A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
STAR WARS
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic. The taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems is in dispute.
Hoping to resolve the matter with a blockade of deadly battleships, the greedy Trade Federation has stopped all shipping to the small, peaceful planet of Alderaan.
While the Congress of the Republic endlessly debates this alarming chain of events, the Supreme Chancellor has secretly dispatched two Jedi Knights, the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, to settle the conflict...
Obi-Wan looked out the viewport of the cruiser, and saw the massive blockade that surrounded the planet. Normally, it would've been just a large ring of ships, but this one surrounded the entire side of Alderaan.
However, despite the blockade's massive size, Obi-Wan wasn't fazed in the least. In fact, he was rather... bored. He knew that this whole trade-dispute would blow over anyway, and there wasn't anything to it. He would just sit there while Qui-Gon did the talking with the Viceroy, and they'd be back on their way to Coruscant.
It was dull. Negotiations were for politicians, not Jedi. Obi-Wan felt like his training and talents were being wasted away because there was nothing out there to stop. One of the things that made him want to become a Jedi in the first place was the thought of the excitement that came with doing the right thing. As a boy, he heard the tales about Jedi protecting the galaxy from the Sith around a millennium ago, and it filled his dreams with thoughts of courage and bravery as he charged into battles with a lightsaber in his hand.
Now, he was serving as a diplomat for political issues that he didn't care for in the slightest. Obi-Wan couldn't really think of anything more boring; he hated politics. At that moment, he would've given anything to be in a more exciting, more dangerous situation. Something. Anything.
He would later come to regret that.
"Captain, tell them we wish to board immediately." Qui-Gon told the pilot.
"Yes, sir." the pilot said. He then pressed a button on his dashboard, and an image of Nute Gunray, the Neimoidian Viceroy of the Trade Federation, appeared on the screen above their heads.
"With all due respect," the pilot began. "the ambassadors for the Supreme Chancellor wish to board."
"Yes, of course." Gunray complied. "You may proceed at once."
With that, the cruiser began to make it's descent into the hangar-bay area. While they neared closer to the landing pad, Obi-Wan suddenly felt an unusual disturbance in the Force, though he didn't know where it was coming from.
As they landed, the Jedi pulled the hoods of their robes up and exited the cruiser. One of the side-entrances opened up, and before them stood a silver-plated protocol droid.
"I'm TC-14, at your service," the droid greeted the Jedi. "This way, please."
TC-14 then led them down to the end of the corridor on the right-hand side, where another door opened up to reveal a small, empty conference room.
"We are greatly honored by your visit, ambassadors." TC-14 complimented. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. My master will be with you shortly."
After the droid left the room and the door closed behind the Jedi, they took off their hoods, and Obi-Wan decided it was around time to tell his master about what he had felt.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Obi-Wan said.
"I don't sense anything." Qui-Gon responded.
"It's not about the mission, Master," Obi-Wan began to clarify. "it's something... elsewhere. Elusive."
"Don't center on your anxieties, Ben." Qui-Gon said. "Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs."
Obi-Wan, certain this dispute would blow over, defended "But Master Yoda said I should be mindful of the future."
"But not at the expense of the moment." Qui-Gon advised. "Be mindful of the living Force, young Padawan."
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan accepted. The pair of ambassadors then neared the viewport window, and they looked out to see the rest of the blockade and the planet below.
"How do you think this trade viceroy will deal with the Chancellor's demands?" Obi-Wan asked.
"These Federation-types are cowards, my young apprentice." Qui-Gon answered. "The negotiations will be short."
Good, because I've had enough of this mission and politics in general. Obi-Wan thought.
"Wait, what did you just say?" Gunray asked, shocked.
"The ambassadors are Jedi Knights, I believe." TC-14 repeated. "Their attire suggested as much."
Gunray turned to Daultay Dofine, his subordinate, and Dofine said "I knew it. They're here to force a settlement. What are we going to do?"
Gunray sighed, took a quick glance around the command room he was in, and said "I'll contact Lord Sidious. He'll know what do."
After getting the communicator set up, a holographic image of a heavily cloaked old man appeared in front of the two Neimoidians, asking "What is it?"
"This scheme of yours has failed, Lord Sidious." Dofine spoke first. "The blockade is finished. The ambassadors are Jedi, and we dare not go against them."
Sighing, Sidious said "This turn of events is unfortunate. We must accelerate our plans. Begin landing your troops at once."
"My lord," Gunray questioned. "Is that legal?"
"I will make it legal." Sidious said bitterly.
"And the Jedi?" Gunray asked.
"The Chancellor should never have brought them into this. Kill them immediately." Sidious ordered.
"Yes, my lord. As you wish." Gunray complied as the image of Sidious faded away.
"How do we kill them?" Dofine asked.
Gunray took another glance around the room, and then another idea popped into his head.
"Distract them while I organize a security detail." Gunray said.
"Are you brain-dead? I'm not going in there with two Jedi! You must be insane!" Dofine said, shocked. Then, his eyes caught notice of TC-14, and he said "You know what? Let's send a droid."
Obi-Wan continually drummed his fingers on the surface of the table. He was getting tired of all this waiting around for the Viceroy. All he wanted to do was just go back to Coruscant, do some sparring in the Jedi Temple, and then just isolate himself from the dreary world of politics.
"Patience, young Padawan," Qui-Gon said once he noticed his apprentice's boredom. "The Viceroy will be here soon."
"Sorry, Master," Obi-Wan apologized. "but is it in their nature to make us wait this long?"
"No," Qui-Gon answered. "I sense an unusual amount of fear for something as trivial as this dispute."
"Do you think something may have gone wrong?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I don't know, Ben. We should be patient for now." Qui-Gon advised.
The door opened, and TC-14 walked in carrying a tray with two silver cups and a pitcher.
"How much longer until the Viceroy arrives?" Qui-Gon asked while taking a cup from the tray.
"We apologize for the inconvenience. He will be with you soon." TC-14 answered.
Finally, Obi-Wan thought as he took the other cup. let's just get this over with.
Obi-Wan brought the cup to his lips, and he was about to take a sip until Qui-Gon said "Don't drink that."
"What?" Obi-Wan asked.
Qui-Gon was eyeing his drink very carefully, and then he looked at Obi-Wan and said "It's poison."
The Jedi set down their cups and then looked at TC-14, who, in fear, dropped the tray and backed into a corner. Qui-Gon then got up from his seat and strode over to the droid, demanding "Might I ask why there's poison in our drinks?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't know!" TC-14 pleaded.
Obi-Wan then stood up and walked over to TC-14, pulling his lightsaber out from his belt and igniting the bright blue blade.
"I think you do," Obi-Wan said, pointing his saber at the droid. "Now, why does the Viceroy want to kill us?"
"I may have slipped to him that you were Jedi! He refused to negotiate!" TC-14 answered in fear.
"Well, that's just great, isn't it?" Obi-Wan sarcastically commented as he deactivated his saber.
"Obi-Wan, you know we don't go into aggressive negotiations until someone starts firing a blaster." Qui-Gon advised.
"So poisoned drinks don't count is what you're saying?" Obi-Wan mockingly asked.
Suddenly, a large explosion rang throughout the ship, shaking the conference room. Then, a strange, green gas emitted from the ventilation ducts.
"No, but dioxis does, along with blowing up our ship." Qui-Gon said, nearly deadpan. "Put on your rebreather right now."
A half-dozen group of battle droids gathered outside the front of the conference room. The commander then pulled a holo-communicator from his side, and a small image of the Viceroy appeared, saying "They must be dead by now, but I want to make sure. Destroy what is left of them."
"Roger, roger sir. Consider it done." the commander said.
One of the other droids then opened the door manually, and the commander said to one of his men "Check it out, Corporal. We'll cover you."
"Roger, roger." the corporal said. As the droid walked toward the gas-filled room, two beams of light, one green and one blue, ignited.
"Blast them!" the commander ordered, and the squad opened fire on the Jedi. However, the blaster bolts were easily deflected by the lightsabers, and they bounced back right at the commander and corporal, disabling them.
Obi-Wan was the first to leap out of the room, blocking blaster shots and slicing droids in half as he went. Qui-Gon quickly followed suit, and they both dispatched with all the droids.
"What's going on down there?" Gunray demanded when his communicator stopped working.
"We lost the transmission, sir!" Tey How, his communications officer, responded.
"Send reinforcements immediately!" Gunray barked.
"Have you even encountered Jedi before? That won't be enough, sir." Dofine advised.
"Seal off the bridge! I want droidekas up here at once!" Gunray demanded.
"Yes, sir." How replied.
"We will not survive this." Dofine said, pessimistic about the ordeal, as the doors to the command room closed.
The Jedi quickly rushed towards the command room, cutting down more droids as they went along. When they finally reached the closed door between them and the Viceroy, Qui-Gon said "Cover me while I get this door open!"
"Yes, Master!" Obi-Wan replied, as more incoming waves of battle droids came swarming from his left, right, and center. For a typical Jedi, this would be a situation that they would rather avoid, but in the young Padawan's case, it was a dream come true. He had been tired from the sheer boredom of his life and was exited to finally taste some action for a change. One by one, he cut down droids with his lightsaber as if they were paper, and used the Force to push large groups away.
Meanwhile, Qui-Gon had plunged his green lightsaber through the door of the command room, and he began to cut out a circle for them to get in.
"Close the blast doors!" Gunray ordered, and the two layers of reinforced doors closed around the blade of plasma.
Qui-Gon's saber wouldn't move anymore in a circular motion, so he pulled it out and began to plunge it as deep as he could into the door until the metal began to melt around it.
"They're still coming through!" Dofine shouted. "Where are those droidekas?"
As Obi-Wan had just dispatched of another droid by plunging his weapon into it's back, he heard the sounds of two metallic balls rolling down the hallway. They suddenly stopped, then unraveled themselves so that they could stand on their three legs and show the blasters attached to their arms.
"Oh, damn." Obi-Wan cursed. "Master, destroyers!"
Qui-Gon quickly pulled his lightsaber from out of the door and stood next to his apprentice, and by then the droidekas had deployed small shield-bubbles around themselves. They opened fire on the Jedi, but they blocked the lasers easily with their weapons.
"We'll never penetrate those shields!" Qui-Gon shouted. "Come on, let's go!"
Using the Force, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan quickly ran away from the droidekas line of fire, and disappeared into the next hallway.
"Ha!" Gunray shouted in victory. "Not even Jedi are a match for droidekas!"
"Sir," How called over. "I've lost sight of them! They're not on any of out scanners or cameras!"
"Find them, now!" Gunray ordered, stomping towards the viewport.
Qui-Gon kicked out the ventilation duct in front of him, and both he and Obi-Wan jumped down from the shaft and landed behind a few power generators. Peeking over, they saw countless battle droids being loaded onto MTTs, which were being loaded themselves, along with STAPs and AATs, onto several landing craft.
"It's an invasion army," Obi-Wan said. "They're going to attack Alderaan."
"This is an odd play for the Trade Federation." Qui-Gon noted.
"Why don't we go and stop the Viceroy right now before this happens?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Because, now that they're aware of our presence, they'll have the place swarming with security droids and destroyers trying to look for us." Qui-Gon said. "Besides, we're too late; they've already begun taking off. Our best bet now is to get down to the surface, warn the Queen, and contact Chancellor Valorum."
Obi-Wan suddenly had an outburst of excitement within him. He knew that taking on an army was serious business, but he was excited for more action to come his way.
Maybe this mission wasn't such a bad idea after all. Obi-Wan thought.
"Let's split up," Qui-Gon advised. "Stow aboard separate ships and meet down on the planet."
"Alright," Obi-Wan said. "but you were right about one thing, Master."
"And what would that be?" Qui-Gon asked.
"The negotiations were short." Obi-Wan joked, facing his master while trying to suppress a laugh.
Qui-Gon shot him a puzzled glance and said "Really, Ben?"
"Bad timing?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Pretty much." Qui-Gon answered.
"Sorry, Master." Obi-Wan apologized, and both master and apprentice stowed themselves away aboard the landing craft as they made their descent onto Alderaan.