Qui-Gon, Padme, Jar Jar, and R2 move out into the street. Jar Jar is walking behind the others. They walk by an outdoor cafe filled with a rough gang of aliens, one of which is especially ugly, Sebulba, a spider-like creature. Jar Jar stops for a moment in front of a stall selling dead frogs hanging on a wire. He looks around to see if anyone is looking, then sticks out his tongue, and gets hold of one, pulling it into his mouth. Unfortunately, the frog is tied tightly to the wire. The vendor suddenly appears. The vendor, tells the hungry Jar Jar “Hey, that will be seven truguts!!“
Jar Jar opens his mouth in surprise, and the frog snaps away, ricochets around the market, and lands in Sebulba's soup, splashing him. As Jar Jar moves away from the vendor, Sebulba jumps up on the table and grabs the hapless Gungan. Sebulba, “Chuba!! (You!!)”
Jar Jar, “Who, mesa??”
Sebulba, “Ni chuba na?? (Is this yours??)”
Sebulba holds the frog up to the Gungan threateningly. several other creatures start to gather. Sebulba shoves Jar Jar to the ground. The Gungan desperately tries to scramble to safety. Jar Jar, “Why mesa always da one??”
Anakin walks over, “Because you're afraid.”
Jar Jar turns to see Anakin pushing his way next to him. The boy stands up to Sebulba in a very self-assured way. Anakin, “Chess ko, Sebulba...Coo wolpa tooney rana. (Careful, Sebulba...This one's very connected.)”
Sebulba stops his assault on Jar Jar and turns to Anakin. Sebulba, “Tooney rana nu pratta dunko, shag. (Connected?? Whada you mean, slave?)”
Anakin, “Oh da Hutt...cha porko ootman geesa...me teesa rodda co pana pee choppa chawa. (As in Hutt...big time outlander, this one... I'd hate to see you diced before we race again.)”
Sebulba, “Neek me chowa, wermo, mo killee ma klounkee (Next time we race, wermo, it will be the end of you!) Una noto wo shag, me wompity du pom pom. (If you weren't a slave, I'd squash you right now.)”
Sebulba turns away. Anakin. “Eh, chee bana do mullee ra. (Yeah, it'd be a pity if you had to pay for me.)”
Qui-Gon, Padme and R2 arrive at the scene. Anakin greets them saying, “Hi! Your buddy here was about to be turned into orange goo. He picked a fight with a Dug. An especially dangerous Dug called Sebulba.”
Jar Jar says, “Nosir, nosir. Mesa hate crunchen. Dat's da last ting mesa wanten.”
Qui-Gon sighs, agreeing with the young slave boy, “Nevertheless, the boy is right...you were heading for trouble. Thank you, my young friend.”
Padme looks at Anakin and smiles; he smiles back. They start walking down the crowded street. Jar Jar continues, “Mesa doen nutten!”
Anakin, “Fear attracts the fearful. He was trying to overcome his fear by squashing you be less afraid.”
Padme asks, “And that works for you?”
Anakin smiles a mischievously a smile, that he picked up from his older cousin, “To a point.”
Anakin and the group stop at a fruit stand run by a jolly, but very poor, old lady named Jira. Anakin, “How are you feeling today, Jira?”
Jira, “The heat's never been kind to me, you know, Annie!”
Anakin, “ Guess what? I've found that cooling unit I've been searching for. It's pretty beat up, but I'll have it fixed up for you in no time, I promise.”
Jira, “You're a fine boy, Annie. Where’s Percy?”
Anakin replies, “I think he is serving Gabe and his friends tonight. If he doesn’t help his mom they both get punished. Anyway, I'll take four pallies today. You'll like these.” Anakin reaches in his pocket and comes up with three coins. He drops one.
Qui-Gon picks it up, revealing for a moment, his lightsaber. Anakin notices but keeps it quiet exclaims, “Whoops, I thought I had more...Make that three, I'm not hungry.“
The wind picks up suddenly and shop owners are starting to close up their shops as Jira gives them their pallies. Jira, “Gracious, my bones are aching," she looks out towards the distant desert plains,"storm's coming on, Annie. You'd better get home quick.“
Nodding Anakin turns to Qui-Gon and wonders, “Do you have shelter?”
Qui-Gon simply replies, “We'll head back to our ship.”
Anakin asks, “Is it far?”
Padme replies, “On the outskirts.”
Anakin frowns and tells the small group of outsiders, “You'll never reach the outskirts in time sandstorms are very, very dangerous. Come with me. Hurry!”
The group follows Anakin as he rushes down the windy street. The wind is blowing hard as Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, and Padme follow Anakin down the street and into a slave hovel. Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, R2, and Padme enter a small living space. Anakin calls out to his mother, “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 surprised exclaims, “Oh, my!! Annie, what's this?”
Anakin excitedly states leading the group into the living room of the desert hovel, “These are my friends, Mom. This is Padme, and,” he pauses looking at Jar Jar and Qui-Gon, “gee, I don't know any of your names.”
Qui-Gon smiles and introduces himself and the Gungan, “I'm Qui-Gon Jinn, and this is Jar Jar Binks." R2 lets out a little beep. Padme interrupts and finishes, "and our droid, R2-D2"
Anakin smile grows bigger as he exclaims, "I'm building a droid. You wanna see?"
Shmi turns to her son and asks, "Anakin! Why are they here?"
Anakin stands still and stares sheepishly at his mother, "A sandstorm, Mom. Listen."
The wind begins to howl outside. Qui-Gon steps in and tells Shmi, "Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter."
Anakin nods excitedly and beckens Padem with him, "Come on! Let me show you 3PO!" Anakin leads Padme into the other room. R2 follows, beeping all the way. Qui-Gon takes five small capsules from his utility belt and hands them to Shmi.
Qui-Gon tells Shmi with a small smile, "I have enough food for a meal."
Shmi gives a small smile of her own and shakes her head but takes the items anyway, "Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. I'm sorry if I was abrupt. I'll never get used to Anakin's surprises."
Qui-Gon smiles grows in mention of Anakin, "He's a very special boy." Shmi looks at him as if he's discovered a secret, "Yes, I know."
Anakin shows off his droid, 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 smiles, "He's wonderful!"
Anakin, "You really 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.
The droid speaks, "How do you do, I am C-3PO, Human Cyborg Relations. How might I serve you?"
Padme tells the young boy, "He's perfect." Anakin nods and then tells the disguised Queen, "When the storm is over, you can see my racer. I'm building a Podracer!"
Padme smiles at his enthusiasm. R2 lets out a flurry of beeps and whistles. 3PO, "I beg your pardon? What do you mean I'm naked?" 3PO looks around at himself and gasps, "My parts are showing? Oh, my goodness. How embarrassing!"
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 sighs tells her, "It's a trick. Send no reply. Send no transmission of any kind." Qui-Gon listens to his comlink. Obi-Wan is in the cockpit.
Obi-Wan tells his master, "The Queen is upset, but absolutely no reply was sent."
Qui-Gon tells his young apprentice, "It sounds like bait to establish a connection trace."
Obi-Wan replies, "What if it is true and the people are dying?"
Qui-Gon : Either way, we're running out of time.
On a ship in space, 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.
The giant sandstorm engulfs the town, including the Naboo spaceship on the outskirts of the city center, where Gabe and Watto's shop is; and the slave quarters, where drifts of sand begin building up against Anakin's house. 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 tells the newcomers, "All slaves have transmitters placed inside their bodies somewhere."
Anakin speaks up, "I've been working on a scanner to try and locate them, but no luck."
Shmi continues saying, "Any attempt to escape..." Anakin once again interrupts his mother, "...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 tells the young woman, "The Republic doesn't exist out here, we must survive on our own." An awkward silence falls on the group Anakin attempts to end the embarrassment.
Anakin happily exclaims, "Have you ever seen a Podrace?" Padme shakes her head no. She notices the concern of Shmi. 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.
Qui-Gon mentions, "They have Podracing on Malastare. Very fast, very dangerous."
Anakin proudly states, "I'm the only human who can do it. We also have an arena for fighting. Percy has been the reigning champion for two years. Gabe makes him fight for the money."
Shmi looks askance at her son. Anakin, "Mom, what? I'm not bragging. It's true. Watto says he's never heard of a human doing it. And Percy says that he is forced to do so Gabe won't beat up Aunt Sally."
As soon as Anakin says it he covers his mouth knowing that what he just told the group was supposed to be a secret. Shmi, Qui-Gon and Padme look at the young boy surprisingly. Qui-Gon decides to change the subject back to Anakin, "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 sternly tells the silly Gungan, "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 fumbles with his hands and asks the Jedi Master in disguise, "I...I was wondering...something…" Qui-Gon beckons for the boy to continue, "What?"
Anakin continues, "Well, ahhh...you're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?"
Qui-Gon, "What makes you think that?"
Anakin tells him, "I saw your laser sword. Only Jedi carry that kind of weapon."
Qui-Gon leans back and slowly smiles. Qui-Gon goes on stating, "Perhaps I killed a Jedi and stole it from him."
Anakin shakes his head, "I don't think so. No one can kill a Jedi Knight."
Qui-Gon sighs, "I wish that were so."
Anakin continues, "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 tells the young slave, "No, I'm afraid not."
Anakin pleads, "I think you have, why else would you be here?"
Qui-Gon thinks for a moment, "I can see there's no fooling you," he 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 nods but replies, "Coruscant wow how did you end up here in the outer rim?" Padme pips up, "Our ship was damaged, and we're stranded here until we can repair it."
Anakin smiles, "I can help! I can fix anything!"
Qui-Gon chuckles and tells Anakin, "I believe you can, but our first job is to acquire the parts we need."
Jar Jar crazily adds, "Wit no-nutten mula to trade."
Padme stiffens and asks the small family, "These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind." Shmi tells her, "Gambling. Everything here revolves around betting on those awful races."
Qui-Gon nods, "Podracing, greed can be a powerful ally.. if it's used properly."
Anakin excitedly tells them, "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 shakes her head telling her son, "Anakin, settle down. Watto won't let you…" "Watto doesn't know I've built it, "he turns again 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. "I don't want you to race, Annie...It's awful. I die everytime Watto makes you do it."
"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."
The Jedi Master turns to the disheartened mother, "Your mother's right. Is there anyone friendly to the Republic who might be able to help us?" Shmi shakes her head no. "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 stops her, "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." "Is that a yes? That is a yes! The storm continues to rage outside the slave hovel."