Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

PROLOGUE

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away  . . .
   Before the Rebel Alliance fought its way to freedom; before the Jedi Knights all but vanished from the known worlds; before the Empire was founded to expand like a cancer across the stars ——— before any of these things occured, the Galactic Republic ruled much of the galaxy. It was a time of peace, watched over by the Jedi Knights and Masters. But the Jedi were guardians only, using their amazing fighting skills to defend justice. They were the Republic's peacemakers; it's rulers were the members of the Galactic Senate. Thousands of delegates, representing every planet in the Republic, met regularly in the great Senate chambers on the central world of Coruscant. There they wrote the laws of the Republic and settled the disputes that sometimes arose between planets. Over the centuries, many problems came before the Senate. At first, the dispute over taxing trade routes seemed no different from all the others. The Trade Federation —— an organization of merchants so powerful that they had a representative in the Galactic Senate, just as if they were a planet —— wanted more control in the outlying star systems. The outlying planets objected. The debate dragged on and on.
    Finally the Trade Federation lost patience, and took more drastic action. They chose the small, watery world of Naboo and blockaded it, surrounded it with battleships so that no spaceships could land or take off from the planet. They hoped that the young Queen of Naboo would agree quickly to their demands. Then they could use Naboo as an example to persuade or force other planets to do the same. But the young Queen did not give in. Tension in the Senate grew worse. Worried that the Trade Federation's blockade might lead to open war, the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Senate asked the Jedi for help. Soon, three Jedi ambassadors were on their way to Naboo to settle the conflict. They expected their mission to be short and simple . . .