EPISODE V: IMPERIAL ENTANGLEMENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

“STAR WARS: HEROES OF DESTINY

EPISODE v: IMPERIAL ENTANGLEMENTS”

by

JIM COOK

BASED ON A STORY BY MICHAEL ROMANOWSKI & CO.

 

 

 

 

 

JAMESJCOOK3RD@GMAIL.COM

HTTP://STAR-WARS-HEROES-OF-DESTINY.BLOGSPOT.COM

TWITTER: @JIMCOOKJIMCOOK

FADE IN

EXT. SPACE

We see a field of stars. As the theme music plays, words CRAWL across the blackness.

CRAWL

The Dancing Star has lost a crewmember. Tovi Zahn has taken up with the Human-among-Sand-People known as Old Fang. Renee Markov, the captain of the Dancing Star, hurtles back to the ship, the pain of his crushed ribs exceeded by the pain of the loss of his friend.

EXT. DUNE SEA – NIGHT

KOYI’UNA SEROOL stands at the ramp of the DANCING STAR, anxiously peering into the darkness.

MSDB 14-ALPHA (O.S.)

(via ship’s comm)

Mistress Koyi’una, sensors detect an approaching speeder bike.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

(into ship’s comm)

How man riders?

MSDB 14-ALPHA (O.S.)

(via ship’s comm)

One, Mistress Koyi’una.

Koyi’una waits nervously at the end of the boarding ramp, shivering slightly in the cold desert night.

A dark shape ROARS out of the night, and slides to a stop just inside the bright area of light cast by the Dancing Star’s work lights.

RENEE MARKOV, the Khil captain of the Dancing Star, nearly falls off the speeder bike. Koyi’una rushes to assist him. She helps himhobble toward the ship, while he presses a hand against his ribs.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

What happened? Where is Tovi?

RENEE MARKOV

Gone. I’m not sure if he’s alive or dead. I fear he’s alive, and in the clutches of a power he can’t understand. Get everyone inside. The ‘Star is lifting off; we have incoming.

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

DELOR SEROOL sits in the pilot’s seat, running the Dancing Star through her pre-flight routine.

MYKAR ROSHENK (O.S.)

(via ship’s comm)

Engines are hot. You can lift when ready.

DELOR SEROOL

(into ship’s comm)

Understood. Just waiting for Renee and Koy.

The captain and Koyi’una enter the bridge and take their stations. Koyi’una sits at the System Operator station normally occupied by their absent shipmate.

DELOR SEROOL

Are we going after Tovi?

RENEE MARKOV

Just fly the ship, Delor, let me handle the rest.

Delor GRUMBLES under his breath, but does as he is told. He turns to his controls, and moments later the Dancing Star soars skyward.

At the System Operator’s console, Koyi’una is in communication with the grizzled moisture farmer known to her only as HIRAM.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

(into comm)

You have to evacuate. There’s no way you can hope to defend your farms now. There are just too many Sand People.

HIRAM (O.S.)

(via comm)

This is our home, and we’ll defend it. We’ll fight them, no matter the cost.

KORYI’UNA SEROOL

(into comm)

Don’t be a fool! You have children there. Do their lives mean nothing to you?

HIRAM (O.S.)

(via comm)

We’ll never be able to get the kids, the old, and the sick out in time.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

(into comm)

We will cover you!

RENEE MARKOV

(loudly, to be heard over the comm)

This may be a fool’s errand, Hiram, but we’re with you. We will use the ‘Star’s guns to hold the Sand People off as long as we can. Get your people out. Those bastards have one of my people already, they don’t need to get any of yours.

DELOR SEROOL

I can see the Sand People now!

EXT. DUNE SEA NEAR FARMER’S VILLAGE

The Dancing Star is circling low over the desert, just visible is the village, Crossing the sand slowly but inorexibly is a column of SAND PEOPLE. There are about one hundred of them, most mounted on BANTHAS.

The Dancing Star pitches forward in a shallow diave. Her guns fire, red bolts sending sand fountaining skyward. The Sand People return fire, but none of their shots hit home.

The ship completes her attack run, and wheels around to attack again. In the distance speeders and other vehicles are fleeing the village.

The Dancing Star continues to fire at the Sand People, circling over them, covering the escape.

At last, only one cart being pulled by a couple of harnessed EOPIES is left in sight. The Sand People have reached the outskirts of the town, more harassed and slowed than actually hurt by the Dancing Star’s attacks. Several smoking bantha carcasses and blackened piles of rags testify to the accuracy of some of Delor’s shots, however.

As the last cart disappears into the desert night, the Sand People begin to set fires in the compound, and loot it. Having covered the escape, and suffered some minor damage to add to her already beaten hull, the Dancing Star heads away.

CLOCKWISE ROTATING TRANSFORM WIPE TO

INT. DOCKING BAY 327 – MOS EISLEY – DAY

Renee Markov and Koyi’una Serool descend the ship’s boarding ramp. BIB FORTUNA visibly incensed, and two GAMORREAN GUARDS, visibly intimidating, stand at the end of the ramp. Before Renee is halfway down, Fortuna starts yelling.

BIB FORTUNA

Your newly refurbished ship damaged?! More credits added to your debt with to Jabba?! I should have you executed right now!

RENEE MARKOV

Fortuna, you couldn’t possibly make me feel any worse than I already do.

BIB FORTUNA

We’ll see about that, Markov. Maybe I’ll have my guards—

Koyi’una interposes herself between Renee and Fortuna. She begins to move her supple, sensual head tails in a display of non-verbal Twi’lek communication.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

(in Twi’lekese)

Lord Fortuna, please have mercy on us! If not for the sake of Captain Markov, than for my brother... and me.

Koyi’una lowers her eyes, and folds her hands in front of her waist. A submissive pose that Fortuna seems to react well to.

BIB FORTUNA

(in Twi’lekese)

Very well, my child, but only out of affection for one of my own people. Your captain may have twenty-four hours to make what repairs you can on this ship. While I value your life, child, I do not value that of Markov, nor this ship. I will give no more of the Mighty Jabba’s money to fix it.

Fortuna turns his attention to Renee.

BIB FORTUNA

Tomorrow a large cargo shipment will be delivered to you. Load it immediately. A second shipment will arrive after that. Much smaller. Much more valuable. Much more important to me. See to it that it is well secured. Deliver both cargos, Renee Markov, and you will be well on your way to clearing your debt with Jabba. Until you lift off with your holds full, I want to games, foolishness, or distractions. I will leave a squad of guards to ensure that no more... accidents befall you or this ship. None of your crew are to leave this docking bay for any reason!

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

Lord Fortuna, I will make sure none of us gets into trouble. For you, I will do this.

BIB FORTUNA

(in Twi’lekese)

You should have a better class of associates, my dear. Come and live with us in Jabba’s palace. You could dance for us, and I would care for you as my own.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

(in Twi’lekese)

Thank you, my lord. I will certainly think about your offer.

CLOCKWISE TRANSFORM WIPE TO

EXT. HYPERSPACE

The Dancing Star flies through the mottled blue patterns of hyperspace with a ROAR of her engines.

INT. DANCING STAR LOUNGE

RENEE MARKOV

I checked the coded instructions from Fortuna for the cargo. We drop the main load at an Imperial depot in the Mardolus System. Then we drop the smaller load in the Cetis System.

MYKAR ROSHENK

Cetis? That’s deep inside the Corporate Sector. What business could Fortuna or Jabba have there?

RENEE MARKOV

I didn’t ask for an explanation, Mykar, and neither should you. Whatever the answer is isn’t our business. This run will be worth an easy thousand credits off our debt to Jabba the Hutt. That’s all I care about.

DELOR SEROOL

I don’t like the drop at the Imperial base, myself. That cargo is Marcor-alloy bar stock, the same stuff they use to construct capitol ship hulls. Why all the secrecy for something mundane?

RENEE MARKOV

We are all better off keeping ourselves as far out of any of this as we can. No questions means no lies. Now, let’s spend the time in hyperspace fixing what systems we can. If this run does go bad, I want to have the choice to either run, or fight, or both.

CLOCKWISE TRANSFORM WIPE TO

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

The chaotic patterns of hyperspace, visible through the viewports, turn to starlines, which quickly resolve into bright points of light in the blackness.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

Sensors are picking up a lot of traffic here. About a dozen freighters of various models, tow Imperial frigates, a couple of Griffin-class containerized cargo ships, and too many TIE fighters to count.

RENEE MARKOV

Ok, people, let’s get the load delivered as fast as possible.

EXT. SPACE – THE MARDOLUS SYSTEM

The Dancing Star maneuvers between other freighters. Two TIE fighters approach and take the ship under escort.

After looping over and around several outgoing transport ships, the Dancing Star enters the docking bay of the Griffin-class cargo ship PROVIDER.

INT. PROVIDER DOCKING BAY

The Dancing Star settles to the deck of the massive cargo ship. The docking bay is so large that ten ships the size of the ‘Star could fit inside, with room to spare.

Hundreds of DROIDS, UNIFORMED HUMANS, and various NON-HUMAN WORKERS bustle about unloading and handling cargo. We see that most of the non-Human workers are huge, hairy bipeds: WOOKIEES. The Wookiees wear heavy collars around their necks, These are portable, wearable torture devices known as SHOCK COLLARS. They are clearly a non-voluntary labor force, watched over by armed Human overseers. These Wookiees are slaves of the Empire.

All the workers, Droid, Human, Wookkiee, free and slave, are moving pallets of Marcor-alloy bar stock from the holds of the freighters on the deck to a storage area in the far end of the bay. There are thousands fo stacks of pallets, more being added all the time.

An IMPERIAL NAVY LT, accompanied by a squad of STORM TROOPERS, a couple of large BINARY LOAD LIFTERS, and several Wookiee slaves, approaches the Dancing Star. He meets with Renee Markov and Mykar Roshenk at the boarding ramp.

IMPERIAL NAVY LT

Captain, as soon as you are offloaded, we will transfer payment to your account. Our droids and these hairy brutes will handle the cargo. Just open your hatches, and we will have you on your way shortly. Mind you, keep your crew away from the Wookiees.

Mykar smiles and points toward Renee.

MYKAR ROSHENK

Thanks, Ell Tee, but he’s the Captain. I’m just the mechanic who keeps this old girl running. 

The Imperial Navy LT seems confused for a moment, than regains his composure.

IMPERIAL NAVY LT

Of course. Just the same, have your crew stay clear of the Wookiees. They can be dangerous, especially in enclosed spaces.

The Stormtroopers begin herding the Wookiee slaves into the ship’s cargo hold. The crew, especially Mykar, watches them for a time, then turn away to their own concerns.

CLOCKWISE ROTATING TRANSFORM WIPE TO

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

The crew works their controls. Out the view port we see the cargo handling deck of the Provider fall away, and the dark, star filled vista of space open before us as the Dancing Star leaves the docking bay.

RENEE MARKOV

I am thankful to be out of there. Let’s head to Cetis, and be done with Fortuna’s errand.

DELOR SEROOL

Course for Cetis is plotted and laid in.

RENEE MARKOV

(into ship;s comm)

Mykar, you have everything ready back there?

INT. DANCING STAR ENGINEERING COMPARTMENT

MYKAR ROSHENK

(into ship’s comm)

Yeah, Renee. I just got the flow converters balanced again. Try not to shake us up too much. I can’t promise she’ll hold together forever under fire, but we should make it to Cetis’ and then home, with no problem.

RENEE MARKOV (O.S.)

(via ship’s comm)

Ok, Mykar, we’ll be gentle.

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

RENEE MARKOV

Punch it, Delor.

Delor pulls back on the hyperdrive leaver, and we hear the engines WHINE.

EXT. SPACE – MARDOLUS SYSTEM

The Dancing Star flickers momentarily against the starfield, as if moving slowly and tremendously fast at the same time. Then, just an instant later, she is gone.

INT. DANCING STAR ENGINEERING COMPARTMENT

Mykar is fiddling with some equipment. He and R4-K17 are working closely but in silence. The astromech droid is focused on his task, and Mykar is enjoying a quiet moment of solitude with his thoughts.

Suddenly, over the HUM of the ship’s systems and the ROAR of the engines, there is a loud metallic THUNK from behind a storage rack. Mykar turns to face the noise, and R4-K17’s dome swivels that direction.

R4-K17

Burble. Whoot. Whee.

MYKAR ROSHENK

Yeah, R4, I think we have a visitor.

Mykar slowly draws his blaster and heads behind the storage rack, toward the starboard escape pod hatch.

As Mykar approaches, we see a large figure huddled against the escape pd hatch. It notices Mykar’s approach, and begins to unfold itself to a standing position. It lumbers its two-meter-plus form out of the hatchway, and raises two thickly furred arms over its head in surrender. The stowaway is a Wookiee.

With his blaster still drawn, Mykar hits a comm button on a bulkhead panel.

MYKAR ROSHENK

(into ship’s comm)

Guys, uh... we seem to have an unexpected bit of cargo...

FADE TO BLACk

EPISODE IV: TARGET PRACTICE

 

 

 

 

 

 

“STAR WARS: HEROES OF DESTINY

EPISODE IV: TARGET PRACTICE”

by

JIM COOK

BASED ON A STORY BY MICHAEL ROMANOWSKI & CO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JAMESJCOOK3RD@GMAIL.COM

HTTP://STAR-WARS-HEROES-OF-DESTINY.BLOGSPOT.COM

TWITTER: @JIMCOOKJIMCOOK

FADE IN

EXT. SPACE

We see a field of stars. As the theme music plays, words CRAWL across the blackness.

CRAWL

The Dancing Star, having narrowly escaped an attack by a lone fighter, now rests in the desert, her crew making repairs, plans, and preparations.

EXT. DUNE SEA – DAY

The WOMP RAT is a huge, mangy thing, two-and-a-half meters long, very lean, and hungry looking. MSDB 14-ALPHA steadies his blaster rifle, and takes careful aim.

SCOPE VIEW

The womp rat is visible through the heat shimmer coming off the sand. The cross hair adjusts slightly… The magnified view shows the creature is holding a large, torn hung of flesh in its paws, taking quick bites, warily watching for others who might want to steal its snack. A shape in green ink is just barely visible on the skin of the rat’s food.

EXT. DUNE SEA – DAY

The blaster rifle flashes and kicks, sending a bolt toward the womp rat. The rat SCREAMS and staggers for a moment before dropping to the ground. A large, heat blackened hole in the side of its carcass smokes in the still desert air.

TOVI ZAHN

Good shot!

MSDB 14-ALPHA

Thank you, Master Tovi.

Tovi takes the rifle from the droid, and lays it back into the crate of old E-5 blaster rifles provided by their employers. He grabs another and hands it to MSDB 14-Alpha The rifle is quickly stripped down, examined for damage and defect, and reassembled.

The droid brings the rifle up, aims at the dead rat, and hesitates.

MSDB 14-ALPHA

Master Tovi, the meat that animal was eating seems to be marked with a tattoo. It could be a stock brand for a domesticated animal, but the skin appears to be human.

TOVI ZAHN

Let’s check it out.

The young Togruta and the droid walk across the burning sand to the carcass of the rat. In the heat it is already starting to putrefy. The smell of dead flesh and smoking hair is very strong. Various insects are already buzzing around the body.

The droid reaches down and pries the marked flesh from the dead animal’s paws. He holds it up to Tovi, showing him a green tattoo of a stylized Krayt Dragon.

Tovi’s comlink BEEPS. He keys it on.

RENEE MARKOV (O.S.)

Time to bring it in, you two. The suns are setting and I’d rather have everyone inside for the night.

TOVI ZAHN

(into comlink)

We were just about to pack up the crate and bring you something to see… you may not like it very much.

WIPE TO

INT. DANCING STAR LOUNGE

KOYI’UNA SEROOL is working over a computer terminal intently, and doesn’t acknowledge when MYKAR ROSHENK enters.

MYKAR ROSHENK

What’cha working on?

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

Just fiddling with this code cylinder you found on the guy you killed.

Mykar looks abashed.

MYKAR ROSHENK

If I had bothered to strip him down, I’d have found that dragon tattoo on him.

KORI’UNA SEROOL

You should just be thankful that this planet is home to helpful vermin.

Mykar gestures toward the code cylinder hooked up to the computer.

MYKAR ROSHENK

14-Alpha couldn’t crack this, right? What makes you think you can do any better?

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

Nothing, I suppose. Whoever encoded this data certainly went out of their way to make sure it wasn’t read by the wrong people. I was able to find this, though.

Koyi’una strikes a few keys, and one line of code on the display is highlighted.

Mykar leans forward and examines the characters intently.

MYKAR ROSHENK

It’s the name of a ship. The Rand Ecliptic, have you ever heard of her?

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

She’s listed as an Imperial frigate assigned to the Outer Rim Territories.

Suddenly, and alarm BUZZES through the ship.

MYKAR ROSHENK

That’s the proximity alarm. There’s a ship incoming

RENEE MARKOV (o.S.)

(via ship’s comm)

Looks like trouble, everyone. Arm yourselves and get to emergency stations.

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

DELOR SEROOL is powering up the ship’s weapons. Tovi at the systems operator console is busily working his controls.

TOVI ZAHN

Shields are up.

Kori’una peers out the viewport.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

It looks like an airspeeder.

TOVI ZAHN

Sensors show it as a T-16 Skyhopper, coming in fast, weapons hot!

MYKAR ROSHENK

We can’t lift off. The engines are exposed. The droids and I have been trying to run new duct work to vent plasma away from the damaged hull plating.

RENEE MARKOV

Doesn’t matter now, he’s nearly on top of us.

EXT. DUNE SEA – DAY

The SKYHOPPER ROARS over the grounded freighter, plasting away with its gun, missing.

It circles around to begin another attack run.

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

RENEE MARKOV

I guess negotiations are off the table.

EXT. DANUE SEA – DAY

The Skyhopper fires again. Crimson bolts from the gun causing cyan flares on the shields. The shields hold, and the Dancing Star returns fire.

The Skyhopper is untouched, and turns once again to make another attack run.

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

RENEE MARKOV

Who taught you how to shoot, Delor! Try to actually hit him next time.

DELOR SEROOL

(annoyed grunt)

The ship shudders and shakes from the pounding she’s taking. One of the overhead lighting units bursts into sparks, and smoke pours out.

TOVI ZAHN

Shields are holding… barely.

Delor pulls his trigger, firing back at the attacking speeder. The fire control system shows his shots going wide.

DELOR SEROOL

Shut up! I know what I’m doing!

Delor tracks his guns around, lining up the targeting cursor on the fire control monitor with the Skyhopper. He pulls the trigger but none of the bolts hit the mark.

EXT. DUNE SEA – DAY

The Skyhopper flashes overhead again, dodging more shots from the Dancing Star’s weapon.

INT. SKYHOPPER COCKPIT

The PILOT’s hands skillfully maneuver his control stick, and his fingers pull the trigger.

EXT. DUNE SEA – DAY

Blasts from the Skyhopper’s weapon rip into the Dancing Star. Smoke and sparks rise from the hull.

INT. DANCING STAR ENGINEERING COMPARTMENT

Equipment sparks and smokes. Mykar and the DROIDS are working feverishly to contain the damage.

MYKAR ROSHENK

(into ship’s comm)

WE can’t take much more of this! The shields have almost had it!

DELOOR SEROOL (O.S.)

(via ship’s comm)

I’ve got this, dammit! Now be quiet, all of you!

EXT. DUNE SEA – DAY

The Dancing Star’s weapons, under Delor’s control, continue blasting away at the airspeeder. The Pilot of the Skyhopper is just too good at anticipating the pattern of fire, and avoids each shot. The smaller craft returns fire, hitting the grounded ship again, causing her to nearly flip off her landing gear.

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

An alarm on Tovi’s panel WAILS.

TOVI ZAHN

There go the shields!

RENEE MARKOV

(into ship’s comm)

Mykar, we need the shields back up!

Delor stares intently at the fire control and targeting monitor. His tongue sticks out past his lips, his concentration evident on his face. He lines up his shot carefully.

DELOR SEROOL

(to himself)

Come on, you bastard… come on…

He pulls the trigger.

ext. dune sea – day

The Dancing Star’s guns fire.

Crimson bolts leap into the sky.

The Skyhopper blossoms into a bright red fireball.

Debris rains down across the desert.

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

Silence reigns aboard the ship momentarily… until Koyi’una looks over Tovi’s shoulder.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

More contacts heading this way!

 

RENEE MARKOV

Speeders?

 

TOVI ZAHN

Negative. Surface contacts, closing quickly. Six contacts, bearing two four three, thirty three hundred meters.

 

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

They are closing fast. Probably swoops.

 

DELOR SEROOL

We won’t have much luck engaging them with the ship’s guns.

 

RENEE MARKOV

Fair enough. Everyone, arm yourselves and meet me up on the dorsal hull. We’ll meet them gun-for-gun, and home for the best.

EXT. DUNE SEA – EVENING

The crew stands atop the hull of the Dancing Star. They huddle as best they can among the equipment housings. Sand and grit cover everything, and the wind picks up, blowing it around.

The WHINE of swoop engines gets closer.

MSDB 14-ALPHA

Master, I can engage them now, if you wish.

TOVI ZAHN

Not yet. Let them make the first move.

Moments later the fast moving dots approaching from the deep desert resolve themselves as individual swoops. The riders are masked, dressed in leathers, and have their weapons ready.

They come closer, rapidly closing the distance.

The riders begin firing. Blaster bolts sparkle in the desert twilight.

One of the bolts grazes Koyi’una’s lekku. She SNARLS in pain and anger, and drops to the ship’s hull.

The crew of the Dancing Star’s crew begins returning fire.

One of Delor’s shots catches a swoop, causing it to disintegrate into a fireball. The other riders continue on toward the ship.

DELOR SEROOL

Here they come!

The remaining swoops continue to attack. None of the crew speaks. There is only the exchange of blaster fire between the two sides.

Renee aims carefully at one of the riders and shoots. He hits his target in the belly, sending a corpse sprawling on the sands. The swoop goes tumbling across the flat desert, trailing flames, smoke, and sparks.

Mykar braces his heavy blaster pistol against an engine housing, and fires at a rider. His bolt catches the thug, ventilating his chest, causing him to slump over the control bars of his swoop. The vehicle goes off course, heading out into the desert on a death ride.

The surviving riders wheel and return the way they came, amid a hail of blaster bolts.

DELOR SEROOL

Koyi’una! Are you alright?

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

I’ll live.

Delor begins to apply burn gel to his sister’s singed head tail

TOVI ZAHN

They’ll be back, you can count on it.

RENEE MARKOV

You’re probably right. How soon until the ‘Star is air worthier, Mykar?

MYKAR ROSHENK

An hour, maybe two. We got shot up pretty bad. I can’t make you any promises, Renee!

RENEE MARKOV

Just do the best you can, Mykar.

Koyi’una winces a bit, and lets out a HISS of pain as her brother continues to apply the burn gel.

RENEE MARKOV

You alright?

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

Like I said, I’ll live.

TOVI ZAHN

We need to set up a defensive perimeter, extend the range of our sensors, and improve their ability to pick up ground targets. The way things are now, we’re just fresh meat on the fire.

Renee twitches his facial tendrils in a display of humorless Khil laughter.

RENEE MARKOV

I’ve already thought of that, actually. Grab your field kit, kid. You and I are going for a little ride.

CLOCKWISE WIPE CUT TO

EXT. DUNE SEA – EVENING

An old, beat up Aratech speeder bike ZOOMS across the desert. Renee Markov is at the controls, with Tovi Zahn hanging on behind.

TOVI ZAHN

(yelling over engine noise)

What are we doing, exactly?

RENEE MARKOV

(over shoulder)

These canyons are too steep and windy for our sensors to get a good reading. I want to set up a top of that tall spire. Once we get up there, we’ll be able to keep watch on everything for kilometers all around.

 TOVI ZAHN

(yelling over engine noise)

What if we run into Sand People?

RENEE MARKOV

(over shoulder)

You have a blaster, right? If you see one, shoot him…and any friends he might have with him!

EXT. TOP OF PEAK – EVENING

Tovi and Renee are on top of a rocky peak, about ten kilometers from the Dancing Star. There is a beautiful view; the surrounding desert for many kilometers in all directions is presented for viewing pleasure.

Renee pulls out a pair of electro-binoculars and begins to carefully scan the surrounding canyons, arroyos, and desert.

Tovi shields his eyes against the twin lowering suns’ glare, and peers into the distance also.

TOVI ZAHN

What are we looking for?

RENEE MARKOV

Anything out of the ordinary. I don’t… Wait. Look there.

Tovi takes the electro-binoculars proffered by Renee.

BINOCULAR VIEW

Long columns of bantha-mounted SAND PEOPLE, riding single file through the desert to hide their numbers head toward the peak.

EXT. TOP OF PEAK – EVENING

RENEE MARKOV

Damn! There must be two hundred of them down there, and they are headed this way. At the rate they are going, they will be at the village in two hours.

TOVI ZAHN

They will be on top of us in half that time.

A blaster bolt strikes a rock next to Renee, splitting it into a thousand pieces with a CRASH.

RENEE MARKOV

…or maybe even faster.

Renne and Tovi turn around, raising their hands in the air. A trio of Sand People stand at the edge of the escarpment. Two are armed with blaster rifles and Gaffi sticks.

The one in the middle is huge; a giant almost, tall and strongly built. Around its neck is a cord from which dangle Human fingers. Some fresh, some desiccated and nearly mummified. This is OLD FANG.

Old Fang and Tovi stare at each other, Old Fang’s eyes invisible beneath his mask, but Tovi’s show a feral intensity.

RENEE MARKOV

Listen, friend, we don’t want any trouble. We are just here long enough to fix our ship, then we go home. WE are stocked with trade goods, we could give you gifts. A peace offering! Maybe you’d like to see…

Old Fang, keeping his wrapped and masked gaze on Tovi, casually raises his hand toward Renee.

The Khil captain goes tumbling backward, as if struck by a hammer blow. He lays on the ground, GASPING and GURGLING. He COUGHS, and his lips are flecked with bloody foam.

Old Fang, with his attention focused on Tovi, reaches into his robe with his other hand. He slowly removes a silver cylinder with a black grip. At the press of a button, there is a SNAP-HISS and a green blade of light appears, HUMMING.

FLASHBACK

INT. DANCING STAR LOUNGE

Tovi is walking through the crew lounge of the Dancing Star. He drops his kit bag, spilling the contents. A cylinder, silver with a black grip, rolls across the deck. The other crew members all see it rolling, and Tovi’s nervous scramble to recover it. All have the look of recognition for this object. It is an elegant weapon from a more noble time. The hilt of a Lightsaber, the weapon of a Jedi Knight.

The members of the crew turn their eyes away, back to what they were doing. All save Renee, who stares into Tovi’s eyes.

END FLASHBACK

OLD FANG

I have much to teach you, young one…if you are willing to learn. Will you join me?

TOVI ZAHN

Yes.

Tovi walks away from Renee, leaving him still GASPING for air. Old Fang now turns his attention to Markov.

The now obviously masked Human lowers his hand, seemingly releasing Renee from under a great weight. Renee’s hands go immediately to press against his ribs, but his breathing is suddenly easier.

OLD FANG

You will leave this place, Outlander. Leave my desert. Never come back to the Dune Sea. If I see you on the sand again, it will mean your death.

Old Fang shuts down his lightsaber and walks away, joined by his Tusken companions and Tovi.

Renee Markov is left alone, in the gloom, on top of the peak, listening to the soft footsteps fade away across the desert.

FADE OUT

EPISODE III: A CHASE AND A PLAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

“STAR WARS: HEROES OF DESTINY

EPISODE III: A CHASE AND A PLAN”

by

JIM COOK

BASED ON A STORY BY MICHAEL ROMANOWSKI & CO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JAMESJCOOK3RD@GMAIL.COM

HTTP://STAR-WARS-HEROES-OF-DESTINY.BLOGSPOT.COM

TWITTER: @JIMCOOKJIMCOOK

FADE IN

EXT. SPACE

We see a field of stars. As the theme music plays, words CRAWL across the blackness.

CRAWL

The crew of the Dancing Star has found, through one of their member’s mysterious talents, the location of their quarry’s lair. Now en route across the Dune Sea, they seem to have company…

 

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

RENEE MARKOV, TOVI ZAHN, DELOR SEROOL and his sister KOYI’UNA SEROOL occupy the bridge of the DANCING STAR. An alarm WARBLES and Markov silences it.

TOVI ZAHN

What is it?

RENEE MARKOV

Incoming ship. 

Markov activates the visual sensors and an image pops on the screen. A single seat fighter, closing at high speed.

Another alarm WAILS.

DELOR SEROOL

He’s powering weapons.

Delor’s hands fly over the ship’s controls, and the Dancing Star begins to buck.

 

EXT. SKY ABOVE THE DUNE SEA – DAY

The Dancing Star goes into a steep dive. The maneuver doesn’t seem to faze the ENEMY PILOT at all. The fighter increases its speed, closing quickly on the corkscrewing freighter.

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

Delor continues to work his controls like a virtuoso musician. The sensor display indicates that the enemy is a SoroSuub Cutlass-9 patrol fighter.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

Do you think it is Fortuna’s?

RENEE MARKOV

I doubt it. He’s angry with me, sure, but not angry enough to send one of Jabba’s fighters after us. It would draw too much attention, with all the Imperials swarming around.

TOVI ZAHN

What do we do?

RENEE MARKOV

Contact him. Maybe he’s willing to talk.

DELOR SEROOL

Too late!

EXT. SKY ABOVE THE DUNE SEA – DAY

The Dancing Star’s aft hull is struck by fire from the Cutlass-9’s cannons. The ship’s shields hold, but only just. The Dancing Star goes into a steep spiral to try and evade the attacker.

 

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

Delor slams the controls for the weapons and engines to maximum power.

DELOR SEROOL

We can’t outfight him in this bucket; but maybe we can try and spoof him…

Delor puts the Dancing Star through a spinning roll and puts the ship into a power dive toward the desert floor.

DELOR SEROOL

We can lose him in those canyons down there. I hear the locals like to buzz around down there for races and the like, sometimes to smuggle things past the Hutts.

Through the viewport we see the desert floor approaching very quickly…

Extremely quickly!

TOVI ZAHN

We’re going to fast!

INT. CUTLASS-9 COCKPIT

As the Dancing Star bobs and weaves in her dive toward the sands below, the Pilot jerks and pulls his control stick, keeping his fighter’s nose aligned with the freighter. His fingers work the trigger. Most of the red blasts from his cannons miss the Dancing Star, but now the pilot gets lucky. His shots blast into the freighter’s hull, shattering plating.

 

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

The last hit causes alarms to WAIL, BUZZ, and WARBLE through the ship. Red and amber lights blink on all over the control panels. The flight engineer station explodes in sparks. Acrid smoke begins filling the bridge.

RENEE MARKOV

Somebody get on the guns!

MSBD 14-ALPHA begins working the controls for the after-market A-90 turret the previous owners had installed.

 

EXT. SKY OVER THE DUNE SEA – DAY

The turret tracks the Cutlass-9 for a moment, then crimson bolts streak outward. They score a glancing blow on the fighter’s forward shields, causing a blue flash, but no damage.

The Dancing Star goes through a series of flips and slides, finally ending up heading down a long, winding canyon at the edge of a series of serrated peaks and valleys, all jumbled amidst a dry river bed that snakes east and west for as far as can be seen.

The ship flashes past soaring plinths of rust red rock. Cannon fire strikes the freighter, making her shudder and pitch.

 

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

Over Delor’s shoulder, we see a towering cliff face ahead, getting closer every second. At the last moment, Delor pours on more power and speed, causing the ship to streak upward. The Dancing Star parallels the cliff face with bare meters of clearance.

The Cutlass-9 matches the Dancing Star’s maneuver, firing all the while. The fighter’s shots miss and pound into the cliff face, blasting loose burning rock and dust.

Both ships flip over the top of the mesa, and plunge into a vast canyon beyond.

 

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

There! Do you see it?

Koyi’una points through the bridge viewport, toward the canyon wall.

DELOR SEROOL

Yeah. Hold on!

Delor pulls the ship into a quick turn, and then we see what Koyi’una was pointing toward: a thin opening in the rock face of the canyon wall. The narrow crack is barely wide enough for the Dancing Star to slip into it sideways.

DELOR SEROOL

Here we go!

 

EXt. SKY OVER THE DUNE SEA – DAY

The Dancing Star banks sharply to port, then turns steeply to avoid once of the red sandstone monoliths. The ship’s weapons blast away at the pursuing fighter, but the wild jerking and rolling of Delor’s evasive action are casusing all of the shots to go wide.

 

INT. CUTLASS-9 COCKPIT

Through the cockpit canopy the Dancing Star pitches to port, standing on her side. She tilts crazily for a moment, then rights herself long enough to slip between the rugged stone walls of the slot in the canyon wall.

The Pilot increases his fighter’s speed, trying to maneuver to follow the Dancing Star into the narrow slot. The small ship twists and turns, following the motion of the Pilot’s stick.

 

EXT. NARROW SLOT CANYON – DAY

The Cutlass-9 follows the Dancing Star into the canyon, trying to keep up with the freighter at top speed. The speed of the big freighter’s passage is creating a wake of turbulent air in the narrow space. The small fighter is fighting against the flow, trying to follow the bigger ship. No longer blasting away with its cannons, the Cutlass-9 is only trying to keep up and keep away from the walls. The push of the Dancing Star’s wake dislodges a large boulder from higher up the wall. It tumbles down, catching the Cutlass-9’s wing, sending the fighter into a flat spin.

 

INT. CUTLASS-9 COCKPIT

The Pilot fights the control stick, but can’t get the fighter under control. He lets out a WILHELM SCREAM as the rock wall gets closer and closer.

 

EXT. NARROW SLOT CANYON – DAY

The Cutlass-9 smashes into the wall of the canyon, bursting into a sphere of flames and metallic shards with an explosive ROAR.

 

INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE

DELOR SEROOL

That got him!

Delor works his controls, and the Dancing Star pulls up out of the canyon. Once the clear sky is visible through the view port, the crew gives a collective SIGH of relief.

TOVI ZAHN

We still don’t know who they were. Cutlass-9s are pretty common military surplus out here on the Rim.

 

RENEE MARKOV

I wouldn’t be too sure of that, Tovi…

 

Renee manipulates an image recorded on the scanner display, zooming in on the fighter. A distinctive Krayt Dragon sigil is clearly marked on the fighter’s nose.

 

IRIS WIPE TO:

EXT. DUNE SEA NEAR THE FARMER’S VILLAGE – DAY

The Dancing Star sits on a large, flat stretch of salt pan. The domed buildings of the village is visible about two kilometers in the distance. HIRAM and some MOISTURE FARMERS approach in a beat-up landspeeder, loaded down with a big crate.

The speeder slides to a stop near the grounded ship. Hiram looks up and sees activity on the dorsal hull of the Dancing Star. MYKAR ROSHENK, Delor, and R4-K17 are using fusion cutters to remove and replace the twisted, melted hull plating damaged in the fight with the Cutlass-9. The damage is not fatal to the ship, but she will require some time in a repair dock to be in full form again.

Koyi’una moves forward with arms spread to embrace the grizzled leader of the farmers.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

Hiram! Friend! Greetings! Come, we must go aboard and discuss our business.

 

CLOCKWISE ROTATING TRANSFORM WIPE TO

EXT. DUNE SEA NEAR THE FARMERs’ VILLAGE – EVENING

The patchwork repairs on the Dancing Star have been completed. Koyi’una stands in the desert twilight, watching the speeder with the moisture farmers return to their village. The last vestiges of the twin suns dip below the horizon and the stars come out.

Koyi’una hears a THUMPING, and MSDB 14-Alpha appears at her elbow. The droid is no longer battered and beaten in appearance. He sports a brand new coat of paint, is highly polished, and gleams almost as if he has just walked off the assembly line.

MSDB 14-ALPHA

Mistress Koyi’una, my master requests your presence in the ship’s lounge.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

Ok. What do you think of your new look?

MSDB 14-ALPHA

I have no opinion one way or the other, Mistress Koyi’una.

Koyi’una smiles, and she and the droid walk toward the ship’s ramp together in the gloom of the desert night.

 

INT. DANCING STAR LOUNGE

In the cramped but cozy and comfortable lounge a holographic map of the area hangs in the air. Koyi’una is pointing at a long, jagged formation of rock walls and stony floors.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

The canyon that Old Fang has taken for his own is known to the locals as “Devil’s Gorge.” Few offworlders have ever laid eyes on it. It is several days bantha ride within the Sand People’s territory. Hiram believes the Tuskens will fight to the death to defend the area. He isn’t sure why, but there may possibly be some sort of religious or cultural taboo on the place. Whatever the reason, fighting our way there would be very difficult.

DELOR SEROOL

Can’t we just fly in and land at the entrance to the gorge?

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

Yes, but we’d have to be quick about our attack, getting in and out as fast as possible. Once we show ourselves every Tusken Raider in the area is going to swarm us like a plague of saffron fire beetles. Any long-term stay is simply out of the question.

Koyi’una works the controls of the holo projector, and the image rotates and zooms in on the rocky, tortured terrain of the entrance to the gorge.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

This is the onl surface entrance to the canyon.

RENEE MARKOV

We could blast the place from the air.

Koyi’una twitches her lekku in irritation

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

Yes, we could, but I think I have another, better, solution to the problem.

Koyi’una adjusts the hologram again, and now a series of subterranean tunnels beneath the desert is displayed. There are many kilometers of them, some winding so deep beneath the surface that they continue past the displayed image.

KOYI’UNA SEROOL

These are ancient mine tunnels. At the time of the Jedi Civil war the planet was controlled by the Czerka Corporation. They were attempting to mine ores here, but the mines were never very profitable. They eventually shut down production. That was thousands of years ago. The shafts and tunnels are still there, and some may be passable. Hiram provided us this map, which shows us an entrance to the tunnel system here, in a place the locals call “Beggar’s Canyon.”

A crimson icon blazes on the hologram, showing a series of caves and tunnels about ten kilometers from the Dancing Star’s current location.

TOVI ZAHN

That’s a pretty dangerous route. It will be torturous going, in the dark, with who knows what living down there.

MYKAR ROSHENK

Yes, but taking that route to Old Fang’s lair would give us the advantage for arriving in his backyard unseen, unknown, and undetected.

FADE OUT