Fixing Star Wars (Episode II)

For those who haven't seen them Belated Media on Youtube has proposed alternate stories for Star Wars episodes 1 and 2 to make them good. The problem is that this alternate story line is hard to bring back to link into episode 4 which might explain why he hasn't done a "What if " for episode 3.

So since it is the holidays, I thought I would take a crack at rewriting all three.

In the last episode, Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan found teenaged Anakin on Tatooine while trying to mediate a dispute between the Trade Federation and Alderaan. The Jedi Council reluctantly agreed to train him despite him being too old because Qui-Gon was convinced he would fulfill the prophecy to destroy the Sith. Despite officially not being allowed to interfere militarily the Jedi decide to sneak aboard Count Dooku's ship and secretly blow it up which they do during the attack by the Alderaans, since Queen Amidala received no help from the Senate. During the mission, Darth Maul kills Qui-Gon, who makes Obi-Wan promise to train Anakin with his dying breath.

Episode I

Episode II:

Anakin is now Obi-Wan's Padawan. They are investigating a separatist droid factory. They are bantering about Obi-Wan's poor flying skills and Anakin's in tendency to get lost and forget how to sabotage the machinery despite this being their 12th such mission.  They reach a high balcony overlooking the factory floor. Across the factory on a similar balcony they see Darth Maul appear with the owner of the factory. The Jedi quickly duck out of sight. Maul is threatening the owner to increase the production, but the owner pleads they they are already working over 100% capacity and they need a better power source to increase production any more. Maul hisses they he has a lead on one on a nearby moon. Anakin starts getting his lightsaber out to attack Maul but Obi-Wan stops him. Darth Maul hesitates before leaving the balcony and looks straight at where the Jedi are hiding.

Anakin confronts Obi-Wan about letting Maul just walk away, but Obi-Wan replies it would have been suicide to try and attack him here the place is crawling with droids. Several elite battle droids appear as if on cue (Maul has sent them after sensing the Jedi using the Force). Obi-Wan and Anakin flees the factory, Obi-Wan leading and Anakin protecting their back. They narrowly escape out a sewer drain. Behind them they hear the booms and crashes of the machinery ripping itself apart because Anakin reveals he managed to hit some of the sabotage points on the way out.

When they get back to their ship, Obi-Wan has Anakin practice using the force to remove the branches and leaves they used to hide their ship. As he is clearing it Obi-Wan sees Maul's black fighter take off. Anakin pilots the ship to tail Maul while Obi-Wan uses a communication's device to report back to the Jedi Council, the Council suggests the moon Maul was referring to is Endor and instructs them to return to Coruscant soon because the vote on the Clone Army is just a few weeks away. Maul tries to lose them by flying close to a black hole, his more powerful fighter is able to escape but the simple transport ship the Jedi are flying gets caught in the gravitational field. Obi-Wan tries to get Anakin to use the Force to push them out of the black hole but he is too panicked and thinks he can't do it, Obi-Wan closes his eyes and frees them from the black hole.

They find Maul's fighter on the surface of Endor and land nearby to find him. Obi-Wan and Anakin try to follow Maul through the woods by following the burn and cut marks where he has cut through the brush with his lightsaber but lose the trail. Obi-Wan notices the Ewoks scurrying in the trees above them and calls out to them asking for their help finding Maul. He warns them that Maul is trying to find a powersource of great power and they are just trying to stop him.

Eventually Darth Maul comes to a small clearing near a waterfall where a few Ewoks are gathering food. He threatens them to try and get them to tell him where to power source is. When he draws his lightsaber the trees surrounding the clearing are suddenly filled with Ewoks who pelt him with stones and mud from their slings. A hundred Ewoks emerge into the clearing with their spear at the ready lead by the chieftain, Maul slowly backs down the way he came but Obi-Wan and Anakin appear behind him, they draw their lightsabers to fight but Maul jumps off the top of the waterfall (the only way left open to him). The chieftain of the Ewoks tells Obi-Wan and Anakin the powersource is part of the forest where no one but an Ewok can find it, Obi-Wan gives him the Jedi communication device so if the Ewoks ever need help they can call the Jedi.

Obi-Wan and Anakin return to Coruscant. Anakin goes to see Padme to get an update on the opposition in the Senate to the Military Creation Act (the law to create a clone army). It is clear from their conversation this is a regular occurrence, Anakin admires Padme's intelligence while Padme enjoys the excitement of the stories of Anakin's missions. Palpatine passes them in the corridor so Padme suggests they go for a walk outside the Senate where they are less likely to be overheard. Meanwhile Obi-Wan reports to the Jedi Council. Now we have a cool split screen montage of both their conversations where both Jedi admit they doubt whether the Republic could win an open confrontation with the droids without a clone army. Padme rebukes Anakin saying that would make them no better than the Separatists, while the Jedi Council worries it could lead to endless war since the armies would be infinitely replaceable. Suddenly Anakin and Padme black out.

Palpatine stumbles into the Jedi Council room out of breath saying that Anakin and Padme have been kidnapped. The Jedi Masters jump to their feet just in time to see a small ship fly past the window and up to into the clouds to stunned silence. Palpatine collapses to the ground breaking the silence unleashing a flurry of activity and chaos as the Jedi and Senate security guards try to find out what happened to the defences around the Senate and where the ship went. Obi-Wan continues to stare in shock at the spot in the sky where the ship disappeared.

We skip ahead a few weeks now. Obi-Wan is looking exhausted, he is barely sleeping spending all his time trying to retrace the path of the ship through hyperspace to try and figure out where it went. Obi-Wan working late at night in his room, planning the route he will take in the morning when Yoda enters. Obi-Wan admits he feels responsible for Anakin and feels like he let Qui-Gon down by letting Anakin be captured. Yoda comforts him by telling him none of the Jedi for saw this happening and there was nothing Obi-Wan could do. Obi-Wan refuses to sleep while Anakin is still out there but Yoda does convince Obi-Wan to take a break to meditate with him. Obi-Wan tries to meditate but keeps fidgeting, Yoda instructs him to clear his mind and let the Force guide him to Anakin like it did on Tatooine.  Obi-Wan slowly relaxes and just when it seems like him might actually fall asleep his eyes snap open. He knows where Anakin is being held.

Meanwhile, Anakin awakes to find himself alone in a completely empty concrete cell. To his surprise Count Dooku enters and begins talking to him casually. Anakin repeatedly asks what he has done with Padme and insists to see Padme right away as proof she is safe. When Anakin tries to force his way past Dooku, Dooku easy uses the force to throw him against the wall. Dooku leaves saying perhaps Darth Maul will convince Anakin to listen. The next several days Darth Maul enters the cell, Anakin tries to fight him bute without his lightsaber or any object to use as a weapon Anakin is helpless. Maul tortures Anakin using the dark side of the Force. Eventually when Anakin gives up, Count Dooku returns. Anakin still asks after Padme so Dooku makes a deal, Dooku will have Padme join Anakin in his cell if Anakin listens to what Dooku has to say otherwise Dooku will send Maul to visit Padme. Anakin agrees and Dooku tries to convert Anakin to the darkside by explaining his own split from the Jedi over a woman he loved who he reveal died while they were in hiding from the Jedi, Dooku also reveals the presence of a Sith in the Senate helping the Separatists. True to his word Dooku has Padme brought in, unconscious but unhurt. Anakin cradles her head in his lap and leans down to kiss her on the cheek, just then she stirs and they accidentally kiss on the lips.

Back on Coruscant, Obi-Wan insists the Jedi launch a rescue mission, but Dooku's fortress is heavily fortified and the Senate won't give them any military support which is needed elsewhere on the basis of Obi-Wan's vision. The Council decide to ask the many planets & people they have helped  over the years (including the Ewoks and Alderaan) for help. Each planet can only send a few soldiers/ships but together they create a sizable force. Many of the Jedi Master join the assault to help coordinate the disparate forces. They attack the fortress with Obi-Wan leading one of the strike forces. Obi-Wan reaches the cells and frees Anakin and Padme. Anakin tells him about Maul and Dooku so they race to the hangar to try and cut them off. But thanks to an advanced warning from the Darth Sidious (Palpatine), Maul and Dooku are already taking off by the time they get there, both manage to escape.

The Jedi are victorious and rush Padme (along with Anakin) back to Coruscant because the vote on the Clone Army is scheduled for the next day. Alas, they arrive too late and Palpatine is giving the closing speech after the vote when they arrive. Padme is devastated, Anakin holds her hand and tells her at least they are still alive to continue the fight. Obi-Wan appears behind them and puts his arm around Anakin's shoulders (Anakin and Padme quickly drop each other's hand and look away sheepishly). Obi-Wan says how glad he is to have them both back and that he never wants to lose either of them every again.

The End.

Episode III