Star Wars in a nutshell...

[Agoln]

Hello everyone, I am pretty new to Star Wars, and Star Wars gallaxies. Is there anyone that could give me a short summary of Star Wars? I know a little, but just, a nutshell so i'll know a bit more...

[Janel Kast]

I know tons about star wars, so much that it throws me into the official "Nerd" category. I've read most of the books that take place before Han and Leia's kids were born. I've also seen the movies way too many times. I'm not a great expert on the time during the Old Republic, but I know a little. So if anybody has any questions, fire away.

-Janel-

[Droider]

Hmmm, Star Wars in a nutshell, that's a tough one. But I'll give it a go. This will not include any of the Expanded Universe stuff, only the 5 movies (which I watched last weekend). Disclaimer: I am not responsible for the (mis)spelling of any names or places.

The first movie (The Phantom Menace, released 4th), starts with two Jedi, Qui-gon and Obi-wan, attempting to negotiate with the Trade Federation, who is blockading the planet of Naboo. When they are attacked, they realize it's really an invasion, so they make their way down to the planet to warn Queen Amidala. They make a quick escape, trying to get back to the senate, but their ship is disabled. So they land on Tatooine, but have nothing but Imperial credits for money.... no good there. They try to use their force powers to convince the only starship parts seller that credits will do, but he is unaffected. Then they meet Anakin Skywalker, the shopkeeper's slave. The force is very strong with Anakin, and the Jedi follow him home to get out of a sand storm. They learn he is building a pod for the races, and enter him in the race, gambling that for the parts.... if he loses, they lose their ship. Qui-gon ends up negotiating for the release of Anakin before the race, Anakin wins, and Qui-gon takes Anakin with him to Corruscant. (They barely escape a meeting with a Sith on the way out). In Coruscant they confront the senate, find that getting any help from the senate against the Trade Federation is futile, and head back to Naboo to save what's left of their city. They call on the help of the Gungans (barely sentient floppy-eared humanoids), and with their "help" are able to hold off the droid army. Meanwhile, a small force is sent into the capital, some take fighters out to the droid control ship and destroy it, while others go for the Viceroy of the Trade Federation. Qui-gon and Obi-wan meet up with the Sith Lord again. It kills Qui-gon, and Obi-wan kills the Sith Lord. Qui-gon's parting words to Obi-wan instruct him to take Anakin as his Padawan learner. The other Rebels capture the Viceroy, and Naboo is saved. End of Movie 1.

Next movie, Attack of the Clones. Back in Coruscant, Obi-wan and grown up Anakin are charged with protecting (now) Senator Amidala. They attempt to blow up her ship, only killing her decoy. Then they send some poisonous bugs into her room to try to get under R2-D2's watchful eye, but the force alerts the Jedi waiting outside, and they rush in and swat them off. Anakin then takes Senator Amidala back to Naboo (they're in love), while Obi-wan tries to track down the senator's attacker. Anakin is overcome with a feeling that his mother is in pain and suffering, and goes back to Tatooine to rescue her, but finds her in a Sand Creature (can't think of their real name) cave, she dies in his arms, and he kills the Sand Creatures in cold-blooded rage (with Darth Vader's theme playing in the background). Obi-wan, in his search for the person trying to kill the senator, finds that an unknown Jedi has ordered an army of clones from a far away planet. He then tracks down this unknown Jedi to a dark and desolate planet where this Dark Jedi is found conspiring with the Emperor to create a huge army of droids (and presumably clones as well later on) to rule the galaxy. He sends a message back to Coruscant, by way of Anakin, to inform them. Senator Amidala convinces Anakin to go help him, and they eventually all three get captured. They're going to be executed in a big arena gladiator-style by some huge beasts of prey, but with a little use of the force, and some plain old tail-wipping, they manage to control all the creatures. Then the droids come after them, and just as it seems hopeless, the Jedi Council comes to rescue them, bringing along with them the army of clones. They destroy the droid army, but the Dark Jedi gets away (after hacking off both Anakin and Obi-wan's arms, and pulling some cheap tricks to get away from the somersaulting, light-saber weilding, 3 foot tall Yoda -- ya gotta watch the movie just for that scene, it's hysterical).

Skip the 3rd movie, it's not out yet.

Now we're in the 4th movie, the first of the original trilogy. We see that Anakin Skywalker has gone over to the dark side of the force, and is now known as Darth Vader. They are building the Death Star, a round, moon-sized space station with a primary weapon capable of destroying an entire planet. Princess Leia is captured trying to get plans of the battle station back to the Rebels, but sends some droids down to the planet in an escape pod. The droids meet up with Luke Skywalker, and they eventually deliver their message Obi-wan. Luke, Obi-wan, and the droids charter a flight to the Rebel outpost at Endor (I beleive) with Han Solo. On their way out, they are caught in the tractor beam of a Star destroyer, find out Leia is on the ship, and end up rescuing her. Obi-wan disables the tractor beam, then fights Darth Vader, but is killed. Rebel group flies out with Han, and heads for Endor with the plans of the Death Star. The plans are analyzed, and a weakness is found: a small shaft leading from the surface down to the reactor. If you could drop a bomb down the shaft, it would blow the whole thing up, but the bombing computers aren't that accurate. Han plans to just take his money and leave, but ends up covering for Luke as he makes the run for the shaft, Luke uses the force to drop the bomb, and the Death Star is destroyed. Luke and Han are both given medals for their service to the Rebels.

Next movie... number 5 (The Empire Strikes Back)... almost done. Rebel force is on the Ice Planet of Hoth. Empire sends scouting droids, finds them, and attacks them, but the Rebel force holds out long enough to get some transports to hyperspace and head for a new base. Luke, on the other hand, head for Degeba to get trained by Yoda. He half-finishes his training, when he foresees the Han and Leia in trouble. So he leaves prematurely (when he has knowledge of the force, but isn't good at controlling it yet) to rescue them. Han and Leia basically end up getting saved anyway by the owner of the mining city in the clouds (can't remember his name either), but Luke faces Darth Vader. He almost gets killed a couple of times, but eventually runs away, uses the force to contact Leia, who flies under him as he hangs off the bottom side of the City in the Clouds.

Movie 6 - return of the Jedi. Luke returns to Degeba to complete his training. Yoda tells him that he must kill Darth Vader to complete his training, that Darth Vader is his father, and Leia is his sister, then Yoda dies (he's 900 years old). The Empire is building another Death Star, even more powerful than the first, but the Rebels have already obtained the plans for it. It is guarded by a shield generator on the planet below. Han leads a team, with Luke, Leia, and some other Rebels, to take out the shield generator on the ground. They end up walking into a trap, but the Ewoks save the day with their primitive, yet effective combat. The guy from the city in the clouds leads the flight team to take out the new Death Star, realizes that the shields aren't down yet, but waits a while under heavy fire. Eventually Han gets the sheilds down, and they take Han's ship into the bowels of the Death Star to take out the reactor, and make it back out just before the whole thing explodes. While this was happening, Luke had separated from the ground crew to confront Darth Vader (his father) who was there. Vader had taken him back up to the Death Star to meet the Emperor and try to convert him to the Dark Side, all while Luke was trying to talk his father into defecting back to the.... ummmm.... Light Side? Good Side? I dunno. His side anyway. Either way, Darth refuses, takes Luke to the Emperor, and when the Emperor realizes the futility of trying to convert him, he uses his Dark Side powers to fry Luke with lightning shot out of his fingertips. (After Luke had cut off Vader's hand but refused to kill him). At the last minute, Vader, or should we say Anakin Skywalker, moved with compassion for his tormented son, picks up the Emperor and throws him in a big hole to his death, all the while being shocked by the force lightning. Anakin is in lots of pain, it's clear he's almost dead, but Luke drags him back to the ship. Luke takes off his father's helmet so Anakin can see him with his own eyes one last time, and Anakin dies. Luke makes it out of the Death Star just seconds before it is engulfed in flames. So the last movie ends with all the major forces of evil vanquished and a Master Jedi still in place... who knows what they'll do with the 3 sequels that are supposed to come... eventually.

I highly recommend you rent the movies. You could watch 2 every night and have something to do until release date

The game is set in the time between the 4th and 5th movies.

David

P.S. Anyone, please feel free to correct me or fill in the missing names or places or any major plot elements I left out. I'm by no means an expert.

[Shadow]

it looks rather good droider
and you're first guess was right its "light side"

just my 2 cents

[Agoln]

I have seen the movies, but all of the inforamtion that I had about star wars was all jumbled up. I am going to rent the movies, at least the 4th and 5th one (i've already seen the first two several times), and watch them before i play. Thank you very much for this information ;D