The Star Wars Page #9

42. AQUILAEAN STARSHIPS

The terrified androids in the lifepod speed away from the fortress, and pass

the attacking starships.

DEVIL TWO:

Object approaching. Attack bearing...

DEVIL FOUR:

It's a lifepod. Forget it. We've got...

Devil Four is hit by laser fire, and disintegrates, leaving a trail of flaming

particles. The two remaining craft continue the assault. Chewie and Pilot

Leader watch the remains of Devil Four disappear. The general appears over

one of the monitors.

GENERAL:

Analysis indicates transformer code zero three is the main relay. Hit it, and

the whole thing goes dead.

PILOT LEADER:

We're on our way.

43. GOVERNOR'S QUARTERS - IMPERIAL SPACE FORTRESS

A row of monitors and the main overhead lights go on, and a trooper appears on

one of the screens.

TROOPER:

Internal relays operative. All power restored. All contaminated areas

sealed.

An officer appears on another monitor.

OFFICER:

Only two enemy craft remain operative. We calculate victory by zero three

hundred.

General Vader switches to another monitor.

VADER:

Alert the invasion forces. (turning to the governor). The planet is ours. A

three hour war. You expected longer. Jedi or not, we've beaten him, and the

culture is intact.

HOEDAACK:

A truly great prize for the Empire. They have a treasure of biotic science.

Genetics, cloning - they've added two-hundred years to a lifespan. Remember,

you must capture at least one member of the Royal Family alive. The Aquilae

family has ruled this system for ten thousand years. The people will follow

no other. If the royal line is broken, there is a good chance the entire

population will destroy themselves and their knowledge before submitting to

our rule.

The general is interrupted by a call on one of the monitors.

OFFICER (on monitor)

We've received a message from the planet....

44. WAR ROOM - UNDERGROUND FORTRESS - AQUILAE

General Skywalker watches a giant computer display of the space fortress

mapped by the starships. An aide approaches.

AIDE:

Sir! The king's convoy has destroyed at Caldin. All the bodies were

contaminated.

GENERAL:

I will audience with the queen.... Who knows of this?

AIDE:

Many. It came through civilian sources.

GENERAL:

Confine Senator Sandage to his quarters. Use any pretext. Where is the

senator now?

Sandage and several other senators enter the computer station.

SANDAGE:

Right here, General...It's over. We've already relayed peace terms to the

Empire, and they've been accepted. Your war has ended.

The general is angry and stands pointing at the senators. They jump back, as

if the general were pointing a gun at them.

GENERAL:

Senator, this war isn't over. It's just begun. I take my commands from the

Royal Family.

SANDAGE:

The queen concurs. I have her written decree. It is to be implemented

immediately..... I order you to cease the attack.

GENERAL:

Not likely...

SANDAGE:

Treason? Revolution? The people won't follow you, General...nor will your

troops. I suggest you follow your orders.

General Skywalker stands angrily pondering the situation. Sandage and the

other senators are tense, a little afraid that he might cut them down on the

spot.

SANDAGE:

Well, General?

45. LIFEPOD - SKY OVER AQUILAE

The reddish-yellow mass of Aquilae seems to engulf the tiny lifepod containing

the two fleeing androids.

ARTWO:

It's desertion. They'll destroy us. How could this happen?

THREEPIO:

That's funny. The damage doesn't look as bad from out here.

46. AQUILAEAN STARSHIPS

Pilot Leader and Devil Two make a second dive on the now smoldering

transformer area. All firing from the fortress suddenly stops. Pilot Leader

looks back to his navigator, who is equally puzzled. The two fighters

continue to attack the now silent fortress.

CHEWIE (DEVIL TWO)

I don't get it. What do you think, Boss?

General Skywalker appears on the monitors.

GENERAL (with difficulty)

Base one to Devil Leader...Scramble code niner. Break your attack, and return

to base. Repeat, break your attack. Confirm.

PILOT LEADER:

They're hurt, Sir, but they still have power. We should finish....

GENERAL:

Break off. The war is over. Run on white lights. Get back here, Mace.

We're going to need you.

PILOT LEADER:

Confirmed, base one. We're on our way. Did you copy, Chewie?

DEVIL TWO:

Roger, Boss.

The two starfighters break off the attack and start back toward the planet.

Without warning, the fort directs concentrated fire at the two starfighters.

Devil Two instantly bursts into flames, then disintegrates. Pilot Leader's

tail section is hit, and the ship pinwheels toward the planet. Blood covers

Pilot Leader's immobile face.

PILOT LEADER'S NAVIGATOR

We're under fire...They're still shooting. I thought it was over. We're hit!

We're hit! Pilot is dead....Ejecting.

The dead "Pilot Leader" is jettisoned free of the craft, but the navigator's

eject panel is dead. He struggles with it, then bangs on the canopy to no

avail. The navigator is still trapped in the craft when it explodes, leaving

only a puff of pink smoke reflected in the rim light of the planet.

47. DESERT NEAR OUTPOST - AQUILAE

Pilot Leader's dead body drifts toward his arid mother-planet. Automatic

rockets kick-in occasionally, to direct and soften the landing. Two grey-clad

troopers stand next to a military "landspeeder;" watching the descending

airwarrior through electrobinoculars. Mace's corpse hits the ground rather

hard, creating a whirlwind of dust, and the two troopers rush over to the

pilot. The younger of the two troopers, a young boy in his teens, cradles the

dead starpilot in his arms and begins to cry.

48. WAR ROOM - UNDERGROUND FORTRESS - AQUILAE

General Skywalker sits alone, meditating in the deserted war room. Montross

approaches the contemplative general.

MONTROSS:

No sign of Starkiller or the princess. There was much damage in that

area...The queen will see you at ten hundred.

The general doesn't reply.

49. ASSEMBLY - DEPARTURE AREA - IMPERIAL SPACE FORTRESS

General Vader stands behind a row of men at computer control panels. A

commander reports to the general.

COMMANDER:

All enemy craft destroyed. First and fifth division, troops and equipment

standing by.

The general gives a sly smile of approval and takes a microphone from one of

the computer technicians. He speaks to the troops and pilots waiting in their

huge war machines for the invasion order.

VADER:

The war is won. With the conquering of this System we have ushered in a new

millenium for the Empire; which will echo throughout the universe. Our reward

is the knowledge this system possesses. This planet must be controlled with a

minimum of force, but you must not think lightly of this enemy. They have

exacted a heavy toll. Today you will make the Empire complete. Do so with

pride and care.

Vader puts down the mike, and turns to his commander.

GENERAL:

Let the invasion begin.

50. EDGE OF THE DUNE SEA - AQUILAE

Jundland, or "no man's land," where the rugged desert mesas meet the

foreboding dune sea. The two helpless astro robots kick up clouds of dust as

they clumsily work their way across the desert coastline. The short Artwo

struggles desperately to keep up with the long-legged Threepio.

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