"Master Windu, a word?"

It wasn't usual for a senior member of the Jedi Council to be lectured by anyone, but Master Yoda tended to be a champion at that particular sport. From the look on his face, it seemed very likely that this was his intention in approaching.

Mace bowed formally to Tala. "If you'll excuse me for a few moments."

She growled something that seemed to shock his translator into silence, but he got the gist just from looking at her eyes. It was impossible to think of a mop as lascivious, but she was succeeding in conveying that.

He couldn't imagine what, in particular, was irking Master Yoda. He hadn't been rude or standoffish, he hadn't encouraged the physical advances...

"Distressed you seem," Master Yoda said once they were out of earshot of their companions. "Of what help can I be?"

For a long moment, he was silent, not because he was contemplating his answer, but because he was too shocked to think.

"She's all over me," he whispered at last, voice urgent. "Help!"

"Explained you have about the Jedi rules of attachment?"

"Thrice," he hissed. "It's mortifying and terrifying and she wants to get my comm code!"

"Fear not," Yoda said, though Mace had the distinct impression that he would have sniggered if he weren't too diplomatic to do so. "Speak to her I shall."

"Thank you," Mace sighed. "Just don't hurt her..."

Yoda nodded sympathetically, then shuffled away towards Tala.

"AND LEAVE THE STICK BEHIND!"

"I was wondering..."

For the first time that night, Carmyn was actually looking bashful. She caught him observing that and seemed even more preoccupied with her julaberry torte.

"What were you wondering?" Obi-Wan asked, keenly and suddenly interested.

"Well," she said, shifting in her seat, "I know that you do this sort of thing each year and I'm sure the Corellian embassy would like to support this tradition..."

His eyes glazed in shock for just a moment, since it was a rare and unique person who even bothered to consider a Jedi in this capacity.

"Carmyn, are you asking me on a date?"

"Gods, no," she spluttered. "Jedi don't date. This was just..."

If possible, her blush got even more noticeable. "Oh, kriff it," she laughed. "Yes, Kenobi, I'm asking you on a date."

Well, why not? She was a talented, entertaining and charming person that he could certainly endure at least once a year, under duress, of course.

He wasn't sure that he was getting it right--he'd never attempted such a thing--but he made a passable attempt at kissing her hand.

"I'll reserve the spot," he promised. "Looks like it's finally clearing up," Noela sighed. "Pity. I was hoping I could impose on you for a midnight snack."

Qui-Gon waved a hand generously. "You know where the food is," he reminded.

"Yes," she laughed, "but after dessert, I'm not sure there's any left."

He shrugged. "If you want to get that custard, there were parts of it that didn't have mold..."

It was a testament to her diplomatic patience that she didn't throw some of the popphraig that she was eating at him, but surprisingly, she looked immensely saddened.

"I'm going to miss this," she admitted at last.

"Me, too," he agreed before he could stop himself. "It's been a noble tradition for two and a half decades and it's a shame to ruin it with something as absurd as marriage."

Her eyes were lowered as she shook her head, smile still genuinely in place. "Indeed," she murmured.

He pushed to his feet, retrieving the wineglasses to take them to the kitchen, but before he could turn away, a glint of moisture on her cheeks stopped him.

The tissues were certainly within reach and she knew where they were, but it didn't require even a first thought for him to set the glasses back down and crouch, retrieving a tissue to brush away the tears.

"Surely I'm not that great of a companion," he teased gently.

"No," she agreed, hand wrapping around his wrist, "but you've been the only one who has never given me cause to break things off."

"You have perfectly good cause," Qui-Gon reminded her. "If you fell in love with him, he must be the kind of man that the poets idolize."

She laughed with a bit of a sniffle. "I think so," she confessed, "but then again, I kept coming back for twenty-four years because you were one of those, too."

For the first time in all their years of friendship, Qui-Gon Jinn found himself in need of a tissue as well.

"He's a very lucky man," he murmured.

She nodded. "I think he'll be good enough to let me visit an old friend once a year," she suggested, "even if I have to nag him into being that amiable."

He never expected to be that relieved at something that only happened once a year.

"I'll see you next year, then?"

Her smile solidified. "Tomorrow," she corrected. "I still owe you an art exhibit. I might even bring Liam along."

He nodded. "He likes that sort of thing?"

"He pretends," Noela corrected with a roll of her still-damp eyes. "He pretends very effectively."

Bereft of something more effective to say, he planted a kiss on her forehead, then retrieved the glasses once more.

"We'd better get you home, then," he suggested. "If you'll comm your driver, I'll look into what non-moldering custard we have."

He was halfway to the kitchen when her voice stopped him again. "Thank you, Qui-Gon."

It went without saying that she was not just speaking about the food, but he required no further explanation.

"My pleasure," he responded. After such an enthusiastic beginning, it was a surprise to find that Tala left him at the door with a friendly, furry peck on the cheek and a promise to put a good word in for the Jedi at the next meeting of the Finance Council.

It was a relief, to be certain, since he had worried about his ability to hold her off any further, but there was only one explanation, so he commed Yoda to find out what exactly what it was.

"You didn't tell her that I adhere to the Alderaanian Holy Law of Chastity, did you?" he asked warily.

"No," the Grand Master said with a slight smile. "Reminded her I did of the Jedi code."

"I tried four times," Mace protested. "What did you do different?"

"Convinced her I did," Yoda smirked, "that break your heart she would if return her affection you were unable."

"And..."

"A gentlebeing she is," Yoda assured him. "Enough that was."

A miracle that was.

Yoda bowed slightly. "Good relations I have with the Wookiees..."