The Battle Droids stomp down the corridor and come to a halt once they reach the door to the conference room. The leader cautiously opens the door and a deadly green cloud billows from the room. They cock their weapons and wait for any movement inside. "No sign of life. Let's go in," the leader begins just before twin lightsabers shine brightly through the fog. Qui-Gon and Obi-Won dash out of the room, spinning their blades before the droids can attack. One droid is decapitated, another is chopped in half at the midsection, and a third gets his blaster sliced in half. Obi-Won raises his hand, throwing two droids against the wall. The final droid manages to open fire, but Qui-Gon deflects the blast back at him, blowing a hole through its chest. He looks up and notices the security cam, levitates a droid's head with the Force, then throws it into the camera.
On the bridge, a Federation technician turns to the two leaders watching the screen behind him, "We've lost transmission."
"Where are they?," Nute asks.
"Have you ever encountered a Jedi Knight before, Viceroy?," Daultay asks.
"No, but they can't...," he turns to his security officers in a panic, "Seal off the bridge!"
"I'm afraid that won't be enough," Daultay warns.
"I want them found! Send the destroyer droids," Nute continues to bark commands.
Outside, Qui-Gon cuts several battle droids in half, creating a shower of sparks and metal parts. Obi-Wan slices a droid at the legs and it falls back, sending a blast into the wall. He finishes it off with a quick stab. "The escape pods are this way," Qui-Gon motions toward a nearby hallway which is quickly sealed shut by a series of blast doors. Ten ugly destroyer droids roll down the hallway at full speed. Just before they get to their area, they stop and transform into their battle configuration. The droids rush the entry area from three hallways, blasting away with their guns. The two Jedi begin deflecting the blasts back at them and soon find personal shields protecting the droids.
"They have shield generators!," Obi-Wan shouts under heavy fire.
Qui-Gon notices a nearby ventilation grate, "Into the ventilation shafts."
He deflects a blast away from him, which blows a hole into the grate covering the nearby shaft. He and Obi-Wan then raise their hands, rolling the destroyer droids onto their backs before turning and diving inside the vents. The droids manage to crawl back onto their legs and quickly rush to the vent, but it's too late and the Jedi are gone. Back on the bridge, a technician turns to Nute, "Sir, we've lost them again."
Some time later, in the lower bay area, the two Jedi silently drop out of a vent and disappear behind a large stack of crates. They peer around the corner to a giant hanger bay. Thousands of battle droids are loading onto a landing craft.
Obi-Wan whispers, "They're preparing an invasion."
Qui-Gon concurs, "I've never known the Trade Federation to be this bold. We've got to warn the Naboo and contact the Chancellor. Let's split up. Stow aboard separate ships and meet down on the planet."
"You were right about one thing, Master," Obi-Wan smiles a bit, "The negotiations were short."
Qui-Gon says nothing but shoots Obi-Wan a look the tells him he shouldn't joke at a time like this. They both leave the crates in different directions. Obi-Wan leaps into the underside storage bay of one craft. Qui-Gon goes to a different craft and does the same.
The landing crafts prepare to launch as the hangar bay opens to reveal Naboo. On the surface, Queen Amidala's castle stands tall over a city with a lush jungle nearby. Inside the castle. Amidala stands by a window, looking out over her kingdom before turning to her hand maidens, "Prepare a transmission," she tells them, "It's time we spoke to the Federation ourselves."
On the bridge of the Federation command ship, a transmission officer turns to Nute, "Sir, a transmission from the planet. It's Queen Amidala."
"At last we're getting results," Nute turns to the screen, "Perhaps an invasion won't be necessary after all."
On the view screen, Queen Amidala appears in her throne room, wearing her elaborate headdress and robes, "Viceroy, we have given you sufficient time to end your blockade. I demand an explanation."
Nute bows his head, "Apologies, your highness. The Federation is always open to communication. We only ask that-."
"That time has passed, Viceroy. Your trade boycott of our planet has ended. I have word that the Senate is finally voting on this blockade of yours."
"I take it you know the outcome," Nute smirks, "I wonder why they bother to vote."
"Enough of this pretense! I'm aware the Chancellor's ambassadors are with you now, and that you have been commanded to reach a settlement."
"I know nothing about any ambassadors...you must be mistaken."
Amidala, surprised at his reaction, studies him carefully, "Beware, Viceroy...the Federation is going too far this time."
"Your Highness, we would never do anything without the approval of the Senate."
"We will see," the queen fades off, and the view screen goes black.
Daulty approaches, "Do you think she suspects an attack?"
"I don't know, but we must move quickly. Disrupt all communications and begin the invasion."
The landing crafts are ejected from the command ship and head to the planet below at great speed. Inside the storage bay in one craft, Obi-Wan is jostled and appears concerned. Six landing craft fly in formation toward the surface of the planet Naboo. Three landing craft slowly descend through the cloud cover and, one by one, the Federation warships land in an eerie swamp.
The Queen stands alongside her handmaidens, security, and council, facing a hologram of Senator Palpatine, a thin, kindly man. "The Viceroy claims the ambassadors never arrived," Amidala explains. "How could that be true?," Palpatine asks, "I have assurances from the Chancellor...his Ambassadors did arrive." His hologram begins to flicker out, "It must be the...get...negotiate..." The hologram finally sputters and fades away.
Amidala rises to her feet, "Senator Palpatine?!," she turns to Captain Panaka, her head of security, "What's happening? Is it a malfunction?"
Captain Panaka's face darkens, "It could be the Federation jamming us, Your Highness.
"A communications disruption can only mean one thing," her governor explains, "Invasion."
"Don't jump to conclusions, Governor," Amidala tells him, "The Federation would not dare go that far. The Senate would revoke their trade franchise, and they'd be finished. We must continue to rely on negotiation."
"Negotiation?," the Governor continues in a panicked tone, "We've lost all communications!...and where are these ambassadors? How can we negotiate? We must prepare to defend ourselves."
"This is a dangerous situation, Your Highness," Captain Panaka agrees, "Our security volunteers will be no match against a battle-hardened Federation army."
Amidala shakes her head, "I will not condone a course of action that will lead us to war."