Disclaimer:
[insert token 'I don't own Star Wars etc' message here]
So, I have decided to write up an 'improved' version of the Phantom Menace, well in my opinion anyway. I'll see how it goes, but I do have plans to write up a sequel which will be of AOTC and possibly a ROTS version as well. A lot of what I will be writing will not incorporate back stories for characters that appear on Wookiepedia, so please don't review and remind me of things that are 'wrong' or 'not the right back story'. This first chapter doesn't actually contain significant difference to that of the Film, but as I progress through the film you will start to see a significant change.
The cockpit of the cruiser was silent. It had been silent for the majority of the journey, the Captain and his co-Captain had been very apprehensive about the prospect of taking two Jedi to the Federation Battleship they were heading towards. The Supreme Chancellor had called them 'ambassadors' yet the pilots were as surprised as they expected the Trade Federation would be when they found out the truth.
"Captain, tell them we wish to board as soon as we land". The taller of the two Jedi had broken the long silence. He knew that the Trade Federation was likely to panic when they realized that the ambassadors sent to them were Jedi, which would certainly complicate any arrival. Their only choice was to get off the cruiser as soon as they landed and take the Trade Federation by surprise, the cruiser would likely be destroyed by the Trade Federation to cut off any communications the Jedi would have with the Supreme Chancellor.
"Yes sir". The Captain replied as he looked to the view screen, that had now changed from its empty black canvas to show the inside of the Federation Battleship. There stood the Neimoidian Trade viceroy, with several battle droids either side of him, blaster's in hand.
"Viceroy, with all due respect the Ambassadors for the Supreme Chancellor wish to board immediately after arrival". The Captain spoke with caution, clearly not wishing to upset the Viceroy. The Viceroy looked to his left and seemed to confer with someone off camera, before looking back to the screen to reply.
"Yes, of course, we are perfectly happy to see to these Ambassadors as soon as possible". As soon as the viceroy had said this the view screen returned to its original form, which left the cockpit in the silence and darkness it had been in previous to the conversation.
-
Meanwhile in the Trade Federation Battleship, Viceroy Nute Gunray is standing with two other Neimoidian's. Ahead of them is a very large view screen, which much like the one in the Jedi's cruiser is pitch black.
"So it is settled then, the droid will escort the Ambassadors into the conference room, then we gas them". The Neimoidian on the Viceroy's left said somewhat hesitantly.
"Yes. The gas should kill them and then the droids will be sent in to destroy what's left of them". This plan had been constructed a few hours ago by the three viceroy who had no interest in hearing whatever the Ambassador's had to say, and were keen to destroy all evidence of them ever arriving.
"And the Pilot's in the Cruiser?" asked the Neimoidian on the right of the Viceroy.
"The turrets in the hangar will dispose of them. They will not try to escape as they will be unaware of the Ambassador's imminent death, not that they would get away from us even if they did try escape" the Viceroy spoke, chuckling evilly to himself at the last part of what he had said. The view screen now transformed from its emptiness to show a young looking woman, she wore a gold crown and wore heavy dress robes. She stared into the screen awaiting the Viceroy to start the conversation, when this didn't come she began to speak.
"Viceroy, I believe that your trade boycott of my planet is at an end" she spoke with assurance in her voice, as if she knew the answer to her question already.
The 3 Neimoidian's looked back at the screen somewhat surprised, they hadn't been expected the Queen of Naboo to contact them before the Ambassadors had even landed yet perhaps this could work to their advantage.
"I believe you have been mistaken young Queen" the Viceroy replied, smirking along with the two other Neimoidian's that accompanied him.
"But… the Ambassadors sent by the Supreme Chancellor, they should be with you now" the Queen replied, she seemed confused and suddenly any sign of assurance was gone.
"Again, you are mistaken young Queen. These Ambassadors you speak of, there has been no sign of them" the Viceroy replied cockily, it seemed to amuse him that even though he was planning to lie to the Queen regardless, he was speaking somewhat truthfully as the Ambassadors hadn't technically arrived yet.
"Viceroy, the Federation will not get away with this. The Supreme Chancellor will be hearing about this!" she gave them one last glare and then the view screen transformed back into the darkness it had been before the conversation.
The Viceroy smirked, before turning to his two acquaintances with a look of slight anxiety on his face.
"We must move quickly to disrupt all communications down there, if she contacts the Chancellor now he might contact the Cruiser before it is destroyed" this concern echoed on the other Neimoidian's faces.
-
The Cruiser touched down in the hangar. Despite initially drawing the attention of several security and worker droids, the landing seemed to go largely unnoticed by everything else in the hangar. The two hooded Jedi exited the Cruiser immediately after it had touched down, at first they thought there was nobody or nothing there to greet them, but then they saw a silver protocol droid heading towards them.
"This way please, my Master will be with you shortly" the glimmering silver protocol droid said to them, as it directed them through a large corridor and then into the main conference rooms. After the Jedi had entered the room the protocol droid left them, to return to its master.
The two Jedi stood at the window, over looking the grassy planet Naboo. They'd removed their cloaks now and seemed to be waiting patiently for the Viceroy to enter the room.
"I have a bad feeling about this" the younger of the two Jedi said.
"I don't sense anything" the older Jedi replied.
"But the mission Master… when the Federation find out that the Ambassadors sent to them are Jedi they'll…" the young Jedi began to reply but was cut off mid-sentence by his Master.
"Try to kill us… as well as the pilot's who brought us here" the Jedi replied calmly.
"But then, the mission will have failed Master. I thought we were brought here to negotiate, not fight" the Padawan replied, seeming a bit confused.
"We have been brought here to protect the people of Naboo Obi-Wan, these Trade Federation types are cowards, once we find them they will soon give up any fight. They'll sign the treaty and this blockade on the Naboo will be finished" he concluded, with confidence in his voice.
"But the Pilot's, the Cruiser, they'll be destroyed" he said with confusion in his voice, he looked towards the door and seemed as if he wanted to go back and help.
"There is nothing we could have done, the sacrifice they made by bringing us here was a necessary one" the Jedi Master said, with a glint of sorrow in his voice.
They heard a loud explosion, they both ignited their light sabers immediately, and then one of the vents in the ceiling began to let out a green gas. Both of the Jedi held their breath as they walked towards the shut door, which began to open.
-
On the outside of the door were a dozen battle droids sent to destroy what remained of the Jedi, which the Neimoidian's had been informed about by the silver protocol droid. The droid with yellow engravings, who seemed to be the Captain, addressed the other droids.
"Corporal, cover me" the droid said to another one of the battle droid's that accompanied him.
"Roger, Roger" the droid the Captain had spoken to replied.
Suddenly the battle droid's saw two light sabers through the door; the gas hadn't killed the Jedi, who were both very much alive.
"Uh-oh, blast them!" the Captain said in a desperate attempt to stop the Jedi, but it was no use. The battle droid's were useless against the Jedi; they hadn't been programmed to battle Jedi's. Within seconds the battle droid's were mere scrap on the floor of the Federation Battleship.
"There Master, in the Bridge!" Obi Wan shouted at his Master, the Bridge across the corridor seemed to be closing, its doors slammed shut. The two Jedi's ran towards the recently closed doors.
"Cover me Obi Wan" the Master said to his Apprentice. The Padawan understood immediately and stood guard while his Master launched his green light saber through the Bridge's door, the Viceroy had slammed all of the security doors shut.
"Master Qui Gon, look!" Obi Wan said as he saw four rolling droids heading towards them. They stopped, and unraveled themselves to show their true form. Qui Gon stopped attempting to pierce through the door. The droids started blasting at them, they revealed shield generators. The Jedi's light sabers were deflecting the shots from the four droids, but with the shield generators up the Jedi had seemingly no hope of destroying the droids.
"We can't risk being captured here Obi Wan, look down there, we can go up the ventilation system" Qui Gon said to his Apprentice whilst still deflecting the droids blasts. The Padawan agreed with Master and they ran past the Droids, catching them off guard as the droids handling didn't seem to be that good.
-
Inside the Bridge the Neimoidians were looking much shaken up by the events that had just occurred. A hooded figure appeared on a hologram near the Viceroy, who was very surprised to see it appear.
"Yes, Lord Sidious" the Viceroy said to the hologram.
"Viceroy, have you dealt with Chancellor's Ambassador's" the figure asked, in an eerie sort of impatient whisper.
"Lord Sidious, the Ambassador's are Jedi. We destroyed the Cruiser, but the Jedi, we have them on the run but…" the Viceroy was cut off as the hologram decided to reply quickly.
"Viceroy, begin landing your troops. If the Supreme Chancellor has sent Jedi to you then he may send more, you must move quickly, you should face little resistance on Naboo, inform me when you have captured the Queen. Capturing her is the absolute priority, if she avoids capture she will try to escape and plead her case to the senate." the hologram replied as if he had been planning this for a while.
"And the two Jedi?" the Viceroy asked worried as to what the hologram might say.
"Don't allow them to escape. If they escape they will contact the Chancellor, kill them immediately, or keep them prisoner at least. Viceroy, these Jedi are not to be underestimated" the hologram replied.
"Yes, my Lord" replied the Viceroy, as the hologram disappeared. He looked to the two Neimoidian's either side of him, worried.
"This was not the plan, if we begin landing the troops now the Senate, the Senate might…" the Neimoidian on the Viceroy's left had begun speaking but the Viceroy interrupted him.
"Lord Sidious will keep the Senate at bay, he… he has people… in high places. We must act now, now, start landing the troops now!" the Viceroy said, panicking and almost screaming.
-
Meanwhile, in a Giant Hangar there are massive amounts of battle droids, there are several landing craft's scattered around the Hangar. Qui Gon and then Obi Wan jump down from a vent landing behind a wall.
"It's an invasion army, we must warn the Naboo and contact Chancellor Vallorum" Qui Gon said to his Padawan, seeming quite concerned as this army would be no match for the tiny peaceful planet of Naboo.
"So we have failed the mission then Master?" the Padawan replied, he seemed to be slight concerned about their failure.
"Our mission was to help to protect the Naboo. That is still possible young Padawan. We must split up, stow aboard separate landing ships. We'll meet up when they land on the planet" Qui Gon said to his Padawan.
"Well you were right about one thing Master; they did try to kill us" Obi Wan replied with a slight grin on his face.