The White Phoenix

Part 5

Hopping off the droid ship, I look around nervously. Where could the other two men possibly be? I run towards the forrest edge and out of the glade. I look around trying to stay as quiet as possible so the droids don't notice me. 

Moving closer to the swamp I watch several troop transports moving through the forrest and that's when I notice Qui-Gon running through the strange landscape, glancing back to see the monstrous troop transports, emerging from the mist. I watch in horror as animals begin running past him in a panic as the ships make their way in his direction.

An odd, frog-like creature squats holding a clam he has retrieved from the murky swamp. The creature looks at Qui-Gon and other creatures running like the wind toward him. One of the huge MTT's bears down on the two like a charging locomotive as the creature stands transfixed, still holding the clam shell in one hand.

I hardly hear Qui-Gon yell something at the creature before I decide to follow quickly and quietly. "Quick! Get out of here!" Qui-Gon calls out to the creature. It drops the shell and leaps onto Qui-gon, catching him by surprise.

Once the MTT goes over the two I pull myself out of the bush and race towards the location of Qui-Gon who pulls himself up and out of the mud. "Whas dat?" the creature asks as Qui-Gon starts to walk away to more than likely find Obi-wan. 

"Hey wait!" The creature calls out causing Qui-Gon to grumble under his breath. "Oyi, mooie-mooie! I luv yous!" The creature adds catching up to Qui-Gon and I. "You almost got us killed! Are you brainless?" Qui-Gon retorts catching me off guard. "I spake." The creature says back with a shrug. "The ability to speak does not make you intelligent." I state making my presence known. "Now get outta here!" Qui-Gon snaps at the creature.

"No... no! Mesa stay...Mesa culled Jar Jar Binksss. Mesa yous humble servaunt." JarJar states continuing to follow us. "That won't be necessary." Qui-Gon says trying to discard the creature. "Oh boot tit tis! Tis demunded byda guds it tis." JarJar counters.

In the distance, two STAPS burst out of the mist at high speed, chasing Obi-wan. I throw JarJar into the mud as Qui-Gon calls out "Stay down!" The two troops fire laser bolts at Obi-wan while Qui-gon and I deflect the bolts back, and the STAPS blow up. One-two. I look to Obi-wan who appears exhausted and tries to catch his breath. 

"Yousa sav-ed my again!" JarJar exclaims pulling on my sleeve. "What's this?" Obi-wan asks extremely confused. "A local. Let's go, before more of those droids show up." I state full of energy. "How are you the only one not covered in mud?" Obi-wan asks as we begin moving towards the city. "Work smarter not harder." I grin before we begin to run after Qui-Gon.

"Ex-squeeze me, but de mosta safest place would be GungaCity. Tis where I grew up ... Tis a hidden city." the Gungan says causing us all to stop and look at him curiously. "A city!" Master Qui-Gon exclaims turning to JarJar who nods his head. "Uhhu." her replies. "Can you take us there?" Qui-Gon asks.

"Ahhh, ... on second taut ... no, not willy, no." JarJar backtracks. "No??!" Qui-Gon asks in disbelief. "Iss embarrissing, boot ahh... My afrai my've bean banished. My forgoten der Bosses would do terrible tings to my. Terrible tings if my goen back dare." JarJar stumbles. 

A pulsating noise is heard in the distance. "You hear that?" I ask forming a plan in my head. "Yeah." JarJar confirms. "That's the sound of a thousand terrible things heading this way..." I sate as Obi-wan catches on. "If they find us, they will crush us, grind us into little pieces, then blast us into oblivion!" Obi-wan finishes for me. "Oh! Yousa point is well said. Dis way! Hurry!" JarJar says as I look to an impressed Qui-Gon.

We run into a murky lake and stop as JarJar tries to catch his breath. The MTTs clanks are heard in the distance. "How much farther?" Qui-Gon asks curiously. "Wesa goen underwater, okeyday?" JarJar says.