Part 12

Qui-Gon seemed to be in no immediate danger, so Si’Haad took the opportunity before her to scope out the building, looking for exits, counting the guards and other occupants and noting the items of great interest to a thief of her calibre. She also looked for anything concerning Siren’s Song.

"Now if I was some scumbag moron who thought bringing in a drug like this would be more profitable than dangerous, where would I hide my information?" Room to room, Si’Haad searched, avoiding traps and alarms with practiced ease. It would only be a matter of time before she was discovered so she endeavored to know everything first.

After several hours of hunting around, Si’Haad picked her way into a meeting chamber and had the door closed not two minutes before people began entering. From the conversation, she had inadvertantly hit the jackpot. It was a Céad meeting concerning their latest operations.

Vidar entered and nodded to various individuals as he made his way to the head of the meeting table. "Scan the room, please," he ordered quietly. One of the members, a hefty man with a good sized gadget hanging from his shoulder began to turn the knobs, causing the machine to buzz to life. "I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but we have cause to believe that the thief, Si’Haad, is visiting us, and we think we have a device now that can detect her. I’d rather she not be in here."

Si’Haad tensed as the gadget man swept by, but his machine didn’t even bloop at her presence. She grinned arrogantly to herself. Obviously they hadn’t gotten the calibrations right yet. "It seems clean, but I’m not going to guarantee anything." Gadget man sat down in his spot after making his remark.

Vidar nodded. "Very well. Shall we begin?"

"We should start with Siren’s Song," began a woman with eyes huge in her face. They were slightly slanted and her hair was piled high on her head. Si’Haad didn’t recognize the species but it was vaguely human.

"Why?" countered Vidar settling into his chair.

"There is some rumbling about the dangers of this drug. It’s affects cannot be countered." The woman seemed agitated.

"No," agreed Vidar, "they cannot be countered, but the only affects is the need to procreate. The sexual rush does the rest. According to our source, it’s not addictive, just potent."

"Has this been confirmed?" the woman persisted.

Vidar smiled congenially at her. "I haven’t tried it. Did you have someone in mind?" He seemed to be volunteering her and she backed down.

"I have some slaves that will be adequate test subjects. They could use the release," the male Malastarian next to her said jovially.

Vidar smiled as the rest of the table erupted.

Curiousity ate away at Si’Haad and she wondered what it would do to a Jedi, with their strong tie with the mysterious Force. Vidar no doubt had the same idea, for he suggested it next. "We have captured a Jedi. He should make an interesting test subject, but we’ll need a female willing to take her chances."

"A Jedi?" questioned Gadgetman.

"Yes," Vidar affirmed, standing up to walk around the table. "He is supposedly with Si’Haad, which naturally makes us suspicious. He should make an excellent test subject. I have samples of Siren’s Song we can administer, but he’s going to need a, shall we say, partner in this."

The woman with the huge eyes looked speculative. "Is he attractive? If so, I volunteer. If not, I volunteer my maid. She could use a roll in the sack." There was more laughter and Si’Haad bristled.

"You realize, Elisha, that we’re going to insist on watching. Does voyeurism bother you?" Vidar flashed her a grin.

Elisha didn’t bat an eye. "I’d have been disappointed if there wasn’t an audience."

"Typical of the Free Guild," muttered the Malastarian.

"You’re just jealous, Tujagi, because I volunteered first."

"Whore."

"Made more money at that than you did in money laundrying, you might want to add." Elisha’s catty comment and nonchalantness about her profession drew more laughter, this time at the Malastarian’s expense. He quieted down.

"Very well, then, with our lord’s permission, the festivities will happen tonight after dinner. That should give Elisha ample time to view our Jedi compatriot to see who’s more suitable for him, her or her maid." The room dismissed, other business obviously forgotten and the room cleared.

Vidar paused before he shut the door behind him. "Just in case you are in the room, Si’Haad, I hope you weren’t attached to your little Jedi. If Elisha likes him, he may have new employment as her latest toy."

Si’Haad’s fingers clenched to make a fist and long after the door closed she made her escape. She longed to punch a wall, but she needed to calm down. She headed back to Qui-Gon’s cell.

Qui-Gon rose from his meditative position when his cell door swung open. A guard, followed by a humanoid woman with eyes that took up most of her face, entered. The woman ran an appreciative glance up and down his frame. The predatory look set Qui-Gon on edge.

"Would you please turn around?" she asked politely, still speculating on something Qui-Gon could only guess at. He complied. "Tell Vidar they are getting a show tonight. Tell my maid she shit out of luck," she informed the guard. She looked at Qui-Gon and added, "I would advise you save up your strength, my very handsome friend, for you are going to need every ounce." She winked and left the cell. The guard merely smirked at Qui-Gon before the door closed again.

"I have got to find out how you do that," said Si’Haad’s voice not two feet from him.

"Do what?" Qui-Gon said, going back to his meditative position.

"Ignore women who are throwing themselves at your feet. You have no clue what’s in store for you, do you, my friend?" Si’Haad seemed downright amused.

"No, but I’m sure I’m not going to like it." Qui-Gon closed his eyes. "You didn’t happen to find a way out, did you?" he asked as if in afterthought.

"Several actually. I didn’t find the sample of Siren’s Song I overheard Vidar talking about though. Thought I would do that first, then get your butt out of here." Si’Haad’s voice filtered in from behind him and he tensed. "If I don’t get you out tonight, you get a free demonstration on how the drug works, plus one of the most experiences whores in the galaxy wanting your butt on a silver platter. Follow?"

Qui-Gon’s eyes snapped open and he shuddered. "Not with her. Please tell me not her."

Si’Haad gave a gleeful laugh that sounded strained to Qui-Gon. "Yes, *her*. She heads the Free Guild, which is basically the prostitute madam guild for the most part. She owns the most lucrative chain of whorehouses in the Outer Rim and she’s starting to branch into the Republic one house at a time."

Qui-Gon shivered at the thought. His mind rolled through all the information on Siren’s Song he knew. If injected into his body, the control he had on his sexual drive would be shot to hell. The female he’d be pointed at would get full measure of his sexual attention.

"You couldn’t disguise yourself, could you?" he asked hopefully.

"As her. There is no amount of money you could pay me to volunteer to look that worn down. Ridden hard and put up wet as they say, sweetie. Don’t worry. I’ll have you out easily enough. I got a couple of hours."

*How reassuring*, Qui-Gon thought to himself as he watched the door swing open and then closed.

"You’d think they’d have better security on these doors," came Si’Haad’s disgusted tone through the door.

Qui-Gon couldn’t think of a reply.