Chapter 21: Otoh Gunga

The city had some major history surrounding it. It was founded almost 3,000 years ago where the city before, Spearhead, once stood. It originally was occupied by other Gungan Cities until their leader at the time, Boss Gallo, united them all under one banner. Funny, through three thousand years, the city has only witnessed one invasion from the Trade Federation ten years ago.

I marveled at the beauty of the underwater city. I the Gungans used semipermeable membranes to use as 'doors' for moving in and out of the city to the outside to trade with either the citizens on the surface or other Gungans. I searched around for the same entrance. When I finally located it, I gestured with my hands for the others to follow me. When I swam through the membrane, it felt like going through an extremely thin gelatin mixture. The air inside the main chamber was perfectly breathable. I removed my mouthpiece and waited for the others to join behind me. The ceiling was at least ten stories high if not higher. I heard the rest of my group come enter through the membrane.

"Remarkable," I heard Sakura say.

"Yeah," Ryan added. "You can say that again."

"Hey guys," I called to them. "I see an extremely short supply of battle droids for a blockade that size above the planet."

"Maybe they haven't started the invasion yet," Ahsoka suggested.

"Good point, but how did that blockade get here in the first place?" I asked. "Why wasn't the Republic notified in time?"

"Why do you keep asking questions that we should know nothing about?" Ryan asked. "Lets find this Boss Nass and get out as soon as we can."

"Hey!" I heard a voice, probably Gungan, come from down the stairway. "Yousa! Stopa there!"

This Gungan was extremely lanky, but muscular at the same time. His face bore whiskers similar to those of a fish above his upper lip. A sign of superiority. He was riding a Kaddu that made its distinct howl before riding up. "Uh, hi," I bowed. "We're hear to warn Boss Nass about the impending invasion that might commence within the next twenty-four standard hours."

"And whosa might yousa be?" the mounted rider asked as yet another mounted rider came from our left.

"We're Jedi Ambassadors from Coruscant," I lied. Well I didn't lie much, we kind of are ambassadors. "We are here on direct orders from Chancellor Palpatine."

"Hmm," the warrior stroked his whiskers in thought. "Daysa come wit mesa to de Bosses."

The other mounted rider nodded in acknowledgement as we made our way to the chamber area.

The central chamber that held the leaders of the Gungan society was calm and composed of five seats. Four Gungan warriors with stun staffs guarded the entrance. The leaders had ceremonial robes and facial cowls only exposing their eyes and mouth to speak. The only thing I noticed out of place was that Boss Nass was not in the room. Instead it was Otolla Gungan in his place. "Your excellency," I bowed, gesturing for everyone else to do the same. "It is an honor to be in your beautiful city."

"Yousa most welcome, Jedi," he replied. "Is unfortunate thata Boss Nass esa no here to tenda to dis matter personally."

"What has happened to him?" Ahsoka asked.

"He has become very ill," a voice came from the entrance. We turned around to see a purple skinned Otolla Gungan with his hands held behind his back. "Jedi," he bowed. "Mesa sure whatever matter dis about we can settle in no time."

"And you are?" Ahsoka asked.

"Oh please excuse mesa," the Gungan apologized. "Mesa name es Rish Loo, mesa a priest and adviser to de interim Boss Lyonie."

"Pleasure," I replied. "I take it you know about the blockade surrounding the planet then?"

"In fact mesa do," the violet Gungan replied. "And mesa know that theysa plan to invade peacefully."

"So then you know…" Ryan paused. "Wait, did you say peacefully?"

"Yousa correct, Jedi," Rish replied.

"Weren't you invaded the last time you thought that?" I asked. "I really must wish to speak to Boss Nass."

"Hesa muy ill," Loo answered. "Hesa cannota see yousa."

Anger started to grow inside me. Ahsoka reached into my mind to calm me down. I reached back to silently thank her. "Boss Lyonie," I said to the Gungan sitting in the middle between the Reps.

"Yesa," he replied.

I spoke to the other Jedi in the meld. Hey, you guys might have to help me with this. I'm not to good with this yet.

They nodded in acknowledgement. I started to reach my mind out to Lyonie with the rest of the Jedi in my group. "Do you think that we can receive some transport to the surface?"

"Wesa give yousa una bongo," Lyonie replied with compliance. The other Gungans looked at us all in shock.

"Thank you very much, your honor," I said with a backwards walking bow. "We leave you in peace."

Ryan came over to whisper in my ear as we walked out of the chamber. "Jadin, what's a bongo?"

"Transport," I replied with a smile. Just as we were about to leave the chamber, two stun spears blocked our path forming an X shape. "I hope."

"What's the deal?" Ahsoka turned around and asked Lyonie. Rish Loo was whispering in his ear.

"Mesa sorry," Lyonie replied. "Yousa be needen da heading."

"Where do you suggest we go?" Ryan asked.

Rish Loo whispered into Lyonie's ear again. "De planet core."

Did he mean literally going through a planet's core? The Gungan guards let a small gasp escape. That can't be good. "Thank you for your kindness," I replied. "We'll leave as soon as possible."

We had left the counsel chambers to where the guards led us to a hanger where the bongos were kept. There were many types of bongos since one of the guards told us that they were each made individually and by hand. The bongo we were given was called a Tribubble. One bubble held exactly four passengers and the other two held either cargo or anything else. We were taught how the controls on the craft work. Ahsoka seemed the best fit to carry out the burden of piloting the submarine craft. I had to admit about the craftsmanship of the ship. It was very curved and sleek and not bulky and not hydrodynamic. The Bongos were actually shaped and grown rather than built from steel or any lighter metal. I had heard of this down before but never seen the finished product. The ships hull is made from a coral-like plant that can be shaped underwater. The launching mechanism was that of slingshot origin. It would have a Bongo on the launch pad and be shot through the membrane that was large enough to fit the large underwater machine. Once in the water, the ship's engine would automatically start turning the long propeller protruding from the back of the Bongo.

"Okay," I finally said. "Are we ready to head out?"

"I believe so," Ahsoka said and turned towards her instructor. "Thank you very much for the quick lesson."

"Esa no problem," he replied opening the passenger port of the Bongo. "Wesa ready to send yousa off."

We all climbed into the passenger seats as Ahsoka got in the pilot's seat. The engineer closed the bubble cockpit. The other engineers started to initiate the launching sequence. There was the count down that spoke in Gunganese. "Teska, nine, ate-a, sevin, seeks, fife, foosa, dee, duey, una," the voice spoke. As the last number was spoke. The slingshot released all of its energy, sending us through the membrane with us in our seats.

"Good luck, all-n youse," the Gungan communications operator said to us before cutting off communications. We were now on our own in this abyss of a lake, with nothing but the Force to guide us. We'll make it. I just know that we'll find a way…

AN: And here concludes another chapter! Thanks for reading. It would help me out a lot if you guys could write a review. Oh, as you might have noticed this chapter was written extremely fast for my usual pace. I've been having loads and loads of free time when I'm not playing Skyrim :P haha I love that game. Anyways, You all should expect the next chapter not to be as fast, since I'll be out of town for a bit anyways. So I predict (not certain) that the next chapter will be up and running(well not running, its words, but you know what I mean) in the next week or so. Getting closer and closer to the end. Oh, and I do not own any of the leading gungan talkers in this chapter. Meaning Boss Lyonie or Rish Loo. They are acutaly characters in the Clone Wars' series. They appear in the episodes "Gungan Attack" and "Shadow Warrior".