Star Wars The New Universe Episode I: Attack of the Clones

This is what I've managed to do so far with Episode I. The writing process is still on going.

EPISODE I: ATTACK OF THE CLONES

There is unrest in the Galactic Republic!
Several hundred solar systems, under
the leadership of the rebel leader,
the former Jedi Master Count Dooku,
have declared their independence from the Republic.

This Separatist movement has made it
difficult for the limited number of
Jedi Knights to maintain peace and
order in the galaxy.

Senator Padmé Amidala,
the Senator of the planet Naboo,
is returning to Coruscant, the capital of the Republic,
to vote on the critical issue
of creating an ARMY to assist the
overwhelmed Jedi.

A yellow Naboo Fighter flies toward Coruscant, followed by a large Senatorial Cruiser and two more Fighters. The ships skim across the surface of the city landscape. The sun glints off the chrome hulls of the sleek Naboo spacecraft as they navigate between the buildings of the capital planet. Two Naboo Fighters land on one leaf of a three-leaf-clover landing platform. The Senatorial Starship lands on the central lead, and the third Fighter lands on the remaining platform. A small group of dignitaries waits to welcome the Senator. Among them, there is Sabé, Senator Amidala's handmaiden. One of the fighter pilots jumps from the wing of his ship and removes his helmet. He is Captain Gregar Typho, Senator Amidala’s Security Officer. He moves over to a woman pilot. The ramp of the ship opens. Two Naboo Guards appear. Senator Amidala, one handmaiden and four Naboo troopers descend the ramp. The dignitaries start to move forward. Senator Amidala reaches the foot of the ramp, when suddenly there is a blinding flash and a huge explosion . The dignitaries and pilots are hurled to the ground as the starship is destroyed. Klaxons blare, alarms sound! Captain Typho and the two escort pilots get up and run to where Senator Amidala lies dying. Beyond, R2D2 drops down from the Naboo Fighter and rolls toward the wreckage. The female escort pilot kneels by Senator Amidala and takes off her helmet, revealing that SHE IS the actual Senator Padmé Amidala. She gathers up her decoy double in her arms. Cordé's eyes are open. She looks up at her. Cordé dies, and Padmé hugs her. She feels very sad about what just happened, as Cordé was not only one of her most loyal handmaidens, but also a good friend. She lowers Cordé to the ground. She gets up and looks around at the devastation. There are tears in her eyes. After a few moments of hesitation, Captain Typho manages to convince Padmé to get away from that disaster. So, she turns, and they walk away. R2D2 lets out a small whimper and rolls off after them.

The massive Senate Building glistens in the afternoon sun. Small patches of fog have still to burn off. The vast rotunda is buzzing with chatter. Mas Amedda, the Supreme Chancellor's majordomo, tries to quiet things down. The Senate is in complete chaos. The Senators yell pro and con, and Mas Amedda tries to calm things down. Senator Amidala, with Captain Typho and Sabé, manoeuvre her pod into the centre of the vast arena. "My noble colleagues. Less than an hour ago, an assassination attempt was made against my life. One of my bodyguards and six others were ruthlessly and senselessly murdered. I was the target but, more importantly, I believe this security measure before you, was the target. I have led the opposition to build an army... but there is someone in this body who will stop at nothing to assure it's passage..." Many of the Senators boo and yell at Senator Amidala. "I warn you, if you vote to create this army, war will follow. My parents have experienced the misery of war first-hand during the last war; I don’t wish them to do it again." There is sporadic yelling for and against her statements. "Wake up, Senators... you must wake up! If you offer the Separatists violence, they can only show us violence in return! Many will lose their lives. All will lose their freedom. This decision could very well destroy the very foundation of our great Republic. I pray you do not let fear push you into a disastrous decision. Vote down this security measure, which is nothing less than a declaration of war! Does anyone here want that? I cannot believe they do." There is an undercurrent of booing... and groaning. Then, Chancellor Palpatine takes the word, saying that due to the lateness of the hour and the seriousness of the motion, the Senate will take up these matters the next day, and therefore the Senate stands adjourned until then.

The giant towers of the Republic Executive Building seem to reach the heavens. Traffic clogs the smoggy sky. Chancellor Palpatine sits behind his desk with two red-cload guards on either side of the door. Yoda, Plo Koon, and Ki-Adi-Mundi sit acress from him. Palpatine discuss with the Jedi, telling them that he doesn’t know how long he can hold back the vote, as more and more systems are joining the Separatist Alliance. Mace Windu warns the Chancellor, telling him that if the Separatists will declare war on the Republic, then there wouldn’t be enough Jedi to defend it effectively, since the last war (the First Clone War), which happened about twenty years ago, has literally decimated the numbers of the Order. Palpatine asks Master Yoda if he thinks the Separatists will declare war on the Republic, and Master Yoda reassures him, telling him that the Jedi will always do their duty, no matter what. Then, Dar Wac’s hologram appears, informing the Chancellor that the loyalist committee has arrived, so Palpatine tells him to let them in. They all stand as Senator Amidala, Captain Typho, Mas Amedda, Sabé and Senators Bail Organa, Horox Ryyder and Orn Free Taa enter the office. Yoda and Mace Windu move to greet the Senator, Yoda taps Amidala with his cane. "With you the Force is... young Senator. To see you alive makes me happy." So, Padmé Thank Yoda, asking him if he has any idea who was behind the attack. Mace Windu then tell Padmé that the intelligence points to disgruntled spice miners, on the moons of Naboo. However, Padmé shakes her head in denaial, telling Mace that she thinks Count Dooku was behind the attack. There is a stir of surprise for Padmé's words. Ki-Adi-Mundi intervenes: "He’s a political idealist, not a murderer. He lost faith in the Republic and its system, but he wouldn’t be capable of killing innocent people." Mace agrees with him, telling Padmé that Dooku wouldn't assassinate anyone, since he was once a Jedi.

Then, Palpatine gets up, walks to the window and looks out at the vast city. After gazing out of the window for several moments, Palpatine turns to Mace: "Perhaps Senator Amidala is right. Master Jedi, may I suggest that the Senator be placed under the protection of your graces." Padmé looks at Palpatine with an expression of disapproval, telling him that she doesn't think the situation is that serious. "But I do, Senator. I realise all too well that additional security might be disruptive for you, but perhaps someone you are familiar with... an old friend like... Master Kenobi..." Palpatine nods to Mace Windu, who nods back, as he agrees. Padmé finally resigns herself, sighing deeply, as she knows she can't disobey the Chancellor’s will. So, she nods reluctantly as the Jedi get up to leave.

An elevator is rising higher and higher, along the profile of the Senate building, where Padmé’s apartment on Coruscant is located. Inside the elevator, we see a young Obi-Wan Kenobi alongside his apprentice, a young Anakin Skywalker, both dressed in traditional Jedi clothing. Obi-Wan sighs deeply, looking at Anakin, who is standing quietly. Anakin then turns, looking at Obi-Wan and noticing that he seems nervous: "You seem nervous, Master." After some initial hesitation, Obi-Wan eventually confesses that he's a little nervous. He never told Anakin, but when he was still a Jedi apprentice, he had an affair with Senator Amidala’s main handmaiden, Sabé. He thinks that seeing her again could be a little awkward for him, because though their relationship didn’t end badly and they stayed on good terms, he hasn’t seen her in many years. Anakin can't help but laugh when he hears Obi-Wan’s words, as he would never have imagined that his master could have a romantic side. Initially, Obi-wan feels annoyed by Anakin’s laughter and teasing, but eventually he also ends up laughing of himself and his nervousness. After a few laughs, Obi-Wan asks Anakin how he thinks he should behave. Anakin replies by telling him that he thinks he should behave normally, because if their relationship didn't end badly, then there's nothing to worry about. Obi-Wan nods to the words of his apprentice, who despite his young age, sometimes proves even wiser than himself.

After the conversation between the two, the door to the apartment slides open. Sabé walks into the corridor, where the Jedi duo is exiting the elevator. She recognizes Obi-Wan, and smiles widely when she sees him, after wich she greets him warmly. Obi-Wan returns the warm greeting, hugging her slightly. After a small exchange of pleasantries, Obi-Wan introduces Anakin to Sabé, who hadn’t seen Obi-Wan since before he was knighted, and thus didn’t know that he now had an apprentice. After Anakin introduces himself, Sabé leads them to Padmé. Padmé is sitting on one of the couches in the middle of the living room of the apartment, and is discussing with Captain Typho. Sabé enters the room, followed by the two Jedi. "M'Lady, the two Jedi sent by the Council to protect you have finally arrived." Padmé and Typho rise as Obi-Wan and Anakin stop before the Senator. Obi-Wan steps forward. Anakin stares at Padmé. She glances at him. Obi-Wan greats Padmé, telling her that it's a great pleasure to see her again. Padmé replies:: "It has been far too long Master Kenobi. I'm so glad our paths have crossed again... but I must warn you that I think your presence here is unnecessary." Obi-Wan understands-her point of view, but he replies by saying that he's sure the Jedi Council have their reasons. Padmé then turns her head and looks at Anakin, smiling kindly at him. "And this must be your apprentice, right? Obi-Wan nods, telling her that his name is Anakin. So, Anakin bows slightly out of respect, then looks at Padmé with a quiet look and a polite and gentle smile, remaining fascinated by the beauty of the Senator. Padmé smiles at him widely, but at one point she raises an eyebrow, noticing the large scar that runs through Anakin’s face, near his right eye. "Hi, it’s really a pleasure to meet you, Anakin. And... sorry, it’s none of my business, but... how did you get that scar? It’s very big, I hope it doesn’t hurt." Anakin chuckles: "Oh no, Senator, it doesn’t hurt. Well, I got this scar after saving Master Kenobi’s life on our last mission. We were falling into a den full of wild beasts, and I had to use the Force to get us both out. But things didn’t go exactly as I thought, so I got hurt, even though we both managed to get out." Anakin chuckles slightly, looking at Obi-Wan in an amused way. Padmé is fascinated by Anakin’s tale, and looks at him with a surprised but intrigued look, smiling at him. "Oh, then it’s nice to know that you’re both well."

Then, everyone walks to the couches, sitting and beginning to argue. Typho thanks the Jedi, telling them that he feels happy that they are there to protect Padmé, as he thinks the situation is much more serious than she wants to admit. Padmé replies, saying that she is not interested in having more protection, but simply answers. However, Obi-Wan tells her that the Council has given them the mission to protect her, not to start an investigation to find out who’s trying to kill her. Anakin disagrees. He thinks they should try to figure out who’s trying to kill Padmé, because he doesn’t think it’s right for the Jedi to do nothing in front of an assassination attempt. Despite this, Anakin says nothing and keeps his thoughts for himself. In the end, Padmé resigns and realizes that the Jedi will not help her get the answers she seeks. So, she takes leave, walking with Sabé to reach her rooms. After Padmé leaves, Captain Typho leaves the room as well, leaving Obi-Wan and Anakin alone. Anakin looks at Obi-Wan and smiles widely, telling him that he had no idea that Padmé was so beautiful, as he had never seen her before. Obi-Wan replies with a small laugh.

That same evening, as Padmé sleeps in her rooms, a probe Droid approaches outside her window. It sends out several small arms that attach to the window, creating sparks that shut down the security system. Then, a large arm cuts a small hole in the glass. A faint sound is heard as the small section of glass is removed from the window. R2 wakes up, and his lights go on. The probe Droid freezes. R2 looks around, makes a plaintive little sound , then shuts down again. The probe Droid attaches a little tube to the window. Two deadly looking centipede-like kouhuns exit the tube, crawl through the blinds and head toward the sleeping Padmé. In the meantime, Anakin and Obi-Wan continue their conversation in the main room of the apartment, without realizing what’s going on in Padmé’s room. At one point, R2 sounds an alarm, interrupting Anakin and Obi-Wan’s conversation, and shines a light on the bed. The kouhuns re inches from Padmé's face. Their mouths are open, and wicked stinger tongues flick out. Obi-Wan and Anakin burst into the room. The kouhuns stand on their hind legs and hiss as Padmé wakes up. Anakin throws himself in front of her, whacking in half the deadly creatures with his lightsaber. Obi-Wan sees the Droid outside the window and raqces straight at it, crashing through the blinds as he goes through the window. Obi-Wan flies through the glass window and flings himself at the probe Droid , grabbing onto the deadly machine before it can flee. The probe Droid sinks under the weight of Obi-Wan, but manages to stay afloat and fly away, with the Jedi hanging on for dear life, a hundred stories above the city. Anakin and Padmé stare at the sight of Obi-Wan being carried off by the Droid. Anakin turns to her. She pulls her nightdress around her shoulders. Then, Anakin tells her to stay there. So, Captain Typho, with two guards and Sabé enter the room as Anakin dashes out.

The probe Droid sends several protective electrical shocks across its surface, causing Obi-Wan to almost lose his grip. As they dart in and out of the speeder traffic, Obi-Wan disconnects a wire on the back of the Droid. Its power shuts off! Obi-Wan and the Droid drop like rocks, so Obi-Wan realises the error of his ways and quickly puts the wire back. The Droid's systems light up again and it takes off. Anakin charges out of the building and runs to a line of parked speeders. He vaults into an open one and takes off, gunning it fast toward the lines of speeder traffic high above. The Droid bumps against a wall, hoping to knock the Jedi loose. It moves behind a speeder afterburner to scorch him. It takes the Jedi wildly between buildings and finally skims across a rooftop, as Obi-Wan is forced to lift his legs, tenaciously hanging onto the Droid. The Droid heads for a dirty, beat-up speeder hidden in an alcove of a building about twenty stories up. When the pilot of the speeder, a scruffy bounty hunter called Zam Wessel, sees the Droid approach with Obi-Wan hanging on, she pulls a long rifle out of the speeder and starts to fire at the Jedi. Explosions burst all around. Finally, the Droid suffers a direct hit and blows up. Obi-Wan falls fifty stories, until a speeder drops down next to him, and he manages to grab onto the back end of the speeder and haul himself toward the cockpit. The Jedi struggles to climb into the passenger seat of the open speeder, and sit down next to the driver, Anakin.

They zoom upward in hot pursuit of Zam, as she fires out the open window at them with her laser pistol. Anakin deftly moves in and out of the oncoming traffic, across lanes, between buildings, and miraculously through a construction site. Zam Wessel continues firing at them. They barely miss a commuter train. Zam and the Jedi race through a line of cross-traffic made up of giant trucks. The speeders bank sideways as they slide around right-angle turns between buildings. Zam races into a tram tunnel. Anakin zooms into the tunnel after Zam. They see a tram coming at them. They brake, turn around, and race out, barely ahead of the charging commuter transport. Zam turns into oncoming traffic, deliberately trying to throw the Jedi off. Oncoming speeders swerve, trying to avoid Zam and the Jedi. Zam does a quick, tight loop-over and ends up behind the Jedi. She’s now in a much better position to fire at them with her laser pistol. To avoid being hit by the laser bolts, Anakin slams on the brakes and moves alongside Zam. She now fires point-blank at Obi-Wan. Anakin slides underneath Zam's speeder. They race along in traffic, one speeder right on top of the other. The bounty hunter skims over the rooftops, causing Anakin to drop behind. Anakin goes through his gears, zooming around traffic. They race at high speed across a wide, flat surface of the city planet. A large spacecraft almost collides with them as it attempts to land. They round a corner and clip a flag, which gets caught on one of the front air scoops. Obi-Wan leans out of the speeder, then crawls out onto the front engine, pulling the flag free of the scoop. The speeder lurches forward with a surge of power. They chase the bounty hunter through a power refinery. Huge electrical bolts shoot between the buildings as the speeders pass. Zam slides around a corner sideways, blocking an alley, firing point-blank as Anakin approaches. Anakin barely misses the bounty hunter's speeder as he dives under it, and through a small gap in the building hitting several pipes and going wildly out of control. Anakin struggles to regain control of the speeder, narrowly missing a crane, barely clipping a pair of giant struts. A giant gasball shoots up, causing Anakin to spin and bump a building, stalling the speeder.

Anakin works to get the speeder started. It quickly races to life. Suddenly, there is an ambush. Laser bolts fire everywhere. Explosions surround them. They look up to see Zam Wessel take off. Out of a cloud of smoke and ball of flames, the Jedi tear after Zam. They are smoking. Obi-Wan slaps out the small fire on the dashboard. Zam goes up and down, through cross-traffic. There is a near miss as a speeder almost hits them. Zam turns down and left between two buildings. Anakin pulls up and to the right. Anakin turns up a side street, zooming up several small passageways, then stops, hovering about fifty stories up. Anakin looks around front and back. He spots something. He seems to start counting to himself as he watches something below approach. Anakin jumps out of the speeder. Obi-Wan looks down and sees Zam's speeder about five stories below them cruising past. Anakin miraculously lands on top of the Bounty Hunter's speeder. The speeder wobbles under the impact. Zam looks up and realises what has happened. Zam takes off, and Anakin slides to the back strut and almost slips off, but manages to hang on. Anakin works his way back to the speeder's cockpit, just as Zam stops suddenly, and Anakin flies forward to the left front fork. Zam shoots at him with a laser pistol. There is a blast near Anakin's hand, which breaks off a piece of the speeder. Anakin slides to the right fork of the speeder, where Zam can't reach him. He scrambles to the top, holding onto an air scoop. Obi-Wan has jumped into the driver's seat of his speeder and is deftly gaining on the rogue speeder. The two speeders dive through oncoming traffic and then through cross traffic. Finally, Anakin is able to get hold of his lightsaber and starts to cut his way through the roof of the speeder. Zam takes out her laser pistol and starts firing at the helpless Jedi, knocking the sword out of his hand. Obi-Wan races under the speeder and catches the Jedi weapon in the passenger's seat. Anakin sticks his hand into the cockpit and, using the Force, pulls the gun out of Zam's hand. She grabs the Jedi's hand, and they struggle for the weapon. It goes off, blowing a hole in the floor of the speeder. The speeder careens wildly out of control. Zam struggles to pull the speeder out of it's nose dive. Obi-Wan gets slowed down by traffic and loses sight of the Bounty Hunter's speeder. Just as the dragster is about to nose dive into the ground, Zam pulls it out, and it slides hard on the pavement in a shower of sparks. Anakin goes flying into the street.

Zam exits the crashed speeder and runs. Anakin picks himself up off the pavement and runs down the very crowded street. It's the seedy underbelly of the city. Broken sidewalks, garish lights reflected on the filthy puddles. It's pretty crowded with various alien low-lifes, panhandling Droids, and the occasional group of upperclass slummers. Anakin barges into several of them as he chases after the fleeing Zam. He loses the Bounty Hunter in the crowd, them sees him again. The young Jedi is having a very difficult time getting through the crowd. Ahead, Zam turns in through a door and disappears. A nightclub sighs is flashing over the door. Anakin is just about to follow Zam when there is a sudden swirl of litter from downthrusters. people start moving out of the way, and the open speeder lands in the street beside him. Obi-Wan gets out and walks over, holding out Anakin's lightsaber. "She went into the club, Master." Obi-Wan gives Anakin his lightsaber, and Anakin grabs it. Then, Obi-Wan and Anakin enter the nightclub bar, and everyone stares at them. "You must be extra careful, Anakin. Check it out." Then, Obi-Wan goes away. So, Anakin asks Obi-Wan where he's going, and Obi-Wan tells him that he needs a drink. Then, Obi-Wan heads for the bar. Anakin blinks in surprise, then moves into the room, where alien faces look back at him with hostility, suspicion, and invitation as he moves among the tables. Obi-Wan arrives at the bar and signals the barman. Somewhere in the room a hand moves to a pistol in its holster and unsnaps the safety catch. At the bar, a glass is placed in front of Obi-Wan. A drink is poured, after which Obi-Wan lifts the drink and tosses it back. The gun is drawn from its holster and held down out of sight. The Bounty Hunter starts to move toward the bar. Meanwhile, Anakin continues to check out alien faces. Obi-Wan signals for another drink. The gun moves toward his unsuspecting back. The drink is poured and Obi-Wan reaches for it. The gun is raised to aim directly at his back, and suddenly Obi-Wan turns fast. His lightsaber flashes. There is a shrill scream and Zam's arm hits the floor. The gun drops from its twitching fingers. Blood spreads. The room is silent. Aliens rise menacingly from their seats, and Anakin is suddenly at Obi-Wan's side, his lightsaber glowing: "Jedi business. Go back to your drinks." Slowly, the aliens sit and conversation resumes. Onstage, the performers pick up their routine. Obi-Wan and Anakin lift Zam, carry her into the alley and lower her to the ground. Obi-Wan attends to her wounded shoulder. She stares up hatefully at Anakin, winces in pain, and then nods. Obi-Wan asks Zam if she knows who she had to kill. Zam replies by telling him that she had to kill the Senator of Naboo. So, Obi-Wan asks her who sent her, but Zam tries to justify herself , saying it was just a job. Anakin asks again who sent her, with a slightly more aggressive tone. Zam replies, but just as she's about to say the name of the Bounty Hunter who sent her, a toxic dart hits her in the neck. There is a sudden ftzzz sound. Zam twitches, blinks in surprise and then dies. There is a weoosh from above. Obi-Wan and Anakin look up to see an armoured rocket-man taking off from a roof high above. Obi-Wan looks down at Zam. He touches her neck and pulls out a small, wicked-looking dart: "A Toxic Dart..."

After the incident, Anakin and Obi-Wan decide to report to the Jedi Council, detailing to the 12 Masters who make up the Council (including Yoda, Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Plo Koon) what exactly happened. Yoda tells Anakin and Obi-Wan that the original plan must be changed, and that it’s now necessary to look for the Bounty Hunter who is trying to kill Senator Amidala. However, the Council realizes that Padmé still needs protection, so Mace Windu entrusts Anakin with the task of escorting Padmé on her native planet of Naboo, and watching over her until the mystery is solved. In addition, Mace Windu advises Anakin not to use registered ships, so that no one can trace them. Anakin is happy to accept the assignment. However, he says that, from what he could see, the Senator seems to be very stubborn, and therefore it will not be easy to convince her. Obi-Wan and the Council agree, so Yoda tells Anakin that the Council will ask the Chancellor to order the Senator to hide on her homeworld, as she will not refuse an order from the Chancellor. Anakin nods, then bows respectfully to the Masters. After Anakin and Obi-Wan report to the Masters, they both leave the Council Room. As they both walk through the long corridors of the Temple, Obi-Wan and Anakin talk to each other. Obi-Wan advises Anakin to be very careful, and Anakin is happy to finally be able to carry out his first mission alone.

After they say goodbye to each other, Obi-Wan decides to go to one of the Temple’s labs, in order to have the dart examined by one of the Droids, so that its origin can be traced. After reaching the Temple’s main scientific laboratory, Obi-Wan tests the toxic dart. However, the Droid analyzer tells him that it cannot identify the origin of the dart. So, Obi-Wan picks up the dart and looks at it for a few seconds, realizing that, actually, there is someone who could help him identify its origin. Obi-Wan then leaves the lab suddenly.

Meanwhile, Anakin immediately goes to the Senate building, where Padmé’s apartment is located, to inform her that he has the task of escorting her to Naboo. Upon arriving at Padmé’s apartment, Anakin is warmly welcomed by Sabé. She leads him to Padmé, who is sitting in the main room of the apartment, on one of the couches, and is holding her datapad. "M'Lady, Master Kenobi’s apprentice is here." When Padmé sees Anakin, she immediately gets up and walks towards him, smiling at him extensively. For some reason she can’t explain herself, she’s happy to see him. After a quick exchange of pleasantries, Anakin explains the situation to Padmé, telling her that the Council has entrusted him with the task of escorting her to Naboo and protecting her, and that therefore they must leave as soon as possible. Padmé nods reluctantly, saying that, although she doesn't think that all this protection is necessary, the Chancellor contacted her and ordered her to do so, which is why she can't refuse. Anakin understands her point of view, and he regrets that she feels stifled by the orders, but at the same time, he thinks it’s the right thing to do. Then, Padmé looks at him and her expression turns into a slightly happier expression, she pulls out a little smile: "Well, if I have to hide, I’m glad that at least you’re the one protecting me". Anakin blushes a little when he hears her words, but then he smiles slightly.

The sun shines on Coruscant, illuminating all the buildings. Dexter Jexter’s little restaurant can be seen in the distance. Obi-Wan enters inside it, looking around with quiet air. Dexter notices him immediately, looking at him with a happy and excited look. He is very pleased to see him, as he and Obi-Wan are old friends. Dexter invites Obi-Wan to sit at one of the tables, so Obi-Wan walks to a free table and sits down, waiting for Dexter to reach him. Meanwhile, a Droid waitress approaches Obi-Wan’s table, asking him if he wants a drink. Obi-Wan accepts with pleasure, ordering a drink, so the droid waitress takes note and walks away. A few moments later, Dexter walks to Obi-Wan’s table, so Obi-Wan gets up and walks towards him, to catch him with a big hug, which Dexter reciprocates, hugging Obi-Wan with all four of his Mighty arms and his huge four-fingered hands. After the two sit down, the Droid waitress brings Obi-Wan’s drink, who takes it and starts drinking it with pleasure. After taking a few sips, Dexter asks Obi-Wan what he can do for him. "Well, you’ve worked in the Special Services of the Republic for a long time, and you know a lot of things that most ordinary citizens don’t know. So, I’d like you to tell me what this is." Obi-Wan hands him the toxic dart. Dexter picks it up and watches it for a few seconds, then tells him to recognize it. It's a dart from the planet Kamino, a planet located outside the Republic, at the extreme edge of the Galaxy. Obi-Wan tells Dexter that he has never heard of this planet before, so Dexter replies by telling him to try searching in the Archives of the Jedi Temple.

A small bus speeds toward the massive freighter docks of Coruscant's Industrial area. The spaceport is bustling with activity. Transports of various sizes moves supplies and passengers as giant floating cranes lift cargo out of starships. The bus stops before a huge intergalactic freighter starship. It parks in the shadows of an overhang. Anakin and Padmé, dressed in Outland peasant outfits, get up and head for the door where Captain Typho and Sabé are waiting to hand them their luggage. Captain Typho advises Padmé to be careful, and Padmé reassures him, telling him that everything will be fine. Sabé looks at Padmé, trying to smile, but actually feeling a bit sad, as she's worried that something bad might happen to her. Padmé notices Sabé's slightly saddened expression and tries to comfort her with reassuring words, hugging her hard. Then, Padmé looks at her with a confident and happy look, telling her that, since she's one of her more resembling decoys and since she studied politics too, then she entrusts her with the task of replacing her in the Senate for as long as she will be on Naboo. Before Padmé can say anything else, Sabé smiles widely, gladly accepting the assignment and hugging Padmé again. Padmé greets Typho and Sabé and leaves the bus with Anakin. The bus doors close behind them, after which Anakin and Padmé begin to walk next to each other, followed by R2. Padmé sighs deeply, feeling a little nervous, , telling Anakin not to feel completely safe and to suddenly be afraid. Anakin tries to comfort her, telling her that he's afraid too, as this is his first assignment on his own. Padmé turns her head slightly back to look at R2, then turns again to look at Anakin, telling him in an amused tone that there is no need to worry, because R2 is there with them. Anakin can't help but laugh when he hears her words, and the two of them keep walking away from the bus.

The main entrance at the base of the huge temple is bustling with activity. All sorts of Jedi are coming and going. A bronze bust of Count Dooku stands among a line of other busts of Jedi in the Archive Room. Obi-Wan stands in front of it, studying the striking features of the chiselled face. On the walls, lighted computer panels seem to stretch into infinity. Farther along the room in the background, five Jedi are seated at tables, studying archival material. After Obi-Wan studies the bust for a few moments, Madame Jocasta Nu, the Jedi Archivist, approaches him: "He has a powerful face, doesn't he? He was one of the most brilliant Jedi I have had the privilege of knowing." Obi-Wans nods, saying that he never understood why he left the Order. "No one likes to talk about it. His leaving was a great loss to the Order. One might say, he was always a bit out of step with the decisions of the Council. He always was a very individual thinker, an idealist... He was always striving to become a more powerful Jedi. He wanted to be the best. With a lightsaber, in the old style of fencing, he had no match. His knowledge of the Force was... unique. In the end, I think he left because he lost faith in the Republic. He believed that politics were corrupt, and he felt the Jedi betrayed themselves by serving the politicians. He always had very high expectations of government. He disappeared for nine or ten years, then he just showed up recently as the head of the Separatist movement." Obi-Wan sighs a bit. Then, Jocasta Nu looks at him: "But I don't think you call me to listen to a history lesson." Obi-Wan chuckles slightly, after which he turns and approaches one of the Archive’s computers. He tells Jocasta Nu that he's looking for the location of a planet called Kamino, which he can't find in the Archives. Jocasta Nu carefully looks at the computer screen for a few seconds, after which she turns and looks at Obi-Wan, telling him that if the planet doesn't appear in the Archives, then it probably does not exist, since the Jedi Archives contain all the knowledge of the Galaxy. Obi-Wan objects to her statement, telling her that he learned of this planet thanks to a friend who had previously worked in the Republic’s Special Services. So, Jocasta Nu tells him that if what he says Is true, then the possibility that someone might have deleted those files is not to be ruled out. Obi-Wan listens carefully to Jocasta Nu’s words, and is a little surprised by her reply, so he passes a hand through his beard, thinking carefully about what to do.

In space, the refugee ship on which Anakin and Padmé had boarded is travelling at full speed, heading for Naboo. Anakin and Padmé are both sitting around a small table, in the dining room of the refugee ship, eating a portion of hot soup accompanied by some bread. The neon lamps on the walls emit a soft light that illuminates the entire huge dining room, making it almost look like the room is illuminated by the Sun outside. Dozens and dozens of other people are sitting around them, eating their food and chatting, the whole room is filled with the background noise, created by the joining of all the voices of the people who are talking to each other. Anakin is sitting in front of Padmé and tries to enjoy his soup as much as possible. So, R2 brings them a basket full of slices of bread, holding it tight in one of his little robotic arms, as he slowly heads to their table. Once R2 arrives at the table with the bread basket, Anakin looks at the Droid with a light smile, taking the basket and placing it in the center of the small table, after which he takes a slice of bread to eat it next to the hot soup. As he eats, Padmé keeps staring at him all the time, remaining fascinated by him, as she always seems so calm and confident. She finds him very attractive. So, at some point Padmé decides to break the ice: "Well, Anakin... Obi-Wan and I are old friends, but even though we’ve known each other for years, he never really told me what it’s like to be a Jedi. What does it feel like to be in the Order?" Anakin looks away from his plate, lifting his head and looking at her with a calm and cheerful look: "Well... It’s not easy, the training is hard, and sometimes you don’t feel understood. But being a Jedi has a lot of positives, and being connected to the Force is a wonderful feeling, it’s like you feel part of something bigger, you feel connected to everything and everyone." Padmé is intrigued by Anakin’s explanation and smiles at him widely: "Well, being a Senator is not easy either, because we often have to keep ourselves under control. Sometimes I just want to yell at my colleagues and call them idiots, but I can’t do that." Anakin cannot help but burst out laughing when he hears her words, so he looks at her with an extremely amused look, telling her that he could never imagine being a politician. She tells him that, likewise, she could never imagine being a Jedi. After this exchange, they both laugh at each other.

Obi-Wan walks through the main hallway to the training area of the Jedi Temple. He comes out onto the veranda and stops, watching twenty or so four-year-olds doing training exercises, supervised by Yoda. They wear helmets over their eyes and try to strike little Training Droids with their miniature lightsabers. The Droids dance in front of them: "Don't think, feel. Be as one with the Force. Help you, it will." Then, Yoda turns his head and sees Obi-Wan: "Younglings, younglings!! A visitor we have. Welcome him." The children take off their helmets and turn off their lightsabers, after which they all bow politely to Obi-Wan, greating him in chorus: "Hello, Master Obi-Wan!" Obi-Wan smiles sweetly at the children, returning their greetings. After greeting the children, he turns to look at Yoda, telling him that he is sorry to disturb him, but that he has an urgent matter to discuss with him. Then, Obi-Wan goes on to explain the whole situation, telling him that he is looking for a planet called Kamino that does not appear on the Archive maps, and that he needs to find that planet because the poisoned dart comes from that planet. Yoda listens carefully to Obi-Wan’s words: "An interesting puzzle. Gather round the map reader, younglings. Master Obi-Wan has lost a planet. Find it, we will try..." The map reader is a small shaft with a hollow opening at the top. The cchildren gather around it. Obi-Wan takes out a little glass ball and places it into the bowl. The window shades close darkening the room and the reader lights up, projecting the star map hologram into the room. The children laugh. Some of them reach up to try and touch the nebulae and stars. Obi-Wan walks into the display: "This is where it ought to be, but it isn't. Gravity is pulling all the stars in this area inward to this spot. There should be a star here, but there isn't." Yoda replies: "Most interesting. Gravity's silhouette remains, but the star and all its planets have disappeared. How can this be?" There is a brief pause. Then a child puts its hand up. Yoda nods to let him answer: "Master, the planet doesn't appear because someone erased it from the Archive memory." Obi-Wan looks at the child with a very surprised look, after which he turns to look at Yoda, telling him that Jocasta Nu also suggested that some information may have been deleted from the Archives. Yoda nods, saying that since the childrens sensed the same, then it's a further suggestion that Jocasta Nu is right. So, he looks at Obi-Wan, telling him to continue his investigation, and that he will have to meditate on this puzzle to figure out who might have deleted the data from the Archives.

The refugee ship land in the large spaceport of Theed, the capital of Naboo. After the ship’s hatch opens, hundreds of people leave the ship. Anakin and Padmé go out together, standing next to each other, while R2 is behind them. So many people are around them and walking near them. The more Anakin and Padmé walk, the more the crowd becomes orderly, until all the people disperse around them, going around the spaceport each on their own. Anakin walks next to Padmé, looking at her with a quiet look and always keeping an eye on her to make sure nothing happens to her. While looking at her, he can't help but smile, he feels very fascinated by her beauty. Whilst the young Senator feels a slight annoyance over her lack of control of the situation, it's undeniable that merely the sight of Naboo's capital city warms her heart. Furthermore she does enjoy Anakin's company, even if he's is yet a complete stranger to her To her own surprise she notices that he seems to stand out from the majority with a sincere and energetic personality shining through him. She turns towards him to express her thoughts: "it's my comfort to have you as a guest on my home planet instead of Coruscant." Anakin smiles warmly at her words: "Yes, it’s a pleasure for me too. I’ve never been to Naboo, but from what I’m seeing, I already love this planet! Everything is so elegant and clean..." He chuckles slightly, continuing to walk beside her, while R2 continues to follow them. "Indeed, it's truly remarkable." She nods in agreement as she takes a quick look at R2 before shifting her attention towards him. "I doubt there will be any work for you to fullfil. My recommendation is to think of this trip as an enjoyable vacation." Anakin nods, smiling widely, looking at her with a happy look, telling her then that's exactly what he will do.