Jadia sat at the empty bar, staring at her face in the polished surface. She bit her lower lip hard, flipping open a viroblade with her right hand. As the tiny motor began to wake up, she quickly closed it again. The motor whined its protest before shutting off, only to be flipped open again. This time, she let it reach full speed before shutting it back off.

"Jadia!" came a harsh voice from behind the wall. "Would you put that thing away before I go crazy?"

Jadia grinned, and slipped the viroblade into a well-concealed pocket on her tunic sleeve. "Sorry Hormati," she called. "Just bored."

A loud crash came from the back room, followed by a rustling sound. A thin black woman came to the door. "Just bored, my ass. When's that boyfriend of yours getting down here?" Hormati asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Jadia grimaced. "I swear, if you call him that one more time. . ." she shook her head, unable to put her threat into words, "I will personally kick your ass! For God's sake, Hormati, he's old enough to be my father! Qui-gon is just a friend, I swear." She pounded the bar for emphasis.

The bartender grinned. "Right. And my mother is a hyper drive."

Jadia perked up. "Speaking of which. . . ."

"Jadia!" Hormati groaned, walking over to where her friend sat. She hide her head in her hands, dejected. "What did you do this time, hu? That old ship isn't worth it! With all the credits that have gone into the Cosmic Dancer, you could have bought a brand new ship already!"

"I don't want a new ship," Jadia pouted. "Dancer is my baby, you know that."

"You stupid hoe," Hormati said affectionately, looking up. "Everyone knows that. And," she sighed, "she is yours, and you're technically free to do what you want, even on this hell hole. . . . . ."

Jadia got off the stool and started smoothing her blond hair in the mirror behind the bar. "And don't you forget it, bitch," she said with a smile. "Now, where is my helmet?"

Hormati sighed again, then reached under the bar and pulled out a sleek black helmet. "Jadia, we really need to talk about this new toy of yours. . . . . ."

Jadia picked up the racing helmet and grinned. "Isn't it the coolest? I am so lucky that the roads around here are paved, unlike other planets." She fiddled with some small padded areas inside, then looked back at Hormati. "Well?"

"Well what?" Hormati asked with her best innocent look.

"You know what I mean, bitch. Give it to me." Slowly Hormati handed over a thin curved piece of black plastic. Jadia grabbed it and snapped it in place. "Why you always insist on taking the damn thing out, I don't understand. Come over here and help me."

Hormati wandered out form behind the bar. "Why don't we just cut it all off. . . " she asked mischievously.

"Whore, you touch my hair and I swear to God you'll know what it's like to piss off a Jedi, and it ain't pleasant."

"Calm down bitch, I'm just teasen' ya," she said pleasantly as she pulled Jadia's long hair up and onto the back of her head. She held the great mass of hair in place with one hand and rummaged through her tunic pocket with the other. "Oh, the damn thing's in here somewhere. . . . .here they are." She pulled out a large mass of rubber bands and dumped them on the bar. She slowly picked through them, irritating her impatient friend, before selecting a thin green one and sweeping the rest off the bar into her waiting pocket. "Now, I'm just going to tie this one the end here, like this, just enough to hold it up, okay, 'cuz I sure as hell ain't going to tie you up like last time, you crazy Jedi hoe."

"Ya, ya, sure, just hurry up! I'm late already!" Jadia whined.

Hormati rolled her eyes. "Yes Master," she said resentfully. "I'm working on it Master." She wrapped the rubber band around Jadia's hair and held the "ponytail" to the top of her head as Jadia grabbed the helmet and slid it over her head. She managed to let go just as the back edge dropped over the spot where her hand had been, and stepped back to judge how even the drop had been. "Looks fine back here."

"Thanks Hormati," Jadia said, standing up. "You know I love you."

Hormati bit her check. "Ya, if you say so," she said, smiling. "Now get outta here, would you?" She walked Jadia to the door. Sitting in front of the catena was an old-fashioned motorcycle, looking sleek and fast.

"There she is, my newest baby," Jadia said with a grin. "I absolutely love her. Anyway," she said abruptly, "I'm supposed to meet him at the dock in Hieh, Port 7. Anything the catena needs while I'm up there?"

Hormati smiled. "Naw, Jeapri" she said. Jadia smiled at the nickname. "You just go pick up your boyfriend and bring him on back, no wasting time in Hieh, you hear me?"

Jadia scowled at her before mounting the bike. She turned the key and listened to the motor roar to life, satisfied. "Ya, ya bitch, I do what I want."

"I know you do." Hormati walked over and snapped the visor closed on Jadia's helmet. She patted her on the back and stepped away from the street as Jadia gunned the motor. "Just don't kill him or yourself, you hear me?" she called over the roar. Jadia grunted and nodded her head in Hormati's general direction as she swung her feet to their places and took off in a cloud of tire smoke, towards the east and into Hieh.