This chapter is dedicated to Everett S. Landers (1932-2009) on whom the character of Jamed the bartender is based. I had the pleasure of working for Ev for six years, the longest I'd worked for any executive editor. He was also a dear friend who treated me no differently than his own children. After he left the paper, we remained friends for the rest of his life. I never had any regrets when it came to Ev as I last spoke to him four months before his passing. The last thing I ever said to him was, "I love you." And the last thing he ever said to me was, "I love you, too." Since then, I make sure the people I love know it. I wonder what he would think of my amateur writing. He's probably laughing at me right now.


Chapter IV

Obi-Wan entered the Cosmic Cove. It wasn't the seediest of bars on the lower level, but it wasn't the most pleasant either. It was dark and reeked of ale. It attracted mostly gamblers looking to make serious money playing sabacc. There were several games going on at the moment, but the bar was not that full, as it was still early yet.

Obi-Wan approached the bar and motioned to the bartender who appeared to be about 60 standard years old, was quite tall and very broad. He had an olive complexion, was bald on top and the black and white hair surrounding the bottom part of his head was shaved very close to his scalp. He had light brown eyes and a thin mustache that matched the color of his hair. His plain white shirt, with longs sleeves that were rolled up, and plain black slacks were covered with a very dirty apron. He wore a very stern look on his face. It looked to Obi-Wan as if he should have been a bouncer, not a bartender.

"What'll it be?" the old man asked him.

"Corellian whiskey, neat," Obi-Wan replied.

"Coming right up, Master Jedi," he said and Obi-Wan did not bother to correct him on use of the title, master. Most non-Jedi referred to him this way as a sign of respect not as a title. Those who cared nothing for showing respect simply addressed him as, Jedi.

The bartender placed a clean - well it looked clean, Obi-Wan was unable to be sure - tall shot glass on the bar and poured the smooth, brown liquid into it. Obi-Wan lifted the glass and took a sip.

"What brings a Jedi all the way down here?" the bartender asked while wiping the counter. Obi-Wan was surprised that man's demeanor did not match his imposing looks. He seemed rather friendly so Obi-Wan answered him in kind.

"I'm looking for someone."

"And who might that be?" inquired the bartender. This man's willingness to even talk to him, surprised Obi-Wan once again. It had always been his experience that beings in places like this were very closed-mouthed when being questioned by anyone in authority, including Jedi. In order to get anyone in these places to cooperate, Obi-Wan would always have to pry information from them, usually by means of mind tricks or with a threat of taking them into custody for questioning. Most beings talked after being persuaded.

"A man by the name of Pietro L'mar. Do you know him?" Obi-Wan asked as he inserted the data chip into his comlink and brought up L'mar's identification. The man in the Holopic had brown hair which he wore a bit long over his ears. It was straight from the root and then curled just at the ends. He had light green eyes and wore one small hoop earring on each ear. He looked like a bit of a mess from the I.D., but he was handsome.

"Oh, that loser? What's he done?" the bartender asked Obi-Wan with a stiff laugh.

Obi-Wan didn't really want to answer the bartender's question. After all, it was Obi-Wan who was supposed to be doing the questioning. "It's uncertain yet, but the local authorities want to ask him a few questions and it seems he has left Coruscant. I am trying to find out if anyone knows his whereabouts and I've been told he was a frequent patron here."

"Yeah, he was frequent, but I wouldn't call him a patron. He was a leech. Broke our Maddie's heart. Poor kid, she didn't need that," said the old man.

"Maddie?" asked Obi-Wan.

"Madelaina. Best barmaid I have. She really knows how to work these guys. They just keep ordering just to have a chance to talk to her and she rakes in the tips." The bartender let out a laugh and shook his head.

"Is she here? I'd like to ask her a few questions."

"She just finished her shift for today. She's over there talking to Robin." The bartender nodded his head at one of the sabacc tables and went on to serve waiting drinkers.

Obi-Wan picked up his drink again and took a sip as he turned his bar stool in the direction the bartender had motioned toward. Obi-Wan had to put his sleeve to his mouth as he covered the cough he had let out when he saw Madelaina standing there. He could see why she was the best barmaid the Cosmic Cove had. He was stunned by her simplistic beauty. He had quickly scanned his memory to see if he had ever seen a woman more lovely. The women in the universe that were considered the most beautiful were usually very wealthy, heavily made up and wore elaborate headdresses, hair styles and clothing. This was clearly not the case with Madelaina. Her beauty was natural. She looked to be about 25 standard years old and had dark brown hair that she wore in loose curls cropped between her shoulders and her chin. She had long curly bangs that were swept off to one side baring only half her forehead. She had deep brown eyes and tiny red lips. She wore only a small amount of makeup to accent her features. She reminded Obi-Wan of the porcelain dolls he had seen in the windows of the fancy shops on the upper level.

The barmaids were very scantily clad, too, which was why they made good tips. To call it a uniform was ridiculous, but that's what it was. Madelaina's uniform consisted of just a strapless, black tube top that tightly covered just her breasts and dipped down in the middle to reveal her cleavage. Her entire mid-section was exposed to just below her waist. The shorts that matched the top were slung low on her hips and barely covered her rear-end. She wasn't very tall, but the black, slight-heeled sandals she wore made her legs look longer than they actually were. She seemed to fit the so-called uniform perfectly and Obi-Wan could not take his eyes off her. His thoughts were betraying him and he felt the need to get this over with as quickly as possible.

She was talking to one of the men at the sabacc table. He was young, probably the same age as Madelaina, and not bad looking. He had short, light brown hair with natural blonde highlights, blue eyes that looked like crystals and a light mustache and beard, whiskers really. Obi-Wan could hear their conversation from where he sat.

"Well, are going to join us, love?" Robin was asking her. "You have to give me a chance to win back the money I lost to you last week."

Madelaina laughed and Obi-Wan smiled at that. The sound of her laughter attracted Obi-Wan to her even more. He shook himself from the thought and continued to listen.

"Of course I am. I have to get changed first," she said. "And do you really think you're going to win back your money? Really Robin, come now!"

"Well, there's no harm in trying, now is there, love?" Robin pulled out the chair next to him and said, "Let's have at it Maddie. We're ready for a new deal."

"Robin," she warned, "I have to collect my tips for the day, go upstairs to change and get my chips. Really, you can't win any money if I don't have any chips."

"Well, get the chips and tips then. And be quick changing. No need to stand in front of the mirror for hours. You always look stunning," He smiled affectionately at her and she back at him.

"Why thank you. And I do not stand in front of the mirror for hours!" she shot back.

"Ah, you speak as if I don't know you. Now get a move on, love. We'll play a practice round while we wait." He tapped her on her butt as she started to walk away.

She turned around and gasped, "Robin!" They both laughed as she turned again and walked toward the bar.

Before she could reach the bar, she was stopped by the tall, lean, blonde barmaid now on duty. "What's up, Taleesa?" she asked her.

"I am so frustrated. Can you please explain these new digital bar tabs to me?" Taleesa asked her. As the two were engaged in their conversation Obi-Wan turned back to his drink and to the bartender who was refilling his glass.

"Heartbroken, you say?" Obi-Wan asked him skeptically.

"Don't let the tough exterior fool you. That leech broke her heart."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

The bartender began his story with a contemplative look on his face and paused often to look over at Maddie as he spoke. "I don't really know much except that he was obsessed with Maddie. It took him ages to get her to even agree to go on a date with him. She was attracted to him, but, you know, she'd been burnt before and didn't want to rush into another failed relationship. Although once she agreed, they were exclusive and she fell in love with him. They were going to get married. She had made all the plans. Then he turned around and told her he had to leave Coruscant for a job he wanted to do that would make him a lot of money and secure their future. He begged her to wait for him, but she wasn't going for any of that. She ended it when he wouldn't tell her anything about the job or when he'd be back. That's all she really said about it. She's one of those that holds things in and pretends they don't bother her. She's a great sabacc player so people who don't really know her take her at face value. Those of us that have known her for a long time know otherwise," he looked over at Madelaina, squinted and sighed. "I feel bad for that kid. She deserves better."

"I see," was all Obi-Wan could say. He looked back at Madelaina and watched her as she pulled the small, bendable credit film from the tight slitted pocket of her shorts and began her trek to the bar again.

She walked around to the other side of Obi-Wan and leaned against the bar where the bartender was standing and held out the credit film between her first two fingers and said, "Jamed, my love, my tips please."

Jamed took the film from her and said, "For you, Madelaina, anything."

"Don't call me Madelaina," she scolded as he headed to off to transfer her tips for that evening.

Madelaina could feel Obi-Wan looking at her and she turned to look at him. Her eyebrows rose a bit and her eyes widened. She slowly looked him up and down from his long, soft ginger hair, to his grey-blue eyes, to the mustache and beard that matched the hair on his head, to the lightsaber that hung from the belt around his waist, to the soft, brown leather boots he was wearing and then back up to his eyes again and said, "My, my, my but you're a fine looking Jedi." Obi-Wan turned a bright shade of red from his forehead to his neck. Even his hands had turned red. Madelaina was certain the rest of him had turned red, and thought that she wouldn't mind seeing that.

"Tell me," she said to Obi-Wan, "what's a nice Jedi like you doing in a place like this?"

Obi-Wan was amused by the old pick-up line she had used and said, "I'm looking for some information. The bartender said you might be able to help me." He didn't actually say that, but the bartender did tell him of her relationship with L'mar and her name, so this was the woman he was looking for.

"Me?" Madelaina questioned. "What kind of information could I possibly have for a Jedi?"

"I need to know the whereabouts of Pietro L'mar," he told her.

Obi-Wan could feel the sadness swell in her, but it never reached her face.

"L'mar? Why would a Jedi be looking for L'mar?" she asked him.

"It seems he's been involved in some criminal activity and has left the planet. The local authorities need to question him. He needs to be brought back to Coruscant," Obi-Wan told her.

Obi-Wan could now feel confusion mixed with the sadness, but she wore her sabacc face very well.

"L'mar involved in criminal activity? You must be mistaken. L'mar is a lot of things, but he's not a criminal," Madelaina had said with a laugh and a shake of her head.

"I beg to differ, Madelaina," Obi-Wan started to say, but she cut him off.

"Maddie." she stated.

"I beg your pardon?" Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to be confused.

"My friends call me Maddie. I prefer it," she informed him.

"Very well then, Maddie," he emphasized, "can you tell me where he is?"

She studied Obi-Wan for few moments. "Tell me Master Jedi, what's in it for me?" she asked mischievously.

"What's in it for you?" he asked.

"Yes, what do I get in return for this information you require?"

Obi-Wan looked at her, smiled ruefully, spread his arms out and said, "The satisfaction of knowing that you played an integral part in bringing justice to the galaxy."

She laughed, "Justice to the galaxy. I think not. It would take far more than putting one criminal in prison to bring justice to the galaxy."

Obi-Wan was getting a little uncomfortable. He knew where this was going, but he asked the question anyway. "What is it you seek then?"

She moved in closer to Obi-Wan and said softly, "I'll tell you what. You come upstairs with me and show me your, uh," she paused and looked down between his legs and then back up at him, "lightsaber, and I'll tell you anything you want to know. Spend the night and I'll tell you anything you want to know and anything you don't want to know."

Obi-Wan smiled, blushed again and said, "That, I cannot do, Maddie."

"Then I cannot help you, Master Jedi." she told him with a smile.

"Surely we can come to some other arrangement," he waved his hand in front of her.

She started to laugh harder now, "Why Master Jedi, are you trying to use a mind trick on me?"

"You are as intelligent as you are beautiful," Obi-Wan told her.

"You flatter me. But it won't work. I've laid out the terms. There is no room for negotiation." She raised an eyebrow to him.

"You do know that you could be held for harboring a fugitive, don't you?" Obi-Wan asked her.

"I hardly think so. You're not even sure if I can tell you what you want to know."

Obi-Wan was sure she knew what he wanted to know but he could feel a conflict rise within her. It seemed to consist of betrayal, revenge and fear. He didn't want to frighten her so he asked her gently, "Do you know where he is Maddie?"

Maddie leaned into him and put a hand on each of his thighs and said, "Come upstairs with me and find out."

Obi-Wan looked down at her hands and shook his head. He could feel her disappointment.

Maddie turned and picked up her credit film from the bar and was putting it back in her pocket when Robin approached them, "Maddie, what's taking you so long, love?"

Maddie put her arms around Robin's neck and he held her at the waist in return.

She sighed heavily and said playfully, "Oh Robin, I've been turned down by a most handsome Jedi." Obi-Wan was still seated at the bar.

"A handsome Jedi you say? I didn't think there was such a thing." Robin looked at Obi-Wan over Maddie's shoulder. "Well, it's his loss then. Isn't it, love?"

"You would know. Wouldn't you?"

"I would indeed, love," Robin said to her with great affection.

Obi-Wan could feel the sadness in her, but it wasn't because of L'mar. It was because of him. She was disappointed that he had turned her down. He could also feel a twinge of sadness in Robin, but he couldn't pinpoint the source. He reached out further into the Force and was able to pick up their affection for each other, but it was not of a romantic nature. This confused Obi-Wan a bit.

"What do you say we forget about the sabacc game, go upstairs and I'll make you forget about your handsome Jedi and you can make me forget about Taleesa?" Obi-Wan now understood the root of Robin's sadness, and he was even more confused now about the nature of the relationship between the two.

"Oh Robin," she sighed, "you're always there when I need you. What would I do without you?" She was feeling happier now.

"Maddie, love," his tone had turned serious and she gazed back him, "I'm always here when you need me, just like you're always here when I need you. Friends forever, remember?"

"Forever," she said.

Robin held her closer and put his lips to her temple and kissed her gently. "C'mon love," he said, "let's call it a night and go upstairs then."

The two started to walk away and Maddie turned back to Obi-Wan and said, "If you should change your mind, Master Jedi, you know where to find me," and she turned back around and walked away arm in arm with Robin.

Obi-Wan watched them as they approached the door at the back of the bar. Maddie put her thumb to the small sensor and the door slid open to reveal the stairs. The pair started up the steps as the door slid shut behind them. Obi-Wan turned back to his once again empty glass and Jamed refilled it for him.

"I don't know how you Jedi do it," he said to Obi-Wan.

"Do what?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Every man who has ever walked into this bar has hoped for a night with Maddie. The only ones in here to ever get it were L'mar and, well as you can see, Robin. But then again, their relationship is a bit strange to me. But you, you have a night with Maddie handed to you and you turn it down." Jamed walked away shaking his head.

Obi-Wan stayed at the bar to finish his drink. He tried to make sense of what had just happened. He'd been propositioned before, while on missions, by women throughout the galaxy, but he never thought much of it. He was always able to persuade them to leave him alone. But Madelaina was different and he couldn't seem to shake what he was feeling for her. He had wanted to take her up on her offer, but he knew he couldn't.

He downed the rest of his drink and paid his tab. He wanted to get back to the Temple to meditate. He needed to purge his emotions. He needed to clear his mind if he was to deal with Madelaina again the next day.