EXT. TATOOINE - SPACE

A dark starship, the Scimitar, drops out of hyperspace. The arrow-shaped craft approaches the desert planet.

EXT. TATOOINE - DESERT - DAWN

The Scimitar drops down, landing on a low hill overlooking three distant settlements. The dark ship's hatch opens, and the Sith Lord Maul steps out. Maul is quickly followed by three hovering probe droids. The droids disperse, moving out to survey the cities, as Maul begins to examine the horizon through a pair of electrobinoculars.

EXT. TATOOINE - LARS HOMESTEAD - COURTYARD - DAWN

Five swoop bikes shoot across the landscape, coming to a stop at the Lars homestead. On the swoops are five of Watto's hired henchmen, including the Dug Sebulba.

INT. TATOOINE - LARS HOMESTEAD - OWEN & BERU'S ROOM - DAWN

The whine of the swoop bikes wake Owen and Beru from their sleep. Owen quickly throws the covers off, jumping up and walking over to the doorway.

BERU : Whu - ? Owen ... what is it?

Without saying a word Owen exits the room, leaving his bewildered girlfriend behind.

EXT. TATOOINE - LARS HOMESTEAD - COURTYARD - DAWN

Watto's men climb off their swoops as Owen steps out the front door. Their leader, a disfigured Zeltron, unholsters his blaster as they walk toward him.

OWEN : What do you want?

ZELTRON THUG : Watto's come to collect his due.

The Zeltron pulls the trigger, blasting Owen in the shoulder. The moisture farmer collapses to the ground with a cry. The thugs ignore Owen as they step over him, entering the house.

An invisible force then suddenly hits them, pushing them all back, hurling them across the courtyard. Obi-Wan steps out of the house, unlit lightsaber ready in his hand.

OBI-WAN : You will be leaving, regardless of any business you may have with the Lars.

The thugs cautiously get back up. Their eyes focus on the Jedi, their fingers eager to pull out their weapons.

ZELTRON THUG : The Lars owe a debt to Watto. They've been loose with their payments, so now he's gonna take the farm - the farm and the ladies, too.

OBI-WAN : The women are not yours to take.

ZELTRON THUG: Now that ain't true, is it? See, Watto's got the influence to do whatever he wants, so he gets whatever he wants. Girls have a way of making money, and Watto can take advantage of that. (cont’d) The girlfriend's gonna do some hard, sweaty work to put some peggats in the old bird's account. The mother too, probably. She's going to seed, sure, but she's still got some bounce left in her.

OBI-WAN : I see that there's little point trying to dissuade you. You are obviously set in your ways.

ZELTRON THUG : Quite right, stranger ...

The Zeltron pulls a second blaster, pointing the barrel toward Obi-Wan's face. The Jedi's blade blazes into life, and the Zeltron's arm and throat are slashed away in one swift spin. Sebulba opens fire on him, and the Jedi deflects the bolt back at the Dug, cutting him down.

Obi-Wan uses the Force to wrench the blasters away from the remaining thugs, tossing the weapons far across the courtyard. In fear they retreat to their swoops. The vehicles roar to life, and they quickly move off, zooming off across the landscape.

The Jedi's lightsaber is deactivated and returned to his belt as Anakin, Beru, and Shmi exit the house, attracted by the commotion.

BERU : Owen! Owen ... are you all right? You're not hurt too badly?

Beru crouches down beside her injured boyfriend, examining his wound. Ignoring her Owen gets back on his feet. He approaches Obi-Wan, astonished and enraged.

OWEN : What have you done!? You'll bring disaster on us all! We're going to be in so much trouble!

OBI-WAN : You were in trouble to begin with.

OWEN : Damn fool ... you're gonna kill us! We're all gonna die because of you!

Anakin slowly approaches the two fallen adversaries, peering down at their dead bodies.

ANAKIN : Kenobi ... Watto's not going to be happy about this.

OWEN : That's it Anakin! Tell him! Tell this ... tell him what he's done to us!

OBI-WAN : I will deal with the Toydarian.

OWEN : (taken aback) You will?

Without further explanation Obi-Wan leaves the brothers, walking off towards the parked landspeeder.

OWEN : What's the fool up to now?

Owen and Anakin quickly follow after the Jedi Knight.