trying to see if we couldn't sober your master up a bit before we left here so that we wouldn't have to carry him again," Lilith tried, but Obi-wan, Hmiol, Dex and Mace were all frowning and shaking their heads at her.

"What?!" Lilith half-wailed, half demanded. "That's the truth!"

"But not all of it," Mace pointed out.

The bleached blond let her shoulders slump. She patted Qui-Gon on the shoulder, a rueful, apologetic smile on her lips. "Sorry. I tried."

"Hmmm? What? Where are we?" Qui-Gon glanced around at the group, his expression puzzled. "A toast to Valorum?" he asked.

"Nope, Qui, my boy, you lost that one already," Lilith explained, then turned back to the waiting group. She couldn't' even hedge and say it was hers, though, wait! No, they were monitoring her too closely, and she'd never intended to keep it, so she couldn't' even get away with saying it was hers.

"It's like this," she began, "I figured Master . . ."

"Jinn," Krelo hissed.

"Jinn, here, owed me a bit of money for hauling his sorry carcass around town, especially after getting pulled over by the cops." In the background Jemmy, Rela and Spider tried to look innocent, but interested. The Jedi all just looked stern, worried, and was Mace amused? "Anyway, I fished a few credits out of his pockets and I found something else in there later when I went to count it." Beside her Qui-Gon sat up straight, a horrified look on his face. Krelo would have bet everything Lilith had taken from Qui-Gon's pockets that the Master was rapidly approaching stone cold sober and desperately wishing he were dead.

"And?" Mace and Dex prompted together. Both already had the beginnings of smiles on their faces while Obi-wan was just looking confused. What could that possibly have to do with why this woman had had her hand in his master's tunics?

"Well, I was just . . . checking to see if it might belong to him, or if he was holding it for someone else," Lilith finished quickly. "There. Happy?" she asked Obi-wan.

"Not particularly. What the Sith could it have been that you had your hand in his tunics?"

Mace and Dex exchanged startled glances and Sal-Fina looked predatory. They hadn't heard that part of it earlier. Qui-Gon's face was now a strangled sort of scarlet. "Maybe I should tell you later, kid," Lilith tried to suggest, glancing around significantly at all the people gathered around, just waiting to hear.

"No!" Dex practically shouted and Qui-Gon now buried his face in his hands. "I think we need to know."

Seeing she was going to be able to get out of it, Lilith slipped her hand into her pocket and then pulled it back out. Holding it out where everyone could see it, she opened her hand.

There were several startled gasps and Sal-Fina crowed in malicious glee. Lilith glanced down at her hand, not expecting such a reaction. After all, it was only a- Her expression froze. There, in her palm, sat the little niobium ring. Unfortunately, that wasn't all she'd grabbed and her own face took on a look of horror to match his as she realized that, in her haste, she had grabbed something else as well.

"What are those?" Hmiol asked innocently.

"Pasties," Dex answered in astonishment.

"What are they for?" Hmiol asked.

His answer was a chorus of uninformative 'umm's and 'err's from the other males in the group. Sal-Fina, on the other hand, was only too happy to educate the young man. Qui-Gon was staring helplessly from face to face with an expression that begged for someone to back him up, while Obi-wan looked like he was going to pass out again. Jemmiah was giggling.

"Women in strip clubs wear them over their-"

Except Mace and Dex chose that time to bust out in loud, roaring laughter.

"Those aren't mine!" Qui-Gon yelled repeatedly, glad beyond all imagining that the woman beside him hadn't produced that keycard he'd forgotten to return. "They're not!"

"I'll dare say!" Mace howled. "The color clashes with your eyes!" That sent Dex and An-Paj into fresh gales of laughter and both had to find chairs quickly before their knees gave out.

Lilith immediately pocketed the evidence and slipped off the barstool, trying to slide around the crowd and disappear. Krelo met her half way and grabbed her by the arm, staring a question she dared not verbalize.

"What?!" Lilith hissed at her. "You think tonight was the first time I've strip-teased?!"

"And you carry them around in your pocket?!"

Lilith rolled her eyes skyward and wished that she'd never suggested following the Jedi tonight.

"I can tell you one thing!" Lilith winced as she recovered her cool somewhat, "I am NOT the only one who's gonna suffer embarrassment here. All this clowning about has given me an idea."

"And what's that?" Dex asked curiously.

Lilith stood, hands on hips as she addressed the other cantina crawlers.

"They say you can learn a lot about a person by what they have in their possession. I say let's get to know each other really well and turn out our pockets. I'll bet there are some really interesting things that could tell us a pretty tale�"

The wide eyed, horrified expressions on the faces of her companions told her that there were definitely one or two guilty consciences lurking out there. But what were they all hiding?

"C'mon. Turn 'em out." Lilith commanded. "If I've had to suffer�"

"We," muttered an ill looking Qui-Gon.

"We," corrected Lilith, "have had to suffer the humiliation then I think for the sake of solidarity we should all join in."

"No way." Obi-Wan looked aghast.

"I'm not doing it." Rela snorted.

"Me either." Sal-Fina insisted vehemently. "A persons private property has the right to remain, well�private."

"Not good enough." Lilith smirked. "Get to it everyone. Who's first up?"

She walked over to Mace. "Master Windu? Care to let me rummage?"

"Well," Mace didn't look sure, as if he was desperately trying to remember what he had in his pockets, "I don't know�"

"Let's have a delve." Lilith declared as she shoved her hands into his tunic.

She stopped suddenly. "If anyone's got ANY ideas at all about sneakily dropping their belongings onto the floor and retrieving them afterwards, forget it. I will find out about it. And keep anything I like the look of. Now," she smiled, "let's see what can be learned about Master Windu."

Her hands brought out a small but very revealing inventory. "One Corellian liquorice stick, half chewed and covered in fluff�" Lilith dropped the item in disgust onto the table. "Keeping that for after, were you Windu? What else have we got?"

She laughed at the next item. "One small comb. What the heck do you need with a comb, Mace? Or do we not want to know?"

Mace gritted his teeth as the others laughed at his discomfort.

"Hello, what's this?" frowned Lilith. "One bottle of ointment for the treatment of�"

"THANK YOU, I'll have that back." Mace swiped at the bottle.

"To be used sparingly three times a day." Lilith grinned.

"What has?" Jemmiah wondered.

Lilith smirked. "Hair tonic."

As Rela wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes, she wondered who was going to be the next victim of Captain Demodae's searching. Amidst all the hilarity, there were some very troubled faces�

Leona snickered behind her hand at Mace' discomfort, catching the attention of the tall, blonde smuggler.

"And what about you, little one?" Lilith queried, "what would a Jedi Healer possibly carry with her?"

Leona stood and smiled, feeling very smug. "Sorry, but I'm afraid this dress has no pockets." she said with great satisfaction, pulling open the large, borrowed robe she wore for all to see.

"Doesn't exactly leave much to the imagination either." Master Berlingside leered, causing the small healer to blush and quickly wrap the cloak around her.

"What about her purse?" Jemmiah asked.

"Only medical supplies I'm afraid." Leona answered complacently.

"Then you won't mind if we go through it" Lilith reached over and snatched the bag off her shoulder.

The healer's only answer was a content smile and shrug.

Opening the small bag Lilith began taking out each item and placing it on the table. <"Med-pak, bandages, pills" the smuggler identified each as she pulled them out. "And this?" she held up a small vial with a thick, yellow liquid in it.

"Cologne." Leona announced, while the Amazonian Corellian open the vial sniffing lightly.

"Nice."

"You really are as boring as you appear." Sal-Fina tittered maliciously, nodding to her apprentice.

Leona's eyes blazed at the blonde Master. "Not everyone can be vid stars, can they?" Leona intoned darkly, wiping the smile from Sal-Fina's face.

Frustrated with nothing of interest in the bag Lilith turned it over and shook it once and a long braid, tied at both ends with pink ribbon fell to the table. "Ah, what's this?" Lilith picked up the item for closer examination.

"What is it?" Mace asked, hoping for some embarrassing revelation.

"It's a lock of hair." Lilith dangled it in front of Leona's face, which was now turning bright crimson. "A lover's keepsake perhaps? Anyone we know?" Lilith turned to the man whose hair not only matched the length of the braid, but the fine grey streaks that ran through it.

"Care to comment?" she asked Qui-Gon who was giving the petite healer a decidedly confused and somewhat flattered look.

"Well, whose is it?" Sal-Fina asked triumphantly.

A snicker from someone in the crowd managed to deflect the attention away from a thoroughly embarrassed Leona, who was dreading Qui-Gon asking her the inevitable question at some stage. There was nothing for it, she would have take pleasure in her own company for the rest of the evening because there was no way Leona was prepared to admit to the true owner of the lock of hair.

As the laughter sounded again, Lilith homed right in on the source.

"You think that's funny d'you?" She lifted her eyebrow questioningly.

"Actually," Obi-Wan smirked, "I think it's pretty hilarious."

"I'm glad you enjoy a good laugh," the strapping Corellian woman nodded at his cheerful expression, "because you are next."

"W-what!?!" Kenobi exclaimed, leaping back a couple of feet.

"You heard. Turn out your pockets."

"I told you, I'm NOT doing it!"

"Oh, now I want to know what he's hiding." Lilith began to herd him up towards the wall.

"So do I!" Jemmiah smiled, although still sounding a touch rough.

"No you don't!" Obi-Wan's features suddenly looked pinched and white.

Jemmy became very suspicious. It wasn't like Ben to be sneaky�

"Look, just back off." Obi-Wan insisted. "My arms are all strapped up and I can't even defend myself!"

"I like a man who's helpless." Lilith continued to stalk him until his back hit the wall.

"Lilith, please!" implored Kenobi.

"I like a man who begs, too!" she chuckled. "But I'm afraid my curiosity is too great. Now," she lunged at the young man's hidden pockets, "what have we here? A letter?"

Obi-Wan went scarlet.

"Because you went to so much trouble to keep this from us, I'm gonna read it out!"

"No!" the padawan yelped.

"Yes!"

Lilith cleared her throat: "Dearest Jemmy�"

"That's a good start." Acknowledged Krelo as the whistling started. Obi-Wan closed his eyes as his only means of escape.

Lilith continued: "I just had to write to you and let you know how very special you are, and how much you've come to mean to me over the years."

"Awwww, that's nice," sniffed An-Paj, "Pray continue."

"There are times when you just walk into a room and everyone else seems to melts away. Just one smile is enough to break my heart."

"That is revolting!" Spider gagged.

"And when you tease and flirt with me it drives me absolutely crazy with desire!"

Obi-Wan didn't dare open his eyes but Jemmiah did risk a quick glance at Qui-Gon, who looked completely and utterly shocked. And still a little shaky.

"You are by far the most attractive girl I have ever met both outside or within the temple."

"Hey, cheers Piggy!" Meri laughed at his reddened face.

"I just wish my master would let us see each other more often. I admire him in almost everything, except that he can be so damned old fashioned, not to mention mean."

Qui-Gon seemed to take an extra few seconds to register that with his brain. "Did my padawan just call me mean?" he asked in astonishment.

"To continue," Lilith hurried on: "It is my fondest hope that very soon we will be able to express our true feelings for each other without any outside interruptions."

There came a loud WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Of insinuation from the other padawans, not to mention a few of the masters.

"In the meantime, please accept this gift as a small token of my undying affection."

Jay and Simeon chuckled. Sybelle, Letina and Kylenn smirked knowingly.

"Gift?" Qui-Gon asked through the haze of the alcoholic mist still clinging to the fringes of his mind. "What gift's this?" Dex winked.

Lilith's grin became wider: "All my love forever and always, your Ben."

"That was horrible." Rela said finally. "You poor helpless romantic!"

"There's an extra line underneath," Lilith added after the rumble of amusement had started to quiet a little: "By the way, I have to tell you that I think you have the nicest�" Lilith broke off suddenly, feigning a cough. "I think we'll leave that adult-rated stuff to the imagination."

"Nicest what?" frowned Simeon.

"Forget it," Kenobi mumbled.

"I'd like to know," Simeon insisted.

"So would I!" Jay added with a leer.

"We'll just have to use our imagination," Jodi grinned.

"Or our memories," Zac replied.

Jemmy snatched the letter away. "Legs, guys. He said legs, didn't he Lilith?"

"Er�yeah. Legs." Lilith concurred hurriedly, suddenly realizing the trouble she might have landed Jemmiah in. "What else have we got in Kenobi's pockets?"

She fished around diligently for a moment before pulling out a handful of candy wrappers.

"Gods, he's a walking garbage disposal unit." Lilith eyed him as he squirmed. "And we also have�a holo picture of his beloved." She nodded at Jemmiah.

"Which one?" Jemmy limped over for a better look. "Oh, that one. That's sweet. The one of me sitting on his lap whilst he's pinching my b�."

"Moving swiftly on," Lilith rifled through the boy's right pocket.

Obi-Wan seemed to flinch suddenly as he recalled what was in there.

"And we have�" Lilith pulled out a harmless looking package and tossed it onto the table.

There was an audible pause followed by muted titters from the other cantina crawlers. Qui-Gon staggered somewhat over towards his guilty looking padawan. Obi-Wan knew he was well on the road to recovery when Jinn shot him his best piercing, icy gaze.

"W-well, master," Obi-Wan gulped in embarrassment, "you always say that a Jedi should be prepared for any eventuality."

Qui-Gon stood opposite him, never taking his eyes from his apprentice. The smile he bestowed was lethal. "In that case Obi-Wan," he said as he eyed the package with its somewhat intimate contents, "prepare to die."

Jemmiah tried valiantly not to give a damn about all the nudges and whispers she was getting aimed in her direction. Obi-Wan was the color of a small Alderaani Radish.

"I think it's about time we picked on someone else." Lilith said loudly, before leaning in towards Qui-Gon and whispering: "Or else we might just have to reveal what else we found in your pockets the same time we found the ring."

Sal-Fina shuffled back just a touch in the hope that Lilith wouldn't notice the move.

Lilith smiled to herself. Let her think she'd been forgotten for the time being. Lull her in to a false sense of security.

"Jay Abran, how about YOU turn out your pockets?"

Abran shrugged.

"I've not got much," he replied in a neutral tone of voice, "because I've never been one for unnecessary clutter."

He pulled out a small collection of coins, an identity card, a small neck charm�

"Poser," muttered Simeon.

�and a box of breath freshening sweets.

"Is that it?" Spider wondered. "Nothing else?"

"As if I'd be caught with anything more." Jay said just a touch too cockily for Lilith's tastes.

"Well then. You won't mind if I have a look." She stepped forwards to make good her threat.

"But�look, I'm sure there's absolutely nothing of interest there," sweated Jay.

"I'll be the judge of that, young man." Lilith slid her hands into his pockets and moments later brought out what appeared to be a list of some description.

"Now, what could this be?" Demodae waved the list infront of Abran's nose.

"It's not important." Jay said, trying and failing miserably to look unfazed.

"Is that right?"

She looked down the list.

"NO.1 - Rig cards so that Simeon, Obi and Jemmy pick the Aces. Dimallie to pick fourth ace."

"WHAT!!!" Exclaimed Dimallie and Leona at the same time.

"NO.2 - Fix strip Spin the Bottle game. Get Kylenn and Letina down to their undies. Make sure that Jemmy loses the last round."

"WHAT!!!" Exclaimed Jemmiah, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.

"N0.3 - Trick Jemmy into picking dare in T or D game."

"You are so very dead." Jemmiah hissed.

"NO.4 - Get Simeon so drunk that he collapses in the gutter."

Simeon glared.

"NO.5 - Spike Jemmy's drink with that stuff that makes you giggle like an idiot for three solid hours."

"It didn't work." Jemmiah's eyes bored into him.

"So I see," Abran retorted.

"NO.6 - Slip that luminous party food coloring into Hmiol's drink so that under street lighting he turns fluorescent."

"Well, at least you haven't managed that one," Mace sighed, as Garos looked slightly ill with anxiety.

That's what he thinks, thought Jay.

"Try and get some of the masters too, if possible," Lilith read.

Yes, it went better than I thought. As if poor Mace and Sal-Fina don't have enough to contend with at the moment�

"N0.7 - Tell that embarrassing story about Jemmy and the artist's modeling."

"What have I ever done to you?" Jemmiah groaned.

"N0.8 - Chat up Ambianca for a dare."

"You wouldn't do it for any other reason." Jemmiah muttered.

"N0.9 - Collect winnings for little bet regarding Obi and Jemmy."

"What bet?" Qui-Gon growled softly.

"I really can't imagine." Leona tried to cover up.

"N0.10 - Get very sloshed indeed."

Jay just stood there; taking in all the hostile faces turned his way. He'd managed to offend just about everyone.

"This your prank list for this evening, was it Abran?" Lilith's voice had the quality of rough sandpaper.

"Well�the highlights, yes," he admitted.

"I should think you've managed to alienate most of the people here before you." Demodae grinned wickedly. "Got anything to say before they tell you what they think of you?"

"Er�yeah." Jay actually managed a smile.

"What time do the street lights come on?"

Slowly, carefully, Simeon maneuvered toward Garos. He deftly slipped his hand into the young man's pocket and dropped a little surprise. Then, backing away, he melted back into the crowd.

This would get Hmiol good!

Slowly, carefully, Garos maneuvered toward Simeon. He deftly slipped his hand into the young man's pocket and dropped a little surprise. Then, backing away, he melted back into the crowd.

This would get Cates good!

Lilith saw the barely repressed amusement glinting in Simeon Cate's lively black eyes.

"OK. Simeon Cates, I believe it's your turn." Lilith walked forwards and pressed against him as she tried to delve into his pockets.

"Hey, if I say you have a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?" he smiled.

"Ha ha. They do say the old ones are best."

"That's what I was hoping to find out." He winked at Rela.

Lilith took his insolent banter for what it was and played along with it. "What's this?" She pulled out what appeared to be a piece of fabric.

Simeon made a grab for it but Lilith maintained possession. "That's my hanky," Cates remarked.

"Bassalads! When was the last time you washed it?" Lilith dropped it in disgust.

"Don't blame me! I've had sinus problems." Simeon took the dirty rag away from her amidst many loud groans.

"What else is in here? Or do I not want to know?" Lilith continued to ferret around with her fingers until they came into contact with something, cold, wet and slimy. She gave a startled yelp and flung the offending object some feet to land on a table next to Sal-Fina.

"What the hell is that? You are one strange boy! How the heck did the Jedi EVER allow you as an apprentice healer?" She shuddered.

"What was it?" Sybelle sat as far back from the sticky thing as possible.

"That is DISGUSTING!" Jemmy moaned.

"It's massive!" Abran looked horrified. "Look at the mouthparts on that thing!"

"I wouldn't want that chomping my clothes," Zac smirked.

Rela and Spider smiled.

So did Hmiol.

"I don't know what that is!" Cates began to panic. "It's horrible! What is it? S'pose there are more of them? He looked at his clothing, hoping not to see any others.

"There's one!" Hmiol yelled, pointing at Simeon's back.

"Where!" screamed Simeon. "Obi, get it off me!"

"There's nothing there. Garos is pulling your leg." Kenobi sighed.

Simeon glared at the smug face of Garos Hmiol. He'd get him soon enough.

Rela walked over to examine the slimy creature closer.

"I'd stop panicking if I were you, Cates." She said eventually. "I don't s'pose you like Corellian Tequila, by any chance?"

"Yes, why?" Simeon frowned.

"Because what you have there is one of the giant Corelli worms they put in the bottle." She smiled.

"A worm?" He let out a big sigh.

"You've got worms, have you Cates?" An-Paj remarked. "I know just the cure for that."

Simeon started to seethe as the females in the room crowded round the worm for a better look. Hmiol was in considerable trouble now!

Lilith caught the smug look on Hmiol's face the same way she'd recognized the merry glint in Simeon's eyes minutes earlier. "Padawan Hmiol? Care to show us what you've got?" Lilith drawled.

Why did Garos suddenly feel uneasy?

"Is nobody paying attention?" Lilith asked.

"Sorry, they're all examining my worm." Simeon said boastfully, causing Rela and Jemmy to laugh.

"Is vulgarity taught at the Temple or is it just picked up along the way?" Lilith asked Krelo as she slid her hands into Hmiol's pockets.

A holo photo. A nude holo photo, in a somewhat raunchy pose.

"It's not mine!" Garos could hardly squeak out the words.

"Of course not." Sighed Qui-Gon. "It's always the same. Never prepared to admit when they've done something wrong."

Berlingside nodded.

"I think we need to have a little talk, Padawan." The tipsy form of Far Biwo put his hand on Hmiol's shoulder. "That sort of thing is not very nice." Then he shocked his padawan even further. "So I'm going to confiscate it until we've discussed the morality involved in this case." He took the holo picture from Hmiol's shaking hands and then proceeded to study it for a minute.

"Qui-Gon, old friend. Would you say that was a mole or a dirty smudge mark?"

"Where?" Jinn frowned as he bent his head round to study the picture.

"Let me see that." Dex joined in.

"It's a smudge mark." Mace pronounced. "Then again�I'm not sure. I might have to have another look to make up my mind."

"Yes." Jinn agreed. "We really need some kind of image intensifier�"

All the females were giggling over Simeon's worm and all the males were concerned with Hmiol's holo picture.

It left Lilith standing on her own.

"Great," she growled. "Just great. What d'you have to do to get someone's attention in this place? If I were a scantily clad centipede I might just stand some kind of a chance�"

"I think we should be heading along now, Lil." Krelo tried to encourage her friend to move with a small nudge of the arm.

Lilith pulled a face, but realized that nobody was paying her any attention anyhow, and so agreed with Krelo. She saw the rather relieved expression on Sal-Fina's face and watched as the tall blonde hurried away as quickly as she could towards the door.

"Waaaaait a second!" Lilith's commanding voice roared above the general chatter and noise. "I think there was one person who didn't empty anything out onto the table. And we want to know why, don't we Sal-Fina?"

Sal-Fina froze. "I don't have anything in my pockets." She swallowed, recovering her composure just a little too late.

"Oh dear. Somebody's fibbing." Qui-Gon smiled at her. "You can always tell. Your left eyebrow does a funny little dance all of its own whenever you're trying to convince somebody you're telling the truth but are in fact lying incredibly poorly."

The Jedi scowled. "You take that back!" she said angrily.

"You turn out your pockets and THEN I'll take it back." Qui-Gon swayed as he watched her eyes dart anxiously from side to side.

Lilith stepped forward with the visage of an executioner. "C'mon Sal. Empty 'em."

"No!"

"Everyone else has. Your padawan has." Lilith pointed out.

"But�"

"Oh, it can't be that bad. Surely not." Captain Demodae slid her hand into Sal-Fina's left pocket and brought out a small, crumpled pink�something or other.

"Well, I'll be a Vrelt's ass!" Lilith whistled as she held aloft the item that was causing her so much embarrassment. "An edible brassiere!"

Even inspite of her sore leg, Jemmy howled with laughter.

"I want to know who'd be mad enough to want to eat it!" Jemmiah wiped away the tears of laughter.

"Give it to Obi. He's ALWAYS hungry." Simeon grinned.

"He'd prefer Jemmy in 'em." Jay answered insinuatingly.

"She wouldn't fit." Gethin remarked, looking uneasy as all eyes turned his way. Both Jemmiah and Sal-Fina reddened and gazed at the floor. "Professional opinion only." He added hurriedly.

Lilith put her hand in the other pocket and brought out an old looking holo picture� Of Sal-Fina and Qui-Gon.

"This I've GOT to see," Jemmiah hobbled over to Lilith's side. She looked from the holo to Sal-Fina and back again. "Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" she drawled. "That's never you. Where are all the wrinkles?"

"I do NOT have wrinkles," Sal-Fina hissed. "I may have the occasional line round my eyes. But that's laughter that's done that, nothing else." "I'm sorry," Jemmy shrugged as she handed the holo to Simeon, "but I wasn't aware you had THAT much to laugh about."

Sal-Fina considered taking a swipe at Jemmy, but restrained herself. Barely. "There's one other person who hasn't emptied their belongings onto the table." Sal-Fina pointed out with a certain degree of satisfaction.

"Who?" Simeon frowned.

"That�friend of this Corellian creature," she indicated Jemmiah with a derogatory wave of the hand. "The girl who looks like she's walked into the middle of a paint fight."

Spider glared, sticking out her bottom lip belligerently. "Why should I?" she asked. "I'm not part of your Jedi group."

"Neither am I." Rela pointed out.

"Quite." Sal-Fina strode forwards. "Let's see what YOU'RE hiding."

She slid her hand into Spider's pocket.

And let out a scream.

"Well, if you will go around disturbing my pet baby Dinko, what do you expect?" Spider remarked.

"Urgh! It BIT me!" Sal-Fina cried out. "I've been savaged!"

"I think we could be looking at a long course of injections." An-Paj winked as he examined the puncture wound on Sal-Fina's fingers. "Has it been de-venomed?" the healer asked.

Jemmy smiled sweetly at Sal-Fina. �I don't know. Sal-Fina, have you been de-venomed?" the Corellian questioned innocently.

<