A Most Unusual Renegade The Tower had seen its share of strange visitors—Awoken emissaries, Cabal defectors, even a Taken Phalanx that somehow got stuck in a ventilation shaft. But this? This was new. Ikora Rey stood at the edge of the courtyard, arms crossed, her Ghost hovering uneasily by her shoulder as the creature before her tried, with great enthusiasm and zero coordination, to bow. “Mesa honored to be speakin’ with big important wizard-lady!” the newcomer said, nearly tipping forward. “Ikora Reysa, yes?” Ikora blinked once. Slowly. “…I am not a wizard,” she said. “And you are…?” The being puffed out his chest proudly. “Mesa Jar Jar Binks! Representative of da—er—former Representative—er—Hero!” His arms flailed. “Mesa hear yousa Guardians need helpin’ with new ren… ren…” He squinted. “Rene…gib-gibs?” “Renegades.” Ikora sighed. “A new wave of independent Lightbearers operating outside Vanguard oversight. We are… evaluating them.” Jar Jar nodded rapidly, entirely misunderstanding. “Ohhh! Renegib-gibs! Mesa good at catchin’ troublemakers!” He paused. “Mostly because mesa is one. Accidentally. Usually.” Before Ikora could respond, a Renegade Hunter darted past, cloak snapping behind him. “Ikora! Sorry—I didn’t mean to borrow the Sparrow—” He vanished down a corridor. Jar Jar perked up. “Aha! Dat one guilty! Mesa chase him!” “Wait—no—” Ikora reached out, but Jar Jar was already in motion. He sprinted after the Renegade with heroic determination, tripped over absolutely nothing, ricocheted off a railing, knocked over two crates of telemetry data, and somehow—somehow—catapulted himself directly into the path of the fleeing Hunter. Both ended up in a tangled heap. The Renegade groaned. “What just—who is this guy?” Ikora arrived, Ghost bobbing in stunned silence. Jar Jar looked up at her, beaming proudly despite lying sideways on the floor. “Mesa apprehend da Renegib-gib for you!” Ikora stared at him. Then, for the first time in a long while, she laughed softly. “…Jar Jar Binks,” she said, offering him a hand, “you may be the strangest ally the Vanguard has ever encountered.” He gasped. “Mesa honored! Mesa ready to join da… da…” He waved his arms around dramatically. “Renegade Strike Task Forcing Committee!” “That’s… not a thing,” Ikora said. “Could be!” he chirped. Ikora rubbed her temples. “Traveler help us all.” But as she looked at the still-dazed Renegade Hunter and the delighted Gungan who had, against all odds, stopped him… she admitted to herself: Maybe the Tower could use a little unpredictable energy.