Heroes are made by the times.
Padmé travels to Rodia on a diplomatic mission, invited by Senator Onaconda Farr, an old family friend, and accompanied by C-3PO and Jar Jar. Once there, however, she discovers that Farr has accepted an offer from the Separatists for food, contingent on one thing: her being surrendered to her old enemy Viceroy Nute Gunray of the Trade Federation.
Tropes:
- Bavarian Fire Drill: C-3PO of all characters manages to pull this off while attempting to get access to a control room guarded by two battle droids, telling them that the "Jedi" was seen elsewhere and making them run off.
- The Beastmaster: Jar Jar manages to befriend a jungle monster called a kwazel maw, persuading it to attack Gunray's battle droids.
- Blatant Lies: Upon finding a Jedi robe in the closet on Padmé's ship:Jar Jar: Whosa do you supposin thisa belonging to?
C-3PO: I wouldn't... um... know. - Call-Back: Gunray wants revenge on Padmé after she bested him back in The Phantom Menace.
- Call-Forward: Threepio ends up fooling a couple of battle droids into believing one of his allies went in a different direction than in the area he's in, much like he would later do in A New Hope.
- Catchphrase Interruptus:C-3PO: I am a protocol droid, fluent in over six million forms ofโ
Battle Droid: Quiet! - Coincidental Accidental Disguise: Jar Jar finds one of Anakin's Jedi robes in the closet on the now-wrecked ship and decides to wear it as a disguise. The Separatists see him wearing it and immediately assume he's a Jedi.
- Domed Hometown: All the cities on Rodia are located under domes.
- Damsel out of Distress: Padmé rescues herself after being locked in a prison tower because she has a lockpicking device in her boot and proceeds to fool the battle droids into thinking the "Jedi" running around has broken in to release her.
- Dramatic Irony: Gunray obviously isn't going to stay captured for long since he's with the Separatists in Revenge of the Sith. This is actually addressed by the Viceroy himself, who warns Padmé that her "victory will be fleeting".
- Friend to All Living Things: Jar-Jar manages to befriend the gigantic aquatic carnivore and use it to destroy the Separatist forces.
- Girl in the Tower: Padmé is briefly imprisoned in a detention tower.
- Glowing Flora: Rodia is shown to have large creeping vines with glowing round growths which are planted along tall buildings and walls in public places.
- Improvised Weapon: After accidentally activating an electromagnet in the hangar, Jar Jar maneuvres it into attacking battle droids.
- Male Gaze: As a result of wearing a very form-fitting white combat suit, Padmé gets subjected to camera shots that presented her nicely toned body, large breasts, and shapely buttocks.
- Mistaken for Badass: Jar Jar Binks is mistaken for a Jedi in a Separatist-occupied city because he slipped which led to him dodging an attack and he was wearing a cloak. The guards were not too bright. Hilarity (and heroism) ensues. Once he realizes that they think he's a Jedi he decides to run with it, using some improvised acting and a local monster he'd befriended earlier to keep up the ruse.
- Moving the Goalposts: As Senator Farr discovers to his horror, Gunray's promises of food shipments are primarily contingent on having Padmé in his custody, and even afterwards, the request will be placed under consideration.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Ono, seeing that Gunray not only wants Padmé as a prisoner of war but wants her executed as soon as possible, realizes that he has in fact made a grave mistake.
- Not Helping Your Case: Palpatine tells Padmé she should have brought a clone escort. Jar Jar decides to reassure the Chancellor that Padmé has nothing to worry about, only to trip over Threepio's leg and hit a button that causes the ship to briefly go out of control.
- Produce Pelting: Jar Jar's attempt to communicate with the Rodian swamp life results in several fruits being hurled at him and C-3PO.C-3PO: I don't think that requires translation.
- Regretful Traitor: Ono sells out to the Separatists for promises that they will help famine stricken people.
- Revenge: Gunray really, really wants Padmé dead because of what happened on Naboo all those years ago.
- Running Gag: C-3PO says "I have a very bad feeling about this" in reaction to Jar Jar's vague rescue plans.
- Shout-Out: As noted on the DVD featurettes, Padmé is locked up in a tower and Jar Jar tries to rescue her, à la Rapunzel.
- Sure, Let's Go with That: Padmé claims to Gunray that Ono never intended to leave the Republic and that the entire episode was a plan to capture the Viceroy. Ono, having seen what the Separatists' ways are like and having come to regret the brief alliance, goes along with this immediately.
