Star Wars - Episode I Adventures 012 - The Bongo Rally Read online

  Jar Jar remembered that the transport tube led to a nearby sub pen bubble. He ran through the tube and reached the sub pen just as the complex was shaken by another explosion.

  Inside the sub pen, Jar Jar saw Spleed Nukkels preparing a sleek, green bongo for departure. “Jar Jar!” exclaimed Nukkels, surprised by the sudden appearance of the Slather-covered Gungan. “What happen to yousa?”

  Before Jar Jar could answer, yet another explosion sounded, and the sub pen shuddered. Nukkels shouted, “Get inda bongo pronto!” Following Nukkel’s lead, Jar Jar scrambled into the cockpit and landed in the passenger seat. Nukkels activated the bongo’s hydrostatic canopy, and the protective field instantly sealed them in. Although the transparent canopy could be used as a portal zone to enter and exit the bongo, its primary function was to keep water out of the sub’s air-filled interior.

  Nukkels punched the bongo’s ignition and accelerated, launching the vessel neatly out of the sub pen bubble. As she scanned the waters for the red sub, she said, “Dos mackineeks stole mesa red bongo from dat sub pen!” She cast a suspicious glance at Jar Jar’s grease-covered body and asked, “What you been rollen in?”

  “Mesa use slippery goo to get outta da lab,” Jar Jar explained. “Where’s Lob Dizz and Neb Neb?"

  “Deysa goen to tryen fix da Otoh Gunga comm beacon,” Nukkels answered. “Lob Dizz tinks da pirates is ganna tryen attack da arena again. Mesa volunteered to speed to alert Boss Nass.”

  At the mention of Boss Nass, Jar Jar felt even more nervous than he’d been when he was trying to escape from the lab bubble. He wondered if Boss Nass would be angry with him for not going straight to work at his mansion. But Jar Jar’s thoughts were interrupted by the sight of the red sub, which the droids had maneuvered high over Lob Dizz’s laboratory bubble.

  At the bottom of the red sub’s outer hull, the panel slid back again and another explosive ball was launched. It moved slowly toward the lab bubble.

  “Mesa ganna tryen stop dat explosive from blowen up da lab,” Nukkels declared as she accelerated, heading straight for the sinking explosive.

  “Yousa cawazy?” Jar Jar yelped. “Yousa ganna get uss-ens pasted!”

  “No worry-en!” Nukkels insisted as she sped past the explosive ball, missing it by millimeters. Just as Nukkels hoped, the explosive was dragged into the bongo’s wake. As soon as the bongo traveled beyond the lab bubble, Nukkels slowed down and the explosive sank to the lake floor, where it exploded without damaging any habitat bubbles.

  “Whew!” Jar Jar sighed in relief. “Dat was some trick, Nukkels.”

  “Mesa no tink da mackineeks isa so heppy,” Nukkels said as she pulled back on the controls. “Hair dey come!”

  Jar Jar sighted the red bongo’s approach. The droids were speeding on a collision course with him and Nukkels.

  Much to Jar Jar’s astonishment, Nukkels maintained her course and accelerated, heading straight for the droids’ oncoming bongo. “What yousa tinken yousa doen?” Jar Jar gasped.

  “Mesa playen,” Nukkels replied.

  Jar Jar couldn’t believe his ears. He had heard that reckless pilots sometimes raced toward each other to see who would be the first to try and avoid a collision, but he’d never believed such stories were true.

  Jar Jar wanted to tell Nukkels to steer away from the droids, but fear made the words catch in his throat. The droids’ bongo was now so close that Jar Jar could clearly see their photoreceptors glowing within their cockpit. Certain that the two bongos were going to crash, Jar Jar threw his hands over his eyes.

  Jar Jar shifted in his seat as Nukkels veered left and brought the bongo into a steep rapid dive. Uncovering his eyes, he realized that Nukkels had steered out of the path of the droids’ bongo, but he was more angry than relieved. “Yousa losen yousa mind?” Jar Jar shrieked. “Why yousa playen wit dos mackineeks?”

  Keeping her voice even, Nukkels answered, “Mesa wanten to know just how bombad dey is at handlin a bongo. Now mesa know.”

  “Oh,” Jar Jar responded. “So, yousa better pilot dan dem, yes?”

  “Course mesa better pilot dan any mackineek!” Nukkels answered, clearly offended. “Boot now mesa know just how much better.”

  The droids raced away from Otoh Gunga, and Nukkels gave chase. The green bongo stayed on the red bongo’s tail as it angled around a towering rock formation. Just then, Jar Jar sighted the yellow running lights of another submersible vessel beyond the droids. He recognized the vessel as the ferry he’d seen earlier.

  The interior of the ferry was illuminated by soft yellow lights; although it was some distance away, it appeared to be empty except for the pilot’s shadowy form in the cockpit. Jar Jar feared that the droids would attack the ferry, but the droids raced past the large sub and headed into deeper waters. At first, Jar Jar was slightly relieved that the droids had spared the ferry, but then he realized the droids were heading for Lake Umberbool.

  “Looks like Lob Dizz is right,” Nukkels said. “Dos mackineeks isa probably goen to attack da arena!”

  Neb Neb Goodrow watched as Lob Dizz tried her best to reactivate the Otoh Gunga comm beacon from the beacon’s control center in a bubble not far from Lob Dizz’s laboratory. The control center had suffered a heavy bombardment from explosives, but Lob Dizz was still hopeful she could somehow send a warning to Boss Nass.

  “Curse dat Captain Swagg!” Lob Dizz muttered. “Dese controls isa totally shot. Wesa better hope dat Spleed Nukkels gets to Lake Umberbool soonest.”

  “Nukkels’ll get dare,” Goodrow said. “Yousa no worry. At least da pirates no bombin Otoh Gunga no mure.”

  It was true, there hadn’t been any explosions in several minutes, but Lob Dizz didn’t take much comfort in that fact. She glared at Goodrow and said, “At least when dare were explosions, wesa knew where da pirates was. Now wesa have no idea where dey is.”

  Goodrow shrugged. “So, what wesa ganna do inda meanwhiles? Go back to yousa lab?”

  Lob Dizz’s eyes went wide with alarm. “Jar Jar!” she said. “My forgotten. Let’s get goen!”

  Goodrow followed Lob Dizz out of the control room and into a transport tube, where they headed back to the laboratory bubble. On their way, they passed the large sub pen that was reserved for the Lake Umberbool ferry. As they approached the junction for the sub pen, they saw a Gungan lying motionless on the walkway.

  Lob Dizz ran to the prone form and put her right ear to his chest. “Hisen still breathen,” she said. “Looks like Captain Swagg is leaven a trail of knocked-out Gungans.”

  Goodrow studied the unconcious Gungan’s features and said, “Hey, my know dat guy. Hisen da pilot of da ferry from Lake Umberbool.”

  “Oh, no,” Lob Dizz gasped. “If dis is da ferry pilot, den da pirate musta got da ferry!”

  Leaving the ferry behind, the red bongo zoomed faster through the water. Spleed Nukkels increased speed and didn’t let the droids out of her sight. Even though Jar Jar was a bit queasy, he had to admit that Nukkels was an extremely skilled pilot.

  The droids’ bongo dove toward the lake floor in an effort to evade Nukkels’ pursuit. As Nukkels and Jar Jar closed in on the red sub, the droids released two explosives into their path. Nukkels swerved hard, raising her port engine forty-five degrees so that the green bongo traveled with its starboard side facing the lake floor. Jar Jar felt his stomach roll as Nukkels steered the bongo between the two explosives. When the two explosives were safely behind them, Nukkels righted the bongo and Jar Jar heard twin explosions as the deployed weapons struck the rocks below.

  Nukkels followed the red bongo through a narrow strait between two underwater mountains. Seconds later, both vessels had entered Lake Umberbool. As the distance closed between the two bongos, the arena came into view. Its central bubble was a mammoth orb, designed to accommodate twenty thousand Gungan spectators. Four large habitat bubbles were situated around the central arena bubble, and each habitat bubble was linked to three sub pens. There was little sub traffic in the
area, as most Gungans were already inside the bubbles, waiting for the start of the Bongo Rally.

  The droids headed straight for the nearest sub pen, then cut their bongo’s speed as they neared one of the pen’s hydrostatic portal zones. Despite its reduced velocity, the red sub zoomed into the pen too fast and smashed into a docking brace.

  Spleed Nukkels sped for the sub pen’s portal zone and killed the engine, but the bongo continued traveling at a high speed. Jar Jar was certain they were going to crash into the back of the red sub, and he was about to let out a loud scream when Nukkels’s left hand shot out and she punched a button to deploy the bongo’s drag chute. The collapsible chute released from the stern, popped open, and instantly filled with water. As the green bongo glided slowly through the sub pen’s portal zone and drew up behind the droids’ bongo, Jar Jar said, “Mesa wishen yousa tellin mesa yousa ganna do dat!”

  “Mabee next time,” Nukkels answered.

  With a mild thud, the green bongo struck the back of the droid’s crashed bongo. Only then did Jar Jar and Nukkels notice the lone Gungan attendant who stood near the transport tube that linked the sub pen with the nearest bubble. The attendant looked stunned.

  “Good ting da mackineeks no crashen during rush hour,” Nukkels remarked as she deactivated the green bongo’s hydrostatic field and pulled herself out of her seat. “Come on,” she urged Jar Jar. “Da mackineeks isa still in da bongo.”

  Jar Jar followed Nukkels out of the cockpit and onto the deck of the sub pen. Before they could warn the startled attendant, he peered into the crashed vessel to see if there were any survivors. Suddenly, with a violent wrenching sound, both droids tore themselves free from the wreckage.

  The attendant drew an electropole and bravely advanced toward the droids. One droid swung out with a skeletal arm and clubbed the attendant’s neck, knocking the Gungan to the deck. As both droids bolted for the transport tube that led to the nearby habitat bubble, Nukkels and Jar Jar ran to the fallen attendant.

  “Yousa okeyday?” Jar Jar asked.

  “Dat mackineek packed a wallop!” the attendant answered as he rubbed his neck. Too dizzy to rise, he handed his weapon to Nukkels and said, “Take mesa electropole un go after dem.”

  Nukkels accepted the electropole and ran out of the sub pen, followed closely by Jar Jar. They entered the transport tube just in time to see the chrome-plated droids running down the tube’s ramp and turning left into the arena’s south habitat bubble.

  An empty cargo sled rested alongside the curved wall of the transport tube. The quick-thinking Nukkels sprang for the cargo sled and threw all her weight onto it, launching the repulsorcraft down the length of the tube.

  “Wait for mesa!” Jar Jar wailed as he ran with great, loping strides after Nukkels. He watched in amazement as Nukkels — clutching the electropole in one hand — expertly banked left and steered the sled after the droids.

  Then he heard Nukkels shout, and the sound of the sled crashing.

  Jar Jar ran faster through the tube, hoping that Spleed Nukkels was all right. When he reached the end and turned left, he nearly stumbled into the overturned luggage sled. Just beyond the cart, Nukkels was lying on the floor. Jar Jar ran to her side.

  “Ouches,” Nukkels said as she reached to her left foot.

  “What happened?” Jar Jar asked.

  “My fallen off da sled un twisted mesa ankle,” Nukkels said, wincing at the pain. She handed the electropole to Jar Jar and said, “Yousa gotta go after dem mackineeks.”

  “All b-b-by myself?” Jar Jar stammered.

  “GO!” Nukkels shouted.

  Jar Jar took the electropole and ran into the arena’s south bubble, leaving Nukkels behind. Even though Jar Jar had some experience in fighting Captain Swagg’s droids, he wasn’t looking forward to the idea of combating the two chrome-plated pirates on his own.

  The south bubble was a large complex of restaurants and lodgings for the Gungans who attended the Festival of Warriors in Lake Umberbool. Jar Jar caught sight of the two droids as they ran past an eatery.

  “Stoppa dare!” Jar Jar shouted.

  One droid kept running, but the other stopped in front of the eatery and turned to confront Jar Jar. At the eatery’s entrance rested a large barrel that contained hundreds of fresh nyorks, carnivorous jumping mollusks that Gungans considered a great delicacy. The droid picked up the barrel and threw it at Jar Jar.

  Jar Jar tried to leap aside, but the barrel clipped his shoulder and sent him tumbling. The barrel smashed to the floor, sending the small nyorks scattering in all directions. Three nyorks landed on Jar Jar’s face, and he couldn’t help popping the snapping mollusks into his mouth as he jumped to his feet, never letting go of the electropole.

  Jar Jar’s skirmish with the droid attracted the attention of several other Gungans. The others realized that the droid was an invader, and they ran to Jar Jar’s aid. Amazingly, none of them saw the other droid as he darted into a transport tube that led to the central arena bubble. Before Jar Jar could alert his fellow Gungans, the barrel-throwing assailant trained its three bright photoreceptors on Jar Jar and remarked, “I’ve had about enough of you.”

  The droid stretched out his arms and lunged at Jar Jar. More out of reflex than cunning, Jar Jar raised the electropole defensively, not knowing that the weapon was set at full power. The electropole lanced straight through the droid’s torso and tore out of his backplate. It was fried by the massive shock, and its body — still pierced by the electropole — crashed to the floor. The droid’s three photoreceptors went black.

  A small group of Gungan onlookers rushed to Jar Jar’s side and looked down at the fallen droid. “Listen,” Jar Jar said as he stepped away from droid. “Da racer Spleed Nukkels is lyen around dat corner wit a twisted ankle...”

  Remembering the second droid, Jar Jar bolted from the eatery and entered the nearby transport tube. There was no sign of the other droid, but Jar Jar ran on through the tube.

  He entered the lowest level of the arena bubble’s outer hub through the transport tube. The hub was a brightly lit corridor that encircled the entire arena, and the lowest level was reserved for maintenance workers and competitors.

  Jar Jar scanned the area outside the end of the transport tube and spied approximately two dozen Gungans. Among the green- and gray-clad janitors, plumbers, and energy technicians, one colorfully uniformed figure stood out: a professional bongo pilot. Wearing an orange helmet, purple jumpsuit, thick gloves, and boots, the pilot was completely concealed, but his name — Brooboo Seep — was emblazoned in yellow characters across the back of his jumpsuit. Jar Jar recognized Seep’s name. He was one of the most popular contestants in the Bongo Rally.

  Since bongo pilots usually didn’t put on their helmets until they boarded their racing vessels, Jar Jar wondered why Seep had his on. Jar Jar also noticed that Seep’s movements were a bit stiff. Just then, Jar Jar was distracted by the sound of a low moan coming from a nearby egg-shaped trash receptacle.

  The receptacle rested next to the wall near a janitor’s closet. Jar Jar ran over the receptacle and popped open the ovoid lid. Inside the receptacle, on top of a pile of rubbish, lay the dazed form of a lean male Gungan wearing nothing but his undertrunks.

  “What happen to yousa?” Jar Jar asked as he helped the Gungan out of the trash.

  “My no know,” the Gungan answered. “My was on me way tada starten line when my got clobbered.”

  “Hey, if yousa was goen tooda starten line, dat mean yousa bongo racer?”

  “Mesa Brooboo Seep,” claimed the injured fellow.

  “What?” Jar Jar exclaimed, then realized that the droid had stolen Seep’s helmet and clothes. He looked down the corridor just in time to see the disguised droid lurch past a Gungan security guard and into a water-filled transparent lift tube. Patting Seep on the arm, Jar Jar ordered, “Stay hair. Mesa send hep.”

  Jar Jar left Seep slumped over against the trash and sprinted down the corridor to the lift
tube. Before he could reach the security guard, a mass of bubbles formed at the bottom of the lift tube and pushed the lift up, carrying the disguised droid to the interior of the festival arena.

  “Stop dat lift!” Jar Jar shouted at the guard. “Dat’s no Brooboo Seep. Tis a mackineek in Seep’s clothes!”

  The guard glared at him with mild annoyance. “Yousa expictin mesa to believe dat? Haw haw! If yousa no gotta ticket, yousa better move alongo.”

  “How come nobody ever listen to me?” Jar Jar sputtered. He stared hard at the guard and said, “Between hair unda south sub pen daresa wounded attendant, duey wounded bongo pilots, un una pasted mackineek. Yousa just let anutter mackineek waltz right past yousa into da—”

  “Mesa said move alongo!” the guard interrupted, but then he caught sight of a Gungan — clad only in his undertrunks — weaving down the corridor. Temporarily forgetting Jar Jar, the guard left his post and ran after Brooboo Seep.

  Jar Jar used the guard’s departure to his advantage. He stepped up to the lift tube and waited for the lift to return from the upper level. He suspected the droid had already reached the arena. It had a good chance of making a getaway in Brooboo Seep’s own bongo.

  The empty lift descended with a mighty whooshing sound. But when Jar Jar stepped through the tube’s hydrostatic field and entered the lift, he found a frayed cable dangling out of the lift’s control box. The damage didn’t appear too extensive, but when he threw the ascension lever, the lift didn’t go anywhere. The droid had sabotaged it!

  Jar Jar had never been adept with technology, but he was pretty sure the lift might work if he reconnected the frayed cable. His hands trembled as he grasped the two bits of cable, but he managed to align the cable’s ends and pressed them together.

  ZZZZZT! A bright spark ignited at the cable’s connection points, and Jar Jar yelped as he fell back against the inside of the lift. Only then did he realize that the lift was rising rapidly through the transparent tube. “Hooray!” he shouted in triumph.