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My version of the Prequels

Driver

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Driver Member

Driver

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I've told myself time and time again to not waste time one this in the long form, plus, I've done it abbreviated here:

 

http://nightly.net/topic/48468-whats-the-first-thing-about-the-prequels-you-would-change/page-3?hl=prequels

 

and here

 

http://nightly.net/topic/1758-how-would-you-have-done-the-prequels-story-differently/page-2?hl=prequels

 

(three years apart)

 

But this has been rattling in my brain for a long time... and I never wanted to dedicate any time to it cause it is essentially fanfic, which I am totally against. BUT-- new people are making Star Wars movies and and and I don't have a shot really at the moment, but maybe some day.

 

So I want to clear this out of the Star Wars part of my brain... this is how I would have structured the prequels. This isn't detailed scripting mind you-- but the basic plot beats.

 

The goal was to tell a better story without completely making things up. Sticking to the basic outcomes the PT presented, what was hinted at in the OT and using all the pieces already given to us. So I didn't cheat and make characters up, or borrow anything from TCW. These are the same ideas presented in the PT, just cleaner.

 

The only things I chose to consciously not work with were the usage of R2 and 3P0 because I think it is super dumb that R2 would be Anakin's droid, then Luke's through complete chance, that Obi-Wan could fight an entire war with R2 around and not know him or that Anakin built 3P0. There's space for them here, but I didn't fee like forcing them in.

 

Also, I completely ignore the Rule of 2 Sith.

 

 

Episode 1

 

- The Crawl

 

For a thousand generations, THE REPUBLIC has held rule over most of the galaxy, countless worlds united under a common law, upheld by THE JEDI, a mystical order of peace-keepers sworn to justice.

 

A fledgling faction of planets has united under the rule of a former Jedi, COUNT DOOKU. Weary of the Republic's bureaucracy, they've grown in power, setting their sights on the independent world of Naboo.

 

Knowing the secluded Naboo hold many secret technologies, the Republic Senate has requested the Jedi send envoys to the distant planet to secure their entry to the Republic so that the peace can be maintained...

 

--

 

A Republic starship drops out of hyperspace on approach for Naboo. They are surprised to see that the Trade Federation, an independent corporation aligned with the Republic, has a small fleet in orbit, an effective blockade.

 

The ship lands and two Jedi emerge: Yoda and his student, Obi-Wan Kenobi. They speak with the Federation leaders and question their purpose. The TF has a franchise with the Republic, managing their supply chains. The TF is also well armed, to deal with pirates they have built a massive war-droid army. The TF stalls, and Yoda realizes they have joined up with Dooku's faction, lending their muscle to the growing government.

 

Word comes down from Dooku to kill the Jedi. Their ship is nuked, but Obi-Wan and Yoda manage to slip away. Realizing the TF is there to occupy the planet, and that the Naboo military will be no match for them, Yoda and Obi-Wan steal a ship and head for the surface. Worried they will tip things off, Dooku is forced to set things into action and orders the TF to start their attack.

 

The people of Naboo live very old fashion and simple. While they have crazy advanced technology, they don't make full use of it. Yoda and Obi-Wan arrive in time to warn the young Queen of Naboo, Padme, of the TF's plan, and they learn why the Naboo are so secretive-- they are a society of clones.

 

Yoda realizes this is the true goal of Dooku-- if he takes over the Naboo cloning facilities he can engineer an army to rival the combined military forces of the Republic and the Jedi. He also senses that Dooku himself has arrived in orbit, no doubt worried about the Jedi escaping. Padme, as Queen, is able to lock down the cloning facility, and she does so. Yoda says that they must get word to the Jedi and the Senate, and that Padme must get as far from Naboo as possible.

 

Yoda stays behind to lead the Naboo forces against the TF and stall their occupation while Obi-Wan and Padme take a civilian ship and run the blockade. This is Obi-Wan's first time out on a solo mission, and he's only slightly distracted by the fact that Padme is hot stuff. Their ship is damaged in running the blockade and they will not be able to make it to Coruscant and must instead divert to Tattooine.

 

On Courscant, the Senate is presented with a message from Dooku-- His peaceful and legal petitioning of Naboo was interrupted by the Jedi, who abducted the Queen from her own planet. Dooku considers this the final straw and officially declares the Confederacy of Independent Systems as a force to be reckoned with, and any further interference from the Republic would be considered an act of war.

 

The Jedi representative to the Senate, Palpatine, is a retired Jedi, more of a politician. In a private session, he promises the Senate Chancellor that he will try and locate the missing Jedi and Queen right away. The Chancellor has his back against the wall, he's looking at several worlds bailing out to join the CIS. Worse, the departure of the TF will leave them a mess-- who will manage the commerce between the Republic worlds?

 

During the meeting, Palpatine is also joined by TARKIN, the head of Coruscant/Senate security forces. He asks Palpatine to set up a meeting with the Jedi council. They should be considering the possibility of a war.

 

Yoda meanwhile learns that Naboo is home to two races, the clones, and the Gungans. The Gungans have been extinct for a thousands of years years, but it was their technology that helped form the Republic, they invented hyperdrives. As they died off they moved to genetic engineering, making a new race to carry on their legacy-- but the clones chose to remove themselves from the galaxy. Dooku taking control of this world would give him access to untold technology.

 

Obi-wan and Padme arrive on Tattooine-- an outlaw world. They try to land away from any cities to make repairs, but as soon as they hit the atmosphere they are attacked by bandits in air speeders. They are saved by another squadron of speeders who run the bandits off. They've taken too much damage though, and are forced to crash land. Obi-Wan is hurt in the crash and Padme drags him from the wreck. Their saviors come back for them, then take them to a small outpost in the desert. There is no law on Tattooine-- it's a place where even farmers can make a lot of money-- but everyone has to be ready to fight for survival. This motley crew of speeder pilots are really nothing more than a gang of local teens who decided to keep the bandits at bay. Their leader is dude named Skywalker.

 

The TF engineers struggle to make sense of the Naboo tech, but the Queen's lockout keeps them at bay. Yoda is finally captured-- or more likely lets himself be captured to gain an audience with Dooku, who we learn is his old apprentice. When they meet, Yoda instantly senses that Dooku has changed-- that he has embraced the dark side. Jedi who turn to the dark side always end up burning out, destroying themselves, or wreaking so much havoc that the Jedi put them down. The only way that Dooku could have maintained control is by becoming a Sith, but their teachings have been gone since the Jedi wiped them out 500 years previous-- a war that Yoda is the only living survivor of. There's the usual banter about power and destiny and Yoda is tossed in the clink. Dooku can't help but gloat by letting it slip that the Sith have been back for some time.

 

On Coruscant, the exhausted Chancellor returns home to rest. Once he's asleep, a silent assassin makes short work of the security detail and lets himself into the Chancellor's room. He wakes just in time to see his doom-- DARTH MAUL, a Sith that looks like the devil himself. He ignites his lightsaber and cuts the Chancellor down.

 

Obi-Wan wakes up on the Lars Farm. Anakin Skywalker was an orphaned slave that the Lars family took in and raised along with their own son, Owen. Obi-Wan is distressed that the Queen is nowhere to be found-- but Owen tells him to relax-- that she is with Anakin and they are out getting supplies.

 

Their ship is trashed, but Anakin has been rebuilding a starship as a hobby. The wreckage has key components he could use. Passage off of Tattooine is both expensive and most ships don't make it past the moon without getting pirated. Anakin's long since dreamed of ditching the desert and making his way into space. Anakin is cocky, but also charming. He makes Padme laugh, which is no small feat. Scavenging run complete he takes her back to the farm, where an irate Obi-Wan is waiting.

 

Tarkin has his meeting with the Jedi and expresses worry about a war. Every Republic world handles their own military, the Jedi are the overseers of the law. If other commerce organizations side with the TF and boycott the Republic there will be no supply chain for a war effort. The Jedi agree, but aren't sure what can be done. Tarkin has a plan-- although it is against Republic protocol to go on the offensive, he suggests they intercede on Naboo. If the TF and Dooku can beaten quickly and decisively a war could be prevented. The Jedi agree to it-- but only if the Senate votes to approve such action.

 

After Tarkin leaves the Jedi discuss a more pressing manner-- the fact the Chancellor was killed with a lightsaber.

 

The Senate is a mess with the Chancellor dead. As Chancellorship is a long arduous voting process the Senate agrees to vote in a temporary official to mediate things. Tarkin volunteers himself, but is voted out in favor of the one person the Senate unanimously trusts-- Palpatine. He is one of them, and also a Jedi. Palpatine says the position interferes with his Jedi code, but will take it for the sake of moving things along. With his impassioned peace, the Senate votes to go ahead with striking against Dooku.

 

Dooku meanwhile is contacted by his master-- a shadowy figure named Sidious. According to them, everything is going according to plan-- including the attack against them. Sidious stresses the fact that the TF must not know the Republic is coming. The only hitch in the plan is the missing Queen and her Jedi bodyguard. If she gets to the Senate before the attack she might generate sympathy against sedition. Dooku says the TF computers have traced possible routes of the escaped ship and Tattooine is the most likely destination. They decide that Maul will be sent to collect the Queen.

 

On Tattooine, Anakin's ship is almost ready, but they are attacked by the bandits, out for revenge. In the fight, Obi-Wan is forced to reveal himself as a Jedi. He also sees a wounded Anakin fly into a rage and create a destructive wave of Force energy. Surprised, he calms Anakin and wonders how he could have gotten this far in life with no training. Anakin has no idea he was special in any way. Padme reveals to them who she is and what is at stake.

 

Tarkin assumes command of the attack fleet, having rallied support from Alderaan and a few other key worlds of the Senate. A cadre of Jedi led by MACE WINDU comes aboard, and they are ready to move out. Mace is apprehensive and demands the military action be swift, and that the goal will be shutting down the TF's control ship that manages the war droid army.

 

Anakin says goodbye to his friends and family staying behind. His best friend, Kitster, is coming along. Owen thinks he should not get involved and stay home on the farm. The goodbyes are interrupted by Maul, who comes in swinging. The ship takes off, with Obi-Wan and Maul dueling in the cargo bay. Obi-Wan manages to flush Maul out of the ship and they jump to hyperspace. Obi-wan makes contact with the Jedi council and requests escort ASAP for the Queen. He's filled in on what has happened, and Padme decides she's not going to Courescant, she needs to go home and rally her people.

 

The Battle of Naboo begins as the fleet arrives. As the battle reaches the ground, Yoda easily escapes, revealing he was just biding his time. In space, starfighters go after the control ship. On ground, forces attempt to retake the royal palace. Dooku is planning to sneak away, but Yoda intercepts him and they duel.

 

Anakin's ship arrives and is thrust into the battle, in the fray it's too hard to get through and land. Padme elects to take an escape pod down, Obi-Wan tries to talk her out of it, then agrees to join her. As they are jettisoned Anakin realizes they've been followed-- Maul survived, and he goes after the pod. Anakin does what he can to slow Maul down, but is cut off.

 

The pod makes it to the ground and Obi-Wan and Maul fight as Padme goes for the palace. Obi-wan must protect her as she gets closer, and also keep Maul at bay. Obi-wan ultimately kills Maul with Yoda's help-- though this allows Dooku to escape. Once inside, Padme is able to unlock another secret-- in suspended animation, a genetically engineered clone army that wakes and is ready to do battle. The army turns the tide quickly against the TF, especially after Anakin single-handedly takes out the droid control ship.

 

In the aftermath, Padme decrees Naboo joining the Republic and promises them a clone army to help fight the CIS. While the Republic won the battle, it only helped Dooku convince the other commerce companies and several other worlds of the Republic's corruption-- they broke their own laws to attack. The CIS says they have declared war, so war it is.

 

In the aftermath, Obi-Wan presents Anakin to Yoda and Mace, and even though he is unfocused and untrained, they agree it would be better to train him and keep an eye on him than to let somebody with his raw power run loose in the galaxy. Anakin will be a Jedi.

 

Finally, Dooku returns to his home base where he is contacted by Sidious. Once again, they remind us that this loss was part of their plan. The only bump was losing Darth Maul-- but even that is a minor set back. The Clone Wars have begun...

 

 

UP NEXT EPISODE 2

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Driver Member

Driver

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No-- I think one of the main goals was to eliminate a lot of the useless characters who were there to fill out exposition. Ric Olie-- there to tell us that Coruscant is a city planet (which we can see) and to give Anakin some flying tips (which we see he doesn't need). Panaka-- there to disagree with Qui-Gon.

 

And yeah, I even eliminated Qui-Gon cause as cool as Liam Neason is, the character wasn't needed.

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The Human Torch Member

The Human Torch

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Re: Panaka et al

 

I also thought there were too many nobodies in the prequels, especially nobodies that had lines. Bunches could be consolidated into other characters. Too much is said by people we don't give a flip about and too much is shown happening to people we have no ideas about.

 

Another thought:

 

Prior to the prequels I imagined the clone wars were between Jedi and their clones. I had a thought that for some reason force adepts were becoming scarce. That some Jedi then play with the idea of manufacturing force adepts, the non-clone Owen Lars being chief idea man. But shit happens and it turns out clones are either force blanks or excessively susceptible to dark side emotions. Uncle Owen is a clone, a blank, and bitter about that. Real Owen dies.

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RamonAtila Member

RamonAtila

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You know, I defend the prequels more than most because I was only ten when TPM came out. It was MY childhood.

 

But your treatment bugs the hell out of me cause it is so damn good! Teenaged Anakin, already familiar with Owen. Built his own starship. After reading this I realized this version of the movie will only exist in my mind.

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RamonAtila Member

RamonAtila

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The only thing I would have done differently is send Padme to figure everything out and then return to Naboo. There's something about that symmetry in TPM I really loved. Naboo to Tatooine, only to return to Naboo? I would imagine you guys ranting about it being a McGuffin to introduce Anakin. Maybe Anakin's ship didn't have a built-in phone yet?

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Jacen123 Member

Jacen123

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Joking from earlier aside, I definitely like this treatment and completely agree with the sentiment. Over the past many years, I have had a number of conversations about how the overall arc of the prequels was fine, but the details just didn't work. I like seeing it being re-envisioned as a whole because whenever I tried to do it, I ended up getting caught up in some aspects, usually the details. I look forward to seeing how this continues!

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The Choc Member

The Choc

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I think if you just made a few small changes to TPM it would have made a huge difference in the movie.

 

1-Put Maul on the TF ship. Instead of them talking to the hologram of Sidious, have them talk to Maul who is on the ship but not directly talking to the Queen. Then have Maul just talk to Sidious once or twice to establish him. It would build Maul up and also make Sidious more mysterious.

 

2-Have the Jedi meet Captain Tarpals instead of Jar Jar, have him be banished because he believed the Gungans should be in contact with the Naboo.

 

3-Get rid of the whole ruse with the Queen, let us know that it's the queen disguised as a handmaiden. I always felt that the whole thing led to a weird disconnect with that character and the payoff with the 'surprise' isn't worth it.

 

4-Have Maul be more of a prescence on Tatooine. Instead of just sending score droids out, have him hot in the trail. Woulda have led some urgency to the time on Tatooine which as is just seems like spinning wheels until Anakin gets off the planet, since we know he gets off the planet.

 

5-Combine the raid on the throne room and the Gungan battle at the climax. Four climaxes is just too much. Plus a larger scene fighting in the city would have been cool, never quite seen something like that in Star Wars.

 

I think just a few small changes like that would have made a huge difference and none of them change the story at all.

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