The fifth film -- and the second prequel -- in director George Lucas' historic Star Wars series, Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones begins ten years following the events in Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace. Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), former queen of the planet Naboo, arrives on the capital planet of Coruscant and narrowly escapes an assassination attempt that would have prevented her from calling a senatorial vote to grant Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) emergency head-of-state powers. This extreme action would have been in response to the alarming number of planets that have seceded from the Republic and formed a threatening opposition alliance. The Jedi Council places Amidala under the guard of Obi-wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his young apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), which paves the way for Kenobi and Skywalker to learn more about the assassination plot on Amidala's life after a second attempt is made. After reporting their preliminary findings to the Jedi Council, Skywalker and Kenobi are split up by the council -- with young Anakin accompanying Amidala back to Naboo. Meanwhile, Obi-wan starts following the clues from the second assassination attempt and finds himself traveling to the mysterious planet of Camino. Back on Naboo, Anakin and Amidala's fondness for each other begins to blossom into love, which is strictly forbidden by Jedi code and causes a great deal of angst for the politician and the Jedi apprentice. Furthermore, Anakin's recurring nightmares about his mother, Shmi (Pernilla August), whom he hasn't seen in ten years, force the young Jedi to make the tough decision to return to Tatooine in order to search for her. This decision proves to be pivotal as Anakin discovers his fears to be warranted, which prompts the young and reckless Jedi apprentice to react in a manner very unbecoming of a Jedi. In the meantime, Obi-wan makes a shocking discovery on Camino, which leads him to the nearby planet Geonosis and forces him to send word of his findings back to the Jedi Council. Amidala and Anakin intercept the message, retransmit it to the Jedi Council, and set off for Geonosis to assist Kenobi. As the three are reunited and imprisoned by a former Jedi, the evil Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), the Jedi Council -- led by Jedi Masters Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) -- is forced to intervene and thus puts into motion cataclysmic changes for the Republic and its adversaries.