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Author	Topic: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): New post by HaiGan
Jemmiah Registered: Mar '00	Date Posted: 2/12/03 11:53am Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): Not quite finished but heading that way!
	And what comments were they, JKOW? whistles innocently I seem to have lost my memory... -----signature----- The new improved Hell's Chance Cantina! Home for many assorted JA fanfic stories!: http://www.hellschancecantina.com/index.html Open to all: have a go at Star Wars Caption Contest no.7: http://www.hellschancecantina.com/Caption_comp.html
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Jemmiah Registered: Mar '00	Date Posted: 2/13/03 2:07pm Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): Not quite finished but heading that way!
	WEEK FOUR, DAY THREE, HOUR ONE: ***************** "You're still not keen on them together, are you?" Kelik remarked at Qui-Gon's rather protracted silence. "So why don't you do something about it?" In the background Qui-Gon could hear the noise of the droid waiters and porters merrily charging too and fro as they went about their programmed tasks. His own duties as a master were in many ways similar, with his overall training of Obi-Wan his topmost priority. And if Jemmiah unwittingly interfered with that training, as she had in the past, it should fall to him as the padawan's master to remove the problem - if necessary by splitting them up… "I think," Qui-Gon answered cautiously, "that to an extent I have come round to the idea, or at least gotten used to it. Maybe that's not a good thing, for if I get too used to it then perhaps I'll fail to see any problems that arise." "And are there problems?" Kelik asked, flicking the cigara ash onto the tray beside them. "Or do you think that this is something more serious? Are we, say for the sake of an argument, looking at a wedding in the not too distant future? Because I was rather under the impression that kind of thing didn't particularly sit well with the jedi, generally speaking…" Qui-Gon caught his breath. How was he supposed to answer? Truthfully? Because if he did then he was as good as admitting that Obi-Wan was wasting his time with Jemmiah, and he didn't want to believe that, not deep down. His own past was such a twist and tangle of broken paths that he felt the pair of them were due some happiness…but at what cost? The idea of losing Obi-Wan as he had Xanatos, even if one were lost to Jemmiah and the other to the darkside, was unthinkable! It was the same war that waged in his mind every time he saw them together or acting in a way that the jedi might find, on the surface of it all, inappropriate. Should he stop them? Could he, even if he wanted to? Would Obi-Wan, if pressed, up and leave him to be with Jemmiah? "I think that an official wedding is unlikely to materialise." Qui-Gon answered, carefully picking his words for what was a loaded question. There was still the little matter of the unofficial marriage on Gurolias to be taken care of, and until that was sorted out neither Obi-Wan, Jemmiah or himself could rest easily. It must be especially hard for Jemmiah, who faced going to bed at nights wondering if she was going to wake up the next morning as Ms Gleshan or Mrs Kenobi… He didn't think he wanted to mention that one to Kelik. Not ever. "I wish them the best of luck and I hope for my own sake as much as theirs," Qui-Gon admitted ruefully, "that they are happy - no matter whether their lives go separate ways or not. That is my one wish for them both." "So," Kelik began to venture a metaphorical toe into potentially boiling water, "your dislike of the idea of this match between my son and Jemmiah was not because of some idea of my niece and young Obi-Wan making a go of things?" This time it was Qui-Gon's turn to feel his blood ice over, just ever so slightly. There was something about Jemmiah that remained vulnerable, which beautifully quaffed carrion crows such as Kelik's son seemed to home in on like a missile, seeing through the tough front she often adopted. No doubt fortune seekers and darker predators such as Kryztan Harkley would continue to pick up on that sense of projected insecurity. The notion that Mather's son would actually mastermind an engagement so that he could get hold of Jemmiah's own source of income was reprehensible to the master. And then there was something else at the back of his mind that always bothered him… "You didn't engineer that match, I hope." Qui-Gon asked in a clipped voice. Kelik's mouth dropped incredulously toward his chest. "No I did not! I did no such thing…I cannot believe you said that! I was the one who broke the engagement off when I got to hear of it! I wouldn't force Jemmiah to marry someone she didn't have any real feelings for. I know how those kind of matches can end up…I've seen it too many times in my own friends. I mean, it can work…" he admitted, pointing at his own chest by way of an example. "My wife and I more or less had our marriage arranged. Things were a little bit unsteady to start with but over the first few years we fell in love…we were lucky. It doesn't always work out like that. And I would no more have Jemmiah married to a man she didn't care for than I would see my own sister unhappy with someone who'd been handpicked…" Always, Qui-Gon observed, it seemed to come down to Thena Gleshan. There was just something there that was needling the man, he didn't know what it was or even dream of prying, yet somehow he felt it was relevant to the way the Corellian regarded Jemmiah. A reminder of his sister, perhaps, or of a happy, long-lost childhood when the skies were always bluer, and when it never seemed to rain? They were the images that Qui-Gon somehow managed to pick up on even although he was not deliberately attempting to read Kelik's mind in any way. Surprisingly, Kelik stubbed the cigara out onto the little side tray with a sharp, violent jab, seemingly having lost its appeal. "There are things about my family, Master Jinn, of which you have little knowledge - at least I assume so," he added with a mild shrug of his shoulders, "providing Jemmiah hasn't mentioned anything. As I said, I had my wife all but picked out for me. That was just the way it worked. Money marrying money…it seemed to make sense, and for my part I wasn't adverse to the match. I hoped that my intended found it similarly convenient. As it turned out we were both right for each other. But as the eldest child, the main portion of the family inherritence went to me. My sister therefor took it upon herself to marry beneath her." Kelik shook his head, not able to stop the cynical laughter from escaping as he did so. "Fell in love with a pilot! Well, you know how unreliable these types can be…" Qui-Gon decided against saying anything that might negate Kelik's long-held opinion of pilots, nor mentioning that the few he had known over the years had always seemed reliable and down to earth, if a little maverick in their methods of doing things. If Kelik wanted to spill his guts then he wasn't going to stop him; besides which it made for interesting hearing. "In what way?" Qui-Gon enquired politely. "You know…never settling down. Always moving about from job to job. Never there when you need them. Flyboys and braggadocios, the lot of them. And Joel Gleshan was no better, let me tell you! I've never said that to Jemmiah before," Kelik warned Qui-Gon, hoping the man would not repeat such bad-mouthing to his niece, "because although she says she has no memory of her father I wouldn't want to insult him infront of her. It might be upsetting for her." "Very commendable." Jinn grunted, certain that if Jemmiah's feelings meant that much to Kelik then he ought not to insult the girl's father at all, whether to her face or behind her back. "He liked to play the big hero. Lived it to the full; oh yes! I saw it with my own eyes. He was a handsome enough chap, I grant you." Kelik admitted grudgingly, swirling the cigara end into the ashtray and making patterns with it the same way a child might draw in the sand with a stick. "I could see why he might catch my sister's eye. And he wasn't poor either by any stretch of the imagination, so I can't call him a fortune hunter. But the ladies used to flock after him, and he used to enjoy the attention. It left my poor sister heartbroken. She should never have married him. Even when she found herself pregnant with Todd he was hardly ever about." Qui-Gon wracked his memory for a moment. "I thought he was a search and rescue pilot?" "He was," agreed Kelik, surprised Qui-Gon knew even that much, "but only because my sister urged him to throw in his regular piloting job and get something closer to home. Even that backfired: it meant he was on Corellia but he was posted to the other side of the planet, mostly. It just made poor Thena even lonelier. I used to visit her, but," Kelik felt the colour mount to his face, "we had an argument over that husband of hers and she refused to see me for a good while. Then when we tried to make up I kept making excuses not to go visit her. Even after Joel was killed." "And Jemmiah?" Qui-Gon enquired curiously. "I find it strange that you showed little interest in her then and yet you seem to want to lavish her with attention now." A further deep exhalation followed whilst Kelik sought to sort out his own feelings. Putting them into words was not proving a particularly easy task, not to one whom was used to seeing things clearly in black and white. "I told you how it was leading up to the court hearing." Answered the Corellian a touch defensively, the wariness back in his voice once more. "My sister told me that her daughter was called Angeline. When she went missing along with her family, we thought we were searching for an Angeline Gleshan. I'd seen holos of the child of course. Thena used to send them to me in an attempt to get me to visit. I'm ashamed to say that I never did even although I swore that I would…just so many empty promises at the end of the day." The regret in Kelik's eyes was very real…very visible, and Qui-Gon didn't want to intrude on what was quite clearly a painful subject still, after all the years that had passed. "It's something I'm quite good at, I'm afraid," Kelik admitted after a while of self-searching, "Rather than face direct confrontation I tend to leave things to cool off. Of course I wait far too long…and that just makes matters worse. Like with this dreadful miscarriage business." He eyed Qui-Gon uncertainly. "Did my lack of communication hurt her dreadfully, do you think?" Not wanting to speak for Jemmiah, Qui-Gon decided to draw on his many years of diplomatic experience. "I don't think Jemmiah was particularly inclined to communicate with anyone at that particular time." He answered; hoping it would assuage further questions on the subject. "It's hardly the first time I've been caught out like this, if you recall. That unfortunate business on Corellia…all because of a silly misunderstanding between us." "Neither of us behaved particularly well on that occasion, as I remember." Qui-Gon pulled a disgusted face as he tried to forget the frequent heated calls that had bounced too and from Corellia following Jemmiah's disgraceful antics with Mortimer Authinlek. A silly teenage crush it may well have been, but what had he been supposed to do? Stand by and watch her behaviour become more and more wild and degenerate? And when, following a disagreement with her uncle, Jemmiah had disappeared for the best part of two weeks there had been some harsh dialogue exchanged by two very worried - and dare he say guilty - men. "True." Kelik agreed, letting go of the cigara. "But I tend to ignore the warning signs until it's too late. I thought nothing of a teenage girl wandering around the streets…I assumed she'd gone off in a sulk to stay with some of her 'friends'. It was only days afterwards that I could bring myself to admit that I had miscalculated. And with my sister," the man sighed as if from his boots upwards, "I had every chance to visit her at her home, but would not. All because I was still smarting that she'd had the guts to take her life in her own hands and do what she wanted and not what was expected of her. The last time I saw Thena, Jemmiah was but a visible bump!" He made a prominent, circular motion with his hand over his stomach. "And I regret that every day of my life. Jemmiah's like her mother, you know. Very like her indeed." "But Jemmiah isn't Thena." Qui-Gon said quietly. "Is she?" Kelik shook his head. "No." "Take this advice from one who has been in your position," Qui-Gon caught Kelik's curiosity but did not elaborate any further on the cause of his own regret, "do not try and replace one person with another. Don't try and match like-for-like. It doesn't work like that. No matter how similar they might seem, each person is an individual, Kelik." He hoped that he didn't sound too 'preachy', as Jemmiah liked to call it. "And the more you try to turn Jemmiah into her mother the more she will fight you, without even understanding why." Kelik looked away, embarrassed. "Is that why you tried to take her from me? To fill the gap that your sister left? Because If it is so, yes; she'll find her own part in your life, but she'll never be what you want her to be. She can't be Thena, no matter how hard you want it, but she IS a second chance to get things right…" //For both of us.// Qui-Gon thought grimly. //And this time let's hope we've both learned our lesson…// -----signature----- The new improved Hell's Chance Cantina! Home for many assorted JA fanfic stories!: http://www.hellschancecantina.com/index.html Open to all: have a go at Star Wars Caption Contest no.7: http://www.hellschancecantina.com/Caption_comp.html
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mouse2 Registered: Oct '99	Date Posted: 2/13/03 3:11pm Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): Not quite finished but heading that way!
	Qui-Gon is so diplomatic in these types of situations. Must be that ingraned Jedi thing. Although I can't help but wonder who he was thinking of when he told Kelik that not to make Jemmiah into her mother... Another fabulous post Jem! -----signature----- Want to know what ANTAR and TLST are? Visit Hell's Chance! http://www.hellschancecantina.com Proud Master to Lola64! I've gone into lurking mode... If you need me feel free to PM me...
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JediKnight-Obi-Wan Registered: Jan '00	Date Posted: 2/13/03 5:58pm Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): Not quite finished but heading that way!
	Oh suuuurrree you have...right Lost your memory my arse! Yeah I'm saving pennies too Leona, but I don't think if we do what we're thinking of doing that I'll make it as far as Scotland this time. ....just a litle early new years eve planning in effect.... -----signature----- "The course of true love never did run smooth"---A Midsummer Night's Dream
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RogueJaina Registered: Jul '01	Date Posted: 2/13/03 10:58pm Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): Not quite finished but heading that way!
	Awww... What a sweet post! -----signature----- Please welcome our family's newest (future) SW freak: Emma Rose Born April 5, 2004 8 lbs., 2 oz 20 1/2 inches and very healthy and beautiful! The Force is strong with this one!
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Healer_Leona Registered: Jul '00	Date Posted: 2/14/03 4:16am Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): Not quite finished but heading that way!
	The two men aren't actually bonding of sorts are they?!? Kelik is certainly making Qui-Gon face some rather uncomfortable possibilities.... not that he hasn't thought of Obi-Wan and Jemmiah marrying before. I have an inkling as to who Qui-Gon is speaking of Mouse.... but I won't get into that at the moment... still not sure on it. Great post Jemmy!! -----signature----- I'm older now and still running against the wind
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mouse2 Registered: Oct '99	Date Posted: 2/14/03 8:17am Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): Not quite finished but heading that way!
	Not that you have any strong opinions on the matter, right Leona?? -----signature----- Want to know what ANTAR and TLST are? Visit Hell's Chance! http://www.hellschancecantina.com Proud Master to Lola64! I've gone into lurking mode... If you need me feel free to PM me...
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Jemmiah Registered: Mar '00	Date Posted: 2/14/03 9:34am Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): Not quite finished but heading that way! - Date Edited: 2/14/03 2:03pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Jemmiah
	Opinions make the world go round and everyone different. That's why Calam and I disagreed on how much our Italian waiter actually looked like Sean Bean, lol! But he could twist a mean pepper-grinder, I remember that much! -----signature----- The new improved Hell's Chance Cantina! Home for many assorted JA fanfic stories!: http://www.hellschancecantina.com/index.html Open to all: have a go at Star Wars Caption Contest no.7: http://www.hellschancecantina.com/Caption_comp.html
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Jemmiah Registered: Mar '00	Date Posted: 2/14/03 2:05pm Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): Not quite finished but heading that way!
	WEEK FOUR, DAY THREE, HOUR ONE: *************** He could see that Kelik wanted to question him further…wanted to know what reasons a jedi might have for empathising with his own situation, but Qui-Gon wasn't prepared to divulge his own personal details. Especially not when they involved other people that Kelik had never heard of and would therefor be of no relevance to him. The only thing they had in common was Jemmiah; and it was something Qui-Gon was not about to lose sight of. "Strange," Kelik folded his arms and grinned lazily back at Qui-Gon, his head slightly to one side as if making a detailed study of him, "that on getting to know you a little better how different I find you to be." "As compared to what?" Qui-Gon asked, uncomfortably shifting his weight against the padded-backed chair. "My own ideas?" Kelik's expression warped to one of uncertainty. "And Jemmiah, of course. She always makes you sound like you're some kind of miracle-working, larger than life god-like person who can do no wrong!" "And I don't fit this picture, then?" Qui-Gon pretended to sound disappointed, which actually induced Kelik to laugh outright. "I feel such a fraud!" "Jemmiah looks up to you." Answered Kelik, still chuckling. "You're her role model, not me. I get the impression she worries that she can't live up to your high standards and what will happen to her if she disappoints you at all." In the background Qui-Gon could hear the sound of plates being dropped on the ground and smashing to smithereens, followed moments later by a hoard of cleaning droids armed with shovels flying past their heads to sweep up the mess! It was good to know that the temple was not the only place in the galaxy with its share of eccentric or faulty droids! But then, who was perfect? It more than illustrated his point. "I'm not faultless by any stretch of the imagination." Qui-Gon's face became instantly serious. "And I have made many errors in my lifetime. I do however try to reduce the chances of my making mistakes where possible. What Jemmiah sees isn't so much somebody who is perfect as someone who sets high standards and attempts to meet them. Perhaps she once saw me to be without fault, when she was younger and looked to me for guidance. Over the years her opinion of me must surely have declined: not through my own behaviour but rather a re-evaluation of her own opinions and viewpoints. Take us, for example." Qui-Gon gestured at the pair of them. "We both have standards. They may differ in note and phraseology but we have them all the same…" "Yes," Kelik agreed with a resigned air, staring up at the intricately painted ceilings and beautiful sculpted fake-plaster borders, "but you see the chief difference between us is that you are a hero…" "I'm afraid that is a term that cannot possibly be applied to me under any circumstances." Qui-Gon replied firmly. "…And that has given you an advantage in Jemmiah's affections that I could never have hoped to compete with." The irascible, lively eyes closed fractionally whilst he laid bare the truth for a genuinely surprised Qui-Gon to see. "You rescued her, didn't you? Pulled her out of a nightmare world, which would have had most people begging for death before too long. When you think of all the things she must have suffered and seen…and losing her mother and brother on top of that, it's easy to see why you are her favourite person." "I'm sure I don't hold that particular title." Jinn shook his head, rebutting the claim. "That must surely belong to Evla or Obi-Wan, which is to be expected when you think about it, for they are both closer to her in age." Kelik brought to mind the memory of the court case on Coruscant, which had set the standard for their respective relationships with Jemmiah some 6 years ago. Both men had been certain, at least outwardly, that they would win. Qui-Gon had kept on spouting nonsense about the will of the force prevailing - which Kelik had to grudgingly admit had happened. There, stuck in the middle of them both had sat the poor, disconsolate little girl, wretched and unhappy with her predicament. Kelik had been made aware right from the word go that she regarded him as the cause of those troubles, and that she had wanted to stay on Coruscant with the jedi rather than go home to Corellia with her real family. It hurt him to see the way she preferred the company of a non-relative to the ready-made family he was offering. The devotion he had seen in her miserable face whilst looking up to Qui-Gon had stayed with him ever since. "No," Kelik counter-claimed in an authoritative voice, "It's you for sure. You were the one who plucked her from that hellhole. It's you who have got stuck with the label of saviour. No doubt she thinks that having a guardian is a pretty romantic thing, too. Anyone can have a boring uncle. You are something out of the ordinary, and she adores you for that reason." "You'll make me blush in a moment." Qui-Gon warned him, turning his head away but feeling rather pleased all the same. "I'm not certain that being a guardian can ever be termed romantic, or whether that would even come into Jemmiah's consideration or not," the jedi gave a small, noiseless laugh, "but I can honestly say that my battle to keep her on Coruscant was not personal or meant as an insult to you in any shape or form. She was happy and settled where she was. I'm the first to admit that I think as blood relatives you did have a better right to Jemmiah than myself or Evla, but I took the girl's wishes into account first and foremost. She told me that she felt safe at the temple and so would prefer to remain. Her safety is my first priority where Jemmiah is concerned, and always was. For this reason I decided that I had to contest your bid to claim her." "So," Kelik said at length, "it had nothing to do with the fact that I had wealth and fortune to bestow on her whilst you, as a jedi, only own what you carry with you at all times?" Qui-Gon's lips thinned instantly. "I'll confess," he answered after an uncomfortable silence had ensued, "that I do feel you sometimes use your wealth to dazzle her and turn her head. I, as you have said, have nothing to give her except my time - and she gets precious little enough of that as it is - and my high esteem. Whilst I know which I would put a higher value on, I also know that teenage girls might prefer to see things at face value. That puts me in an awkward position, Mister Mathers." "It seems that you can't have my money and I can't buy your noble nature!" Opined Kelik with another self-deprecating grin. "So, where does that leave both of us?" "In precisely the same position." Qui-Gon smiled, watching his cigara burning down toward the end. "And that's the way it should be when all is said and done. She won't ever choose between us; she knows how difficult that would be for everyone. And besides, why should she? Aren't two parental figures better than one? That way, if one of us won't give in to what she wants there's a very real chance that the other will!" Both men regarded each other rather sheepishly for a moment, knowing that they were both guilty of that particular offence on at least one occasion. Not that Qui-Gon or Kelik could hold it against Jemmiah for trying every possible way to get whatever she was after. The only person with any kind of hold over her was Evla, and there was little chance Jemmiah would even contemplate trying to play off the crèche master's feelings with somebody else. "It was the will of the force that she stay on Coruscant." Qui-Gon shoved aside his earlier criticism of Kelik's financial and emotional bribery. "I knew it from the day I set eyes on her. In an instant I went from confirmed sceptic to being totally won over. The journey home," he continued awkwardly, knowing that Kelik must still find all talk of Nargotria painful, "was a moment of strong bonding for us in the face of great tragedy, much as I believe we both tried to fight it. So, you see whilst I had my doubts as to the judges final decision, I knew that the force willed that she would stay with the jedi one way or another. And from experience, the will of the force is not easy to ignore…" "You took her in because your 'force' willed it?" Kelik asked bluntly. "Yes. That and other reasons. I felt that I owed it to her, that she had helped us and risked her own life to get us safely away. I also didn't like the idea of seeing someone with…" he sought the diplomatic words, "…such problems be foisted onto somebody who wouldn't understand what she had been through. Obi-Wan and I had seen it close hand, and knew what it was like. And there have been many occasions in the past where I have wanted to help those closest to me but have been unable, for one reason or another. I was determined that Jemmiah wouldn't fall into that category. I didn't have much confidence that the decision would go any other way than the previous rulings against me had, but to my surprise it did. And that is how we came to be together, I suppose." Kelik got the sense that the conversation had come to a natural close, with most of the main points of contention at least mentioned if not resolved entirely to their satisfaction. He had little doubt that they would clash again in the future where Jemmiah was concerned, but perhaps with the added understanding and insight they both now had into each other's characters it would lessen the annoyance aimed at one another. Maybe they might even come to a wary truce… Whatever the truth, it was a much more relaxed and happy Kelik that slouched back against his seat, eyes flicking down to his chrono. "My wife will have proceeded to buy half of Coruscant by now, if she runs true to form." He sighed, reminding himself why they rarely set foot on the capital anymore. "She can't help it…she just likes beautiful things. Besides, she has her own money and I can't stop her from doing whatever she wants with it. At the present she's looking to have the garden area at the back of our home extended. Something about more room for the cannoids to run about in… " Qui-Gon sat bolt upright. That was it! The answer to their dog-related problems! Who better to take the energetic Zebedee off their hands than the cannoid loving Mrs. Mathers?!? Their grounds were extensive, so there would be plenty of room for the long-legged creature to run about in without knocking things over! And as a rare breed - albeit a not particularly appealing one at first sight - he would have even more prestige… "Kelik," Jinn leaned earnestly forward from his seat to discuss the matter further, "I don't suppose that you would consider…" He stopped in mid-sentence, words cut-off as if someone had deactivated him like a droid. "Consider what?" Kelik frowned at him. "Master Jinn? Are you alight?" Qui-Gon tried to find his voice but found it extremely difficult. When he tried to move even the tiniest fraction to the side, a thousand shooting pains jammed their way with poker-like intensity down his spine. The colour drained completely from his face. He'd known his back was bad, but this was it: the worst case scenario…the straw that broke the Jedi's back! Even as he spoke Qui-Gon realised the borrowed time the patch-up treatment had stolen him had finally run out. Leona had warned him that surgery was the only way to cure his ills: now it seemed the time had come where he could no longer avoid such drastic measures. Nature was telling him to take some rest. But what of his padawan? How much of a disruption would this cause to his training? How long would he be in the infirmary? And Jemmiah, what of her? With Evla sick and her competitive uncle looking to steal a march, could he afford to leave her to the tender mercies of others? Then again, he considered as he winced in pain, could he afford not to? "I wonder," Qui-Gon somehow managed to say whilst sucking air inward, "if you would be so good as to call an aircab? It appears I have a date with a bacta tank…" -----signature----- The new improved Hell's Chance Cantina! Home for many assorted JA fanfic stories!: http://www.hellschancecantina.com/index.html Open to all: have a go at Star Wars Caption Contest no.7: http://www.hellschancecantina.com/Caption_comp.html
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mouse2 Registered: Oct '99	Date Posted: 2/14/03 2:20pm Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): Not quite finished but heading that way!
	There goes that whole Force thing again. Freaky, isn't it? But It's good to see that Qui and Kelik have come to form some kind of truce. As well as Qui-Gon's epiphany of what to do with Zebedee! Now to the tank with you tall master! Before you're REALLY sorry! Fabulous Jem!! -----signature----- Want to know what ANTAR and TLST are? Visit Hell's Chance! http://www.hellschancecantina.com Proud Master to Lola64! I've gone into lurking mode... If you need me feel free to PM me...
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Healer_Leona Registered: Jul '00	Date Posted: 2/15/03 6:54am Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): Not quite finished but heading that way!
	Awww... see I knew they where bonding a bit. At least coming to terms with Jemmiah's feelings for each other. Loved how they came to realize she uses them like any other parents.. the going to the other when one says 'no'!! Yay!!! Al least it looks like Jemmy will be able to keep her dog in a fashion!!! I doubt Kelik will be able to say no!!! Now Qui-Gon needn't worry as Jemmy's not going to be going anyway while you're getting your back taken care of. Maybe you, Jem and Dex can all share a room. Heaven help the poor healer that has to look after those three though!! -----signature----- I'm older now and still running against the wind
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Jemmiah Registered: Mar '00	Date Posted: 2/15/03 7:54am Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): Not quite finished but heading that way!
	Jemmy, author, stops to stare into space dreaming about being locked in a room with Qui AND Dex... Ahem! Sorry, lost it there for a bit! Just wanted to wish this thread a happy 2nd birthday today. Hopefully I can finish this by the end of the month. -----signature----- The new improved Hell's Chance Cantina! Home for many assorted JA fanfic stories!: http://www.hellschancecantina.com/index.html Open to all: have a go at Star Wars Caption Contest no.7: http://www.hellschancecantina.com/Caption_comp.html
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Healer_Leona Registered: Jul '00	Date Posted: 2/15/03 8:13am Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): 2nd anniversary 15th Feb
	Jemmy (author) sass!!! We won't get into that particular fantasy again!!! Happy Anniversary TLST!!!! -----signature----- I'm older now and still running against the wind
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mouse2 Registered: Oct '99	Date Posted: 2/15/03 2:32pm Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): 2nd anniversary 15th Feb
	Happy anniversary TLST! I snuck on my in-law's new 'puter! Tee-Hee! -----signature----- Want to know what ANTAR and TLST are? Visit Hell's Chance! http://www.hellschancecantina.com Proud Master to Lola64! I've gone into lurking mode... If you need me feel free to PM me...
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Jemmiah Registered: Mar '00	Date Posted: 2/15/03 4:01pm Subject: RE: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (JA): 2nd anniversary 15th Feb
	WEEK FOUR, DAY THREE, HOUR TWO: *********** "Look," Obi-Wan wagged a disapproving finger at the mischievous cannoid, trying - and failing - to adopt Qui-Gon's stern, naturally authoritative tone of voice, "I cannot let you wreck this place again! My master will not be happy - and I'll probably get the blame for not being able to control you…no, don't look at me like that!" The padawan huffed as Zebedee looked up at him with wounded eyes, Qui-Gon's boot hanging out either side of his mouth. "Drop that this instant!" Zebedee did not even pay the slightest attention. "Drop it I say, cursed creature!" Obi-Wan tried to tug his master's footwear slowly away from the dog's mouth by using the force, but every time he did the cannoid growled distrustfully deep within his throat. Qui-Gon most certainly wouldn't be pleased even although it was his own fault to an extent…running away and leaving him like that! Force, he had a good mind to just leave the place in its current state of disarray! The rugs were furled over, the bedroom doors were wide open and from the doorway Obi-Wan could just about make out the torn remnants of his spare brown robe lying on the floor. Even the beautiful holo pic of Korrassi that Jemmiah had brought Qui-Gon for his birthday was lying crookedly against the wall! And there the dog sat, head tilted to one side, as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth… "I'd sooner take on a thousand Draigons again than deal with you." Obi-Wan stared back at the creature, hoping to intimidate him with his unforgiving blue-eyed glare. "Drop the boot!" "Grrrrrrrr!" "Look, just give me the boot!" "Grrrrrrrr!" "Zebedee…I want that boot and I want it now! I'm not giving in! I don't care what Jemmiah says about being nice to you. Give me the boot and we can both be friends." Obi-Wan was beginning to feel slightly cross with the animal's lack of co-operation. "Grrrrrrrrr!" "I'm not moving until you drop it." "Grrrrrrr!" "Fine," Obi-Wan snapped and turned on his heel, "don't give me the boot then. I don't want it anyway. See if I care that Qui-Gon is going to come back and skin me alive for letting you chew his clothing to pieces!" Of course Obi-Wan knew he was being harsh on both himself and Qui-Gon. His master was an understanding man generally speaking, and a loyal person. It was doubtful even given his penchant for taking in waifs and strays the tall jedi would have chosen to look after such a feral and destructive creature, but Jemmiah's pleading had at least allowed the dog some valuable time whilst they looked for a suitable home: if they ever could find one. Obi-Wan was hard pressed to think of anywhere that could possibly be suitable to one who had known limitless freedom and space to roam. If the padawan felt anything it was his own guilt at not being able to control a mere cannoid with the force. Whatever would Qui-Gon think of that? Even if he explained that he didn't want to play with the dogs' mind, that he was loathed to do anything that Jemmiah would find distasteful, surely his master would think him feeble? He sighed, surveying the mess around him once more and gave up, turning to throw himself into Qui-Gon's comfortable chair. If his own efforts to control the dog had been half-hearted it was because he felt somewhat lethargic and inclined to do nothing other than sit and think. If he put his mind to it and focused on the most important things then no doubt he could soon lick the apartment back into shape within minutes: but it was one of those days, that no doubt everyone faced from time to time, where he'd rather sit in a heap and watch the world go by. He had much to think about. He'd not lied to Qui-Gon when he'd said Kelik's dislike of him did not make him angry or bitter - but it was slightly hurtful all the same. Part of him wished he was there with his master at the meeting, not because he feared that they might come to blows but rather that he wished to be there to defend himself in person should it be merited. Obi-Wan felt almost certain that he would be one of the main topics of conversation; he could almost feel his ears burning, imagined or otherwise. How could it be otherwise when Jemmiah was the central point of discussion? No, he felt no dislike for Kelik: merely disappointment that the man didn't favour him with a similarly benign opinion. It was the same heart-sinking feeling he'd experienced when time and again on the trip to Bandomeer; Qui-Gon had refused to take him as a padawan… "Damn and blast." Obi-Wan cursed gently under his breath. "What must I do to get the man to see that I don't mean any harm to Jemmy? Or that I care very much for her?" Men like Kelik were hard to dissuade from their own point of view, and as Qui-Gon had once told him it was better to wait and not intervene than storm in regardless and perhaps make things an even bigger mess than before. Impressing Kelik, it seemed, was out of the question and therefore should not even be attempted. The man would either come round and see him as a friend or he would not; and there was nothing that Obi-Wan could do to change that. Yes, he accepted it, because Obi-Wan knew his master was right. He could feel his calmness returning gradually with his acceptance, but still felt momentarily irked. He could go through his life without Kelik's approval, but for some strange reason the padawan found he didn't want to. "Go on," Obi-Wan waved a resigned hand in Zebedee's direction. "Chew that boot if it makes you happy. Force knows there are more important things to consider in the galaxy." Without warning Obi-Wan felt the strangest of sensations steal upon him, like an odd paralysis in his legs and back, accompanied by an almost pins-and-needles feeling through his entire lumber region. Was it Qui-Gon, he wondered briefly as he tried to investigate the odd phenomena through the bond he shared with his master? What was the force telling him? Why did he have such a bad feeling right at that moment? Frowning with concentration, Obi-Wan centred all his attention upon his master, convinced without knowing precisely why that he was the undoubted source of the mystery. A sharp pain shot the entire length of Obi-Wan's spine, causing the padawan to involuntarily cry out. //Master?// He tried to call to Qui-Gon through their bond. Qui-Gon seemed far too occupied to even contemplate trying to reply. With a hand instinctively placed at the small of his back, Obi-Wan stood once again and decided to ignore the mess spread through the entire length of the room. He'd have to find someone to look after the dog…he couldn't take him to the infirmary or An-Paj would have them both ejected off the premises! Perhaps the answer lay with Dimallie, or maybe even with Meri? One of them would surely take him off his hands for a few hours whilst he made his way back to the infirmary - for Obi-Wan was convinced now that there was nowhere else for his master to go. Qui-Gon had put off the small matter of surgery for a while now, either for lack of time or claiming that the injury was not severe enough to warrant it, even although Obi-Wan knew better. Leona had tried to persuade him. Jemmiah had attempted to cajole him, as was her want. He, Obi-Wan, had done neither - and he believed that Qui-Gon was happier for it. The truth was that by waiting so long, Qui-Gon had probably done himself more harm. "Idiot!" Obi-Wan chided, instantly feeling guilty for criticising the man. "Why can't he take the advice of experts? What if such a thing had occurred whilst we were on a mission: what then? Ask our enemies to take a week out until his back had been given some time to recover?" He shouldn't really have laughed: that was more or less exactly what had happened on the occasion the injury had first flared up. Motioning for the dog to follow, Obi-Wan did not stop to wonder what kind of force-related miracle had occurred to make the animal actually obey him, still holding Qui-Gon's boot dutifully in it's mouth. "Master, I hope the injury isn't more significant than you think." Obi-Wan found himself muttering as he headed instinctively towards the landing pad. Between visiting Jemmiah and Qui-Gon, the apprentice wondered if he shouldn't just move his bed permanently into the infirmary and have done with it… ****** "I've left a message at the reception for my wife to tell her to follow on after." Kelik found himself hunching slightly over, subconsciously mimicking Qui-Gon's own posture. The man was clearly in a great deal of discomfort although he did hide it well enough. Perhaps he was using his force gifts to help aid his recovery and dampen the pain his was feeling? Kelik did not think, judging on the way that the jedi had oh, so tentatively struggled into the aircab, he would have been able to cope with such agony without crying out, cursing or even both. As the little vehicle sped towards the temple, Kelik stole a quick view of the Coruscant skyline. "Pretty view." He grunted, not altogether certain if he actually meant it to sound as sarcastic as it came out. He didn't want Qui-Gon to think he was now turning his insults on the Jedi's homeworld, not after they'd tried so hard to mend some very rickety bridges. Qui-Gon said nothing, evidently happier to let Kelik talk whilst he concentrated on focusing on his pain. "Well, I suppose if you are infirmary bound then there will be plenty of opportunity to see Jemmiah." He added by way of conversation, trying to be friendly. Instantly he wished he hadn't. He could see it somehow in the man's posture: a very subtle stiffening in his frame at the mention of Kelik's niece. Kelik didn't have jedi powers but he could nonetheless instantly tell what Qui-Gon's problem was. The man was actually worried - genuinely - that whilst he was unable to supervise the amount of visits Jemmiah had, Kelik might somehow manage to gain an advantage. In the end, perhaps all that talk about Jemmiah not choosing one over the other was just so much hot air? He caught Qui-Gon quietly looking at him out the corner of his eye. "I trust you." Was all the jedi said before turning his head fractionally away. The aircab began to make its descent towards the main landing pad adjacent to the temple, Kelik looking through the plasti windows to get a batter view. Certainly for a building whose aim was not to impress the jedi temple was magnificent in appearance, with its high spire and elegant architecture. It stood out not only in terms of style but dimension, as if even the loftiest tower block could not compete. Qui-Gon trusted him? Kelik wanted to say that there was one born every minute, but he could not bring himself to be so flippant when the man was so clearly unwell. Besides, he didn't want to take an unfair advantage in the contest...in truth; he didn't want to make it a contest at all. Not any more. He looked down, and saw two figures waiting by the landing pad: two tiny dots that slowly began to zoom into clearer view. The first one was the blue-skinned healer who he'd briefly met leading up to the court case held on Coruscant some 6 years ago, he felt certain of that. The other… Was Jinn's padawan. Kelik found himself gritting his teeth. He'd promised Qui-Gon he'd not say anything disparaging to the young man, and as far as he could keep his word he would, but one thing was for certain - It wouldn't be easy. -----signature----- The new improved Hell's Chance Cantina! Home for many assorted JA fanfic stories!: http://www.hellschancecantina.com/index.html Open to all: have a go at Star Wars Caption Contest no.7: http://www.hellschancecantina.com/Caption_comp.html
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