Having used the first episode to both establish the relationship between Anakin and Obi Wan, and show off Anakin's piloting abilities, it is time to show their differences.
At the end of my Episode 1, Anakin and Obi Wan are victorious. They worked together to save the day. Of course, it was Anakin who saved Obi Wan but he was unable to defeat Darth Maul who managed to escape. Publically at least they are seen as equals. However Obi Wan is promoted ahead of Anakin, a move Anakin mocks. In this Episode the goal is to show why Anakin is tempted to choose a different path to Obi Wan. The audience is left to decide which of the two has behaved heroically.
For sub-plots there is the growing relationship between Padme and Anakin, the partnership between Obi Wan and Bail Organa (which Leia hints at in A New Hope) as well as the first appearances of General Grevious and the Fetts. I always liked in Empire Strikes Back that Bobba and Vader seemed familiar with each other. Some seeds for this are planted in this episode.
The goal with these remakes is to position the characters better for the original trilogy.
Let me know what you think!
EPISODE
2: THE EMPIRE RISES
A Jedi shuttles descends to a desert planet
Geonosis and lands behind a hill. Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi emerge
wearing Jedi military attire. Anakin comments on Obi Wan’s new rank of general
as they move into a position to observe the installation below.
Below them is a massive plant. Complete
with smoke stacks, the industrial complex is used to produce clones. Obi Wan
radios to their in-orbit command ship that they will move in. The two reach an
air duct that will allow them to enter. Inside they are able to observe and
photograph the production line that incubates clones so they are born quicker.
Anakin comments on the implications of this discovery – the clones will out
number the inexperienced Republic army before long.
They are detected by droids and forced from
their hiding place. Surrounded, they are able to use their force powers (speed,
jump and push) to escape. They agree to split up to make and rendezvous at
their shuttle. Anakin runs into a dead end and is surrounded by warrior
Geonosisians. He takes out his light sabre and attacks them- dismembering all
so that he is able to escape into a hatch. Obi Wan is able to use his force
skills to mind tricks to leave via a side door. The two reunite outside and
head for their shuttle though Obi Wan falls into a pit. With droids and
warriors approaching, Anakin is able to force-lift Obi Wan out of trouble and
uses his force-push to knock away the approaching droids.
Following a chase the two Jedi return to
their shuttle to meet the approaching lander. From the lander giant Walkers
emerge to approach the complex. Obi Wan and Anakin watch from afar as the
Walkers fire on and destroy the complex.
Upon their return to Coruscant they debrief
with their Commander Mace Windu. Both make light of their brushes with trouble
and report the success of the mission. Yoda enters and warns the two that they
must remain mindful of the bigger threat- the two Sith lords who have not been
seen for sometime. Anakin boasts that they would be no match for Obi Wan and
himself, which Yoda does not find amusing so he mocks Anakin’s overconfidence.
In the Senate, the senator for Mustafar
admonishes the decision to attack his allied system – Geonosis. Palpatine
argues that anyone who aids the clones is no friend of the Republic. With an
election looming his speech has taken on a strong nationalist rhetoric. Padme
and Organa exchange worrying glances, as the Mustafar senator is silence by the
cheering senators who support Palpatine’s campaign to be elected High
Chancellor.
Later, Padme meets with Anakin and Obi Wan
to catch up. While they discuss the political climate, something Anakin has
little interest in, the sky turns dark. Sensing a disturbance in the force, the
two Jedi take Padme to the Jedi temple and realize Pirate Clone ships have
filled the sky. The Senate reconvenes. The Jedi plan a strategy as the Senate
prepares an evacuation. It is decided to have Jedi accompany the Senators in
their escape. Anakin accompanies Padme, and Obi Wan accompanies Organa.
Padme and Anakin use Anakin’s star fighter
to escape the new blockade and escape to Naboo. Obi Wan and Bail head to
Dantooee on a commercial ship. Palpatine refuses Windu’s offer to go and
pledges to remain until there is nothing of Coruscant left. With a depleted
reserve, and the majority of Jedi Knights elsewhere, the capital falls quickly
and Palpatine goes into hiding. General Grevious, a part cyborg/alien who leads
the attack, declares victory for the pirate army as they occupy the capital.
Meanwhile on Naboo, Anakin and Padme find a
safe house. Padme admits her attraction to him, but Anakin is unable to
reciprocate due to his Jedi Oath – whci forbids the indulgence of intense
emotions including passion. An assassin eventually finds them and attempts to
kill both. Anakin is able to defeat them easily though not without sustaining
damage to his leg. While nursing him, Padme seduces him and Anakin willingly
accepts. Knowing that they are not safe, Padme decides they must leave, as she
won’t risk damage to Naboo.
At the same time Bail and Obi Wan find
themselves disguised as pirates on Dantooee. Unable to remain incapacitated the
two agree to see what they can find out.
They eventually find themselves recruited into a mission with a weapons
expert known as Jango Fett. They journey to Yavin 4 and attend a pirate
meeting. They are astonished to find a battalion of pirate clones ready for
battle. There they also see plans for a facility that Jango confesses will “win
the war.” The Death Star is a space station that, when built, will destroy all.
Organa doubts the pirates will be able to secure the funds to build such a
station but Obi Wan senses a dark presence nearby. Obi Wan recognizes Darth
Maul and begins to follow him but he evades him. Deciding to return to
Coruscant, the two confront Jango with their true identities and arrest him.
They commandeer his ship, The Slave, and head back home. They allow his son
Bobba to accompany them.
On the outskirts of the system the two
parties meet with senator Mon Motha and Yoda. They receive a message from
Palpatine who asks for reinforcements. Motha has gathered the remnants of the
Republic fleet to take back the capital but has been unable to contact
Palpatine on the surface. Anakin suggests a full assault on Grevious to bring
down the army once and for all. They eventually agree on a more elusive
strategy that should force them from the planet and allow Motha to restore
government. Privately, Obi Wan tells Yoda of Maul and the Death Star.
They use The Slave to approach the system.
Obi Wan notices the closeness between Anakin and Padme but says nothing. The
plan works and they are able to land. Making their way through the Jedi Temple
they find Sidious, Maul and Grevious. Sidious flees but Maul uses his force
powers to bring the roof down, while Grevious throws grenades. Padme and Motha
are injured, while Obi Wan is able to save Organa. Fett is killed when he
attempts to follow the Sith lords. Anakin gives chase to Maul, Obi Wan tracks
down Sidious and Organa tends to the injured women. Bobba and Yoda emerge from
the rubble, though head in different directions. Obi wan is unable to locate
Sideous but finds Palpatine imprisoned and frees him.
Finally, Anakin confronts Maul. They battle
furiously with Anakin the aggressor. He succeeds in relieving Maul of his double-edged
lightsaber, though Maul reveals a second spare one. Maul manages to cut off
Anakin’s hand leaving him defenseless and in agony. Maul offers Anakin mercy –
if he will join him on the darkside. Anakin, enraged by Maul’s renewed taunts,
unleashes a stream of white lighting from his good hand towards his enemy. Maul
is knocked from the platform and falls into the electrical station below. Staring
at his smokey hand he realizes he has avenged his parents and collapses to the ground
in tears cradling his injured arm.
Clone troopers find the weakened Anakin and
attack him. Anakin is able to hold them off, using Maul’s second lightsaber, but finds
himself cornered. When he nudges them away using the force, Bobba appears and
distracts the clones. Anakin beheads them. He gives a knowing wink to the young
boy as they leave the area.
Palpatine uses Anakin’s exploits and “promotes”
him to Jedi Master. Anakin, a hero of the battle, stands at the side of
Palpatine as he wins the election when Mon Motha concedes defeat. He describes
the republic as an unbreakable empire that will now crush the clone menace. Yoda,
Obi Wan and Mace exchanged concerned looks as Padme looks into Anakin’s eyes
across the great hall.
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