Star Wars TRANSLATIONS

by moviefan-92

A novelization of the scenes in the movies where characters such as R2, Chewie, and others have lines, only this time with what they're saying being revealed. See how these scenes play out when you can actually understand what these characters are saying. Also includes the story of the movies so it's not just random scenes. Better summary inside.

1. Episode I: The Phantom Menace

(A/N: IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ! Ok, so let me explain what exactly it is I'm trying to do here. There are times in the Star Wars movies where characters speak in different languages. During such times, subtitles are normally provided so we can see what they're saying. However, there are times where no subtitles are given. Such examples would be when R2 and Chewy talk. Sometimes, based on how other characters respond to them, we can guess what they are saying, but most times we're left completely in the dark. During such times, I like to guess at what they're trying to say. So I decided to write out the scenes with what I believe the characters are saying in these scenes. Each chapter will be a different movie, and will have multiple scenes with the translations. To make these translations easier to identify, I will italicize the words I believe the characters are saying. So when you see italicized sentences, those are the times when no subtitles were provided in the movies. To help with these translations, I also used the books to help me get make the most accurate things the characters would be saying, sometimes even getting an exact translation when one wasn't made in the movies. Oh, and one last thing, this won't just be a simple script with translation. I will also be describing the scenes themselves and providing plot about what happens between the scene changes to make it more of a story, once again using the books and other resources for background information and ways to write out the scenes. You'll see what I mean. Hope you enjoy it.)

"…Translations…"

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"STAR WARS TRANSLATIONS"

Episode I: The Phantom Menace

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THE ESCAPE FROM NABOO

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"Stay here, and keep out of trouble."

The order came from the Jedi Knight known as Obi-Wan Kenobi. The order was to the particularly strange creature named Jar Jar Binx. It was a much-needed order too, as the alien creature known as Gungan was a rather dimwitted klutz. And seeing as they were currently on a spaceship trying to escape from the Trade Federation that had recently invaded the planet Naboo, there was no room for mistakes. A single mistake could cost them their lives, or, at the very least, lead to their capture.

As Obi-Wan turned to leave, Jar Jar glanced around the room curiously. He saw right away that the room was filled with astromech droids, R2 units from the looks of them. Programmed mechanics, their primary function was to repair any damage done to the ship, either by asteroids, enemy fire, or whatever else may cause harm to the ship.

Smiling at the different colored droids, Jar Jar greeted them with his unusual accent. "Hello, boyos."

The droids activated and glanced at their visitor, offering different forms of greeting. "Hello."

"Hi."

"Hello."

There wasn't much time for pleasantries. With the Trade Federation's blockade firing on the Nubian starship, they soon took damage. An alarm immediately sounded, alerting the R2 units to report to the damaged area. And one by one, the astromech droids were released from their holding areas and made their way to the cockpit.

"We've got damage, guys," the yellow R2 unit unnecessarily announced.

"Time to go to work," the red one muttered.

As Jar Jar bent over to examine one of the droids' holding, the blue R2 deliberately bumped into him from behind. "Get out of the way!"

Jar Jar jumped in surprise and turned to see the blue R2 make its way to the cockpit. "How wude!"

The blue R2 would have rolled its eyes if it had any. "You're one to talk," he shot back before he was sucked up to join his fellow mechanics.

Outside the ship, it was chaos. Enemy fire was all around, and one by one, the droids were blasted off the ship, their parts flying away as the ship sped along.

The gravity of the situation wasn't lost to those inside as they watched on the monitor as one droid after another was lost.

"We're losing droids fast," Obi-Wan noted.

"We'll be sitting ducks," was the reply of Captain Panaka, his concern more for the queen than his own life. If they took anymore damage…

Ric Olié was the bearer of bad news. "Shields are gone!"

On the outside, only one R2 unit remained. By coincidence or fate, it was the blue one that had intentionally bumped into Jar Jar. He worked furiously on the damaged area, intent on making the repairs.

"Almost there," he muttered to himself. "Just need reattach this… There we go. All set."

The ship's readings changed. Olié was briefly baffled by the sudden reprieve and was quick to report. "Powers back."

Smiling inwardly, R2 wrapped up on the repairs. "And now for the finishing touches. That's got it."

Inside the ship, Olié still couldn't believe their fortune. "That little droid did it! He bypassed the main power drive! Shields up at maximum!"

He jammed the thrusters forward, and the transport rocketed away from the Trade Federation's blockade and the planet of Naboo.

With a great amount of pride, the remaining R2 turned around and headed back inside. "Alright, I'm out of here."

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ON ROUTE TO TATOONIE

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The danger of the Trade Federation had passed for now. The Nubian ship was still in one piece, save for the hyperdrive, but they were still alive. And that was the important thing. And it was all thanks to the blue R2 unit that was currently being presented to the current ruler of Naboo, Queen Amidala.

"An extremely well put together little droid, your Highness," Panaka was saying. "Without doubt, it saved the ship, and our lives."

Unbeknownst to several on board, the one that sat before them was not the true queen. For the sake of protecting the true elected ruler, one of the handmaidens had switched places with her and had been deceiving even the Jedi that had come to their rescue.

Dressed in robes and jewelry worthy of a royalty and wearing so much traditional makeup that her actual facial features were all but hidden, Sabé, the decoy queen of Naboo, made her gratitude known. "It is to be commended then. What is its number?"

Filled with pride, the little droid proudly stated, "The name's R2-D2, at your service."

Unfortunately, the beeps and tweets he emitted were not understood by the humans in the room, and so Panaka bent over to read the droid's identification number. "R2-D2, your Highness."

"Thank you, R2-D2," the false queen told the droid.

If he was capable of blushing, R2 wondered if he would be. "It was my pleasure, your Highness."

Aware that the true queen would wish to show her gratitude however she could, Sabé turned to the group of handmaidens and addressed her by her first name. "Padmé, clean this droid up as best you can. It deserves our gratitude."

Once again, R2 was overcome with gratitude. Not many people showed droids such consideration, simply believing that a droid's servitude was a given. "You honor me, your Highness."

He followed Padmé out of the room, leaving the humans to discuss their concerns. They ended up back in the droid storage room where the disguised queen cleaned the little droid the best she could with what she had.

"Ooh, that feels good," R2 cooed, his sensors picking up the pleasing sensations of her scrubbing. Being a Nubian astromech droid, he knew good and well who it was that was scrubbing him clean, and he felt honored. Yet the moment was ruined as a certain Gungan poked his head into the room.

"Hidoe."

Padmé jumped in surprise as R2 groaned. "Oh no, it's him."

Unaware of the droid's change in attitude, but realizing he had startled the handmaiden, Jar Jar offered his apologies. "Sorry. Whosa are yousa?"

"Ignore him," R2 suggested, but his comment wasn't understood or heeded.

"I'm Padmé," the queen replied.

"Mesa Jar Jar Binx," the Gungan replied.

"Oh great," R2 muttered, realizing that she had just invited the goofy yet annoying creature to join them.

He was right, as Padmé gave the droid a curious look. "You're a Gungan, aren't you?"

Jar Jar nodded, his long ears flapping about his neck. "Uh huh."

"How did you end up here with us?"

Jar Jar took that as an invitation to join them and wandered into the room. "My no know. Mesa day starten pitty okeyday witda brisky morning munchen. Den, boom! Getten berry skeered, un grabben dat Jedi, and pow, mesa here."

"Nice story," R2 muttered, unimpressed. Padmé seemed to find it amusing though as she was smiling.

But Jar Jar wasn't finished yet. "Me getting berry, berry skeered."

"Truly frightening," R2 sarcastically agreed.

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ON ROUTE TO TATOONIE

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It had been decided that they would land on the desert planet of Tatoonie. It was a planet that had no association with the Trade Federation, and though it was ruled by the gangster Hutt clan, that made it a safe haven. As long as no one discovered the queen was there that is.

It wasn't like they had many options anyway. The ship's hyperdrive was leaking, and its damage was beyond R2's capabilities of repairing. It would have to be replaced if they wanted any hope of making it to Coruscant.

And so they had landed on the outskirts, far enough away from the city, Mos Espa, to remain hidden. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn was making his journey to the city along with R2-D2, who held the readouts for the parts they needed, and Jar Jar Binx. Since the city was a multinational spaceport, having Jar Jar with him would make him seems less conspicuous, even if he was most likely a liability.

The Gungan, however, was less than thrilled about this, and he made his displeasure known. "Dis sun doing murder to me skin."

But before they made it too far, a cry from Panaka came from behind them. "Wait."

"Hold up!" R2 unnecessarily told the others.

"Wait," Panaka repeated as he and one of the queen's handmaidens caught up. R2 was pleased to see that it was Padmé, the one that had cleaned him back on the ship. "Her Highness commands that you take your handmaiden with you."

The Jedi did nothing to hide his displeasure, but still kept a calm tone. "No more commands from Her Highness today."

Not missing a beat, Panaka quickly changed tactics. "The queen wishes it. She's curious about the planet."

Qui-Gon seemed to weigh his options. He didn't have time to argue, but did he really want to cause further dispute by sending the handmaiden all the way back? He looked at the girl and saw strength in her eyes. He considered the situation and decided that she might be useful. Traveling with a girl might suggest they were a family in transit and present a less aggressive look.

He gave in, but he still didn't like it, and he wanted that to be known. "This is not a good idea. Stay close."

He started away again, the others trailing.

"Don't worry," R2 assured the captain. "I'll watch out for her."

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WATTO'S SHOP

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They had come across a junk dealer's shop that was owned by a Toydarian named Watto. The shop was filled with parts of all kinds, from droids, to speeders, to ships. And while the Toydarian took Qui-Gon and R2 in back to discuss business, he summoned his ten year old slave boy, Anakin Skywalker, to watch the shop.

As Qui-Gon and R2 followed Watto in back, Padmé and Jar Jar stayed in the shop under the watchful eye of Anakin. The boy, however, seemed to have his eyes solely on Padmé. As the two conversed, Jar Jar's curiosity got the better of him. Even with Qui-Gon's warning/order for him not to touch anything, the Gungan couldn't keep his hands to himself, and he soon activated a DUM-series pit droid that sprang to its feet.

This pit droid, however, was somewhat defective, and it bounced about the shop, giggling gleefully as Jar Jar attempted to catch it. He finally managed to grab the droid around the neck, something the little robot was not happy about.

"Put me down, you ugly thing!" the droid snapped, kicking the Gungan.

The commotion seemed to have finally drawn Anakin's attention away from Padmé. "Hey!" he called to the Gungan. "Hit the nose."

Jar Jar dropped the droid. "Oh."

He did as he was told, and the droid immediately powered down and folded back up.

Out back, Qui-Gon and R2 were having their own problems. While Watto did indeed have the parts they needed, even claiming that he was the only one around that did, he was unwilling to accept the Republic credits Qui-Gon possessed as payment. Even when he attempted to use the Force to bend the Toydarian to his will, the greedy junk dealer was not swayed.

Apparently, a Toydarian's brain functioned differently than most creatures, and thus the Jedi mind trick that allowed those that used the Force to influence the weak-minded did not work on him.

"No money, no parts, no deal," Watto insisted stubbornly. "And no one else has a T-14 Hyperdrive, I can promise you that."

"Well, that's not good," R2 grumbled.

Chagrined, Qui-Gon wheeled back for the shop, R2 following at his heels. He considered the possibility that Watto was lying about being the only one with the type of hyperdrive they needed, but quickly dismissed the idea. Even if Republic credits weren't acceptable, they were better than nothing, and another shop might be willing to accept them. In which case, why would the Toydarian turn down his offer? But if he really was the only one, then Qui-Gon would have no choice but to come back with something more substantial.

In any case, even if there was another shop, he was most likely going to run into the same problem. Republic credits were just no good here.

Upon reentering the shop, the Jedi saw that had indeed ignored his order not to touch anything. Jar Jar the Gungan was currently juggling with an armful of junk that had somehow found its way into his arms. He paid the troublemaking Gungan no mind as he spoke to Padmé without so much as a glance.

"We're leaving," he announced. And just in case he didn't hear, he spoke louder to the Gungan. "Jar Jar!"

Turning to leave, Padmé offered young Anakin a smile. "I was glad to have met you, Anakin."

The boy seemed reluctant to see her go. "I was glad to have met you too!"

R2 followed the others out of the shop. "So, where to now?"

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THE STREETS OF MOS ESPA

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Qui-Gon was not happy. Neither was Jar Jar. Once the Jedi finished explaining the situation to his apprentice over the comlink, the Gungan expressed his concern over being robbed.

"Not likely," Qui-Gon assured him. "We have nothing of value, that's the problem."

"So what are we going to do?" R2 asked.

Apparently, what they were going to do was get in trouble, courtesy of Jar Jar. They had no idea what happened. One minute he was walking beside them, the next he was about to be pounded to a pulp by a Dug named Sebulba.

But before the problem could escalate, their Gungan friend was saved by the very boy they had met at the junk shop. Whatever he said to the Dug, it made him back off, though it left a great deal of hostility behind.

After that, Anakin became their guide through the city. He even treated them to a type of fruit called a pallie. But upon selling the fruits, the old woman at the shop, a kindly elderly woman named Jira, warned young Anakin of an incoming sandstorm.

Anakin immediately turned to Qui-Gon. "Do you have shelter?"

The Jedi was quick to reassure the boy. "We'll head back to our ship."

But his comment did not have the desired affect. "Is it far?"

"It's on the outskirts," Padmé told him.

Concern could be heard in Anakin's voice. "You'll never reach the outskirts in time. Sandstorms can be very, very dangerous." Just then, his tone went from concerned to eager. "Come on, I'll take you to my place."

"Thanks, we'd appreciate it," R2 replied as he rolled along. He had no desire to get caught up in a sandstorm.

It turned out that both Jira and Anakin were right. A sandstorm was indeed on its way, and it was indeed dangerous. The wind howled about them, and the air clouded with sand that stung as it blew against them, tearing at clothes and exposed skin with relentless force. They were grateful for the safety of the modest household that Anakin led them into.

"Mom!" he called upon entering the house. "Mom, I'm home!"

Despite the simplicity of the small house, Jar Jar looked around in appreciation. "Oh, dis is cozy."

Anakin's mother, a woman in her forties, entered the room. The boy smiled up at her excitedly as he showed off his guests. "These are my friends, Mom."

"Nice to meet you," R2 beeped.

As Qui-Gon made introductions, Anakin was quick to turn his attention back to Padmé. "I'm building a droid. You wanna see?" In his eagerness to show off a bit, he grabbed the queen's hand. "Come on, I'll show you 3PO."

"Another droid?" R2 asked, as he followed the two of them. "I'd like to see this. You built it yourself?" He received no answer though as he made his way into the back room. "I wonder what kind of droid it is. Maybe we can be friends."

Anakin was busy pulling the covers back to reveal his creation. The unfinished droid lay deactivated at the moment, bare of any coverings, one eye lying nearby on the workbench.

"Isn't he great?" Anakin asked eagerly, anxious for his guest's reaction. "He's not finished yet."

"He's wonderful," Padmé replied, genuinely impressed.

R2 was impressed too as he looked at the incomplete robot. "Oh, a protocol droid?" he observed.

Completely oblivious to the astromech droid, Anakin's complete attention was on the disguised queen as he confirmed R2's suspicions. "You really like him? He's a protocol droid to help Mom. Watch!"

He activated the droid, and it sat up at once. After a brief issue where the awakened droid was unable to see, Anakin quickly popped the missing eye into its socket. With his sight restored, the protocol droid turned to greet them. "Hello, I am C-3PO, human cyborg relations."

Padmé grinned at Anakin in delight. "He's wonderful!"

Anakin was very obviously thrilled. Wanting to impress the girl further, he was quick to bring up his other accomplishments. "I'm building a Podracer."

R2 was once again surprised by the boy's skills. "A Podracer too? Wow." Working in that shop must have really paid off.

3PO, meanwhile, was attempting to walk, a feat made difficult without an outer covering. "I'm not sure this floor is entirely stable."

He waddled over to R2, who immediately greeted the protocol droid. "Greetings."

3PO turned to the smaller droid. "Oh, hello. I'm not sure we've been introduced."

"We haven't," R2 replied. "I'm R2-D2."

"R2-D2, a pleasure to meet you."

"The same."

"I am C-3PO, human, cyborg relations."

He couldn't resist anymore. "Um, do you realize you're naked?"

3PO seemed taken aback. "I beg your pardon, but what do you mean 'naked'?"

"You got no cover. Your parts are showing."

"My parts are showing? Oh, goodness!"

R2 just laughed.

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DINNER AT ANAKIN'S

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"All slaves have a transmitter placed inside their bodies somewhere," Anakin's mother, Shmi, was explaining to her guests.

"I've been working on a scanner to try and find mine," Anakin was quick to tell them.

His mother continued as if there had been no interruption. "Any attempt to escape…"

"And they blow you up," the boy finished. "Boom!"

"That's awful," R2 growled.

Jar Jar agreed wholeheartedly. "How wude," he muttered, before doing something rather rude himself, shooting out his tongue to snatch a piece of fruit from the table, earning him a look from the others. "'Scuse me."

The conversation then took an interesting turn. It seemed that not only had young Anakin built a Podracer, he was also capable of riding one. This was exceptionally rare for humans, as the speed and need to react tended to exceed the reflexes a human was capable of unless they had special training, such as Jedi training. Qui-Gon demonstrated an example of this by snatching Jar Jar's tongue out of the air when he attempting to snag another piece of fruit.

When the reward for winning the Podraces came up, it seemed an opportunity to get the money needed to buy a new hyperdrive had presented itself. After much deliberation, it was decided that Anakin would enter the race and win the money for his new friends. And that was how the group found themselves working together to put the finishing touches on Anakin's Podracer in time for the race.

They were eventually joined by a group of Anakin's friends consisting of two boys, Kitster and Seek, two girls, Amee and Melee, and a male Rodian named Wald. They laughed cheerfully as they greeted their friend, and Anakin looked up from his work to greet them in return.

At the other end of the Pod, R2 and 3PO worked together on one of the engines. "3PO, hurry up with that piece," the smaller of the droids ordered.

The beeping language drew the attention of the newcomers, and Kitster pointed at him in amazement. "Wow, a real astro-droid!"

R2 paid him no mind as he focused on his work. "Come on, that part goes here."

"How do you get so lucky?" Kitster asked.

Smirking, Anakin leaned over his Pod. "That isn't the half of it," he declared, puffing up a bit. "I'm entering in the Boonta race tomorrow."

Kitster's excitement quickly turned to disbelief as he looked at the Pod. "What? With this?"

"You're such a joker, Ani," said Wald in Huttese, and the other kids seemed to agree with him.

"You've been working on that thing for years," the older of the girls commented.

"It's never gonna run," Melee added.

Seek, however, didn't seem interested in talking about hopeless dreams. "Come on, let's go and play ball." Then, with a bit of mockery in his voice, he said, "Keep racing, Ani, you're gonna be bug squash."

Only Kitster remained behind as the other four took off. Though he had his doubts, he was willing to stand by his best friend regardless.

Even though there were four people working on the Pod, it might as well have been three for all the help the Gungan was. He'd already made several mistakes, and Anakin quickly anticipated another one and quickly threw a warning his way.

"Hey, Jar Jar, keep away from those energy binders. If your hand gets caught in the beam, it's gonna go numb for hours."

Appreciative of the warning, Jar Jar bent down to pick up the tool he dropped, and promptly got his head caught in the beam. With a yelp, he jumped away, but was suddenly unable to feel anything above his neck.

"WHOA! My tung ist stuch! My tung."

Completely numb in the face, his speech was even more garbled than before. His tongue hung out of his mouth, yet he wasn't even aware of it as he realized his mistake. But, unable to do anything about it, he began looking for the tool he had dropped.

"Where ist…? Where is da rech? Oh, dere ist."

Spotting it in the Pod's engine, he reached for it, and immediately got his hand stuck. "Hey! Uh oh! I'm stuch!"

As the Gungan struggled to pull his arm free, the two droids looked on in wonder, unable to believe that anyone could be such a klutz.

"You know," said 3PO, "I find that Jar Jar creature to be a little… odd."

"A little odd?" R2 exclaimed. "He's very odd."

Taking notice of the unfortunate creature, Padmé went to help get his hand free before the engines ignited. Even that proved to be a feat as the Gungan waved his arms about, spouting more gibberish.

"See," R2 muttered.

"You're quite right," 3PO agreed, "he's very odd indeed."

"Yes, he is."

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THE DAY OF THE BOONTA RACE

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The day of the race finally came. There was a great deal of activity going around. Qui-Gon waited for Anakin and the others to arrive as he and Watto went over the finishing touches for their arrangement in entering Anakin in the race. And as the conversation moved along, it took an interesting turn.

Watto, it seemed had placed a bet on who he thought would win the race. He was putting his money on Sebulba, the very Dug that Jar Jar had had a run in with a few days ago. Upon learning this, Qui-Gon did some quick thinking and arranged his own bet with the Toydarian. And with he utmost confidence Watto accepted.

As the others arrived, the Toydarian couldn't resist throwing a mocking comment to Anakin. "Better stop your friend's betting," he declared in Huttese, "or I'll end up owning him too."

Anakin gave the junk dealer a strange look and glanced at Qui-Gon. "What'd he mean by that?"

Unconcerned, the Jedi dodged the question. "I'll tell you later," he said, then turned to greet the boy's mother. "Good morning."

A short distance away, R2 was telling 3PO about the adventures he'd had as an astromech droid, ending with why they had come to Tatoonie. "And so we need to repair the hyperdrive."

"Oh my," 3PO muttered, "space travel sounds rather perilous."

R2 would have smiled if he could have. "You should try it. It's a lot of fun."

But the protocol droid seemed to think otherwise. "I can assure you, they will never get me onto one of those dreadful starships."

But as the group prepared for the race that would decide all of their futures, they were completely unaware of the DRK-1 probe droid scourging through the city looking for them to report to its master, a Sith Lord known as Darth Maul. The small black droid took no interest as the stands filled with beings of all shapes and sizes, ready for the race to begin.

Up high in the commentator's box, a two-headed alien creature named Fodesinbeed Annodue, Fode for the smaller head, Beed for the larger head, to address them individually.

Beed made the opening statement as the race got underway. "Greetings! We have perfect weather today for the Boonta classic. The most hazardous of all Podraces."

"That's absolutely right," Fode agreed. "And a big turnout here. From all corners of the outer-rim territories. I see the contestants are making their way out onto the starting grid."

"We've certainly got a lot of racers."

"I see Ben Quadinaros from the Toong System."

"And Gasgano in his new Ord Pedrovia."

"Two time winner, Boles Roor."

"By far the favorite today, reigning champion, Sebulba!"

The crowd went crazy at the current champion's introduction, and the Dug completely ate it up, even throwing kisses to his fans. "Thank you!"

Moving on, Fode continued the introductions. "And on the front row, inside pole position, Mawhonic! And that is Clegg Holdfast and his Voltec KT9 Wasp! And back again, it's the mighty Dud Bolt, with that incredible racing machine The Vulptereen 327. And hoping for a big win today, Ody Mandrell, with his record setting pit droid team. And a late entrée, young Anakin Skywalker, a local boy."

With the last of the introductions, the flag holders for the different systems walked out, and Fode was quick to point them out to the crowd. It was the moment they had all been waiting for. For some of them, it would be their final moments, and Shmi went over to her son to give a heartfelt plea for him to be careful. None of them saw Sebulba sneak over and sabotage the stabilizer. If any of the other racers caught this bit of cheating, they didn't care to stop it.

Of course, neither Fode nor Beed could begin the race without first paying tribute to their ruler, and the latter was happy to present him. "And entering the arena, his honor, our glorious host, Jabba the Hutt!"

Jabba Desilijic Tiure and his female companion, Gardulla, entered the V.I.P. area as the stadium went wild, cheering for the obese gangster. The Hutt raised his arms, welcoming the praise as he prepared to signal the start of the race. "Welcome!" he declared in Huttese, skipping the pleasantries. "Begin the race!"

With that, the racers started up their engines. Now they eagerly waited for the gong to begin. Beed was quick to provide commentary. "And our racers have fired up their Pods."

"Hey, it looks like everyone is clearing the field."

But while most of the crowd was anticipating a good show, others were not that eager for the carnage that was to follow.

"Oh, dis is gonna be messy," Jar Jar predicted, and immediately covered his eyes. "Me not watching."

"Go!" R2 cheered.

A moment later, the gong was sounded, and the racers were off. Yet it seemed that Fate was against Anakin as his racer moved forward a few feet… and came to a complete stop.

"Oh, wait," said Fode, "little Skywalker has stalled."

"What bad luck!" Wald cried, having come with Kitster to watch the race.

It seemed though that Anankin wasn't the only one having a bad start. "And it looks like Quadinaros is having engine trouble also," Fode acknowledged.

Like Anakin, the big-headed alien's Pod had also refused to move from the starting position. Unable to figure out the problem, he pounded his fists on the dashboard. "Start you trash heap!"

But while poor Quadinaros was unable to get his working, Anakin seemed to fix the problem with his Pod, and quickly sped off.

Up ahead, the race was already getting hostile as Sebulba deliberately slammed his Pod into Mawhonic, who shook his fist at the Dug. "Hey!"

Sebulba just shook his fist right back at the Gran. "Move it, slime ball!"

A second collision sent Mawhonic's Pod slamming into the canyon wall, and just like that, the Gran was out of the race. Another one was lost in the cave the racers sped through, going up in a fiery explosion upon crashing into a stalactite. Further mayhem came forth as a group of Tusken Raiders, more commonly known as Sand People, took the opportunity to fire upon the unsuspecting racers.

Back at the starting line, Quadinaros was still trying to get his Pod working, fully aware that he was about to be lapped. "Why won't you start?!" he demanded, pounding on the dashboard once more.

In response, a portion of his Pod launched up into the air and exploded, thus ending any chance he may have had of racing.

The announcing winced for the poor alien. "Ooh, there goes Quadinaros's power coupling," Fode reported, truly feeling for the guy's bad luck.

"Oh, come on!" Quadinaros shouted at his Pod. A moment later, the other racers went speeding past him.

"In the lead is Sebulba!" Beed announced. "And now we're moving on to the second lap!"

But as the other racers continued onward, Ody Mandrell came to a stop by his droids. "Quick, I need a repair. Hurry, hurry, come on!" His droids looked at each other, seemingly confused, and Mandrell slammed his fist on the dashboard in aggravation. "Will you come on?!"

Obeying its master's request for speed, one of the droids wasn't paying attention, and was promptly sucked into the Pod's engine. Luck was on its side as it came flying out the other side, still intact, but the engine was completely shot.

"Oh no," Mandrell groaned, realizing he was no longer a part of this race.

Over by Anakin's section, C-3PO couldn't help but realize that his own master had not passed by yet. "Where is Master Anakin?"

"He should be coming soon," R2 told him.

And he was right. A few seconds later, the young boy went speeding by. Fode took note of this and provided commentary. "It looks like Skywalker is moving onto the field."

"Yay, Ani!" Wald cheered as his friend sped by.

But R2 didn't want to celebrate too soon. "He's got two more circuits to go."

"He has to complete 2 more circuits?" 3PO repeated. "Oh dear."

But those two remaining laps gave Anakin the time he needed to catch up with the others without having to worry about being run off the track. And as more and more racers dropped out of the race, it soon came down to him and his long time rival, Sebulba. And after a little mishap, he managed to pull ahead.

Upon seeing the boy get ahead of him, Sebulba became enraged. "I'll catch you!"

And catch him he did, but only because the stabilizer he had disconnected from Anakin's Pod finally broke loose. And while at first it seemed that he was finished, he managed to improvise and was in the race once more, quickly closing the gap between him and the cheating Dug.

"He's catching Sebulba!" Fode cried in disbelief.

"He's closing in fast!" Beed confirmed.

Sebulba became aware of this as well. "You are so annoying!"

When Anakin came close to passing him, Sebulba repeatedly slammed his Pod into his. After one particular collision, their Pods latched onto each other.

Fode was unable to believe what he was seeing. "That little human being is out of his mind!"

"They're pods are caught!" Beed declared.

"They're side by side!"

"Who will win?"

The danger of the situation was apparent to both the human and the Dug as they tried to separate their Pods. Anakin paid close attention to where they were connected, taking notice the instant they came apart. With a burst of speed, he shot forward. Sebulba cried out as his Pod spun out of control, and he crashed to the ground, his racer completely destroyed.

As his seat came to a stop, he slammed his fist against what was left of his destroyed Pod. "Shit!"

With no one else left in the race, Anakin had a clear path to the finish line. At only ten years old, he became the youngest winner ever of the Boonta Eve race.

"He won! He won!" Wald cheered as he and Kitster jumped up and down in celebration.

Beside them, the two droids were equally as thrilled. "He did it! He did it! He really did it!" R2 shouted, dancing around happily.

3PO was so proud of his master. "I can't believe it."

"The crowds are going nuts!" Fode shouted as he and Beed began cheering as well.

But not everyone was happy about this victory. In the stands, Watto was completely flabbergasted. "He won? How could he win?"

And yet there were others that couldn't care either way. Jabba had actually fallen asleep, and it took his majordomo discreetly tapping him to wake him up. "What? Oh, good racing," he muttered, wondering what had happened.

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WITH DARTH MAUL

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A great deal happened after the race. After several business transactions, Anakin sold the Pod for a good deal of cash that would help out his mother, and was freed from slavery thanks to Qui-Gon's bet with Watto. And after a very serious conversation between mother and son, it was decided that Anakin would go with Qui-Gon and his companions to be trained as a Jedi. And so, after a heartfelt goodbye, Shmi saw her son off to fulfill his destiny.

But as Qui-Gon and Anakin made their way back to the newly repaired ship, they were spotted by the probe droid Darth Maul had sent to find the Jedi. It was quick to return to its master's side and report its findings. "They're on the outskirts."

It was all the Sith Lord needed to hear. Without a word, he climbed onto his speeder and took off, going much faster than Qui-Gon and Anakin were capable of going on foot.

He caught up when the two humans were a short distance from the ship. Qui-Gon sensed the approaching hostility and whirled around. He shouted for Anakin to drop, and the boy did so without question as the Sith Lord whizzed by, not caring about the child.

A moment later, a vicious lightsaber fight broke out between the two as Anakin followed Qui-Gon's plan to get to the ship. This had been the right call, as the Jedi quickly realized that he was outmatched by the mysterious warrior.

It was thanks to Anakin following his orders that he was able to make it out of there alive. As the ship flew past, he leapt onto the platform and hurried inside, leaving a very unsatisfied Sith Lord behind.

"Close call," R2 stated as the exhausted Jedi dropped down beside him. Anakin and Obi-Wan rushed into the room a moment later.

"Are you alright?" the former asked worriedly.

Still trying to catch his breath, the Jedi sat up. "I think so."

Though concerned for his master, Obi-Wan knew that Qui-Gon was stronger than this and asked a more pressing question. "What was it?"

Qui-Gon wished he had an answer. "I'm not sure, but it was well trained in the Jedi arts."

"Jedi arts?" R2 repeated, not liking the sound of that.

"My guess is," the Jedi continued, "it was after the queen."

Like the astromech, Anakin didn't like what he was hearing. "What are we going to do about it?"

Qui-Gon let out a sigh. As a Jedi master who had trained others before Obi-Wan, he knew that a Padawan's lessons must begin right away, and he gave the proper response. "We shall be patient." Then, to avoid any further questions, he decided to make the introductions. "Anakin Skywalker, meet Obiwan Kenobi."

Anakin turned to the second man. "Hi," he said, shaking the younger Jedi's hand.

"Introductions!" R2 announced happily.

"You're a Jedi too?" Anakin asked in admiration.

"He certainly is."

"Pleased to meet you."

Obi-Wan didn't speak, but he smiled at the boy, nodding in greeting. Qui-Gon smiled, glad to have the two meet. He hoped his apprentice would come to see what he did in the boy. He was certain of it, this meeting had been orchestrated by the Force itself. As all Jedi knew, there was no such thing as coincidences or luck, only the Force in constant motion.

"And thus, our team grows larger still," R2 declared. "The more the merrier."

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PREPARING TO RETURN TO NABOO

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A lot happened in such a short time. Yet not much was to the group's benefit. Upon reaching Coruscant, none of the meetings had gone the way anyone had hoped. Padmé once again resumed her role as the queen, losing her handmaiden disguise as she appeared before the senate in her Naboo royalty getup. But, to her dismay, the Senate was unwilling to assist her in removing the Trade Federation from her home world without following proper protocol.

Knowing that her people were suffering under the rule of the Trade Federation, she gave in to Senator Sheev Palaptine's drastic measure to move for a vote of no confidence in Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum to elect a new leader that would not let these atrocities continue.

As for Qui-Gon, he requested a meeting of the Jedi Council to have Anakin trained as a Jedi. But while the Council did indeed acknowledged that the Force was indeed incredibly strong with the boy, they decided that he was too old to be trained. An essential part of training new Jedi was to start very early on before the child grew too much as a person and grew attachments, thus enabling the Council to mold them into a warrior and guide them down the right path so they would not fall prey to the Dark Side.

Just like with Amidala in the Senate, Qui-Gon too was forced to make a difficult choice to do what he felt was right. Thus, he declared that he would take Anakin as his apprentice and would train the boy himself. And while he truly did feel that Obi-Wan was ready to face the trials of becoming a Jedi Master, the circumstances were not the best, and he ended up unintentionally yet greatly insulting his apprentice.

While things concerning Anakin were set aside for later, events in the Senate continued to escalate. On a positive note, Senator Palpatine became one of the potential candidates for Supreme Chancellor. And while Padmé had faith that he would help her cause, she feared it would be too late for her people. Duty bound, she decided to return to Naboo and be with her people where she could actually do something for them rather than remain in hiding. None of them even suspected that it was in fact Palpatine, the unknown Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, who was orchestrating all events in accordance to his plan to rule the galaxy.

Thus it was decided that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would go with the queen to protect her as she returned to Naboo. However, a bit of animosity had grown between the two after what happened at the Jedi Council, and the two ended up in a heated discussion.

"The council will decide Anakin's future," the older Jedi told his apprentice, bringing the conversation to a close. "That will be enough for you. Now get on board."

"Ouch," R2 muttered, having been eavesdropping.

Properly reprimanded, Obi-Wan headed for the ship as Anakin inquired what midi-chlorians were, and Qui-Gon attempted to explain how they were microscopic life forms that lived inside all living creatures and allowed Jedi to communicate with the Force.

Shortly afterwards, Sabé, once again pretending to be the queen, appeared once more with Padmé at her side, once again disguised as a mere handmaiden. She exchanged a few words with Qui-Gon as they boarded the ship, the Jedi promising to protect her.

"Weesa goen home!" Jar Jar shouted joyfully as they boarded the ship.

Anakin smiled at the astromech droid. "Come on, R2."

"Let's do this!" the droid cried eagerly.

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GUNGAN SAFE HAVEN

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While thus far, Sabé, still believed to be the true queen by the Jedi, Jar Jar, and Anakin, had done very little on their adventure, it was on route to Naboo that she presented a very interesting idea. After an offhanded comment by Jar Jar of how the Gungans had a grand army, she decided to attempt to form an alliance with the amphibious creatures.

Unfortunately, the Gungan city was deserted, having been discovered by the Trade Federation's droid army. But while Panaka feared the Gungans were all killed, Jar Jar was enthusiastic that they had instead retreated to their sacred place for protection.

This was how they found themselves amongst the Gungan race, pleading with the Gungan leader, Boss Nass. It was in this moment that Padmé stepped forward and revealed her true identity.

"I am Queen Amidala," she said with all the authority of a queen.

While Jar Jar, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin were all caught off guard by this revelation, R2 inwardly smiled. "Yup, it's her. We pulled the old switcheroo. Good plan, huh?"

Padmé turned to Sabé. "This is my decoy, my protection, my loyal bodyguard. I am sorry for my deception, but it was necessary to protect myself."

From there, she gave a speech followed by a desperate plea to the Gungan ruler. Boss Nass considered this carefully. He had always felt that the Naboo believed themselves to be superior to the Gungans, yet hearing the queen herself begging for his assistance, he felt his animosity towards her and her people melt away, and, with great joy, he agreed to the alliance.

And so they began to prepare for war. Gungans and Nubian escapees all rallied together as plans were made, and, surprisingly, Boss Nass not only undid Jar Jar's banishment, he decided to make the former Gungan exile a general in the army. Jar Jar's reaction was rather humorous as he was so overwhelmed by honor and fear that he promptly passed out, causing the Gungan leader to laugh as he joined the Nubians to go over the plan.

"The Federation army is also much larger than we thought," Pananka was saying, "and much stronger." He glanced at Padmé, no longer having to pretend she was anything other than royalty. "Your Highness, this is a battle I don't think we can win."

Padmé did not deny this. "The battle is a diversion. The Gunags must draw the droid army away from the cities. R2."

"I'm on it," the droid replied, and projected a hologram.

Padmé then presented her plan to the others. It was a good plan that even impressed Qui-Gon, yet Obi-Wan felt the need to point out the danger of what would happen if the viceroy for the Trade Federation would escape.

"Well that is why we must not fail to get the viceroy," Padmé replied, undeterred. "Everything depends on it."

R2 looked around at the grim but determined faces. "We've got one shot."

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THE BATTLE AT THEED

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For the most part, everything seemed to be going as planned. While the Gungans lured the droid army away from Theed, the Nubian soldiers made to take over the palace. To aid the Gungans against the droids, they planned to destroy the Trade Federation control ship. Unlike other droids, the Trade Federations army droids ran on autopilot. Without the battle station to control them, they would all shut down.

Gaining ground, the Nubians managed to get into a bunker where several ship were stored. Qui-Gon shouted for Anakin to find cover as lasers flew around the room. Having been sticking close to the boy, R2 quickly made his way over to one of the ships and was lifted into it.

"Going up." Knowing that the ship's shields would provide sufficient protection from the lasers flying around, he called to Anakin. "Hey, Ani, over here!"

Though he couldn't' understand the droid, Anakin had been of similar mind, and he quickly climbed into the pilot seat.

"Careful, Ani," R2 told him. "Stay down."

The battle continued to escalate, but with most of the droids away from the city, the Nubians were slowly gaining victory over the few that remained.

"Nice job," R2 muttered as he watched another droid go down. It didn't bother him that his own kind were being destroyed. Family was more than what you were made of.

When the last of the droids fell, the group prepared to move on. Eager to help, Anakin began to get out of the ship. "Hey, wait for me!"

"Anakin, stay where you are," Qui-Gon ordered. "You will be safe there."

"But I-"

"Stay in that cockpit!"

The Jedi's tone left no room for argument, and so Anakin reluctantly sank back into his seat.

That's when the real trouble started. The doors opened to reveal none other than Darth Maul. Qui-Gon immediately recognized the Sith Lord he had met on Tatoonie, as well as his murderous intent.

"We'll handle this," he said, referring to himself and Obi-Wan.

Padmé didn't argue as she led the others in a different direction. "We'll take the long way."

As the two Jedi stepped forward to face the Sith Lord, the situation became even more grave. R2 picked up on it as three droidekas came rolling into the room.

"Trouble!" he shouted, drawing Anakin's attention.

As the three droids uncurled and projected their shields, they began firing on Padmé and the Nubian soldiers.

"They're destroyers!" R2 declared, using the nicknames the droidekas had received through reputation.

Anakin's concerned gaze landed on Padmé as she ducked for cover. "We gotta do something, R2!"

He looked towards Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, but saw that they were unable to help as Darth Maul pulled out a double-sided lightsaber, allowing him to face both Jedi at the same time.

"Fire the guns at them," R2 suggested. He had plugged himself into the starfighter's computer system, allowing his words to appear on the control panel for Anakin to read.

"I'm trying to," the boy replied, having already thought of that. "I don't know where the trigger is."

He began pressing buttons at random. One of them caused the ship to spring into action and it began hovering in the air.

"No, that was the launch button!" R2 declared. "Look, we're moving."

"Oops, wrong one," Anakin muttered, and tried again. "Maybe it's this one." The top closed over him. "Nope." Then his eyes landed on it. "Wait, here it is."

Now that he saw it, he realized how obvious it was, but he had been panicking before and hadn't noticed it.

Wasting no time, he began firing upon the droidekas. The much stronger lasers broke right the droids' shields, completely blowing them apart.

"Yeah!" Anakin cheered as he took out the droids.

With the path cleared, Padmé and the others continued on their way, unaware that it was Anakin who had just saved them as the ship rolled right out of the bunker.

"Ah! It's on automatic pilot!" Anakin cried as he realized the ship was moving without him controlling it.

"Looks like we're going for a ride," said R2 as the ship rose up into the air.

Realizing there was nothing he could do, Anakin quickly put on a helmet. "Try to override it."

R2 immediately got to work. "Alright, I'm on it. I hope this works."

The ship rose higher and higher, into the blackness of space. Anakin kept his hand on the trigger in case they ran into any enemy fighters while R2 proceeded to turn off the autopilot.

"Any idea where the others are?" he asked, having discovered that the autopilot was searching for the other ships and bringing them there,

Anakin spotted them right away. "Look, there they are. That's where the autopilot is taking us."

As they got closer to the other ships, fire from the battle station flew around them. One of the Nubian starfighters was hit and exploded in a ball of fire and metal.

"Heads up!" R2 cried as a laser came a little too close for comfort.

Anakin saw it and was careful to avoid the red beams. "This is tense!"

Yet as the enemy fighters care flying in all around them, he realized the danger they faced of not being able to control the ship. As far as he could see, there was no manual override for the autopilot, and he didn't have time to look for it. "R2, get us off this autopilot; it's gonna get us both killed."

"I almost have it…" the droid replied. "Ok, you're good."

"You did it, R2!" Anakin cheered, and immediately took control.

R2 wondered if he had just made a mistake. Anakin was good, he knew that, but flying a starfighter was different from driving a Podracer. "We should go back."

"Go back?" the boy repeated. "Qui-Gon told me to stay in this cockpit. So that's what I'm gonna do."

If he could, R2 would have rolled his eyes. As a droid, he knew all about loopholes, as it was the only way a droid was able to bypass specific programming. It seemed to work just as well for organic life forms too it seemed.

The fighters were all over them. Anakin decided to try spinning through the air, but it proved futile as the enemy stayed on their tail.

"We're in trouble!" the astromech droid declared.

"I know we're in trouble!" Anakin called back. "Just hang on!"

It wasn't like R2 had much of a choice. And while he knew he could be reckless at times, this was just plain crazy. Adventure was all well and good, but they were going to die if they didn't get out of here soon.

And it seemed it would be happening sooner rather than later as a laser finally found its mark, and the ship began spinning out of control.

"WHOA!" R2 wailed.

"We're hit, R2!" Anakin unnecessarily reported.

"Watch out!"

He tried to stop the ship, but couldn't get control as it hurtled directly towards the hull. Pulling back on the thruster bar, he cut off the power and drifted into a long slide. He managed to regain control, but it was too late to turn back, and the starfighter flew straight into the opening at the battleship's center.

"Stop the ship! Stop it!"

"I'm trying to stop! I'm trying to stop!" Anakin insisted.

He put the thrusters in reverse while dodging transports, tanks, fighters, and stacks of supplies. It began skidding across the floor, and finally came to a stop.

R2 was relieved, but instantly realized where they were. "We've got to get out of here."

"Everything's overheated," Anakin replied. They weren't gong anywhere just yet.

Not liking that, the droid began looking around, spotting several other droids rushing towards them, guns drawn. "Troubles coming."

Looking up, Anakin saw the droids approaching. "Oops. This is not good."

As Anakin ducked down in his seat, R2 set to work, trying to get the ship up and running again. The battle droids soon surrounded the ship, demanding that they come out. With some quick rewiring, the system lights changed from red to green.

"Systems are go," he said.

Anakin glanced at the dashboard. "Yes, we have power. Shields up."

With the ship up and running again, the shields powered back on, protecting them from the weaker lasers the droids' blasters produced. Lasers bounced off the ship as the beams failed to penetrate the starfighter's shields.

"Take this!" Anakin cried, firing much more powerful beams at the battle droids. "And this! Whoa!"

It turned out that the second series of shots he fired weren't lasers, but torpedoes. They flew past the droids he was aiming at and flew across the room, striking something in the distance that began a chain reaction, causing a series of explosions to go off and spread throughout the battle station.

"Oops," Anakin muttered.

Whatever he had hit, it hadn't been his intended target. Unbeknownst to him, his torpedoes had just taken out the main reactor. Whether by accident or by the will of the Force, the destruction of the battle station had commenced.

Recognizing the danger, Anakin was quick to get the starfighter back in the air. "Lets get out of here."

"No argument here," R2 muttered as the ship took off, plowing through the battle droids in its path.

Even with the danger at hand, Anakin had to admit that he was having the time of his life. "Now this is pod-racing."

Behind him, R2 couldn't help but smile inwardly as he too felt the thrill. "It sure is."

As the explosions grew and spread throughout the battle station, Anakin ad R2 made for the exit. It was a close call, but they finally flew out of the opening they had come through as the Trade Federation's battle station blew apart.

Down on Naboo, the battle droids all shut down. The battle was over.

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THE BATTLE AT THEED

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Even with the victory of the Trade Federation defeated, there was still a great deal of loss. One of the greatest was the loss of Qui-Gon. He had fallen to the mysterious Sith Lord that had confronted him and his apprentice. And though Obi-Wan had managed to slay his master's killer, there was nothing he could do to save the Jedi. All he could do was accept Qui-Gon's final wish to train Anakin.

And Obi-Wan had decided that he would do just that. He would fulfill his master's last request, even without the Jedi Council's permission if need be. Not just because he made a promise, but because after he had learned of what Anakin had done, he too now believed that the boy was indeed the prophesized one who would destroy the Sith and restore balance to the Force.

It seemed though, that he did not need to worry about defying the Council. After they heard of Anakin's heroics, they too had a change of heart and agreed that Anakin would be trained as a Jedi, even against the judgment of Master Yoda himself. While the oldest and wisest of Jedi did indeed acknowledge the likelihood that Anakin was the Chosen One in the prophecy, he feared that there would be trouble with the boy's training.

All the same, the Council had overruled Yoda and decreed that Anakin would be a Jedi.

But today was not to be a day for training. It was a day to say goodbye. Qui-Gon's body lay on the funeral pyre, burning brightly. It was always sad to see a loved one go. The mighty Jedi had become one with the Force, and would watch over them along with all those that died. From the smallest most insignificant life form, to the largest and wisest of creatures, they all became one with the Force one day, even droids, all watching over their loved ones and waiting for the day they would join them within the Force as well.

It was little consolation.

"Goodbye, Qui-Gon…" R2 whispered as he stood next to the sniveling Jar Jar.

Looking away from the fire, Obi-Wan turned at Anakin, who glanced at the Jedi with a lost look on his face. "What will happen to me now?"

Obi-Wan was quick to ease the boy's concerns. "The Council has granted me permission to train you. You will be a Jedi, I promise." He said it with as much determination as he could, so that both Anakin, and Qui-Gon, wherever he was, would know without doubt that his promise would be fulfilled.

As they turned to watch the burning body once more, Yoda and his fellow Jedi Council member, Mace Windu were in deep discussion over Qui-Gon's killer.

"There's no doubt, the mysterious warrior was a Sith," Windu told the elderly Jedi.

Yoda grunted his acknowledgement. "Always two there are," he said, referring to the Rule of Two that had been ordained by the Sith Lord, Darth Bane. "No more, no less. A master, and an apprentice."

Windu knew the Sith law good and well, but there was still cause for concern. "But which was destroyed, the master, or the apprentice?"

They could only hope for the master to have been the one to meet his end. An apprentice with incomplete training would be far less a threat, who may even leave the ways of the Force behind without their master to guide them. It was the best they could hope for. It was troubling enough to find out that the Sith were not extinct as they had believed for over a thousand years, but instead in hiding, patiently waiting for the chance to come out into the open once more. The thought of there being a master Sith Lord was far more unnerving.

Unfortunately for them, it was the apprentice, not the master, that had fallen. And Darth Sidious stood just a few feet away, watching as the body of the Jedi burned. With the loss of Darth Maul, he would need a new apprentice. But the loss had been worth it for him to have gained the position of power he was now in. Having been voted the new Supreme Chancellor, he was now the most powerful man in the galaxy. And he didn't even need to take this power by force; they had simply handed it over to him.

And he already had his eyes on a new apprentice. Like the Jedi, he too saw the untapped power young Anakin possessed. The boy would make a fine Sith with the proper guidance. He would let the Jedi hone the boy's skills, meanwhile, he would do what he could to influence him from the sides until he was ready to truly recruit him.

The Dark Side of the Force was strong, and it would allow him to bend the boy to his will. Since the beginning of time, the Dark and Light Sides of the Force always opposed each other, trying to lure people down their path, whether anyone knew it or not. Especially those strong with the Force.

And Sidious was very strong with the Force. He carried the will of all the Sith Lords of the past. He could feel them within Chaos, the dwelling place of all the wicked souls in the Force, tempting the living towards the Dark Side. They were whispering to him through the mid-chlorians, telling him how they would have their revenge, that they would watch as the Light Side fell and the Sith became the rulers of the galaxy. And young Anakin would be their tool to get the job done.

But not yet. For now they had to wait, patiently. They had already waited over a thousand years. What was a few more?

In the meantime, he would set his sights on someone else. There was another Jedi in the order that was growing discontent with the way things were. Sidious saw it as an opportunity. He would lure this Jedi to the Dark Side while he waited for young Anakin to grow and learn more. Yes, Count Dooku would be a fine addition to his cause.

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THE CELEBRATION AT THEED

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It was a day of celebration. The Naboo was free from the Trade Federation's control, and the Nubians and the Gungans had an alliance of peace.

As the Gungans made their way to the palace where Padmé, once again in her queen getup, waited. Anakin stood by his new master's side. He wore the clothes of a Jedi Padawan, his hair cut to fit the standard apprentice style.

"Whoopi!" R2 cheered beside him.

But even amongst the celebration, Jar Jar's clumsiness was still present, his foot getting caught on his steed's reigns as he tried to jump down. It seemed that some things would never change.

But Boss Nass paid him no mind as he walked up the stairs and Padmé handed him a symbol of their people's alliance. The Gungan leader graciously accepted it, holding the golden orb up for them all to see as he declared, "Peace!"

Jar Jar cheered along with everyone else. Padmé took a moment to glance at Anakin, who gave her a smile, and she smiled back.

Not seeing the exchange, R2 was busy cheering. "What a great day!"

Obi-Wan saw it though, and it caused a sliver of worry to run through him. He knew of Anakin's crush on the queen, and it concerned him. He would have to break it to the boy that love was forbidden for a Jedi. Emotional attachment to a person or thing was to be avoided. They led to selfish thoughts and fear of losing what they cared for. As Yoda had stated, fear led to anger, anger led to hate, hate led to suffering. That was the way to the Dark Side.

And Yoda had sensed much fear in the boy.

(A/N: I hope you get the general idea of what I'm trying to do with this story. Did I do a good job of recreating the scenes, filling in the gaps between scene changes, and providing background? And what about the translations? Can you not see them saying these things? For the Podrace scenes, I used the Star Wars manga to get a lot of the translations with Fode and Beed, which provided an actual translation for what Beed was saying. The book helped too, but not as much. Next week, I'll have Attack of the Clones, and then so on.)