EpisodeI

It is a period of galactic strife. After the thirty year HYPERSPACE WAR, The Galactic Empire and its protectorate planets took on an oath of demilitarization, Arming themselves only with the necessary means to protect their own interests. Despite this, Imperial laws of taxation have gripped the galaxy, causing unrest among its citizens. In a shocking move , the TRADE FEDERATION blockaded the peaceful planet of Naboo, using its Merchant Ships as instruments of aggresion. The Jedi Council has sent KNIGHT OBI-WAN KENOBI and his apprentence, ANAKIN SKYWALKER to settle the dispute, to prevent another war from gripping the Galaxy..

Anakin sat uncomfortably in his hard mettalic seat. With the protective bindings strapped around him, It felt more like a prison than somewhere to plop down. He peered to his left to see the the vast expanse of space through his viewscreen. He was awed - So many stars! He thought. He wished he was in a fast single fighter ship- Not this bulkly military grade space crypt.

"Anakin, Focus." Obi-wan's gruff voice broke the young Jedi's daydream. The boy laughed to himself and stared ahead- Obi-wan sat infront of him, next to the ship's pilot- A nameless clone wearing a light gray uniform.

"Focus on what? How old this ship is? Is it really from the Hyperspace war?" Anakin asked.

"Yes. You know that, Anakin. The Empire hasn't produced an army in over ten years." Obi-wan answered, with a tint of annoyance.

Anakin laughed again. "And all the senators are amazed when something like this happens!"

This earned a chuckle from Obi-wan, and Anakin smiled as well, he could picture Obi-wan's face even though he couldn't see it.

"We're on a diplomatic mission- Anakin! Focus!" Obi-wan snapped. Anakin, who had been thinking about flying again, sighed.

"Could you not? The fact you spend so much time wandering around my head is a little creepy" Anakin answered back. He turned his head to the seat of the clone flying the ship.

"I'm sorry, he isn't always like this." Anakin said to the pilot.

The clone answered with a simple "It's alright, sir." Causing Anakin to laugh again, and was about to return to his fantasy when Obi-wan's voice broke him away from it.

His master had turned in his seat, having unschackled his bindings, and was looking at Anakin directly.

"Listen Anakin. This is a diplomatic mission. We are here to prevent a war from occuring. War is the last thing the Empire needs right now. " Obi-wan turned away from Anakin and settled back in his place.

"I need you to be serious right now Anakin." Obi-wan sighed. Anakin made a Hmph sound, but otherwise remained silent. The only sound was the rumble of the transport's rusty old engines-awakened by over a decade of slumber. Anakin looked down and examined his hands- They had gotten soft.

I don't even remember the heat anymore..

How old had he been when he left Tatooine? nine? He was fifteen now, and in only six years, all the vestiges of his past life were almost gone.

Mother. The thought of her, like always, came out of nowhere, crashing down on him and breaking away his mental shield that hid his negative emotions.

She's still a slave. The guilt ate away at him rapidly, consumed him, and he let it, he didn't battle the pain as it racked his body.

He could feel his essence, his force begin to seep out of his body. Anakin could hear sharp cracks begin to pop from inside the ship.

Obi-wan was beside him in an instant.

"Anakin! Focus!" He said, his head close to Anakin's as the boy's tears fell freely. The clone pilot was oblivious to the entire event, simply handling the controls- ignoring Anakin, Obi-wan, and the slight destruction of the ship completly.

"What is the jedi code, Anakin?" Obi-wan asked.

Anakin remained silent.

"The code! Anakin!" Obi-wan urged.

Anakin felt ease come over him slowly, the whirling emotions coming under control.

"The Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy..." He choked.

"We use our powers to defend.." Obi-wan started.

"Never to harm" Anakin finished.

"We serve.." Obi-wan goaded again.

"Though we have the power to rule." Anakin answered.

His negativity was gone now, completely erased- an eerie sense of calm and tranquility taking its place.

He smiled at Obi-wan.

"That's the second time I've almost destroyed a ship like that huh?" Anakin joked.

Obi-wan allowed himself a slight laugh. "You're a handful. But I wouldn't want another apprentince."

"Sir," The clone pilot said over them,

"We're approaching the blockade. I've sent out the message. They should be accepting us shortly." The clone reported. Obi-wan patted Anakin on the shoulder, his hand touching the cold metal of his seat restrictors- and gathered his robes around himself as he returned to his seat, not bothering to lock himself in. His eyes grew wide almost insantly as he saw what waited for them.

The Trade Federation blockade was massive. No, more than that. Obi-wan brought a hand to his mouth as he was at a loss for words- the once peaceful merchant ships had quickly been outfitted for aggresion. Obi-wan saw, with a slight dark humor, how the turbolaser canons jutted from Trade-Federation destroyers didn't match the ship's design.

In truth, all of their ships had this appearance- Streamlined and smooth, qualities Trade Federation ships were known for, save for the random cannon or missile launcher that was quickly grafted onto them. But despite their odd apperance- the firepower was there.

And it was deadly.

"Have they sent a message?" Obi-wan asked. The Pilot shook his head simply, his brown eyes focused on the fleet before him. Obi-wan guessed that even clones could be awed.

Obi-wan saw two gray specs detach from the fleet and come speeding towards them- what were once specs grew bigger and bigger, until he saw them in their full form a mere hundred feet away from his own shuttle.

Single-pilot fighters. The alarms in his mind went off instantly. If the Federation wanted them dead...

"Pilot, dedicate twenty-five percent of the ship's energy to shields. Thirty to weapons." Obi-wan said. The pilot simply nodded.

"Already done, sir. Weapons are ready should they try to attack." The pilot said with confidence.

"Anakin," Obi-wan called.

"Yes, Master?" Anakin asked.

"How are you feeling?" Obi-wan inquired.

"Hungry. And cold. I hope they feed us." Anakin joked.

Cold. Obi-wan had learned that whenever Anakin felt cold, bad things were going to happen. He braced himself for the worst.

The Federation fighters flew by them harmlessly.

"Master Kenobi, a message from the fleet." The Pilot said, his voice monotone.

A miniature blue man appeared before them, his arms crossed behind his back. High cheekbones, a small, thin lipped mouth, and dark eyes found themselves on the man's face.

He smiled.

"Ah, the Jedi delegation has arrived. We have been expecting you. Master...?" The man trailed off.

"Kenobi" Obi-wan finished.

"Ah! good. My name is Wilhuff Tarkin. Commander of the Federation...merchant fleet. The two ships you no doubt saw will see you to my capital ship, the Azure. Oh, and Master Kenobi, you can lower your shields and weapons." Tarkin said with a smile, and the blue image fizzled out and dissapeared.

The two fighters swung back around and flanked the imperial transport, and then slowly moving ahead of it- leading the transport deeper into the Federation blockade.

"It was a show of strength. He wants us to know he is in control here." Anakin said suddenly.

Obi-wan smiled, proud of his young apprentince. "I was thinking the same thing, Anakin. You're starting to think like a Jedi."

"That was the first smart thing you've said to me in the past six years, Master." Anakin replied, and Obi-wan could hear his smile in his words.

The transport lurched softly, and Obi-wan looked ahead to see their descent into the heart of the Federation fleet- of which the Azure was the heart. They climbed lower and lower, the massive destroyer, shaped like the human letter C, hung in space like a beast suspended in animation. Federation fighters- Which Obi-wan now saw were mobile transformers, crawled like spiders ontop the arms of the capital ship. They flew closer to one of the arms and saw as the docking bay shield doors grew dim and vanished.

As their transport slowed down and landed, Anakin whispered,

"Into the belly of the beast." With a slight smile. Obi-wan smiled too, unaware that what would occur here would be the first direct act of war against the Empire in over a decade.
***