"These primitives are going to be harder to subdue than the humans," Rune Haako remarked. He and Nute Gunray, two of the Neimoidians overseeing the occupation of Naboo, were sitting comfortably in a palace meeting room in Theed, watching the battle on a vid screen. The droid forces had finally cornered a group of those annoying resistance fighters, humans who were foolish enough to think they stood a chance against the Trade Federation's army. Now, suddenly, a group of primitives had appeared from nowhere and fallen upon the droid battalion. Fortunately, the whole battle was taking place far enough away so the Neimoidians themselves were in no danger.

"Perhaps. I was thinking we should try to capture some of them. There are many people who would pay good money for such fighters. It might making keeping them alive worth the trouble." Gunray peered thoughtfully at the picture on the screen.

The primitives' charge had carried them over the hill, away from the humans' position. As the Neimoidians watched, their two remaining assault vehicles glided to the top of the hill in pursuit of the primitives, who even now scrambled to protect a long, low transport that had halted partway down the other side of the hill.

Gunray leaned forward. The transport contained a number of the primitives, but something else was moving out of the vehicle as well. A human girl sprinted after a small primitive. Humans? And primitives? Together? Gunray and Haako watched as the girl and two immature primitives were confronted by one of the battle droids. The droids had been ordered to capture any and all humans alive if possible, unless the humans offered armed resistance. The primitives, however, were almost too dangerous to keep alive, as Gunray had learned after dealing with several of them as prisoners.

"Get the camera closer on that one," Gunray ordered, pointing to a tan-and-blue figure in the midst of a knot of droids. The camera panned in, revealing a Gungan in dark brown leather, a long pole in its hands. The Gungan speared one droid and lifted it, smashing it into a second. Another unfortunate droid took the butt of the Gungan's pole in the face; as the droid staggered, the Gungan dropped the spear, seized the droid by the arm, and flung it into the path of a blaster bolt. The Gungan snatched its pole up and stood snarling at the camera as a second Gungan and a human woman broke from the protection of the transport and sprinted to assist.

"Isn't that woman one of the Naboo leaders we sent to a special holding facility?" Gunray remarked.

Haako gestured in confusion. "I can't tell. The humans all look alike to me."

"Let's see the rest of the battlefield," Gunray ordered, and the camera backed away to give him a broader picture. The droids around the transport fell as a line of primitives mounted on their two-legged riding animals converged on the transport and its beleaguered defenders. The largest of the primitives was shouting; Gunray suspected it might be the leader of the group. The riders formed a protective circle around the youngsters and the defending adults.

Suddenly the entire group, almost as one, turned to stare at something off-camera. The remaining Trade Federation assault vehicles had topped the hill.

"Tell the droids to fire a warning shot," Gunray ordered. "We want to take them alive."

~*~*~*~

Edvic's STAP carrier had exploded into a fireball. The human flung both arms over his head and tried to burrow into the grass. A hand seized his tunic, dragging him behind a large shape that turned out to be one of the falumpasets, lying in the field. The human boy found himself staring at Herns.

"Yousa gotten no sense a'tall," the Gungan grumbled. The corporal shoved a spare droid weapon at him. "Yousa wanna fight some-att?" He nodded to the droids on the field. "Deysa yoursa enemies. Yousa been wantin' to prove some-att all 'long. Nows yoursa chance."

For a moment the human teen stared, panting, at the Gungan. Then his eyes traveled to the gun in Herns's hand.

Edvic's fingers closed on the gun. "All right."

"Yousa know how to use dat?"

"I-I think so." The teen's fingers curled around the grip, his forefinger slipping around the trigger. He sighted down the barrel. "Point and shoot."

"Don' get much simp'ler den dat," Herns said. "Less go!" Human and Gungan sprang over the falumpaset's body and charged into battle.

~*~*~*~

"Riders! Scatter and engage the two tahnks! Keep your distance from each other – don't give them a clear target!" Tarpals was standing in the saddle. "The rest of you, behind the transport! Militiagungs, form a perimeter—"

The rest of his orders were cut off as the lead assault tank topped the hill and opened fire into the ground at his kaadu's feet. Squalling, the animal staggered and went down; Tarpals scrambled out of the saddle, but the kaadu's fall propelled him sideways and he landed in a heap at Hela Brandes's feet. The riders and militiagungs hesitated; Tarpals lay unmoving where he had fallen. The barrel on the closest assault tank rose slightly to point directly at the knot of Gungans between the droids and the humans.

The top hatch on the lead tank opened and a droid emerged, pointing a hand-blaster at the group. "Do not move," the droid instructed in a monotone. "The humans will lay down any weapons and surrender. You will not be harmed."

A discarded blaster in hand, Brandes pushed her way through the riders, Yané close behind. "What about the Gungans?" Brandes shouted, craning her neck to look up at the droid.

"They are of no concern to you," the droid replied.

The human woman stared up at the droid, and a sneer slowly formed on her face. "They are of concern to us," she said finally, glancing up and down the line of riders on either side of her. She gripped the blaster in both hands. "Riders, scatter!" she barked. "Follow orders!"

With a collective whoop, the Gungans wheeled their kaadu, and the line shattered. Brandes raised the blaster with both hands and pointed it in what she hoped was the commanding droid's direction. "Not this time!" she shouted, and squeezed the trigger; beside her, Yané copied her actions. Blaster fire splashed over the top of the tank as the droid disappeared from sight. Brandes barely caught the statement "Open fi—" when two of the droids and their STAPs off to her right exploded.

A hand seized her shoulder and spun her in a circle; Tarpals dropped her unceremoniously behind him and stood, electropole clenched in both hands, between her and the assault tank. She could hear Kimma Nril shouting at the militiagungs and her essoans to move the children out of the way. The Gungan riders were everywhere, the droids returning fire. Tarpals crouched slightly, and then reared up, haillu raised, teeth bared in defiance.

The lead tank rocked and shuddered. The rear exploded. Scrambling to her hands and knees, Brandes saw the second tank do the same as the smaller forms of the Tendesay defenders' speeders topped the hill behind the tanks and, using the same tactics the Gungans had earlier, smashed into the rear of the assault. Riders and militiagungs targeted STAPs and walking maccaneeks alike. Humans rounded the tanks and opened fire on the remaining droids. In a few minutes, nothing mechanical was moving except the humans' speeders.

Brandes climbed to her feet. Beside Tarpals, Yané cautiously lowered her own weapon. Haze drifted everywhere; through the smoke, the human defenders of Tendesay and their Gungan counterparts eyed each other warily.

Tarpals spoke over his shoulder to Brandes. "Yousa all right?"

"I'm fine, thank you, Captain." The woman reached forward and squeezed his arm gratefully. "Yousa gott'n good battlefield voice," Tarpals remarked. "Mebbe yousa want'n think about different career?"

"I hope never to do that again!" Brandes replied fervently.

Yané grinned. "I don't know, Minister Brandes – everyone did follow your orders, after all!"

All three turned their attention to the human male picking his way across the field toward them, a younger man beside him. Territ Berendar approached cautiously. "Don't make any sudden moves," he muttered out of the side of his mouth to his companion. "We don't want to startle them into hurting the humans." He raised his right hand to shoulder height, palm toward the Gungan. "Me Territ Berendar. How!"

Tarpals looked over his shoulder at Hela Brandes, who was staring at Berendar with a look of amused disbelief on her face. The Gungan turned back to the Naaboo male. "My would guess that's depending on what yousa tryin' to do," he replied wryly. Several of his command snickered. Yané laughed. The younger man beside Berendar was staring at Tarpals.

"Sergeant Berendar, this is Captain Tarpals," Brandes said, stepping out from behind the Gungan. "And he does understand Basic, even if he and his people speak a rather, ah, unique form of it."

"Oh. I see." Berendar pulled himself up and saluted. "Captain."

Tarpals touched the tip of his electropole to a spot between his eyestalks. "Sah-gent."

"You're not prisoners, Minister Brandes?"

Brandes turned back to Tarpals. "Sergeant Berendar is the second-in-command of Theed's city police force," she explained. The Gungan nodded. "No, Sergeant, we're not prisoners. At least, not any more, thanks to the Gungans. They rescued us nearly a week ago, and we've been trying to get to Tendesay ever since."

"Your timing couldn't be better, Captain," Berendar said. "We've been fighting off droid patrols for days. The Neimoidians apparently decided to send a full unit to deal with us. We were hard-pressed before you arrived." He indicated the man beside him. "Lieutenant Typho." Typho saluted, and Tarpals repeated the gesture with the electropole. "Captain, we can't thank you enough. Can we offer you supplies, shelter? Medical treatments?"

Tarpals glanced around the field, then said over his shoulder to Rell Iss, "Call them all in, Caadrey." Rell Iss put the message horn to his lips and blew a series of notes. Gungans, kaadu, falumpasets, and humans began to converge on the group beside the transport.

Peskis drew a few stares from the human resistance fighters as he crouched beside Temmis and Zanté, fingers gently probing Temmis's haillu for a pulse. He looked up at the assembled group and nodded, smiling; there were grins in response all around. Peskis reached forward to cup Zanté's face with his hand and smile at her. "Yousa done well, silo'in," he told her, and the girl managed a smile.

Hanar appeared at the head of the transport ramp, then reached back to assist first Nalla, then Melni, then Irric in scrambling out of the opening. Arlan was the last, and the boy promptly flung both arms around Rell Iss's waist and clung to him. The young Gungan looked sheepish, then patted the Naaboo on the head gently.

Yané stood peering into the smoke. "Saché?" she called. "Saché?"

"Here," came a thin voice. Two of the militiagungs walked out of the smoke toward them; they supported Orrin between them, their linked arms forming a sort of chair. Saché had Orrin's head cradled in her arms. The Patrol rider's hands and haillu drooped limply; her eyes were half closed. Yané, and Melni exchanged frightened looks, and then pelted across the field to Saché and the three Gungans. Clustering around them, Yané and Melni each supported a leg. The five carried Orrin to where Peskis knelt beside Temmis. On Saché's count of three, they lowered the injured Patrol rider to the ground. Peskis turned away from Temmis to minister to Orrin.

Kimma hugged first Sen Tal, then Hanar, then Plirri, giving and receiving nips on the underside of the haillu. Sen Tal murmured something to her in High Gungan and she sagged against him. Then she knelt to embrace Zanté and stroke Temmis's face.

Tarpals crouched beside Peskis. The other Gungan, eyes and hands busy with Orrin, shook his head. "I don't know, Captain," he remarked, rummaging through the medical supplies brought from the transport. "It's going to be touchy...."

"We've lost enough people," Tarpals said. "I'm not ready to lose her, too."

Peskis paused. "I'll do my best, Captain. But the gods may have other plans."

Saché bent over Orrin and lifted one of the Gungan's hands. "Don't you dare die on us, Orrin!"

Tarpals reached forward to grip first Saché's, then Peskis's shoulders in support; then he rose. The Ankuran turned back to his work. Saché remained kneeling beside Orrin.

A crackle of sound drifted from one of the smoldering droid tanks. "Field Command Two, report. What is your status?"

Tarpals and Brandes glanced at each other. "That sounds like someone is trying to contact this group of droids," Brandes remarked. She and Yané followed Tarpals and Berendar to the tank.

"Field Command Two, come in!"

"Yousa gott'n way to talk bekk to thems?" Tarpals asked.

"Of course," Yané replied. She stepped up to the communications panel, tapped keys on the console, and the blue-outlined figure of a Neimoidian appeared. "Field Command Number Two," the figure said. "Report!" Then it seemed to catch sight of Tarpals, and stepped back in surprise.

Tarpals leaned forward to peer at the figure. "Thiss'n Nee-moidian?"

"Yes," Brandes replied.

"Good." The Gungan planted both palms on the console and snarled. "Yousa! Gott'n message for all'n yous! Wesa hev tekken out three of yoursan maccaneek pah-trols. Theysa chust the fust." He leaned forward. Yané furtively twisted a dial on the console, and suddenly the Neimoidian shrank considerably. "Yousan want to start watchin' yoursan bekks – wesan comin' for yousan soon 'nough!"

The blue figure cringed before winking out.

"What did you do, Yané?" asked Brandes.

"I just adjusted the projector to make the Captain a lot taller," the Handmaiden replied smugly. "Psychological warfare. Maybe it'll make the Neimoidians think twice about this invasion of theirs if they think something really big and bad is coming after them."

By the time Tarpals and his group stepped out of the tank, most of the Gungans and humans had gathered in the field beside the transport. Brandes glanced past Tarpals and gasped. "No!" Herns was limping across the field, past the remains of the droids; he carried Edvic in his arms. Two of Tarpals's command trotted across the field to help him, but Herns bared his teeth, his haillu rising in defiance, and the soldiers backed away. The Gungan stumbled to where Typho stood and sank to his knees, laying the teen's body at the lieutenant's feet. Herns was breathing heavily, the side of his face and neck singed, his leather uniform also blackened. "Hesa-- hesa fought well," Herns managed. "Wuss yellin at the maccaneeks, an' shootin' —" here he dissolved into a fit of coughing.

Typho shouted over his shoulder, and three of the humans came running, one of them carrying a box that turned out to contain medical supplies. One woman, presumably a medic, knelt beside the teen; after a moment, the woman glanced up at Berendar and shook her head.

"Poor Edvic. God help us," Brandes whispered, and buried her face in her hands. Humans and Gungans lowered their heads in respectful silence; Nalla and Melni both wiped their eyes.

After nearly a minute, Typho stepped forward and made as if to lift Edvic's body. Tarpals reached over and stopped him. "No. Wesa doin' this."

He motioned and several of the Gungan riders stepped forward; half of them carried electropoles and cestas. Forming two lines, they stooped and laid the poles on the ground. Two of the riders lifted the human's body at shoulders and knees, and laid it carefully on the poles. Then each Gungan took the end of a pole and lifted. The process was repeated with the Gungans' dead, Drind and two of the militiagungs who had fallen in defense of the transport. Rell Iss put the message horn to his lips and blew a single long note. One by one, the Gungan adults took up the note, first in a soft hum, then working their way up to a full-throated song. Rell Iss shifted the note into a slow melody that the hills mournfully echoed, and the Gungans sang a wordless harmony.

Sen Tal carried Temmis's limp form, and the human medics provided a floating stretcher for Orrin. The humans fell in around the pallbearers in respectful silence. In this manner the dead, both human and Gungan, were borne with honor into Tendesay.

~*~*~*~

"There are too many of them," Berendar said, "and they're not like us. They're not flesh and blood – they don't get tired, they don't have to eat. The Neimoidians can keep sending unit after unit of them after us. We keep losing people, either killed or captured, but the droids can be easily replaced."

Berendar, Tarpals, Brandes, and Typho were sitting at a table in one of the abandoned homes in Tendesay. As the medics worked on the injured, the leaders of the two groups had convened a hasty conference. "We can't stay here," Berendar said. "The Neimoidians know what's happened. I don't know how long it will be before they send troops. We'll do what we can for the wounded, but we'll need to move out soon and find a safer place."

He leaned forward and peered at Tarpals. "I have to tell you, Captain, what your small group has accomplished in the last few days sounds amazing. But after seeing them fight, I believe it. I mean, we knew your people had a warrior tradition, but, well, we thought... you were all pretty primitive. You know, spears, clubs, things like that. I guess none of us realized how complex your society was or how much military strategy you really had." The human sighed wearily. "I'm sorry, Captain. We've underestimated you, and unfairly. To be honest, we could really use your help."

The Gungan tilted his head thoughtfully. "What kind'n help do yousan want?"

Berendar and Typho exchanged glances. "Whatever you can give us, Captain. Personnel, supplies, training for our troops. With Her Highness off the planet indefinitely, we're going to have to manage as best we until – if – she returns."

"She'll come back, Sergeant," Brandes stated firmly. "She won't abandon us."

"I wish I shared your confidence, Minister Brandes, but I have to act with what we have at hand," Berendar said. "That means using the personnel and weapons at our disposal now. We can't afford to wait; the Neimoidians could bring in reinforcements at any time."

Typho picked up the thread. "Captain, most of us are security guards and police officers, not soldiers. We're used to handling individuals, or at most small groups of half a dozen or so. We don't have the training or the resources to take on an army like this. Whatever you can do would be appreciated."

Tarpals sat blinking at the Naaboo surrounding him. Finally he replied, "Mesa can't mekk any promises now, Sah-gent. Wesa need to get oursan people to safety. Wesa promised Rep Brand-ess that wesa bring hersa and the sprattlings to Tendesay, and wesan done thiss'n. The most my can promise yousan now is that my will tell oursan generals an' Bosses that yousan asked for help. Mebbe theysa 'gree to thiss'n, mebbe not. My no know. But my will ask."

Berendar nodded. "I understand, Captain. I guess that will have to do for now."

~*~*~*~

"How is she, Lieutenant?" Tarpals asked. He, Rell Iss, and Peskis stood inside one of the abandoned buildings that had been cleared of most of its furnishings. The medics had set up a field hospital and were tending to the last of the wounded.

The Ankuran gazed over at Orrin, who lay asleep on the stretcher the humans had provided. "It was touchy for a while, but she's strong, and determined. I think she really wants another chance to strike at the maccaneeks." He grinned, then sobered. "She'll pull through, but I don't think we can take her with us back to the Sacred Place. The Naaboos' flying platform can carry her more gently than we can, even if we rig a sling between the remaining two falumpasets."

"So you're saying we should leave her with the Naaboo?" Tarpals asked.

"For the time being, yes," Peskis replied. "They're leaving this area, but I don't think they're going far. They seem to have another hiding place picked out. The two female Naaboo tsanin, Saché and H'yané, have offered to help take care of her. I think it would be a good idea. That way we could even leave Orrin's kaadu with the Naaboo, and know that he will be cared for properly." He drew himself up slightly. "And I will volunteer to stay with her as well. That way I can see to her care personally, and perhaps provide Sergeant Berendar and his people with some of the training they've requested."

Tarpals hesitated. It was a fair ride back to the forest, and another three days to the Sacred Place if all went well. The Gungans had plenty of supplies, however, and would be able to ride through the night now that they had only one family of civilians with them. Despite the relatively friendly reception he had received from the Naaboo, his first duty was to rejoin his people. His Patrol's experiences would be invaluable in the ongoing struggle against the maccaneeks and their masters.

"Very well," Tarpals said. "You are released from my command and may work among the Naaboo in whatever capacity you choose." Peskis bowed slightly. "Should the generals and the Governors' Council agree to work with the Naaboo, I'll expect a full report, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Captain."

"May the gods watch over you."

Peskis's mouth twitched in an odd smile. "Thank you, Captain. That would be immensely helpful."

~*~*~*~

The knife's tip carved a curved line in the stone's surface. Herns glanced up at Hela Brandes's approach, then back to his work. The human woman sat nearby on the steps of what had been a house's porch, and watched him carve for a while.

Herns worked in silence, eyes on the stone. The curved line looped around upon itself twice before the Gungan laid the knife aside and blew on the stone to clear the loose particles away. Then he picked up the knife and began carving a second symbol.

Brandes watched without speaking. Just when she started to rise, the Gungan spoke, eyes still on his work. "Mekkin' a dessana il-parntar. Called 'stone of mem'ry' in Bassic, mesa thinks." He finally looked up at her.

The human nodded. Herns continued, "Wesa tekk dese into Sacred Place and hang dem up, onna tree or bush or stone." He angled the stone so she could see the symbols. "Diss'n the boy's nemm, as best my can spell hims. Mesa gonna put hole heah —" he tapped the end of the stone with the knife tip "— an' put cord t'rue. Wesa remember all oursan dead dissa way. Wesa cah-ve nemms, or shape the stone into some-att theysa liked. Den wesa put dem in Sacred Place, long wit' theysan body." He turned his attention back to his carving. "Gott'n no other way to 'pologize for bullyin' hims," Herns admitted finally, his voice barely carrying above the sounds of the knife scraping.

Brandes sat for a moment, then reached forward and carefully touched the Gungan's shoulder. "We've all done and said things we shouldn't have, Herns. We've all mistrusted each other for a long time. And it's difficult, being a teenager. For whatever it's worth, I appreciate your willingness to do this for Edvic. It's an honor."