MISSION: HOLIDAYS ON ZELTROS

Qui-Gon had received strict orders from Mace Windu that he take master Tahl, the beautiful yet unique Noorian with him at a local uprising on Zeltros. He agreed, after all her presence was always welcome not only for decorative reasons but for assistance with the mission. Tahl had always had a crush with the charming and charismatic jedi master.

"Oh how his hair flow in the wind and shine under the bright suns of Tatooine. He looks like an angel wearing a halo" she recalled what she had written in her diary one day, after she had seen pictures of the successful mission he had with Obi-Wan in saving master Ramk and his padawan, Arivan, from a hutt crime lord intending to sell them for slaves at some Rakata at the pinboard.

"Ah...!" she thought again as she was staring at him by the co-pilot's seat inside Radiant VII.

"Is there something wrong, master Tahl ?" asked Qui-Gon feeling that she was staring at him.

"No, nothing's wrong. And please just call me Tahl" she grinned and pull her hair behind her ear.

"Are you sure ? You seem a little nervous. Shy aren't you ? It makes sense after all this is the first time we go on a mission, together" smiled Qui-Gon

"That must be it" she said

"Relax" said Qui-Gon coolly seeing her sitting tense. Tahl sighed and bent on the seat. she bent her neck back and arched her back, she bent her arms too and with her left arm she twirled Qui-Gon's hair

"Don't play with them" said Qui-Gon angrily as he furrowed his eyebrows

"Oh, come on, you told me to relax" she said playfully in a friendly tone, as Qui-Gon sighed "Ok, ok...how about a make you a braid ?" she asked him

"Oh you are more than welcome to make me one, oh master Tahl" he said in a mocking tone, both of them laughed as Tahl got up behind him and begun forming some of his hair in a padawan braid.

"Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you" Tahl was repeating as she was making the braid.

"What is this ?" asked Qui-Gon confused

"What is what ?" asked Tahl

"The little song thing you are repeating" he said

"Oh that ! It's a poem we, the Noorians say when we make people braids" she replied plainly

"But you were grown on Coruscant" asked Qui-Gon confused

"Yes,...but I felt my mum saying that through the Force. I know all the traditions of my birthplace due to my bond with my mum" she grinned as she quickly said a lie to patch up. "It's a tradition in Noori that we sit in a line and make braids to one another and we say that thing as we do" she explained, a lie again.

"Your bond with your mum revealed that to you ?" asked Qui-Gon not really believing in what she was telling him

"Yes" she said with a certain gravity to her voice. Qui-Gon shrugged believing her and focused on navigating again.

After sometime Tahl was done with the braid and was just standing above Qui-Gon with her arms resting on the seat, above his head.

"Take your seat, we are landing" said Qui-Gon plainly in his usual, calm voice. Tahl obeyed, sat down and fastened her seatbelt.

"The braid...it looks good on you" Tahl said grinning

"Should I be a padawan again ?" asked Qui-Gon playfully, returning the grin

"No, I think being a master suits you just fine" Tahl said swirling his hair.

"I know why you are doing this" he smirked at her, but he of course didn't.

"I'm sure you do" kidded Tahl.

The spaceship penetrated the planet's atmosphere, after some minutes it had landed. Tahl and Qui-Gon got out. A tall, blond, blue eyed zeltron with 3-days unshaven look and lavender skin greeted them.

"'Ello there. 'Elcome to paradise. Enjoy yoselves." he said and showed them the label of a cantina reading "Paradise" in Aurebesh

"We will" said Tahl with a foxy grin

The zeltron man handed her a map of the capital, a pair of sunglasses and a bottle. He bent and whispered in her ear something that made her dark honey skin deepen its colour at the cheek area. Qui-Gon rose his eyebrow in confusion. Tahl thanked the man and she with Qui-Gon left.

"What was that ?" asked Qui-Gon curiously

"Um...nothing much...at least not what a jedi needs anyways" she said with as a straight face as she could handle. Qui-Gon grabbed the bottle from Tahl's hand abruptly and read the label inside of him, then he goggled his eyes.

"Lubricant ? That you can drink and get drunk yet it contains no alcohol ?..." he kept on reading "Ah, pheromones...that explains a lot" he said and rolled his eyes and handed the bottle back to Tahl, who put the bottle in her pocket. Qui-Gon noticed that from the edge of his eyes

"Planning on getting pheromones drunk, aren't you ?" he said and Tahl only gave him an awkward grin following behind him.