Ben walked quickly through the forest today, but despite taking the long path and going out of his way, he was unable to dodge his nemesis.

"AH! Jedi Kenobi, so good to have found you, me goooood friend!"

Obi-wan rolled his eyes as he felt the weight of Jar Jar's clammy arm fall on his shoulders. Since they had been told to stay on Naboo for a time, Obi-wan had discovered that being rid of such pathetic life forms as this clumsy Gungan was nearly impossible. Everywhere he turned Jar Jar would turn up. He constantly wanted to help with this or that, and more times than not he caused more trouble than they would have had without him. Somehow he had gotten himself banished again from his people which only gave him more reason to seek out Obi-wan.

"I wonder how it is that a simple Gungan such as yourself continues to outwit the avoidance's of a great Jedi?" Obi-wan said with frustration obvious in his voice.

"You not sense me, gain??" Jar Jar asked with joy, "Maybe me have the Force like Jedi Knight friend!"

"I highly doubt that," Obi-wan said, taking Jar Jar's arm and removing it with a gesture of annoyance.

"Then 'splain how it is you not sense Jar Jar Binks?" Jar Jar asked, lobbing in front of the shorter human. "You tell me, I so want to hear dis."

"I haven't the time, Jar Jar," Obi-wan said increasing the speed of his pace, "I am going to be late as it is."

"Late for what?" Jar Jar asked. "It is day for Queen's party, no? I come with you then! Jar Jar like da party."

"No, it has nothing to do with the party. And the party is not until next week," Obi-wan said. He felt his patience being tested again. He tried to walk around the taller creature, but as he stepped to the left, Jar Jar stepped the same direction and they collided. Ja Jar then tried to move out of the way and fell backwards, his feet flying up and kicking Obi-wan to the ground.

Obi-wan sat up and gave Jar Jar a forced smile. "I would get there much more quickly if I traveled alone."

"Ohhh, I see. You no like Jar Jar ‘round you, making you talk."

They both got up and Obi-wan backed away from the Gungan and then started walking again.

"I am not as dumb as to not know when I am being excused," Jar Jar said.

Obi-wan turned around, walked back towards the Gungan and said, as calmly as he could, "Do you know what it is like to be followed around all the time? Every time I turn around you are right there and you never get the hint that I am too busy to entertain your gesture of friendship. I have very important things to do, things you know nothing about and could not understand even if I had the time to tell you about them. There's a whole galaxy out there that the Jedi must protect and fight for peace and justice. Simply put, I don't have time for you."

Jar Jar blinked his eyes a few times and said, "Oh. Mesa orry." He lifted his clubbed hands up at the Jedi and said, sadly "Jar Jar not keep da great Jedi from important business."

"Thank you for understanding," Obi-wan said, hoping he had finally gotten through. But twenty paces down the path, he heard footsteps behind him again. The frustration and anger boiling in him were uncharacteristic for his Jedi training and stopped walking, standing still with his hands on his hips and his eyes squeezed tightly shut. He didn’t think he could hold back from a cruel curse in his angry rebuke if he did not concentrate to relieve this disdain. The footfalls rushed towards him in a hurry and listening carefully he decided that while it was Gungan, the steps were a bit too graceful for Jar Jar.

Obi-wan turned not a moment too soon when the immediacy of the danger fell before his eyes. His Jedi instincts allowed him to swiftly draw his saber and easily fend off a spear thrown at him. As he did so, a blur flew under his arms and a sharp pain stole his breath. Gasping Obi-wan looked down to see he had managed to receive a dagger in his chest. He blinked, wide-eyed at his attacker dashing away into the trees. It had definitely been a Gungan, but dressed unlike any other he had seen, completely in black with his head wrapped in a black cloth, leaving only his ears showing.

Though he wanted to know who it was, and why he was a target, he felt a bit of relief, not knowing if he could have actually fought further in this condition.

He put his saber away, pulled the dagger out and bright red blood began to spread out in a soaked splotch on his tunic at an alarming rate. He placed pressure on the wound and prepared to start back for the palace. But when he took a step and tried to suck in a breath, a sharp pain ripped through him and he coughed. Blood came up when he did and he realized moving was not going to be an option.

Using the force he reached out to see if anyone was close enough to help; but to no avail. Many different species were impervious to the force in various ways. Gungan's were difficult to sense. Not impossible, but difficult, which may have been why he was unprepared for the attack and why now he didn’t know if it was worth his effort to call for help.

"Stupid," he whispered at himself, stumbling towards a fallen tree. As he took a seat, the pain shot through him again, and had he the breath, he would have cried out. Instead his face contorted in the discomfort of it.

Then, as if by a miracle occurring out of his shear wishful thinking, Jar Jar's voice could be heard through the trees.

"Obi-wan, Jedi Knight!" he called out.

"Here," Obi-wan said as loudly as he could, which wasn't very loudly at all. Somehow the Gungan heard him. Maybe those floppy ears actually had good hearing.

"I be sorry to bother you again, but there is something I meant to tell you that I forgot," Jar Jar said. He bounded through the trees and up next to where Obi-wan sat on the dead tree.

"You be expected by the Queen herself and she see to it that Anakin is there too. Anakin tell me to tell you that she said to tell you that…" Jar Jar stopped and eyed the Jedi gesturing something with his right hand.

"What?" Jar Jar asked. He looked closer. Obi-wan was now wet with blood and sweat. "Oh… You be dying?" Jar Jar said horrified. "What did you do?"

He reached out to touch Obi-wan and Obi-wan sternly put up his hand to stop him. Taking in as much air as he could, he said, "I was attacked." He closed his eyes in pain and put pressure on the wound again.

"Who?" Jar Jar asked looking around in fear. "How did it happen? Yous be a JEDI!"

Obi-wan waved his hand as if it was less important than what he had to say. "The dagger pierced my lung," he said.

"That's not good," Jar Jar said, covering his mouth with both hands.

Obi-wan shook his head. "It's very bad," he said and winced in pain. He looked down and saw the blood lightly flowing over his hand.

"I know what to do," Jar Jar said, bobbing his head up and down and looking around.

Obi-wan reached out and grabbed one of his ears and pulled him close. In a very calm voice he directed, "Go get help."

"No," Jar Jar said, shaking his head, his free ear flopping around, "If I do that, you may be attacked again! And you be bleeding!" He pointed at Obi-wan's hand. "Jar Jar stop bleeding and then carry you."

Obi-wan let go of his ear in exasperation and weariness and Jar Jar disappeared into the forest.

Obi-wan shook his head lacking the strength to argue. Before he knew it, Jar Jar returned with wet leaves and proceeded to rip his garment.

"Dargon's know of Puina plant. Stops bleeding," he said.

Obi-wan watched as Jar Jar mushed the gummy leaves into a pulp with his teeth and spit them out into his hands. He held out the mixture to Obi-wan, indicating the Jedi should remove his tunic. Disgusted, he reluctantly did so and began to feel faint as the release of pressure allowed the blood flow to increase. He lay back against a large branch of the tree.

The mixture felt warm and at first Obi-wan thought it was from the addition of the Gunga saliva. But then he realized there was something more happening and finding the strength to lift his head he looked and saw that the bleeding had stopped.

Jar Jar gave him a big smile and said, "See, I told you!" Then he proceeded to bind the wound tightly.

Amazed at the tidiness of the dressing, Obi-wan realized he was actually feeling stable enough to walk back. But when he stood, the forest began to sway around him and his low blood pressure was caused him to loose consciousness. The last thing he remembered was looking up into the big eyes of a Gungan who was saying something about not worrying.

When he woke up, Obi-wan was in the Naboo palace medical facility; around him stood Anakin, Amidala, several Naboo doctors and Jar Jar.

"He's waking up," Amidala said, worry clear on her face.

"Master?" Anakin said. The little boy was near tears as the fate of his new master hung in the air before him. "Are you alright?"

Obi-wan smiled at the boy and said, "I'm alive." He put his hand to the place where the wound was and could feel the tenderness.

"We have sent guards into the forest to find your attacker. This Gungan saved your life, Obi-wan," Amidala said. She turned to Jar Jar and said, "You shall be greatly rewarded. Today you have done the most honorable of deeds."

"No," Jar Jar said. "I don't need reward." The Gungan actually looked embarrassed.

"Yes, Jar Jar," Obi-wan said, "You saved my life. I am in your debt. Please, allow Amidala to bestow on you your due."

At that Anakin said, "I remember Qui-Gon saying something about a life debt." Anakin looked up at the Gungan with his big brown eyes and said, "You owed Qui-Gon eternal service because he saved your life. It's the Gungan customary life debt. Does that mean that Obi-wan is now indebted to serve you?"

Obi-wan suddenly grew nervous. Amidala shot a glance at Obi-wan and then at Jar Jar.

Jar Jar swung his hands at his sides a little and then shuffled his feet. "Me suppose customarily that be de case."

Anakin looked at Obi-wan and Obi-wan looked down at the impressionable boy, wondering how he could deny this life debt and still keep the boys trust and respect. He looked at Jar Jar with worry on his face and realized that he would rather have died in that forest than spend the rest of his life in the company of such a creature, let alone being indebted to serving him. He looked back at Anakin, who was starting to grow concerned at Obi-wan's hesitation.

"But," Ja Jar said slowly, "There's no need for Jedi knight to honor life debt to me."

Anakin said, "But it's only right. You saved his life. He would be dead if it weren't for you." The small boy looked at Amidala for support.

Her sad eyes offered him no condolence.

"He's right," Obi-wan said solemnly to Jar Jar. "It is right that I owe my life to you. And as in your custom, I should thus be your servant."

Jar Jar's expression turned to elation. "A Jedi to serve Jar Jar?"

Obi-wan wished himself dead.

Amidala looked down and shook her head.

Anakin smiled slightly and then looked up at Jar Jar and said, "Is it okay with you if Obi-wan still teaches me how to become a Jedi?"

Jar Jar looked at Obi-wan's long face and at Amidala's strange glumness and then down at the boy. "Yes, it be done," he said. Then he said to Obi-wan, "And I say you do what you do, Jedi Knight."

Obi-wan looked at him slightly confused.

"Yes," Jar Jar said, "To serve me you do not serve me. Me wish is that you do not serve me." He gestured at Obi-wan and said, "Jedi Knights are so more important than Jar Jar Binks. I don't need servant as much as whole galaxy need you. Jar Jar is nothing next to Jedi. And Master Kenobi, yous be a GREAT Jedi."

When he heard the words, and the sincerity behind them, Obi-wan felt something inside of him that stung more than the knife wound had. He closed his eyes receiving the humiliation of his previous attitude towards the Gungan. Knowing he must at least acknowledge Jar Jar he mustered the strength to say, "I will honor your wish."

"Das good," Jar Jar said smiling. "Mesa happy now. Who wantsa be followed around all da time anyway?" He shook his head as he let out a slobbering, noisy breath with flapping lips. After his show he added, "Dats would be so annoysing!"

Obi-wan blushed slightly at that remark and opened his eyes. Jar Jar smiled at him and bowed as he stepped out of the room.

They all watched him leave, and then Anakin said, "That was really great what he did, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Amidala said, looking at Obi-wan, "It was. And he did not have to do it either."

Obi-wan didn't say anything, just stared into space, a crease planted on his forehead indicating deep thought.

Then she said, "Come Anakin, let's go and let Master Kenobi rest."

Obi-wan didn't look at them as they left. It wasn’t so much that he had been taught a lesson in his own weaknesses, but that somehow he guessed the Gungan knew it went much deeper than missing that second knife. It was his dismissive and superior attitude towards lesser races and beings that had been his downfall. Never would he have imagined a Gungan could best him nor that Jar Jar had any value to him at all. If Obi-wan had any honor in him at all, he would have at least apologized to for his treatment of him as a nuisance. But he could not muster the humility for that, and doubted he ever would be able to acknowledge the fault. So instead, he let the wretchedness of his own depraved ego gnaw at his innards, slowing the healing of the wound.

"Great Jedi," he grumbled. Touching the bandage he closed his eyes and sighed, "Rather the finest example of a pathetic creature if there ever was one."