Art by Tonton Revolver
A word from the author: So I think it was in… 2014 (?) that I started re-writing the prequel Star Wars trilogy. I, like many Star Wars fans, was let down by the movies. But generally speaking, I was not let down by the core story. There are issues with the story, but they are easy to change. The acting is a little rough, and there’s a certain charm that’s missing. I can’t change the acting, but I can see if I can bring back some charm.
I started thinking through my story with very little influence from other re-writes. I wanted to keep it as pure as possible; from my own brain. That being said, there was some influence. Many re-writes for instance have an older Anakin Skywalker. And also many of them stem from Obi-Wan’s words in A New Hope and what those words evoke.
That’s what your uncle told you. He didn’t hold with your father’s ideals. Thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved.
He was the best star-pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. I understand you’ve become quite a good pilot yourself. And he was a good friend. Which reminds me…
For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire.
A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force.
Obi-Wan Kenobi to Luke in A New Hope
Then there’s other moments in Empire and Jedi that have bearing on the prequels. And so with a desire to do some writing and talking it through with a few friends, I came up with these changes…
** Special Note: I came up with these changes before I watched The Clone Wars and Rebels. Those two shows are phenomenal. With a little creative writing, I could probably pound my square peg of a story into that circle.
Changes to keep in mind for Episode 1:
- Anakin is older. I, along with many fans, felt that Anakin as a 9 year old was a bad move. He was just too young and Jake Lloyd’s life was basically ruined from the fallout of “Ani”. Make Anakin older; like Luke is in A New Hope, or a year younger…
- Padme’ is not the Queen. At least not yet… Padme’ is a handmaiden. She has something to prove to the Queen of Alderaan. Her sisters were handmaidens, and the job is exclusive and hard to get.
- Obi-Wan is already a Jedi Knight. He’s not a padawan.
- Jedi are even more rare and secretive. Almost like Men in Black… almost… sort of.
- Yoda is not part of the narrative. Why would he? The reveal in Empire is great!
- The Neomodians are … awful. Make them Geonosians and get on with it. Keep the concept art of them too. Their design was mostly changed (IIRC) because they couldn’t fit the actors heads in that type of costume.
- Darth Maul is on an angry vengeful quest to kill Qui-Gon… for reasons…
- Qui-Gon is a former Jedi and sort of the town drunk. Also, he’s Anakin’s father.
- Shmi dies. Before the story begins.
- Anakin is raised by the Lars family.
- Clone technology is controversial, untested, and unethical.
- There is no droid control ship. Instead the ship is a mining vessel and it’s mining, Alderaan.
- The Gungans are not involved. Jar Jar is still involved, but not as much. Imagine a different voice too.
- The Geonosians are exiled, reviled, and seeking revenge. They are responsible for so many worlds being desert wastelands.
So with those changes in mind; and in trying to keep the core story of the prequels in tact…
Before Episode 1:
Qui-Gon Jinn is sent off to explore a mysterious planet at the request of Jedi Master Yoda. Qui-Gon has a vision on this planet that he is supposed to find “the chosen one”; the one rumored to bring balance to the force by the imbalance of the dark side. Qui-Gon already has a slightly disenfranchised view of the Jedi and decides he needs to look for the chosen one on his own. So he breaks with the Jedi and starts looking on his own. He ends up on Tatooine and meets Shmi Skywalker; a waitress at a cantina. They fall in love, and in order to support her Qui-Gon becomes a navigator. The ship Qui-Gon is helping navigate is attacked by pirates (don’t forget about them) and Qui-Gon is abandoned on Dathomir. There he meets Maul, the son of the regional leader of the sector. Maul’s father hates outsiders and usually kills them on site. Maul is estranged from his father and find Qui-Gon and helps him survive on the planet for 5 years. Eventually, delegates from Naboo are sent to Dathomir (part of a plot to remove them from a special vote). Jar Jar Binks is one of those delegates. Qui-Gon rescues the delegates, killing Maul’s father, and in turn, Jar Jar is indebted to him for life. Maul feels betrayed by his alternate father figure killing his real father and then leaving him stranded on Dathomir. Maul swears revenge.
When Qui-Gon makes it back to Tatooine, Shmi has already re-married, Anakin is 5, and unfortunately, Shmi is caught in the crossfire when one of the pirates (told you to remember them) attempts to kill Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon can’t just swoop in and take his son, and also, he isn’t sure if that would jeopardize Anakin’s life. So Qui-Gon sets up shop on Tatooine with the help of Binks and watches out for Anakin from afar.
Years pass…
Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Part 1:
On Alderaan, there is a summit occurring for negotiations between the Alderaan people and the Geonosians. The Geonosians want to mine Alderaan for special minerals and materials… after all, it’s what they do. Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives on Alderaan to oversee the negotiations.
The negotiations are short. The Geonosians assassinate the king, and the queen is rushed to safety. Obi-Wan helps rush the Queen and one of her few surviving handmaidens out on a maintenance ship which is run by a Bothan and a droid.
They are chased down by a hooded, skull-faced, figure (it’s Maul). Maul is able to put a tracker on the escaping ship and subsequently damage it in the process. The escaping shuttle; carrying the queen, her staff, and Kenobi; jumped to hyperspace. They soon discovered their ship was compromised and that it needed to land immediately. The closest planet? Tatooine.
boarwolf 
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