=== Siduri Archanes ===


*Karin Ka`Nesh had received the invitation to the Valentine's Day celebration while she was still on the lush tropical world of Ban-Satir II.  Indeed, it had been relayed to her from a former contact of hers, who had once served as a harem guard within the Imperial Palace on Imperial Center, now known as Coruscant.  His name was Arnaud and he was from Yaga Minor, such as she was herself and he had taken a liking to her while she was still one of the Emperor's Chosen. He had not dared to touch her, as Karin had been one of Palpatine's concubines, although she had not been graced with the gift of the Force as had his two 'Hands', Mara Jade and Roganda Ismaren.  Nor had Karin even dreamed of a sexual liasion with such a man, as he was only slightly less repulsive than Palpatine himself.  Instead, Karin had come from a well-to-do family on Yaga Minor that had been loyal to the Empire from its inception, and she, always knew that her role was in serving its New Order, until that fateful day when the band of rag-tag Rebels blew up the Second Death Star and forever changed the course of her life.*

*Indeed, this Arnaud was a man of a slight stalker mentality, and had made it his business to track Karin's movements as she and the other concubines had gone into hiding as the Empire was being dividied up after what was thought to be Palpatine's apparent demise, and his quite cushsy position at the Imperial outpost on the rim world of Ban-Satir II allowed him quite a bit of free time to indulge in his more sick past-times.  His recent learning that Karin had been spotted within the capital of Ban-Satir II in the company of two men of illustrious backgrounds- one Kang Weichung of that very planet, and a Kos Terig of Corellia only piqued his interest all the more.  What could one of Palpatine's former lovers have wanted here? Was she merely on vacation with two men, who he deemed unfit for a woman who had served the upper eschalons of the Empire? And so, he made it his business to track Karin to the very apartment of this Mr. Weichung, where it seemed, that she had been residing for the past few days.  Arnaud did not mark it with his own name, nor rank at the Imperial garrison, but merely left the invitation, scribbled with Karin's name in scratchy Aurabesh writing at the top, pasted to Kang's front door.  It was there that Karin noticed it and peeled it off, as Kang loomed over her shoulder, perhaps, wondering what she had found.  She had brought the paper up to him and allowed him to read its contents:


You Are Invited…

This Valentine's Day you are invited to share in the grand opening of
No Force Rentals
Tired of spending that special day alone?
Meet the man of your SW dreams.
Okay, it's an excuse to get together and have fun
Do I have to twist your arm any more?
Feb. 14, 7:00PM at the No Force Rentals complex.
Dress is semi-formal, attitude doesn't have to be.
Just remember to have fun.

*It was then that she had noticed it had come in from a woman she had met
while she still resided on Coruscant- Mary.  She was one of those odd Jedi
whom Karin had seen in coming and going from her turret in the Palace,
following that strange little balding green creature.  Karin didn't like him, but then, she was a woman who had been brought up to fully believe in the New Order and ALL non-humans were not to be trusted. That was just the way of the Empire.*

Kang, *Karin said softly, brushing back her long, black locks* Do you remember that you said that you would take me back to the Core Worlds if I had asked?  Do you think we would have enough time to make it to the party in time? *she knew there might be a chance, but since her own skills in flying had usually involved the shorter range TIE Interceptors, she had no idea as to how many hours it would take from Ban-Satir II to Coruscant.  Karin slipped her hand into Kang's, clearly indicating that she wished him to go with her, as he had made it apparent that Kos was having the time of his life, working and milling about the populace, that he would hardly miss them both for a day or two.  It would also please Karin greatly, if she could attend this affair with Kang, as she could show him what had been her home for so many years and perhaps, she would be able to smoothe out the problems that the man called Drax had caused when she had encountered him on the neighboring planet of Chandrila.*

Please, Kang, can we go? *she begged, turning to him and losing herself in his deep brown eyes.*


Karin Ka`Nesh
Former Concubine of Emperor Palpatine
Currently in Kang Weichung's Apartment, Ban-Satir II
http://www.geocities.com/dannikavega/Karin/Karin.htm

=== Raven Ostego ===

Raven was on her way to where Thrawn and a bunch of X-wing pilots were standing, when she noticed that more guests were arriving. 'I should probably introduce myself sometime tonight,' she thought to herself. She sighed and reminded herself there was still plenty of time to mess with the boy's minds. She walked over towards one of the employees, a path that conveniently passed by the Grand Admiral. 'Accidently,' she beushed her hip up against him as she walked by.

"Oh, excuse me," she said, flashing a smile. Winking at that pale blue face, she continued on.

"Excuse me, miss. I just thought I should introduce myself." She held out her hand to the woman. "I'm Raven Ostego." She gave me a frazzled look, then smilled.

"Hi, I'm Gillian."



=== JediPatricia ===

I did not walk into the lobby of NFR; I *floated*. I had vanquished my stress, found my self-confidence, and passed with flying colors, managing to raise my grade. What better way to celebrate than the NFR party? This could turn up to be a great Valentine after all.

After soaking in the tub for half an hour, I had put on a jumpsuit that, although white, was definitely a long way from my "good girl" reputation. The cloth was incredibly light, almost weightless, and the tunic starting below my breasts and ending in mid-thigh gave the whole thing a nice, slim appearance. Thin straps held it, and the white accented my tan skin beautifully. Plus, it was extra-comfortable, practical, but terribly difficult to get in and out of... After the last Gala, I knew I should take my precautions. I put on simple make-up, deep red lipstick giving my lips the spotlight, combed my hair back with some gel and applied a splash of perfume.

I didn’t even get much traffic. Do you have any idea how lucky you have to be not to get traffic on downtown Coruscant? Oh well. Today, *nothing* could go wrong.

Chewie was the first to spot me, and he tilted his head quizzically, letting out a growl. He knew how nervous I’d been; in fact, he’d offered to accompany me and tear the teacher’s arms off if she didn’t give me the grade I deserved. Not that I was surprised: my mother could do the same...

I opened my arms in a pose. "Ta-daaa!" I said, running to hug him. "Chewie, I did it! I did it!!" I smiled, planting a kiss on his furry cheek.

He let out a deafening growl that was probably a Wookie victory exclamation, and patted me in the back.

"Hey, who sounded the alarm – Patricia, there you are!" I turned to find Mary, my new employer. The pregnancy seemed to make her glow; she reminded me of a fertility goddess statuette I had found in a small market years ago, vibrant with life. I almost felt jealous. "How was it?" she asked.

"I passed, with flying colors!" I told her, almost jumping in delight.

"See, you didn’t have to be so nervous, silly. Come on, the party’s just beginning!"

I absolutely concurred. The party was just beginning.

=== JediPatricia===

I circled the buffet table with a clinical eye, making sure everything looked fresh and was correctly displayed. I moved a small flower arrangement a few millimeter to the left. Perfect. I guess I wouldn’t have to strangle the caterer after all.

But what was I doing? A Valentine’s party was in progress and all I could think of was if the dishes were all symmetrically displayed? Well, quitting the Good Girl business would be hard... but quitting the Perfection Maniac business was an entirely different one.

I walked to the bar to complete my inspection, since I would never relax unless I knew everything was in place. I spotted Lando and Karrde, having a somewhat heated debate, and smiled at them. They both turned their smuggler’s grins on me with full force, suddenly forgetting whatever the subject of their discussion.

"Patricia!" Lando said, his voice smooth as honey. "Don’t you look lovely tonight!"

"Tell me something I don’t know already," I jested him.

"Yes, you would think the lady has mirrors in her house, Calrissian," Karrde jumped in. His clear blue eyes traveled through my body, denoting surprise and definitely approval. "But I don admit I’m also surprised. At first sight you seemed so..."

"Serious? Honest? Plain simple boring?" I provided.

"Naive," he said matter-of-factly, and I was a little taken aback, though I knew it was true "But obviously there’s more to you than meets the eye." He smiled knowingly.

"Oh. Next you’re gonna call me cute."

Lando laughed at my not-very-flattered expression. "It’s not like we’re saying you’re a kid, you just look like one! Admit it, they still ask for your ID at bars, don’t they?"

I sighed. "Bars? Ha! Yesterday, Panaka made me show him *all* my documents because he didn’t believe I was 21!"

"Panaka’s a moron. He’s even worse on smugglers than Ackbar."

Karrde made a face. "Lando! You should be a little comprehensive with him. After all, his medical condition..."

Medical condition? I thought all employees had to undergo a checkup before being accepted. "What, he’s ill?" I asked, concerned.

He sighed. "I hear it’s inoperable..."

"What?!!" Lando and I asked in unison.

"The stick." Dramatic pause. Seeing our anxious faces, he finally continued, deadpan. "It’s so far up his ass it can’t be surgically removed."

We all broke into hysteric laughter. My stomach almost hurt, and I held onto Lando’s arm for balance. Some of the guests cast curious glances in our direction, probably thinking twice about having that third drink before ending up like those poor fools at the bar.

The laughter subsided, and Lando patted my hand. "Can I offer you a drink?"

Karrde feigned offense. "You certainly cannot! If anyone’s buying her a drink it’s me."

I waved a finger at them. "You can both buy me a drink. But today I’m not drinking any alcohol, and the bar droid has been accordingly programmed. I’m on anti-histaminics and aspirin and it’s not a particularly clever combination. And I’ve had bad experiences before."

Lando raised a brow, suddenly uncomfortable. "Anything you say."

I sighed. Sometimes it was so easy to read him. "Ok, spill it."

Both men looked at me inquisitively.

"You heard something about the Rent-a-Jedi gala. What was it?"

Lando suddenly became very interested in the wood paneling of the bar counter.

"Yes, what was it, Lando? You wouldn’t believe any rumors about the lady without confirming them first?" Karrde asked too, catching on pretty quickly and obviously curious.

I thought that beyond a certain skin tone people couldn’t blush. I was wrong. They could have use Lando as a landing beacon. "I heard you and Maul... well, you know."

"Did the horizontal mambo? The wild thing? The four-legged beast?" I asked, a little exasperated.

Karrde was looking at me as if I’d sprouted an extra head.

"Well, we didn’t." Both men let out some of the air they’d been holding in. "Vader spiked the punch. I drank the punch. Maul hit on me. I’d just seen Episode 1 and was mad at him. I lead him on and them dumped him cold. Like a rock," I said, still enjoying my little revenge despite the remorse I’d felt afterward.

"So nothing really happened," Lando repeated.

"Do you need me to draw a diagram? Nothing happened. We just kissed."

A slow, sly grin formed on Karrde’s lips. "So you seduced and then refused him for revenge." He raised his glass. "I like it."

"Yeah, that day I was so angry not even the Almighty Lucas would be safe around me," I laughed, but decided to change the course of the conversation before it lead to uncomfortable ground. Like *why* I was mad at Maul. "Probably Vader started the rumor, he’s got a really big mouth. Oh well, proton torpedoes and ion cannons can blast me out of the sky, but words..." I shrugged my shoulders. "Now I believe one of you gentlemen was about to buy me a drink."

"Of course. Maybe you could help us in a little quarrel we seem to have," Lando said, brightening.

"Sure, if I can."

Karrde leaned a little toward me, his voice dropping a notch. "Lando and I can’t seem to agree on the correct proportions of a Dry Martini."

I laughed. "Well guys, as far as I’m concerned, there’s only one Golden Rule to the preparation of a Dry Martini."

"And that is?" Lando asked.

"Shaken, not stirred."

=== Gillian Taylor ===

"No Force Rentals - The Trouble with Pilots"


I stared into the glass of punch, watching the
flickering lights of the ballroom through its
diffraction.  I sighed once, taking another sip of the
drink.  I know that I shouldn't be feeling this way
given that what Mary, Patricia and I had been working
for had finally come to its fruition.  However, I
couldn't help it.  I found my mind once again
wandering down the well-trodden path of wishing for
someone other than myself that I could rely on,
someone that I could love and be loved by. 
'Damnit Gill, not now.  Not here.  Wait until this
party's over, and THEN you can dwell on your lack of
any measurable amount of romance in your life.  Hell,
you can even drag out pictures of the old gang and
wonder how their boyfriend's are treating them and
envy their luck at finding their 'one in five
billion.''  I downed the rest of the drink with a
flick of my wrist when I noticed someone coming my
way.

"Oh excuse me miss," she said with a smile, "I just
thought I should introduce myself.  I'm Raven Ostego."

I gripped the extended hand strongly, flashing her a
smile, "I'm Gillian.  Are you enjoying yourself so
far?"

"Oh yes!" Raven said with a grin, going on to inform
me of her encounters with the employees.

"That's what they're there for, Raven," I said with a
half-smile, "If you'll excuse me, I think that there's
something that needs my attention on the other side of
the room."  My eyes had spotted what looked like
something being tossed back and forth between a group
of pilots. 

Raven nodded and I made my way across the room, my
eyes widening when I finally figured out just what was
being tossed between them.  Actually, it wasn't quite
being tossed, more like it was being sling-shotted
with deadly accuracy at the TIE fighter pilots who
were gathered around the bar.  

I watched my step as I walked through the scattered
"bullets" that were laying on the floor, listening
with half an ear to what the TIE fighter pilots were
saying about the ammunition.

"Cutie Pie?  Is that some sort of insult?" one of them
asked as he looked at a yellow heart-shaped candy.

"No!" a X-Wing pilot shouted back, "But THIS one is!"
He shot a pink heart towards him.

"Hugs?  I THINK not!" the TIE fighter pilot said
disdainfully as he grabbed a rubber band and began
shooting the hard candies back at him. 

From what I could see, this had been going on for
quite a while, "ENOUGH!" I bellowed, grabbing Wedge,
who appeared to be the X-Wing pilots' ring-leader in
this little 'war,' by the ear, "Now, 'Cutie Pie', tell
your men to stop shooting the appetizers at the TIE
fighter pilots."

"Gill, we weren't shooting...OW!" his words faded into
a grimace of pain as I twisted his ear.

"Wedge, look, stop shooting at..."  *PING!* "OW!"  I
dropped Wedge's ear to look for the source of the
'candy shot.'  My eyes landed on one of the TIE
fighter pilots who was struggling to keep a straight
face.

A red haze crossed my vision as I headed for the
culprit, ignoring the crunch of candies beneath my
feet.  I suppose that the fighter pilot could see
murder in my eyes since he got up and attempted to
escape.  I managed to grab him before he could get out
of reach and I slammed him against the wall and wedged
my arm under his chin, "Now, listen here TIE-boy, did
you think that that was fun?  Did you enjoy yourself
with that little shot?" 

His eyes widened with fear as I bore down on him,
"*You,* my dear pilot, are going to clean up the
candies...AND you are going to be at my beck and call
for the rest of the night.  Do I make myself clear?"

He nodded.

"What's your name, fighter-boy?"

"J...Jaxom..." he stammered.

"Alright, Jaxom, get this cleaned up," I said in a
sickly-sweet tone, "And I will see you later."  I
released him quickly, stepping away.

"Um...Gillian?"

"Yes?" I said, turning back to him.

"My place or yours?" he asked, grinning evilly.

My eyes narrowed fractionally as a low growl escaped
my throat, "Watch it fly-boy."  I turned from him and
walked away, a grin spreading across my face.  This
was DEFINITELY going to be an interesting night.

=== Sethra Lavode ===

The last delivery before check in, and I was ahead of
schedule.  What luck!  Just drop this off and I could
sit for awhile in a cafe, not necessarily for the food
but to get off my feet and out of the truck.  If only
University of Coruscant's Engineering College didn't
charge such exorbitant off-planet tuition, I wouldn't
have to work for the Galactic Parcel Service, but then
if wishes were starships...

I squinted at the mailing label and sighed.  Two
delivery addresses: will they never learn??  But the
places weren't too far from each other, so no worries.
I'd still have plenty of time.

As I approached the address I chose, it looked like
they were having a party.  A Valentine's Day party, no
less.  What kind of place was this?  "No Force
Rentals" wasn't terribly descriptive, and it looked
rather nondescript...from the outside.  I'd chosen to
try this address first, since it sounded like less
likely a place to run into HIM again than
"Rent-a-Jedi".  My certainty diminished rapidly as I
stepped through the door.

Working for GPS on Coruscant, you meet all types.  I'd
delivered just as many packages to Senators and
Admirals as shopkeepers and accountants.  But the
diversity in the place surprised even me.  All right,
Admiral...smuggler...Queen...whoa!  X-wing pilots!
Down, girl; deliver the package.  I straightened my
sky-blue uniform tunic and took a deep breath.

"Delivery for one 'Mistress'!" I hollered over the
general carnage--er, merriment.

When half the women present started towards me, I knew
I was in trouble.

=== LaShawna Powers===


      England, 12th century.  Thomas a Becket ticks off Henry II.  Hank throws a
royal hissy fit and five knights ride off to avenge their king.  It’s one of
the more interesting bits in my history text and I was into it.  I could
almost hear the knights pounding on the
cathedral door.

      Wait a sec.  Someone was pounding on my door.  Growling, I crossed the room
and flung open the door to see my best friend, Michelle.  She stepped back.

      “No, no, no.  You can’t go like that.  You look like hell.”

      “Thanks.  Go where, and why would I want to go if I can’t look like hell
there?”

      She flopped down on my couch.  “1) You’re welcome, 2) The No-Force Rentals’
Valentine’s Day party, and 3) men.  Lots of ‘em.”

      No-Force Rentals?  Valentine’s... “Oh, hell no.”

      “Come on.  You’re either singing or studying 24/7.  You need a party. 
They’re good things, you know.  Parties.  It’s what normal people do.”

      “Name one great artist who was normal.”

      She snorted.  “Keep practicing.  Maybe in a couple of years you can claim
artistic eccentricity.  Hey, now, that’s not language you should use against
a friend.  So the question...quit snarling...is what are you going to wear?”

      “I can’t go.”  She started rifling through my closet.  “I’m not going.”

      “Of course you are.  You’ll have fun, meet someone, tomorrow you won’t be
so cranky.  Don’t you have any dresses?”

      “I am not cranky!” I shouted.

      “No, not a bit.  A-ha!”  She pulled out a floor length green dress, that,
quite frankly, I’d never worn and forgot I had.  “Let’s see how you clean
up.”  I backed away; she narrowed her eyes.  We took our familiar standoff
positions.

      “I dare you.”

      Damn.  She went right for the silver bullet.  Now it was about honor.  “The
terms?”

      “I drive you there, so I know you actually go.  I pick you up, inside,
three hours later.  And I may drop in to make sure you’re still there.”

      “That’s it?  No souvenirs?  Phone numbers?  Underwear?”

      “Nope.  That should be enough torture for one evening.”

      “Then I’d better get dressed.”
- - _ - - _ - -

      And that was how I ended up outside of NFR, trying not to trip on my dress.
  I gripped the invitation and knocked on the door.  As I waited, I ran
through some breathing exercises.  *This is just another performance*  I
steadied myself, handed the invitation to the droid who answered the door,
and entered with just the slightest stumble.

      Well, Michelle was right.  The place was swarming with men.  A few women,
too, but the night was young and I knew there’d be more.  *Now, to find a
safe corner.  What?  Do these eyes spy a sabacc table? Hmmm...maybe this
could be fun after all.*  I approached the table and smiled demurely at the
three men already dealt in.

      “Is there room for one more?”

=== Artemis (Kimberly Peterson)===

Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside.  I don't know what I was
expecting, but it...well, it looked wonderful!  Classy.  I'd never had a
particular fondness for valentine's day decorations in general, citing an
overkill of pastel, but this was great. 

I peered into the main room;  there were an exhorbinant amount of men.
No shock there;  I supposed they were employees.  A few women milled
about--they seemed to be other guests but were far more confident than I.
I watched as a young women dressed in black smiled seductively
at...Grand Admiral Thrawn, I believed.  His look trailed after her as she
introduced herself to a somewhat frazzled-looking woman...an employee of
some kind. 

I glanced back at the hallway, and noticed a trail of sabacc cards
leading through a side door.  I leaned over to the carpet and noticed...a
small tuft of hair??  Odd, in an environment which was otherwise so
impeccably decorated.   I'm not the type to wander through a stranger's
house uninvited, but the female employees I could identify seemed to be a
bit stressed.  As a guest, the least I could do was pick up the cards. 

I followed the trail out of the main door to a closet located in a
smaller side hallway.  I opened the door and let out an embarrasingly
girly series of shrieks as a large furry object jumped me.  What
the...???  I toppled back, then quickly leapt up in an attack stance so
as to avoid my assailant.  However, it just...lay there.

A whoop of laughter erupted behind me.  I spun quickly to face a young
man (attractive, at that) leaning again the wall, his expression one of
utmost merriment. 

"Do you always fight Ewoks at parties?"  he grinned.  I gave him what
Gregg termed my "are you *stupid* look"--the same one I had after long
lab sessions when I wasn't at my highest level of alertness.  Still
chuckling, he walked over to my assailant and lifted him up.  Sure
enough, it was...an ewok.  A stuffed one.  With playing cards falling out
of its ear. 

My hand clapped over my mouth.  So much for making a good first
impression.  I blushed as I looked into the man's eyes to see how much
damage control was necessary...and was shocked at how intense they were.
They were wrinkled with laughter, but behind all that was someone...a
little bit different.  Framed by a rugged jawline and dark hair, they
seemed to beckon like... Catching myself, I quickly looked to the ewok,
and noticed how utterly defined the forearms holding it were.  From
personal experience, the ewok whatever-it-was wasn't that light, and
every muscle stood out in intricate refinment...

"I see you've already met our centerpiece.  I'm Wes Janson."  Setting the
ewok down, he stuck out his hand.  I took it, only to find my hand
covered with...melon??  Seeing a chance to regain some ground, I grinned.

"Christine B'Tor.  Tell you what.  I won't ask about why your hands are
covered with fruit, and you won't ask me why I just panicked about a
stuffed ewok, 'kay?"

I could sense a smart-ass remark coming from a mile away, but before he
could say anything, a worried looking woman appeared in the hall...the
same who I had seen conversing earlier with the young woman in the main
room.  Seeing Janson, she stopped, her eyes narrowing.

"*Now* what?"

=== my-gin-gone ===

No Force Rentals: Enter The Drama King and Queen

      "Where is that man?"  You ask wandering into the newest part of the R-A-J complex...No Force Rentals.  As far as the eye could see, you see your old stomping ground--imperial troopers, bounty hunters and smugglers.  But that was a different you.  A long time ago.

      You admired the rather haughty yet deliciously designed decor of the place and made a mental note to ask who was the decorator.  But that was for later.  You pushed it all aside to accomplish your task at hand...to get back DJINN! 

      Yes, you and he managed to have a tiny disagreement which ended in him leaving.  You can't even remember what it was about but you're quite sure he'll remind you.  You shifted the taffeta of your long tailed dress.  It was one of the few dresses you had on hand for this trip, little did you know that you too would receive an invite to the No Force Rentals party...and of course you were going to go.

      //Wait, hold up.  That's what the fight was about.//   You maneuver around a couple of men in uniform. //He didn't want me coming to this party.  Yikes.  Well, he's here.  I know it!//

=== Gillian Taylor ===

Join in the fun!  Join in the excitement!  Join Gill
in killing the TIE pilot! 

******
"No Force Rentals - The Trouble with Pilots"


I stared into the glass of punch, watching the
flickering lights of the ballroom through its
diffraction.  I sighed once, taking another sip of the
drink.  I know that I shouldn't be feeling this way
given that what Mary, Patricia and I had been working
for had finally come to its fruition.  However, I
couldn't help it.  I found my mind once again
wandering down the well-trodden path of wishing for
someone other than myself that I could rely on,
someone that I could love and be loved by. 
'Damnit Gill, not now.  Not here.  Wait until this
party's over, and THEN you can dwell on your lack of
any measurable amount of romance in your life.  Hell,
you can even drag out pictures of the old gang and
wonder how their boyfriend's are treating them and
envy their luck at finding their 'one in five
billion.''  I downed the rest of the drink with a
flick of my wrist when I noticed someone coming my
way.

"Oh excuse me miss," she said with a smile, "I just
thought I should introduce myself.  I'm Raven Ostego."

I gripped the extended hand strongly, flashing her a
smile, "I'm Gillian.  Are you enjoying yourself so
far?"

"Oh yes!" Raven said with a grin, going on to inform
me of her encounters with the employees.

"That's what they're there for, Raven," I said with a
half-smile, "If you'll excuse me, I think that there's
something that needs my attention on the other side of
the room."  My eyes had spotted what looked like
something being tossed back and forth between a group
of pilots. 

Raven nodded and I made my way across the room, my
eyes widening when I finally figured out just what was
being tossed between them.  Actually, it wasn't quite
being tossed, more like it was being sling-shotted
with deadly accuracy at the TIE fighter pilots who
were gathered around the bar.  

I watched my step as I walked through the scattered
"bullets" that were laying on the floor, listening
with half an ear to what the TIE fighter pilots were
saying about the ammunition.

"Cutie Pie?  Is that some sort of insult?" one of them
asked as he looked at a yellow heart-shaped candy.

"No!" a X-Wing pilot shouted back, "But THIS one is!"
He shot a pink heart towards him.

"Hugs?  I THINK not!" the TIE fighter pilot said
disdainfully as he grabbed a rubber band and began
shooting the hard candies back at him. 

From what I could see, this had been going on for
quite a while, "ENOUGH!" I bellowed, grabbing Wedge,
who appeared to be the X-Wing pilots' ring-leader in
this little 'war,' by the ear, "Now, 'Cutie Pie', tell
your men to stop shooting the appetizers at the TIE
fighter pilots."

"Gill, we weren't shooting...OW!" his words faded into
a grimace of pain as I twisted his ear.

"Wedge, look, stop shooting at..."  *PING!* "OW!"  I
dropped Wedge's ear to look for the source of the
'candy shot.'  My eyes landed on one of the TIE
fighter pilots who was struggling to keep a straight
face.

A red haze crossed my vision as I headed for the
culprit, ignoring the crunch of candies beneath my
feet.  I suppose that the fighter pilot could see
murder in my eyes since he got up and attempted to
escape.  I managed to grab him before he could get out
of reach and I slammed him against the wall and wedged
my arm under his chin, "Now, listen here TIE-boy, did
you think that that was fun?  Did you enjoy yourself
with that little shot?" 

His eyes widened with fear as I bore down on him,
"*You,* my dear pilot, are going to clean up the
candies...AND you are going to be at my beck and call
for the rest of the night.  Do I make myself clear?"

He nodded.

"What's your name, fighter-boy?"

"J...Jaxom..." he stammered.

"Alright, Jaxom, get this cleaned up," I said in a
sickly-sweet tone, "And I will see you later."  I
released him quickly, stepping away.

"Um...Gillian?"

"Yes?" I said, turning back to him.

"My place or yours?" he asked, grinning evilly.

My eyes narrowed fractionally as a low growl escaped
my throat, "Watch it fly-boy."  I turned from him and
walked away, a grin spreading across my face.  This
was DEFINITELY going to be an interesting night.

=== Sethra Lavode ===

I was almost stupid enough to breathe a sigh of relief
when most of the women homing in on the package veered
off when they saw the two heading purposefully toward
me.  The distraught lady who'd hurried past me hadn't
given me a second look as she rushed out the door, but
these two had me in laser cross-hairs. //Wonder if
they're professors?  Nah, not old enough.//

Just when I was expecting a battle royale over my
delivery, however, one of them stopped, shrugged, and
bowed the very pregnant other woman toward me.  "No
way am I going to argue with a pregnant lady!" she
commented grinning.  "Especially when i don't know
what's in the box."

I sighed, hating my job.  "Are you 'Mistress'?" I
asked, sounding like an idiot as I handed over my
datapad to be signed.

She smiled a little.  "You could say that."  She
handed back the pad and tore open the box.  "Uh-oh."

I began backing away--people wearing that look do that
to me.  Call me coward; I call it survival.  People
started asking anxiously, "What is it?"  "Is it a
bomb?"  "Or maybe a bill?"  "No, how about a
politian--they always do that to me."  "I've got it:
it's a kareoke machine, isn't it?  We're doomed!"

But the pregnant woman called Mistress shook her head.
"It's worse than that."  She looked around at the
room full of guests and employees who were so soon to
be turned into crazed, bellowing, incoherent beasts.
"It's Pictionary...and a whip."

That did it: fight or flight--being a fighter
engineer, I chose flight, but only far enough that I
could still watch the fun.  I sidled along the wall
until I came across the fighter pilots picking up
little heart shaped candies from the floor.  "Hey,
guys, have you ever seen an X-wing fly inverted in
atmosphere?"

=== Crysta Novelli ===

I almost died laughing as I watched Gill attack the TIE pilot that shot the candy heart at her. He was *asking* for trouble when he did that, and she didn't disappoint! She slammed him up against the wall faster than you could say, "Be mine", and the expression on his face was priceless! 

She really did need to relax, though... The party had barely begun, and she was ready to kill someone. I'd feel *really* sorry for the poor bloke that crossed her next!

As the pilots began cleaning up their mess of candy hearts, I wandered off towards the main entrance to see what was going on at the door. As I neared, a female voice bellowed, "Delivery for one 'Mistress'!"

Intrigued, I wandered closer, identifying a pretty young woman that looked somewhat familiar as the one belonging to the voice. She wore the sky blue uniform of the Galactic Parcel Service and held a large, non-descript package in her hands. After a while, I realized I was staring at her, trying to figure out why she seemed so familiar to me, and I stopped half-way to the door. As I stopped, Mary passed me to my right. I looked from her to the girl, and realized that she thought we both wanted the package.

I grinned, and couldn't resist commenting, "No way am I going to argue with a pregnant lady!" The package obvously wasn't for me - it was addressed to No Force Rentals, so it was probably for either Mary or Gill. Mary glanced at me, and I grinned again and added, "Especially when I don't know what's in the box!"

The girl looked uncertaintly at Mary and asked, "Are you 'Mistress'?"

Mary smiled. "You could say that," she said, accepting the data pad and signing for the package. She tore into it excitedly, but her motions came to a dead halt as she got a good look at what was in the box.

I about keeled over when someone shouted out that it was a karaoke machine! That was *so* not funny! I got visions of drunken, caterwauling pilots in my head and groaned out loud.

"No, it's worse than that..." Mary said sadly, pulling two objects from the box. One was a long, black, rectangular box. One that looked *way* to familiar...

"It's Pictionary... and a whip."

"Oh, good Gods...." I groaned.

"Pictionary? What's that?" Wedge Antilles appeared right over Mary's left shoulder, staring in amazement at the black box.

"It's a game..." Mary started to explain, but she was cut off.

"A game?? Does it have cards?" That voice belonged to one Sabacc loving smuggler.

Mary glanced at him and sighed. "Yes, but..."

"Great!" Lando exclaimed, and scooped the box out of her hands. Before she or I knew what was happening, he'd grabbed Han and Wedge and stalked into the small den beside the ballroom. Plopping the box down on the table, the men leaned over it and proceeded to pull the lid off.

I groaned and headed the opposite direction. I was *not* going to handle this one!! On second thought... Mary still had the whip. Now *this* could get interesting...

=== Tam Chronin ===

"...But Whips and Chains Excite Me..."

=== my-gin-gone ===

You make your way passed a group of people huddled over a whip and a game? You shake your head swearing you don't wanna know. But then again, it may be of some interest to you and Djinn later.

//No. Pleasure later, work first.//

"I'll be..." A man's voice swore behind you.

You stop and turn. It is the master Bounty Hunter himself, Boba Fett. He stands before you in all his armored glory.

"Gabrielle of the House of Tellus." You sense his smug grin behind that armored mask.

 You know yourself to be one of the privileged few who've actually seen the face behind the mask— a mask he has practically refused to remove since leaving a military that betrayed him. Like so many men before, Boba was a lover more than a friend.

"Boba Fett." You smile as he approaches you.

"You are associated with this new venture?"

"I am an invited guest." You smile back knowing it is a half truth. You didn't receive a formal invitation but who's really counting?

"Interesting. I see your appetites are still too large for one man to fill." Boba sneered eluding to the torrent affair you and he had during your dark days before Djinn.

"Not so." You pause feeling your link with Djinn buzzing. He is near, "I had to find the right man. Well, I'd love to chat but I must go."

"Before you left last time you promised me a dance." He pulled you close, "I expect you to make good today."

"I will."

"Now." He pulls you close and you too go swirling on to the dance floor.

Djinn makes his way into the crowded grand hall of No Force Rentals. He only came by the complex to check on the emergency messages he kept receiving on his comm link. Fortunately it was just a few zealous clients in dire need of attention. He told them he'd contact them later. But now he needed to finish his *conversation* with Gabrielle. He stopped into No Force because strangely enough he felt she was nearby...

"Oh, Master Djinn." Carmen remarked bumping into him, "Please forgive my impertinence."

"It is quite all right." His eyes search the crowd., "It is good to see you again Carmen."

"Likewise."

"Have you seen Gabrielle?"

She looks around briefly, "No. But I just got here."

"Hmm. Well--"

There is a brief parting in the crowd. He and Carmen spot her at the same time in the arms of Boba Fett. Djinn's body becomes rigid.

=== Carmen ===

Things had not gone particularly well for me today. Aside from three more attempted flower deliveries from that bastard Jai, (One actually knocked on my door. I opened it and tried to literally shove those flowers up his ass.) I recieved notice that the band that was going to be playing at my party cancelled. The only good thing that happened today is I got a couple of roommates.

I pulled on my long leather skirt for the gala. "Man, I love this thing." I whispered as I stared into the mirror. I pulled on my leopardprint strappy top, how the hell am I supposed to tie this myself? I left it alone for now and donned my leopard print heels. I looked in the mirror and adjusted the purple streaks.

Then there was a knock on my door. As I answered the door, my yes was muffled by a ferocious kiss. I pulled away and slapped him across the face. "You son of a.... Gun-gan. Damn Jai, When I say it's over, it's so damn over."

That damned smile. "Why haven't you accepted my flowers? Now that delivery being won't come here."

My answer was the door in his face. The click of the lock reminded me I needed to get those force proof locks. He came in.

"Let me help you with your shirt."

"Fine." I replied formulating a plan. I grabbed my wallet and walked out of the door. He followed, tying the back and trying at the same time to caress my neck. I turned around and put my hand on his chest, kneed him in the privates and then jumped into my ride.

 ---------------------

I walked into the gala at the same time to see someone had brought pictionary. "Oh gods. The end to my perfect day. Hey a whip.... that brings back memories.

I walked out onto the dance floor and ran into Djinn.

"Oh, Master Djinn."  I remarked bumping into him, "Please forgive my impertinence."

"It is quite all right."  His eyes search the crowd., "It is good to see you again Carmen."

"Likewise."

"Have you seen Gabrielle?"

I looked around briefly, "No.  But I just got here."

"Hmm. Well--"

There is a brief parting in the crowd.   We saw Gabrielle in the arms of Boba Fett.  Djinn's body becomes rigid.

Now is the time for those quick leopard reflexes. "Master Djinn, dance with me." I said and pulled him into my arms. Away from Gabrielle.

"Listen to me. He is just an old friend, you have nothing to worry about. I've known her for years and she doesn't cheat on the man she's with."

He looked at me and nodded.

"Please, just calm yourself before you go over there. It's not always the right thing to jump to quick decisions."

He didn't say anything. I stopped dancing and released him. "Now go talk to her." He walked away with a strange look on his face. "I'll be talking to her later." I muttered to myself as I turned and ran into Wedge Antilles. He was carrying some candy hearts which I knocked out of his hands.

"I'm sorry, man this has been a long day. Do you want me to help you?"

"No," He muttered. "Mary and Gill probably wouldn't have enjoyed what I was going to do with those."

I smiled. "You sound like a trouble maker. My name is Carmen. What's yours?" Of course I knew, but I didn't want to sound like a raving fan.

He moved closer. "Wedge Antilles."

"Wait you said Mary, I probably should go introduce myself to her."

"I'll introduce you two." He then hooked his arm in mine and walked me away. "There she is."

This came right as Mary was asking for

=== Sethra Lavode ===

"No, look--if you turn at that angle of attack, your nose pitches up and you've got to go with it! Trust me, I helped redesign X-wings over the summer..."

X-wing pilots are fun, but sometimes they just don't listen. Especially, it seems, if you happen to be a college girl wearing a GPS uniform. I couldn't concetrate on the conversation, anyhow.

It wasn't just the Pictionary game, either. With the practiced ease of old-hand gamblers, Han and Lando had figured out the rules, thus turning their corner of the room into a black hole. Any who wandered within the FAO Schartzchild radius of the table to 'see what was going on' invariably got sucked in and was soon shouting guesses as soon as pencil hit the pad.

No, that wasn't it. My shoulderblades were itching as if someone was staring at me, but every time I turned around, it disappeared. It seemed kind of ridiculous; with this crowd, who would be looking at me? But apparently someone was curious enough to pick the girl in the sky blue tunic and cap of GPS over the blue admiral or the woman in the leopard print or the absolutely georgeous guys...

Wonder if whoever it is will ever say Hi?

"Uh-oh...Check in! I've got to find a com!" I think I scared the pilots...

=== My-Gin-Gone ===

No Force Rentals Round Robin: Is it over?

Boba Fett swirls you around. You smile curtly and swing into his arms not before catching a glimpse of Djinn standing next to Carmen.

"Um...Boba," You remark as he guides you further into the throngs of dancing people, "I think we've danced enough."

Boba Fett chuckles smugly and continues clutching your waist. His hand wanders down to the curve of your rear and squeezes. You gasp and push him away.

//Force knows I don't need this kind of trouble.//

The acclaimed bounty hunter pulls you close, "What's wrong? Not ready for a little fun?"

Before you can speak, Djinn prys you two apart. You know him and his jealousy. That typical jedi serenity all goes to pot when it comes to you.

"Your dance with the lady has ended." He warns Boba coolly.

Qui's stance was unbending and the bounty hunter knew it. Boba steps away from you but does not leave your presence. The two men stare each other down daring the other to leave first. Fearing the worst, you step in.

"Come on Qui." You urge the Master hoping he will take your lead, "Honey, let's go."

Reluctantly he agrees. The two mutually back away. You intertwine your arm in Qui- Gon Djinn's and guide him through the crowd.

"I was looking for you." You remark weaving through the party-goers noticing Rebels soldiers speaking with Imperial Troopers. An empty alcove in the corner looks promising.

"I could tell."

"Qui--."

"No Gabrielle. This is exactly what I was talking about earlier." He stops suddenly, "Who was he this time?"

Feeling unsettled you answer softly, "--A friend. A former acquaintance."

"In other words another old boyfriend."

You fold your arms protectively, "I came here looking for you."

"You went searching for me in No Force Rentals," He furled his brow, "Why in the name of George Lucas would I be in No Force Rentals. Has my midichlorian count dissipated to zero? Do you have some information I am not otherwise privy too?"

Blushing red, "No, but--." You answer.

"Then why pray tell are you here?"

"Well--"

"I'll tell you why. Because you can't help yourself. You are constantly drawn to men and the party life that's why. There has never been a time and never will be a time when we won't run into one of your *ex-boyfriends*."

"But--" You shift nervously feeling the pit of your stomach turn as everyone around you stares.

"--But nothing! I am sick of it. Absolutely sick of it. Tell me something Gabrielle, is there at least one man in this room that you haven't already slept with?" His callous words break your heart.

"I guess when you put it that way. No." Tears escape your eyes.

"A woman of your means. I find that hard to believe."

You run out of the room before losing control completely.

Instantly regretting his words, Djinn tries to stop you.

"Gabrielle--"

Humiliated and sad, you sob quietly into your palms on the steps leading up to the dormitory in No Force Rentals. Various clients with their clientele enter and exit as they pleased. In the midst of all this traffic you reassess your relationship with Djinn. The sum total of Qui's respect for you was revealed in one moment. In that time you realized, all your chasing, soothing and love was in vain for he doesn't even respect you. In his eyes you're a party going slut.

New tears re-emerge from your eyes. The pain of knowing it was over hurts you so. It has to be over. How can you date a man who doesn't even respect you? There's no way. You'd be in it only for the carnal pleasure and you don't have to date him to get that.

"Here."

A box of tissues is placed before you.

"Thanks." You take a few and blow your nose and wipe your eyes.

"Love life troubles?" A husky voice with a raspy hue asks. You nod and sigh barely able to speak.

"Looks like it."

"Yea well," You stammer your composure coming back.

"Yea well, love will do it to you every time."

"It has to me." You smile weakly. Suddenly you were tired and ready to go back to the hotel. " Thanks...?" You look at him and see a strikingly handsome man in his late thirties to early forties. He wears his salt and pepper colored hair shot almost buzzed to the scalp. He stands next you wearing a white turtle neck underneath a blue flight suit with unfamiliar rank and insignia.

"My friends call me Ty."

"Gabrielle." You shake his strong hand. The palms were calloused like Qui's except the skin outside the hand was soft and his fingernails were neatly clipped and cleaned.

"Thanks Ty." You stand and wobble a bit. You know it's nothing. Every time you cry really hard your always a little dizzy.

"Are you all right?" He guides your arm.

"I'll be fine." You wave him off and adjust the gathers on your taffeta dress.

"Let me help you."

"I'm gonna take a transport back to my hotel."

"This is a pretty strange place," Ty says placing the box of tissues aside, "Let me walk you back. I swear my intentions are honorable."

//What the hell? I've got nothing else to lose.// "Sure. Thank you very much."

=== Ziggy ===

=== Carmen ===

"Bye, Wedge." I kissed him on the cheek and left quickly. I jumped into my ride and took off.  So much for the No Force Rentals Gala. Guess life got in the way.

~*~   On to part 2!!!  ~*~