In the Bleak Naboo Winter (Open)

[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]

Elsewhere on Naboo, a dark figure clad in songsteel armor spoke openly of descent. Several Nabooian Generals had gathered at his call and he asked plain of them to betray the royal family. The seeds were planted, that the Generals had even come was just the beginning.

"Naboo is destined for so much more than just a seat in the senate. It could be the catalyst to a new galactic order."