Star Wars PODs: Episode I

[Abdul Hadi Pasha]

WI when Qui-gon radioed back to the ship to ask Obi-Wan if he found anything of value, and Obi-Wan replied, "No, nothing of value, just our provisions, AND THE QUEEN'S WARDROBE", there had been a five-year-old child present who could have pointed out "each of those outfits is crusted with gems the size of basketballs, you twit.", and "why don't you just peel the chrome off the ship?"

Or WI, as QUEEN OF AN ENTIRE PLANET, Amidala upon returning to Naboo hadn't been cheap beyond the ability of the human mind to grasp and ponied up to buy Anakin's mother's freedom?

[ljofa]

Given as many planets have been colonised and rocky, barren planets are mined, gemstones are more common in the SW Universe and hence cheaper. Rarer crystals are the ones that are valuable and not generally the ones put on the dresses of the queen.

Perhaps the Naboo have some anally retentive accountants.

[Torqumada]

Something abotu the first movie always bugged me.

Lightsabers are basically controlled lasers right? That means they burn through things, like metal, armor, flesh etc.. What if, when Qui Gon took that lightsaber to the stomach, instead of falling the the ground like he had the life sucked out of him, realises that the lightsaber has put a hole in his body, but also completely cauterised the wound, allowing him to live long enough to continue fighting, help defat Maul and then go on to seek proper medical treatment?

Torqumada

[marl_d]

well i don't know about you, but to have a laser shoved through your gut would be extremly painful to me. even though the wounds are cauterised the pain and shock from a lightsaber shoved through it no matter how good of Jedi he is that would cause anyone to double over and fall unconsious. besides he probably went into a Jedi healing trance to get Obi-Wan to take Anakin as a padawan

[ljofa]

Perhaps it ruptured several organs at once...

[Michael]

I want to know why the lightsabers stop, if they are a laser what prevents them from shooting off into infinity?

[Torqumada]

Perhaps it ruptured several organs at once...

Even so, they would have immediately been cauterized, so there wouldn't be any blood loss. We didn't get a big spray of blood when Anakin or Luke lose their hands due to the cauterisig effects. He still wouldn't have been dead immediately. He would have at least had time to leave the area and seek medical attention. People shot or stabbed in the abdomen do not die immediately, despite what Hollywood says. (think of all the scenes with people fighting over a gun, with the gun pressed against the stomachs, it fires and one drops dead. Doesn't happen that way) I have never had a pateint that has been shot or stabbed in the abdomen die on me. There aren't any destroy and you die now organs in the abdomen. There are some destroy and you die in a week or 2 organs there. Now if Qui-gon's head had been chopped off, or he took the lightsaber to the chest and it got the heart, THEN I could see him dropping to the ground dead. Heck, if he hadn't dropped down a power shaft, its possible that Darth Maul could have made it too, since all of his vital organs etc.. were intact. Just more bad movie logic.

Torqumada

[Xen]

Or WI, as QUEEN OF AN ENTIRE PLANET, Amidala upon returning to Naboo hadn't been cheap beyond the ability of the human mind to grasp and ponied up to buy Anakin's mother's freedom?

Thats something I thought of too. Watto didnt take credits right? He was a junk dealer, so her planets money would do no good, and would be needed to rebuild. However, what attacked Naboo? A droid army, many droids and ships were destroyed I am sure Naboo could have spared a few parts to their destroyed ships and those parts of the droids to trade Watto for Shmi's freedom. Whats more, the Naboo could have put her up in some homestead around Theed and helped get her a job for an antique dealer or something. If all those people were killed, Im sure there were some who didnt have family to leave their homes too so there would be places for Shmi to live. Thus Anakin does not worry about his mother while trying to become a Jedi, she's safe on Naboo, free and out of danger.

[Xen]

I want to know why the lightsabers stop, if they are a laser what prevents them from shooting off into infinity?

basically they are frozen lasers. The original lightsabers the early Jedi used were blasters that would freeze when they reach a certain distance. Those ancient lightsabers were heavy and required a power cord and a power pack to use. With "modern" technology they figured out how to make them more compact.

[Flakktrooper]

The lightsaber system is somewhat explained in the Clone Wars mirco-series. They are powered by some specials crystals. The Jedi's protecting them on some ice world are attacked and Yoda has to bail them out.

[Xen]

Those Jedi werent the guardians of the crystals. The planet was supposed to be a secret, only the Jedi and a few trusted individuals in the Republic knew of the world. The secret was betrayed by Dooku.

I cant remember those two Jedi names, but they appeared in Episode II and fought at Geonosis.

[NapoleonXIV]

Maybe she couldn't afford Anakins's mother's slave price out of her allowance. How does a 14 year old girl get elected Queen of an entire planet anyway?

[ljofa]

She just did. Accept it.

[Thande]

AFAIK lightsabers work by projecting a sort of loops of energy that extends upwards from the projection crystal to a preset distance, then turns and feeds back into it (the two parts of the loop being so close together that they look like a single cylinder of light). Not sure how that's supposed to happen, though.

[MrP]

Science of Star Wars posits the theory that lightsabres may be plasma loops. Though it's unable to say quite why the plasma loop is in such a narrow form.

Qui Gon Jinn: Don't have t'film with me, so could somebody check if possible? Sure, being stabbed in the belly might not incapacitate. However, if the sabre perforates his spine, that's easily knock out his motor control of his lower limbs. Shock and pain could have effected him more quickly than he was effectively able to counter - leaving him literally in a state of shock, and incapable of further defending himself. We got any medics on here who could say how feasible this might be?

[MerryPrankster]

Maybe she couldn't afford Anakins's mother's slave price out of her allowance. How does a 14 year old girl get elected Queen of an entire planet anyway?

The back-story has Padme/Amidala as a child prodigy, only instead of piano or calculus it's politics.

Besides, I think that the previous administration was REALLY corrupt, so any alternative would have been better.

Besides, owing to different orbital lengths, she was probably a bit older than 14 Earth years.

[Glen]

Even so, they would have immediately been cauterized, so there wouldn't be any blood loss. We didn't get a big spray of blood when Anakin or Luke lose their hands due to the cauterisig effects. He still wouldn't have been dead immediately. He would have at least had time to leave the area and seek medical attention. People shot or stabbed in the abdomen do not die immediately, despite what Hollywood says. (think of all the scenes with people fighting over a gun, with the gun pressed against the stomachs, it fires and one drops dead. Doesn't happen that way) I have never had a pateint that has been shot or stabbed in the abdomen die on me. There aren't any destroy and you die now organs in the abdomen. There are some destroy and you die in a week or 2 organs there. Now if Qui-gon's head had been chopped off, or he took the lightsaber to the chest and it got the heart, THEN I could see him dropping to the ground dead. Heck, if he hadn't dropped down a power shaft, its possible that Darth Maul could have made it too, since all of his vital organs etc.. were intact. Just more bad movie logic.

Torqumada

Organs no, blood vessels, yes. A large puncture of the descending aorta will kill pretty rapidly. It may be 'cauterized', but this is a large bore vessel that will not be sealed by the heat. He could bleed out very very rapidly, and probably would crumple even earlier.

[NapoleonXIV]

The back-story has Padme/Amidala as a child prodigy, only instead of piano or calculus it's politics.

Besides, I think that the previous administration was REALLY corrupt, so any alternative would have been better.

Besides, owing to different orbital lengths, she was probably a bit older than 14 Earth years.

That's an odd concept. I've never heard of one on Earth

It's sort of like with writing, there simply are no real child prodigies because a child can't do it, even if they had the genius with language they would lack the experience necessary to apply the concept. Form without substance, information without understanding.

However, there are exceptions. Baudelaire and Raymond Radriquet both come to mind, but both of them quit writing, then either went crazy and suicided or ran off and died young. It seems the type of thing that burns one out

I wonder, could Lucas be saying that the same thing is happening here? It might explain Padme's attraction to this strange little bad boy who grows up so quick; as well as it's tragic consequences.

[ljofa]

This thread appeared before, we calculated that Amidala was 16 in Naboo years or 18 in Earth years at the time of the film. When elected she was 14 in Naboo years or 16 in Earth years. She began her "political" career at aged 8 volunteering with refugees and went on to the Administrative programme. She became a regional leader and was asked to be Queen when King Veruna was forced into exile.

[MerryPrankster]

That's an odd concept. I've never heard of one on Earth

It's sort of like with writing, there simply are no real child prodigies because a child can't do it, even if they had the genius with language they would lack the experience necessary to apply the concept. Form without substance, information without understanding.

However, there are exceptions. Baudelaire and Raymond Radriquet both come to mind, but both of them quit writing, then either went crazy and suicided or ran off and died young. It seems the type of thing that burns one out

I wonder, could Lucas be saying that the same thing is happening here? It might explain Padme's attraction to this strange little bad boy who grows up so quick; as well as it's tragic consequences.

That might work, although Padme seems to be more functional than these two folks you're describing. She does seem rather impulsive at times (the two heading for Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan on their own, for example), but I don't see any self-destructive tendencies.

On the matter of a child-prodigy-with-politics, in an earlier threat I was under the impression you suggested the concept.

[Midgard]

As far as the "child prodigy" thing, if we were to extrapolate that the Naboo was a viable society with thousands of years of its own traditions, and technology allowing to identify gifted individuals at an extremely young age - if one were to be "canon" on Star Wars, one can't help but remember Qui-Gon's comment on "were he born in the Republic, he would be identified at very young age" on Anakin - or something close to that... it is not impossible that the society would generally prefer to have younger elected leaders for a number of reasons.

One, the lack of real-life experience that comes with age could be seen as a boon because it also means less corruptibility, while the council of experienced older advisors could make up for the general common sense that would go with an older leader. Thus, there is a leader that is less likely to be corrupt.

Two, in a society where the concept of being a "maverick" is not necessarily seen as a dangerous challenge to status quo, but is instead looked at as a vital measure that propels such society forward, a leader who might be seen as having the "maverick" quality would be valued, and the quality would be encouraged. As such, this society might give preference to a leader who is effectively teenage and elect one due to the potential for more risky, but ultimately profitable actions... such actions would be checked first by the leader's intelligence (which is a given, considering this person ended up where they're at), and by the intricate system of checks and balances within the government itself.

This could actually constitute a non-Star Wars timeline where in ATL society the younger individuals are usually considered more capable to lead than older, resulting in a MAXIMUM age in which one can be elected to the offices... anyone wants to take a stab at it?

[NapoleonXIV]

That might work, although Padme seems to be more functional than these two folks you're describing. She does seem rather impulsive at times (the two heading for Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan on their own, for example), but I don't see any self-destructive tendencies.

On the matter of a child-prodigy-with-politics, in an earlier threat I was under the impression you suggested the concept.

Highlight for Spoiler

Well, the book ROTS at least implies that she effectively commits suicide at the end, 'choosing' to die in childbirth when she could be saved because Anakin goes over to the Dark Side; but shouldn't that just as easily strengthen her resolve to live and protect her children, or even win him back.



Also, she seems rather easily manipulated into calling for the no confidence vote which results in Palpatine becoming Chancellor.

I'm going to look and find out if I ever suggested the prodigy idea. It would be gratifying to think I could plot as well as Lucas.

Well OK, not that gratifying. As a writer, he's a great director :D

As for the idea that she's really 18 she certainly didn't look it. And doesn't that give a late teenager the hots for a 10 year old (no long years there, in PW, Anakin is just entering puberty), a 14 year old might be legitimate but at 18.....

Still, Luke had it bad for his sister in two whole movies till he found out. Hey, this is Outer Space

[Count Dearborn]

The Monarch of Naboo is an elected figurehead. She had very little secular power, but she was a rally point for her people. That is way the Trade Federation wanted to get control of her.

Perhaps Shmi asked not a be bought, or maybe Watto wanted an exorbinent price for her. It could also be that Old Man Lars bought her not long after Anakin left, and she was happy with him.

[Archangel Michael]

Also, she seems rather easily manipulated into calling for the no confidence vote which results in Palpatine becoming Chancellor.


She had probablly been manipulated by Palpatine's abilities in the Dark Side.

[Arch-Angel]

I've always wondered what would have happened if the droid didn't notice that Qui-Gon and Obi Wan were Jedi and the Trade Federation Vice-Roy had gone in.

[MerryPrankster]

She had probablly been manipulated by Palpatine's abilities in the Dark Side.

Her planet had been invaded and Valorum was plainly not going to do anything about it. She and her friends had barely escaped by the skin of her teeth.

I don't think the Dark Side was really involved.

[MerryPrankster]

Also, she seems rather easily manipulated into calling for the no confidence vote which results in Palpatine becoming Chancellor.

I'm going to look and find out if I ever suggested the prodigy idea. It would be gratifying to think I could plot as well as Lucas.

Well OK, not that gratifying. As a writer, he's a great director :D

As for the idea that she's really 18 she certainly didn't look it. And doesn't that give a late teenager the hots for a 10 year old (no long years there, in PW, Anakin is just entering puberty), a 14 year old might be legitimate but at 18.....

Still, Luke had it bad for his sister in two whole movies till he found out. Hey, this is Outer Space

I don't think she was interested in Anakin when he was 10--when he was 19-20 is a different matter. I think perhaps Anakin had a crush on her (the book implies that when he beat up an alien boy who claimed he cheated at the Podrace, he was angry b/c he might not see her again) though.

[Archangel Michael]

Her planet had been invaded and Valorum was plainly not going to do anything about it. She and her friends had barely escaped by the skin of her teeth.

I don't think the Dark Side was really involved.

The Dark Side wasn't involved? :confused: Wasn't it Sidious/Palpatine that was behind the entire Naboo invasion that effectivley marked the end of the Republic and the begging of the Empire?

[Constantinople]

Has anyone read the Star Wars stories set in the distant past? With the sith wars and such? WHats the deal? Plot, point, Earth?

[Hermanubis]

I've always wondered what would have happened if the droid didn't notice that Qui-Gon and Obi Wan were Jedi and the Trade Federation Vice-Roy had gone in.
Might be interesting…

[Korppi]

Has anyone read the Star Wars stories set in the distant past? With the sith wars and such? WHats the deal? Plot, point, Earth?
In what series of them?
I have Jedi vs. Sith, almost all of those Knights of the old republic comic albums and several others.
I used to buy them when I was younger.

[Karlos]

About the laser wound. If Qui Jon falls down with Maul's laser inside of him, the laser should have ripped him open, shouldn't it?
Another thing I've always thought about the series. How is it that in the original Star Wars episode V Obi Wan does not recognize the robot ( "I never had a R-D D2 unit", he says. Or Vader? -he BUILT C3po, both robots were at his wedding!

[Xen]

About the laser wound. If Qui Jon falls down with Maul's laser inside of him, the laser should have ripped him open, shouldn't it?

Maul ripped out of him and spun to glare at Kenobi

Another thing I've always thought about the series. How is it that in the original Star Wars episode V Obi Wan does not recognize the robot ( "I never had a R-D D2 unit", he says. Or Vader? -he BUILT C3po, both robots were at his wedding!

This is one of the things that has always bugged me. Ive heard people say this time and again and the answer is very obvious. R2-D2 was a standard R2 unit, the typical astromech droid of the day, coming in various paint schemes. R2-D2 was not the only droid with that kind of paint scheme, there were millions across the galaxy.

Same deal with C-3P0, he was the standard protocol droid, and his outter coverings apparently changed from the Clone Wars to the time Luke and old Ben left Tatooine for Alderaan. Like with R2-D2 there were millions across the galaxy. Im sure some even shared the same call numbers, just like I am not the only person who has the screen name Xen on the world wide web. So its really no surprise that Kenobi and Vader did not recognize the droids, even if Vader would have recognized Threepio, would he have cared? The man cut his own sons hand off, I dont think he was nostalgic kind of guy.

[Karlos]

Obi Wan had a strong relationship with R-2, and the robots not only look but they also talk. C3PO should have said Master! at the first sight of Obi Wan.
Besides, Luke's aunt and uncle also know the robots and in spite of that they BUY them years later without saying anything.
Another thing: why is it that people land always in the exact place when they go to a planet? In epsiode IV the jedis land exactly where Anakin lives, in Episode VI the robots go to the same place in a little emergency shuttle... are planets so little in this universe?

[Korppi]

Another thing: why is it that people land always in the exact place when they go to a planet? In epsiode IV the jedis land exactly where Anakin lives, in Episode VI the robots go to the same place in a little emergency shuttle... are planets so little in this universe?
Because they can land where they like:)
(Wrong episodes??)
There was good musing(is this the right word?? thinking/writing/rationalizing) about droids:
http://www.theforce.net/swtc/preq/tpmcont.html#droids

[MerryPrankster]

The Dark Side wasn't involved? :confused: Wasn't it Sidious/Palpatine that was behind the entire Naboo invasion that effectivley marked the end of the Republic and the begging of the Empire?

I meant that I don't think Palpatine was using Sith mind tricks on her.

[Othniel]

Obi Wan had a strong relationship with R-2, and the robots not only look but they also talk. C3PO should have said Master! at the first sight of Obi Wan.
Memory swipes. They don't remeber anything before that besides basic programing.

[Beowulf2005]

As far as the "child prodigy" thing, if we were to extrapolate that the Naboo was a viable society with thousands of years of its own traditions, and technology allowing to identify gifted individuals at an extremely young age - if one were to be "canon" on Star Wars, one can't help but remember Qui-Gon's comment on "were he born in the Republic, he would be identified at very young age" on Anakin - or something close to that... it is not impossible that the society would generally prefer to have younger elected leaders for a number of reasons.

One, the lack of real-life experience that comes with age could be seen as a boon because it also means less corruptibility, while the council of experienced older advisors could make up for the general common sense that would go with an older leader. Thus, there is a leader that is less likely to be corrupt.

Two, in a society where the concept of being a "maverick" is not necessarily seen as a dangerous challenge to status quo, but is instead looked at as a vital measure that propels such society forward, a leader who might be seen as having the "maverick" quality would be valued, and the quality would be encouraged. As such, this society might give preference to a leader who is effectively teenage and elect one due to the potential for more risky, but ultimately profitable actions... such actions would be checked first by the leader's intelligence (which is a given, considering this person ended up where they're at), and by the intricate system of checks and balances within the government itself.

This could actually constitute a non-Star Wars timeline where in ATL society the younger individuals are usually considered more capable to lead than older, resulting in a MAXIMUM age in which one can be elected to the offices... anyone wants to take a stab at it?

Sounds like a "Sliders" episode I saw once.

[Midgard]

Sounds like a "Sliders" episode I saw once.

Out of curiosity, could you describe that one a bit (the episode, that is)? I've heard about that show, but never saw any episodes... it might have gone off the air before I knew anything about it. Wonder if that was covered well at all...

[Beowulf2005]

Out of curiosity, could you describe that one a bit (the episode, that is)? I've heard about that show, but never saw any episodes... it might have gone off the air before I knew anything about it. Wonder if that was covered well at all...
:shrug: I don't remember all that much about it.

[MerryPrankster]

Same deal with C-3P0, he was the standard protocol droid, and his outter coverings apparently changed from the Clone Wars to the time Luke and old Ben left Tatooine for Alderaan. Like with R2-D2 there were millions across the galaxy. Im sure some even shared the same call numbers, just like I am not the only person who has the screen name Xen on the world wide web. So its really no surprise that Kenobi and Vader did not recognize the droids, even if Vader would have recognized Threepio, would he have cared? The man cut his own sons hand off, I dont think he was nostalgic kind of guy.

I read a Dark Horse comic showing Vader coming across the disassembled C-3P0 on Cloud City before Luke arrives. He's very surprised, and ends ups holding C-3P0's unattached head against his own mask. When the Uighurs (or whatever the midget aliens who work on Cloud City ask if he wants the droid destroyed, he won't allow it.

[Othniel]

Out of curiosity, could you describe that one a bit (the episode, that is)? I've heard about that show, but never saw any episodes... it might have gone off the air before I knew anything about it. Wonder if that was covered well at all...
http://www.sliders.net/episodes/episodeguide.html