Before us lies Coruscant. Core planet of the Republic. A sphere of grey concrete and dazzling lights. The lights seem denser at one particular point, at the site of what will one day be called Imperial City. A long, elegant silver-blue craft floats into view. A shuttlecraft, tiny in comparison, is approaching it.

Inside the larger craft is Senator Amidala. She sits alone before a mirror in a large and large Spartan living accomodation; a ripple in the mirror's surface shows it electronic nature. Her lips are moving almost soundlessly as she reads from papers before her. Her exact words are barely audible.

Amidala: This bill represents a fundamental danger to the nature of the Republic itself. Our government is not one of war, or of autocracy. Any opposition there is towards the Senate must be resolved, not defeated, and it is my belief that diplomatic options- no, diplomatic solutions (she taps at a computer in front of her, making the relevant change). ...diplomatic solutions have not yet been fully pursued to their fullest extent. Therefore, I move to call-

Two low, melodic tones sound. Amidala turns away, pressing a button on the mirror in front of her. The image displaying changes to a view of Naboo palace, and the city surrounding it.

Amidala: Come in!

A tall man enters. He is dressed in the garb of the Naboo military. He salutes her.

Amidala: Tor! (she stands) It's good to see you. I heard that your shuttle had docked with us, and I was hoping to go to the bridge. Looks like you beat me to it! How are things on Coruscant.

Tor: Senator. They've been better. (he grins) But now I hope you can relieve me, and I can get back to Naboo.

Amidala: (reaching into a drawer) Can I get you a drink? We've got a lot to catch up on. Captain Brahe says that you've taken well to a diplomatic role.

Tor: I'd better not, thanks. I'm flying home tonight, and I'm hoping the Jedi Council will let me pilot myself. When you're an envoy, they don't like to let you off the planet's surface. (Amidala laughs politely)

Tor: This isn't really a social call. I'm here to warn you that you may not have arrived in time to block the vote. Chancellor Palpatine has done all he can, but the pro-army lobby has been strengthening for some time. Even Senator Organa has stopped protesting so loudly. There are too many interests at stake. The arms manufactureres like Sienar and Kuat are both applying pressures. Not just diplomatic, if I'm any judge.

Amidala looks superficially unperturbed, but her next words are spoken quickly, and a note of tension is audible in her voice.

Amidala: I'm sure there are still those who can be persuaded to help me block the bill. Besides, Chandrilla and Corellia have both rejected bids from Dooku to secede. The crisis is over. I'm hoping I can put an end to this once and for all. I still hold a lot of compassion in the Senate, Tor. People haven't forgotten the invasion.

Tor: I hope you're right, Senator. Anyway, would you care to accompany me to the Bridge? We're docking at the spaceport in a few minutes, and Palpatine is bound to say hello.

Amidala nods, and steps out of the door. Tor follows her, and the doors slide shut behind him.

A young man is before us. He is sitting with his legs crossed, his head bowed. His hair is a light blonde, and he is very handsome. He cannot be more than eighteen or nineteen.

Slowly, he lifts his head, and we see that his eyes are tightly closed. He opens them, and stands. From an alcove in the wall, he takes a lightsabre.

Anakin (for it is he): Computer! Activate training session Obi-Wan 20.9.

A confirming bleep is heard. Suddenly, a hatch opens in the ceiling. A small spherical droid floats down from it. It begins jinking left to right in front of Anakin, and now begins firing. Anakin's lightsabre bursts into life, and he deflects the blasts with lazy ease, barely moving. Another droid now floats down from the hatch, taking up a position behind him. He spins around, deftly turning aside the lasers with his blade, moving as if dancing. Another droid now joins the other two, and their movements become faster. Anakin is spinning and pirouetting with great speed now, and blasts are flying off his blade at high speed.

Two more droids join the three, and he now faces five. All are moving at tremendous speed, firing every second. The air is a ruddy blur, as the red blaster fire fills the room. Yet more droids pour out of the hatch, and Anakin now is barely visible beneath the oscillating spheres; he is a blur of motion, as he dives and swings, his lightsabre moving like wind through the air, deflecting several blasts per second. We watch him so for some ten seconds, before we see another hatch silently slide open behind him...

In a moment of stillness, we see Anakin's face. He is not even sweating, though his teeth are gritted, as he brings his lightsabre down in a complicated manoeuvre that sends some twelve blasts simultaneously spiralling off in all directions. Suddenly, from the hatch behind him, another droid comes. He is intent on the spheres in front of him. The droid bobs up, and delivers a blast to his upper arm. Anakin shouts out, and tumbles forward, his lightsabre deactivating as it flies from his hand.

He kneels on the floor, his face in a grimace of pain. He is rubbing his numb arm. Suddenly, the door opens. There, stand Obi Wan.

Obi Wan: I'm not sure to applaud you on getting so far, or chastise you for failing on such a minor point.

Anakin looks at his in angry disbelief.

Obi Wan: Anyway, that was level twenty. You're the only Padawan of your age I've ever seen to reach such a level. I doubt even Master Windu could have been able to handle that particular exercise at your age. But still, Anny! I felt your mind. You were allowing yourself to be ruled by your emotions. You were so intent on the droids in front of you, so absorbed in them, that you failed to sense that last one. An elementary mistake.

Anakin: (growling) But an easy one. I doubt that you could do better. I was having to concentrate on a dozen droids.

Obi Wan: (himself growing angry) Silence, Padawan. You are gifted, but you are young, and you still my apprentice. And besides, you shouldn't have been concentrating on the droids. Feel the force running through you. Don't try to control it, to direct it! Allow it to direct you. It should be effortless. For you, anyway.

(Anakin picks up his lightsabre, and begins to walk out)

Obi Wan: (conciliatory) Anakin!

(He halts, and Obi Wan joins him. They begin to walk together.

Obi Wan: I know I'm hard on you, Anakin. But believe me, there are others who will be harder still. You are being watched by more people than me. Everyone's waiting for you to make a mistake. You have the ability to be one of the greatest Jedi in the academy, Anakin. But only if you focus.

The scene changes. We are in the Jedi Council Chamber. On the desk is a screen, displaying the room in which Anakin was just training. Windu and Yoda sit on opposite sides of the table. Windu appears deep in thought.

Yoda: Powerful the boy is. The prophecy may be true.

Windu: (looking up) Uncontrolled.

Yoda: Control with time comes. Balance the force, I sense he will.

Windu: He fights better than anyone I've ever seen. Obi Wan wasn't exaggerating. I couldn't have done that exercise at his age, and no normal Jedi could. But I felt his mind. It was intense, and full of strength, and passion.

Yoda: Such is youth.

Windu: We should continue to watch him. These are dangerous times.

Yoda looks sad, and a complaining moan comes from his lips. Evidently, he has more confidence in the boy than Mace.

Anakin is sitting at a desk in his quarters. Before him is a large clear glass bowl, and a jug of some dark red liquid. It might be wine, but given that this is the Star Wars universe, it might be something far more exotic. A small smouldering pyramid of a dark blue incense is burning on a shelf above. Once more, he is praying. Evidently, a Jedi does a lot of this. A fuzzy and indistinct hologram of Shmi is on his bedside table.

With Anakin's eyes still closed and his arms by his sides, the jug of liquid rises from the table, tilts slowly but smoothly in mid-air, and pours the liquid into the glass bowl. It settles at the bottom of the basin, and the jug stands still again.

Anakin opens his eyes, and looks at the hologram of his mother. His face gives no sign of his mood. There is a knock at his door. He winces at the interruption. He reaches over, and deactivates the hologram.

Anakin: Come!

A young man enters. He is dressed in the robes of a Padawan, and about Anakin's age. He is slightly shorter than Anakin, and quite skinny. Short, spiky black hair crests his head. His cheekbones are very high, and his ears are small, and mounted low on his head. He might be of mixed-species, or he might just be of an unusual appearance.

Varyn: Anny! At last. I've been looking for you all morning.

Anakin (relaxing a little): Oh, it's you, Varyn. I'm sorry, I've been up for extra training for Obi-Wan. He has great designs for me, it seems.

Varyn: He's just trying to impress Yoda. (Anakin chuckles) Though Master Zasho has been a little zealous in my own training recently. They're training us up for combat, I think. What with Dooku's insurgencies throughout the galaxy, Jedi resources are pretty stretched. Soon, they'll be calling up us Padawan...

Anakin: I wouldn't mind that if it meant I could leave Coruscant. I remember when I first came here I was excited by the place. But it's so crowded. I want to see new places. Or just Tatooine again...

Anakin sits silently for a moment, gazing at the floor.

Varyn: (a little embarrassed) Anyway...

Anakin: Sorry, I'm a little tired.

Varyn: Well, I only came in to let you know that Sonal is finally leaving tomorrow, for Alderaan. He's going to help the government against Dooku's insurgency. And I've managed to buy some good Kuat wine, with a twist of Kessel spice in it. It cost me a pretty penny, but we're going to say good bye in style, if I have anything to do with it. Can you come? It's tonight.

Anakin: (smiling) I'll see what I can do, Varyn.

Varyn: (waves right hand in cryptic gesture) You will be there in my quarters tonight.

Anakin: (playing along, with a tired, grudging tone in his voice) I will be there in your quarters tonight....

Varyn: (makes gesture again) You will have a good time!

Anakin: I will have a good time. Now go away, Varyn...

The bridge of Amidala's starship. It is light, airy, and highly tasteful. The crew are all human, all experienced members of the Naboo diplomatic corps. Tor and Amidala enter, Amidala first, from the far corner of the room.

Young officer: Senator!

He stands and salutes.

Amidala: (regally) Have we docked?

Young officer: A few minutes ago, Senator. The Chancellor and his entourage are waiting for you in the observation deck.

Amidala and Tor walk together across the bridge, over to a door opposite that by which they entered. Through here is a larger room, with a great table in the centre. The left wall is entirely made of transparisteel. Palpatine is standing by the window, facing away from us. His arms are folded behind his back. Two guards flank him. Both are powerfully build, and wear body armour.

Palpatine: Your highness!

Amidala: (smiles) Merely Senator now.

Palpatine: Of course. My apologies, Senator. I'm sorry to have to meet you so quickly, but I thought it better that we talk alone before we go down to the planet.

Amidala: We won't have such an opportunity once we're there?

Palpatine: Both factions in the military dispute have requested to see you as soon as you arrive. Since the vote is tomorrow morning, they may be, ah, hard to delay. (he smiles) And besides, I wanted to reacquaint myself with the young queen who so impressed the Senate ten years ago.

Amidala: Of course, I understand. You look well, Chancellor. Coruscant politics must agree with you. But I confess that I had rather hoped you would be able to visit Naboo again.

Palpatine: Though I should dearly like to return home, the politics here are rather unforgiving. I fear that I have had little time for anything else, especially in recent years. Dooku has caused great tensions here, and it's been all I can do to hold the Senate together.

Amidala: Can we still win the vote tomorrow?

Palpatine: I must remain officially impartial, Senator. My position would become untenable if it was thought that I favoured any one faction. But I fear since the secession of Abregado-Rae, the Senate is too afraid to vote against a defence force. Senators Organa and Mothma are the only backers of a pacific approach. Even with the sympathy you command in the Senate, I doubt we will be able to attain a majority. And if we force the issue, we risk splitting the house.

Amidala: (surprised, shocked, and more than a little awed by Palpatine's grim realism) But what would you suggest? Surely you cannot conscience what amounts to militarisation of the Republic.

Palpatine: I think, just for the moment, we may be able to seek a compromise. One that would allow us to reconcile the opposing groups, whilst minimising the influence of military element within the Republic. But we need to move quickly. And I need your support...