EXT. DESERT – MONTAGE
Bail, Vaness, Obi, and Anakin spend the next several hours hiking through the desolate landscape towards the mysterious ziggurat.
EXT. ZIGGURAT – DAWN
The team of four finally arrives at the ziggurat. Up close, it can now be seen that the magnificent edifice has been wrought out of large red granite blocks, each expertly cut and fitted without the use of mortar. Thousands of years old, the construct has remained remarkably intact in spite of the harsh climate around it.
In awe of the ancient ziggurat, the travellers ascend the long ramp leading up into the structure.
INT. ZIGGURAT/ENTRANCE GALLERY – DAWN
The four Humans pass through the open entrance into the gallery beyond. Phosphorescent pigments allied to the hieroglyphs carved in the walls afford the passage a natural illumination. Lining the walls at regular intervals between the hieroglyphic inscriptions are several tall statues, each carved in the likeness of humanoid beings, some with plaited beards, all with strange tusk-like protrusions erupting from their cheeks. Obi-Wan halts at the sight of these statues, an immediate recognition setting in.
OBI-WAN: My God.
BAIL: What?
OBI-WAN: This is a Sith temple.
BAIL: (confused) Sith?
CMDR. VANESS: Don’t you know your history, Bail? The Sith were a cult created by the dark Jedi Exar Kun four-thousand years ago.
Stepping up to one of the statues, Obi examines it closely.
OBI-WAN: No. This is a creation of the original Sith, a race which reigned in their own region of space in the thousands of years before Kun.
BAIL: These Sith, they’re bad news?
OBI-WAN: They were once – long, long ago. (beat) They’re extinct now.
Leaving the statue, Obi-Wan continues down the gallery. The others follow after.
INT. ZIGGURAT/BURIAL CHAMBER – DAWN
The Humans emerge into the burial chamber. A large, conical chamber, twelve panels line the walls, each engraved with murals depicting the personal history of the chamber’s lone inhabitant. In the centre of the chamber, bathed in rainbow light falling through a prismatic skylight in the distant ceiling above, is a sarcophagus of white jade, the life-like effigy of a lovely Sith woman chiselled into the lid.
ANAKIN: (shivers) It’s sure cold in here.
The others, including Obi, look on the Jedi apprentice strangely.
ANAKIN: (rubs his arms) Don’t you feel it?
OBI-WAN: I don’t feel anything.
CMDR. VANESS: It’s no cooler in here than it is out there.
ANAKIN: It’s got to be 10° in here. How can you not feel it?
CMDR. VANESS: It’s just this place. It gives me the creeps, too.
Leaving the others, Anakin approaches the sarcophagus. Examining the serene, sleeping face engraved on the sarcophagus lid, he then places a hand down on her crossed hands.
ANAKIN: (snatches his hand back) OW!
OBI-WAN: (takes a step forward; concerned) What’s wrong?!
ANAKIN: (holds his afflicted hand) It’s ice cold!
Striding over to the sarcophagus, Obi rests his own hand on it; he feels nothing out of the ordinary.
BAIL: Let’s go. There’s nothing here for us.
Bail heads off, the others following suit. Anakin dallies momentarily, giving the sarcophagus one last look before leaving with the rest.