Naboo
Several Federation droids patrolled a deserted city street around the palace. Inside Nute Gunray sat in a strange, mechanical walking chair, which approached Sio Bibble and several other Naboo officials. Rune followed a few paces behind. Droid guards surrounded Sio Bibble and the others as four Council members watched.
"When are you going to give up this pointless strike?" The Viceroy of the Trade Federation asked.
"I will give up the strike, Viceroy, when the Queen-" The governor spoke but was cut off in mid-sentence.
"Your Queen is lost, your people are starving!" Nute interrupted.
"We will not be intimidated into serving you. Not even at the cost of innocent lives." Bibbo continued.
"Not even your own? You, Governor, are going to die much sooner than your people, I'm afraid. "
"This invasion will gain you nothing. We're a democracy. The people have decided... They will not live under your tyranny." Bibbo declared as loudly as he could.
The Viceroy waved a hand, clearly having enough. "Take him away."
Bibble is taken away as OOM-9 approached Nute. "My troops are in position to begin searching the swamps for these rumored underwater villages... they will not stay hidden for long."
Xxx
Royal Naboo Ship
Most of the ship was asleep. The lights were dim as Padme walked into the main room. She walked over to a monitor and watched the Bibble plea recording. Jar-Jar was stretched out on a chair, snoring.
Artoo was to one side, cooing as he rested. Padme appeared tired as well but could not sleep. She sensed someone watching her and turnd around with a start. She sawAnakin sitting in the corner, shivering and looking very dejected. She went over to him and he looked up at her with tears in his eyes.
He was holding his arms to keep himself warm.
"You all right?" She asked.
"It's very cold." The boy timidly answered.
Padme gave him her over-jacket. "You come from a warm planet, Ani. A little too warm for my taste. Space is cold. "
Anakin noticed the look on her face. "You seem sad."
Did she? "The Queen is worried. Her people are suffering, dying. She must convince the Senate to intervene, or...I'm not sure what'll happen."
"I'm...I'm not sure what's going to happen to me either. I dunno if I'll ever see you again…" The boy pulled something from his pocket. "I made this for you. So you'd remember me. I carved it out of a japor snippet... It'll bring you good fortune."
Anakin handed a wooden pendant to Padme.
She inspected it, then put it around her neck. "It's beautiful, but I don't need this to remember you by." She grinned. "How could I forget my future husband? "She giggled, then became more serious. "Many things will change when we reach the capital, Ani. My caring for you will remain. "
"I care for you too. Only I..." Anakin was disturbed about something, tears appearing in his eyes.
"...miss your mother." Padme finished knowingly.
Anakin looked at her, unable to speak.
She hugged him. "When we go forward, we miss the things we leave behind. That's what makes our hearts so full."
Anakin nodded. The two continue to cling tightly to each other.
Xxx
The spacecraft flew over the endless cityscape of Coruscant, the capital of the galaxy. Anakin was looking out the cockpit window in awe.
"Coruscant...the capital of the Republic...the entire planet is one big city." Ric Olie stated.
"Wow! It's so huge!" The boy exclaimed.
"A nice place to visit, but I sure wouldn't want to live there. There's Chancellor Valorum's shuttle. And look over there…Senator Palpatine is waiting for us. "
Xxx
Supreme Chancellor Valorum, several guards, and Senator Palpatine stood on a landing platform, watching as the sleek Naboo spacecraft landed on the platform high above the street level of the galactic capital. The ramp lowered and Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Jar-Jar and Anakin descended the ramp first and bowed before Palpatine and Valorum. Captain Panaka, two guards, Queen Amidala, then Padme, Rabe, Eirtae, and more guards descended the ramp. Queen Amidala stops before the group. Anakin and Jar-Jar stood to one side, looking at the huge city.
Padme smiled at Anakin as Palpatine bowed before the Queen. "It is a great gift to see you alive, Your Majesty. With the communications breakdown, we've been very concerned. I'm anxious to hear your report on the situation. May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum."
"Welcome, Your Highness. It's an honor to finally meet you in person." Valorum greeted.
"Thank you, Supreme Chancellor."
"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.
"I am grateful for your concern, Chancellor."
Palpatine started to lead Queen Amidala and her retinue off the platform toward a waiting air taxi. Jar-Jar and Anakin started to follow.
"There is a question of procedure, but I'm confident we can overcome it..."
Qui-Gon looks over at Chancellor Valorum. " I must speak with the Jedi Council immediately, Your Honor. The situation has become much more complicated."
Anakin suddenly stopped and turns, noticing that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were staying with the Supreme Chancellor.
"Ani? Come on." Padme called out.
Anakin looked back to Qui-Gon, and he nodded to go ahead. Anakin and Jar-Jar joined the Queen, Palpatine, Panaka, Padme, Rabe and Eirtae in the taxi. Palpatine gave the Gungan and the boy in the back of the taxi a skeptical look.
Jar-Jar leaned over to Anakin. "Da Queens- a bein grossly nice, mesa tinks." He looked around. "Pitty hot!"
The taxi moved off into the city – a spellbinding vista of monumental buildings and crisscrossing rows of air traffic. The taxi flew under another landing platform and soars over a giant skyscraper, then swoops down to a landing atop the building.
Xxx
Queen Amidala is sitting listening to Palpatine. Eirtae and Rabe stand behind the Queen; Padme is nowhere to be seen. Anakin and Jar-Jar were waiting in an adjoining room. They could see the Queen but cannot hear what is being said.
"Dissen all pitty odd to my." Jar-Jar said to Anakin who shrugged.
"Don't look at me. I don't know what's going on."
Captain Panaka entered, then went into the room with Queen Amidala. Palpatine was pacing as Captain Panaka entered. Eirtae and Rabe stoodto one side.
"There is no civility. Only politics. The Republic is not what it once was." Palpatine stated as he paced."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. It's disgusting. I must be frank, Your Majesty, there is little chance the Senate will act on the invasion."
Queen Amidala frowned. "Chancellor Valorum seems to think there is hope."
"If I may say so, Your Majesty, the Chancellor has little real power...he is mired down by baseless accusations of corruption." Palpatine said. "A manufactured scandal surrounds him. The bureaucrats are in charge now. "
"If that is true, this entire trip has been wasted effort. What options have we?" Amidala asked.
"Our best choice would be to push for the election of a stronger Supreme Chancellor." Palpatine said. "One who could take control of the bureaucrats, enforce the laws, and give us justice. You could call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum."
"He has been our strongest supporter." To vote him out of office would be a betrayal. But she remembered Governor Bibble's message. "Is there no other way?"
"Our only other choice would to be to submit a plea to the courts..."
"here's no time for that. The courts take even longer to decide things than the Senate. Our people are dying, Senator. We must do something quickly to stop the Federation." Amidala said urgently.
Palpatine shook his head. "To be realistic, Your Highness, I'd say we're going to have to accept Federation control of Naboo for the time being."
Amidala glare coldly at Palpatine. "That is something I cannot do."
Xxx
A unique building with tall spires stands out against the Coruscant skyline, a small transport passing by the vast temple. Qui-Gon stood in a tall stately room. Twelve Jedi sit in a semi-circle. Obi-Wan stood behind Qui-Gon in the center of the room.
The Senior Jedi was Mace Windu. To his left was a Cerean Jedi named Ki-Adi-Mundi, and to his right, the Jedi Master Yoda.
"…he was trained in the Jedi arts. My only conclusion can be that it was a Sith Lord." Qui-Gon finished.
The entire council was shocked.
Mace Windu leaned forward, a dark expression on his face. "A Sith Lord?!"
"Impossible! The Sith have been extinct for a millennium." Ki-Adi-Mundi said.
"The very Republic is threatened, if involved the Sith are." Master Yoda said as his ears twitched.
Mace Windu threw a pointed look at Yoda." I do not believe the Sith could have returned without us knowing."
"Hmm? Hard to see, the Dark Side is." Yoda said with many agreeing with him. "Discover who this assassin is, we must."
"I sense he will reveal himself again." Ki-Adi-Mundi said slowly.
"This attack was with purpose, that is clear, and I agree the Queen is the target." Mace Windu said.
"With this Naboo queen you must stay, Qui-Gon. Protect her." Yoda advised.
"We will use all our resources to unravel this mystery. We will discover the identity of your attacker... May the Force be with you." Mace Windu added.
"May the Force be with you."
Obi-Wan turned to leave, but Qui-Gon continued to face the Council.
Yode contined dryly. "Master Qui-Gon. More to say have you?"
"With your permission, my Master..." Qui-Gon continued when Yoda nodded. "I have encountered a vergence in the Force. "
Yoda's eyes narrowed. "A vergence, you say?"
"Located around a person?" Mace Windu asked.
Qui-Gon nodded. "A young boy. His cells have the highest concentration of midichlorians I have seen in a life form. It is possible he was conceived by the midichlorians."
The council was stunned at this news.
"You're referring to the prophesy of the one who will bring balance to the Force. You believe it's this boy?" Mace Windu asked skeptically.
"I don't presume to..."
Yoda broke in. "But you do! Revealed your opinion is."
"I request the boy be tested, Master." Qui-Gon said stiffly.
The Jedi all looked to one another. They nodded and turned back to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon
"Oh. Trained as a Jedi, you request for him, hmm?" Yoda asked.
"Finding him was the will of the Force...I have no doubt of that. There is too much happening here for it to be anything else." Qui-Gon replied firmly.
"Bring him before us, then." Mace said.
"Tested, he will be." Yoda spoke ominously.
"There is one other matter…Before our arrival to Tantooine we encountered something new…A force from a new galaxy." Qui-Gon held out a strange communicator. "Our hyperdrive malfunctioned and catapulted us into this new galaxy where we met an entirely different form of life that helped us return and they followed. This communicator was a gift from the ones who followed us, the crew of the starship Enterprise."
Xxx
The Sith spacecraft cloaks and becomes invisible as it flies toward the planet Coruscant. Only a blur of motion indicates the Sith spacecraft as it flies over the city. The Sith spacecraft became visible as it came to a landing inside a hangar in the lower levels of Coruscant. The room was pitch black, except for a single light that shines over Darth Sidious.
He was sitting on the floor in a lotus position, meditating as Darth Maul stood before him. "You feel certain you could defeat this Jedi if you faced him again?"
"Yes, Master. I felt him tire. I can defeat him." Darth Maul answered.
"Was he bearded?" Sidious questioned.
"Yes."
"Good. That is Qui-Gon Jinn. He is the stronger of the two." Sidious said.
"They are undoubtedly coming here. What else can they do?"
"They are already here."
Darth Maul let out a breath. "Please…let me kill them."
"Not now. And not here. I have plans of my own for them."
Xxx
Anakin, tentative, walks down one of the long hallways in Senator Palpatine's quarters. He stops before a door that is flanked by two guards.
"May I help you, son?" The guard on the left asked.
"I'm...I'm looking for the handmaiden, Padme." Anakin answered, sounding slightly unsure.
The guard spoke into his comlink as Anakin looked around a bit nervously. "The boy is here to see Padme."
"Let him in."
The doors opened, and Anakin entered the Queen's quarters. Rabe greeted Anakin as two other handmaidens came and left into the next room.
"I'd like to speak with Padme, if I could." Anakin said.
"I'm sorry, Ani. But Padme is not here right now."
The Queen spoke out in the next room. "Who is it?"
"Anakin Skywalker, to see Padme, Your Highness."
The Queen moved into the doorway and studied Anakin who bowed and looked down, then took a peek at her. "I've sent Padme on an errand."
"I'm on my way to the Jedi temple to start my training. I hope."
The Queen just stared at him.
Anakin continued. "I may never see her again. So I came to say goodbye."
"We will tell her for you. We are sure her heart goes with you."
Anakin bowed again. "Thank you, Your Highness. I'm sorry to have disturbed you."
The Queen disappeared behind the doorway, and Anakin exit the room.
Xxx
A large, distinctive looking domed building stood out amid the cityscape of Coruscant. This was the Galactic Senate Building, the center of the Galactic Republic and where thousands of planets were represented by their senators and delegates. Inside the Senate chambers were huge. Thousands of senators and their aides sat in the circular assembly area.
Chancellor Valorum sat in an elevated area in the center. Hundreds of aides and droids hurried about. Senator Palpatine, Queen Amidala, Eirtae, Rabe and Captain Panaka sat in the Naboo congressional box, which was actually a floating platform.
Palpatine leaned over to the Queen. "If the Federation moves to defer the motion...Your Majesty, I beg of you to ask for a resolution to end this congressional session and call for a new election for Supreme Chancellor. "
"I wish I had your confidence in this, Senator." The Queen replied.
"You must force a new election for Supreme Chancellor. I promise you there are many who will support us. It is our best chance." Palpatine stared out at Valorum, a hungry look in his eyes. "Our only chance…"
"You truly believe Chancellor Valorum will not bring our motion to a vote? " The Queen asked.
"He is distracted. He is afraid. He will be of no help."
"The Chair recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Naboo." The Chancellor announced.
The Naboo congressional box floated into the center as Palpatine began. "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 started right here with the taxation of trade routes, and has now engulfed our entire planet in the oppression of the Trade Federation."
A second box rushed into the center of the Senate. It is filled with Federation trade barons led by Lott Dod, the Senator for the Federation. "This is outrageous! I object to the Senator's statements! I demand he be silenced!"
"The Chair does not recognize the Senator from the Trade Federation at this time. Please return to your station." Valorum scolded.
Lott Dod reluctantly moved back to his place.
"To state our allegations in full, I present Queen Amidala, recently elected ruler of Naboo, who speaks on our behalf." Palpatine moved aside as Queen Amidala stood and addressed the assembly with some applause.
"Honorable representatives of the Republic, distinguished delegates, and Your Honor Supreme Chancellor Valorum, I come to you under the gravest of circumstances. Naboo's system has been invaded by force. Invaded, against all the laws of the Republic, by the Droid Armies of the Trade-"
"I object! There is no proof. This is incredible. We recommend a commission be sent to Naboo to ascertain the truth." Lott Dod interrupted again.
"Overruled. Return to your station, Senator." Valorum stated.
Lott Dod seemingly ignored the Chancellor's wishes. "Your Honor, you cannot allow us to be condemned without a chance to defend ourselves! It's against all the rules of procedure! "
A third box representing Malastare moved into the center of the room as Aks Moe, the Ambassador, addresses the convention. "The Congress of Malastare concurs with the honorable delegate from the Trade Federation. A commission, once requested, must be appointed...that is the law."
"The point-" Valorum was cut off by Vice Chairman Mas Amedda, who pulled him aside to speak to him quietly along with his aides.
Palpatine whispered something to the Queen. "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."
Valorum spoke with a heavy sigh. "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?"
Queen Amidala was angry but remains composed. "I will not defer. I have come before you to resolve this attack on our sovereignty now! I was not elected Queen to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee! If this body is not capable of action… or unwilling to take action… I suggest new leadership is needed… I move for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum's leadership. "
This caused a great stir in the assembly. A loud murmur crescendo into a roar of approval and jeers. Chancellor Valorum was stunned and stood speechless.
His Vice Chair, Mas Amedda, took over. "Order! We shall have order..."
Things settled down a little. The Federation box settled next to Amidala as Prince Bail Antilles moved his box into the arena. "Alderaan seconds the motion for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum."
"The motion has been seconded by Bail Antilles of Alderaan." Mas Amedda turns to the dazed and uncomprehending Valorum and whispered something to him.
"There must be no delays. The motion is on the floor and must be voted upon in this session."
"The Trade Federation moves the motion be sent to the procedures committee for study-"
The assembly erupted into outrage, beginning to chant. Valorum sank into his chair, staring at nothing, not even listening to Amedda anymore.
"Vote now! Vote now! VOTE NOW!"
Palpatine stood next to Amidala. "You see, Your Majesty, the tide is with us. Valorum will be voted out, I assure you, and now they will elect in a new Chancellor. A strong Chancellor. One who will not let our tragedy continue... "
"The Supreme Chancellor requests a recess. Tomorrow we will begin the vote."
The Federation delegation was furious while Valorum stared disbelieving at Amidala and Palpatine as he whispered one word. "Why?"
Amidala couldn't bring herself to meet his stricken gaze. There is the faint hint of a smile on Palpatine's face.
Xxx
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stood outside the palace on a balcony as the sun began to set over the Jedi Temple.
"The boy will not pass the Council's tests, Master, and you know it. He's far too old."
"Anakin will become a Jedi, I promise you. " Qui-Gon replied calmly.
"Do not defy the Council, Master! Not again!" Obi-Wan said in a tone that was mixed with warning and pleading.
"I shall do what I must. Would you have me be any other way?"
"Master, if you would just follow the code, you would be on the Council. They will not go along with you this time." Obi-Wan warned him.
Qui-Gon only smiled. "You still have much to learn, my young apprentice."
"And what will be done about the Enterprise?" Obi-Wan changed subject. "You informed the council of them but have yet to inform the Senate."
"As of now, the situation with Naboo takes and Anakin's test takes priority over the Enterprise. I have not heard from them since we left Tatooine." Qui-Gon admitted. "The Council knows I am not lying but perhaps they have to see this ship and this new galaxy for themselves to believe what we have seen."
"And what do you think shall happen when they do?"
Qui-Gon had no answer for that.