An alternate point of view on Episode I

I stumbled across this text on a russian site about Star Wars. With the site manager's consent I'm now posting this text here, translated. The text was written by a man named Feldman W.B., and this is a text which perhaps could be called a fanfic but actually is somewhat more than that. It is an alternate view on Episode I. The style may seem boring to some people... but some things are more logical in this text than in the movie. I hope this doesn't offend anyone.



Episode 1: How it happened for real.


Introduction


I believe it can be said without much exaggeration that each one of us, watching the episodes of ?Star Wars? is highly tempted to interpret them as an historical source. The fact that they are skillfully made, realistic, and full of well known events makes the temptation irresistible.

Nevertheless, a serious researcher has simply got no right for such an attitude towards a film largely made for entertainment. This is most relevant for Episode I, Episode IV and the second half of Episode VI.

The fact about Episode I which distinguishes it from the others in this respect is that while the youth and the second half of Anakin-Vader?s life are largely documented (by audio and video recordings, protocols of the meetings of the governmental bodies of the republic and empire, the Jedi Council, the Rebel Command etc.) reliable information sources about his childhood are all but absent. The handwritten memoirs of his teacher Obi-Wan Kenobi which reached us are (unlike the memoirs of Master Yoda) a document of first of all political rather than historical orientation, and as for the numerous recollections of Anakin-Vader?s childhood friends they were collected only after the establishment of the New Republic meaning almost half a century later.

As a result, the childhood of Anakin-Vader has largely become myth-like and the few facts and events which did take place are completely lost among the sea of fiction and conjectures. This is the situation I intend to correct as much as possible with this research.

Episode I
The plot of Episode I is built around events which happened for real - the blockade of the planet Naboo by the Trade Federation and the following partial occupation of the planet by the TF forces.

According to the film, the conflict arose because of the disputes between the TF and the Naboo government in taxing the transit trade. Already we see the obvious desire of the author to embellish the truth and instead of reality, to present the desired (the sugary image of Naboo).

As it happened, the planet?s distance from the Core Worlds and the low level of its technological development made it unprofitable for cargo transfer or organizing a large trading base. Therefore, there was no speaking about ?taxes? on the little cargo that did go through Naboo (usually on the way to the Rim Worlds).
No, the conflict between the TF and Naboo had a much more unsightly basis ? the poison of the mollusk ?gumto ? ugna? (?big barrel? - gungan language).

Deadly for a human, it was nevertheless a powerful drug for a dozen of other races, including the Hutts. Naboo?s proximity to the largest galactic smuggling centers of Tatooine and Nar Shadaa made the manufacture and export of the refined poison (?gugny?) a risk-free and most profitable business. The right for the trade were obtained (not for free at all) by the Trade Federation.

But, the idyll didn?t last long. The gungans, completely ignored during the signing of contract, were naturally displeased with the use of their waters for the industrial fishing of ?big barrel? and demanded their share in the profits. The TF answered with depth charges. The infuriated gungans quickly made contact with smugglers and, having purchased (with the money obtained by their own ?gugny? trade) modern weapons (I hope nobody thinks that the gungan culture, which was not familiar even with fire could develop force shields and energy bombs on its own), started organizing attacks on the sea facto

 

Interesting...
Meditate on this, I will.

 

Wow...just wow.

If this is indeed a fanfic than it reminds me of a similar fanfic that I read on here. I can't remember what its name was but it was pretty good. It kind of described the events that we see on the movies to be just exagerated chapters of the "real" events that transpired.

 

That was pretty cool. I'd love to read one for Attack of the Clones.