Act 3

Pietro and Ray are walking and drinking a "malt" brew. (The author does not approve nor promote underage drinking. Unless he's there too.) Forge and the others can be heard working inside.

Pietro is in the middle of telling Ray about one his recent misadventures "So I cut off my power, shut down the afterburners and came in low on Bobby's trail. I was so close I thought I was going to fry my instruments. As it was I busted up the Skyhopper pretty bad. Uncle Eric was pretty upset. He grounded me for the rest of the season. You should have been there...it was fantastic."

"You ought to take it easy Pietro. You may be the hottest bushpilot this side of Mos Eisley, but those little Skyhoppers are dangerous. Keep it up, and one day, whammo, you're going to be nothing more than a dark spot on the down side of a canyon wall." Raytells him

"Look who's talking.' Pietro retorts. "Now that you've been around those giant starships you're beginning to sound like my uncle. You've gotten soft in the city..."

"I've missed you kid." Ray states.

"Well, things haven't been the same since you left, Ray. It's been so...quiet." Pietro counters.

Ray looks around then leans close to Pietro.

"Pietro, I didn't come back just to say good-bye...I shouldn't tell you this, but you're the only one I can trust...and if I don't come back, I want somebody to know." Ray starts in a hushed voice.

Pietro's eyes are wide with Ray' seriousness and loyalty.

"What are you talking about?" Pietro asks.

"I made some friends at the Academy … when our frigate goes to one of the central systems, we're going to jump ship and join the Alliance..." Ray whispers.

Pietro, amazed and stunned, is rendered speechless.

"Join the Rebellion?! Are you kidding! How?" Pietro exclaims.

See? Told ya.

"Quiet down will ya! You got a mouth bigger than a exogorth!" Ray admonishes.

Sullenly Pietro replies in a low whisper "I'm sorry. I'm quiet. Listen how quiet I am. You can barely hear me..."

Ray shakes his head angrily and then continues.

"My friend has a friend on Bespin who might help us make contact." Ray begins.

"Your crazy! You could wander around forever trying to find them." Pietro retorts.

"I know it's a long shot, but if I don't find them I'll do what I can on my own...It's what we always talked about. Look Pietro, I'm not going to wait for the Empire to draft me into service. The Rebellion is spreading and I want to be on the right side -- the side I believe in." Ray tells him.

"And I'm stuck here..." Pietro mutters.

"I thought you were going to the Academy next term. You'll get your chance to get off this rock." Ray says with a tentative smile.

"Not likely! I had to cancel my application. There has been a lot of unrest among the Morlocks since you left...they've even raided the outskirts of Anchorhead." Pietro states.

"Your uncle could hold off a whole colony of Morlocks with one blaster." Ray responds.

"I know, but he's got enough vaporators going to make the place pay off. He needs me for just one more season. I can't leave him now." Pietro in a whiney voice.

"I feel for you, Pietro, you're going to have to learn what seems to be important or what really is important. What good is all your uncle's work if it's taken over by the Empire?...You know they're starting to nationalize commerce in the central systems...it won't be long before your uncle is merely a tenant, slaving for the greater glory of the Empire." Ray comments.

"It couldn't happen here. You said it yourself. The Empire won't bother with this rock." Pietro rationalizes.

"Things always change." Ray tells him, unknowingly speaking prophecy.

"I wish I was going...Are you going to be around long?" Pietro asks.

"No, I'm leaving in the morning..." Ray replies.

"Then I guess I won't see you."

"Maybe someday...I'll keep a lookout." Ray says, once again speaking in prophecy.

"Well, I'll be at the Academy next season...after that who knows. I won't be drafted into the Imperial Starfleet that's for sure...Take care of yourself, you'll always be the best friend I've got." Pietro promises him.

"So long, Pietro." Ray turns away from his old friend and heads towards the power station.

We leave this scene for one of a deserted rock valley. The gargantuan rock formations are shrouded in a strange foreboding mist and the ominous sounds of unearthly creatures fill the air. Professor-Detoo moves cautiously through the creepy rock canyon, inadvertently making a loud clicking noise as he goes. He hears a distant, hard, metallic sound and stops for a moment. Convinced he is alone, he continues on his way. In the distance, a pebble tumbles down the steep canyon wall and a small dark figure darts into the shadows. A little further up the canyon a slight flicker of light reveals a pair of eyes in the dark recesses only a few feet from the narrow path.

The unsuspecting mutant-robot waddles along the rugged trail until suddenly, out of nowhere; a powerful magnetic ray shoots out of the rocks and engulfs him in an eerie glow. He manages one short electronic squeak before he topples over onto his back. His bright computer lights flicker off, then on, then off again. Out of the rocks scurry three hooded Jamies, no taller than Professor-Detoo. They holster strange and complex weapons as they cautiously approach the robot. They wear grubby cloaks and their faces are shrouded so only their glowing eyes can be seen. They hiss and make odd guttural sounds as they heave the heavy robot onto their shoulders and carry him off down the trail. The eight Jamies carry Professor-Detoo out of the canyon to a huge tank-like vehicle the size of a four-story house. They weld a small disk on the side of Professor-Detoo and then put him under a large tube on the side of the vehicle and the little robot is sucked into the giant machine. The little Jamies scurry like squirrels up small ladders and enter the main cabin of the behemoth transport. It is dim inside the hold area of the Sandcrawler.

Professor-Detoo switches on a small floodlight on his forehead and stumbles around the scrap heap. The narrow beam swings across rusty metal rocket parts and an array of grotesquely twisted and maimed astro-robots. He lets out a pathetic electronic whimper and stumbles off toward what appears to be a door at the end of the chamber. Professor-Detoo enters a wide room with a four-foot ceiling. In the middle of the scrap heap sit a dozen or so robots of various shapes and sizes. Some are engaged in electronic conversation, while others simply mill about.

A voice of recognition calls out from the gloom. "Professor-Detoo! It is you! It is you!"

A battered See-Logan scrambles up to Professor-Detoo and embraces him. The enormous Sandcrawler lumbers off toward the magnificent twin suns, which are slowly setting over a distant mountain ridge.

Elsewhere: four Imperial stormtroopers mill about in front of the half-buried lifepod that brought Professor-Detoo and See-Logan to Tatooine. A trooper yells to an officer some distance away.

"Aw camel plop" Duncan mutters. "Someone was in the pod. The tracks go off in this direction."

Paul picks a small bit of metal out of the sand and gives it to Duncan.

"Look, sir -- droids." Paul points out. "That must be why nothing showed up on the scanners."

Scowling, Duncan mockingly replies "That's why nothing showed up on the scanners. I hate you Paul."