Star Wars: The Phantom Menace - A ReWrite

by eskywalker

I've always wanted to fix up the Prequels, but keep the main storyline the same. So, in the spirit of George Lucas, I kept most of the script the same (trying to stay with Lucas' ideas) but made a few minor changes. I fully got rid of Jar Jar, added an Anakin, Padme, and Obi Wan love triangle (that was hinted throughout the entire series), kept Maul alive, and hinted Dooku's turn.

For nearly thousands of generations the Galactic Republic has been the great pillar of order and peace throughout the Galaxy. Keeping the systems of the Galaxy united in the grand union of its Galactic Senate, aided by the Jedi Knights, the great mystic warriors of peace and justice. But now corruption has taken fold and the dark shadow of war and deception has begun its rise. The corrupt Trade Federation lead by VICEROY NUTE GUNRAY has begun a planetary blockade of the peaceful world of Naboo for reasons unknown. While the Republic Senate debates endlessly at these shocking turn of events, the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic has sent two of the Jedi Order's finest: Jedi Master QUI-GON JINN and his Jedi Padawan OBI-WAN KENOBI to resolve the crisis. But a darker and more ancient evil has much sinister plans in store.

Qui Gon Jinn:

"Captain-land immediately in that cockpit; we don't want this to get too dirty," Qui Gon Jinn started, rubbing his chin with two fingers.

"Yes sir," the captain yelled from the cockpit; surrounded by blinking gadgets and gizmos the two jedi knights couldn't even understand.

"With all due respect master," Obi Wan said, standing beside his much larger master; "Do you really think they would let us right in, no issues or anything?"

A smile crept upon Qui Gon's face; he casually moved his arm and slung it across his young padawan's soldier, brushing the braid he had earned almost 16 years ago. It seemed like almost yesterday he had begun training the boy, and, just like him, Obi Wan would defy everything and anything an authority figure had to say.

"You have much to learn my padawan," Qui Gon said, staring at the brown-headed young man; Qui Gon's piercing blue eyes stood on him, before lingering towards the nearing hangar bay.

He knew that, for the sake of their trade federation; he'd let them in. Qui Gon knew the leaders would go to the grave claiming nothing they did was illegal; and with that he waited patiently to land.

Nute Gunray and Daultray Dofine:

"Sir-" the voice of one of Nute Gunray's workers trailed off.

" What is it?" Nute managed, looking beside the woman to the transmission beside her; a large republic cruiser had landed within the hangar off his ship; his ship. Not the sith lord's ship, but his. Soon enough, the two men that stood beside the hologram were now even more flabbergasted; the doors of the cruiser opened, and soon two Jedi Knights removed themselves from the ship. Their cloaks followed behind them as they moved through the hangar and to the door of the conference room aboard the Trade Federation Ship.

"We must alert Lord Sidious at once..." Daultray Dofine stammered, "I don't believe this was part of his plan."

" I don't care if this is part of his plan our not." Nute Gunray stated, a lump of fear forming in the bottom of his throat. "I did not realize these "ambassadors" were jedi knights.." his voice trailed off, before his thought was cut into by Dofine.

"Jedi Knights!" he shrieked, higher than an orphan on Jakuu. "We're done for!"

Obi Wan:

"I have a bad feeling about this," Obi Wan said, clutching the arms of the chair in which he sat. Directly seated in front of him at the table was his master, Qui Gon Jinn. He wished now more than ever that he could be a master; wished he could cut off this braid and have the same pin straight brown hair Qui Gon had. He so longly stared at his master robes; light brown with a dark brown sash. He told himself surely it was only a matter of time before he had his own set of robes, and could rid of his braid.

"I don't sense anything…" his master's voice shot out like a rocket. Qui Gon's eyes shot onto his, his piercing blue eyes stinging right into Obi Wan as he spoke.

"It's not about the mission, Master, it's

something...elsewhere...elusive."

"Don't center on your anxiety, Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration here and now where it belongs."

"Master Yoda says I should be mindful of the future…"

"...but not at the expense of the moment. Be mindful of the

living Force, my young Padawan."

"Yes, Master...how do you think the trade viceroy will deal with the chancellor's demands?"

"These Federation types are cowards. The negotiations will be short." The sounds of the door sliding made a such a racket that Obi Wan found himself clutching for his blue lightsaber. To his surprise, the only thing that entered the small room was a TC-14 protocol droid; and with the sight of it he let go of his saber.

Qui Gon Jinn:

"I hope you honoured sirs with the most comfortable here. My master will be with you shortly." the protocol droid said, before backing out of the conference room. They sat there for what seemed like ages now, and Obi Wan was becoming impatient.

"Where are they master," Obi Wan started. "There must be something wrong, I mean, they must know we're here from the republic."

"Patience my young padawan-" his words were interrupted as a cloud of gas formed at their feet. The two jedi, sprung up like springs onto the floor, before Qui Gon Jinn announced, "It's dioxis, hold your breath."

Nute Gunray and Daultray Dofine:

"They must be dead now;" a wicked smile forming on Nute's face, "Alert Lord Sidious, and send the battle droids to finish off the rest of them."

The two viceroys watched in fear and awe, as their battle droids rolled down the hallway on their hologram. Within moments, the conference room door opened, and with it came the two Jedi Knights. Nute watched as the Jedi deflected bullets upon bullets fired at them, before storming down the long hallway towards the bridge.

"What in blazes is going on down there?" Nute stated.

"Have you ever encountered a Jedi Knight before, sir?"

Well, not exactly, but I don't... Seal off the bridge. We can't let them get through."

"That won't be enough, sir." Rune stated hardly.

Within moments, the doors of the bridge slipped shut, locked by a blast door; Nute Gunray had always been a scared man, and so, he sent even more battle droids to have the same fate as the others.

Qui Gon Jinn:

With lightsabers in hand, Qui Gon and Obi Wan slashed at the droids; sparks and robotic parts flew around the air.

"Hold them off; I'll get this blast door." Qui Gon said, before stabbing his lightsaber through the bridge door. He began to trace his sword in a circular pattern, before he realized that there were now wheel droids in the hallway.

"Master Qui Gon," Obi Wan said. "You were right.." a childish smile formed on his face; "the negotiations really were short!"

The wheel droids fired thousands of bullets at the Jedis, and in a hail of gunfire, the two Jedi had thrown a smoke screen. Within seconds, the two could be seen dashing down the hallway, and soon they had disappeared into a large ventilation shaft.

Obi Wan Kenobi:

"They're building an army; what an odd play by the Trade Federation." Qui Gon said, staring at the thousands of battle droids being loaded onto the ships. They were fully concealed by the ventilation shaft, out of eye's view of any of the droids.

"It's an invisible army." Obi Wan intruded Qui Gon's thought.

"We've got to warn the Naboo and contact Chancellor Valorum. Let's split up. Stow aboard separate ships and meet down on the planet."

The Jedi then hopped from their hidden spot in the ventilation shaft, and quickly stowed aboard separate ships; their courses to Naboo.

Tey How, Nute Gunray, and Rune:

"Sir, a transmission from the planet." Tey How stated happily, holding the transmission in the palm of his alien hand.

"It's Queen Amidala herself. At last we're getting results." an evil grin was caked on Nute Gunray's face. He immediately opened the transmission, and was now looking into the eyes of the youngest ever queen of Naboo; Queen Amidala.

"I have word that the Senate is finally voting on this blockade of yours." Queen Amidala said; she sat in the throne room, covered in many robes and a headdress. Behind her stood seven other royal faculty, frowns all pasted on their faces.

"I take it you know the outcome. I wonder why they bother to vote." Nute Gunray said, stirring up the flame inside the queen.

"Enough of this pretense, Viceroy! I'm aware the Chancellor's Ambassadors are with you now, and that you have been commanded to reach a settlement."

"I know nothing about any ambassadors." Nute said as real as he could. Queen Amidala stared at him in disbelief now.

"Beware, Viceroy...the Federation is going too far this time." With that, the once colored screen that featured the queen had gone black.

"Do you think she suspects an attack?" Rune said, a slight fear in his voice.

"I don't know, but we must move quickly to disrupt all communications

down there." Nute said, before turning his back to his men.

Queen Amidala-Naboo:

Queen Amidala sat assuringly in the front of the throne room. To her sides, her four handmaidens dressed in bright orange hooded dresses. In the chairs next to her sat Eirtae, Sache, and Sio Bibble. Before them stood the hologram of Queen Amidala's most trusted senator; a kind senator- Palpatine.

"..How could that be true? I have assurances from the Chancellor...his Ambassadors did arrive. It must be the...get...negotiate…" the hologram cut out in a flash.

"Senator Palpatine?!" the Queen said helplessly, turning towards her guard, Panaka. "Check those transmission generators Captain."

"It could be the Federation jamming us. Your Highness." Panaka said, his smile faded now.

"A communications disruption can only mean one thing. Invasion." Bibble intruded, leaning back into his seat, horrified by the situation.

"Both of you! Don't jump to conclusions the Federation would not

dare go that far. We must rely on negotiation." the Queen added in angrily

Bibble opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly shut up by the voice of Panaka; "The Senate would revoke their trade franchise, and they'd be finished."

"Negotiation?" Billy finally let out. A lump of fear sat in the back of his throat. "We've lost all communications!...and where are the Chancellor's Ambassadors? How can we negotiate? We must prepare to defend ourselves."

"This is a dangerous situation, Your Highness. Our security volunteers will be no match against a battle-hardened Federation army."

"I will not condone a course of action that will lead us to war." the Queen said, her face sorrow stricken now. "We will find a way; the Chancellor will be able to fix this."

Obi Wan:

Obi Wan crouched behind a small barrell. The cockpit of his ship was filled with armed Federation Droids, and he had been nearly scared to death being surrounded by what seemed to be millions of them. The sweat running down his spine seemed to slow down as the landing craft he was on began to descend down; towards the vast swamp last of Naboo. He had heard stories of the Gungans; a species that dwelled underneath Naboo, in their large lakes and waterways. Soon enough, the ship touched down on the mud plain of Naboo. He waited patiently as the straight lines of droids piled out of the ship, before dashing into the foreign land. The planet looked like a scene out of a war movie; nearly ten tanks aligned the scenery of the swamp planet; and in the distance Obi Wan could make out a small figure, behind it, hundreds of MTTS, carrying, he knew, droids to take over the Queen of Naboo. He squinted his eyes now, towards the distance; it only took him a second to realize who the figure was… it was Qui Gon. The army moved towards the grassy plain of Naboo, where it would be easier to travel, and of course, they were nearly running down Qui Gon now. He waited behind, standing patiently in the boot-high brown mud. After what seemed like ages, Qui Gon had finally made his way to Obi Wan; and to his surprise, Qui Gon did not stop running, but instead, grabbed Obi Wan by the soldier and tugged him with him on a full sprint down the swamp. In the blaze of heat and fog, the young padawan turned his head quickly, to face the MMT that Qui Gon had been outrunning.

Qui Gon Jinn:

Qui Gon let go of his padawan's robes, and pulled at his belt. He whipped his head around; there was no way he and his young padawan could outrun the grand Federation army, they had to get off their trail.

"Obi Wan, grab your mask, we're heading to that lake." he pointed. He watched as Obi Wan reached towards his belt and grabbed his mask, and tugged it onto his face. The pair moved at a rapid pace, trying to keep as much space possible between them and the army that seemed to expand for miles from where they stood. The Jedi now neared the lake, and tore off their robes; throwing them on the sandy shore that rested next to the green lake. In one leap, the splashing of the water could be heard from all around the swamp; they had finally outrun the army, but their battle wasn't even yet to begin.

Obi Wan Kenobi:

The water was cold on Obi Wan's skin; but compared to the sweat that was dripping down his back only thirty minutes before, it felt amazing. He followed closely behind his master, he watched in awe at how easily and well he swam. His brown hair flowed behind him like a ghost, and while Obi Wan was mesmerized by Qui Gon's almost unearthly smooth mannerisms, he couldn't help but wonder where they were going. His arms hurt horribly now, and his legs kicked the water in angles that propelled him nowhere. Obi Wan looked around him as what seemed like millions of fish swam behind him; colors of the rainbow surrounding his body. From below him, he could see lights; lights? From underwater? Was this the Gungan City Qui Gon had told him so much about before their mission? He watched as his master began to descend closer to the location of the lights, and of course, he followed after him, dropping his body till he saw where they were going.

Qui Gon Jinn:

Qui Gon led him and his padawan towards the first bubble membrane of the city; they swam right through it, and were transported to the beautiful city of Otoh Gunga. The town center was crowded with onlookers, until they had spotted the two jedi. The Gungans began to dash in different directions, avoiding them at all costs. The frown on Obi Wan's face was so obvious now; he knew the boy had thought that no one would dare help them now. Qui Gon, however, would not give up as easily; he began moving down a long pathway, to where he hoped was the ruler of Gunga's throne room. The city was beautiful just as Yoda had said; fish of different species and colors swam around them, twinkling lights were strung around the entire border of the kingdom. Qui Gon led Obi Wan and himself to what seemed to be the throne room. Obi Wan lacked behind Qui Gon a few inches; a smile crept upon Qui Gon's face. He remembered the days when he too, would lack behind his master. It had been years since he had seen Dooku last, and he sensed something strange when he thought of him, something he could not put his finger on.

Queen Amidala:

Queen Amidala watched from her palace her planet being torn apart. Tanks lined the streets where there once were parades; citizens were torn from their houses by armed battle droids. It was only a matter of time, she knew, before the droid army would reach the palace. What they would do to her, she did not know, but she knew soon enough they would penetrate the little amount of volunteers Panaka had around the perimeter of the palace. She watched from the balcony at her people, their bodies being torn to and fro by droids; she watched as a little boy was carried from his house, blood covering his nose and face. She felt a tear crawling down her cheek.

"No," she told herself. "You must stay strong; for your people."

The white face makeup began to fade off her cheeks, and she ran inside to talk to Panaka. Queen Amidala couldn't stand it, she couldn't stand her citizens, the way they were torn from their homes; some of them covered in blood.

Obi Wan Kenobi:

The Bosses' Board Room was as breathtaking as the bubble walls, with small lighted fish swimming around outside like moving stars. A long circular judge's bench faced a side of the room, filled to the brim with Gungan officials. It was easy to figure out who exactly this "boss" was, as he sat on a much higher throne than the other officials.

"Yousa cannot bees hair. Dis army of mackineeks up dare tis new weesong!" the boss, Nass, spoke loudly.

"That droid army is about to attack the Naboo. We must warn them." Qui Gon pleaded.

"Wesa no like da Naboo! Un dey no like uss-ens. Da Naboo tink day so smarty den us-ens. Day tink day brains so big."

" After those droids take control of the surface, they will come here and take control of you. You and the Naboo form a symbiont circle. What happens to one of you will affect the other. You must understand this." Obi Wan added in, his master nodding, he saw, over his shoulder.

"Wesa wish no nutten in yousa tings, outlaunder, and wesa nocare-n about da Naboo."

"We need a transport, then we shall go." he waved his hand, and Obi Wan knew what he was doing. Mindtricks.

" Wesa give yousa una bongo. Da speedest way tooda Naboo tis goen through da core. Now go."

"Thank you for your help. We go in peace." Qui Gon said, as the two Jedi bowed to the Gunga. They turned back towards the entrance to the board room.

"Master, whats a bongo?" Obi Wan said, a quizzing look on his face.

" A transport I hope; we must get to Naboo soon, before it is too late."

Queen Amidala:

The once elated grin of the fifteen year old queen was now wiped off her face. In its place was a wretched frown; and as she paced back and forth on her balcony. Below her was a whole troop of battle-ready Trade Federation Droids. The blockade of volunteers Panaka had set up around the perimeter of the palace was holding them off. Barely. She was scared now, she was scared for her people. She was scared for the government. She was scared for her planet. Most of all, the girl was afraid for herself; there was so much she still had to live for, she knew this more than anything. The queen watched as troopers began to barge past the barricade, shooting at her protectors. They entered the palace now, marching in like the robotic soldiers they were; in perfect unison. Tears welled in her eyes now, as she heard the awful screams of Panaka and Bibble and her handmaidens. Queen Amidala stood on the balcony, frozen footed, until several robots stormed onto the beautiful stone balcony she stood.

"Get her, and take her to the lobby with the rest of the Government officials." the droid captain said, tugging her by the wrist. She was ripped from the balcony, and led down the stairs to the conference room by the droid. She stood now, next to her allies, her friends, who were now covered in bruises and blood. Tears rolled down her face harder than ever before, and this time-this time, she couldn't stop it. She wouldn't stop it.

"Please, please. Let me go, let my people go. We did nothing to this Trade Federation, there's something wrong here. When Chancellor Valorum gets word of this, your federation is as good as gone!"

"When the viceroy gets here, he will discuss his plans for you…."

Qui Gon Jinn:

The Bongo was a small little hovercraft. Obi Wan immediately filled the pilot's spot, and began to propel the little submarine farther and farther away from the shining Gungan City.

"I'm surprised Obi Wan," Qui Gon chuckled a little.

"Why is that master?" he said, pulling his face away from the window to his master; he kept turning the wheel to and fro as he waited for his answer.

"I didn't think you liked piloting; you told me on our last mission that you hated it." he laughed even more now.

"Well master," Obi Wan said, turning into the dark core of the planet. "A man grows more and more when they face different tasks."

"Quoting Master Yoda now my young padawan?"

"Might as well learn from one of the best." Obi Wan said, suddenly, before turning to look at the large, black shadow following the Bongo.

Before Obi Wan could veer the Bongo away from the shadow lurking behind, a bright pink tongue reached out and pulled them backwards.

" Full speed ahead my young padawan, there's no way an Opee Sea Killer can catch us!"

Obi Wan tried his best to speed the Bongo up, but soon, in his frustration and his terrified state of mine began to bash the controls in reverse.

"Let me take this Obi Wan," Qui Gon said, leaning over Obi Wan's lap to control the sub. Obi Wan could feel himself shaking inside.

"Nice going Obi Wan. You could've killed yourself! And Qui Gon! For a matter of fact, the whole city of Naboo!" he wanted to punch himself, he couldn't take his irritable decision now.

Qui Gon Jinn:

The sub sat lodged in the throat of the large fish for what seemed like ages. He could hear Obi Wan's heart beating like a drum in the seat next to him. Qui Gon extended his arms closer to the controls; soon his fingers were on the main control stick. His padawan watched in amazement as he accurately and calmly moved the controls of the Bongo, dismembering the bright yellow sub from the creature's mouth. Their joyride after escaping was cut short, to Qui Gon's surprise. They had just passed a large sea cave, when out of the depths a pair large jaws sliced at the vessel.

"It's a Sando Aqua Monster," he stated calmly, still controlling the little sub. "There's always a bigger fish, isn't there." Qui Gon looked over at his shaking padawan. The fear was so obvious in his eyes now, more than ever, as they slowly moved lower and lower in the water.

"Wha-What's going on Master," Obi Wan shook the words out of his mouth. He looked at the gas meter and saw that they were nearly out of power now, plummeting to the bottom of the rocky ocean.

"It'll be alright Obi Wan, nothing we can't handle!" a glimmer of hope in his eyes. But he knew, it would take a near miracle to save them, and their trip now.

Nute and Rune:

The blue hologram of Lord Sidious had created a meeting on the Battleship Bridge. Nute and Rune stood before Lord Sidious; closer than the rest of the crowd that had piled behind them to the end of the bridge.

"The invasion is on schedule, My Lord." Nute bowed down to the hooded man; an evil grin appearing from underneath his hood that covered all but his mouth and nose.

"Good. I have the Senate bogged down in procedures. By the time this incident comes up for a vote, they will have no choice but to accept your control of the system."

"The Queen has great faith the Senate will side with her."

" Queen Amidala is young and naive. You will find controlling her will not be difficult. You have done well, Viceroy."

" Thank you, My Lord." he bowed once again, before the hologram of Lord Sidious faded away.

"You didn't tell him about the missing Jedi? They were sent by the Senate, if they were to find out their Ambassadors were missing after coming here…" Rune said suddenly, as if controlled by a specter.

"No need to report that to him, until we have something to report…."

Obi Wan Kenobi:

The lights of the sub were dying down even lower now; he could hear the demise of the power drive as Qui Gon worked away effortly at the wires. Sparks flew around the sub now, and Obi Wan could feel the water puddling at the foot of his boots.

"Qui Gon, I don't feel very good about this-" Obi Wan started, before the lights of the sub flickered to life.

"Powers back!" Qui Gon yelled triumphantly; he turned his head towards the control console, and found himself face to face with the ugly Colo Claw Fish. To both the Jedi's surprise, the flickering of the lights had frightened the large fish so much that it sprung itself a foot away from the sub. In the matter of a second, Qui Gon had regained his grip on the controls, turned the sub around, and had the vessel speeding towards the an outcropping above. Obi Wan peered out the window at the bright blue depths, until out of nowhere, appeared the Colo Claw Fish again, this time, speeding its way closer and closer to the sub. He watched in amazement as the fish swam its way easily through the set of underwater tunnels that even Qui Gon had had difficulty navigating; but as the two men had just thought they had escaped anymore large fish they were wrong. On the other side of the tunnel, waited the cunning jaws of the Sando Aqua Monster. The Jedi's fate was to be decided by this fish, and as both Jedi looked on the scene with terrified eyes; their fears were soon wiped clean as the Colo Claw Fish swam closer, and closer, until it was latched onto by the voracious jaws of the Aqua Monster.

Qui Gon Jinn:

The little sub slipped silently away from the scene; more gruesome than any battle he had ever witnessed. He watched as the Aqua Monster ripped apart the body of the other fish; tearing apart the once smooth flesh and gills. The older Jedi almost felt sorry for the fish now, as he watched it's body being munched into two halves.

"Well, that was a little too close for comfort," Qui Gon said, trying to lighten Obi Wan up. Obi Wan didn't speak now, and kept his face glued to the window; staring out into the deep blue ocean depths, inhabited by the beautiful, peaceful fish, and the killer, ugly fish. Qui Gon pulled the control stick up now, and they were nearly to Naboo. When they finally arrived at the surface, an explosion of bubbles piled around them as the submarine finally touched the crisp air. They began to disembark from the sub, and made their way onto the dock that sat in the water next to them. In the distance, Qui Gon could make out the shapes of tanks, and could make out the sounds of droids… and people.

"Master Qui Gon, the palace is this way." Obi Wan led his master through the magnificent pathways of Theed, lined with breathtaking waterfalls.

"How did you know that secret short cut my young Padawan?" Qui Gon asked suddenly, as they entered the plaza of Theed. In all the systems and planets Qui Gon had visited, there was never a place he thought was more beautiful then Naboo; but now, the beauty was taken from the landscape, robbed from the once breathtaking city.

"I used to spend summers here, when I was much younger, with my grandmother." Obi Wan said suddenly. " When I was younger, before I began Jedi training, I would use the force to catch fish at the lake; I thought it was just magic; I remember this beautiful brown haired girl came and watched me, she was mesmerized by my unchained powers. She was my only friend on this whole planet."

" What happened to this girl you speak of?" Qui Gon asked suddenly. He felt an intrusion in the force, what was it? Who was this girl? What did the force have in plan for her?

"Her parents were government officials; I remember because she was always dressed so perfectly, so beautifully, but she had always loathed those clothes. I don't know what happened to her; we would spend every summer together at this lake, fishing and having a good time. The final year I stayed here with my grandmother, I spent half the summer enjoying her company. But soon, she began to grow away from me. I haven't seen her since."

Queen Amidala:

The Throne Room was filled now with a combination of droids, royal handmaidens, guards, and… the Viceroy. Nute Gunray and Rune stood in the middle of the ornate room; the pink pastel colored walls were lined with gold accents, hand drawn portraits of the past rulers of Naboo hung freely on the walls, and extravagant gold chandeliers hung from the dome ceiling. She wanted her portrait on these walls, she wanted to be remembered; she wanted to help her planet in every way possible, and now, more than ever, she needed to get away from this. She needed saving.

" ...how will you explain this invasion to the Senate?" he peeped quietly, a gun stuck in his curly gray hairs.

"The Naboo and the Federation will forge a treaty that will legitimize our occupation here. I've been assured it will be ratified by the Senate." Nute said satisfactorily. The Queen knew that the Viceroy was not a man easily swayed, and by the proudness in his voice, she knew he thought his plan was bulletproof.

"I will not co-operate." Queen Amidala said suddenly. Nute Gunray was not happy with her sudden outburst, slicing his plan in half.

"Now, now, your Highness. You are not going to like what we have in store for your people. In time, their suffering will persuade you to see our point of view. Commander. Process them."

"Yes, sir! Take them to Camp Four." the OOM-9 droid said to his sergeant, before the entire staff of the palace was pulled from their positions and out of the throne room.

Obi Wan Kenobi:

Obi Wan followed closely behind Qui Gon as they moved slowly down the rubble pathway. They slowly crept their way farther and farther on the walkway above the plaza, before reaching the vantage point Qui Gon had wanted. The balcony gave the Jedi a perfect view of the action; eight Naboo citizens, including the queen, were surrounded by ten armed Battle Droids. Obi Wan watched Qui Gon for any motion that meant for attack, but he could get no clear signal from his master. He watched as Qui Gon tugged gently at his belt, before jumping from the balcony. Obi Wan quickly followed, igniting his lightsaber and slashing down four of the remaining droids. In the matter of seconds, ten dismembered droids laid scattered on the ground. Obi Wan watched the faces of the amazed officials and handmaidens, before they were led to an alleyway between two buildings.

"Your Highness, we are the Ambassadors, for the Supreme Chancellor." Qui Gon whispered, hoping not to be heard by any droids lingering nearby.

"Your negotiations seem to have failed, Ambassador." Bibble said suddenly, before brushing down his curls that stood up on his head.

"The negotiations never took place. Your Highness, we must make contact with the republic." Qui Gon chirped in.

"They've knocked out all our communications." Captain Panaka added abruptly. "But we do have transports. Follow me to the main hangar bay."

Captain Panaka:

Captain Panaka led the group down the darkened alleyway and towards the side door of the hangar bay. In the distance, they had heard the blaring of the alarms being sounded. He slowly moved his hands towards the side door, and slid it open with a creak. Panaka watched as Qui Gon looked in at the scene over his shoulder. The many spacecrafts lining the hangar bay were now protected by what seemed to be about 50 battle droids.

"There are too many of them." Panaka stated hardly.

"That won't be a problem." Qui Gon said, turning towards the Queen. "Your Highness, under the circumstances, I suggest you come to Coruscant with us."

"Thank you, Ambassador, but my place is here with my people." said the Queen.

"They will kill you if you stay." Obi Wan added in.

"They wouldn't dare." stated Bibble.

"They need her to sign a treaty to make this invasion of theirs legal. They can't afford to kill her."

"The situation here is not what it seems. There is something else behind all this, Your Highness. There is no logic in the Federation's move here. My feelings tell me they will destroy you." Qui Gon said, a worried look glued on his face.

"Please, Your Highness, reconsider. Our only hope is for the Senate to side with us... Senator Palpatine will need your help."

"Getting past their blockade is impossible, Your Highness. Any attempt to escape will be dangerous."

"Your Highness, I will stay here and do what I can...They will have to retain the Council of Governors in order to maintain control. But you must leave…" Bibble said abruptly.

Queen Amidala:

The Queen turned her attention to her finest handmaidens, Eirtae and Padme.

"Either choice presents a great risk...to all of us…" Queen Amidala said.

"We are brave, Your Highness; we will do what we must. You are not safe here." Padme said suddenly, her eyes latching on to Obi Wan's.

"If you are to leave, Your Highness, it must be now." said Qui Gon.

"Then, I will plead our case before the Senate" the Queen turned her attention now to Bibble. "Governor, please be careful."

Slowly but surely, Queen Amidala watched as Panaka slowly opened the door to the hangar bay; revealing the bay lined with droids. The group moved slowly to take cover behind a beautiful, silver spacecraft. Soon, the three officials that would wait in Naboo, Sache, Bibble, and Yane, moved quietly from the hangar bay.

"We need to free those pilots." Panaka pointed a thick finger towards the pilots, held hostage by six droids.

"I'll take care of that." Obi Wan moved quickly towards the captured pilot's, while the rest dispatched towards the ramp of the Naboo Craft.

"Where are you going?" one of the droids stationed at the ramp asked in it's robotic voice.

"I'm Ambassador for the Supreme Chancellor, and I'm taking those people to Coruscant." Qui Gon said hardly, as he motioned his hand towards the rest of the ensemble.

"You're under arrest!" the droid said coldly, before drawing his weapon. Before any of the droids could fire, they were cut down immediately by the lightsabers of the Jedis. Obi Wan slashed at the droids that secured the pilots with his blue saber, while Qui Gon smashed the remaining droids to smithereens. Soon, half the group quickly entered the ship, followed by the rest, including the two Jedi and several pilots.

Obi Wan Kenobi:

As the sleek, chrome spacecraft left the hangar bay, Obi Wan couldn't help watching from the small side window the remaining droids that stampeded into the bay. He smiled as the sirens sounded, as the droids began to open fire at the Naboo Craft. They were out of here, they had succeeded in saving the Queen of Naboo, even with all their setbacks. But, their mission was not over yet; he knew this all too well. The Trade Federation Blockade would be hard to get by, even with such a compact cruiser.

"Our communications are still jammed; it'll be hard to get through that massive of a ship."

" We must find away, we need to get to Coruscant immediately; the Senate needs to know of this, if we are to stop it." Qui Gon added, standing behind the pilot.

" We need to send some droids up there, immediately, we need those deflector shields up now! The blockade is already firing at will." Soon enough, several droids were sent atop the ship, working away at bypassing the power drive. The men in the cockpit watched on a small monitor as droids were slaughtered, almost all of them shot down by the blockade.

" Wait a minute! Powers back! That little droid did it. He bypassed the main power drive. Deflector shield up, at maximum." the pilot said, before flipping a switch on the control panel.

Qui Gon Jinn:

Qui Gon watched from the monitor as the little blue and white R2 unit finished his repairs and reboarded the ship.

"There's not enough power to get us to Coruscant...the hyperdrive is leaking." the pilot said suddenly; his words moved Qui Gon's eyes from the monitor to face a star chart.

"We'll have to land somewhere to refuel and repair the ship."

"Here, Master. Tatooine... It's small, out of the way, poor... The Trade Federation has no presence there."

"How can you be sure?" Captain Panaka questioned this move now; and Qui Gon couldn't blame him, any move now could be lethal to the fate of the Queen.

"It's controlled by the Hutts…" Qui Gon added in quietly, hoping Panaka would overlook it.

"The Hutts? You can't take Her Royal Highness there! The Hutts are gangsters... If they discovered her…"

"...It would be no different than if we landed on a system controlled by the Federation...except the Hutts aren't looking for her, which gives us an advantage." Qui Gon cut into the words of Panaka. He heard the sound of the Captain's frustration in a form of a huffing deep breath. It seemed now that Qui Gon's plan stood, as the pilot raced the ship to Tatooine.

Lord Sidious and Darth Maul:

Lord Sidious stood staring at the hologram of the two men in charge of the Trade Federation, their cowardness showing as they hid behind a long conference table. The Sith Lord draped his black hood farther down his face, covering nearly half of his nose.

"We control all the cities in the North and are searching for any other settlements…" Nute Gunray started suddenly.

"Destroy all high-ranking officials…" Lord Sidious rasped. "Viceroy...slowly...quietly. And Queen Amidala, has she signed the treaty?"

"She has disappeared, My Lord. One Naboo cruiser got past the blockade."

"Viceroy, find her! I want that treaty signed."

"My Lord, it's impossible to locate the ship. It's out of our range."

"...not for a Sith…" an eerie smile formed on Lord Sidious' face as another Sith popped up from behind him. Darth Maul was his new apprentice, and he wanted the boy to go off on a mission of his own, especially a mission as important as this one.

"...Viceroy, this is my apprentice. Lord Maul. He will find your lost ship."

"Yes, My Lord." the Viceroy said, before he ended the hologram and the two aliens' bodies faded away.

"Darth Maul… I need you to find that ship immediately."

"Yes my master," the man with the horns said. His face was a black and red combination, horns protruding from the top of his head. But for the moment, they were hidden by the black hood. "We will rule the galaxy again my master" he whispered now.

"In time my apprentice, in time." he smiled now, at the eagerness of his youthful apprentice. He knew his words were true… the Sith would have revenge on the Jedi, and Lord Sidious would stop at nothing for it.

Queen Amidala:

The entire crew of the ship had been collected into the Queen's Quarters now, and Padme watched in silence as Captain Panaka boasted about the little R2 unit.

"...An extremely well put together little droid. Without a doubt, it saved the ship, as well as our lives." Captain Panaka boasted.

"It is to be commended...what is its number?"

The little blue droid let out a series of beeps before Panaka reached down and scrated a layer of dirt off the droid's service number.

"R2-D2, Your Highness."

"Thank you, Artoo Detoo. You have proven to be very loyal...Padme!"

In less then a second, the Queen's best handmaiden had rushed to her side, slowly bowing before her and listening quietly for directions.

"Clean this droid up the best you can. It deserves our gratitude…" the Queen moved her focus now from Padme to the Captain. "Continue, Captain."

Before Panaka had started, Qui Gon began speaking for him, a sense of gratitude forming on his face at this gesture.

"Your Highness, we are heading for a remote planet called Tatooine. It is a system far beyond the reach of the Trade Federation. There we will be able to make needed repairs, then travel on to Coruscant."

"Your Highness, Tatooine is very dangerous. It's controlled by an alliance of gangs called the Hutts. I do not agree with the Jedi on this."

"You must trust my judgement, Your Highness."

Queen Amidala's eyes darted across the room to meet Padme's; the handmaiden bobbed her head slightly before the Queen reluctantly agreed to go to Tatooine.

Padme Naberrie:

Padme sat flat-bottomed on the cold floor of the Main Area of the ship. She glided a wet rag all along the body of the R2 unit, grinding away at the dirt. Her hands started moving at a more consistent pace now, as she began to scrub harder and harder at the grime. Her hands now throbbed in pain, her arms ached, and her bottom was sore from the hard floor. Padme's cleaning rhythm soon ended when the Jedi Padawan entered the room, frightening both Padme and the droid.

"I'm sorry, did I didn't mean to interrupt" the handsome boy said; he was obviously embarrassed for frightening the two.

"No it's ok." Padme said looking up from her work. "We would be glad for some company. Right Artoo?" The droid squealed in excitement as Obi Wan began to chuckle. He glided from the doorway to where Padme and R2 sat, before he bent down and found a spot on the floor not covered in soap.

"I'm sure Master Qui Gon wouldn't mind." he said extending his calloused hand towards Padme. "I'm Obi Wan Kenobi."

As her heart slowly melted, she extended the hand that held the dirty rag out to him, before pulling it away in sudden embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Obi Wan. I'm just really tired I guess." she could feel her face burning up now, she knew deep inside her face was as bright as a tomato now.

"How could you have messed up so bad Padme! He probably thinks you're some sort of goof now!" she cursed herself, before he begun to speak again.

"Oh that doesn't matter one bit. The only thing that matters to me is your name. What is it?" he gazed into her eyes with his blue ones.

"I'm Padme Naberrie…" she stared at his large shoulders, and then up at his gorgeous face.

"It's nice to meet you Padme; here, let me help you clean this droid." Obi Wan said, extending his hand to her once again. She plopped the rag on his palm, and he began to work hardly at the droid.

"It's really nice to meet you Padme…" he said, looking up from his work to look her in the eyes again. Her heart melted to pieces now, as the ship moved closer, and closer to Tatooine.

Qui Gon:

Qui Gon searched high and dry throughout the ship for his Padawan before finding him cleaning the R2D2 unit with the handmaiden. He immediately pulled him from his droid scrubbing duties and brought him back to the cockpit of the ship. Qui Gon, Captain Panaka, and Obi Wan watched over the pilot's shoulder at the ship's scopes. The scopes clearly depicted a picture of a bright yellow planet, dead ahead of the ship's route.

"Yes, that's it. Tatooine." Obi Wan said satisfactorily.

"There's a settlement ...a spaceport, looks like." the pilot said directly to Qui Gon, wanting his opinion.

"Land near the outskirts. We don't want to attract any attention."

The ship slowly moved closer, and closer to Tatooine, before entering the planet's atmosphere. Slowly but surely, the pilot maneuvered the spacecraft to land as far from civilization as possible. As the craft skidded to a halt on the dusty floors of Tatooine, a large swirl of sand flew around the ship, hiding the view of the planet from the windows.

Obi Wan:

The Jedi worked away as he began to hoist the hyperdrive from a floor panel.

"Do you need any help?" Padme asked from the entrance to the Main Area; the place where he had just met her. She was a beautiful girl, he knew this true; her beautiful green eyes and her long, brown curls.

"I could always use some help!" he laughed, hoping she'd come to his rescue as he frustratingly tried to remove the hyperdrive from the panel.

"Here she said, I'll help you." she said, tugging at his broad shoulders. Together, they hoisted the hyperdrive up from the depths of the ship, onto the surface of the spacecraft. Her hands lingered on his muscular shoulders longer than he had expected. a gesture he did not mind one bit. Soon enough, Qui Gon entered the room and she tore her hands off his shoulders in the blink of an eye. Obi Wan could tell his Master was surprised by the sight he had witnessed, but he did not speak a word of it. Instead, Obi Wan spoke.

"The Hyperdrive generator is gone. We will need a new one." he said, looking at his master who was dressed as a Tatooine farmer now. Qui Gon slowly moved closer to his young Padawan, prompting Padme to leave the room.

Qui Gon slowly began to whisper in Obi Wan's ear, "Don't let them send any transmissions. Be wary...I sense a disturbance in the Force."

"I feel it also, Master."

"Obi Wan, tell the rest of them no transmissions are to be set through, I'll need your help in Mos Espa. Here" Qui Gon said, tossing Obi Wan a ripped up shirt.

"I've gotten way better gifts than this one in my time." Obi Wan said, a playful smile forming on his face.

"Sorry I couldn't sew you any nicer clothes before leaving Naboo." Qui Gon said before the two both erupted in laughter.

Qui Gon:

The droid and the two Jedi began their long trek across the desert toward the city of Mos Espa. In the distance, Qui Gon could make out a strange looking caravan making its way toward the spaceport.

"Wait!" Panaka screamed from the ship, running towards the pair of travelers with Padme, who was now dressed in peasant's garb. Qui Gon stopped for the two to catch up with them, and when Panaka arrived he was nearly out of breath.

"Her Highness commands you to take her handmaiden with you. She wishes for her to observe the local…"

"No more commands from Her Highness today, Captain. This spaceport is not going to be pleasant…"

"The Queen wishes it. She is curious about this planet."

"I've been trained in defense... I can take care of myself." Padme added.

"Don't make me go back and tell her you refuse."

"I don't have time to argue. But this is not a good idea. Stay close to me." Qui Gon gave Padme a stern stare, before picking up where he and his companions had left off. It was a long and heated walk to Tatooine, and they might aswell get there as soon as possible.

Padme Naberrie:

It had taken the group a while to get to the town of Mos Espa. Mos Espa was much different than what she was used to in Naboo; she passed a variety of different citizens, a plethora of little shops, and a lot of strangely built homes and buildings.

"...moisture farms for the most part, but also a few indigenous tribes and scavengers. The few spaceports like this one are havens for those who do not wish to be found…"

"...like us. " Padme added suddenly. They continued their walk to a small plaza, lined with several junk dealers.

"We'll try one of the smaller dealers." said Qui Gon, leading the group towards the dealership.

"Well what do you expect to find at a smaller dealer; it'll be filled with space junk and parts we don't need." Padme said suddenly, stopping dead in her tracks.

"They're all selling space junk, maybe this place has better space junk then the rest. You better hurry Master Qui Gon won't be waiting for you!" Obi Wan yelled, an obvious joking matter in his voice. Padme quickly ran to catch up with them, and entered the small shop. The walls were stacked high with loads of different novelties, and they were soon greeted by a flying, blue alien.

"Hi chuba da naga? (What do you want?)" the blue alien spoke in his dialect, that Padme could not understand.

"I need parts for a J-type 327 Nubian." Qui Gon said.

"How many languages did Master Qui Gon know?" she thought, looking at Obi Wan. "Did he know what this alien said too?"

"Ah yes, ah yes. Nubian. We have lots of that. What kinda junk?" he said, before going off in his native language once again. "Peedenkel! Naba dee unko (Boy, get in here! Now!)"

"My droid here has a readout of what I need." Qui Gon said, motioning his hand to the R2 unit. Before Watto could examine what parts his clients needed, a little blonde boy ran in. Padme felt sorry for his condition; his face was caked with dirt, his blonde hair had traces of mud in it, and he was dressed in worn rags. He couldn't be much older then 10, and here he was, in horrible condition.

"Coona tee-tocky malia? (What took you so long?)" the dealer spoke to the little boy angrily.

"Mel tassa cho-passa... (I was cleaning the bin like you...)" the boy began to answer back, before being rudely interrupted by his employer.

"Chut-Chut! Ganda doe wallya. (Never mind! Watch the store) Me dwana no bata. (I've got some selling to do here.)" he said to the boy, before turning back to Qui Gon. "Soooo, let me take- a thee out back. Ni you'll find what you need."

Padme watched as the flying creature led Qui Gon and R2 to the junkyard, filled with spaceship parts. Now, she was left alone with Obi Wan and the little boy.

Anakin Skywalker:

He sat at the counter, scrubbing away at a spaceship part. Of course, his attention really wasn't directed at the flimsy part, but at the young girl in the store. She was so beautiful; the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Anakin knew that she had caught his glance, as she had mustered up an amused smile. The youngest of the two men with her moved to another section of the store, and he finally began to speak to her.

"Are you an angel?" he mumbled from the counter, his hands still fumbling on the spaceship part.

"What?" her face was bright red now, as she smiled a forced smile.

"An angel. I've heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They live on the Moons of Iego I think. They are the most beautiful creatures in the universe. They are good and kind, and so pretty they make even the most

hardened spice pirate cry."

She looked up at him, speechless. He waited patiently as he awaited her answer. "I've never heard of

angels."

"You must be one...maybe you just don't know it."

"You're a funny little boy. How do you know so much?"

I've lived here since I was very little, three, I think. My Mom and I were sold to

Gardulla the Hutt, but she lost us, betting on the Podraces, to Watto, who's a lot better master than Gardulla, I think."

"You're...a slave?" her words hit Anakin like a bullet.

"I am a person! My name is Anakin." he cried out defiantly.

"I'm sorry. I don't fully understand."she said, her eyes scanning the store. "This is a strange world to me."

He looked at her now, taking in her extreme beauty. Her eyes were ocean blue, he knew from drawings that many of the pilots had brought back from their missions and shown him. Soon his study was interrupted as the man with the braid in his hair reentered the room, studying the all the gizmos lined on the walls. He reached for the nose of a small droid, turning it to life. Its arms and legs quickly grew from its small slender body, as it began marching at the man's legs.

"Hit the nose!" Anakin said hardly, jealous of whoever this man was. He was obviously the girl's lover of some sort, how could he not be? Anakin watched as he shot his arm out at the little droid's nose, collapsing it back into it's original state.

"Thank you very much" he said. Anakin watched as he turned his head around and caught a glimpse of the girl's disapproving and somewhat amusing face that she made at him.

Qui Gon:

The junkyard behind the shop was loaded with supplies that any traveler would need. The proprietor of the store, Watto, read off of a small monitor in his hand. He stops his glide right in front of the hyperdrive, before speaking yet again.

"...Here it is...a T-14 hyperdrive generator! Thee in luck, I'm theonly one hereabouts who has one...but thee might as well buy a new ship. It would be cheaper, I think...Sying of which, how's thee going to pay for all this?"

"I have 20,000 Republic dataries."

:Republic credits?! Republic credits are no good out here. I need something more real…"

"I don't have anything else." he said, before raising his hand at Watto, hopefully using the force to change his mind. "But credits will do fine."

"No they won'ta."

Qui Gon swiped his hand before him again. " Credits will do fine."

"No, they won'ta. What you think you're some kinda Jedi, waving your hand around like that? I'm a Toydarian. Mind tricks don'ta work on me-only money. No money, no parts! No deal! And no one else has a T-14 hyperdrive, I promise you that."

Qui Gon turned himself around and walked down the sandy pathway back into the store.

"We're leaving." Qui Gon said, shuffling his sandy boots towards the door. R2 rolled after him, while Obi Wan waited at the door way for Padme. She began to move to the door, turning back and giving Anakin one last look.

" I'm glad I met you,...ah…" she started, incorrectly at that,

"...Anakin." he stated.

"Anakin."

"Anakin Skywalker."

"Padme Naberrie." she said, before being nudged out the door by Obi Wan. The young Jedi looked back at Anakin, before walking out the door.

"I'm glad I met you too!" he yelled after them, before Obi Wan closed it shut with a hard push.

Obi Wan:

The group walked past several more vendors, before stopping at a cafe, filled to the brim with dangerous looking lifeforms.

"Maybe they'll take republic dataries here, I could use a bite to eat." Qui Gon said, leading the rest of his group to the cantina.

"If not you can always use Jedi mind tricks on them; you know, unless they're Toydarian." Obi Wan said with a smirk, as they entered the cantina.

"Table for three." Qui Gon said, ushering the group towards a table along the back wall. The music was blasting high throughout the cantina, and he could see the excitement on his two young accomplices faces."Go have some fun, both of you, but don't get in trouble. I'll allow it just this one time."

The pair moved quickly towards the bar, moving across the loaded dance floor. Before Obi Wan could sit down and order a drink, Padme pulled at his tight sleeve.

"Come dance with me Jedi!" she yelled over the loud music, dancing to the tune, beckoning him with her finger.

"I can't dance," he said, staring at her swaying hips.

"Then I guess I'll have to teach you," she said, pulling him next to her. She moved her body with his, to the beat of the music. With every step and movement, their bodies moved closer and closer together, as she began to move more flirtily on him.

"You're not that bad." she mumbled as she touched his chest. Before Obi Wan could answer her sweet remark, a Dug accidentally bumped into him.

"Watch where you're going next time." the Dug hissed at him, before walking off a few feet.

"Hey!" Obi Wan called after him. "You're the one that bumped into me!" In the matter of seconds, the Dug pounced on him, tearing at his robes. Before he knew it, the young boy from the store and Padme ripped the creature off his chest, and the boy began to speak in some foreign language to him.

" Chess ko, Sebulba...Coo wolpa tooney rana. (Careful, Sebulba...This one's very connected.)"

"Tooney rana nu pratta dunko, shag. (Connected? Whada you mean, slave?)"

"Oh da Hutt...cha porko ootman geesa...me teesa rodda

co pana pee ch"oppa chawa. (As in Hutt...big time outlander, this one... I'd hate to see you diced before we race again.)"

"Neek me chowa, wermo, mo killee ma klounkee (Next time we race, wermo, it will be the end of you!) Una noto wo shag, me wompity du pom pom. (If you weren't a slave, I'd squash you right now.)"

The Dug, named Sebulba apparently, moved away from the trio, and out of the cantina. The young boy yelled after him in defiance.

"Eh, chee bana do mullee ra! (Yeah, it'd be a pity if you had to pay for me!)"

"Thank you Anakin," Padme said, helping up the wounded Obi Wan. She slung him over her shoulder and shuffled back to the table, Anakin following behind.

" Hi! Your friend here was about to get really hurt, He picked a fight with a Dug. An especially dangerous Dug called Sebulba."

"I'm alright" Obi Wan said, collapsing into a chair tucked into the table. "Really, I'm fine."

"Nevertheless, the boy is right...you were heading for trouble. Thank you, my young friend." Qui Gon nodded at the young boy. Obi Wan rolled his eyes, and he was soon helped up by his master and supported out of the cantina and down the road.

"You know there's a storm coming soon. They're awfully dangerous, do you have shelter?" he turned to Qui Gon.

"We'll head back to our ship, it's on the outskirts."

"You'll never reach the outskirts in time...sandstorms are very,

very dangerous. Plus, my mom could help him." He said, pointing at Obi Wan. "Come with me. Hurry!"

Anakin Skywalker:

Anakin led his followers down the street, towards the Slave Hotel he and his mother lived in. They entered as the wind began to kick in, leading his group into his cozy home.

"Mom, Mom! I'm home!" he shrieked, prompting his mother to come into the room, filled with people. She was as surprised as ever, brushing an untied hair off her forehead.

"Oh, my! Annie, what's this?" his mother Shmi Skywalker, said in absolute surprise."

"These are my friends, Mom. This is Padme, and...gee, I don't know any of your names."

"I'm Qui-Gon Jinn, this our droid Artoo Detoo, and that's…" Obi Wan let out a painful groan. "...Obi Wan Kenobi."

"Oh my.. he needs help." she started, before being overwhelmed in all the work she had already had to do. "Anakin! Why are they here!"

"A sandstorm mom. Listen." the howls of the storm could be heard from outside. "And Obi Wan needs your help."

"Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter." Qui Gon said to Shmi, helping her and Padme lay Obi Wan out on the destroyed couch. "Here." he said, handing Shmi five capsules from his utility belt. "It's enough for one meal; I wish I had more for you, to show my gratitude. I forgot all about them."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. I'm sorry if I was abrupt. I'll never get used to Anakin's surprises."

"He's a very special boy." Qui Gon said, before Shmi looked at him as if he had discovered a secret.

"Yes, I know."

Padme Naberrie:

Padme and Shmi worked hard to clean up the cuts on Obi Wan's chest. She had removed his robes to reveal the most chiseled chest she had ever seen, and began to cover up his blood filled cuts with white linen. Padme could tell he liked the way she rubbed his chest and shoulders, slowly, so that none of the others in the room besides him and her would notice. In the matter of no time, Padme and Shmi had covered all the wounds on Obi Wan's chest, each one being covered with anti-bacterial linens. After their hard work was done, Anakin brought Qui Gon off to his room to show him all the contraptions he had been working on, and Shmi followed after. R2 then went into sleep mode, leaving the two alone.

"Why'd you even do that?" she questioned angrily."You could've gotten yourself killed!"

"What's it to you?" he sat up a little. She knew he begged for her response, that she loved him. But she couldn't say it. Not yet anyway."Besides, I'm a Jedi, I could die any day, any month, any year. My job in general is putting myself in danger to protect people like you."

"Oh so that's it!" Padme said flirtily. "You wanted to protect me," she leaned in as if to kiss him, hyping him up a little bit. "Don't worry," she moved her hand to cup his chin. "This girl doesn't need protecting, I know what I'm doing…"

She moved off of him now, and slowly backed her way out of the room, and towards Anakin's room.

Darth Maul and Lord Sidious:

The two Sith stood on a balcony, overlooking the dim city of Coruscant. One of them, however, was in hologram form; Lord Sidious' apprentice had been sent on his way to track the missing ship, and all information led him to the remote planet of Tatooine. The two watched as the lights of the once bright city had disappeared; it was the same way every night. When the darkness came out, most people would go and hide; including the Jedi. But not the Sith.

"Tatooine is sparsely populated. If the trace was correct, I will find them quickly, Master." said Darth Maul.

"Move against the Jedi first...you will then have no taking the Queen back to Naboo, where she will sign the treaty."

" At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have revenge."

"You have been well trained, my young apprentice, they will be no match for you. It is too late for them to stop us now. Everything is going as planned. The Republic will soon be in my command."

Darth Sidious watched as the hologram of his apprentice quickly faded, leaving him alone in the now total darkness; he looked down on the city that the Sith had once controlled. He wanted so badly to reclaim it; he wanted the power at his fingertips….

Anakin Skywalker:

All the inhabitants of the Skywalker quarters were seated at the makeshift dinner table, in front of them, bowls of soup in handcrafted mud bowls. They all slurped on their soup, as Anakin and Shmi told them about their lives as slaves.

"All slaves have transmitters placed inside their bodies somewhere." Shmi told them, holding a spoon in her hand.

"I've been working on a scanner to try and locate them, but no luck." said Anakin, trying to impress Padme who sat directly across from him, seated next to Obi Wan.

"Any attempt to escape…"

"...and they blow you up...poof!"

Anakin could tell by Padme's horrified face that she did not agree with this whatsoever. Even if she was a girl from a rich, beautiful planet she had felt sorry for him. This made him like her even more.

"I can't believe there is still slavery in the galaxy. The Republic's anti-slavery laws…" Padme said, astounded.

"The Republic doesn't exist out here...we must survive on our own." Shmi interrupted, sadly.

Silence had broken out among the dinner table. Anakin couldn't bear it, looking into the girl who he was in love with; her bright eyes looking down on his. He didn't care if she was 15 and he was 10; he loved her. In an attempt to stop his embarrassment, Anakin started a new conversation, about his favorite hobby.

"Have you ever seen a Podrace?" Anakin asked the crowd.

Padme and Obi Wan shook their heads no, while Qui Gon bobbed his head slightly.

"They have Podracing on Malastare. Very fast, very dangerous."

"I'm the only human who can do it." Anakin caught a glimpse of his mother's shaking of her head. "Mom, what? I'm not bragging. It's true. Watto says he's never heard of a human doing it."

"You must have Jedi reflexes if you race Pods." Qui Gon smiled, leaning back in his seat. Across from him, Anakin noticed both Obi Wan and Padme's hands linking under the table. Before he could say anything, they unglued their hands, and slowly moved them back atop the table.

"I...I was wondering...something…" Anakin started towards Qui Gon. Padme and Obi Wan looked at him worried, hoping their secret had not been discovered.

"What is it?"

"Well, ahhh...you're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?"

"What makes you think that?"

"I saw your laser sword. Only Jedi carry that kind of weapon." as Anakin said this, a smile formed on Qui Gon's face.

"Perhaps I killed a Jedi and stole it from him."

"I don't think so... No one can kill a Jedi Knight." Anakin noticed Padme look at Obi Wan now, a look of relief in her face. Soon, the relief in her face was gone as Qui Gon quickly dispersed of Anakin's remark.

"I wish that were so…"

"I had a dream I was a Jedi. I came back here and freed all the slaves...have you come to free us?"

"No, I'm afraid not…"

"I think you have...why else would you be here?"

Qui Gon Jinn:

Qui Gon brought his hands to his chin and thought for a few moments.

"I can see there's no fooling you…" he said, leaning forward in his chair. "You mustn't let anyone know about us...we're on our way to Coruscant, the central system in the Republic, on a very important mission, and it must be kept secret."

" Coruscant...wow...how did you end up here in the outer rim?"

"Our ship was damaged, and we're stranded here until we can repair it."

"I can help! I can fix anything!"

"I believe you can, but our first job is to acquire the parts we need…"

"And we have no money that can be used here." Obi Wan added.

"These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind." Padme said.

"Gambling. Everything here revolves around betting on those awful races." said Shmi in disgust.

"Podracing... Greed can be a powerful ally.. if it's used properly."

"I've built a racer! It's the fastest ever...There's a big race tomorrow, on Boonta Eve. You could enter my pod. It's all but finished…"

"Anakin, settle down. Watto won't let you…"

"Watto doesn't know I've built it." Anakin said, turning to face Qui Gon. "You could make him think it's your's, and you could get him to let me pilot it for you." Qui Gon noticed the worried look on Shmi's face, and her words backed up her horrible expression

"I don't want you to race, Annie...It's awful. I die every time Watto makes you do it.

"But Mom, I love it...and they need help...they're in trouble. The prize money would more than pay for the parts they need."

"Your mother's right. Is there anyone friendly to the Republic who might be able to help us?" Qui Gon asked, to which Shmi shook her head.

"We have to help them, Mom...you said that the biggest problem in the universe is no one helps each other…"

"Anakin, don't…"

"I'm sure Qui-Gon doesn't want to put your son in danger. We will find another way…" Padme started.

"No, Annie's right, there is no other way... I may not like it, but he can help you...he was meant to help you."

"Is that a yes? That is a yes!"

Padme Naberrie:

The storm had passed by morning, and Padme, Qui Gon, R2 and Anakin made their way to Watto's junk shop. Obi Wan stayed at the slave hotel, his wounds still healing. They walked down the sandy streets, and passed by several vendor's cleaning up the mess from the sand storm. When they finally reached the shop, Anakin walked in, and Padme pulled Qui Gon aside before entering.

"Are you sure about this? Trusting our fate to a boy we hardly know. The Queen will not approve."

"The Queen does not need to know." he said before speaking again. "And the council doesn't need to know about you and my Padawan."

She looked at him, her face filled with shock. "Well, I don't approve-with either of those statements." She followed quickly after Qui Gon after he entered the shop. Within seconds, the whole shop has erupted in Watto and Anakin's Huttese.

"Patta go bolla!" said Watto, floating around on his small wings.

"No batta!"

"Maa kee cheelya"

"Bayno, Bayno!"

Qui Gon quickly glided from the doorway to near Watto and Anakin.

"The boy tells me you wanta sponser hi insa race. You can't afford parts. How can you do this? Not on Republic credits, I think." he laughed at his own joke.

"My ship will be the entry fee." Qui Gon pulled out a small watch sized contraption. A hologram of the Nubian shot out of the watch, expanding in size. Watto admired the one foot replica of the ship.

"Not bad...not bad...a Nubian."

"It's in good order, except for the parts we need."

"...but what would the boy ride? He smashed up my Pod in the last race. It will take some time to fix it."

Qui Gon looked over at the embarrassed boy; his face was bright red now, even as he began to speak.

"Ahhhh...it wasn't my fault really...Sebulba flashed me with his vent ports. I actually saved the Pod...mostly."

Watto chuckled at Anakin's statement before he spoke again,"That you did. The boy is good, no doubts there."

"I have...acquired a Pod in a game of chance. "The fastest ever built."

"I hope you didn't kill anyone I know for it." he laughed again. "So, you supply the Pod and the entry fee; I supply the boy. We split the winnings

fifty-fifty, I think."

"Fifty-fifty!? If it's going to be fifty-fifty, I suggest you front the cash for the entry. If we win, you keep all the winnings, minus

the cost of the parts I need...If we lose, you keep my ship." Watto thought about this deal thoroughly, before Qui Gon intruded yet again.

"Either way, you win." Qui Gon said.

"Deal! Yo bana pee ho-tah, meedee ya. (Your friend is a follish one, methinks.)"

"What if this plan fails? We could be stuck here a long time you know" Padme said as they left the shop.

"A ship without a power supply will not get us anywhere, and there is something about this boy…" he trailed off, as they walked back to the Slave Hotel.

Qui Gon Jinn:

Qui Gon watched from the porch Anakin, Padme, Obi Wan, and R2, working away on Anakin's pod. He could sense Shmi behind him, and closed his eyes.

"You should be proud of your son. He gives without any thought of reward."

"He knows nothing of greed. He has…"

"He has special powers."

"Yes…"

"He can see things before they happen. That's why he appears to have such quick reflexes. It is a Jedi trait."

"He deserves better than a slave's life."

"The Force is unusually strong with him, that much is clear. Who was his father?"

"There was no father, that I know of...I carried him, I gave birth to him...I can't explain what happened. Can you help him?"

"I'm afraid not. Had he been born in the Republic, we would have identified him early, and he would have become Jedi, no doubt...he has the

way. But it's too late for him now, he's too old." Qui Gon looked at the boy from the porch. He had never heard of a case like this before; the only explanation for this could be… the legend of Darth Plagueis? He had been told by Master Yoda that Darth Plagueis was able to create life, he could twist and turn the force in ways to stop people from dying. If this were true, then the boy's future could be too clouded for even Yoda to see.

Qui Gon hopped down from the porch and walked towards the courtyard that housed the racing pod.

"Here Anakin!" he handed the young boy a small battery. "I think it's time we found out. Use this power charge."

"Yes, sir!" Anakin said, before hopping into the cockpit of the little racer. Carefully, he popped the power pack into the dashboard. Qui Gon, Obi Wan, and Padme all backed away from the vehicle, and watched as the engine roared to life. In all the excitement, only Qui Gon noticed Shmi frowning from the porch.

Anakin Skywalker:

The dark night's sky made all the planets in the universe look even more beautiful. He sat on top of the balcony rail beside Qui Gon. Anakin held his head up high to see the blanket of stars and planets that covered the sky.

"There are so many! Do they all have a system of planets?"

"Most of them."

"Has anyone been to them all?"

"Not likely."

"Not even you? I heard Jedis go on all sorts of missions all over the Galaxy. That's how I knew you were a Jedi.. not many outsiders come here, and I heard from a Pilot once that Jedis go all over the Galaxy."

"I've been to a lot of systems, this is my first time ever on Tatooine. It is much different than anything I have ever seen before…"

"I want to get off this planet. You know what I want to do? I want to be a Jedi... and I want to be the first one to see all the systems.."

"Annie, bedtime!" Shmi yelled from doorway, holding a towel in her arm.

"Go on, you have a big day tomorrow. Goodnight Anakin."

Anakin hopped off the rail and went with Shmi. He looked over his shoulder at Qui Gon, still leaning against the rail. The Jedi waved at him, and Anakin turned back around and closed the door to the balcony, leaving Qui Gon to himself.

Darth Maul:

The sinister looking Sith spacecraft landed on top of a desert mesa in the darkness, scattering a herd of banthas. Darth Maul walked to the edge of the mesa and studied the landscape with a pair of electrobinoculars. He picked out the lights of three different cities in the distance, then pushed buttons on his electronic armband. From behind him, six jet black probe droids shot out from the ship, floating out to three different points of the city. Maul pulled out his binoculars, and watched them float away in the distance. He smiled his devilish smile that Mother Talzin had grown to love; the devilish smile that had attracted Lord Sidious to him so many years ago. As he watched the probes becoming smaller and smaller in the distance, he thought of his childhood. It had been years since he had visited Dathomir, years since he had seen his brothers. But his life now revolved around defeating the Jedi; Lord Sidious promised him the power. The Sith were meant to rule the Galaxy, Lord Sidious had explained to him as a boy. And as he noticed the probes were fully gone, he knew the power would be restored in time. The years of training as a boy would be meant for something now, and as he turned around to enter back into his ship, he let his hood fall. He let the entire desert admire his Zabrak face, covered in tattoos he had had since his first birthday. Before long, every single thing in the Galaxy would know his face, he knew this well. He would rule the Galaxy; the Jedi's fate would be at his hands.

Padme Naberrie:

Padme looked out the long window to see the two suns of Tatooine rising up in the distance. From her place in the hotel she could see R2 finishing his paint job on the pod.

"I hope your about finished; the race is soon." Padme whispered to the droid, keeping quiet now to wake Anakin just yet. R2 answered her question with a positive squeal. In the distance, Padme could see one of Anakin's friends, Kitser, riding an Eopie, while leading a second behind him. Anakin laid on the floor next to her, covered in ripped up blankets, a pillow made of feathers tucked underneath his head. Padme couldn't help but noticing how vulnerable he looked; curled up on the floor like a little kitten. She peered down on him, then slowly touched his cheek to awake him. He yawned at her, and looked straight up at her; his face puzzled.

"You were in my dream...you were leading a huge army into battle." he said.

" I hope not; I hate fighting. Your mother wants you to come in and clean up. We have to leave soon."

Anakin stumbled to his feet, pushing down his matted hair. Just as he had woken up, he was sending orders to his friend.

"Hook 'em up, Kitster." he opened the door and yelled out to his friend. He closed the door and turned to Padme. "I won't be long. Where's Qui-Gon?"

"He and Obi Wan already left. They're with Watto at the arena."

Obi Wan Kenobi:

Obi Wan, Qui Gon, and Watto walked through the chaos of a podrace. About a dozen racers were being readied for the race, their pit crews by their side making last minute changes. The two Jedi strolled after the Toydarian, his wings fluttering by each and every pod.

"...I want to see your spaceship the moment the race is over." Watto said, looking back at the Jedi walking casually behind him.

"Patience, my blue friend. You'll have your winnings before sunset, and we'll be far away from here."

"Not if your ship belongs to me, I think...I warn you, no funny business."

"You don't think Anakin will win?" asked Qui Gon. Watto stopped flying right in front of an orange racer. To the side was Sebulba, the Dug who had savagely injured Obi Wan. He sat there, in a chair, getting a massage from Twin Yobanas.

"Don't get me wrongo. I have great faith in the boy. He's a credit to your race, but Sebulba there is going to win, I think."

"Why?"

"He always wins." he laughed. " I'm betting heavily on Sebulba."

"I'll take that bet."

Watto suddenly stopped laughing at this remark. "What?! What do you mean?"

"I'll wager my new racing pod against...say...the boy and his mother."

"A Pod for slaves. I don't think so...well, poerhaps. Just one...the mother, maybe...the boy isn't for sale."

"The boy is small, he can't be worth much." Watto shook his head. Obi Wan looked at Qui Gon is disbelief. This boy was replacing him, he knew it. His heart ripped in two; Qui Gon was like a father to him, no, Qui Gon was his father. And now, this little boy would be replacing him.

"For the fastest Pod ever built?!" Qui Gon asked again, as Watto shot down his response immediately with a shake of the head. "Both, or no bet."

"No Pod's worth two slaves...not by a long shot...one slave or nothing."

"The boy, then…" Qui Gon said, before the Toydarian whipped out a little cube from his pocket.

"We'll let fate decide. Blue it's the boy, red his mother…" he said, tossing the cube down. Obi Wan prayed for red; he did not want to be replaced.

He remembered Yoda's wise words, "Jealousy leads to anger, anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering." He remembered them so clearly… he knew the consequences too. But it was so tough on him, tougher than anything he had experienced. Obi Wan did not want to be replaced by this boy from Tatooine. Soon, Qui Gon lifted up Watto's hand slightly, to reveal a blue sided cube, and an angry Watto.

"You won the small toss, outlander, bou you won't win the race, so...it makes little difference."

Padme Naberrie:

Padme and Anakin entered the hangar riding on one of the Eopies, the engine of the pod tied to its back. On the other side of them, Kitser's Eopie pulled the other engine, as well as Anakin's mother Shmi. R2D2 rolled next to them into the hangar bay; the riders immediately stepped off the Eopies and into the Hangar. Padme watched as Anakin trudged his way to Qui Gon and Obi Wan, passing by a flying Watto.

"Bonapa keesa pateeso, o wanna meetee chobodd. (Better stop your friends betting, or I'll end up owning him, too.)" Watto said, cackling his way out of the hangar.

"What did he mean by that?" Anakin asked, regrouped with Obi Wan and Qui Gon.

"I'll tell you later." Qui Gon said.

"This is so wizard! I'm sure you'll do it this time, Annie." said Kitser, patting his friend on the back.

"Do what?" asked Padme.

"Finish the race, of course!" Kitser added excitely.

"You've never won a race?"

": Well...not exactly…" Anakin said, embarrassed by his answer. He so desperately wanted to impress her, but now, he knew, he was letting her down.

"Not even finished?!"

"Yes...but Kitser's right, I will this time."

"Of course you will" said Qui Gon.

Darth Maul:

The jet black probe droids slowly glided down the streets of Tatooine. Maul's probes looked through shops, studied faces, and checked scanners as they looked for Obi Wan, Qui Gon, and the Queen.

Anakin Skywalker:

Anakin stood right in the middle of the semi-circular amphitheatre, located in the vast desert of the planet, Tatooine. He was surrounded by several podracers, and the racer stationed right next to him was Sebulba. He was too excited to listen to what the announcers had to say, and the only time he did not focus on setting up for the race was when all the racers had to bow for Jabba the Hutt. Anakin quickly got back to work; Kitser helped attach the two engines to the pod with a giant, black cable. Before long, Anakin was finally ready to race, and everyone was wishing him good luck; including his mother.

Shmi walked over to the location of her son; covered in grease already. "Be safe, Anakin."

"I will mom, I promise." he said, before she gave him a hug and a kiss and left him to check the cable hitches. Kitser and Obi Wan unhooked the Eopies, R2 gave the "all clear" beep, and Padme came to wish Anakin good luck.

Padme came and kissed Anakin on the cheek; out of the corner of his eye, Anakin could see Sebulba near one of his engines, but thought nothing of it. Without his knowing, the Dug bashed at a protruding part on the engine.

"You carry all our hopes Anakin. We need you." Padme said, kissing him on the cheek once again; much to the dismay of Obi Wan.

"Don't worry Padme, I won't let you down. I promise." slowly but surely, Padme moved away from Anakin, and Sebulba came up beside him, a sinister grin painted upon his face.

"Bazda wahota, shag. Dobiella Nok. Yoka to Bantha poodoo. (You won't walk away from this one, slave scum! You're Bantha poodoo.)"

"Cha skrundee da pat, sleemo. (Don't count on it, slime-ball.)" Anakin shot back, giving Sebulba a cold stare. Qui Gon came between them, prompting the Dug to back away to his racer.

"...Ka bazza kundee hodrudda! (...Let the challenge begin!)" Jabba the Hutt yelled from the balcony of his palace, prompting every viewer of the race to cheer in excitement.

Qui Gon carefully lifted the little boy into his racer, where he carefully strapped himself in." Are you all set, Annie?" he said, backing away from the pod, as Anakin nodded. "Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel. Don't think. Trust your instincts." he smiled at the boy now. "May the

Force be with you."

Anakin pulled on his helmet, and began to pull at different switches, forcing powerful energy binders to shoot between the engines. Anakin flips another switch, and his engine starts. The incredible roar of high-powered engines igniting filled the arena.

Shmi Skywalker:

Shmi looked nervously at Qui Gon as he entered the viewing area. The floor began to move, like an elevator, bringing them to better views of the action.

Once they arrived Shmi asked Qui Gon "Is he nervous?"

"He's fine." he answered.

"You Jedi are far too reckless. The Queen…" Padme started feistly at Qui Gon, as Obi Wan patted her back to try to make her stop.

"The Queen trusts my judgment, young handmaiden. You should too."

"You assume too much…"

Anakin Skywalker:

It seemed like ages had passed since he had started waiting; but when the gong went off signaling to start the race, Anakin couldn't go anywhere. As he thrusted the controls to start the race, his engine flooded and coughed - then died. He watched as all the other Podracers except one swerve around

him and disappear down the track. After what seemed like ages to his friends in the viewing area, his engines finally ignited; allowing him to zoom after all but one racer. The Podracers flied across the desert. Sebulba ran neck and neck with a pilot Anakin knew known as Mawhonic. From behind Anakin watched as the two rounded the first turn in the track, side by side. Sebulba drove his Pod faster than any Pod Anakin had ever seen before, into his rival, forcing him into the wall of a large rock formation. He watched as Mawhonic crashed in a spectacular display of fire and smoke.

Anakin's pod and racing skills are no match for the back-end stragglers, as he passed them with ease. After passing nearly half of the racers remaining, Anakin could not get past Gasgano. He tried to pass him on one side and was cut off by the racer; prompting him to try the other side, where he was cut off again. The pair soon came onto a cliff-top run off, and Anakin slowed down as Gasgano went over the cliff. The little racer then gunned it and accelerated so fast that his pod sailed over Gasgano's and sped away, bringing him even closer to the top spot. Anakin watched at his sides as Tusken Raiders began to shoot at the pods from their vantage points in the cliffs. To his luck, Anakin comes out unscathed, his pod only with one bullet hole in it. Anakin powered his way around corners and over hills and cliffs, passing other racers right and left. He could still see Sebulba up ahead, being challenged by another race, Xelbree. From his pod, Anakin watched as Sebulba slowed his orange pod down a little, and as Xelbree pulled alongside, he watched as Sebulba opened a side vent on the racer's engine. Soon enough, the exhaust started to cut through the engine, and within no time it had exploded; leaving Sebulba veering through the track. While Sebulba was left to himself, Anakin was still surrounded by several racers. He worked his way through a dense mass of racers as they zoomed over a dune sea, kicking up dust. His Pod shook violently as he went over a jump. He watched as one of the Podracers, Ody, caught one of his engines in the sand, and the entire thing exploded.

Padme Naberrie:

Padme watched Qui Gon quietly, not to interrupt his meditation. She and Shmi watched out in the distance for any sign of the racers, while Obi Wan stood emotionless next to her. The crowd roared to life as the racers turned around the corner.. the Dug that had attacked Obi Wan still in the lead. This obviously pleased Watto, she could tell, as he stood laughing directly across from their viewing chamber, confident in Anakin's defeat. Padme's eyes struggled to watch as Sebulba's bright orange pod entered the arena, followed by the rest of the pods… besides Anakin's. Kitser moved his head closer to the glass to await the arrival of his friend; while R2 squealed in excitement as Anakin's pod appeared in the distance. Qui Gon, Padme, and Shmi squealed in excitement as the boy passed his first circuit. Padme couldn't help but notice Obi Wan's face, overwhelmed in jealousy. Twenty-two minutes past as the group waited for another passing, and Sebulba's pod appeared yet again in first The crowd roared yet again as the Podracers screamed off into the distance. Padme was as worried as Qui Gon now, she could tell by the look on his face.

"He must have crashed," Obi Wan said, turning towards the button to bring the viewer down. "Let's go…"

"Here he comes!" Padme interrupted, an upset look on Obi Wan's face as Anakin's pod raced past the main arena.

"He still has to complete two more circuits." Qui Gon said suddenly. "But he can do it."

"Sixth place… not bad." Obi Wan said, moving back into the group.

Padme watched as Anakin began to move faster and faster through the pack. She couldn't take the tension now, it reminded her too much of the fate of her people in Naboo. Padme hated lying to all of them, especially Obi Wan; she wanted to tell them so badly, she wanted to breakdown in Obi Wan's arms. She hated thinking of her people, abused by droids on the planet she as Queen should still be on.

Anakin Skywalker:

Terter moved closer to Sebulba; the Dug purposely broke a small part off of his pod, sending it into Terter's engine. Anakin's pod was then bumped into by Terter's, unhooking one of the main straps on Anakin's engines that linked the little Pod to his engines. The young boy struggled to keep control of the pod, as it whipped around wildly; as the pod swung near the broken engine strap, Anakin grabbed it, managing to hook it to his pod. From afar, Anakin watched as Sebulba cut into the engine of Obitoki with his side exhaust, a move that Anakin knew was deadly from personal experiences with Sebulba. The racer's pod then crashed with a cloud of dust, and a third racer, Habba, flew into the cloud of dust and crashed in Obitoki. Anakin rounded a corner and headed straight into the cloud of smoke. He hit a part of one of the engines but regained control of his pod. The two racers moved quickly towards the main entrance of the arena. Sebulba was still in the lead, but Anakin glided closely behind him as they entered the arena. Before long, Anakin had caught up with Sebulba, the two Pods racing neck and neck over the rough terrain. Anakin looked into the stands to see the excited looks on his friends faces, and also the worried look on Watto's. As the racers moved farther and farther away from the arena, Sebulba used his side exhaust port to try to cut through Anakin's engines. The little racer managed to avoid having his engine disabled but is forced off

course, sending him onto the service ramp. He moved his pod farther up the ramp, and on a tight corner, he dived to the side to take the lead from Sebulba. Sebulba is furious with Anakin's move, keeping his Pod right on Anakin's trail; he crowded him and pushed him through the turns. Sebulba pushed on Anakin harder, and the young boy had a difficult time keeping control. Anakin watched as one of the parts on his engine began to shake loose…. the one Sebulba had been standing near as he talked to Padme.

"I'm finishing this time. And I'm not finishing in second. I'm finishing in first!" Anakin said to himself, switching over to an auxiliary system. While he tried to accomplish this maneuver, Sebulba raced past him. Anakin than tried to get around Sebulba with no avail; every move the boy made, Sebulba was able to block. Finally, Anakin faked a move into the inside that he had tried several times earlier, then moved around Sebulba on the outside. They raced side by side down the final stretch of the track; dust picking up beneath their racing Pods. As the two continued driving neck and neck, Sebulba veered toward Anakin and banged into his Pod. He crashed into Anakin over and over. The young boy struggles to maintain control as the steering rods on the two Pods became hooked together, prompting Sebulba to laugh at Anakin. As they headed for the final stretch, Anakin fought to unlock the steering rods by trying to pull away from Sebulba. The strain on the steering rod was tremendous, and suddenly Anakin's steering arm breaks, and his Pod starts spinning. The release of tension sent Sebulba into an ancient statue; one of his engine exploded, followed by the other. Anakin flew through the explosion of Sebulba's pod, and watched as the Dug popped out of his vehicle unharmed. As he flew through the finish line, Anakin looked into the stands at the cheering faces of his friends. He jumped from his pod, holding his arms up in the air.

"I won! I won!" he screamed. He was so happy, so proud; he had a bright, twisted future ahead of him. The crowd came over and engulfed him, cheering and putting him atop one of their shoulders'. Little did the boy know he was being followed… by a probe droid.

Qui Gon Jinn:

Qui Gon marched towards Watto's box, passing by several aliens laughing over all the money they had swindled from the Toydarian. As he popped through the doorway, Qui Gon was immediately shrieked at by the new poorest Toydarian in the galaxy, Watto.

"You! You swindled me! You knew the boy was going to win! Somehow you knew it! I lost everything."said Watto, flying over to Qui Gon. Carefully, the Toydarian held his face against his; an angered stare hardened on his face. Qui Gon simply smiled.

"Whenever you gamble, my friend, eventually you'll lose. Bring the parts to the main hanger. I'll come by your shop later so you can release

the boy."

"You can't have him! It wasn't a fair bet!"

"Would you like to discuss it with the Hutts...I'm sure they can settle this."

"No, no! I want no more of your tricks! Take him!" Watto said. The two men did not seem to notice the probe droid lurking behind them, watching with great interest.

Obi Wan Kenobi:

The hangar was almost deserted now; all the racers had departed, and only the group around Anakin had remained. Obi Wan watched as Padme bent down and gave the boy a big hug, followed by Shmi.

"Ah, gee...enough of this…" Anakin said. Obi Wan couldn't agree more; he couldn't stand all their excitement. So what he won a dumb pod race? Qui Gon had felt it, he knew there was something about this boy. He knew he would be replaced, and the jealousy of him being replaced plus the tension between Anakin and Padme lately made it unbearable to be near anyone.

"It's so wonderful, Annie. You have brought hope to those who have none. I'm so very proud of you….." Shmi said, rubbing his cheek.

"We owe you everything." Padme said, looking over at Obi Wan. When she turned back around to Anakin, he rolled his eyes.

"Just feeling this good was worth it." Anakin said, beaming at Padme. Obi Wan saw out of the corner of his eye his Master harnessing the Eopies to containers full of parts.

"Padme. Obi Wan,, let's go, we've got to get these parts back to the ship." Qui Gon said, hopping up onto the first Eopie. Obi Wan hopped upon the second Eopie, and swung his arm over the side to help Padme up. R2 wheeled next to them as they began to leave, before Qui Gon stopped dead in his tracks.

"I'll return the Eopies by midday" he said, before they exited the hangar bay. The Eopies treaded slowly to the Nubian, through the desert sands of Tatooine. It was awkward being next to Padme now; she had been giving him mixed signals. There was obviously something there with Anakin, he knew, but he was only a boy. But, Obi Wan felt something, even as they danced in the Cantina. It was a strange feeling, one he never had before. The Force had a plan for her, but whether he was a part of that plan, he did not know. She kept silent on the ride to the Nubian. Once they arrived to the ship, he helped her jump down from the Eopie.

"Start getting this hyperdrive generator installed. I'm going back...some unfinished business. I won't be long." Qui Gon said, leading the Eopie that Obi Wan and Padme had just disembarked behind his.

"Why do I sense we've picked up another pathetic life form...?" Obi Wan asked.

"It's the boy who's responsible for getting those parts." A frown formed on Obi Wan's face, and Padme looked at him with burning eyes. "I sense a great future in him." Qui Gon started back to the spaceport, as the black probe droid studying the ship moved back to Darth Maul.

Shmi Skywalker:

A knock came at the door of the Skywalker's quarters. Anakin opened the wooden door to reveal Qui Gon Jinn; his farmer's shawl was gone now, and he held a small bag in his hands.

"These are yours." he said, putting the small bag in Anakin's cupped hands. The little boy tore it open, to reveal what seemed like millions of golden coins. "We sold the pod." he said, as a smile grew on Anakin's face.

"Yes!" he yelled in complete joy. "Mom! Come here! Look at all the money we have, he sold the Pod!" Anakin screeched. Shmi bursted into the room, and was immediately handed the coin bag.

"Oh, my goodness, That's wonderful." Shmi said, a happy tear forming in her eye.

"And Anakin has been freed." Qui Gon said suddenly.

"What?!" Anakin said, his voice nearly quivered at this statement.

"You're no longer a slave." Qui Gon repeated again. Anakin jumped around in happiness as his mother stood in the corner of the room stunned.

" Did you hear that, Mom?" he said turning to Qui Gon, "Was that part of the prize, or what?"

" Let's just say Watto has learned an important lesson about gambling." Qui Gon stated satisfactorily.

"Now you can make your dreams come true, Annie. You're free!" Shmi said, turning her attention to Qui Gon. " Will you take him with you? Is he to become a Jedi?"

"Our meeting was not a coincidence. Nothing happens by accident. You are strong with the Force, but you may not be accepted by the Council."

"A Jedi! Mighty blasters, you mean I get to go with you in your starship and everything?!" Anakin said excitingly, as the long-haired man kneeled down before him.

"Anakin, training to be a Jedi will not be a easy challenge. And if you succeed, it will be a hard life."

"But it's what I want. What I've always dreamed about. Can I go, Mom?!"

"This path has been placed for you, Annie; the choice to take it is yours alone." said Qui Gon. Anakin thought for a moment, before turning to his mother, and then back to Qui Gon.

"I want to go."

"Then, pack your things. We haven't much time." said Qui Gon. Anakin hugged his mother and started into the other room, before realizing something… what about his mother?

"What about Mom? Is she free too? You're coming, aren't you, Mom"

" I tried to free your mother, Annie, but Watto wouldn't have it."

"But the money from selling…"

"It's not nearly enough." said Qui Gon sadly. Shmi came over to her son, and sat beside him. She took his hands in hers, and drew them close.

Son, my place is here. My future is here. It is time for you to let go...to let go of me. I cannot go with you."

"I want to stay with you. I don't want things to change."

" You can't stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting. Listen to your feelings; Annie, you know what's right." Shmi said. Anakin took a deep breath, and bent his head down. When he rose his little blonde haired head again, tears swelled in his eyes.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Mom…"

"I love you, Annie...now hurry." Shmi said, as Anakin sprinted to the next room. "Thank you."

"I will watch after him. You have my word. Will you be all right?"

"He was in my life for such a short time."

Anakin Skywalker:

Anakin followed after Master Qui Gon. He slung a backpack over the ragged shoulder of his shirt, and followed in the footsteps of the much older man. He turned to face his mother, tears rolling down her face as she stood in the doorway of the Hotel. Anakin turned back to face Qui Gon, before turning back to his mother. He sprinted back to the hotel, arms held up wide for a big embrace. Tears rolled down his cheeks, towards the sandy floor as he reached her, holding his mother in a tight embrace. He buried his head in her shoulder as he balled, tears rolling down his face, plummeting into her shirt.

" I can't do it, Mom. I just can't." Anakin choked out the words, a lump forming in his throat.

Qui Gon watched from afar as Shmi kneeled down to the boy, holding him close.

"Annie, remember when you climbed the great dune in order to chase the Banthas away so they wouldn't be shot... Remember how you collapsed

several times, exhausted thinking you couldn't do it?" said Shmi, as Anakin shook his head.

"This is one of those times when you have to do something you don't think you can do. I know how strong you are, Annie. I know you

can do this…"

"Will I ever see you again?"

"What does your heart tell you?"

"I hope so...yes...I guess."

"Then we will see each other again."

"I.. will become a Jedi and I will come back and free you, Mom...I promise."

"No matter where you are, my love will be with you. Now be brave, and don't look back... don't look back.

" I love you so much." Shmi said, before hugging Anakin one more time. She held the back of his blonde head, and kissed the side of his face. Slowly, but surely, she let go of her embrace. Anakin turned around, and marched like a little trooper right past Qui Gon. He made sure not to look back.

Obi Wan Kenobi:

Obi Wan and Padme sat on the cold floor of the main compartment. He didn't speak now, as she cupped an arm around him. They sat there, in complete silence; he could see the anger and frustration in her face now. It was so easy for her to get angry wasn't it? What a short-tempered little handmaiden.

"You're jealous of Anakin. Aren't you?" Padme said, unwrapping her arm from Obi Wan and standing up from the floor. "That's what this whole sad act is about isn't it?"

"You don't know a thing about it." Obi Wan said, looking her in the eyes from the floor.

"Oh trust me I know. And if you think for one second Master Yoda or the Jedi Council will be happy with the little act your putting on, you're crazy."

"There's a tremor in the force whenever I see that boy." Obi Wan added angrily. "Qui Gon claims that boy is what the prophecy states, he's the boy that will bring balance to the force. But he's wrong."

"You don't know that!" Padme yelled angrily. "You can't just say things like that because you believe you're being replaced! I'm sorry if that's how you feel, but it's what has to be done!"

"And why is that?" Obi Wan intruded angrily, getting up from his position on the floor. "Because you care about him? You feel bad for Anakin isn't that it? My life was no better than his when I was a boy!"

"You're lying! Nothing can be worse than being a slave; living in this hell hole!"

"My father left me and my mother when I was young. My mother left me in Naboo to basically live on my own; my grandmother was horribly sick when I got there, and everyday I'd fish my life away at the lake, just to make two ends meet. What horrible things have you been through? Working for the queen and everything? Oh, I have to clean some droids here and there, what a terrible life I'm living!"

"You're full of it Obi Wan Kenobi! You know what's funny? I thought you were an awfully good guy. But after we met Anakin, all you've been is jealous!"

"I'm only stating the obvious Padme. If you can't feel the danger lurking within that boy you're all insane.. not me. I'm not jealous of him; but your little pity party isn't making anything any better." he said suddenly.

"I'm done with you Obi Wan! Stop with this. He's just a boy, and Qui Gon believes in him. Why can't you?" Padme marched out of the room suddenly, taking a big puff of air as she flung herself through the door of the room. Obi Wan stood there, silently. He didn't once move his boots, he just stood, and thought, Before long, he made his way to the cockpit of the ship, and awaited in silence his master.

Qui Gon Jinn:

Qui Gon sprinted towards the Naboo Craft at break neck speeds. It was hard for Anakin to keep up with him, struggling over the sand dunes.

"Master Qui-Gon, sir, wait!" Anakin yelled from behind, forcing Qui Gon to turn a shoulder to look at him. As he peered over to see Anakin, he saw a black-hooded figure on a speeder bike, bearing down on the boy.

"Anakin! Drop!" Qui Gon yelled suddenly. The boy listened to his instructions, dropping low into the sandy dunes of Tatooine. In the blink of an eye, the hooded figure leaped off of the bike, a red lightsaber in hand. Before he even landed, the man swung his laser sword at Qui Gon, a swing he had just barely blocked. The wind forced the man's cloak off his head, revealing the horns atop his head. He was a Zabrak, a Sith Zabrak. The two warriors swung their swords at each other, the green clashing with the red; sparks of light flew around the sands of Tatooine. Out of the corner of his eye Qui Gon watched Anakin pick himself up, a fear in his eyes.

"Annie! Get to the ship! Take off! Go! Go!" Qui Gon screamed, thrusting his laser sword at the tattooed man. Dust flew around them as Qui Gon worked quickly to block the relentless warrior, and he heard from behind the ship taking off. The anger in the horned man's face frightened Qui Gon, he had never seen this much hatred in one since many years ago… Years before the Sith had been dead to the Galaxy. In the matter of seconds, Qui Gon leaped over the Zabrak warrior in acrobatic fashion, and leaped onto the low flying ship. He watched as the horned man followed after him, jumping onto the closing ramp of the ship. With a hard thrust, Qui Gon knocked him off, watching the man plummet to the desert sands of Tatooine. Qui Gon staggered off the ramp and into the cockpit of the ship. Soon enough, Obi Wan and Anakin had made their way into the cockpit.

" Are you alright?" Anakin asked, standing in front of Qui Gon, who laid on the hard floor. His face and hair was drenched in sweat, and he could hardly move.

"I think so... that was a surprise I won't soon forget." said Qui Gon, taking deep breaths as he spoke.

"What was it?" asked Obi Wan suddenly.

"I don't know... but he was well trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is he was after the Queen…"

"Do you think he'll follow us?" Anakin asked; he could see the fear and horror in the boy's eyes clearer now.

"We'll be safe enough once we're in hyperspace, but I have no doubt he knows our destination." Qui Gon said, before picking himself up from the floor. He led Obi Wan and Anakin to the location of the pilot.

"Let's hope Watto didn't get the last laugh." said Qui Gon, as the pilot pulled the throttle up on the hyperdrive. Within the matter of seconds, the ship was surrounded by the beautiful stars of the Galaxy. Qui Gon looked over at Anakin, the boy was mesmerized at the sight.

"He is the chosen one." Qui Gon told himself, looking over at the face of the young boy. "This boy will do great things."

Padme Naberrie:

The entire ship was asleep now; the lights were turned out across the entire Nubian. Padme tiptoed into the main room of the ship; R2 stood in the corner, cooing in his sleep. Obi Wan laid on the floor, covered in wool blankets, his arms stretched out across the floor. She wanted to sleep so desperately, but she felt something in the air. As if.. someone was watching her… Padme turned around to face Anakin, sitting in the corner of the room. She watched as his body shook and shivered, his arms wrapped around his cold body. Padme shuffled her tired feet over to him; she saw the tears in his eyes clearer now as she sat next to him.

" Are you alright?" she asked him sleepily.

"It's very cold."

" You're from a warm planet, Annie. Too warm for my taste. Space is cold." she said, handing her over-coat to him. He pulled it over his shaking shoulders, before speaking to her again. In his coldness, his lips quivered as he spoke.

"You seem sad."

"The Queen is...worried. Her people are suffering...dying. She must convince the Senate to intervene, or...I'm not sure what will happen.

"I'm...I'm not sure what's going to happen to me. I dunno if I'll ever see you again.. " Anakin said pulling a wooden pendant from his pocket. " I made this for you. Sou you'd remember me. I carved it out of a japor snippet... It will bring you good fortune." he said, placing it into her cupped hand. Padme admired it for a second, before placing it upon her neck.

"It's beautiful, but I don't need this to remember you. Many things will change when we reach the capital, Annie. My caring for you will always

remain." she said, taking a quick glance at the sleeping Obi Wan.

"I care for you too. Only I...miss…" Anakin said, tears rolling down his face now.

"...You miss your mother." Padme said. Anakin could barely look at her; he couldn't speak whatsoever. She flung her arms around him in a gentle embrace, and held it there until they both drifted off to sleep. The ship moved closer, and closer to Coruscant as the crew slept, and Padme could feel in her sleep the ship moving through the stars…

Obi Wan Kenobi:

"Coruscant...the capital of the Republic...the entire planet is one big city." the pilot spoke, as Anakin's eyes scanned the planet.

"Wow! It's so huge!" he basically screamed throughout the entire cockpit. From the small windows of the ship Obi Wan Kenobi could make out the faces of Chancellor Valorum, several Republic guards, and the Queen's most trusted politician, Senator Palpatine. Obi Wan peered through the window as the sleek Naboo spacecraft landed on the platform high above the street level of the galactic capital. The ramp lowered down towards the platform, and Obi Wan, Qui Gon, R2D2 and Anakin descended down the ramp, bowing down to Palpatine and Valorum. Before long Captain Panaka, Queen Amidala, Padme, Rabe, Eirtae and plenty of Royal Guards met with them, disembarking the Nubian and rejoining their group on the platform.

Queen Amidala stopped in front of the group, allowing Palpatine to bow to her. From the corner of his eye, Obi Wan could see Padme and Anakin, exchanging happy smiles as the bowing continued.

"It is a great gift to see you alive, Your Majesty. May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum." Palpatine started suddenly, catching Obi Wan off guard because he had been focusing her attention on Padme and the boy.

"Welcome, Your Highness. It is an honor to finally meet you in person. I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the current

situation. I've called for a special session of the Senate to hear your position." Chancellor Valorum said.

"I am grateful for your concern, Chancellor." the Queen said, before she and her group were lead towards an awaiting air taxi. The young boy and the droid followed quickly after them, leaving the two Jedi with Chancellor Valorum. Obi Wan stood behind his tall master, and watched the politician speaking to him carefully.

"I must speak with the Jedi Council immediately, Your Honor. The situation has become more complicated." the Master Jedi said, his words lingering in the air for minutes. Obi Wan looked ahead of him to see Padme looking back, sorrow in her eyes. She was hurting inside since their fight, he knew. But it was for the best; nothing could ever happen of their relationship…. Although he wanted something special with Padme.

Queen Amidala:

The Queen sat comfortably in Senator Palpatine's quarters. She was surrounded by all her most trusted allies, besides her best handmaiden, Padme. Queen Amidala watched as the gentle Senator paced the wooden floor with quick steps.

": ...the Republic is not what it once was. The Senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates who are only looking out for themselves and

their home systems. There is no interest in the common good...no civility, only politics...it's disgusting. I must be frank, Your Majesty, there is

little chance the Senate will act on the invasion." Palpatine said, running a hand over the creased lines on his forehead.

"Chancellor Valorum seems to think there is hope." the Queen said assuringly. Her face was covered in white makeup, her hair was tied into long braids that adorned different types of jewelry. Queen Amidala's body was covered in gorgeous velvet robes, and she sat atop a beautiful ceramic chair.

"If I may say so, Your Majesty, the Chancellor has little real power...he is mired down by baseless accusations of corruption. A manufactured scandal surrounds him. The bureaucrats are in charge now."

"What options do we have?"

"Our best choice would be to push for the election of a stronger Supreme Chancellor. One who will take control of the bureaucrats, enforces

the laws, and give us justice. You could call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum."

"He has been our strongest supporter. Is there any other way?"

"Our only other choice would to be to submit a plea to the courts…"

"There's no time for that. The courts take even longer to decide things than the Senate. Our people are dying, Senator...more and more each

day. We must do something quickly to stop the Federation."

To be realistic, Your Highness, I'd say we're going to have to accept Federation control for the time being."

"That is something I cannot do."

Qui Gon Jinn:

Jedi Master Qui Gon Jinn stood before the semicircle of Jedi Knights. There were twelve of them; fully cloaked Jedi Knights of all shapes, sizes, and species. He felt honored to stand before them in such a way, standing in front of some of the most respected men and women in the Galaxy. Qui Gon almost forgot what he was here to do, and almost forgot that he had left Obi Wan and Anakin waiting outside in the Jedi Temple Hallway.

" ...my only conclusion can be that it was a Sith Lord." Qui Gon finished carefully, trying to not start too much alarm within the council.

"A Sith Lord?!" Mace Windu questioned in blasphemy.

" Impossible! The Sith have been extinct for a millennium." said Dooku, Qui Gon's old master added.

"The very Republic is threatened, if involved the Sith are." Yoda spoke slowly, his wise words floating throughout the entire room.

"I do not believe they could have returned without us knowing." said Mace Windu.

"Hard to see, the dark side is. Discover who this assassin is, we must." Yoda nodded slowly, and dropped his head.

"I sense he will reveal himself again." said Ki Adi, facing Qui Gon Jinn now.

"This attack was with purpose, that is clear, and I agree the Queen is the target."

"With this Naboo queen you must stay, Qui-Gon. Protect her."

"We will use all our resources here to unravel this mystery and discover the identity of your attacker... May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you." Yoda said, thinking that this meeting was over. Qui Gon stood still, not moving a single muscle from the middle of the circle.

"Master Qui-Gon more to say have you?"

"With your permission, my Master. I have encountered a vergence in the Force."

"A vergence, you say?"

"Located around a person?

"A boy…I feel something with him. He is strong in the force. You must believe me.

"You're referring to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the Force...you believe it's this boy?"

"I don't presume…" Qui Gon started, before being cut off by wise master Yoda.

"But you do! Revealed your opinion is."

"I request the boy be tested." Qui Gon said suddenly, before the council erupted in stares and glances. Within a few moments, the council had turned their attentions back to the man standing in front of them. They all nodded in agreement.

"Trained as a Jedi, you request for him?"

"Finding him was the will of the Force...I have no doubt of that. There is too much happening here…"

" Bring him before us, then."

"Tested he will be." Yoda said, before ending the meeting with Qui Gon. The lanky man than moved quickly from the room, and made his way down the hallway to collect Obi Wan and Anakin.

Anakin Skywalker:

The small, blonde boy moved tentatively towards the Queen's Quarters. He was afraid to loose another person he loved; first his mother, than Padme.

"Who would be next?" he thought. "Qui Gon? Maybe even Obi Wan?" He continued his journey up to the Queen's Quarters. Anakin had finally made his way up there, before several guards surrounded him.

"May I help you, son?" One of the guards questioned suddenly, catching Anakin off-guard.

"I'm...I'm looking for the handmaiden, Padme." he said nervously, as another one of the guards spoke into his comlink.

"The boy is here to see Padme." the Guard said, holding the comlink close to his lips.

" Send him in." the voice of Rabe spoke through the comlink. The Guards quickly motioned towards the doors, pulling them aside for the young boy to enter. It wasn't like anything Anakin had ever seen before; the Queen's Quarters was full of beautiful tapestry, and fine artworks that lined the deco walls. Anakin looked around the Quarters, mesmerized by what he was seeing, He was so out of it, that when Rabe approached him and tapped on his shoulder, he could hardly notice.

"I'd like to speak with Padme, if I could." Anakin said suddenly, waking up from his trance.

"I'm sorry, Annie. Padme is not here right now."

Out of nowhere, Queen Amidala moved slowly into the room that housed Anakin and Rabe. "Who is it?" she asked.

"Anakin Skywalker, to see Padme, Your Highness." Rabe said carefully, as if hiding a secret. The Queen moved slowly to the doorway, watching Anakin as if she had never seen him before.

"I've sent Padme on an errand."

"I'm going to the Jedi temple to start my training, I hope." he said, as the Queen continued to stare at him. "I may not see her again...and... I just wanted to say goodbye."

"We will tell her for you. We're sure her heart goes with you." Queen Amidala said slowly. Anakin bowed down to her with honor, before standing straight again.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I'm sorry to have disturbed you." he said, exiting the Queen's Quarters. Slowly but surely, Queen Amidala slid behind the doorway.

Queen Amidala:

From her floating platform, Queen Amidala could see the faces of thousands of spectators. Across from them, Chancellor Valorum sat on an elevated area; from his seat in the Rotunda of the Galactic Senate, the Chancellor could not tell what Queen Amidala and Senator Palpatine were discussing.

"If the Federation moves to defer the motion...Your Majesty, I beg of you to ask for a resolution to end this congressional session." Palpatine said, leaning closer to the Queen's ear.

"I wish I had your confidence in this, Senator."

"You must force a new election for Supreme Chancellor...I promise you there are many who will support us...it is our best chance…"

Your Majesty, our only, chance.

"You truly believe Chancellor Valorum will not bring our motion to a vote?"

"He is distracted...he is afraid. He will be of no help."

"The Chair recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Naboo." Chancellor Valorum shouted, as the Naboo Congressional Box levitated closer to the center.

" Supreme Chancellor, delegates of the Senate. A tragedy has occurred on our peaceful system of Naboo. We have become caught in a dispute

you're all well aware of, which began right here with the taxation of trade routes, and has now engulfed our entire planet in the oppression of the

Trade Federation." Queen Amidala spoke, as the Trade Federations box sped towards the center.

"This is outrageous! I object to the Senator's statements!" the Senator of the Trade Federation, Lott Dod said angrily.

"The Chair does not recognize the Senator from the Trade Federation at this time. Please return to your station." Chancellor Valorum said suddenly, forcing Lott Dod to move back to his place.

"To state our allegations, I present Queen Amidala, the recently elected ruler of Naboo, to speak on our behalf." Palpatine spoke, as Queen Amidala stood before the assembly. Half the stands erupted in applause, as the other sat absolutely silent

"Honorable representatives of the Republic, distinguished delegates, and Your Honor Supreme Chancellor Valorum, I come to you under the gravest of circumstances. The Naboo system has been invaded by force. Invaded...against all the laws of the Republic by the Droid Armies of the Trade…" she spoke, before being cut off rudely.

"I object! There is no proof. This is incredible. We recommend a commision be sent to Naboo to ascertain the truth."

"Overruled." said Valorum.

"Your Honor, you cannot allow us to be condemned without reasonable observation. It's against all the rules of procedure." Lott Dod added. Before long, the entire assembly waited upon Valorum and his aides, as well as Vice Chairman Mas Amedda. Before long, Palpatine found himself near Queen Amidala's ear again.

"Enter the bureaucrats, the true rulers of the Republic, and on the payroll of the Trade Federation, I might add. This is where Chancellor

Valorum's strength will disappear."

"The point is conceded...Section 523A take precedence here. Queen Amidala of the Naboo, will you defer your motion to allow a commission to

explore the validity of your accusations?" Chancellor Valorum said, making Queen Amidala angry.

The Queen remained composed though, and said angrily, "I will not defer...I have come before you to resolve this attack on our sovereignty now. I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee. If this body is not capable of action, I suggest new leadership is needed. I move for a "vote of no confidence"...in Chancellor Valorum's leadership."

"What?...No!" Valorum said in surprise. Amidala's words caused a great stir in the assembly. Yet again, half the court applauded while the other half jeered. Queen Amidala could see the stunned expression on Chancellor Valorum's face.

"Order! We shall have order…" said Mas Amedda, trying to make sense of what had just occurred.

"Alderaan seconds the motion for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum." said Prince Bail Organa, who had moved his position to the middle

"The motion has been seconded by Bail Organa of Alderaan." said Mas Amedda, as he turned and whispered something in the ear of the confused Valorum.

"There must be no delays. The motion is on the floor and must be voted upon in this session." said Bail Organa.

"The Trade Federation moves the motion be sent to the procedures committee for study."

"Vote now! Vote now! Vote now!" the assembly began to chant.

"You see, Your Majaesty, the tide is with us...Valorum will be voted out, I assure you, and they will elect in a new Chancellor, a strong Chancellor, one who will not let our tragedy continue…" Palpatine started to Queen Amidala, before the Vice Chairman spoke again.

"The Supreme Chancellor requests a recess. Tomorrow we will begin the vote." The Federation delegation was furious, as was Chancellor Valorum.

"Palpatine, I thought you were my ally...my friend. You have betrayed me! How could you do this?" Valorum said, turning to Palpatine.

Obi Wan Kenobi:

"The boy will not pass the Council's tests, Master, and you know it. He is far too old." Obi Wan said, looking over the balcony. The sun moved quietly in the distance.

"Anakin will become A Jedi...I promise you. It is meant to happen."

"Don't defy the Council, Master..not again." Obi Wan said, frustratingly.

"I will do what I must."

"Master, you could be sitting on the Council by now if you would just follow the code. They will not go along with you this time."

"You still have much to learn, my young apprentice." Qui Gon said, the anger swelling into Obi Wan's face now.

"I have much to learn, but you're going to be taking Anakin in as your new apprentice! What is this to you? Some sort of joke? You know nothing of this boy, and whenever I'm around him, it feels… dark."

"The boy is to be a Jedi. And if I am to train him, so be it. Your fate is set Obi Wan, you have learned everything I have to offer. You've even taught me a few things yourself."

The two robed men looked over the balcony, at the sun, crawling over the skyscrapers that filled Coruscant.

"It sure is beautiful here.." said Master Qui Gon, before leaving Obi Wan alone on the balcony.

"What does he mean? That boy is nothing but trouble." Obi Wan told himself, before following after his master.

Anakin Skywalker:

Anakin Skywalker stood before twelve strangers; one of them, holding a handheld screen with flashing pictures upon it. The Jedi had asked that he named the pictures he saw.

"A ship...a cup...a speeder." Anakin said, as one of the Jedi nodded to another in approval.

"Good, good, young one. How feel you?" the small, green alien said.

"Cold, sir."

"Afraid are you?"

"No, sir."

"Afraid to give up your life?" the Jedi sitting beside Yoda asked.

" I don't think so." said Anakin, hesitating a bit before he spoke.

"See through you, we can." said Yoda.

"Be mindful of your feelings…" added Mace Windu.

"Your thoughts dwell on your mother." Dooku, smiled. "You fear for her life. You're thoughts are filled with anger." Dooku stated plainly. Yoda looked at him confused.

"I miss her." Anakin said, tears forming in his eyes.

"Afraid to lose her..I think."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Anakin questioned angrily.

"Everything. Fear is the path to the dark side... fear leads to anger... anger leads to hate.. hate leads to suffering."

"I am not afraid!" Anakin shouted out.

"A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. I sense much fear in you." Wise Master Yoda repeated again.

"I am not afraid."

"Then continue, we will."

Queen Amidala:

The Queen of Naboo stared out the window of the Quarters. She prayed to the gods, each and every night, that her people would stay safe. The Queen didn't only pray for her own kind, but for the Gungans too; if Naboo went under attack, as would the Gungans. Before long, her quiet pondering was interrupted by the shuffling feet of Captain Panaka and Senator Palpatine. The two men quickly found their way to the location of the Queen, and bowed before her.

"Your Highness, Senator Palpatine has been nominated to succeed Valorum as Supreme Chancellor." Captain Panaka said happily.

"A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. I promise, Your Majesty, if I am elected, I will bring democracy back to the Republic. I will put an end to corruption. The Trade Federation will lose its influence over the bureaucrats, and our people will be freed."

"Who else can be nominated?" Queen Amidala questioned from the window.

"Bail Antilles of Alderaan and Ainlee Teem of Malastare."

"I feel confident...our "situation" will create a strong sympathy vote for us... I will be Chancellor, I promise you." Palpatine said.

"I fear by the time you have control of the bureaucrats, Senator, there will be nothing left of our cities, our people, our way of life…"

"I understand your concern, Your Majesty; unfortunately, the Federation has possession of our planet. The law is in their favor."

"With the Senate in transition, there is nothing more I can do here...Senator, this is your arena. I feel I must return to mine. I have decided to go back to Naboo. My place is with my people."

"Go back! But, Your Majesty, be realistic! You would be in danger. They will force you to sign the treaty." Palpatine said in disbelief.

"I will sign no treaty, Senator. My fate will be no different from that of our people. Captain!"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Ready my ship!"

"Please, Your Majesty, stay here...where it's safe." said Panaka.

"No place is safe, if the Senate doesn't condemn this invasion. It is clear to me now that the Republic no longer functions as a democracy. If you win the election, Senator, I know you will do everything possible to stop the Federation. I pray you will bring sanity and compassion back to the Senate." Queen Amidala said, before exiting the room. Before she left, she had noticed an eerie smile creeping upon Senator Palpatine's face. She thought nothing of it though, and continued with the work that had to be done before leaving Coruscant for Naboo.

Obi Wan Kenobi:

Anakin, Obi Wan, and Qui Gon all stood in the middle of the Semicircle. The circle was covered in ancient texts, and symbols. To their sides, some of the most honorable and wise Jedi in existence, sat in brown wood chairs.

": ...Correct you were, Qui-Gon." wise Master Yoda started uneasily. "The Force is strong with him."

"He's to be trained, then." Qui Gon said, prompting the Council Members to look at each other questioningly.

"No. He will not be trained." Mace Windu said from his seat. Obi Wan looked towards Anakin, the boy had tears in his eyes already.

"No?!" Qui Gon said in disbelief. Obi Wan Kenobi couldn't help but smile. Even the council believed this boy should not be a Jedi… but for what reason he did not know yet. All Obi Wan knew was that he wouldn't be replaced.

"He is too old. There is already too much anger in him."

"He is the chosen one...you must see it." Qui Gon said suddenly.

"Clouded, this boy's future is. Masked by his youth." Yoda articulated.

"I will train him, then. I take Anakin as my Padawan learner." Qui Gon said. Obi Wan turned to face him, astounded.

"An apprentice, you have, Qui-Gon. Impossible, to take on a second." Yoda uttered.

"We forbid it." voiced Mace Windu.

"Obi-Wan is ready…" Qui Gon faced him now. Obi Wan couldn't hide the anger in his eyes now.

"So you're just going to abandon me? For a boy we know nothing about." he proceeded. "Maybe I am ready, but I don't want you to just go and replace me because you believe in him more than me!"

"Ready so early, are you? What know you of ready?"

"Headstrong...and he has much to learn about the living Force, but he is capable. There is little more he will learn from me." Qui Gon said.

"Our own council we will keep on who is ready. More to learn, he has…" Yoda started suddenly.

"Now is not the time for this...the Senate is voting for a new Supreme Chancellor. Queen Amidala is returning home, which will put pressure on the Federation, and could widen the confrontation." Mace Windu voiced.

"And draw out the Queen's attacker." Yoda vocalized.

"Events are moving fast...too fast." Ki Adi added in.

"Go with the Queen to Naboo and discover the identity of the dark warrior. That is the clue we need to unravel this mystery of the Sith."

"Young Skywalker will stay with us; we can begin part of his training."

"I brought Anakin here; he must stay in my charge. He has nowhere else to go."

"He is your ward, Qui-Gon...we will not dispute that, but he must stay with us. Naboo will be very dangerous for a young boy… and if he were truly the chosen one, we can't let him on a mission. Not yet anyway."

"Take good care of the boy. I sense great things in his future." Qui Gon said, putting his hands on Anakin's shoulders, and nudging him closer to Mace and Yoda.

" Protect the Queen, but do not intercede if it comes to war until we have the Senate's approval." said Mace Windu.

"May the Force be with you." Yoda chirped, before Obi Wan and Qui Gon had left, leaving Anakin to begin his training.

Qui Gon Jinn:

Qui Gon Jinn, Obi Wan Kenobi, and R2D2 waited patiently on the landing platform for Queen Amidala and her Royal Staff. The sky was pitch black now, and Qui Gon scanned the once brightened city with his green eyes.

"This is the time the Sith come out. I remember reading it in the archives somewhere." Qui Gon said, moving his hands to his chest. "They thrive in the darkness."

"You really do believe in that boy. Master Qui Gon, you could be on the Council right now, think about it…" Obi Wan voiced with concern, but Qui Gon wanted nothing of it.

"I sense a great amount of jealousy in you, my young Padawan. Jealousy is a path to the Dark Side Obi Wan Kenobi. You mustn't let that happen… and you must not be disrespectful to me, or any other Jedi. They will not stand for your antics…"

"It is not disrespect, Master, it is the truth."

"From your point of view..."

"The boy is dangerous...they all sense it. Why can't you?"

"His fate is uncertain, not dangerous. The Council will decide Anakin's future...that should be enough for you. Now get on board!" Obi Wan reluctantly moved towards the ramp, and climbed aboard the Naboo Craft, followed by R2D2, and then finally, Master Qui Gon himself.

"That boy is meant to be a Jedi Obi Wan. If he becomes my Padawan, that does not mean I care less for you. You will always be like a son to me Obi Wan. I could never replace you." Qui Gon said, moving into the seat beside Obi Wan.

"I keep telling myself that Master, but… something feels strange. This entire mission… it just doesn't seem right. Senator Palpatine should not have just let us go to Naboo… unless some sort of attack was planned. I feel like there is something going on, that not even the Jedi know about."

"It will be all right my Young Padawan, nothing we can't handle." Qui Gon said, patting Obi Wan's shoulder from his seat. "When this is all over, how about I finally take you for that drink I promised you?

"That sounds good to me Master. It's only been two years since you promised me that drink." Obi Wan and Qui Gon erupted in laughter as two air taxis pulled up. From their seats on the ship, the two Jedi Knights watched as a stream of people disembarked from the taxis, and entered the ship. The first new arrival, Queen Amidala, had surprised the two Jedi as they had been just joking around and having fun, as they did off missions.

"Your Highness, it is our pleasure to continue to serve and protect you." Qui Gon Jinn said, finally pulling his attention from Obi Wan's Chancellor Valorum impressions.

"I welcome your help. Senator Palpatine fears the Federation means to destroy me."

"I promise you, I will not let that happen." Qui Gon voiced, as the rest of the handmaidens and Captain Panaka piled onto the ship. Within seconds, the ship had lifted off, their destination.. Naboo.

Nute Gunray and Rune:

The two Neimoidians stood upon a balcony. Before them, a blue hologram of Darth Sidious. They were afraid of this man, of his plans for their Federation, but they would never disagree with him. Never. One slash of his red lightsaber.. and they would be wiped from existence.

"The Queen is on her way to you. I regret she is of no further use to us. When she gets there, destroy her." Darth Sidious snarled. The only part of his body that moved when he spoke was his lips.

"Yes, my Lord." said the two men in unison.

"Viceroy, is the planet secure?" Darth Sidious questioned.

"Yes, my Lord, we have taken over the last pockets of primitive life forms. We are in complete control of the planet now."

"Good. I will see to it that in the Senate, things stay as they are. I am sending Darth Maul to join you. He will deal with the Jedi."

"Yes, my Lord." Nute Gunray said with a nod. The hologram of Darth Sidious faded away, leaving the two men alone on the balcony.

"A Sith lord here with us?!" Rune said with shock, before he and Nute left the balcony.

Captain Panaka:

"The moment we land the Federation will arrest you, and force you to sign the treaty." Captain Panaka voiced with concern.

"I agree...I'm not sure what you hope to accomplish by this." Qui Gon added.

"I'm going to take back what's ours." said The Queen. Captain Panaka knew she would not be easily swayed, she was never like that. When this young Queen had her mind set to something, she never let it go...

"There are only twelve of us, Your Highness...we have no army." Captain Panaka chirped.

"I cannot fight a war for you, Your Highness, only protect you."

"Master Jinn, you do know the location of the Gungan City correct?" The Queen's question brought a puzzled look to Qui Gon's face.

"Yes, I do."

"When we arrive, we will send some of the Guards to the location of the City. We need to ally with them if we want to win this battle." Queen Amidala stated matter of factly. Before long, the slick cruiser had made it's way down to the lush, green planet of Naboo yet again. Panaka, Obi Wan, and Qui Gon looked at the view screen questioningly. There was only one Battle Cruiser left.

"The blockade's gone." Panaka voiced with surprise.

"The war's over...No need for it now." Obi Wan said.

"I have one battleship on my scope." the Pilot said suddenly.

"A droid control ship."

"They've probably spotted us."

"We haven't much time." Obi Wan said, before he moved from the Cockpit, and tried to escape the ship. He was soon sucked into a sea of the Queen's handmaidens and guards, but before long he had made his way outside with Padme, Qui Gon, and several guards and handmaidens. Captain Panaka waited till he was last to exit the craft, and found his way back outside, surrounded by the green of his homeland.

Obi Wan:

The Naboo spacecraft had found it's way back to nearly the exact same spot Obi Wan and Qui Gon had arrived just days before. The Gungan Swamps were more quiet than Obi Wan had remembered, and he looked around at the vast amount of trees and shrubs. He felt Master Qui Gon's presence, and turned from his view into the swamp to face him.

"The Royal Guards are on their way to the Gungan city, Master." Obi Wan said, holding his arms behind his back as he closed his eyes, and focused into the force.

" Good." voiced Qui Gon from behind him. The pair stood silent for a moment.

"Do you think the Queen's idea will work?"

"The Gungans will not easily be swayed, and we cannot use our power to help her."

"I'm...I'm sorry for my behavior, Master. It is not my place to disagree with you about the boy. I am grateful you think I am ready for the

trials." Obi Wan said. Qui Gon stared at him for a long moment.

"You have been a good apprentice. You are much wiser than I am, Obi-Wan. I foresee you will become a great Jedi Knight." Qui Gon said, moving behind his braided Padawan.

"I'm very excited for that drink Master." Obi Wan said, opening his eyes again. "But I'm not paying the tab this time."

"You're right." Qui Gon said, patting his shoulder. "Maybe Padme will pay for us." Qui Gon chirped. The pair stood in awkward silence; Obi Wan could not say a word about Padme. Luckily enough, the two were soon interrupted by a platoon of Guards.

"There was no one there. The whole city was deserted." One of the Guards said from behind.

"Do you think they have been taken to camps?" Panaka said, running towards the small crowd forming.

"More likely they were wiped out." Obi Wan added.

"No, Master Yoda once told me that when Gungans get in trouble, they go to a Sacred place. Follow me, all of you." Qui Gon said, leading the entire pack through the muddy swamps of Naboo. After several minutes of walking, out of nowhere, Qui Gon stopped. He made a series of strange noises, and then, suddenly, several Gungans popped out from the shrubbery of the swamp.

"We need your help." Obi Wan said to one of the Gungans, armed with a spear. "We mean no harm. Can you please take us to Boss Nass?" Obi Wan asked suddenly. The Gungan then nodded, and reluctantly led the group to Boss Nass.

Padme Naberrie:

Padme and the rest of her group were led through a clearing full of Gungan refugees. She felt so bad for them, torn to shreds by the Trade Federation. It reminded her of her people, the people she so desperately needed to save. The group continued down the clearing, towards the far end that contained the ruins of a grand temple with massive carved heads. Padme watched as Boss Nass and several other council members walked out on the top of a three-quarter-submerged head.

"Who's da uss-en peopless?" Boss Nass said from his spot upon the sunken head. He raised his eyebrow at Queen Amidala, as she stepped forward.

"I am Queen Amidala of the Naboo...I come before you in peace."P

"Naboo biggen. Yousa bringen da Mackineeks... Dya busten uss-en omm. Yousa all bombad. Yousa all die'n, mesa tink." Padme watched as Captain Panaka, and several guards and pilots looked around nervously. They were surrounded by Gungans, armed with deadly weapons.

"We wish to form an alliance…" Amidala started again. But Padme couldn't stand the lying anymore. She pushed her way through the crowd, and stood in front of the fake Queen Amidala.

"Your Honor…" Padme shouted loudly.

"Whosa dis?"

"I am Queen Amidala" Padme said, extending a finger towards the Queen. "This is my decoy...my

protection...my loyal bodyguard." Padme said with ease. She looked over at Qui Gon, who didn't look surprised at all about the discovery. However, Obi Wan Kenobi was anything but not shocked at this little discovery. His jaw was almost to the ground, and the look he gave her was almost as surprised as the one Boss Nass gave.

"...I am sorry for my deception…" she said, looking over to Obi Wan. She could tell he was a bit hurt by her lie of being an ordinary handmaiden " But under the circumstances it has become necessary to protect myself. Although we do not always agree, Your Honor, our two great societies have always lived in peace...until now. The Trade Federation has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to build. You are in hiding, my people are in camps. If we

do not act quickly, all will be lost forever...I ask you to help us...no, I beg you to help us." Padme said, dropping down to her knees, and prostrating herself before Boss Nass. Her sudden action created a large gasp from Captain Panaka, his troops, and the handmaidens. "We are your humble servants...our fate is in your hands." she continued. Slowly but surely, Captain Panaka and his troops bowed down before the Gungan Council. Without little hesitation, the handmaidens followed the order, and then the Jedi. The Gungans that surrounded them stood puzzled at this gesture, while Boss Nass laughed in amusement.

"Yousa no tinken yousa greater den da Gungans.. Mesa like wesa bein friends."

Darth Maul:

Nute, Rune, and Darth Maul walked along the tile floor of the Palace. Accompanying them was a blue picture of Lord Sidious, shooting out of a Hologram recorder.

"...we've sent out patrols. We've already located their starship in the swamp...It won't be long, My Lord." Rune said happily.

"This is an unexpected move for her. It's too aggressive.. Lord Maul, be mindful."

"Yes, my Master." Darth Maul said, his yellow eyeballs protruding from his cape, shining right in the face of his Master.

"Be patient... Let them make the first move." the hologram quickly faded away, leaving the three men in the once filled Palace. Gone was the Queen, gone was Captain Panaka, gone were the handmaidens. And soon enough, he knew the Jedi would be gone… and only the Sith would remain. He tasted it on his lips day in and day out; the thought of it devoured his mind. The Sith would rule the Galaxy, and, he would be known to the entire Galaxy. Darth Maul would never have to live in the Shadows again… how he wanted to be free again.

Qui Gon Jinn:

"What is the situation?" Padme asked Captain Panaka suddenly. In the middle of the vast swamp, Padme had created a small crowd to help go over her battle plans.

"Almost everyone's in camps. A few hundred police and guards have formed an underground movement. I brought as many of the leaders as I could. The Federation Army's also much larger than we thought, and much stronger. Your Highness, this is a battle I do not think we can win." Captain Panaka voiced.

"Here's what I had in mind." Padme said, turning to face the group. She immediately began to shout orders, "We will enter the city through secret passages on the waterfall side. Once we get to the main entrance, Captain Panaka and the Gungans will create a diversion. That way we can enter the palace and capture the Viceroy. Without the Viceroy, they will be lost and confused." Padme finished her plans. Qui Gon was very interested by her plans, and by the look on Obi Wan's face, he was too. "What do you think, Master Jedi?" Padme continued.

"The Viceroy will be well guarded."

"The difficulties getting into the throne room. Once we're inside, we shouldn't have a problem." Captain Panaka voiced.

"There is a possibility with this diversion many Gungans will be killed." Qui Gon said, turning to Boss Nass.

"Wesa ready to do are-sa part."

"We have a plan which should immobilize the Droid Army. We will send what pilots we have to knock out the Droid control ship which is orbiting the planet. If we can get past their ray shields, we can sever communication and their droids will be helpless."

"A well-conceived plan. However, there's great risk. The weapons on your fighters may not penetrate the shields on the control ship." Qui Gon Jinn said suddenly.

"And there's an even bigger danger. If the Viceroy escapes, Your Highness, he will return with another droid army."

"That is why we must not fail to get to the Viceroy. Everything depends on it." Padme looked deep into Obi Wan's eyes as she said this. Qui Gon felt their romance; he could not force himself to do anything of it. However, if the council were to ever find out, his young Padawan would be removed from the Order. From the looks Obi Wan gave her, and the stares Padme Naberrie gave him, Qui Gon knew the pair was deeply in love. Obi Wan was like a son to him, he could never pry the two apart; it would break his heart…

Darth Maul:

Nute, Maul, OOM-9, Rune, and a hologram of Darth Sidious paced the Palace floors, as they had been for the past few days.

"...she is more foolish than I thought." Lord Sidious snickered.

"We are sending all available troops to meet this army of hers assembling near the swamp. It appears to be made up of primitives. We do not expect much resistance." Nute said proudly.

"I am increasing security at all Naboo detention camps." Rune said.

"I feel there is more to this, My Master. The two Jedi may be using the Queen for their own purposes." Darth Maul said, his tattooed face snickered as he talked about the Jedi.

"The Jedi cannot become involved. They can only protect the Queen. Even Qui-Gon Jinn will not break that covenant... This will work to our advantage…" Lord Sidious snarled.

"I have your approval to proceed then, My Lord."

"Proceed. Wipe them out...all of them." Lord Sidious growled. "Actually," he said suddenly. "Keep Kenobi alive… he may be useful in the future." Lord Sidious mumbled, and then slowly, the hologram disappeared.

.

Padme Naberrie:

The Gungan Army headed out from the swamp, and onto the rolling, grassy hills. Hundreds of Gungan Warriors popped out from the lake, battle ready. In their hands, spears and shields, while Padme's guards had blasters; and the Jedi had their sabres of course. Padme led the grand army, that included Captain Panaka and his men, her handmaidens, the two Jedi, and hundreds of Gungans. Padme and her group made their way toward the entrance of the main hangar. Across the plaza, Captain Panaka waited for her signal, and she shined a red laser to signal time for assault. Captain Panaka and his group, that included Rabe and an assortment of guards, fired viciously at the droid troops milling the area. As the alarms in the city began to sound, Padme and her group sprinted towards the Hangar Bay. As they entered the Bay, the group was immediately fired at from all sides. Red laser bullets flew across the Hangar Bay, some from the droids' guns, and some from the groups'. The group immediately took to cover, diving behind several bins as well as parked ships.

Darth Maul:

Nute Gunray, Rune, and several council members watched the battle unfolding near the Palace and in the Main Hangar Bay on a small little screen. Darth Maul had been discussing plans with Lord Sidious, but could hear the shocked voices of the Trade Federation men from the other room.

"I thought the battle was going to take place far from here...this is too close!" Nute said in a panic.

"What is going on?" Rune voiced in concern. Finally, Darth Maul entered the throne room, pulling up his black hood to hide his tattooed face and his horns

"I told you there was more to this...the Jedi are involved…." Maul said creepily.

Padme Naberrie:

Padme fired red bolts at the droids that surrounded the Hangar. Beside her, the two Jedi swung their colored swords and deflected the bullets of the droids' blasters. The two Jedi smashed through several battle droids, clearing the room out.

" Get to your ships!" Padme said, signaling to her pilots to stow aboard their ships.

The Pilots and Droid Units ran for the Naboo fighter crafts stacked in the hangar bay. The ships begins to levitate out of the hanger. More Battle Droids arrived in the Hangar, firing every bullet they could at Padme and the Jedi. As the group began to be surrounded by hundreds of Battle Droids, Captain Panaka, Sabe, and Naboo Troops rushed into the hanger and overwhelm the remaining Droids. In the hail of gunfire, Padme, Obi Wan, Panaka, and Qui Gon had destroyed the remaining droids, leading them directly to a clear exit.

"My guess is the Viceroy is in the throne room." Padme chirped, looking over to Obi Wan.

" I agree." Obi Wan said, as he moved closer to the exit. As the group was about to enter; Padme noticed something peculiar. From the back of the crowd, she watched as everyone began to part to the side, revealing a man draped in black robes. Captain Panaka, Padme, and her troops backed away at the sight, while Qui Gon and Obi Wan stepped forward.

"We'll handle this…" Qui Gon said, ripping off his cape and flinging it to the floor. Soon enough, Obi Wan decapped, and flung it to the floor beside Qui Gon's.

"We'll take the long way. It will lead us back to the bridge." Padme whispered in Obi Wan's ear. "Be safe, please." Padme's voice quivered as she spoke. She kissed his cheek before leading her troops toward the hallway that would later connect them back to the light bridges.

Obi Wan Kenobi:

The yellow eyes of the Sith Lord penetrated Obi Wan's thoughts as he reached down to ignite his blue lightsaber. Beside him, Qui Gon held his green sabre, and waited patiently for the black-robed man to drop his robe, and ignite his saber. As the two Jedi waited patiently, the hooded man pulled down his hood, revealing his horrific horns and devilish tattooes. He slid his robe off, and pulled his lightsaber from his belt. In a flash it ignited, revealing a double sided red saber. At the far end of the room, Obi Wan could hear the sounds of gunfire, but ignored it. Quickly, Qui Gon and Obi Wan moved towards the Sith Warrior, swinging blades of color all around him. With each move they made, the Sith lord parred. The Zabrak Warrior leaped around them in acrobatical fashion, flipping over the Jedi as they swung their swords. As Obi Wan moved closer to Darth Maul and swung, the Sith parred, and kicked him over the edge, leaving Qui Gon to fend for himself. Qui Gon punched Darth Maul, forcing him off the edge; the Warrior landed only one story below Qui Gon. From several levels below, Obi Wan watched as Qui Gon leaped down after the Sith Lord, and began to fight with him yet again. Obi Wan quickly got up, and watched from a lower bridge the fight raging between Darth Maul and Qui Gon. He leaped atop the catwalk the two men were fighting viciously on top of, and sprinted down the walk towards them. Before long, Obi Wan nearly caught up with the two, before a small corridor lid up with deadly rays. The rays separated all three of them; Qui Gon and Darth Maul only one ray apart, while Obi Wan, was trapped far behind. The Sith Lord waited patiently, and Qui Gon sat and meditated. Obi Wan just stood there, waiting for the battle to begin yet again.

Padme Naberrie:

Padme, Captain Panaka, and her troops and handmaidens were trapped in the hallway, that linked to the Generator Room where Obi Wan fought.

"We don't have time for this, Captain."

"Let's try the outside stairway." Captain Panaka said, blasting a hole in the window. Part of the group made their way outside the building onto a ledge about six stories above a raging waterfall. Sabe, several Gungans, and a few Naboo soldiers stayed in the hallway to fend off the rest of the Droids. Padme, Panaka, and about ten other Naboo soldiers fired at a ledge about four stories above them. The thin cables shot out from the pistols and embedded into the ledge. The group began to scale the wall with ease. A window in the hallway blasted apart; Padme, Panaka, and her soldiers climbed through the window and into the Hallway. They made their way to the Generator, and then , hopefully, the throne room. As the group sprinted down the hallway of the Palace, they were suddenly stopped by two destroyed droids. Slowly, Padme turned behind and faced two more droids. They were surrounded.

"Throw down your weapons. They win this round." Padme said, tossing her pistol to the floor.

"But we can't..." Captain Panaka voiced with concern.

"Captain, I said throw down your weapons." Padme said, as Panaka and his men tossed their weapons to the floor. Padme, Captain Panaka, and six other Officers were brought by ten Battle Droids to Nute Gunray and Rune.

"Your little insurrection is at an end, Your Highness. Time for you to sign the treaty...and end this pointless debate in the Senate." Nute Gunray said, before turning his attention to Sabe in the doorway. She was dressed like the Queen with several troops.

"I will not be signing any treaty, Viceroy, because you've lost!" Sabe said, before sprinting from the room.

"After her! This one is a decoy!" Nute yelled as several Battle Droids followed after Sabe. "Your Queen will not get away with this." Nute said to Padme. Padme then moved carefully to her throne, and hit a security button. The button immediately opened a panel in her desk opposite of Captain Panaka. She grabbed two pistols, and tossed one to Captain Panaka and the other to another Officer. In her hand, she clutched a third pistol, and fired away at the last of the Battle Droids. The Officers rushed to the door control panel as Padme hit the switch to close the door. The Officer at the door jammed the controls. Captain Panaka tossed more pistols to the rest of the Officers.

" Now, Viceroy, this is the end of your occupation here." Padme said the distressed Federation Officers.

"Don't be absurd. There are too few of you. It won't be long before hundreds of destroyer droids break in to rescue us.

"Panaka, stay here. I promised Obi Wan a few of our troops would go to the Generator and help." Padme said, leading her band of followers towards the door that led to the Generator. "Stay here. Make sure nothing happens to the Viceroy; we need him alive." Padme voiced, while opening the hidden door to the Generator. She knew it would take awhile to find the Jedi in there, and that Droids could come wheeling in through the Main Hangar Bay at any moment. But she needed to help Obi Wan.

Obi Wan:

The electric rays cycled as Qui Gon sat meditating. The wall of the deadly rays turned away, and Obi Wan started running toward Qui Gon and the Dark Lord. When the wall between Qui Gon and Darth Maul opened, Qui Gon had already leaped to his feet and was thrusting fierce strikes at the Sith. They moved farther into the corridor, and Obi Wan moved with them.

"Obi Wan! Help!" a voice came from behind him. Padme and her troops were cornered into a wall of the Generator. "Help! Please!" she yelled, as blaster bullets swarmed her. In an instant, Obi Wan heard her wail… he looked behind him down the long corridor to see her trapped, a pool of blood forming benath her. He turned to look at Qui Gon, still battling viciously with the Sith. It took him only a matter of a second to make a decision, as he dashed down the hallway and to the location of Padme. He swung his blades angrily at the droids, slicing them to pieces.

"Get back to the Throne Room. It's not safe here. Watch the Viceroy." Obi Wan mumbled, as he ripped a square piece of fabric from his robe. He wrapped it around the small bullet hole on Padme's arm, and sent her back to the throne room. Obi Wan quickly dashed back down the corridor, as the electron ray gates began to close. Obi Wan tried to make it to the room his Master was in, but suddenly, one ray stopped him short. He watched from the sidelines as Qui Gon and Darth Maul moved around the gaping hole in in the generator room. The pair swung their swords in so much anger that Obi Wan was surprised; he had never seen Master Qui Gon fight in such an angry way. Obi Wan watched as the two kept fighting fluently; parrying each others attacks with ease. Suddenly, Maul bashed his lightsaber handle into Qui Gon's chin, catching him off guard. The horned man took his opportunity, and Obi Wan watched in horror from behind the ray as Maul jabbed his red lightsaber through Qui Gon's stomach.

"NO!" Obi Wan screamed angrily. He stayed on his toes now; he wanted to pounce. Obi Wan needed to kill this man, he craved the kill. Obi Wan wailed in anger as the pulsing electron gate opened, and the Sith Lord wasted no time in his assault. Darth Maul thrusted his lightsaber relentlessly at the young Jedi. Obi Wan and Darth Maul exchanged angry blows. Obi Wan knew Maul had the upperhand; he began to grow weary, and Maul pounced. Maul caught him off guard, and pushed the Jedi into the pit. The Padawan could barely hold onto a nozzle on the side of the pit. Darth Maul smiled evily at him, and proceeded to kick his blue saber down the shaft. Obi Wan closed his eyes as he awaited the blow that would kill him, but instead, Maul chuckled, and escaped the Generator room. Obi Wan leaped from his position in the shaft, and sprinted towards the location of Qui Gon. His master laid in a heap; beneath him was a pool of blood.

"Master! Master!" Obi Wan said, cradling Qui Gon's head in his arms.

"It is too late...It's…"

"No! It's all my fault Master. I shouldn't have…"

"Obi Wan…. you did what you believed was right." Qui Gon choked out. "Obi-Wan promise...promise me you'll train the boy…"

"Yes, Master…"

"He is the chosen one...he will...bring balance...train him!"

"I promise you Master… I will train the boy. He will become a Jedi… and he will fulfill his destiny."

"Someday Obi Wan Kenobi... we will get those drinks…" Qui Gon said, before falling lifelessly in Obi Wan's arms. The young Jedi buried his head in his Master's shoulder, and cried heavy tears.

Padme Naberrie:

The large, grand cruiser of the Supreme Chancellor landed in the courtyard of the main hanger. Captain Panaka and twenty troops guarded Nute Gunray and

Rune Haako. Obi Wan, the Queen, and her handmaidens stood before the Neimoidians.

"Now, Viceroy, you are going to have to go back to the Senate and explain all this." Padme said, as she clutched her wounded arm.

"I think you can kiss your Trade franchise goodbye." Captain Panaka said matter of factly to the Neimoidians, before turning his attention to Padme. "Queen Amidala, we are sending you and Obi Wan Kenobi to the hospital as soon as we land." Padme nodded at this statement, as she pushed down on the hole in her arm. Soon enough, the main ramp of the cruiser lowered as Obi Wan and Captain Panaka lead the Viceroy and his Assistant off the ship. The new Grand Chancellor, Palpatine, and several republican guards came to greet them. Lacking a bit behind, was Master Yoda and a small group of Jedis.

"Now, Viceroy, you are going to have to go back to the Senate and explain all this." said Padme, as Captain Panaka forced the two aliens into the hands of custody.

"I think you can kiss your Trade franchise goodbye." Captain Panaka said, as Senator Palpatine approached the Queen.

"Congratulations on your election, Chancellor. It is so good to see you again." Padme said, holding out her wounded arm.

"It's good to be home. Your boldness has saved our people, Your Majesty. It is you who should be congratulated. Together we shall bring peace and prosperity to the Republic." he said, extending a hand out to shake hers. "Now, I have an air-taxi waiting for you and Obi Wan Kenobi. It will take you to the Medical Bay to care for your injuries. I hope that Sith Lord didn't hurt you two too badly…" he said with a grin.

"How did he know about the Sith Lord?" Padme asked herself, before following after Obi Wan and getting into the air taxi. Padme peered out the window and watched Coruscant, each building speeding by them as they moved through the city. By the time they had finally reached the Medical Bay, it was nearly dusk. Padme and Obi Wan were forced into twin cots, each enclosed in a small room. It had taken them only a few minutes to patch up Obi Wan's minor saber wounds, while Padme's bullet wound required hours of repair. Before she knew it, the hole in her arm was gone, covered in small stitches that binded her skin together. She looked up at the ceiling, thinking.

"I'm sorry about Qui Gon," she said, pulling her eyes away from the ceiling to look at Obi Wan, laying in the cot next to her. "I know you believe it's your fault Obi Wan… but it's not." she said. Obi Wan kept his silence, even while Padme stood up from her bed and got onto his, sitting on top of him.

"I know it's not," Obi Wan said, reaching his fingers up to comb her curly brown hair. "But it doesn't make it hurt any less… whoever that person was… I'm going to make him pay."

"Don't say things like that Obi Wan. You have every right to be upset, but please, don't say things like that. It makes you sound evil, it makes you sound like you're one of them!"

"I will never, never join the Dark Side Padme." he said.

"Obi Wan… I love you." Padme said, as she moved her lips to his. They held their faces together for a few moments; his lips tasted so good. She craved his kiss, but in the heat of the moment, Obi Wan pulled away.

"We can't… I can't." Obi Wan started, obviously seeing the hurt in Padme's eyes. "I will always love you Padme; but we can never be. If the council were to find out…"

"I know Obi Wan.. I know. I just thought, maybe, I was worth the chance." Padme said as she pulled herself off of him.

" I have loved you since I was a child fishing in the Naboo Lake… do you remember that?" Obi Wan said, as Padme shuffled to the door.

"I've known that it was you since you caught my eye in the Hangar…" she trailed off. "I will never stop loving you… no matter what is to happen to us."

"Padme… although I can never show my love for you…" his voice trailed off to a low whisper. "I truly, deeply, love you." After his words were spoken, Padme left the Medical Bay to meet with Chancellor Palpatine, while Obi Wan went to meet with Yoda.

Obi Wan:

The sun streamed into the multi-windowed room at a low Jedi Temple had contained architecture that hadn't been seen in centuries. From the window, Obi Wan could tell it was not quite sunset yet. Obi Wan sat criss-cross on the floor, Wise Master Yoda pacing in front of him with small steps. YODA "Confer on you, the level of Jedi Knight the Council does. But agree on you taking this boy as your Padawan learner, I do not." Yoda voiced in concern.

"Qui-Gon believed in him. I believe in Qui-Gon."

"The Chosen One the boy may be; nevertheless, grave danger I fear in his training."

"Master Yoda, I gave Qui-Gon my word. I will train Anakin. Without the approval of the Council if I must."

"Qui-Gon's defiance I sense in you. Need that, you do not. Agree, the council does. Your apprentice, young Skywalker will be."

"Master Qui Gon would have wanted this. It was his dying wish… a wish I will fulfill no matter how I feel about the boy."

"Patience Obi Wan Kenobi; soon enough, I see you growing fond of this boy. But do watch out... I see betrayal in his future."

"Thank you Master Yoda." Obi Wan said as he moved to the exit of the room. "I will bring the boy to Qui Gon's funeral later tonight, so he can show his respects."

Anakin Skywalker:

Anakin watched as Qui Gon's body went up in flames. Beside him, stood Obi Wan, a small tear rolling down his cheek. Almost everyone Anakin knew was there, Padme, the handmaidens, R2D2, Mace Windu, Yoda, Dooku, Chancellor Palpatine, Captain Panaka, Boss Nass, and many other members of the Jedi Council. He was surprised to see everyone together for such a sad occasion. As Qui Gon's body was slowly consumed by the fire, a drum sounded, and doves were released. Anakin couldn't help but look over at Obi Wan, who had pulled his hood up over his face to cover his tearing up.

"He is one with the Force, Anakin...You must let go."

"What will happen to me now?"

"I am your Master now. You will become a Jedi, I promise."

"Thank you Obi Wan Kenobi. I will be a good Jedi. I promise you, and Master Qui Gon." Anakin said, turning to look over at the now empty pit. From behind him, Anakin could hear the voices of Mace Windu and Yoda.

"There is no doubt. The mysterious warrior was a Sith." Mace Windu whispered to Yoda, hoping no one could hear. But Anakin listened close to the two hooded men behind him.

"Always two there are...no more...no less. A master and an apprentice." Yoda intruded.

"But which one was discovered, the master or the apprentice?" Mace Windu questioned, as Anakin turned to look at the now quiet men behind him. They gave each other concerned looks. Anakin looked to the left, where Obi Wan stood. Tears still rolled down his cheeks as he looked on at his dying Master. On his right, stood Palpatine and Dooku, whispering things even Anakin could yet understand...

Padme Naberrie:

Padme waited patiently beside Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Anakin, Obi Wan, Sio Bibble, and the Jedi Council. She couldn't help but noticing Anakin's new Jedi attire; his ragged robes were gone and replaced with fine, Jedi robes. His shaggy blonde hair now supported a Padawan braid, and it was cleaned of all the dirt from his previous life on Tatooine. As Padme stood on top of the steps of the Palace, she couldn't help smiling at Anakin. He had been through everything a young boy should not have to go through. And here he was, unscathed, becoming a Jedi; she was so proud of him. The parade was one of the most wonderful sights Padme had seen in awhile. The children of Naboo sang in unison and threw flowers at the passing Gungan Soldiers. The crowd erupted in applause as Boss Nass and his guards walked up the steps to stand before the Queen. She watched as Boss Nass held up the Globe of Peace, as the onlookers erupted in cheers and applause. It was a time for peace, a time for peace that would soon be interrupted….