EXT. ALDERAAN, CAPITAL CITY - CONTINUOUS
The handmaiden turns a corner and takes cover behind a wall.
Kneeling, she brings her blaster up to her shoulder and peaks
around the corner. The five pursuing clones stop to take aim
at her.
The handmaiden drops one with a well-aimed shot but a volley
of return fire sends her back behind the wall, her blaster
shot from her hands -- a smoking ruin on the ground.
She turns to run, but it's a dead end alley. The three
remaining clones make the turn and raise their weapons, and
suddenly one of them stumbles hard as if struck in the head.
He falls into the other two, throwing everyone off balance.
And then Anakin appears around the corner and cuts one of
them down with his bright blue lightsaber. The remaining two
back up a few steps and draw. With a gesture, Anakin delivers
an invisible punch to the nearest clone's face, snapping his
head back.
With a pulling gesture, Anakin yanks the second clone's
blaster from his hand, striking the first one in the back of
the head, and knocking him forward. Anakin staggers him
further with a series of Force blows -- head, gut, head, leg
- as the other one scrambles for his lost weapon.
Anakin rushes the dazed clone and slashes him across the
chest. As he turns to finish off the last one, he sees the
handmaiden pointing the clone's blaster right at its owner.
She pulls the trigger as Anakin watches with appreciative
awe.
EXT. ALDERAAN CASTLE, BATTLEMENTS - CONTINUOUS
Kenobi and Rohn meet face to face on a bridge between two
towers. One of Rohn's elites fires a blast at Kenobi. Obi
Wan's lightsaber ignites, deflects the blast back at the
trooper, and is hung back on his belt in one deft motion.
Rohn raises an eyebrow in appreciation as the trooper falls
limply off the bridge behind him.
ROHN
(to his elites)
Advance to throne room. I will
follow.
The elites charge forward and so does Rohn, striking at
Kenobi as the clones rush past. Even as Kenobi defends
against the onslaught of Rohn's red lightsaber, he manages to
fell two of the elites, but the rest of the unit makes it
past.
Kenobi and Rohn trade blows -- Rohn on the offensive with
lightning quick strikes, always met by a cool and steady Obi
Wan. Kenobi parries an attack, and Rohn glides back 20 feet,
his toes skimming the surface of the bridge in elegant
retreat.
As soon as he stops moving, Rohn raises his off-hand, and
flames shoot forth. Obi Wan looks surprised -- he's never
seen that one before -- but he manages to back-flip out of
the attack's range, just in the nick.
Rohn sneers. Kenobi smirks serenely.
KENOBI
You can't win, you know.
ROHN
The battle is lost, true, but the
war has just begun. And there's
still the matter of this little
contest.
Kenobi squints, searching his opponent's mind.
KENOBI
Otto Rohn... that's right, isn't
it? I've heard the name before.
What do you want?
ROHN
The galaxy.
KENOBI
To do with as you please? You, a
few of your apostate friends, and
your clone armies?
ROHN
You are amazing. All the trouble
you've caused, yet you understand
nothing.
KENOBI
I understand there's nothing lower
than a fallen Jedi.
ROHN
But, I am no mere fallen Jedi. I am
a true servant of the Dark Side.
KENOBI
Words.
ROHN
Only one word: Sith.
And now it is Obi Wan who attacks.
EXT. ALDERAAN, CAPITAL CITY - CONTINUOUS
Anakin and the handmaiden fight in the streets -- he with his
new lightsaber in one hand, blaster pistol in the other, and
limited Force arsenal, and her with her clone rifle and
newfound fury. They make a good team.
EXT. ALDERAAN, BATTLE FIELD - CONTINUOUS
Canaris and Faal continue their fight, but they are tired,
ragged, desperate. Faal is gaining the upper hand,
overwhelming the slight Canaris with his brute strength.
Faal rains blows down upon Canaris, who blocks every one but
is driven down to his knees.
FAAL
(laughing)
Pathetic. You burn with rage, but
you have no idea what to do with
it. You want vengeance, but you'll
never have it.
CANARIS
I hate you.
Faal raises his weapon to deliver the death blow.
FAAL
Not for long.
Canaris' eyes glow darkly. He laughs ruefully, like he's just
unlocked a secret.
Faal looks confused for a moment, but he shrugs it off. He
brings his lightsaber down, but it stops, forzen, inches
above Canaris' head. The bull struggles to move his weapon,
trembling, sweating, but he cannot move it.
Canaris looks up at him and smiles, then strikes upward
knocking Faal's lightsaber out of his hands and toppling the
dark Jedi.
Faal struggles to get up, but one of his arms has been
shattered, and his legs don't seem to work right. Crawling on
hands and knees toward his lightsaber, he reaches out for it,
begins to pull it toward him, but Jardin, up and stalking
toward him, raises a hand and the lightsaber falls back into
the grass.
CANARIS
Oh, I think I'll have my vengeance,
Donzin.
FAAL
Please, Jardin.
CANARIS
You beg?
FAAL
I beg you, yes. Let me go. We've
lost. I'll disappear.
CANARIS
Indeed you will.
Faal flips onto his back raises a hand to shield himself.
FAAL
Mercy.
CANARIS
Mercy? I'm not sure I know what
that means anymore.
FAAL
You're better than this. Yes, you
were always the good one. You're --
Jardin swings his weapon. Blood stains the feathers of his
face.
EXT. ALDERAAN CASTLE, BATTLEMENTS - CONTINUOUS
Kenobi and Rohn battle back and forth across the bridge.
Their fighting styles are not dissimilar -- quick, powerful,
but also halting and quiet, with very little wasted motion.
Rohn has another trick up his sleeve. He dashes quickly
around Kenobi, striking from behind, from the left, from the
right -- moving with such speed he's practically teleporting.
Obi Wan, however, is up to the challenge, anticipating Rohn's
movements, his lightsaber always in the right place, barely.
He calls out as he fights.
KENOBI
The Sith are gone.
ROHN
Then who are you fighting?
KENOBI
The Jedi destroyed you all, long
ago.
ROHN
You know I speak the truth.
Kenobi beats Rohn back for a moment, the brief pause allowing
a quick venture back into Rohn's mind. Then the fighting
resumes.
KENOBI
You are what you say. But I know
you serve another.
ROHN
I serve the Dark Side.
KENOBI
No, you have a master.
ROHN
I am both servant and master.
The two warriors lock lightsabers, faces pressed close.
KENOBI
(realization dawning)
You are a clone.
ROHN
Yes. My sire is a thrall to the
Dark Side. As am I.
KENOBI
Your lord serves only himself.
ROHN
No, you do not see. But I can open
your eyes.
KENOBI
The Dark Side brings only
blindness.
They push off each other, each sliding back to opposite ends
of the bridge. Rohn calls out.
ROHN
You are strong, resourceful, but
you are a fool. If you cannot
defeat me, then I will murder the
Organas...
(a sly smile plays across
his lips)
...and all the others.
KENOBI
That will never happen!
ROHN
Then you will have to summon all of
your wrath, and the moment you slay
me, you will belong to us.
KENOBI
Come on then!
ROHN
Yes.
Rohn and Kenobi sprint toward each other, Rohn's lightsaber
held high and Kenobi's low.
This time, it is Kenobi who reveals a new trick: he runs
right off the side of the bridge, then under it, running
upside down, then back up the other side -- a corkscrew
maneuver right before the moment of collision.
They pass each other, striking as they do, and stop with ten
feet between them, backs to each other.
Rohn drops to his knees, again flashing that sly smile.
ROHN (CONT'D)
How did it feel, Kenobi? To kill
with hate in your heart.
Kenobi turns toward Rohn, approaches him slowly, walks around
to face him. He doesn't look angry. He looks calm and sad.
KENOBI
But I don't hate you. I pity you.
Rohn's face falls.
ROHN
But... how could you have defeated
me?
KENOBI
The Dark Side feeds off of hate,
fear, anger. But I am nourished by
the Force -- all I have to do is
let it in.
ROHN
I don't understand.
KENOBI
I know.
Rohn glares up at Kenobi, then pitches himself over the side
of the bridge. Kenobi watches him fall for a moment, then
suddenly remembers...
KENOBI (CONT'D)
The throne room!
EXT. ALDERAAN, CAPITAL CITY - CONTINUOUS
Anakin and the handmaiden fight on, slaying all nearby
clones. They pause for a moment, thinking they have cleared
the area, but to their left appear a group of clones. They
run right -- more clones. Ahead, behind, they are surrounded.
Anakin and the handmaiden exchange a look of grim
determination -- this is where they die.
All around them, the clones raise their weapons, and...
nothing. They are frozen. Anakin and the handmaiden don't
know what to make of it.
The clones all drop their weapons, almost in unison, and then
their knees buckle, and they thud to the ground, seated and
vacant.
All around the city, all the clones do the same, while the
citizens of Alderaan look on with cautious hope.
Hovering in the air above the streets and rooftops of the
city appear the remaining members of the Jedi council, their
arms and hands in varied gestures of control and focus. A
cheer goes up.
Anakin, straining to see what the commotion is about, spots
Yoda.
ANAKIN
That's Master Yoda! He's my
master's master!
HANDMAIDEN
Your master?
ANAKIN
You and I met just the other day.
Don't you remember?
An awkward silence.
ANAKIN (CONT'D)
What's your name?
HANDMAIDEN
Serai. I'm sorry, yes, I remember
now. I... I lost my whole family.
Serai looks away. Anakin's face falls.
ANAKIN
I'm so sorry. I didn't know. My
name's Anakin Skywalker.
Serai looks back at him, her eyes moist.
ANAKIN (CONT'D)
I'm an orphan too.
As the soldiers, Jedi, and citizenry slowly realize the
battle is over, weapons are dropped, hugs and laughs are
shared, tears fall -- and Anakin and Serai only have eyes for
each other.
INT. ALDERAAN CASTLE, COMMAND CENTER - CONTINUOUS
Obi Wan bursts through the door. The bodies of clone elites
and palace guards litter the floor. The holographic battle
map flickers and sparks.
Weapons slung over their shoulders, Elspet inspects a wound
on Bail's arm while he looks at a cut on her face. They nod
at Obi Wan.
Kenobi nods back distractedly and scans the room. Over in a
corner, he sees a wounded Leore being helped to his feet by
Mon Mothma -- his arm slung around her shoulders.
Kenobi sighs with relief. Mothma sees him and smiles. Kenobi
smiles back.
EXT. ALDERAAN, BATTLE FIELD - SUNSET
The field is dotted with bonfires -- small groups of Jedi
gathering at each one, with a larger crowd of soldiers and
citizenry observing from a polite distance.
Anakin stares into one of the fires, and we see that it is,
in fact, a Jedi funeral pyre. This one belongs to the Sensei.
Next to Anakin are the Sensei's young pupils.
Anakin turns from the fire and sees Obi Wan approaching. When
Obi Wan sees Anakin's sullen look, his face falls a little.
Anakin bows his head and extends his hand toward his master --
borrowed lightsaber in his open palm.
Kenobi closes Anakin's hand over the weapon, and Anakin looks
up at him with surprise, eyes glistening with tears. Anakin
looks tentatively over his shoulder at the Sensei's students,
who nod somberly.
When Anakin turns back, Obi Wan pulls him into a firm
embrace.
Further from the pyres, alone, the shadows and flames playing
on his face, Jardin Canaris glares coldly into the dark. His
face is angry, bitter, his eyes are hard.
Jardin's head tilts like he hears something. He listens for a
moment, then flings his lightsaber to the ground and stalks
off.
Far away, standing before the pyre of Dalu Dalu, Yoda watches
Canaris' departure with sage concern.
EXT. ALDERAAN CASTLE - MORNING
A very large crowd is assembled before the palace. In front
of the throng, the heroes of the battle of Alderaan are
arrayed.
Quintumvirs Mothma and Organa, Elspet Organa, trailed by
Serai, and Tet Leore, supported by space crutches, bestow
medals upon the honorees.
Leore pins a medal on the frigate captain. Elspet does the
same for Odo Luff.
Bail grants awards to a proud Kitch and Manx. He gives
another to Anakin. Serai smiles, and Anakin blushes.
Mothma gives a medal to a bashful Heph, Forbee at his side.
And finally, smiling gently, she presents Kenobi with his.
Kenobi returns the smile, and then looks past her at Yoda.
The old master appears to approve, but he is distracted by
something, disturbed. He looks up and away, studying the sky.
Yoda's thoughts are interrupted by applause. The crowd cheers
and claps -- Alda and the gunners more raucously than most.
The heroes stand at attention and look warmly about at each
other.
It is a good day.
THE END