A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
prologue
The first thing we see is the Slave One drop into realspace. Jango Fett is piloting and pulls up to dock with a dreadnought. He disembarks to enter the Silver Sailor, an extravagant capital cruiser owned by the mysterious Lord Tyranus. It's decked out in luxurious rugs, chandeliers and rare artifacts and technologies from all over the galaxy and beyond.
Then Tyranus appears, dressed like a royal, with a clean shaved face and bright yellow eyes. He shares a drink with Jango, who removes his helmet to join in the fun. Tyranus explains that he will pay Jango double his fee for the next ten years, up-front — and that by the end of his tenure he will be the galaxy's most famous, and most wealthy, bounty hunter.
Fett smiles and asks what the catch would be. Tyranus finishes his drink and calls for food, then asks Jango how much he knows about the cloners on Kamino.
end of prologue
— STAR WARS —
Democracy is in danger! For 30,000 years The Republic has guaranteed freedom and representation to thousands of systems across the galaxy. After many ages of expansion, the Jedi Order, the guardians of peace and justice, have reached their breaking point.
Enemies abound as corrupt senators endlessly squabble and debate, while the galaxy begs for relief. When the Outer Rim system of Naboo, comes under blockade by the greedy Czerka Corporation, a desperate senator dispatches a pair of Jedi in secret, to settle the conflict…
A white and silver Corellian Corevette careens through the blur of hyperspace. The vessel is crewed by Jedi Reserves who are joined by Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, on the bridge. Obi-Wan asks his master why they aren't at the head of a Republic Fleet, sailing off to liberate an entrenched member world. Qui-Gon says there are more answers to that question than could be counted, but for now there are only two that matter. One: there is not enough public information on the crisis to warrant a majority interest in the gargantuan Republic Senate. Two: Qui-Gon says with absolute certainty that a modern Jedi should never go into a war. The Force will always provide a better path.
As Obi-Wan contemplates the meaning of his master's words, the ship receives a hail from Coruscant. Grandmaster Mace Windu is on the other end of the call, the Council has received intel that there is to be an assassination attempt on the Queen. Qui-Gon's mission has been changed. They must now sneak through the blockade, into the palace to protect and retrieve the queen at any cost. Before ending the transmission he instructs the crew of The Shatterpoint that they are transmitting a series of nav-points that ought to break the Czerka blockade, and of course, MTFBWY.
Obi-Wan expresses doubts about data on a blockade that was supposed to be a secret, but Qui-Gon does not respond. He is contemplative when his padawan gets anxious, testing Obi-Wan's patience (and loyalty). Nevertheless the data, or the Force, guides them true and they reach the outskirts of Theed Palace without incident. Obi-Wan thinks they will immediately raise the alarm and call Naboo security forces, but Qui-Gon urges patience.
The Jedi walk through the capital and find a pair of Gungans in shadowed gear to hide their weapons. Qui-Gon explains that Gungans are not welcome in Nabooian society, so they usually avoid the cities, and the capital especially. The Gungans duck into a series of alleys and through a secret entrance in the palace waste facility. They are met by their leader, a figure who stays completely cloaked as they sneak through the castle up to the royal apartments.
When they finish slicing the lock to the throne room, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan ambush them. The Gungans fight to the death, but their leader is subdued. They unmask him and find he's a red-face, golden eyed Kaleesh, whose lungs were badly wounded in the scuffle. Qui-Gon quickly summons the Force to sustain the dying being, while Obi-Wan asks who sent him. The assassin says he was hired by a Sith lord and that more would be coming. It would not end with him, this was only the beginning.
Qui-Gon is uncharacteristically unsettled by all this and demands the Kaleesh say more about the Sith, but the queen and her security forces descend upon them all and take her would-be assassin into custody. Queen Amidala and her handmaidens, along with Captain Panaka, welcome the Jedi then call an emergency council.
Before the holo-images of the rulers of Naboo and the queen on her throne, Qui-Gon explains that the Jedi Council believes that she is no longer safe on her homeworld. The combined threat of a looming Czerka invasion, and a possible Sith assassination plot, is too much to ignore. She must return with the Jedi to Coruscant where she can be safe and aid in swaying the senate into action.
Though all in the council appear to have a negative reaction to Qui-Gon's advice, none dare speak out against a Jedi Knight. None, but the queen herself. She dismisses her councilors whose holo-images disappear, then rises from her throne. Amidala is the youngest person to ever be elected ruler of the Naboo, and she's had the job for less than a year. She is not blind, she knows this siege is a setup — someone thinks she's weak. If she runs from Czerka Corp, then that means they are right about her.
Qui-Gon considers her words, and Obi-Wan is impressed. They strike a bargain to meet in the middle. Naboo needs to defend itself from invasion, but the Queen needs to leave the system safely. So the Jedi use their ship's comm systems to help Captain Panaka assemble a Nabooian strike force. And, as the Naboo fighter squadrons fly off toward the atmosphere, the queen's personal shuttle leads the charge.
Just before the Naboo forces reach the Czerka capital cruiser that orbits Theed, Queen Amidala transmits a message across the sector's Holonet. In it she gives a quick, impassioned speech declaring war eternal on the Czerka slavers. She would rather die today in glorious battle than live a full, peaceful life in slavery.
The battle is distracting enough for the Jedi to escape the system without ever interacting with the Czerka forces. The Shatterpoint spools up it's hyperdrive and is about to leap into hyperspace when a Gungan battleship opens fire on them. They hail the Corvette and explain that they are the Kaleesh's crew, and they must complete their master's mission or die trying. Obi-Wan and the rest of the crew are very willing to oblige, but Qui-Gon reminds them there is another way.
So they drop a series of ion charges behind them which disable their attackers, then leap into hyperspace. As the black of space turns to swirls of white and blue, the captain of the ship turns to explain to Qui-Gon that they do not have the power to make it back to the Core. They've charted a course to a nearby backwater which should offer shelter — maybe even parts — so they can make repairs. Qui-Gon nods and thanks him for his effort, while Queen Amidala and four of her handmaidens look on with judgement and doubt in their features.
…
Lord Tyranus' Dreadnought drops out of hyperspace above the system of Oba Diah. He gets into his shuttle and flies down to the Pyke Palace to me with Lom Pyke. Tyranus and four of his assassin droids enter the palace to find the Pyke Syndicate is holding a badly wounded Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, prisoner. When the wounded Jedi espies Tyranus, he smiles, happy to finally see a friendly face. Tyranus calls him, "my old master" then hands over a set of codes to his captors.
The Pykes release Sifo-Dyas and two of the assassin droids carry the wounded Jedi out of his prison. Tyranus assures Lom that the new Sith Empire will restore his syndicate's monopoly on the Kessel Spice trade. Hearing these words concerns Dyas but he's too weak to resist the droids carrying him.
When he finishes with the Pykes, Tyranus approaches Sifo-Dyas and shows him that the Pykes handed over the old master's lightsaber and holocron. The hilt of the blade is three hands long, but the last hand curves in a way that hugs the wielder's palm. Tyranus clearly likes it. Sifo-Dyas calls him Dooku, and asks why such a great Jedi Knight would ever pretend to ally with the Sith. Tyranus says that name no longer means anything to him.
He activates his old master's lightsaber, then rams it through the man's heart. The dark blue blade turns purple, and even starts to change into a red hue before Tyranus deactivates it. As the Jedi Master falls to the ground dead, Tyranus regards the holocron in his hand lustfully, then returns to his shuttle and leaves Oba Diah behind.
…
We return to The Shatterpoint which shudders violently as it drops out of hyperspace. An overwhelmed R2-D2 screams his discontent at the many repair tasks he's been stuck with. Klaxons blare and fires rage as the Corvette begins to drop into a world's atmosphere spinning out of control. The Jedi are concerned enough that they step in to helm the ship's descent, but even that may not prove to be enough.
The ship's captain broadcasts a distress call on all Republic frequencies. He identifies himself as Raymus Antilles, and calls for any Republic or Jedi allies to assist them as they crash land on a planet known as Tatooine. When things look bleak, they receive a transmission from a man who calls himself Skywalker.
Then an Incom T-8x Cloudrider (larger, heavier predecessor to the T-16 Skyhopper) zooms into view and matches speed with the falling Corvette. The T-8x snares The Shatterpoint in its tractor beam, then drags it out of freefall. Together, the two ships swing through a death-defying trench called Beggar's Canyon, to finally land in a sandy, timeworn hangar bay. The Jedi are pleased to be rescued, but the queen is livid.
She believes she made a mistake leaving Naboo and trusting the Jedi. She blames them for not anticipating that the Kaleesh assassin would have a contingency plan, and laments that Tatooine is further from Coruscant than even Naboo. Obi-Wan attempts to engage her in debate but is quickly subdued by her righteous anger. Qui-Gon only cautions that they be patient and trust the Force, as ever.
As the ships touch down in the hangar bay, a cheesy advertisement plays over the ship's console. It's a local-access video commercial for a company called "Skywalker & Son — Reckin' and Repair." At the end a handsome young man introduces himself as Anakin Skywalker, instructing people to come see why Skywalker is the most trusted name in the Outer Rim for salvage, repairs and exotic upgrades. This appears to be the last straw for Queen Amidala, who storms off to her quarters with her handmaidens.
The Jedi and their crew exit the ship to meet with Anakin Skywalker himself. He is only about eighteen or nineteen years old, but carries himself like a man twice his age. He seems unimpressed with the Jedi, even suspicious of them, but more than willing to do fair work for fair-pay. Qui-Gon guarantees him that and more if he can get The Shatterpoint back in space as soon as possible, so they have a deal.
Captain Antilles asks Anakin how he was there in the nick of time to save them. Anakin tells him that his mother was an old Republic loyalist before her passing and he'd picked up the habit of monitoring their frequencies in slow seasons. It was good for business for him when he worked with loyalists, and this was a perfect example.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan intend to keep Queen Amidala's presence on Tatooine a secret, but when a Rodian nanny comes out with a baby human in her arms, Amidala and the handmaidens come running down the gangplank to see. Anakin introduces them all to his son, baby Anakin. The women are instantly smitten by the beautiful baby boy, so it appears the Jedi have dodged a bullet for now.
The handmaidens introduce themselves to both Anakins. Eirtaé, Padmé, and Rabé are native Nabooians, well-trained infiltrators and hand-to-hand combat specialists. Cordé is a code slicer from Nubia, and an expert linguist. Sabé is the queen's closest advisor and childhood friend, and Berilé is a crack pilot and mechanical whiz. They are careful not to reveal everything about their identities, but very quickly come to like the Skywalkers.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are impressed with the young man as well. He has a successful business for someone his age, and is an attentive father. Qui-Gon is most impressed by how focused he's remained since the recent loss of his wife, Anakin's mother. She died in childbirth and the Skywalker boys have been on their own ever since.
At the end of the day, Anakin goes into town to drink at the local cantina while the Jedi go through training exercises, and the handmaidens play with baby Anakin and run through their own drills.
Anakin Sr. is smart and helpful so he comes off as caring and engaging. He is a proud man, very willing to gush about any number of his favorite things: the shop, his ship, his fleet of swoop bikes, or baby Anakin. Also, Anakin is capable with the Force, but actively downplays its importance to him. He uses the Force like practical magic, opening panels, lifting objects or catching things dropped by accident.
Obi-Wan is both impressed and horrified. He's a strict traditionalist, it had never even occurred to him that there were beings who could wield the Force with such control, outside the Order. Anakin is happy to show the Jedi that the Outer Rim has a network of Force-adepts who train each other called The Guild. Rather than masters and apprentices, each Guild member shares what they know about their powers with the community, helping each other learn and grow.
Qui-Gon is inspired and really opens up to the boy. He says Anakin utilizes the Force as if it's his third arm, or an extra leg. He's not at harmony with the Force like a Jedi, but rather seems to live in symbiosis with it — as if the Force were a parasite he's learned to feed in exchange for the ability to lift a thousand pound engine with his bare hands…
It is at this point that Qui-Gon asks for more information about Ankain's mother and his past. Anakin does not know much, but he's forthright. He tells them that he never knew his father, and his mother died when he was young, so he had to learn how to survive. He does not remember his homeworld, but his mother mentioned that they fled a religious war of some sort, and moved to Tatooine as refugees. Qui-Gon is unsettled by the story.
It does not take long before Padmé is on the warpath again. She believes they are wasting time. The Jedi could commandeer a vessel and get them into space with ease, yet their plan is to wait for repairs. Qui-Gon seems willing to let her have her outburst, but Obi-Wan can't help himself. He tries to convince her that acting in haste — even for a good reason — is still service to the dark side. She counters by intimating that the corruption in the Republic that made the blockade on Naboo possible, must also be running through the Jedi Order.
Anakin steps in at this point to play peacekeeper. He remarks to the elder Obi-Wan that there is a subtle art to talking to women that he suspects the Jedi don't address in their training. Obi-Wan responds that he's just happy he doesn't have to ever worry about getting emotionally entangled with such complicated creatures. It's an indelicate remark that he immediately regrets making to the young widower, but Anakin seems to take it in stride.
That evening, Anakin offers to take them all out for a drink, but the Jedi decline, preferring their training time in the desert at night. All the handmaidens join him but Cordé, who says she'll stay with the baby for the night. The girls have the most fun many of them have ever had — most of them have never gotten to drink, or go to a bar, or play party games in their adult lives.
The Jedi spend the evening practicing their saber forms and discussing the importance of remaining in the living Force. Battle Meditation requires a Jedi to be fully present, full engaged in the moment, to properly feel the flow of the Force. The Force flows through a Jedi and guides him. They discuss the greater meanings of the Jedi teachings around a meager campfire, and watch the flames crackle and spark into the night sky.
…
The crackling of a campfire returns us to a very different world. An unfamiliar Jedi Knight and his padawan are sitting around a fire in a dense forest. The elder is just finishing filing a transmission report with his holocommunicator. The padawan asks why he must report to the Council every day, even on days when nothing's happened. The master teaches him about doing his duty, no matter its perceived value, or how tedious it may be.
Then, to lighten the moment, the Jedi tells him the Council is acutely aware of how much a hazard it is to be his master. The padawan appreciates the barb, but eventually the master returns to the matter at hand. He explains that a hunt — like the one they're on — is good for testing any number of his abilities, but none so important as his attention to detail. Filing reports is just one of those essential details.
Suddenly he looks alerted, as though he heard something unnatural moving through the woods. Panic creeps in and infects his padawan. The Jedi activates his yellow lightsaber, and whispers that they need to get back to the ship. A menacing, echoing laugh haunts their tiny campsite. The louder it grows, the dimmer their campfire gets till it's extinguished altogether.
Run — the master cries, but it's too late as a beam of horrible red light cuts them down, master and apprentice. Then their attacker retrieves their lightsabers before activating a communicator in his palm. Darth Maul lowers his cowl and bows his head when the call is accepted. He tells his master that he has completed his mission.
The voice on the other end is angry and disappointed. He took too long to complete his work, his master thought he was dead and had continued his plans without him. Maul remains stoic, as his training has taught him, and asks what his master's bidding is. His master tells him about the failed assassination attempt on Queen Amidala, and the captured Kaleesh imprisoned in the palace.
His master tells him that he sends him against the Jedi who will be his doom. But if he is able to complete his mission, he shall have earned a place in the world that is to come. Either way, Maul's life or death, shall please him. Maul turns off the communicator, then retrieves the dead Jedi's holocron, and heads off into the forest.
…
We return to the outskirts of Mos Espa, looking down on the Skywalker Reckin & Repair shop through a pair of electrobinoculars. It's night time and though most of the shop is dark, there is a clear view through a window to the main house above the hangar. In the window paces Cordé with a sleeping baby Anakin in her arms. She's singing to him and dancing in circles.
A Gungan says that it must be her. He is sure of it, the three others cannot argue. One complains that there is a baby, and it is innocent. The leader quickly reminds him they have no other choice. And how many dead baby Gungans can be placed at the feet of the Naboo Queen? How many more will? It is uneasy, but there is no questioning him.
They assemble a shoulder mounted booma launcher, and then fire a massive projectile that decimates the hangar apartment. It's instantly incinerated and the plasma eats through the surrounding buildings like an electric-blue lava. The Gungans are horrified but their leader keeps them focused, and they run off together into the night.
Cordé and baby Anakin were killed instantly. Anakin Sr. returns to the scene and is utterly devastated. Padmé and the handmaidens are distraught and the Jedi arrive to chaos. After securing the area, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon take swoop bikes in search of the assassins. While they are away, Padmé, Sabé and Anakin commiserate together. They decide they've waited for the Jedi to fix things for long enough, and convince the grieving Anakin that it's time they take matters in their own hands.
They, along with the crew of The Shatterpoint, load up Anakin's ship with everything they can get their hands on and head off to get revenge. Anakin is in shock but could pilot his ship in his sleep. He calls in some favors from local law enforcement to find out that an unregistered gunship recently landed a few clicks outside town, and they make for the landing site.
When Anakin and the handmaidens reach the Gungan ship it's in ruins. Something destroyed the vessel and as they circle the wreckage overhead they can see a pair of lightsaber blades dance and sway as though they're in combat. It's hard to see clearly, but one blade is blue, the other appears yellow but is so obscured by smoke and the light that it is impossible to be sure.
Finally he finds a place to land and they disembark warily. It takes a while but they find Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, who are just as wary about finding them there. The Gungans are dead and burnt beyond recognition. It's a horrible sight and it does nothing to ease anyone's pain. However, the scene renews Padmé's faith in the Jedi and their commitment to justice, so she's pleased to keep Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan by her side.
When they all return to Anakin's ship, no one much feels like talking, but it is clear what will happen next when Anakin asks if there's a place for him on Coruscant. Padmé and the Jedi assure him that there is, so they take off and leap into hyperspace, leaving Tatooine behind for good.
…
The scene opens with Dooku leaving his brother on Serenno after a conversation that clearly did not go his brother's way. Dooku reminds him that the family's holdings are his to do with as he chooses, then reminds his brother that his place is to do as his Count commands. He then returns to his dreadnought and hyperspaces to far-off Dantooine, where he meets with none other than Yoda.
Yoda has been living on Dantooine for years as he studies relics from the ancient Massassi who once lived there. He hypothesizes to Dooku that the Prime Jedi was one of their race, but as yet does not have a way to prove it. Yoda asks his padawan why he has come. Dooku asks if anyone can resist destiny. Run from it, fight it, hide from it, change it — anything?
Yoda is patently evasive but does try to encourage Dooku that it's never too late to make a change for the better. Powerlessness is just a matter of perception, a lesson his master, Sifo-Dyas, knew quite well before his untimely death. Yoda's evocation of Dooku's old master unsettles him, but he tries very hard to appear unmoved.
Dooku reveals that there is a path before him that he knows Yoda would not approve of, but he wants his blessing nonetheless. Yoda obviously denies him, and Dooku appears unshaken. He retrieves a little wooden puzzle box from amongst Yoda's treasures and trinkets. If one operates its levers incorrectly, little pinpricks jump out to stab your fingers and palms. The familiar sensation brings a smile to Dooku's lips.
Instead, Dooku asks, could he take the little toy with him, in lieu of Yoda's validation. Yoda cannot deny one of his old students but reminds him that there is no Force without the Light. Dooku only says there is so much more to the universe than darkness and light, then turns to go.
…
Then we see Anakin's Cloudrider take off in the Tatooine night sky and look down to see Maul and his new apprentice hiding in the dark recesses of a cave near the wrecked Gungan ship. Maul refers to his apprentice as the Wounded. He moves around with the aid of a mechanical exosuit, and the sound of his difficult, painful breathing is ever-present. When the coast is clear, they come out of hiding and reveal that the Wounded is the Kaleesh. Darth Maul hands his apprentice the stolen Jedi Knight's lightsaber, which he places on his belt beside the padawan's, then commands him to follow.
Maul and his apprentice return to Anakin's destroyed shop, and Maul uses all his powers as a Sith and a hunter to divine that the assassins did not kill Amidala. He calls his master and informs him that the Gungans have been killed for their failure and the queen is most likely on her way to Coruscant right now. They receive no immediate reply which agitates the Wounded, but Darth Maul knows better. He says they must prepare for whatever death the Force has in store for them.
…
On the flight to Coruscant, Obi-Wan shows Anakin some of the principles of Jedi Meditation, as Qui-Gon looks on. He does not interfere, but there is a darkness in his eyes that's unmistakable. Something is on his mind, something is changing within him, but he's not willing to speak it into life, not yet.
Their arrival on Coruscant is secretive and conducted by a squad of Senate Guards, assisted by the Jedi Sentinels with their white long-pike sabers. As soon as they are safe within the Senate grounds, Queen Amidala and her handmaidens, along with Panaka and R2-D2, are swept away by Nabooian Senator Sheev Palpatine and his retinue. Anakin is not surprised in the least bit to hear that one of them was a queen that whole time, he's more surprised to hear that the rest aren't.
The Nabooian delegation meets with Grand Chancellor Valorum who shows lots of affection for Amidala. He gifts her a gold plated protocol droid designated C-3PO, who immediately takes kindly to R2-D2. As they move on to the underbelly of the capital of the Republic, Anakin and the Jedi, along with the crew of The Shatterpoint, make for the Temple.
They bring their story to the High Council who immediately offer Anakin lodging for as long as he should want it. The Council is concerned to hear that a Sith might have hired the Kaleesh assassin, explaining that it has been over a millennia since the last time Dark Jedi threatened the Republic. Anakin says he would like to enter the Temple as an adept and earn a rank within the Order. Obi-Wan likes the idea and speaks on his behalf, but Qui-Gon silences him. Grandmaster Windu plays it cool by saying Anakin is too old and has an unclear blood-line, but the moment is tense and uncomfortable.
For their short stay on Coruscant, Anakin and Obi-Wan go over basic lessons in Force powers and compare notes. Anakin is a novice but soaks it all in. He also spends a lot of his time in the hangar, working on his ship alongside the Order Reserves technicians and mechanics, like R2-D2. He and the astromech become friends when Anakin realizes that Artoo can slave any droid in the area to do whatever he wants. Anakin even offers to help Artoo with some upgrades he has in mind.
The one thing Anakin can't seem to find any success in, is getting an opportunity to see Sabé or Padmé and the rest of the women from Naboo. They are kept under lock and key by Palpatine and the Senate Guard. Qui-Gon explains that this is because keeping Queen Amidala's presence on Coruscant a secret is a huge advantage they have on Czerka and any other enemies targeting her. What's more, the invasion of Naboo has already begun and who knows how the resistance will hold up if they find out their Queen is no longer on her throne.
As if he were tempting fate, Qui-Gon and the rest watch on a holoscreen as Senator Palpatine introduces Queen Amidala to an emergency session of congress, to speak on his behalf. She gives a dry, cold, calculated speech threatening both Czerka and any other corporate entity that would undermine democracy across the galaxy. She shames the senate for its inaction, denounces the chancellor for allowing her world to languish while they lazily debate. Then issues a challenge: every Republic world who votes against the war resolution can expect to see Naboo cannons pointed at them after she's through with Czerka Corp.
Palpatine moves for a vote to declare war on Czerka Corp., which earns a raucous chorus from the massive senate chamber. He shouts that he will resign his position if this democratic body cannot be forced to act in a time of crisis.
It is a bad turn of fortune for the Jedi who see once and for all that Queen Amidala will not be controlled. The Jedi Council does not want to be caught unawares again, so they immediately dispatch six Jedi to embed themselves within the Naboo resistance. Master Windu charges Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan with personally guarding Queen Amidala, who surely will try to return home soon enough. In the meantime, the Council must track down the mole who compromised their mission in the first place, selling them out to the Kaleesh and his crew.
This is where Anakin finds a way to interject. He offers to continue to act as the pilot for Amidala and Qui-Gon, since his ship is off of Republic logs and therefore can't be tracked by anyone, mole or no. The Council is hesitant to send Anakin back into conflict again after the loss he's recently suffered, but they cannot deny the wisdom of his plan. Thus, Anakin figures out a way to see Padmé and the girls once more, and remain by Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon's side.
…
The beginning of the next scene is split in half. One half, we silently observe Darth Maul and the Wounded training under the suns baking the Tatooine desert. The other half, shows a guilt-ridden Qui-Gon Jinn refusing to leave the Council Chambers as Anakin and Obi-Wan depart to prepare for their return to Naboo. Silently he informs the Council of what plagues his mind and heart. Slowly the sounds of battle come to the forefront as Qui Gon speaks: the whir of a lightsaber, the cry of the Wounded as he falters, the cruel laugh of Maul who delights in his apprentice's pain… Then at last we hear Qui-Gon pronounce that fate demands the Council never allow the boy to be trained, adding that he'll die before he sees Anakin make another sacrifice. He bows and exits.
Maul strikes down his apprentice who languishes in pain on the hot ground. He takes hacking, desperate breaths that force him to cough more often than not. Though his spirit yields to Maul's superior abilities and strength, the exo-suit has other plans. It lifts him to his feet and forces the Wounded to engage in another round of training. It is torture and Maul feeds off of the pain.
Maul is finally hailed by the dark, mysterious voice of his master. He commands Maul to return to Naboo, this time he must die trying to kill the queen. The Wounded cries out in terror. He slumps forward but the exo-suit refuses to let him fall to his knees. Maul does not blink or falter. He says yes my master, and closes the transmission.
The Wounded begs him for some other way out. Maul calls him a pathetic fool. This was not the first time his master commanded him to die, nor would it be the last. He would kill everyone who got in his way and ensure his place in the new galaxy. A Sith galaxy.
Maul and the Wounded get on the Scimitar (Sith Infiltrator) and blast off of Tatooine. As they enter hyperspace, Maul tells his apprentice to power down and he does so on the spot. The Wounded has a fitful, horrible dream. In it, a figure robed in black is cackling as he uses the Force and a pair of med droids to fuse an exo-suit to his broken body. Lightning crackles all around and smoke clouds everything but the pain. The Wounded awakes with a horrible scream, but Maul only laughs.
…
On Naboo again and Anakin can't ever seem to corner Sabé and Padmé at the same time. The Nabooian resistance leaders are gathering in the forbidden forest. They've conducted a guerrilla war against the invading Czerka since Amidala's Flight (the first battle over Theed). The ranks of the coalition are made up of Nabooians from all walks of life, but the native Gungan population makes up the most significant part. The Gungans, led by their chieftain Boss Rugor Nass, were moved by Amidala's fight for freedom and certainly saved Naboo from being overthrown immediately.
Amidala goes into shock — her own racism was inflamed when the assassins killed Cordé and baby Anakin, but her world would be lost without the Gungans. Instead of hopeless wreckage, the resistance has platoons of warriors, squadrons of fighters and more than enough infrastructure to launch and sustain a campaign. Panaka and the handmaidens are invigorated to be amongst their compatriots again and Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Anakin meet with the other Jedi deployed to Naboo.
That evening they conceive a battle plan to retake Naboo and force Czerka Corp to surrender. The meeting is led by Jedi Master Plo Koon, a Kel Dor serving as Champion of the Order for the past decade. He has their forces split into a three-pronged attack: the main force will assault Theed to draw the Czerka droid army into the low country, a splinter group will attack the palace in secret to capture the droid control codes, and an aerial assault on the control ship orbiting Theed. If all goes according to plan, at the end of the fighting all the Czerka droids on Naboo will either be deactivated or fighting for the queen.
Boss Nass offers up the opinion that there will be many casualties in a plan like this which silences everyone. He's a massive being and carries himself with a presence that the Jedi recognize as a Force-trait. As he steps forward he intimates that their guerrilla resistance is working and will only get better with Jedi aid. Plo Koon nods and says if that is their will then the Jedi will serve it, but then turns to Queen Amidala for a cue. She does not speak.
Captain Panaka speaks instead — he says that Czerka will only get more brutal and oppressive, especially now that they can't use propaganda to convince people that Queen Amidala is dead. The longer they wait, the harder the hammer will fall, and it will fall. Czerka Corp is too big, too powerful, to be denied by anything other than an equal show of force.
Boss Nass pounds his chest and says his people have enough heart to match any slavers from the stars. Let them come, he declares, we shall outlast them — and seems to be swaying the gathered leadership. Amidala looks timid, tenuous, even Anakin thinks it's odd she's remained silent. Then a handmaiden that Anakin could have sworn was Sabé, steps into the center and unveils herself. It's Padmé and she explains that the woman dressed as the queen is not truly the queen, but her handmaiden and loyal bodyguard.
Queen Padmé speaks directly to Boss Nass, she tells him about her flight from Naboo and Tatooine, how she trusts only her handmaidens to know her true identity, but now she trusts him as well. She left her world behind at the dawn of a crisis and returned to find it in the steadiest, firmest of hands. She promises a life debt to him and his people. The Gungans will henceforth be recognized as equal participants in Nabooian and Republic society. They will have a representative in the Galactic Senate and once the Czerka scourge have been removed from Naboo, Amidala shall name Boss Nass her Vice Regent.
It is because she believes in him so much that he must trust her when she says they should act now. If they do not expel Czerka, then Naboo could become a protracted siege world for the indefinite future. They would lose everything while Czerka Corp and the Republic use them as an example of military might. Naboo would be collateral damage in a galactic negotiation between democratic and corporate powers.
She will not allow that to happen — Boss Nass agrees and the plan is set.
…
As the resistance prepare their forces for battle, we get to see Tyranus leaving Dantooine behind. He makes a long-distance transmission into a hand communicator. In the call he identifies himself as Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. He says that his preparation is complete, it is time for him to begin their endgame. The galaxy will need to be protected… then he closes the transmission and begins to do that trademarked sinister Sith laugh. He's staring at Yoda's puzzle box as he cackles, then the shuttle plots a course to Kamino, releases it's solar sails and leaps into hyperspace.
Anakin, Sabé and Padmé have a little sit down together that evening by a campfire. Anakin says even he was surprised by all that, and he knew she was the queen the whole time. They roll their eyes at him. Sabé says she thinks she even tricked Master Plo Koon, but he's never going to admit it. The more they drink the more stated Sabé's romantic interest in Anakin becomes, but eventually she leaves and Padmé takes Anakin into her tent that night.
The Jedi are having a little fireside chat themselves, but absent from the meeting are Qui-Gon and Plo Koon who can be heard in the near distance arguing. Their voices are raised and verging on angry; the name 'Anakin' occurs more than once. One of the Jedi Knights asks Obi-Wan if he knows what the deal is. Obi says his master is mysterious and brilliant in equal measure. The Knights chuckle and say not that, what's the deal with Anakin. That's another question Obi-Wan can't really answer, but he takes a big gulp and tries.
We flashback to Tatooine, when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were riding through the desert at night, trying to track down the Gungan assassins. They were following a good trail but something evil and menacing was getting in the way. It was the Dark Side, some phantom menace they could not place but both of them felt it clouding everything. Eventually they found the wreckage of the ship and it was terrible. Anakin must have used his latent powers — and his ship's upgraded cannons — to track down and decimate the assassins before the Jedi could bring them to justice.
Obi-Wan cannot be sure, but he suspects that is what's been troubling Qui-Gon ever since — that in his grief Anakin was able to turn the Force into such darkness and destruction.
…
It's just before sunup on Naboo when the resistance mobilizes for war. Plo Koon tracks down Anakin and tells him that he'll be his wingman in the battle over Theed. Anakin looks concerned, as though he wants to protest, but the Jedi Master waves him off. He says Anakin is supposed to be a great pilot, well, only great pilots can stay on Plo Koon's wing. That pinprick to his pride is enough to get Anakin ready and willing.
Two of the Jedi will accompany Boss Nass in battle, another will join Anakin and Plo Koon in the fighter squadrons, the final two will join Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon as they sneak into the palace with Queen Amidala. The Jedi all practice their saber forms and meditate together before splitting up for battle. Before Anakin finishes saying goodbye to his friends, he mentions in passing that he didn't know Jedi could change the colors of their lightsabers.
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are confused, so he explains that he thought they had a blue and a yellow blade back on Tatooine. He even asks Sabé and Padmé to confirm but they can't agree on whether it was yellow or green. This is a surprise to Obi-Wan who says they never activated their blades on Tatooine. Padmé says this misunderstanding isn't the conversation that matters right now. Obi-Wan is clearly unsettled. He asks Qui-Gon what it all means, but his master is distracted and evasive as ever.
…
The ground battle is against heavily armed droids that look like protocol droids with guns in both hands and an additional over the shoulder cannon. Czerka Corp have artillery and tanks, as well as swoop-rider cavalry. The Gungans have ray shields, enough booma to wipe out a dozen droid armies, and the terrain advantage. Czerka Hunter Killer droids make deadly snipers and their artillery is overwhelming so Boss Nass employs a Fabian strategy — escaping to thickets, hills and jungles once the fighting gets too concentrated, slowly whittling down the droid forces and frustrating their support.
The palace assault must first retake the throne room to shut down communications between the droid ships and the troops. Amidala and her handmaidens do this with the aid of the Jedi and some of the Gungan special forces, led by infiltration expert, General Jar Jar Binks. Next they split up to climb to the top of palace and recapture the royal apartments which house the command codes for the droid forces.
In the close atmosphere above Theed, we see the Naboo squadrons engage a fleet of Czerka drones surrounding the droid control ship. The combat is thick and the numbers are overwhelming, but the Naboo fighters are well outfitted and Plo Koon uses Battle Meditation to protect them. Anakin is inspired by this power and uses it to great effect. But the fighting gets thicker and thicker, and their fighters can't damage the control ship's shields. Then three Czerka capital cruisers hyperspace into the battle to make things look desperate.
Boss Nass and his troops are stuck in a jungle that's burning around them. They are trying to hail Queen Amidala's strike team but can't get any reply. The Jedi leap into the battle as it's become a close-quarters fight now, and Boss Nass calls the final retreat. They will pull back into a series of caves and hold till the fight ends — one way or another.
Back in the palace Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon sense a terrible darkness approaching. They cannot get the other infiltration team on the comms and the two Jedi Knights are missing. Just before the final hallway to Amidala's apartments, Darth Maul and the Wounded reveal themselves in combat with the missing Knights. Maul has a double-sided red lightsaber and the Wounded is wielding the stolen yellow and blue sabers. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon try to help but are too late to save the Knights who both die by Maul's hand. They leap into battle and that frees Amidala and her team to continue on.
The Queen takes her apartments back and they find that the leader of the Czerka occupation forces is not a military leader or some titan of industry, but an old, bed-ridden man on dialysis. It's shocking to everyone except Queen Amidala who is just disgusted. Jar Jar almost murders the man in his sleep, but Sabé restrains him. They start looking for the command codes and restoring planet-wide comms as the scene changes.
Obi-Wan is in a battle with the Wounded and Qui-Gon is holding off Darth Maul. Maul is too strong, too powerful and fast for Qui-Gon, but he's wise and experienced enough to know this isn't the real fight. Obi-Wan finds that the Wounded isn't actually fighting him at all, the exo-suit is, and pities the Kaleesh. He disarms and incapacitates the would-be assassin, and tries to apologize to the being for all the pain he's endured. The Wounded is too angry, too rabid from agony to hear the Jedi's words — he hates the Force and any who wield it. Obi-Wan then rushes off to help his master with Darth Maul.
As the naval battle is getting out of control, Anakin flies by a portion of the control ship that looks like a trench running down the underbelly to the engines. He says he's got an idea, but will need R2-D2's help, his astromech in the battle. R2 slaves one of the Czerka drones to him then, uses it as a beacon to pick up a dozen others to follow their fighter down the trench. Then, as Anakin banks and turns at maximum speed, the drones trying to follow him slam into to the hull of the cruiser one by one till the last couple smash through the engines when he clears it.
As the command ship begins to list, Republic fleets leap into the fray and save the Naboo squadrons. A fleet made up of Mon Cal, Quarren, Corellian and Nubian battle cruisers cut off the Czerka armada, and the planets of Duros, Corfai and Hosnian Prime provide fighter and medical support. Then the voice of Queen Amidala transmits in everyone's ears, declaring Naboo free from Czerka control. Boss Nass and the ground forces come out of the caves to find the Czerka droids deactivated.
Finally we return to the Duel of the Fates. Darth Maul is completely unleashed by all the death and suffering the battle has brought to Naboo. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are giving as much ground as they gain. Obi-Wan feels a pull to the dark side and internally feels a struggle he didn't know he'd ever face — if he uses the Dark Side to defeat Maul, how could that serve evil, he wonders? But Qui-Gon senses it in him and reaches out through the Force to remind his apprentice that using the Dark Side to earn victory is worse than defeat.
The moment is intimate and personal, and solidifies Obi-Wan Kenobi as a Jedi Knight. In the next moment, Darth Maul pushes the back half of his double-sided lightsaber through Qui-Gon's heart. The Force then flows through Obi-Wan who moves too fast for Maul to perceive. He picks up his master's blade, overwhelms Darth Maul, and slices him clean in half at the hips. As Maul falls into a bottomless pit, writhing and screaming in agony, Obi-Wan returns to his master's side.
Qui-Gon is too weak to say what he really wants to. So all he says to Obi-Wan is: "The boy… must protect him." Obi-Wan promises to honor his wishes and thanks him for all he's done for the Galaxy, then says goodbye.
…
There is much to celebrate on Naboo and there are many characters who need to reunite and tell their war stories. Anakin and Sabé share a kiss of passion and excitement, which does not seem to please Padmé one bit. The Queen and her Vice Regent are contacted by Senator Palpatine who informs them that the senate has voted to declare war on Czerka Corp. More than a dozen worlds have engaged in some form of fighting against the slavers, and more are to come. What's more, Palpatine has been nominated to run against Chancellor Valorum!
As Palpatine's holo-image fades, we see an older Count Dooku with a full-grown gray beard and a clean white lab coat, receive a transmission. Lama Su is in the room leading a meeting with other Kaminoan dignitaries. Dooku reads the transmission to himself, then laughs out loud. He realizes what he did, clears his throat then intimates that the presentation can continue. His brow furrows as a smile creeps over his face, then the scene goes black.
Back on Naboo, Anakin is the center of the fun as they drink and cavort into the night. Mace Windu and Plo Koon are watching from a distance, discussing Qui-Gon and his beliefs. Mace intimates that Jinn was never one to lend credence to prophecies or visions — so why the change of heart? Plo Koon says perhaps the boy changed him, then adds that maybe that's the whole point. Mace asks Plo Koon if he would take Anakin on as his apprentice, but Koon declines, saying that job is Obi-Wan's alone, if it is anyone's, implying he might agree with Qui-Gon — that Anakin should not be trained at all.
Mace shakes his head and drops it, saying that the new threat of the Sith will not make things easier for the Jedi. They will need all the allies they can muster, if they hope to survive the coming conflict.
-STAR WARS-
epilogue
As the smoking rubble around Theed settles, something stirs from beneath the destruction. The Wounded is unconscious, bloody and caked in mud, but the exo-suit forces him to his feet and away from the city altogether. He's greeted by a hooded Dark Lord of the Sith who brings the Wounded to his lair. There, the Dark Lord cackles as he uses Alchemy to fuse a new exo-skeleton onto what remains of the Kaleesh assassin.
He wakes midway through the process and screams in agony. Is it his fate to suffer eternally at the hands of Force-users? The Dark Lord laughs and fills the lab with lightning, then tells him he shall need a new name after his rebirth. His wounds had grown too grievous. The Kaleesh asks what the Dark Lord could possibly want with him. The Sith replies that there is a war coming and he will need a General.
…The End…
Thanks for reading, feel free to rate and leave any questions or comments you may have, and check out Attack of the Clones, here:
s/13587202/1/Attack-of-the-Clones-Reborn