Deal!
So, since I’m still working on my source for S01E01, I’ve started on S01E04, the Malevolence arc. This was always one of my least favourites, but I’m really glad you guys encouraged me to keep it because I’m really pleased with the rough cut so far.
Essentially I’m intercutting the first and second episodes.
Grievous has the Malevolence, and has destroyed many clone medical stations, and is currently doing that in the Abregado/Rendellia/Naboo area. Obi-Wan is coordinating evacuations, while Anakin and Ahsoka are involved in the hunt. Plo has been sent to Abregado whose medical station has sent out a distress signal.
We begin in media res, Plo evidently having arrived to find a debris field, with our first shots being the destruction of Plo’s powerless ship by Grievous. The Malevolence launches pod killers then immediately jumps to hyperspace, towards the next station. As the pod killers try to kill Plo, and Anakin and Ahsoka search for Plo, we intercut with scenes of the medical stations slowly trying to evacuate, Obi-Wan showing concern in a few conversations, and Grievous travelling - first to a convoy route where he destroys a medical transport (but not before it gets a signal out which tips the Republic off), and then going the slow way around the nebula towards the Rendellia medical base - but with a huge head start.
After Ahsoka and Anakin save Plo, Yularen tells them that he’s learned of the convoy route attack and they realise he’s heading to Rendellia. Anakin formulates the bomber plan and they jump through the ‘short cut’ - though showing none of the nebula (we assume size of the ship matters for this hyperspace jump or whatever). They arrive, and I’ve cut it so that Grievous’ bloodlust in trying to destroy the medical station before turning his attention to the incoming bombers is what allows them to get close enough.
I’m not going to show the ion cannon firing at all during this episode, though its effects will be seen - I don’t like the visual effect, and this way it retains some mystery - though I have a lot of opportunities to show how savage the Malevolence is. Ultimately, the bombers target the ion cannon, Grievous attempts to fire it, the Malevolence starts to explode, Grievous evacuates, and one “fire everything” from Obi-Wan later (from the third, mostly unused episode) and it’s job done.
In my rough cut it feels far stronger, and with far higher stakes. It also feels right coming after Cloak of Darkness, because this is the start of Anakin and Ahsoka becoming friends, and I liked him pawning her off on Luminara at first.