EPISODE VI: SPECIAL DELIVERY

“EPISODE VI: SPECIAL DELIVERY” by Jim Cook Based on a story by MICHAEL ROMANOWSKI & CO    EMAIL: JAMESJCOOK3RD@GMAIL.COM WEBSITE: HTTP://STAR-WARS-HEROES-OF-DESTINY.BLOGSPOT.COM TWITTER: @JIMCOOKJIMCOOK TEXT: (609) 891-8476 FADE IN: OPENING CRAWL Having dropped off their cargo at seemingly clandestine Imperial construction site, the crew of the Dancing Star now must deal with their Wookiee stowaway while en route to their next destination: the drop-off for the “special” cargo consigned to them by their employer, Bib Fortuna… EXT. HYPERSPACE The DANCING STAR powers though hyperspace with a ROAR of her engines. INT. DANCING STAR CREW LOUNGE The crew is gathered around the Wookiee GAARTATHA. It seems that we see them as Gaartatha has just finished telling the story of his life of forced labor for the Empire. KOYI’UNA SEROOL Your tale saddens us all, Gaartatha, but you are a free being now. MYKAR ROSHENK We just have to get that collar off you. GAARTATHA Rooo, Gwaaahr! DELOR SEROOL You can use the tools we have, but I don’t understand why you won’t accept our help. RENEE MARKOV I think I do, Delor. He wants to free himself, and not owe his liberty to us. Go and cut that shock collar off, friend, then we’ll talk about where we can drop you off. GAARTATHA Oooohar! Haarooohh! KOYI’UNA SEROOL I’ve never been to Kashyyyk. I hear it is very beautiful. RENEE MARKOV Tovi always wanted to see the Wroshyr trees… After a moment of awkward silence, Delor CLEARS his throat. DELOR SEROOL Why don’t we head up to the bridge, and give Gaartatha some “alone time” to do what he needs to do? The crew rises to leave. Delor, Renee, and Koyi’una head to the bridge, and Mykar toward the engineering compartment. The Wookiee picks up a grinding tool and begins to work at the collar around his neck. INT. DANCING STAR ENGINEERING Mykar enters, and begins working on some control adjustments. R4K17 is already here and WHISTLES in acknowledgement of Mykar’s presence. The sound of the grinder is heard for a few moments, and then… A blood curdling sound, half SCREAM, half ROAR echoes through the ship. Mykar jumps up from his work and runs toward the lounge. INT. DANCING STAR LOUNGE Mykar enters from Engineering, followed by R4K17. The bridge crew enters from the other side simultaneously. They see a chilling sight. Gaartatha lies contorted on the floor. The shock collar emits a BUZZ and his limbs contract. Again and again, in quick succession, the collar BUZZES and the Wookiee twitches, as if having a seizure. Finally, a puff of smoke and a final lingering BUZZ indicates the failure of the shock collar. Gaartatha lies still on the deck, a dark singed mark around his neck. EXIT. SPACE – CETIS SYSTEM The Dancing Star flickers back into reality from hyperspace. She is surrounded by the blackness of space and the glowing points of faraway stars in all directions. INT. DANCING STAR BRIDGE Delor checks the ship’s location and navigation system indicators. He frowns. DELOR SEROOL We came out of lightspeed at the right coordinates. I don’t understand why we are out here. What gives? Why did you plot our course so far out from Cetis V? RENEE MARKOV Check the long range sensors. The system is lousy with asteroids. Two planets collided here, leaving a dense field of debris. The whole system is constantly bombarded by asteroids and comets, big and small. If it weren’t for the huge deposits of industrial metals on Cetis V, nobody would bother with this system. There are only a few shipping lanes that are swept clear of debris, and this is the middle of one. KOYI’UNA SEROOL What about the planet itself? RENEE MARKOV There are massive shield generators in place around the north pole. Without them, living conditions would be problematic at best. With them, Cetis V gets treated to a pretty light show at night as the rocks smash into the shield. MYKAR ROSHENK Maybe we should hold position here while we take care of Gaartatha? INT. DANCING STAR LOUNGE The body of Gaartatha is on the deck near the ship’s airlock, shrouded in cargo mesh sealed with spacer’s tape. MYKAR ROSHENK Does anyone want to say anything? For a few moments none of the crew says anything. They stand uncomfortably staring at the plastic wrapped body. DELOR SEROOL It wasn’t your fault. No one could have detected that tertiary trigger on the shock collar. MYKAR ROSHENK I suppose so… KOYI’UNA SEROOL I guess Tovi was the spiritual one among us. He’d know what to say, and how to say it. DELOR SEROOL  Let’s just get it over with, R4. R4-K17 BURBLES solemnly, and cycles the airlock door open. MSDB-14 ALPHA drags the body in, and in moments the body of Gaartatha of Kashyyk is consigned to the deep of space. Mykar looks out the viewport. MYKAR ROSHENK Peace be with you. At least you died a free being, not a slave. The crew watched the body slowly float away from the Dancing Star for a few minutes in silence. RENEE MARKOV We need to get back to work, people. The approach through these asteroids won’t be easy. EXT. SPACE ABOVE CETIS V The Dancing Star twists and turns, following the travel lane cleared of asteroids and debris. We see, in the distance, flashes of bright color as rocks and dust strike the planetary shield. We follow the ship down through the atmosphere. The sky around the Dancing Star goes from the ebon black of space, through violet, to clear azure blue. Below the ship, the surface of Cetis V is revealed. She arcs high over the southern hemisphere, where huge industrial complexes and gigantic crawling vehicles are seen strip mining the precious ore deposits. As the ship’s course brings us over the northern hemisphere, we see an entirely different environment. Untamed tropical jungle and pristine white sand beaches on the coast of the shallow seas stretch away to the north. The Dancing Star nears the capitol of Cetis V, Ebar Landing. Glittering towers of shining alloys and reflective windows make up the city. The ship settles at LANDING SLOT 7795D stop atop the tower known as SECTOR 77. EXT. LANDING SLOT 7795D - AFTERNOON As the Dancing Star settles onto the landing platform, a detachment of brown uniformed Corporate Sector Authority ESPO TROOPERS approach. The ramp lowers, and the Espo Troopers enter. INT. DANCING STAR CARGO HOLD The Espo Troopers and a CUSTOMS OFFICIAL are examining the cargo spaces unenthusiastically. They spend more time inspecting Koyi’una’s physique than they do the hold. CUSTOMS OFFICIAL Everything seems to be in order here, Captain Markov. Enjoy your stay on Cetis V. With that the Espos leave the ship, and the crew gets down to their real work. RENEE MARKOV Koi, get onto the planet’s data net and rent us a cargo speeder. KOYI’UNA SEROOL Right away. RENEE MARKOV Mykar, Delor, and 14-Alpha, you break out the cargo. Load up the speeder when it gets here, and let’s get this delivered as fast as possible and get back to Tattooine. EXT. LANDING SLOT 7795D - EVENING A flatbed speeder hovers next to the Dancing Star, loaded with six sealed shipping containers. R4-K17 and Renee stand at the base of the ramp. RENEE MARKOV You stay here, R4. Keep the ship locked up, and keep an ear on the comm. R4-K17 Warble! Bloop! Whee! RENEE MARKOV Don’t worry, R4. We’ll be back soon. Besides, you’re a droid, you’re not capable of feeling good or bad about anything. Renee mounts a speeder bike, joining 14-Alpha and Delor on their bikes, and Mykar and Koyi’una on the speeder truck. With a ROAR of engines the little convoy starts down the great curving ramp from the landing slot down the tower to street level. Renee and Delor lead, followed by the truck, with 14-Alpha bringing up the rear. EXT. EBAR LANDING - EVENING The streets are full of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Brown uniformed Espos are in evidence maintaining law and order. Repulsor billboards float in the sky, advertising all manner of products and services. The little convoy heads west, toward the neighborhood known as GAROOSH HEIGHTS. EXT. GAROOSH HEIGHTS - NIGHT Night is falling across the city as the convoy turns into a badly light side road. Here, on the outskirts of the city glittering towers have given way to street upon street of drab warehouses, supply depots, and storage facilities. Traffic is lighter here than in the heart of the city, though the streets are far from deserted. Suddenly a BOOM is heard, and we see an explosion further up the street. On the speeder truck, Delor reaches for the comm. DELOR SEROOL (into comm) This is the street our drop is on. That explosion should be near the address. RENEE MARKOV (into comm) How much do you want to bet that our delivery just became a lot more complicated? KOYI’UNA SEROOL (into comm) Don’t slow down and don’t stop, no matter what just keep going! MYKAR ROSHENK (into comm) What do we do if the Espos try to stop us? RENEE MARKOV (into comm) Just keep driving casual. We’ll worry about whatever happens when.. if it happens. The speeders continue down the street until they reach a roadblock. Espos wearing body armor and carrying riot guns wave traffic onto an intersecting street. Behind the security perimeter two huge gray ESPO WALKERS stand in the street in front of a long, low warehouse. The side of the building has been breached by heavy weapons fire. Flames and smoke pour from the building as several squads of Espo Troopers haul hooded and shackled prisoners into a waiting security speeder. As the convoy clears the immediate area, more Espos can be seen along with firefighters and emergency droids and equipment. Several bodies lie on the ground just inside the security cordon. In moments the group is past the scene and back on open streets. INT. SPEEDER TRUCK - NIGHT MYKAR ROSHENK Now what do we do? KOYI’UNA SEROOL Don’t worry. It’s all part of the plan, actually. Pull into that alley; I need to make a call. The speeder truck pulls into a dark, shadow filled alley between two storage rental facilities. Koyi’una punches in a code on the vehicle’s comm unit. MALE VOICE (via comm) Who is this? KOYI’UNA SEROOL (into comm) I have some packages to deliver, but the shipping address is no longer valid. Can you help me? MALE VOICE (via comm) Who sent you? KOYI’UNA SEROOL (into comm) This is Keva. I was sent by Korvo. MALE VOICE (via comm) There is a cantina on Fourth Street in the Zokollo district. Meet me there in an hour. EXT. ZOKOLLO DISTRICT – NIGHT We see the speeder truck driving along the streets of the district. It seems to be slightly erratic, unable to fully maintain its lane of travel. INT. SPEEDER TRUCK – NIGHT Mykar is driving, having a very hard time keeping his eyes on the road as Koyi’una clambers over the seat to the rear storage area with a satchel. MYKAR ROSHENK What are you doing? KOYI’UNA SEROOL I can’t go into a nightclub dressed like a delivery driver, can I? Now, don’t peek, Mykar! It wouldn’t be gentlemanly. Mykar sneaks a peek or two over the back seat as the shapely Twi’lek peels off her overalls and shimmies into a very nice, very revealing, very small outfit. EXT. ZOKOLO DISTRICT – NIGHT Leaving the rest of the crew behind in the alley with the vehicles and cargo, Koyi’una and Mykar stroll arm-in-arm through the city’s pleasure district. The road is lined for kilometers in either direction with pleasure clubs, spice dens, and all manner of places catering to sentients’ baser instincts. Nearly every building has a lurid holo marquee or billboard advertising every kind of vice imaginable. Mykar gestures to a sign that reads ‘ZORBAK’S PLACE’. MYKAR ROSHENK This is the place… I think. The cantina’s RODIAN DOORMAN barely sees Mykar as he passes, but pays close attention to Koyi’una, or at least parts of her. INT. ZORBAK’S PLACE It is a tiny place, seedy, crowded, and poorly lit. The air is thick with various colors of recreational smoke and fumes. PATRONS cluster around the bar, which is tended by a battered service droid, 3T-RB. Koyi’una begins to saunter off into the crowd, twitching both her hips and her lekku. KOYI’UNA SEROOL Don’t go too far, hot shot. We may need to leave this place in a hurry. Koyi’una gets a drink from the bar. Carrying her glass across the small dance floor, her arm is jostled, and sher turns around quickly. KOYI’UNA SEROOL Hey! Watch it! Our view widens from Koyi’una, and we see a beautiful young Twi’lek female in a sheer shimmersilk dress that leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. She extends her hand to Koyi’una. MIKA Sorry! My name is Mika. Mika leans forward, bringing her lips to Koyi’una’s ear. She puts her arm across Koi’s back, snuggling up to her. MIKA (whisper) You passed the warehouse, Keva. Were the Espos still there? KOYI’UNA SEROOL (whisper) The whole area was crawling with them. Walkers, too. MIKA (whisper) I was afraid of that. Mika leans forward and lightly runs her hand across the neckline of Koyi’una’s low cut top. We see a quick glimpse of a code cylinder drop between Koyi’una’s breasts. The drop was so skillful that no one in the cantina could have noticed the pass. MIKA (whisper) If you want your money, follow the instructions. Koyi’una grabs the other woman’s wrist firmly. KOYI’UNA SEROOL (whisper) Our price has gone up; too much danger. Two thousand credits, not a fraction less. Mika brushes her lips against Koyi’una’s cheek, for the benefit of any onlookers. MIKA (whisper) If that’s what it takes. Both Twi’lek women give fake, forced smiles and then head in opposite directions into the crowd. EXT. ZOKOLLO DISTRICT – NIGHT Koyi’una and Mykar return to the alley. The rest of the party is watching a local news broadcast in the back of the speeder. ANNOUNCER (os) …And the Espo spokesman has issued a statement indicating that at least a dozen smugglers, terrorists, and other criminals have been arrested or neutralized by the gallant Espo detachment of Ebar Landing. Koyi’una shuts off the broadcast with a CLICK. She slides the code cylinder from her cleavage and into the monitor’s data slot. A map appears on the display, showing a rural compound about 50 kilometers inland from the city. It appears to be a private hunting and camping reserve for Corporate Sector and Espo elites. DELOR SEROOL Oh, great, a camping trip. RENEE MARKOV I’m starting to agree with R4 about his bad feeling. FADE TO BLACK