PART TWO: "In the Light"

ACT ONE

FADE IN:

EXT. SPACE

The Sukann, a Liandra class vessel, as seen in B5: LOTR "To Live and Die in Starlight", is making it's way toward and then over the top of the CAMERA. The background nebula is Green, to establish mood.

The ship is under attack, three raider fighters follow the Sukann's path over the top of the CAMERA firing at will. The Sukann takes several hits.

Go to a WIDE SHOT of the Sukann suddenly arching around and firing at the raiders. The Sukann manages to take out one of the raiders. She then takes a few more hits.

The Sukann then heads toward a previously unnoticed dark green gas giant planet, continuing to take hits.

Suddenly she speeds up, and manages to get the planet between it and the two remaining raider vessels.

Over this we SUPERIMPOSE:

On the rim, two weeks earlier.

INT. RAIDER FIGHTER

RAIDER PILOT #1

Damn. She's taken the Sukann behind the planet, it's faster than we anticipated. The Captain isn't going to be happy if we let her get away.

RAIDER PILOT #2 (On Comm.)

We already let the Narn escape, she can't get away as well!

RAIDER PILOT #1

Signal the mothership, tell them to jump to normal space. We'll use the entire fighter wing to get her if we have too!

INT. OTHER RAIDER FIGHTER

RAIDER PILOT #2

Understood.

(beat)(Into comm.)

This is advanced scouting party to mothership. We've tracked the Sukann to these coordinates, but her pilot is proving more adapt than we'd anticipated – it's as if she's been in this part of space before; but I don't understand how that's possible.

RAIDER MOTHERSHIP (On Comm.)

You let the Narn escape. He could be anywhere beyond the rim by now. I hope, for your sakes, you haven't let this one get away!

RAIDER PILOT #2

If you jump to normal space at our present coordinates – with the help of the rest of our fighter wing we're confident that our overwhelming numbers will assure victory.

(beat)

She will see the odds staked against her and surrender. I'm – We're sure of it.

RAIDER MOTHERSHIP (On Comm.)

The Captain has approved your plan. Mothership jumping to normal space.

EXT. ORBIT OF PLANET

The two raider fighters are holding position near the CAMERA, with the planet dominating the top left of the stationary shot.

In the clear space at the top right of the shot a jump point opens. A raider mothership, as seen in B5 episode 113: "Signs and Portents" comes out of the blue vortex.

EXT. ORBIT OF PLANET – REVERSE SIDE

We are on the dark side of the planet, the system's star is shedding the only light; a little crack of light is peaking over the top of the dark green planet. The Sukann can just be made out hovering near the top of the planet, just inside the light.

We have a BEAT for establisher then,

INT. SUKANN – BRIDGE

The bridge is similar to that of the Liandra, seen in B5: LOTR. The lighting is darker, so to hide the inaccuracies in the walls and surrounds. Only the central command table is illuminated fully.

A figure has her head in her hands. WE are still for a BEAT, the figure then lifts her head up. It's Lyta Alexander. (Die her hair black? Make her look edgier, different; yet the same)

LYTA

Status of engines.

COMPUTER (V. Only)

Jump engines: Offline. Standard engine power: Down to 40 of normal due to over burn on last manoeuvre.

(beat)

Shall I run a diagnostic and assign work crews?

LYTA

HA! What crew?

COMPUTER

Question not recognised. Suggest rephrasing.

LYTA

Nevermind. Thank you Computer.

(beat)

Go for a CLOSE-UP on Lyta's face.

LYTA (CONT'D)

I wish G'kar was here. He could charm he way out of this.

(beat)

If only he hadn't had to leave so early. . .

(beat)

Right Lyta, you've been in worse situations than this. You survived days without food or water in a life pod just on the hope the Vorlons would pick you up. You survived what the Vorlons did to you, the changes they made, and you survived the rogue treatment from Ulkosh. So you can survive a few damned raiders!

(beat)

If only they knew what I was really here for. They'd loose interest in an instant. They're rogues, mercenaries, businessmen! They're only interested in whatever they can salvage, find, or steal to sell. And out here, on the rim: it's the only place outside the reach of the Interstellar Alliance's peacekeeping forces, and the only place they can operate anymore.

(beat)

Lyta taps a few controls on the console in front of her, the holographic display changes.

LYTA (CONT'D)

Computer, status of raider vessels?

COMPUTER

Unable to give current information due to enemy vessel's position on the opposite side of planet. But last known activity two raider vessels were holding steady.

LYTA

I doubt they've given up. So must they be doing?

COMPUTER

Energy spike detected in coordinates fifteen-forty-by-three.

LYTA

What kind of energy spike?

COMPUTER

It is consistent with the forming of a jump point by Earth technology dating around 2240, before the advent of clearer –

LYTA
- Yes thank you computer.

(beat)

That means they're mothership must have dropped out of hyperspace. Which means, my dear friend Computer, that they've either given up and are going home. Having, wisely, decided that one little Minbari vessel this far out on the rim isn't worth loosing anymore ships over. OR -

COMPUTER

Detecting enemy vessels inbound on attack vector.

LYTA
That answers my question I guess. Numbers computer?

COMPUTER
Scanners are not running at optimum efficiency due to weapons damage – Please assign a work crew.

LYTA

URGH!

EXT. ORBIT OF PLANET

We SEE the planet in a cross-section, being able to view both the raiders on the face side of the planet and the reverse side of the planet where the Sukann is.

A dozen or more raider fighters have launched from the mothership. The mothership herself is holding position.

We switch to a different angle that shows the raider wing from behind, showing them form up into a cohesive unit.

RAIDER PILOT #1 (Over Comm.)

Let's see if all those drills the Captain makes us run are really going to pay off.

RAIDER PILOT #2 (Over Comm.)

He's obsessed! You can tell you used to be in Earth Force can't you.

RAIDER PILOT #1

Let's keep this tidy. Disable the Sukann's engines and communications. We want to try and take her alive, if possible.

RAIDER PILOT #2

And if it's not possible?

RAIDER PILOT #1

She's knows of our operation. She can't be allowed to escape. If this proves any more difficult that it's already been we've got orders to blow her out of the water.

RAIDER PILOT #2

Understood.

OTHER RAIDER PILOTS

Understood.

The Suka. begins to move away from the fighters.

The fighters go onto full burn and loom over the Sukann.

FADE TO BLACK:

END OF ACT ONE