In the Bleak Naboo Winter (COMPLETE)

[Danster]

Danster nestled his VCX-100, Hyper Gunga II, in a clearing in the swamps of Naboo. He exited the ramp and his feet hit the icy, hard floor of the swamp. The winters here were short and sharp, traditionally Gungan's would hibernate in their underwater cities until the swamp floor thawed to its comfortable, spongy surface. Taking in his surroundings, he turned around to face his modified protocol droid, TC-420.

"I don't recognise this place, it's definitely not the Otoh Gunga clearing."

"Erm, my calculations might have been a bit awry. According to local satellite information, Otoh Gunga is a little to the west."

"A little?"

"About 7 miles."

"7 miles? I'm gonna have you converted into a toaster, Tee-see."

If it had been a bit more, he would have fired the freighter back up and flown closer, but the walk would do him some good. He began to trek through the frozen swamp, keeping a look out for a familiar tree or landmark to indicate a closer proximity to Lake Paonga and the city it housed. As his eyes scanned the area and he ambled forward, he pondered the strange, garbled message he'd received on Manaan compelling him to return home.

[Darth Mayhem]

SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER

Darth Mayhem stood in the communication bubble of Otoh Gunga, red-lightsaber ablaze, two security Gungans dead and bleeding at the doorway.

"Send the communication, summon him back here. Do it on the emergency channel.....  Yes, I know of the emergency channel, and if you try to use an alternative one I shall remove your head, but not before I remove each limb."

The Gungan instantly obeyed, issuing a communication to Danster's personal channel instructing him to come back to Otoh Gunga, on a line that would not communicate to him unless it was extremely important. What the Jedi did not know was that his traditional entrance to the underwater city had been rigged with explosives, the tedious old Gungan, long-time thwarter of Darth Mayhem's plans, would be blown to pieces before he even stood on a solid Otoh Gungan floor.

Peace had made them complacent, Darth Mayhem would take advantage.

[Danster]

As Danster drew near Lake Paonga, whose depths housed the famous Gungan city, he began to recognise more and more landmarks.

The Gungan thought to himself, "Damn you Tee-see, you didn't even land us the right side of the lake." 

The air began to moisten further as he reached his destination which was like a balm after a long hyperjump in recycled air unfriendly to his amphibious skin. Upon reaching the shores of the lake, he inhaled a lungful of air and leapt into its cloudy water. As he swum downwards he pondered his route; should he swim over the bubbles and enter Otoh Gunga at his usual point, or go to the entrance immediately closest to him in the industrial sector of the bubble network. Having spent the last few months on Manaan, his keenness to get home and the fact that he'd done enough swimming there, prompted him to elect to swim directly to the relatively unused entry point.

Upon arrival, he pushed his way through the water-repelling membrane and planted his feet on solid ground. It wasn't long ago that such an entrance would have been impossible; Bongo Sub squadrons would constantly patrol the waters around the city and armed guards would maintain a round-the-clock posting at each entrance. But these were times of peace. A young security guard enquired as to his name and punched it into a datapad, but beyond that he was able to enter inhibited. As he patrolled through the next bubble towards the city's centre, he reminisced about times when no one here would need to ask his name. These days, it was rare for any Gungan in their 20s or younger to recognise him. He didn't miss the fame, that much was definite, but he was beginning to feel as though he missed the sense of usefulness that came with his service to both the Jedi, the people of Naboo and the rest of the universe.

[Darth Mayhem]

A light flashed up on one of the numerous screens in the Otoh Gunga communication center. Mayhem's eyes were drawn to it and a rage filled him when he read that one Danster Bokoto had entered the underwater city from an unexpected entrance. He kicked the nearest Gungan out of his seat and stamped on his chest before he seized a portable commlink and bellowed at the floored Gungan.

"Which was to the closest school?"

The Gungan was too winded to speak and merely let out a croaked, strained sound. Mayhem activated his lightsaber and plunged it into the chest of the stricken Gungan before turning to the next closest and stared into his stunned, fearful eyes.

"You tell me."

He was instructed to travel six bubbles east and to take an elevator down two levels. The alarm would undoubtedly be raised, but as long as Mayhem reached the network of bubbles that housed one of the city's schools, that would not matter.

[Jameris]

****Several days prior****

On Onoam, one of Naboo's moons, Jameris spoke of impending danger. Several of Theed's politicians and a handful of security officers had gathered again for this final meeting. He spoke plain with them, a last try, to relocate the royal family. For weeks he had urged them, his network of eyes and ears had overheard rumors of Sith in the system.

"Something is going to happen here, the force is tumultuous. My contacts have caught wind of Sith activity. While I am not certain what, being cautious is wise. I have also sent word to the gungans on Ohma-D'un I request council with General Ceel and Danster."

The gathered looked around the table to each other. One shifted in his seat but none of them began to speak. Their continued lack of urgency was beginning to undo the patience he had. The disturbance had grown so strong at this point Jameris began to wonder if the foretold events had begun already. Maybe these officers were already under the influence of the Sith...

"This is urgent," he exclaimed, "Remember what happened with Senator Palpatine? Do you want something of that nature or worse to happen when it could be averted?"

Normally Jameris tried to play a more passive role in the systems affairs but the implications that a Sith would be involved made this matter worth his attention. He figured it would have been worth their attention as well. By the looks of things, he was trying to saddle a dead tauntaun.

[Danster]

OOC: The thread kind of died, but as the attack gets referred to in Jameris's current, active thread, I'm going to conclude this one briefly for completeness

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Sirens began to scream around the Gungan City and the security guard who had permitted Danster's entry placed a commlink to his ear and almost instantly bounded towards the nearest bubble lift. Danster bellowed out to him to stop and demanded a briefing.

"Someone has entered the city and seized a school, Otoh Village 7. There are reports it's a Sith."

The pair sprinted to the lift, Danster using the force to hasten its ascent and then relying on it to increase his pace as he made his way desperately through the city. By the time he reached Otoh Village 7 and the school, he was greeted by a clocked figure standing in the centre of a large bubble, dead Gungan soldiers scattered around his feet. The figure turned to greet Danster with a smile on his face.

"Darth Mayhem."

The Gungan ignited his lightsaber, emitting a green glow to the surrounding area.

[Darth Mayhem]

"Just the Gungan I wanted to see. You won't be needing that."

Mayhem pointed at the lightsaber.

"In fact, I suggest you deactivate your weapon and toss it to me, unless you want me to press one of these buttons."

The Sith motioned towards a device in his hand that hosted three large buttons. There were three bubbles adjacent to the one in which they currently stood. In two of them, Mayhem had detained and tied up the school children and their teachers, the third was empty. Mayhem waved his hand behind him to highlight them to Danster, who couldn't fail to notice the bound, terrified Gungan children within them.

"I have rigged each bubble with explosives. Each button will trigger the total destruction of one of those bubbles. But I don't know which button links to which bubble. So we are going to play a little game, the objective of which is to make you regret ever meddling in my affairs and make sure you never do again. You will be given three orders, and your failure to fulfil them will result in my pressing one of these buttons."

"Assignment one is to toss me your lightsaber and bind yourself with these."

The Sith threw down a pair of hand restraints at the feet of the Gungan, and at the same time issued a vicious force push at the Gungan security guard who accompanied him.

[Danster]

Seeing little other option, Danster acquiesced to the Sith's request. His Gungan companion was slammed hard into the bubble wall but the Jedi Master could sense a pulse through the force; he lived. He threw Mayhem his lightsaber and placed the hand restraints around his wrists, which slammed shut hard. As he did so, he tried to quieten his mind, allow the force to flow through him, to guide him and instruct him how to prevent the children, whose tear-filled eyes were glued at the scene in the adjacent bubble. Mayhem had a firm grip on the detonator, he doubted he could summon it with the force without the Sith's force-aided reflexes plunging down on the buttons.

"Your issue is with me, Mayhem. Take me and leave this place."  

[Darth Mayhem]

"You are in no position to make demands of me, Gungan scum."

He summoned Danster's lightsaber and clipped it to his belt.

"You are also far too trusting."

As he spoke, he plunged his finger down onto one of the three detonator buttons.

[Danster]

A loud bang emanated and in half a second an adjacent bubble had disintegrated, the pressure from the explosion sent debris, water and pockets of air shooting upwards to the surface of Lake Paonga. As Danster saw Mayhem's finger twitch towards one of the buttons of his detonator, the Gungan let out an involuntary shout of protest that inevitably did no good.

Mercifully, it was the empty bubble that had been vapourised. The screams from the remaining two bubbles were clearly audible even through two of the Otoh Gungan membranes. Danster became desperate.

"Look, leave them be. You can have your revenge on me. I can retrieve you priceless artefacts from the Temple, just release the children."