Militiagung

Militiagung
General information
Leader(s)	Boss Gallo (3000 BBY) Boss Rogoe Boss Hantic Boss Hoxie Boss Tenko Boss Copek Boss Nass (32 BBY) Bombad General Jar Jar Binks (32 BBY) General Tobler Ceel (32 BBY) Boss Lyonie (Clone Wars) General Roos Tarpals
Headquarters	Otoh Gunga Otoh Langua Otoh Raban Otoh Jahai Otoh Urs Spearhead
Location(s)	Naboo
Historical information
Date founded	3000 BBY
Other information
Affiliation	Gungan Grand Army

"Gungans no dyin' witout a fight. Wesa warriors."

―Jar Jar Binks

Militiagungs were soldier Gungans that had joined and been trained in Gungan Grand Army. Militiagungs were loyal to the Gungan Boss and were willing to die serving their leader. Militiagungs' weapons often were usually booma-launching atlatls and a personal energy shield.

Militiagungs had existed for an unknown number of year before 3000 BBY, when the War of the Gungan tribes took place. Many of the individual tribes were training militiagungs to fight the other tribes. Eventually Boss Gallo rose up and defeated Boss Rogoe, the warlord responsible for the war, using an army built up of militiagungs and other Gungan military forces. The Gungan Grand Army was formed afterward.

The Gungan Grand Army did not see very much warfare until 32 BBY, when Naboo was invaded by the Trade Federation. Many militiagungs were called to arms for the Battle of Grassy Plains, where the army engaged the Trade Federation and would have been defeated if it weren't for the intervention of Anakin Skywalker, who destroyed the Droid Control Ship, disabling all of the battle droids on Naboo.

During the Clone Wars, a large group of militiagungs journeyed off-world to Mon Calamari to assist the Mon Calamari in a battle against the Confederacy of Independent Systems led by Riff Tamson. In the first confrontation many Gungans were killed and the survivors were placed in prison camps. Eventually Prince Lee-Char of Mon Calamari led a revolt against Tamson, with the militiagungs' help, and defeated the Separatist forces on the planet.

At some point during the Clone Wars the Gungan race nearly invaded Theed after Boss Lyonie was placed under hypnosis by Separatist spy Rish Loo. The trickery was realized by Anakin Skywalker, now a Jedi Knight, who along with Jar Jar Binks tricked the Separatist forces planning Theed's invasion into believing the Gungans were still allied with them long enough to capture the army's leader, General Grievous, which cost the lives of several militiagungs including General Roos Tarpals.

Militiagungs were still used by Gungans at the time of the Galactic Civil War.

History

War of the Gungan tribes

A group of militiagungs commanded by Boss Gallo battle bursas on the ruins of Otoh Sancture

Around 3000 BBY the various Gungan tribes were at war with each other, during which militiagungs were very commonly used in the battles. One Boss who did not use militiagungs was Boss Gallo, who refused to take part in the fighting until his city, Otoh Sancture, was destroyed by half-wild Bursas. Gallo would later find out the bursas were sent by Boss Rogoe, the warlord manipulating the war, who feared that Gallo would be too powerful a force should he enter the war. Gallo then built an army of militiagungs with the help of Captain Marsune, a reformed rogue, and proceeded to resolve the issues causing the Gungan tribes to go to war with each other. Eventually Gallo had a large enough army to invade Spearhead, Rogoe's base, and defeat the tyrant. The battle ended the war and resulted in the formation of the Gungan Grand Army and the building of Otoh Gunga which was built on Spearhead's ruins.

Invasion of Naboo

"Wipe them out. All of them."

―Darth Sidious

Swamp Battles

"My troops are in position to begin searching the swamps for these rumored underwater villages. They will not stay hidden for long."

―OOM-9

Trade Federation forces attacking the Gungan swamps.

Three millennia later, Naboo was invaded by the Trade Federation. The Gungans were initially safe from the Federation as they were unaware of their existence, until a captured marine from the city of Harte Secur informed the Trade Federation of myths of a mysterious water-dwelling civilization. Droid Commander OOM-9 was sent to attack the city of Rellias with the assistance of Darth Maul, the Sith apprentice of Darth Sidious, the manipulator of the invasion. The droid army reached the city with ease and killed all of the Gungans there, including the militiagungs defending the city, except for Boss Ganne, whom Maul used a mind trick on to lead them to the Rellias Straits, the entrance to Otoh Gunga. The droids defeated the Militiagungs scattered on the path to the channel with ease. Otoh Gunga's attack resulted in a decision by the Rep Council to evacuate the city.

Battle of the Sacred Place

"When in trouble, Gungans go to sacred place."

―Jar Jar Binks

Militiagungs at the Gungan Sacred Place.

The Gungans who escaped from Otoh Gunga immediately left for the Gungan Sacred Place. A large number of militiagungs had arrived at the Sacred Place before Boss Nass had. A scout reported that a Trade Federation camp was nearby. In order to ensure the Gungans safety, Nass ordered that a large group of militiagungs to attack the camp. The battle was brief and the Gungans only suffered light casualties.

The Gungans continued hiding until Queen Amidala of the Naboo along with Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, arrived to negotiate with the Gungans. The group defeated a large number of B1-Series battle droids before meeting the militiagungs guarding the Sacred Place. Several militiagungs challenged the Jedi in combat, but were easily defeated by the Knights. The Gungan Security Chief then challenged the Jedi, but was also defeated. The Chief then let the Jedi through to meet with Boss Nass.

Gathering Forces

Militiagungs held hostage by Battle droids at Camp Fourteen.

Queen Amidala was able to persuade the Gungans to forge an alliance to remove the Trade Federation's presence from Naboo. Nass began to make preparations for the upcoming campaign with General Tobler Ceel. They realized a large amount of militiagungs and Naboo soldiers had been captured by the Trade Federation and been placed in Camp Fourteen, a prison camp near the ruined city of Spinnaker. The Gungan army attacked the camp and liberated the prisoners, then proceeded to free Spinnaker from Federation control.

The next target of the Gungans was Camp Six, a Trade Federation prison camp for fambaas, which they planned to skin and sell. The militiagungs used fambaas to carry shield generators and other heavy equipment, so the Gungans attacked Camp Six to free the beasts. The militiagungs also fought in the ruins of Harte Secur, another city destroyed by the Trade Federation.

Battle of Grassy Plains

"Ouch Time."

―Roos Tarpals

Militiagungs fighting at the Battle of Grassy Plains

The militiagungs were then called into action as part of a diversion to allow the Royal Naboo Security Forces to retake Naboo from the Trade Federation. The Gungan Grand Army drew the Trade Federation Droid Army into open battle on the Great Grass Plains. The army started the battle with their fambaa shield generators, which prevented the battle droids from successfully attacking the Gungans for a short time, but the droid forces eventually got past the shields and began to kill the militiagungs. The militiagungs continued to fight the battle droids, but began losing the battle and suffered even more casualties when the shield generators were taken out, allowing the heavy machinery of the Federation to fire upon the Gungans. General Ceel eventually had to order a retreat into the swamps. However the Trade Federation droids began rounding up the militiagungs who hadn't escaped in time, including Jar-Jar Binks, Roos Tarpals and General Ceel. The fighting ceased and the Gungans believed they had failed until the young pilot Anakin Skywalker destroyed the Federation's Droid Control Ship, deactivating all of the droids and allowing the militiagungs to claim victory.

Clone Wars

Battle of Mon Cala

"Gungans! The tide has turned in our favor."

―Kit Fisto, after the militiagungs arrived

An army of militiagungs at the battle of Mon Cala.

Around 21 BBY, during the Clone Wars, the aquatic world of Mon Calamari was attacked by the Separatists, led by the Karkarodon Riff Tamson and allied with Nossor Ri, the leader of the Quarren. Rugor Nass's successor, Boss Lyonie, committed a large group of militiagungs to act as reinforcements during the battle. The reinforcements raised the morale of the Republic soldiers and turned the tide of the battle briefly. However, Tamson used the Confederacy's trident ships to create whirlpools to confuse the Republic soldiers. The Separatists seized the opportunity and killed and captured many Gungans. Many of these captives were kept in prison camps until the arrest of Prince Lee-Char. The prince's execution nearly took place, but Nossor Ri betrayed Separatists and intervened, saving the Prince. All of the Gungan and Mon Calamari prisoners were set free and fought in the final part of the battle, which saw Tamson killed by Lee-Char and Mon Calamari freed from the Separatist grip.

Skirmish on Naboo

"How does it feel to die?"
"Not die...sacrifice!"

―General Grievous and Roos Tarpals

Militiagungs guard a captured General Grievous.

Later, there was unrest on Naboo. Rish Loo, a Gungan minister, secretly allied himself with the Confederacy and manipulated Lyonie, the Boss of the Gungan capital, Otoh Gunga, into preparing for war against the Naboo people. Boss Lyonie had a hypnotic necklace planted on him by Loo. The Separatists were planning an invasion of Naboo and were going to use the deceived Gungans into fighting with them. Senator Jar Jar Binks, concerned by Lyonie's rallying of the militiagungs, invited Anakin Skywalker and Amidala, then a Senator, to resolve the problem. Skywalker immediately noticed Lyonie was acting strangely and discovered the necklace controlling him. The necklace was crushed and Lyonie returned to his senses. He went to confront Rish Loo, whom upon being discovered stabbed Lyonie and fled, with Skywalker in pursuit. With Boss Lyonie injured, Binks]impersonated him and spoke to the gathered militiagungs, talking them down from war. General Grievous then landed a Confederacy invasion force, and held a private meeting with Jar Jar (who he thought was Lyonie) to find out why the invasion was cancelled. Amidala contacted General Tarpals during this time and suggested deactivating the droid army. Grievous then worked out that Binks was not Lyonie and emerged from the meeting, enraged at discovering his army was deactivated. The militiagungs ordered him to surrender, but Grievous simply attacked the militiagungs with his lightsabers. Several militiagungs were killed before Tarpals attacked Grievous with an electropole. Grievous managed to stab the experienced militiagung, who in his last moments stabbed Grievous with his spear, giving the militiagungs a chance to capture Grievous. Grievous was held in captivity until Count Dooku revealed he had captured Skywalker and was willing to trade for Grievous. The trade took place, and Skywalker was returned to the Republic.

Later history

Militiagungs were still used by Gungans during and after the Galactic Civil War.

Organization

Equipment used by militiagungs.

"Wesa ready to do our-sa part."

―Boss Nass

Prior to the formation of the Gungan Grand Army, militiagungs served the tribe they had been raised and trained in. When the tribes were united by Boss Gallo, the Grand army was formed, which required every city to hold annual drills so that the Grand Army could be assembled within thirty-six hours of being summoned. The soldiers were trained to understand the Grand Army's system of horn, drum, and whistle signals, and took orders from professional commanders. There were several variations of the militiagung: the Trooper Recruit, Trooper, Heavy Trooper, and Repeater Troopers.

Weaponry

"Gotta energy balls, fly outta slings and splat electricity and goo. Bombad stuff."

―Jar Jar Binks to Padmé Amidala on Coruscant

During the time of the Invasion of Naboo, a standard militiagung was armed with an atlatl, a cesta and a personal energy shield. Atlatls were used to catapault energy balls, called boomas at the enemy. Personal energy shields were used to deflect blaster fire from hitting the militiagung. Some militiagungs also used electropoles.

Behind the scenes

Militiagungs first appeared in 1999 with the release of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace and its tie-ins. They were re-imagined in LEGO form for the 2005 video game LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game, which was also included in its 2007 compilation re-release. Also released in 2005 was the video game Star Wars: Battlefront II, which allowed players to fight either for or against the Gungan Grand Army in "Hunt Mode."

Appearances

A militiagung brandishing an electropole.

• Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
• Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace novelization (First appearance)
• Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace unabridged audiobook
• Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
• Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles
• Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace 3
• Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace 4
• Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace junior novelization
• Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Cine-Manga
• Star Wars Manga: The Phantom Menace 2
• Star Wars: Battlefront
• Star Wars Episode I Journal: Anakin Skywalker
• Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns
• The Clone Wars: Ackbar's Underwater Army
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Gungan Attack"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Prisoners"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Shadow Warrior"
• Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided

Non-canon appearances

• LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
• LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
• Star Wars: Battlefront II (Appears only in non-storyline event)

Sources

• Star Wars: Episode I The Visual Dictionary (First identified as Militiagung)
• The Art of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
• Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
• Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
• Gungan Grand Army in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
• Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: The Expanded Visual Dictionary
• The Essential Guide to Warfare
• "Behind and Beyond the Battle Lines" — Star Wars Insider 134 (Picture only)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars: What Is a Sith Warrior? (Picture only)
• Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures — "Shop" (Set: Gungan Warrior) (as Gungan Warrior)
• Star Wars: Force Collection (Card: Gungan (Stack, short range)) (Picture only)
• Star Wars: Force Collection (Card: Gungan (Stack, medium range)) (Picture only)
• Gungan Grand Army in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)