Project Boussh: Rabble-Rousing
by Nick Coghlan

"Yub! Yub Yub Yub Yub Yub! Yub Yub! Yub Yub Yub! Yub!"
"Ichiwawa Yub Yub!"
"Yub Ichiwawa Yub Yub Yub!"

Nick sat back in admiration. He had to hand it to the three little guys
- they were certainly crowd pleasers. The Ewoks leapt and tumbled and
spun, swinging their blasters around, performing some of the most wild
acrobatics Nick had ever seen. Threepio might have had good sound
effects, but these guys made the stories they were telling come alive.
He returned his attention to the tale the Ewoks were acting out. It was
a tale of their adventures since the stormtroopers had attacked the Ewok
farm.

<And then the honourable one came unto us, along with the bugman, and
they did hear of our feast. And the honourable one returned to us the
task of protection, giving us a true home.> Nick shook his head in
amazement - these Ewoks really had an involved turn of phrase when they
got going in their native language. At least the recreations appeared to
be having the desired effect - quite an impressive crowd had gathered.

<And having left on his own quest, the honourable one returned again to
us and requested our aid. And willingly we went with him, to aid in his
quest. And in glorious battle did we meet the enemy, armed with the
lightning sticks and we rained fire down upon them. And in the midst of
them, beneath their metallic beast, the bugman unleashed the fire of the
sun and they were struck down by its power.> The speaker, Yarg, allowed
silence to fall. His fellow survivors, the ones doing all the leaping
about, paused to catch their breath. Into the hushed silence, Yarg began
again, his voice quiet as the gathered Ewoks strained to hear his words.
<But the foul mechanical beast of the enemy had one last trick. In its
death throes, it reached out and struck down many of our brethren, and
it sought to claim our brother of the heart, the honourable one.> Yarg
paused again, the assembled Ewoks almost holding their breath in
anticipation. <But the bugman acted quickly and gathered to himself some
of the tools of the enemy, including a beast that had remained silent
within its lair. Placing the honourable one within a healing cocoon, the
bugman took us with him into the belly of the beast, and the beast
soared into the night sky, with us within it, and the cocoon below. Into
the darkness we flew, to find a place of recovery, for our enemy lay
slain, and their stronghold in ruins.> Nick sat back in the shadows,
privately amazed by the grip Yarg had on his audience. Their faces
reflected the feelings of triumph mixed with concern that Yarg was
trying to evoke about the assault on the Pullenvale base. Playing on
their concern for Josh was certainly an effective ploy - the human had
certainly been extremely popular amongst the Ewoks. Truth to tell, Josh
frequently complained of being _too_ popular.

Yarg resumed the thread of his story, the other two veterans providing
seemingly spontaneous actions, which had, in fact, been carefully
orchestrated by Yarg during the trip to Brisbane. <Into the darkness we
flew, night's cloak a shield for our wounded brother. A refuge we found,
a place of peace, somewhere to rest and recover. And another came to us
there, one who was known to us only as the dark master. And we rained
fire down upon him, but the bugman bade us stop. So we allowed him to
arise, and walk among us, although we kept our eyes upon him. And the
tools the dark master brought, were attached to the honourable one's
cocoon, and in time, the honourable one awoke.> The sigh of relief from
the audience was almost audible. <And he spent time with the dark
master, and the bugman, until ultimately the bugman spoke unto us all
and gave us tasks. The bugman and the honourable one have gone far to
the south, to seek out the enemy there. But they once again require our
aid. We have spoken to the one known as the dark master, and he has
agreed to mend his ways.> Yarg was winding up for the big finale, now.
<No more need we live in fear of his dark tread, for the influence of
the bugman and the honourable one, and the suggestions of your humble
storyteller, have opened the way to a lighter future! But to reach this
bright place, we must first root out the forces of our true enemy, the
enemy of the honourable one, who sought to defile this place, our home,
that we hold most dear! We need warriors! Young! Able! Strong! Willing
to wield a lightning stick in the cause of the honourable one, our
brother of the heart! Who will step forward?! Who will show the true
mettle of their heart?! Who is with ME?!>

Nick smiled. Twenty recruits? Not a problem. Not with Yarg around.