INT. BUNKER 13/DUCT SYSTEM - TWILIGHT
Anakin makes his way through the dusty duct system, resisting the urge to sneeze as he crawls along on his belly. Soon, he comes to a drop in the duct leading straight down. Peering downward, he can see nothing in the darkness.
ANAKIN: If only I hadn't broken the glowrod on the way down. (beat) I hope it's a short drop.
Pushing himself forward like a worm, he drops all the way down to the bottom, putting his bent arms out before him to shield him; though it is a relatively short fall, he still lands roughly and painfully.
ANAKIN: (angry) Goddammit!
Having reached the end, he finds that an opening stands directly before him. Crawling forward, he emerges into a long-unused, dust-encrusted, junk-cluttered corridor dimly illuminated with a line of bulbs affixed to a wall.
Standing up, Anakin immediately comes face-to-face with a Mandalorian. Gasping, he jumps back, only to discover that it is only an old suit of rusting Mandalorian armour standing before him.
ANAKIN: I'm here -- now what?
Without an idea of what to do next, Anakin begins walking forward. As he nears a bend in the corridor, he sees a blinking red light ahead of him.
ANAKIN: What's this?
Stepping closer, he finds himself looking down at a small beacon sitting atop an overturned box; beside the beacon is another datacard.
Picking up the datacard, Nik takes out his datapad and replaces the old card with the new. As the datacard's information is accessed, Gurkan's cyclopean face returns to the small screen.
GURKAN: Made it, I see. Good. It wouldn't have been very satisfying for me if you'd broken your flimsy neck on the way down.
ANAKIN: You're all heart, Gurkan.
GURKAN: I've provided you with another map. It'll lead you out of the corridor to a supply room. There I'll be waiting with your blonde beauty on my arm.
The short message comes to an end. Accessing the datacard's map, Anakin continues on his way.
INT. BUNKER 13/LEVEL 9/CORRIDOR - TWILIGHT
Ben and Primeday both stand together outside the open door leading into Anakin and Nashira's empty quarters. Siri steps out of the unit and joins them.
SIRI: They aren't here. There's just a message written on the mirror about a datacard on the table.
OBI-WAN: They aren't here. (beat) But I think I know where they've gone.
Ben takes off into a run, and Siri and Primeday are quick to follow after him.
INT. BUNKER 13/SUBLEVEL R/CORRIDOR - TWILIGHT
Having arrived at the end of the map, Anakin finds himself standing before a partially-closed door. Moving toward the door, he squeezes past it and emerges into the room beyond.
INT. BUNKER 13/SUBLEVEL R/SUPPLY ROOM - TWILIGHT
Having emerged into the supply room, Anakin finds it unlike the rest of Sublevel R; most of the dust and debris has been cleared out, leaving the room largely spotless and empty -- empty save for a large partially-assembled mechanical apparatus which stands against the far wall. Waiting for him, his hands on the shoulders of Nashira who sits tied to a heavy chair under coils of metal wire, is the Abyssin Gurkan.
GURKAN: Our guest has arrived! (to Nashira) Aren't you going to say hello, Nashira?
Nashira, her mouth stuffed with a rag, directs a stream of muffled expletives Gurkan's way.
ANAKIN: Okay, Gurkan, you've got me. Now let Nashira go.
GURKAN: That was the agreement, wasn't it?
ANAKIN: Yeah, it was.
GURKAN: (a sad expression coming to his face) When I made that agreement, I didn't take into account the possibility that your girlfriend, once freed, would go to the Mandalorians for help and bring them down here. (grins) I just can't let that happen.
ANAKIN: (angry) You bastard! You --
As Nik takes an angry step forward, Gurkan quickly pulls out his crude knife. Seeing the jagged blade, the young human male freezes in his tracks.
INT. BUNKER 13/LEVEL 4/CORRIDOR - TWILIGHT
Having come to the same spot Anakin was earlier, Siri, Primeday, and Obi-Wan find themselves staring up at the grate in the wall.
OBI-WAN: He went in through there.
SIRI: Why would he go in the ducts?
OBI-WAN: Wherever Anakin and Nashira are, the ducts lead there.
Leaping upward, Ben easily grabs hold of the grate and pulls it off.
OBI-WAN: It'll be a tight fit, so it's best if I go alone. You stay here and wait for us.
SIRI: Maybe we should tell the Mandalorians about this.
PRIMEDAY: No.
SIRI: Why not?
PRIMEDAY: We stand at a crossroads leading to a multitude of futures. Involve the Mandalorians in this and we travel down a wrong path, losing the best future available to us.
OBI-WAN: Anakin and Nashira don't have much time. (beat) I'll be back as soon as I can.
Leaping up, Ben pulls himself into the ducts.
INT. BUNKER 13/SUBLEVEL R/SUPPLY ROOM - TWILIGHT
ANAKIN: Listen, Gurkan, if you do this, the Mandies won't let you get away with it. They'll have you executed.
GURKAN: (laughs) Do you really believe me to be so stupid as to let them know I've killed you? (beat) Once I'm done with you, I'll stash your bodies away in one of the rooms down here where they'll never be found. The Mandies will just think you managed to escape into the wilderness. I won't be suspected of a thing.
Taking his knife, Gurkan rakes the point against Nashira's right ear, drawing a pained wince from her. As blood pools up from the wound, the Abyssin draws his finger across it and then places his fingertip into his mouth.
GURKAN: Delicious. (beat) I'll be generous, Skywalker. I'll let you decide who goes first.
At that moment, Orowi suddenly enters the room, flying in on his wings.
OROWI: Gurkan, I -- (seeing 'Shira and Nik) What the hell is this?!
GURKAN: (angry) What are you doing here!?
The Abyssin distracted, Anakin takes advantage of the situation and rushes Gurkan. Calling on the Force, he seizes the Abyssin's arms and pushes him back away from Nashira. Growling with rage, Gurkan's grip on his knife tightens and he fights to free himself from Nik's hold.
INT. BUNKER 13/SUBLEVEL R/CORRIDOR - TWILIGHT
Emerging from the ducts, Obi-Wan begins racing down the corridor in search of Anakin and Nashira.
INT. BUNKER 13/SUBLEVEL R/SUPPLY ROOM - TWILIGHT
Anakin and Gurkan continue to grapple, carrying them about the room in a twisted paroxysm of a dance.
ANAKIN: Orowi, get 'Shira loose! Get her out of here!
It takes a moment for the Toydarian to get over the surprise of seeing Anakin fighting Gurkan in the room. Once he does, he flies over to Nashira and begins trying to loosen her bonds.
OROWI: I can't untie this!
In reply, Nashira mumbles something from behind her gag. Reaching for it, the Toydarian pulls it out of her mouth.
NASHIRA: Bolt cutter! On the floor!
Looking down on the floor, Orowi searches it with his eyes for the bolt cutter. Finding it, he flies over to retrieve the tool.
Meanwhile, Gurkan and Nik continue to struggle.
GURKAN: I'm going to gut you like a Tarakian eel-slug, boy!
His power starting to fail him, Anakin grimaces as the Abyssin slowly begins to overpower him. Grinning, Gurkan frees an arm and then, with a hard slap, sends the boy sprawling.
INT. BUNKER 13/SUBLEVEL R/CORRIDOR - TWILIGHT
Racing through the corridor, Obi-Wan leaps over the junk and debris in his way.
INT. BUNKER 13/SUBLEVEL R/SUPPLY ROOM - TWILIGHT
With the bolt cutter, Orowi cuts Nashira free of her bonds. Pushing the wire aside, she leaps out of the chair.
NASHIRA: We've gotta help him!
OROWI: But he said --
Without waiting for him to finish, 'Shira grabs the bolt cutter out of Orowi's hands.
As Anakin lies semi-conscious upon the floor, Gurkan bends down over him. Pulling him up by the collar, the Abyssin brandishes his homemade knife before the human's face.
GURKAN: Wake up! It's time to die!
As Gurkan rears back his arm to deliver the fatal cut, Nashira runs up to him. Swinging the bolt cutter, she knocks the Abyssin upside the head. Grunting with pain, he drops the knife and collapses to his knees.
Regaining his wits, Anakin climbs back to his feet. Bending over, he takes the Abyssin by the chin and lifts his head up until they are staring each other in the eye.
GURKAN: (spits blood in Anakin's face) If you wanna talk mercy, you won't get any from me, human.
ANAKIN: The time for talk is over.
Balling his right hand into a fist, Anakin punches the Abyssin in the face. With a groan, Gurkan's head is thrown back.
ANAKIN: It's all over for you, Gurkan.
With those words, Anakin begins to beat the Abyssin. With a series of kicks, punches, pulls, pushes, and throws, the relatively scrawny human boy lays waste to this towering non-human brute.
As the beating comes to an end, Anakin seizes the unconscious Gurkan's head in his two hands and begins to apply nigh-superhuman pressure to the Abyssin's skull. It is at that point when Obi-Wan -- his face, hands, and tan coveralls encrusted with dust -- enters the room.
OBI-WAN: Anakin, no!
Seeing his master, Anakin stops.
NASHIRA: Ben?
OBI-WAN: (walks up to Nik) Anakin, don't do it.
ANAKIN: But I should do it. He kidnapped 'Shira. He was going to kill us both. If I don't kill him, he'll just come for us again.
OBI-WAN: We can find a way to stop him without killing him.
ANAKIN: I've got to end this here and now!
OBI-WAN: At what cost to yourself?
ANAKIN: (angry) Don't tell me killing him is of the dark side! He's of the dark side! Getting rid of him would only serve the good side!
OBI-WAN: Many have said that before, all with more conviction than you. Most went on to become monsters, worse than those they opposed. (beat) Is that what you want to become? To become a monster worse than Gurkan?
Looking down at Gurkan, Anakin closes his eyes.
ANAKIN: No, I don't want to become that. Never.
Releasing his hold on Gurkan's head, Anakin rises to his feet. Smiling, Ben puts his hand on the boy's shoulder.
OBI-WAN: Let's get out of here. (looks at their dirty clothes) And then let’s get cleaned up.
Obi-Wan then sneezes, causing Anakin to laugh heartily.