Tribubble bongo

"Master, what's a bongo?" "A transport, I hope."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn

Tribubble bongos were bio-engineered submersibles used by the Gungans of Naboo.

Characteristics
Bongos were handcrafted Gungan vessels, built around a coral-like skeleton underwater. Each one was unique, due to being made individually. The bongo's hull was strong, though could be damaged by some of the creatures in Naboo's oceans. Bongos were in fact based on the creatures found underwater, and thus many of them resembled squids or other such animals. Bongos were equipped with an electrical power plant and a guidance system. They ranged from being able to hold just one occupant to a number of individuals. Those capable of holding many passengers were known as heyblibbers.

The bongo's propulsion system was based on long tentacles at the aft of the vehicle. These tentacles pushed the bongo forward. The vessel was also equipped with repulsorlifts to push it through specially designed bays in Gungan cities. The bongo had a unique buoyancy system; when the vessel went underwater, special chambers release oil, which increased the vehicle's density. To surface, the oil was absorbed.

Bongos were very versatile, and fulfilled many functions, from carrying passengers to cargo. The Gungans based their starfighter designs on the bongo.

History


The first bongos were probably invented by a tribe known as the Bongomeken Collective. Millennia later, they evolved into the Otoh Gunga Bongameken Cooperative. They ranged from tiny, single-person craft to the large Heyblibbers used for long journeys.

Bongos were handcrafted, ensuring that each craft was unique from the rest. A bongo was built around an organic coral-like skeleton bred in special underwater fields by Gungan designers. This skeleton formed the bongo's hull and was strong, though not durable enough to withstand Opee sea killer attacks. This made it prone to damage by sea monsters encountered in the watery depths of Naboo.

While the Gungans produced much of the technology needed for bongo creation, electronics and specialized equipment like metal cargo containers had to be purchased from the Naboo. Gungan traders procured such items from the Naboo in exchange for foodstuffs and medicine.

Bongos were incredibly versatile and could be built for many functions. Cargo bongos featured cargo holds instead of passenger modules, while a Gungan Army transport bongo could carry about five armed passengers. Monobubble racing bongos were also produced and bongo technology even enabled the Gungans to construct starships, which they used to colonize the Naboo moon Ohma-D'un.

Bongo technology inspired Gungan engineers in Lamaredd to create the gondola skimmersub, basing on bongo designs. As locab plasma, a component of the bongo, was scarce in Lamaredd, the gondola used an alternate technology.

Types of bongos

 * Bongo Scout
 * Bongo Light Scout
 * Bongo Advanced Scout
 * Bongo Behemoth
 * Bongo Advanced Behemoth
 * Bongo Laser
 * Bongo Fast Laser
 * Bongo Missile
 * Bongo Heavy Missile

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (as Bongo Laser)
 * Episode I Adventures 9: Rescue in the Core
 * Episode I Adventures 12: The Bongo Rally
 * The Death of Captain Tarpals
 * Star Wars: Episode I Racer
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace novel
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace comic
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace junior novel
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace game
 * Episode I: The Phantom Menace ½
 * Episode I: Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * The Last of the Jedi: Death on Naboo
 * Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
 * Star Tours: The Adventures Continue

Non-canon appearances

 * LEGO Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga