The wind is blowing hard as QUI-GON, JAR JAR, and PADME follow ANAKIN down the street and into a slave hovel.

INT. ANAKIN'S HOVEL - MAIN ROOM - DAY

QUI-GON, JAR JAR, ARTOO, 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 from 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, and this is Jar Jar Binks. ARTOO lets out a little beep.
PADME : ...and our droid, Artoo-Detoo.
ANAKIN : I'm building a droid. You wanna see?
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. ARTOO 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, tank 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.

INT. ANAKIN'S HOVEL - BEDROOM - 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 reall 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.

THREEPIO : How do you do, I am See-Threepio, 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.

THREEPIO : (staggering) I am not sure this floor is entirely stable

ARTOO lets out a flurry of beeps and whistles.

THREEPIO : Hello, I don't believe we have met

ARTOO lets out a sequence of beeps and whistles.

THREEPIO : R2D2, a pleasure to meet you, I am See-Threepio, Human Cyborg relations. How might I serve you?

ARTOO lets out a flurry of beeps and whistles.

THREEPIO : I beg your pardon....what do you mean I'm naked?

ARTOO BEEPS

THREEPIO : (Cont'd) My parts are showing? Oh, my goodness. How embarrassing!

INT. NABOO SPACECRAFT - QUEENS CHAMBERS

AMIDALA, EIRTAE, RABE, and OBI-WAN watch a very bad transmission of a SIO BIBBLE hologram.

BIBBLE : ...cut off all food supplies until you return...the death toll is catastrophic...we must bow to their wishes, Your Highness...Please tell us what to do! If you can hear us, Your Highness, you must contact me...

AMIDALA looks upset...almost nervous.

OBI-WAN : It's a trick. Send no reply... Send no transmission of any kind.

INT. ANAKIN'S HOVEL - MAIN ROOM - DAY

QUI-GON listens to his comlink. OBI-WAN is in the cockpit.

OBI-WAN : ...the Queen is upset...but absolutly 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.

EXT. CORUSCANT - BALCONY OVERLOOKING CITY - NIGHT

DARTH SIDIOUS and DARTH MAUL look out over the vast city.

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. EXT. MOS ESPA - SANDSTORM - DAY

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.

INT. ANAKIN'S HOVEL - MAIN ROOM - DAY

QUI-GON, ANAKIN, SHMI, JAR JAR, 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.
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.

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.

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.

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 : (Cont'd) 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.

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 : (Cont'd) 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, ahhh...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 aquire 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 your's, 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 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.

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.