More Than just Tusken Raiders?

Something's been bothering me ever since I read the script (and then saw) EP2. Shmi's
abduction.

Now, before I read anything or saw the movie I had envisioned Shmi to be kidnapped or killed by Sidious's order (perhaps Aurra Sing to carry it out) and have Obi-Wan to
blame for holding Anakin back from saving her.

I was wrong...but...

I still get the feeling like something else was behind Shmi's disappearance. Clieg Lars doesn't really go into much detail as to what happened, but he does say "From the tracks, she was about halfway when they took her."

Now, based on this line it can safely be assumed that no one saw her get abducted. By that logic it's safe to assume that Clieg didn't go looking for her until much later that day (as no one reported seeing her being abducted and that she wasn't due home for a while).

Finally...and this is one that really bothers me...Clieg say "they" took her. "They"...meaning more than one. Well,
according to Obi-Wan, the sand people travel
single file to hide their numbers.

Is it me...or is something else in the works
here?!!!

 

I, along with many people, believe that Sidious manipulated/paid the Tusken Raiders to kidnap Shmi. He then manipulated Anakin through his dreams to go and find her.

 

Sidious isn't involved with Shmi's kidnap. I think you give Sidious too much credit, he's too busy trying to gain control to the Republic, to bother with Ani's mother. Plus he doesn't even know the woman.

Really does everything have to be connected to Palpatine?
Its bad enough that people think he hired jango to killadme (that was Nute for christ sakes, its even said in the film), but Palpatine has far more sinister things going on.

The Tusken kidnap is meant as a random event and just one of those things which happens. Nothing sinister behind it, just a random act which causes pain.

 

Sometimes people forget that the Force/coincidence/destiny has as much a role as Palpatine's manipulations. About half the things are Palpatine's doings, the other half the Force. This one was just destiny.

 

I think we're gonna find out that Sidious was behind most of this. I think he pulled the strings to put Anakin and Padme together, too. After all, it was Palpatine who suggested Obi-Wan to protect Padme, knowing that Anakin would see her. I'm sure he can read Anakin's thoughts and knows he is obsessed with Padme. I also think that he might have had something to do with the Tusken abduction of Shmi.

Don't forget, he probably also knows about the prophecy. As such, I think one of his main objectives in his rise to power is to ensure that Anakin either joins him or is destroyed.

I think Palpatine used the mother situation and the Padme obsession to manipulate Anakin into giving into his fear and anger. In the end, it was Anakin's choice to kill and be evil, but I think Palpatine 'nudged' him in that direction. That is why he is the ultimate evil, because he sees and knows all. In both trilogies, Palpatine forsees everything and manipulates the galaxy to do his will. The only one to truly surprise him was Luke, and then Vader at the very end.

 

"Finally...and this is one that really bothers me...Clieg say "they" took her. "They"...meaning more than one. Well,
according to Obi-Wan, the sand people travel
single file to hide their numbers."

Obi-Wan doesn't mean they travel by themselves. Single file means they travel one behnind the other in a line, so you can't tell from their tracks if there's one, two, or thirty of them.

 

I don't think Palps is behind it; agents of causality ought not to be multiplied.

I think the book explains things a bit more, which detracts from the "Palpatine Behind Everything" theory.

Palps put them up to it? How? He's the Supreme Chancellor; how can he just slip away (since it appears that they don't have means of communicating with Coruscant)? Does he speak their language? What could he offer them that they don't have quick and easy access to (since it doesn't appear that they use money)? They have always been presented as barbarous and violent - why wouldn't they just kill him?

Or if he uses a proxy, when would he have the chance to dispatch someone to Tattooine, when Anakin and Padme went on impulse? Yoda and the Emporer both watched the future, but they were both wrong (or at least unclear what it would hold); how could Palps predict with absolute certainty any particular course of action? All of the questions in the above paragraph could also be applied to the proxy.

There are just too many legitimate and damaging questions that are begged by that theory.

 

I agree that are holes to be poked in the "Palps Knows All" theory. But, look at all the manipulation/trickery used by the Sith:

-Vader hides a tracking device on the Falcon
-Vader tortures Solo to trap Luke
-Sidious leaks plans of Death Star II
-Sidious manipulates the Nemoidians and Naboo
-Dooku/Sidious fool the Jedi and Republic into starting a war

Also, who's to say Shmi wasn't kidnapped by someone besides the Tuskens (bounty hunter?) and then given to the sand people. Dooku could have even had a hand in this. I could imagine Dooku telling Anakin in Ep III that he had his mother killed, further pushing Anakin over the edge.

Anyway, just idle speculation. Perhaps not true, but fun to think about.

 

I think that Palpy was responsible for Shmi's kidnapping. Based upon the scene in his office, Palpy is very close to Anakin

"Well, they finally gave you an assignment. Your patience has paid off."

To me this signifies that Anakin and Palpy have a close relationship, and that Palpy knows a lot about Anakin's dreams. To me, it's logical that Palpy would know about Anakin missing his mother and how close Anakin was to her.

The Sith operate by using manipulation and by making it seem that others parties are responsible for the Sith's actions.

The timing is perhaps co-incidental, but I think that Palpy planned it all along. Why else did the Tuskins keep her alive, unless they were ordered to? The dreams make Anakin more unstable, and contribute to his fall to the dark side.

Ironically, I think that the timing, although it gave Anakin an excuse to go find his mother, actually worked against Palpy because it created the situation where Anakin and Padme fell in love. Love leads to kids, and it is Luke that eventually prompts Anakin to turn against the emperor.

 

I highly doubt that Palpy was involved. What would he have that the Tuskens could want. They are nomads and aren't ones to make deals.

 

Maybe Sidious or Dooku used the Sith Mind Trick on the weak-minded Tuskens.

 

Who said they're weak-minded?

 

Well they don't seem to be brain surgeons.

 

Stormcloud, stop reaching. Obviously you say it enough to yourself you'll believe it but:
Why does Palpatine have to be behind everything?
Whats wrong with fate doing this? Or destiny?

The only thing Palpatine can and has been doing is feeding Anakin's ego every once and a while. he tells Anakin what he wants to hear. Not only is he manipulating the young Jedi but he is gaining the young mans trust.
And as the Supreme Chancellor he has what he would consider more important things to do.

 

Uhh, stuff in star wars happens by chance, or fate. Especially on tatouine, if you think about it.

DOn't worry. We don't need any more complications for ep3.

 

It isn't so much of a reach. And I actually don't have a preference as to whether it was fate or manipulation. It certainly could have been either. I just enjoy the debate.

And I'm trying to pass the time until 2005...

 

I think Dooku arranged the abduction (whether or not Palpatine approved it, but I think he did) to have Anakin get the dreams and lure him to Tatooine. I think it was a way of getting Anakin's rage to come out, drawing him to the dark side. Know what else? I think Dooku is Anakin's father and thus he was trying to lure his son to his side. I think he knows Anakin's love for his mother is probably the only thing that could cause such rage in him, the only thing that can provoke such a hideous reaction. Later in the movie, when Dooku cuts off Anakin's hand, look at him and you will see a look of pain, that he had to injure so severely his own son. When Shmi said there was no father, I think it didn't neccessarily mean immaculate conception, but just that she didn't want the Jedi to know that Dooku was the father.

 

I don't think Palpy is behind Shmi's abduction (although I do wonder why the Tuskens keep her alive). My "argument" for this is simple, if not waterproof:

It would be redundant. I am a firm believe (as most people seem to be) that Palpatine will either kill Padme or make it appear so, and most likely pin it on the Jedi (perhaps Obi-Wan). So if this DOES happen then it would be kind of lame to have Palpy systematically knock-off everyone Anakin is close to.

I think it would be better off if the very smart Palpatine learned from the Shmi incident (I also assume that Anakin will, over the course of years, spill the beans about that and the Tuskens to Palpy) and use it to his best advantage by now taking Padme away from Anakin.

 

No, it's just you.

In the book it says the night before her abduction they heard banthas and thought tusken raiders were near by. The next morning she went out to pick mushrooms when they took her. It was nothing to do with sidious. I guess it was the "will of the force".

 

For me, it could work either way. In the end of EpII, Count Dooku says "The boy has begun". So, we know that Palpy is trying to make Anakin join the dark side, and what better way to do it than kill off his mother.

Then again, the entire galaxy seems to revolve around fate.

That, or it was just bad timing.

 

He says 'War has begun'.

 

FrozenShark, what are you smokin? "War has begun....not BOY has begun....if that made sense to you when you heard boy, God, I'd hate to listen to you tell someone what the meaning of the movie was...'Boy has begun...'

anyway, I actually agree with StormCloud8. Lucas has said EpIII will be the darkest of all. With that in mind, I'm sure we'll see many incidents come full circle. It was definitely a turning point that Ani destroyed the tuskens, it's at this point in the movie we even hear QGJ yell out to Ani..."no." Even GL has said it will have meaning in Ep III.

I think the dark side, whether Sid or Dooku directly or indirectly did it, had something to do with Shmi's capture and death which is a huge reason why Ani continues down the dark path.

I think EpIII will show alot of dark secrets. I think the audience will understand, why Ani will turn to the dark side by manipulation, deceit, and not knowing the truth. This obviously will torment Ani into becoming a dark lord. I have a feeling Ep III will be far darker "than you can possibly imagine."

Personally, I think Dooku was ordered to have Ani's mom captured, whether that means Dooku did it behind the scenes, or had Aura Sing do it, who knows. I just think the dreams, watching Ani's career, Schmi's death, not truly knowing if they were Tuskens or someone sent to resemble them, etc, will pull alot of dark side info to the forefront of EpIII and leave people fully understanding and probably nodding in agreement why Ani turned to the darkside. I think Ani will learn Dooku did something horrid either by a dream or telling him outright, and hence destroy Dooku.

My guess is Padme will do something that's morally correct for the greater good, but will inevitably lose her life because of it while being protected by the Jedi. Don't forget, we see in AOTC that she "will not give into this.....we'd be living a lie." I think these "poor" lines will have significant meaning in the last episode. They are very strong words, and I think this character development of Padme will be her undoing. Ani, as we saw in AOTC, wanted the troopers to turn the ship around when Padme fell out, ..."I can't leave her...." when Obi1 says, "What would she do..."
I think Padme's death while doing "what's right" while in the custody of jedi will unleash Ani's ruthlessness, and hence strike down most of the jedi.

It's my assumption that he will have destroyed most of the jedi through "being the greatest star pilot in the galaxy" by the end of the movie. Obi1 doesn't say he was the greatest star pilot for good OR evil, just that he's a best star pilot....I'm guessing after destroying most of the Jedi during the Clone Wars he then encounters Obi1 near the end of the flick, who somehow works him over. Palpy comes to the rescue and saves him, and we see the DV armor being put on him, and fade to black...the end.

I know I was all over, but that's my theory

 

Its not possible for Padme to die at this point. She would have already given birth To Luke & leia and vadar/Ani would have known they existed. As well as the fact that Leia says she has some memoeries of her mother (Padme) in ROTJ wich means she must have been at least 3 or 4 when padme died

 

I say it was some of the Jedi who kidnapped her and sold her to the Tuskens. Some one who wants Anakin out of the Jedi Order or wants Kanobi to fail.

The Jedi have become corrupt.