If I Wrote For Lucas: Episode 3

If I Wrote For Lucas: Episode 3 — Blue Ink Alchemy

Concluding one of the possible ways the story arc of those Star Wars prequels could have gone if I'd written them. Episode 1 is here, and Episode 2 is here. Remember, I don't own anything created by Lucas and I'm not looking to profit from any of this, but it is my work and if you want to quote or use part of it, please give me appropriate credit.

Episode 3: Rise of the Empire

The Clone Wars rage throughout the galaxy. Since the death of General Grievous four years ago, the malevolent Count Dooku has maintained control of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, despite the efforts of the Republic to bring him to justice. Despite pressure from both the Senate and the Jedi Council to sue for peace, Vice Chancellor Palpatine insists that while Dooku lives, peace is impossible. As the wars continue, more Jedi die in the line of duty, weakening their position as the Republic's guardians. Some Jedi have gone missing, and large rewards are offered for any who can find these lost warriors and bring them back alive to the Republic. Among those missing is Anakin Skywalker, who remains unaware of his young twin children and the role he is about to play in the fate of the galaxy...

Mos Eisley: a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Into the cantina walks an cloaked figure, quietly asking questions of the patrons. The bartender points him towards the corner. The man at the corner table greets the cloaked figure with a toast from his glass, and the figure draws back his hood to reveal the bearded face of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The patron, Owen Lars, asks the Jedi if he's come to find Owen's brother-in-law and take him on some "damn fool idealistic crusade," claiming the continuation of the Clone Wars will only bring more misery to the galaxy. Obi-Wan replies that all he wants is to reunite Anakin with his children. Owen didn't know Anakin was a father, and apologizes for his rudeness. When last he saw Anakin, he'd recovered from his wounds and headed deep into the Outer Rim to hunt down Count Dooku. Obi-Wan reports this to Padmé back on Naboo, where she's been raising the twins on her own. Padmé says they'll need to make sure Anakin is brought home one way or another. Meanwhile, on Nar Shaddaa, a man in Mandalorian armor is also looking for Anakin Skywalker. A few leads take him to an old, burned-out warehouse. The bounty hunter is greeted with a lightsaber across his throat, and Anakin says he expected Dooku's thugs would track him there sooner or later. The bounty hunter calmly replies that he isn't there on behalf of Dooku, but rather Padmé Amidala. Anakin apologizes to the man he assumes is Jango Fett. The bounty hunter corrects him, introducing himself as Boba Fett and reporting his father to be dead at the hands of Count Dooku. A Mandalorian unit had gone after the Confederate leader, and all of them ended up dead. To seek revenge, Boba had opted for accelerated maturity from the Kaminoans who'd created him. The two confer and come up with a plan. Count Dooku is looking for bounty hunters to kill Jedi Knights, and Fett transmits that he has captured one alive. Count Dooku invites him aboard his flagship. The bounty hunter places Anakin in binders and the two walk through the ship. Dooku greets them, and begins asking Anakin about the deployment and strategies of the Republic forces. Anakin says honestly that he doesn't know, but senses the Dark Side within Dooku, who admits to have taken his friend Qui-Gon's advice too far but now there's no turning back. The galaxy must be made to submit to peace and order, Dooku claims, and the corruption of the Senate means there will be turmoil no matter what. Anakin says what he proposes is tyranny, and Dooku replies that means his Sith name, Darth Tyranus, is apropos. At this revelation, Boba Fett tosses Anakin his lightsaber. Dooku is unsurprised, saying that his master has foreseen this outcome. The two duel as Fett keeps the guards at bay. Eventually Anakin gains the upper hand and demands Dooku reveal the identity of his master. Count Dooku relents, saying that the Republic is under the control of Darth Sidious, a.k.a. Vice Chancellor Palpatine. Their plan was to weaken the galaxy and instill a state of fear to facilitate a new order, a stricter means of control. No matter who won the Clone Wars, Republic or Confederacy, the Sith would prevail. Anakin replies that their plan will never succeed as long as one Jedi remains alive, and Dooku responds that Anakin is no longer Jedi. He came to the flagship with murder in his heart, and no matter the righteousness of his motivations, his path towards the Dark Side has already begun. Anakin refuses to believe this and moves to shut down his lightsaber, but Dooku attacks him, forcing Anakin to defend himself, and the Sith lord laughs, pointing out the truth of his words and telling Anakin to remember what happened to Darth Maul. It's kill or be killed, Darth Tyranus cries as he wounds Anakin and damages his robotic hand, and to the victor go the spoils. Anakin, conflicted, reels with uncertainty, but when Dooku misses a swing and leaves himself open, Anakin's instincts take over and he kills the Sith Lord. Fett is about to shoot down a Death Watch clone making a transmission when Anakin stops him. The figure in the Death Watch armor turns out to be Padmé, who'd snuck onto the flagship to intercept Anakin when he inevitably showed up. Before she can tell him about his children, Anakin asks her about the transmission. It was to Obi-Wan, she tells him, relaying the information on Palpatine, as well as his current whereabouts - Mustafar, overseeing the dismantling of the droid army factories. Anakin realizes what the Sith Lord's plan is, and insists they hurry to Mustafar to stop it. Boba Fett gives Anakin his comlink information, telling the Jedi to call him when he's needed. Anakin and Padmé board the Peregrine and hyperspace to Mustafar. Anakin spends the trip in a meditative state, trying to fight the Dark Side within him, and Padmé is unable to rouse him. She speaks to Obi-Wan via hyperspace, concerned that he still doesn't know about his children, and Obi-Wan tells her it might be best to wait until this crisis has passed, at least. On Coruscant, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan and other Jedi consider going directly to the Vice Chancellor's office. Yoda advises them to walk a cautious path, as any interaction with the Dark Side is treacherous. Obi-Wan argues that allowing the Sith Lord to remain where he is would be too dangerous, but Yoda responds that to take direct action is reckless. Windu is inclined to agree with Obi-Wan, and a contingent of six Jedi is selected to deal with Palpatine. Yoda warns them that this action will doom the Jedi, that war has poisoned their reason and that they should wait for Palpatine's true motives to come to light on their own. Windu says they cannot allow evil to exist. Obi-Wan recalls Owen's words about a "damn fool idealistic crusade," but goes with Windu in spite of his reluctance. Palpatine is ready for them, slaying a few of the Jedi with his Dark Side powers until Obi-Wan and Windu remain. Separated within the labyrinthine facility, Obi-Wan finds Anakin and Padmé battling through the still-active droids. Before the two Jedi can get past their relief at being reunited, they sense the powers of a Sith Lord and a Jedi Master clashing above them. Obi-Wan suggests they stay out of it, but Anakin says Windu must be stopped, lest he kill Palpatine and fall to the Dark Side. He tells Obi-Wan he's encountered many warnings in his travels and has tried to fight the Dark Side but feels himself falling into it, and fears for the likes of Mace Windu or even Obi-Wan following suit. Obi-Wan tells his friend that fear is yet another road to the Dark Side, and that he and Padmé should leave Mustafar while they still can. Anakin refuses, saying they need to work together to bring Palpatine to justice. Obi-Wan implores his friend to remember his training, and Padmé adds he needs to come home, that his wounds and mind need time to heal. Anakin tries to get past them to intervene in the fight above, but Obi-Wan physically restrains him. Anakin fights free of his friend's hold and draws his lightsaber, saying he doesn't want to fight his friend. Obi-Wan's also reluctant, but readies himself, saying that no good will come of this. Padmé implores them to stop as their duel commences. Their fight mostly consists of Anakin trying to get past Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan forcing him back. The path of their duel takes them to a service area and then a catwalk over the geothermal plant of the facility, which taps directly into the planet's magma-filled mantle. Anakin asks Obi-Wan if this is the Jedi way, if justice truly pits friend against friend. Obi-Wan replies that Anakin is still a student, and must learn that sometimes the greater good is served through sacrifice. The facility shakes from the powers in use above them, and Anakin loses his footing, dropping his lightsaber on the catwalk. His artificial hand shorts out, still damaged from his fight with Dooku, and the short in the prosthesis burns Obi-Wan. Unable to maintain his grip on the catwalk, Anakin tells Obi-Wan to take care of Padmé before he falls. Obi-Wan cries out as his friend plummets towards his doom, but Anakin hits a stone ledge, breaking both of his legs. Despite his injuries, he manages to stay on the ledge, though the smoke and ash around him sting his eyes and burn his lungs. Padmé finds Obi-Wan and suggests finding a way to rescue Anakin, but the facility shakes again. A burst of lightning comes from one of the windows above them, and they see Mace Windu flying from it, covered in lightning and falling to his death. They hear Palpatine's mad laughter and Obi-Wan tells Padmé that he promised Anakin he'd keep her safe, and that means leaving Mustafar before Palpatine can kill them both. Padmé protests, but Obi-Wan tells her to think of her children. Looking down at where Anakin lays dying, tears in her eyes, Padmé turns away and leads Obi-Wan back to the Peregrine. They depart, and Palpatine finds Anakin, bringing him to Byss. From Byss, Palpatine transmits a message to the Republic, saying that Supreme Chancellor Organa has used the Jedi to try and assassinate him. He promises that if Bail Organa is dealt with justly, he will ensure a lasting peace and order throughout the galaxy and an end to the Clone Wars once and for all. The Senate moves to impeach Bail Organa almost immediately. While the politics play out on Coruscant, Palpatine helps Anakin into the prosthetics that will allow him to live. The damage to his legs was so extensive that they need to be amputated, and he can no longer survive without a breathing apparatus. The Sith Lord waits for Anakin to regain consciousness before telling him they've both been betrayed by the Jedi. Anakin replies, once he's able to speak, that there is no going back for him now, that the Jedi way has failed him and taken away any chance he had at happiness or peace. Promising to bring peace in ways the Jedi never could, Palpatine asks Anakin to help him establish a new order. Seeing no other choice, the former Jedi agrees, and Palpatine dubs his new apprentice Darth Vader. Bail Organa is impeached and Palpatine named new Supreme Chancellor. Calling for the leaders of the former Confederacy to meet him on Coruscant, Palpatine also brands the Jedi as traitors to the Republic and orders the Army to hunt them down, placing Darth Vader in charge of their extermination. Obi-Wan Kenobi, fleeing from bounty hunters, finds Padmé on Naboo and tells her that if Darth Vader ever learns of the existence of his children, they'll be in great danger. The two agree the twins should be split up, with Leia going to the care of Padmé's friend Bail Organa on Alderaan while Obi-Wan takes Luke to his uncle Owen on Tatooine. Padmé tells Obi-Wan she needs to try and reach Anakin, but Obi-Wan tells her it's a mistake, that Anakin is lost to them. Dropping Leia off on Alderaan and getting word that Luke is safe, Padmé ignores Obi-Wan's warning, flying the Peregrine towards Darth Vader's flagship. Vader is speaking with Boba Fett, complimenting him on his use of disintegration to deal with several Jedi. The ship is not authorized to approach, so the deck officer orders it destroyed. Vader senses Padmé aboard and issues the order to cease fire, but the Peregrine is hit before the flagship stops shooting and Padmé dies, whispering Anakin's name as the transport explodes. Enraged, Darth Vader strangles the deck officer. When word reaches Palpatine of the accident, he laughs, confident that Vader's journey to the Dark Side is complete. On Coruscant, bringing the Confederate leaders before the Senate, Palpatine declares that with the various powers of the galaxy as his allies, he must now establish the Galactic Empire to ensure the atrocities of the Clone Wars are never repeated. He declares himself Emperor, saying that a new order shall arise from the ashes of war, that peace and justice will reign throughout the galaxy, and that violations of Imperial law - his law - will not be tolerated. Seeing the speech on Tatooine and hearing the cheers and applause that follow the death of democracy, Obi-Wan Kenobi goes to visit Luke. Owen Lars angrily tells the Jedi to stay away from him and his family. Despondent, Kenobi wanders into the desert and contemplates his failure, but Yoda appears to him and tells him not to despair. The Jedi Master says that in time, a new hope shall arise, and that the Jedi will return someday. The final scene is in the Lars household, where young Luke Skywalker plays with an airspeeder model. He takes his hands away from it and it floats in midair for a second by itself as he watches it. Even when it falls, he laughs and claps his hands joyfully.

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

If I Wrote For Lucas: Episode 3

If I Wrote For Lucas: Episode 3 — Blue Ink Alchemy

Concluding one of the possible ways the story arc of those Star Wars prequels could have gone if I'd written them. Episode 1 is here, and Episode 2 is here. Remember, I don't own anything created by Lucas and I'm not looking to profit from any of this, but it is my work and if you want to quote or use part of it, please give me appropriate credit. Episode 3: Rise of the Empire

The Clone Wars rage throughout the galaxy. Since the death of General Grievous four years ago, the malevolent Count Dooku has maintained control of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, despite the efforts of the Republic to bring him to justice. Despite pressure from both the Senate and the Jedi Council to sue for peace, Vice Chancellor Palpatine insists that while Dooku lives, peace is impossible. As the wars continue, more Jedi die in the line of duty, weakening their position as the Republic's guardians. Some Jedi have gone missing, and large rewards are offered for any who can find these lost warriors and bring them back alive to the Republic. Among those missing is Anakin Skywalker, who remains unaware of his young twin children and the role he is about to play in the fate of the galaxy...

Mos Eisley: a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Into the cantina walks an cloaked figure, quietly asking questions of the patrons. The bartender points him towards the corner. The man at the corner table greets the cloaked figure with a toast from his glass, and the figure draws back his hood to reveal the bearded face of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The patron, Owen Lars, asks the Jedi if he's come to find Owen's brother-in-law and take him on some "damn fool idealistic crusade," claiming the continuation of the Clone Wars will only bring more misery to the galaxy. Obi-Wan replies that all he wants is to reunite Anakin with his children. Owen didn't know Anakin was a father, and apologizes for his rudeness. When last he saw Anakin, he'd recovered from his wounds and headed deep into the Outer Rim to hunt down Count Dooku. Obi-Wan reports this to Padmé back on Naboo, where she's been raising the twins on her own. Padmé says they'll need to make sure Anakin is brought home one way or another. Meanwhile, on Nar Shaddaa, a man in Mandalorian armor is also looking for Anakin Skywalker. A few leads take him to an old, burned-out warehouse. The bounty hunter is greeted with a lightsaber across his throat, and Anakin says he expected Dooku's thugs would track him there sooner or later. The bounty hunter calmly replies that he isn't there on behalf of Dooku, but rather Padmé Amidala. Anakin apologizes to the man he assumes is Jango Fett. The bounty hunter corrects him, introducing himself as Boba Fett and reporting his father to be dead at the hands of Count Dooku. A Mandalorian unit had gone after the Confederate leader, and all of them ended up dead. To seek revenge, Boba had opted for accelerated maturity from the Kaminoans who'd created him. The two confer and come up with a plan. Count Dooku is looking for bounty hunters to kill Jedi Knights, and Fett transmits that he has captured one alive. Count Dooku invites him aboard his flagship. The bounty hunter places Anakin in binders and the two walk through the ship. Dooku greets them, and begins asking Anakin about the deployment and strategies of the Republic forces. Anakin says honestly that he doesn't know, but senses the Dark Side within Dooku, who admits to have taken his friend Qui-Gon's advice too far but now there's no turning back. The galaxy must be made to submit to peace and order, Dooku claims, and the corruption of the Senate means there will be turmoil no matter what. Anakin says what he proposes is tyranny, and Dooku replies that means his Sith name, Darth Tyranus, is apropos. At this revelation, Boba Fett tosses Anakin his lightsaber. Dooku is unsurprised, saying that his master has foreseen this outcome. The two duel as Fett keeps the guards at bay. Eventually Anakin gains the upper hand and demands Dooku reveal the identity of his master. Count Dooku relents, saying that the Republic is under the control of Darth Sidious, a.k.a. Vice Chancellor Palpatine. Their plan was to weaken the galaxy and instill a state of fear to facilitate a new order, a stricter means of control. No matter who won the Clone Wars, Republic or Confederacy, the Sith would prevail. Anakin replies that their plan will never succeed as long as one Jedi remains alive, and Dooku responds that Anakin is no longer Jedi. He came to the flagship with murder in his heart, and no matter the righteousness of his motivations, his path towards the Dark Side has already begun. Anakin refuses to believe this and moves to shut down his lightsaber, but Dooku attacks him, forcing Anakin to defend himself, and the Sith lord laughs, pointing out the truth of his words and telling Anakin to remember what happened to Darth Maul. It's kill or be killed, Darth Tyranus cries as he wounds Anakin and damages his robotic hand, and to the victor go the spoils. Anakin, conflicted, reels with uncertainty, but when Dooku misses a swing and leaves himself open, Anakin's instincts take over and he kills the Sith Lord. Fett is about to shoot down a Death Watch clone making a transmission when Anakin stops him. The figure in the Death Watch armor turns out to be Padmé, who'd snuck onto the flagship to intercept Anakin when he inevitably showed up. Before she can tell him about his children, Anakin asks her about the transmission. It was to Obi-Wan, she tells him, relaying the information on Palpatine, as well as his current whereabouts - Mustafar, overseeing the dismantling of the droid army factories. Anakin realizes what the Sith Lord's plan is, and insists they hurry to Mustafar to stop it. Boba Fett gives Anakin his comlink information, telling the Jedi to call him when he's needed. Anakin and Padmé board the Peregrine and hyperspace to Mustafar. Anakin spends the trip in a meditative state, trying to fight the Dark Side within him, and Padmé is unable to rouse him. She speaks to Obi-Wan via hyperspace, concerned that he still doesn't know about his children, and Obi-Wan tells her it might be best to wait until this crisis has passed, at least. On Coruscant, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan and other Jedi consider going directly to the Vice Chancellor's office. Yoda advises them to walk a cautious path, as any interaction with the Dark Side is treacherous. Obi-Wan argues that allowing the Sith Lord to remain where he is would be too dangerous, but Yoda responds that to take direct action is reckless. Windu is inclined to agree with Obi-Wan, and a contingent of six Jedi is selected to deal with Palpatine. Yoda warns them that this action will doom the Jedi, that war has poisoned their reason and that they should wait for Palpatine's true motives to come to light on their own. Windu says they cannot allow evil to exist. Obi-Wan recalls Owen's words about a "damn fool idealistic crusade," but goes with Windu in spite of his reluctance. Palpatine is ready for them, slaying a few of the Jedi with his Dark Side powers until Obi-Wan and Windu remain. Separated within the labyrinthine facility, Obi-Wan finds Anakin and Padmé battling through the still-active droids. Before the two Jedi can get past their relief at being reunited, they sense the powers of a Sith Lord and a Jedi Master clashing above them. Obi-Wan suggests they stay out of it, but Anakin says Windu must be stopped, lest he kill Palpatine and fall to the Dark Side. He tells Obi-Wan he's encountered many warnings in his travels and has tried to fight the Dark Side but feels himself falling into it, and fears for the likes of Mace Windu or even Obi-Wan following suit. Obi-Wan tells his friend that fear is yet another road to the Dark Side, and that he and Padmé should leave Mustafar while they still can. Anakin refuses, saying they need to work together to bring Palpatine to justice. Obi-Wan implores his friend to remember his training, and Padmé adds he needs to come home, that his wounds and mind need time to heal. Anakin tries to get past them to intervene in the fight above, but Obi-Wan physically restrains him. Anakin fights free of his friend's hold and draws his lightsaber, saying he doesn't want to fight his friend. Obi-Wan's also reluctant, but readies himself, saying that no good will come of this. Padmé implores them to stop as their duel commences. Their fight mostly consists of Anakin trying to get past Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan forcing him back. The path of their duel takes them to a service area and then a catwalk over the geothermal plant of the facility, which taps directly into the planet's magma-filled mantle. Anakin asks Obi-Wan if this is the Jedi way, if justice truly pits friend against friend. Obi-Wan replies that Anakin is still a student, and must learn that sometimes the greater good is served through sacrifice. The facility shakes from the powers in use above them, and Anakin loses his footing, dropping his lightsaber on the catwalk. His artificial hand shorts out, still damaged from his fight with Dooku, and the short in the prosthesis burns Obi-Wan. Unable to maintain his grip on the catwalk, Anakin tells Obi-Wan to take care of Padmé before he falls. Obi-Wan cries out as his friend plummets towards his doom, but Anakin hits a stone ledge, breaking both of his legs. Despite his injuries, he manages to stay on the ledge, though the smoke and ash around him sting his eyes and burn his lungs. Padmé finds Obi-Wan and suggests finding a way to rescue Anakin, but the facility shakes again. A burst of lightning comes from one of the windows above them, and they see Mace Windu flying from it, covered in lightning and falling to his death. They hear Palpatine's mad laughter and Obi-Wan tells Padmé that he promised Anakin he'd keep her safe, and that means leaving Mustafar before Palpatine can kill them both. Padmé protests, but Obi-Wan tells her to think of her children. Looking down at where Anakin lays dying, tears in her eyes, Padmé turns away and leads Obi-Wan back to the Peregrine. They depart, and Palpatine finds Anakin, bringing him to Byss. From Byss, Palpatine transmits a message to the Republic, saying that Supreme Chancellor Organa has used the Jedi to try and assassinate him. He promises that if Bail Organa is dealt with justly, he will ensure a lasting peace and order throughout the galaxy and an end to the Clone Wars once and for all. The Senate moves to impeach Bail Organa almost immediately. While the politics play out on Coruscant, Palpatine helps Anakin into the prosthetics that will allow him to live. The damage to his legs was so extensive that they need to be amputated, and he can no longer survive without a breathing apparatus. The Sith Lord waits for Anakin to regain consciousness before telling him they've both been betrayed by the Jedi. Anakin replies, once he's able to speak, that there is no going back for him now, that the Jedi way has failed him and taken away any chance he had at happiness or peace. Promising to bring peace in ways the Jedi never could, Palpatine asks Anakin to help him establish a new order. Seeing no other choice, the former Jedi agrees, and Palpatine dubs his new apprentice Darth Vader. Bail Organa is impeached and Palpatine named new Supreme Chancellor. Calling for the leaders of the former Confederacy to meet him on Coruscant, Palpatine also brands the Jedi as traitors to the Republic and orders the Army to hunt them down, placing Darth Vader in charge of their extermination. Obi-Wan Kenobi, fleeing from bounty hunters, finds Padmé on Naboo and tells her that if Darth Vader ever learns of the existence of his children, they'll be in great danger. The two agree the twins should be split up, with Leia going to the care of Padmé's friend Bail Organa on Alderaan while Obi-Wan takes Luke to his uncle Owen on Tatooine. Padmé tells Obi-Wan she needs to try and reach Anakin, but Obi-Wan tells her it's a mistake, that Anakin is lost to them. Dropping Leia off on Alderaan and getting word that Luke is safe, Padmé ignores Obi-Wan's warning, flying the Peregrine towards Darth Vader's flagship. Vader is speaking with Boba Fett, complimenting him on his use of disintegration to deal with several Jedi. The ship is not authorized to approach, so the deck officer orders it destroyed. Vader senses Padmé aboard and issues the order to cease fire, but the Peregrine is hit before the flagship stops shooting and Padmé dies, whispering Anakin's name as the transport explodes. Enraged, Darth Vader strangles the deck officer. When word reaches Palpatine of the accident, he laughs, confident that Vader's journey to the Dark Side is complete. On Coruscant, bringing the Confederate leaders before the Senate, Palpatine declares that with the various powers of the galaxy as his allies, he must now establish the Galactic Empire to ensure the atrocities of the Clone Wars are never repeated. He declares himself Emperor, saying that a new order shall arise from the ashes of war, that peace and justice will reign throughout the galaxy, and that violations of Imperial law - his law - will not be tolerated. Seeing the speech on Tatooine and hearing the cheers and applause that follow the death of democracy, Obi-Wan Kenobi goes to visit Luke. Owen Lars angrily tells the Jedi to stay away from him and his family. Despondent, Kenobi wanders into the desert and contemplates his failure, but Yoda appears to him and tells him not to despair. The Jedi Master says that in time, a new hope shall arise, and that the Jedi will return someday. The final scene is in the Lars household, where young Luke Skywalker plays with an airspeeder model. He takes his hands away from it and it floats in midair for a second by itself as he watches it. Even when it falls, he laughs and claps his hands joyfully.

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

If I Wrote For Lucas: Episode 3

If I Wrote For Lucas: Episode 3 — Blue Ink Alchemy

Concluding one of the possible ways the story arc of those Star Wars prequels could have gone if I'd written them. Episode 1 is here, and Episode 2 is here. Remember, I don't own anything created by Lucas and I'm not looking to profit from any of this, but it is my work and if you want to quote or use part of it, please give me appropriate credit. Episode 3: Rise of the Empire

The Clone Wars rage throughout the galaxy. Since the death of General Grievous four years ago, the malevolent Count Dooku has maintained control of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, despite the efforts of the Republic to bring him to justice. Despite pressure from both the Senate and the Jedi Council to sue for peace, Vice Chancellor Palpatine insists that while Dooku lives, peace is impossible. As the wars continue, more Jedi die in the line of duty, weakening their position as the Republic's guardians. Some Jedi have gone missing, and large rewards are offered for any who can find these lost warriors and bring them back alive to the Republic. Among those missing is Anakin Skywalker, who remains unaware of his young twin children and the role he is about to play in the fate of the galaxy...

Mos Eisley: a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Into the cantina walks an cloaked figure, quietly asking questions of the patrons. The bartender points him towards the corner. The man at the corner table greets the cloaked figure with a toast from his glass, and the figure draws back his hood to reveal the bearded face of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The patron, Owen Lars, asks the Jedi if he's come to find Owen's brother-in-law and take him on some "damn fool idealistic crusade," claiming the continuation of the Clone Wars will only bring more misery to the galaxy. Obi-Wan replies that all he wants is to reunite Anakin with his children. Owen didn't know Anakin was a father, and apologizes for his rudeness. When last he saw Anakin, he'd recovered from his wounds and headed deep into the Outer Rim to hunt down Count Dooku. Obi-Wan reports this to Padmé back on Naboo, where she's been raising the twins on her own. Padmé says they'll need to make sure Anakin is brought home one way or another. Meanwhile, on Nar Shaddaa, a man in Mandalorian armor is also looking for Anakin Skywalker. A few leads take him to an old, burned-out warehouse. The bounty hunter is greeted with a lightsaber across his throat, and Anakin says he expected Dooku's thugs would track him there sooner or later. The bounty hunter calmly replies that he isn't there on behalf of Dooku, but rather Padmé Amidala. Anakin apologizes to the man he assumes is Jango Fett. The bounty hunter corrects him, introducing himself as Boba Fett and reporting his father to be dead at the hands of Count Dooku. A Mandalorian unit had gone after the Confederate leader, and all of them ended up dead. To seek revenge, Boba had opted for accelerated maturity from the Kaminoans who'd created him. The two confer and come up with a plan. Count Dooku is looking for bounty hunters to kill Jedi Knights, and Fett transmits that he has captured one alive. Count Dooku invites him aboard his flagship. The bounty hunter places Anakin in binders and the two walk through the ship. Dooku greets them, and begins asking Anakin about the deployment and strategies of the Republic forces. Anakin says honestly that he doesn't know, but senses the Dark Side within Dooku, who admits to have taken his friend Qui-Gon's advice too far but now there's no turning back. The galaxy must be made to submit to peace and order, Dooku claims, and the corruption of the Senate means there will be turmoil no matter what. Anakin says what he proposes is tyranny, and Dooku replies that means his Sith name, Darth Tyranus, is apropos. At this revelation, Boba Fett tosses Anakin his lightsaber. Dooku is unsurprised, saying that his master has foreseen this outcome. The two duel as Fett keeps the guards at bay. Eventually Anakin gains the upper hand and demands Dooku reveal the identity of his master. Count Dooku relents, saying that the Republic is under the control of Darth Sidious, a.k.a. Vice Chancellor Palpatine. Their plan was to weaken the galaxy and instill a state of fear to facilitate a new order, a stricter means of control. No matter who won the Clone Wars, Republic or Confederacy, the Sith would prevail. Anakin replies that their plan will never succeed as long as one Jedi remains alive, and Dooku responds that Anakin is no longer Jedi. He came to the flagship with murder in his heart, and no matter the righteousness of his motivations, his path towards the Dark Side has already begun. Anakin refuses to believe this and moves to shut down his lightsaber, but Dooku attacks him, forcing Anakin to defend himself, and the Sith lord laughs, pointing out the truth of his words and telling Anakin to remember what happened to Darth Maul. It's kill or be killed, Darth Tyranus cries as he wounds Anakin and damages his robotic hand, and to the victor go the spoils. Anakin, conflicted, reels with uncertainty, but when Dooku misses a swing and leaves himself open, Anakin's instincts take over and he kills the Sith Lord. Fett is about to shoot down a Death Watch clone making a transmission when Anakin stops him. The figure in the Death Watch armor turns out to be Padmé, who'd snuck onto the flagship to intercept Anakin when he inevitably showed up. Before she can tell him about his children, Anakin asks her about the transmission. It was to Obi-Wan, she tells him, relaying the information on Palpatine, as well as his current whereabouts - Mustafar, overseeing the dismantling of the droid army factories. Anakin realizes what the Sith Lord's plan is, and insists they hurry to Mustafar to stop it. Boba Fett gives Anakin his comlink information, telling the Jedi to call him when he's needed. Anakin and Padmé board the Peregrine and hyperspace to Mustafar. Anakin spends the trip in a meditative state, trying to fight the Dark Side within him, and Padmé is unable to rouse him. She speaks to Obi-Wan via hyperspace, concerned that he still doesn't know about his children, and Obi-Wan tells her it might be best to wait until this crisis has passed, at least. On Coruscant, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan and other Jedi consider going directly to the Vice Chancellor's office. Yoda advises them to walk a cautious path, as any interaction with the Dark Side is treacherous. Obi-Wan argues that allowing the Sith Lord to remain where he is would be too dangerous, but Yoda responds that to take direct action is reckless. Windu is inclined to agree with Obi-Wan, and a contingent of six Jedi is selected to deal with Palpatine. Yoda warns them that this action will doom the Jedi, that war has poisoned their reason and that they should wait for Palpatine's true motives to come to light on their own. Windu says they cannot allow evil to exist. Obi-Wan recalls Owen's words about a "damn fool idealistic crusade," but goes with Windu in spite of his reluctance. Palpatine is ready for them, slaying a few of the Jedi with his Dark Side powers until Obi-Wan and Windu remain. Separated within the labyrinthine facility, Obi-Wan finds Anakin and Padmé battling through the still-active droids. Before the two Jedi can get past their relief at being reunited, they sense the powers of a Sith Lord and a Jedi Master clashing above them. Obi-Wan suggests they stay out of it, but Anakin says Windu must be stopped, lest he kill Palpatine and fall to the Dark Side. He tells Obi-Wan he's encountered many warnings in his travels and has tried to fight the Dark Side but feels himself falling into it, and fears for the likes of Mace Windu or even Obi-Wan following suit. Obi-Wan tells his friend that fear is yet another road to the Dark Side, and that he and Padmé should leave Mustafar while they still can. Anakin refuses, saying they need to work together to bring Palpatine to justice. Obi-Wan implores his friend to remember his training, and Padmé adds he needs to come home, that his wounds and mind need time to heal. Anakin tries to get past them to intervene in the fight above, but Obi-Wan physically restrains him. Anakin fights free of his friend's hold and draws his lightsaber, saying he doesn't want to fight his friend. Obi-Wan's also reluctant, but readies himself, saying that no good will come of this. Padmé implores them to stop as their duel commences. Their fight mostly consists of Anakin trying to get past Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan forcing him back. The path of their duel takes them to a service area and then a catwalk over the geothermal plant of the facility, which taps directly into the planet's magma-filled mantle. Anakin asks Obi-Wan if this is the Jedi way, if justice truly pits friend against friend. Obi-Wan replies that Anakin is still a student, and must learn that sometimes the greater good is served through sacrifice. The facility shakes from the powers in use above them, and Anakin loses his footing, dropping his lightsaber on the catwalk. His artificial hand shorts out, still damaged from his fight with Dooku, and the short in the prosthesis burns Obi-Wan. Unable to maintain his grip on the catwalk, Anakin tells Obi-Wan to take care of Padmé before he falls. Obi-Wan cries out as his friend plummets towards his doom, but Anakin hits a stone ledge, breaking both of his legs. Despite his injuries, he manages to stay on the ledge, though the smoke and ash around him sting his eyes and burn his lungs. Padmé finds Obi-Wan and suggests finding a way to rescue Anakin, but the facility shakes again. A burst of lightning comes from one of the windows above them, and they see Mace Windu flying from it, covered in lightning and falling to his death. They hear Palpatine's mad laughter and Obi-Wan tells Padmé that he promised Anakin he'd keep her safe, and that means leaving Mustafar before Palpatine can kill them both. Padmé protests, but Obi-Wan tells her to think of her children. Looking down at where Anakin lays dying, tears in her eyes, Padmé turns away and leads Obi-Wan back to the Peregrine. They depart, and Palpatine finds Anakin, bringing him to Byss. From Byss, Palpatine transmits a message to the Republic, saying that Supreme Chancellor Organa has used the Jedi to try and assassinate him. He promises that if Bail Organa is dealt with justly, he will ensure a lasting peace and order throughout the galaxy and an end to the Clone Wars once and for all. The Senate moves to impeach Bail Organa almost immediately. While the politics play out on Coruscant, Palpatine helps Anakin into the prosthetics that will allow him to live. The damage to his legs was so extensive that they need to be amputated, and he can no longer survive without a breathing apparatus. The Sith Lord waits for Anakin to regain consciousness before telling him they've both been betrayed by the Jedi. Anakin replies, once he's able to speak, that there is no going back for him now, that the Jedi way has failed him and taken away any chance he had at happiness or peace. Promising to bring peace in ways the Jedi never could, Palpatine asks Anakin to help him establish a new order. Seeing no other choice, the former Jedi agrees, and Palpatine dubs his new apprentice Darth Vader. Bail Organa is impeached and Palpatine named new Supreme Chancellor. Calling for the leaders of the former Confederacy to meet him on Coruscant, Palpatine also brands the Jedi as traitors to the Republic and orders the Army to hunt them down, placing Darth Vader in charge of their extermination. Obi-Wan Kenobi, fleeing from bounty hunters, finds Padmé on Naboo and tells her that if Darth Vader ever learns of the existence of his children, they'll be in great danger. The two agree the twins should be split up, with Leia going to the care of Padmé's friend Bail Organa on Alderaan while Obi-Wan takes Luke to his uncle Owen on Tatooine. Padmé tells Obi-Wan she needs to try and reach Anakin, but Obi-Wan tells her it's a mistake, that Anakin is lost to them. Dropping Leia off on Alderaan and getting word that Luke is safe, Padmé ignores Obi-Wan's warning, flying the Peregrine towards Darth Vader's flagship. Vader is speaking with Boba Fett, complimenting him on his use of disintegration to deal with several Jedi. The ship is not authorized to approach, so the deck officer orders it destroyed. Vader senses Padmé aboard and issues the order to cease fire, but the Peregrine is hit before the flagship stops shooting and Padmé dies, whispering Anakin's name as the transport explodes. Enraged, Darth Vader strangles the deck officer. When word reaches Palpatine of the accident, he laughs, confident that Vader's journey to the Dark Side is complete. On Coruscant, bringing the Confederate leaders before the Senate, Palpatine declares that with the various powers of the galaxy as his allies, he must now establish the Galactic Empire to ensure the atrocities of the Clone Wars are never repeated. He declares himself Emperor, saying that a new order shall arise from the ashes of war, that peace and justice will reign throughout the galaxy, and that violations of Imperial law - his law - will not be tolerated. Seeing the speech on Tatooine and hearing the cheers and applause that follow the death of democracy, Obi-Wan Kenobi goes to visit Luke. Owen Lars angrily tells the Jedi to stay away from him and his family. Despondent, Kenobi wanders into the desert and contemplates his failure, but Yoda appears to him and tells him not to despair. The Jedi Master says that in time, a new hope shall arise, and that the Jedi will return someday. The final scene is in the Lars household, where young Luke Skywalker plays with an airspeeder model. He takes his hands away from it and it floats in midair for a second by itself as he watches it. Even when it falls, he laughs and claps his hands joyfully.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

If I Wrote for Lucas: Episode 3

If I Wrote for Lucas: Episode 3 — Blue Ink Alchemy

Concluding one of the possible ways the story arc of those Star Wars prequels could have gone if I'd written them. Episode 1 is here, and Episode 2 is here. Remember, I don't own anything created by Lucas and I'm not looking to profit from any of this, but it is my work and if you want to quote or use part of it, please give me appropriate credit. Episode 3: Rise of the Empire

The Clone Wars rage throughout the galaxy. Since the death of General Grievous four years ago, the malevolent Count Dooku has maintained control of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, despite the efforts of the Republic to bring him to justice. Despite pressure from both the Senate and the Jedi Council to sue for peace, Vice Chancellor Palpatine insists that while Dooku lives, peace is impossible. As the wars continue, more Jedi die in the line of duty, weakening their position as the Republic's guardians. Some Jedi have gone missing, and large rewards are offered for any who can find these lost warriors and bring them back alive to the Republic. Among those missing is Anakin Skywalker, who remains unaware of his young twin children and the role he is about to play in the fate of the galaxy...

Mos Eisley: a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Into the cantina walks an cloaked figure, quietly asking questions of the patrons. The bartender points him towards the corner. The man at the corner table greets the cloaked figure with a toast from his glass, and the figure draws back his hood to reveal the bearded face of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The patron, Owen Lars, asks the Jedi if he's come to find Owen's brother-in-law and take him on some "damn fool idealistic crusade," claiming the continuation of the Clone Wars will only bring more misery to the galaxy. Obi-Wan replies that all he wants is to reunite Anakin with his children. Owen didn't know Anakin was a father, and apologizes for his rudeness. When last he saw Anakin, he'd recovered from his wounds and headed deep into the Outer Rim to hunt down Count Dooku. Obi-Wan reports this to Padmé back on Naboo, where she's been raising the twins on her own. Padmé says they'll need to make sure Anakin is brought home one way or another. Meanwhile, on Nar Shaddaa, a man in Mandalorian armor is also looking for Anakin Skywalker. A few leads take him to an old, burned-out warehouse. The bounty hunter is greeted with a lightsaber across his throat, and Anakin says he expected Dooku's thugs would track him there sooner or later. The bounty hunter calmly replies that he isn't there on behalf of Dooku, but rather Padmé Amidala. Anakin apologizes to the man he assumes is Jango Fett. The bounty hunter corrects him, introducing himself as Boba Fett and reporting his father to be dead at the hands of Count Dooku. A Mandalorian unit had gone after the Confederate leader, and all of them ended up dead. To seek revenge, Boba had opted for accelerated maturity from the Kaminoans who'd created him. The two confer and come up with a plan. Count Dooku is looking for bounty hunters to kill Jedi Knights, and Fett transmits that he has captured one alive. Count Dooku invites him aboard his flagship. The bounty hunter places Anakin in binders and the two walk through the ship. Dooku greets them, and begins asking Anakin about the deployment and strategies of the Republic forces. Anakin says honestly that he doesn't know, but senses the Dark Side within Dooku, who admits to have taken his friend Qui-Gon's advice too far but now there's no turning back. The galaxy must be made to submit to peace and order, Dooku claims, and the corruption of the Senate means there will be turmoil no matter what. Anakin says what he proposes is tyranny, and Dooku replies that means his Sith name, Darth Tyranus, is apropos. At this revelation, Boba Fett tosses Anakin his lightsaber. Dooku is unsurprised, saying that his master has foreseen this outcome. The two duel as Fett keeps the guards at bay. Eventually Anakin gains the upper hand and demands Dooku reveal the identity of his master. Count Dooku relents, saying that the Republic is under the control of Darth Sidious, a.k.a. Vice Chancellor Palpatine. Their plan was to weaken the galaxy and instill a state of fear to facilitate a new order, a stricter means of control. No matter who won the Clone Wars, Republic or Confederacy, the Sith would prevail. Anakin replies that their plan will never succeed as long as one Jedi remains alive, and Dooku responds that Anakin is no longer Jedi. He came to the flagship with murder in his heart, and no matter the righteousness of his motivations, his path towards the Dark Side has already begun. Anakin refuses to believe this and moves to shut down his lightsaber, but Dooku attacks him, forcing Anakin to defend himself, and the Sith lord laughs, pointing out the truth of his words and telling Anakin to remember what happened to Darth Maul. It's kill or be killed, Darth Tyranus cries as he wounds Anakin and damages his robotic hand, and to the victor go the spoils. Anakin, conflicted, reels with uncertainty, but when Dooku misses a swing and leaves himself open, Anakin's instincts take over and he kills the Sith Lord. Fett is about to shoot down a Death Watch clone making a transmission when Anakin stops him. The figure in the Death Watch armor turns out to be Padmé, who'd snuck onto the flagship to intercept Anakin when he inevitably showed up. Before she can tell him about his children, Anakin asks her about the transmission. It was to Obi-Wan, she tells him, relaying the information on Palpatine, as well as his current whereabouts - Mustafar, overseeing the dismantling of the droid army factories. Anakin realizes what the Sith Lord's plan is, and insists they hurry to Mustafar to stop it. Boba Fett gives Anakin his comlink information, telling the Jedi to call him when he's needed. Anakin and Padmé board the Peregrine and hyperspace to Mustafar. Anakin spends the trip in a meditative state, trying to fight the Dark Side within him, and Padmé is unable to rouse him. She speaks to Obi-Wan via hyperspace, concerned that he still doesn't know about his children, and Obi-Wan tells her it might be best to wait until this crisis has passed, at least. On Coruscant, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan and other Jedi consider going directly to the Vice Chancellor's office. Yoda advises them to walk a cautious path, as any interaction with the Dark Side is treacherous. Obi-Wan argues that allowing the Sith Lord to remain where he is would be too dangerous, but Yoda responds that to take direct action is reckless. Windu is inclined to agree with Obi-Wan, and a contingent of six Jedi is selected to deal with Palpatine. Yoda warns them that this action will doom the Jedi, that war has poisoned their reason and that they should wait for Palpatine's true motives to come to light on their own. Windu says they cannot allow evil to exist. Obi-Wan recalls Owen's words about a "damn fool idealistic crusade," but goes with Windu in spite of his reluctance. Palpatine is ready for them, slaying a few of the Jedi with his Dark Side powers until Obi-Wan and Windu remain. Separated within the labyrinthine facility, Obi-Wan finds Anakin and Padmé battling through the still-active droids. Before the two Jedi can get past their relief at being reunited, they sense the powers of a Sith Lord and a Jedi Master clashing above them. Obi-Wan suggests they stay out of it, but Anakin says Windu must be stopped, lest he kill Palpatine and fall to the Dark Side. He tells Obi-Wan he's encountered many warnings in his travels and has tried to fight the Dark Side but feels himself falling into it, and fears for the likes of Mace Windu or even Obi-Wan following suit. Obi-Wan tells his friend that fear is yet another road to the Dark Side, and that he and Padmé should leave Mustafar while they still can. Anakin refuses, saying they need to work together to bring Palpatine to justice. Obi-Wan implores his friend to remember his training, and Padmé adds he needs to come home, that his wounds and mind need time to heal. Anakin tries to get past them to intervene in the fight above, but Obi-Wan physically restrains him. Anakin fights free of his friend's hold and draws his lightsaber, saying he doesn't want to fight his friend. Obi-Wan's also reluctant, but readies himself, saying that no good will come of this. Padmé implores them to stop as their duel commences. Their fight mostly consists of Anakin trying to get past Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan forcing him back. The path of their duel takes them to a service area and then a catwalk over the geothermal plant of the facility, which taps directly into the planet's magma-filled mantle. Anakin asks Obi-Wan if this is the Jedi way, if justice truly pits friend against friend. Obi-Wan replies that Anakin is still a student, and must learn that sometimes the greater good is served through sacrifice. The facility shakes from the powers in use above them, and Anakin loses his footing, dropping his lightsaber on the catwalk. His artificial hand shorts out, still damaged from his fight with Dooku, and the short in the prosthesis burns Obi-Wan. Unable to maintain his grip on the catwalk, Anakin tells Obi-Wan to take care of Padmé before he falls. Obi-Wan cries out as his friend plummets towards his doom, but Anakin hits a stone ledge, breaking both of his legs. Despite his injuries, he manages to stay on the ledge, though the smoke and ash around him sting his eyes and burn his lungs. Padmé finds Obi-Wan and suggests finding a way to rescue Anakin, but the facility shakes again. A burst of lightning comes from one of the windows above them, and they see Mace Windu flying from it, covered in lightning and falling to his death. They hear Palpatine's mad laughter and Obi-Wan tells Padmé that he promised Anakin he'd keep her safe, and that means leaving Mustafar before Palpatine can kill them both. Padmé protests, but Obi-Wan tells her to think of her children. Looking down at where Anakin lays dying, tears in her eyes, Padmé turns away and leads Obi-Wan back to the Peregrine. They depart, and Palpatine finds Anakin, bringing him to Byss. From Byss, Palpatine transmits a message to the Republic, saying that Supreme Chancellor Organa has used the Jedi to try and assassinate him. He promises that if Bail Organa is dealt with justly, he will ensure a lasting peace and order throughout the galaxy and an end to the Clone Wars once and for all. The Senate moves to impeach Bail Organa almost immediately. While the politics play out on Coruscant, Palpatine helps Anakin into the prosthetics that will allow him to live. The damage to his legs was so extensive that they need to be amputated, and he can no longer survive without a breathing apparatus. The Sith Lord waits for Anakin to regain consciousness before telling him they've both been betrayed by the Jedi. Anakin replies, once he's able to speak, that there is no going back for him now, that the Jedi way has failed him and taken away any chance he had at happiness or peace. Promising to bring peace in ways the Jedi never could, Palpatine asks Anakin to help him establish a new order. Seeing no other choice, the former Jedi agrees, and Palpatine dubs his new apprentice Darth Vader. Bail Organa is impeached and Palpatine named new Supreme Chancellor. Calling for the leaders of the former Confederacy to meet him on Coruscant, Palpatine also brands the Jedi as traitors to the Republic and orders the Army to hunt them down, placing Darth Vader in charge of their extermination. Obi-Wan Kenobi, fleeing from bounty hunters, finds Padmé on Naboo and tells her that if Darth Vader ever learns of the existence of his children, they'll be in great danger. The two agree the twins should be split up, with Leia going to the care of Padmé's friend Bail Organa on Alderaan while Obi-Wan takes Luke to his uncle Owen on Tatooine. Padmé tells Obi-Wan she needs to try and reach Anakin, but Obi-Wan tells her it's a mistake, that Anakin is lost to them. Dropping Leia off on Alderaan and getting word that Luke is safe, Padmé ignores Obi-Wan's warning, flying the Peregrine towards Darth Vader's flagship. Vader is speaking with Boba Fett, complimenting him on his use of disintegration to deal with several Jedi. The ship is not authorized to approach, so the deck officer orders it destroyed. Vader senses Padmé aboard and issues the order to cease fire, but the Peregrine is hit before the flagship stops shooting and Padmé dies, whispering Anakin's name as the transport explodes. Enraged, Darth Vader strangles the deck officer. When word reaches Palpatine of the accident, he laughs, confident that Vader's journey to the Dark Side is complete. On Coruscant, bringing the Confederate leaders before the Senate, Palpatine declares that with the various powers of the galaxy as his allies, he must now establish the Galactic Empire to ensure the atrocities of the Clone Wars are never repeated. He declares himself Emperor, saying that a new order shall arise from the ashes of war, that peace and justice will reign throughout the galaxy, and that violations of Imperial law - his law - will not be tolerated. Seeing the speech on Tatooine and hearing the cheers and applause that follow the death of democracy, Obi-Wan Kenobi goes to visit Luke. Owen Lars angrily tells the Jedi to stay away from him and his family. Despondent, Kenobi wanders into the desert and contemplates his failure, but Yoda appears to him and tells him not to despair. The Jedi Master says that in time, a new hope shall arise, and that the Jedi will return someday. The final scene is in the Lars household, where young Luke Skywalker plays with an airspeeder model. He takes his hands away from it and it floats in midair for a second by itself as he watches it. Even when it falls, he laughs and claps his hands joyfully.

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

If I Wrote for Lucas: Episode 3

If I Wrote for Lucas: Episode 3 — Blue Ink Alchemy

Concluding one of the possible ways the story arc of those Star Wars prequels could have gone if I'd written them. Episode 1 is here, and Episode 2 is here. Remember, I don't own anything created by Lucas and I'm not looking to profit from any of this, but it is my work and if you want to quote or use part of it, please give me appropriate credit. Episode 3: Rise of the Empire

The Clone Wars rage throughout the galaxy. Since the death of General Grievous four years ago, the malevolent Count Dooku has maintained control of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, despite the efforts of the Republic to bring him to justice.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

If I Wrote for Lucas: Episode 3

If I Wrote for Lucas: Episode 3 — Blue Ink Alchemy

Concluding one of the possible ways the story arc of those Star Wars prequels could have gone if I'd written them. Episode 1 is here, and Episode 2 is here. Remember, I don't own anything created by Lucas and I'm not looking to profit from any of this, but it is my work and if you want to quote or use part of it, please give me appropriate credit. Episode 3: Rise of the Empire

The Clone Wars rage throughout the galaxy. Since the death of General Grievous four years ago, the malevolent Count Dooku has maintained control of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, despite the efforts of the Republic to bring him to justice.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

If I Wrote For Lucas: Episode 2

If I Wrote For Lucas: Episode 2 — Blue Ink Alchemy

Continuing the sort of plots, characters and themes I'd have pursued if it had fallen to me to write the Star Wars prequels. Episode 1 is right here. This one ended up a bit longer than I thought it would. I could probably work C-3P0 and R2-D2 in here somewhere, but I'd rather focus on the characters that really needed help. As before, I don't own anything created by Lucas and I'm not looking to profit from any of this, but it is my work and if you want to quote or use part of it, please give me appropriate credit.

Episode 2: The Clone Wars

It is a time of unrest in the Galactic Republic. Rumors abound of threats at the edge of Republic space, from the increased taxation of trade routes through Hutt space to the emergence of a new leader of the Trade Federation, a ruthless cyborg known only as Grievous. Within the Republic, a debate rages over the creation of a standing army. Many in the Republic would rather rely upon the Jedi, while some believe that the limited numbers of the guardians will not be sufficient if war should break out. Newly elected Supreme Chancellor Bail Organa is advocating patience, while his Vice-Chancellor Palpatine favors the expansion of the Republic military. The Jedi Knights are occupied with neither politics nor rumors of war. Their attention is on the reappearance of the Sith, disciples of the Dark Side of the Force. Believing them a greater threat than any crime lord or droid army, the Jedi have undertaken investigations and covert operations throughout the galaxy...

The planet Naboo again serves as the backdrop for the opening, but this time there are Republic ships in orbit instead of Trade Federation dreadnoughts. A trading post has been established on the planet, serving as a transition between Republic-controlled space and the Outer Rim. News reports that play in the outpost talk of the election, the Hutt outrage at Republic influence being so close to their territory, and rumors of Grievous violently putting down resistance to his control within the Federation. A cloaked gentleman leads a slightly older, bearded companion through the corridors, coming to a shipping manager. Claiming that the old man is his father, the gentleman politely asks for passage to Nar Shaddaa as the old man mutters to himself. Asking why they want to go to such a place, the gentleman replies that his father's dying wish is to see the famed Vertical City no matter how dangerous it might be. They're given passage and board the transport, only then revealing themselves as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan compliments Anakin on his performance but notes his nerves, saying he hasn't seen Anakin that nervous since they fell into a nest of gundarks. Anakin replied sheepishly that he'd been afraid of hitting Obi-Wan in his attempt to free them. Obi-Wan tells the younger Jedi he has nothing to worry about, that the Force is very strong with him and that if he trusts its guidance he will be a great Jedi. Anakin smiles but still seems disconcerted, noting that he feels a disturbance in the Force, like something great and terrible is coming. Obi-Wan says he senses it too, as did Master Yoda before they left, but tells his friend they can't worry about things they cannot control and must focus on the task at hand. Arriving on Nar Shaddaa, also called the 'Smuggler's Moon,' the Jedi begin making inquiries about Darth Maul. Zabrak are not an uncommon sight in the galaxy, but many comment on the extensiveness of Maul's tattoos. Obi-Wan suggests they split up to cover more ground, but reminds Anakin they're on a mission and can't spare much time should Anakin decide to go looking for his mother, last reported to be on this moon. Anakin agrees, and the two part ways. The younger Jedi comes across a slave trader who recognizes Maul and becomes furious, saying that the Zabrak short-changed him on Shmi's purchase. Anakin demands to know where she is, and the slave trader, intimidated by the Jedi, offers his the tracking device linked to her slave collar. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan is checking with the smugglers of the moon, and is surprised to find Padmé playing sabacc and drinking the other smugglers under the table. She tells the Jedi that she gave up politics to see the galaxy, found she was really good at reading men's expressions and ended up with her own ship through a game of chance. Leaving the establishment, she tells Obi-Wan she also gathers information for Chancellor Organa, and has come across something disturbing. Before Obi-Wan finds out what this is, Padmé asks about the whereabouts of Anakin, and Obi-Wan feels a tremor in the Force. Anakin finds Darth Maul in a warehouse, standing between the door and a large clear cylinder containing Shmi. Maul taunts Anakin, saying that he senses fear and anger in the young Jedi. Why fight those impulses, the Sith asks, when he could embrace them and increase his power tenfold? Anakin refuses, saying he became a Jedi to be better than his impulses, to overcome his fear and defeat his anger. Maul sneers in response, saying that fear and anger are natural and don't need to be defeated, only harnessed, but that philosophy is inconvenient for the Jedi, which is why the Sith were crushed centuries ago. Maul uses the Force to activate a switch under Shmi's tube, which begins to fill with deadly gas. Maul offers Anakin a choice: join the Sith and Maul will save his mother's life, or try to defeat Maul in time to do it himself. Anakin attacks, and Maul toys with him. Eventually, Shmi begins coughing laboriously, and Maul whispers to Anakin that the boy is weak, and his mother is about to die due to his weakness. Unleashing his rage, Anakin beats on Maul with his lightsaber, foregoing any discipline or training, just hammering on the Sith until he breaks Maul's guard and cuts him in half down the center. Running past his opponent, Anakin rushes to disable the gas and pulls Shmi out as Obi-Wan and Padmé arrive. Shmi tells Anakin that he's grown handsome and strong, and that she's proud of him. Anakin replies that he's failed, that he wasn't strong enough to save her. Shmi whispers that he already has, that he's shown great courage and that she's happy to be with him. She dies in his arms. The slave trader, having kept a duplicate tracker, finds the trio and calls in Hutt enforcers. Obi-Wan and Padmé pull Anakin away from the scene and the three fight their way to Padmé's ship, a beat-up freighter she dubbed the Peregrine. They depart Nar Shaddaa for Coruscant, as Anakin tells Obi-Wan of his encounter with Darth Maul and how disturbingly easy it was for him to give in to his anger. The Jedi on Coruscant confirm the information Padmé discovered: Count Dooku, a Jedi Master, has betrayed the Republic. His mission had been to contact the Mandalorians, a nomadic group of warriors, to enlist their possible aid as defenders of the Republic's borders. Instead, he fostered a conflict between their clans, and now works with a group known as the Death Watch which have become General Grievous' personal guard. The leader of the Death Watch, Tor Vizla, has allowed himself to be cloned, producing legions of shock troops far more cunning and vicious than droids. With this new power, Grievous and Dooku have formed the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and while Dooku has expressed his desire to end the corruption in the Senate's bureaucracy, Grievous' motivation is simply the conquest of the Republic. News reports tell of the ravaging of hundreds of worlds, the death and subjugation of billions of beings and messages from Dooku asking for the Chancellor's surrender even as Grievous talks of a path of blood through the stars all the way to Coruscant. Vice-Chancellor Palpatine tells the Jedi that the only way the Republic will weather this crisis is if they are able to meet this threat on even ground, and as things stand they are vastly outnumbered. Despite Republic sentiment towards cloning, Palpatine has contacted Kamino and requested a clone army to face the incoming threat, but they lack a decent prime clone. One has been located, a Mandalorian bounty hunter named Jango Fett, but to find him, there would need to be a bounty on someone prominent enough to get his attention. Padmé volunteers, saying that it's likely the Trade Federation put a price on her head before they became part of the CIS, and it wouldn't take much to inflate that price to where it'd get Fett's interest. Yoda suggests sending Jedi to deal with Grievous and Dooku personally rather than engaging in full-scale war, but Mace Windu supports Palpatine's plan and assigns Kenobi and Skywalker to protect her and make their case to Fett when he shows himself. Aboard the Peregrine, Anakin continues to struggle with his emotions as he tries to fix up the ship. Padmé tells him that he did all he could, and that he made the right decision in not choosing the easy path presented to him. Anakin still feels he could have done more, and wonders if Darth Maul was right in calling him weak. Padmé disagrees, saying that he's one of the strongest people she's ever known and has been since the day they met. Anakin returns to the repairs, but Padmé pulls him away for a kiss. The Peregrine is attacked, which interrupts them, and Padmé runs to the cockpit as Anakin tries to figure out what just happened. The attacker is the Slave 1, and Obi-Wan advises Padmé to take the ship down someplace they can fight on even terms. They make their way to the planet Yavin and set down on the fourth moon. Jango Fett tracks them to an old temple, where the Jedi wait for him. Fett says he has no problems fighting Jedi to claim his reward, but Obi-Wan says a greater reward awaits him if he listens to their offer. Listening to the Jedi's case, Fett ultimately agrees, on the condition he be given an unmodified clone of his own. Bail Organa officially commissions the Army of the Republic with the Military Creation Act, asking the Jedi to serve as its generals. Until the clones were ready, planetary and provincial forces would be bolstered by the Jedi and the Republic navy to hold off Confederate forces. Count Dooku is contacted by Darth Sidious, who instructs his apprentice to make sure Confederate attacks do not penetrate into the Core Worlds too quickly. Dooku agrees, saying that he wants to make sure the forces under their command when all this is over is as large as possible. Sidious praises his apprentice, saying that together they'll rule the Galaxy and prove their superiority to the Jedi once and for all - hence the apprentice's name of Darth Tyranus. In the long months that follow, Obi-Wan distinguishes himself as a brave but prudent front-line general. Anakin Skywalker takes on many covert operations for the Republic, working closely with Vice-Chancellor Palpatine, and Padmé flies the Peregrine on dangerous rescue and smuggling operations. Finally, on embattled Dantooine, Mace Windu arrives to relieve the besieged planetary defenders with a legion of Republic clones. Winning the battle in a spectacular fashion, it is declared that "the Clone Wars have begun in earnest." Bringing supplies to ground forces on Dantooine, Padmé finds Obi-Wan and Anakin discussing their concerns about the war. Obi-Wan believes in his heart that Master Yoda was right, and that they should track down and deal with the leaders of the Confederacy before more worlds suffer from the conflict. Anakin agrees, but points out that they're under orders to lead the army. Padmé makes the suggestion that if they were to board the Peregrine for an inspection and she took off, they wouldn't be in a great position to decide where they go. Following her plan, they leave Dantooine to track down Grievous, with Obi-Wan offering long-distance apologies to General Windu. Padmé visits Anakin during the journey and asks how he's been. He tells her he's been thinking quite a bit about that kiss, and proceeds to give her one of his own. The Confederate fleet is plowing through to Duro during Operation Durge's Lance. The Peregrine arrives just in time for Grievous to announce his victory from the blasted surface of the planet. Seeing his shuttle return to the command ship, the Peregrine transmits a bootleg CIS ident code to get permission to dock. The three sneak through the ship until they find Grievous. The cyborg general, upon seeing the Jedi, becomes enraged and attacks them. He seems to focus mostly on Obi-Wan, and just when he has the elder Jedi set up for the kill, Anakin steps in. The Republic arrives to drive off the Confederates, blasting the flagship without mercy. It begins to break apart, and Anakin tells Padmé to get Obi-Wan out of there. Padmé refuses to leave at first, but Anakin begs her to trust him and that he can handle Grievous. Tears in her eyes, Padmé helps Obi-Wan to his feet before the command deck splits in half, forcing them to run to the Peregrine as Anakin and Grievous continue their duel. Anakin loses his hand, but takes Grievous' head from his shoulders and drives his lightsaber through the cyborg's heart. He is last seen heading for an escape pod when the flagship explodes. Aboard the Republic medical ship, General Kenobi reports that Grievous is dead. This is good news for the Republic, considering that Durge's Lance was a major setback. The Jedi-led forces can now begin retaking the Outer Rim. Meanwhile, Padmé is unwounded but the medical droids inform her that she is pregnant. Obi-Wan comes to find her in tears, telling her that he doesn't believe Anakin is dead. "He's out there, somewhere. I know he'll be fighting as long as he can. I promise you, I'll find him and bring him back."

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

If I Wrote For Lucas: Episode 2

If I Wrote For Lucas: Episode 2 — Blue Ink Alchemy

Continuing the sort of plots, characters and themes I'd have pursued if it had fallen to me to write the Star Wars prequels. Episode 1 is right here. This one ended up a bit longer than I thought it would. I could probably work C-3P0 and R2-D2 in here somewhere, but I'd rather focus on the characters that really needed help. As before, I don't own anything created by Lucas and I'm not looking to profit from any of this, but it is my work and if you want to quote or use part of it, please give me appropriate credit.

Episode 2: The Clone Wars

It is a time of unrest in the Galactic Republic. Rumors abound of threats at the edge of Republic space, from the increased taxation of trade routes through Hutt space to the emergence of a new leader of the Trade Federation, a ruthless cyborg known only as Grievous. Within the Republic, a debate rages over the creation of a standing army. Many in the Republic would rather rely upon the Jedi, while some believe that the limited numbers of the guardians will not be sufficient if war should break out. Newly elected Supreme Chancellor Bail Organa is advocating patience, while his Vice-Chancellor Palpatine favors the expansion of the Republic military. The Jedi Knights are occupied with neither politics nor rumors of war. Their attention is on the reappearance of the Sith, disciples of the Dark Side of the Force. Believing them a greater threat than any crime lord or droid army, the Jedi have undertaken investigations and covert operations throughout the galaxy...

The planet Naboo again serves as the backdrop for the opening, but this time there are Republic ships in orbit instead of Trade Federation dreadnoughts. A trading post has been established on the planet, serving as a transition between Republic-controlled space and the Outer Rim. News reports that play in the outpost talk of the election, the Hutt outrage at Republic influence being so close to their territory, and rumors of Grievous violently putting down resistance to his control within the Federation. A cloaked gentleman leads a slightly older, bearded companion through the corridors, coming to a shipping manager. Claiming that the old man is his father, the gentleman politely asks for passage to Nar Shaddaa as the old man mutters to himself. Asking why they want to go to such a place, the gentleman replies that his father's dying wish is to see the famed Vertical City no matter how dangerous it might be. They're given passage and board the transport, only then revealing themselves as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan compliments Anakin on his performance but notes his nerves, saying he hasn't seen Anakin that nervous since they fell into a nest of gundarks. Anakin replied sheepishly that he'd been afraid of hitting Obi-Wan in his attempt to free them. Obi-Wan tells the younger Jedi he has nothing to worry about, that the Force is very strong with him and that if he trusts its guidance he will be a great Jedi. Anakin smiles but still seems disconcerted, noting that he feels a disturbance in the Force, like something great and terrible is coming. Obi-Wan says he senses it too, as did Master Yoda before they left, but tells his friend they can't worry about things they cannot control and must focus on the task at hand. Arriving on Nar Shaddaa, also called the 'Smuggler's Moon,' the Jedi begin making inquiries about Darth Maul. Zabrak are not an uncommon sight in the galaxy, but many comment on the extensiveness of Maul's tattoos. Obi-Wan suggests they split up to cover more ground, but reminds Anakin they're on a mission and can't spare much time should Anakin decide to go looking for his mother, last reported to be on this moon. Anakin agrees, and the two part ways. The younger Jedi comes across a slave trader who recognizes Maul and becomes furious, saying that the Zabrak short-changed him on Shmi's purchase. Anakin demands to know where she is, and the slave trader, intimidated by the Jedi, offers his the tracking device linked to her slave collar. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan is checking with the smugglers of the moon, and is surprised to find Padmé playing sabacc and drinking the other smugglers under the table. She tells the Jedi that she gave up politics to see the galaxy, found she was really good at reading men's expressions and ended up with her own ship through a game of chance. Leaving the establishment, she tells Obi-Wan she also gathers information for Chancellor Organa, and has come across something disturbing. Before Obi-Wan finds out what this is, Padmé asks about the whereabouts of Anakin, and Obi-Wan feels a tremor in the Force. Anakin finds Darth Maul in a warehouse, standing between the door and a large clear cylinder containing Shmi. Maul taunts Anakin, saying that he senses fear and anger in the young Jedi. Why fight those impulses, the Sith asks, when he could embrace them and increase his power tenfold? Anakin refuses, saying he became a Jedi to be better than his impulses, to overcome his fear and defeat his anger. Maul sneers in response, saying that fear and anger are natural and don't need to be defeated, only harnessed, but that philosophy is inconvenient for the Jedi, which is why the Sith were crushed centuries ago. Maul uses the Force to activate a switch under Shmi's tube, which begins to fill with deadly gas. Maul offers Anakin a choice: join the Sith and Maul will save his mother's life, or try to defeat Maul in time to do it himself. Anakin attacks, and Maul toys with him. Eventually, Shmi begins coughing laboriously, and Maul whispers to Anakin that the boy is weak, and his mother is about to die due to his weakness. Unleashing his rage, Anakin beats on Maul with his lightsaber, foregoing any discipline or training, just hammering on the Sith until he breaks Maul's guard and cuts him in half down the center. Running past his opponent, Anakin rushes to disable the gas and pulls Shmi out as Obi-Wan and Padmé arrive. Shmi tells Anakin that he's grown handsome and strong, and that she's proud of him. Anakin replies that he's failed, that he wasn't strong enough to save her. Shmi whispers that he already has, that he's shown great courage and that she's happy to be with him. She dies in his arms. The slave trader, having kept a duplicate tracker, finds the trio and calls in Hutt enforcers. Obi-Wan and Padmé pull Anakin away from the scene and the three fight their way to Padmé's ship, a beat-up freighter she dubbed the Peregrine. They depart Nar Shaddaa for Coruscant, as Anakin tells Obi-Wan of his encounter with Darth Maul and how disturbingly easy it was for him to give in to his anger. The Jedi on Coruscant confirm the information Padmé discovered: Count Dooku, a Jedi Master, has betrayed the Republic. His mission had been to contact the Mandalorians, a nomadic group of warriors, to enlist their possible aid as defenders of the Republic's borders. Instead, he fostered a conflict between their clans, and now works with a group known as the Death Watch which have become General Grievous' personal guard. The leader of the Death Watch, Tor Vizla, has allowed himself to be cloned, producing legions of shock troops far more cunning and vicious than droids. With this new power, Grievous and Dooku have formed the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and while Dooku has expressed his desire to end the corruption in the Senate's bureaucracy, Grievous' motivation is simply the conquest of the Republic. News reports tell of the ravaging of hundreds of worlds, the death and subjugation of billions of beings and messages from Dooku asking for the Chancellor's surrender even as Grievous talks of a path of blood through the stars all the way to Coruscant. Vice-Chancellor Palpatine tells the Jedi that the only way the Republic will weather this crisis is if they are able to meet this threat on even ground, and as things stand they are vastly outnumbered. Despite Republic sentiment towards cloning, Palpatine has contacted Kamino and requested a clone army to face the incoming threat, but they lack a decent prime clone. One has been located, a Mandalorian bounty hunter named Jango Fett, but to find him, there would need to be a bounty on someone prominent enough to get his attention. Padmé volunteers, saying that it's likely the Trade Federation put a price on her head before they became part of the CIS, and it wouldn't take much to inflate that price to where it'd get Fett's interest. Yoda suggests sending Jedi to deal with Grievous and Dooku personally rather than engaging in full-scale war, but Mace Windu supports Palpatine's plan and assigns Kenobi and Skywalker to protect her and make their case to Fett when he shows himself. Aboard the Peregrine, Anakin continues to struggle with his emotions as he tries to fix up the ship. Padmé tells him that he did all he could, and that he made the right decision in not choosing the easy path presented to him. Anakin still feels he could have done more, and wonders if Darth Maul was right in calling him weak. Padmé disagrees, saying that he's one of the strongest people she's ever known and has been since the day they met. Anakin returns to the repairs, but Padmé pulls him away for a kiss. The Peregrine is attacked, which interrupts them, and Padmé runs to the cockpit as Anakin tries to figure out what just happened. The attacker is the Slave 1, and Obi-Wan advises Padmé to take the ship down someplace they can fight on even terms. They make their way to the planet Yavin and set down on the fourth moon. Jango Fett tracks them to an old temple, where the Jedi wait for him. Fett says he has no problems fighting Jedi to claim his reward, but Obi-Wan says a greater reward awaits him if he listens to their offer. Listening to the Jedi's case, Fett ultimately agrees, on the condition he be given an unmodified clone of his own. Bail Organa officially commissions the Army of the Republic with the Military Creation Act, asking the Jedi to serve as its generals. Until the clones were ready, planetary and provincial forces would be bolstered by the Jedi and the Republic navy to hold off Confederate forces. Count Dooku is contacted by Darth Sidious, who instructs his apprentice to make sure Confederate attacks do not penetrate into the Core Worlds too quickly. Dooku agrees, saying that he wants to make sure the forces under their command when all this is over is as large as possible. Sidious praises his apprentice, saying that together they'll rule the Galaxy and prove their superiority to the Jedi once and for all - hence the apprentice's name of Darth Tyranus. In the long months that follow, Obi-Wan distinguishes himself as a brave but prudent front-line general. Anakin Skywalker takes on many covert operations for the Republic, working closely with Vice-Chancellor Palpatine, and Padmé flies the Peregrine on dangerous rescue and smuggling operations. Finally, on embattled Dantooine, Mace Windu arrives to relieve the besieged planetary defenders with a legion of Republic clones. Winning the battle in a spectacular fashion, it is declared that "the Clone Wars have begun in earnest." Bringing supplies to ground forces on Dantooine, Padmé finds Obi-Wan and Anakin discussing their concerns about the war. Obi-Wan believes in his heart that Master Yoda was right, and that they should track down and deal with the leaders of the Confederacy before more worlds suffer from the conflict. Anakin agrees, but points out that they're under orders to lead the army. Padmé makes the suggestion that if they were to board the Peregrine for an inspection and she took off, they wouldn't be in a great position to decide where they go. Following her plan, they leave Dantooine to track down Grievous, with Obi-Wan offering long-distance apologies to General Windu. Padmé visits Anakin during the journey and asks how he's been. He tells her he's been thinking quite a bit about that kiss, and proceeds to give her one of his own. The Confederate fleet is plowing through to Duro during Operation Durge's Lance. The Peregrine arrives just in time for Grievous to announce his victory from the blasted surface of the planet. Seeing his shuttle return to the command ship, the Peregrine transmits a bootleg CIS ident code to get permission to dock. The three sneak through the ship until they find Grievous. The cyborg general, upon seeing the Jedi, becomes enraged and attacks them. He seems to focus mostly on Obi-Wan, and just when he has the elder Jedi set up for the kill, Anakin steps in. The Republic arrives to drive off the Confederates, blasting the flagship without mercy. It begins to break apart, and Anakin tells Padmé to get Obi-Wan out of there. Padmé refuses to leave at first, but Anakin begs her to trust him and that he can handle Grievous. Tears in her eyes, Padmé helps Obi-Wan to his feet before the command deck splits in half, forcing them to run to the Peregrine as Anakin and Grievous continue their duel. Anakin loses his hand, but takes Grievous' head from his shoulders and drives his lightsaber through the cyborg's heart. He is last seen heading for an escape pod when the flagship explodes. Aboard the Republic medical ship, General Kenobi reports that Grievous is dead. This is good news for the Republic, considering that Durge's Lance was a major setback. The Jedi-led forces can now begin retaking the Outer Rim. Meanwhile, Padmé is unwounded but the medical droids inform her that she is pregnant. Obi-Wan comes to find her in tears, telling her that he doesn't believe Anakin is dead. "He's out there, somewhere. I know he'll be fighting as long as he can. I promise you, I'll find him and bring him back."

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

If I Wrote For Lucas: Episode 1

If I Wrote For Lucas: Episode 1 — Blue Ink Alchemy

So I think a good way to spend at least part of this holiday weekend is to put down some of the thoughts I've had about what could've been done with the Star Wars prequels. Utterly pointless, but then again, so are the prequels as they stand now. It goes without saying that I don't own anything created by Lucas and I'm not looking to profit from any of this, but it is my work and if you want to quote or use part of it, please give me appropriate credit.

Episode 1: The Price of Freedom

The Galactic Republic is the confederation of worlds, bound by a desire for peaceful coexistence, that dominates the galaxy. All worlds are welcome that are willing to set aside military solutions in favor of diplomacy and fair trade. The Republic has no standing army, but is protected by an order dedicated to peace and justice - the Jedi Knights. The planet of Naboo, recently adopted into the Republic, is in a period of rough transition. The monarchy, once supported by an alien conglomerate outside of the Republic whose name roughly translates into 'Trade Federation', is taking steps towards true democracy. Queen Amidala has helped her people in dismantling their armed forces and is prepared to step down, despite the Trade Federation's generous donations to her crown. Outraged at Amidala's decision, the Trade Federation is blockading Naboo and threatens invasion unless the planet leave the Republic. They argue that they are merely protecting their investment even as droid armies approach the world. As debate rages on Coruscant, the Republic capital, two Jedi Knights are dispatched to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the conflict...

The blockade is a massive operation, with several large battleships surrounding the planet. Into the scene darts a small craft, barely larger than a shuttle. The battleships open fire immediately on the ship. Inside, the pilots call for the Trade Federation to cease fire, that they are carrying Republic representatives to negotiate peace. The Viceroy coldly tells the pilots that there will be no negotiation and that they should turn back now or be destroyed. A calm voice tells the pilots to make their way to the planet, and after a harrowing bit of flying, the ship manages to skid across a lake to crash-land on its shore. The pilots begin to patch up their ship and themselves as the Jedi Knights they carried begin their hike to Theed, Naboo's capital. The Jedi Knights are Qui-Gon Ginn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan was recently released from his training under Master Yoda, and is eager to prove himself ready to be a fully-fledged Jedi Knight. Qui-Gon is something of a renegade in the Jedi ranks, as he believes that Jedi cannot fully purge themselves of emotional attachments and thus must harness their emotions and darker urges, rather than suppress them. This philosophy runs counter to the majority of the Jedi Council, including its most venerable members, Yoda and Mace Windu, but it's somewhat popular among younger Jedi. As they discuss this, Trade Federation landing ships pass overhead, carrying an occupying force of battle droids. Queen Amidala, young but level-headed, is informed that Trade Federation troops have begun landing on her planet. With communications cut off and Naboo's planetary forces little more than a few provincial guard units and an air-to-space defense wing, and Boss Nass taking his gungans underwater until this whole debacle blows over, Amidala seriously considers capitulating to the Federation's demands. The Jedi arrive with a different idea - get the Queen off of Naboo. Palpatine, Naboo's leading candidate to join the Republic senate, volunteers to stay behind and keep the Federation busy for as long as possible. After sneaking out of the palace and making their way back to the Republic ship, the three try to run the blockade again but suffer a great deal of damage, with most of the crew dying and the hyperdrive and communications getting knocked out. The closest planet is Tatooine, and while Qui-Gon is glad to have an inhabited planet nearby for them to use, Obi-Wan is reluctant to land on a planet controlled by the Hutts. On Naboo, the failure of the Trade Federation to destroy Queen Amidala infuriates Palpatine. In private, he chides the Viceroy for failing in such a simple task. The Viceroy offers his apologies, but such measures aren't satisfactory to a Dark Lord of the Sith, and Darth Maul kills the Viceroy. Palpatine, referred to by the junior Sith as 'Lord Sidious', orders his apprentice to pursue the Jedi. Afterwards, he contacts the Trade Federation to report the Viceroy murdered by gungan assassins, urging them to scour the amphibian menace from his planet. On Tatooine, Amidala tells the Jedi to call her "Padmé" and not refer to her as 'Your Highness' in public, after Obi-Wan voices his opinion on the slave trade taking place under the control of the Hutts. The trio begin to work their way through some of the settlements, looking for parts to repair their ship. They stumble into a young man who apologizes, only for Qui-Gon to realize his lightsaber's been stolen. Obi-Wan chases after the youth, and when cornered, the delinquent apologizes, saying he needs currency to buy his mother's freedom. Taking back his master's lightsaber, Obi-Wan says he believes they can help the youth if he helps them in exchange, and the young man eagerly agrees, saying that not only can he find parts for anything that flies, he can fly it better than any being on Tatooine. Walking back, Obi-Wan introduces himself, and the youth gives his name as Anakin Skywalker. Anakin takes the trio of off-worlders to his hideout, a place where runaway slave children gather to help each other. He tells the trio that theft, destruction of property and acts of vandalism are the only way they have to fight against the Hutts' control. He finds them places to sleep and says in the morning, they'll visit Watto, a Hutt-friendly parts dealer who not only has what they need but also has a line on where Shmi Skywalker can be found. As the Jedi discuss how strongly the Force is with Anakin, Padmé helps the kids get some food and learns more about Anakin, seeing his compassion for his fellow outcasts and learning more about his father, an abusive and dark man who'd sold Shmi to the Hutts to buy his own freedom. The next morning, they visit Watto. Obi-Wan points out that they don't have any local currency, only Republic credits, but Qui-Gon suggests they let Anakin do the talking. When they arrive at the shop, Anakin tells Watto that his friends need a hyperdrive and communication suite for their ship, and Watto names his price. Padmé says the price sounds exorbitant, which makes Watto laugh. Anakin proceeds to surmise that Watto is skimming off of the top and taking profits away from the Hutts, which they certainly wouldn't like were the rumor to surface. Watto, immediately afraid for his life, begs Anakin not to say anything. Anakin angrily tells Watto to supply the parts and to tell him where Shmi is, or all of Tatooine would know he's cheating the Hutts. Watto capitulates, and Qui-Gon tells Anakin he needs to learn to control his anger. Anakin remarks that he'd very much been in control - his first impulse was to flatten Watto's face with his sandal. Darth Maul is waiting for them in the street. He approaches the Jedi and asks politely if they've taken note of any off-worlders. Anakin immediately points out that this is an off-worlder himself, and Maul smiles at him, noting what a clever boy he is. The Jedi move to protect their young charges, calling for them to run. Taking Padmé by the hand, Anakin leads her through the streets, only to find Hutt enforcers looking for him with Watto in the lead. Anakin steals a speeder, pulls Padmé onto it, and flees through the air, followed by the Hutts. Padmé has to man the speeder's feeble rear gun, but they manage to either destroy or evade their pursuers, ending up back at their ship. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan arrive not long after, saying that Darth Maul got away and he is undoubtedly a Sith. Setting course for Coruscant, Anakin asks about the Sith. Qui-Gon tells him of the Sith's history, how a few Jedi thousands of years ago fell deep into the Dark Side and came to rule an ancient people who went by that name. Over the years, the battle between the Jedi and the Sith raged until suddenly, the Sith all but disappeared. Darth Bane was the last recorded Sith Lord, and rumor had it that from that point on, only two exist at any one time, a master and an apprentice. Padmé tries to get some news from Naboo, but the Trade Federation is blocking all communications. Arriving on Coruscant, Chancellor Valorum apologizes to Amidala for the failure of his attempt at peace. The Republic Navy has gathered ships from many member worlds, but without a standing army, once the blockade is removed there would be problems in getting rid of the Trade Federation's ground troops. Anakin, studying the Trade Federation's information, suggests that instead of relying on a large-scale ground confrontation, a small group infiltrate Theed's power plant, which contains the planet's most powerful transmitter and would be the most obvious place planetside to control their battle droids. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon take this plan to the Jedi Council, who agree that it makes the most sense and will likely result in the least bloodshed. Meanwhile, Anakin is trying to make arrangements to get dropped off on Tatooine to rescue his mother, but an armed Republic force would be frowned upon by the Hutts, who control half the trade in the Outer Rim (the Federation controls the other half). Padmé suggests he join them in going to Naboo instead. Anakin isn't opposed to the idea, but feels that the longer he leaves his mother in Hutt control, the more opportunity they'll have to take out any punishment meant for him or his friends on her. When the Jedi show up, Padmé makes the case that they need to return to Tatooine after Naboo's been freed, to which they agree. The fleet arrives at Naboo and engages the blockade. Anakin flies their infiltration ship with skill and daring, taking them safely into the heart of Theed. Padmé manages to contact Palpatine, who expresses relief at her still being alive and says he's tried to keep as many of their people alive as possible. The gungans have kept the Federation forces occupied, and only a token force remains in Theed. Making their way to the power station, they encounter Darth Maul. Qui-Gon tells Obi-Wan to take the kids into the station to carry out their plan while he deals with the Sith. Maul tries to stop them but Qui-Gon intervenes, wondering aloud if Maul is the master or the apprentice. Maul sneers, saying the only name by which the Jedi Master will know him is 'death'. Anakin, Padmé and Obi-Wan fight their way to the droid control center, only to find it heavily armored and shielded. Blasters are ineffective and cutting with a lightsaber might sever a power conduit, causing a feedback explosion or dropping power for the whole city. While Padmé and Obi-Wan keep the droids at bay, Anakin crawls into the innards of the control device to disable it. More and more droids flood in as reinforcements are called, and just when it seems they might overwhelm the Jedi and the queen, they all shut down. Anakin emerges from the control center, at first elated, then sensing a great danger. Obi-Wan senses it too and they rush off as Padmé holds a gun on the Federation representatives, who cower before her. Anakin and Obi-Wan arrive to find Qui-Gon on the losing side of his duel with Darth Maul. Maul is really enjoying himself and tells the other two to join the party, but Sidious contacts Maul telepathically and tells him to finish off the Jedi Master and leave the planet. Angry at such a cowardly order, Maul slays Qui-Gon and spits at the feet of the other two. Obi-Wan, enraged, wants to tear the Sith apart then and there, but Anakin holds him back, saying neither of them are a match for him. Maul escapes, and Padmé brings Obi-Wan the restrained Federation potentates, who agree to leave the planet to the Republic. Padmé Amidala officially steps down as Queen, announcing that the monarchy has been dissolved. Palpatine is elected Senator, representing Naboo in the Galactic Senate. When Anakin gets to Tatooine, all of his friends have been hunted down and killed by the Hutts, and Shmi has been moved to Nar Shaddaa, primary moon of the Hutt homeworld, for some unknown purpose. With nothing left tying him to Tatooine, Anakin turns to Obi-Wan, asking to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi. The film ends with Anakin and Palpatine on the ship heading to Coruscant, as Palpatine thanks Anakin for his help in freeing Naboo and saying, "I believe that this planet before us, Coruscant, represents a bright future for the both of us. Yes... I can foresee it."

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Blue Ink Alchemy