EXT. XUTHLTAN – ZIGGURAT – TWILIGHT
Returning to reality, we find Possessed Vaness and Anakin still there, the apprentice on his knees, trapped in the thick vines with the yellow-skinned Human/rakghoul hybrid hovering over him, claw-like nails of her left hand buried under the skin of his brow; their faces are both blank of emotion, betraying no sign of the furious battle currently being waged within their shared unconscious.
Behind the two, Bail remains prone upon the stone, wounded arm trapped beneath him. Gritting his teeth, he forces his free hand beneath his body; finding the blaster pinned under him, he wrenches it free. With the possessed woman’s back turned to him, Bail levels the blaster at her and opens fire, emptying the last of the weapon’s stored energy into her back. The green plasma bolts strike with deadly precision; the connection between she and Anakin abruptly severed, she collapses into a heap, uttering not a sound as she falls; the vines entangled around Nik quickly dry up, wither, and decay into ash, allowing him to collapse alongside her.
Cradling his wounded arm, Bail scuttles over to the motionless form of his former second-in-command; checking her throat for a pulse, he finds none. Moving away from her, he goes to Anakin.
BAIL: Skywalker? (shakes Anakin) Skywalker? Anakin, can you hear me? Anakin!?
The young man, though still alive, is in a catatonic shock. His eyes, fixed open, stare straight ahead into nothing.
EXT. ZIGGURAT – DAY
The next day, Bail and Obi-Wan sit with Cmdr. Cody and Anakin. Though in serious condition, Cody is remarkably still alive; by rolling down the sloping exterior wall of the ziggurat instead of plummeting straight to the ground below, he broke his fall, sparing him immediate death. For his part, Anakin remains catatonic, unaware of anyone or thing around him.
As Obi looks down at his burnt, bandaged hands in his lap, a low mechanical HUM begins to resonate through the air. Looking up, he and Bail spot a homely, ungainly freighter descending from the sky towards them.
CUT TO
The Jedi and captain walking down the ziggurat ramp as the freighter lands.
As the two Humans approach the ugly ship, the entry hatch opens, allowing a BOTHAN and a DRESSELLIAN to step out into the dry Xuthltanian air.
INT. UNGAINLY FREIGHTER/MAIN CORRIDOR – DAY
As his crew helps bring the unconscious/catatonic forms of Cody and Anakin aboard, the Bothan captain turns to regard Bail, who has just entered the ship, the shrouded form of Vaness’ body held in his arms.
BOTHAN CAPTAIN: What happened to you guys down here?
BAIL: (solemn) That’s a long story, Captain. Maybe I’ll tell it to you when I’m in the right mind for it.
As Bail glumly files inside, he’s followed by Obi-Wan. Turning to the burned Jedi, the Bothan captain quickly exchanges wordless glances with the Human before closing the hatch.
EXT. DRIED-UP RIVER BED – DAY
As the freighter flies through the air on its way back to space, it passes over the wreck of the Wayward Son.
INT. UNGAINLY FREIGHTER/COCKPIT – DAY
The Bothan captain and Dressellian co-pilot sit behind the controls of their ship, Obi-Wan and Bail seated behind them.
BOTHAN CAPTAIN: (notices the Wayward Son) That’s the ship you came down here on?
OBI-WAN: Yes.
BOTHAN CAPTAIN: A YT-1300 – that’s a great ship; my cousin has one of those. Sad it see it in such sorry condition. (turns to the Humans) Will you be comin’ back for it?
BAIL: It’s scrap now.
BOTHAN CAPTAIN: (shrugs) Looks like a fixer-upper to me.
BAIL: You’re welcome to it if you want it.
BOTHAN CAPTAIN: Thanks. I think we’ll come back this way ‘round after our current run, give it a once-over and see if we can’t get it towed back to Rinel. (beat) Y’know, even if it’s a strike-off, it’s bound to have good parts worth salvaging.