INT. CAPTURED TRANSPORT, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Kitch pilots the transport toward a landing zone demarcated
with flashing lights.
KITCH
I've boarded a lot of ships Kenobi,
but never one this big, and never
with a crew this small.
KENOBI
Never with two Jedi.
JARDIN
There's a lot of ground to cover,
to be sure, but it's our theory
that the ship is lightly manned,
relatively speaking.
KENOBI
It's not a war ship, we know that.
KITCH
It's true, I didn't make any guns
on her. And who would be crazy
enough to board when she's
surrounded by a fleet?
Kitch sets the transport down. The hatch to the cargo bay
opens.
KENOBI
Who indeed?
Kitch smirks as he pops out of his seat. Kenobi, Kitch, and
Jardin cross into the cargo bay.
INT. CAPTURED TRANSPORT, CARGO BAY - CONTINUOUS
Alda, Anakin, and the gunners are on their feet -- Alda's eep
squats by his side, Alda's hand on his head.
KENOBI
Alright boys, we were just telling
your captain that the ship is
poorly defended for her size, but
she's a giant, so be ready for a
fight.
JARDIN
And possibly more than one as we
make our way to the bridge.
ALDA
I ain't worried. We've seen what
you two can do.
KITCH
And now we show 'em what we can do.
ALDA
Damn right.
The gunners sling their blaster rifles over their shoulders.
GUNNER ONE
Aye aye, Captain.
GUNNER TWO
Aye aye.
JARDIN
Let's begin then.
KENOBI
Ready Anakin?
Anakin nods resolutely.
KENOBI (CONT'D)
May the force be with us.
Kitch punches the button to open the cargo bay door, and it
opens slowly, revealing a bustling hangar bay before them.
Dozens, maybe hundreds, of the pale troopers are escorting
floating cells-- mostly eeps, but some other creatures large
and small as well, including a couple of the monstrosities
that caused a stir at landing field -- toward a corridor at
the rear of the bay.
INT. DARK HULK, HANGAR BAY - CONTINUOUS
Kenobi and his team step out onto the hangar floor
cautiously, weapons in hand. Kitch looks toward the corridor
where the captives are being taken, then turns in the other
direction and spots a hatch nearer to them.
Kitch taps Kenobi on the shoulder and points to the hatch.
KITCH
(whispering)
That way to the bridge.
Kenobi and Jardin nod.
KITCH (CONT'D)
If we're lucky, we get there
without much fuss and vent the ship
before we make the jump to
lightspeed.
JARDIN
Agreed.
Kenobi nods.
The team makes for the hatch to the bridge, their heads
swiveling in all directions as they try to evade detection.
Ducking behind ships and architecture, with most of the
traffic going the other way, they're able to make it almost
to the hatch, though they'll have to expose themselves to get
there.
Kenobi holds up his fingers. One, two, three. The team makes
their move.
Across, the hangar bay, a trooper is struck in the back by a
floating cage. As he turns to yell at whoever bumped into
him, he spots the team in the distance.
PALE TROOPER
Intruders!
Nearby troopers reach for their comms.
Kenobi and company sprint for the hatch, but just as they
arrive, a security door slams tight over it, and alarms
sound. Lights flash.
The team turns their backs to the hatch in resignation.
KENOBI
It was a good plan.
KITCH
I thought so.
A laser blast scores the security door between Kenobi's and
Kitch's heads. They exchange a look.
JARDIN
Attack!
The team breaks off and a major fight ensues. The crew of the
Falling Star darts from cover to cover firing on the pale
troopers with their blasters. They're crack shots, especially
Kitch with his big hand cannon and Alda with his twin
blasters.
Alda is agile, leaping and dodging this way and that, nailing
targets mid-air.
Kitch relies more on cover and a steady hand. His big blaster
disintegrates his targets, or sometimes just portions of
them, leaving only ash. And, he proves good with his fists,
dealing with a few disarmed troopers in close quarters.
Anakin, too, acquits himself admirably -- he makes a short
range blaster do long range work.
The two Jedi do most of the damage, of course. Flinging ships
and cargo this way and that, knocking back groups of
troopers, cutting them down with lightsabers.
Kenobi and Kitch bail each other out as a trooper almost gets
the drop on each of them.
The eeps and some of the larger creatures even join in the
fight. The eeps are surprisingly vicious, and frighteningly
strong.
Alda's buddy gets him out of a scrape near the captured
transport -- pinning a trooper, biting at him with previously
hidden predator's teeth, sending a severed arm flying, and
popping up with his cute face covered in blood.
Gunner One takes a blast to the chest, signalling the arrival
of enemy reinforcements. One whole squad of them are
incinerated by a thermal detonator thrown by the surviving
gunner in a fit of vengeance.
The rest are no match for the two Jedi. Jardin's style
recalls that of a musketeer, one handed, elegant,
swashbuckling. Kenobi fights more like a samurai, two-handed
primarily, economical movements, death and stillness.
The two Jedi display a remarkable combat coordination despite
their differing technique. It's as if they can anticipate
each others movements in addition to those of their
opponents.
And eventually, the troopers are defeated. Kitch, Alda and
Gunner Two kneel over the corpse of their crewmember, while
Kenobi and Anakin study the corpses of the pale troopers, and
Jardin works at a console on the wall.
A few sparks fly, the alarms stop ringing, and the security
door opens.
Kenobi ends his inspection and puts a hand on Kitch's
shoulder.
KENOBI
(gently)
Jardin has the door open.
KITCH
Right. Don't worry boys, he'll get
a funeral. We're taking this ship,
aren't we?
ALDA
Aye, Captain.
They make toward Canaris and the door, but Obi Wan stays
where he is.
JARDIN
Are you coming, Kenobi?
KENOBI
These men we're fighting. These...
JARDIN
Things.
KENOBI
Yes. You sense it too?
JARDIN
They're somehow less than... whole.
KENOBI
Yes. Incomplete. Empty. Unnatural.
You continue on to the bridge, I'm
going that way.
Kenobi points in the direction the pale troopers were taking
their captives.
KENOBI (CONT'D)
I want to know what's happening
here.
KITCH
We're venting the ship when we hit
the bridge, remember?
KENOBI
Not anymore. I believe that was the
bulk of the resistance.
Alda's eep trots up to him.
KENOBI (CONT'D)
And we don't want to hurt our new
friends. We'll just have to capture
or kill any opposition on our own.
KITCH
I know which I prefer.
(tossing Kenobi a
communicator)
Here.
Kenobi catches it.
KITCH (CONT'D)
Keep in touch.
Kenobi, in turn tosses the communicator to Anakin.
KENOBI
Come on.
Kitch and crew step through the door. Jardin nods at Kenobi,
who nods back, before departing. The door closes behind him.
Kenobi and Anakin head the other way.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - MOMENTS LATER
Blips on a scanner. Manx checks it out, then squints out the
viewing panel.
Troop transports are traveling from the dark capital ship to
the hulk.
MANX
Here we go.
She engages the throttle.
INT. DARK HULK, PASSAGEWAY - CONTINUOUS
Kitch, Jardin and the others make their way toward the
bridge. A transmission comes through.
MANX (V.O.)
Captain, you got transports coming
your way from the capital ship. I'm
going to try and keep them off you,
but be ready in case any get
through.
KITCH
We're en route to the bridge. Hold
'em as long as you can.
A unit of pale troopers rounds the corner on Kitch's party
and opens fire.
KITCH (CONT'D)
(returning fire)
Talk to you later.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Laser fire is heard on the comms, and then the transmission
cuts out. The enemy fleet is growing rapidly in the viewing
panel.
Manx punches a comm button.
MANX
Swivel guns.
GUNNER THREE (O.S.)
Linked.
MANX
Fire when ready.
INT. FALLING STAR, SWIVEL GUN TURRET ONE - CONTINUOUS
GUNNER THREE
Always ready.
Gunner Three opens fire, and a twin stream of laser fire
connects his gun to an enemy troop transport. Two more
streams converge on the transport from the other guns, and
the enemy ship explodes in a ball of flame.
Gunner Three pivots the gun toward a new target.
EXT. SPACE, OFF YORVATH
The three swivel guns of the Falling Star turn in unison and
another transport explodes. An aim adjustment, and then
another explosion.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
The explosions are visible through the viewing panel.
MANX
Keep it up.
More blips on the scanner.
MANX (CONT'D)
Wonderful.
EXT. SPACE, OFF YORVATH - CONTINUOUS
A fighter squadron bears down on the Falling Star.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Manx punches the comm again.
MANX
Swivel guns, we've got company.
INT. FALLING STAR, SWIVEL GUN TURRET ONE
GUNNER THREE (V.O.)
Roger that.
Pivoting toward the capital ship, the fighters pop into view.
Gunner Three acquires his new targets and fires.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
The view through the panel rolls and twists as Manx evades
the fighter squadron, laser blasts terminating all around.
MANX
Heph.
INT. FALLING STAR, MAIN BATTERY - CONTINUOUS
Heph sits at the controls for the main gun, Forbee at his
side.
HEPH
Aye, Ma'am.
MANX (V.O.)
I'm taking evasive action, but I'm
gonna try and keep those transports
in front our cannons as much as I
can.
HEPH
I'll take 'em when you give 'em too
me.
Forbee beeps and whistles.
HEPH (CONT'D)
You are not the better shot. You
can't even use the controls!
EXT. SPACE, OFF YORVATH - CONTINUOUS
A squadron of dark fighters hounds the Falling Star as Manx
tries to ride the line between evasion and targeting. The
swivel guns pop a few pursuers, but there are plenty more.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Manx's face is intense, focused.
MANX
Heph, I know I'm not giving you
much to work with, but you have to
take out those transports.
HEPH (V.O.)
You're not giving me much to work
with, Ma'am.
MANX
I just said that, damn it. I'm
doing the best I can. Flying
without a copilot here.
INT. FALLING STAR, MAIN BATTERY - CONTINUOUS
HEPH
Alright, alright.
Heph squints into the periscope. The view sways and twists
wildly. He tries to center the crosshairs on something,
anything.
Forbee beeps at him.
HEPH (CONT'D)
Quiet, you.
(pause)
Alright now...
Heph fires.
EXT. SPACE, OFF YORVATH - CONTINUOUS
An impressive barrage shoots forth from the Star's big guns,
but the result is lackluster. Two transports explode, but the
rest of the blasts are wide.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
The explosions are heard, but not seen, through the ship's
view panel.
HEPH (V.O.)
Tarnation and tesseracts!
Forbee's whistles of admonition can be heard over the comms.
HEPH (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I said shut u-
Manx shuts off the comms.
INT. DARK HULK, PRODUCTION FACILITY - CONTINUOUS
Obi Wan and Anakin lurk cautiously through sterile
passageways. Mobile force field pens filled with eeps and
other Yorvath wildlife surround them.
Large, forklift-like droids collect the hovering pens and
carry them further along. Obi Wan and Anakin follow. Strange
noises intermingle with the cries of the animals -- hissing,
bubbling, pumping.
The pens are being carried in the direction of gigantic vats
with tangles of tubes emerging from them. The vats, clear on
the sides, look to be filled with a glowing pink liquid.
Obi Wan and Anakin watch as one of the pens has its contents
emptied into a vat. We don't see the result, we only hear it,
and see the horror on their faces, as the animals are
dissolved in the glowing solution.
KENOBI
Horrible.
Obi Wan moves to cover Anakin's eyes, but Anakin slaps his
hand away. Tears well up in his eyes, but his anger keeps him
from looking away.
Kenobi uses the force to pull several large pieces of
machinery and empty pens to block the path of the slaughter.
The cargo droids begin piling on top of each other as they
attempt to deposit their loads.
Pens spill over, and animals break free.
Alarms sound, like at a factory when the assembly line goes
down, and maintenance droids emerge to fix the issue. Kenobi
cuts a few down with his lightsaber -- it's not a fight, just
the quickest way to disable them.
Anakin follows suit, shooting maintenance droids with his
blaster. You can tell he'd rather be shooting something else.
Obi Wan and Anakin follow the largest tangle of tubes down
another corridor, occasionally disabling approaching
maintenance droids without breaking stride.
The corridor ends in a vast chamber, filled with rows and
stacks of roughly human-sized pods that extend to the
ceiling. The tubes he's been following also terminate here,
feeding into the pod stacks.
Medical and science droids oversee whatever is happening in
this facility.
ANAKIN
What is this place?
Obi Wan approaches one of the pods. A skeletal medical droid
notes his presence, and turns to a nearby comrade.
MEDICAL DROID ONE
There is an unauthorized humanoid
in the hatching chamber.
MEDICAL DROID TWO
We are not programmed for security.
Please continue with your
assignment.
MEDICAL DROID
Affirmative, but the long term
viability of our assignment is in
jeopardy. If...
MEDICAL DROID TWO
Your communications are
distracting. Please cease.
MEDICAL DROID ONE
Affirmative, but...
MEDICAL DROID TWO
Cease!
Obi Wan, with Anakin just over his shoulder, puts a hand on
the surface of one of the vertical pods.
At first, it appears that it is made of some sort of frosted
glass, a shadowy figure visible underneath.
But, as Obi Wan runs his hand across it, it's clear that it's
not a quality of the glass, but condensation. Obi Wan wipes
some away and reveals a torso with a tube of glowing pink
fluid attached at the naval.
He reaches up and quickly wipes away more condensation. And
there it is.
A face. Exactly like that of the identical pale troopers.
KENOBI
Oh no.