INT. NYAX/OBI-WAN, ANAKIN, & SIRI'S CELL
Obi-Wan's eyes fly open, and he finds himself back in the cell, blood flowing from his nose. Pinching his nostrils shut to staunch the nosebleed, he turns to his left, where Anakin lies shaking -- his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and his teeth chattering rapidly -- caught in a violent seizure.
OBI-WAN: (alarmed) Lord, Anakin!
Disregarding his own paltry nosebleed, Ben moves quickly, grabbing Nik by his upper right arm while placing his own right hand down over the boy's forehead.
Closing his eyes, the Jedi knight opens himself to the Force, and within moments Anakin's violent tremblings subside, leaving the boy in a peaceful unconsciousness. Once he is certain Anakin is alright, he turns to face Siri, who sits kneeling before him with her hands crossed in her lap, her face completely blank of expression.
OBI-WAN: (wipes blood from under his nose) What the hell just happened!?
Siri doesn't reply. Instead her eyes roll up into her head and she falls face-forward, collapsing with all the grace of a rag doll.
OBI-WAN: Siri!
Scrambling forward toward the female Jedi Knight, Ben pulls her upright, bracing her against him. Pushing her hair out of her face, he turns her head left then right, trying to determine whether she is dead or alive. As her pupils dilate and she continues to breathe, it is apparent that she is alive, though in a deep state of catatonia.
PRE VIZSLA: (O.S.) Don't concern yourself with her, Kenobi. She will be well momentarily.
Obi-Wan turns toward the source of the voice. Pre Vizsla -- clad in full armour -- steps out from the deep shadow at the far end of the cell and walks up to the Jedi.
OBI-WAN: (angry) What did you do to them?
PRE VIZSLA: I merely deactivated certain portions of their brains. It is a relatively simple task to do for one with my skills, and it isn't permanently debilitating -- usually.
OBI-WAN: Restore them!
PRE VIZSLA: Of course.
Without even a gesture, Pre Vizsla follows through on his promise. Siri and Anakin instantly regain full consciousness and awareness, their eyes opening wide in stark terror, their chests heaving with rapid breathing.
OBI-WAN: (to Anakin and Siri both) Are you alright? Are you okay?
ANAKIN: Yes.
SIRI: I'll be fine in a moment.
OBI-WAN: (turns back to Vizsla) Why did you do that?
PRE VIZSLA: Consider it a demonstration or, better yet, a warning. (beat) I know what you're trying to do, Kenobi, and it won't work. Every paltry doctrine you try to instill upon the boy will be shattered with the awesome truth of the Force.
As one, the three Jedi rise to their feet, facing the Force-wielding Mandalorian warrior.
SIRI: You made a mistake coming here alone, Mandalorian. There's three of us and only one of you.
PRE VIZSLA: (laughs) As a revered Jedi master once said: "Size matters not".
Throwing out a hand, Vizsla seizes the three Jedi in an all-encompassing grip, immediately freezing them in place.
PRE VIZSLA: (cont'd) Two knights and a novice are no match for me. It would do you well to remember that, my friends.
Vizsla turns to face the cell door, and it immediately unlocks and slides open, allowing five security 'droids to step inside.
PRE VIZSLA: You're going to take a trip with me, Jedi. There's something I'd have you see.
INT. NYAX/SPARRING CHAMBER
The main door leading in-and-out of the sparring chamber slides open, and Obi-Wan and Siri are violently shoved inside. Just as they right themselves and turn around, the door slides shut and locks. Turning away from the door, they find themselves standing alone in the vast, empty chamber.
SIRI: (to the chamber) Where am we? What are we doing here?
The Jedi wait to receive some sort of response from somewhere in this vast, empty sparring chamber.
INT. NYAX/OBSERVATION DECK
Vizsla enters the observation deck overlooking the sparring chamber, Anakin and the security 'droids behind him. As they step up to the transparisteel observation windows, the Jedi down in the chamber below look up, spotting them.
INT. NYAX/SPARRING CHAMBER
SIRI: (angry) Speak, damn you!
INT. NYAX/OBSERVATION DECK
PRE VIZSLA: You sound frustrated, Mistress Jedi --
INT. NYAX/SPARRING CHAMBER
PRE VIZSLA: (O.C.) (cont'd) -- is there a problem?
SIRI: You tell me!
PRE VIZSLA: (O.C.) Such passion in your voice, Mistress Jedi!
INT. NYAX/OBSERVATION DECK
PRE VIZSLA: (cont'd) You sound almost angry! Anger is not the Jedi way!
INT. NYAX/SPARRING CHAMBER
OBI-WAN: Don't worry, darksider, we can control our anger.
INT. NYAX/OBSERVATION DECK
PRE VIZSLA: Can you now? Can you really?
INT. NYAX/SPARRING CHAMBER
OBI-WAN: Come on down and find out for yourself.
PRE VIZSLA: (O.C.) (laughs) Walk to the centre of the room. I've left a gift there for each of you.
Cautiously, the two Jedi walk away from the main door towards the centre of the chamber. There, sitting upon the floor, are a pair of small lightsabers.
SIRI: (picks the lightsabers up) Neither of these is my weapon.
OBI-WAN: Nor mine.
INT. NYAX/OBSERVATION DECK
PRE VIZSLA: That would make it too easy.
INT. NYAX/SPARRING CHAMBER
PRE VIZSLA: (O.C.) (cont'd) No, they're training sabers, taken from two initiates. (beat) They have no further use for the weapons.
SIRI: (grits her teeth) Monster.
PRE VIZSLA: (O.C.) You misunderstand, Mistress Jedi -- they won't be needing them because they've both grown proficient with weapons worthy of Mandalorian neophytes. Yes, they have grown strong, and will yet grow stronger under the firm guidance of the Mandalorian Death Watch. After all, not all of the children you've brainwashed are incapable of escaping your indoctrination.
SIRI: (regards the training lightsabers) What are we supposed to use these for?
PRE VIZSLA: (O.C.) What else? Defense.
At that, several doors lining the chamber slide open, allowing ten Mandalorian Mandalorian Knights to step inside. In each of the robed figures' hands are long force pikes.
INT. NYAX/OBSERVATION DECK
PRE VIZSLA: Let's see how you fare against my elite warriors, Jedi.
INT. NYAX/SPARRING CHAMBER
The ten Mandalorians begin circling the Jedi, bringing their force pikes to bear. Siri tosses one of the training sabers to Ben and they both engage the pure white blades of their weapons, holding them out before them in defensive stances, muscles tensed and eyes narrowed.
The Mandalorian Knights move in like ravenous sharks, lunging at the Jedi Knights with their weapons. Ben and Siri counterattack, parrying blows and striking at the Knights. The low-powered blades of the training lightsabers are incapable of cutting through the weapons or the warriors, however, leaving the Jedi incapable of doing little more than slowing the Knights down momentarily.
INT. NYAX/OBSERVATION DECK
Moving away from the 'droids guarding him, Anakin steps up to Vizsla. Though the menacing automatons quickly level their blasters at him, the young Jedi initiate pays them no heed.
ANAKIN: Stop this! Let them go!
PRE VIZSLA: (turns to face Nik) Is there a good reason why I should, boy?
ANAKIN: (points down at the battle between the Jedi knights and Mandalorian Knights) It's ten against two! They don't stand a chance!
PRE VIZSLA: Size doesn't matter, boy, remember? (turns back to look down into the sparring chamber) If the Force is truly with them, it will grant them victory over my warriors.
INT. NYAX/SPARRING CHAMBER
In no time at all, the Mandalorian Knights overwhelm the Jedi knights; knocking the training saber out of Siri's hands, they strike out with their pikes, disabling her with powerful shocks to her limbs and torso. Soon she collapses, partially paralysed from the violent electrical shocks. Obi-Wan fares better, and he continues to hold his own for a couple more minutes before he, too, eventually falls.
PRE VIZSLA: (O.C.) That's enough. Power down your weapons and leave them.
INT. NYAX/OBSERVATION DECK
The Mandalorians obey Vizsla's orders automatically and quickly leave the chamber. Once they have all gone, Vizsla turns to regard Anakin, who glowers at him with smouldering hatred.
PRE VIZSLA: (strides up to Anakin) You have something to say to me, boy?
ANAKIN: Bastard! I swear I'll kill you!
PRE VIZSLA: Good -- kill me.
Without warning, Vizsla backhands Anakin across the face, sending the teenager reeling backward into the security 'droids. Before the boy can catch his bearings, the Mandalorian moves up to him, pulling him forward by his shirt before striking him across the face again.
PRE VIZSLA: Open yourself up to the anger -- the hatred -- novice. Embrace the full power of the Force and use it to destroy me.
Vizsla continues to push, pull, and slap Anakin around the observation deck, using violence to drive the boy closer and closer toward the breaking point.
PRE VIZSLA: Come now, child! You swore to kill me! You have the power! Use it!
Vizsla gives Anakin another slap across the face -- his hardest yet. With a sharp crack, Nik's nose breaks.
ANAKIN: (cups his nose in his hands) AAAAHHHH!!!!!!
PRE VIZSLA: (sighs) Pitiful. You talk with strength, but your actions are weak. You are unworthy of the Force that has been bestowed upon you. (beat) I'll make your end quick and painless, boy, though you don't deserve such an easy death.
Balling his right hand up into a fist, Vizsla throws a punch out towards Nik's face. Before the death-dealing blow can connect, however, Anakin throws up his left hand and catches it. Bearing his teeth in an animalistic snarl, he closes his hand over the Mandalorian's, breaking it.
PRE VIZSLA: AAAAHHHH!!!!!!
Anakin wrenches Vizsla's arm back, nearly dislocating the Mandalorian's shoulder, then balls his own right hand up into a fist. Before he can send a Force-reinforced punch into Vizsla's gut, however, one of the 'droids aims its blaster at the Jedi initiate and fires, taking him out with a precisely aimed stun blast.
PRE VIZSLA: (gingerly holding his crushed hand) That was good, boy, very good. You'll be a full-fledged neophyte before the year is out.
INT. NYAX/SPARRING CHAMBER
The door to the sparring chamber slides open, allowing Vizsla along with an escort of four Mandalorian Knights to step inside. Walking up to the two defeated Jedi, Vizsla looks down upon them.
PRE VIZSLA: (to Siri) That was a pathetic display, Jedi. I've seen Force adepts who refuse to even touch a physical weapon put up a better fight than you just did. It's obvious you Coruscanti Jedi rely more on the power of your lightsabers than you do upon the power of the Force. (to Ben) As for you, you fared far better than your comrade here, though you, too, still rely too heavily on physical prowess to assist you in besting your enemies.
SIRI: (stammering) The lightsaber is the life of a Jedi.
PRE VIZSLA: Then it's a life that's going to be cut frightfully short.
OBI-WAN: Then you may as well cut ours now, because neither of us will serve in your slave army.
PRE VIZSLA: In nine hours we reach our destination. We'll see if you can abide by your decision then.
With that, Vizsla turns his back on the debilitated Jedi knights and leaves.