Sorry about taking so long with this chapter. I wanted to be sure of my own personal involvement with the story during The Phantom Menace. I also thought you might like to see what my lightsaber actually looks like, so I posted the picture of my lightsaber as the cover picture for this chapter will be Episode I The Phantom Menace and how I had my hand in that adventure. Some chapters in the future will have multiple movies or episodes from the shows put together.
Chapter 1: The Beginning
Just after I returned from Obi Diah the second time, Jedi Master Dooku came to me and said how he heard I was with Master Sifo-Dyas when he died. "Sifo-Dyas told me of his vision of the future conflict. He wanted to raise an army for the Republic" Dooku said. "Yes, he told me the same, though I don't know how we're going to do that" I replied. "Lucky for you, Master Sifo-Dyas told me how he wanted to do it. Ever heard of the system of Kamino?" Dooku asked me. "Yes, I've traveled much of the galaxy and I've passed by Kamino a time or two" I replied. "Good, you see on the Kaminoans are cloners, very good ones too. Sifo-Dyas was going to go to them and order a clone army for the Republic" Dooku said. "I see, so you want me to go with you" I said. "Yes, and it's best to keep this a secret from the Council for now. You know how they are about Sifo-Dyas' visions" "I understand" I said. I could sense there was something more to this than Dooku was telling me, but I did not want him to feel uncomfortable and suspicious. Dooku and I went to Kamino together and meet with Prime Minister Lama Su. Dooku posed as Master Sifo-Dyas. When I asked him why, he said he wanted to honor Master Sifo-Dyas by giving him the credit. I just went with it. We were told that the Clone Army would be ready in ten years or so once they could find a host. When we returned to Coruscant, Chancellor Valorum asked me to join Master Qui-Gon Quinn and Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi to Naboo.
The Trade Federation from the system of Cato Neimoidia had blockaded the system of Naboo. There were some trade disagreements in the Galactic Senate. This was the Neimoidians' way of protesting aggressively. The Chancellor was hoping we could settle things peaceably. We traveled in a Republic Embracery Cruiser to Naboo. It was a Corellian Consular Class ship that was bright red. Its colors showed political neutrality with the conflict between Naboo and the Trade Federation. The droid battleships were Lucrehulk class and were huge. "Captain" I said. "Yes sir" the female captain said to me. "Contact the command ship. Tell them we wish to board immediately" The captain immediately contacted Viceroy Nute Gunray himself. "With all due respect, the ambassadors of the Supreme Chancellor wish to board immediately" she said. "Yes, yes of course, as you know our blockade is perfectly legal, and we would be happy to receive ambassadors" the Viceroy said. We docked in their hanger bay and pulled up our hoods.
Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and I exited our ship into the hanger. Then we made our way to the nearest door. A silver protocol droid came up to us. "Hello, I'm TC-14 at your service, this way please" she said. She led us to room with a long table. "We are deeply honored by your presence ambassadors. Please make yourself comfortable, my master will be with you shortly" she said and left us. We all took off our hood and walked to the window. "I've got a bad feeling about this" Obi-Wan said. "I don't sense anything" Qui-Gon said. "It's not about the mission master, it's something else where, elusive" "I sense it too" I said. "There is more to this than what meets the eye" "Perhaps Master" Qui-Gon admitted. "Steady your anxieties though Obi-Wan, keep your concentration on the here and now where it belongs" "But Master Yoda said I should be mindful about the future" Obi-Wan said. "Because the future is not sent in stone young Padawan" I explained. "You must be mindful of the many paths you may take from the present" "Master Jones is right Obi-Wan it must not be at the expense of the moment" Qui-Gon said. "Be mindful of the Living Force young Padawan" "Yes Master" Obi-Wan conceded.
"How do you think this trade viceroy will deal with the Chancellor's demands" Obi-Wan asked. "These Federation types are cowards" Qui-Gon said. "The negotiations will be short" "Don't be too confident Qui-Gon" I warned. "Viceroy Gunray is a slippery snake with a quick tongue. We must focus on the task at hand and not let him trap us in conversations" "Yes my master" Qui-Gon said. We sat down and waited for what seemed like hours. I could really sense that something was out of place here. As TC-14 brought us drinks, I could tell Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan felt it too. "It is in their nature to make us wait this long?" Obi-Wan asked. "No" Qui-Gon admitted. "I sense an unusual amount of fear for something as trivial as this trade dispute" "Perhaps it is us they fear. The stories and legends of Jedi have spread a great deal of caution amongst the scum and cowards of the galaxy" I said. "Perhaps their love of money has them trying to delay the talks" This seemed to put some ease into their minds but not much. It did not do much for my own either. I could sense that the Dark Side had its hand in this somewhere. Though I was not sure just where it was yet. Suddenly there was a loud sound, like an explosion. All three of us jumped and activated our lightsabers. Everything seemed quiet though we could all sense the danger brewing. "Sorry" TC-14 said.
Suddenly the whole room began to fill with a gas. "Dioxis" Qui-Gon said. Toxic gas that if we breathed in, we would die in seconds. We all deactivated our lightsabers and held our breath. Which for Jedi is not that hard. The Force helps to enhance all our abilities such as holding our breath. We know the Viceroy would send in some battle droids to clean up the mess, so we waited patiently. We did not have to wait long as soon the door opened and TC-14 walked out in a hurry. "Oh! Excuse me" we heard her said. Then there was another voice. "Check it out, Corporal. We'll cover you" "Roger, roger" a third voice said. We knew the b1 battle droids were outside and about to come in. Though they did not have to come to us. We decide to go to them. We activated our lightsaber again surprising the droids. "Uh-oh. Blast them" he heard the commander say. They began firing on us and we deflected their laser shots. We jumped from the gas cloud and attacked the battle droids. I slashed and deflected as much as I could. I also found force lighting to be affective as force push against battle droids. We made our way toward the bridge. It was time to bring the talks the Viceroy himself. Admittedly this was not the first time and I had to conduct negotiations with my lightsaber. Actually, for us Jedi we tend to do more of the negotiating with our sabers than we do with our mouths. This was what you might call a typical day at the office for a Jedi.
We made quick progress to the bridge and were soon there. The doors were sealed but that was no surprise, nor was it an obstacle that we Jedi are not used to getting pass. As Obi-Wan and I covered, Qui-Gon began to cut through the door so we could get in. Suddenly Qui-Gon stopped. "What's up Qui-Gon?" I asked. "It seems like they've closed the blast doors Master" he answered. "Let me at" I said, so Qui-Gon and I swapped places. I set my saber's blade to maximum length and power. Then I stabbed into the middle of the door. I could feel the doors all weaking and beginning to crumble. We would be in soon if I had my way. "Master! Destroyers!" Obi-Wan called back to me. I pulled out my lightsaber and went in between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. Droidekas or destroyer droids were nasty things. They could curl up into a ball and roll incredibly fast. Then they stand up in battle readiness just as quick. There were two of them and as the shot at us their shield activated. "They have shield generators" Obi-Wan said. "Thank you for pointing out the obvious" I said. As we deflected their shots back at them. Their shields just absorbed them. Something must be traveling slowly to penetrate those shields. "It's a standoff" Qui-Gon said. "Yes, one we don't have time for" I added. "Let's go" We used the force speed to move out of the way and get as far from the droidekas as we could. They shot at us again but on their three short legs they are slow, so we lost them in no time. We went up a ventilation shaft and made our way through there. We eventually came out to a larger part of the hangers. We hid behind some crates and boxes. "Battle droids" Qui-Gon said. "It's an invasion army" Obi-Wan said. "So, the Trade Federation has decided to take what they want from Naboo by force" I added. "This is an odd play for the Trade Federation" Qui-Gon said. "Perhaps this has something to do with Nute Gunray's greed" I said. "We've got to warn the Naboo and contact Chancellor Valorum" Qui-Gon said. "We'll have to split up" I said. "Each of us stow aboard separate ships and meet back down on the planet" "You were right about one thing Master" Obi-Wan said. "The negotiations were short" "Very funny Obi-Wan" I said. "Though he does have a point. Nothing shorter than negotiation that never start. Okay let's go, lose the droids as soon as you can and rendezvous at distance spot. Use the Force to find each other."
With that we went in separate directions. I managed to slip onto a MTT or Multi-Troop Transport. How the droids did not see me on the top of the darn thing is beyond me but then again, most battle droids are not programed to be smart. Once the MTT was amongst the trees of the forest. I jumped off. Now to find Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. I found Obi-Wan quicker than I had expected. He was running from some battle droids on Single Trooper Aerial Platform or STAP speeders. These are useful for patrol and it looked like one found Obi-Wan. I pulled out my lightsaber and defended as I ran after Obi-Wan. We quickly came to Qui-Gon who immediately helped me hold off the STAPs with his own lightsaber. Once the last STAP was destroy I finally found the time to catch my breath. Suddenly a Gungan popped out from the ground. "You saved my again" he said in a squeaky voice. "What's this?" Obi-Wan asked. "A local" Qui-Gon said. "A Gungan to be exact" I added. Having traveled much of the galaxy. I was familiar with many kinds of life-forms. Any given kind can yield a member that is strong in the force. I had met some Gungans before on my previous trips to Naboo. "Let's get out of here before more droids show up" Qui-Gon said. "Agreed" I added, and we began a hasting walk in a random direction. "More, 'More' di you spake?" the Gungan said between us. He hurried after us. "Ex-squeeze-me, but de mostest safest place would be Gunga City" he was saying as he chased us. "Is where I grew up. 'Tis a hidden city" We all stopped to hear him out. "A city" Qui-Gon asked. "Uh-huh" the Gungan confirmed. "Can you take us there?" Qui-Gon asked. "Uh, on second thought, no" the Gungan said. "Not really no" "No?" Qui-Gon said. "Gungans aren't exactly the most hospitable in the galaxy Qui-Gon" I said. "Though I sense there is more to it than that"
The Gungan nodded. "'Tis embarrassing, but, uh, my afraid my've been banished" he said. "My forgotten. Da bosses would do terrible tings to me. Terrible tings to me if me goen back dare." Just then there were some terrible rumbling sounds in the distance. "You hear that" Qui-Gon asked. "Yah" said the Gungan propping one of his ears up. "That is the sound of a thousand terrible things heading this way" Qui-Gon continued. "If they find us, they will crush us, grind us into tiny pieces and blast us into oblivion" Obi-Wan added. "So, you can face the Gungan Bosses and have a chance of surviving with us, or we can all die right here" I finished. "Your choice". "Oh. Yousa point is well seen" the Gungan finally said. "This way! Hurry" He hurried fast into another direction and we followed. As we walked, I asked "What's your name strange friend" "Mesa called Jar Jar Binks" he said. "I'm Jedi Master Ammon Jones, this is Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi" "Apparently he owns me a life debt demanded by his gods" Qui-Gon said. "That's the way of the Gungans Qui-Gon" I said. "You save the life of one, they're your servant until they save your life in return" We kept walking until we came to a misty swamp. "How much further?" Qui-Gon asked. "Wesa goen underwater, okeyday?" Jar Jar said. "Ah, my warning you. Gungans no liken outsiders, so don't spect a warm welcome" "Oh, don't worry. This hasn't been our day for warm welcomes" Obi-Wan said. Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and I all pulled out our A99 Aquata Breathers. These are used by Jedi who don't have the ability to breathe underwater to be able to travel underwater for two hours. Not much but can get the job done. "Ar, ar, ar! Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!" Jar Jar screamed as he jumped up and spun in the air and dived into the water.
We put in our breathers into my mouths and made our way into the water. Fortunately, I was smart enough to make my lightsaber waterproof. There are many planets that are ocean planets that are almost completely covered in water, so it comes in handy when I can use my lightsaber underwater at those planets. Many Jedi who come from ocean planets build their lightsabers waterproof from the start. Jar Jar popped his head out from the water. "Yousa follow me now, okeyday" he said. We dove under the water with Jar Jar and did our best to keep up with them. Though that was no easy task as Gungans are built for the water. They are great swimmers and have mucus at the back of their throats that filter air from the water. They call it "Gungan Waterproofing". It wasn't very long before we came over a rock formation to see the beautiful Gungan city. It was all lit up amongst the dark water. I knew this had to be the grand city of Otoh Gunga that I had heard so much about. It was the central Gungan city. We followed Jar Jar to a platform and walked right up the hydrostatic shield that kept the water out. We were able to past right through it without any trouble. It also helped to dry our clothes. We Jedi put our breathers away and gazed in amazement at the city we were now in. "So good bein home" Jar Jar said. We could hear the chatter of the Gungans around us. I had heard of the stories and legends of the Gungan cities up on the surface, but never thought I have the chance to go there myself. As we began to walk down some steps and figure out what to do next. We heard some creature growls.
We all turned to our left and saw a Gungan riding a Kaadu. "Hey yousa. Stop dare!" he said. He looked a little like Jar Jar except for his mustache. I guess they were of the same Gungan race. They were of the Otolla Gungans. This was the younger race, the older race that once resigned on the surface is the Ankura Gungans. They have a stocker build and don't have their eyes on top of their heads. "Heyo-dales, Cap'n Tarpals. Mesa back!" Jar Jar said. "Noah again Jar Jar" the Captain said. "Yousa goen to tada bosses. Yousa in big dudu dis time" "Oh ay ay" Jar Jar moaned. Another Kaadu right Gungan came up and shocked Jar Jar with a cesta spear. It can be thrown and can deliver a shock for moving prisoners. Jar Jar gasp and said How wude" We were led to the council chambers were five Ankura Gungans were seated. The one in the middle wearing a Gungan crown introduced himself as Boss Nass. "Tkk-tkk-tkk-tkk-tkk-tkk-tkk!" He tisked at us. "Yousa cannot bees hair" he said. "Dis army of Mackineeks up dare is new weesong" "A droid army is about to attack the Naboo. We must warn them" Qui-Gon said. "Wesak no like da Naboo" Boss Nass tisked. "Da Naboo tink day so smarty. Da tink day brains so big" "Once those droids take control of the surface, they will take control of you" Obi-Wan pointed out. "Mesa no tink so" Boss Nass argued. "Day not know of uss-en" "There are tales of Gungan cities that cycle around the surface. The droids will hear of you eventually" I said. "You and the Naboo form a symbiont circle" Obi-Wan continued. "What happens to one of you will affect the other. You must understand this" "Wesa no carrrre-nn about the da Naboo" Boss Nass said shaking his cheeks. "Then speed us on our way" Qui-Gon said. I could tell by the motion of his hands that he was using the classic Jedi Mind Trick. "Wesa ganna speed yous away" Boss Nass repeated. "We could use a transport" Qui-Gon added again using the mind trick motions. "Wesa give yousa una bongo" Boss Nass said. "Da speediest way tooda Naboo 'tis goen through the planet core. Now go." "Thank you for your help. We leave in peace" I said and the three of us bowed respectfully.
"Master what's a bongo?" Obi-Wan asked. "A Gungan sub" I said. "It's fast though it doesn't have any weapons. It's going to be dangerous one way or the other. The waters of Naboo are filled with dangerous wildlife" As we came close to Jar Jar who had be cuffed and guarded by two Gungan guards. He come up and said "Deysa setten yousa up. Goen through da planet core? Bad bombin'. Mmm… any help her would be hot" Qui-Gon and I paused and considered what Jar Jar said. "Masters, we're short on time" Obi-Wan said. "I may know much about the planets of the galaxy Obi-Wan. But I don't think I could safely navigate the core" I admitted. "Master Jones is right. We'll need a navigator to get us through the planet's core" Qui-Gon added. "This Gungan may be of help" Qui-Gon approached the bosses again with me close behind. "What is to become of Jar Jar Binks here?" he asked. "Hisen to be pune-ished" Boss Nass said. I knew Gungans could be harsh with their punishments, so I didn't like the sound of that. "I saved his life" Qui-Gon said. "He owns me what you call a 'life-debt'. Your gods demand that his life belongs to me now" He didn't have to use the mind trick for Boss Nass to see his point here. Though I chose to add, "It would be an insult to your gods if you didn't honor that"
"Binkssssss, yousa havena liveplay with thisen hisen?" Boss Nass asked. "Mm, uh-huh" Jar Jar responded. Boss Nass thought for a moment before shaking his cheeks again blubbering as he did so. "Begone wit him" he said. Qui-Gon and I bowed again and turned to walk away. The guards released Jar Jar from the cuffs. "Count me outta dis one" he said. "Better dead her than dead in the core. Yee gods! What mesa sayin?" I shock my head in amusement. "I don't know Jar Jar but it seems you're stuck with us. At least you're alive" I said. "Tis true, mesa thank you" Jar Jar said. We walked to the dock near by and all got into the bongo that we were given. It- looks like a giant blue manta you might say. Obi-Wan got behind the controls with Jar Jar next to him and Qui-Gon and I were in the back. Obi-Wan started the engine and we were on our way. "Dis is nutsen. Oh gooberfish" Jar Jar said. "Why were you banished Jar Jar?" Obi-Wan asked curiously. "It's a longo tale-o, buta small part of it would be mesa… clumsy" "You were banished because you were clumsy" Obi-Wan asked "Ah, yousa might'n be sayin dat" Jar Jar said. "I knew Gungans were harsh by nature by that seems a little extreme for them" I said. "Mesa caused mabbe one, two-y lettle bitty axadentes, huh" Jar Jar went on. Yud-say boom da gassar, den crashing der boss's heyblidder, de banished" "In other words you also flooded half the city being clumsy as you were working at a waiter in a restaurant" I said. Jar Jar nodded.
Us three Jedi were amused by the story. I could tell we were all wonder "what had we let ourselves in for?" The answer came quicker than expected. Suddenly we were grabbed and pulled back by something. We all turned and looked back. "Wuh-oh!" Jar Jar exclaimed. "Big gooberfish! Huge-o teeth!" "It's an Opee Sea Killer" I said. "It's got us with its tongue" At that point the monster had retracked its tongue with us attached into its mouth. It chomped down a little on our sub. Obi-Wan was doing his best to get away from the thing, but it wouldn't let go. Suddenly there was a deep and load roar. Qui-Gon and I turned to see a Sando Aqua Monster bite the Opee Sea Killer causing it to release us. "There's always a bigger fish" Qui-Gon said. "You don't get much bigger than that thing on Naboo" I added. "Mesa tink we goen back now" Jar Jar said. Obi-Wan turned and got us back on course. We dived into a tunnel in the rock. We continued through tunnel after tunnel. "Where wesa goin?" Jar Jar asked. "Don't worry. The Force will guide us." Qui-Gon said. "Ohh, maxi big, da Force" Jar Jar in a rather sarcastic way. "Well, dat smells stinkowiff" Just then there was an alarm going off. "We're losing power" Obi-Wan said. "Ohhh, no!" Jar Jar whimpered. "I guess the bite from the Opee Sea Killer did more damage than I thought" I said. The whole sub just powered down and we fell slowly and softly to the rock bottom just below. "Wesa dyin' here" Jar Jar sobbed. "Just relax. We're not in trouble yet" Qui-Gon said. "What 'yet'" Jar Jar said. "Monsters out dare. Leak'n in here. All sink'n and no power? Whena yousa tinkin wesa in trouble" "Perhaps if the sub was flooding and we and no way back to the surface" I said. As we were speaking, Obi-Wan was working on getting the power back online. With his mind it didn't take long. "Power's back" he said. As the lights turned on, we were faced with a Colo Claw Fish. "Aah, monster's back!" Jar Jar shouted. "Get us out of here Obi-Wan" I said. As the Claw Fish roared Obi-Wan made a hasty turn and sped from the monster.
Jar Jar was whimpering like a coward and it was getting annoying. "Relax" Qui-Gon said as he put his hand on Jar Jar's shoulder. I could tell he was trying to use the Force to calm Jar Jar down. He did it a little too well because Jar Jar passed out. "You overdid it" Obi-Wan said. "Well at least he can rest. I can imagine Jar Jar's had quite the day" I said. "Plus, now we don't have to listen to his whimpering" The Colo Claw Fish was not giving up the chase. As we came to the end of the tunnel. Either another Sando Aqua Monster, or perhaps the same one from before appeared. Obi-Wan pulled up and over the beast's head. I turned and saw it grab the Claw Fish with its mouth and chow down. Again, we were saved by the biggest fish of the Naboo seas. The Force has a sense of humor in my mind. "Head for that outcropping" Qui-Gon instructed. "Oh boy" I hear Jar Jar say as he woke up. It wasn't too long that we finally came to the surface. We were smack in the middle of a river that flowed through Theed City, the central city of Naboo. "Mmm, dis'n lovely" Jar Jar remarked. Obi-Wan turned off the engines and lowered the hydrostatic shields of the sub. Qui-Gon and I popped our heads out and looked around. Fortunately, we were close to a dock. We secured the bongo so Obi-Wan and Jar Jar could get out and onto land. We had to be sneaking as there were battle droids all over the place. We could see that they were gathering up the people in groups. Likely they would hold the people in internment camps. I could not understand what the Trade Federation's motive behind all this was. If this was all about the taxation on their trade routes. This was overkill. Still, we had to find the queen of Naboo and get her out of there. We could discover the Federation's motive later.
We soon found Queen Amidala along with her security guards, handmaidens, and Governor Sio Bibble being escorted by a platoon of battle droids. We followed close behind and hurried ahead. We went up some stairs and came to a bridge that they were pass under. We knew this was the perfect place to ambush them, especially because there were no other battle droids around. We ducked behind the small bridge wall and pulled out our lightsabers. Once they were close enough, I nodded to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. We jumped down activating our lightsaber as we landed. We made quick work of the squad of battle droids. I slashed at two of them, used the Force to smash another two into the walls and stabbed at a last one. As soon as I saw there were no more droids. I put my lightsaber away as did Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. "We should leave the street, Your Highness" Qui-Gon said. "Get their weapons" I heard the security captain say to his men. As I watched the rear, Qui-Gon lead them off the streets. "Whoa! Yousa guys bombad!" Jar Jar said as he picked himself up. Obviously, he didn't have as a smooth landed as we did. "It's our specialty as Jedi Jar Jar" I told him. "You'll see more of it I'm sure". Jar Jar and I quickly followed the others off the street. "We're ambassadors for the Supreme Chancellor" I said. "Master Ammon Jones of the Jedi High Council at your service Your Highness. This is Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi" "Your negotiations seemed to have failed Ambassador" the Governor said. "The negotiations never took place" Qui-Gon said. "It's urgent that we make contact with the Republic" "They've knocked out all our communications" the Captain said. "Do you have transports" I asked. "In the main hangar. This way" He said. We later learned the Captain's name was Panaka. We all hurried to the main hanger where the queen had a J-Type 327 Nubian Royal Starship in dock.
It was not going to be a simple task getting to the ship however as the hanger too was littered with battle droids. "There are too many of them" Captain Panaka said. "That won't be a problem" Qui-Gon said. "Quite just leave them to us" I added. "Your Highness, under the circumstances, we suggest you come to Coruscant with us" Qui-Gon said to the queen. "Thank you, Ambassador, but my place is with my people" the queen responded. "They will kill you if you stay" Qui-Gon pointed out. "They wouldn't dare" Governor Bibble said. "They need her to sign a treaty to make this invasion of theirs legal. They can't afford to kill her" Captain Panaka added. "And just how do you think they would get her to sign the treaty, asking politely" I asked. "They will torture her and the people until she gives in. Then they will kill her for certain" "There is something else behind all this Your Highness" Qui-Gon added "There's no logic in the Federation's move here. My feelings tell me they will destroy you" "My feelings are of the same mind Your Highness, and it's not often that I'm wrong" I said. "Our only hope is for the Senate to side with us" the Governor pointed out. "Senator Palpatine will need your help" "Either choice presents great danger… to us all" the queen said. "We are brave Your Highness" said the handmaiden at the queen's left. "If you are to leave, Your Highness, it must be now" Qui-Gon said. "Please make your decision quickly, time is running short" I said. "The longer the Federation is here the worst things will become" "Then I will plead our case to the Senate" she said. "Be careful, Governor" The Governor had chosen to stay behind and see what he could still do here. Not the wisest move in my judgement but all people must make up their own minds. We all filed into the hanger heading for the Royal Starship.
"We'll need to free those pilots" Panaka said. "I'll deal with that" Obi-Wan said. He truly was filled with promise that one. I could foresee him being one of the best Jedi in the Order. Qui-Gon and I approached the droid commander guarding the ramp onto the ship. "Halt" he said. "We're ambassadors to the Supreme Chancellor" I said. "We're taking these people to Coruscant" "Where are you taking them" the commander asked. "To Coruscant" Qui-Gon said. "Coruscant? Uh, that doesn't compute" the commander said. He was trying to think as much as any droid possible could. "Uh wait. You're under arrest" he said. Qui-Gon sliced him in half, and I took off the heads of three behind. At that moment Obi-Wan jumped the droids guarding the pilots. I rushed and helped as Qui-Gon cover the queen and our party onto the ship. "Come on move" I heard Captain Panaka say. I slashed and deflected like I had not done in a long time. It was refreshing to know I still had my skills left. "Go" Obi-Wan told the pilots and they scattered. Most went into the ship. Others fled to help fight the Federation here on Naboo. I zapped the last of the droids with Force Lighting and followed Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan into the starship. I rushed right to the cockpit as the lead pilot started the ship and took off. I learned the lead pilot's name was Ric Olié. We flew fast into space "There's the blockade" he said. "Careful now" I said. Suddenly the Federation's ships began firing on us. Ric Olié did his best to avoid fire. Suddenly there was an alarm going off. "The shield generator's been hit" he said. "Blast" I cursed. The astromech droids were called into action to get the generator back online. Obi-Wan watched the camera on droids. It wasn't good, they were being blasted like sitting targets. "We're losing droids fast" Obi-Wan said. "If they can't get the shield generator fixed, we'll be sitting ducks" Panaka said. "The shields are gone" Olié said. "And we're down to one droid" I added. It seemed very bleak indeed. When suddenly the shields were back up and running. "The power's back" Olié exclaimed. "That little droid did it. He bypassed the main power drive. Deflector shields up at maximum" I could sense there was something special about that little droid. Little did I know at the time, that just how special he would become not only to me but to the galaxy at large at well.
Anyway, Olié steered the ship through the blockade expertly and soon we were safe. "There's not enough power to get us to Coruscant" he said. "The hyperdrive is leaking" "It must have been damage while the shields were down" I said. "We'll have to land somewhere to refuel and repair the ship" Qui-Gon said. "Here, Master. Tatooine" Obi-Wan said. "It's small, out of the way, poor. The Trade Federation have no presence there" "How can you be sure" Panaka asked. "I've been to Tatooine before. It's controlled by the Hutts" I said. "The Trade Federation would not dare cross them" "You can't take Her Royal Highness there. The Hutts are gangsters" Panaka protested. "If they discovered her" "It would be no different than if we landed on a system controlled by the Federation" Qui-Gon said. "Expect the Hutts aren't looking for her and I have friend amongst them" I added. "Which gives us the advantage" Qui-Gon finished. "Plus, Tatooine is fairly close. We should be able to make there" I said. "Perhaps we should consult the queen"
Panaka, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and I traveled to the queen's cabin. The little blue droid that saved the ship was there to be presented to her. "An extremely well-put-together little droid, Your Highness" Panaka said. "Without a doubt, it saved the ship, as well as our lives." "It is to be commended. What is its number?" the queen said. The little droid beeped and chirped happily. "R2-D2, Your Highness" Panaka answered. "Thank you, R2-D2" the queen said. R2 chirped happily in response. "He says he was happy to do Your Highness" I translated. It's not hard to learn the languages of droids when you study long enough. I wish the same was for the languages of other life-forms. "Padmé" the queen called to one of her handmaidens. "Clean this droid up as best as you can" she commanded. "It deserves our gratitude" Young Padmé walked over to R2 and led him away to clean him. R2 whistled excitedly. "Continue Captain" the queen said. Panaka looked over to us. "Your Highness, with your permission we're heading for a remote planet I know of called Tatooine" I said. "It's in a system far beyond the reach of the Trade Federation" Qui-Gon added. "I do not agree with the Jedi on this" Panaka complained. "You must trust our judgement, Your Highness" Qui-Gon pleaded. "I have some friends on Tatooine including the ruling Hutt, Jabba" I pointed out. "We can get the parts we need to repair the ship so we can get to Coruscant" "Very well Master Jedi, I will trust in you and your connections" the queen conceded. It wasn't long before we came to Tatooine. "That's it- Tatooine" Olié said. "There's a settlement" Obi-Wan said. "It's Mos Espa, a perfect place" I said. "I have a friend that owns a parts shop down there" "Land near the outskirts" Qui-Gon advised. "We don't want to attract attention". We landed far off from the spaceport near a dune sea. Looking at Tatooine you would think it doesn't have any water at all. Most of the little water on Tatooine is in the air. Tatooine is filled with moister farmers that use vaporators to get it. Such vaporators can be found in the towns too. Tatooine may be a harsh planet to live on but the locals have found ways to survive. Qui-Gon and I traded our Jedi cloaks for some desert wear I had. We checked in with Obi-Wan who was looking at the hyperdrive. "The hyperdrive generator's gone, Masters. We'll need a new one" he said. "That'll complicate things" Qui-Gon said. "Be wary my friends. I sense a disturbance in the Force" I said. "I feel it also, Master" Obi-Wan said. "As do I" Qui-Gon added. "Don't let them send any transmissions"
Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, R2, and I were making our way to town. "This sun doen murder to mesa skin" Jar Jar complained. "Tatooine has two twin suns Jar Jar" I said. "That's twice as much as you're use to" "Wait!" we heard the Captain say behind us. We turned and saw Captain Panaka coming up with the handmaiden from earlier. She too was dressed for desert travel. "Wait" he said again. "Her Highness commands you to take her handmaiden with you." "No more commands from Her Highness today, captain" Qui-Gon said. "The spaceport is not going to be pleasant" "The queen wishes it" the Captain said. "She's curious about the planet" "It may not hurt to have her around Qui-Gon" I said. "She can be the queen's representative for us" "This is not a good idea" Qui-Gon said. "Stay close to us." With that resolved we continued on our way. "Tatooine is baren but not uninhabited" I said. "Moisture farms and their owners for most part. Along with indigenous tribes of scavengers" "The few spaceports like this one are havens for those that don't wish to be found" Qui-Gon added. "Like us" said Padmé. "More like the scum and villainy of the galaxy" I said. "We need to watch our step around here" "Dissen berry, berry bad" Jar Jar said. When he stepped in animal dung. "Oh! Icky, icky goo!" he said. "I warned to watch your step" I said laughingly. As we made our way through town we passed by life-forms of different shapes and sizes. Tatooine architecture has certain beauty to it. With its sand-colored dome buildings and carvings. We continued walking until I found the shop I was looking for.
It was run by a Toydarian friend of mine named Watto. As we walked in a bell rang. Speaking in Huttese Watto said. "Good day to you" I responded speaking the same. "Watto my friend long time no see" Watto switched to galactic basic. "Ammon my friend good to see you" he said. He flew up and hugged me. I returned it. "What can I do for you" he asked. "We need parts for a J-type 327 Nubian Watto" I said. "Ah, yes! Nubian. We have lots of that" he said. Speaking in Huttese again Watto said "Boy, get in here now!" "Our droid has a readout of what we need" Qui-Gon said. That's why we brought R2 with us. He had the readouts of the parts we needed to replace. Suddenly from the back came a human boy with blonde hair about nine years old. "What took you so long" Watto asked in Huttese. "I was cleaning the fan switches" the boy responded in the same. "Watch the store. I've got some selling to do" Watto ordered. "Easy Watto, he's only a boy" I said in Huttese. When you visit with the Hutts and their planets as much as I do. You learn to speak their language. "Never mind with him" Watto said using basic again. "So… let me take thee out back, huh? Ni you'll find what you need" he chuckled. Qui-Gon and R2 came with me following Watto. Qui-Gon paused for a moment. He took something from Jar Jar and put it down. "Don't touch anything" he said. "Please stay out of trouble" I pleaded. Then we continued to follow Watto. R2 showed Watto the schematics of what we needed. "A T-14 hyperdrive generator. Thee in luck" Watto said. "I'm the only one hereabouts who has one" "I figured you would old friend" I said. "Can you accommodate us with other parts we need" "Sure, sure, but thee might as well buy a new ship. It would be cheaper, huh?" he said. "Saying of which, how's thee gonna pay for all this, huh?" "I have 5,000 in unmarked credits" I said. "Nope, no good, I need 10,000 for all this" Watto said. "I have 20,000 Republic dataries" Qui-Gon said. "Republic credits?" Watto said clearly shocked. "Republic credits are no good out here. I need something more real" "Then 5,000 is all we have for you Watto" I said. "5,000 will do fine" Qui-Gon said trying to use the Mind Trick.
"No, it won't" Watto said. Qui-Gon was surprised and rightly so. He was always one of the best in using the Mind Trick. It may he quite the negotiator in the Jedi Order. He tried again, "5,000 will fine" he said. "No! it won't!" Watto repeated. "What, you think you're a Jedi like him waving your hand around like that? I'm a Toydarian. Mind trick don't work on me. Only money" "Toydarians are naturally strong and stubborn minded" I whisper to Qui-Gon. "Not enough money, no parts, no deal" Watto said. R2 beeped at Watto's rudeness. "And no one else has a T-14 hyperdrive, I promise you that" Watto finished. "We'll just come back when I have the full amount of you" I said. I could understand Watto's position on this. There wasn't a big market for Nubian ship parts out here in the Outer Rim. We turned and walked toward the exit. "We're leaving" Qui-Gon said. "Jar Jar" he called. Clearly Jar Jar was still accident pone as I heard a crash behind us. We walked to a shadowed alleyway and Qui-Gon pulled out his comlink calling Obi-Wan on the ship. He explained to Obi-Wan our situation about the parts. Obi-Wan looked at what there was left on ship. When Obi-Wan called back, he reported there wasn't anything we could use. "And you're sure there's nothing left on board?" Qui-Gon asked. "A few containers of supplies" Obi-Wan confirmed. "The queen's wardrobe, maybe, but not enough for you to barter with, not in the amount you're talking about" "All right. I'm sure another solution will present itself" Qui-Gon said. "I'll check back later" He put his comlink away and sighed. "We'll get the money somehow Qui-Gon" I assured him. As we turned to walk out into the street. Jar Jar stopped us. "Noah gain! Noah gain. Da beings hereabouts cawazy!" he said. "Wesa be wobbed un crunched!" "Not likely" I said. "We don't have much of value" "And that's our problem" Qui-Gon said. We walked onto the streets hoping to find something that could lead to a solution for us.
I wasn't' long before we heard Jar Jar in trouble again behind. We looked back and saw a Dug holding him by the throat. I was about to help him when the boy from Watto's shop came up. "Careful, Sebulba" he said in Huttese. "He's a big-time outlander. I'd hate to see you diced before we race again" "Next time we race, boy, it will be the end of you" the Dug responded in Huttese. "If you weren't a slave, I'd squash you now" "Yeah, it'd be a pity if you had to pay for me" the boy said. I knew that slavery was very common on Tatooine, but I didn't take Watto for being a slave owner. It was likely he was better to his slaves than most. He probably won the boy and other slaves betting on the podraces. We walked up to the boy and Jar Jar. "Hi" said the boy. "Hi there" said Qui-Gon. "Hello young one" I said. "Your buddy here was about to be turned into orange goo" the boy said. He picked a fight with a Dug, an especially dangerous Dug called Sebulba" "Yes I've heard of this Sebulba" I said as Qui-Gon helped Jar Jar up. "He's a champion cheater in podraces around here" "That's the guy" the boy confirmed. "Mesa haten cruchen. Das da las ting mesa want" Jar Jar said. "Nevertheless, the boy is right" Qui-Gon advised. "You were heading into trouble. Thanks, my young friend" The boy followed us as we continued our walk. "But-But-But mesa doen nutten!" Jar Jar protested. "Somehow I doubt that" I said. "Tell us your name my young friend" "My name's Anakin Skywalker" the boy said. "But some people call me Ani for short" "You have a good heart young Anakin" Qui-Gon said. "Not everyone would be willing to help a stranger in need" Anakin took us to small food stall and bought us some food. Watto must give him a small amount for his work. Just proof to me that Watto is a generous slave owner.
Both Qui-Gon and I could feel something in the Force. An impending danger of some sort. I personally wasn't sure if it was a storm or something else. Sandstorms are common on Tatooine, but I felt there was something else looming over the horizon. "Here, you'll like these pallies" Ani said. "Here". Finally, Qui-Gon and I were brought back from our thoughts and accepted the fruits. "Oh, my bones are aching" said the old human woman who owned the stall. "Storm's coming up Ani. You better get home quick" I knew that the Force was in all life-forms, but I didn't realize that he acted in such strange ways for others. "Do you have shelter?" Anakin asked. "We'll back to our ship" Qui-Gon said. "Is it far?" Anakin asked. "It's on the outskirts" Padmé admitted. "You'll never reach the outskirts in time" Anakin said. "Sandstorms are very, very dangerous" "With our luck, the storm's probably already hit our ship by now" I said. "Come on then. I'll take you to my place" Anakin said. He led us the residential area of town just as the storm came down on us. He let us in and hurried in as quickly as we could. "Mom" he called. "Mom, I'm home" "Ahh, dissen cozy" Jar Jar said. A young human woman with brown hair came in to meet us. "These are my friends Mom." Ani said. "Hello" Jar Jar said. "I'm Ammon Jones" I said. "And I'm Qui-Gon Jinn" Qui-Gon said. "I'm building a droid. You want to see?" I heard Ani say. "Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter" Qui-Gon added. "Come on. I'll show you 3PO" I heard Ani say. "He's quite the young lad" I said. "Yes, he is" the Mother said. "My name is Shmi Skywalker" "Pleased to meet you" I said.
Out of curiosity I followed R2 to Anakin's bedroom where he was building his droid. He pulled off blanket to reveal an unfinished protocol droid. "Isn't he great. He's not finished yet" "He's wonderful" Padmé said. I could hear R2 beeping like he was laughing. "You really like him?" Anakin asked. "He's a protocol droid to help Mom. Watch" He click on the droid and it came to life. "Oh. Oh. Uh- Where is everybody?" he said. "Whoops" Ani said. Realizing that 3PO only had one eye. "Yeah" he said as he plugged the other in. "Oh, hello. I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations" the droid said. Little did I know that I would be hearing that phase a lot for the rest of my life. "How might I serve you?" 3PO asked. "He's perfect" Padmé said. "Oh. Perfect" 3PO said. If droids could blush, I'm sure he would have at that moment. "When the storm is over, I'll show you, my racer. I'm building a Podracer" R2 was whistling at 3PO like he was mocking him. "I'm not sure this floor is entirely stable" 3PO said. "Oh hello. I don't believe we have been introduced" he looked to R2. R2 beeped excitedly introducing himself. "R2-D2. A pleasure to meet you" 3PO said. "I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations" R2 beeped saying how 3PO was naked. It took all my power in the Force not to laugh. "I beg your pardon, but what do you mean 'naked'?" 3PO asked. R2 responded saying his parts were showing. "My parts are showing. My goodness! Oh!" 3PO said clearly horrified as much as a droid could be. R2 just laughed it up. Droids and their personalities amaze me at times. I rejoined Qui-Gon just as he got a call from Obi-Wan on his comlink. "What is it Obi-Wan?" he asked. "Master, we've received a message from Naboo" Obi-Wan said. "The Governor said that the people are dying and asks the queen to contact him" "It sounds like bait to establish a connection trace" Qui-Gon said. "What if it is true, and the people are dying?" Obi-Wan asked. "Either way we're running out of time" Qui-Gon said. He hung up and put it away. "We could expect some company in the next few days if we don't hurry" I said. Qui-Gon merely nodded, and we sat down with the others for dinner. Shmi had prepared a nice spread for us. I was touched by the Skywalkers' hospitality. Qui-Gon and Padmé sat on either end. I sat at Qui-Gon's right and Jar Jar was opposite from me. Anakin was next to Jar Jar on Padmé's right. Shmi was pouring us all some blue milk. "If you're slaves, why don't you try to escape?" Padmé asked. All slaves have a transmitter placed inside their body somewhere" Shmi said. "I've been working on a scanner to try and locate mine" Ani said. "Any attempt to escape" Shmi began. "And they blow you up! Boom" Anakin finish a little dramatically. "How wude!" Jar Jar said. "I can't believe there's still slavery in the galaxy" Padmé said. "The Republic's anti-slavery laws" "The Republic doesn't exist out here" Shmi said. "We must survive on our own" She sat down between me and Padmé.
Jar Jar was snatching fruit from the table with his lighting fast tongue grab. Gungans have long tongue that can grab food in the same way a frog does. "Xcuse me" he said. We all returned to dinner. "Has anybody ever seen a Podrace?" Anakin asked. "They have Podracing on Malastare. Very fast, very dangerous" Qui-Gon said. "I've actually entered my own pod at times for the fun of it actually" I said. "I'm the only human who can do it" Anakin said. "Perhaps around here, I'm sure there have been other humans who've been successful" I said. "You must have Jedi reflexes if you race pods" Qui-Gon said. As Jar Jar made another tongue grab, Qui-Gon caught his tongue. "Don't do that again" he said and let go of Jar Jar's tongue. Which in turn jiggled Jar Jar's head. "You guys are Jedi Knights aren't you?" Anakin asked. We all paused a moment. "What makes you think that?" Qui-Gon asked. "I saw your laser sword" Anakin admitted. "Only Jedis carry that kind of weapon" "Perhaps I killed a Jedi and took it from him" Qui-Gon said. "I don't think so" Anakin said. "No can kill a Jed" "If only that were true" I said. "Plus, I recognize you as the famous Jedi Master Ammon Jones" Anakin said pointing at me. "They talk about you a lot around here. Especially the Hutts." "My reputation precedes me once I see" I said. "I had a dream I was a Jedi" Ani said fondly. "I came back here and freed all the slaves. Have you come to free us?" "No, I'm afraid not this time" I sadly admitted. "I think you have" Anakin said. "Why else would you be here?" Qui-Gon and I looked at each other. Through the Force we could tell we were thinking the same thing. We decided we needed to come clean with the truth. "I can see there's no fooling you, Anakin" Qui-Gon said at last. "We're on our way to Coruscant, the central system in the Republic, on a very important mission" I said. "How do you end up out here in the Outer Rim?" Anakin asked.
"Our ship was damaged, and we're stranded her until we can repair it" Padmé answered. "I can help. I can fix anything" Anakin offered. "I believe you can" Qui-Gon said. "But first we must acquire the parts we need" "Wit no-nutten mula to trade" Jar Jar said. "I only have 5,000 in unmarked credits and Watto wants 10 for the parts" I finished. "These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind" Padmé said. "Gambling" Shmi said. "Everything here revolves around betting on those awful races" "Podracing. Greed can be a powerful ally" Qui-Gon said. "And knowing Watto, he'd bet anything on those races even the parts we need" I said. "I built a racer. It's the fastest ever" Anakin said. "There's a big race tomorrow on Boonta Eve" Anakin said. Boonta Eve was a holiday that celebrated the legend of Boonta the Hutt ascending to godhood. I never actually believed the story though. Still the annual Podrace was a big part of the celebration. Everyone betted on that race. "You could enter my pod" Anakin said. "Anakin!" said his mother. "Watto won't let you" "Watto doesn't know I've built it" Anakin said. "You could make him think it was yours and get him to let me pilot it for you" "Watto and I do have history of Podracing together" I said. "It wouldn't be a hard sell making him think it was ours" "I don't want you to race. It's awful" Shmi protested to her son. "I die every time Watto makes you do it"
"But, Mom, I love it" Anakin pleaded. "The prize money would more than pay for the parts they need" "Anakin" Shmi said again. We could tell that Shmi was concerned for her son. "Your mother's right" Qui-Gon said. "Is there anyone friendly to the Republic who can help us? Master?" "No one I know around here would help for free Qui-Gon" I said. "Tatooine is a brutal world and it's every life-form for themselves" Shmi merely nodded in agreement with me. "Mom, you say the biggest problem in this universe is nobody helps each other" Anakin said. Shmi merely sighed at that. "I'm sure Ammon and Qui-Gon don't want to put your son in danger" Padmé assured her. "We'll find some other way" "No" Shmi said. "There is no other way. I may not like it, but he can help you. He was meant to help you" I could tell that Shmi had a touch of the Force too. Anakin looked over at Qui-Gon and me. "I say we do. The quicker we get to Coruscant the better. The Force does work in mysterious ways" I said. "We shouldn't turn down the solution the Force give us" "I agree my Master" Qui-Gon said. As soon as the storm had passed, we returned to Watto's shop. "Are you sure about this?" Padmé asked us just outside the shop. "Trusting our fate to a boy we hardly know?" "There are times we have to take a chance Padmé" I said. "We don't have any other options" "The queen will not approve" she said. "The queen doesn't need to know" Qui-Gon said before he dived into the shop. "Well, I don't approve" she said. "The queen trusts our judgement Padmé" I said. "Perhaps you should do the same" I followed Qui-Gon inside.
"The boy tells me you want to sponsor him in the race" Watto said in basic. "How can you do this on only 5,000 huh?" "Our ship will be the entry fee" Qui-Gon said. He pulled out a holoprojector and showed Watto an image of our ship. "Oh, not bad!" Watto admitted. "Not bad, huh? A Nubian, huh?" "It's in good order, except for the part we need" Qui-Gon turning it off. "What would the boy ride?" Watto asked. "He smashed up my pod in the last race. It will take some long time to fix it." "It wasn't my fault, really" Anakin protested. "Sebulba flashed me with his vents. I actually saved the pod, mostly" "Mmm. That you did, huh" Watto admitted chuckling. "The boy's good. No doubts there huh?" "No wonder you enter him so much, but we have a plan" I said. "We have acquired a pod in a game of chance, the fastest ever built" Qui-Gon added. "I hope you didn't kill anyone I know for it huh?" Watto said. "So, you supply the pod and the entry fee, I supply the boy. We split the winnings, um, 50-50, I think, huh?" "If it's going to be 50-50, I suggest you front the cash for the entry" Qui-Gon said. "I'll add some of my 5,000 to help if you wish" I said. "If we win, you keep all the winnings minus the cost of the part we need" Qui-Gon continued. "And if we lose, you keep our ship. Either way you win" Watto thought it over for a moment. "Deal!" Watto said and slammed our hands to seal the agreement. We returned to the Skywalker home to help Anakin get his racer ready. As Qui-Gon and I watched him from up high he called Obi-Wan at the ship. He told him all about our plan. "What if this plan fails, Master?" he asked. "We could be stuck here a very long time" "Well, it's too dangerous to call for help" Qui-Gon pointed out. "And a ship without a power supply isn't going to get us anywhere. And… there's something about this boy" He hung up and put his comlink away.
"Have some confidence Qui-Gon" I advised. "Without confidence we're halfway to failure" Shmi came out to see how we were doing. "You should be very proud of your son" Qui-Gon said. "He gives without any thought of reward" "Well, he knows nothing of greed" Shmi admitted. "He has a" "He has special powers" I said. "Yes" Shmi confirmed. "We could sense it almost as soon as we met him" I said. "He can see things before they happen" Qui-Gon added. "That's why he appears to have such quick reflexes. It's a Jedi trait" "He deserves better than a slave's life" Shmi said. "Had he been born in the Republic. We would have identified him earlier. Then maybe the two of you could have lived a better more comfortable life at one of my academies" I said. "The Force is unusually strong with him. That much is clear" Qui-Gon said. "Who was his father?" Shmi paused for a moment before she answered. "There was no father" she said. "I carried him, I gave birth, I raised him. I'm can't explain what happened" Qui-Gon and I nodded in understanding. "Can you help him" Shmi asked. "I hope so" I said. "We didn't actually come here to free slaves" As Qui-Gon and I made our way down to Anakin and his pod, some of his friends came by. It seemed a few of them didn't think he could do it. Most of them left except for one dark haired human boy named Kitster. "You don't even know if this thing's gonna run" he said. "It will" Anakin said with confidence. "I think it's time we found out" Qui-Gon said. "Here, use this power charge" He handed Anakin a small yet powerful power charge. It's like a battery for vehicle. "Yes, sir!" Ani said taking it and installing it. "Come on, Kitster. Let's move away" He took the boy's hand and walked up close to the buildings. I could see that Jar Jar had gotten himself into trouble again. Padmé came over to help him.
Anakin turned on the pod and the engine began to hum. We were all so impressed and proud. "It's working! It's working!" Ani shouted over the noise. He took it out for a little practice around the dunes. I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. He truly had the traits of a Jedi. He had a little mishap and got cut on his arm. That night I watched as Qui-Gon worked on him. "Stay still, Ani. Let me clean this cut" he said. "There's so many" Anakin asked looking at the stars. "Do they all have a system of planets?" "Most of them" Qui-Gon answered. "Has anyone been to 'em all?" Ani asked. "Not likely, though Master Jones there has certainly seen many of them" Qui-Gon said. "I wanna be the first on to see 'em all" Anakin said. "Many of them aren't even in our galaxy Ani" I said. "Though I would love to see you try" "Ani, bedtime!" his mother called. "Ow!" he exclaimed as Qui-Gon finished. "There we are. Good as new" Qui-Gon said. "Ani, I'm not going to tell you again" Shmi said. "What are you doing?" Anakin asked. "Checking your blood for infections" Qui-Gon said. "Go on. You have a big day tomorrow. Sleep well, Ani" "Good night young one" I added. I knew what Qui-Gon was really doing. Once Anakin was safely inside. I walked up to him and sat down next to him. He pulled out his comlink. "Obi-Wan?" he said. "Yes, Master?" Obi-Wan responded. "We need an analysis of this blood sample I'm sending you" Qui-Gon said. "Wait a minute" Obi-Wan said. "We need a midi-chlorian count. Qui-Gon plugged in the blood sample to the bottom of the comlink to send Obi-Wan its information. "The reading is off the chart" Obi-Wan said. "Over 20,000. Even Master Yoda doesn't have a midi-chlorian count that high" "No Jedi has" Qui-Gon said. "What does that mean?" Obi-Wan asked. "I'm sure" Qui-Gon admitted. We looked over and saw Shmi watching us.
This information to me said that Anakin was a special product of the Force. Perhaps we were meant to find him here. "You should get some sleep too Qui-Gon. You've had full day" I said. "Are you coming, Master?" "I will in minute. I just need to mediate on things" I said. "I need to figure out how to explain this to the rest of the Jedi High Council" Qui-Gon nodded and left to get some sleep. Shmi had set up some places for us around the home for the night. I stood with my hands clasped behind my back staring at the stars. I wish my brother Alex were here, but he had to watch over the Aspirants of the Force in my absence. He was always my one true confidant and advisor. I could feel a presence of the Dark Side arrive on the planet. It was as I had suspected. The Sith were in hiding all this time and now there was one on Tatooine looking for us. I knew we needed to be cautious. I went inside to my spot and got some sleep. The next morning, we met with Watto at the Mos Espa Arena where the race would be taking place. We waked into the pit hanger where all the pods were being stored and prepared for the race. "I wanna see your spaceship the moment the race is over" Watto said. "Patience, my old blue friend" I said. "Don't be rushing things here" "Yes, you'll have your winnings before the suns set" Qui-Gon added. "And we'll be far away from here" "Not if your ship belongs to me, I think, huh" Watto laughed. "I warn you, no funny business" "You don't think Anakin can win?" Qui-Gon asked. "Don't get me wrong, no" Watto said. "I have great faith in the boy. He's credit to your race, but, uh, Sebulba there is going to win, I think" He gestured at Sebulba who was being pampered by his two, blue female Twi'lek slaves. "Oh no!" Jar Jar in fear recognizing Sebulba has the one he angered the day before.
"Why do you think that?" Qui-Gon asked clearly unimpressed. "Well, Sebulba is notorious for wining Podraces around here" I pointed out. "He always wins!" Watto confirmed laughing. "I am betting heavily on Sebulba" "I'll take that bet" Qui-Gon said. "You what?" Watto asked. "I'll wager our new racing pod against, say, the boy and his mother" Qui-Gon answered. "No pod is worth two slaves, not by a long shot" Watto said. Quickly an idea came to me. "Then I'll throw in this pod to bet as well" I said. I pulled out a holoprojector and showed Watto an image of a pod I owned. "Oh! Yes, I remember that one, huh?" he laughed. "Won many a race for you out here I believe yes" "So, two pods against two slaves then?" I asked. "Hmm. Well, uh" Watto began. "We'll let fate decide, huh? I just happen to have a chance cube here. Blue, it's two pods against two slaves. Red, uh… his mother against one pod" Qui-Gon and I nodded. Watto rolled the cube. I knew that it wasn't fair as did Qui-Gon. He secretly used the Force to make sure it landed on blue. Watto wasn't happy that luck seem to play in our favor. "You won this small toss, outlanders, but you won't win the race" he said angrily. "So, it makes little difference" Anakin, Padmé, Shmi, and Kitster arrived riding two Eopies. Padmé was riding with Anakin in front of her and Shmi had Kitster in front of her. Speaking in Huttese Watto said good luck to Anakin in the race. "Better stop your friends' betting or I'll end up owning them too" he added and laughed. "What'd he mean by that?" Anakin asked. "We'll tell you later kiddo" I said. "Good morning" Qui-Gon greeted Shmi helping her off the Eopie. I helped Padmé off hers as Anakin slid down the side. "This is so wizard, Ani" Kitster said. "I'm sure you'll do it this time" "Do what?" Padmé asked. "Finish the race, of course" Kitster said like it was obvious. "You've never won a race" Padmé asked. "Well, not exactly" Anakin admitted. "Not even finished" Padmé asked. "Most racers are lucky to survive Padmé" I said. "Usually, it's the one that actually finishes the race that wins" "But Kitster's right. I will this time" Anakin said pulling his friend into a sideways hug.
"Of course, you will" Qui-Gon said putting his hands on Anakin's shoulders. I could tell Padmé wasn't as optimistic as the rest of us. As Kitster and a young Rodian friend named Wald helped Anakin get the pod out onto the track. I could hear the Troig announcer speaking in both Huttese and Basic. Troigs have two heads by the one that have to work together to get anything done. They began to announce the contestants in the race that day. There apparently many life-forms from all corners of the Outer Rim. When they announced Sebulba, the crowd erupted in cheering and applause. They announced Anakin last because he was a late entry. Though the crowd certainly gave him a round of cheer as he was representing the locals in this race. 3PO along with others brought the racers flags out onto the track as part of the tradition. Qui-Gon and I walked over to see Ani. "You all set Ani" Qui-Gon asked. "Yep" Anakin said. "Right" Qui-Gon lifted him into the seat. "Whoa!" Ani said. "Remember, concentrate on the moment" Qui-Gon told him. "Feel, don't think. Use your instincts." "I will" Anakin said. "May the Force be with you young one" I added. I handed him his helmet. "Remember, those with an honorable purpose succeed better than those who merely look out for themselves" I added. "Yes sir" Anakin said.
Qui-Gon and I headed out to join the others in a viewing booth. There was a great fanfare and the announcers at that time presented Jabba the Hutt. I could see he was going to administer this race. The crowd cheered and applauded like nuts. "Welcome" Jabba said after receiving the applause. "Begin the race!" he announced. All the racers started their engine and got ready to take off. "Hey, it looks like they're clearing the grid" the basic speaking announcer said. "Is he nervous?" Shmi asked as we made to our booth. "He's fine" Qui-Gon said. "You Jedi are far too reckless" Padmé said. "The queen is not" "The queen trusts our judgement young handmaiden. You should too" Qui-Gon said. "You assume too much" Padmé countered. "Easy now, you must learn to trust in the Force as we do" I said. As the platform of the observation booth rose, the announcers said to the racers to start their engines. We were given a special tablet that would allow us to watch Ani as he raced around the course. The racecourse spanned for miles around the surrounding desert. Camera droids would be all over the place catching all the action. "Oh, dissen gonna be messy" Jar Jar said. "Me no watch'n!" All the racers were waiting for Jabba to sound the gong to begin the race. Finally, he did. As the other racers sped off. Ani's racer stalled on him. There was a lot of laughing at Anakin. None of us were happy though. Thankfully, Ani wasn't the only one having problems. A male Toong was also having trouble. He seemed be having more trouble than Ani was. "Come on Ani" Jar Jar said. Thank the Force that Ani was able to get his engine back online and sped off. "And there goes Skywalker!" said the announcer. "He'll be hard-pressed to catch up to the leaders" "Go Ani, Go!" Jar Jar said. We all watched the tablet Anakin's racer was as fast as he had boosted. It was a short time before he had got up with the group.
He needed to be careful though. Sebulba was playing his usual dirty tricks. Then again, I guess that ethics don't count for much out here on Tatooine. Anakin was almost right behind Sebulba as they came to a canyon turn. Suddenly we could see shot being fired at Ani and the others. "Looks like a few Tusken Raiders are camped out on the canyon dune turn" said the announcer. Blasted Sand People, they're hostile to anyone not of their kind including other native inhabitants like the Jawas. They even have intertribal wars with each other. Simply put, Tusken Raiders are savages most of the time. Fortunately, the shots of the Tusken Raiders didn't slow our boy down. His pod just took the hits like they didn't mean anything. "Ooh, there goes Quadinaros' power coupling" said the announcer. The male Toong that still hadn't left the starting line was blasted to Force knows where. I turned my focus back to Anakin. Several of the other racers had been blown up in crashes already. I prayed that Ani wouldn't be next. As the racers pasted the finish line for the second lap of three, Sebulba was in the lead. Though Anakin was not far behind. One racer stopped for a pit stop that I wasn't sure he could afford. One of his pit droids actually got sucked into the engines and came out the other side. That racer was out for the day. Anakin came up only a minute later. He was still at near the back of the pack, but he was making up ground. One racer was making it hard for Anakin to pass him. Though that didn't stop our boy from doing so. I was impressed by the maneuverers that he was doing to get pass the other racers.
He zipped, he zagged, he did flip jumps. I knew he could win this thing. I was also hoping we were right. He was a skilled pilot, there was no doubt about that. He was in third place now. Only one person between him and Sebulba. As they came to a more open part of the track, Sebulba let something fly behind him and knock out the racers behind him. Anakin avoided the debris but one of his engines came loose as a result. "Skywalker's spinning out of control" said the announcer. Jar Jar gasped and Shmi could barely watch. I was a bit scared myself, but Jedi are trained to control our fear and contain it. Neither I nor Qui-Gon showed our concern. We knew Anakin could recover, and so he did. He stabilized his pod and used a powerful magnet to get the cable to him so he could reattach it. He was back on track now. "Thank the Force" I said mostly to myself. As they came back to the cave sector, Anakin was almost right up to Sebulba. They came out of the caves to the canyon turn where the Tusken Raiders were waiting. They shot at the racers again, but Anakin kept his calm and proceed. Though the racer behind Anakin was not so lucky. "Oh, I don't care what universe you're from. That's gotta hurt!" said the announcer. As they came to the last leg of the course to begin the final lap. Anakin was right on Sebulba's tail. "Here he comes" Jar Jar cheered. "At the start of the third and final lap, Sebulba's in the lead followed closely by Skywalker!" said the announcer. I wonder what Watto thought about Ani now. Anakin and Sebulba were neck and neck now.
Sebulba was not one to lose easily. He forced Anakin off the course. He began hitting the markers for the race. "Skywalker's been forced onto the service ramp" exclaimed the announcer. We watched as he crashed through a barrier onto a ramp that took him into the air. That jump actually helped him past Sebulba. "It's Skywalker!" said the announcer. The crowd cheered. "Amazing! A quick control thrust and he's back on course" Sebulba was in trouble now, it seemed that finally Anakin would not only finish the race but win as well. "Did he crash-ed?" Jar Jar asked. "No, he's winning now" I answered. We all still held our breath as they made it to the final leg of the race. Sebulba came almost on top of Anakin. Just at that moment, Anakin seemed to be having trouble again. "Skywalker's in trouble! Sebulba takes the lead" the announcer said. It seemed one of Anakin's engines was on fire. I could sense that Sebulba had something to do with this. It seemed though that with some quick-thinking Anakin got control of it and was back in the game. He quickly caught back up to Sebulba. "He's catching Sebulba!" said the announcer. It was clear that this was the most exciting and intense race they'd had in years. "Careful, Ani. Careful, Ani!" Jar Jar said. "Use the Force young Skywalker" I quietly said. Almost as if he heard me, Anakin was neck and neck with Sebulba again.
Sebulba began to hit Anakin on the side trying to get him to crash. However, that seem to work against him as they got caught onto each other. "That little human being is out of his mind." said the announcer. I wasn't so sure it was Anakin who was out of his mind. "They're side by side!" the announcer continued. Both Sebulba and Anakin were trying to pull apart. Finally, Anakin sped up and something came loose from Sebulba's pod. It fell apart and he was left stranded. Anakin came in and crossed the finish line was the last racer left standing. The whole crowd cheered as he crossed and won the race. We were all so happy that Anakin had won, though happier he was alive. "The crowds are going nuts!" said the announcer. The platform lowered and we all rushed to see Anakin and congratulate him on a job well done. "Mom, I did it! Yeah" Anakin cheered. He had every right to be proud of himself. Though he didn't know it yet, he had not only helped us get a way off world, but he had freed himself and his mother. Qui-Gon and I lifted him up onto our shoulders proud as punch. Anakin's pod was taken back into the hanger while Qui-Gon and I went to finish things with Watto. He was paying up on other bets he had made. It was my guess is that this was the first time he lost. When he turned and saw us, he wasn't happy. "You" he said. "You swindled me! You knew the boy was going to win. Somehow you knew it. I lost everything" "Not quite, you still have your life" I said. "Whenever you gamble my friend, eventually you'll lose" Qui-Gon said. "Bring the parts to the main hanger" "We'll come by your shop later so you can release the boy and his mother" I said. "You can't have them" Watto protested. "It wasn't a fair bet" "Betting is never fair my friend. That's why it's betting" I said. "Would you like to discuss it with the Hutts?" Qui-Gon asked. "I'm sure they can settle this" "Take them" Watto conceded at last.
Qui-Gon and I bowed and left him. Riding some Eopies, Qui-Gon and I brought our group back with the parts we needed for the ship. "Well, we have all the essential parts we need" Qui-Gon said. "We're going to back to finish some business. We won't be long" I said. "Why do I sense we've picked up another pathetic life-form?" Obi-Wan asked. "It's the boy that's responsible for getting us these parts" Qui-Gon answered. "Along with his mother if she wishes to join us" I added. "Get this hyperdrive generator installed" Qui-Gon said. "Yes, Master. That shouldn't take long" Obi-Wan said. Qui-Gon and I turned our Eopies around and headed back for town. Because of Anakin's outstanding performance in the race. We were able to sell his pod for a large amount. We collected Anakin from the shop and guided him home. When Qui-Gon gave him the money we made from the pod, he was naturally excited. "Mom, we sold the pod! Look at all the money we have" Anakin said excitedly. "Oh, my goodness!" Shmi said. "But that's so wonderful, Ani." "And he has been freed" Qui-Gon said. "What?" Anakin asked. "You're no longer a slave" Qui-Gon answered. "Did you hear that?" Ani asked his mother. "Now you can make your dreams come true Ani" she said. "You are free" "Will you take him with you?" Shmi asked us. "Is he to become a Jedi" "Yes" said Qui-Gon. "As a member of the Jedi High Council. I promise that I will personally see it" I added. "Our meeting was not a coincidence" Qui-Gon added. "Nothing happens by accident" "Though the Force does have a sense of humor in how some things do happen" I said. "You mean I get to come with you in your starship?" Anakin asked.
"Word of warning young Anakin" I said. "The life we're offering you is going to rough" "Master Jones is right Anakin" Qui-Gon said kneeling down to him. "Training to become a Jedi is not an easy challenge, and even if you succeed, it's a hard life" "But I wanna go. It's what I've always dreamed of doing" Anakin pleaded. "Can I go, Mom?" he asked his mother. "Anakin, this path has been placed before you" Shmi said. "The choice is yours alone." Anakin and his mother stared at each other for some time. "I wanna do it" Anakin said at last. "Then pack your things. We haven't much time" Qui-Gon said. "Yippee" said Anakin. He paused at the door to his room. "What about Mom?" he asked. "Isn't she free too?" "Yes" I said. "It took some doing but I managed to free your mother too Ani. As to whether or not she comes with us, is her decision" "You're coming with us right Mom" Ani asked. "I would love to join you" Shmi said. "Then I suggest you pack your things as well" I said smiling. "I will find a comfortable life for you within the Republic" With that Shmi and Anakin both packed what little things they had. Which include C-3PO who at first wasn't happy about going onto a spaceship. Though I promised him he would be completed once I got back to my Jedi. Shmi, 3PO and I went ahead of Anakin and Qui-Gon. As Anakin wanted to say goodbye to all his friends. He promised he wound come back and free all of them. I was helping Shmi and 3PO on board when Qui-Gon and Anakin came running up to join us. I felt a presence of the Dark Side. I turned and saw Anakin and Qui-Gon running toward us. Fast approaching behind them was a speeder bike so some sort. "Qui-Gon sir wait I'm tired" Anakin called. "Anakin drop" Qui-Gon said. The mysterious rider who as far as I could tell as a Zabrak with a red painted face jumped from his speeder with surprising power. He pulled out a red lightsaber as Qui-Gon drew his own green one. "Go" he said to Anakin. "Tell them to take off.
After seeing Anakin was safely on board. I drew my own lightsaber and came up behind Qui-Gon. "Qui-Gon duck" I said. I swung my lightsaber at the unknown dark warrior. He parried and I exchanged blow after blow with him. I could tell he was well-trained in the Jedi Arts, but I practiced with lightsaber wielding training droids on a regular basis. I was more than prepared to deal with an opponent armed with a lightsaber. Qui-Gon helped as he could and together, we were holding back our adversary. He jumped over us to try attack us from behind. As the ship came above us. I used the Force to push the warrior to the ground and Qui-Gon jumped to the ship. I quickly followed. The ramp closed and we collapsed to the floor to catch our breaths. Obi-Wan and Anakin rushed over to see us. "Are you guys alright" Anakin asked. "I think we are" I said. "What was it?" Obi-Wan asked. "I'm not sure" Qui-Gon admitted. "He was well-trained the Jedi Arts though" I said. "A dark warrior of some sort" "My guess is, it was after the queen" Qui-Gon finished. "What are we gonna do about it?" Anakin asked. "We shall be patient" Qui-Gon said. "Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi" The two shook hands. "Hi" Anakin said. "You're a Jedi too? Pleased to meet you" We all laughed at the atmosphere of the meeting. "You'll be meeting plenty of others like us once we reach Coruscant" I said. "I'll be introducing you to rest of the Jedi High Council. Twelve of the most powerful and wise Jedi in the galaxy" The ship was soon out to space and on course for Coruscant.
As soon as we were far enough away, I called ahead to let the Council and the Chancellor know we were coming. I also contacted Alex to have some our Jedi ready to take on Shmi and 3PO. I needed to have them settled in somewhere, where the Council would not suspect what I was doing. It was relative new tradition of the Jedi to cut all former ties and make no new ones outside the Order. Many younglings didn't even remember their families before they came to the temple. Siblings like myself and Alex were rare in the Jedi Order. That is until I formed the Aspirants of the Force as I did. Though I had to keep that a secret from the rest of the Council. I was hoping one day to be prove the new ways wrong and bring back the old ways again. We soon arrived in the system of Coruscant. Anakin was in the cockpit with us to see this new planet. "Coruscant" said Olié. The entire planet is one big city. There's Chancellor Valorum's shuttle. And look over there. Senator Palpatine is waiting for us" He steered the ship toward the landing platform where they were waiting for us. The Chancellor's blue guards surrounded us in a protective manner forming two lines on either side of us. Senator Palpatine was a human with white hair, that I often felt was more than what he seemed. I led Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Jar Jar and Anakin in the front and we all bowed to them in respect. We stepped aside to let the queen through to the Senator and Chancellor. "It is a great gift to see you alive, Your Majesty," said the Senator. "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." said the Chancellor. "It's an honor to finally meet you in person" "Thank you, Supreme Chancellor" the queen said. "I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the current situation" the Chancellor said as we all began to walk to his shuttle. "I've called for a special session of the Senate to hear your position"
"I'm grateful for your concern, Chancellor" the queen said. "There is a question of procedure, but I'm confident we can overcome it" the Senator said. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and I paused for a moment with the Chancellor. "I have to return to Jedi Council" I said. "The situation has become very complicated" We allowed Padmé and arrivals from Naboo, including Jar Jar take Anakin for a while, while we reported to the Council. They all got into a speeder and were taken away. Alex and several of my Jedi came and picked up Shmi and 3PO. I had them set to my secret Jedi base on Dantooine. It was remote and I knew she'd be safe from any slavers there. I also knew that some of my best Jedi mechanics were station there. They'd have C-3PO complete in no time. Alex gave us a ride back to the Jedi Temple. I hurried as fast as I could to the Council Chamber with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon close behind. When we reach the door, I turned to them. "Okay, I'll go in first and let the meeting start. Then I'll ask that we let you in" I said. They nodded and I went into the chamber. The rest of the Council was already seated and waiting for me. "Master Jones" Master Yoda said. "Good to see you alive it is. Worried we were that have to replace you on the Council we did" I paused in the middle of the room. "It takes more than a few poorly constructed battle droids to kill me Master" I said. I turned and sat down in my seat on the far side from the door. "Still, we sense there is more to your report than the trouble you faced on Naboo" Master Windu said. "I'm afraid that is so Master" I said sighing. "The Trade Federation has invaded the system of Naboo. I feel the hand of the Dark Side in this. Plus, as we were leaving Tatooine we were attacked by a dark warrior. Though I feel that Master Qui-Gon should have the chance to report on this matter" All the Council agreed and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan came in and stood in the middle. "Master Jones suggested you give the full report to us" said Master Windu.
Qui-Gon reported on the situation of Naboo and explained why we stopped off at Tatooine. Then he spoke of the dark warrior. "He was trained in the Jedi Arts" he said. "My only conclusion can be is that it was a Sith Lord" "Impossible" said Master Ki-Adi-Mundi "The Sith have been extinct for a millennium" "I do not believe the Sith could have returned without us knowing" added Master Windu. "Ah, hard to see the Dark Side is" Yoda countered. "Master Jones, what think you?" "I believe that the attacker was a Sith Warrior my Master" I said in honesty. "The red lightsaber he carried, the dark presence that hung around him. All lead me to conclude that he was a servant of the Dark Side, a Sith" "We will use all our resources to unravel this mystery" Master Windu said. "We will discover the identity of your attacker. May the Force be with you" Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan bowed and Obi-Wan turned to leave. Qui-Gon however, remained in place. "Master Qui-Gon, more to say, have you?" Master Yoda asked. "With your permission, my master" Qui-Gon said. "I have encountered a vergence in the Force" "A vergence you say?" Master Yoda asked. "Located around a person?" Master Windu followed. "A boy" Qui-Gon said. "His cells have the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have seen in a life-form. It is possible he was conceived by the midi-chlorians" All the Council was surprised by what Qui-Gon was suggesting. "You refer to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the Force" Master Windu said. "You believe it's this boy?" "I don't presume to" Qui-Gon started. "But you do" said Master Yoda. "Revealed your opinion is" "I request the boy be tested, Master" Qui-Gon asked. "Oh? Trained as a Jedi you request for him, hmm?" Master Yoda asked. "Finding him was the will of the Force. I have no doubt of that" Qui-Gon said. "Masters, please let us see the boy" I pleaded. "I have seen skills and traits in him that I have only seen in other Jedi" The rest of Council pondered. "Bring him before us then" Master Windu conceded at last.
Qui-Gon bowed and walked over to the door where Obi-Wan was waiting. He too bowed again, and they left us. "Do you believe this boy could be the Chosen One" Master Windu asked me. "I don't wish to assume anything just yet my master" I admitted. "Though the fact that his mother claimed there was no father and the high amount of midi-chlorians in his cells. I'm not sure what else it can be" "Still there's also the matter of this apparent Sith Warrior you encountered" Master Mundi said. "Yes, that very disturbing news" added Master Eeth Koth. "It makes a great deal of sense you think about my masters" I pointed out. "Why else would the Trade Federation invade the planet of Naboo if they weren't in league with the Sith and the Dark Side. I believe the Sith have returned and are planning to us Naboo as a starting base to conquer the galaxy" "Foreseen this have you Master Jones, hmm?" Master Yoda asked. "The cloud of the Dark Side is not easy to see through my master" I said. "I am merely saying what little have been able to see so far" "Do not discount your foresight Master Jones" Master Windu said. "It has been valuable to us more times than we can count. Until Master Qui-Gon Jinn returns with the boy, the Council is adjourned." We all stood up and walked out to get some rest. I walked to my quarter and meet up with Alex. "Shmi and her droid have been safely transported to Dantooine my brother" he said. "Good" I said. We walked to the balcony "I sense you're troubled brother" he said. "Yes, the Dark Side has began to spread its cloud over the galaxy. It would seem that our battle-ready Jedi may have to be called into action sooner than we had hoped" I said. "Plus, I feel the rest of Council will not agree with me that the boy should be trained as a Jedi" "If they won't let him be trained at the Temple. Perhaps you can suggest that he be sent to one of our academies for training" Alex said. "Perhaps, but there is more that is going on" I said. "I sense that the Senate will not act on the invasion of Naboo to the queen's satisfaction. I foresee we will need to intervene ourselves. I need you to get in touch with our best Jedi and have them ready to meet us on Naboo. Have them use our special cloak ships to get past the Federation blockade" "I will do so my brother" Alex said bowing to me.
Even though we were brothers, trained at the same time, and even passed the trails together. As a member of the Jedi High Council, I had rank over Alex. He was respectful of that fact and held no jealousy over it. Just as the sun was beginning to set, I got the summon to return to the Council Room. I arrived with the others and sat down. Anakin was let in and we prepared to test him. Master Windu had the testing screen ready. It was a screen with only a handle and no buttons. It was controlled completely by the Force Mind powers of a Jedi Master. If Anakin could success say all the images on the screen as it faced Master Windu. He would prove that the Force was with him. Amazingly he said the images faster than any young apprentice I have ever seen. Finally Master Windu put the testing screen down. He nodded to Master Yoda that Anakin had been correct every time. Master Yoda nodded in response. "How feel you?" he asked Anakin. "Cold sir." said Ani. "He comes from a hot planet Master" I said. "He's not used to the temperatures of other planets yet" "Afraid are you boy?" he asked. "No sir." Anakin replied. We all knew there was fear in him. We could feel it. "See through you we can" Master Yoda said. "Be mindful of your feelings" Master Windu said. "You need to learn to control them Ani or else they will control you" I added. "Your thoughts dwell on your mother" Master Mundi observed. "I miss her" Ani admitted. "She's safe Ani" I assured him. "She's being cared for by some of my best Jedi" "Mmm. Afraid to lose her I think, mmm?" Master Yoda asked. "What has that got to do with anything?" Anakin asked. I shook my head knowing what the rest of the Council must be thinking now. "Everything" Master Yoda answered. "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. I sense much fear in you"
"You can go now Ani" I said. "The Council will discuss your future now in private" Anakin bowed to us and walked out. "The Force is strong with him" Master Windu said. "That much is clear" "But would it be worth the risk to have him trained" said Master Plo Koon. "We can not deny the power within the boy" said Master Adi Gallia. "Still, he's too old by normal Jedi traditions" said Master Even Piell. "If you don't wish him to be trained at the Temple then perhaps, we can send him to one of my academies" I said. At that point one of my Jedi, a young female human named Sani Moni came in with a report from the Senate. "Masters" she said bowing. "I have come with word that the Senate is preparing to elect a new supreme chancellor. Queen Amidala is preparing to return home to deal with the Federation herself" "Thank you Sani, we will take this into consideration" I said. She bowed and left. We talked for a long while over everything that had been brought to our attention. It was soon agreed that for now, Anakin should be assigned to one of my academies for training. Also, the rest of the Council had approved me assembly what of my Jedis I could to help drive the Federation from Naboo. We called in Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Anakin to hear our decisions. "The Force is strong with him" said Master Mundi. "He is to be trained then?" Qui-Gon asked. "Not here" Master Windu said. "He's too old" "Anakin is to be sent to one of my Jedi Academies once the proper one is selected" I said. "He is the Chosen One. You must see it" Qui-Gon said. "We do, and I fought long and hard for him to be trained at the Temple Qui-Gon. Him being sent to a selected academy was the compromise" I said. "He should be trained here" Qui-Gon insisted. "Mmm. Clouded this boy's future is" Master Yoda said. "I will train him then" Qui-Gon said. He put his hands on Anakin's shoulders. "I take Anakin as my Padawan learner" "An apprentice you have, Qui-Gon" Master Yoda said. "Impossible to take on a second." "The code forbids it" Master Windu said.
That was one tradition even I rarely broke at my academies. If there were no masters available for a student. Then I would assign them secretly of course to study under a master that had an apprentice that was almost ready for the trails. "Obi-Wan is ready" Qui-Gon said. "I am ready to face the trails" Obi-Wan said. "Our own counsel we will keep on who is ready" Master Yoda said. "He is headstrong, and he has much to learn of the Living Force, but he is capable" Qui-Gon said. "There is little more he can learn from me" We all took this information seriously but knew now was not the time to argue this. "We will decide on all this later" I said. "For now, there are more pressing matters that need to be delt with" "Now is not the time for this" Master Windu said. "The Senate is voting for a new supreme chancellor and Queen Amidala is returning home, which will put pressure on the Federation and could widen the confrontation" "And draw out the queen's attacker" Master Mundi added. "The rest of the Council have given me authorization to assemble as many of my Jedi as I can to Naboo" I said. "But the queen will still require your assistance as well" "Go with the queen to Naboo and discover the identity of this dark warrior" Master Windu said. "This is the clue we need to unravel the mystery of the Sith" "May the Force be with you" said Master Yoda. The three of them bowed and left. "You may go now too Master Jones" Master Windu said. "Take your brother with you and use what ever means you have to learn the identity of the dark warrior" "Yes Master" I said. I stood and bowed to my fellow council members. Some of my Jedi were outside the Temple with a shuttle for us. We got in and went over to pick up the queen, her security team, her pilots, and Jar Jar. Then we headed for the landing platform where the Nubian starship was docked.
Obi-Wan was afraid of Anakin. He was arguing with Qui-Gon over it, who took it as disrespect. "It's not disrespect, Master. It's the truth" I heard him say to Qui-Gon. "From your point of view" Qui-Gon countered. "The boy is dangerous" Obi-Wan said. "They all sense it. Why can't you?" "He's not any more dangerous than you" I said stepping in. "The Council is willing to let him be trained but has to be done right" "His fate is only uncertain. He's not dangerous" Qui-Gon said. "The council will decide Anakin's future. That should be enough for you. Now get on board" Obi-Wan did as he was instructed. I could sense the growing frustration in Qui-Gon. "Calm yourself Qui-Gon" I said. "The fact that Obi-Wan is seeing differently than you is a sign he is ready for the trails. As a Jedi Knight he will have to rely on his own judgement to stay alive" Anakin came out from behind R2. "Qui-Gon sir, I don't want to be a problem" he said. "You won't be Ani" Qui-Gon assured him kneeling to him. "I'm not allowed to train you, so I want you to watch me and be mindful. Always remember: Your focus determines your reality" "He's right Anakin" I said. "Stay close to us and you'll be safe. "Masters, sirs, I heard Yoda talking about midi-chlorians" Anakin said. "I've been wondering- What are midi-chlorians?" "Midi-chlorians are a microscopic life-form that reside in all living cells" Qui-Gon said. "They live inside me" Anakin said a little surprised. "Inside your cells, yes" Qui-Gon confirmed. "They are what connect all living things to the Force Ani" I said. "That's correct. And we are symbionts with them" Qui-Gon added. "Symbionts?" Anakin asked. "Life-forms living together for mutual advantage" Qui-Gon explained. "Without the midi-chlorians, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force" The midi-chlorians speak to us with the Force. Help us to know the will of the Force" I said. "When you learn to quiet your mind and listen, you will hear them speak to you" "I don't understand" Anakin admitted. "With time and training, Ani, you will. You will" Qui-Gon said.
Qui-Gon got up as the queen approached. "Your Majesty it is our pleasure to continue to serve and protect you" he said. "I welcome your help" she said. "Senator Palpatine fears that the Federation means to destroy me" "We assure you we will not allow that to happen Your Highness" I said. "I'm assembling all my available Jedi as we speak to meet us on Naboo" We walked with the queen onto the ship. "Wesa going home" I heard Jar Jar cheer. I laughed a little inside. Soon we were off and heading back for Naboo. I sensed the queen had a plan on how to fight back the Federation. We left Anakin to watch Olié and the other pilots in the cockpit. We met with Panaka and the Queen in her cabin. "As soon as we land, the Federation will arrest you and force you to sign the treaty" the captain said. "I agree. I'm not sure what you wish to accomplish by this" Qui-Gon said. "I will take back what's ours" the queen said bluntly. "There are too few of us, Your Highness" Panaka pointed out. "We have no army" "And I can only protect you. I can't fight a war for you" Qui-Gon said. "Your Majesty, my Jedi are strong, but they will need some help" I admitted. "Jar Jar Binks" the queen said. "Mesa, Your Highness?" Jar Jar asked. "Yes" she said. "I need your help" She explained that if the Gungans and the Naboo united against the Federation. Together with my Jedi we could force them out. I knew this was a bold plan, but we would need to convince the Gungan bosses of it. Which would be no small task as we Jedi had already come to see.
We soon had returned to the system of Naboo. It was strange that the blockade seemed to be gone. I guess that with control of the planet, the Federation didn't feel they needed it anymore "I have one battleship on my scope" said Olié. "It's a droid control ship" Obi-Wan said. "Likely the command ship we were on earlier" I said. "They've probably spotted us" Panaka said. "We haven't much time" Obi-Wan said. "Land in the woods, far off from the cities" I instructed. Olié landed us in the swamps far off from the city. We sent Jar Jar on his way to speak with the Gungan bosses. "Our Jedi have assembled here brother" Alex said to me. "They anxiously await your instructions" "We have to wait until the alliance with the Gungans is final" I said. "Without them the queen's plan won't work. And we were unable to bring enough Jedi to fight a war alone" "Do you think the Gungans will accept the alliance?" Alex asked. "It will not be easy. Gungans are very stubborn, so they will not be easily swayed. We need to trust in the Force" I said. We met back up with Jar Jar at the lake just as he came back up. "Desa nobody dare" he said. "The Gungan city is deserted. Some kinda fight, mesa tinks" "Do you think they have been taken to the camps?" Obi-Wan asked. "More likely they were wiped out" Panaka said with a little arrogance. "Mesa no tink so" Jar Jar said. "Do you know where they are Jar Jar?" Qui-Gon asked. "When in trouble, Gungans go to scared place" Jar Jar said. "Mesa show you. Come on. Mesa show you!" Jar Jar led us into another part of the forests that was apparently sacred to the Gungans. Likely it was where their ancestors first all came together in unity many years ago. We were guided by Captain Tarpals and another Gungan on Kaadus to the bosses. Gungan soldiers lined both sides of us. It was clear that they were prepared to fight back the droids. Whether or not they could succeed without us was a matter I did not know.
"Your Honor, Queen Amidala of the Naboo" Captain Tarpals said. Jar Jar was upfront with the queen. "Uh, heyo dadee, Big Boss Nass, Your Honor" Jar Jar said. "Jar Jar Binks" said Boss Nass. He and the others were standing on an overgrown statue of a head. "Who's da uss-en uthers?" he clicked. "I am Queen Amidala of the Naboo" the queen said. "I come before you in peace" "Ah, Naboo biggen" Boss Nass said. "Yousa bringen da Mackineeks. Yousa all bombad" "We have searched you out because we wish to form an alliance" the queen said. "Your Honor" Padmé said stepping up. Boss Nass clicked again. "Whosa dis?" he said. "I am Queen Amidala" Padmé said. Somehow, I wasn't completely surprised by this. "This is my decoy, my protection, my loyal bodyguard" she said. I knew that Queen Amidala was famous for using decoys in times of crisis. We Jedi were actually impressed not only with her smart planning but her honesty with Boss Nass now. "I'm sorry for my deception, but it was necessary to protect myself" she continued. "Although we don't always agree, Your Honor, our two great societies have always lived in peace." "Ah" Boss Nass agreed. "The Trade Federation has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to build" the queen continued. "If we do not act quickly, all will be lost forever. I ask you to help us. No, I beg you to help us" She kneeled down. "We are your humble servants" Us Jedi, the security guards, bodyguards, handmaidens, pilots, Jar Jar, and Anakin all followed suit. "Our fate is in your hands" she finished. Boss Nass though about it for a moment. Everyone, human and Gungan were anxiously waiting for his answer.
Suddenly he started laughing. "Yousa no tinken yous greater den da Gungans?" he asked. Padmé shook her head. Boss Nass chuckled. "Me-e-esa lika dis!" he said. "Maybe wesa bein friends" Then he shook his cheeks and blubbered. We all cheered, happy that Boss Nass accepted the Naboo's hand in friendship. We all assembled along the border of the forests and the grasslands. One of my best intelligence Jedi named Ivan Sathe came up to me. "Master Ivan what do you to report?" I asked. "Master, the Trade Federation knows we're here and we're not the only ones to arrive" he said. "That dark warrior you encountered on Tatooine is here. The Dark Lord, Darth Sidious has sent his apprentice Darth Maul here" "How did you find this out?" Alex asked. "I slipped in undetected into the palace. I saw the Viceroy receive a transmission from the Dark Lord himself" Ivan reported. "He spoke also to his apprentice and spoke his name" "Now we have the evidence to confirm the return of the Sith to the Jedi Council" I said. "They will not take this well" Suddenly Ani came running up. I knew that mean Captain Panaka was back with the leaders of the Naboo resistance. I followed him to where Queen Padmé Amidala, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were with R2. "They're here" Anakin said. "Good they made it" said Padmé. Naboo speeders came rushing in. Panaka bowed, "Your Highness" he said. "What's the situation" she asked. "Almost everyone's in camp" the Captain reported. "A few hundred police and guards have formed an underground resistance movement. I brought back as many of the leaders as I could" Boss Nass joined us as Panaka was speaking. "The Federation army's also much larger than we thought, and much stronger" Panaka finished. He turned to Padmé. "Your Highness, this is a battle I do not think that we can win" "The battle is a diversion" Padmé said. "The Gungans must draw the droid army away from the cities. R2" R2 laid out a holoprojection of Theed City. "We can enter the city using the secret passages on the waterfall side" Padmé continued. "Once we get to the main entrance, Captain Panaka will create a diversion. Then we can enter the palace and capture the viceroy. Without the viceroy, they will be lost and confused" She turned to us. "What do you think Master Jedi?" she asked.
"The viceroy will be well-guarded" Qui-Gon said. "Though I don't think what little droids there are left should be much of a problem" I added. "The difficult is getting into the throne room" Panaka said. "Once we're inside, we shouldn't have a problem" "There is a possibility, with this diversion, many Gungans will be killed" Qui-Gon pointed out. "Wesa ready to do our-san part" Boss Nass assured us. "Still, I'll send my brother Master Alex with most of my Jedi with you, to lessen any casualties you may have to endure" I said. "The rest will come with us to the city and take on whatever droids are left" "We have a plan which should immobilize the droid army" Amidala continued. "We will send what pilots we have to knock out the droid control ship orbiting the planet" "A well-conceived plan" Qui-Gon admitted. "However, there's great risk. The weapons on your fighters may not penetrate the shields" "And there's an even bigger danger" Obi-Wan added. "If the Viceroy escapes, Your Highness, he will return with another droid army" "Well, that is why we must not fail to get the viceroy" Padmé confirmed. "Everything depends on it" "I know this plan is daring but it's all we have" I said. "I say we do it and may the Force be with us all"
With that we spread out to commence Padmé's plan. Alex took most of our Jedi and went with Jar Jar, who had been given the rank of general and the Gungan Army. I only took Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and a few dozen of my Aspirants of the Force to sneak into the city. "Good luck my brother and may the Force be with you" Alex said. "May the Force be with you Alex. Follow with the battle plan of the Gungans" I instructed. "You are there to assist them not fight the battle for them" Alex bowed, and we went our separate ways. We were able to sneak into the city just as Padmé said. I had my Jedi spread out with the Naboo security and police forces. I stayed with Padmé along with Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Ani. Using a special flash signal. Padmé signaled to Panaka who signaled in return. Qui-Gon knelt to Anakin. "Once we get inside, you find a safe place to hide and stay there" he said. "Sure" Anakin said. "Stay there" Qui-Gon emphasized. Ani nodded. Soon the Naboo were in position. Using a mounted gun on a speeder, they fired at and destroyed an AAT or Armored Assault Tank. That got the droid scrambling. Our group came from behind and attacked the droids. My Jedi served us well with the fighting. Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and I covered the queen and her pilots as they made their way into the main hanger. Panaka and some others came in behind us. The hanger had a few droids but not many. It was easy to deal them. We Jedi covered the front. "Ani, find cover" said Qui-Gon. "Quick" "Get to your ships" Padmé shouted to her pilots. I rushed out to keep the droids accompanied so they didn't fire on the pilots. It seemed to work. As the Naboo N-1 starfighters took off one after the other. We had to duck partially but it wasn't that low. Soon all the droids had been dispatched and all the pilots were up and flying. "My guess is the viceroy's in the throne room" said Padmé. "Red group! Blue group! Everybody, this way" said Panaka.
Anakin popped his head from the cockpit of one of the last Naboo starfighters that wasn't taken. R2 was the droid with him interesting enough. "Hey, wait for me" Ani called. "Anakin stay where you are. You'll be safe there" Qui-Gon said. "But I" Anakin began to protest. "Stay in that cockpit" Qui-Gon said sternly. We matched with the queen and her security force to the door. When the door opened, Darth Maul was behind it waiting for us. He was dressed in the same black hooded cloak we saw him in before. I could see the yellow corruption of the Dark Side in his eyes. "We'll handle this" Qui-Gon said. "We'll take the long way" Padmé conceded. She, Panaka and the security team split leaving us to deal with the Sith Warrior. We all took off our cloaks in true dueling tradition. Maul put down his hood and took off his cloak as well. Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and I drew our lightsabers and ignited them. Maul pulled out his lightsaber and revealed it was a staff-saber. In other words, a double-bladed saber with the blades on either end. He activated one blade then the other. He could use either blade as he wished and the fighting technique, I knew would be similar to that of a normal staff or spear. He rushed at us and Obi-Wan flipped over him. I swung and him to focus on me. Qui-Gon followed on my left. We had them surrounded though he was smart enough to get out of it. He kept switching from one of us to the next. Trying to keep us from outflanking him. He was clever in the way he faced down multiple opponents. He kept all three of us in his sights. Though he was well-trained, I knew he would get tired quicker than we would. Maul clearly understood that too. He kicked Qui-Gon down then he backed up and used the Force to throw a fallen droid into the controls of another door. It opened and he backed up through it. We followed closely, using the Force to coordinate our attacks. Obi-Wan was thrown back and I was facing Maul alone for a moment.
Quickly Qui-Gon came up with Obi-Wan close behind. We come into what seemed to be a power room. We had Maul concerned at the edge of the walkway. Obi-Wan made a false attack on the right and I made one on the left. Maul didn't see Qui-Gon make a real attack in the center. This caused Maul to Force Jump backward to another walkway. We all Force Jumped after him. We all swung together, and Maul parried us with one blade. It was like that for what seemed hours. I could sense Maul's concern that he was outnumbered and outmatched. We continued to exchange blows with him. He was tiring I could feel it. He kicked Obi-Wan over the edge leaving just me and Qui-Gon. He swung at my feet forcing me to jump back. Qui-Gon punched Maul knocking him over the edge. Qui-Gon jumped after him and I jumped after both of them. The next thing I did I would regret for a long time to come. I looked over the edge hoping to find Obi-Wan. He was hanging on the edge of the walkway below. I saw him pull himself up and picked up his lightsaber. I waved to him and rushed as quickly as I could to Qui-Gon and Maul who were fighting by themselves now. I looked over my shoulder and saw Obi-Wan catching up with me. I ran as fast as I could. Having used some Force energy to jump after Maul all over the place. I was unable to use Force Speed to reach Qui-Gon and Maul. Qui-Gon backed him up into a power connection way. I raced as fast as I could but was stopped short when the energy field cut me off. I saw that Obi-Wan was behind at the front also cut off and Maul and Qui-Gon were separated by the energy fields as well. Maul tried to see if his lightsaber could get through it to no avail. He deactivated his blades as did Qui-Gon and I. Qui-Gon knelt and meditated. I relaxed and rested myself. I knew we would need all our energy to defeat this Sith Lord. Maul paced back and forth like a predator waiting for the right moment to attack its prey. I merely spread my feet and put my hands behind my back.
We all patiently waited for the energy beams to deactivate so we could come together again. Suddenly I felt that the energy fields were getting ready to go down. I activated my lightsaber again in battle readiness. The second the field receded, Qui-Gon attacked Maul and they fought into a circular room that was a dead end for us. I ran as soon as I could toward them. Obi-Wan being younger managed to catch up with me. We raced and were stop short again just outside the room. Qui-Gon was doing his best against Maul, but he could not last. Maul knocked him in the chin with his lightsaber handle and stabbed him through the middle. "NO" Obi-Wan cried. I hung my head in shame. Had I not been distracted by making sure Obi-Wan was all right. I might have been there with Qui-Gon and saved him from death. I could feel anger filling Obi-Wan. "Calm yourself Obi-Wan, focus and we can avenge Qui-Gon" I said to him. He calmed and we waited again. I personally was madder at myself, but I couldn't dwell on that. As soon as the energy field dropped, I rushed ahead and attacked Maul with more aggression that I thought I had. Obi-Wan joined me with the same aggression. We attacked, we parried. At one point due to my distraction of Maul, Obi-Wan was able to slash down on his saber and destroyed one half of it. Maul was now down to only one blade to fight the both of us. He used Force Pushed and knocked me across the room. That did a number on my back for a moment. I picked myself a little. I watched as Obi-Wan fought Maul with skills that I had not seen in many other Jedi. Obi-Wan was able to match Maul's every flip and spin. At one point they were in a grid lock. Obi-Wan was bearing down on Maul.
The Sith pushed up ending the grid lock and Force Pushed Obi-Wan into the pit in the middle of the room. I sense Obi-Wan grab something below and held on. Maul kicked Obi-Wan's lightsaber down into the pit. He slashed at the edge sent sparks down to Obi-Wan, hoping to get him to let go and fall. Obi-Wan would not be dropped so easy. I stood up and activated my lightsaber. Maul looked at me but remained where he was. He was waiting for me to come at him. That was not my plan, however. I merely wanted to keep his attention off Obi-Wan. "Use the Force Obi-Wan" I spoke to him through the Force. "Look for the opportunity to strike". I could feel Obi-Wan making a plan in his mind. He used his mind to grab onto Qui-Gon's lightsaber. He jumped up and called the lightsaber to his hand. Maul was surprised that he couldn't react before Obi-Wan slashed him through the middle. Maul fell back in two pieces into the pit. I smiled at Obi-Wan and we rushed over to Qui-Gon who was laying in the middle of us. I tried to use the Force to heal him, but it didn't seem to work. "It's too late" he said weakly. "No" Obi-Wan pleaded. "Obi-Wan" Qui-Gon said. "Promise me, promise me you'll train the boy" "Yes Master" Obi-Wan said. "He is the Chosen One" Qui-Gon said stroking Obi-Wan face. "He will bring balance. Train him" With that Qui-Gon took his last breath and his spirit drifted into the Force. Obi-Wan and I cried at his lost. "Come, we must take his body for a proper memorial" I said. "We must regroup with the others; I sense they were successful in their endeavors. I'm sure the Council will grant you the rank of Jedi Knight now. You have passed your trails of skill, courage, and flesh all at once" Obi-Wan put Qui-Gon's lightsaber onto his belt and together we carried his body out. Once we made it out to the streets. I had my Jedi take Qui-Gon for us to lay him somewhere until his funeral. Anakin as it turned out was the one that destroyed the droid control ship. Obi-Wan and I collected him and went to meet back up with Queen Amidala. She was out of her battle dress and into a more formal one. We had the Viceroy and his right hand in custody now. "Now Viceroy" Padmé said. "You're going to have to go back to the Senate and explain all this" "I think you can kiss your trade franchise good-bye" Panaka said.
The Republic and the Jedi Council had been contacted and a Republic transport was landing at that moment. We escorted the Neimoidians over to it. Senator Palpatine came down us the new Supreme Chancellor guarded by the blue guards. We bowed to him. "We are indebted to you for your bravery, Master Jones and too Obi-Wan Kenobi" he said "And you, young Skywalker. We will watch your career with great interest" He patted Anakin on the shoulder and went over to talk to the queen. The rest of the Jedi Council came with him. Master Yoda was in front naturally. "Of Master Qui-Gon's lost we are sorry to hear" he said. "Discover you did, the identity of the dark warrior, hmm?" "Yes Master, he was named Darth Maul" I said. "I believe he was the apprentice though. His power did not reach the level of the Dark Lord of the Sith" The Council nodded. We followed the new Chancellor to the Queen. "Congratulations on your election, Chancellor" the queen said. "Your boldness has saved our people, Your Majesty" Palpatine said. "It's you who should be congratulated. Together we shall bring peace and prosperity to the Republic. As Qui-Gon funeral fire was being prepared, Master Yoda and I met with Obi-Wan in private. "Confer on you the level of Jedi Knight the council does" Master Yoda said pacing with his cane. "But agree with your taking this boy as your Padawan learner, I do not" "Qui-Gon believed in him" Obi-Wan said. Master Yoda sighed. "Master it is the right of a Jedi Knight to pick his Padawan when they chose" I reminded him.
"The Chosen One the boy may be. Nevertheless, grave danger I fear in his training" Master Yoda said. I shook my head. "Master Yoda, I gave Qui-Gon my word. I will train Anakin" Obi-Wan said. Master Yoda grunted at that. "Without the approval of the Council if I must" Obi-Wan added. "Qui-Gon's defiance I sense in you" Master Yoda said. "Need that you do not" "The rest of the Council have given their approval, me included" I said. "Agree with you the Council does" Master Yoda finished. "Your apprentice Skywalker will be" That night we burned Qui-Gon's body in tradition sending his spirit to the Force forever. All the Council was present along with the Chancellor, the Queen, Boss Nass, Jar Jar, a few other Gungans, Naboo, Obi-Wan, Anakin, R2, Alex and me. All us Jedi had our hoods up in silent respect. "Now we know for sure that the Sith have returned" Alex said. "Yes, there are always two, no more or less" I said. "A master and their apprentice." "Unfortunately, only the apprentice was destroyed" Alex said. "We'll find the master soon enough my brother" I said. "I'll personally see to that" The next day was a happier day. The entire Gungan force paraded on the street of Theed City. This was the celebration of the union of the Gungans with the Naboo people they finally had come together in friendship. The Jedi Council along with the Chancellor, the governor, Obi-Wan, Anakin, R2, the Queen and many of her security guards waited for Boss Nass, Captain Tarpals and Jar Jar at the steps of the palace. Boss Nass, Tarpals, and Jar Jar walked up the steps. Padmé took a electric look ball from the Governor and give it to Boss Nass. He held it in the air and shouted "Peace". We all cheered. Little do I know at the time, that my true work in the galaxy, and my true adventures were only just beginning.
Happy May the Fourth be with You
