TITLE CARD: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away …
A vast sea of stars serves as the main backdrop for the main title, followed by a roll up, which crawls up into infinity.
STAR WARS
PLAYERS AND PAWNS
The years prior to the Clone Wars was a time of peace and prosperity for the peoples of the Galactic Republic. Under the watchful eye of the Jedi Knights, crime was kept to a minimum. The criminal underworld was forced to operate in the far outskirts of civilization, allowing the inner worlds of the Republic to thrive.
After decades of war, the peace and prosperity have died along with the Republic. With the Imperial Starfleet and diminished forces of the Jedi dispersed throughout space against the formidable forces of the Athan Supremacy, the worlds of the new Galactic Empire have been left open to the lesser evils of the Galaxy. Various criminal enterprises have swept into countless systems, using overt and covert means of exploitation to illegally further their own ends.
One such enterprise – a private military company known as the Federation Neimoidia – has invaded the peaceful world of Nabu. Having crushed the meagre Nabuan armed forces and all but conquered the world, the Neimoidians seek to depose the royal family and impose a bloodthirsty new regime on the Nabuan populace.
Seeking to preserve their royal bloodline and their chance at retaking the throne, the King and Queen of Nabu race against time to send their children to the Gunga, the beings who live in the aquatic regions of Nabu.
PAN DOWN
From a star-lit sky to the Palace of Theed, which is surrounded by well-cared-for trees and trimmed green grass.
FIFTEEN NABU SOLDIERS are at the palace’s front steps, unloading yellow-green blasterfire upon something before them. The soldiers are quickly cut down by return blasterfire.
A company of BX-SERIES BATTLE 'DROIDS move forward, trampling the dead soldiers underfoot. Bringing a motorized battering ram to bear, they begin pounding away at the heavy front doors.
INT. NABU – PALACE/THRONE ROOM – EVENING
The palace king and queen – RUWEE and JOBAL – tearfully bid farewell to their three children: SOLA, AMIDALA, and OETA. With them are SIXTEEN LOYAL SOLDIERS led by CAPTAIN PANAKA. In his mid fifties, King Ruwee has prematurely gray hair and blue eyes; Queen Jobal, slightly younger, has black hair with intense brown eyes; Sola, who is eighteen, Amidala, who is fourteen, and Oeta, who is ten, share most of the same basic features – straight dark hair and slender builds – though Sola’s and Oeta’s eyes are blue like Jobal’s while Amidala has brown eyes like their mother.
SOLA: Mother, Father, you have to come with us. You don’t have to stay here!
QUEEN JOBAL: It has to be this way. We can’t go with you.
KING RUWEE: We have no choice in the matter.
AMIDALA: We’ve all had visions that never came to pass! Why stake so much on this one? What is any different this time?
KING RUWEE: Your mother’s a Seer. You know she has the ability to glean the true future from the many false ones. (beat) This is our fate.
SOLA: (incredulous) Fate? Fate!?
KING RUWEE: (irate) You’d question it?!
SOLA: (angry) There is no fate but the fate you choose for yourself. If you choose to let them kill you, then you’re fools – both of you!
KING RUWEE: (angry) How dare you --!?
QUEEN JOBAL: (to Ruwee) Dear, please. (beat) I’m sorry, Sola. I know you’ve come to question our faith, the teachings of the Seers … but please, trust me if you can’t trust them. (forlorn) I’ve seen the future. I know.
SOLA: (crying) But how can you know?
Taking a step forward, Jobal places her right hand on Sola’s left shoulder and brings her left hand up to her daughter’s face, gently wiping the tears welling up in her eyes away.
QUEEN JOBAL: You’ll be safe with Governor Nass in Otoh Gunga. With the Federation jamming our communications, a courier has been dispatched to deliver news of the invasion directly to Coruscant. You’ll be safe with the Gunga until the Senate can arrange a rescue.
SOLA: (shakes her head) This isn’t right.
INT. PALACE/ENTRANCE HALL – EVENING
The great front doors to the palace are smashed in. A single armed guard is swiftly mowed down under ochre blasterfire as the battle 'droids surge into the great corridor.
INT. PALACE/THRONE ROOM – EVENING
QUEEN JOBAL: Remember that we love you – all of you. (to Panaka) Capt. Panaka?
CAPT. PANAKA: (snaps to attention) Yes, Your Highness!
QUEEN JOBAL: Take them out back quickly. Time is definitely not on our side.
CAPT. PANAKA: Yes, milady. (to the children) Come children, Princess Sola.
The soldiers firmly grab hold of the children, dragging them away from their parents.
SOLA: (reaches out for her parents) Mother, Father – please!
The soldiers take the three children to a door at the back of the throne room and disappear through it.
KING RUWEE: (takes Jobal’s hand in his) So this is it.
QUEEN RUWEE: Yes, love … it is.
The battle 'droids break into the throne room. The royal couple turns to face the robots as they approach them, blasters levelled their way.
BATTLE 'DROID #1: The carbon offspring – what is their location?
QUEEN JOBAL: They’re gone.
KING RUWEE: You’ll never hurt them.
Before the king and queen can say another word, the automatons open fire, quickly cutting the Humans down.
EXT. PALACE/COURTYARD – EVENING
The children flee the palace through a back door with their bodyguards into a courtyard. On the grass sit two vehicles: a sleek, silver starcruiser – blackened by weapons’ fire and inoperable – and a landspeeder. The children and their bodyguards run toward the protection of the speeder and begin to climb aboard in a hurry. Soldier-for-hire RIC OLIÉ settles in behind the controls.
A lone battle 'droid comes from around the side of the palace, entering the courtyard.
RIC OLIÉ: (points at the BX) Look over there! A battle ‘droid!
Spotting the Nabu, the ‘droid immediately opens fire. Sola is instantly hit in the back and goes down.
AMIDALA: Sola! No, Sola!
As Amidala struggles to lift her elder sister into the cab of the speeder, Panaka roughly pulls the younger girl back. A pendant with a small aquamarine crystal snaps off Sola’s neck, coming away in Amidala’s hand.
CAPT. PANAKA: (to Ric Olié) Go! Let’s go!
Several battle 'droids arrive to assist their comrade, opening fire as the speeder zooms off past the blasted ruin of the royal starcruiser into the safety of the swamp beyond the courtyard.
INT. PALACE/PALPATINE’S OFFICE – EVENING
COSINGA PALPATINE – royal vizier – sits behind his desk, fast asleep in his chair. In what to us would appear to be his early sixties, Palpatine is a rather average-looking fellow with light blond hair and unremarkable features.
The office door is forced open, waking Palpatine as battle 'droids swarm into the room.
VIZIER PALPATINE: (surprised) What!? What is --?!
The lead 'droid seizes Palpatine’s hair in a fist, toppling the chair over and dragging the vizier onto the floor. With a mix of pain and anger, Palpatine begins to curse the robot.
BATTLE 'DROID #2: (turns its blaster on Palpatine) To have this carbon unit intact and functional for interrogation would be optimal, but it is not a prime directive. Continued resistance will be met with termination.
Palpatine backs down and the 'droid commander drags him from the room.
INT. PALACE/THRONE ROOM – EVENING
Two columns of BXs occupy the throne room, standing on either side of the long room, facing each other. Between the two columns crouch TWELVE PALACE SERVANTS, hands behind their heads, guarded by eight armed ‘droids. Surveying the captives, balled fists placed on his hips in a stance of absolute triumph, is the menacing Kaleesh warrior and Federation general QYMAEN JAI SHEELAL.
Sheelal turns his attention away from the captives as the 'droid leader dragging Palpatine enters the chamber from a side door.
GEN. SHEELAL: Ah, we soon shall settle down to business ….
The 'droid leader with its cadre of mechanical soldiers passes through one of the columns, pulling Palpatine down through the room to Sheelal. Once in the presence of the general, the 'droid pushes the vizier to his knees before him.
GEN. SHEELAL: You are Cosinga Palpatine, royal vizier. Of all living on this miserable rock, you surely must know to where the brats were dispatched. (beat) Give to me their destination and I may petition for your release.
VIZIER PALPATINE: Their Highnesses didn’t put me in their confidence; I don’t know where they went and can’t begin to imagine where they could have gone. Regardless, I wouldn’t tell you a thing, you scum!
GEN. SHEELAL: Very well ….
Sheelal smacks the vizier across the face, knocking him back and over.
GEN. SHEELAL: (to Battle 'Droid #2) Send out scouts to the swamps. The children cannot have fled far. You can catch them if you move fast enough!
The commanding battle 'droid bows its head in acknowledgement, proceeding to broadcast Sheelal’s orders to its fellow automatons waiting outside the palace.
Sheelal turns to face the throne room entrance as a T-SERIES TACTICAL 'DROID enters the chamber, a mobile holographic projector following along behind it.
TACTICAL 'DROID #1: Incoming transmission, milord. His Honour Viceroy Nute Gunray wishes to hear a progress report.
GEN. SHEELAL: Patch it through.
A beam of light is projected from the small tripod, forming a blue three-dimensional image of Neimoidian viceroy NUTE GUNRAY and his aide RUNE HAAKO.
NUTE GUNRAY: How goes it, General? Have you dispatched the members of the royal family?
GEN. SHEELAL: All members of House Naberrie are in the process of being tracked down and exterminated. The king and queen with their oldest daughter are among the confirmed dead.
NUTE GUNRAY: (surprised) The other two children aren’t with them?!
GEN. SHEELAL: Those brats escaped.
NUTE GUNRAY: One of the royal couple’s couriers managed to evade our ships and escaped into hyperspace. In a short time agents of the Empire will arrive to retrieve the children. You are to find them and end them before then, General. Am I clear on the matter?
GEN. SHEELAL: My troops are on the task as we speak, Lord.
NUTE GUNRAY: They had better be, General.
The image of Gunray reaches out and touches an off-screen control, causing the hologram to disappear in a flash. Sheelal turns away from the projector, returning his attention to the captive servants on the floor.