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