INT. ALDERAAN CASTLE, COMMAND CENTER - CONTINUOUS
A holographic image of the fleet is seen making it's approach
toward Alderaan. The commander of the Republic forces, Tet
Leore is the first to spot it.
LEORE
Enemy fleet, inbound.
Kenobi and Organa exchange a look.
KENOBI
At least the wait's over.
(into coms)
Fighters ready. They're here.
EXT. SPACE, OFF ALDERAAN - CONTINUOUS
The Republic ships hang in formation. The Star and Anakin's
fighter are there too, floating side by side.
INT. INFINITY LANCE, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Anakin, in a flight suit and helmet, takes a deep breath and
looks out toward the darkness, trying to make visual contact.
KITCH (O.S.)
You name her yet?
ANAKIN
(a little sheepish)
I was thinking I'd call her the
Infinity Lance.
KITCH (O.S.)
I don't know tadpole, kind of a
mouthful. What about --
And just then, the dark fleet peeks into view. Specs at
first, growing larger by the second.
ANAKIN
(interrupting)
Captain Kitch?
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Kitch and Manx are looking at the same thing.
KITCH
I see 'em. High alert, we have
visual.
INT. ALDERAAN CASTLE, COMMAND CENTER - CONTINUOUS
Mothma steps up to the battle map.
MOTHMA
Raise shields.
INT. PRIMARY SHIELD PLATFORM - CONTINUOUS
Heph and his droids sit on a step as Chandrillan techs go
about their ignition sequence.
CHANDRILLAN TECH
Raising shields, ma'am.
Forbee beeps and shuffles.
HEPH
Then play some Solusteen Solitaire,
if you're bored.
Two more droids are beeping at each other. One slaps the
other with a manipulator arm.
HEPH (CONT'D)
Hey!
INT. ROHN'S SHIP, BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
Alderaan, now much larger in the panel, is rapidly encircled
in a glowing shield.
ROHN
What's this?
A clone science officer looks up from his monitor.
CLONE SCIENCE OFFICER
Planetary shield, sir. Chandrillan
in design. Our ships may pass
through, but the surface will be
protected from orbital bombardment.
Rohn sneers.
ROHN
Mon Mothma, friend to the Jedi.
Launch fighters! Destroyers, focus
fire on the capital ship, and then
target the shield relays.
EXT. SPACE, OFF ALDERAAN - CONTINUOUS
A cloud of fighters stream out of the dark destroyers, and a
first volley of cannon fire is loosed.
INT. REPUBLIC CAPITAL SHIP, BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
In the view panel the dark fleet has grown larger, and the
enemy fighters can be seen approaching like schools of fish.
REPUBLIC ADMIRAL
Fighters, hold your positions until
they --
The ship is rocked by that first volley.
REPUBLIC ADMIRAL (CONT'D)
Report!
REPUBLIC OFFICER
Shields holding sir, but I don't
know how long we can last under
sustained fire from all of their
destroyers.
REPUBLIC ADMIRAL
Weapons still online?
REPUBLIC OFFICER
Yes sir.
REPUBLIC ADMIRAL
Then fire!
EXT. SPACE, OFF ALDERAAN - CONTINUOUS
Fire from the Republic capital ship scores the hull of a dark
destroyer, but next to it, Rohn's dreadnought is unveiling
its big gun.
INT. REPUBLIC CAPITAL SHIP, BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
Another barrage shakes the bridge. Alarms sound.
REPUBLIC OFFICER
Shields at fifty percent, sir.
The Admiral is watching the dark fleet approach, the fighter
swarm almost in range.
REPUBLIC ADMIRAL
Fighters hold. Enemies in range in
twenty, nineteen...
INT. ROHN'S SHIP, BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
The big gun has locked into place, visible from the bridge.
ROHN
Fire.
EXT. SPACE, OFF ALDERAAN - CONTINUOUS
The Republic capital ship explodes after being struck by a
giant beam of red light.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
The explosion is clearly visible and the shock wave shakes
the ship.
KITCH
Screw this.
(into comms)
All fighters, this is Captain Renzo
Kitch. They're damn well close
enough, you hear? Scramble and
attack, attack, attack!
INT. INFINITY LANCE, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Anakin pulls hard on the controls.
ANAKIN
You don't have to tell me twice.
INT. ALDERAAN CASTLE, COMMAND CENTER - CONTINUOUS
Kenobi and the others stare at the battle map in dismay.
LEORE
Gah! Our only destroyer.
KENOBI
Our forces are engaging.
EXT. SPACE, OFF ALDERAAN - CONTINUOUS
The frigates and fighters of the Republic, The Falling Star
and the Infinity Lance scatter as they are met by a swarm of
inbound enemies.
The two fleets create a roiling mass -- fighters in dizzying
dogfights, lasers flashing all about. The Republic frigates
and the Star chart looser, slower spirals, their turrets and
mounted guns popping enemies in all directions.
INT. FALLING STAR, SWIVEL GUN TURRET ONE - CONTINUOUS
Alda sneers as he guns down dark fighters.
The Infinity Lance streaks through his field of vision,
brakes, spins, fires -- the particle beam, a hot red verging
on pink, tears through three enemy fighters, the successive
explosions creating an image not unlike a shish-kabob, with
the Lance's laser as the skewer.
And the beam just keeps on going...
ALDA
Holy...
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Manx and Kitch watch in awe.
MANX
Heph wasn't kidding about that gun.
KITCH
(into comms)
I changed my mind, the name works,
just watch where you point that
thing!
INT. INFINITY LANCE, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Anakin smiles proudly, then sets his jaw, and resumes the
fight.
EXT. SPACE, OFF ALDERAAN - CONTINUOUS
Anakin is an absolute prodigy, the Lance climbing and
rolling, stalling and accelerating, it's particle beam
ripping through dark fighters in sweeping arcs.
INT. ROHN'S SHIP, BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
Rohn stands square and firm at the helm.
ROHN
All destroyers, focus fire on the
shield relays. Faal, begin the
ground assault.
INT. CLONER - CONTINUOUS
Faal is observing the battle from a large viewing panel.
FAAL
But Commander, you have not yet
begun bombardment.
ROHN (O.S.)
No.
FAAL
The shield is still up.
INT. ROHN'S SHIP, BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
Rohn smiles.
ROHN
Yes it is.
FAAL (O.S.)
I'm sure our destroyers will have
it down in short order, there's no
need...
ROHN
You are ready now, are you not?
Then you will strike immediately,
while their fleet is occupied.
Artillery strikes will begin in
short order.
INT. CLONER - CONTINUOUS
Faal crushes the communicator in his fist and makes for his
transport again.
FAAL
We launch now.
EXT. SPACE, OFF ALDERAAN - MOMENTS LATER
Troop transports and armored vessels pour out of the cloner.
INT. ALDERAAN CASTLE, COMMAND CENTER - CONTINUOUS
Kenobi sees the transports.
KENOBI
Enemy troop transports on approach.
LEORE
Don't let them through.
INT. REPUBLIC FRIGATE - CONTINUOUS
A Republic frigate captain clenches his teeth at the helm.
REPUBLIC FRIGATE CAPTAIN
These fighters have us outnumbered
four to one, it's all we can do
just to stay ali--
EXT. SPACE, OFF ALDERAAN - CONTINUOUS
The frigate explodes under heavy fire, as the enemy troop
transports begin to penetrate the scrum on their way to the
surface.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Kitch and Manx watch the transports fly by.
MANX
Seems these Republic boys can't do
two things at once.
KITCH
We'll only be able to thin the herd
a bit Kenobi, but they won't pass
this way without paying a toll. All
gunners, prioritize transports!
INT. FALLING STAR, SWIVEL GUN TURRET ONE - CONTINUOUS
Alda blasts a fighter.
ALDA
One for me...
Then he targets a transport.
ALDA (CONT'D)
And one for you.
INT. FALLING STAR, SWIVEL GUN TURRET THREE - CONTINUOUS
Gunner Three roars and laughs as he lets lasers fly in all
directions.
INT. INFINITY LANCE, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Anakin's pulling hard on the stick, effecting a quick one
eighty.
ANAKIN
(to himself)
Gotta get as many as we can.
He checks his rear -- fighters are in pursuit -- and lines a
transport up in his sights.
EXT. SPACE, OFF ALDERAAN - CONTINUOUS
The particle beam erupts from the Infinity Lance and takes
out two transports.
INT. CLONE TRANSPORT - CONTINUOUS
Armed and armored clones are incinerated.
EXT. SPACE, OFF ALDERAAN - CONTINUOUS
The fighters on Anakin's six open fire, but he takes evasive
action, destroying the transports ahead whenever he has the
opportunity.
INT. FAAL'S TRANSPORT - CONTINUOUS
Faal stands by a viewport, watches the closest transport
burst as Anakin's particle beam zips past. Quailing at the
sight, he runs to the helm and tears the pilot out of his
seat, taking the position himself.
EXT. SPACE, OFF ALDERAAN - CONTINUOUS
Faal's transport veers away from Anakin's wrath and descends
through the atmosphere. Many more ships follow -- Anakin and
Kitch can only do so much.
INT. ALDERAAN CASTLE, COMMAND CENTER - CONTINUOUS
Organa flares his nostrils.
ORGANA
They're getting through.
ELSPET
It was inevitable.
LEORE
Soldiers, dig in, and weapons at
the ready. Your battle's about to
start.
EXT. ALDERAAN, BATTLE FIELD, TRENCHES - CONTINUOUS
A long row of Republic troopers bring blasters and mounted
guns to bear. A Republic Lieutenant holds a communicator.
REPUBLIC LIEUTENANT
Yes sir.
EXT. ALDERAAN, BATTLE FIELD - CONTINUOUS
Clone transports touch down hard, and clone troopers stream
out of them. Faal emerges from a transport with shock troops
close behind.
Faal ignites his lightsaber, red, and gestures his troops
forward. The clones double-time toward the trench.
EXT. SPACE, OFF ALDERAAN - CONTINUOUS
Dark destroyers fire upon shield relays, but the blasts
aren't penetrating.
INT. PRIMARY SHIELD PLATFORM - CONTINUOUS
Heph is looking over a tech's shoulder.
HEPH
Holding up nice, but what happens
when the relays start to go down?
CHANDRILLAN TECH
If they start to go down, then
holes will open up in the shield.
But they don't have the firepower
to do any damage from out there.
The relays are only vulnerable from
the other side of the shield.
Heph nods and walks back over to his droids.
HEPH
Nope, still nothing to do. But, it
won't be long now, I wager.
INT. ROHN'S SHIP, BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
A clone officer approaches Rohn.
CLONE OFFICER
Commander, our weapons are failing
to damage the shield relays.
ROHN
I can see that.
CLONE OFFICER
What are your orders?
Rohn flinches, puts his fingers to his forehead.
ROHN
Something's wrong.
CLONE OFFICER
The shield is simply too strong.
ROHN
No, not that. Send fighters to
attack the relays from within the
force field.
CLONE OFFICER
As you command.
The officer departs.
ROHN
No, something else is terribly
wrong. The force, it's far too
strong.
EXT. ALDERAAN, BATTLE FIELD - CONTINUOUS
Faal strides amidst his advancing shock troopers, the
Republic trenches almost within firing range.
EXT. ALDERAAN, BATTLE FIELD, TRENCHES - CONTINUOUS
Faal's troops are almost within their range as well. From
this perspective, the superiority of the enemy's numbers is
clear. A great horde approaches.
REPUBLIC LIEUTENANT
Ready... aim....
INT. ALDERAAN CASTLE, COMMAND CENTER - CONTINUOUS
Kenobi is observing the impending confrontation.
KENOBI
And men, do aim carefully, eh?
We're good, but we're not perfect.
EXT. ALDERAAN, BATTLE FIELD - CONTINUOUS
Out of an unseen trench, a hundred yards in front of the
Republic soldiers, leap a row of Jedi, a hundred of them.
Canaris is standing squarely at their center.
Not quite simultaneously, a hundred lightsabers, in a rainbow
of colors, ignite.
His troops still advancing, Faal stops in his tracks.
INT. ROHN'S SHIP, BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
Rohn's closed eyes snap open.
ROHN
It can't be!
EXT. ALDERAAN, MOUNTAINTOP - CONTINUOUS
High above the battlefield, the Jedi Council is deep in
meditation.
EXT. ALDERAAN, BATTLE FIELD - CONTINUOUS
Canaris draws in a deep breath.
CANARIS
Can you feel the power of the
Council? We are strong with the
Force today. Charge!
The Jedi dash forward to meet the mass of clones. The clone
troopers fire their blasters as they approach, but the Jedi
easily deflect anything that comes close.
Behind the Jedi, the Republic soldiers open fire, felling the
foremost clones before the Jedi meet them. One young soldier
fires a blast just past the head of an intimidating alien
Jedi -- she tilts her head slightly to dodge it. Turning her
head briefly, without breaking stride, she glares at the
soldier, who gulps and sheepishly looks around at his fellow
soldiers.
The opposing forces close on each other, and the Jedi wade
through the clones just as easily as they do through the knee
high grass of Alderaan. Clone bodies are flung this way and
that, weapons shatter in their hands, lightsabers cut through
clone flesh.
One Jedi with four arms pulls enemy blasters from clone hands
into his own, discharging them in multiple directions, even
as he deflects and strikes with his lightsaber. Another Jedi,
a hovering blob-like organism with no limbs, wields its
lightsaber with the invisible arms of the force.
The clones that the Jedi leave in their wake are picked off
by the Republic soldiers before they near the trenches. It's
a massacre, but transports full of reinforcements are still
landing, and the armored vehicles of the clones start to take
the field -- shielded gun platforms perched high atop long,
stilt-like legs.
Donzin Faal, still rooted to the ground, looks behind him as
more of his forces land, then ahead at the slaughter. Turning
his fear to anger, he rushes into the fray.
EXT. SPACE, OFF ALDERAAN - CONTINUOUS
An explosion, as one of the shield relays goes down and a
small hole appears in the shield.
Dark fighters are swarming nearby relays. The relays are
protected by automated turrets, and several of the fighters
succumb, but so do several more relays -- and the breach
widens.
INT. ALDERAAN CASTLE, COMMAND CENTER - CONTINUOUS
Bail Organa turns from the battle map and rushes to a large
window. From a distance, the dominance of the Jedi is more
apparent.
ORGANA
Kenobi, they're magnificent!
KENOBI
Yes they are.
(beat)
I should be with them.
MOTHMA
We have a problem. They're punching
a hole in the planetary shield.
The damage is visible on the battle map.
KENOBI
Their fighters are targeting the
relays.
MOTHMA
It was only a matter of time.
(into the comms)
Shield team, report.
CHANDRILLAN TECH (O.S.)
We've lost several relays, but
we're working on increasing force
field output. I don't think we can
close the breach, but we can
minimize it, if we don't lose too
many more relays.
MOTHMA
Get to work.
(to war council)
We've got to protect the relays.
LEORE
(into comms)
Fleet status?
REPUBLIC CAPTAIN (O.S.)
Outnumbered, sir -- fighters
everywhere. But we're holding our
own.
KENOBI
We need you to send a squadron to
protect the shield relays.
REPUBLIC CAPTAIN (O.S.)
I'll try, sir, but our hands are
full. Calling all available units,
repeat all available units...
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
The breach in the shield is centered in the Star's view
panel.
KITCH
All available units on me!
The Lance whizzes by.
INT. INFINITY LANCE, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Anakin smiles.
ANAKIN
Way ahead of you.