The story opens in orbit of the green planet of Naboo, where enormous Trade Federation battleships are looming. A tiny red spacecraft zooms toward one. Inside, one of two brown-cloaked figures tells the captain to inform the Federation ship that they wish to board. The Neimoidian viceroy quickly gives his consent.
The two figures leave the ship and are escorted to a waiting room. They are Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Master and his apprentice. Obi-Wan is uneasy, but Qui-Gon believes that as the Federation representatives are cowards, they will not be there long. However, he senses unusual fear for such a trivial occurrance.
However, the Neimoidian Viceroy Nute Gunray and his lieutenant Rune Haako are in league with a dark-robed, grating-voiced figure known to them as "Lord Sidious." Sidious commands them to take over the planet of Naboo, and kill the Jedi immediately. The ship they arrived on is destroyed, and poison gas is pumped into the waiting room.
But as battle droids arrive to obliterate the remains of the Jedi, both of them spring from the cloud of poison gas. They fight their way to the bridge, and Qui-Gon begins to slice through the blast doors as Obi-Wan fends off approaching droids. But when destroyer droids ("droidekas") attack, the two must flee.
Queen Amidala, the young ruler of the Naboo, transmits a message to Gunray. She states that she has been informed that the Chancellor's ambassadors have come to arrange a settlement. Gunray denies this, and Amidala states that the Federation has gone too far. The Federation officials are clearly alarmed, but can only disrupt communications.
On the planet, though Naboo has lost all communications, Amidala refuses to take any actions that could start a war. On the battleships, enormous numbers of ships and battledroids are being sent down to Naboo's surface. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stow away on the invasion ships.
Later, as the massive MTTs swoop through the swamps, Qui-Gon is stopped when a froglike Gungan grabs onto him in fright. The creature, Jar Jar Binks, insists that he must assist Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, and informs them of a hidden Gungan city. When the Jedi show interest, Jar Jar admits that he was banished, but agrees to take them upon hearing of the alternative.
Jar Jar escorts the Jedi to the underwater city of Otoh Gunga, where they are rapidly apprehended by Gungan guards and taken to meet the Gungan leader, Boss Nass. Boss Nass has no interest in what is happening with the Naboo, but Qui-Gon mind-tricks him into granting them passage in a "bongo."
TBC
The Phantom Menace Script
