The Trade Federation has stopped all shipping to and from the small planet of Naboo. Two Jedi have been dispatched at the request of Supreme Chancellor Valorum to help negotiate the matter. This section deals with some of the shots and scenes deleted and/or altered from the opening of The Phantom Menace.
PK-4 AND EG-9
In some original drafts of the script, while protocol droid TC-14 (originally named TC-3) is waiting to greet the Jedi Ambassadors at the beginning of the film, there are two other droids standing in the hallway watching from a distance. Their names are PK-4 and EG-9 and they have a humorous discussion about the robed guests.
Here is the scene as it reads in the Episode I Illustrated Screenplay:
INT. FEDERATION BATTLESHIP – DOCKING BAY – SPACE
A PROTOCOL DROID, TC-14, waits at the door to the docking bay. Two WORKER DROIDS, PK-4 and EG-9 watch.PK-4
They must be important if the Viceroy
sent one of those useless protocol
gearheads to greet them.The door opens and the Republic cruiser can be seen in the docking bay. Two darkly robed figures are greeted by TC-14.
TC-14
I’m TC-14 at your service.
This way please.They move off down the hallway.
EG-9
A Republic cruiser!
That’s trouble…don’t you think?PK-4
I’m not made to think
The PK-4 droid, according to the Episode I Insider’s Guide CD-ROM, was eventually revamped and cloned. The clones were used as background droids for many scenes in the film including the scene on the Federation Ship where Nute Gunray “forgets” to tell Darth Sidious about the missing Jedi. You can also spot them on the Naboo battlefield cleaning up battered and disabled Battle Droids.
As a side note, the droids’ names were once reversed.
PYLAT BIRDS
According to the Episode I Illustrated Screenplay, when the Jedi Ambassadors, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, are led into the Trade Federation Conference Room at the beginning of the film, there are some exotic bird-like creatures singing in a cage near the door. When the Jedi notice the room is filling up with deadly gas, the bird-like creatures drop dead in their cage as a visual indicator that danger is literally in the air. We never get to see these bird-like creatures in the film.
Dr. David West Reynolds was given the task of writing the Episode I Visual Dictionary. In that book, he was allowed to be creative with many Episode I items. It was Reynolds who named the birds “Pylat Birds.”
I received an e-mail one day from a woman named Laura Edwards who told me that she became good friends with Dr. Reynolds when he was her T.A. for an archaeology class at the University of Michigan. Reynolds named the birds after her, but this was before she was married. Her maiden name is Laura Pylat.
OWO-1
Before the Jedi come out of the gas-filled room and wreak havoc, TC-14 stumbles out with her tray of drinks.
In an original draft of the script, and according to the Episode I Illustrated Screenplay, a battle droid named OWO-1 reports to Rune Haako after TC-14 is clear and the Jedi begin to attack.
He starts saying, “…not exactly sure what…” but is cut off and sliced in half. Then we cut to Nute and Rune on the bridge who close the blast doors.
DESTROYER DROID STANDOFF
When the Destroyer Droids find Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan exclaims, “Master! Destroyers!” and they decide to take off.
This scene is a little different in the Episode I Illustrated Screenplay. In fact, one of the Destroyers (there were originally ten and they were called Wheel Droids) actually speaks. Also, it’s Qui-Gon, not Obi-Wan, who exclaims, “Destroyer Droids!”
Here is the scene as it reads in the Episode I Illustrated Screenplay:
INT. FEDERATION BATTLESHIP – HALLWAY – OUTSIDE BRIDGE
Ten ugly destroyer WHEEL DROIDS roll down the hallway at full speed. Just before they get to the bridge area, they stop and transform into their battle configuration. Qui-Gon can’t see them but senses their presence.Qui-Gon
Destroyer Droids!Obi-Wan
Offhand, I’d say this mission
is past the negotiation stage.The WHEEL DROIDS, led by P-59, rush the entry area from three hallways, blasting away with their laser guns. They stop firing and stand in a semi-circle as the smoke clears. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are nowhere to be seen.
P-59
Switch to bio…
There they are!The Jedi materialize at the far end of the hallway and dash through a doorway that slams shut. The WHEEL DROIDS blast away at the two Jedi with their laser swords.
Obi-Wan
They have shield generators!Qui-Gon
It’s a standoff! Let’s go!
TC-14
In the finished film, we only see the droid TC-14 at the beginning on the Federation Ship with the Neimoidians, but according to the Episode I Insider’s Guide CD-ROM, she shows up at least one more time later on, when Nute is in his chair taunting Sio Bibble.
Here’s an excerpt, and remember that in the film she is named TC-14 but in the original drafts, he was called TC-3:
The silver protocol droid from the beginning of the film reappears [again] in the revised rough draft. The droid is known as TC-3, and he arrives to tell Gunray that he will find an “urgent communique” in his quarters. The communication is a message from Darth Sidious, who tells Nute that the Queen is on her way to Coruscant.
BEGIN LANDING YOUR TROOPS
The invasion of Naboo is prompted by Darth Sidious when he commands the Neimoidians to begin landing their troops. According to the Episode I Insider’s Guide CD-ROM, there was originally a little more justification to this invasion as per the revised rough draft. Nute Gunray tries to convince Queen Amidala that a “Liberation Group” has erected on Naboo and is offering Federation help by landing troops on the planet. Here is the excerpt:
In order to justify the Trade Federation invasion in the revised rough draft, Nute Gunray tells Amidala that the Neimoidians are “reviewing a request for aid from a liberation group within your governing council.” According to Gunray, the “liberation group” is upset because Queen Amidala’s unwillingness to resolve the blockade through an agreement or treaty with the Neimoidians has resulted in “chaos and starvation” for her people. This group has also allegedly asked that the Trade Federation “send in troops to help quell the unrest.” Amidala does not believe Gunray’s claims and knows that he is simply making excuses for the planned invasion. Later, Darth Sidious reveals that he has delayed the “vote on the Federation’s blockade…while the Senate debates the plea from Naboo for help in putting down the riots.”