The Queen sat on her throne, surrounded by the regional governor's of her lands. The mood in the air was tense, no one knew what to make of the missing ambassadors. For lack of better options, she and her counsel decided to contact Senator Palpatine, their representative in the Republic. Once they had reached him through the communication font inlaid at the foot of the throne, they explained the situation to him.

Palpatine was a middle aged man, with a receding hairline, but free of many of the deeper wrinkles expected of his age and office. He regarded the Queen's news with a perplexed expression. "The negotiations haven't started because the ambassadors haven't arrived? How could that be true? I have assurances from the Chancellor himself that the ambassadors did arrive. It must-" The silver Senator's face lost cohesion and melted disturbingly for a second. A few more garbled words came through before he once again melted, this time completely into the silver pool below.

The Queen's eyes went wide. "Senator? What's happening."

Her bodyguard, Captain Panaka, set his face in concern. He didn't voice his thoughts, but one of the governors did.

"A communications disruption can only mean one thing: invasion."

The Federation would dare not go that far," said the Queen.

Captain Panaka concurred. "The Senate would revoke their trade franchise and they'd be finished.

The Queen took a deep breath. "We must continue to rely on negotiation."

The governor from before laughed nervously. "Negotiation? We've lost all communications, your Highness." He held out a hand in frustration. "And where are the ambassadors?"

Captain Panaka stepped up to the throne. "This is a dangerous situation, your Highness. The security detail is no match for a full army."

The Queen cast her eyes down. "I will not condone a course of action that will lead us to war."

The side of the Federation flagship slid open, settling deeper in the water as it flooded the main hold. The landing craft inside released from their moorings and in unison began their journey towards the shoreline. This same action repeated on nearly all of the other ships in the blockade and hundreds of landing craft rowed onwards. Most were loaded with only automaton foot soldiers, while some carried cannons and siege equipment. Yet others carried the automaton mounts, mechanical beasts meant to carry the Federation cavalry and lancers. The sight was as awe-inspiring as it was terrible.

And yet, aboard two of these vessels, Jedi stowaways hid away in overland transports, waiting for the perfect time to emerge. They bided their time meditating as they had been taught to, confident the Force would reunite them on shore.

It wasn't long until the Federation army made landfall, but they faced no opposition. The marching sound of metal feet echoed up and down the beaches as they disembarked. Animals fled deeper into the thick Naboo forests, desperate to get away from the mysterious invaders. Deeper inland the automata marched, aiming for the capital of Theed.

One of the Federation Army colonels held up their black communication disc and opened it, revealing the head of the Viceroy. "Yes, sir?"

"Colonel, we've searched the ship and there is no sign of the Jedi. They must have stowed away on one of your landing craft."

"Understood. If they're here, sir, we will find them."

"Use caution, colonel, these Jedi are not to be underestimated."

Ahead of the Federation's advance, the forest was in chaos. The air was filled with a cacophony of noise. Overland transports rumbled and metal feet marched. Animals screeched and howled in terror and trees toppled to the ground. Qui-Gon had since jumped from his overland transport and was proceeding on foot. Despite being relatively out in the open, the automata strangely paid him little mind, if any.

Up ahead, Qui-Gon spotted what he took to be one of the natives. It was tall, with a mouth like a duckbill, and was dressed in primitive clothing made from stitched leather scraps. It was also standing directly in front of one of the advancing transports, protecting the bases of its long winglike ears from the din around it.

Qui-Gon yelled to it, desperately trying to tell it to move, but between the overwhelming racket and its ears being covered, his pleas went unheard.

The transport drew closer and Qui-Gon had to act. He channelled some of his magic into his legs and rushed forward, fast as the wind. He tackled the native just in time for the transport to pass harmlessly over them, though not without being splattered with mud by one of the wheels.

After the transport had fully passed over them Qui-Gon stood up and offered his hand to the orange-skinned native. The native looked up at its savior, and then at the retreating transport that had almost claimed its life. It then took Qui-Gon's hand with one of its own clawed hands and rose to its feet.

"Was'n dat?" The native's voice was a masculine one, and although he spoke Basic, there was a unique accent to it.

Instead of answering the native's question, Qui-Gon gave a friendly smile and a pat on his muddy shoulder before continuing after the transport.

The native called after him. "Hey, wait!"

Qui-Gon didn't slow.

"Oh, mooie-mooie, thank you!"

Qui-Gon turned to regard his pursuer as he jogged after the transport. "What were you thinking? You could have been killed!"

"My sorry, it'sa just so loud and my panic."

"Well, you're safe now. You should get out of here."

"No, no! Mesa stay. Mesa call Jar Jar Binks. Mesa your humble servant!"

"That's... Not necessary."

"But it tis, it tis! Demanded by the gods, it tis!"

A familiar voice came from a short distance off to their side. "Look out!" It was Obi-Wan and he was being pursued by a pair of automaton lancers on their mechanical steeds.

Qui-Gon drew his Lightblade and told Jar Jar to get down. Obi-Wan leapt over the two of them and kept running. As the lancers passed around Qui-Gon and Jar Jar, Qui-Gon artfully swung his green blade in a broad arc, cleanly severing the front legs of both steeds.

The steeds collapsed and the lancers were catapulted forward into the waiting blue Lightblade of Obi-Wan. In two quick motions, the lancers were bisected, one vertically, the other horizontally.

Jar Jar stood up and watched as his strange saviors finished off the metal beasts. "You save-ed my again..."

Obi-Wan eyed Jar Jar up and down, unsure of what to make of him. "Who's this?"

Qui-Gon sighed as he watched the transport vanish into the distance. He turned back to his Padawan. "A local." From the direction they had originally come,the rythmic sound of marching could be heard. "We need to go, before more show up."

Obi-Wan nodded and the two Jedi took off, Jar Jar in tow, following the ruts the transport's wheels had left in the soft forest earth.

It took a second for Jar Jar to fully parse the last thing his savior had said. "More?! More did you spake?"

Qui-Gon didn't dignify his question with a response. He was a patient man, but he and Obi-Wan had a duty to perform. If the Federation army captured the Queen and she surrendered, the blockade and occupation would be legitimized and the Republic that the Jedi had protected for a thousand years would be seen as powerless to protect itself. He did not need the added annoyance from this native.

"Ex-squeeze me," Jar Jar said in an urgent tone. "De mostest safest place would be Gunga City, where mesa grew up. Tis a hidden city."

This caught Qui-Gon's attention and he jogged to a halt. "A city? Can you take us there?" There was an edge of excitement in his voice.

Jar Jar's expression dissolved to a grimace of dread. "Ahh, on second thought, no. Not really, no."

Obi-Wan's brow furrowed, confused by Jar Jar's sudden fear. "No?"

Jar Jar's eyes fell. "Tis embarrassing. Mesa 'fraid my've been banished."

Qui-Gon shot an eyebrow up. "What?"

"My forgotten. If mesa go back, da Bosses would do terrible things to me. Terrible!"

Around them, the sound of marching was growing louder. Qui-Gon smirked, suddenly knowing exactly how to convince Jar Jar to lead them to the city. "Do you hear that? That's the sound of a thousand terrible things coming this way."

Obi-Wan joined in. "If they find us, they will kill us, cut us to mincemeat, and burn whatever remains to ash." He was smiling by the end, unable to help himself.

Jar Jar's eyes went wide and he swallowed audibly. "Ahh, yousa point is... Well seen. Dis way, hurry!" He took off in one direction, stopped, turned, then took off again.

The Jedi looked at one another with concern before following after him.

Some time later, the trio reached the marshy edge of a vast lake. Waterfowl paddled serenely across the still surface. The sun was hanging low in the sky and the sounds of countless frogs echoed around them. It was a beautiful, tranquil sight, but it lacked the city they sought.

Qui-Gon was beginning to worry. "How much further?"

"Wesa needing going underwater now, okey-day? My warning you though, Gungans no liken outsiders. Don't spect a warm welcome."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Oh don't worry, this hasn't exactly been our day for warm welcomes."

With a fantastic flourish, Jar Jar leapt several times his own height and somersaulted midair before flawlessly diving into the water. His acrobatics disturbed several swimming ducks but were largely ignored by the Jedi who were preoccupied with pulling out their enchanted fish jaws. The Jedi fitted the jaws in their own mouths for the second time that day as they waded into the lake's chilly water.

When the water had reached their chests, Jar Jar popped his head above the surface, smiling. "Yousa follow me now, okey-day?"

The water was nearly opaque with green algae. The Jedi could only keep track of Jar Jar by sensing him through the Force. The three of them dove deeper, passing through the murky surface layer. The Jedi received a brief startle when they saw how clear the water became. It was almost as though they were swimming through the air.

Despite the darkening sky above the surface and the thick algae layer, their surroundings were well visible. Luminous flora swayed gently in the invisible currents as similarly glowing animals schooled and lit up in dazzling displays to attempt to deter a vicious-looking predator.

As impressive as this was, it was still not what they were looking for. Onward they swam, deeper and deeper. The trio swam over the edge of a cliff, and there on the lakebed sat an awe-inspiring sight. Countless massive spheres, filled with glowing lights and caged by swirling golden latticework sprawled across the bottom. There was no doubt in the minds of either Jedi that Jar Jar had been true to his word. This was the hidden Gunga City.

The closer they drew, the more impressive the sheer scale of the city became. Gunga City easily rivalled Theed for the largest city in Naboo, and so few even knew of its existence. Qui-Gon had seen many things in his life, but knowing that he and Obi-Wan were two of likely only a handful of people in the world to see this was humbling.

Jar Jar led them to one of the larger spheres. There was an ornately framed oblong opening set into the side that shimmered like an air bubble. Jar Jar swam through it and landed on his feet on the other side. He turned to watch his saviors do the same.

As the Jedi passed through the barrier, all the water they had expected to bring through with them was wicked away, leaving their clothes and hair as dry as before they had entered the lake. They looked back at the barrier, impressed by the magics employed. No longer needed, they removed the fish jaws from their mouths and returned them to their pouches.

"So good being home," Jar Jar said, stretching out his arms as though going for an embrace.

Around him, hushed whispers of alarm spread rapidly through the Gungans scattered around the entryway. Instinctively, the Jedi knew the whispers were about their presence as much as they were about Jar Jar's return. They followed him as he happily strolled through the entryway into a large atrium.

An angry-looking Gungan with moustache-like fleshy tendrils hanging off his duckbill rode up to Jar Jar, mounted on a long-legged bipedal animal. "Hoy! Stoppa dere!"

Jar Jar froze. "Oh! H-heya dere, Cap'n Tarpals. Mesa back!"

Captain Tarpals shook his head. "No again, Jar Jar. Yousa going to da Bosses. Yousa in deep trooble dis time!"

The friendly smile Jar Jar had instantly vanished, replaced by absolute devastation. He groaned pitifully, knowing what punishment awaited him.

Captain Tarpals prodded Jar Jar with his spear, prompting him to begin moving towards the Bosses' Court. The Jedi, meanwhile, received their own armed escort to the Court. This wasn't the first time they had been led at spearpoint, but they were hoping the meeting with the Gungan Bosses wouldn't cost them too much time. Jar Jar was ahead of them, silent and somber the whole way. Guilt struck the two Jedi. Yet another innocent had been caught up in a political game they couldn't understand. Qui-Gon hoped there was a way to spare Jar Jar from whatever fate the Bosses had in store for him.

The Bosses' Court was a fairly small bubble with a semicircle of seats facing inwards. Each seat held a Gungan dressed in gold-filigreed brown robes. At the center most seat was a green skinned Gungan who lacked the distinct duckbill of his race, but only because of the impressive wattle of skin he had hanging below his chin.

The corpulent Boss tutted at the two Jedi before him. "Yousa cannot being here. Thisen army of mackineeks up dere is not us-en problem."

"The automaton army is on their way to attack the Naboo, we must warn them," Qui-Gon said calmly, trying not to cause any more trouble.

"Wesa no like da Naboo." The Boss tutted again. "Da Naboo think dey so smart. Dey think dey brains so big." He gestured widely with his arm.

Obi-Wan stepped up to address the Boss. "Once the automata take control of the surface, they will take control of you."

The Boss shook his head, his wattle swinging lazily as he did so. "Mesa no think so. Dey not know of us-en."

"With all due respect," Obi-Wan began. "Whether you realize it or not, you and the Naboo form a symbiont circle. What happens to one of you will affect the other. You must understand this."

The Boss sat up straight, anger on his face. "Wesa no care-en about da Naboo!"

Qui-Gon sighed and made an arcane gesture with his hand. "Well then, if you would, speed us on our way."

The Boss' expression suddenly became very distant. "Wesa... Speed yousa on your way..."

Qui-Gon did the hand gesture again. "And we could use transportation."

"Wesa give yousa un bongo. It's da speediest way to da Naboo."

Jar Jar looked up, unable to believe what he was hearing. Boss Nass, the strictest and least trusting leader in recent memory, was simply giving away one of the prized bongos. And to outsiders, no less!

"But mesa warn yousa," Boss Nass continued. "Da fastest way is through da old lava tubes. Now... Go."

The Jedi both bowed and thanked Boss Nass for his generosity. As they started to leave the room, Obi-Wan spoke. "Master, what's a bongo?"

Qui-Gon shook his head. "Transportation, I hope."

Jar Jar looked at the two men who had saved him. "They setting yousa up. Going through the lava tubes? Yousa doomed."

Qui-Gon stopped and looked at the shackled Jar Jar. While he was without a doubt a fool, he had ended up sacrificing his freedom for the Jedi's chance to save Naboo. It was surely the Will of the Force that they had met in the first place. Jar Jar deserved better than what awaited him here. He turned back to Boss Nass.

Obi-Wan looked back at Qui-Gon. "Master, we're short on time."

Qui-Gon held up a hand, dismissing his Padawan's concerns. This had to be done. "What is to become of Jar Jar Binks?"

A sinister, toothy grin spread across Boss Nass' face. "He's-en to be... Pyoonished."

Jar Jar groaned, resigned to his fate.

"I saved his life," Qui-Gon said. "He owes me what you would call a life-debt. Your gods demand that his life belongs to me now."

Boss Nass looked at the long-haired Jedi incredulously. "Binks?" He looked at Jar Jar. "Yousa having a life-debt with thisen man?"

Jar Jar, realizing what this could mean for him nodded emphatically.

Boss Nass looked back to Qui-Gon. "Den begone with him!"

While his guards were releasing him from his shackles, a terrifying realization gripped him. The Jedi were planning to go through the lava tubes, and he'd be going with them. Staying or leaving, either way, he was dead.

A bongo is a broad headed creature native to the deeper lakes of Naboo, subsisting off juvenile hard-shelled gooberfish. Bongos are swift creatures with four long paddle-like limbs. Their fairly docile nature allowed the Gungans to domesticate them quite early in their civilization's rise. They are often fitted with multi-seated saddles and a bubble ward for trips to the other, smaller Gungan cities. Typically, only Gungan nobles or their immediate subordinates are allowed to own these graceful swimmers. It is atop a bongo Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Jar Jar departed Gunga City, heading towards the deep lava tubes.

Inside the bongo's bubble, Jar Jar was still convinced the three of them were only heading to their deaths. Attempting to distract Jar Jar from his lamentations, more for his own benefit that the Gungan's, Obi-Wan asked Jar Jar why he was banished.

"Tis a long-o tale, but a small part would be mesa... Ahh... Clumsy."

Obi-Wan was unsure what to make of that. "You were banished for being clumsy?"

"Eh, yousa mighten be saying that."

While Jar Jar recounted some of the examples of his clumsiness inside the bongo's bubble, outside, unbeknownst to the riders, a massive mature gooberfish was stalking them. Closer it swam, hungry for the meat of the creature that had preyed on so many of its kind.

When the gooberfish was close enough, it lashed out with its long barbed tongue, catching the bongo by the side of its broad head. The bongo lurched to a halt, unable to free itself from the barbs digging deeply into its flesh. The gooberfish reeled in its tongue and sunk its needle-like teeth into the bongo. The bongo flailed its limbs wildly, desperate to escape, but to no avail.

Jar Jar screamed unintelligibly, certain the end had come. The Jedi, meanwhile, stayed relatively calm, trusting the Force to guide them through.

By chance, one of the giant predators of mature gooberfish was swimming by, looking for its next meal. Its crushing teeth bit down hard into the gooberfish, which involuntarily released the bongo, which swam away, injured, but alive.

Qui-Gon bowed his head, thankful for the Force's protection. "There's always a bigger fish."

Jar Jar let out a panicked laugh. "Mesa think we going back now, right?"

But deeper they went, entering the lava tubes. The bongo illuminated two bright bulbs of flesh near its mouth, allowing it to see in the otherwise pitch black tunnels.