Thanks for another awesome giveaway!!
To me there were a great many things that could have been handled in a way as to not cause such a disturbance in the force. I'll list a few things I feel were done horribly wrong, and then offer a story.
Feel of the prequilogy: It is Phantom Menace and Attack of the Close that are the biggest issue. In complete contrast with the originals, which looked wholley real and legitimate, these two films just reaked of being...well, fake. Almost from the outset I found it had to 'buy in', which is saying something given my desire to really want to like them. For its part, I have to confess I really liked Sith. My ownly problem there was the cgi Yoda, which again looked fake.
Characters: Agree with others here that Darth Maul should never have been taken down so early. Same with Qui-Gon Jinn. While my main interest going into Phantom was Obi-Wan and Little Vader, it changed almost immediately in the theater with the presence of Jinn and Maul. Great characters who deserved much more screen time. This would only have enhanced the series, especially allowing Jinn to at least make it half way thru the second film. Liam Neeson does an excellent job and is very likeable. Living beyond the first film would only drive his appeal to fans. His loss at that point would have been much more impactful. For Maul, I would have had him last all the way to Sith, as a true bridge to Vader.
Obi-Wan was handled very poorly. Ewen looks more like a dude moosing his hair to hang with the ladies. Not a light saber wielding bastian of virtue. His persona just didn't meld with that of Sir Guiness, which it should have. As for Anniken Skywalker, don't get me started. I echo those who say Christianson comes across as a spoiled bratt in more need of a bitchslap than any character in the history of film. Moody, broody, selfish, wholly unlikeable...he should have been more of a happy, fun loving, friendly, helpful, swashbuckling kind of jedi. He would have been embraced by the fans who would have actually enjoyed the character. He would remain this likeable jedi until the end of Clones, where he would become compromised by his love of Padme'. His turning to the dark side would have been so save Padme' and Obi-Wan. Once turned, however, his morals are silenced by the dark side welling in him.
The Story: I don't have a problem with the prequel series starting out with a young child Annekin. I do take issue with the messiah complex, in that he was of a virgin birth. That was never mentioned in the original trilogy and it would have been given the magnitude. Besides, the Force is alive and flows thru all living things. It flows thru many people, virgin birthed or not. For the set up I will be more specific with the younger Annekin, then take the story to more of a synopsis.until Sith, when I think the story needs to be a little more specific.
Phantom Menace:
A young boy of 10 plays outside with his friends. It‘s a game of hide and seek and he is ‘it‘. “you have to count to 10’ screams a girl as she and the others runs to hide. Young Annekin counts with his eyes clinched shut. ‘7 Circarpous Major, 8 Circarpous Major, 9 Circarpous Major…….TEN!!!” He turns around with eyes wide open and surveys the scene. It appears he is all alone. He just stands there looking at every possible avenue for concealment. He looks behind a fence and its empty. He looks behind some shrubbery and there’s no one. Annekin steps back and closes his eyes. He is deep in thought. His eyes open, he looks to a an area of decking and smiles. Walking around a building the long way he sneaks up on the unsuspecting kids who are still ‘shushing’ one another to keep still and quiet. “A-HA!!!” Annekin screams out as they all rush to run away. He chases them to the courtyard where they all grab long sticks. Annekin reaches under the deck for his but its just out of reach. He years to grab for it and it moves itself into his hand. “Got it” he laughes, as he turns around and they all start playing a game of swashbuckler, where the winner is the last one with his sword. Naturally he has the upper hand and safely dispatches the fake swords out of all the other kids hands. He thrusts his sword to the sky and declares “I am SWASHBUCKLER”
A teenage Annekin stands with a stick thrust skyward, toward a fruit tree. Trying to knock some down, he swings away at the fruit just out of reach. Two men happen upon him, Qui Gon Jinn and Obi Wan Kenobi who are discussing their mission to locate one of prophesy, called the Walker of the Skies, who will put down evil. “Would you like some assistance in reaching that fruit” Qui Gon says as they approach, still watching the boy swing at the fruit. Qui Gon halts their walk and points to the tree, where even tho he’s not reaching the fruit, it is still swaying considerably when the stick goes by. Qui Gon takes the stick and says “Try it without the stick”. The boy, confused says “But I can’t reach it WITH the stick”. “Do you not know your capabilities?”. Annekin reaches up his hand toward the tree and nothing happens. “Think of the tree, the limb, the piece of fruit. Feel it into your hand. Concentrate”. He does and the fruit breaks free and lands in his hand. “What is your name boy’? “Annekin. Annekin Skywalker”
They stop and look at each other and ascertain that Annekin lives with his mother, who knows of the prophesy and has been waiting for them to arrive. She agrees they should
take him, cultivate and motivate him. Teach him to fully embrace the force. To understand and know it. To allow it to permiate his being. During this time they learn of the overthrow of a living celetial moon, where the king and queen were murdered and their daughter, Princess Padme' went missing. Presumed dead. The three take off to scout this moon for clues when they discover the Emporors plan to dominate the galexy as they uncover his death camps where he has imprisoned workers to slave away until they're dead building his arsenal of clones, transwarp technology and weaponry. Real people you could care about if they get blown away, which most do at the hands of Darth Maul , and unwittingly Annekin, during the seige to save them. Several make it out alive, including a young teenage girl named Padme', who was a captured princess long thought dead. Her survival was the direct result of Annekin's ill timed move that help caused the large loss of life. When Padme' and Annekin meet, their recognition and mutual attraction of one another is instant. Qui Gon and Obi Wan understand loss of life in battle, but it is a new sensation for young Annekin, who begins to feel strong hatred toward the Emporor and Maul for the lives lost that he had to witness. Both men feel that Annekin has a special spark of domination with the force, and that they must move cautiously with him. Qui Gon shares with Annekin the importance of the force and maintaining discipline and hands him a stone he had taken from the River of Light on his home planet, explaining the importance of light over dark. Good over Evil, and how the end never justifies the means. It's hard for Annekin to buy this given recent evens. They take him to Jedi Master Yoda for council and help. Yoda senses that the Emporor has many more death camps than the one that was discovered and taken out.
Attack of the Clones:
The Emporor and Maul take it personally that the camp was taken out. Because of this they fortify their efforts at the remaining locations to build their Clone Army. Furious that the Princess escaped, the Emporor orders Maul to go to the camps and activate some clones to use in a test against the trio. Padme' has been hiding out within the Abregado System, moving incognito within its five planets, primarily living on it's 3rd planet, Abregado-rae. Unbeknownst to her, it is on one of the systems planets that the Emporor has another death camp. In a bad twist of fate Darth Maul discovers her location while traveling in the system, and notifies the emporor, who instructs him to engage all available Clones remotely from his star ship motherboard. The Clones board destination vessels fixed with a course toward Abregado-rae, which they do. Padme', unaware of these events, notices the inbound vessels and, senseing the worst, escapes to the only place she will feel safe, the Degobah system where her rescuers, namely Annekin, last took off to. Upon arrival she is found by Yoda, who is apprised of the situation at hand. The two take off to Delaya, location of a secret rebel base that resides in the Alderon system, and last destination of our trio of Jedi. Unbeknownst to them all, Maul tracked Padme' and laid in wait while she and Yoda took off for Delaya. Yoda senses something is amiss, like the eyes of a Gondor are upon them, ready to feast. At Delaya, they regroup with Qui Gon, Obi Wan and Annekin. Floating above the planet, Darth Maul puts in the coordinates manually to all destination vessels to arrive, and land, on Delaya. Their convergence on the planet does not go unnoticed as the alarms and warning flares go off to warn the residents and rebels who quickly prepare themselves for war with the Clones. Our hero's get seperated with Annekin and Padme' and rebels fighting off Clones in the territories, while Yoda, Qui Gon and Obi Wan face off against the Clones and Maul with the remaining residents and rebels. The Emporor arrives in his space cruiser and views the action in the territories from afar. Annekin and Padme' are losing ground quickly until, in a fit of rage, Annekin thrusts out his hands and brutally smashes them together, causing a energy warp crippling half the clones they're fighting, causing him to fall down faint due to the energy loss. Witness by the Emporor, Annekin is now operation No.1. The remaining clones move in and capture both Annekin and Padme'. Yoda and Obi Wan lose track of Qui Gon during the battle. Qui Gon finds himself alone in a corridor where he locates Darth Maul who is laying in wait. Their battle is epic with Qui Gon having his way most of the time. Maul receives message from Emporor on his transmitter than Annekin and Padme' have been captured, and that he (the Emporor) now has all he needs. The news initially throws Qui Gon off his game, and Maul murders him. The clones thoroughly having the upper hand, Yoda and Obi Wan find his body after the war and regroup on Qui Gons home terrestrial planet and scatter his ashes in the River of Light. Padme' paces back in forth in her chamber cell on board an Emperial Starship, wrecked with worry over what has become of Annekin. She has no idea he is incompacitated with drugs, chained down to a labtable. Standing over his unconscious body, the Emporor laughes wildly and wickedly as Darth Maul joins him.
Revenge of the Sith:
Yoda and Obi Wan are meeting with the JedI Council about a rescue operation to save Annekin and Princess Padme’. Yoda warns about going in half cocked and being too passionate about the duty at hand. “Anyone can turn to the Dark Side, which is not beyond the reach of any of us. We must be deliberate in our cause of that which is righteous. Not forged in revenge, but consecrated to truth”. Qui Gon states “And yet our best ally is deception, lest the Emporor learn of our plan. We must be inconspicuous in our endeavors”.
Padme’ and Annekin are together on board the Emperial Cruiser. They feel fortunate, yet unsure, as to why the Emporor allows them to be together, and treats them with such regard. The Emporor has told Annekin that even he does not know how powerful Annekin can be, and that he has kept him on board the Cruiser to help him understand his importance. Not just as a JedI, but as a powerful conveyer of the force. “If I wanted to harm you I could have done so at any time of my choosing. The young princess. You love her, of this I’m certain. Would I allow you to be together if I hated you, or wanted you dead. Of course not. Those who are against me are against one they don’t understand. I don’t want rebellion as they do. But unity.” “And yet I’m still captive” states Annekin, who for reasons unknown to him, wants to believe the Emporor as he sences an aligning of powers, much stronger in the Emporors presence than Qui Gons or Obi Wans. Still, he loves Padme’ and is more concerned with her safety than anything, and is unaware of Qui Gons demise.
Yoda and Obi Wan travel thru space searching for the Emporor guided by the force. They find it just off of Abregado-rae and land on the planet. They stowaway on a supply shuttle headed for the Cruiser and, battling emperialists all the way, they locate Annekin and Padme’, rescuing them. Obi Wan sees Maul from afar and runs to catch him, but Maul, laughing, slips away. “We must make our escape…NOW’ shouts Yoda, and they make their way back to the shuttle and take off back to the planet. The Emporor allows this so as to give Annekin time.
Annekin and Padme’ learn of the death of Qui Gon Jinn and struggle with the news. Padme’ suspects, and is proved correct, that she is pregnant with Annekins offspring. She worries about telling him due to his confusion over the intentions of the Emporor. Obi Wan and Yoda also have their hopes dashed when, in conference, Annekin seemingly defends the Emporor to them. That perhaps they don’t understand him, and in their lack of discernment, arrogance has been allowed to grow. “The Emporor is evil as is every entity aligned with the Dark Side of the Force” states Yoda. Obi Wan offers “Perhaps it is the Emporors arrogance that he suspects we could be deceived as you have. Perhaps that is the only reason you stand here today” “Have you so quickly forgotten the death camps…and that Qui Gon was murdered?”
“You said that was Darth Maul. Not the Emporor” states Annekin.
Yoda cautions: “It is the Emporor who rules the camps. You must stay true to that which is right and good. Not what sounds right and good”
Padme’ confides in Yoda and Obi Wan of her pregnancy and they all agree it would be a good idea to keep that under wraps. Annekin talks with Padme’ about the councils discussion and is aggravated that Padme’ agrees with the council regarding the Emporor. Annekin realizes he’s fighting a losing battle and states “I must do what is right to me”
Eventually he heads to Delaya and walks amoung the ruins of the JedI base. He finds the burial mound and marker of the fallen “Guide us Mighty Force to the world of Light”.
“Such a tragedy” says the Emporor, who startles Annekin.
“This was your doing wasn’t it”
“The restless and unweilding endeavors of Darth Maul. What could I possibly gain by such an outrage. I had no hand in this”
Annekin believes the Emporor and places blame squarely on the shoulders of Maul. The Emporor invites Annekin to his cruiser for some old time discussion and Annekin agrees.
Yoda, Obi Wan, and the JedI council are not deceived at all, having tracked Annekin upon his departure. They know he is with the Emporor, and admit it possible he is not the ‘Walker of Skies” they had hoped. Perhaps that child is in the womb of Padme’. They decide she must be protected at all costs, and make plans to conceal her identity and location.
While enroute to Alderon, they see a battalion of Emperial fighters docked at a space station. The Emporor senses their arrival and orders the fighters to steer their ship to his cruiser. He then tells Maul they have an exceptional opportunity to fiercely cripple the JedI with the deaths of the Mighty Yoda and Obi Wan. With the Princess along we can own the Walker of Skies to our benefit.. He gives Maul orders to do as he pleases with them, but save the Princess for last. Do with her as your please, but leave her alive, he states. Maul smiles and leaves. The fighters undock and attack their ship. The fighters force them in the direct path of the Emperial Cruiser and they are trapped in its tractor beam and forced to land in one of its bays. Troopers converge on the vessel and capture the trio. Padme’ is taken by Maul.
The Emporor tells Annekin that their vessel was attacked and the captured assailents are in holding. ‘They came to save you, but I fear for their safety”.
“Surely, you, the Emporor, can protect them from any harm”
“Darth Maul is a great leader, and master fighter, but he sometimes is his own follower. I have no power over those hell bent on destruction. But that’s what makes him such a strong warrier, and necessary evil for one like myself, endangered by the JedI”
Wholly conflicted, Annekin takes off to find his friends. Yoda and Obi Wan escape capture by opening the door with the Force. They run into Annekin and tell him that Padme’ was with thenmbut taken by Maul. Frantic and out of his mind, Annekin steps aside, closes his eyes, lowers his head, and concentrates on the Force in an effort to find Padme’. It is then they are attacked by a squad of Troopers.
“I know where she is” he exclaims.
“Leave us and save her” shouts Obi Wan.
Annekin takes off down a corridor and corresponding ramp. Maul, standing outside Padme’s cell, hears him coming. He laughs as he enters the cell. Padme’, seeing his demented face, screams in fear for her baby. Annekin hears this and enters the cell to see Maul standing over a frightened Padme’. “Get away from her you scum”
They battle each other with light sabers from the cell, out into the hall. Down the gally way where Annekin gets knocked down a flight of stairs. He looks up and Maul is gone. Rushing back he chases a smiling Maul through the vessel into the Emporors throne room. The Emporor is no where in site. The battle is a memorable one, showcasing the amazing swordplay ability and agility that serves the young JedI. Maul, however, is devious and pretends to be injured. Annekin moves in and Maul cuts his legs off below the knees. Annekin screams out in pain. Maul laughs, standing over him. Annekin stretches out his hand and using the force, lifts his light saber, turns it on, and hurls it at Maul. It cuts him in half and his decapitated body falls to the ground. The Emporor arrives “No, not you Annekin. I will save you”. The Emporor has his guards take Annekin to give him new legs and restore his ability to walk. An amazingly easy operation to accomplish with cyborg technology. Annekin tests his new legs and sees they respond as his own did. He rushes to find his friends and tell them it was Maul they feared, not the Emporor. Yoda and Obi Wan have found Padme’ and helps them stow away on another supply shuttle being readied to depart.
Obi Wan heads off to find Annekin when he discovers the Emporors throne room, where the Emporor sits.
“Come in Obi Wan. Welcome to my chambers”
Obi Wan lifts his saber out in front of him, and the Emporor laughs.
“You can bring me no harm with such ancient technology. Only the Force is strong enough to have any impact on me”
Obi Wan approaches the Emporor ready to strike when Annekin steps in, “NO!!”
Obi Wan looks at Annekin and pleads with him “It is his evil we are fighting. Not that of a simple murderer. Do you really believe someone like Darth Maul could be such a mastermind to not only rule the galaxy, but rule a man’s very mind? YOU’RE MIND!!!!???
“He’s my friend” Annekin concedes. “He’ll do you no harm”
“He wants only my destruction. Your destruction. The destruction of all JedI. Have you not searched your feelings? Do you not sense it now? Are you so lost and bereft of hope that you would turn on your own kind?”
“It is you who has turned. On ME!!!! If you attack my friend, I will have no choice but to defend an unarmed man”
The Emporor pleads with Annekin “Don’t you see. He says I want his destruction as he prepares to destroy me. He accuses me of stealing your mind, yet he does not wish to allow you to have a mind of your own. It is he who is the profiteer of betrayal. Not Me”
“I’m ending this NOW!!!” Obi Wan screams as he attacks the Emporor. Annekin quickly glides in front of Obi Wan protecting the Emporor. “My saber is down. Will you strike me to get to the Emporor”.
“If you have chosen evil over good, then it is against evil I wage my war” Obi Wan raises his saber, and Annekins saber lights up and meets his in fight.
“Save me Annekin” the Emporor begs.
The fight is very even, showing the progression of Annekins skills. Obi Wan tries to slash at Annekins leg and hits metal. “You would take out my legs? Like Darth Maul before you?”
Annekin strikes a blow and his arm gets wedged in between two exhaust chutes.
“Are you to be his replacement” Obi Wan shouts as he cuts off the top of the chute sending scorching vapers into the face of a trapped Annekin. It burns his face terribly and he struggles to breathe. Obi Wan, backing up, slips and falls down a shoot that drops him off in a storage area just off of the shuttle bays. He see’s the shuttle Yoda and Padme’ are hiding out on and joins them. The shuttle departs the cruiser to the planet below.
The Emporor once again saves Annekin by having his breathing and vision restored by way of a black mask. He is fitted with black armor and black cape.
In the Emporors throne room, the Emporor is joined by Anniken as they stand looking out into space. A shuttle crosses their path of view.
“Padme’” Annekin says aloud.
“So, your beloved Padme’ is on that shuttle. Along with my assailants. I should wipe it out after this outrage; this attempt to assassinate me”
“No, I beg of you not to hurt her” Annekin pleads.
“Yoda and Obi Wan are on that shuttle too. With vengence I should strike them down. But I tell you now…she will not know harm from me, my friend. My young JedI”.
“I am not a JedI” states Annekin.
“No, you’re not. You are ready to fullfill your destiny”.
“As what? Darth Maul as Obi Wan predicted”
“No. As my friend.” He puts his hand on Annekins shoulder, “You are no longer the young boy born as Annekin Skywalker. You will now be known across the galaxy as my trusted friend; Darth Vader.”
The shuttle makes it safely to Alderon and the Emporor leaves.
Months later Padme’ gives birth to two children, Luke and Leia. She tearfully agrees they must be separated to save them should Annekin or the Emporor learn of their birth. She walks to a cabinet and opens it. It contains the rock from the River of Light, that Qui Gon Jinn gave a young Annekin. "Can you not remember who you are" asks a tearful Padme' to no one in particular.
A young JedI is chosen to play the husband and father to her daughter Leia. His name is Bail Organa. Padme’ takes the name Breha Organa, pretends to be a foster mother, and they disappear from site. Luke is entrusted to Obi Wans relatives, Owen and Beru, on Alderon.
“So Anniken has chosen the Dark Side. Very troubling” says Yoda.
“This is the beginning of great turmoil and fear” warns Obi Wan. “We thought he was the chosen one”
“Remember…there are still two Skywalkers, so fullfillment of prophesy may still unfold.” says Yoda. “Never underestimate the power of the force. Most especially the good side.”
Sequay to Episode IV.
