Saga - Legends Star Wars: Knight of the Empire (Ep. II Re-Write)

Title: Star Wars: Knight of the Empire

Author: Duragizer

Characters: Anakin; Obi-Wan; Siri; OC

Genre: AU; action; adventure; angst; horror

Timeline: 19 ED (Empire Date) aka 35 BBY/41 BBE

Summary: Five years have passed since Anakin Skywalker became the apprentice of Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, and together they have fought as one against the hordes of the Athan Directorate, working with Imperial troops to drive back the mindless clone shocktroopers of Atha Prime and his confederates. Following an act of sabotage which destroys the ship they're stationed on, however, they become stranded on Xuthltan, a desolate, dangerous world located beyond charted space. It is there, on Xuthltan, where Anakin will experience a crisis of faith -- a crisis which will shatter his commitment to the Jedi way and set him on the path toward darkness.

Notes: Anyone who hasn't read my EP. I RE-WRITE should do so before starting on this one.

 

TITLE CARD : A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ...

A vast sea of stars serves as the main backdrop for the main title, followed by a roll up, which crawls up into infinity.

STAR WARS

KNIGHT OF THE EMPIRE

Five years have passed since Anakin Skywalker was discovered on the desert world of Tatooine by Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and taken on as his apprentice. In that time under Obi-Wan's tutelage Anakin has learned much, emerging as an acolyte for the light side of the Force.

United under the banner of the glorious Galactic Empire, Obi-Wan and Anakin have fought against the relentless armies of the malevolent Clonemasters. Together they have helped to repel those who would see the Known Regions of the Galaxy swept into an age of tyranny and genocide.

But as the power of the Clonemasters slowly wanes, another force for evil -- a darkness out of the ancient past -- stirs, threatening to re-emerge and take the Galaxy for itself.

PAN UP

To reveal the head and shoulders of a man hung upside down, his eyes open and glazed over in death.

ZOOM OUT

To reveal that the man is a dead Imperial soldier strung upside down from a gnarled, dead tree. Beyond the tree, in a field situated between the tree and a large duracrete fortress, a fierce battle rages.

EXT. OPHUCHI -- BATTLEFIELD -- EVENING

The SOLDIERS OF THE IMPERIAL ARMY are engaged in pitched, deadly battle with the SOLDIERS OF THE OPHUCHI ARMY; attired in dark gray armour and open-faced helmets, the Imperials are easily distinguished from the Ophuchi, who wear gleaming black armour and face-concealing helmets with dark blue visors.

Like a living wave, the Imperials press against the Ophuchi, mowing down those they can catch in their sights with green blasterfire. The Ophuchi counterattack, returning the Imperial blasts with their own yellow plasmafire. Many soldiers on both sides go down with screams of agony, but those who remain press on, using sheer force of will to continue against their opponents.

Moving out from the star-studded night sky, two Imperial dropships descend over the battlefield. As the ships approach the epicentre of the warzone, Ophuchi soldiers train their plasma cannons on the craft and begin opening fire. Making a series of twists and turns, the first dropship manages to evade the plasmafire, but the second is not so lucky; caught in a crossfire, it erupts into a vibrant fireball and then plummets like an ungainly flaming bird to the ground below.

Coming to a stop amongst the Imperial troops, the sides of the dropship slide open, allowing a new squad of Imperial soldiers to pour out. Standing side-by-side at the head of the squad, adorned in armour and blue-and-maroon robes identifying them as Jedi enlisted men, are the Jedi Knights OBI-WAN KENOBI and his apprentice ANAKIN SKYWALKER. The two Jedi have changed much in the years since we saw them last; Obi-Wan sports long hair and a slight beard while Anakin has grown taller and honed with lean musculature.

As one the two Jedi draw their lightsabers, pressing the activation studs of their weapons; two blades -- one azure, the other cyan -- ignite with a pair of sharp SNAP-HISSES. Bringing their weapons to bear, the two sergeant majors lead their squad into the fray against the armoured Ophuchi soldiers. Though the pinnacle of Ophuchi eugenic science, the black-armoured soldiers prove to be little match against two Jedi; one-by-one, they fall to the glowing plasma blades of the two mystical warriors.

ANAKIN: (blocks a blaster bolt with his lightsaber) These guys are supposed to be the end result of five centuries of controlled, selective breeding, right?

OBI-WAN: (literally disarms an Ophuchi soldier) That's correct.

ANAKIN: (kicks a soldier in the face) So why do they fight like Hutts coming from an all-you-can-eat buffet?

OBI-WAN: Pride and perfection go hand-in-hand. The greater the perfection, the greater the pride.

ANAKIN: And pride comes before a fall.

OBI-WAN: Though I detest cliches, you're correct again, apprentice.

ANAKIN: (grins) This isn't going to be on the pop quiz tomorrow, is it, master?

Working together, Nik and Obi-Wan cut a swath through the Ophuchi soldiers, working their way closer towards their final destination: the towering fortress beyond.

EXT. FORTRESS/BALCONY -- EVENING

Standing on a balcony that overlooks the fierce battle beyond, his face twisted in a scowl, is LORD-COMMANDANT GOG JUAKA, the despot of Ophuchi. A man with perfect hair, he wears a dark blue cloak over a black military uniform.

GOG JUAKA: (angry) This isn't right! This is wrong -- all wrong!

With a flashy toss of his cloak, Juaka turns around to regard his companion, a COLDLY BEAUTIFUL RATTATAKI WOMAN dressed in white robes and veil.

GOG JUAKA: (approaches the woman) The Imperials are overwhelming my troops -- troops that are supposed to be superior to any mere Imperial soldier! (beat) You promised us victory!

RATTATAKI WOMAN: (half-smiles) Am I to blame for the complete failure of your eugenics program?

GOG JUAKA: (points his finger at her) Don't take that tone with me! You're only here by my blessing!

RATTATAKI WOMAN: (grins evilly) Are you threatening me, Lord-Commandant?

Seeing that shark-like grin, Juaka goes silent, his expression of anger replaced with one of fear.

GOG JUAKA: They're going to spoil everything we've worked towards. They're going to capture this fortress and Project Nietzsche is going to fall into their hands.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: So we have failed. That doesn't mean they have to succeed.

GOG JUAKA: You mean ...?

RATTATAKI WOMAN: (nods) Indeed.

GOG JUAKA: (sighs) Will you cover me?

RATTATAKI WOMAN: I will keep them from flaying your hide long enough for you to get the job done.

Running a hand through his perfect hair, Juaka leaves the balcony. The Rattataki woman, like a graceful swan, moves along after him.

 

EXT. FORTRESS -- EVENING

Breaking through to face the last line of Ophuchi, Obi-Wan and Anakin come across an awesome sight; engaged in battle against six armoured Ophuchi soldiers, a double-bladed vibrostaff in her hands, is a FEMALE WARRIOR encased in violet-blue Mandalorian armour.

As two of the Ophuchi attack the female Mandalorian, slashing their wrist-mounted vibroblades through the air, she pivots on her heels, turning to the side to simultaneously decapitate one warrior while running the other through. Pulling her blade free, she twists it around as another Ophuchi attacks. As the ebon-armoured soldier throws his bladed gauntlet forward, she locks their blades together, twisting hers fiercely until she causes his wrist to dislocate. As he howls with pain she throws her leg up, kicking him squarely in the head and ending his part in the fight.

Before she can dislodge her vibrostaff's blade, two of the remaining three Ophuchi pounce, tackling her to the ground. As they pin her to the ground, the third Ophuchi retrieves her vibrostaff. As she struggles to free herself from the Ophuchi's grips, the black-armoured warrior with her weapon steps over her, raising the staff high above his head as he prepares to send it plummeting into her chest.

Unsheathing a vibroblade, Anakin activates it, pulls back his arm, then hurls the weapon through the air toward the Ophuchi with the vibrostaff at tremendous velocity. As the blade of vibrating durasteel plunges into the soldier's back, he cries out in agony and drops the vibrostaff.

Having moved her legs into a better position, the Mandalorian pushes up with her legs, somersaulting herself free of the two soldiers' grasps. With a heavy punch and kick, she lays the two warriors down before they can even take a breath. Retrieving her vibrostaff and Anakin's own vibroblade, she turns toward the two Jedi. Lifting both weapons up, she points them at the knight and apprentice.

KANNEN DOOM: It's about time you got here.

Deactivating the vibroblade, she tosses it back to Anakin. Throwing his hand up he catches it effortlessly.

KANNEN DOOM: (cont'd) I thought you were going to leave me to take the fortress all by myself.

ANAKIN: (grins) And leave you to collect all the credit? No way, lady.

KANNEN DOOM: C'mon. Let's not waste any time.

Leaving the Imperial soldiers to take on what remains of the Ophuchi Army, the two Jedi and their Mandalorian escort enter the duracrete fortress.

INT. FORTRESS/SUBTERRANEAN TUNNELS -- EVENING

A squad of ebon-armoured Ophuchi soldiers stands before the closed doors of a turbolift, watching the numbers on the readout change as the cab within descends.

As the turbolift reaches its destination, the doors slide open. Wasting no time the Ophuchi open fire, unleashing a hail of yellow blasterfire into the turbolift. Several seconds pass and then they lower their weapons.

Stepping forward, the leader of the squad looks inside the blaster-scored interior of the turbolift; there are no bodies to be found -- living or dead -- inside.

OPHUCHI SOLDIER: (turns toward his men) There's no one inside!

As he steps back out of the turbolift, the top hatch of the cab is blown inward, allow the Mandalorian and two Jedi to leap down from above. Spinning around, the Ophuchi only has time to bring his blaster up before Anakin engages his lightsaber and slices the soldier's arm off at the elbow. Kicking the ebon-armoured soldier in the gut, Nik knocks him out of the way. Then, with Obi-Wan and Kannen at his side, he makes short work of the remaining Ophuchi.

ANAKIN: These guys are just too easy. The Sal Usai of Dausarkar IV put up a better fight than this.

OBI-WAN: The Sal Usai were the product of six thousand years of carefully directed selective breeding. These fellows have had only half a millennia to season their genetic soup.

ANAKIN: Undercooked pod people. Wonderful.

KANNEN: As much as I hate to disrupt your reverie, we've got a job to get done. (points down a specific tunnel) The chamber's down that way.

Wasting no more time, the trio heads down the tunnel.

INT. FORTRESS/SUBTERRANEAN TUNNELS/ANTECHAMBER -- EVENING

Entering an antechamber at the end of the tunnel, the three compatriots find themselves facing a large vault door.

KANNEN DOOM: As good a weapon as my staff is, it isn't quite up to the task of cutting through a durasteel door. You boys wouldn't mind helping me with it, would you?

OBI-WAN: (engages his lightsaber) Let's only hope the Ophuchi didn't think to incorporate lightsaber-resistant materials into this door.

Stepping up to the door, Obi-Wan thrusts his blade into the durasteel plating of the door. With minimal effort, he pierces the thick metal and begins to carve through it. Activating his own lightsaber, Anakin moves in to assist him. Slowly but surely, they manage to cut a large hole in the thick door. Once they complete the circuit, they disengage their lightsabers and kick the freed metal out of the way.

OBI-WAN: (gestures toward the hole) Ladies first.

KANNEN DOOM: Much obliged.

Ducking down, Kannen slips through the hole into the chamber beyond. Ducking their heads down, the two Jedi follow after her.

INT. FORTRESS/CLONING CHAMBER -- EVENING

Stepping through the makeshift doorway, the trio finds itself within a vast cloning chamber. Cylindrical in shape, the chamber stretches down farther than the eye can see. Spaced along the walls of the chamber, all containing identical Human figures, are thousands upon thousands of Spaarti cloning cylinders. Catwalks lead from the walls to a platform surrounding a large power conduit situated in the centre of the chamber; standing on the platform, busy at work on a computer console, is Gog Juaka with the white-clad Rattataki woman by his side.

GOG JUAKA: (to the Rattataki woman) They're here already! You said we'd have more time!

RATTATAKI WOMAN: (sighs) Just continue working on the computer. I'll deal with our guests.

As Juaka continues working on the console, the Rattataki turns and walks down the catwalk toward the three new arrivals.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: Welcome, Jedi, to our humble cloning chamber. (stops midway on the catwalk, gesturing to the Spaarti cylinders) As you can see, over four-thousand clones of Ophuchi warrior stock are in utero. Within four months they will reach maturity and emerge to serve the Directorate. (beat) Of course, that was the goal before you came here, overwhelmed Juaka's pitiful forces, and foiled our plans.

OBI-WAN: Are you willing to surrender?

RATTATAKI WOMAN: Surrender? Perhaps. (smiles) After Juaka takes the cylinders off-line. (beat) Every clone will die and your Imperial Army will be left without a new force of slave-soldiers to do your bidding.

OBI-WAN: (frowns) We're not going to let you kill them.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: (grins) You can try to stop me.

OBI-WAN: We won't try -- we'll do.

Bringing their weapons to bear, the Jedi and Mandalorian begin moving down the ramp towards the Rattataki. Grinning like a hungry beast, she moves her arms away from her sides, causing a pair of short black lightsaber hilts to slip down from sheaths hidden under her sleeves into her hands. Pressing the activation studs, she engages two short, pure white blades and moves to attack the Imperial agents.

With the reflexes of a darting snake, the Rattataki engages the three others, using the blades of her twin shotos to intercept their blows. Without enough room on the catwalk to fan out, the two Jedi and the Mandalorian find themselves unable to properly assault the insidious Force-wielder.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: (laughs) The Athas hold you in such high esteem!

As Anakin moves to run his lightsaber through the Rattataki, she side-steps the blade and counterattacks. Throwing himself backward, Nik barely manages to avoid losing his throat to one of her white blades.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: (cont'd) Surely you can do better!

ANAKIN: Better?

Springing up into the air, Nik somersaults over the Rattataki's head and lands behind her.

ANAKIN: (cont'd) How's this for better?

Now less encumbered, Anakin swings his cyan blade, aiming to connect it with the Rattataki's throat. Bringing up one of her shotos, the woman blocks it.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: (grins) Much better!

As the four continue to duel, Juaka continues to work on the console. With a press of a button the main red light on the console turns to white.

GOG JUAKA: I'm in!

RATTATAKI WOMAN: How far along are you, Juaka?!

GOG JUAKA: I've broken the final encryption! I'm entering the final commands to shut the cylinders down now!

KANNEN DOOM: No!

Pushing Obi-Wan back out of her way, Kannen moves to bring all the power she can bear against the white-robed Rattataki woman. Swinging her double-bladed Mandalorian iron-laced vibrostaff with the ferocity of a gundark, she makes the Rattataki work hard to intercept both her blows and Anakin's.

OBI-WAN: Anakin, stop Juaka!

ANAKIN: (parries one of the Rattataki's strikes) But Obi --

OBI-WAN: We can take her! Just deal with Juaka!

With a moment's hesitation, Nik turns his back on the white-robed woman and races down the catwalk toward Juaka.

Crouching down into a ball, Kannen rolls across the catwalk, kicking the Rattataki in the back as she passes her. The Rattataki stumbles forward but manages to right herself before she can topple into Obi-Wan. Grinning, she locks blades with both the Mandalorian and the Jedi Knight.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: You're an excellent fighter, Mandalorian. We could use your stock to make billions of warriors just like you. Why don't you join us? With our help the Mandalorian civilization can live again.

KANNEN DOOM: I'd sooner see every Mandalorian alive tossed to the pit.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: Pity.

Pushing downward, the Rattataki forces the blades of her combatants down against the catwalk.

As Anakin reaches Juaka, the lord-commandant turns to face him, an expression of rage on his face.

GOG JUAKA: You think you can stop me, boy?! My mother was of the soldier class! Warrior's blood flows through my veins!

Reaching to his side, Juaka unsheathes a vibrosword. Activating it, he brings the blade up then brings it down to cleave Anakin's skull in twain. Casually, Anakin brings up the blade of his lightsaber, effortlessly slicing through the metal blade as it collides with the cyan plasma.

GOG JUAKA: (stammering) B-b-but --

ANAKIN: Face it, Juaka, your enhancements just don't work.

Balling his hand into a fist, Anakin punches Juaka in the face. The man's glass jaw breaks easily and he collapses to the platform out cold.

Back on the catwalk, the Rattataki sees Juaka's defeat.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: (enraged) No!

Feeding on the dark side of the Force, the Rattataki woman increases the intensity of her attacks on Obi-Wan and Kannen. Kicking Obi-Wan back, she turns on Kannen and locks the shaft of the vibrostaff between the blades of her shotos. With a twist, she wrests the weapon out of the Mandalorian's hands, sending it over the side to fall straight down out of sight. Before Kannen can compensate for the loss of her weapon, the Rattataki stabs her right through the left kidney.

OBI-WAN: Kannen!

Springing back up, Obi-Wan rushes toward the Rattataki woman. Pulling her blade free from Kannen's side, the Rattataki pushs the Mandalorian woman down and then turns to engage Obi-Wan. As he swings his azure blade in a downward arc, she intercepts it with her left-hand shoto. Forcing his saber down, she then brings her right-hand shoto up, slamming the pommel of the weapon into his temple. With a groan he collapses to the catwalk in a stupor.

Refocusing her attention of Anakin, the white-robed woman leaps over Obi-Wan's form and comes running down the catwalk towards the Jedi apprentice. As she reaches him he spins around, catching her twin white blades with his single cyan one.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: You should have stayed home, little man. This is no place for younglings like you.

ANAKIN: (cocks an eyebrow) Youngling?

Knocking her blades out of the way, Anakin headbutts the white-clad Rattataki woman, forcing her to reel back.

ANAKIN: I hate being called a youngling. Kid? Sure. Child? Maybe. But youngling? Never. I'm a sapient being, not a dewback's cub.

Recollecting herself, the Rattataki sneers.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: What you are is dead!

Lunging forward, the Rattataki begins making a series of strikes against Anakin. In little time, she begins to drive him back. Locking his blade in hers, she pins him against the power conduit. As she looks upon him, she grins with salacious desire.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: I'm going to kill you, but not right away.

Leaning forward, she licks Anakin across the face.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: (cont'd) First, I'm going to have some fun.

ANAKIN: Fun, huh? I thought your kind couldn't experience that kind of fun.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: We can't. (beat) But we can compensate in other ways.

ANAKIN: I see. Put on some synth-leather, strap me into some energy-binders, and power up the lightwhip. Am I on the right track?

RATTATAKI WOMAN: You're dead centre.

ANAKIN: Well, that's not exactly my scene, but I'll try anything once.

At that moment, Obi-Wan moves in up behind the Rattataki. Grabbing her by the shoulder with his left hand, he brings the emitter of his inactive lightsaber up to her throat with his right.

ANAKIN: (cont'd) Just not today.

OBI-WAN: I suggest you surrender now, my dear.

Sighing with resignation, the Rattataki takes her shotos away from Anakin and deactivates them.

OBI-WAN: (takes his hand off her shoulder) Alright, now step away from him and drop your sabers.

Moving back away from Anakin, the woman steps away from them both. Downcast, she lets her left-hand shoto fall to the platform.

OBI-WAN: Now the other one.

RATTATAKI WOMAN: (grins) Do you really think I'd let you take me so easily?

Laughing, the Rattataki brings up her remaining shoto. Before the two Jedi can bring up their sabers, she turns the emitter of her weapon inward and engages it, running herself through on the white plasma blade. Collapsing to her knees, she releases an almost sexual sigh. She then falls face-forward onto the platform.

Bending down over the Rattataki, Obi-Wan grabs her by the shoulder and turns her over. As he reaches for her throat to feel her pulse, the veil encasing her head slips back, exposing a barcode tattooed onto her forehead.

OBI-WAN: (looks up at Anakin) She's dead.

ANAKIN: (looks down at the Rattataki dispassionately) Clones. They never change.

 

EXT. SPACE -- OPHUCHI

Leaving the orbit of Ophuchi, the Victor-class star destroyer Lancer flies to join the other ships of the fleet amassing outside the planet's gravity well.

INT. LANCER/CORRIDOR

Obi-Wan and Anakin make their way down the corridor, their expressions unreadable. Having discarded their battlefield robes and armour, they are now dressed in the maroon uniforms of Imperial Jedi personnel.

As they near the door into the sick bay it slides open, allowing a Caamasi officer to step out. Once she is past, the two Jedi enter the sick bay.

INT. LANCER/SICK BAY

Obi-Wan and Nik walk through the sick bay, passing a number of beds containing a number of patients, before they finally come to the bed of Kannen Doom. Stripped of her armour, we can now see that Kannen is a very handsome Human woman with thick, voluminous blond hair. Though visibly weary from her severe injury, she is conscious and alert.

KANNEN DOOM: (weary) Greetings, Jedi.

ANAKIN: (puts his hands on his belt, smiling) Hello, yourself. (beat) How are you doing?

KANNEN DOOM: The 'droid says I'll be in tip-top shape within two weeks. A few more immersions in a bacta tank and I'll be good as gold. (chuckles) Two more weeks like this. Gods, I'll grow stir crazy.

OBI-WAN: (grins) You never could stand to sit still in any one place for too long.

KANNEN DOOM: No more than you could resist my wiles, Kenobi. (winks)

ANAKIN: I'm sure the weeks'll just fly by, Kannen. Don't worry about it.

KANNEN DOOM: (sighs) I guess I'll have to try, won't I? (beat) Your leave's coming up, isn't it?

OBI-WAN: Yes. Five weeks for both of us.

KANNEN DOOM: Going home, spending time with friends and family, all that jizz?

OBI-WAN: Anakin'll be returning to Orron III and I'll be returning to Coruscant to see my wife.

KANNEN DOOM: Wife? You got married?

ANAKIN: (elbows Obi-Wan in the arm) Three months ago.

KANNEN DOOM: To that Coruscanti Jedi, Sara, right?

OBI-WAN: Siri, and yes.

KANNEN DOOM: (smiles) My belated congratulations, Kenobi. You should have invited me. I would have loved to have been at the wedding. (grins salaciously) Or the bachelor party.

OBI-WAN: (groans) Don't remind me.

KANNEN DOOM: (frowns) What?

ANAKIN: (smirks) The bachelor party wasn't exactly what you'd call the last great hurrah for single living.

OBI-WAN: It would've been the last great hurrah for living, period.

KANNEN DOOM: I'm intrigued. Tell me more.

OBI-WAN: (waves his hand) No, no more!

ANAKIN: (to Kannen, grinning) I'll tell you later.

KANNEN DOOM: You'd better not skip over any of the juicy details.

ANAKIN: Don't worry about that. I've got a holographic memory for juicy details -- especially these juicy details.

OBI-WAN: (facepalms) Lord, have mercy ...

KANNEN DOOM: (yawns) It's been nice catching up, gents, but I think it's about time we called it a night. The drugs are kicking in and I'm getting sleepy. See you in transit, okay?

OBI-WAN: Alright.

ANAKIN: See you later.

With that, Kannen closes her eyes to rest. Turning around, Anakin and Obi-Wan leave her and exit the sick bay.

INT. LANCER/CORRIDOR

Stepping out of the sick bay, the Jedi Knights make their way back along the corridor they first came through.

OBI-WAN: Well, that certainly was a robust conversation.

ANAKIN: (grins) You're not sore over me bringing up the party again, are you, Obi-Wan?

OBI-WAN: Yes, yes I am. I wish for the life of me that I could erase the memories of that party from my mind forever. Your bringing it up doesn't help me to do that.

ANAKIN: From what I recall, you enjoyed the party at first.

OBI-WAN: I did -- until the Felacatian had a panic attack, shifted into her animal form, and tried to kill us all.

ANAKIN: (puts up his hands) Hey, I hadn't even heard of Felacatians before that night. The catalogue listed Taigria's measurements, attributes, and one fine portfolio of sexy snapshots, but it didn't give any background details on her race. Blame them, not me.

OBI-WAN: (sighs) At least the ordeal taught you a valuable lesson.

ANAKIN: Yes, yes, yes. Always do background checks on individuals or groups you plan on hiring in advance of hiring them.

OBI-WAN: Right. Now never bring this matter up again -- ever.

ANAKIN: Of course, of course. (smirks) Right after I tell Kannen.

OBI-WAN: (rolls eyes) You're going to be the death of me.

ANAKIN: Not in this life. (beat) It's funny, you know, about Kannen. I like her -- I wouldn't change a thing about her -- but I still find it weird to think of her as a Mandalorian. She's nothing like the Death Watchmen.

OBI-WAN: Not all Mandalorians are like Vizsla and his group, Anakin, you have to remember that. There is as much diversity among them as there is among the Jedi.

ANAKIN: I know. Still, it's hard to forget what they put us through.

OBI-WAN: Don't forget it, Anakin, just remember to keep it in perspective.

Reaching the end of the corridor, the two Jedi make a turn to the left and enter another.

ANAKIN: Nashira would like to see you and Siri again, you know. It's been two years since the last visit.

OBI-WAN: I know, and she and I'd both like to take a trip to Orron III ...

ANAKIN: It's the baby, isn't it?

OBI-WAN: (nods) After starting the stem cell treatments, this is the first successful pregnancy we've had, but the doctors have said that there's still a danger she could miscarry. Neither of us want to take the chance of a long-distance trip right now.

ANAKIN: I understand. (beat) Maybe we could visit you.

OBI-WAN: I thought the DuQuesnes didn't have enough money to charter a flight to Coruscant.

ANAKIN: I'm sure I could pull a few strings. (grins) I am a Jedi sergeant, after all.

OBI-WAN: An enlisted rank. Jedi or not, I don't think it carries much weight among the top brass.

ANAKIN: It wouldn't hurt to try.

EXT. SPACE

With all ships lined up together, the Imperial fleet makes the jump into hyperspace.

 

EXT. NAR SHADDAA -- CORELLIAN SECTOR -- TWILIGHT

Up in the heavily polluted sky of Nar Shaddaa, countless starships and airspeeders move about like a swarm of angry hornets, passing around and between the countless rusting skyscrapers which reach up from the decaying surface of the moon below.

INT. MELTDOWN CAFÉ -- TWILIGHT

A dank, filthy place lit with dirty red lighting, the Meltdown Café is packed with clientele, most of whom are visibly disreputable types. Sitting at a small round table in the back corner of the establishment, out of place in his surroundings, is a relatively clean-looking ORTOLAN; visibly nervous, he chain smokes cigarette after cigarette, crushing one out and lighting another before finishing its predecessor. Resting on the floor beside him is a metal briefcase.

As the Ortolan worriedly smokes, a WAITRESS -- an incredibly emaciated Bothan with sparse, stringy hair and a lazy eye -- approaches his table.

WAITRESS: (takes out a datapad and stylus) What'll ye be havin'?

ORTOLAN: (looks up at the waitress; stammering) Oh no, nothing, please. I'm not hungry -- I'm just waiting for someone.

WAITRESS: (sighs) Look, this is an eatin' and drinkin' establishment -- ye come in here ta eat or drink, not ta sit 'n' stare like a stuffed bird. If all yer gonna consume is that goddamn smoke, then ye can take yer ass out o' here and free up some space fer payin' customers.

ORTOLAN: I'll have a glass of Saurian brandy, then -- a small one.

WAITRESS: (takes the order down on her datapad) Yer wish is meh command, meh lord.

The waitress walks off, leaving the Ortolan to himself again. Resuming his chain smoking, he takes a glance at his wrist chronometre.

ORTOLAN: By the goddess' bulge, how long is he going to be?!

After a few minutes pass, a new figure -- a TALL KUBAZ adorned in a dark green overcoat -- enters the Meltdown. Taking a gander at the clientele filling the place, he notices the Ortolan sitting in his secluded spot. As he walks up to the Ortolan, he reaches to a mechanical device secured to his right wrist and presses a series of small buttons.

ORTOLAN: Are you Khar J'ak? Are you the one I've been waiting for?

KHAR J'AK utters something in Huttese. Judging by the artificial sound of the words, they come from a mechanical device rather than his own vocal cords.

ORTOLAN: I'm sorry, I don't understand Huttese.

The Kubaz makes an adjustment to the settings of his translator.

KHAR J'AK: Did you bring my money?

ORTOLAN: (looks down at and places a hand on the briefcase beside him) It's here.

KHAR J'AK: Good, very good.

As J'ak reaches down for the briefcase, the rotund Ortolan slaps his hand away.

ORTOLAN: No, not until you fill your end of the bargain.

KHAR J'AK: (rubs his slapped hand) Outside, then.

ORTOLAN: The alley?

KHAR J'AK: The alley.

Turning, the Kubaz walks away. Picking up his briefcase, the Ortolan follows after him.

EXT. MELTDOWN CAFÉ -- ALLEY -- TWILIGHT

The Ortolan stands waiting in the alley alone. Clutching the briefcase to his chest, he taps his foot impatiently.

KHAR J'AK: (O.S.) Here she is.

From the shadows Khar J'ak emerges, leading a SMALL ORTOLAN FEMALE before him. In J'ak's right hand is a blaster pistol, the barrel of which is pressed against the female Ortolan's right temple.

ORTOLAN: Kleu!

KLEU: Daddy!

KHAR J'AK: Alright, Imunafas, here's your daughter. Now give me the case.

IMUNAFAS (ORTOLAN): Let Kleu go first!

KHAR J'AK: Try to run away, either of you, and I'll burn holes in both your heads -- capisce?

Taking the blaster away from Kleu's head, J'ak pushes her forward. She runs up to her father, who hugs her to him.

KLEU: (ecstatic) Daddy!

IMUNAFAS: (crying) Oh, Kleu -- Kleu!

KHAR J'AK: I'm touched by the familial love you share, but my money?

IMUNAFAS: (sets the briefcase down on the ground and pushes it toward the Kubaz with his foot) Take it!

The Kubaz catches the briefcase and, holstering his blaster, pops the case open, revealing the contents: several small bars of a shiny red metal. As Khar J'ak looks upon the bars, the two Ortolans back away from him.

KHAR J'AK: Wait a minute. (looks up at the Ortolans) This is only half! Where's the rest of it?!

IMUNAFAS: What are you talking about?

KUBAZ: (angry) Don't play games with me! We agreed on one-hundred bars; this is only fifty!

IMUNAFAS: (incredulous) What?!

KUBAZ: (pulls out his blaster) I don't like being played with, Ortolan. Now you tell me --

Before the Kubaz can finish his sentence, a whirring metal disc comes flying out from the darkness of the alley. Passing through the air at nigh-invisible speeds, it hits the Kubaz's right elbow, severing his gun hand from the rest of his body. Releasing an untranslatable Kubaz scream, J'ak collapses to his knees. Gripping his stump with his remaining hand, he desperately tries to staunch the blood flowing from his wound.

KUBAZ: (screaming) Goddamn you! I'll cut your --!

Before J'ak can complete his curse, a loud, resonating BANG sounds out through the alley. Kinetic energy knocking him to the right, the Kubaz is dead before he hits the pavement.

As Imunafas holds his sobbing daughter close against him, two tall, intimidating figures -- a TRANDOSHAN and WOOKIEE -- emerge from the shadows. The Wookiee -- his fur black with silver streaks -- is naked save for a gunbelt worn about his hips and a lanvarok secured to his left wrist. The Trandoshan -- sporting midnight green scales and wearing a black-and-white spacer's suit -- carries a slugthrower rifle in his long arms. Walking up to the remains of Khar J'ak, they look down upon the corpse to regard their handiwork.

IMUNAFAS: Thank you, I --

TRANDOSHAN: (speaking through a translator) We don't care about your thanks. (points down at the briefcase) Is that the rest of our fee?

IMUNAFAS: (stammering) Y-yes. Fifty bars to go with the other fifty I gave you as a down payment.

Bending down, the Trandoshan re-closes the briefcase and hoists it up.

TRANDOSHAN: Then our business is concluded.

Turning, the Trandoshan leaves and re-enters the shadows, leaving the two Ortolans alone with his Wookiee partner.

The Wookiee, uttering a low grunt, bends down over the slain J'ak. Grabbing hold of the Kubaz's severed arm, he picks it up, examining the controls for the corresponding translator secured to it. Peeling off the controls and tossing the dead appendage away, the Wookiee bends low over J'ak's body and strips the translator apparatus from the dead being's neck.

Releasing a short laugh, the Wookiee then turns and leaves himself, following his Trandoshan partner into the shadows of Nar Shaddaa.

 

EXT. SPACE -- ORRON III

A freighter drops out of hyperspace and makes its way toward the green-and-blue agricultural world.

EXT. SPACE -- CORUSCANT

A passenger liner drops out of hyperspace and makes its way toward the bronze-coloured ecumenopolis.

INT. FREIGHTER/COCKPIT

As the Rodian pilot maneuvers the ship's controls, Anakin looks out the window to his right at the view of Orron III beyond.

INT. PASSENGER LINER/PASSENGER DECK

As a sleeping Ithorian snores in the seat beside him, Obi-Wan looks out the window to his left at the view of Coruscant beyond.

EXT. ORRON III -- SPACEPORT -- SUNRISE

The freighter has landed and its few passengers are filing out; among them is Nik.

EXT. CORUSCANT -- GALACTIC CITY -- SPACEPORT -- SUNSET

The liner has landed and its many passengers are filing out; among them is Obi-Wan.

INT. ORRON III -- FLOWER SHOP -- SUNRISE

Nik hands a bouquet of flowers out to the Neimoidian teller; taking the flowers, she brings out her scanner and scans the barcode.

NEIMOIDIAN TELLER: That'll be thirty-two ingots.

ANAKIN: (hands her the ingots) Keep the change.

INT. CORUSCANT -- CANDY STORE -- SUNSET

Obi-Wan hands a box of chocolates out to the Duros teller; taking the box, she brings out her scanner and scans the barcode.

DUROS TELLER: That'll be twenty-three credits.

OBI-WAN: (hands her the credits) Keep the change.

EXT. ORRON III -- DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD -- COURTYARD -- SUNRISE

A taxi comes to a stop before the quaint, cozy house of the DuQuesne family. Opening the side door, Anakin steps out.

EXT. CORUSCANT -- GALACTIC CITY -- 662 GASGAR VALLEY APARTMENT COMPLEX -- SUNSET

A taxi comes to a stop before the 662 Gasgar Valley apartment complex. Opening the side door, Obi-Wan steps out.

EXT. ORRON III -- DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD -- COURTYARD -- SUNRISE

Anakin stands before the front door, the bouquet of flowers in his left hand. He tugs at the tight collar of his black shirt as the door opens.

INT. CORUSCANT -- 662 GASGAR VALLEY APARTMENT COMPLEX/TURBOLIFT -- SUNSET

Obi-Wan stands in the turbolift, the box of chocolates under his arm. He tugs at the tight collar of his white shirt as the turbolift comes to a stop and the doors open.

INT. ORRON III -- DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD/LIVING AREA -- SUNRISE

As Nik enters the living area he finds two individuals -- NEMEC and CORIN DUQUESNE -- waiting for him.

ANAKIN: (grins) 'Shira?

INT. DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD/NASHIRA'S BEDROOM -- SUNRISE

Entering the bedroom, Nik finds 'Shira. Seated on the chair to the left of her bed, dressed in pajamas, Nashira stares into the mirror, brushing her pixie-styled strawberry blond hair as bright yellow sunlight falls upon the back of her head from the uncovered window; the joy upon her face is evident.

NASHIRA: (turns to Anakin) Nik!

Rising from the chair, Nashira runs up to her boyfriend. Wrapping her arms around him, she plants her lips on his and begins to kiss him passionately.

His fingers opening, the bouquet of flowers falls from Nik's grasp, hitting the floor with a light RUSTLE.

INT. CORUSCANT -- 662 GASGAR VALLEY APARTMENT COMPLEX/OBI-WAN & SIRI'S APARTMENT/LIVING AREA -- SUNSET

As Obi-Wan enters the living area he finds it empty, the lights off.

OBI-WAN: (frowns) Siri?

INT. 662 GASGAR VALLEY APARTMENT COMPLEX/OBI-WAN & SIRI'S APARTMENT/BEDROOM -- SUNSET

Entering the bedroom, Obi-Wan finds Siri. Seated on the chair to the right of their bed, dressed in a nightgown, Siri stares out the window, the heavy orange sunlight falling upon her face from between the window blind's slats; the sorrow upon her face is evident.

SIRI: (turns to Obi-Wan) Ben ...

Rising from the chair, Siri moves up to her husband. Wrapping her arms around him, she plants her face in the hollow of his neck and begins to weep.

His fingers opening, the box of chocolates falls from Obi-Wan's grasp, hitting the floor with a hollow THUD.

INT. ORRON III -- DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD/NASHIRA'S BEDROOM -- SUNRISE

Anakin and Nashira stand together silently in each others' arms.

INT. CORUSCANT -- 662 GASGAR VALLEY APARTMENT COMPLEX/OBI-WAN & SIRI'S APARTMENT/BEDROOM -- SUNSET

Obi-Wan and Siri stand together silently in each others' arms.

 

EXT. ORRON III -- DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD -- MAIZE FIELDS -- DAY

Nemec DuQuesne rides his combine through the vast, sprawling fields of maize, mowing down and harvesting thousands of ripe stalks as he moves onward. Beside him, driving a trailer to collect the freshly mowed-and-ground maize, is Anakin. Due to the advanced age of both vehicles, neither one has functioning air conditioning, leaving Anakin and Nemec to sweat profusely within their cabs under the full midday sun.

Without warning, the engines of Anakin's trailer suddenly begin to shudder violently; with an unwelcome SPUTTER and COUGH, the engines then blow out and the vehicle completely dies. Unaware or what has just transpired, Nemec keeps the combine rolling forward, leaving ground maize to spill out upon the ground.

ANAKIN: Oh, for the love of --

Opening the cab door, Nik leaps out of the trailer. Running forward, he begins yelling and waving his arms at Nemec to stop.

ANAKIN: (shouting) Nemec! Hey, Nemec! Stop the combine! You're dumping maize all over the ground! Stop, man, stop!

Finally noticing Anakin's cries of panic, Nemec hits the breaks. As the large combine grinds to a halt, Nemec powers down the thresher, bringing the rainfall of maize to an end.

NEMEC: (opens the cab door and leans out) What the hell happened?!

ANAKIN: Dunno. The engines just died on me!

NEMEC: (sighs and runs a hand through his hair) Figures. (beat) Well, I guess that's it for the day. We'll take a look at the engines tomorrow and see if we can't get the old girl fixed up again. (beat) Hop on in.

ANAKIN: (waves his hand dismissively) Nah, you go on ahead. I'd like to walk for a while, catch the breeze.

NEMEC: Suit yourself.

Closing the cab door, Nemec starts forward again, leaving Anakin behind. Anakin, for his part, just puts his hands in his pockets and begins walking at a leisurely pace, taking in the nature surrounding him.

ANAKIN: (singing) We play the game with determination. We don't give a damn about our reputation, baby. It's not a game, it's a revelation. Step inside the real world ...

EXT. DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD -- COURTYARD -- DAY

As Nik finally arrives at the DuQuesne homestead, he finds Nemec and his wife Corin waiting for him. Corin stands holding a tray with a pitcher and glass of ice tea in her hands, Nemec seated in a sun chair with a glass in his hand beside her. With the two spouses so close together, it's impossible not to compare and contrast their physical features. Where Nemec is stocky and rather plain-looking, Corin is gracile and strikingly beautiful; the only attribute they have in common is their blond hair.

CORIN: (to Anakin) You must be thirsty after all that work and that long walk, Anakin. Have a glass.

ANAKIN: Thanks, Corin.

Taking the glass of ice tea, Anakin downs it in one long, uninterrupted swallow.

CORIN: (eye widening) My, you must be thirsty. Here, have some more. (takes the pitcher and pours more tea into Anakin's glass)

NEMEC: Pull up a chair, Nik, take a load off.

ANAKIN: (takes a small sip of his refreshed ice tea) Thanks, but I think I'll head inside to take a shower first.

Nodding to Nashira's parents, he steps past them for the door. The man and wife exchange glances, cocking their eyebrows in unison.

INT. DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD/REFRESHER/SHOWER -- DAY

Stripping out of his sweaty clothes, Anakin steps inside the shower. Closing the door, he turns the water on, allowing a stream of fresh, clean water to hit him full-on in the face. Taking a bar of soap, he begins to lather himself up.

As Nik works himself clean, a SHADOWY HUMAN FIGURE can be seen slowly entering the 'fresher. With complete silence, the silhouette cautiously makes its way over to the occupied shower. Completely oblivious, Anakin doesn't notice as the dark shade approaches the closed shower door, slowly raises an arm to grip it, then suddenly -- violently -- wrenches it open.

NASHIRA: Surprise!

ANAKIN: YAH!!!

Surprised, Anakin jumps back, nearly slipping in the shower. 'Shira, for her part, begins laughing hysterically.

ANAKIN: (irate) Dammit, Nashira! I could've slipped and broken my damn neck! Don't do that ever again!

NASHIRA: (pouts sexily) Ohhh, you big bad baby. As if you'd ever slip, Jedi man o' mine.

ANAKIN: Close the door, will ya? Water's getting all over the floor.

NASHIRA: (looks down at the water spraying out onto the refresher floor) Hmmm, I guess I should. (looks back up at Nik, grinning salaciously) Shouldn't I?

At that, Nashira begins to undress. Taking her time, Nashira unbuttons her powder blue blouse, pulling it open and down to expose her naked shoulders and toned stomach. Once that is done, she unzips her dark brown pants and slowly works them down, exposing her long, shapely legs. With both shirt and pants off, Nashira stands there in her black undergarments, bearing her body to her man. In the years that have passed since we last saw her, Nashira has matured from a pretty young girl into a beautiful young woman with the lithe body of a nascent goddess.

ANAKIN: (eyes Nashira) ...

Grinning broadly, 'Shira steps into the shower. Closing the door behind her, she slips her arms around Anakin's neck.

NASHIRA: No water getting out on the floor now.

ANAKIN: No, no ... of course not now.

Leaning forward, Anakin brings his face close to Nashira's and reaches behind to rest his hands on the small of her back; pressing his lips against hers, he slides his hands up to her shoulder blades and begins working to remove her bra.

As water cascades down the bodies of the two lovers, Nashira's satin undergarments drop to the shower floor.

INT. CORUSCANT -- 662 GASGAR VALLEY APARTMENT COMPLEX/OBI-WAN & SIRI'S APARTMENT/DINING AREA -- EVENING

Obi-Wan and Siri sit on opposite ends of the small dining table, facing one another. Though they both poke at the food on their plates, neither are really hungry.

OBI-WAN: How is it? The recipe called for twenty minutes but I left it on an extra five. I didn't overcook anything, did I?

SIRI: (sullen) No, no. It's just fine.

OBI-WAN: Do you need any salt? I could pass you --

SIRI: I don't need any salt, Ben, it's fine as it is.

An awkward moment of silence passes between them.

OBI-WAN: Siri, maybe we should talk about ... about what happened.

SIRI: No, we don't. Just eat your food.

OBI-WAN: Love, we can't just avoid it. We have to --

SIRI: (enraged) I said I don't want to talk about it! Now shut up and let me eat!

In anger, Siri begins to stab at her plate violently, breaking it in half.

SIRI: (crying) Oh, goddammit!

Bolting up out of her chair, she runs out of the room. Abandoning his plate, Obi-Wan follows after her.

EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING/BALCONY -- EVENING

Siri stands out of the balcony, her hands tightly gripped around the railing. Her eyes shut tight and her teeth bared in a grimace, she weeps. Slowly, cautiously, Obi-Wan joins her, placing his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

SIRI: I lost our baby, Ben, I lost him! Oh, God, I lost him!

Wrapping his arms around her, Obi-Wan kisses her on the temple then rests his head on her shoulder.

OBI-WAN: He's left us but we'll see him again, Siri, we'll see him again.

SIRI: I wanted to see him, Ben, to hold him in my arms at least once. I wanted to let him know I loved him. (beat) I wanted to be a mother.

OBI-WAN: You will, love, you will. We'll try again.

SIRI: (turns to face him) Try again? For what? For another miscarriage? For another baby born dead?

OBI-WAN: We'll just have to wait until the treatments are finished before we try again. Next time will work out, I promise.

Grabbing hold of him, Siri buries her face in his chest.

SIRI: Oh, Lord, Ben, I need to get out of here! I need to get off this planet! I need to get away from this dead city with its dead buildings on this dead planet! I need to leave! Please, Ben, take me away from here!

Releasing a tortured moan, Siri continues to sob, clutching her husband to her tightly. Bringing up his arms, Obi-Wan holds her, rubbing her back gently. Looking up, he regards the durasteel buildings stretching out beyond the balcony, their windows aglow with artificial illumination.

OBI-WAN: I know where to go, Siri. I know exactly where to go ...

EXT. OPHUCHI -- PRISON -- LANDING PLATFORM -- DAY

On a duracrete platform stationed beyond the Ophuchi prison, under a stormy gray sky which matches his disposition, Gog Juaka stands, his arms and legs shackled, surrounded by six armed prison guards. His black military uniform having been traded in for a set of unflattering prison coveralls, he no longer carries the same imperious bearing he once had. Before the deposed despot stands the WARDEN, a malicious grin plastered across his skeletal face.

WARDEN: (to Juaka) There's a nice, clean breeze blowing, isn't there, Lord-Commandant? (beat) Breathe it in, Lord-Commandant, get a good whiff of that fresh, crisp air while you can, 'cause where you're going, you won't get much of that.

GOG JUAKA: Only a year ago, warden, you had me over for dinner with the rest of your family. I don't remember you being so flippant with your tongue then.

WARDEN: I had to coddle your over-inflated ego while under your "guiding hand", Lord-Commandant. Now, with your regime pulled out from under you, I no longer have to kiss your high-bred hindquarters.

From out of the cloudy sky a large shuttle descends over the landing platform. Coming to rest before the amassed group, the craft's ramp opens and lowers, allowing FOUR ARMED GUARDS to climb out.

WARDEN: Goodbye, Lord-Commandant. You'll think of me when you bend over to pick up the soap, won't you? (to the four new arrivals) Take him away.

Moving forward, the four guards motion with their weapons for Juaka to step forward toward the shuttle. His expression grim, the ex-dictator complies; with the four guards flanking him, he enters the shuttle.

Once Juaka is aboard, the ramp draws back up into the shuttle and the shuttle then proceeds to take off, returning to the sky on a course for open space.

INT. SHUTTLE/LOADING COMPARTMENT -- DAY

Gog Juaka stands facing the four guards, his eyes unblinking. The visors of their helmets pulled down over their eyes, the expressions of the guards are impossible to read.

GOG JUAKA: (brings his restrained hands forward) Well, aren't you going to get me out of these?

GUARD #1: At once, Lord-Commandant. (turns to the guard to his right) Unfasten his restraints.

Nodding once, the guard steps forward toward the lord-commandant. Taking a key, the guard unlocks Juaka's chains.

GOG JUAKA: (rubbing his wrists) That's much better. (beat) We're going to Nar Shaddaa, correct?

GUARD #1: Yes, milord. The Imperials will be unable to persecute you in the heart of Hutt space -- they have no jurisdiction there.

GOG JUAKA: (sighs) The lord-commandant of Ophuchi reduced to seeking sanctuary on a polluted cesspool like Nar Shaddaa. It's criminal.

GUARD #1: It's only temporary, milord. In time Ophuchi will be yours once again.

GOG JUAKA: As much as I would like that to be true, I must face reality. My reign on this world is over -- completely and finally over. (beat) But I can still have my vengeance -- my complete and final vengeance.

EXT. SPACE -- OPHUCHI

Moving out of Ophuchi's gravity well, the shuttle crewed by Juaka and his loyalists makes the jump into hyperspace.

 

EXT. TRALUS -- PLAINS -- DAY

On the vast, sweeping plains of the planet Tralus, an ARMY stands assembled; made up of a mixture of Humans, Selonians, Dralls, and various other species native to the Corellian system, the soldiers all wear the armour of the ancient Army of the Republic.

Almost as if they suddenly materialized from out of thin air, a large myriad of Krath assault ships appear in the deep lavender sky of Tralus. Several anti-aircraft weapons platforms stationed on the surface open fire as the menacing craft descend upon the world, releasing salvoes of concentrated laserfire upon the enemy ships. Heavily outnumbering the guns, however, most of the assault ships manage to evade the devastating laser blasts.

Touching down upon the vast plain, flattening the long stalks of indigo grass under their bulk, the Krath take root upon the surface of Tralus like large metal barnacles. As their engines power down, the bay doors of the Krath craft split open. Once they are fully open, thousands upon thousands of AUTOMATED KRATH WAR 'DROIDS spill out; hunched over on pairs of digitigrade legs, short war swords in one hand and pulse-wave weapons in the other, the menacing humanoid war machines charge forward, moving with all the preternatural coordination of steel termites. Bringing their weapons to bear, the Republic troops open fire on the automatons moving in on them. Like an unstoppable object meeting an immovable force, the two sides come together.

The resulting battle is a fierce one, with extremely heavy losses to both sides, but in the end it finishes as it must; the Republic soldiers fall to the mindless robots.

As wounded lie crying out in agony amongst the remains of their slain brethren on the blood-soaked battlefield, the Krath assault ships disgorge their second force of invaders; a countless number of armed-and-armoured KRATH WARRIORS, their faces hard and their eyes cold, climb out, large blaster rifles gripped tightly in their iron-strong hands. As they fall upon the surviving Republic soldiers, they falter not at all as they train their weapons on their fallen foes and quickly put an end their collective misery.

As the Krath assemble together in front their ships, a new ship -- an obsidian-black shuttle -- appears in the sky above. Descending like an ominous angel of death, it touches down on the ground before the amassed Krath warriors. As the ramp of the shuttle opens and lowers, a single figure emerges; clad in armour as black and polished as her ship, a large cloak like a sheet of star-studded night flowing down from her shoulders, is a LADY OF THE SITH BROTHERHOOD. A smooth, perfectly featureless helmet encases her head, hiding her features from view.

Reaching up, the Sith Lady takes hold of the featureless black helmet. Pulling it off, she exposes her face to the Krath standing before her. Tresses of full, wavy black hair cascade down, framing an immaculately beautiful face of flawless porcelain. Her deep violet eyes, like liquid sapphires, sparkle as the contours of her full, midnight blue lips turn upward with a smile.

Turning away from the Krath, stepping away from her shuttle, the Sith ascends a short hill. Reaching the top, she looks out to the landscape sprawling before her. In a shallow valley, far in the distance, stands the low exterior of a bunker extending underground.

Turning away from the sight, the lady looks down upon the Krath warriors. Reaching to her side, she grasps the hilt of a broadsword. Pulling it free of its scabbard, she hefts the weapon into the air, pointing the black blade skyward.

SITH LADY: Onward, my Krath brethren! In the names of the Dark Lord Exar Kun, the Emperor Ulic and the Empress Aleema, for the glory of the Sith Empire reborn, attack!

With one mind, one heart, and one soul the Krath warriors release a battle cry and charge forward. As they pass by the Sith Lady on the way to the bunker, her smile broadens into a full -- animalistic -- grin.

EXT. BUNKER -- DAY

Having reached the bunker, the Krath war 'droids are engaged in battle with the Republic soldiers defending the bunkers. As with their brethren on the front lines, however, these soldiers prove to be little match for the murderous automations.

INT. BUNKER/CORRIDOR -- DAY

Inside the main corridor leading in-and-out of the underground bunker, a dozen Republic soldiers stand at attention, their blaster rifles trained on the reinforced durasteel door situated at the end of the corridor before them.

INT. BUNKER/SAFE ROOM -- DAY

Inside a small safe room are eleven individuals: Jedi Knight VICI RAMUNEE, her brother VENI, her lover LOGAN HALCYON, their mistress TANISS, and SEVEN YOUNG JEDI CHILDREN.

Vici, twenty-four years old, is a pretty Human woman with a tall, slender build, shoulder-length auburn hair, and green eyes; Veni, eighteen years old, is almost a perfect reflection of his sister; Logan, thirty-one, is a tall, broad-shouldered Human with flaming red hair and an omni-spectral visor pulled down over his eyes; Taniss, perfectly ageless, is a handsome Omwati woman with light blue skin, sparkling indigo eyes, and feathery mauve hair.

While Taniss sits upon a chair, cradling a toddler on her lap, the other three Jedi stand or pace about the room.

VICI: Mistress ...

TANISS: Yes, Vici?

VICI: The Krath forces ... I can feel them getting closer. (beat) There's Sith with them.

TANISS: Yes ... I know.

EXT. BUNKER -- DAY

The Krath warriors arrive as the war 'droids finish off the remaining Republicans.

INT. BUNKER/SAFE ROOM -- DAY

VENI: They're here!

INT. BUNKER/CORRIDOR -- DAY

With a loud, skull-jarring CRASH the reinforced durasteel door is punched in as if it were made of cardboard; thrown forward with immense velocity, it collides with five soldiers, crushing each and every one of them. As the remaining Republicans move to reorient themselves, Krath warriors come pouring into the bunker.

INT. BUNKER/SAFE ROOM -- DAY

Sensing the Krath's violation of their sanctum, Veni turns toward the thick durasteel door blocking the room off from the rest of the bunker, reaching for the hilt of the lightsaber hanging from his belt with impatience.

VENI: I'm not going to stand around anymore! I'm taking them!

LOGAN: (grabbing Veni by the shoulder) Hold your eopies, kid. Have some patience.

Spinning around, Veni angrily brushes Logan's hand away.

VENI: Keep your hands off me, Halcyon! You don't get to push me around, not anymore!

TANISS: (irritated) Enough of this! (to Veni) You're not a child anymore, Veni -- stop acting like one!

Shamed, Veni hangs his head.

VENI: I'm sorry, Mistress. (beat) But the Krath, the children ... I don't know what I'm supposed to do -- what we're supposed to do.

Carefully setting the toddler down on the floor to crawl about with its peers, Taniss stands up and walks over to Veni. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she regards him with the tender look of a caring mother.

TANISS: We do what we must as the protectors of these children. To the bitter end, we do as we must.

INT. BUNKER/CORRIDOR -- DAY

Having slaughtered the Republic soldiers guarding the corridor, the Krath warriors are clearing the bodies out of the way as the Sith Lady steps inside; accompanying her are THREE SITH ACOLYTES: a Bith male, a Human male, and a Devaronian female.

SITH LADY: Go and open the path for us, but remember -- the elder is mine.

Acknowledging her command silently, the acolytes move forward, their stone faces devoid of all expression save that of solid determination.

INT. BUNKER/SAFE ROOM -- DAY

As the durasteel door slides open, Vici turns to Logan. Meeting his eyes with hers, she reaches out and places her fingers on the side of his face.

VICI: So this is it, huh?

LOGAN: This is it.

VICI: But there's so much I wanted to say, Logan, so much to do --

LOGAN: (grins) Please, save me the cliched claptrap. (reaches up and tenderly takes her hand in his) All we needed to say and do we've done.

Pulling Vici close to him, Logan locks his lips with hers, sealing their love with their last passionate kiss.

As Logan and Vici end their embrace, they both turn to regard Mistress Taniss. Then, turning away from her, they and Veni step out of the room to meet their fate.

Once the three Jedi are gone, the heavy metal door slides back into place and locks with a heavy CLANG.

INT. BUNKER/ANTECHAMBER -- DAY

As the three Sith acolytes enter the antechamber leading into the safe room, they find the three Jedi Knights waiting for them. As one, the Sith draw their lightsabers and engage them; a blade of frigid blue extends from the Human's hilt, a blade of putrid green from the Bith's, and a blade of nauseating purple from the Devaronian's. As the Sith stand there, their three blades glowing, the Jedi draw their own weapons; a blade of vibrant yellow extends from Veni's hilt, a blade of radiant orange from Logan's, and a blade of intense red from Vici's.

Drawing back their plasma blades, the six combatants leap into the fray.

INT. BUNKER/SAFE ROOM -- DAY

Mistress Taniss stands facing the door, children surrounding her, as tears begin to run down her soft face.

INT. BUNKER/ANTECHAMBER -- DAY

The Sith Lady steps into the antechamber, looking down upon the bodies strewn about the floor. The Jedi and Sith, being evenly matched, failed to triumph over one another; all six are dead.

Stepping past the bodies, the darkly beautiful woman walks up to the heavy door leading into the safe room beyond. Bringing up her arms, she reaches out through the Force and, finding the door, seizes it in a vice-like grip, squeezes, and begins to pull.

With a hideous SQUEAL of rending metal, the tremendously heavy, durable safe room door is slowly pulled from its hinges and out of its frame. Once it is clear, the lady telekinetically moves it to the side, discarding it casually as if it were nothing more than a paper cup.

Standing there, the pristine white blade of her lightsaber engaged in a defensive stance, is the Jedi mistress Taniss. Her face unreadable, the Sith reaches to the scabbard at her side and draws her broadsword, bringing the blade of black metal to bear.

SITH LADY: Greetings, Mistress Taniss.

TANISS: You know who I am?

SITH LADY: Of course. I always take the time to know my adversaries. (beat) I've come for the children, Mistress Taniss.

TANISS: You know I can't allow you to take them.

SITH LADY: Have sense, Mistress. The Republic troops have fallen and Tralus has been taken -- you have lost.

TANISS: While life flows through me, triumph remains a possibility. I haven't lost yet.

SITH LADY: It doesn't have to be this way. There is a place for all within the Brotherhood -- why don't you join us and help create a future where these children can grow up in peace and security, safe from the manipulations and predations of corrupt bureaucrats and underworlders?

TANISS: The future the Sith are crafting is a dark, unholy one. I'll have no part in it.

SITH LADY: (angry) Open your eyes, Taniss! The Republic and Jedi have had their day! It is the dawn of a new age -- the Age of Sith!

TANISS: Such a dawn I have no desire to wake to.

SITH LADY: Very well, Mistress Taniss, cling to your outmoded stubbornness. The path to the morrow will be clearer with you out of the way.

Lunging forward, the black armoured Sith swings her blade. Taking a step back, Taniss brings the blade of her lightsaber down on an intercept course; with an almost liquid SIZZLE, the blade of white plasma makes contact with the blade of alchemically-forged metal, neither cutting through the other. Pulling back, the two combatants separate blades.

Moving with fluid grace, the Sith and Jedi continue their duel. They feint, parry, and riposte over-and-over again, neither gaining an upper hand over the other.

SITH LADY: It's obvious this contest cannot be decided by our skills with the blade.

The lady lowers her sword, resheathing it.

SITH LADY: (cont'd) But by our knowledge of the Force.

Lowering her lightsaber, Tannis disengages it and tosses the hilt to the floor.

TANNIS: First blood is yours, lady of the Sith.

Grinning, the Sith brings forth her hands. As she weaves them about one another, a ball of negative energy begins to coalesce between them. Once the sphere of inverted light has reached optimal size, the lady throws out her hands, releasing it at Taniss. Bringing up her own hands, Taniss erects a barrier of blazing yellow light. As the sphere collides with the barrier, the negative energy shatters into nothingness.

TANNIS: (drops the barrier) You're going to have to do far better than that.

Sneering, the Sith Lady brings her arms down low to her sides. Curling her fingers into gnarled talons, she begins to summon more negative energy into them. Throwing out her hands, she unleashes beams of inverted light upon Taniss. Throwing up a telekinetic shield with her right hand, the mistress redirects the black energy away from her into a wall.

SITH LADY: Do you plan on merely warding away my blows, Jedi?! Haven't you the fire to deliver an attack of your own?!

Without responding, the Jedi mistress throws up her left hand. A beam of yellow energy courses outward, catching the Sith square in the chest and hurtling her back onto the floor.

TANNIS: I can dish it out as well as I can take it, darksider.

Grinning with malevolent pleasure, the Sith Lady recollects herself. Stepping forward, she throws out her hands once again, casting more blasts of negative energy. Tannis reciprocates with blasts of yellow energy.

EXT. BUNKER -- DAY

Some time has passed and the Krath soldiers stand outside the entrance, awaiting the return of their mistress. Moments pass, then a shape emerges from within the dark confines of the bunker.

The Sith Lady -- her cloak reduced to ashes, her gorgeous hair burned down to a charred fuzz, and her face marred with second degree burns -- steps outside. Cradled against her breastplate, seemingly oblivious to the events taking place around it, is the very same toddler Tannis was attending to earlier.

SITH LADY: (hoists the child up into the air) Behold the child! Behold the future of the Sith Empire!

Awareness of their victory finally sinking in, the Krath warriors throw up their arms, cheering their Sith mistress as she displays the spoils of war in her arms.

 

INT. ORRON III -- DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD/ANAKIN'S BEDROOM -- DAY

Anakin sits at his desk, watching the holovid of the Sith lady holding the child before her Krath warriors, as a light RAP-RAP-RAP is heard at the door.

ANAKIN: (pauses the holovid) It's open.

The door opens and Corin leans inside. She immediately notices the monochrome hologram of the menacing Sith woman frozen in place on his desk.

CORIN: What are you watching?

ANAKIN: Records from the Fourth Battle of Tralus during the Great Sith War. Being out on the front lines have left me behind on my studies and I'm trying to get caught up. (beat) You wanted something, Corin?

CORIN: You've got a caller on the vidphone -- Obi-Wan Kenobi.

ANAKIN: I'll be right there.

Rising from his chair, Nik follows Corin out the door.

INT. DUQUESNE HOUSEHOLD -- VIDPHONE CUBICLE -- DAY

Entering the small, windowless room, Anakin walks over to the controls of a medium-sized flatscreen installed into the wall. Pressing a blue button, Obi-Wan's face immediately appears on the display.

ANAKIN: (sits down in a chair) Hey, Obi. What's up?

OBI-WAN: Hello, Nik. I'm not disturbing you, am I?

ANAKIN: No, not really. I was just going over my history records. (beat) What's the news? Our leave hasn't been cancelled, has it?

OBI-WAN: No, nothing of the sort. (beat) Anakin ...

ANAKIN: (frowns) Something's happened to Siri, hasn't there?

OBI-WAN: (sighs) Siri lost the child. It happened a few days before I got back.

ANAKIN: God, Obi, I'm so sorry.

OBI-WAN: Siri's going through a crisis right now, and we both feel it'd be best to get off Coruscant for the time being and see some friendly faces. Is it alright if we come to Orron III and stay with you for awhile?

ANAKIN: I'll have to ask Corin and Nemec, but I'm sure they'll understand.

OBI-WAN: Thank you, Anakin.

ANAKIN: I'll get back to you as soon as I get the word.

With that the communication ends. Rising from the chair, Nik turns to leave and finds Nemec standing in the open door.

NEMEC: I heard everything, Nik. (beat) Tell your friends they're welcome to come right on over.

Thanking Nemec with a slight nod and smile, Nik returns to the vidphone.

EXT. SPACE -- BAJILON PRIME

Somewhere in the depths of the Arkanis sector sits the crystalline planet Bajilon Prime. In orbit above Bajilon Prime is a long metal cylinder with a clawed torus built around its diametre. This is Akkad 14, a space station built by the Separatists during the Second Clone War. While it has long since been appropriated by the Empire, it still serves its purpose as a way station between the Geonosis system and the greater Galaxy.

INT. AKKAD 14/CMDR. JEFFREYS' QUARTERS

Inside her quarters, buried within the covers of her bed, is COMMANDER SHERIDAN JEFFREYS. A lean, lovely blonde nearing middle age, Jeffreys is locked fast in the deepest, most peaceful sleep.

At that moment, just as Bajilon's blue sun rises out beyond the room's large transparisteel viewport, the chronometre off to the right side of the commander's bed begins to ring a fierce wakeup call. Groaning, she rolls over in bed, burying her head inside her pillows in a desperate attempt to block out the noise.

CMDR. JEFFREYS: Shut up, shut up, shut up ...

When the chronometre refuses to comply, Jeffreys resorts to a final desperate act. Reaching under her mattress, she pulls out a small blaster. Turning over, she levels the weapon at the chrono, takes careful aim, then pulls the trigger. A blue stun bolt flares out, catching the chronometre and frying its systems, silencing it now and forever.

Sighing, Jeffreys lowers the blaster. Getting up out of bed, she then meanders over to her desk. Opening a drawer, she pulls out a recorder wand. Raising it to her lips, she turns it on.

CMDR. JEFFREYS: Memo to self: Order a new chronometre at the next earliest convenience.

Deactivating the wand, she replaces it back inside the desk.

INT. AKKAD 14/CORRIDOR OUTSIDE JEFFREYS' QUARTERS

The door leading into Jeffreys' quarters slides open, allowing the commander to step out into the corridor. Now showered and clad in her gray Imperial uniform, she is the very picture of no-nonsense efficiency.

Turning on her heel to her right, she begins making her way along the corridor. At that moment the large door at the end of the corridor behind her left slides open, allowing a PORTLY BARABEL to step inside.

PORTLY BARABEL: (grins) Commander Jeffreys!

Stopping in mid-stride, Jeffreys turns to regard the Barabel. Seeing his unwelcome grin, she sighs deeply.

CMDR. JEFFREYS: Mr. Kurasij, without the proper clearance, Red Deck is off-limits to non-military personnel.

KURASIJ (PORTLY BARABEL): Yes, this is known to me. What of it?

CMDR. JEFFREYS: Get off Red Deck, Mr. Kurasij.

KURASIJ: You wound me deeply, Commander. Do you regard me so poorly that you'd immediately assume I'd use improper channels to procure access to the command section?

CMDR. JEFFREYS: (sighs) I haven't the time for your games, Kurasij. Get your ass off Red Deck before I call Gardo in to haul it off to the brig!

KURASIJ: (takes a step forward) Surely, Commander --

Reaching to her side, Jeffreys pulls out her comlink. Raising it to her lips, she activates it.

CMDR. JEFFREYS: Gardo?

GARDO: (O.S.) Commander?

KURASIJ: (raises his hands up as he takes a step back) Nevermind, Commander. I can see you are a busy woman. Perhaps we can establish a dialogue at a later date, yes?

Wasting not a single split-second, the Barabel departs Red Deck.

CMDR. JEFFREYS: (into the comlink) Nevermind, Gardo. False alarm.

Deactivating the comlink, the Commander resumes her walk.

INT. AKKAD 14/COMMAND CENTRE

The doors leading into the command centre slide open and Cmdr. Jeffreys steps inside. Within the circular room several men, women, and beings of indeterminate gender man their stations, each monitoring the interstellar space beyond them for incoming ships or communications. Installed in the wall before them all is a large viewport looking out into the star-studded darkness of the Bajilon system.

OFFICER #1: Good morning, Commander.

Walking over to her station, Jeffreys takes a seat.

CMDR. JEFFREYS: Morning? There is no morning in space, Daneils.

DANEILS (OFFICER #1): Of course not, Commander.

CMDR. JEFFREYS: Daneils?

DANEILS: Yes?

CMDR. JEFFREYS: Be a good boy and fetch me a mug of caf. I'll never be able to think straight if I don't get some caffeine into my system ASAP.

DANEILS: Right away, ma'am.

Leaving his station, Daneils hurries to grab the commander a cup of caf.

EXT. SPACE

Out in the blackness of space, past Bajilon Prime and the space station, a large starship emerges from the depths of hyperspace. Unseen, the ship moves toward Akkad 14. Coming upon the station, the starship casts a vast, overwhelming shadow over the much smaller habitat.

INT. AKKAD 14/COMMAND DECK

OFFICER #2: Commander, a cruiser's just emerged right on top of us from hyperspace! It's a --!

EXT. SPACE -- BAJILON PRIME

Red turbolaser blasts lance out from the unseen cruiser, striking Akkad 14 dead centre. Unable to withstand firepower of such magnitude, the station's deflector shields wink out. Before another moment can pass, Akkad 14 explodes into a raging fireball, killing everyone aboard instantly.

 

ORRON III -- DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD -- MONTAGE

With the rising of a new sun on this side of Orron III, we watch the events of Anakin's morning unfold from beginning to end.

Following a rude awakening when Nashira, shrieking like a harpy, bursts into his room, jumps on top of his bed, and begins beating him over the head with one of his pillows, Anakin promptly hurries to get ready for the day and joins the rest of the DuQuesne family at the breakfast table. Following a hearty breakfast of green eggs and ham, he then joins them on their farm chores; while 'Shira and Nemec team up to work with the combine and trailer to finish the season's harvest, Nik helps Corin take inventory and work on repairing broken and malfunctioning equipment.

EXT. DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD -- DAY

With the passing of morning into afternoon, Anakin's chores have come to an end for the day. Tonight is the night Obi-Wan and Siri are to arrive on Orron III after a long voyage from Coruscant, and Nik has to leave to pick them up at the spaceport.
Having promptly showered and dressed in clean, fresh clothes, Anakin guides the DuQuesne family landspeeder out of the garage. As he uses a remote control to close the garage door, Nashira and her parents appear from out of the house, walking all the way around to the right side of the speeder to see him off. 'Shira, for some reason, has a satchel slung across her left shoulder.

ANAKIN: Well, I'm off, guys.

NEMEC: You sure your pals'll be at the spaceport once you get there?

ANAKIN: (nods) I got their approximate time of arrival. Either I'll get there first or they will. Doesn't really matter as we'll arrive within minutes of each other.

Unslinging her satchel, Nashira dumps it in the back seat of the speeder.

ANAKIN: What's in there?

NASHIRA: Supplies.

ANAKIN: I already have some water, snacks, and toilet paper with me.

NASHIRA: Yeah, well, you know me -- I hate to share.

ANAKIN: (frowns) Huh?

CORIN: She's going with you.

ANAKIN: But it's a six-hour trip!

NASHIRA: (narrows her eyes) What are you insinuating?

ANAKIN: (stammering) N-nothing, 'Shira, but c'mon -- it's six hours!

NASHIRA: (jumps in the passenger seat) Just enough time to get back in time for a late supper.

Reaching around to the back seat, Nashira takes hold of the satchel and unzips it. Reaching inside, she pulls out a small, round, iridescent disc. Hunkering back down into the passenger seat, she holds the disc up before Nik's eyes.

NASHIRA: (cont'd) Besides, I've brought some tunes along.

NEMEC: Nashira rarely gets to get out except when leaving for school.

CORIN: It's good for her to get off this farm once in a while, stretch out her arms, take in some of that crisp, open air.

ANAKIN: I ... I ... (resigned) I guess.

Grinning broadly, Nashira punches Anakin in the arm -- hard. Wincing in pain, Nik immediately begins rubbing the tenderized spot.

NASHIRA: Hi-ho, Silver, away!

ANAKIN: Cut it down a notch, will ya? Sheesh!

Kicking the speeder into overdrive, Anakin burns repulsorlift as he peels out of the driveway. Grinning with toothy grins as broad as their daughter's, Nemec and Corin wave after the pair as they move off into the distance.

EXT. HIGHWAY -- MONTAGE

Emerging out onto the open highway, 'Shira slides her disc into the landspeeder's player. Almost automatically, loud instrumental theremin music begins to play over the speakers. As the speeder makes its way along the long highway, the intense music reverberates across the empty grasslands surrounding the duracrete road, seeming to transform the entire landscape into one vast echo chamber.

As the music plays, hours seem to pass by in mere minutes. As the sun moves across the sky and lowers toward the horizon, Nik and 'Shira pass by another small farm, a herd of grazing jackalopes, and eventually an ancient, burned-out ruin of a house with a sinister old woman standing out in its long-overgrown front yard. Nashira spends the time alternating between silently listening to music, chatting with Nik, and taking snapshots of interesting landmarks with a camera while he keeps his eyes out on the open road.

EXT. HIGHWAY -- SUNSET

After almost three hours, the music has come to an end and the sun has now begun to set.

As the spaceport appears as a spot on the horizon in the far distance, the radiance of the departing sun bathes Nashira's face in its warm light. Seemingly transfixed by the Munsell red glow, a wistful expression passes over her features.

NASHIRA: Nik?

ANAKIN: Yes?

NASHIRA: You never did say why Siri and Obi decided to visit us now, after all this time.

ANAKIN: Can't say I know myself, exactly. I guess they just felt enough time had passed since they'd seen you last and figured now would be a good time to catch up.

NASHIRA: Anakin ...

ANAKIN: Yeah, 'Shira?

NASHIRA: They're really here because of the baby, aren't they? (beat) She lost it. She lost her baby.

Anakin doesn't know what to say, so he doesn't say anything. Turning to face him, Nashira regards him, her blue eyes almost glowing with intensity.

NASHIRA: Have you ... have you ever though about us, Nik? About our future, if we stay together?

ANAKIN: Sure -- of course I have.

NASHIRA: Have you ... have you thought about us having children, and I mean really thought about it?

ANAKIN: Well, I guess I ... I mean ... (sighs) No, I guess I haven't -- not long, anyway. (beat) I figured it'd be something to think about later, when we're both older.

NASHIRA: Do you think we could -- if we choose to -- do you think we could have children?

ANAKIN: (uncomfortable) Nashira, I -- I don't -- neither of us have been tested to see if we can or can't.

'Shira begins to say something more, but seeing how uncomfortable Anakin is with the conversation she cuts herself off. Turning away from him, she refocuses her gaze on the setting sun, allowing herself to be immersed spiritually and well as physically within its deep crimson radiance.

INT. SPACEPORT/TERMINAL -- SUNSET

Having disembarked from their ship, Obi-Wan and Siri have made their way inside the spaceport terminal, joining the other new arrivals in a line as they proceed through a security checkpoint. Standing at guard at the checkpoint, clad in their brown uniforms and riot armour, are several ESPOS, officers of the Corporate Sector Authority's Security Police. While they make no overt motions of hostility toward the offworlders, they radiate pure, undiluted menace, their stun batons deliberately held out and in the open as a warning to any and all not to cross them.

As Siri and Obi-Wan's turn comes to cross the checkpoint, an Espo with a weapon detector walks up to them and runs the detector over the length of their bodies. Almost immediately, the detector's warning light begins to flash.

ESPO #1: (to the other Espos) I'm getting readings!

Five other Espos immediately step forward, activating their stun batons. Taking a collective step back, Siri and Obi-Wan raise their hands, showing that they are willing to comply with the Espos. Walking up to them, one of the Espos begins frisking them. It takes only a moment for him to uncover and procure their lightsabers.

ESPO #2: What are these?

SIRI: Lightsabers.

ESPO #1: Jedi?

OBI-WAN: Yes.

ESPO #1: Do you have authorization to carry these weapons inside the Corporate Sector?

Slowly and silently, Obi-Wan and Siri reach inside their coats and pull out their wallets. Opening them up, they each withdraw a pair of identical cards. Stepping up to them, a third Espo takes their cards. Pulling out a card reader, he runs each of the cards through in turn. When the green LED lights up for both, he nods to Espo #1.

ESPO #1 (to Espo #2) Give them back their weapons.

Espo #2 hands the lightsabers back to the Jedi. Silently, they clip the weapons back on their belts, their eyes focused on Espo #1.

EPSO #1: (grins) Enjoy your stay on Orron III.

Passing through the checkpoint, Obi-Wan and Siri make their way towards the exit that'll take them out of the terminal. Once they are out of earshot of the Espos, they turn to regard one another.

OBI-WAN: It's nice to see that Espo security is still as tight as ever.

Siri responds with a silent shrug.

EXT. SPACEPORT -- SUNSET

As Obi-Wan and Siri step out of the terminal into the open air of Orron III, they spot Anakin and Nashira already there just beyond the front doors, waiting for them.

As the two parties converge, Siri breaks away from Obi-Wan and walks up to Nashira. As the two women embrace, Siri -- overcome with emotion -- smiles and weeps in unison.

INT. DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD/DINING AREA -- EVENING

Another three hours pass, and Anakin and Nashira have returned home with Obi-Wan and Siri. They have all joined Nemec and Corin at the dinner table, where they are currently engaged in light conversation over a supper of roast beast and hewhash.

NEMEC: So, Obi-Wan, how was the trip here?

OBI-WAN: Oh, it was the typical twelve-day flight -- long, tedious, dreadfully boring, but blissfully uneventful.

SIRI: They've added a third stop-over on the trip since we were out here last.

CORIN: Where?

SIRI: In an asteroid belt somewhere in the Abdju system, on one of the larger asteroids. (to Obi-Wan) You recall the name of the station?

OBI-WAN: Asteroid M.

SIRI: I think it was Asteroid Mern.

OBI-WAN: I'm sure it was "M".

SIRI: (to Corin) Anyway, it was just a small station, capable of holding a half dozen ships at a time.

OBI-WAN: And we just happened to get stuck there when a particularly nasty solar storm started blazing right through the hyperroute out of the system. We were laid over for five hours.

ANAKIN: You managed to get here on time.

OBI-WAN: You can thank Otto for that.

ANAKIN: Otto?

SIRI: The hot-shot pilot of the ship that took us the rest of the way here.

OBI-WAN: He knew of a shortcut through hyperspace that'd shave five hours' travel time off the remainder of our trip.

SIRI: Oh, it was a shortcut all right -- a shortcut directly through the stratosphere of a gas giant.

Two minutes pass.

CORIN: Siri, I haven't commented on your hair yet, have I?

SIRI: No, I don't think so.

CORIN: Well, it's just a gorgeous hairstyle. It looks absolutely stunning on you.

SIRI: (smiles) Thank you.

CORIN: Does it have a name? The style, I mean.

SIRI: It's called a vaddul chignon.

CORIN: Curious name.

SIRI: It's named after its creator, Vaddul Aiisio Huiun.

CORIN: Sounds like a Hutt name.

SIRI: He is a Hutt.

Four minutes pass.

NEMEC: (to Obi-Wan) How about those PDRs, huh? Great team, great team. You follow the ecometrics, right?

OBI-WAN: Well, I ...

Six minutes pass. By this time, everyone has about finished their dinner.

SIRI: (cont'd) ... we could help you with the harvest. It's no trouble, really.

NEMEC: But that's just it -- we finished harvesting the last of the maize today. The season's over.

CORIN: In two weeks we'll start planting again. Until then, we have lots of free time on our hands.

NASHIRA: Hey, I've got an idea!

Everyone at the table regards the young lady with open ears.

NASHIRA: (cont'd) That old amusement park in town's having its grand reopening in two days. We can take the trip out there any time before the next season begins and have a day of fun for ourselves!

CORIN: You mean Zorqo's Zoo of Zaniness?

NASHIRA: Yeah!

CORIN: (frowns) I don't know ...

NEMEC: Isn't the new owner some shady character who was run out of the Tion Hegemony?

NASHIRA: (waves her hand dismissively) That's just idle gossip without any basis in objective fact.

A moment of silence passes between them all.

NEMEC: Well, in that case ...

CORIN: I guess it wouldn't hurt to go out there and check the place out ...

NASHIRA: (grins) Excellent! (to Siri and Obi-Wan) Obi, Siri -- you're about to have the time of your lives!

 

INT. NAR SHADDAA -- KORBEE TOWER/PENTHOUSE/LIVING AREA -- DAY

Within the living area of Korbee Tower's penthouse suite, we find MAHTTOH THE WOOKIEE decked out asleep upon a large sofa. Judging by the litter strewn about the room -- along with the two female wookoids asleep in Mahttoh's arms -- a rather rowdy party was hosted here the night before.

INT. KORBEE TOWER/PENTHOUSE/LLOMON'S BEDROOM -- DAY

Just like with the living area, this bedroom, too, is a mess, with a pair of female trandoids curled up under the covers with LLOMON THE TRANDOSHAN.

As he wakes from his booze-induced slumber, Llomon sits up with a reptilian yawn. Caring not one bit if he disturbs his two companions, the Trandoshan kicks the covers off himself and rises out of bed.

INT. KORBEE TOWER/PENTHOUSE/KITCHEN -- DAY

Passing through the living area and by the sleeping simians, Llomon steps into the kitchen. Crossing over to the refrigeration unit, he opens it, reaches inside, and pulls out a single mauve egg the size of a football. Smacking his lizard lips hungrily, he closes the refrigerator door then takes a seat at the small kitchen table. Placing the egg in a large egg cup already waiting for him on the table, Llomon takes his pinky claw and punches a hole through the shell of the egg. Then, with a great big Trandoshan smile, he inserts a straw through the hole and begins to suck the yolk and albumen up with intense gusto.

INT. KORBEE TOWER/PENTHOUSE/LIVING AREA -- DAY

Awake now themselves, Llomon's two reptilian lady friends saunter into the living area wearily, nursing strong hangovers. As they pass within range of Mahttoh and his girls, they draw back their muzzles with disgust as the strong odour of the mammalians' lingering love musk washes over them.

At that very moment, a vidphone on the wall begins to wail with an incoming transmission.

Hearing the vidphone, Llomon immediately leaves his half-finished egg and re-enters the living area. Uttering curses in Dosh, he strides up to the sleeping wookoids and violently shakes them awake. As they come up from their slumber, the Trandoshan then turns to his trandoid companions, walks up to them, then rudely pulls them to him. Finally, as the vidphone continues to wail, he herds all four women to the front door, opens it, then kicks them out, slamming the door shut as they start hurling curses back at him.

Racing over to the vidphone, Llomon activates an illegally owned-and-installed jammer to prevent any unwelcome eavesdroppers from listening in on the conversation, then picks up the line. Almost immediately, the Human face of one of Gog Juaka's loyalist guards appears on-screen.

GUARD #2: I trust this is Llomon the Trandoshan I am speaking to?

Llomon responds in the affirmative but the Human clearly fails to understand Dosh. Realizing for the first time that he doesn't have his translator on him, the Trandoshan holds his finger up in a gesture for the Human to wait then leaves to find his translator.

Moments later Llomon returns, the translator apparati affixed to his neck and wrist. Making an adjustment, he sets the device to transmit in Basic.

LLOMON: (in Basic) I am Llomon.

GUARD #2: I trust this is a secure line?

LLOMON: (annoyed) Do you think me incompetent? Of course it's secure. Now what is it you want?

GUARD #2: After arriving on Nar Shaddaa several weeks ago, my employer set me to the task of finding a bounty hunter or hunters who would be adequate for an endeavour which he has determined to be of the utmost importance. After making a series of inquiries, we have come to the conclusion that you along with your partner are the most qualified candidates.

LLOMON: Has anyone ever told you you use too many words to say so little?

GUARD #2: (sighs) My employer has a job for you and Mahttoh.

LLOMON: I gathered that. What is it?

GUARD #2: He wishes me to tell you no more. Agree to meet with him in person and he will reveal the details to you himself.

LLOMON: Very well. Where and when would he like to meet?

GUARD #2: In his room at Chance Castle, at 61:00 tonight.

LLOMON: Room number?

GUARD #2: You'll find me waiting at the main entrance. I'll give you the number then.

LLOMON: So be it.

The guard nods once. The vidphone display then goes dark.

Deactivating his translator, Llomon steps away from the vidphone and walks on over to the sofa, where Mahttoh -- in spite of all the commotion caused by the vidphone and the ladies' departure -- is still asleep. Placing a clawed foot on the Wookiee's shoulder, the Trandoshan pushes the Wookiee off the sofa. Hitting the floor with a thud, Mahttoh wakes with a Wookiee wail.

MAHTTOH: (in Shyriiwook, subtitled) Hey, what the hell!? (looks about the room) Where are Suroow and Ghueew?

LLOMON: (in Dosh, subtitled) A potential client just called. He wants to meet with us tonight.

MAHTTOH: (subtitled) What time?

LLOMON: (subtitled) 61:00, at Chance Castle. So get up, go to the 'fresher, and have a shower. He won't hire us if you come stinking of Wookiee love musk.

 

EXT. ORRON III -- ZORQO'S ZOO OF ZANINESS/ENTRANCE -- DAY

The DuQuesnes, Kenobis, and the Skywalker kid enter the grounds of Zorqo's Zoo of Zaniness with thousands of other visitors. A medium-sized amusement park, a fair amount of various different attractions and rides can be seen over the throngs of people.

NEMEC: (sighs) Well, we're here. Now what?

CORIN: We could visit the Wormhole of Love.

NEMEC: Wormhole of Love?

CORIN: Like we did when we were teenagers. (beat) God, how long ago was that -- seventy years ago?

NEMEC: Seventy-three.

CORIN: Remember our first ride through the Wormhole --

NEMEC: Fifth ride, Corin, fifth.

CORIN: (cont'd) First, fifth -- whichever, it doesn't matter. (beat) It was the most romantic night of our lives. It was the night we truly became one --

NASHIRA: (covers her ears with her hands) I don't need to be hearing this.

CORIN: (cont'd) -- the night we realized we'd always be together.

NEMEC: (smiles) 'Til death do we part.

CORIN: (grins) Yes, exactly.

NEMEC: (sighs) That was a good night, dear, but I'm too old for cliched rides like that. (claps Anakin on the back) The Wormhole of Love's perfect for Nashira and her snot-nosed punk of a boyfriend, though.

ANAKIN: (frowns) Who's snot-nosed?

Nemec pulls Nik and 'Shira to him then lightly pushes them out, away from the rest of the group.

NEMEC: Go on, Nik, take Nashira and go ride through the Wormhole. There's a good possibility you'll never get the chance to again.

Deciding to do as the man says, Anakin and Nashira join hands and take off to find the Wormhole of Love. In short moments, they're both lost from sight within the crowd.

OBI-WAN: So, what should the rest of we four do? (looks about the park) I'm kind of lost here so I can't really offer any suggestions.

NEMEC: (places a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder) I'm hungry. Are you?

OBI-WAN: Well, I suppose --

NEMEC: I'll treat you to a dog or a burger -- whatever levitates your skiff. We'll leave the girls to find their own entertainment.

OBI-WAN: Well, I wouldn't want to just ditch Siri and Corin like that ...

SIRI: (smiles wryly) I wouldn't mind.

CORIN: You boys go off and enjoy yourselves. That's what we're all here for, after all, isn't it?

NEMEC: (grins) See? They can't wait to be rid of our ugly faces. So let's be off!

At that, the two men depart, Nemec's hand placed firmly on Obi-Wan's back to lead him along. Obi-Wan turns to look back at Siri, staring daggers her way. She merely gives him a parting wave and a smile in response.

EXT. ZORQO'S ZOO OF ZANINESS/PLAZA -- DAY

Some minutes have passed and Anakin and Nashira are utterly lost within the park.

ANAKIN: So where are we going?

NASHIRA: Why ask me? I haven't a clue.

ANAKIN: I thought you knew the layout of this place like the back of your hand!

NASHIRA: My parents do, I don't. This place was closed down for decades until a few days ago, remember? This is my first time here.

ANAKIN: Great, so where ever this Wormhole of Love is, we'll never find it.

NASHIRA: (frowns) Don't be a stick in the mud. We'll just ask someone for directions.

The two then spend the next few minutes asking others for directions to the Wormhole of Love. No one, however, seems to know where it is.

ANAKIN: Well, that was a dead end.

Nashira then notices an OBESE DRESSELLIAN CLOWN standing propped up against a sign post with a DIMINUTIVE NEAR-HUMAN NELWYN sitting on the ground beside him; both are currently smoking cigarettes.

NASHIRA: They work here. They're bound to know where the Wormhole is.

Pulling Nik along behind her, Nashira approaches the two odd figures.

NASHIRA: (smiles) Hello.

The Dressellian clown -- RUSTYK -- takes a drag on his cigarette, takes one glance down at 'Shira, then takes his gaze back off her, exhaling a big cloud of purple smoke without the slightest change coming to his surly face.

RUSTYK: Hey, kid.

NASHIRA: We're looking for the Wormhole of Love, but we've kinda gotten lost.

RUSTYK: Lost, eh? (takes a puff on his cigarette) Shoulda bought a map at the front entrance, kid.

ANAKIN: (irrate) Do you know where the damn ride is or not?

Rustyk centres his gaze upon Anakin for the first time.

RUSTYK: You got spunk, kid.

Taking another deep drag on his cigarette, Rustyk blows the thick, purple smoke in Anakin's face. As the cloying miasma hits the young man, he begins coughing violently.

RUSTYK: (cont'd) I hate spunk.

Starting to lose her own temper, 'Shira takes a menacing step forward toward the unappealing clown.

NASHIRA: Do you know where the Wormhole of Love is or don't you?

Finishing his cigarette, Rustyk tosses the butt away then looks down upon his companion.

RUSTYK: You know where the Wormhole of Love's at, Mr. Eenyt?

Without a single word, MR. EENYT points upward. Following his finger with her eyes, Nashira finds a sign with "WORMHOLE OF LOVE" stencilled in big, white letters upon the sign post pointing the way to the ride's location.

RUSTYK: Have the time of your life, kid.

EXT. ZORQO'S ZOO OF ZANINESS/ROUTE 999 -- DAY

Having followed the sign, Nashira and Nik have reached their destination. Instead of finding the entrance to the Wormhole of Love, however, they instead find a ride labelled "ROUTE 999", the entrance into it consisting of a large, monstrous head with an open mouth leading deep into a dark abyss. The ride's barker -- a TALL, GAUNT PAU'AN dressed in a black top hat and tailcoat -- directs visitors over to the ride with dramatic flourish.

BARKER: Do you pitiful, vulnerable, ephemeral souls have the heart, the spirit, the gumption, the bravado to brave the sorrows and torments of the Nine Corellian Hells and emerge unscathed? If so, take your chances on Route 999!

'Shira and Nik approach the barker.

BARKER: (removes his hat and takes a bow before them) Greetings, my fine young kidbits. My name is Caryon Adder and I'm your usher into the harrows of Hells! Do you wish to endanger, to sacrifice, your immortal souls travelling down Route 999?

NASHIRA: Isn't this supposed to be the Wormhole of Love?

CARYON ADDER (BARKER): It was -- forty-five years ago. Kids today don't want rides into dimensions of mushy gushy romance, though -- they want descents into chaos universes of wailing and gnashing of teeth -- so it was deconverted into the cannon into carnality which now stands erect before you!

ANAKIN: (points behind him with his thumb) But the sign back there said this was the way to the Wormhole.

CARYON ADDER: The sign was meant to be replaced before reopening, but someone obviously forgot to do so. A temporary oversight, I'm sure. (beat) Now, again, must I reiterate -- do you wish to ride Route 999?

'Shira and Anakin exchange glances.

NASHIRA: Since we're here, we may as well.

Anakin merely shrugs, then they step forward toward the ride. As they pass by Caryon, though, the Pau'an reaches behind him, pulls a cane hidden within the folds of his tailcoat out, then, gripping the diamond head, unsheathes a thin sword hidden with the shaft. Taking a swing downward, he blocks their advance.

CARYON ADDER: (frowns) Tickets please.

Dumbstruck by the eccentric barker, Nashira and Anakin give the Pau'an a pair of tickets. His frown instantly transforming into a wide grin, he accepts the tickets.

CARYON ADDER: (removes and resheathes his sword) Carry on, kidbits, carry on!

Caryon Adder begins to laugh maniacally as the two lovers disappear into the open maw of Route 999.

INT. ROUTE 999 -- DAY

Sitting within a repulsorcart, Anakin and Nashira travel along Route 999.

Surrounding them is a holographic panorama of the nine hells from Corellian myth. All about the young couple can be seen a plethora of profane images; in one corner a squat imp smacks down a floating torso with no legs or head; in another a young man with an old man's voice plummets into a pit of icy fire; and in still another a man with a flailing, broken neck dodges a flurry of flaming arrows launched from the bow of a reptilian/insectoid hybrid standing only a metre away from him.

Unfortunately for 'Shira and Nik, the ride is a complete bust; the holograms, already poorly rendered, constantly go staticky and often wink completely out of existence. As a result, the expressions on the young man and girl's faces are not ones of pleasure.

NASHIRA: (deadpan) The banality of evil, ladies and gentlemen.

As their repulsorcart makes its exit, a distinct electrical CRACKLE is heard, quickly followed by a sharp POP. Immediately the holograms and lights go wholly dead, the power systems completely fried.

EXT. ZORQO'S ZOO OF ZANINESS/PROMENADE -- DAY

The VERPINE VENDOR at a hog dog stand takes out a fresh packet of weiners, tears it open, and begins laying the lengths of processed, pale green pseudo-meat down on his grill as Obi-Wan and Nemec approach.

NEMEC: Hey, there.

VERPINE VENDOR: (speaking through a translator) Well, howdy! What can I do ya for?

NEMEC: (scrutinizing the green dogs) What kind of dogs are those?

VERPINE VENDOR: Why, those are bona fide processed magenge weiners, hoss, the finest this side of the Roche system!

NEMEC: Magenge? Never heard of it before. What kind of animal is that?

VERPINE VENDOR: Not a creature, hoss. No, not a creature. It's a fungus.

NEMEC: (cocks an eyebrow) A fungus?

VERPINE: Indeed, hoss. A sweet fungus. My peoples' main consumable, to tell ya the gods' honest truth. Its taste is like the seventh heaven, I can tell ya.

Nemec and Obi-Wan exchange glances.

OBI-WAN: (shrugs) I'm game if you are.

NEMEC: (to the vendor) Alright, I'll take two.

VERPINE VENDOR: Either of ya like ketchsup on yours?

OBI-WAN: I'll have some.

NEMEC: None for me, thanks.

The vendor quickly assembles the pair of dogs with silent haste; Obi-Wan cringes when he sees the ketchsup -- a dark, plum-coloured condiment totally unlike the ketchup/catsup he's familiar with -- squeezed onto his weiner.

VERPINE VENDOR: That'll be six ingots, if ya please.

Nemec promptly reaches into his right pocket for his wallet. When he doesn't find it there, he then goes for his left pocket. Not finding it there, he begins patting down his shirt in search of it; obviously, he doesn't have the wallet on him.

NEMEC: Damn, I forgot -- I left the wallet with Corin.

OBI-WAN: That's alright, I'll pay for them. It's the least I can do.

Pushing aside the fold of his coat, he goes for his utility belt and, reaching into a pouch, pulls out six Corporate Sector ingots.

OBI-WAN: (to the Verpine) Here you are.

Obi-Wan hands the ingots to the Verpine, who promptly hands him the two weiners.

VERPINE VENDOR: And here ya are.

OBI-WAN: (takes the dogs) Thanks.

Moving away from the stand, Obi-Wan and Nemec head off down the promenade. The Jedi hands the farmer his green hot dog.

NEMEC: (turns the dog over in his hands) A hot dog made out of fungus ... what the hell was I thinking paying for this?

OBI-WAN: It may not be all that bad.

NEMEC: Only one way to tell, I suppose.

In synchronous tandem, the two men take bites out of their magenge dogs.

OBI-WAN: (disgusted) Ugh! Revolting!

NEMEC: (shrugs) Really? I don't think mine's half bad. It's probably the ketchup on yours -- you shouldn't have gone for any.

Spitting the unpalatable mash out of his mouth, Obi-Wan is quick to toss the rest of the dog in the nearest trash can. Nemec is quick to finish his.

NEMEC: Not bad. They don't hold a candle to real dogs, of course, but they're decent for all that. (beat) We should have a barbeque next Benduday. Corin makes the best hot dogs on the planet, and I mean really makes them; she grinds up the meat, mixes in the starch, the whole works.

OBI-WAN: I didn't know Corin was such the gourmet.

NEMEC: She took a course offworld fifty years ago. She hasn't put the spatula down since. (beat) Does Siri cook at all, Obi?

OBI-WAN: (grins) Afraid not. I'm the breadmaker in the family.

NEMEC: Well, let me tell you -- when you have fifteen children to take care of, it helps to have two parents who can cook to feed them.

OBI-WAN: Fifteen children? Is that all?

NEMEC: (laughs) I'm ninety years old, Obi. I married Corin when I was twenty-two. When you've been in a fulfilling marriage as long as I have, you have plenty of time and opportunity to sow, grow, and harvest your own oats -- especially when there's nothing to do between sleeping and working. (beat) Besides eating and that other thing, of course.

OBI-WAN: (sighs) I suppose not.

Nemec's brow furrows as he hears the forlornness in Obi-Wan's voice.
NEMEC: I'm sorry. I forgot about the ... situation with your wife.

OBI-WAN: It's alright. It's just ... it's just difficult to think about right now. (beat) We should have waited, but we were too impatient to become parents -- too damned impatient.

NEMEC: Are you going to try again?

OBI-WAN: Perhaps. I'm not sure. I was so anxious to have a child before, but now ... with this ... I'm just not sure.

NEMEC: It's just a matter of finishing the treatments, isn't it? You've just got to wait until the doctors say she's fit to carry a child to term and everything should be alright.

OBI-WAN: If Siri gets pregnant again, she'll constantly worry about losing it. I don't know if she can handle that stress. Besides ...

NEMEC: Besides what?

OBI-WAN: I've thought about it -- run it over-and-over again in my mind -- but I've never openly discussed it with her ...

NEMEC: What?

OBI-WAN: (sighs) You know that Siri and I follow different paths in the Force?

NEMEC: Aren't you both Jedi?

OBI-WAN: Yes, but Siri's a Jedi of the Coruscanti Order. I'm a ronin Jedi. The two schools are very different from one another -- in some regards, the two are in complete opposition. (beat) You've noticed that I don't have my lightsaber on me at present?

NEMEC: Your lasersword? Yeah, I noticed it wasn't on your belt when you went to pay the bug. Siri's had hers on, though, front and centre.

OBI-WAN: My master Yoda taught me that weapons -- lightsabers included -- are only to be taken into situations where their presence is justified. The Coruscanti Jedi, on the other hand, teach that the lightsaber is an extension of the self -- another limb, basically, that must never leave one's side. (beat) Siri and I have argued and disagreed on this and many other subjects over the years, but we've come to respect one another's differing beliefs.

NEMEC: But with kids ...

OBI-WAN: With children, there'll always be the question of what to teach them, which doctrines to expose them to and which to steer them clear of. Can either of us step aside and allow the child to follow teachings we, personally, don't believe in? Can we reach a compromise? (beat) I honestly don't know what to do in that sort of situation.

NEMEC: (pats Obi-Wan on the back) This is why I'm happy Corin and I are both atheists. No religion, no conflict.

OBI-WAN: No conflict, hmm? Sounds like a recipe for boredom.

Hearing this, Nemec can't help but grin.

CUT TO

Siri and Corin elsewhere on the promenade.

With a pair of ice cream cones in their respective hands, the two women make idle small talk. As they pass by a shooting gallery booth, a CARNIE WITH IMPOSSIBLE HAIR lunges out the open booth window, a preternaturally wide, toothy grin plastered across his wizened face.

CARNIE: (chipper) Why, hello ladies! You wouldn't happen to be interested in a little target practice, would you?

Hearing the man's exuberant voice, the two women stop in their tracks. As they turn to face him, his already unnaturally big grin expands tenfold.

LARGE CARNIE: (cont'd) Why, of course you'd be! So step right on up, my dears! I don't bite! Scout's honour!

Exchanging glances, Corin and Siri give a collective shrug. Finishing their cones, they approach the booth.

Drawing back into the booth, the carnie moves over to a small gun rack holding a small number of lightweight toy rifles. Collecting two of them, he activates their small power packs before returning to his visitors.

CARNIE: (hands the rifles to the women) Here you are! Two laser rifles! These are true laser rifles now, mind you, not blasters! They project low-powered laser beams, not concentrated plasma bursts! Fit for family fun on all civilized worlds, but if you're looking to fight a pitched battle with enemy forces on an open battlefield, this is not the ordinance for you! (lowers his voice) I have to say all that for legal reasons, you see. The Authority would flay my hide if I did otherwise.

Accepting the toy weapons, the ladies give them a once-over, looking for all the world like they don't know how to handle the guns or to what purpose.

Reaching over to the wall on his right, the carnie presses a large red button. Almost instantly, thirty small holograms representing various game birds and other flying creatures familiar throughout the Known Regions flicker to life at the far back wall of the booth. Every couple seconds, the various holograms wink in and out of being along an irregular pattern.

CARNIE: Your objective is to shoot out as many of the holograms as you can within a minute! Repeat hits do not count! I repeat -- do not count! (beat) Now begin, and be careful not to shoot yourselves or me in the eye!

Stepping off to the side, the carnie allows the two blondes a clear shot at the holograms. Not used to handling firearms, it takes a couple moments for Siri to get a grip on how to handle her rifle. Corin, on the other hand, wields the toy like a pro; in a micro-second she has the rifle held at the ready, eye focused along the sight of the barrel with her finger tensed over the trigger.

A minute passes. Siri hits eleven of the holograms, not counting repeats. Corin hits twenty-nine.

CARNIE: (whistles) Wow-ee! I've never seen a soul hit twenty-nine of the thirty holograms in non-repeating succession before! Not in sixty years on nineteen worlds!

CORIN: (hands her rifle back to the carnie) What's my prize?

CARNIE: (flabbergasted) Your prize? (beat) Ah, right -- your prize! Just a moment!

The carnie crosses over to a shelf loaded with various prizes. Reaching for the top shelf, he grabs and then pulls down the top prize.

CARNIE: (hands the prize to Corin) Here you are, my lovely girl! A prize worthy of a prize such as yourself!

Corin accepts the stuffed bantha with subdued joy.

CUT TO

Corin and Siri back on their trek along the promenade.

SIRI: You're an amazing shot, Corin. I'm serious -- you handled the toy like a professional sharpshooter.

CORIN: (shrugs) I've had practice.

SIRI: So tell me -- where'd you get your "practice".

CORIN: My father was a police officer. When I was a kid, he took me up to the shooting range every weekend. He'd spend three hours with me each time, teaching me how to hold, aim, and fire a blaster the right way.

SIRI: Police officer? You mean --?

CORIN: He wasn't an Espo. (beat) Or I guess you could say he was, but this was before the Authority became so militarized, so corrupt. (beat) He was a good, honest man. He hated what the Security Police turned into.

SIRI: Is life so bad here?

CORIN: When Nashira was young, Nemec and I could take her out on hunting trips into the woods. Ten years ago, though, all undeveloped regions of Orron III were declared "agricultural reserves" by the Authority. Anyone who goes into a forested area without authorization is quickly picked up by Espo scanners and twice as quickly tracked and shot down like an animal.

SIRI: Did you ever consider leaving? Just packing up and moving out of the Corporate Sector?

CORIN: We could sell our farm -- stars know the Authority's eagre to buy the remaining independent farms out. That way we'd have enough money to charter a flight to some place where we'd be able to dip our feet into a running stream without fear of receiving a fine. But then what? We'd be flat broke. We'd never be able to start over.

SIRI: Corin, you must know that Obi-Wan and I'd be perfectly willing to help you. I have connections. I could --

CORIN: (holds up her hand) Thank you, Siri, but no thanks. (beat) Were it up to me, I'd accept your generous proposal at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, Nemec's not as liberal-minded as I am. He's always believed a sentient makes its own way in the Galaxy; he'd never accept a "free lunch" as he calls it.

SIRI: That is truly a shame. The war aside, the Empire's a wonderful place. You wouldn't have to live in fear of totalitarian brutality there.

CORIN: I'll admit your Empire sounds like a nice place to live. Still, you'll excuse me if I don't quite buy into your utopian appraisal.

SIRI: What do you mean?

CORIN: You make it out as if the Empire is run by benevolent caretakers who just want to keep its people safe and warm, but didn't your government place the Wookiee homeworld under martial law following your previous war?

SIRI: It was an unwelcome decision but a necessary one. The circumstances on Kashyyyk had become dire. The planet had become a hotbed of Separatist activity; the disarmament procedures weren't running well so we had to crack down. It was better than the alternative.

CORIN: Alright, I'll grant you that one -- desperate times call for desperate measures -- but this was several years ago; you can't tell me matters haven't cooled down since then.

SIRI: We've been engaged in a devastating war with the Clonemasters, Corin. Our men and resources have been stretched far and thin for far too long. We haven't had the luxury of being able to focus our attentions on Kashyyyk and the Wookiees.

Corin silently decides to let the conversation end there.

EXT. ZORQO'S ZOO OF ZANINESS -- MONTAGE

Eventually Anakin and Nashira, Siri and Corin, and Obi-Wan and Nemec regroup. From there they go to various different attractions together, enjoying the fun parts and suffering through the painful bits together as one collective family.

As the suns lower on the horizon, the collective family leaves to return home.

INT. DUQUESNE HOMSTEAD -- MONTAGE

Back at the homestead, the three couples steal away into their own seperate bedrooms. There, under the sheets, beneath the deep shadows of night, the men make love to their women, slowly and tenderly.

 

INT. NAR SHADDAA -- CHANCE CASTLE/CORRIDOR -- EVENING

Slipping discretely inside, Llomon and Mahttoh are led by Juaka's man to a door guarded by his comrade-in-arms. After exchanging salutes with his peer, the guard steps aside and opens the door leading through to the dark room inside.

INT. CHANCE CASTLE/JUAKA'S QUARTERS/LIVING AREA -- EVENING

Stepping inside, the three find Juaka seated in a spacious armchair in wait for them, an activate datapad in his hand. The former despot is reading the contents of the pad casually and without haste, seemingly oblivious to the presence of his guests.

GUARD #2: Lord-Commandant.

Taking his eyes away from the pad, Juaka focuses them on his servant. In all other regards, he remains statue still.

GUARD #2: (gestures toward the Trandoshan and Wookiee) These are Llomon and Mahttoh, lord, the bounty hunters I have sought out for you.

GOG JUAKA: Yes, I know. (to the bounty hunters) You can come forward. (to the guard) You -- leave.

As the guard steps away to leave the room, it is clear from his body language that in spite of his own bearing as a born-and-bred warrior, he lives in abject fear of this ex-tyrant. As the pair of merciless killers step toward Juaka, on the other hand, it is clear that whatever emotion the man elicits from them, it certainly isn't fear.

GOG JUAKA: You're precisely on time. I admire that in a being. Were either of your races bred for punctuality?

LLOMON: (sneers) What?

GOG JUAKA: (cocks an eyebrow) No, I gather not. Still, your races have potential. They would do well to adopt eugenic programs in the near future.

LLOMON: (matter-of-factly) You have a job for us.

GOG JUAKA: Yes -- yes, indeed I do. (beat) My name is Gog Juaka, out of Lod by Maag. Have you heard of me?

MAHTTOH: No.

GOG JUAKA: (sighs) Unfortunate. (beat) I was the Lord-Commandant of Ophuchi, the 45th of one-hundred sons. Ours was a proud dynasty, one which endured for over twelve generations, shepherding our people faithfully to keep them free of genetic contamination and regression.

LLOMON: How sad. What point are you driving at?

GOG JUAKA: (frowns) My point is that I was dethroned and exiled. In disgrace I was forced to leave my Ophuchi -- my beautiful, gem-oceaned Ophuchi -- for this rancid Hutt cesspool. Forced by infidels and traitors to wallow amongst genetically impure filth. (angry) I crave retribution! It will be mine!

Taking the datapad in his hand, Juaka hurls it across the room, dashing it to a thousand pieces against the far, marble-inlaid wall.

LLOMON: We aren't mercenaries.

MAHTTOH: If you want help retaking your world, hire the Federation Neimoidia.

GOG JUAKA: I'm not looking to recapture the throne. I'm too keenly aware that I don't have the finances to support such a crusade. All I seek is a pure and final revenge.

LLOMON: Who's our target?

GOG JUAKA: Your targets (reaches inside his tunic) are these.

Withdrawing a pair of photographs, Juaka hands them to Llomon. Taking the squares of flexible plastic, the lizard man looks them over.

GOG JUAKA: Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Jedi.

MAHTTOH: Jedi?

GOG JUAKA: They humiliated me in dishonourable combat. They have earned my wrath above all others.

LLOMON: Jedi will cost you extra.

GOG JUAKA: All that I still have will be yours if need be. Honour is of greater worth to me than coin.

MAHTTOH: What info do you have on this Kenobi and Skywalker?

GOG JUAKA: What I have compiled I have saved to datacard for your perusal.

Reaching back into his tunic, Juaka pulls out a datacard.

GOG JUAKA: The basics, though, are these: Kenobi shares a home with his wife on Coruscant. Skywalker, meanwhile, calls the Corporate Sector home. He lives on one of the planets in the Orron system.

 

EXT. BAJILON PRIME -- IMPERIAL RESEARCH STATION -- DAY

On the crystalline surface of the planet, standing out like a sore thumb against its brilliant blue-white surroundings, is a short tower panelled with drab gray metal. This tower is a research station owned and operated by the Empire. Directly adjacent to the station is a small landing pad, upon which stands a Lambda-class shuttle.

Various figures, each encased in environment suits to shield their bodies and lungs from the unbreathably caustic air of Bajilon Prime, are in the process of evacuating the station for the shuttle.

One of the suited figures -- a FEMALE RODIAN -- halts in her tracks before the open hatch of the shuttle. Turning around, she grabs the shoulders of a MALE GRAN following behind her, bringing him to a halt as well.

FEMALE RODIAN: Where are Tranya and oYu'rE?

MALE GRAN: They're still inside. There's some equipment they don't want left behind.

FEMALE RODIAN: (incredulous) What!? Are they insane?! We have to get going before the --

At that, an OMINOUS SOUND begins to course through the air -- that of two pairs of twin ion engines screaming through the midnight green sky. Though faint in the distance, they are quickly growing louder.

FEMALE RODIAN: Oh gods!

Wasting no more breath, the two colleagues hurry to climb aboard the shuttle.

As OYU'RE and TRANYA finally emerge from the station, hauling a crate between them, a pair of TIE fighters flanked by four Y-Wing fighters emerge from the turbulent sky of Bajilon Prime. All sporting distinctive white wing panels/paint jobs, the fighters clearly belong to the Athan Directorate AKA the Clonemasters.

Waiting no longer, the crew of the Lambda begin closing the hatch. Deciding that the equipment they carry isn't worth their lives, Tranya and oYu'rE drop the crate and break out into a run for the Lambda. It's a decision made too late, however. As the shuttle lifts off, both researchers make running leaps for the closing hatch, but only Tranya manages to hook his arms over it; before he can pull himself up, over, and through, however, the hatch closes completely, shearing his arms off and sending him plummeting back down to the ground.

Turning in the air, the shuttle takes off at top speed in the direction opposite the approaching Athan fighters as they finally arrive over the station.

While the two TIE fighters break off in pursuit of the fleeing Lambda, the Y-Wings stay behind to take care of the station itself. Releasing a barrage of proton torpedoes, they obliterate the tower completely, reducing it, Tranya, and oYu'rE all down to their basic component elements.

EXT. SKY -- DAY

As the shuttle heads off on a trajectory towards outer space, the TIEs close in on it, releasing streams of red plamsafire which pepper the shuttle with jarring impact. The Lambda's deflector shields manage to hold, however, barely protecting the ship as it continues upon its escape.

EXT. SPACE -- BAJILON PRIME

Leaving the crystalline planet, the Lambda heads off toward deep space. Unfortunately for the small craft, several Athan ships -- including one very large, very intimidating Imperator-class star destroyer -- form an impenetrable barricade preventing any hope for escape.

As the TIE fighters and their Y-Wing escorts finally join the Lambda in space, they waste no time in swarming the shuttle, opening fire with their blasters. In a minute the shields buckle. In less than a minute the craft is completely disabled, a cripple in space. Rather than take their kill, however, the fighters peel off, leaving the craft dead and floating.

As the shuttle begins to drift back towards Bajilon Prime, threatening to send it hurtling to a fiery doom to the surface far below, the star destroyer engages its tractor beam and locks on, pulling the tiny ship into its belly.

INT. PURIFIER/SGW-0027'S QUARTERS

Aboard the star destroyer Purifier, SGW-0027 sits seated behind the desk in her spartan, white-panelled quarters. Shrouded in shadow, we cannot make out her face. Judging by her profile, however, it is a safe bet that she is a rather lovely woman.

Sitting upon the desk, aglow with brilliant silver light, is a holographic statuette of a Human woman. Tall, slender, with shoulder-length blonde hair, intense pale eyes, and a broad smile, we can see that she is a radiant beauty. We can also see, by the pair of lightsabers secured to the ornate silver belt almost hidden beneath her robes, that she is a Jedi Knight. SGW, her hidden eyes unblinking, sits with her gaze locked upon the hologram.

At that moment, the computer to her left CHIRPS. Turning to face the screen, she presses a button, filling the display with the face of UIY-2249, her second-in-command. A slender Mirialan male, the expression on UIY's olive green face is that of utmost serenity.

UIY-2249: Captain.

SGW-0027: Commander.

UIY-2249: We have brought the Imperial shuttle aboard as you instructed. How shall we proceed?

SGW-0027: If there are any suitable men aboard, take them into custody. (beat) Do what you will with the rest.

UIY-2249: (half-smiles) The usual, then. (beat) When would you like to begin the interrogation?

SGW-0027: When I'm in the mood, I'll contact you, Commander.

UIY-2219: Quite right. (bows head)

Done with the commander, SGW severs the connection. Turning her attention back to the hologram, she locks gazes with it once more, immersing herself in those unblinking pale eyes.

 

INT. ORRON III -- DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD/NASHIRA'S BEDROOM -- EVENING

Curled up nude under the covers, Nashira lies asleep on the right side of her bed. Her face serene in slumber, she unconsciously reaches out to the left side of her bed; when she finds nothing there, her eyes slowly slide open.

NASHIRA: Nik?

Taking care to keep her breasts covered against the slight night chill of the room, 'Shira sits up in bed. Before the open door of the bedroom, clad only in a pair of boxer briefs, stands Anakin, stock-still with his back turned to his girlfriend.

NASHIRA: Anakin, what are you doing? Come back to bed.

Slowly, Nik turns to face 'Shira. His eyes, dark and wet with shed tears, burn straight through into her soul.

ANAKIN: (voice breaking) Nashira -- don't follow me.

Turning back away from her, the young Jedi steps out of the bedroom.

NASHIRA: (alarmed) Anakin, what's wrong? Wait!

Rising from her bed, 'Shira quickly slips on her robe and follows her lover out the door.

EXT. DESOLATE WORLD -- DAY (DREAM)

Stepping through the door, Nashira suddenly finds herself standing on an alien world; the surface is a dried up river bed, the sky dim brown with swirling dust. Anakin stands before her, now clad in black robes and armour, his handsome face livid with rage.

ANAKIN: (angry) I told you not to follow me! Why didn't you listen to me, Nashira?! Why?!

In fear of her lover, 'Shira turns around to retreat back through the doorway. Unfortunately for her, it has disappeared, replaced by a WOMAN. Dressed in robes of vermilion and aureolin, her long, jet-black hair beaded with precious gemstones, the woman is humanoid, with bright red skin, a pair of short facial tentacles dangling from her cheeks, and a slight simian cast to her facial features; she is a lovely creature, though not in a conventional sense.

NASHIRA: Who are you?

The woman refuses to answer. Before 'Shira can repeat her question, several vines suddenly erupt from the ground around the girl. Entangling her before she can escape, they seize her in an unbreakable hold and pull her down to her knees before the strange woman.

RED-SKINNED WOMAN: I am the past.

Raising a single arm, the humanoid woman points at Anakin.

RED-SKINNED WOMAN: (cont'd) He is the future.

The vines realign themselves, turning 'Shira around to face Anakin. Anakin, though, is no longer Anakin; he has been transformed into a petrifyingly hideous TRANDOSHAN-WOOKIEE HYBRID.

As Nashira releases a bloodcurdling SCREAM, the creature that was once Anakin reaches to the lightsaber hanging from its belt and unclips it. Engaging a blade with a corona of mixed indigo and red-violet, it brings the weapon down on 'Shira's head, splitting her right down the centre.

INT. ORRON III -- DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD/NASHIRA'S BEDROOM -- EVENING

With a cry, Nashira bolts upright in bed. Breathing and sweating heavily, she turns to her right; beside her, fast asleep and snoring lightly, is a very Human Anakin.

ANAKIN: (mumbling) If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat ...?

Slowly, cautiously, 'Shira lies back down. She remains wide awake, though, her eyes fixed open, unblinking.

INT. DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD/DINING AREA -- DAY

It is another brand new day on this side of Orron III, and Corin is busy brewing a fresh batch of caf when Siri comes staggering in through the doorway, her eyes dark and her hair mussed from sleep.

CORIN: (turns to regard Siri) Can I fix you a cup?

SIRI: (combing her hair with her fingers) Yes -- please!

Corin takes out two mugs and fills them to the brim with steaming black caf as Siri plops herself down at the table.

CORIN: How do you take it?

SIRI: As black as a singularity in the centre of the Maw Cluster.

CORIN: Pretty black, then.

Picking the mugs up, Corin takes care not to spill any of the hot caf as she carries them over to the table. Setting them down, she slides Siri's over to her before taking a seat opposite the Jedi. Picking up the mug, Siri takes a sip.

CORIN: Good?

SIRI: (smiles) Yes, very good. Thank you.

CORIN: (takes her own sip) You're leaving for Coruscant today.

SIRI: Yes. Obi-Wan and Anakin have to return to active duty within twos weeks and I'll have to report to the Jedi Council for my next assignment. Who knows? I'll probably be assigned to the front lines along with the boys.

CORIN: Siri, how are you? About the baby, I mean.

SIRI: (sighs) I'm still grieving, but it's easier. (smiles) Being here has helped.

Returning Siri's smile, Corin reaches out and touches Siri's hand, giving it a gentle, supportive squeeze.

INT. DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD/ANAKIN'S BEDROOM -- DAY

Anakin is busy making his bed when Nashira appears in the doorway. Standing there, she regards him silently until he turns his head her way, noticing her for the first time.

ANAKIN: (grins) Hey.

NASHIRA: (smiles weakly) Hey.

ANAKIN: Well, come on in. I won't bite.

Tentatively, 'Shira enters the bedroom. Noticing her grave expression, he stops making the bed and approaches her.

ANAKIN: (rests his hands on her shoulders) What's with the long face, 'Shira? Something wrong?

NASHIRA: (gazing into his eyes) Nik ...

ANAKIN: Yes?

Seizing him in a tight hold, Nashira hugs her man close to her.

NASHIRA: Don't go, Anakin. Please, don't go.

ANAKIN: I'll miss you too, 'Shira, but I'll be back -- I promise.

NASHIRA: I had a dream last night -- a nightmare. You were in my room and you were crying. You told me not to go with you, then you stepped through the door. I ignored your warning and followed after you, followed you through to some barren desert planet. There was a woman there -- this strange red-skinned woman. She said that she was the past, you were the future, then ... then ...

Pulling away from Nik, she stares hard at him, unblinking.

NASHIRA: (cont'd) You changed. You changed into this ... this ... hairy, scaly thing, took out your lightsaber -- only it wasn't your lightsaber -- ignited it, then ... God, Nik! It was horrible!

ANAKIN: (runs his fingers through her hair) It was just a dream, honey. (laughs) I promise you, I'm not going to change into a hairy, scaly thing. When I get back, I'll be my great, gorgeous self, just as always. You'll see.

NASHIRA: (takes hold of his wrist and pulls his fingers out of her hair) It was a warning, Anakin. Something's going to happen to you out there, and it'll change you. When I see you again, you won't be you. You'll be someone else.

ANAKIN: (sighs) It was a dream, honey. Just a plain, straightforward, random-firing-of-neurons dream. Believe me, I know. I've had pretty intense dreams, myself, and there's been plenty of times when I was sure they were inspired by the Force. Most of the time, though, nothing ever came of them. (beat) If it can happen to me, it can happen to you, too. Don't sweat over it.

Kissing 'Shira gently on the forehead, Nik returns to making his bed. Nashira just stands there silently, anxiously, watching him work.

EXT. DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD -- SUNSET

Later in the day, the DuQuesne family, the Kenobis, and the Skywalker kid make their final farewells. Climbing into a rented speeder, the latter three take off, waving goodbye to their hosts.

As Nemec, Corin, and Nashira stand there, watching the three Jedi shrink into the distance, the young girl's features darken, her brow creasing with worry.

 

INT. PURIFIER/INTERROGATION CENTRE

In the days of the Second Clone War, this spacious, white-panelled room served as the Purifier's rec room, a place for the non-clone officers of the ship to relax and have fun while off-duty. Since the issuing of Order 66 -- the order which placed the star destroyer firmly under the command of the Athan Directorate -- all the recliners, games' tables, and consoles have been taken away, replaced with wicked tools and devices designed to extract information from captive enemy agents in the most excruciating ways imaginable.

Standing in the centre of the chamber, legs chained to the floor and arms to the ceiling, is IAM PUSHMAN. A lean Human male of average height, with sandy brown hair and an aquiline chin and nose, his would be described as handsome features. Judging by the clothes he wears, it would appear that he is one of the Imperial researchers who were captured trying to escape Bajilon Prime.

As the doors leading into the room slide open, Pushman looks up to regard his visitor; though clad head-to-foot in white robes and a niqab which obscures her features, by body language alone we can ascertain that this is the clone captain SGW-0027. Resolving to stand firm, Pushman makes direct eye contact with the veiled woman in a show of defiance. Upon doing so, however, her eyes -- bright against the shadow beneath her niqab -- bore into him, slicing through his confidence like a white-hot laser; unable to withstand her gaze, he recoils, turning his head away.

SGW-0027: Why do you turn away?

When the man refuses to respond, the clone walks up to him. Bringing forth her gloved right hand, she gently takes hold of his chin, turning his face to face hers.

SGW-0027: Again -- why do you turn away?

Squeezing his eyes firmly shut, he violently wrenches his head out from her grasp.

SGW-0027: (angry) You're not answering my question!

Throwing all gentility to the wind, SGW seizes Pushman's throat in a choke hold and squeezes, pinching his windpipe instantly shut. She holds him there for several seconds, tightening his grasp until he starts wheezing. As soon as he begins to thrash against his bonds, though, she releases him, allowing him to breathe again.

SGW-0027: Now ... are you going to give me an answer?

IAM PUSHMAN: (coughing) I-I couldn't ... couldn't look at you. Your eyes ... your eyes ... I couldn't stand them.

Hearing this answer, the clone returns her hand to his face. Afraid that he's earned her displeasure once more, he draws his head back in a vain, straining against his bonds for escape; she merely begins running her fingers through his hair, though, stroking it as a pet owner would the fur of a beloved animal companion.

SGW-0027: What's your name?

IAM PUSHMAN: (petrified) Iam, ma'am, Iam Pushman.

SGW-0027: Iam, you're a handsome man. A handsome man with a handsome face. You know that, don't you?

When he fails to reply, she pulls his hair back, forcing a pained yelp from his lips.

SGW-0027: Don't you?

IAM PUSHMAN: (grimacing) Yes -- yes!

SGW-0027: The women back home must like it, your handsome face.

IAM PUSHMAN: Yes ...

SGW-0027 reaches under her robes with her left hand and takes hold of something secured there. Drawing the object forth, she raises it up between their faces. Black and cylindrical, it looks exactly like the hilt of a lightsaber used by the Force-adept clones of the Athan Directorate; when SGW triggers the device, though, instead of generating a cohesive blade of plasma with the characteristic corresponding snap-hiss, a small filament of white energy blossoms from the emitter. Gently moving the hilt left-and-right, the clone causes the filament to drag through the air like a smokey candle flame.

SGW-0027: Do you like your face?

Moving the hilt up close to Pushman's face, she causes the white filament to brush up against his cheek; where the filament touches, the flesh burns, causing the poor man to winch with sharp pain.

IAM PUSHMAN: (voice breaking) Yes! I like my face! I like it!

Lowering the black cylinder, SGW releases Pushman's hair, allowing his head to fall forward limp and loose.

SGW-0027: I like it, too.

The clone then seizes the front of Pushman's shirt with her free hand. With one strong pull, she tears it off him, exposing his naked torso with its sparse hair and lean musculature.

SGW-0027: (cont'd) I'm going to leave the face ...

Stepping forward, the clone captain walks around and behind Pushman. As she does so, she removes her niqab and outer robe, discarding them on the deck plating as she moves a ways back from her prisoner; all the while, though, convenient camera angles hide the features of her head and face from us.

IAM PUSHMAN: (desperate) Please! I'm just a meteorologist! I don't know anything! I don't have anything! What do you want from me?!

Turning around to gaze upon the shackled man's back, SGW removes her tunic, exposing the pale naked flesh lying beneath. Right away, we can see several scars -- some fresher than others -- marring her back.

SGW-0027: What do I want?

Raising the black hilt, she draws it back.

SGW-0027: I want to hear you whimper, I want to hear you moan ...

Violently, SGW-0027 swings the black cylinder. As she does so, the tiny filament protruding from the emitter thickens and elongates, transforming into a lash of white plasma. The lash slides across Pushman's back, cutting into it and leaving a bright red line of cauterized flesh behind. As we can judge from his scream, the agony Pushman suddenly feels is beyond excruciating.

SGW-0027: (cont'd) ... but most of all, I want to hear you scream.

SGW-0027 strikes him with the lightwhip again, cutting another red line across Pushman's back. His second scream makes the first sound like a cry of pleasure.

INT. PURIFIER/CORRIDOR

In the corridor directly outside the interrogation centre stands the clone commander UIY-2249. Reaching for the doors' controls, he opens them and steps inside.

INT. PURIFIER/INTERROGATION CENTRE

As the Mirialan clone enters the room, he finds his commanding officer there in the aftermath of her session with Iam Pushman. Pushman, shrouded in shadow, hangs limp from the ceiling, grisly in death. SGW, turned away from UIY, stands over the corpse; looking upon her back, we can see that there are five new lashes there, each identical to those cut into Pushman's.

SGW-0027: I didn't call for you.

UIY-2249: (sarcastic) Oh, I'm sorry. Should I return at a later time? Perhaps after this lovely afterglow you're sporting has faded?

Collecting her discarded clothes, the captain turns to face the commander. Even shrouded in shadow, she still radiates silent, lurking menace.

SGW-0027: My patience with you wears thin. Soon it will run out and I see to it that you are tossed in the recyclers.

UIY-2249: Your prerogative, of course. (beat) Shall I summon the cleaning staff to take care of your -- um -- latest sparring partner?

SGW-0027 merely takes her clothes and leaves. As she steps out of the chamber, UIY smirks after her.

 

INT. CORUSCANT -- JEDI TEMPLE/COUNCIL CHAMBERS -- EVENING

Siri, now attired in the uniform of a knight of the Coruscanti Order, stands within the chamber doorway, her gaze focused on the twelve Jedi masters seated at the centre of the room. Having assembled to discuss hot topics revolving around acolytes of their order hours before, their meeting is now drawing to a close.

MACE WINDU: (cont'd) So it is agreed -- we will dispatch a party led by Mistress D'kana to deal with the school of heretics on Christophsis. I will issue the order myself. (beat) Meeting adjourned.

The meeting at an end, the Jedi masters and mistresses rise from their seats and begin to file out. Stepping out of the doorway, Siri allows the masters exit, deferentially bowing her head to each and every one of them as they pass through. Only ten of the twelve leave the room, however; MACE WINDU and ADI GALLIA remain positioned by their seats.

MACE WINDU: Knight Tachi. Please, come forward.

Obeying his command, Siri steps on over to join the two masters, her hands clasped behind her back and her back ramrod straight.

ADI GALLIA: (smiles) At ease, Siri. Save the rigid formality for the Imperial commanders.

Siri allows herself to loosen up.

MACE WINDU: How was your vacation, Siri?

SIRI: It was ... good, Master Windu, very relaxing. Getting away from the capital for awhile was just what I needed. I'm back now, though, ready to resume my duties to the Order.

MACE WINDU: Good, because we have a special assignment lined up for you.

SIRI: Will I be going to the front lines?

ADI GALLIA: No, not that. Something closer to home.

MACE WINDU: As of late, our duties on the Council have kept us completely occupied, forcing us to stay on-duty late into the night. Because of this, we haven't been able to give our son, Uzochi, as much attention as we'd like.

ADI GALLIA: The nanny 'droid has been taking excellent care of him, but he's a four year old boy; he needs the constant care and attention only another organic being can provide.

SIRI: So you'd like me to be his caretaker.

ADI GALLIA: Only during the afternoon. Your mornings and evenings would be completely free.

MACE WINDU: The 'droid can handle 'Chi the rest of the day.

The masters give Siri a moment of silence to think things over.

SIRI: Master Windu, Mistress Gallia, I'd be honoured to care for your son. When shall I start?

In response, the two Jedi spouses smile.

INT. IMPERIAL BARRACKS/BUILDING E7 -- EVENING

In this well-lit barracks building, several enlisted personnel are getting ready for lights out. On the surface, they appear no different from any other enlisted personnel. Looking closer, however, what distinguishes them soon becomes apparent; all of them, regardless of gender or species, are Jedi of one type or another.

Obi-Wan and Anakin are also there. At their bunk bed, the two Jedi finish up what small chores they have before getting ready to slip under the covers; Anakin, on the top bunk, makes some final calibrations to his lightsaber while Obi-Wan, on the bottom bunk, clears some lodged pebbles out from the grooves of his left boot.

ANAKIN: (finishes the calibration) There, that should do it.

Triggering the activation stud on his lightsaber, Nik engages the vibrant cyan blade. Moving the hilt around to get a feel for the blade and to hear its hum as it moves through the air, he smiles.

TEYF BERAL: (O.S.) That's a mighty fine-sounding blade you've got there, Jedi.

Looking toward the source of the voice, Anakin spies TEYF BERAL seated on the edge of his bunk directly across from him. A tall, lean Duros male with viridian skin and scarlet eyes, he's not much younger than Anakin himself.

ANAKIN: Yeah?

TEYF BERAL: Yeah. You wouldn't mind lending it to me a moment, would you? Just to check it out?

ANAKIN: No problem. (disengages the lightsaber) Here.

Nik tosses the hilt to the Duros, who, snatching it from the air with effortless ease, activates it with one graceful movement.

TEYF BERAL: (testing the feel of the blade) Nice. Not as well-tuned as mine, but nice.

ANAKIN: (cocks an eyebrow) Not as well-tuned as yours, huh? Why don't you show me this "well-tuned" saber of yours, fella, and let me judge for myself?

TEYF BERAL: (deactivates the lightsaber) Sure thing.

Returning Anakin's lightsaber to him, the Duros Jedi goes to his footlocker and opens it. Reaching inside, he pulls out a bronze lightsaber hilt.

TEYF BERAL: Here you are. (tosses the hilt to Anakin)

Catching the bronze hilt, Nik shifts it around until it sits comfortably in the palm of his left hand. With a sharp SNAP-HISS, he engages the blade of deep cerulean.

ANAKIN: (smirks) Good blade, bro, but better than mine? Dream on.

Disengaging Teyf's lightsaber, Nik tosses it back to the Duros, who grumpily returns it to his footlocker.

TEYF BERAL: There's only one way to settle this dispute.

ANAKIN: (grins) Oh yeah? What's that?

TEYF BERAL: (grins) With a duel. May the best blade win. How about it? Unless you're too chicken.

ANAKIN: Just name the time and place, pal.

TEYF BERAL: Tomorrow, in the gymnasium, at 22:50.

ANAKIN: You're on!

OBI-WAN: (sighs) Boys, boys, boys. Bickering over blades is unbecoming of apprentices. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

TEYF BERAL: (cocks a brow) Who said anything about being an apprentice? I may very well be a full-fledged knight.

SEV BERAL: (O.S.) He isn't, of course.

Almost appearing as if out of nowhere is SEV BERAL. Like Teyf, he, too, is a Duros. Unlike Teyf, however, he is older -- with dark teal skin and deep crimson eyes -- a seasoned Jedi Knight.

SEV BERAL: (to Teyf) You were getting ready for bed, weren't you, padawan?

TEYF BERAL: (humbled) Yes, Uncle. As soon as the lights are out, so am I.

OBI-WAN: (to Anakin) I assume the same is true for yourself?

ANAKIN: (quickly lies down on his bunk and pulls the covers over himself) Oh, yeah. Consider me on Dream World.

SEV BERAL: (holds his open hand out to Obi-Wan) I'm Sev Beral, Jedi Knight of the Durosian Order.

OBI-WAN: (takes Sev's hand and shakes it) Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight-errant. (beat) I haven't seen you here before. I take it you've been stationed here fairly recently?

SEV BERAL: (nods) I've spent the last eleven years out of the war, training Teyf and my son Jano on Duro. Now that they've completed their first trial together and built their first lightsabers, the time has come to leave sanctuary and join our brethren in the fight against the Clonemasters.

OBI-WAN: Perhaps you should have stayed on Duro. The clones don't hold much territory outside of the Prackla sector anymore. Once we've broken their lines there, Cartao itself will soon fall into our hands. The war'll be over in a year, maybe less.

SEV BERAL: Then me and my boys will fight all the harder to end the war even sooner.

OBI-WAN: (laughs) From your lips to God's ears.

SEV BERAL: (grins) Which one?

Obi-Wan laughs again.

As this is happening, a YOUNG WOMAN attired in the black uniform and rank insignia of a first lieutenant of the Imperial Army enters the building. As she walks over to Obi-Wan and Nik's bunk, Obi-Wan and Sev snap to attention and greet her with salutes.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: Lt. Esson.

LT. ESSON: (returns the salutes) SgM. Kenobi, are you free?

OBI-WAN: (nods) How may I be of service, Lieutenant?

LT. ESSON: I'm here to see you about a reassignment, Major.

OBI-WAN: Reassignment? But Anakin and I were to be stationed on the Resolute under the command of Capt. Wullf Yularen --

LT. ESSON: Please, Major, if you'd just follow me ...?

OBI-WAN: (gestures toward Anakin) What of my apprentice?

LT. ESSON: He may come along.

Turning on her heels, the lieutenant departs. Obi-Wan and Nik exchange glances.

OBI-WAN: (to Sev) I guess we'll continue our conversation another night.

INT. IMPERIAL BARRACKS/MESS HALL -- EVENING

The two Jedi and the lieutenant stand within the mess hall, which is now dark, silent, and empty for the night.

ANAKIN: I take it we're not here for a midnight snack.

LT. ESSON: I have a message for you, Maj. Kenobi.

Reaching into her tunic, Esson pulls out a hand-held holoprojector.

LT. ESSON: (hands the projector to Obi-Wan) It's from Capt. Bail Organa.

Obi-Wan: (accepting the projector) Bail, hmm? I wonder what it is he has for me.

Obi-Wan presses a button set into the side of the holoprojector. Almost immediately, a monochromatic holographic recording of BAIL ORGANA'S head flickers into existence. Almost as if it could see Obi-Wan standing there, the transparent head smiles.

BAIL: Hello, Obi-Wan. I wish I could be there in person to talk to you, you slick trickster, but my duties have forced me elsewhere.

OBI-WAN: (half-smiles) So what else is new?

BAIL: (drops the smile) Almost a month ago, we lost contact with the Bajilon system in the Arkanis sector. Just in case you don't know, the Bajilon system lies along the Crystal Passage, one parsec away from Geonosis. It serves as a junction between Geonosis and the rest of the Empire. (beat) Here's the kicker, though, Kenobi. We haven't simply lost contact with the Bajilon system -- we've been cut off from it.

ANAKIN: (frowns) What?

BAIL: That's right -- cut off. All primary, secondary, and tertiary routes into the system have become impassable. We suspect the Athans have established interdiction fields at key points along the routes to effective cut the Bajilon system and all systems past it off from the rest of the Known Regions.

ANAKIN: But that's impossible. The Clonemasters would have to use hundreds of interdictor generators and --

BAIL: (cont'd) That's right -- it should be impossible. They'd have to use hundreds of interdictor generators, all set up at key points in space light-months and years apart to cover as many entry points as possible. It's unfeasible. However, it seems to have been done.

OBI-WAN: Here's where he comes to the point of the message.

BAIL: Obi-Wan, now's where I come to the point of this message. The top brass has officially sanctioned a mission to send a team -- a team aboard a single, small ship -- on a short reconnaissance mission into the Bajilon system. We slip in, find out what the clones are doing, and then slip out and return to Coruscant. (beat) Like I said, most conventional routes into the system have been cut off. By charting a roundabout course along the bottom edge of Wild Space, though, we believe we can find a backdoor the Athans failed to cover. (beat) Kenobi, I want you for this mission. I'm not going to lie to you -- this is going to be an extremely hazardous mission. We're going to be travelling close to a region of space we know little about, along routes we've never charted before. We could all fly too close to a quasar and find ourselves atomized. But you know how to strive under pressure -- you proved that a thousand times over on Alderaan, Nabu, and Dania VII. Lord knows you're invaluable. (beat) I'm not ordering you to do this, but I'd like your help. The whitefaces are planning something, Obi-Wan, and whatever it is, it's insidious.

With those final words, the recording comes to an end. Deactivating the holoprojector, Obi-Wan hands it back to Esson.

OBI-WAN: How soon do we leave?

EXT. NAL HUTTA -- SPACE

Leaving the gravity well of Nar Shaddaa and it's parent world Nal Hutta, the Scorekeeper's Ryyk -- a heavily modified J-type 327 Nubian starship -- prepares to makes its entry into the extradimensional fabric of hyperspace.

INT. SCOREKEEPER'S RYYK/COCKPIT

Inside the Scorekeeper's cockpit sit Llomon and Mahttoh. As can be expected, the Trandoshan sits in the pilot's seat while the Wookiee sits in the copilot's.

MAHTTOH: (in Shyriiwook, subtitled) So, which of the Jedi scum do we blast first? Kenobi on Coruscant or that Skywalker kid in the Oblerone system?

LLOMON: (in Dosh, subtitled) That's Orron system, you hair-enveloped numbskull.

MAHTTOH: (subtitled) Whichever. We have to off one of them first, so which do we pick?

LLOMON: (subtitled) Why ask me? I don't kriffing know.

MAHTTOH: (subtitled) We should go for whoever's on the closest planet.

LLOMON: (subtitled) Let me bring up the star charts ...

Activating the navicomputer, the Trandoshan calls up star maps of the Orron and Coruscant systems.

LLOMON: (subtitled) The Coruscant and Orron systems are both of roughly equal distance away here.

MAHTTOH: (sighs; subtitled) I guess we'll just have to flip for it. Do you have a coin?

LLOMON: (subtitled) Yeah, I'm sure I do ...

Reaching into a pocket on his flight suit, the Trandoshan fishes around for a loose coin. Finding one, he pulls it out.

LLOMON: (hands the coin to Mahttoh; subtitled) I don't have the fingers for coin tossing. You do it.

Taking the coin, the Wookiee positions it over his left index finger and thumb.

MAHTTOH: (subtitled) Heads we go to Orron-whatever, tails we go to Coruscant. Call it.

LLOMON: (subtitled) Heads.

The Wookiee flips the coin.

EXT. SPACE

With the coin deciding for them, the bounty hunters chart a course into their navicomp and the Scorekeeper's Ryyk makes the leap into hyperspace.

 

EXT. AGRARIAN COLONY WORLD -- FARMING COMMUNITY -- DAY (FLASHBACK)

From a cyan sky, a red dwarf star shines its light down upon a small farming community. Established on a temperate world located beyond even the outskirts of the greater galactic community, the community has little in the way of modern contrivances; while a small number of prefabricated huts and at least one landspeeder can been seen, they are outnumbered by adobe houses, wooden barns, and animal-drawn wagons and carriages.

Beside a short wood fence, a group of children play. Running about, tossing a large red ball back and forth, they are clearly having the time of their young lives. Seated upon the fence apart from the children, watching them play, is an ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD BLONDE GIRL dressed in a simple tan shirt, brown pants, but no shoes. Though a lovely child, with aquamarine eyes so intense they could almost cut through solid durasteel, her prettiness is marred by the downcast expression she wears across her face.

As one of the children -- a pigtailed strawberry blonde with freckles -- tosses the red ball to a pudgy boy with dark auburn hair, he leaps up to catch it; grazing the boy's fingertips, the ball passes over his head and hits the blue grass behind him, rolling over to the fence, where it stops right below the blonde girl's feet. Spotting the ball, she lowers herself down from the fence and picks it up.

BLONDE GIRL: (walks over to the auburn-haired boy, a smile on her face) Here.

The blonde girl hands the boy the ball. He hesitates a moment, suspicious of her intentions. The moment passes, then he snatches the ball from her and retreats, acting as if afraid he might catch something. Returning to his comrades, the auburn boy tosses the ball and the game resumes. Ignored once again, the girl's hopeful smile fades. Turning away, she returns to the fence, crestfallen.

As she climbs up the fence, she takes the time to look upon the small group of five ranchers currently at work there in on the other side. Strong hemp ropes gripped in their strong, calloused hands, they struggle to hold down an ornery bull bantha. The bantha, snorting and braying, kicks out with its back legs and throws its head side-to-side in an effort to dislodge the ropes. One of the workers, slipping in the earth under his feet, falls forward, losing his hold on the rope in his hands. This is all the bantha needs to press his advantage, and he does so; unbalanced, the ranchers all lose their hold on the bantha and he shakes and tosses them loose.

With no one holding him down, the bantha charges the fence, ramming it. The fence is sturdy, and though it rattles tremendously, it refuses to break. Rearing back, the bantha rams the fence again, this time releasing a pained roar as it does so. Quickly, it becomes apparent that the bantha won't be able to break down the fence; he won't stop trying, though, even if it means his death.

Hanging onto the fence, the blonde girl looks upon the bantha as it slowly bashes its brains in in a futile effort at escape. Her aquamarine eyes narrowing, she decides to take action; flinging herself over the fence, she jogs over towards the bull. Noticing her, one of the ranchers runs over and grabs her by the arm, pulling her back.

RANCHER #1: Are you daft, girl?! That bull'll trample you right into the earth!

Spinning around, the girl locks her fierce eyes on the rancher.

BLONDE GIRL: (angry) Let me go!

The force of her words slamming into him with the force of a planet-killing asteroid, the rancher takes his hold off her, stock-still and dumbstruck. Wasting not one second more on the rancher, she completes her jog to the bantha's side.

BLONDE GIRL: (raising her hands up in a placating gesture) It's alright, boy ... Calm down ... Stop ramming the fence, boy ... you'll hurt yourself ... I'm here, now, I won't hurt you ... I'm your friend ... Just move away from the fence, boy ... move away ...

The girl continues with her soothing words. It takes only a minute, and the bantha stops his violent assault against the fence. Calming down, he backs away from the wooden posts. Smiling, the girl walks right up to the bantha and begins stroking the red-brown fur on his massive side.

Looking upon the girl and the now-docile bantha, the ranchers exchange confused glances.

RANCHER #2: How in the worlds did she do that?

RANCHER #3: She has a weird way about her.

RANCHER #4: Her sister was the same -- exactly the same.

INT. PURIFIER/HOLOPROJECTION CHAMBER

A door slides open, allowing entrance into the dark, spacious holoprojection chamber. Fully clad now in the white armour, robe, and cloak of a Force-adept shocktrooper, SGW-0027 steps inside. As the door slides back closed, she walks on over to a small round platform set into the floor in the centre of the chamber. As she steps atop it, THIRTEEN HOLOGRAPHIC FIGURES manifest in a circle around her. All larger than life, these are the members of the Athan Directorate.

ATHA PRIME: Officer SGW-0027?

SGW-0027: I am she. (bows to the athas) How may I be of serve, my masters?

ATHA NINE: We have received some rather disconcerting news.

ATHA ZERO: News pertaining to your actions in the Bajilon system, Captain.

SGW-0027: (confused) News pertaining to ...? (beat) Masters, I am sure I do not know what you are talking about.

ATHA ELEVEN: According to a report filed by your subordinate, officer UIY-2249, in the process of securing the Bajilon system, you captured a group of Imperial researchers trying to flee the primary world.

SGW-0027: Yes, that is true. Such is standard procedure --

ATHA SEVEN: (interrupting) What is not standard procedure, Captain, is the summary execution of your prisoners without an extensive prior interrogation.

SGW-0027: Not true, masters. I did interrogate one of them beforehand.

ATHA SIX: Only one.
SGW-0027: In the process of capturing the Imperials, they fired upon us. There was no choice but to return fire. Unfortunately, he was the only survivor.

ATHA ONE: That isn't what the report says, Captain.

ATHA EIGHT: According to officer UIY-2249's report, the researchers surrendered without incident.

ATHA TWO: You purposely selected those Imperials which were non-humanoid and female and had them immediately put to death. The one you spared was a Human male.

SGW-0027: I fail to see how his gender or species has any bearing on this matter.

ATHA THREE: Also according to officer UIY-2249's report, the "interrogation" you subjected your captive to was largely a pretense. You submitted no questions, received no answers.

ATHA FIVE: You subjected your prisoner to torture.

ATHA FOUR: And for reasons other than service to this body.

The athas fall silent for a moment to allow SGW to digest this.

SGW-0027: Masters, I do not know what to tell you. Perhaps officer UIY-2249 misinterpreted the facts. Perhaps you misread his report.

ATHA TEN: Are you questioning our competence, officer SGW-0027?

SGW-0027: Forgive me, masters. You competence is not at question here.

ATHA PRIME: It is clear to us, Captain, that something is amiss within the hierarchy of your command. Either you are defective or officer UIY-2249 is. In either case, we will be sending another Force-adept captain to rendezvous with your fleet; they will assume command and see the rest of this campaign through to completion.

SGW-0027: (nonplussed) What?! You cannot --!

ATHA PRIME: (angry) You and officer UIY-2249 will report to Cartao for evaluation! (beat) Am I making myself understood, Captain?

SGW-0027: (fuming) Yes.
ATHA PRIME: Very well, then. Dismissed.

With that final word, the athas discontinue the connection. The holograms fade, returning the chamber to complete blackness. Turning on her heel, SGW storms out.

 

INT. CORUSCANT -- JEDI TEMPLE/WINDU APARTMENT/LIVING AREA -- DAY

Mistress Gallia stands with her son Uzochi, her hand over the hilt of her lightsaber to prevent the child from plucking it from her belt, when a KNOCK is heard at the door.

ADI GALLIA: It's open.

Opening the door, Siri enters the apartment of the Windu family. Approaching her teacher, Siri bows in greeting. Mistress Gallia responds in kind.

ADI GALLIA: You didn't get stuck in traffic, I hope.

SIRI: I cut it close, but I managed to avoid the rush hour. (beat) Where is Master Windu?

ADI GALLIA: Mace couldn't be here. He's been in conference with the emperor and chancellor since 08:00. (to Uzochi) 'Chi, darling, this is Siri. She's a good friend of mine. You remember her, don't you?

Siri looks upon the child and smiles. Uzochi, a small child in spite of his age, looks almost cherub-like under the simple white tunic and pants he wears.

SIRI: (crouches down) Hi there, 'Chi. I'm gonna be your new caretaker from now on. You know what that means, don't you? It means I'll be spending a couple hours with you everyday for awhile. We'll play games, go out for treats, stuff like that. Does that sound like fun to you?

A shy child, 'Chi grabs hold of his mother's leg and clings close, gazing upon Siri warily with his brown-and-indigo eyes.

ADI GALLIA: (places her hand on Uzochi's head) It's alright, 'Chi. Siri's my friend, remember? She'll take good care of you while mommy and daddy are at work.

UZOCHI: Nan takes care of me.

ADI GALLIA: Nan's a machine, 'Chi. You need to be with living, breathing people once in a while.

Pulling her boy off of her, Gallia walks on over to the front door.

ADI GALLIA: (turns to Siri) I don't know when Mace will be back, but I should be here around 19:15. (waves to 'Chi) See you tonight, honey. Have a good time with Siri, okay? Love you.

UZOCHI: Bye, Mommy.

At that, the Jedi mistress leaves the apartment. Once she has left, Siri turns to Uzochi.

SIRI: So, 'Chi, what do you want to do? What do you and Nan usually do this time of day?

Wordlessly, Uzochi turns his back on the knight and runs off for a place to hide. Sighing, Siri sets off after him.

INT. PURIFIER/UIY-2249'S QUARTERS

UIY-2249 is seated in a chair, reading over the contents on a datapad, when the door to his quarters slide open. Standing there, a black silhouette in the doorway, is SGW-0027; having shorn herself of her robes and cloak, she now only wears her white armour and featureless mirrored helmet.

UIY-2249: (turns to SGW-0027) Ah, Captain. Come in, take a seat. I was just about to imbibe a glass of nectarwine. You are more than welcome to join me, of course.

Entering the quarters, SGW strides up UIY, takes him in a choke hold, wrests him up from his chair, and then hurtles him across the room. With a CRASH he hits the far wall then collapses to the floor.

UIY-2249: I also have Osskorn stout, if nectarwine's not to your liking.

Moving over to him, the armoured clone warrior grabs the commander by his hair, pulls him up by it, then throws him back across the room. He lands atop his desk, shattering his computer terminal before rolling over to hit the floor beneath him.

Pulling the black lightsaber hilt from her belt, SGW advances on UIY. Placing her boot under his ribs, she flips him over, affording her a view of his bashed and bloody face. Engaging the blade of her lightsaber, she positions the tip of the weapon directly over his trachea.

SGW-0027: (angry) You motherless kaj. They're going to send another Force-adept in to relieve me while I'll be returning to Cartao. I won't survive their evaluation.

UIY-2249: (smiles) Our society may appear to be a strong, well-oiled machine, but we both know all it takes is one defective cog to throw the whole mechanism out of alignment. You, my dear captain, are one such cog.

SGW-0027: This is all a game to you, isn't it? Your own twisted mental version of sabacc.

UIY-2249: (grins) And I hold the winning hand.

SGW-0027: No -- you don't.

Taking the white blade away from UIY's throat, SGW instead brings it down on his left arm, severing it just below the shoulder. The clone commander looks at his severed limb with disinterest.

UIY-2249: I can't feel pain, remember?

SGW-0027: It doesn't matter!

With her lightsaber, the clone captain proceeds to remove the rest of her disloyal subordinate's limbs.

 

INT. CORUSCANT -- JEDI TEMPLE/WINDU APARTMENT/UZOCHI'S BEDROOM -- DAY

Cautiously, Siri enters Uzochi's bedroom. A small room, it doesn't contain much; a bed, a closet, a dresser, two small chairs, and a couple toys are all that take up space within it. 'Chi has hidden himself somewhere in here, but it's only a matter of time before Siri finds him.

SIRI: 'Chi, I know you're in here. There's no point hiding from me -- I know where you are.

Treading softly, the Jedi Knight makes her way over to the closet door. Pulling it open, she finds it stuffed bottom-to-top with various stuffed toys; there, wedged between a plush Kreevaki and paddle-footed sapient from the Brodo Asogi system, is Uzochi's young head.

SIRI: (grins) Gotcha!

Unfortunately for Siri, Uzochi doesn't share her good humour. Discovered, the young boy shrieks in terror and bursts through the pile of stuffed creatures, dashing past Siri and out the open door as stuffed animals bombard the poor woman like soft meteoroids.

SIRI: (sighs) Ancients preserve me ...

EXT. WESTPORT -- DOCKING BAY 77 -- DAY

At the Westport spaceport, right outside the entrance into Docking Bay 77, Capt. Bail Organa waits. Leaning against the wall, he checks his wrist chronometre for what must be the fiftieth time that afternoon.

As if materializing from the shadows of Westport itself, Obi-Wan and Anakin suddenly appear.

BAIL: It's about time you two got here. We were about ready to take off without you.

ANAKIN: Sorry. We had some business to take care of first.

BAIL: Let's go.

The three men proceed to enter the docking bay.

INT. WESTPORT -- DOCKING BAY 77 -- DAY

Within the dim interior of the docking bay, Bail leads the two Jedi toward the ship they will be making the trip to the Bajilon system on.

BAIL: Gentlemen, may I present you the Wayward Son.

Standing before them, like a great big cheeseburger with an olive stuck to its side and a great big bite taken out of it, is the Wayward Son. A YT-1300 light freighter which came off the assembly line twenty-five years ago, it is as old as Obi-Wan. As such, the ship's surface bears the tell-tale signs of weathering, patching, and carbon-scoring that come with almost three decades of constant action.

ANAKIN: (snickers) What a piece of junk.

BAIL: You ever hear of not judging a book by it's cover, son?

ANAKIN: I wouldn't know. I haven't ever seen a book.

BAIL: (to Obi-Wan) You've never taken him to a museum?

The Jedi Knight merely shrugs.

BAIL: (sighs) Let's go on inside.

INT. WAYWARD SON/MAIN HOLD -- DAY

Bail, Obi-Wan, and Nik enter the main hold, where they find six individuals -- CMDR. RAIA VANESS; CMDR. JANGO CODY; MSC. KÄTHE NAAD; DR. ZOSIME MOULIN; SPACEMAN PETRA ANTILLES; and SN. MAL'AKHI -- waiting for them. The officers and scholars all stop whatever it is they're doing to momentarily focus their attention on the Jedi.

BAIL: (to Obi-Wan and Nik) You met these folks at the briefing, but I don't believe you were formally introduced.

OBI-WAN: Other than Cmdr. Vaness, I haven't had the pleasure, no.

CMDR. VANESS: (salutes Obi-Wan) Greetings, Master Kenobi. It's nice to see you again.

OBI-WAN: And you as well, Commander.

CMDR. VANESS: (nods to Nik) I don't believe I've met your handsome companion before, however.

ANAKIN: (bows) Anakin Tan Skywalker at your service, madame.

CMDR. VANESS: (grins) Handsome and genteel. You must do some lucky girl proud, Master Skywalker.

ANAKIN: (grins) I try my best.

BAIL: As for the rest of the team ... (points at a lanky Gungan female) That's Dr. Zosime Moulin, our resident physicist.

ANAKIN: Physicist?

DR. MOULIN: There's some suspicion the whitefaces have developed a revolutionary new interdiction technology which allows them to isolate an entire system from hyperspace. I'm to take readings once we're near the system to see if that's the case.

BAIL: (points at a willowly Human woman with pale skin and long, brown hair) That's Käthe Naad.

MSC. NAAD: (smiles) Cryptographer.

BAIL: (points at a Human male, a muscular Falleen woman, and a black-furred Talz) And that's Cmdr. Jango Cody and Spacemen Petra Antilles and Mal'Akhi, the muscle of the group.

OBI-WAN: Hello.

ANAKIN: Hey.

A stocky man of average height, Cmdr. Cody has close-cropped black hair, a swarthy complexion, and a face so stern it could have been chiselled from hard stone. Cocking an eyebrow, he issues one, low grunt.

OBI-WAN: (under his breath) Not the talkative type, is he?

BAIL: Jango's a man of action, not words.

OBI-WAN: Worked with him before?

BAIL: (nods) Last year, in the Battle of Concord Dawn.

OBI-WAN: Not Imperial, is he?

BAIL: No.

OBI-WAN: Journeyman Protector?

BAIL: Yes.

OBI-WAN: I've heard they're excellent fighters.

BAIL: You heard correctly.

Their conversation ends there.

INT. JEDI TEMPLE/WINDU APARTMENT/MACE & ADI'S BEDROOM -- DAY

Uzochi, having fled his bedroom for that of his parents, is now in hiding under their large bed.

Having surmised 'Chi's probable location, Siri enters the bedroom doorway, a food tray held in her arms. Reticent to scare the child any more than she already has, she remains motionless in the doorframe.

SIRI: 'Chi, is it alright if I come in? (beat) I prepared a snack for us. (beat) I'm going to come inside now, okay?

Tentatively, Siri walks inside. Taking small steps, she makes her way to the end of the bed.

SIRI: I made two sandwiches, 'Chi, one for you and one for me. I'm just going to set this tray down now and have one. You don't have to join me if you don't want to, but it'd be sad if the sandwich I made for you goes to waste.

Slowly, she lowers the tray onto the carpeted floor, right in front of Uzochi's eyes. Just as slowly, she sits down, crossing her legs before her. Then, picking up a sandwich, she begins to eat.

Moments pass. His hunger overpowering his fear, 'Chi crawls out from under the bed and cautiously sits down across from Siri.

SIRI: (smiles) Would you like your sandwich?

UZOCHI: (reserved) Yes, please.

Her smile broadening into a grin, Siri hands the boy his sandwich.

EXT. SPACE -- CORUSCANT

Leaving the bronze surface of Coruscant, the Wayward Son heads toward the star-spangled fabric of darkness that is deep space.

INT. WAYWARD SON/COCKPIT

Raia Vaness sits in the pilot's seat, hands on the controls, while Bail stands over her.

BAIL: Course laid in?

CMDR. VANESS: Course laid in.

BAIL: Then engage hyperdrive whenever you're ready, Commander.

CMDR. VANESS: Aye, Captain.

Vaness pulls back on the hyperdrive levers, engaging the drive.

BAIL: Bajilon system, here we come.

CMDR. VANESS: That's the plan, at any rate.

EXT. SPACE

Carried forward on pseudo-motion, the Son is catapulted into the depthless fathoms of hyperspace.