Danger on Naboo
Author: A.L. Singer
Date: 2000-01-02 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Star Wars; Science Fiction; Fiction; Young Adult
Description: The planet of Naboo has been blockaded. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn have been sent as Jedi emissaries to establish peace. But they find war instead. Naboo needs their help.
Publisher: Scholastic

Table of Contents

COPYRIGHT

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

Naboo.

It made perfect sense.

The planet was small, remote, unprotected. A place of artists and thinkers. It kept no standing army and depended on the Galactic Republic for most of its goods and services.

Naboo, in short, was a perfect target for the Trade Federation.

Qui-Gon Jinn knew the logic of greed. It lived in all creatures. It encouraged the dark side of the Force, threatening the very fabric of good that bound the galaxy.

As the Republic cruiser neared the planet, Qui-Gon considered the facts. The Trade Federation, which was funded by taxes, sought a higher rate from the longer trade routes. When it did not get its way, it blockaded the planet.

The blockade of Naboo was a dangerous situation. As a Jedi, Qui-Gon hoped it would be easily resolved.

The blockade would be dealt with quickly. The Trade Federation was led by Neimoidians. Though highly organized and ruthlessly competitive, they were of weak character. The sight of a Jedi alone should be more than able to persuade them to leave.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan sat behind the ship’s bridge, looking through the cockpit window over the shoulders of the captain and first mate.

The first glimpse of Naboo was, as always, breathtaking. The planet radiated a lush, turquoise-green that was both welcoming and cool. But Obi-Wan sat forward agitatedly, drawn not to the planet itself but to the cluster of objects in the airspace above it, barely visible but growing. “What are those?” he asked.

“Freighters,” Qui-Gon answered.

“With defense shields?” Obi-Wan said.

Qui-Gon glanced at his captain’s shield detector. His Padawan was right. The screen showed the slow disappearance of a formidable shield around the lead ship. “War Freighters. Battleships.”

The young man tensed. He had been trained well. He knew that there were two reasons a ship withdrew its shield.

One was to allow visiting ships to dock.

The other was to attack.

At this point, you must decide whether to continue reading this adventure, or to play your own adventure in the Danger on Naboo Game Book.

To play your own adventure, turn to the first page of the Game Book and follow the directions you find there.

To continue reading this Star Wars Adventure, turn the page!

Qui-Gon gripped his Padawan’s arm firmly. The young man was wise beyond his years, but he was assuming evil motivation before there was a definite sign of it.

The Trade Federation had not shown weapons, although its ships were assembled in an aggressive formation. For them to attack a Jedi in this way would invite war. Even the Trade Federation was not that foolish.

“Tell them we wish to board at once,” Qui-Gon commanded the captain of the Republic cruiser.

“Yes, sir.” Instantly the communication view screen flickered to life, revealing the unmistakable face of a Neimoidian — his skin green and leathery, his eyes glowing red. Qui-Gon knew from the blue, three-crested crown that he was a Trade Federation viceroy, Nute Gunray.

“With all due respect,” said Qui-Gon’s captain, “the ambassadors for the Supreme Chancellor wish to board immediately.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” Nute replied. “Ahhh, as you know, our blockade is perfectly legal, and we’d be happy to receive the ambassador.”

He seemed jittery. Fearful.

As the cruiser sped forward, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan strapped on their equipment: first utility pouches, which carried food capsules, tools, and medical supplies. Then lightsabers. And because most of Naboo’s surface was water, A99 aquata breathers with two compressed-air tanks, each no larger than a thumb.

Through the screen, the lead ship loomed closer. It was shaped like a massive ring with a section missing. In its center was a sphere, housing the ship’s bridge and officers.

A docking bay door slowly yawned open. The cruiser decelerated and landed smoothly within the ship. The bay was quiet. Nearly empty. There was no sign that anything was wrong.

A protocol droid, its silver sheathing polished to a mirrorlike glow, approached the cruiser as the two Jedi stepped out. “I’m TC-14 at your service,” it said. “This way, please.”

The droid led them out of the bay, through the labyrinthine corridors of the freighter, and into a formal conference room. It was sparely decorated, empty except for a large, bare table and a cage containing a vibrantly colored bird. There, bowing to the two men, TC-14 backed away. “Make yourselves comfortable. My master will be with you shortly.”

As the droid left, Qui-Gon surveyed the room for hidden observation devices and saw nothing — but Obi-Wan seemed tense, suspicious. “I have a bad feeling about this,” he said.

“I don’t sense anything,” Qui-Gon replied.

“It’s not about the mission, Master. It’s something... elsewhere... elusive...”

“Don’t center on your anxiety, Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs.”

“But Master Yoda said I should be mindful of the future —”

“But not at the expense of the moment. Be mindful of the living Force, young Padawan.”

“Yes, Master.” Obi-Wan nodded gravely. “How do you think this Trade Federation viceroy will deal with the Chancellor’s demands?”

“These Federation types are cowards,” Qui-Gon reassured him. “The negotiations will be short.”

The men sat and waited. And waited. No sound penetrated the room’s thick walls save a faint electric buzz — and Qui-Gon began to feel uneasy. The longer the Neimoidians kept them there, the more he sensed that something was off. It made no sense to leave two Jedi alone for so long. This was a meeting of tremendous importance —

Shhhhhhiiiip!

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan leaped to their feet, instantly activating their lightsabers as they turned toward the noise.

Qui-Gon sensed a strong disturbance in the Force. His crew and cruiser were gone.

Destroyed.

“Ahhh!” With a yelp of surprise, TC-14 jumped. The noise had been a door. The droid was merely bringing in a tray of drinks.

“Sorry,” TC-14 said. “The viceroy —”

Ssssssssssssss...

This was a new sound.

And it was not the door.

Qui-Gon turned off his lightsaber. The hissing was faint, but coming from all around them.

The bird wobbled on its perch and fell dead. “Gas!” Qui-Gon exclaimed.

The conference room door was sealed shut.

Gray, acrid smoke billowed into the room. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan held their breaths. A Jedi was trained to survive lack of air, drawing on body reserves for an extraordinary amount of time.

Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber and aimed it at the door, but Qui-Gon held him back. Outside he heard the heavy clank of approaching droids.

Then the smoke, thick and stagnant, began to swirl. The door was opening.

“Oh!” TC-14’s voice cried out from within the eddies of smoke. “Excuse me, so sorry!”

Now.

At the sight of the first battle droid, they swung.

DZZZZZZZZZZTT! DZZZZZZZZZZTT!

Two droids became four charred half-droids.

DZZZZZZZZZZTT! DZZZZZZZZZZTT! DZZZZZZZZZZTT!

With each thrust, battle droids fell to the floor in a pile of charred metal. But they kept coming, in twos and threes.

Attacked by a squadron, Obi-Wan lifted his hand, harnessing the Force and sending the entire group crashing against the wall.

Qui-Gon fought his way across the corridor. Gripping his lightsaber in two hands, he pointed it at the door and cut into it.

The door glowed red. Qui-Gon traced an arc and the metal melted away.

He looked back. Obi-Wan was a whirlwind of Jedi strength, cutting down the last of the droids.

The two men raced for the docking bay. Ahead of them a massive door thumped shut, blocking off the hallway.

Then another door, in the path to the right.

And another.

Blast doors. Made of thick, nearly impervious metal.

As the bridge’s blast doors sealed shut, Qui-Gon plunged his lightsaber into the center of the first door, its beam melting the metal. He had almost made a hole large enough to escape through when the droidekas wheeled in.

“Destroyer droids!” Obi-Wan called, rushing to his Master’s side. “Offhand, I’d say this mission is past the negotiation stage.”

Two destroyer droids rapidly unfolded, activated their shields, and showered the Jedi with continual fire. Obi-Wan stood ready to fight, but Qui-Gon shook his head. Even a Jedi’s abilities had limited effectiveness against destroyer droids. And above all, a Jedi knew what to do when outmatched.

“They have shield generators!” Obi-Wan shouted.

“It’s a standoff,” Qui-Gon said. “Let’s go!”

They retreated. Their only hope would be to find a place to hide and stage an ambush. Destroy them with stealth and quickness.

Lasers came at them. The Master and Padawan ran until Qui-Gon spotted a large ventilation grating in the wall. Together the two ripped off the grate, stepped into the ventilation shaft, and hurried into the darkness. Gusts of cold air blew around them, generated by the ship’s central atmospheric system.

The sound of the destroyer droids faded, giving way to the hollow metallic thumps of the Jedis’ footsteps. Stumbling around a corner, Qui-Gon caught sight of a distant shaft of light, stippled by a metal grid. He and Obi-Wan approached cautiously and peered through.

Below them was a vast hangar bay, far bigger than the one in which they had landed. Battle droids, hundreds of them, were marching onto an extraordinarily large landing craft. Qui-Gon knew the design — a C-9979 with repulsorlift wings and the capacity to hold a legion of droids and transport vehicles.

They were far enough away to avoid detection, but they would have to work fast. Quietly they pried loose the grid.

As they slid down the walls of the hangar bay, Qui-Gon tried to think. Nothing about this incident made sense.

“It’s an invasion army,” Obi-Wan said softly.

“An odd play for the Trade Federation,” Qui-Gon replied. “We’ve got to warn the Naboo and contact Chancellor Valorum. Let’s split up. Stow aboard separate ships and meet down on the planet.”

“You were right about one thing, Master,” Obi-Wan observed. “The negotiations were short.”

If the Trade Federation had merely wanted higher taxes, a blockade was an aggressive enough statement.

But now they were guilty of attempting to assassinate two Jedi ambassadors.

This was far beyond a tax dispute.

This was an act of war.

Landing in a forested Naboo swamp had its pluses and minuses.

On the one hand, Qui-Gon could finally leave the cramped storage area were he’d stowed away. And in the surrounding trees, he stood a fighting chance to escape.

On the other hand, he couldn’t exactly sprint. The MTT troop transports were already after him.

The mud pulled at the Jedi Master’s feet as he scrambled through the undergrowth. Behind him, a monstrous MTT thundered forward, trampling trees as if they were toothpicks. Strange birds and lizardlike creatures screeched and skittered away from the chase.

Where was Obi-Wan? It was impossible to see where the other ships had landed. Most of them were hidden behind trees.

Qui-Gon spotted a clearing in the near distance — an open marsh, perhaps. There he could drop out of sight. His A99 aquata breather would provide him with air underwater.

The MTT was closing in fast. Qui-Gon ran hard. He saw a creature straight ahead, right in the path of the attack.

“Hey, hep me!!”

It was a lanky being with mottled skin. Its eyes formed two stalks above a long snout, and two thick flaps of ear cascaded from its head down its back.

It was deathly afraid. And its grip was strong.

“Let go!” Qui-Gon shouted.

Too late.

The MTT was upon them. Qui-Gon could only go one way — down. He pulled the creature with him.

They plunged into the muck. The transport rolled close overhead.

As it trundled into the dense forest, Qui-Gon pulled himself up.

“Oyi, mooie-mooie!” The creature leaped up and threw its long arms around Qui-Gon. “I luv yous!”

Qui-Gon pulled away. “Are you brainless? You almost got us killed!”

“Brainless?” The thing looked deeply hurt. Qui-Gon saw a bizarre-looking amphibian that moved in a slinky, gawky way, its facial expressions exaggerated and quick-changing. “I spake.”

“The ability to speak does not make you intelligent,” Qui-Gon snapped. “Now get out of here!”

He walked swiftly toward the clearing, but the creature loped after him. “No, no! Mesa stay. Mesa called Jar Jar Binks. Mesa your humble servaunt.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Qui-Gon replied curtly.

“Oh, boot ’tis! ’Tis demunded... byda guds. ’Tis a life debit, ’tis.”

The mist rolled toward them off the surface of a small pool of muddy water. Qui-Gon thought he could see something through the fog, a moving object.

The sudden whine of airborne engines made him turn.

Two distant Federation STAPs — Single Trooper Aerial Platforms — swooped down toward him, each driven by a battle droid.

Obi-Wan came running from the other side of the swamp...

Followed closely by a STAP.

Two bolts of laser fire streaked toward Obi-Wan.

Qui-Gon stepped into the path of the STAP. Using his lightsaber, he blocked both shots. They bounced back to the STAP, blowing it into a fireball of swamp gas and tinsel.

Breathing hard, Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Wan. The Padawan hadn’t even bothered to fight back.

“Sorry, Master,” Obi-Wan said sheepishly, “the water fried my weapon.”

He drew his lightsaber from his belt. It was charred black.

“You forgot to turn off your power again, didn’t you?” Qui-Gon reprimanded.

Obi-Wan nodded.

“It won’t take long to recharge,” Qui-Gon assured him, “but this is a lesson I hope you’ve learned, my young Padawan.”

“Yes, Master."

Jar Jar pulled himself out of the mud and bounded toward Qui-Gon. "Yousa saved my again?”

Obi-Wan was annoyed by the beast. “What’s this?”

“A local,” Qui-Gon replied. “Let's go, before more of these droids show up.”

The two men began running north, in the direction of the Royal Palace of Theed.

“Mure?” Jar Jar said in astonishment, padding along behind them. “Mure, did you spake? Ex-squeezee-me, boot da moto grande safe place would be Gungan City. ’Tis where I grew up. ’Tis a hidden city.”

Qui-Gon stopped short. “A city? Can you take us there?”

“Ahhh, will!” Jar Jar nodded enthusiastically, then suddenly dropped his head. “On second taut, no, not really, no, no.”

“No?” Qui-Gon asked.

“Iss embarrising, boot my afraid my have bean banished. My forgotten der Bosses would do terrible things to my — terrible things to my if my goen back dare.”

A buzz of engines sounded in the distance. “You hear that?” Qui-Gon asked. “That’s the sound of a thousand terrible things heading this way.”

“When they find us,” Obi-Wan added, “they will crush us, grind us into tiny pieces, and blast us into oblivion!”

Jar Jar’s ears perked up. “Oh! Yousa point is well seen. Dis way — hurry!”

The Gungan ran back into the swamp. As Qui-Gon and his Padawan followed, the engine noise behind them grew to a deep thrum. A fleet of transports, by the sound of it.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had to struggle to keep up with Jar Jar as they made their way through the swamp. Their cloaks were nearly soaked with sweat as they hurried toward the shore of a murky lake, Jar Jar stopped to catch his breath.

The MTTs were closing ground. They couldn’t afford to rest long.

“Much farther?” Qui-Gon asked.

“Wesa goen underwater, okeyday?” Jar Jar said.

Perfect. Otoh Gunga would be well hidden from the MTTs.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan strapped on their aquata breathers and followed Jar Jar as he stepped into the water. “My warning yous,” Jar Jar said. “Gungans no liken outlaunders. Don’t expict a werm welcome.“

“Don’t worry,” Qui-Gon replied, “this has not been our day for warm welcomes.”

Jar Jar bent his knobby knees and sprang high over the water, executing a perfect double somersault before diving in.

The two Jedi chose to wade in.

Soon all three were plunging steadily downward. Rather than becoming darker, as the water should have at these depths, it began to brighten. Floating beneath them were hundreds of giant globes, pulsing with light.

The globe membranes were neither solid nor liquid, but a hydrostatic plasma that wrapped around Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan as they passed through, instantly closing behind them to seal the inner atmosphere against water.

On solid ground, the two men removed their breathers, and Qui-Gon inhaled the close, humid, nitrous air of an underwater swamp.

He preferred it to what was above.

Jar Jar led him and Obi-Wan, dripping wet, toward the center of the city. On either side of them Gungans backed away fearfully, moving with a nervous but oddly fluid grace.

Ahead of them was a grand, open town square. The buildings appeared to be organic — grown rather than built — and decorated with a sophisticated style. Clearly the underwater civilization was technologically advanced.

Four armed Gungan warriors approached, led by a wizened and bewhiskered elder. They rode atop two-legged creatures that resembled leathery, wingless birds.

They pointed their spears straight at Jar Jar.

“Heyo-dalee, Cap’n Tarpals!” Jar Jar called out. “Mesa back!”

“No again, Jar Jar,” the old Gungan said in a deep, weary voice. “Yousa goen tada Bosses. Yousa in big dudu dis time.”

An electric charge shot from the tip of a guard’s spear. Jar Jar leaped in surprise. “How wude!” he cried out.

Rude or not, he was now a prisoner.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan hoped they would not be imprisoned as well.

Inside the center of the bubble, guards pulled Jar Jar aside while Captain Tarpals led Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan through a domed entry hall and into an inner chamber.

The room had walls of clear plasma. Fish of luminescent yellow, orange, and green swam on the other side. Five Gungan Bosses, their frames bedecked with brown robes, sat on disklike benches along a circular platform. Their skin was mottled like Jar Jar’s, but their faces were flat, with noses rather than snouts. Qui-Gon assumed they were of a different subspecies than Jar Jar.

Boss Nass was more resplendent than the others, his seat central and more elevated. As Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stepped onto the platform, he spoke grimly. “Yousa cannot bees hare. Dis army of mackineeks up dare, ’tis new weesong!”

“That droid army,” Qui-Gon replied, “is about to attack the Naboo. We must warn them.”

“Wesa no like the Naboo!” the Boss thundered. “Un dey no like ussens. Da Naboo tink dey so smarty. Dey tink dey brains so big.”

A rivalry. Two advanced species, one resenting the other. No wonder Naboo could be so easily invaded.

Qui-Gon’s hope for a pact with the Gungans was fading fast.

“After those droids take control of the surface,” Obi-Wan said levelly, “they will come here and take control of you.”

“No, mesa no tink so,” Boss Nass replied. “Mesa scant talkie witda Naboo, and no nutten talkie wit outlaunders. Dos mackineeks no comen here — dey not know of ussen.”

“You and the Naboo form a symbiont circle,” Obi-Wan said. “What happens to one of you will affect the other. You must understand this.”

“Wesa wish no nuttin in yousa things, outlaunder, and wesa no caren about da Naboo.”

There was no time for a battle of wills. Qui-Gon passed his hand through the air, a subtle gesture that gave no hint of the Jedi mind control it sent over Boss Nass. “Then speed us on our way.”

The change was instant. Qui-Gon saw it in Boss Nass’s eyes. “Wesa ganna speed yousa away,” he said.

“We could use a transport,” Qui-Gon demanded.

“Wesa give yousa una bongo. Da speedest way tooda Naboo ’tis goen through da planet core. Now go.”

Qui-Gon bowed. “Thank you for your help. We go in peace.”

As he and his Padawan turned to leave, Obi-Wan whispered, “Master, what's a bongo?”

“A transport, I hope,” Qui-Gon replied.

“Deyza setten yousa up!” Jar Jar called out. “Goen through da planet core bad bombin!”

Qui-Gon hesitated. The Gungan was in cuffs, his arms held tightly by guards on either side.

“Thank you, my friend,” Qui-Gon said.

Jar Jar smiled beseechingly. “Ahhhh, any hep hare would be hot.”

“We are short of time, Master,” Obi-Wan pleaded impatiently.

“We’ll need a navigator to get us through the planet’s core,” Qui-Gon replied. “This Gungan may be of help.” Turning back toward Boss Nass, he asked, “What is to become of Jar Jar Binks here?”

“Binkss brokeen da nocombackie law,” the Boss answered. “Hisen to be pune-ished.”

“He has been a great help to us,” Qui-Gon said. “I hope the punishment will not be too severe.”

Boss Nass’s face hardened. “Pounded unto death!”

“Ooooh... ouch!” Jar Jar cried out.

Qui-Gon thought quickly. Jar Jar had made a promise when they’d first met — a life debt — and now it was time to collect.

“We need a navigator to get us through the planet’s core,” Qui-Gon said. “I saved his life. He owes me what you call a... life debt.”

“Binks!” the Boss shouted. “Yousa havena live-play with thisen hisen?”

Jar Jar nodded.

Once again Qui-Gon waved his arm gently toward Boss Nass. “Your gods demand that his life belongs to me now.”

“Hisen life ’tis yousa, outlaunder,” said Boss Nass, swayed by the Jedi mind trick. “Begone wit him!”

Jar Jar stiffened. “Count mesa outta dis! Better dead here den deader in da core!”

As his words echoed in the chamber, his face suddenly fell. “Ye guds, whata mesa sayin?”

Qui-Gon kept calm as the bongo careened away from Otoh Gunga. Fortunately the vessel itself was nimble and seaworthy. Its triangular body fanned back from a stubby nose and carried behind it a set of rotating fins for propulsion.

“Dis is nutsen,” Jar Jar muttered.

In the pilot’s seat, Obi-Wan quickly familiarized himself with the controls. Finally he threw up his hands in frustration. “Master, why do you keep dragging these pathetic life-forms along with us?”

Qui-Gon smiled.

“Hey!” Jar Jar cried out. “Where wesa goen?”

“Just relax. The Force will guide us,” Qui-Gon said calmly.

“Oooooh, maxibig — da Force,” Jar Jar said sarcastically. “Wellen, dat smells stinkowiff.”

The bongo jerked to the left, into a dark channel. Obi-Wan switched on the floodlights, and a world of vibrant colors seemed to jump at them — twisting beds of red and golden coral, strange luminescent fish that seemed to change hue as they swam, ominous shapes camouflaged among the rocks.

“Why were you banished, Jar Jar?” Obi-Wan asked warily.

“’Tis a longo tello,” Jar Jar said with a sigh, “but a small part wowdabee mesa... oooh... aah... clumsy.”

Obi-Wan looked skeptical. “You were banished because you’re clumsy?”

“Yousa mighten be sayin dat.” Jar Jar shrugged sheepishly. “Mesa causeed mabee one or duey let-tal-bitty axadentes — yud say, boom da gasser — un crash der Bosses’ heyblibber. Den banished.”

Boom da gasser? Heyblibber?

CRRRRUNCH!

The bongo abruptly lurched sideways.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan spun around toward the rear window — and looked into the open jaws of a giant sea creature that was about to swallow them!

An opee sea killer!

Obi-Wan quickly swung the lever back. The bongo’s engine’s screamed briefly, then propelled the ship forward again.

The monster let go and fell away.

“Wesa free!” Jar Jar cheered.

Qui-Gon looked back again and realized that Obi-Wan’s actions had little to do with their freedom.

Another floating behemoth, long and eel-like and massive enough to dwarf the helpless opee, closed its jaws around its prey and broke its head off.

Jar Jar stared in awe. “Eaten by sando aqua monstair.”

“There’s always a bigger fish,” Qui-Gon said with a shrug.

But their troubles were not over. The bongo’s lights flickered, and the steady whine of the power drive petered out.

“We’re losing power!” Obi-Wan was shouting, reaching for his tool kit.

“O-o-o-oh!” Jar Jar moaned, wringing his rubbery arms.

“Stay calm," Qui-Gon said. “We’re not in trouble yet.”

“What yet?” Jar Jar exclaimed. “Monstairs out dare, leaken in hare, allen sinken, and no-o-o-o power. When yousa tink wesa in trouble?”

“Power's back!” Obi-Wan interrupted.

The power drive clicked in, the lights flicked on — and a set of enormous fangs loomed out the darkness.

“Monstairs back!” Jar Jar shouted.

Obi-Wan pulled the steering mechanism to the right. The bongo jerked sharply away. The fish chomped on water.

“Dissa colo claw fish wit a fangs fulla poison!” Jar Jar screamed. “Wesa in trouble now!”

“Relax.” Qui-Gon put his hand on Jar Jar’s shoulder. The Gungan had become irrational and was now a burden to himself and the voyage. Qui-Gon decided it was time to make Jar Jar sleep.

Jar Jar collapsed to the floor.

“I think you overdid it,” Obi-Wan remarked.

The bongo shot into a long coral tunnel, chased by the colo claw fish, whose flat, sleek, legless body gave it tremendous speed. At the other end of the tunnel, Qui-Gon hoped, would be enough open sea to accelerate.

He wasn’t expecting to see the sando aqua monster again. But it was waiting.

The creature opened its jaws. Obi-Wan steered abruptly away. “This is not good!”

“Wesa dead yet?” groaned Jar Jar, sitting up groggily.

The bongo turned wildly away from the tunnel exit. The colo claw fish darted out after them.

Jar Jar fainted again.

With a thundering chomp, the sando’s jaw closed around the colo claw fish.

Jar Jar woke up.

“Yousa bring us up faster!” Jar Jar directed.

The terror was behind them now. The bongo moved steadily upward through brightening water. Obi-Wan switched off the floodlights.

As they broke through the surface, Qui-Gon had to grin. Jar Jar, for once, had navigated well. They had emerged into an urban river, surrounded by the city of Theed. It was far more exquisite than the holograms he’d studied. Among thick, luxuriant trees stood the gently domed Naboo buildings. Each was constructed of warm, muted brick, yet the variety of styles created a pleasing harmony between architecture and nature.

As Obi-Wan retracted the bubble canopies, a fresh breeze brought with it the hubbub of workaday activity and the sweet songs of birds. He switched off the engine and let the bongo float.

“Wesa dude it!” Jar Jar crowed. “Wesa safe now.”

But Qui-Gon could not focus on Theed nor on the birdsongs. The current was pulling the bongo backward fast. Too fast.

Behind him, he heard a dull, distant roar. “Get this thing started!” he commanded.

Jar Jar sat back, grinning contentedly. “Dissen berry good, hey?”

“What is it, Master?” Obi-Wan asked.

He followed Qui-Gon’s glance toward the water’s horizon. It was flat and approaching fast, which meant only one thing — a waterfall.

Obi-Wan snapped forward and started the bongo’s engine, startling Jar Jar. “Whaaaat?” the Gungan cried, glancing over his shoulder. “Oie boie!”

As the bongo sputtered to life, Obi-Wan jammed it into forward drive. The rotors began to turn. The engine whined.

Thirty meters.

Fifteen meters.

WHIRRRRRRRR...

Five meters.

As the bongo fought the current, its rotors whipped the surface wildly. The water thundered.

The rotors began to jut over the edge. The bongo slowed until it was motionless, matching the current with an equal, opposite force.

Then slowly, almost imperceptibly, the bongo began moving again.

Forward.

Qui-Gon glanced at the control panel over his Padawan’s shoulder. The power gauge was creeping toward maximum.

The fuel gauge, however, was at empty.

Qui-Gon immediately reached for his utility belt. He closed his fingers around his grappling-spike launcher.

With a cough and a wheeze, the bongo’s engine died. The back end shot out over the waterfall.

“Iyiiiiii!” Jar Jar cried. “Wesa die-en here!”

Qui-Gon took aim. With a piercing ring, the metal cable flew toward the riverbank and wrapped itself around a railing.

The bongo jammed to a halt; its rear dangled over the waterfall.

They’d have to shimmy along the cable.

“Come on!” Qui-Gon urged.

Obi-Wan climbed out of the cockpit. Wrapping his legs around it, he swung out over the water and inched his way toward land.

Qui-Gon went next. “Come on, Jar Jar!” he called.

“No!” Jar Jar stared at the cable with terror. “Too scary!”

“Get up here!” Obi-Wan commanded.

“No — a mighty no!” Jar Jar shook his head defiantly — and caught his first glimpse of the waterfall. “Oie boie!”

Shaking, he grabbed the cable. “Mesa comen! Mesa comen!”

Once he’d reached safety, they could make their way to Theed.

Qui-Gon crouched low. Slowly he and his companions tiptoed along a stone walkway that overlooked the Palace of Theed.

They were too late.

Below them, the courtyard teemed with tanks and battle droids. Against the peaceful people of Naboo, the Trade Federation’s attack had been swift and unstoppable.

Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Jar Jar hid behind stone pillars and watched.

A battalion of droids marched in front of the palace. In their midst were the Queen and her courtiers.

Qui-Gon was stunned, not only by the brilliance of the black travel gown and the jeweled headdress, but by the Queen herself. Even in a crowd of a thousand, Queen Amidala would stand out. Qui-Gon had been told she was no more than a child, weak and politically inexperienced — yet the young woman who strode across the courtyard radiated power and grace. Her eyes were piercing and wise, and she carried herself with a defiant serenity.

Behind her followed five handmaidens, six palace guards, a security captain, and a white-bearded man who Qui-Gon thought might be the governor of Naboo, Sio Bibble.

Qui-Gon readied his lightsaber. As the procession approached the walkway, he gave the others a signal.

Together, they jumped.

The snap of droid lasers filled the air before Qui-Gon hit the ground.

His wrists twitched with swift precision, blocking each blast with his lightsaber blade.

The lasers shot backward. Four droids exploded, their mangled remnants hurtling in the air.

Then four more. Victims of Obi-Wan.

The droids came in pairs, fours, sixes. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stood their ground. Let them come to you, the Jedi code decreed.

Soon only their leader was left.

Qui-Gon held up his right hand. The Force coursed through him, lifting the droid high and returning it for a final devastating thrust of Qui-Gon’s lightsaber.

The acrid smell of errant electrons and molten metal settled. The Queen and her courtiers stared in amazement.

“Yousa guys bombad!” Jar Jar cried out.

“Your Highness,” Qui-Gon said, stepping forward, “we are the ambassadors for the Supreme Chancellor.”

The Queen only nodded.

“Your negotiations seem to have failed, Ambassador,” said Governor Sio Bibble.

“The negotiations never took place,” Qui-Gon replied. “Your Highness, we must make contact with the Republic.”

The security captain stepped forward. “I am Captain Panaka, Head of Security for the Queen. The Trade Federation has knocked out all our communications.”

“Do you have any transports?” Qui-Gon asked.

“In the main hangar. This way.” Walking briskly, Captain Panaka led them into the hangar.

The group ran down a long hallway. At the end was a small door. Captain Panaka cracked it open and cautiously peered in.

Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Jar Jar looked over his shoulder into an immense hangar. The Naboo Royal Starship was unmistakable, sleek and elegant, clad in burnished white chromium. Around it were several smaller Naboo craft. All were guarded by droids.

The Queen could not stay on Naboo. The Trade Federation’s actions were unpredictable, savage. If they caught her again, there was no telling what they would do.

The planet’s only hope lay in the Queen pleading her case before the Senate herself, on Coruscant.

“Your Highness,” Qui-Gon said, “under the circumstances, I suggest you come to Coruscant with us.”

“Thank you, Ambassador.” Her voice was startlingly low and serene, and more forceful for the fact that she was finally addressing him directly. “But my place is here with my people.”

“They will kill you if you stay,” Qui-Gon insisted.

“They wouldn’t dare,” Sio Bibble said.

“They need her to sign a treaty to make this invasion of theirs legal,” Captain Panaka explained. “They can’t afford to kill her.”

“The situation here is not what it seems,” Qui-Gon pressed on. “There is something else behind all this, Your Highness. There is no logic in the Federation’s move here. My feelings tell me they will destroy you.”

Sio Bibble nodded in agreement. “Please, Your Highness, reconsider. Our only hope is for the Senate to side with us. Senator Palpatine will need your help.”

“Getting past their blockade is impossible, Your Highness,” Captain Panaka protested. “Any attempt to escape will be dangerous.”

“Your Highness, I will stay here and do what I can,” Sio Bibble promised. “But you must leave.”

Queen Amidala turned to her trusted handmaidens. “Either choice presents a great danger to us all.”

“We are brave, Your Highness,” replied one of the young women.

“If you are to leave, Your Highness,” Qui-Gon urged, “it must be now.”

“Then I will plead our case to the Senate,” Queen Amidala said resolutely. “Padmé, Eirtaé, and Rabé, you will accompany me. The rest will stay. Be careful, Governor.”

Captain Panaka threw open the door to the hangar. Guard droids turned to face the intruders.

“There are too many of them,” Captain Panaka warned.

“That won’t be a problem,” Qui-Gon said, sounding more confident than he felt.

Captain Panaka gestured toward a corner of the hangar, where a group of Naboo pilots and flight workers were being held prisoner by droids.

“We need to free those pilots,” he said.

“I’ll handle that,” Obi-Wan vowed, peeling off in their direction.

Led by Qui-Gon, the others headed for the Royal Starship. At the vessel’s ramp, a droid stepped into Qui-Gon’s path. “Where are you going?” it demanded.

“I’m the ambassador for the Supreme Chancellor,” Qui-Gon replied, “and I’m taking these people to Coruscant.”

“You’re under arrest!”

With a sudden whir of gears, the droid squad reached for blasters.

But Qui-Gon was faster. In one motion he activated his lightsaber and slashed through the group in a precise stroke that reduced them to smoldering steel.

Across the hangar, Obi-Wan’s lightsaber flashed fiercely, quickly destroying the other droids. The Naboo prisoners ran free, the Royal Starship team toward their spacecraft and the others toward the hangar door.

Now they would have to escape.

ZINNGGGG! ZINNGGGG! ZINNGGGG! ZINNGGGG!

A dozen shots ricocheted off the side of the ship as Qui-Gon leaped inside as the hatch slid shut.

The ship rocked with the force of the laser fire. Through the starship viewport, Qui-Gon watched the open bay.

With a thrust of sublight engines, the Royal Starship shot into the stratosphere.

Qui-Gon stood up and walked toward the bridge, where the Naboo pilot worked the controls. “Thank you...”

“Olié. Ric Olié.” The pilot stared intently at the damage monitor, switching between view modes. Several areas of the ship, highlighted in green, showed significant destruction.

“Damage?” Qui-Gon asked.

“We’re still up,” Olié said. “Hard to tell if anything’s off, but we’ll soon find out.”

“The Queen —?”

“In her chambers, with her handmaidens.” Through the ship’s viewpoint, the Trade Federation battleship was growing larger. Olié punched the transmitter controls. “Our communications are still jammed.”

Behind them Jar Jar paced nervously, chattering to himself. Qui-Gon found it difficult to think with all the racket.

Clearly, so did Obi-Wan. Suddenly spinning around, he took Jar Jar by the hand and led him into the ship’s storage hold, where the R2 repair droids were kept. “Stay here and keep out of trouble.”

Without waiting for a reply, he left and shut the door behind him.

The starship began to rock violently. “There’s the blockade," Ric Olié said. “Hang on.”

BWEEEEP! BWEEEEP!

A cockpit alarm sounded as a warning light flashed. “The shield generator’s been hit!” Ric Olié said. “Our deflector shields can’t withstand this. Power down. I hope the repair droids can fix it.”

From the storage hold came a cry of fear — Jar Jar.

Qui-Gon knew that was a good sign. It meant the R2 units were swinging into action. In moments they would be outside the ship, clinging to the hull as they began repairs on the generator.

“Stay on course!” Captain Panaka shouted to the pilot.

“Do you have a cloaking device?” Qui-Gon asked.

“No, this is not a warship,” Captain Panaka replied. “We have no weapons. We’re a nonviolent people. That is why the Trade Federation attacked us.”

As if in answer to the captain’s observation, the Trade Federation ship opened fire.

THOOOOOOM!

Heavy quadlaser batteries. Strictly for battle-ship-on-battleship attacks. The tiny Royal Starship didn’t stand a chance.

Qui-Gon held on tight as the ship jolted. Above them he heard the quick, efficient scraping sounds of five working droids.

Smmack! Smmmmack! Smmmmack!

Two droids.

“We’re losing droids fast!” Obi-Wan exclaimed.

“If they can’t get those shield generators fixed, we will be sitting ducks,” Captain Panaka warned.

Ric Olié’s face went pale. “The shields are gone!”

SMMMMACK!

Another R2 exploded into the vacuum. The remaining one smoldered, its control panel mangled by a laser hit.

One droid to do the job of five.

Ric Olié pushed the starship forward. It was their only defense.

The little blue R2 unit jerked sharply with the motion of the ship. The broken wiring in its claws nearly slipped.

A flash of blue.

A jolt.

A deep hum.

“Power’s back!” Olié cried out. “That little droid did it! He bypassed the main power drive. Deflector shields up — at maximum!”

The Naboo Royal Starship accelerated. As it sped away from the blockade, the Trade Federation quadlasers glanced harmlessly off its shields.

The droid climbed back into the hatch, disappearing from the monitor.

At this point, readers who chose to follow the adventure in the Star Wars Adventures Game Book can return to Danger on Naboo.

Obi-Wan settled into the copilot’s seat beside Ric Olié, whose grim glance was fixed on the fuel gauge. “There’s not enough power to get us to Coruscant. The hyperdrive is leaking.”

Qui-Gon glanced up at a monitor that displayed a star chart. “We’ll have to land somewhere to refuel and repair the ship.”

“Here, Master,” Obi-Wan said, pointing to a bright golden planet circling a double sun. “Tatooine. It’s small, out of the way, poor. The Trade Federation has no presence there.”

“How can you be sure?” Captain Panaka asked. Qui-Gon knew the planet. Tatooine was a haven for thieves and soldiers of fortune, and a defiant nonsignatory to the Galactic Republic. It was dry, hot, and primitive, led by a craven race of creatures who had enslaved the natives for eons. “It’s controlled by the Hutts,” he said.

Captain Panaka was dismayed. “The Hutts?”

“It’s risky,” Obi-Wan said, ”but there’s no alternative.”

“You can’t take her Royal Highness there!” Captain Panaka protested. “The Hutts are gangsters! If they discovered her —”

“It would be no different than if we landed on a system controlled by the Federation,” Qui-Gon said. “Except the Hutts aren’t looking for her... which gives us an advantage.”

Ric Olié nodded slowly.

Three against one. Captain Panaka was outnumbered.

Leaving Ric Olié at the controls, the others retrieved the R2 unit and brought it before the Queen.

Proudly Captain Panaka described the repair droid’s feat. “It is an extremely well-put-together little droid. Without a doubt, it saved our ship as well as our lives.”

“It is to be commended,” the Queen said resolutely. “What is its number?”

“R2-D2, Your Highness,” Captain Panaka announced.

“Thank you, R2-D2, you have proven to be very loyal.” Queen Amidala turned to her handmaidens. “Padmé, clean up this droid the best you can. It deserves our gratitude. Now, continue, Captain. What else did you want to tell me?”

Captain Panaka glanced nervously at Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

“Your Highness,” Qui-Gon spoke up, “we are heading for a remote planet called Tatooine. It is a system far beyond the reach of the Trade Federation. There we will be able to make needed repairs, then travel on to Coruscant.”

“Your Highness, Tatooine is very dangerous,” Captain Panaka added. “It’s controlled by gangsters called Hutts. I do not agree with the Jedi on this.”

“You must trust my judgment, Your Highness,” Qui-Gon insisted.

As Padmé escorted R2-D2 back to the hold, Qui-Gon examined Amidala’s face for a hint of her decision. She was young. She would feel the obligation to her older, wiser captain.

And if she did, her planet’s doom was assured.

Finally she turned to Captain Panaka and nodded. “Captain, go to Ric Olié immediately.”

Captain Panaka smiled. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Tell him,” Queen Amidala continued, “to proceed to Tatooine at once.”

11.6.18.15.14.5-1