Star Saga: A Clash Of Empires (4) EXT. TULISTAN MILITARY BASE, AT THE HEART OF THE ADVANCE - CONTINUOUS Langdon, Jesse, and Iris all run together and are surrounded by other cadets as the light from the sky suddenly begins to fade to a very dark. They and cadets around them suddenly halt what they are doing and consider the dark clouds and the rather strange occurrence. Now the wind begins to pick up, whipping hair and loose clothing about. Suddenly, lightning in many places issues forth from the sky, great jagged bolts that come into contact with the ground, shooting up dirt and grass, killing cadets in the process. Thunder peals and clashes, great booms of discomfort echoing throughout the steppe in succession. JESSE (exasperated) You have got to be kidding me. Cadets let loose death cries about them as the bolts fall down before them. LANGDON (loudly) Let�s head back to the safety of the dropships. The trio head back. EXT. HIGH ORBIT OVER TULISTA, VIEW OF CZAR STAR CRUISER The Czar�s Star Cruiser sits placidly, surrounded by other smaller cruisers and supporting fighters, while the battle in the stars rages on. INT. CZAR STAR CRUISER, BRIDGE Czar Shepard learns what�s happening on the surface of the planet from his Operator. OPERATOR Sire, I�m getting strange reports of...of a lightning storm hindering cadets. Czar Shepard shows a look of concern. CZAR SHEPARD (CONT�D) Have you traced where the readings are coming from? OPERATOR I have, sire. It is near one of their bases, and it looks like some kind of satellite weapon. Czar Shepard has a confused look on his face. CZAR SHEPARD (CONT�D) Use the HEAT RAY. OPERATOR Yes, sire. EXT. HIGH ORBIT OVER TULISTA, VIEW OF CZAR STAR CRUISER On the lower half of the bow of the Czar�s Star Cruiser the Heat Ray presents itself, and let�s loose a single extended thin orange blast that heads straight for Tulista. INT. TULISTAN MILITARY BASE, COMMAND CENTER Commander Saussler looks through the viewing screen with a look of disgust as many cadets are strewn about on the ground and others are moving about wildly, trying to retreat towards the many dropships. COMMANDER SAUSSLER The weak and insolent fools. It is too late to submit now. They see for themselves the true power and advancement of the Bulgata. But their apprehension came unawares. EXT. PINNACLE OF MILITARY BASE, ROOF - CONTINUOUS Project Lightning Storm continues to manipulate the weather when the beam from the Heat Ray meets it and begins to warm it up. INT. TULISTAN MILITARY BASE, COMMAND CENTER The Myrmidion Commander gets the latest happenings from his two male and one female technicians. FEMALE TECHNICIAN Temperature reached 10,000 tokars and climbing, sir! MALE TECHNICIAN 1 Structural integrity breached! MALE TECHNICIAN 2 Readings are off the charts. We�re going to lose her! COMMANDER SAUSSLER Wha-but how? FEMALE TECHNICIAN It seems to be a weapon used against Lightning Storm, sir. Of human origin. Commander Saussler is seething as he beats against a computer console. COMMANDER SAUSSLER (CONT�D) Blasted! EXT. PINNACLE OF MILITARY BASE, ROOF - CONTINUOUS Project Lightning Storm explodes from the laser beam of the Heat Ray. EXT. TULISTAN MILITARY BASE, AT THE HEART OF THE ADVANCE - MIDDAY The dark clouds begin to dissipate, the wind slows down, and the clouds are replaced by the white. Cadets as a whole begin to arc their glances upward. Langdon, Iris, and Jesse do the same. IRIS It�s stopped. JESSE Thank God. Langdon looks about him at those surrounding him. LANGDON There�s still a battle to be won, cadets. Rally to me! All the cadets begin to rally, screaming at the tops of their lungs, and heading towards the still outnumbered Myrmidions. The Myrmidions now too begin their charge. After a time the two forces collide. Jesse dances the game of death with a Myrmidion. The Myrmidion swipes frantically with his Tuskan arm weapons, but Jesse is adept at dodging and avoiding being swiped. In the background we can see that some cadets and Myrmidions are engaged in laser battles. Finally, Jesse flips entirely over the Myrmidion like a cartwheel and as he does so plants his Killimari weapon into his abdomen. He removes it and goes looking for his next victim. Iris measures up her first opponent, the Myrmidion doing the same. He charges her and she sidesteps his swipes, ducks and dodges, flips backwards, and somersaults her way to safety. The Myrmidion is seething. Now they enter into a tussle of wills, with Iris� Killimari weapon locking blows with the Myrmidions Tuskan weapons. After an extended exposition, Iris sweeps the Myrmidion who falls in a heap and she brings her Killimari up in a thrust to meet his heart. Langdon is engaged in a tense display of martial arts skill with a Myrmidion. The two both duck, dodge, and evade each others attacks. Langdon faces him sideways and blocks his Tuskans with his Killimari weapon, then with his left arm free he elbows the Myrmidion in the face. The Myrmidion staggers back. Langdon tries to take advantage. He pulls out his laser gun from his thigh and fires, but the Myrmidion manages to recover and brings up his Tuskan arm weapons as a cross shield successfully. Langdon rushes towards him, returning his laser gun, and the Myrmidion manages to recover his faculties from the blast, the two of them becoming locked in combat once more. Near misses, nicks, and avoidance maneuvers are the order of the day it seems. Finally, Langdon back-flip-kicks the Myrmidion and causes him to collapse. Langdon rushes towards him and plants his Killimari weapon in his abdomen. Langdon now rallies the cadets to him as he goes about searching for his next victim. ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ LANGDON To victory! Those in the vicinity give off battle cries. INT. MOON BASE, MESS HALL In the Mess Hall, cadets are lined up to get their meals and some cadets are already situated at one of the many extended tables. Simon and Simone walk away from having received their meal and join up with Jason and Matt who are already situated at the table. They eat sparingly while talking. MATT So, I�ve been thinking. JASON That�s not something you do everyday, is it? Matt glares at him and then continues. MATT This gene manipulation thing we just went through, it�s really having an impact on us, isn�t it? SIMONE Well, yes. Weren�t you paying attention during the seminars? Both Jason and Matt look at Simone as if she�s just spoken in a different language. Simone sighs. SIMONE (CONT�D) Basically, anything and everything related to being a cadet or soldier in our genes has been given a...boost, so to speak. We should notice things getting easier, but it won�t be a cakewalk. It�s not magic. You have to have had a reasonable amount of talent in whatever field your genes were manipulated in. Jason considers. JASON I guess that�s why when this was first discovered people gifted in science and technology were the first to show forth fruits, because they were already gifted. SIMON Exactly. That�s some good reasoning skills there, Jason. MATT (wryly) I guess they must have secretly manipulated his reasoning genes too. Jason glares at him. Suddenly, the alarm and voice of a FEMALE blares letting them know that war is coming. � FEMALE VOICE All cadets report to your ships immediately. This is not a drill. All cadets report to your ships immediately. SIMONE The Bulgata... SIMON Come on, let�s go. They and other cadets vault towards the two exits. INT. MOON BASE, SHIP PORT The Moon Base ship port is extremely long, wide, and high, having glass at its ceiling, allowing for a view of the stars of the universe. The cadets come pouring into the ship port. Simon, Simone, Jason, and Matt head for their respective fighters. They all flip a few switches and along with others enter hover mode. The crafts now head towards a zero gravity adjoining area of the port and fly out into the expanse of space. EXT. SPACE, MOON BASE ADVANCE The quartet of heroes leads the way against the encroaching Bulgata forces, who appear in the distance of space and are actually heading for the planet Dorridion. Commander A. P. Holton speaks to his cadets through their helmets. COMMANDER HOLTON The Bulgata must believe we were rendered impotent after they destroyed Delta Squadron. They must think Dorridion can be subdued. Let�s show them that we as a people are far from being overwhelmed. The four heroes respond with a �Yes, Sir!� Now the Myrmidion fighters realize that there is an enemy to be had here in space. The two opposing forces begin to shorten the distance between one another and during that time we see the faces of our four heroes, set and determined. Finally, the two forces collide, with laser fire emanating from both sides. Matt chases after a Bulgata fighter. The Bulgata fighter seemingly flies his fighter recklessly through space, taking sharp turns, veering upwards at odd angles, all in an effort to evade from being locked on. MATT Well aren�t you something special. After a bit more exposition, Matt manages to lock on and sends a photon torpedo his way, destroying his craft. Jason is being trailed hard by a Bulgata fighter. Laser fire hugs him but he continues to manage to escape injury. He loop-de-loops his way through space in an effort to disengage the fighter and he still follows him. JASON You just won�t get the message, will you? He embraces a method of boost and u-turns hard left, manages to fly straight towards the Bulgata fighter, and sends a photon torpedo his way, ducking his own craft afterwards, but destroying the Bulgata fighter. Simone is in pursuit of a Bulgata fighter. The Bulgata fighter, in an effort to avoid being shot down, veers towards the Moon Base. Simone follows after him faithfully, continuously shooting laser fire his way. The Bulgata fighter does something unexpected, he sends a torpedo at the Moon Base, damaging a part of its structure. SIMONE (in shock) So if you have to go down then you�re taking everybody else with you, is that it? Simone manages to lock on to him, and sends continuous laser fire his way, shredding the Bulgata craft. Simon bullets through space as he is being trailed hard by two Bulgata fighters. He dips evasively towards the floor of space, weaving, spinning, and just generally trying to avoid laser fire. The laser fire from the two Myrmidions crafts however scar his craft in some instances, despite evasive maneuvers. SIMON For goodness sakes! Simon pulls up, his craft ascending through the chaos. Suddenly, one of the Myrmidions flies straight into another Bulgata fighter, and the Myrmidion who remains has to angle his craft to avoid debris. SIMON Now that�s a little more even. Simon continually flies through the tumult, the Myrmidion shooting laser fire when he can get a clear shot, but he�s generally having a tough time keeping up with Simon�s evasive tactics. Simon veers hard left and u-turns his way through chaos. The Myrmidion tries to follow and comes into near contact with a Moon Base fighter, dodging just in time. Now he looks about him for Simon and a photon torpedo descends from above exploding his craft. Simon flies through the remains. SIMON Yeah! By now the Myrmidion fighters have been severally thinned out and are in retreat mode. SIMONE They�re retreating. MATT Hopefully they don�t come back. COMMANDER HOLTON That�s a good way to start off your cadetship, young ones. Report back to Moon Base. All of the crafts veer back towards the distant Moon Base. EXT. OUTSIDE TULISTAN MILITARY BASE - MIDDAY The Bulgata have been beaten into submission, and the Myrmidions lie grouped together on their knees, bound with futuristic handcuffs of light. The cadets from the three academies walk around with laser guns holstered on their shoulders as they patrol. Carriers are positioned on the vast stretch of steppe-land here and there. The large Czar Star Cruiser hovers over the land and a dropship escapes out of it. The dead from both the Bulgata and Earth Empires are rounded up and placed in dropships to be buried later. The Tulistan military base is some distance away and several military issue hover crafts capable of holding four people emerge coming from its destination. The vehicles travel on a clear path. They are: Langdon and Iris together and Jesse together with a FEMALE CADET. The dropship lands and Commander Wecker exits. The four cadets rendezvous with him and exit their hover crafts. COMMANDER WECKER Report. Langdon salutes. LANGDON (CONT�D) Commander Wecker, sir, we�ve scoured the entire structure, used guides, and their leadership is nowhere to be found. Wecker considers. COMMANDER WECKER (CONT�D) We cannot afford to let this Commander Saussler go. He has access to high level information that his subordinates do not. He could very easily leave this planet and warn Fedos and Fedora of what transpired here. Other military bases have yet to come under our influence. Nevertheless, we have to find and capture this Saussler. IRIS We have some idea of where he might have escaped to, as our radars picked up two opposing signals, one going east and the other west. COMMANDER WECKER Good. You�ll have to split up. Langdon, you go along with CARLA, Iris, you partner with Jesse. ������������ All four cadets reply with a �Yes, sir.� They mount up on their hover crafts and take off in opposite directions while Wecker watches. EXT. ARID DESERT - CONTINUOS Commander Saussler speeds through an area that is rapidly becoming a desert as he journeys along in a hovering Bulgata military issue craft. He has sweat on his brow, wiping it away. EXT. HILLY AREA - CONTINUOUS Iris and Jesse speed along in an area that is quickly becoming hilly. Their craft hovers up and down over the hills. Mountainous regions can be seen in the distance, towering above the land. Jesse pilots while Iris sits in a passenger section looking at the radar. They speak over the loudness of the hover craft. IRIS (loudly) Radar shows that whomever we�re following went straight for those mountains. JESSE (loudly) There might be a hideaway built into them. Like Commander Wecker says, we can�t allow them to leave this planet. Jesse turns up the throttle and they go even faster over the hilly areas. EXT. ARID DESERT - CONTINUOUS Langdon and Carla speed through the same area that Commander Saussler was going through. Langdon sits in the pilot seat while Carla pilots and tracks him using the radar system. They speak over the noise of the craft. CARLA (loudly) He�s dead ahead. Deeper in the desert, for certain, but we should be able to catch him. LANGDON (loudly) Just in case we aren�t making good time. He--like Jesse--speeds up the craft and the hover craft rockets. EXT. ARID DESERT - CONTINUOS Commander Saussler is now fully inside of the desert, and wind is beginning to pick up. He stops his craft and gets out of it. He begins looking towards the distance intently and can make out what is best described as a wall of sand in the far horizon. It is an approaching sandstorm. COMMANDER SAUSSLER (flustered) By the gods, I must get through. I must. He remounts his vehicle, starts it up again, and chances a look behind him. He notices that in the horizon a craft is approaching, and fast, kicking up dirt in the process. COMMANDER SAUSSLER (in shock) �They�ve...found me. EXT. MOUNTAINOUS REGION - CONTINUOUS Jesse and Iris are now in the vicinity of the mountainous region and now they halt and survey the field using advanced binoculars. We can see what they see and we find that what they see is digital, with computer determinations and red letterings. We see through Iris� perspective. She speaks to Jesse as she locates a cave along the face of the mountain. IRIS There�s a cave at the base there. I think that�s where he went. Jesse takes off his binoculars. JESSE (CONT�D) I think you�re right. There�s nowhere else he could be, unless he went up into the mountains. IRIS Let�s check out the cave first, and then if he�s not there maybe we can find some path up the mountains. JESSE Right. The two remount their craft and head for the cave opening. EXT. ARID DESERT - CONTINUOUS Commander Saussler is closer to the sandstorm now, and it is vast and menacing. A giant of encroaching uncertainty in the near vicinity. COMMANDER SAUSSLER I�ll just have to go through the confounded thing then. Now he chances a look behind him and sees the rapidly approaching hover craft, which has cut the distance in half. He squirms. Back where Langdon and Carla are, they speak to each other over the noise made by the craft. CARLA (loudly) What is that? Another one of their weapons perhaps? Langdon considers. LANGDON (loudly) No...it�s...a sandstorm. We have to hurry. They continue on. INT. CAVERN - CONTINUOUS Iris and Jesse move along through the mouth of the cavern, which has stalactites hanging from its ceiling and stalagmites populating the cavern floor. Droplets of water fall before them. Cascading water can be heard in the distance. Both of them have flashlights attached to their laser guns and they walk through the cavern with them hoisted. Iris looks at a portable device displaying heat signatures. There are two signals that the device shows. She mentions this. IRIS I�m getting two signals coming from inside of here, relatively in the same vicinity of one another. Weird. JESSE Maybe there is a hideaway situated inside here somewhere. Either that or whoever we�re following needed the comfort of a little body heat. Iris shakes her head, completely focused and dismissing Jesse�s joke. He looks at her with drooping features. They continue on into the deepness. They turn a corner and the darkness begins to oppress them. Soon they enter an area that very much looks like a honeycomb in terms of the paths available to them. Jesse seems flustered. Iris continues to observe her portable device. Jesse throws up his arms. JESSE (CONT�D) Great. Now where do we go? IRIS Let�s try...the path on the left. JESSE Fine. You�re the one with the HEAT SIGNATURE. Lead the way, princess. She takes the left passage, as he follows behind her. EXT. ARID DESERT - CONTINUOUS Langdon and Carla are now in firing range of Commander Saussler, both crafts looking to be soon swallowed by the moaning of the approaching sandstorm. Saussler continues to look behind him apprehensively as he pilots his craft, swerving left and right as he does so. Carla pulls out her laser gun and steadies herself on the dashboard of the craft as she begins to fire at Saussler�s craft. She misses for the most part, due to Commander Saussler�s wild piloting. After attempting to incapacitate the craft in some way, she seemingly gives up. LANGDON (loudly) I�ll pull up alongside him. Langdon speeds up the craft a bit more and maneuvers the craft alongside Saussler�s right. Saussler looks at the two with contempt and outrage. Just before Carla has a chance to fire, Saussler rams his craft into them, rocking them all. He does it again, having the same effect. Then he does it a third time, and Langdon prepares himself, jumping into Saussler�s passenger side. Carla scoots over and takes the reigns. Langdon and Commander Saussler go at each other�s throats. Due to this conflict, the craft begins to move about zigzag-like. � Langdon punches him and tries to take control of the craft, and when Saussler recovers he gives Langdon a right elbow to the face. Now he tries to push Langdon out of the craft and is close to doing so when the massive wall of sand swallows the craft. Langdon recovers and they go on fighting, even in the chaos of the storm. Langdon tries to take control of the reigns again, to steer them backwards. He does so for a while, but then Saussler gives him another elbow to the face. Now Saussler again tries to push Langdon into the storm. Langdon holds onto a thread, then brings his knee to meet Saussler�s face and Saussler groans in pain. Langdon has seemingly given up on the former strategy, and now tries to push Saussler out of the craft. Langdon has good standing, and Saussler screams. Saussler is close to falling out. Now Langdon takes control of the zigzagging craft and u-turns it hard, capsizing it, the two of them spilling out. The both of them lay motionless as the winds and sand swirl about them, clouding visibility. Saussler begins to grope about on the ground, and Langdon lifts his head to see this. Langdon crawls about, bringing himself to an uncertain gait. Langdon approaches the now standing dumbly Saussler in the chaos of the swirling sandstorm. Saussler turns and sees him, swinging at him, Langdon ducks, and punches him in the stomach. Because of the sandstorm and crash, they don�t fight at premium efficiency. Saussler holds his abdomen in pain, and Langdon gropes about towards him and brings his knee up to his face. Saussler falls to the ground, panting. Now Langdon pulls out the handcuffs of light which are able to bend and expand and locks them in place around Saussler�s legs. Carla comes motoring through the sandstorm, parking the craft near them, and screams at the top of her lungs. CARLA Langdon, come on. Let�s get out of here. Langdon picks up Saussler over his shoulder and labors towards their craft. He sets him in the back seat and he too sits in the back with his laser gun pulled, to keep a watch over Saussler, whose breathing hard with eyes closed. LANGDON (loudly) Do you know your way out of here? CARLA (loudly) We�re about to find out. Carla U-turns her way back the way she came and puts on the speed. After a time, the craft comes plunging out of the sandstorm. INT. CAVERN Iris and Jesse walk cautiously through the pathways of the cavern, which has luminescence on its highly elevated ceiling. Iris leads and turns a corner that itself has many passageways and they come upon a Myrmidion at the back of the passageway, a soldier with his back towards them trying to use handheld communication equipment. MYRMIDION Is there anyone there? I repeat, this is Tulista, we have been attacked and are now occupied by the Earth Empire. Iris and Jesse exchange glances and then Jesse gives the Myrmidion the message as they point their lasers guns at him.
Copyright © 2008 Michael Harris |