INT. BATTLEMOON/SGW-0027’S OFFICE
Sigeu is at her desk, busy going over paperwork, when her door BUZZES.
SGW-0027: Enter.
The door slides open and UIY – that is, UIY-2140 – steps inside.
SGW-0027: What may I do for you, Commander?
UIY-2140: Atha Prime, Admiral. He seeks an audience with you.
SGW-0027: Atha Prime alone?
UIY-2140: Indeed.
SGW-0027: Inform him I shall be there presently.
UIY-2149: (nods) As you like.
INT. BATTLEMOON/HOLOPROJECTION CHAMBER
Sigeu stands at the centre of the chamber as the larger than life hologram of Atha Prime comes to life before her. Clad in his customary robes of iridescent shimmersilk, he looks down upon her with hard eyes.
ATHA PRIME: Officer SGW-0027.
SGW-0027: Lord.
ATHA PRIME: It is time, Admiral. Ready your forces; the invasion commences in nine days.
INT. SLIPSTREAM/ANAKIN’S QUARTERS
Anakin is seated upon the floor. Cross-legged, eyes closed, he is in deep meditation.
There is a RAP, RAP, RAP at the door.
ANAKIN: Enter.
The door opens and Dahlia enters.
DAHLIA: We are two minutes away from the Horuset system.
Opening his eyes, Anakin rises to his full height. Dahlia’s yellow eyes intent upon him, he leaves the quarters.
INT. SLIPSTREAM/COCKPIT
Entering the cockpit, Dahlia slips down behind the controls. Seconds pass, her eyes focused on her readouts, then she disengages the hyperdrive.
EXT. SPACE – KORRIBAN
The Slipstream emerges into realspace. Right within view of the craft is the lonely planet of Korriban itself.
INT. SLIPSTREAM/COCKPIT
Dahlia studies Korriban with keen interest. The planet is a black-and-gray world, its surface still bearing the tell-tale marks of the bombardment which scoured it of life all those thousands of centuries before. Like Tatooine and Geonosis, Korriban appears to be a barren desert world; no substantial vegetation or bodies of water can be seen from this vantage point.
EXT. SPACE – KORRIBAN
The Slipstream makes its descent run towards the planet.
EXT. SPACE – BATTLEMOON
Far enough away from the battlemoon to avoid being registered on it sensors, the Troia’s Steed drops out of hyperspace.
INT. TROIA’S STEED/AIRLOCK
Obi-Wan and the Berals are donning their white clone jumpsuits when Tarkin enters the airlock. Upon his arrival, they stand ramrod straight, all attention on their commanding officer.
LT. CMDR. TARKIN: I trust you each have your datacards?
The four Jedi open the pockets on their jumpsuits or utility belts and withdraw identical black-and-red datacards.
LT. CMDR. TARKIN: Excellent. Now remember: You slip aboard covertly, head directly for the Overbridge, and once there upload the virus on your cards into their central computer. If all works as it should, the virus will force the computer to transmit shutdown codes to all inter-field generators in the network; it will then wipe the entire operating system out and disable the battlemoon permanently. Do this right, don’t draw any attention to yourselves, and you should be in-and-out within the span of fifty minutes. Are you all clear on what must be done?
The four Jedi nod.
LT. CMDR. TARKIN: Good. (beat) Synchronize chronometres. Synchronize … now.
All five Imperials synchronize their chronos. Thus the real grunt work begins.
EXT. KORRIBAN – VALLEY OF THE SLEEPING KINGS – DAY
Passing through a system of storm clouds, the Slipstream emerges over the Valley of the Sleeping Kings, that place where the thousands of Sith monarchs and their loyal vassals repose. Though still awe-inspiring in their greatness, the magnificent stone tombs and statues of the ancient Sith have fallen into disrepair in the five-thousand millennia which have passed since the fall of their Empire.
Coming to hover over the great paved road which runs through the Valley, the Slipstream touches down and powers down.
INT. SLIPSTREAM/ARMORY – DAY
Inside the ship’s armory, Anakin is equipping himself for the trial ahead. Taking a black suit of light armour out of a locker, he dons it. Covering his entire body from the neck down, the armour is form-fitting and flexible, made to accommodate the wearer’s natural speed and agility without compromising protection. While it isn’t strong enough to withstand anything as strong as direct blasterfire, it should keep him safe from whatever hazards may roam this desolate planet. He then equips himself with twin blaster pistols, a blaster rifle, several blaster packs, and a vibroblade.
DAHLIA: (O.C.) Black is your colour.
Anakin turns to Dahlia.
DAHLIA: (grins) Sexy and dangerous.
ANAKIN: (smiles) Blue remains yours.
DAHLIA: (pouts) Frigid and glum?
ANAKIN: Calming and confident.
DAHLIA: (twists strand of hair around her finger) Guilty as charged.
They move in close.
DAHLIA: (rests hands on Anakin’s chest) You certain I shouldn’t go with you?
ANAKIN: I gained some knowledge of this place when I was in rapport with Eikhan. In the days of the ancient Sith, creatures roamed the Valley, protected the tombs … tuk’ata, Sith hounds. I don’t know if any still exist, but if they do … I can’t risk your life. The Slipstream’s the safest place you can be.
DAHLIA: If you face that much danger, you have to let me come along. You’ll need the backup.
ANAKIN: As I told you, this is my cross to bear. What I have to face, I face alone.
Though crestfallen, Dahlia understands.
EXT. VALLEY OF THE SLEEPING KINGS – SLIPSTREAM – DAY
As Anakin steps out, he turns to Dahlia who stands in the ship’s open hatch.
ANAKIN: If I’m not back in four hours, leave.
Dahlia frowns.
ANAKIN: No arguments. Four hours.
Reluctant, she nods her assent. Satisfied, Anakin turns and sets off down the road.
A lightning bolt crackles down from the overcast sky above.
EXT. SPACE – BATTLEMOON
As the Troia’s Steed moves on approach for the battlemoon, it appears to fade from existence as its cloak is deployed, rendered fully invisible to all eyes and all sensors.
CUT TO
An airlock hatch opening in the emptiness of space.
Dressed in spacesuits, Obi-Wan and the Berals step out. Firing their suits’ thrusters, they’re propelled towards the battlemoon. Upon coming to the surface of the battlemoon, they engage the magnetic soles in their boots, allowing them to adhere to the metallic surface.
Walking along the face of the battlemoon as if it were a miniature planetoid, they soon come across a maintenance hatch leading inside. Opening the hatch, they slip on through.
INT. BATTLEMOON/AIRLOCK
Now inside the battlemoon and out of vacuum, they ditch their spacesuits. After the suits have been stowed away out of sight, Obi-Wan takes out a small holoprojector and activates it; a spherical map indicating the direction to the Overbridge is displayed.
OBI-WAN: Let’s go.