Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Page #8

CAPTAIN PANAKA'S comlink sounds off.

CAPT. PANAKA :
(Cont'd) Yes? CAPT. PANAKA : We'll be right there.

EXT. MOS ESPA - STREET - FRUIT STAND - DAY

ANAKIN and the GROUP stop at a fruit stand run by a jolly, but very poor,

old lady named JIRA.

ANAKIN :
How are you feeling today, Jira?

JIRA :
The heat's never been kind to me, you know, Annie!

ANAKIN :
Guess what? I've found that cooling unit I've been searching for.

It's pretty beat up, but I'll have it fixed up for you in no time, I

promise.

JIRA :
You're a fine boy, Annie.

ANAKIN :
I'll take four pallies today. (to Padme) You'll like these...

ANAKIN reaches in his pocket and comes up with three coins. He drops one.

QUI-GON picks it up, revealing for a moment, his lightsabre.

ANAKIN :
(Cont'd) Whoops, I thought I had more...Make thgat three, I'm not

hungry.

The wind picks up. SHOP OWNERS are starting to close up their shops as JIRA

gives them their pallies.

JIRA :
Gracious, my bones are aching...storm's coming on, Annie. You'd

better get home quick.

ANAKIN :
(to QUI-GON) Do you have shelter?

QUI-GON :
We'll hed back to our ship.

ANAKIN :
Is it far?

PADME :
On the outskirts.

ANAKIN :
You'll never reach the outskirts in time...sandstorms are very,

very dangerous. Come with me. Hurry!

The GROUP follows ANAKIN as he rushes down the windy street.

EXT. MOS ESPA - SLAVE QUARTERS - STREET - SANDSTORM - DAY

The wind is blowing hard as QUI-GON, JAR JAR, and PADME follow ANAKIN down

the street and into a slave hovel.

INT. ANAKIN'S HOVEL - MAIN ROOM - DAY

QUI-GON, JAR JAR, ARTOO, and PADME enter a small living space.

ANAKIN :
Mom! Mom! I'm home.

JAR JAR :
Dissen cozy.

Anakin's mother, SHMI SKYWALKER, a warm, friendly woman of forty, enters

from her work area and is startled to see the room full of people.

SHMI :
Oh, my!! Annie, what's this?

ANAKIN :
These are my friends, Mom. This is Padme, and...gee, I don't know

any of your names.

QUI-GON :
I'm Qui-Gon Jinn, and this is Jar Jar Binks. ARTOO lets out a

little beep.

PADME :
...and our droid, Artoo-Detoo.

ANAKIN :
I'm building a droid. You wanna see?

SHMI :
Anakin! Why are they here?

ANAKIN :
A sandstorm, Mom. Listen.

The wind HOWLS outside.

QUI-GON :
Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter.

ANAKIN :
Come on! Let me show you Threepio!

ANAKIN leads PADME into the other room. ARTOO follows, beeping all the way.

QUI-GON takes five small capsules from his utility belt and hands them to

SHMI.

QUI-GON :
I have enough food for a meal.

SHMI :
Oh, tank you. Thank you so much. I'm sorry if I was abrupt. I'll

never get used to Anakin's surprises.

QUI-GON :
He's a very special boy. SHMI looks at him as if he's discovered

a secret.

SHMI :
Yes, I know.

INT. ANAKIN'S HOVEL - BEDROOM - DAY

ANAKIN shows off his ANDROID, which is lying on his workbench. There is one

eye in the head; the body, arms, and legs have no outer coverings.

ANAKIN :
Isn't he great?! He's not finished yet.

PADME :
He's wonderful!

ANAKIN :
You reall like him? He's a protocol droid...to help Mom. Watch!

ANAKIN pushes a switch, and the DROID sits up. Anakin rushes around, grabs

an eye and puts it in one of the sockets.

THREEPIO :
How do you do, I am See-Threepio, Human Cyborg Relations. How

might I serve you?

PADME :
He's perfect.

ANAKIN :
When the storm is over, you can see my racer. I'm building a

Podracer!

PADME smiles at his enthusiasm. ARTOO lets out a flurry of beeps and

whistles.

THREEPIO :
I beg your pardon....what do you mean I'm naked?

ARTOO BEEPS:

THREEPIO :
(Cont'd) My parts are showing? Oh, my goodness. How

embarrassing!

INT. NABOO SPACECRAFT - QUEENS CHAMBERS

AMIDALA, EIRTAE, RABE, and OBI-WAN watch a very bad transmission of a SIO

BIBBLE hologram.

BIBBLE :
...cut off all food supplies until you return...the death toll is

catastrophic...we must bow to their wishes, Your Highness...Please tell us

what to do! If you can hear us, Your Highness, you must contact me...

AMIDALA looks upset...almost nervous.

OBI-WAN :
It's a trick. Send no reply... Send no transmission of any kind.

INT. ANAKIN'S HOVEL - MAIN ROOM - DAY

QUI-GON listens to his comlink. OBI-WAN is in the cockpit.

OBI-WAN :
...the Queen is upset...but absolutly no reply was sent.

QUI-GON :
It sounds like bait to establish a connection trace.

OBI-WAN :
What if it is true and the people are dying?

QUI-GON :
Either way, we're running out of time.

EXT. CORUSCANT - BALCONY OVERLOOKING CITY - NIGHT

DARTH SIDIOUS and DARTH MAUL look out over the vast city.

DARTH MAUL :
Tatooine is sparsely populated. If the trace was correct, I

will find them quickly, Master.

DARTH SIDIOUS :
Move against the Jedi first...you will then have no

difficulty taking the Queen back to Naboo, where she will sign the treaty.

DARTH MAUL :
At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will

have revenge.

DARTH SIDIOUS :
You have been well trained, my young apprentice, they will

be no match for you. It is too late for them to stop us now. Everything is

going as planned. The Republic will soon be in my command.

The hologram of DARTH MAUL fades off as DARTH SIDIOUS looks out over the

city. EXT. MOS ESPA - SANDSTORM - DAY

The giant sandstorm engulfs the town, including the Naboo spaceship on the

outskirts of the city center, where Watto's ship is; and the slave

quarters, where drifts of sand begin building up against Anakin's house.

INT. ANAKIN'S HOVEL - MAIN ROOM - DAY

QUI-GON, ANAKIN, SHMI, JAR JAR, and PADME are seated around a makeshift

table, having dinner as the wind howls outside.

JAR JAR slurps his soup rather loudly. Everyone looks at him. He turns a

little brighter red.

SHMI :
All slaves have transmitters placed inside their bodies somewhere.

ANAKIN :
I've been working on a scanner to try and locate them, but no

luck.

SHMI :
Any attempt to escape...

ANAKIN :
...and they blow you up...poof!

PADME and JAR JAR are horrified.

JAR JAR :
How wude.

PADME :
I can't believe there is still slavery in the galaxy. The

Republic's anti-slavery laws...

SHMI :
The Republic doesn't exist out here...we must survive on our own.

An awkward silence. ANAKIN attempts to end the embarrassment.

ANAKIN :
Have you ever seen a Podrace?

PADME shakes her head no. She notices the concern of SHMI. JAR JAR snatches

some food from a bowl at the other end of the table with his tongue.

QUI-GON gives him a dirty look.

QUI-GON :
They have Podracing on Malastare. Very fast, very dangerous.

ANAKIN :
I'm the only human who can do it.

SHMI looks askance at her son.

ANAKIN :
(Cont'd) Mom, what? I'm not bragging. It's true. Watto says he's

never heard of a human doing it.

QUI-GON :
You must have Jedi reflexes if you race Pods.

ANAKIN smiles. JAR JAR attempts to snare another bit of food from the bowl

with his tongue, but QUI-GON, in a flash, grabs it between his thumb and

forefinger. JAR JAR is startled.

QUI-GON :
(Cont'd) Don't do that again.

JAR JAR tries to acknowledge with some silly mumbling. QUI-GON lets go of

the tongue, and it snaps back into JAR JAR's mouth.

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