Anni gets some screentime

So everyone another side character chapter....BUT I already wrote the next one. It will be epic!

The wind is blowing hard as Qui-Gon, Jar-Jar, Padme, and Acedia follow Anakin down the street and into a slave hovel.

Qui-Gon, Jar-Jar, R2, and Padme enter a small living space.

Anakin: Mom! Mom! I'm home.

Jar-Jar: Dissen cozy.

Anakin's mother, Shmi SKYWALKER, a warm, friendly woman of forty, enters her work area and is startled to see the room full of people.

Shmi: Oh, my!! Annie, what's this?

Anakin: These are my friends, Mom. This is Padme, and...gee, I don't know any of your names.

Qui-Gon: I'm Qui-Gon Jinn, this is Jar Jar Binks and that bored-looking guy is Acedia. R2 lets out a

little beep.

Padme: ...and our droid, Artoo-Detoo.

Anakin: I'm building a droid. You wanna see it?

Shmi: Anakin! Why are they here?

Anakin: A sandstorm, Mom. Listen.

The wind HOWLS outside.

Qui-Gon: Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter.

Anakin: Come on! Let me show you Threepio!

Anakin leads Padme into the other room. R2 follows, beeping all the way. Qui-Gon takes five small capsules from his utility belt and hands them to Shmi.

Qui-Gon: I have enough food for a meal.

Shmi: Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. I'm sorry if I was abrupt. I'll

never get used to Anakin's surprises.

Qui-Gon: He's a very special boy. Shmi looks at him as if he's discovered a secret.

Shmi: Yes, I know.

On the next day....................

Anakin shows off his ANDROID, which is lying on his workbench. There is one eye in the head; the body, arms, and legs have no outer coverings.

Anakin: Isn't he great?! He's not finished yet.

Padme: He's wonderful!

Anakin: You really like him? He's a protocol droid...to help Mom. Watch!

Anakin pushes a switch, and the DROID sits up. Anakin rushes around, grabs an eye, and puts it in one of the sockets.

C-3PO: How do you do, I am C-3PO, Human Cyborg Relations. How might I serve you?

Padme: He's perfect.

Anakin: When the storm is over, you can see my racer. I'm building a

Podracer!

Padme smiles at his enthusiasm. R2 lets out a flurry of beeps and

whistles.

C-3PO: I beg your pardon....what do you mean I'm naked?

R2 BEEPS

C-3PO: My parts are showing? Oh, my goodness. How

embarrassing!

In another room sth Important for the future happens.

Qui-Gon listens to his comlink. Obi-Wan is in the cockpit.

Obi-Wan: ...the Queen is upset...but absolutely no reply was sent.

Qui-Gon: It sounds like bait to establish a connection trace.

Obi-Wan: What if it is true and the people are dying?

Qui-Gon: Either way, we're running out of time.

Acedia: True

Qui-Gon: "_"

Obi-Wam: "_"

On another Planet DARTH SIDIOUS and DARTH MAUL look out over the vast city coruscant.

DARTH MAUL: Tatooine is sparsely populated. If the trace was correct, I

will find them quickly, Master.

DARTH SIDIOUS: Move against the Jedi first...you will then have no

difficulty taking the Queen back to Naboo, where she will sign the treaty.

DARTH MAUL: At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last, we will

have revenge.

DARTH SIDIOUS: You have been well trained, my young apprentice, they will be no match for you. It is too late for them to stop us now. Everything is going as planned. The Republic will soon be in my command.

The hologram of DARTH MAUL fades off as DARTH SIDIOUS looks out over the city.

The giant sandstorm engulfs the town, including the Naboo spaceship on the outskirts of the city center, where Watto's ship is; and the slave

quarters, where drifts of sand begin building up against Anakin's house.

Anakin'S HOVEL - MAIN ROOM - During a Sandstorm

Qui-Gon, Anakin, Shmi, Jar-Jar, Acedia, and Padme are seated around a makeshift table, having dinner as the wind howls outside. Jar-Jar slurps his soup rather loudly. Everyone looks at him. He turns a little brighter red.

Shmi: All slaves have transmitters placed inside their bodies somewhere.

Anakin: I've been working on a scanner to try and locate them, but no

luck.

Shmi: Any attempt to escape...

Anakin: ...and they blow you up...poof!

Padme and Jar-Jar are horrified.

Jar-Jar: How wude.

Acedia: Smart

Padme: How can you be so HORRIBLE!

Acedia: I mean from an economic pov. Of course, it is not morally acceptable.

Padme: I can't believe there is still slavery in the galaxy. The

Republic's anti-slavery laws...

Shmi: The Republic doesn't exist out here...we must survive on our own.

An awkward silence. Anakin attempts to end the embarrassment.

Anakin: Have you ever seen a Podrace?

Padme shakes her head no. She notices the concern of Shmi. Jar-Jar snatches some food from a bowl at the other end of the table with his tongue.

Qui-Gon gives him a dirty look.

Qui-Gon: They have Podracing on Malastare. Very fast, very dangerous.

Anakin: I'm the only human who can do it.

Shmi looks askance at her son.

Anakin: Mom, what? I'm not bragging. It's true. Watto says he's

never heard of a human doing it.

Qui-Gon: You must have Jedi reflexes if you race Pods.

Acedia: Or you are just talented...

Anakin smiles. Jar-Jar attempts to snare another bit of food from the bowl with his tongue, but Qui-Gon, in a flash, grabs it between his thumb and forefinger. Jar-Jar is startled.

Qui-Gon: Don't do that again.

Jar-Jar tries to acknowledge with some silly mumbling. Qui-Gon lets go of the tongue, and it snaps back into Jar-Jar's mouth.

Anakin: I...I was wondering...something...

Qui-Gon: What?

Anakin: Well, hmm...you're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?

Qui-Gon: What makes you think that?

Anakin: I saw your laser sword. Only Jedi carry that kind of weapon.

Qui-Gon leans back and slowly smiles.

Qui-Gon: Perhaps I killed a Jedi and stole it from him.

Anakin: I don't think so... No one can kill a Jedi Knight.

Qui-Gon: I wish that were so...

Anakin: I had a dream I was a Jedi. I came back here and freed all the

slaves...have you come to free us?

Qui-Gon: No, I'm afraid not...

Anakin: I think you have...why else would you be here?

Qui-Gon thinks for a moment.

Qui-Gon: I can see there's no fooling you...(leans forward) You mustn't

let anyone know about us...we're on our way to Coruscant, the central

system in the Republic, on a very important mission, and it must be kept

secret.

Anakin: Coruscant...wow...how did you end up here in the outer rim?

Padme: Our ship was damaged, and we're stranded here until we can repair it.

Anakin: I can help! I can fix anything!

Qui-Gon: I believe you can, but our first job is to acquire the parts we

need...

Jar-Jar : Wit no-nutten mula to trade.

Padme: These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind.

Shmi: Gambling. Everything here revolves around betting on those awful

races.

Qui-Gon: Podracing... Greed can be a powerful ally... if it's used

properly.

Anakin: I've built a racer! It's the fastest ever...There's a big race

tomorrow, on Boonta Eve. You could enter my pod. It's all but finished...

Shmi: Anakin, settle down. Watto won't let you...

Anakin: Watto doesn't know I've built it. (to Qui-Gon) You could make him think it's yours, and you could get him to let me pilot it for you.

Qui-Gon looks to Shmi. She is upset.

Shmi: I don't want you to race, Annie...It's awful. I die every time Watto

makes you do it.

Anakin: But Mom, I love it...and they need help...they're in trouble. The

the prize money would more than pay for the parts they need.

Jar-Jar: Wesa ina pitty bad goo.

GUI-GON: Your mother's right. Is there anyone friendly to the Republic who might be able to help us?

Shmi shakes her head no.

Acedia: Really? That is kinda sad.

Anakin: We have to help them, Mom...you said that the biggest problem in the universe is no one helps each other...

Shmi: Anakin, don't...

Jar-Jar belches. There is silence for a moment as they eat.

Padme: I'm sure Qui-Gon doesn't want to put your son in danger. We will

find another way...

Shmi: No, Annie's right, there is no other way... I may not like it, but

he can help you...he was meant to help you.

Anakin: Is that a yes? That is a yes!

The storm continues to rage outside the slave hovel.

After the storm passed VENDORS and STREET PEOPLE cleaned up the mess and rebuild their food stalls. Jar-Jar sits on a box in front of Watto's parts shop, watching all the activity with growing nervousness. R2 is standing next to him. Padme stops Qui-Gon as he is about to enter the shop.

Padme: Are you sure about this? Trusting our fate to a boy we hardly know. The Queen will not approve.

Qui-Gon: The Queen does not need to know.

Padme: Well, I don't approve.

Qui-Gon turns and starts into the shop.

INSIDE Watto'S JUNK SHOP

Watto and Anakin are in the middle of an animated discussion in Huttese.

Watto: Patta go bolla!

ANKAIN : No batta!

Watto : Pedunky. Maa kee cheelya.

Anakin : Bayno, Bayno!

Qui-Gon walks in, and Watto and Anakin join him.

Watto: The boy tells me you wanta sponser hi insa race. You can't afford

parts. How can you do this? Not on Republic credits, I think. (he laughs)

Qui-Gon: My ship will be the entry fee.

Qui-Gon pulls a small object that looks like a watch out of his pocket, and a hologram of the Naboo spacecraft appears.

Watto. He studies it.

Watto: Not bad...not bad...a Nubian.

Qui-Gon: It's in good order, except for the parts we need.

Watto: ...but what would the boy ride? He smashed up my Pod in the last race. It will take some time to fix it.

Anakin is embarrassed and steps forward.

Anakin: Ahhhh....it wasn't my fault really...Sebulba flashed me with his

vent ports. I actually saved the Pod...mostly.

Watto : (laughing) That you did. The boy is good, no doubts there.

Qui-Gon: I have...acquired a Pod in a game of chance. "The fastest ever

built."

Watto: I hope you didn't kill anyone I know for it. (laughs) So, you

supply the Pod and the entry fee; I supply the boy. We split the winnings

fifty-fifty, I think.

Qui-Gon: Fifty-fifty!?! If it's going to be fifty-fifty, I suggest you

front the cash for the entry. If we win, you keep all the winnings, minus

the cost of the parts I need...If we lose, you keep my ship.

Watto thinks about this. Anakin tries not to be nervous.

Qui-Gon: Either way, you win.

Watto: Deal! Yo bana pee ho-tah, meedee ya. (Your friend is a foolish one, methinks.)

Obi-Wan stands outside the Naboo spacecraft, speaking into his comlink.

Qui-Gon is on the back porch of the hovel.

Obi-Wan: What if this plan fails, Master? We could be stuck here for a

long time.

Qui-Gon: A ship without a power supply will not get us anywhere, and there is something about this boy...

Qui-Gon puts the comlink away as Shmi comes onto the porch

Padme, Anakin, Jar-Jar, and R2 work on the engines of the Podracer in the courtyard below.

Qui-Gon: You should be proud of your son. He gives without any thought of reward.

Shmi: He knows nothing of greed. He has...

Qui-Gon: He has special powers.

Shmi: Yes...

Qui-Gon: He can see things before they happen. That's why he appears to have such quick reflexes. It is a Jedi trait.

Shmi: He deserves better than a slave's life.

Qui-Gon: The Force is unusually strong with him, that much is clear. Who

was his father?

Shmi: There was no father, that I know of...I carried him, I gave him

birth...I can't explain what happened. Can you help him?

Qui-Gon: I'm afraid not. Had he been born in the Republic, we would have identified him early, and he would have become Jedi, no doubt...he has the way. But it's too late for him now, he's too old.

When it became night several people were sitting on a balcony. Anakin sits on the balcony rail of his hovel as Qui-Gon tends to a cut. The BOY leans back to look at the vast blanket of stars in the sky.

Qui-Gon: Sit still, Annie. Let me clean this cut.

Anakin: There are so many! Do they all have a system of planets?

Qui-Gon: Most of them.

Anakin: Has anyone been to them all?

QU-IG0N : (laughs) Not likely.

Anakin: I want to be the first one to see them all... Ouch!

Qui-Gon wipes a patch of blood off Anakin'S arm.

Qui-Gon: There, good as new...

Shmi yells from inside the hovel: Annie, bedtime!

Qui-Gon scrapes Anakin's blood onto a comlink chip.

Anakin: What are you doing?

Qui-Gon: Checking your blood for infections.

Anakin: I've never seen...

Shmi: Annie! I'm not going to tell you again!

Qui-Gon: Go on, you have a big day tomorrow. (beat) Goodnight.

Anakin rolls his eyes and runs into the hovel. Qui-Gon takes the blood-stained chip and inserts it into the comlink, then calls Obi-Wan.

Qui-Gon : Obi-Wan...

Obi-Wan: Yes, Master.

Qui-Gon: Make an analysis of this blood sample I'm sending you.

Obi-Wan: Wait a minute...

Qui-Gon: I need a midi-chlorian count.

Obi-Wan: All right. I've got it.

Qui-Gon: What are your readings?

Obi-Wan: Something must be wrong with the transmission.

Qui-Gon: Here's a signal check.

Obi-Wan: Strange. The transmission seems to be in good order, but the

reading's off the chart...over twenty thousand.

Qui-Gon: That's it then.

Obi-Wan: Even Master Yoda doesn't have a midi-chlorian count that high!

Qui-Gon: No Jedi has.

Obi-Wan: What does it mean?

Qui-Gon: I'm not sure.

The JEDI KNIGHT looks up and sees Shmi in the doorway watching him.

Embarrassed, she goes back into the kitchen while Qui-Gon ponders the

situation.

Meanwhile out in the midst of the desert a sinister-looking Sith spacecraft lands on top of a desert mesa and thus, scattering a herd of banthas. DARTH MAUL walks to the edge of the mesa and studies the landscape with a pair of electrobinoculars. He picks out the lights of three different cities in the distance, then pushes buttons on

his electronic armband.

Six football-sized PROBE DROIDS float out of the ship and head off in three different directions toward the cities.

DARTH MAUL stands on the mesa and watches them through his

electrobinoculars.

As the twin suns rise, R2 is busy painting the racing Pod. Anakin is

asleep. Padme passes R2.

Padme: I hope you're about finished.

R2 whistles a positive reply. Padme goes over to Anakin. He looks very vulnerable as he sleeps. She watches him, then touches him on the cheek. Anakin wakes up, yawns, and looks at her, a little puzzled.

Anakin: You were in my dream...you were leading a huge army into battle.

Padme: I hope not; I hate fighting. Your mother wants you to come in and clean up. We have to leave soon.

Anakin stands up and stretches: Where's Qui-Gon?

Padme: He and Jar Jar left already. They're with Watto at the arena.

The hanger is a large building with a dozen or so Podracers being readied

for the race. ALIEN CREWS and PILOTS rush about, making last-minute fixes on their vehicles. Watto, Qui-Gon, and Jar-Jar walk through the activity.

Watto: ...I want to see your spaceship the moment the race is over.

Qui-Gon: Patience, my blue friend. You'll have your winnings before the

suns set, and we'll be far away from here.

Watto: Not if your ship belongs to me, I think...I warn you, no funny

business.

Qui-Gon: You don't think Anakin will win?

Watto stops before an orange racer. Sitting to one side, having his

shoulders and neck massaged by TWIN YOBANAS is Sebulba.

Watto: Don't get me wrong. I have great faith in the boy. He's a credit

to your race, but Sebulba there is going to win, I think.

Qui-Gon: Why?

Watto: He always wins. (laughs) I'm betting heavily on Sebulba.

Qui-Gon: I'll take that bet.

Watto : (suddenly stops laughing) What??!! What do you mean?

Qui-Gon: I'll wager my new racing pod against...say...the boy and his

mother.

Watto: A Pod for slaves. I don't think so...well, perhaps. Just one...the

mother, maybe...the boy isn't for sale.

Qui-Gon: The boy is small, he can't be worth much.

Watto shakes his head.

Qui-Gon : For the fastest Pod ever built?!

Watto shakes his head again.

Qui-Gon : Both, or no bet.

Watto: No Pod's worth two slaves...not by a long shot...one slave or

nothing.

Qui-Gon: The boy, then...

Watto pulls out a small cube from his pocket.

Watto: We'll let fate decide. Blue it's the boy, red his mother...

Watto tosses the cube down. Qui-Gon lifts his hand slightly; it turns blue.

Qui-Gon smiles. Watto is angry.

Watto: You won the small toss, outlander, bou you won't win the race, so...it makes little difference.

Anakin and Padme enter the hanger on one of the EOPIES, pulling an engine on the other EOPIE, is pulling another engine. With C-3PO walking alongside, R2 trundles behind, pulling the Pod with Shmi sitting on it. Watto passes Anakin as he leaves.

Watto : (subtitled) Bonapa keesa pateeso, o wanna meetee chobodd. (Better stop your friends betting, or I'll end up owning him, too.)

Watto walks off, laughing.

Anakin: What did he mean by that?

Qui-Gon: I'll tell you later.

R2 beeps at C-3PO.

C-3PO: Oh my! Space travel sounds rather perilous.

R2 emits a series of beeps.

C-3PO: I can assure you they will never get me onto one of those

dreadful starships!

FODE/BEED (A two-headed alien commentator) :A: Toogi! Boogie! (Greetings) Toong mee cha kulkah du Boonta magi! tah oos azalus ooval Poddraces. (We have perfect weather today for the Boonta classic. The most hazardous of all Podraces.)

B: That's absolutely right. And a big turnout here, from all corners of the

Outer Rim territories. I see the contestants are making their way out onto

the starting grid, on the left side of the tracks across from the grandstands, a line of Podracers emerges from the large hanger, surrounded by several CREWMEMBERS. Pods are pulled by a wide variety of CREATURES and are led by aliens carrying flags.

FODE/BEED:

A: La Yma bees too (Yes, there they are!)

B : I see Ben Quadinaros from the Tund system.

A : ...eh Gasgano doowa newpa Ord Petrovia! (And Gasgano in the new Ord Pedrovia.)

B: Two-time winner, Boles Roor...

A: Poo tula moosta, woe grane champio Sebulba du Pixelito! Splastyleeya

bookie ookie!! (On the front line the reigning champion, Sebulba from

Pixelito. By far the favorite today.)

B: And a late entry, Anakin Skywalker, a local boy.

A: Wampa peedunkee unko ( I hope he has better luck this time.)

B: I see the flaggers are moving onto the track.

All the PILOTS bow from the waist as Jabba THE HUTT enters the box and waves to the crowd.

FODE/BEED:

A : O grandio lust, Jabba Du Hutt, amu intoe tah parena. (His honor, our

glorious host, Jabba the Hutt has entered the arena.)

The crowd ROARS. SEVERAL OTHER SLUG-LIKE HUTTS follow, along with humans and aliens. Several SLAVE GIRLS on a chain are led alongside Jabba.

Jabba: Chowbaso! Tam ka chee Boonta rulee ya, kee madda

hodrudda du wundee. (Welcome!) Sebulba tuta Pixelito...

Sebulba, who is right next to Anakin, stands and waves to his fans. A small pep band plays as his fans wave and cheer.

Shmi gives Anakin a big hug and kiss. She looks him right in the eye.

Shmi: Be safe.

Anakin: I will, Mom. I promise.

She leaves as Anakin checks the cable hitches.

Jabba: ...Mawhonic tuta Hok, Teemto Pagalies tuta Moonus Mandel, Anakin Skywalker tuta Tatooine...

The CROWD YELLS. Anakin waves to the crowd, as Jabba continues with his introductions. Sebulba moves over to one of Anakin's engines. Some Boy and Jar-Jar unhitch the COPIES, and the boy leads them away. R2 beeps that everything is OK. Jar-Jar pats Anakin on the back.

Jar-Jar: Dis berry loony, Annie. May da guds be kind, mesa palo.

Padme comes up and gives Anakin a little kiss on the cheek. Sebulba bangs on a part protruding from Anakin's engine. He looks around to see if anyone has noticed.

Padme: You carry all our hopes.

Anakin: I won't let you down.

Acedia: Oi! Don't make him nervous let him just do his thing.

Padme moves away as Sebulba edges his way next to Anakin and gives him a sinister grin.

Sebulba : Bazda wahota, shag. Dobiella Nok. Yoka to Bantha poodoo. You won't walk away from this one, slave scum! You're Bantha poodoo.)

Anakin : (subtitled) Cha skrundee da pat, sleemo. (Don't count on it,

slime-ball.)

Anakin looks the evil Sebulba in the eye with a cold stare. Qui-Gon

approaches and Sebulba back off toward his racer.

Jabba: ...Ka Bazza kundee hodrudda! (...Let the challenge

begin!)

The CROWD lets out a LOUD CHEER. Qui-Gon helps Anakin into his Pod. The boy straps himself into the tiny racer.

Qui-Gon: Are you all set, Annie? (Anakin nods) Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel. Don't think. Trust your instincts. (he smiles) May the

Force be with you.

Qui-Gon steps away as Anakin puts on his goggles. The PILOTS flip switches, and powerful energy binders shoot between the engines. Anakin flips a switch, and his engine starts. The incredible ROAR of high-powered engines igniting echoes throughout the arena. One driver, ODY MANDRELL, yells at android (DUM-4) to get away from the front of his engine. The crowd is tense.

The giant power-house engines torque as the PILOTS gun them. The PILOTS flip switches, and powerful energy binders shoot between the engines. Aliens carrying large flags move off the track. Jar-Jar covers his eyes.

Jar-Jar : Mesa no watch. Dissen ganna be messy!

FODE/BEED:

A : Ya pawa culka doe rundee! (The power couplings are being activated)

B: Hey, it looks like they're clearing the grid.

Shmi looks nervously at Qui-Gon as he enters a viewing platform. Padme and Jar-Jar are already on board. The platform rises like an elevator.

Shmi: Is he nervous?

Qui-Gon: He's fine.

Padme: You Jedi are far too reckless. The Queen...

Qui-Gon: The Queen trusts my judgment, young handmaiden. You should too.

Padme: You assume too much.

B: Start your engines.

The earth-pounding ROAR of the engines reviving is deafening.

Jabba bites off the head of a frog and spits it at a gong, signaling the

start of the race. Shortly after that looked totally sick...He saw Acedia.

On a bridge over the track, a great green light at the center flashes. The

Podracers shoot forward with a high-pitched scream. Anakin'S engine floods and coughs - then die. All the other Podracers except one swerve around him and disappear down the track. The slave boy struggles to get his racer started. The two-headed announcer reports.

FODE/BEED:

A: An dare ovv! (And they're off!)

B: Oh...wait. Little Skywalker has stalled.

Padme and Jar-Jar are very disappointed with Anakin. Qui-Gon puts his arm around a very worried Shmi to comfort her. Finally, Anakin's engines ignite. He zooms away after the receding pack of competitors, leaving one quadra-Pod racer still trying to get started. The two-headed ANNOUNCER describes the race as it progresses.

FODE/BEED:

B: And there goes Skywalker... He'll be hard-pressed to catch up with the

leaders today.

While all that happened the Podracers flew across the desert. Sebulba is running neck and neck with MAWHONIC. They round the first turn in the track, side by side. Sebulba drives his Pod into his rival, forcing him into the wall of a large rock formation. MAWHONIC crashes in a spectacular display of fire and smoke. Anakin is much faster than the back-end stragglers and passes them easily.

This reminds me of a joke

Why is the leaning tower of Pizza leaning?

It has better reflexes than the twin towers.

Sorry...I don't like making jokes about 9/11… they tend to crash and burn.

One of the drivers, Gasgano, won't let Anakin by. Anakin tries to pass him on one side and is cut off. He then tries to pass him on the other side

and is cut off. As they come up on a cliff drop-off, Anakin backs off,

then guns it as Gasgano goes over the cliff. Anakin accelerates so fast

that he sails right over the top of Gasgano and speeds away.

Four TUSKEN RAIDERS perched above the race course fire their rifles at the Pods racing in the canyon below them. One-shot ricochets off the back of Anakin's Pod.

FODE/BEED:

B: Looks like a few Tusken Raiders have camped out on the canyon dune turn.

The crowd excitedly watches the podracing on big screens.

Anyway, Anakin is powering around corners and over hills and cliffs, passing other racers right and left. Sebulba is in the lead. He is being challenged by another racer, XELBREE. Sebulba slows a little, and as XELBREE pulls alongside, he opens a side vent on the racer's engine and the exhaust starts to cut through the alien's engine. The blast cuts along the engine until finally, it EXPLODES. Sebulba deftly steers away. Anakin works his way through a dense mass of racers as they zoom over a dune sea, kicking up dust. His Pod shakes violently as he goes over a jump. One of the Podracers, ODY, catches one of his engines in the sand, and the whole thing EXPLODES.

Qui-Gon sits quietly, meditating. Padme and Shmi search the landscape for any sign of the racers. The crowd SCREAMS. Watto is laughing with his friends, confident in Anakin's defeat. The quadra-Pod engines start just as the racers come around the corner. The DRIVER, BEN QUADINAROS, puts it in gear, and the four engines go off in all directions, EXPLODING in a spectacular display. The Pod drops to the ground as Sebulba enters the arena, closely followed by all the OTHER racers. The announcer continues.

FODE/BEED :

B; There go Quadinaros' power couplings.

A: Sebulba! Ka pa me cheespa wata! (Here comes Sebulba in record time.)

Qui-Gon, Padme, Shmi, and Jar-Jar yell for joy as Anakin passes.

Jar-Jar: What gooie-on?

Lap two. Sebulba and the pack race past the main arena. The crowd stands and YELLS as the Podracers scream off into the distance. Qui-Gon and Padme look worried.

Jar-Jar: He musta crash-ud.

Padme: Here he comes!

Sure enough, coming around the bend is Anakin, quickly gaining on the pack. The two-headed announcer describes the action. The crowd goes wild.

FODE/BEED:

B: It looks like Skywalker is moving up through the field. He's in...

A: Stealth pa nagoola! (Sixth place, not bad.)

Anakin continues to gain on the pack. Tension for Shmi and Padme is

unbearable. ODY stops in the pits. Droids work on his engines. DUM-4 stands in front of the engine and is sucked in, causing the engine to die. DUM-4 spits out the back of the engine very bent up. The engine lets out one final wheeze, then EXPLODES in a puff of smoke.

FODE/BEED:

A: Ody Mandrell! Coona wa wunda dunko! (Ody Mandrell into the pits for

some attention.)

ODY: Droids!

TERTER is getting close to Sebulba, who purposely breaks a small part off his Pod, sending it into Terter's engine, causing him to veer into Anakin, and unhooks one of the main straps on Anakin's engines that links the Pod to his engines.

Anakin struggles to keep control of the little Pod. It whips about wildly.

As the Pod swings near the broken engine strap, Anakin grabs for it.

Finally, he catches the strap and manages to unhook it to the Pod.

Sebulba cuts the engine of OBITOKI with his side exhaust, and the racer

crashes with a cloud of dust. A THIRD RACER, HABBA, flie into the cloud of dust and crashes into OBITOKI. Anakin rounds a corner and heads into the cloud of smoke. He hits a part of one of the engines but regains control.

FODE/BEED:

B: At the start of the third and final lap, Sebulba is in the lead, closely

followed by Skywalker...

Anakin finally catches up with Sebulba and runs neck and neck over the rough terrain. Jar-Jar, Qui-Gon, Shmi, and Padme all SCREAM s Anakin comes through the arena. The lights in the tower indicate that this is the third and last lap. Watto begins to worry.

Sebulba uses his side exhaust port to try to cut through Anakin's engines. Anakin manages to avoid having his engine disabled but is forced off course.

FODE/BEED:

B: Skywalker is forced onto the service ramp!

A: Oh noah!

On a tight corner, Anakin dives to the inside and takes the lead.

FODE BEED:

B: Amazing... a controlled thrust and he's back on course! What a move!

Sebulba is furious. He stays right on Anakin's tail, crowding him and

pushing him through the turns. Sebulba pushes Anakin harder, and the young boy has a difficult time keeping control. One of the parts on Anakin's engines begins to shake loose. Anakin sees it and switches over to an auxiliary system. While he is trying to accomplish this maneuver, Sebulba races past him. Anakin tries to get around Sebulba, to no avail. Every move Anakin makes, Sebulba can block. Finally, Anakin fakes a move into the inside as he usually does, then tries to go around Sebulba on the outside. They race side by side down the final stretch of the track.

FODE/BEED:

B: He's catching Sebulba.

A: Inkabunga. (Incredible!)

Sebulba veers toward Anakin and bangs into his Pod. He crashes into Anakin over and over. The young boy struggles to maintain control as the steering rods on the two Pods become hooked together. Sebulba laughs at Anakin.

FODE/BEED:

B: That little human being is out of his mind.

A: Punda tah punda! (They're neck and neck!)

B: They're side by side!

A: Bongo du bongu! (Shoulder to shoulder!)

As they head for the final stretch, Anakin fights to unlock the steering

rods by trying to pull away from Sebulba. The strain on the steering rod is tremendous. Suddenly, Anakin's steering arm breaks and his Pos starts spinning.

The release of tension sends Sebulba into an ancient statue. One engine

EXPLODES, then the other. Sebulba skids through the fire-balls, blackened, but unhurt. He slides to a smoking stop, gets out of his racer, and throws what's left of a shifter arm on the ground. Suddenly he realizes his pants are on fire, and he struggles to put them out. Anakin flies through the EXPLOSION as the crowd stands, CHEERING. Padme and Jar-Jar jump up and down with excitement, Padme screaming for joy. Qui-Gon and Shmi smile. Anakin races over the finish line, the winner.

The two-headed announcer excitedly calls the finish.

FODE/BEED:

B: It's Skywalker! The crowd is going nuts! Oh Ah Oh Ah (rock head in

tandem with a partner)

As Anakin stops the Podrace Darth Maul's PROBE DROIDS move through the crowd.