First Steps

[Alysanne Drast]

High Orbit, Naboo​

The small Rebel ship floated in the silence of space above the pristine world one of the astromech droids had designated NBX-22, but everyone had fondly started calling Naboo. Within the ship were the first sentient beings to have seen the planet from such a view in centuries, maybe millenia. The tests they had run on the documents that had lead to the discovery of Naboo had been inconclusive, placing them at a minimum of 500 years but unable to put an upper limit on their age. Alys hadn't been entirely sure they would even find the planet here, despite the confident face she had put on while trying to convince everyone of her plan, till they had dropped out of hyperspace she had harbored some doubts. But they were here, and the planet was here. Naboo was here.

As she stood in the bridge, taking in the beauty of the planet below them, she could see the shuttles headed down towards the surface, carrying the brave and lucky few who would claim the honor of being the first explorers on the planet. She had wanted to be with them, but her orders were to stay back and organize the mission from here. She would get down there soon enough, just not yet.

Switching on the comms, she waited till the officer seated at a nearby station gave her the go ahead to begin broadcasting to all the descending crafts. "Gentlemen, ladies, we have the privilege of being the first to set foot on a new world, exploring lands no one has ever seen. Preliminary scans show that the atmosphere is habitable, and there are numerous life forms on the surface. You are to exercise caution, explore, observe, and get out on the first sign of danger." She didn't really have to say any of that, they all knew exactly what they were supposed to do on the surface, they were prepared for this, but if she wasn't going to be on the surface with them she was going to do whatever she could to help. Which for now meant letting them get on with their jobs.

"Good Luck," she said as she watched the first shuttle vanish within the planet's atmosphere,"and may the Force be with you!"

@Kayenta Moenkopi @Lazy Swordsman

 

[Aurelian Keth]

Entering the shuttle Aurelian took up position in the pilot seat, usually Nera dealt with that sort of thing but a simple atmospheric entering didn’t require anything beyond competence from a pilot. Powering up the shuttle for take-off he began pre-flight checks while his partner was still coming aboard. The man had nearly turned down the mission altogether. The recent meeting with Aurora Blackwood and the discovery of his force sensitivity back on Savareen had left him somewhat distracted. However the discovery of a whole new world wasn’t something one turned down easily. Apparently the duo had made a good impression their commanders because they’d been chosen as the first boots on the ground to search out intelligent life. Scans had shown there were lifeforms although the scholar wasn’t sure if that meant sentience or not.

Once Ninety-Nine beeped that all checks came back as positive Aurelian waited for the Twi’lek to take her seat and buckle in.

“Landing Craft Alpha is ready for departure.” he said over the comms to flight control. After receiving the confirmation from the ships bridge the shuttle took off and exited the hangar.

It was a short flight and soon they were entering the planet’s atmosphere. The good luck message bleeped over the comms from the young girl who seemed to have orchestrated the entire mission. He smiled at the sign off before the voice was replaced with static and the communications shut off soon after.

“NBX-22, I hear they are calling it Naboo. Unofficially anyway.” he said to Nera.

Bringing the shuttle in for a landing was easy work, as they glided over the landscape Aurelian couldn’t help but appreciate how untamed it looked. “It’s beautiful.”

Finding a place to land near one of the co-ordinates that life-signs had been detected, not too far from the nearby swamps if he was remembering right, he set the ship down gently. As soon as they’d done so he began powering down the craft and stood up to walk over to the second droid that was accompanying them, on loan from the Republic. “Wakey, wakey MR4-DX8.” he said powering the protocol droid up. Grimacing slightly as it began to move he shook his head, Aurelian found the machine to be somewhat disconcerting especially with its unmoving metallic too-human face. “Time to go and find some buddies.”

Stepping out of the shuttle Aurelian took a deep breath and smiled. He could feel a gentle buzz, like energy flowing through him. It was pure like the air. ‘The force? Perhaps it is strong here.’ He was still relying on mostly instincts but his knowledge of his own new senses had seemed to accelerate his inherent ability to understand such feelings.

“Let’s get rolling Nera. Ninety-Nine you stay with the ship please, you don’t want to be out in the wilds anyway.”

 

[Ner Giza]

Ner’Giza boarded the shuttle, taking her seat in the co-pilot’s spot. It was rare that Aurelian took the controls but it didn’t trouble her as he was a capable pilot in his own right. This wasn’t to be the only part of the mission in which he took the lead. For starters, she had never done anything that could be remotely considered scientific inquiry. The Scholar’s skills would be invaluable here. Naturally the expedition had conducted numerous scans already and had been compiling a file on the new world, life forms that may or may not be sentient? It was as exciting as it was daunting to the young Twi’lek to be part of a possible first contact.

She grinned over at Aurelian and asked,”what do you think these people will be like Aurel”, even as she strapped herself into place and continued haltingly, ” the uhm...Naboosians!” ’Thank She Who Shall Not Be Named they had changed that droid name’, she mused eager for her first sight of this unexplored world.

”Beautiful isn’t good enough Aurelian”, her voice sounded hushed and full of awe. It was breathtaking and not unlike a paradise many a species imagined for their afterlife. The world sped by beneath them, vast forests on plains and mountains, rivers that poured down immense heights to gorges with depths she could not perceive, lush valleys where the forests grew right up to the water’s edge, and golden plains where heard beasts roamed wild. All these they passed by for it was the swamps where these suspect lifeforms had chosen to dwell. In her mind that would always be the first strike against sentience.

Aurel landed the craft on the nearest stable ground to their target area of investigation. A grin spread widely across her face as she unbuckled and began gathering her gear while he woke up the droid. No way was she going to go around the swamp calling out MR4-DX8 all the time. Grabbing up her blaster, she fixed them to her side and smiled to 99 who being sulky had only bleeped once to Aurel’s request. ”You have the most important job 99. Just continue your scans of the world and communications open to the main expedition. We need constant updates as the reports from the other teams keep coming in.”

Strapping a small pack to her back, she carried spare rations for it was much too soon to risk foraging, a scanner, and basic survival gear. She watched as the protocol droid made its way down the gangplank and hoped he didn’t get himself stuck in a bog. It was too bad they couldn’t just throw its head in her pack; it would have been a lot less baggage in her opinion. Since dismembered talking heads tended to be extremely disconcerting, she didn’t even make the suggestion opting not to anger 99 with a droid’s rights issue. Still, considering his sulky mood, it might have cheered him up a bit.

Exiting the craft she inhaled deeply of the fresh air listening to the dead silence their landing had cast over the landscape. Whatever wildlife was out there had been quieted by their landing were slowly relaxing and beginning to call to one another. Turning to Aurelian as 99 was closing the shuttle she said, ”Ready when you are, Captain” It was going to be a great mission, she could just feel it.

 

[Aurelian Keth]

Taking a deep breath Aurelian smiled as the sensation of energy flowing all around and through him grew stronger, the very planet thrived with it, and he felt more awake and energised than he usual. Perhaps the planet being so untamed, being so undeveloped, and brimming with wildlife and forestry meant the force was flowing more powerfully here than on the usual planets they visited which had been settled for centuries or even for millennia. Whatever the reason he couldn’t help but smile, despite how nervous he felt over the assignment

“Stop complaining ninety-nine. This is a wild world, you come out here and those wheels of yours are going to be jammed with all sorts of gunk. Besides if all goes well I’ll play some Dejarik with you when we get back. Also once we’re back of Savareen I’ll get you an oil bath organised as a thanks for help with this very important mission. Alright?” As easily bribed as always Ninety-Nine let out a string of enthusiast beeps and bloops.

Turning around he jogged up the ramp and grabbed his supply backpack from the back of the shuttle and saluted the little astromech as he leapt of the ramp which Ninety-Nine was already raising. He waited silently waiting until the ramp clunked shut as it magnetically sealed itself. Sure that this had occurred safely and correctly the man turned back to his partner and raised an eyebrow. “Oh right, there’s decisions to be made so suddenly I’m Captain, is that it?” he asked with a smirk “Well fear not intrepid explorers for I, Sir Aurelian Keth, Esquire shall lead us to victory.”

“Affirmative master.” MR4-DX8 said in her emotionless and crisp Core World accent. That unmoving face creeped the hell out of the scholar but he was glad that, at least, this particular protocol droid seemed to have frequent memory wipes making it both efficient and lacking any personality. Aurelian wasn’t sure if he could have handled the droid if it was more lively and talkative. At least this way it wouldn’t talk unless directly addressed… or if it thought it was being addressed apparently.

“Alright Nera, let’s get going.” he suggested with a smile, addressing her by name so that the MR4 model droid wouldn’t talk again. “Can you even believe we’re here? We may just be the first off-worlders to ever step foot on this planet. How many people in the entire galaxy get to claim that?”

Taking off he started with a slow and steady pace, glancing back just to make sure the protocol droid was following behind them. The area they were starting in was fairly open and flat so it was easy enough to traverse. He glanced around but there didn’t seem to be any wildlife but scans had confirmed the place was filled with such things even if he hadn’t seen any himself. “Hmm... ” He glanced over the loadout that Ner’Giza had brought with her. “You’re a walking armoury Nera… maybe I should have brought a rifle. If a wild beastie attacks I doubt my little pistol is going to save my life.”

Chuckling at his own words softly he glanced up at the beating sun. “Although at least I don’t have to worry about sunstroke.” he added with a smirk at the Twi’leks personalised armour. It might not be the heaviest around but it was still proper armour, unlike Aurelian’s basic attire he wore for protection, which looked more like an outfit with some odd bits of armour of pads strapped on here and there. Resting his hand on the hilt of his sword as he walked the Scholar glanced at Nera again with a frown… something was off. They were walking for at least 5 minutes before it occurred to him. “Hey you forgot your Lyaer'tsa. Man having a walking stick would have come in useful with all that crap you’re carrying, especially when we hit swamp land.” he added as a little jab at the woman’s spear, she’d yet to take it along for a proper mission.

Glancing back to see the droid was making good time he sighed with relief. The ground beneath their feet was already getting moist and soft, probably transitioning from grasslands to the swamps where they were aiming to reach. He paused for a moment, glancing at the treeline off to their right. He could have sworn he just saw something move quite quickly in the shadow of the trees.

Drawing his blaster he glanced at Nera. “Keep an eye on our 3 O’Clock. I saw something, an animal I think, over in the trees. Quadraped. At least 2 meters tall and a bit longer.” ♦

 

[Ner Giza]

Ner’Giza laced her fingers together at the back of her neck letting her shoulders stretch while twisting her torso to look at their intrepid leader and smirked, ”You know, Sir Keth Eskaa-wy-yar”, her slight slurring of the word was only made more prominent by the unfamiliar twist of her elongated vowels doing her best to stifle a giggling fit. Apparently the word stressed in such a manner had quite a different meaning than the one intended. ”It’s never too soon for a mutiny”, she chuckling wondering if he had learned that one, or no. Who knew what manner of lewd discussions he and her uncle might have shared?

Lowering her arms, satisfied the small backpack had settled comfortably, she fell in beside Aurelian pausing to address the droid when it hadn’t moved, ”You too Dixate”. Turning round she matched her partner’s easy stride admiring their surroundings before picking up the pace. ”It is rather breathtaking, a shame really. If there are sentient species on this world...well, I know I’d rather just not have company.” How different would the lives of her own people had been if Ryloth had remained unspoiled by offworlders?

He called attention to her gear drawing her thoughts from such speculations. ”Have you ever been out in the wilds Aurel?”, she asked with all sincerity. On her world were some of the most ferocious creatures in the galaxy. Her Lyaer’tsa was made from the stinger of a Lylek her great-grandfather on her mother’s side had killed long ago. The heirloom had been entrusted to her by Uncle Taln’erca and as such there was no way she was going to bring it into a swamp on a world with who knew how many opportunities to lose the viobrospear. While everything she carried could be replaced, her Lyaer’tsa could not. It was a symbol, a connection to their shared heritage entrusted to her care, and while she trained with the weapon against Aurelian every chance she could bully him into it, she wasn’t about to bring it along, especially as a ”Walking stick?” His suggestion stopped her dead in her tracks, blinking at him as though she were a droid who’s circuitry had just been severed. Shaking her head, she continued trucking through the clearing and as they neared the swampland the ground became wetter.

Large trees were cropping up, thin and sparse along their way while in the distance she could see they would soon be beneath the canopy of a great forest. Would they find these ‘life forms’ living in those trees like Wookies? Looking at the moss hanging from the tree, she thought it more likely some sort of giant spider colony, given their luck.

Aurel suddenly drew his blaster, prompting her to do the same turning to where he directed. At first she didn’t see anything but then she caught sight of the shadow moving beneath the trees. Quickly she scanned the area for cover in case they had to make a break for it. Her pulse was quickening as the creature stepped out from the trees revealing itself before a second one moved up to its rear.

It was unlike anything she had ever seen, naturally and certainly the pair of animals had never seen anything like them. Froze in place, careful not to make any sudden movements, she kept her blaster at the ready hoping no more would leave the cover of the forest. Noting its mottled fur blended in well with the tones created by both light and shadows cast upon the trunks of the trees and ground. Had the duo not stepped to the edge of the treeline they would have been perfectly camouflaged. Aurelian had good eyes, she thought silently for fear of startling the creatures. Those tusks coming from the lower jaw looked like they could rip a man wide open if provoked. Clearly predators, she had to wonder if this was the top of the food chain or just some mid-ranged animal; if so, then how big did the lifeforms get here on Naboo?

For whatever reason, the creature just stared back, scenting the air as though trying to determine what they might be and if they would taste good. The thought made her slide her thumb to the flick off the safety on her blaster thinking a warning shot might make up its mind, but before she could make such a move the beast swung its head around and began walking lazily across their path off toward the left. Angling away from them, though not quite with its back turned completely toward them its companion followed behind casting wary glances in their direction. ♦

She looked to Aurelian and mouthed her awe at their narrow escape with the barest of whispers, ”Wow…”. Reaching into her pack ever so carefully she pulled out a scanner to try and get a reading on the creatures as a catalogue entry for their expedition.

 

[Aurelian Keth]

Aurelian watched cautiously, blaster in hand, as the giant feline creatures came into sight. He stared with a mixture of awe, shock and horror. They looked similar to something he’d seen on Corellia once, many years ago. At first he thought there was only one creature but then a second came out from the treeline behind it.

‘Wonderful. I am pretty sure these aren’t the lifeforms we’re searching for.’ he thought to himself warily, too afraid to crack the joke out loud.

Unfortunately their robotic companion had no such concerns. “Miss Ner’Giza. I am MR4-DX8. I am not Dixate.” the feminine droid corrected in her well-spoken accent. “To avoid further misunderstandings I recommend you use my correct designation.”

Aurelian cringed as the droid spoke. He knew how much the machines despised being called by their nicknames unless they’d developed something of a personality that adhered to such peculiarities, like with Ninety-Nine. Luckily the protocol droid voice’s seemed soft enough that the predators didn’t pay it much heed.

These cat-like animals had rather terrifying tusks which Aurelian was pretty sure could tear them apart if they got it in mind to do so. Yeah these were definitely hunters and he didn’t want to guess how quick the large, lean, beasts would chase them down easily enough. At this moment he was really wishing that he was a better marksman. ‘Great, the first visitors to a brand new world and they might have to slaughter these poor alien animals. Wonderful start.’ Thankfully such fearful predications didn’t become reality. Maybe they weren’t hungry. Perhaps they just weren’t share what the rebels where and instinctively didn’t want to risk meeting a worst predator. Whatever the reason the pair sniffed the air, their tails flicked through the air before they turned and walked off lazily. However they still cast glances in their direction every few seconds clearly still wary.

Aurelian for his part kept his pistol, with the safety thumbed off, until the animals were out of sight. Giving a heavy sigh of relief he turned to glance at Ner’Giza. “Frak…” he breathed before raising his weapon, pointed upwards in the air. “I’m keeping this thing out. That was far too close for comfort.”

The scholar shook his head as he continued walking off again. “Come on trepid explorer. We’re not here to collection ecological data. If it comes to settlement I’m sure the Alliance will dispatch the correct experts.” Not that the equipment either he or his partner had with him where capable of producing any sort of worthwhile scientific data. Specialists with the appropriate gear would be necessary if such a study was going to be carried out. All Nera would manage to satisfy was her own curiosity and, unfortunately, they didn’t have time for that. Glancing back he saw the protocol droid was standing perfectly still in the exact same place as it had when they’d stopped earlier. “Let’s get going.”

Striding ahead they continued along their previous planned path. It didn’t take long before Aurelian found his feet sinking into the ground slightly as their surroundings began swiftly transforming into a true swamp. Aurelian, with his lighter gear and far more mobile than his partner, took the lead trying to find the most solid ground with the least foliage so that the group could make their way. Even with these precautions the pair still needed to pause and help the droid frequently to make sure it didn’t lose its footing or get stuck in the mud.

Eventually Aurelian called the group to a halt. The swamp was getting far too difficult to, it would only get harder for his armed companion but the one that the scholar was really worried about was MR4-DX8. Finding another path he began leading the group in another direction. Unfortunately they couldn’t just ditch the protocol droid who they needed to help breach the inevitable language barrier.

After another hour of walking the rebels would find themselves back in a flat grasslands location, a river not far ahead, however it was the herd of animals that brought Aurelian up short. The animals where quite odd looking. Relatively large quadrupedal animals with brown leather-like skin and shaped almost like an uneven balloon. Moving closer to the plump animals he saw that amongst the dozen or so creatures was a figure with either a staff or spear in hand. The humanoid had pink skin and what appeared to be long, rather floppy, ears. It appeared feminine and dressed in a loose skirt-like outfit while wearing a wide-rimmed hat.

Aurelian elbowed Ner’Giza and gestured towards the figure. Holstering his weapon he gestured towards her. “Come on. I think we’ve found our first contact. Hopefully the droid can work out how to talk to it.”

 

[Ner Giza]

Ner’Giza chuckled and said, ”Good idea”. That had been way too much of a close call for her liking. Tucking her data pack away, she turned the droid behaving herself this time and used her proper designation,”Come along, MR4-DX8.” Moving along into the wilderness the swamp began to close in on them. So dividing their efforts between being on the alert for other dangerous fauna of the new world and helping the droid navigate the terrain it became plain the droid would not be able to keep up once they got to into the heart of the swamp.

Perhaps wearing her chest plate had not been such a great idea after all, for her mobility was less than that of the lighter clad Aurel who thankfully had been able to find a few patches of more stable land for them to travel along. Eventually they made it to an area were the swap thinned opening out into lush grasslands through which a river could be seen running. Ner’Giza was never so glad to leave the mire behind and was dragging her feet through the grasses to rid her boots of the glurk all over them.

Gazing at the weirdly shaped animals she said, ”Looks like a strong wind would set them airborne”. It wasn’t until they had proceeded further through the rolling field that it was revealed this was a herd tended by a shepherd. Her first sight of the tall being was one of wariness. In such a land where great predators like the two that had mysteriously passed them by, the being would need to be armed in order to protect the herd.

Following Aurelian’s lead, she too put her blaster away so as not to provoke the shepherd. ”Come on MR4-DX8, time for you to shine”, she said before moving forward with her partner.

 

[Aurelian Keth]

Aurelian took a few deep breaths and releasing them slowly, a well-used technique by the man to calm his nerves. He had hoped that Ner’Giza would take the lead, that she would open negotiations with the Alien. She had been exceptionally successful when opening talks with the Order of Kouhun on Anoat whereas the scholar’s efforts had seen far less effectiveness, at least from his point of view. His confidence had been severely shook by the event. It was part of the reason he’d jumped at the humanitarian mission on Ruusan when Command had got in touch with the Rebel plans for that planet. However Naboo opened an opportunity to redeem himself for that lacklustre performance. Of course the opportunity to be the first visitors to the Alien World had been part of it.

‘There’s also that whole Jedi business.’ he thought to himself before shaking his head. Nope none of that. He’d enough stress and uncertainty in this life for today, he certainly didn’t need to be wondering how the heck that stuff was going to turn out.

Clearing his throat he glanced at Nera and nodded. “Yeah they’re odd looking alright. I wonder if they’re this world’s version of a nerf or grazer.” he said in a soft voice to the other woman. The alien was clearly some sort of herder and these where at least semi-domesticated livestock.

Looking at the protocol droid Aurelian gestured “Come on MR4-DX8, this species will not speak a language you’re programmed with so you will have to try and determine the language as best you can.” he instructed the machine “Stick close to me.”

Glancing at Ner’Giza he chewed his lip. “Approach slowly, carefully and after us. Let MR4-DX8 and I try and open negotiations first but don’t be afraid to pitch in afterwards.” he ran a hand through his hair “And be careful, if the initial contact goes poorly you might need to keep your distance… whatever happens don’t hurt her. We can’t do that during first contact.”

Aurelian cleared his throat and started off with DX8 beside him. Approaching slowly he raised both hands in the air, pausing at quite a distance so as to not seem a threat.

“Hello. Excuse me.” he said in a calm, friendly but clear tone.

The alien spun around, its staff which definitely looked like a spear was pointed towards him as she looked either aggressive or afraid. He’d never seen a species with features quite like this before. She said something swiftly in some sort of language odd sounding language with a lot of words ending with –sa. Although she seemed unsettled by his presence she didn’t seem, at least to his eyes, to be openly fearful ♦.

The droid began speaking back to the Alien, the words she used seemed to change as she spoke numerous times. As she did the Alien responded back, with obvious caution and uncertainty and her spear still pointed towards them clearly not put at ease. It took Aurelian a moment to work out what the protocol droid was doing then he realised it was cycling through various languages and dialects. It seemed to be having some sort of success in its attempts but clearly not as much as would be ideal.

After a few minutes MR4-DX8 turned to look at the scholar with its unchanging metal faceplate. “Master Keth.” it said with its gentle feminine voice. “I believe I can synthesis a close approximation to this beings language however I will need further audio samples from her to make a more accurate reproduction. Once I have done so I can upload my translation dictionary to the Alliance databases. This should help the other teams.”

Aurelian nodded, keeping the friendly expression on his face and the gentle tones to his voice. “Good. What have you learned from her?”

“I believe they call themselves something along the lines of ’Gungans’. As far as this one is concerned she definitely has not met Humans or Twi’leks before. She seems slightly less afraid of me although I believe my technology is foreign enough to her that she is uncertain.”

The droid turned around and said something else to her but after only half a minute or so the Gungan shouted and jabbed her spear in their direction. It clearly wasn’t an attack, she stood several meters away but it was definitely a warning of some kind. DX8 turned back to Aurelian “Oh my. I believe I have made a slight mistake with my choice of words, I believe I may have just inadvertently offended her.” ♦

Aurelian kept his expression pleasant, calm and warm but inside he was sighing. This was more a battle of communication than actual diplomacy. They’d need to breach the language barrier first then they could try and make contact with someone higher up in their government.

 

[Ner Giza]

Truth be told, the whole first contact thing rather intimidated the Twi’lek. It required a finesse and methodical approach that she lacked confidence in overcoming given the obvious language barrier. Back home, in the known Galaxy her old stomping ground or even some of the new worlds she had been sent too, the culture was there, the motivation easily deduced, and Basic Galactic the common ground for all. It didn’t matter if she made a wild attempt at charming a bartender for cut prices on the drinks, intimidated a bunch of swoop gangers with a frag grenade in a bar, or even hit upon the words to convince some assassins to enter a loose partnership with the Alliance; she knew the rules. Here...she nodded her head at each and every one of Aurelian’s directives indicating her compliance...here she didn’t know what the rules might be.

Could this, she tilted her head a bit sideways and made the obvious gender call, female be a warrior? Were these beasts for food or maybe she was a priestess type person communing with some sacred beast? There were just too many way that her impetuous nature could screw this up. At least this person had not immediately attacked them on sight, but was actually attempting to converse with the droid in return.

Ner’Giza smiled trying not to make any threatening moves as things seemed to be going in their favor. At last the droid paused giving her initial report on what she was doing to facilitate communication and even a name for the species. ”Gunganzz”, she repeated the unfamiliar word noting the Gungan flick her eyes in her direction. The orbs protruding from her face on moved on flexible appendages not unlike the retractable horns on some varieties of slugs she had seen. She nodded her head in silent greeting trying not to be intimidating given what their translator said about her fearing itself less that she and Aurelian.

Suddenly the Gungan drew back and impaled the ground with her spear, the droid hasted to explain and Ner’Giza felt a small moment of panic. Then she remembered the expectations of Kika’lekki which defined her traditions, both on and off her homeworld. ”The ritual of Hospitality, Aurelian”, she said suddenly and began taking her pack off to set upon the ground. The Twi’lek were notorious sticklers about showing up without a gift for the host. ”MR4-DX8, please find out what her name is and tell her we bring gifts to honor her on this day of meeting.”, her words were softly issued but her eyes were tending to her task.

Searching through the pack, even as the droid began to try and undo her social error ♦, Ner'Giza drew out one of the exotic fruits she had taken with her from the Queen’s celebration on Anoat. She never did find out what they were called, but she had grown rather fond of the juicy seeds contained within the round fruit. Moving with the grace obtained during her youth, she glided forward, her arms extended holding the offering before her. Bowing she rose and brought her right hand to her chest and said, ”Ner’Giza, then she extended her arm out toward Aurelian waving him forward and said, ”Aurelian” pointing her hand at her partner then repeating the sharing of names twice more.
♦

Amazingly enough, and she was not sure if it was her offering or the droid’s skill that accomplished the deed, but the woman visibly relaxed her former state of agitation. Moving forward a bit the woman tapped her own chest and said, ”Fersuw Wethas”

 

[Aurelian Keth]

When Ner’Giza spoke, repeating the word the droid had put to the alien’s species, he watched as it’s eyes which were on the end of short stalks seemed to swivel to look at her. Recognition perhaps from the pink skinned alien that she recognised the word. Her features were a little terrifying truth be told but past such shallow perceptions he could see the fear and uncertainty in those widely spaced eyes. Aurelian knew he had to remain calm, to show a friendly expression that even an alien unused to Humanity would recognise as non-aggressive. Then without warning she simply drove her spear into the ground, a clear sign of passivism.

Aurelian glanced at his partner in confusion. The female Gungan had just been obviously frightened, alarmed, even growing aggressive but now she suddenly had driven the spear into the ground which was far from an act of aggression. If anything it would put the alien at an obvious disadvantage if they were hostile. ‘As if this entire interaction wasn’t confusing enough to begin with.’ he thought to himself miserably.

So distracted by this turn of even that he practically jumped when Ner’Giza abruptly spoke from behind him. Turning to glance at her he frowned slightly. The Ritual of Hospitality? The Twi’leks had many fascinating rituals and customs. The Protocol of Gifts, Twi'janii, Waala, Keysshi, Jasshi’rr and the carving of the Kalikori. He supposed the first was applicable in this situation although the a main requirement for customs was both sides actually understanding what was happening. ‘Then again it’s not like I have a better idea.’

Letting Nera work away he watched in silence as she removed a fruit from her bag. The scholar frowned… wait weren’t those from the party on Anoat? Admittedly he’d been rather… well hammered but the scholar was fairly certain that was the last place he’d seen them. When had Anoat been? Back before Ryloth and Ruusan… by the force he hoped his partner wasn’t handing over something that was going to give the first Gungan they met food poisoning. Could one even bring food from another world to a new planet? Aurelian’s innate tendency to worry wiped the smile from his face as he observed with bated breath.

At the very least the Gungan didn’t recoil from Nera. She seemed uncertain about the offering but for whatever reason, perhaps it was a simple curiosity, her attention shifted to the Twi’lek as Ner’Giza tried to communicate their names. Amazingly it worked and the alien offered a name of her own.

Aurelian bowed politely. “We are honoured to meet you Fersuw Wethas” he said courteously. As he spoke DX8 repeated his words a moment later in it’s chosen translation. The Gungan nodded, seemingly pleased or at least less worried.

“We…” he began gesturing to himself and then Ner’Giza “are visitors from far away. We are explorers and we have travelled far to find friendship with other peoples. Do you think it would be possible for us to speak to your leaders?” He stopped speaking and glanced at the protocol droid, waiting until it finished to see what the Gungan’s response would be.

The pink skinned alien seemed to consider his words before she nodded, her large ears flopping around and she did so. She replied in a swift tone gesturing off towards the river while talking. ♦

DX8 turned to him “Miss Wethas believes that this might be possible. She says however that she can not bring you to her city but she can go and fetch someone from their… leadership? I am uncertain exactly what word she means. I believe there is some form of strict society structure in play and she is referring to someone higher up the caste system than herself.”

Aurelian bowed again and smiled. “Please… that would be wonderful.”

After the droid responded the Gungan simply nodded and took her hat off, setting it on the ground. Then without ceremony she leapt into the nearby river and vanished from sight. Aurelian watched speechlessly before glancing at his partner. “I...uhh... guess we wait?”

 

[Ner Giza]

Ner’Giza chuckled nervously upon seeing Fersuw Wethas jump into the water and disappear. Her face actually paled considerably as she realized the Gungan was not simply swimming across the river with the intent of getting out on the other side, but was not coming up at all. Of all the possibilities for a habitat, she hadn’t considered these beings would live under water.

Her hand came up to scratch at the side of her neck and she said, ”heh… I guess so.” Her voice was laced with trepidation for Ner’Giza couldn’t swim.

That opened up a whole new series of concerns for the Twi’lek. ”Do you suppose we she can’t take us there because they can breath under water and we can’t?” She envisioned them living in schools like fish, or some such nomadic aquatic existence. Naturally she was aware there were many water dwelling species in the Galaxy, it had just not been one she had considered meeting here on Naboo.

She moved to replace the fruit back into her pack suddenly fixating on its contents. ”Well she didn’t like this. There’s got to be something we can give them”, she went on to say as she rummaged around, but of course her search was doomed from the start. Ner’Giza flipped the flap of her pack into place and sat down in disgust on the ground. ”What kind of lame fungus head goes on a diplomatic mission and doesn’t bring gifts for the natives?” She shoved the pack with her foot causing the data pad to spill out on the ground. Picking it up she sighed and took reading on the strange balloon cows knowing that if they did have to go underwater to some sort of Gungan village, there would be quite a lot of gear she’d have to leave behind. ”Maybe the entrance to her home is just through the water and her people are tunnel dwellers?, she said hopefully.

Meanwhile Fersuw Wethas traveled to her people to spread the news of the strange visitors she had met. The reception she received was considerable and very quickly gained the attention of the guards who were charged with protecting the city of the Gungan. Word was sent back to their commanding officers and on up the chain of command until it trickled right back down again to the guardians. A small detachment was sent, with Fersuw leading the way to investigate the strange occurrence.

 

[Aurelian Keth]

The scholar clasped his hands behind his back and watched the ripples in the water where Fersuw Wethas had vanished beneath the surface. Turning his attention to Nera he shrugged. “I mean it’s certainly possible. For all we know her people’s City resides under the ocean. Even if they simply hold their breath for an extended period of time, like a frog, it might mean they’ve some kind of technology to create bubbled cities under the sea.” he suggested “Or perhaps it’s something more simple than that. Maybe they have their City built in a remote location, in a cavern or a similar isolated area, which can only be accessed by travelling under water.” Pausing Aurelian ran a hand over his hair as he considered the possibilities. “Hopefully they have some kind of submersible for us to use when we eventually travel to their city, if our talks are successful, otherwise we’ll be swimming ourselves. I can do that but I can’t hold my breath for an hour or however long it takes to get there.” he joked with a shake of his head. Perhaps they could request a set of rebreathers from the Galactic Alliance if such a thing came to pass. He was starting to think that they should have sent a Mon Calamari or another aquatic species on this mission instead.

Aurelian watched her lift the fruit and start complaining before shaking his head with a chuckle. “Maybe she had other things to worry about, you know, like the first ever Aliens to arrive on her entire planet?” he suggested with a raised eyebrow “I think forgetting to bring her fruit with her is quite forgivable in these circumstances.” Then as she began to rummage through her pack the scholar rolled his eyes. “Stop obsessing. For one thing it might not be the safest thing to bring random items from off-world to a species who’ve never interacted with the Galactic Community.

Folding his arms he sighed. “Besides we’re only the pawns moving in the opening act of this game. If we’re successful it will be others who will use the temptation of off-world goods to win their co-operation.”

Aurelian nearly leapt out of his skin as something soft, cold and wet pressed against his arm. Turning he saw one of the balloon-like creatures nosing him for attention. Reaching down he pat the animal on the head causing it to close it’s eyes blissfully. “Definitely domesticated.” he chuckled. They really where quite strange animals but at least they were friendly, incredibly friendly really. “These things are clearly not suited to even swamp land, never mind the water, so these Gungans must spend a great deal of time above land. Or at least some of them do.”

Hearing a splash Aurelian turned to see Fersuw Wethas climbing out of the water. She was accompanied by 5 others of her race, all much more masculine looking. Four of them where about 2 meters tall, some had brown skin while others had a more greenish hue and although they wore no armour they all carried spears. The last was the tallest, sharing the same lanky build but with more muscle tone. He also had white and purple skin tones. Although he carried no weapon he wore a leather tunic of a similar design as the other warriors but of a far fancier cut, likely a Captain of some sort from amongst their people.

“Heads up Nera.” he whispered as the Aliens approached. Time for round two.

The Captain strode over and looked down at them, there was no fear in his gaze but there was a savage hostility. When he spoke his voice was far deeper and more powerful than the female they’d spoken with earlier who currently stood far behind the warriors with her gaze averted towards the ground.

“This is Nalskel Tarlaps, Commander in the Gungan Grand Army, he has been sent on behalf of the Gungan High Council to treat with us.” DX8 stated calmly in her sort of creepy upper-class accent.

Aurelian cleared his throat, in that one sentence they’d learnt more about the Gungan race than they had up to this point. Looking at the severe looking Commander Aurelian bowed deeply in respect. It was time to get started and they were going to have a difficult time winning this one over.

 

[Ner Giza]

Speculating on the different wonders the society of the Gungan might contain, she tried not to fixate on the prospect of having to go swimming. It was rather hard to do for she didn’t even consider trying it with her armor on and then what about the droid? It would be fine, she decided, then Aurel had to go and mention holding his breath for an hour. Rummaging around hadn’t really done her any favors either to settle her worry. Leave it to her partner to put things into perspective. ”You know when you’re right, you’re right”, she said with a sigh.

Grabbing up the data pad she sat on the grass and tried to relax. Sometimes it was not so bad to be the little guy and just leave the bigger concerns to someone else. The strange beast was humorous enough to distract her from the greater fear of she might be called upon to swim, and she even got some cool shots of Aurel petting the docile creature. ”You know they might do both, live on land and in the water.”, she said for his words caused her to make further speculation.

The splash pretty much halted her inclination to speak further as she looked toward the water. Fersuw had returned with what she could only assume were the males of her species. Aurel’s whispered words pulled her slowly to her feet but she did not advance, rather she folded her hands before her watching the group of natives take to the land. Their height and obvious strength were certainly imposing. Her eyes darted to the woman but she couldn’t read more from her than a desire not to be seen; though she couldn’t tell if that was from fear or respect of these men. Had her being seen by us landed her in some sort of trouble?

It seemed like DX8 was taking forever as she waited growing more anxious by the moment. The leader certainly seemed put out by their presence, his looks certainly had been challenging. Not what she could call provoking a fight, but with the clear intent that if they started one this Gungan would finish it. She doubted he would have required back up, fully aware of how outnumbered they were.

In reality the exchange was rather short before the droid gave over her translation. Looking at Aurel she mouthed the word ’Army’, before speaking to the droid, ”MR4-DX8, only translate what we tell you; understood?”, she said wishing to keep her conversation with Aurel private. The droid turned her metallic gaze upon her and bit surprised, ”Obviously”.

Ner’Giza didn’t want to keep this Nalskel Tarlaps, Commander in the Gungan Grand Army, just standing around while she and her partner spoke at length, less offense be taken that might provoke the warrior. The use of Army, rather than Hunter or Guardian placed the culture on a whole other level in her mind. They were advanced enough, or perhaps primitive enough depending on how you looked at it, to have wars and a need for a large force of warriors. But was that against another indigenous sentient species or did they war among themselves? More from a need to put their best foot forward, at this crucial moment of first contact, rather than a desire to put Aurelian under pressure she said, ”You wanna take the lead on this one, Ambassador Keth?” Aurel was the diplomat, not her.

@Lazy Swordsman

 

[Aurelian Keth]

When Nera decided to not take the lead and instead simply suggested Aurelian do so he shot her an irritated look, he was stressed out enough without that sort of pressure. “Gee thanks.” he muttered under his breath.

Taking a deep breath he smiled at the Gungan who was looking down at him with that savage hostility in his eyes although, and perhaps it was just his imagination, but Aurelian felt like the alien had been slightly appeased by the deep bow he’d been offered.

“Greetings Commander Nalskel Tarlaps, we are deeply honoured to be granted this audience with you. I am Aurelian Keth and this is my partner Ner’Giza.” he began, pausing only to allow DX8 to repeat his words in the Gungan’s language. “We have come here today hoping to begin the possibility of a long and rewarding friendship between our peoples.”

The Gungan looked from Aurelian to the droid as it translated his words. The warrior nodded slowly looking a little curious but said nothing so the scholar continued. “We have come to your world from beyond the stars. We believe a friendship between both our peoples would be profitable for both our species. There are many gifts from other worlds that we would be happy to share with you, in time.” he suggested.

The Gungan Commander looked up at the sky as DX8 relayed Aurelian’s words. When his gaze locked with the Human’s once more there was a noticeable lack of aggression which had been replaced by an obvious curiosity. He reached out a hand and made a slightly gesture, as he did so the other warriors relaxed, letting themselves inspect the strangers with open inquisitiveness. ♦

Nalskel began to talk making slight gestures as he did so. The protocol droid watched him with it’s unchanging face before turning to look at the two rebels. “The Commander says this may be possible. He wishes to know what our intentions are on this world, which he emphasises belongs to his people and how we would wish for such discussions to be made.”

Aurelian nodded along to DX8’s words before turning back to the commander. “I understand. There are evil forces in the galaxy, cruel and oppressive, that I and my allies are trying to resist. We had hoped to perhaps use your planet as a safe haven for a small number of our people. However such discussions need not be made now. For now we would be blessed with simply being allowed to visit your City and a short meeting with your leaders. If whomever leads the great Gungans are open to such things after our discussions then others will be sent to conduct such talks.” he said. Smiling the scholar gestured to himself and then his partner. “We are not true diplomats, others will take on that role. We just want to see if your people might be willing to consider this next step.” ♦

The tall Gungan nodded slightly and responded slowly. “Commander Tarlaps says this too may be possible. He appreciates that our intentions appear peaceful but he says that these others that come later may have to prove themselves with more than words.”

The Commander turned and spoke to one of his soldiers. The other Gungan nodded before saluting and running off, jumping into the river and vanishing beneath it’s surface.

“He has asked the soldier to go and relay a request to their leaders if we may be given permission to visit their city.”

The Commander returned. He gestured and pointed off in the direction of the swamps that they’d been walking through earlier. He said a few things then walked off with his warriors in that direction. DX8 turned to look at Aurelian and Ner’Giza before speaking. “He has asked us to follow him into the swamps.”

Aurelian nodded and began to follow, stopping as he turned to see the herder waving at them shouting a single word. “Miss Wethas is bidding us farewell.”

Grinning the scholar waved back. “Goodbye and thank you.”

With that he walked on, glancing at DX8 who was following alongside him he chewed his lip before talking to the droid. “Will you relay this to the Gungans. Ask them if it’s possible for them to lead us across the most solid ground, explain that you can’t easily walk across soft ground.” DX8 nodded and repeated the request.

The Commander glanced back at them and made a dismissive gesture. DX8 turned back to Aurelian. “They will do so.”

Aurelian nodded. Things were going better than expected.

 

[Ner Giza]

As things turned out it was the right decision. Aurel handled things smoothly, herself bowing once the Gungan set his eyes on her during the introductions, and then basically acting like Fersuw Wethas and kept her mouth shut. She cast her gaze upon the woman at one point and noticed the ease in posture of the men had translated to her as well. Perhaps she wasn’t in trouble after all. No doubt if things went well between their two people, it would be Commander Nalskel Tarlaps who received the accolades. It was a pretty presumptuous thought for the Twi’lek, for the men could just as easily been the servants to this woman who’s social status made her above dealing with such petty things as negotiations. No doubt these complexities of their culture would be discovered once the real diplomats arrived.

Fortunately Aurel’s words seemed to satisfy the Commander’s scrutiny and he agreed to arrange for them to meet their leaders. Although it meant going back into the swamps, she was glad that at least they hadn’t had to dive into the river. Still she wondered if there was a dwelling down there or some such short cut to the city, there must be though that access was unsuited to the visitors for whatever reason. Deciding it was best not to let her imagination run wild over the matter, she paused and waved to the shepherdess in farwell.

The track was quite a bit more solid than the criss cross wanderings Ner’Giza and Aurel had covered on their way to the river. Even so with a less grueling terrain she still was beginning to feel the weight of her armour and the stifling effects of the heat beneath the trees. Her conversation with her partner along the way was therefore minimal save for the odd speculation on if they lived in trees and over what sort of food they had.

At last they stopped, Commander Tarlaps signaling a hault and then speaking to Aurelian. The droid made her translation, ”The Commander says that a… Tribubble Bongo...is on its way to take us to the city.”. Ner’Giza thought this might mean some sort of air ship and was quite surprised to see the surface of the water bubbling up before the dome of a submarine breached the water. The break in the swamp in which the transport arose was just big enough for the vessel to turn around within and she noted at how smoothly it maneuvered in the water. Slowly it backed toward the bank before coming to a halt. Apparently these pools in the swamp were a whole lot deeper than the litter of leaves and such floating on its surface appeared. The craftsmanship was beautiful and it was a good deal more high tech than anything she had seen among the Gungan so far.

She rubbed the back of her neck and grinned to Aurel, ”Guess I was worried about swimming for nothing.” DX-8 began translating as Tarlaps spoke again, while his escort stood at ease in a ring behind the four of them. ”Commander Tarlaps also says that he will accompany us to the city while the others return to their post.” Just then the dome of the craft opped open to reveal the seats within, the pilot gazing at them with obvious curiosity.

@Lazy Swordsman

 

[Aurelian Keth]

Following the Gungans into the swamp was an easy enough trek, they didn’t have to walk far and true to their words the warriors took a path that carried them across solid ground so that DX8 wouldn’t have any issues. Along the way the rebel more or less ignored his partner although not out of rudeness. He simply didn’t think it would be polite to talk too much in the presence of the Gungans when they couldn’t understand them. There was too much of a chance that they’d become suspicious again if these strangers began secretly around them, so far the Commander seemed to have taken something of a liking to him which was an advantage Aurelian was not willing to throw away.

They came to a stop near the riverbank before the Commander spoke to him. Aurelian frowned “A Tribubble Bongo?” he said aloud, his eyes going to the water. If it was a transport then it had to be some sort of submersible like he’d been thought about earlier. It was the only form of transport that made sense if they had some sort of underwater city, or a city that was only accessible travelling under water. It turned how he was correct as the water rippled and the vehicle emerged breaking the surface.

The ship was fascinating looking, its hull looked almost as if it was organically grown and the rebel found himself wondering what kind of technology these aliens used. They were a lot more high tech than Aurelian had assumed, especially considering their warriors had come armed with spears and not guns. They apparently had a warrior class from the looks of things but he wondered if perhaps a lack of other intelligent enemies had caused the race’s weapon technology to lag behind the rest of its civilisation’s advancements?

Regardless it was time to get moving. Aurelian got into the submarine with the others and sat, admittedly a little nervously, as the ship sank back below the surface. It was clear the Bongo was not designed for this many passengers but they made it work. Luckily the journey was extremely peaceful, the water was extremely calm and not a single sea beastie was to be seen. ♦

Eventually what could only be described as an alien city came into view of the submarine’s occupants. The structure consisted of countless connected bubble-like buildings at the centre of the great hub was a giant bubble which Aurelian assumed was where this High Council resided.

The ship came in slowly to dock with the city and as it did so Aurelian noticed that the city seemed to have the same organic look to it that the ship did.

“It’s beautiful.” Aurelian murmured. DX8 translated without prompting causing the Commander to glance back at the passengers with a faint smile.

Once the ship was fully within the docking bubble the top of the craft opened and the Commander stepped out, offering a hand which Aurelian took to assist him in getting off. Once they had all disembarked a number of Gungans arrived carrying weapons which appeared to be some variant of the popular electrostaff. These soldiers were dressed in far more elaborate uniform-like garbs than the previous warriors had worn. They snapped something quite aggressively while pointing their spears at them. Nalskel stepped in-between them and started arguing with them but the warriors only grew more ferocious. The Commander stepped closer and practically snarled at the soldiers causing them to immediately back down, looking a mixture of terrified and outright embarrassed. ♦

The Commander turned to them, still a little annoyed looking and spoke in a terse tone gesturing for two of the now-subdued guards to step forward. He spoke again and looked at the protocol droid as he did so. DX8 turned to face the rebels before informing them “The Commander says you must be disarmed before being allowed to proceed. Once you have done so you will be brought before the High Council for them to decide your fate.”

Aurelian nodded, it made sense, although he didn’t like how that last part was worded. Aurelian suddenly suspected that if this didn’t go well then neither he nor his partner would be leaving this place. Handing over his blaster and vibrosword he smiled. “That’s all I have, your turn Nera.”

@Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Ner Giza]

The Twi’lek climbed in to the bongo right after Aurelian, and settled herself into the craft. Looking up as the dome slide back securely into place, the slight sound of the seal securing an airtight lock, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about head space despite how crowded the ride might be.

Even so it was about all she could do to keep from grabbing Aurel’s hand as they sank beneath the water. Being safe inside such a technological marvel didn’t seem to ease her fear of drowning. At least at first, and eventually her fingers that had gripped her pantlegs, were relaxing as she took in the sight of the underwater realm.

A great canyon opened up beneath them, lights from the bongo illuminating both the way forward and the life within the water. Her explorer’s spirit seemed to return a bit as she hungrily viewed one marvel after another. A soft glow became apparent in the distance growing in size until she was certain this must be their city. If she thought the underwater world was exotic and full of hidden interests, it was nothing to the sight before her. Once more she mouthed her excitement as she had after their encounter with the big cat beasts, “Wow”.

The Docking bay was of particular interest to her, the way it shut out the water was very much like how a space dock worked though there was a clinging membrane like structure between the two mediums. Everything she saw only increased the value, and hence importance, of their success here today. After aiding Aurelian in climbing out of the ship, Commander Naskel extended her the same courtesy, and she moved to stand near her partner once more on ‘land’.

A complement of guards arrived who were better outfitted than Naskel and his troop and she wasn’t certain what the argument was about between he and these newcomers but from the way the strangers backed down and looked chagrined she thought it was probably over who would be in charge of...the prisoners? Unlike before, the commander spoke to the droid and she wondered if their status had somehow decreased in the man’s eyes or he did not quite understand the concept of artificial intelligence. Given the level of technology displayed she thought this very unlikely.

It was frustrating not being able to speak freely with Aurel but she too got the sense this would be unwise, especially given the recent vocal debate. It would be interesting to hear what that was all about when they had a chance to question DX-8. Clearly while being relieved of her weaponry was not that time.

Once Aurel was done handing over his weapons, she stepped forward and relinquished all her blasters not even thinking of reserving so much as a hold out. As much as being unarmed made her feel naked and vulnerable she was smart enough to know that trying to secret away a blaster could settle the question as to their fate rather swiftly. Giving Aurel a worrisome look, the guard spoke angrily lowering his spear to prevent her from returning to her partner’s side. Her hands rose to either side, keeping them in plane sight while DX-8 rushed to translate the rush of words even before the Gungan finished speaking. ”He says you must take off the pack…”, the droid hesitated as though stumbling over a phrase, spoke in the limit vocabulary it had assembled trying to find clarification.

Ner’Giza didn’t wait but began slipping her arms out of the straps and handed the pack over. As he snatched the pack from her hands, his word became even more insistent. The droid said, ”Madame, I am afraid there was a bit of confusion over the etymology of the language but it seems he insists you get undressed.” The Twi’lek snapped her head around looking at the guard and backing away, both palms raised before her and blurted out, ”What? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

The guard didn’t wait for the droid to translate and leveled his spear forward to tap at her chest plate, snarling his demand once more. The force was a bit much and her legs threatened to buckle. Suddenly Commander Naskel barked another order and the guard backed off and planted his spear on the ground once more.

“He says take off the Nyork shell”, the droid said, ”Oh I am sorry madame, but I do believe he means just your armor”. The droid and Commander quickly conversed and she gave her translation. ”Yes well, it seems Commander Naskel won’t risk the armor being some sort of weapon, I have explained it is just for protection but I’m afraid they are insisting.”

More than happy to get out of the whole misunderstanding without further incident, Ner’Giza removed her armor handing it over for safekeeping. Too mortified over how terribly wrong things could go, she didn't risk asking the droid to explain what the misunderstanding was all about. Just to be on the safe side that no further mis-translations might get her into hot water, she assumed a position much like the female they had left on the shore. As she stared at the ground she wondered if it was 'Dixate' getting a little pay back for giving her a nickname. Clearly she had been spending too much time around Nine-nine.

@Lazy Swordsman

 

[Aurelian Keth]

“By the Force what is actually happening?”

Aurelian could only stare in bewilderment at the proceedings in front of him. Things had got a little heated upon arrival but Aurelian believed it had gotten smoothed over thanks to the Commander’s intervention. He’d thought that was the end of it all. Nera stepped forward, following his lead while giving him a look that said ‘I miss my blasters already’.

Then they’d asked for his backpack, something they hadn’t even asked Aurelian for, which she did. Then they asked her to undress.

“Now hold on just a minute!” Aurelian said with shock as he tried to intercede but one of the warriors blocked his path with his spear. Within moments she was stripped naked of her armour. The Twi’lek looked utterly ashamed and stood with uncharacteristic submissiveness which sparked an odd anger in the scholar’s heart. Glancing at the Gungans he noticed that both the guards and Nalskel looked angered by the annoyance and, what they seemed to consider, a misstep on the woman’s part. Aurelian chewed his lip for a moment in thought, invoking any sort of anger from the Gungans here could completely destroy negotiations with their leaders who would no doubt take their subordinates’ foul mood into consideration.

Glancing at the droid he nodded. “Translate for me.”

Clearing his throat the man stepped forward. “I apologise for any misunderstandings that have occurred here.” he said with as warm a smile as he could summon while holding out his own backpack for them to take. The Gungans glanced at him and the Commander waved one of his men over to collect the item from him. Once done they all seemed to be listening so he continued. “The armour my friend wears is simply a precaution. The technology of the suit has no offensive features I assure you. It is a form of protection, for her own safety, with a few safety features which assist her in survival situations” he told them. As Aurelian spoke the Commander began to inspect the armour. "The helmet contains a type of display the provides direction and lets my friend check for toxins in the air. The armour when combined with the helmet acts as an environmental suit to protect against such toxins that she may notice. And there is a filter built into the helmet to help her if the air is difficult to breathe, like if trapped in a smoke filled area.”

The Commander took the helmet and turned it over in his hands seemingly considering what the man had said. Aurelian smiled and gestured towards the piece of armour. “As you can see without the helmet none of the tech functions in the suit actually work. So perhaps, for the sake of her dignity, you can allow Ner’Giza to wear her armour but simply retain the helmet so that she can’t use any of the technology.”

Nalskel looked at Aurelian for a few moments before smiling in what could only be described as a friendly fashion. He barked a command and the warriors brought Nera’s armour back over to her, although they did keep the helmet just as he had suggested. ♦

Once Nera had gotten dressed again the Commander would gesture for the rebels to follow, with the soldiers flanking them, and began leading the way. Aurelian followed in silence, glancing out into the sea through the transparent bubbles that made up the City. It was utterly miraculous. He shot Nera a grin of genuine pleasure, his eyes gleaming with joy and awe. As they walked they passed various Gungans, who stepped aside and stared with what he interpreted as curiosity or, in some cases, what appeared to be more like fear.

Eventually they where brought to what appeared to be the largest of the bubble-rooms, it was almost empty except for a set of raised seating at the other side. There sat 5 individuals, 4 looked like the Gungans they’d met so far but the one in the middle was completely different. Stockier, with shorter ears and hooded eyes this individual appeared to be a different breed of Gungan altogether.

The walls of the room were arrayed with guards, a great many warriors, no doubt summoned in case their new guests turned out to be less than friendly. Once they crossed the portal into the room they where stopped once more with spears blocking the way. The Commander entered alone and began speaking to what Aurelian assumed was the High Council that had been mentioned by Nalskel when he first met them.

Glancing at DX8 Aurelian leant over to the droid. “Give us a summary of what they are discussing.”

The droid’s eyes flickered slightly with light as it looked over towards the Gungan Council. “The Commander is introducing us. He is informing them of our peaceful intentions. He speaks well of you Master and states that so far you have shown a genuine belief in peace. He mentioned you both willingly disarmed yourselves and have fully complied with their wishes so that this meeting can occur. He requests only that you be dealt with fairly.”

Once the Commander was finished the stocky central Gungan waved him aside and gestured for the guards to allow the rebels to approach. Aurelian stepped forward and decided to take the initiative, with a deep bow he straightened slowly then began to speak. “Honoured Council! First may I thank you for granting us this Audience.” he stated. “Second I would like to say that your world is beautiful but your city, your city is a wonder. I have never seen anything like it in all the lands I have travelled, I am more than blessed to be allowed to see such things.” he stated.

Smiling he gestured towards Nera. “I am Aurelian Keth, and my companion is Ner’Giza. We represent an alliance of many peoples from many races from countless worlds. We are a group that simply seeks peace in the Galaxy, we seek to counter the tyranny that dominates the stars. We only hope you will grant us the opportunity to prove that friendship is all we desire.”

The Council murmured to each other before the large central Gungan spoke again. The Protocol Droid focused on Aurelian. “The great Boss of the Gungan Council states that he will listen to your request. However he also warns you that he is aware that you are only the first group, that the negotiators will come later but until they do and an agreement is struck you will be held here.” ♦

Aurelian licked his lips. Imprisonment? Well that was unfortunate but if that was the cost then so it must be. Very well then. “I understand. All I ask is that if you grant us permission for our people to continue these talks then you will allow us to communicate our presence, location and reassurances of our safety with our leaders.”

The Gungan council nodded their agreement.

‘Very well. All we have to do is get permission for the negotiators to be allowed to come to the City. Time to get started.’

 

[Ner Giza]

Her discomfort was over Aurelian’s objection as much as the precarious situation it might mean for the mission, for she could tell when he was angry it happening so rarely as to be a marked difference from his usual calm. Probably because of this she didn’t worry he would make things worse, it was just that she was supposed to be an asset to him and the negotiations, not a detriment to the whole mission! His clear thinking set the droid to translating while he tried to clear up the misunderstanding.

Watching as the Commander explored the helmet with obvious interest, and listening to Aurel’s explanation, she could see a marked change in the man’s demeanor. He even smiled before having her armor returned, sans the helmet of course. Gratefully she bowed to the man before putting the armor back on over her clothes and falling in line with Aurelian.

Along the way she too would gaze at the marvel the underwater city all around her. Although it was alien to her, like her own underground dwelling people, the Gungan too must have a fairly high tech ventilation system. Aurelian certainly seemed to be enjoying the tour and she smiled back to him grateful for his people skills.

Her first glimpse of the Grand Council of the Gungan was just further indication of how these people’s culture had progressed and she wondered how the members were chosen to sit upon this honored council. Were they elected officials? Was the position inherited? Did they serve for life or were the terms finite in some manner? When at last they were ushered forth and permitted to speak before the council, she held her peace as Aurel once more took the lead, with herself bowing at all the appropriate places.

She didn’t much care for the way DX-8 translated that last part but she understood it was strategically sound when treating with an unknown civilization such as their own. Even so, she wanted to have a bit more clarity and so carefully crafted her question before speaking. ”I humbly thank you for the boon you have granted our people, noble council. You wisdom fills me with hope that our two great cultures will form the lasting bonds of friendship.”, she said lacing her fingers together before her as she mentioned the bonds of friendship. Bowing once more she rose and continued, ”While we wait for our negotiators to arrive, may we have the company of someone help us learn your ways and accompany us about your beautiful city?” she asked hoping to be granted a bit of freedom to explore rather than some room under guard or less friendly accommodations. ♦

The reaction was less than pleasant as Commander Nalskel slammed the butt of his spear on the floor and bellowed a string of words that could only have been an order for her to hold her tongue. The MR4-DX8 hurried to translate with out her usual transitional phrases and concerns for etiquette. ”Silence. You will hold your tongue...”, the droid spoke in the first person skipping protocol for once. The council members were reacting quite poorly, gesturing wilding to one another and being quite vocal, having the opinion that Ner’Giza was a warrior and a, ”... vendor of bad fruits!”.

Ner’Giza dropped to her knees, holding her hands in supplication, before the council, but gave Aurel a side glance mouthing the words, ’vendor of bad fruits?’. The Twi’lek was a bit insulted for the fruit had been in the most perfect stages of fermentation! DX-8 had been trying to translate but the Commander had tapped his spear again silencing their translator.

The great Boss of the Council, the rather large one in the center then did something which caused Ner’Giza’s mouth to hang open and the whole council to fall silent; he shook his face like a wet dog, growled, and sent spittle flying into the air.

At last Naskel spoke and the droid gave her translation, ”The Boss of the Great Gungan Council says that while you, Master Keth are free to explore the city and acquaint yourself with their customs, the blue one must stay confined to her room.” The droid blinked at Ner’Giza, the sound of whirring accompanied the slow turning of her head to Aurel waiting for instructions.

At a loss for why they seemed to hate her and love Aurel, there was no way she was opening her mouth again; which she promptly shut tight. When her partner did get a chance to contact the Alliance and let them know the negotiators could come to the city, she hoped he mentioned their general dislike of fruit and Twi’leki!

@Lazy Swordsman

 

[Aurelian Keth]

Aurelian grimaced as the Council snapped back at Ner’Giza, it seemed she’d made a misstep or two along the way and earned their distaste for what she had just said seemed perfectly reasonable to the rebel. He glanced away from the Gungans as DX8 translated. He wasn’t laughing. Certainly not. This was serious.

‘Vendor of bad fruits though!’ he thought to himself with no little amusement.

Clearing his throat he bowed deeply at the Council with an expression expressing contrition. “Apologies great Boss and Council Members. I assure you that no insult was meant, in our ignorance we offered gifts that where not suitable. We hope that a true relationship maybe established between our peoples to help us learn how to better express our appreciation in the future.” he begged humbly.

The Council nodded but didn’t reply so Aurelian felt encouraged enough to finish things up. It was time to start wrapping up these talks before something else what wrong. “I have already explained but please allow me to do so again to that my clumsy words do not misinform.” he began, when no interruption came he continued. “My friend and I are not negotiators but mere explorers and scholars of the unknown. If you will allow us to return to the surface, to our ship, under guard of course then we will message our superiors with the details on how to come here and discuss matters with you, at a time of your choosing.” he stated simply, there was no point in making matters overly complex.

The Council murmured to one another again leaving the rebels standing in silence. Aurelian remained respectfully silent despite how nervous he felt. Things had went generally well for him so far with these Aliens but he didn’t want to push his luck. He simply wanted to finish things up then he’d reside quietly in the City until the Alliance finished negotiations with the High Council. Eventually the Boss began speaking once more which DX8 translated immediately. “The Council is willing to meet with your negotiators. You will be given the details to provide to your superiors by the escort. You will be trusted to only provide this information and no more. Once communications are complete you are to return to the City. You will be held as guests of the Gungan peoples. Master Keth shall be given freedom to explore the City, with the appropriate security precautions while Mistress Ner’Giza shall be held in her room. If negotiations are successful you will be released to the care of your people. If they are not we will escort you to your ship and you will leave, never to return. Understood?” ♦

Aurelian nodded although he wondered how the Gungans really addressed them and how much was the protocol droid changing the wording to be more respectful.

“Your honesty, openness and respect have been well received by our people. You have given a good showing of yourself here and Commander Tarlaps who speaks well of you Master Keth. We shall trust his judgement of you and our own. Before you depart is there anything else you wish to ask of us?”

Aurelian licked his lips… he didn’t want to damage the success they’d had here with greed but…

Glancing at his companion he took a deep breath before speaking. “Honoured Council I am grateful for your judgement. I ask only one thing. When I am escorted around your city I beg that you allow my companion to accompany me. We both are eager to learn of your culture, of your people and to see more of your beautiful city for it is unlike anywhere we have visited before. I assure you that Ner’Giza meant no disrespect and any offense was through simply ignorance. The freedom to explore and see more of your culture would help her learn not to make those mistakes again in the future, and to ensure that I too do not make the same mistakes.”

The Council began to speak but the Commander stepped forward and spoke to the Boss Directly. The large Gungan nodded in response and waved the Council’s attempt to offer their opinion aside. He then spoke in his deep rumbling tones which DX8 swiftly translated. “We like this care you show for your friend. Very well Master Keth. Both you and Mistress Ner’Giza shall be allowed to see more of our City upon your return. The Commander has offered… keep you company. He shall be your escort and manage your requests.” ♦

Aurelian give another bow and beamed up at the Council, the Boss offered a large grin of his own in return suddenly transforming from the stern figure to a rather jolly looking individual. “Thank you! Thank you so much.”

The Boss laughed, his powerful voice sending a shudder through the room. He waved for the Commander to escort them away. It was time to get back to the shuttle then they could enjoy their time in the City. Technically they were prisoners but Aurelian found himself quite looking forward to returning. There was so much they would see and learn. Turning to Nera he grinned, he couldn’t wait.