Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Page #10

SEEK, WALD, and AMEE take off, laughing. JAR JAR is fiddling with one of

the energy binder plates.

ANAKIN :
Hey! Jar Jar! Stay away from those energy binders...

JAR JAR :
Who, mesa?

ANAKIN :
If your hand gets caught in that beam, it will go numb for hours.

JAR JAR peeks at the energy plate; it makes a little electronic pop, zaps

him in the mouth and jumps back. JAR JAR tries to say something, but his

mouth is numb and his words are garbled.

JAR JAR :
Ouch-dats muy bigo Oucho. (Gibberish)

KITSTER :
But you don't even know if this thing will run.

ANAKIN :
It will.

QUI-GON approaches the GROUP and gives ANAKIN a small battery. JAR JAR gets

his hand caught in the afterburner and tries to tell Anakin, but can't get

words out that make sense.

QUI-GON :
I think it's time we found out. Use this power charge. ANAKIN :

Yes, sir!!

ANAKIN jumps into the little capsule behind the two giant engines. He puts

the power pack back into the dashboard. EVERYONE backs away, except for JAR

JAR who calls for help. Finally PADME frees him and the engines ignite with

a ROAR. EVERYONE cheers.

EXT. MOS ESPA - SLAVE QUARTERS - PORCH - DAY

SHMI, watching from the porch, smiles sadly.

EXT. SLAVE QUARTERS - BALCONY - NIGHT

ANAKIN sits on the balcony rail of his hovel as QUI-GON tends to a cut. The

BOY leans back to look at the vast blanket of stars in the sky.

QUI-GON :
Sit still, Annie. Let me clean this cut.

ANAKIN :
There are so many! Do they all have a system of planets?

QUI-GON :
Most of them.

ANAKIN :
Has anyone been to them all?

QU-IG0N :
(laughs) Not likely.

ANAKIN :
I want to be the first one to see them all... Ouch!

QUI-GON wipes a patch of blood off ANAKIN'S arm.

QUI-GON :
There, good as new...

SHMI yells from inside the hovel.

SHMI :
(O.S.) Annie, bedtime!

QUI-GON scrapes ANAKIN's blood onto a comlink chip.

ANAKIN :
What are you doing?

QUI-GON :
Checking your blood for infections.

ANAKIN :
I've never seen...

SHMI :
(O.S.) Annie! I'm not goiung to tell you again!

QUI-GON :
Go on, you have a big day tomorrow. (beat) Goodnight.

ANAKIN rolls his eyes and runs into the hovel. QUI-GON takes the blood

stained chip and inserts it into the comlink, then calls OBI-WAN.

QUI-GON :
(Cont'd) Obi-Wan...

OBI-WAN :
Yes, Master.

QUI-GON :
Make an analysis of this blood sample I'm sending you.

OBI-WAN :
Wait a minute...

QUI-GON :
I need a midi-chlorian count.

OBI-WAN :
All right. I've got it.

QUI-GON :
What are your readings?

OBI-WAN :
Something must be wrong with the transmission.

QUI-GON :
Here's a signal check.

OBI-WAN :
Strange. The transmission seems to be in good order, but the

reading's off the chart...over twenty thousand.

QUI-GON :
(almost to himself) That's it then.

OBI-WAN :
Even Master Yoda doesn't have a midi-chlorian count that high!

QUI-GON :
No Jedi has.

OBI-WAN :
What does it mean?

QUI-GON :
I'm not sure.

The JEDI KNIGHT looks up and sees SHMI in the doorway watching him.

Embarrassed, she goes back into the kitchen while QUI-GON ponders the

situation.

EXT. TATOOINE - DESERT MESA - NIGHT

The sinister looking Sith spacecraft lands on top of a desert mesa at dus,

scattering a herd of banthas. DARTH MAUL walks to the edge of the mesa and

studies the landscape with a pair of electrobinoculars. He picks out the

lights of three different cities in the distance, then pushes buttons on

his electronic armband.

Six football-sized PROBE DROIDS float out of the ship and head off in three

different directions toward the cities.

DARTH MAUL stands on the mesa and watches them through his

electrobinoculars.

EXT. MOS ESPA - SLAVE QUARTERS - PORCH - SUNRISE

Padme exits the hovel.

EXT. MOS ESPA - SLAVE QUARTERS - BACK YARD - SUNRISE

As the twin suns rise, ARTOO is busy painting the racing Pod. ANAKIN is

asleep. PADME passes ARTOO.

PADME :
I hope you're about finished.

ARTOO whistles a positive reply. PADME sees KITSTER riding toward them on

an EOPIE, a strange camel-lile creature. He is leading a second EOPIE

behind him. PADME goes over to ANAKIN. He looks very vulnerable as he

sleeps. She watches him, then touches him on the cheek. ANAKIN wakes up,

yawns, and looks at her, a little puzzled.

ANAKIN :
You were in my dream...you were leading a huge army into battle.

PADME :
I hope not; I hate fighting. Your mother wants you to come in and

clean up. We have to leave soon. ANAKIN stands up and stretches just as

KITSTER arrives.

ANAKIN :
Hook 'em up, Kitster. (to Padme) I won't be long. Where's Qui-Gon?

PADME :
He and Jar Jar left already. They're with Watto at the arena.

EXT. MOS ESPA - ARENA - MAIN HANGER - DAY

RACE CREWS mill about outside the Main Hanger.

INT. MOS ESPA - ARENA - MAIN HANGER - DAY

The hanger is a large building with a dozen or so Podracers being readied

for the race. ALIEN CREWS and PILOTS rush about, making last minute fixes

on their vehicles. WATTO, QUI-GON, and JAR JAR walk through the activity.

WATTO :
...I want to see your spaceship the moment the race is over.

QUI-GON :
Patienc, my blue friend. You'll have your winnings before the

suns set, and we'll be far away from here.

WATTO :
Not if your ship belongs to me, I think...I warn you, no funny

business.

QUI-GON :
You don't think Anakin will win?

WATTO stops before an orange racer. Sitting to one side, having his

shoulders and neck massaged by TWIN YOBANAS, is SEBULBA.

WATTO :
Don't get me wrongo. I have great faith in the boy. He's a credit

to your race, but Sebulba there is going to win, I think.

QUI-GON :
Why?

WATTO :
He always wins. (laughs) I'm betting heavily on Sebulba.

QUI-GON :
I'll take that bet.

WATTO :
(suddenly stops laughing) What??!! What do you mean?

QUI-GON :
I'll wager my new racing pod against...say...the boy and his

mother.

WATTO :
A Pod for slaves. I don't think so...well, poerhaps. Just one...the

mother, maybe...the boy isn't for sale.

QUI-GON :
The boy is small, he can't be worth much.

WATTO shakes his head.

QUI-GON :
(Cont'd) For the fastest Pod ever built?!

WATTO shakes his head again.

QUI-GON :
(Cont'd) Both, or no bet.

WATTO :
No Pod's worth two slaves...not by a long shot...one slave or

nothing.

QUI-GON :
The boy, then...

WATTO pulls out a small cube from his pocket.

WATTO :
We'll let fate decide. Blue it's the boy, red his mother...

WATTO tosses the cube down. QUI-GON lifts his hand slightly; it turns blue.

QUI-GON smiles. WATTO is angry.

WATTO :
(Cont'd) You won the small toss, outlander, bou you won't win the

race, so...it makes little difference.

ANAKIN and PADME enter the hanger on one of the EOPIES, pulling an engine.

KITSTER, on the other EOPIE, is pulling another engine. With THREEPIO

walking alongside, ARTOO trundles behind, pulling the Pod with SHMI sitting

on it. WATTO passes ANAKIN as he leaves.

WATTO :
(Cont'd) (subtitled) Bonapa keesa pateeso, o wanna meetee chobodd.

(Better stop your friends betting, or I'll end up owning him, too.)

WATTO walks off, laughing.

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote