EXT. NABU - GORDON SPACEPORT - TWILIGHT

The travellers and their Gungan guide crouch down behind the cover of a thick duracrete wall, with Obi-Wan surveying the spaceport beyond with his electrobinoculars. Each of the derelict ships are guarded by a pair of armed Neimoidian soldiers.

The Jedi lowers his binoculars and drops down with the others.

OBI-WAN : The shipyard is heavily guarded. The Akkadian is the closest ship, so it’ll be the easiest one to capture.

MAJ. VANESS : There’s still risk involved.

CAPT. PANAKA : Amidala is under my protection, Jedi. I failed her
brother and sister. I can't fail her, too.

OBI-WAN : I cannot guarantee her safety, Captain. I can only give you my word that I’ll do what I can.

COL. ORGANA : So we're grabbing an Akkadian.

OBI-WAN : Exactly.

COL. ORGANA : Then let's move out.

They stand, quickly turning and leaping over the low wall onto the tarmac. They run toward the guarded Akkadian, the Jedi activating their lightsabers as they approach the two guards.

The Neimoidians bring their blasters up into firing position as the Jedi swing their blue blades, cutting the soldiers down. The mercenaries guarding the other cruisers quickly notice the commotion and begin to attack them, blasters firing.

The Republic soldiers and Nabu bodyguards return fire, with the Jedi using their lightsabers to ricochet the Neimoidians’ fire back and the Force to push the beings away. One of the bodyguards and one of Organa's men are struck and go down.

QUI-GON : (using the Force to open the ship's hatch) Quickly! Get aboard!

They hurry onto the craft once the hatch is down, Obi-Wan guarding their flanks. The Knight deactivates his lightsaber and jumps aboard as the engines roar to life, closing the hatch behind him.

The Neimoidian soldiers swarm the ship as it rises, opening fire with their weapons as it soars up into the violet sky.

EXT. NABU - SPACE

The ship escapes Nabu's atmosphere, entering a field of debris from destroyed star cruisers. The Federation blockade is still in place, with no intact Republic ships in sight.

INT. SPACE - AKKADIAN - COCKPIT

QUI-GON : There's no sign of the Republic fleet, Obi-Wan. It appears they were all destroyed.

OBI-WAN : Damn! (to Qui-Gon) Power up the guns, Qui-Gon.

QUI-GON : Uh ... this ship has no weapons. We're defenceless.

OBI-WAN : Then you'd better put the shields up to full power and get ready for some fancy manoeuvring.

EXT. NABU - SPACE

Qui-Gon pilots the small ship forward toward a space between two massive Lucrehulks. As they pass through the battleships open fire. The Padawan manages to dodge four salvos of heavy turbolaser fire, but a fifth strikes the engines, blasting one to shards, and the ship goes dead.

INT. SPACE - AKKADIAN - COCKPIT

COL. ORGANA : Stang!

QUI-GON : Diverting power to auxiliary engines!

The lights inside the ship go dark, and the craft rockets forward, engines at full power.

EXT. NABU - SPACE

Hangar bay doors on the Lucrehulks open, unleashing squadrons of droid starfighters on the fleeing cruiser.

INT. SPACE - AKKADIAN - COCKPIT

QUI-GON : There's not enough power to take us to Coruscant ... the hyperdrive has been damaged.

OBI-WAN : We'll have to land somewhere to repair the ship.

CAPT. PANAKA : With those fighters on our tails?!

QUI-GON : (studying a star chart on a monitor) Here, Obi-Wan. Tatooine ... it's small, out of the way ... the Federation has no presence there.

CAPT. PANAKA : How can you be sure?

OBI-WAN : It's controlled by the Hutts ...

CAPT. PANAKA : The Hutts!?

QUI-GON : It's risky ... but there's no alternative.

CAPT. PANAKA : You can't take Her Royal Highness there! The Hutts are gangsters. If they discovered her ...

OBI-WAN : ... It would be no different than if we landed on a system controlled by the Federation - except the Hutts aren't looking for her, which gives us an advantage.

CAPT. PANAKA : (sighing) Okay. It's your call.

EXT. NABU - SPACE

As the droid fighters catch up with the ship it leaps into hyperspace, escaping a volley of lethal laserfire.

INT. SPACE - NUTE GUNRAY’S PERSONAL FLAGSHIP - NUTE GUNRAY'S PERSONAL CHAMBERS

Viceroy Nute Gunray stands before the holographic projection of Lord Maul, who has his arms crossed over his chest.

NUTE GUNRAY : We control all the cities in the north and are now concentrating on the Gungan settlements -

MAUL : Yes, yes - what about the brats?

NUTE GUNRAY : Amidala ... escaped, My Lord ... on a cruiser that managed to make it past the blockade. (cont’d) Prince Oeta was not reported to have been with the rescue party, however, so we believe him to be dead.

MAUL : I don’t want beliefs, Viceroy, I want certainties! I want their bodies laid out on a slab!

NUTE GUNRAY : My Lord, you ask the impossible ... To locate the Prince ... the ship ... It's out of our range.

MAUL : Not for a master of the dark Force ... (cont’d) You find the Prince. I will deal with your lost ship.

NUTE GUNRAY : Yes, My Lord.

Maul cuts the connection, throwing the chamber into eerie darkness.

NUTE GUNRAY : This is getting out of hand ... I should never have made this bargain.