Chapter 3: Sharing A Small Space With Qui-Gon
Nicole, who had wondered if her contacts would fall out while swimming, had nothing to worry about...at least about her contacts. What she did have to worry about was keeping up with the three figures in front of her. Nicole, who had always had trouble floating in water before, now couldn't stay down! So she had to kick extra hard just to keep up with Qui-Gon and the others!!
And after a couple of yards, Nicole realized that she couldn't hold her breath all the way to Gunga City, which she had been trying to do. She had to trust what Obi-Wan had said and use the tiny breathing device. So, Nicole let out the breath she had been holding and carefully and slowly, tried to breath through her mouth. Instead of Naboo swamp water gushing into Nicole's mouth, she felt air, actual air go past her mouth and into her lungs...and she also realized that she could swim a lot better when she didn't have to hold her breath.
The rest of the swim was uneventful and Nicole wanted to sigh with relief as they started walking through the strange jelly-like membrane of the Gungan city...but she couldn't since she had the breathing device in her mouth.
" So good bein' home!!" Nicole couldn't help but stare in wonder at the Gungan city; its soft yellow lights, the domed buildings, winding walk ways that fled into the distance, and the soft skinned Gungans walking quietly about...with the exception of those few who saw the exiled Jar-Jar and his three human companions.
As Jar-Jar stepped off the platform they had all been standing on, Nicole tugged nervously at her wet t-shirt, silently thanking God that she was standing behind Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. (yes, thank God for small favors)
" Hey yousa! Stoppa dare!!" The Gungan guard, Captain Tapols, had come riding up on his strange, two-legged beast, and was pointing his electro- spear threateningly at Jar-Jar.
" Hello-deli...Captain Tapols. Mesa back!" " Noah gain Jar-Jar. Yousa goin' to da Bosses. Yousa in big doodoo dis time!!" Captain Tapols voice was older and clearer than Jar-Jar's, making it easy for him to be heard and to get his point across.
" Oh no!" Jar-Jar moaned. Just then, two more guards come up on the strange, two-legged beasts. One of them prodded Jar-Jar in the shoulder with his spear, making Jar-Jar give a yelp of pain from the zap.
" How wude," Jar-Jar said while rubbing his shoulder.
"Nicole, come on," Qui-Gon spoke out, motioning for Nicole to stand by him.
" Ya, follow yousa mate," retorted one of the new, un-named guards. Nicole grew a bright shade of crimson and Qui-Gon gave the guard a look that would have made ice melt...a look that later reminded Nicole of Darth Maul. But, despite the embarrassment, Nicole moved over to Qui-Gon's side, mumbling:
" He's not my mate. Jus' met him." The Gungan guards said nothing else as they led Jar-Jar and the three humans to the 'Bosses.'
...later in the Bosses chamber...
The 'Bosses' sat on a raised, semi-circle ledge with the center Gungan non other than Boss Nass himself. Before him stood Qui-Gon Jinn with Obi-Wan Kenobi standing beside him. Nicole, a human, teenage girl and Mary-Sue with no apparent powers, stood behind the two Jedi, while keeping the guards standing beside Jar-Jar Binks. The guards had zapped Jar-Jar twice more since leaving the entrance of Gunga City and Nicole was watching them to make sure they didn't do it again.
" Yousa cannot bees hare. Dis army of macaniks is new weeson."
" A droid army is about to attack the Naboo. We must warn them." Nicole, though dividing her attention between Qui-Gon and Jar-Jar's guards, suddenly had the strangest feeling of being watched by something or someone...evil...something knew her. And something inside Nicole told her that it was a Sith. She couldn't tell how she knew...but she did.
' Oh God...please don't tell me that Palpatine knows about me. Damn! This is bad.'
" Nicole? Come on." Nicole, who had been off in her own little world, imagining terrible things involving Sith, snapped to attention at the sound of Qui-Gon's voice. She noticed that Jar-Jar no longer had his shackles on.
' W-What? How could I have missed that much conversation? What's wrong with me?'
" I-I'm coming," Nicole finally answered.
" Count me outta dis one. Better dead here den dead in da core...Ye Gods!!! Whata mesa saying?!" Nicole once again started walking beside Jar- Jar absently listening to his rambling about the dangers of the core, as they were all led to their 'bongo.'
When they reached the 'bongo' Nicole forgot the frightening thoughts of Sith by remembering that a bongo only had three seats but there were four in their party.
' Oooh! Tempting thoughts...NO!! Don't think that!! Qui-Gon will know! Man, this is going to be hard.....ACK!! IMPURE THOUGHTS!!!!! Impure thoughts!! BAD!!! Bad!!' Nicole was mentally beating herself up as she carefully climbed into the bongo. And as far as she could tell, Qui-Gon had (thankfully) not picked up on her hormone-ravaged thoughts.
Nicole had nearly got her hormones under control...until Qui-Gon climbed into the bongo as well, telling her to scoot over a bit so he could sit down. Qui-Gon sat down and Nicole very nearly fainted. Being that close to a good-looking Jedi can have that affect on a girl.
" Alright Obi-Wan, let's go," ordered Qui-Gon, slipping his arm behind himself and Nicole, bracing himself for the slightly bumpy ride ahead.
' Oh boy! I hope I can make it through this without jumping Qui-Gon.'
~Fin of Chapter 3~
Nicole, who had wondered if her contacts would fall out while swimming, had nothing to worry about...at least about her contacts. What she did have to worry about was keeping up with the three figures in front of her. Nicole, who had always had trouble floating in water before, now couldn't stay down! So she had to kick extra hard just to keep up with Qui-Gon and the others!!
And after a couple of yards, Nicole realized that she couldn't hold her breath all the way to Gunga City, which she had been trying to do. She had to trust what Obi-Wan had said and use the tiny breathing device. So, Nicole let out the breath she had been holding and carefully and slowly, tried to breath through her mouth. Instead of Naboo swamp water gushing into Nicole's mouth, she felt air, actual air go past her mouth and into her lungs...and she also realized that she could swim a lot better when she didn't have to hold her breath.
The rest of the swim was uneventful and Nicole wanted to sigh with relief as they started walking through the strange jelly-like membrane of the Gungan city...but she couldn't since she had the breathing device in her mouth.
" So good bein' home!!" Nicole couldn't help but stare in wonder at the Gungan city; its soft yellow lights, the domed buildings, winding walk ways that fled into the distance, and the soft skinned Gungans walking quietly about...with the exception of those few who saw the exiled Jar-Jar and his three human companions.
As Jar-Jar stepped off the platform they had all been standing on, Nicole tugged nervously at her wet t-shirt, silently thanking God that she was standing behind Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. (yes, thank God for small favors)
" Hey yousa! Stoppa dare!!" The Gungan guard, Captain Tapols, had come riding up on his strange, two-legged beast, and was pointing his electro- spear threateningly at Jar-Jar.
" Hello-deli...Captain Tapols. Mesa back!" " Noah gain Jar-Jar. Yousa goin' to da Bosses. Yousa in big doodoo dis time!!" Captain Tapols voice was older and clearer than Jar-Jar's, making it easy for him to be heard and to get his point across.
" Oh no!" Jar-Jar moaned. Just then, two more guards come up on the strange, two-legged beasts. One of them prodded Jar-Jar in the shoulder with his spear, making Jar-Jar give a yelp of pain from the zap.
" How wude," Jar-Jar said while rubbing his shoulder.
"Nicole, come on," Qui-Gon spoke out, motioning for Nicole to stand by him.
" Ya, follow yousa mate," retorted one of the new, un-named guards. Nicole grew a bright shade of crimson and Qui-Gon gave the guard a look that would have made ice melt...a look that later reminded Nicole of Darth Maul. But, despite the embarrassment, Nicole moved over to Qui-Gon's side, mumbling:
" He's not my mate. Jus' met him." The Gungan guards said nothing else as they led Jar-Jar and the three humans to the 'Bosses.'
...later in the Bosses chamber...
The 'Bosses' sat on a raised, semi-circle ledge with the center Gungan non other than Boss Nass himself. Before him stood Qui-Gon Jinn with Obi-Wan Kenobi standing beside him. Nicole, a human, teenage girl and Mary-Sue with no apparent powers, stood behind the two Jedi, while keeping the guards standing beside Jar-Jar Binks. The guards had zapped Jar-Jar twice more since leaving the entrance of Gunga City and Nicole was watching them to make sure they didn't do it again.
" Yousa cannot bees hare. Dis army of macaniks is new weeson."
" A droid army is about to attack the Naboo. We must warn them." Nicole, though dividing her attention between Qui-Gon and Jar-Jar's guards, suddenly had the strangest feeling of being watched by something or someone...evil...something knew her. And something inside Nicole told her that it was a Sith. She couldn't tell how she knew...but she did.
' Oh God...please don't tell me that Palpatine knows about me. Damn! This is bad.'
" Nicole? Come on." Nicole, who had been off in her own little world, imagining terrible things involving Sith, snapped to attention at the sound of Qui-Gon's voice. She noticed that Jar-Jar no longer had his shackles on.
' W-What? How could I have missed that much conversation? What's wrong with me?'
" I-I'm coming," Nicole finally answered.
" Count me outta dis one. Better dead here den dead in da core...Ye Gods!!! Whata mesa saying?!" Nicole once again started walking beside Jar- Jar absently listening to his rambling about the dangers of the core, as they were all led to their 'bongo.'
When they reached the 'bongo' Nicole forgot the frightening thoughts of Sith by remembering that a bongo only had three seats but there were four in their party.
' Oooh! Tempting thoughts...NO!! Don't think that!! Qui-Gon will know! Man, this is going to be hard.....ACK!! IMPURE THOUGHTS!!!!! Impure thoughts!! BAD!!! Bad!!' Nicole was mentally beating herself up as she carefully climbed into the bongo. And as far as she could tell, Qui-Gon had (thankfully) not picked up on her hormone-ravaged thoughts.
Nicole had nearly got her hormones under control...until Qui-Gon climbed into the bongo as well, telling her to scoot over a bit so he could sit down. Qui-Gon sat down and Nicole very nearly fainted. Being that close to a good-looking Jedi can have that affect on a girl.
" Alright Obi-Wan, let's go," ordered Qui-Gon, slipping his arm behind himself and Nicole, bracing himself for the slightly bumpy ride ahead.
' Oh boy! I hope I can make it through this without jumping Qui-Gon.'
~Fin of Chapter 3~