As far as Captain Tarpals was concerned, Jar Jar Binks was a fugitive from justice. After Tarpals’s Army Transport Sub had docked within the sub pen bubble at the Festival Arena in Lake Umberbool, he immediately placed Jar Jar under arrest. A stickler for details, Tarpals had even fitted Jar Jar Binks with a new set of binders and posted four electropole-wielding guards around the fugitive Gungan. Together, they waited in a chamber outside the arena infirmary.
Jar Jar sat on a chair, facing the standing Tarpals and surrounded by the four guards. “Yousa no listen-n, Cap’n Tarpals!” Jar Jar exclaimed from his seat. “Mesa tellen yousa, mesa sav-ed Boss Nass un Commander Wollod from da Quarry!”
“Mesa hair yousa da firstest time, Jar Jar,” Tarpals said wearily. “Just like mesa hair yousa say dat yousa recovered da missen beasties un rescue-ed da Rep heyblibber.”
Jar Jar lowered his head and sank into the chair. If Captain Tarpals didn’t believe him, Boss Nass probably wouldn’t either. Then Jar Jar remembered the eyewitnesses.
“Ask da bubble engineer!” Jar Jar suggested. “He lookie at mesa bring-n inda dwarf opee sea killers unda albino dianoga. Also ask Rep Teers. Da Rep musta seen mesa make da sando aqua monstair leggo of da sub pen bubble.”
Tarpals sighed. “Dare-sa lotta bubble engineers hair, and all-n dem isa busy. As for Rep Teers, he was knocked out, too. Hisen inda infirmary along wit Boss Nass un Commander Wollod.”
“Den how can yousa explain Vink un Nink ina sub pen?” Jar Jar asked. “Or da dianoga un da Great Hohokum?”
The Captain sighed again. Tarpals himself had found Jar Jar with the Great Hohokum, but for all Tarpals knew, Jar Jar had escaped from the Quarry and was trying to sell the poor creature.
“Waitaminute!” Jar Jar added a bit too loud, making the four guards jump. “Wasn’t dare sum-botty else on da Rep heyblibber? What was da name…? Commander Gasta? Fasta? Naw… Fassa! Dat’s it! Maybe Major Fassa seen mesa fighten da sando aqua monstair?”
Before Captain Tarpals could reply, an old Gungan medic entered the waiting room and approached Tarpals. “Isa yousa Jar Jar Binks?” the medic asked.
One of the four guards started to laugh, then choked it down when he saw Tarpals’s angered gaze.
“Mesa Captain Tarpals,” Tarpals informed the medic. “Isa Boss Nass un da otters ganna be okeydey?”
“Daza all ganna be fine,” the medic answered. “Boss Nass isa done wit da sleepies, un hisen asken to see da brave Jar Jar Binks.”
Jar Jar had never heard the word brave and his own name in the same breath before, but he literally rose to the occasion. Stepping over to Captain Tarpals, he extended his bound wrists, and asked for his binders to be removed.
Tarpals removed the binders and followed Jar Jar and the old medic into the infirmary. There, Boss Nass, Captain Wollod, and Rep Teers rested on three raised gurneys. Wollod and Rep Teers were sedated, but Boss Nass smiled when he saw Jar Jar.
“Come, Jar Jar Binks,” Boss Nass rasped. When Jar Jar had reached Boss Nass’s bedside, the ruler of Otoh Gunga reached up and gripped his right hand. “Mesa remember waken up inda Quarry,” Boss Nass said. “Yousa could’ve leave-ed uss-ens dare, but yousa no leave-ed uss-ens. Mesa berry proud of yousa, Binks.”
“No problem, Boss,” Jar Jar responded. “Mesa know you’da done da same ting for mesa.”
Boss Nass grinned. “Isa dare anyting mesa can do to tank yousa?”
“Hmmm,” Jar Jar said, trying to think of the most incredible reward he could possibly imagine. “Ifn isa possible, mesa wowdabe moto heppy to attend da Festival of Warriors.”
“Isa done deal,” Boss Nass nodded.
Jar Jar beamed. “Also, mabee mesa no gotta go back tada Quarry?”
“Isa done deal, too.”
Jar Jar beamed even brighter. “Also, mabee mesa can go offa da probay-shun?”
Boss Nass laughed, then he shook his head. “No deal dare,” he said firmly. “Yousa ganna stay on probay-shun for a full year.”
Jar Jar shrugged. Two out of three wasn’t bad.
“Dat sounds like a no good deal to mesa,” said a low voice from the entrance to the infirmary. Jar Jar turned to see the speaker, a female Gungan officer of the Grand Army. Her leather uniform was neatly cut, and her long haillu fell down to behind her knees. At the sight of her, Jar Jar felt his throat go dry. She was the most beautiful Gungan he’d ever seen.
“Allow mesa to intro-duce Major Fassa,” Boss Nass intoned.
“Yousa Major Fassa?” Jar Jar exclaimed in bewilderment. When Fassa fixed Jar Jar with an inquisitive gaze, Jar Jar giggled and babbled, “Mesa sorry, but mesa taut Major Fassa wuzza fella.”
Captain Tarpals rolled his eyes. He couldn’t believe Jar Jar would make such a foolish comment. Then he watched as Major Fassa walked directly to Jar Jar and said, “Onda heyblibber, inda core, mesa seen yous attack da sando aqua monstair. Mesa sorry mesa no wait for yousa. Mesa taut yousa were pasted. Becausen yousa sav-ed mesa, mesa now yous servaunt. Tis a live-debett.”
Jar Jar couldn’t believe his ears. Not only did Major Fassa think he was courageous, but she had pledged a life debt to him! As every Gungan knew, this was a serious vow.
“Yousa bein hasty, Fassa,” Boss Nass cautioned.
Major Fassa turned her head to face Boss Nass and asked, “Are youssa sayen dat as da Boss or as me uncle?”
“Uncle?” Jar Jar gasped. He looked from Major Fassa to Boss Nass.
“Dat’s right, Binks,” Boss Nass growled. “Major Fassa isa me niece.”
“So tell mesa, brave master,” Major Fassa addressed Jar Jar. “Will yousa be competen inda Festival of Warriors?”
“Oie boie,” Jar Jar whimpered.
With Major Fassa asking, he would have to compete.
NEXT ADVENTURE:
THE FESTIVAL OF WARRIORS!
11.6.18.15.14.5-1
Star Wars - Episode I Adventures 009 - Rescue in the Core Page 5