On the third day on Naboo, Kote took the children to the Nalyanom Swamps, which were said to have many local creatures.
As the group slowly entered the swamp, they saw a herd of animals, roughly one person tall, roaming in the water. Bo-Katan took out a Naboo diagram someone had given her yesterday and opened it.
"This is a local Naboo creature called a Fambaa, very easy to tame," Bo-Katan said, walking towards a smaller Fambaa. She pulled some biscuits from her pocket to feed the young one, but its mother quickly nudged Bo-Katan away.
Seeing this, Kote immediately formed a connection with the two Fambaas in front of him so Bo-Katan could ride one. He then told Anakin and Zeta, "Each of you pick a small one to tame; we'll ride them."
They each chose a small Fambaa, about a meter tall, to tame, considering it a type of lesson.
Zeta easily connected with one and sat on its back, letting out a roar. Anakin, however, was a bit stumped, unsure how to tame a wild beast.
Kote walked over, gently took his hand, and placed it on the Fambaa's head. "Let it know your intentions."
Anakin nodded and, with newfound confidence, completed the taming. Kote praised both of them, saying they were smarter than him.
The four rode their Fambaas through the swamp and soon attracted the attention of someone hiding behind the bushes, secretly watching them. The person couldn't believe that anyone other than the Gungans could tame Fambaas! So, he quietly followed them.
By the river, two creatures resembling Earth's giraffes were struggling to drink water. But Kote looked closely and realized it wasn't their heads drinking, but their tongues acting like straws, and the creatures themselves had almost no necks.
"How amazing. I wonder how they evolved like this."
"These are Ikopi. Their legs can extend and retract," Bo-Katan said, quickly flipping through the manual.
Soon, the four heard a group of creatures resembling Earth's rhinos or hippos charging out from the other side, seemingly intending to attack the two Ikopi. However, the two Ikopi remained motionless as if they posed no threat, and indeed, there was no threat; these dozen or so creatures simply jumped into the water and began to roll around.
"These are Motts, herbivores," Bo-Katan observed.
"It seems the entire swamp is full of herbivores. There's no threat at all," Kote said, watching the playful Motts.
However, Kote immediately changed his mind as a creature larger than a bear suddenly burst out with incredible speed, tackling a resting Mott. The other animals instantly scattered, abandoning their kin.
At this moment, Bo-Katan immediately pulled out the Westar-35 blaster pistol Shali had given her, but Kote quickly stopped her. "No, Bo-Katan, when you help that Mott, you've already disrupted the ecological balance. We are merely passersby; this is the Reincarnation of nature."
Alright, but just as this Busal bit and killed the Mott, it saw the group slowly moving forward and charged directly at them.
At this moment, Jar Jar Binks, who had been hiding in the bushes for a long time, suddenly sprang out. "Run! This guy eats people!" He frantically urged Kote and the others to run, while he himself stumbled away.
Kote's eyes lit up. He had sensed Jar Jar's presence long ago, initially thinking it was an assassin sent by Sidious or something. But after sensing no malice, only curiosity, he let him follow. He never expected it to be Jar Jar Binks!
However, the Busal's speed was extraordinary; it was instantly behind Jar Jar.
"Oh, no!" Jar Jar screamed, looking at the Busal behind him.
Kote immediately drew his dark saber, jumped high off the Fambaa below him, and with one swing, cut off the Busal's head.
With the crisis averted, Bo-Katan teased, "Wasn't that the Reincarnation of nature? Is it unnatural now?"
"Hmm... when someone makes a hostile attack on you, remember to let him die first. That's also a lesson," Kote told the three youngsters.
But Jar Jar walked right over. "Me Jar Jar Binks, your humble servant."
Kote was instantly stunned. It seemed that's what he had said to Great Master Qui-Gon at the time. "No, Jar Jar, there are no servants or slaves in Mandalore. You can be our friend. I am Kote Vizsla."
"This is the will of the gods! You saved my life!" Jar Jar still insisted.
Kote patted his head. "Jar Jar, we are friends. You help me, I help you. Just like you told us to run, and I saved your life. That's what friends do."
"Friends?"
"Exactly. If you can, show us around here. You must be very familiar with this place," Kote said sincerely.
"Alright, me show you around," Jar Jar agreed to Kote's request.
"I'm Anakin Skywalker, nice to meet you, Jar Jar," Anakin said warmly to his new friend.
"I'm Zeta vizsla," Zeta introduced herself, adding the vizsla surname.
Jar Jar heard this and exclaimed, "Ah, me understand! You Kote's child!" He immediately hugged Zeta.
Zeta was somewhat helpless. "Something like that."
Bo-Katan also introduced herself. "Bo-Katan Kryze."
"Ah, you all my good friends!" Jar Jar's enthusiastic personality made everyone quite fond of him.
Next, Jar Jar took them around the swamp for half a day and even stayed at Jar Jar's home for a while. Finally, Jar Jar saw the four off.
"Aren't you coming with us?" Anakin asked.
"Hmm... me Gungan, me banished, so me only live in swamp," Jar Jar said with some melancholy.
"Come with us, Jar Jar, or I can help you meet a new friend," Kote thought of Padmé.
"New friend?!" Jar Jar said happily.
Kote nodded, took Jar Jar back to Theed, and invited Padmé and Jar Jar and the others to have dinner together to get to know each other. In the future, these people would all have met, or would be good friends.
Kote booked out a local restaurant in Theed and also called Honkar's squad to eat on the other side, while also performing security duties.
At the dinner table, Jar Jar used his tongue to directly pick up fruit. "Jar Jar, you can't do that. In civilized society, people use chopsticks or knives and forks, like this." Kote demonstrated to Jar Jar, who mimicked him, but it looked very comical.
This made everyone laugh, and Jar Jar himself laughed too. He felt that making everyone laugh was his unique ability. Although he was clumsy and even got kicked out of Otoh Gunga, now he had a group of friends who were good to him, and he also wanted to help his friends as much as he could, and not cause them trouble. Doing his own thing was being a good friend!
The fourth day was the Festival of Light, and everyone spent a wonderful holiday there. Senator Palpatine also held an evening closing ceremony, and the people of Naboo deeply loved their Senator.
Jar Jar was also visiting Theed City for the first time, and everything was new to him, so he touched and prodded everything, creating much amusement. However, the people of Naboo did not dislike Jar Jar because of this.
After the Festival of Light ended, Palpatine gave Kote his contact channel and also presented him with a Naboo plasma crystal to symbolize their friendship.
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