EPISODE III
UNIVERSE
PRESENTS:

NOGGINS' EPISODE II PLOT
Last Updated 13 Dec 2000

[There are a few ommissions so far - Palpatine/Sidious appears very rarely, the big bads in this version are Count Dooku and Jango Fett. You'll also notice I don't do all that much with Ambu Fett (the Clone Captain) either. The Jedi children that have been cast don't appear but since they'll probably just be seen in passing that's okay!]

Opening crawl tells that ten years have passed and Palpatine's reign as chancellor has been successful but corruption is slowly starting to appear as the Trade Federation separated into different organisations in order to keep running. It also mentions Anakin's training and Padmé, no longer queen (Jamillia has been elected as her successor), is acting as senator for Naboo, going to Coruscant to try to tell the senate about the corruption.

We open in a space battle as Republic Cruisers are losing against some powerful enemy ships. Captain Typho, in a fighter with R2-D2 in the back destroys several Trade Federation fighters and gives word to the command ship that they should prepare to be boarded. Inside the command ship Anakin and Obi-Wan ignite their lightsabers and go against the invading Battle Droids. A sniper takes a shot at Padmé who they are travelling with but Anakin manages to save her. The bounty hunter escapes and Typho is unable to chase after her.

In senate building, Palpatine is trying to put forwards a proposal for a Clone Defense Force funded by the Commerce Guild and Inter-Galactic Bank Clan to protect the Republic from attacks (whihc, it seems, have been happening quite regularly). Bail Organa is with Padmé, the two are urguing against the Chancellor's plans saying that living beings cannot be created purely to kill. Palpatine claims that the Kaminoans are willing to organise the project but delays a vote on the subject just as a blast comes from a hidden area in the senate and Padmé falls. The real Padmé runs to her just as everyone realises the dead woman is Cordé, her handmaiden. Obi-Wan sees the assassin and recognises her. Te two Jedi pursue her.

Just as they get out of the senate building a swoop flies passed so they jump onto two other vehicles and put up a chase (ala ROTJ speeder bike except the trees are replaced with buildings). The assassin - Zam Wessel - runs into a nightclub. The Jedi pursue her after the use of mind tricks to get in, but get lost in the crowd. Obi-Wan notices an alien making moves on a waitress and is starting to get violent. He hacks off his arm and the troublemaker runs away in pain. The waitress tries to thank him but Obi-Wan runs off to find Anakin who is questioning the owner of the club, Dexter Jettster. He is told that a woman ran out through the back. Anakin runs after her through several alleyways and once he catches up with her he begins to get violent until Obi-Wan arrives and interrogates her (using Jedi mind tricks) All they can get is she was sent to kill Padmé because she was "getting to close" before Zam is shot down by another assassin in the shadows. Obi-Wan recognises the weapon as a Kyber Dart but both are too late as they see a starship disappear in the distance.

The Jedi Council arranges an emergency meeting and sends Anakin back to Naboo where he will ensure Padmé remains protected from any more attempts on her life. They tell Obi-Wan to take Plo Koon, Ki-Adi-Mundi and other Jedu to Kaminoa where there is a cloning operation. The three are against the plans but follow their orders and travel there.

Obi-Wan tracks the assassin to a landing platform where he is about to take off, a young boy waiting for him to arrive. The bounty hunter is revealed to be Jango Fett. He battles with Kenobi who is nearly beaten. During the fight there is a mention of "Count Dooku" although Obi-Wan doesn't recognise the name. They reach a stalemate and Jango escapes on Slave 1 with his son. Obi-Wan throws a tracker onto the fleeing starship and quickly returns to the Jedi Council.

Anakin reaches the Senate where he realises Padmé is not dead but her handmaiden, Cordé, who was assuming her role. Anakin is relieved and hugs Padmé. After a meeting with the Council it is recommended that Anakin takes Padmé back to Naboo (not revealing she is really the queen since it would only mean another attempt to kill her) and Obi-Wan goes to investigate the mysterious attacker. Her bodyguard, Captain Typho, is unsure that she should have Jedi protecting her but she overrules him.

Palpatine, Bail Organa and Obi-Wan talk over the situation and the Jedi tells the two politions that they could easily be targets too if they delve any further into the actions of the Trade Federation without evidendce. Palpatine realises that some enemy force is utilising an army of cloned warriors as discovered from a recent battle on a planet in which many Jedi died. The Chancellor believe that Republic troops will dimish further unless they do the same.

Anakin and Padmé return to Naboo where her family are relieved she is alive but informs her that Jamillia has already been elected as her successor as soon as news of her demise reached the planet. Padmé doesn't seem to mind and considers it a burden off her back. They start to spend a lot of time together on Naboo but Anakin has a vision of his mother in danger and realises he must return to Tatooine. Padmé reveals her love for him and says he's not going without her. So that they are not conspicuous they take a cruise ship to their destination.

Obi-Wan discusses Count Dooku with the Jedi librarian Jocasta Nu. She informs him that Dooku is one of the "Lost Twenty", Jedi members who have left the order years before and haven't been heard of since. Kenobi clearly fears the worst and realises the Sith are probably involved in some way.

Darth Sidious talks to Count Dooku over a holo-comm where the latter says the tests are being made and everything seems fine. Sidious says that their subject will be arriving very soon. Dooku seems very pleased by this and thanks Lord Sidious. Sidious speaks to a Dark Jedi who is in the room with him and tells him to follow the Jedi.

The Federation/Commerce Guild etc. get news from Sidious that the queen isn't really dead and the cruise ship is attacked by new Federation fighters. The pilot is killed and Anakin heroically takes over and manages to get them to Tatooine before needing to evacuate as Battle Droids enter the ship. Anakin makes the starship self destruct [can you do that in Star Wars? Well, if George wants to, guess] so they can't be tracked just yet. Anakin, Artoo and Padmé manage to get to just outside Mos Espa.

Yoda realises that there is more to this than mere corruption in the Republic when he hears Dooku and the Sith are involved. He and several other Jedi discuss the former Jedi Master who left the order and disappeared without a trace. Mace Windu agrees to take Jedi to the location Slave 1 using Kenobi's tracer to see if they can find out more. Obi-Wan, Ki-Adi-Mundi and Plo Koon also come with him.

Anakin gets to Tatooine and interrogates an aged Watto who is now unable to fly. He tells him that he had to sell Shmi to make money back after losing on the podraces and a man called Clieg Lars bought her. He's not sure what happened after this. Anakin and Padmé find Lars' home and Anakin violently confronts Clieg's son Owen about where his mother is. Owen realises Skywalker is talking about his own step-mother and tells him that as soon as his father bought her he set her free. They fell in love and married. Anakin is shocked with the idea he now has a brother and asks where Shmi now is. He says he should ask their father. During this time Owen and his girlfriend Beru are making eyes at each other (Padmé starts dropping jokey hints to Anakin about a joint wedding)

Mace Windu and his group reaches Geonosis where they see there is Trace Federation presence. Ki-Adi and Plo Koon are sent to take it out before anything can happen on the planet below. The others land on the planet and are greeted by Poggle the Lesser but Windu remains supiscious. They are told no one matching Jango's description arrived but they can stay on the planet to conduct an investigation.

Clieg is working on a C-3PO. The old man is pleased to see his wife's son who he's heard so much about. The two bond while trying to fix the droid and fit his plates on while old man Lars tells of trouble they've had with Tuskens near their moisture vaporators. Artoo and Threepio also do a bit of bonding since they haven't seen each other in a decade and begin to realise that they don't really like each other all that much :) Clieg tells Anakin that Shmi went into Mos Espa on foot to get supplies. He asks if he can take a landspeeder [the one owned by Luke, maybe - pure speculation on my part though] and goes off into the desert leaving Padmé behind.

Obi-Wan leaves the rest of the group and manages to find Slave 1 docked in an area of Geonosis where the other Jedi couldn't trace him. Mace Windu tries contact Yoda but their communications are jammed. He sends a Padawan to "get the reinforcments."

Anakin races through the desert until he finds a raid in Mos Espa. Many of the citizens are running away into the desert itself where they are being cut down by Tusken Raiders. Anakin turns around and tries to find his mother in the crowd. He does and pulls her into the speeder but three Sandpeople bear down on them. Anakin jumps out with his lightsaber ignited and tells his mother to stay inside.

Obi-Wan finds a huge cloning complex where Dooku, Poggle and Jango Fett are discussing plans. Jango agrees to be cloned "again". The 'present' given to him by Dooku - Boba, the son he always wanted (another clone of him) - was enough to make him want to donate more of his genes. Obi-Wan realises there are already more "Fett's" out there.

Anakin tries to protect his mother from the attackers and is successful until one of their leaders is all that is left and knocks Anakin aside with a gaffi stick, cutting his arm open before letting off a blast at Shmi. Skywalker strangles the Sandperson with the Force before collapses beside his mother. Anakin collapses in tears as Shmi slowly dies. He spends the night with her as she fades away. Our hero spends the night in the desert, alone, grieving his mother, keeping watch over her body. He feels that if he had not left Shmi all those years ago this would not have happened and the first thing he does is blame the Jedi for taking him away.

[Major Spoiler. Highlight here:] The next morning, the twin suns of Tatooine appear and his meditation is disrupted by a group of Sandpeople in the desert. There are several families with children shouting loudly. Anakin looks up, his eyes full of hate and ignites his lightsaber, walking down the dune from his mother's body towards them, about to get his first taste of the Dark Side. [End spoiler]

Windu suddenly realises what is going on and when Poggle invites him to "the games" he politely declines and mobilises his troops. Obi-Wan is captured by the droids and is about to be dragged into the games as the "main event".

Anakin returns to the Lars household where he finds it has been ransacked and Clieg is dead. Owen attacks Anakin until he realises who it is. He is told that bounty hunters attacked who were almost identical. Anakin recognises the description of the leader as being Jango - but it's really Ambu Fett (the Clone Captain). Anakin looks for Padmé but can't find her. Beru and Owen tell him that she was taken - she was the target of their search. Skywalker realises the Tusken Raiders were just a decoy. His mother wasn't meant to die but he was too selfish and didn't think of Padmé who he was meant to be protecting. He takes Threepio and Artoo and takes a ship off Tatooine. Before he goes he gets in contact with Yoda who is not happy with his performance but still tells him where Obi-Wan and Mace have gone.

Padmé escapes capture to get to some communication controls and contacts the Republic. She informs them that they need help and the Jedi have been defeated. Palpatine assures her that he will send some of their new army in straight away.

Obi-Wan realises Windu and his Jedi are walking into a trap as he is overwhelmed by the droids.

Count Dooku, Poggle and Jango watch as two creatures battle each other to the death. Obi-Wan is taken out and tied to a stake in the centre to be the main attraction. A guard is killed behind them and Mace Windu emerges. Hundreds of Jedi, more than Windu originally brought with him, come from doorways around the arena. They too are attacked by a variety of battle-ready droids. Dooku and Poggle escape while Mace battles Jango to the death (despite the interference of a Reek being released on them) and many Jedi die in the battle. Boba Fett watches from afar as his father is killed. Mace turns to see the boy just as Dooku returns to take him away. Mace follows.

On the droid control ship, Ki-Adi-Mundi and his group battle passed Neimoidian pilots to get to the control room as quickly as they can. Reaching it Ki-Adi presses the master switch and all of the droids on the planet below deactivate but seemingly too late for the Jedi who have been slaughtered.

A group of Republic clone troopers arrive in time along with Captain Typho. Padmé takes control and leads them on an attack against enemy clones that have emerged from tanks all over the building. Typho points out how strange it is that the enemies also have a clone army.

Obi-Wan catches Poggle as he tries to escape and questions him. The alien panics and reveals that "Lord Sido-dyas" is planning it all and that he intends to start a "clone war" to take over the galaxy. Obi-Wan thinks that Palpatine will be the next target for assassination and feels he has to get back when he senses something ominous.

Anakin arrives just as Dooku is helping Boba escape. The boy gets away on Slave 1 with a deep hatred for the Jedi while Anakin confronts Dooku. The Count tells Anakin that Padmé is alive and well - for now. But only if he embraces the Dark Side. Dooku pulls out a lightsaber shaped like a scimitar and hacks off Anakin's hand [or arm... y'never know]. He is almost willing to give in until Obi-Wan arrives and a two-on-one duel begins.

Obi-Wan is separated from his pupil who battles with Dooku as the Count tries to lure him to the dark side, telling him to give into anger and hate. Obi-Wan is reunited with Anakin, but Skywalker`s headstrong and brash style is allowing Dooku to gain the upper hand with his calculated moves. Dooku manages to trap the two Jedi under a massive crane-like object, ripping it down with the Force. The evil old man continues to taunt Anakin, telling him the Jedi don't care about him and try to restrict his feelings. The tables are turned as Yoda enters the battle along with Padmé and her army. Yoda uses the Force to push Dooku off the platform, deflecting his efforts in trying to get to the green Jedi Master. Dooku realizes that he cannot do anything but run. Yoda manages to lift the massive "crane structure" off of the trapped Jedi.

Anakin and Padmé are reunited while Obi-Wan warns Yoda and Mace Windu that Skywalker has touched the Dark Side in a way they could never imagine and they should be careful that he does not wish to delve further into it.

Dooku, now revealed to be the newest Sith, Lord Tyrranus, returns to Coruscant to meet with Darth Sidious and he informs his Master that the war has begun which pleases Sidious.

Later, on Naboo there is some semblence of peace as Anakin and Amidala marry. Meanwhile Coruscant Palpatine watches as the clone army is mobilised. Jar Jar and Bail Organa are with him but the latter two are nervous about it all. The surviving Jedi realise that a dark time is coming.

END