Before - Legends Swings and Roundabouts (JA - RR) *Final post *

"Flower delivery," Fione muttered as she pushed her way across the platform. "They decide to play it safe and it means an extra thirty minutes of public transportation for the well-meaning Master. That girl is shelving the Sith Wars anthology for the next nine years."

Admittedly, the airbus she forced her way onto was considerably less aromatic, despite the fifty extra individuals crammed into every nook and cranny. At least it didn't feature the flatulent Faruge, the whining Whiphid, or the posse of prepubescent Patorans that had accosted her on the last one.

She could thank her lucky living Force that she didn't have to be on the run from repulsorvan to repulsorvan on a broken foot, but Li would not consider herself so lucky the moment her well-meaning, currently evil-humored Master.

Might as well make the best of it and mind-trick one of these cretins into yielding their seat.

By the time she squeezed through the pack of Bothan tourists crowding the open-air section, however, it became unnecessary and she took the opportunity to dive for the miniscule amount of space vacated...

Only to find herself stuck to the caf-soaked seat by a rather sticky wad of brightgum.

"This just is not my day."
*****
"I'm not sure I like the looks of this," An-Paj admitted, antennae drooping rather than angling towards Ned. "One Padawan gets parcel-posted to the infirmary and half the Padawans still assigned to the Temple are AWOl, which means they'll be following closely behind."

"It gets better," Sisin Duu said helpfully. "Some florist is waiting in the atrium who says he has two bouquets of novalilies for Kenobi..."

"Which means Kenobi will follow behind in a matter of hours," he finished.

Sparing a glance at the willowy girl, he sighed. It was bad enough that, at the ripe old age of eleven, she had landed herself in the medwing with a bronchial infection two weeks ago, but her Master had decided to take a Council-sanctioned vacation and left her here to pester him until they decided she was well. By quarantine rules, she wasn't due to leave for another three days, but she was running around the place as though she had been well for six years.

And now, it seemed, she was the self-appointed harbinger of doom.

"Shouldn't you be in a coma somewhere?"

Those light-green lips pouted adorably. "I'm just trying to help," she sniffed.

"You'll help by keeping your observations to yourself. Off with you or I'll get my apprentice to unleash the tickle bug on you..."

Once he gets back here in the appropriate bits and pieces himself.

The threat seemed to have worked, thankfully and he straightened, moving quickly to the atrium.

"Finally!" the human exclaimed. "It's lucky I wasn't bleeding to death or the service around here would never have gotten around to me."

His antennae twitched slightly in a gesture that the human was fortunate he didn't understand, but An-Paj managed the same diplomatic tone that he could employ to put the fear of the Force into An-Hael.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. You have a delivery for us?"

Oblivious, the florist nodded and stalked off to the waiting repulsorvan outside the delivery entrance.

"COD," he pronounced. "Two bouquets of novalilies, especially for someone who seems to be a regular customer of yours...Holy POODOO!"

He had flung open the doors, depositing two unrecognizable lumps of human flesh on the sterile floor.

The one who, on second thought, bore a remarkable resemblance to Liara Khe offered something like a sheepishly repentant grin. "Literally."
*****
"Runaway apprentice half-naked in front of seventeen thousand people? That's nothing."

Easy for you to say. You seem to prefer half-naked if that washcloth you're wearing over seventy extra kilos is any indication.

Fione sighed, arms pressed tightly against her aching stomach, eyes fixed on the electronic map indicating a long way to the Temple.

A simple matter of thirty minutes to the Temple had been converted into a projected three hours in p

 

Jemmiah - "What's wrong with purple? Or mauve? That's very in-season right now. Can't they redesign them to be mauve? - LOL! Purple is a good choice! Then Mace would be colour co-ordinated! the colour range ran from dull to plain boring - She is right there! Leona with you?" She asked him sweetly - Good try Jemmiah!

Swoops + Qui-Gon: did not compute - That was what I thought! With Lilith on the scene things are going to get interesting! Sorry, even more interesting! Quiggy's gonna get his butt handed to him - Go Jem!


Darth Ishatar - He had flung open the doors, depositing two unrecognizable lumps of human flesh on the sterile floor - ROTFL!!!! At least they made it back safe and sound but as An Paj said the others are still AWOL! That girl is shelving the Sith Wars anthology for the next nine years." - That does not sound good!

 

Jemmy taking on Qui-Gon at the swoops! Can't wait to see who comes out the winner in that race. Let's hope that Qui doesn't catch Lilith keeping an eye on her protege. Now that would be the fight of the century.

I think An-Paj goes on red alert when there's a padawan outing. If not you'd think he'd have learned to by now. I'm glad to see Li finally getting patched up. Did what I think just happen to Fione just happen??

Awesome posts Jem and Ish!

 

Sith Wars anthology...

My boss at the Weston Public Library used to threaten me by saying that she'd make me reshelve all the Tomi dePaolo books every day if I got out of line. Since they were books for the very young, they'd be all over the floor every 2 hours.

Yes, actually...if you thought whatever you thought happened to Fione just happened, yes, it actually just did happen.

My nefarious plot is revealed!

 

"You took your time!" Obi-Wan observed, watching as Jemmiah made her way uncomfortably towards them, exiting the fresher in what seemed like a state of mild anxiety. There was something about the way her eyes wandered around the platform, darting repeatedly in every direction except that of either Jedi that led Obi-Wan to wonder what exactly was going on inside Jemmiah's mind. Maybe if she and Qui-Gon had words whilst he was away then it was not unnaturally still playing on her mind. Still?he didn't think that was the case. Observing her as she hobbled towards them Obi-Wan thought he could sense acute embarrassment from her?and more than that profound guilt. "What have you been up to that you don't want us to know about?" He added by way of a joke.

Jemmiah stopped a few feet from them. "Done? Why should I have done something? What do you mean?" She sounded even more abashed than ever, and this time Qui-Gon appeared to notice the alarm that caused her voice to waver fractionally under Obi-Wan's interrogation. Jemmiah saw him frown slightly, awaiting the inevitable questions that would surely follow. Could he sense the panic that was building inside her? What would he do if he were to find out she'd not only spoken to Lilith but made a deal with her to fly the woman's swoop! Not normally one to go to pieces under stress Jemmy nonetheless felt her knees beginning to quake with fright. Obi-Wan had already misled him with his promise of not going to the amusement park. Although he didn't know what was going on - or so Jemmy profoundly hoped - betraying him again felt like she was repeatedly kicking him in the guts.

"Are you alright?" Qui-Gon asked her suspiciously. "You look like you've had some kind of unfortunate encounter..."

Jemmiah instantly froze.

"?with a ghost!"

She could hear the momentarily still blood once again beginning to rush in her ears, making a roaring, pounding sound as it coursed through her body, powered by her increasingly shaky heart. Rarely had her conscience troubled her so much?it was all she could do to stop herself from confessing everything to Qui-Gon! But then where would that leave her fledgling swoop career? Where would that lead Lilith? She took a steadying breath, willing her moment of weakness to pass expeditiously.

"I?er?I'm fine." She smiled thinly up at Qui-Gon, stretching out an arm on which hung the master's robe, hoping she wasn't noticeably shaking. "Just nervous about taking you on in this swoop thing, that's all. You won't laugh at me if I do really badly, will you?"

Qui-Gon felt surprise at her words. She'd been supremely confident - almost cocky - the last time they'd spoken on the subject. Why the sudden change in heart? His eyes narrowed, fixing automatically in the direction of the ladies fresher room. Buoyant one moment and a bag of nerves the next? One look at Obi-Wan confirmed his padawan hadn't been any more convinced than he himself had.

"Do I ever laugh at other people's misfortune?" Qui-Gon asked, shouldering his way into the long Jedi robe. "Unless it's Obi-Wan of course, in which case it's a master's prerogative to feel some slight amusement?"

"Thank you, master." Obi-Wan muttered out the corner of his mouth.

"If it bothers you so much we can always give the swoop simulator a miss?" Qui-Gon began, subtly probing for the reasons behind Jemmiah's sudden change of heart.

"No!" Exclaimed Jemmy with a quick squeak. "Er?I mean to say, there's no need! I was just a little concerned?you see, when I was in the fresher?"

"Yes?" Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan leaned forward slightly, waiting for her confession to continue.

"I, er?I had a quick look at my feet. I know, I know!" She held up her hand, waving away the criticism that Qui-Gon was about to embark upon. "An-Paj said not to remove the bacta pads and bandages but I couldn't help myself. And my soles are all red and leaking all kinds of horrible stuff?" At this point Obi-Wan turned his face slightly away, wrinkling his nose distastefully. "I was just wondering how much pressure I can put on them

 

TY-GON:

?Hah, hah, Mr. Get-Fussed-Over-By-Girls-Who-Worry-All-About-You. Mr. I-Can-Still-Stand-Up-To-Get-All-The-Attention. I just hope there?s room outside the Temple for parking, me with this speedervan and you on your High Horse.?

Oh, nice quip! Really liked that put-down!

?Exactly. We need to get used to the fact that we?re both royally screwed by that prediction.?

And I want to know how this prediction is going to play out! Which means spin-off stories!!! Please??? Pretty please???

SABE:

I might have to reconsider my opinion,? he told them with a grin. ?Note I said might,? Dex shrugged his shoulders, ?can?t promise anything.?

How utterly Dex! * grin *

?Oh,? Dex spoke up, ?one thing you three should be aware of.? He made sure he had their attention before he continued. ?We are sort of wanted by park security so we have to keep a low profile!?

I loved the almost casual way he dropped that into the conversation. Now the padawans will be really confused as to what to make of him!


ISH:

Might as well make the best of it and mind-trick one of these cretins into yielding their seat.

The number of times I wished I could do that to people! How true to life!

Wonderful post, but this was the line that somehow made the whole thing peferct:

"?since one of the nineteen Corellian independence days was going to be celebrated starting at sundown, and she had found that there were, indeed, many things much worse than death.

 

LOL! Poor Quiggy! Hope those two behave themselves or Jemmiah at least keeps her hands off Master Jinn! (I wouldn't be able to resist a ticklebug or at least a good, solid smooch with Liam!)

 

ROFLOL, Ish! It's highly tempting...but Jemmy's already had one kissing scene with Qui-Gon in ANTAR, and if I did it once more I think Leona would cover her eyes and cringe all over again!!!!!!

As I say though, it is highly tempting!

Actually that gives me a bit of an idea...

 

LOL. That scene in ANTAR is why I suggested it--I always wish I were Jemmiah (except for the rat poison thing, seeing her brother thrown off a cliff, and the whole Family Matters mess; okay, maybe I just wish my hair, which is roughly her colour would be that managable, my wit were that sharp, and I had a body that Ewan McGregor would lust after) and I kept thinking "Mmmm, me and Liam!"

I think this is the first time that two people have been so busy finding amusing things about a post that they didn't yell at me for killing one of my characters.

 

Oh, and I forgot to mention (in case no Yanks noticed) that the story about the bell is actually true. I sang a concert at the Liberty Bell Pavillion in Philadelphia and we all oohed and aahed about the famous crack and then they told us that famous crack was the crack drilled through to get to the actual crack that stopped the bell from ringing. The analogy itself was my own creation.

 

Bal looked up as An-Paj walked into the room. ?Well, at least it looks like you?re fairly normal.?

Bal gave him an odd look; surely, he wasn?t normal. As clumsy and accident-prone as he could be, he hated the Healers? Ward, and it showed. He was never completely sure what to do as he waited, and he had been fidgeting nervously, trying to pretend he didn?t notice that Healers? Ward smell, wishing in the chilled room that he had hung onto the Island-print shirt or the bag with his shockball jersey in it. He was clearly out of his element, so the idea that he was normal was odd. ??At least it looks like you?re fairly normal?? I thought I had to lose a limb before I came back.?

Eyeing Bal?s swollen, discolored foot, An-Paj muttered, ?Close enough.? He leaned over to get a feel of the disfigured appendage. ?I was referring to your partner in crime. I had to sedate her; she was having some sort of convulsion.?

?Convulsions?? Bal grimaced as he began to feel An-Paj probing the extent of his injuries with the Force; it felt like whatever Li had knit together on the first truck was being ripped apart, rather the way a deep cut requiring stitches will have to be cleaned and the bandage gets ripped off.

?Yes, convulsions,? An-Paj said. ?How in the Force?s name did you end up breaking the same foot she did??

Bal shrugged.

?Did she mention any allergies? I didn?t have any on file.?

?She said she couldn?t smell, but I think that was normal hay fever. Could her foot have sent her into septic shock or something??

An-Paj sighed. ?No, her foot was pretty much crushed, but most of what you did, and, consequently, what she did to herself later, running around the park with you, was crushing, not much tearing. You got out with your tarsals, but it looks like your were the one who suffered the most bloodwork.? His finger touched a sore spot. ?There?s a broken bone, though,? he sighed, and *pop!* he pushed it back into place. Bal grimaced, giving a surprised, gasping groan of pain that looked like it should last longer than the sound. ?I?m not even sure Li?s problem is medical,? he said. ?There was strong Force-activity surrounding that girl.?

?So you don?t think it has to do with lack of air caused by the proximity of eopie and nerf dung fertilizer??

?Is that what that smell is?? An-Paj asked.

?Or the cold of ardeberry ice cream??

?No, Bal, I don?t think it?s your fault. I?m just scared of what else may be happening on this ugly day.? He stood up. ?The nurse will help you into a bacta dip, and then I?ll take another look.? He walked to the door, to go back over to Li.

?How is she now?? Bal asked, nearly getting up off the chair.

?She?s sedated, Padawan Jolenar. And I suggest you let her rest for a while.?

*****

?Still no word from Fione?? Nessa asked.

?No,? Yu sighed. ?I?m beginning to get worried.?

The airbus was moving slowly, caught in an endless traffic jam, damn the Corellian Independence day. Nessa sighed as she stared out the window. ?And she hasn?t tried contacting Khil??

?According to this last transmission, no, they haven?t heard a word. Ana decided she needed to make sure they had picked up all of Bal and Li?s forgotten possessions, so they?ll be following, but they haven?t heard a single thing.?

?Given the speed of this traffic, you might want to contact somebody at the Temple, to keep an eye out for them. Bulk transport seems to be moving a lot faster than mass transit.?

The normally slow crawl of the airbus ground to a halt, and everyone started looking around nervously. Yu looked up.

?I?m afraid we?re going to have to backtrack and go around this building,? a droid voice announced. ?It seems we have a problem on our designated route. We?ll be moving again soon.?

?I have a bad feeling about this,? Nessa sighed, and Yu got up, pushing his way to the front of the line. ?Excuse me,? he said to the driver. ?I?m a Jedi Knight. Would it be possible to find out what?s going on??

?Two cruisers clipped each other,? the Klatooinian grumbled. The wreckage

 

ish:

"I think this is the first time that two people have been so busy finding amusing things about a post that they didn't yell at me for killing one of my characters."

Ah, well...we're used to characters being killed off unexpectedly on the chronicles. Kit and I like to do that from time to time as well!

 

Jemmiah - "Unless it's Obi-Wan of course, in which case it's a master's prerogative to feel some slight amusement - A perk of the job? LOL!

"And it'll be two miles back!" - Nothing gets past Obi-Wan!

I think our reputation is well and truly tarnished - And the day isn't yet over!

Jem - the security comment was totally inspired by your instalment! Thanks!

TGJ - just scared of what else may be happening on this ugly day looks like Bal and Lil got off lightly so far.

Force, how are we going to tell her padawan?? - This is going to be so sad!

 

?Now remember,? Dex told them solemnly as the harness snapped into place, ?releasing your fear to the force does not mean literally! If anyone feels the need to, please aim well away from me.? He grinned wickedly, ?That?s Leona?s department.?

Slowly the row of seats moved forward until they were suspended in mid air. ?Wow!? Rem exclaimed. From the top of the Tower of Terror they could see the whole park. Dimallie nodded in agreement, the view was amazing. Mia spotted the circus tent and the Naboo Waterfall Experience. Taking a deep breath she tried to focus on anything but how she would feel on losing her stomach!

?It?s a good thing we haven?t eaten!? Rem whispered to Dimallie.

?Yes but Master Berlingside doesn?t have to know that!? The Healer whispered back.

?Oh look,? Dex said innocently, ?the big wheel is working again.?

?Now Dex,? Leona fixed him with a stern look, ?I want you to promise me that you won?t attempt to interfere with the workings of this ride in anyway.?

?Would I do that?? Dex pretended to look hurt.

?Yes!? Leona sat back with a resigned expression on her face.

As the platform plummeted downwards Mia forgot to scream. Closing her eyes she gripped the harness for dear life. Just as she managed to breathe, their fall was halted, jolting them all back against the harness.

?Dex!? Leona began.

?I didn?t do anything!? He spluttered indignantly.

?Well no one on the ground seems to be panicking.? Dimallie announced cheerfully.

Rem looked up to the top of the tower, ?Must be part of the ride.?

?Well we might as well enjoy the view while we are here.? Dex grinned at Leona who chose to ignore him. She was wondering where Qui-Gon was and if he had found Jemmiah and Obi-Wan.

?That wasn?t so baaaadddddddddddddddddddd!?

They continued their journey down the tower and stopped again.

?You just had to say it!? Mia rolled her eyes.

?Well it was hardly a surprise!? Rem retorted.

Now that they were nearer the ground it was possible to make out the crowds below. ?Oh look,? Mia said, ?isn?t that a security team heading in this direction??

?What? Where?!? Dex looked down, frantically trying to locate them.

?Sorry I must have been mistaken,? she replied and the three padawans and Leona collapsed with laughter.

As they slowly made their way back to the top of the tower, they caught their breath. ?Look, there?s the Screaming Snake of Death!? Dimallie pointed out.

?Shouldn?t be too bad after this,? Mia replied.

?This is nothing!? Dex turned to them, ?Not after you?ve been in a ship piloted by Mace!?

They reached the top and Dimallie waited for them to swing back to the landing platform but they remained suspended over the drop. ?I thought we had finished?? She asked in confusion.

?No there?s one bit left,? Rem told her with a sly grin.

?You don?t mean?? Mia stared at him.

As they plummeted straight to the bottom of the tower, they all remembered to scream!

 

The comm came in shortly after the newsnets started the broadcast concerning the crash, but both sources of information only confirmed what An-Paj had suspected.

"There were very few casualties, authorities have reported, thanks in part to the efforts of one heroic woman."

"Rumors that a Jedi Master was instrumental in rescuing most of those who survived this tragic event have now been confirmed. Fione..."

"Unfortunately, the same woman who encouraged their survival was unable to save herself. A subsidiary explosion took the life of the remaining passenger, a Master Fione..."

The comm had been less elaborate, more heartwrenching, and left him at a loss for words, something that any one of his wives could testify was a rare thing indeed.

"Li's Master just got caught on the wrong end of death's to-do list. Someone needs to tell her before the rumors or newsnets get to her. We'll be back in less than an hour, so if you'd rather we do it, we will, but it's better sooner than later."

He had reasoned that she wouldn't know, that she was in need of the sedative and would sleep it off until one of them could figure out the right way to explain this, but instead, he entered the room to find Li fully awake and regarding him with something less than joy to see him.

Sith take those people.

"You forgot one thing," she observed quietly. "Two years ago, I was in the same wing as Kenobi after one of his more spectacular disasters. He told me that he would have probably died if he hadn't figured out a way to fight off sedative. Being the curious archivist that I still am, I asked him to show me."

"So, like your erstwhile tutor," An-Paj sighed, "you choose to make yourself miserable."

She shifted slightly, with obvious discomfort, but that was to be expected with the number of fractures she'd suffered. "No avoiding that," she countered. "I already sensed what you're bracing yourself to tell me."

Of course. He had been so concerned with her medical state that he had failed to recognize the same reaction to a personal disturbance in the Force that he had seen too often in this place.

He still had no idea how to broach the subject, how to explain this. "I'm sorry," he began genuinely, crossing to her side. "It's been all over the newsnets what a hero she was, but that's no consolation to you."

Her eyes were closed, but her jaw tightened considerably as her breath began to hitch. "At least you recognize that."

His hands came up to rest on her bruised temples, fingers probing lightly as she finally released something resembling emotion. As the tears began, his mind reached out to hers, caressing in the art of healing that could not be taught, the kind of bond that he used to calm his children's nightmares and assuage hurt feelings.

Her hand came up to grip his forearm gratefully. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't chosen to play nerf-and-womprat..."

"The ability to rebel does not make you culpable," he interrupted quietly. "Nor does the ability to feel sorrow make this any better."

She didn't answer, but a simple response appeared in his mind.

"There?s no way a day like this could happen without mass pandemonium.?

"Keep this up and in a few weeks, the entire Temple will be converted into An-Paj's playpen."

"All in all," he pronounced, "if we consider the rate of gravity, the distance to the ground, and the average number of commuter vehicles that could have hit you, you didn't do too badly."

"Breathe, Li," Ana was pleading. "You're going to live."

He hoped she realized that herself.
*****

 

Nice post with Qui Gon, Obi Wan & Jemmiah. Liked the mentioning of previous incidents involving the assorted Jedi.

Liked Dex's usual glee, especially being on a ride.

Very sad for Li's master to die.

 

The car trundled along just as it had done for the past few hours, ambling by without any concept of the passage of time. Everything was pre-programmed bliss, or at least should have been considering the nature of the journey through mountains of confetti, streamers and suggestive wobbly pink shapes that formed the tunnel wall. Jemmiah had quite enjoyed the unusual daring vulgarity of the whole display, at least whilst she had been travelling with Obi-Wan. Now that Qui-Gon had joined in the appeal had somewhat diminished. Still, it had been so long since he'd seen any action she doubted he'd even recognise what the shapes were supposed to represent?

She gave herself a mental slap. It wasn't nice to think unkind things about Qui-Gon. Besides, it left her with an image of the Jedi master and Healer Leona she really didn't want to dwell upon.

Poor Quiggy had been through personal hell to try and get to them in time to call off the wedding that never was. It was only fair that she recognised that effort, acknowledging his actions as the caring gesture it was meant to be and rewarded him for all his troubles. So thinking, Jemmiah snuggled right into the Jedi's side and flung an arm right across his middle with all the constricting power of a Dianoga!

"Excuse me!" Obi-Wan coughed politely, feeling distinctly put out.

Jemmiah's response was to cuddle in closer still to the bemused Qui-Gon.

"Mine." She declared, nestling her head against the man's chest.

"Oh, I see. I've been forsaken. Cast aside, abandoned, pushed away, left to moulder?" Obi-Wan gave an amused chuckled, knowing full well that she was up to something.

"You'd know all about mouldering." Wrinkling her nose, Jemmiah turned her face to gaze upwards at the noble brow of her guardian. "Do you know he doesn't even take his socks off?no, second thoughts we'll not go there." She added hurriedly, endeavouring to cultivate a new understanding and tolerance between Qui-Gon and herself. Not that lying about Lilith would help in any way, but until he found out about it she wasn't going to do a thing to antagonise him. "Anyhow Ben, I'm not so much ignoring you as being nice to Master J."

Qui-Gon contrived to speak to her yet still managed to keep his sight fixed straight ahead of him.

"And your decision to be nice to me is the result of what?" He asked deliberately. "Why start now after all this time?"

"Ha ha!" Jemmiah pinched him playfully in the side. "Maybe I do take you for granted. Perhaps it's about time I took account of all the nice things you've done for me over the last six years." She watched Qui-Gon's eyebrows take a dramatic hike upwards towards his hairline. "All I'm saying is that I think you're wonderful, Qui-Gee."

Pause.

"And it's taken you how long to realise this?" Qui-Gon asked, pretending to feel wounded.

"I mean it, I think you're adorable." Jemmy wondered if she was perhaps labouring the point to no affect considering the way Qui-Gon's huge grin was beginning to spread from ear to ear - and it wasn't through being paid an unexpected compliment either! "You are, really!"

"I know." He agreed with her. "I am. Extremely adorable. And for what it's worth Tangles, I think you're wonderful too." Qui-Gon caught sight of the almost fascinated yet wholeheartedly disgusted look on Obi-Wan's face as the mutual admiration escalated to new heights. "And when I do or say something that you might not agree with and it causes you unhappiness, I'm very sorry for it because I happen to care for you very much."

"Awwww, Qui-Geeeee! You're lovely." Jemmiah's face became the picture of perfect contentment. For all of five seconds, that was to say. Qui-Gon as ever timed his moment to the exact millisecond before adding:

"That's why I take absolutely no pleasure in saying 'hard luck, Tangles - you're still going to be on the receiving end of a punishment when we get back to the temple no matter what you say or how hard you try to get round me.' It won't work this time." Qui-Gon couldn't help but smirk at the crestfallen expressio

 

"Dunno, maybe it was the black lingerie." Oooooh... That was so cute between Quiggy and Jemmy and I sooo knew it wouldn't work. I like the banter about Obi's feet...

 

What? No more contributions in all this time?

 

Jemmy tapped her fingers on the side of the chair, repeatedly drumming an irritating rhythm with the tips of her sharpened fingernails. It looked as if nobody wanted to come to the point. Hellfire, she couldn't blame them for stalling when she herself had boldly tried to do the same. That didn't alter the fact that the ride was inexorably continuing its way through the 'hearts and roses' display projected somewhere above them on the tunnel ceiling, or that the aforementioned display signalled the climax of the ride. And when they got to the end the little train of cars would be halted by the droid security team whilst all three of them were physically extracted from their vehicle and hauled away to await detention and further questioning?

"So," she broke the silence that had grown between all three of them, "what's the big plan then?"

"Plan?" Qui-Gon answered in a quizzical tone. "What makes you think we have a plan?"

Jemmy looked from Qui-Gon, over his shoulder to Obi-Wan and then back to Qui-Gon once again.

"Well, forgive me for pointing this out but we are on the verge of being arrested." She paused, thinking over what she had just said. "Correction: YOU are going to get arrested! Ben and I haven't done anything to be ashamed of?that is to say, nothing unexpected." She hastily corrected before Qui-Gon himself stepped in with an obvious remark. "Okay, we've maybe gone round a few more times than we should but hey, that's what you do when you're in love, yes? Who's counting?"

"It was six times, wasn't it?" Obi-Wan winked at her, the faintest hint of an incorrigible grin beginning to form on his features.

"Yup!" Agreed Jemmiah. "Leastwise I think so. We went round that semi-conscious Hammerhead on the platform at least twice."

"The one with the Bouli-Bouli drum you wrapped around his head?" Obi-Wan smiled sweetly at her.

"Nothing the accident and emergency outpatient department won't be able to assist with, I'm sure." Sniffed Jemmiah. "Still, he did make an unusual journey marker you have to admit."

It was Obi-Wan's turn to stop and consider their predicament for a moment, finally giving the matter the gravitas it deserved.

"Six circuits, eh?" He said finally. "Must be something of a record. If this goes to trial, will you consider saying it was ten?"

"Padawan!" Qui-Gon scolded, trying desperately not to feel like the proverbial Gamorrean in the middle as the conversation went back and forth across his body. It reminded him slightly of being back in the initiates dorm as a child, whispered communications flowing over his head late into the night along the row of bunks. Not that the topic of discourse was ever as ribald as that which Obi-Wan was indulging in.

Unless you were to count Dex, of course.

"Sorry, master." Obi-Wan smiled contritely, looking at his clasped hands as if truly penitent. "It was perhaps a trifle uncouth."

"Not to mention old!" Jemmy answered playfully. "An oldie but a goody, as they say. Just like Master J!"

Qui-Gon didn't even bother to reply to that particular piece of blatant flattery. Jemmiah was clearly already past stage one of her plan to get out of her as yet unspecified punishment and was pressing on with phase two, which if he was correct would be almost identical to phase one; only involving a more intense bombardment of praise. She had been right about one thing: their time was nearly up. If they didn't come up with something soon then this was going to add a very big, black mark against his name.

To a degree he was tempted to shrug it off as being of no great importance for there were plenty of marks on his record already from his youth. These days he was more careful as to the sort of scrapes he managed to wind up in; he didn't want the child welfare people poking their nose in because they'd heard he'd been arrested on the scandalous and seedy 'Tunnel of Love' ride. Just because Jemmiah was living with Evla didn't mean they couldn't cause problems for him in that respect because he was still legally obliged to look after her until she

 

"Nearly there." Krelo remarked as the ride began to slow, the cars in front gradually winding down to a near crawl. "Prepare to disembark."

Jay was giving a good impression of a Reek that had been cowed into submission by an extremely vicious looking whip. Rubbing frantically at the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand lest there be any tell-tale signs that Krelo had been using him as cover for her surprise presence in the Tunnel of Love, Abran wondered if the knight had secretly enjoyed it all. Not the kissing; he had no allusions that Krelo would think of him as anything other than an irritating, smart-mouthed padawan with a gift for landing himself in trouble. No, what would appeal would be the idea that she'd managed so successfully to wind him up!

"Do I still have lipstick on me?" Jay wondered, manipulating his face and lips extensively with his fingers.

Krelo gave him a cursory examination. "No. But I can lend you some if you want."

"No thank you. I saw how you applied the first lot." Abran answered flatly. "I know, I know! You're probably wondering what I'm complaining about, but I want it on record that I was kissed under duress and I only did it to obey the orders laid upon me by a Jedi Knight. I did not take advantage of the situation, I did not enjoy it," he punctuated his sentences by waving his arms about whenever he used the word 'not', "and I'm not looking forward to Master Berlingside knocking on my master's door demanding to know what I've been doing with his esteemed lady-friend in the back of a car!"

"It's a nice pale lipstick. Infact it's hardly a shade at all." Krelo's reply left Jay in no doubts to the fact that she was heartily disinterested in his supposedly groundless fears. "As a rule I don't see the point in harsh colours. Doesn't really go with the Jedi image, when you think about it. Perfectly acceptable when the right mission comes along and you need to wear something striking, say, if you need a disguise?"

"Like when you tried to wear me back there because you needed a disguise?" Jay folded his arms, trying not to sound like a petulant little boy. "Most people undercover like to wear false beards and moustaches?"

"Mighty strange I'd have looked with one of those attached to me." Krelo rattled back with a reply. "I don't know, though. We had a big brute of a cook once who might not have seemed out of place in one. She died a few years ago, so Dex told me recently. Huge, self-important woman: red-faced and about as mean with a ladle as you could hope to get! Found her face down in bowl of bread mix."

"She never 'rose' again." Jay quipped instantly.

"Bad pun, padawan."

"I know, but I 'kneaded it'. Kneaded?needed?geddit?" Jay laughed, feeling instantly better now that he was back on safe territory. "No?"

Krelo didn't even so much as twitch an eyebrow in response. She got enough of that kind of inane banter from Dex without having to put up with the same garbage from a mere padawan learner! Then her inner voice wryly reminded her that she had herself been a padawan not that long ago, even if it sometimes felt like a lifetime. So much had happened to her since then?so much she'd pushed to the back of her mind?

"We're stopping." Jay had commented, sounding much surprised.

"So? That's what I said we were doing."

Abran half-pushed himself out of the car, one hand resting on the padded seat as he levered his body upwards. Craning his neck he observed, "Some kind of hold-up ahead. Can't quite make out what all the fuss is about. Security seems to be out in large numbers."

"Probably still after you and Sequedes for roasting that tent." Krelo nodded, following Jay's example and standing up in the car. Ahead of her there sat at least another ten cars each filled with restless and angry people waving their arms in the air, clamouring for the attention of the security droids. "Something's certainly stirred them up!"

What surprised Jay more than anything had been the sheer amount of security droids that were currently swarming all over the platform.