-xoxo- The Empress of Death, 9 of 10 -oxox-

149 DS Gammalann Prison Cell – Int. 149

Poe jolts awake! He finds himself in a dim jail, chained to a wall. Across the glass, he sees Luke and General Organa are both chained with shock collars. It takes a second to realize he is alive.

POE …my fault Luke. I'm sorry.

LUKE SKYWALKER I've lost the arm before —no new disappointments.

POE Why even keep us alive?

ORGANA That worm in a crown finds suffering humorous.

POE Good man to have a death star.

ORGANA But better than me, right, Dameron?

POE I'm happy you're still alive, General. Got to see your revenge. That's why you did all this, right?

ORGANA I wanted to return the galaxy to a republic, Admiral. How long have you been a traitor?

POE Eh, always. Never got down for your methods.

ORGANA Were your Crownhunters made to assassinate me, Dameron?

POE Always paranoia with this guy. I made my boys strong to match the power of every evil out there. To fight Princes, to take death stars down, to depose all tyrannies masked as democracy. I made them to do good. And we were sought out by those who knew that.

ORGANA Imperial sympathizers?

POE Donna Atropa

General Organa stops.

POE You just can't trust the survivors of Alderaan. It's good you left no survivors on Bezdize.

ORGANA …and I had you see to that.

POE The difference is I know I'm not the leader of the galaxy! I play my role!

ORGANA I did play mine! Someone had to unify the galaxy, you worthless refugee RAT!

LUKE SKYWALKER But you were not the one to do it, Venny.

The speakers come on:

CASSARIOT (over speaker) This is Emperor Cassariot. I have an announcement to all personnel: All Princes of Dawn, including myself and our newest, Prince Kylo, are to converge at the core reactor immediately. Finn Skywalker and Rey Sidious have infiltrated there and will destroy this entire station if unchecked. The situation is dire, but we have already overcome so much. It's only one last test. I will see you on the battlefield. Cassariot out.

POE I hate missing a party.

ORGANA …did you find my cousin, Poe?

POE Datas Skywalker? No, I've been with Luke the entire time.

ORGANA You never heard any updates you kept secret?

POE No… is she here?

ORGANA She took a room. I haven't heard anything about her since Cassariot's invasion.

A Prince of Dawn walks into the jail, commanding the stormtroopers.

"PRINCE RENARD" As I was saying! Now that Emperor Cassariot is beginning the final battle against Finn, we need these prisoners as bargaining chips.

SQUINTING TROOPER We still haven't found the command from headquarters.

"PRINCE RENARD" Your secretaries' incompetence dulls our offense, trooper. As commanding officer, I demand you turn over these prisoners to me.

WITLESS TROOPER Yes, sir.

SQUINTING TROOPER Delay that. We can continue trying to reach Emperor Cassariot.

"PRINCE RENARD" You want to release Organa.

WITLESS TROOPER I want to release Organa.

SQUINTING TROOPER Wait…

The instant the Witless Trooper releases General Organa's shock collar, he Force-pushes the man into Poe's cell, "Prince Renard" Force pushes Squinting Trooper.

From the open door, a new trooper starts gunning down guards. The prince shifts into Jedi Vilpus. She uses the Force to remove Poe's chains.

POE Saw that a lightyear away.

A stormtrooper tries to shoot the prisoners before they can escape, the new trooper fires a single shot into the man's back. He still gets a shot off near Poe's head.

All the troopers in this room are now gone. The next room has begun preparations.

AENEAS How about that one, Admiral?

Poe winks at Vilpus.

POE I taught him that.

Vilpus wanders over to free Luke and finally sees his other arm. General Organa looks down when he sees her expression drop.

VILPUS There you go, Master Luke… the Crownhunters found your lightsaber in the vents…

Vilpus offers it to the legend

LUKE SKYWALKER I can't use it now… give it to Venileo.

ORGANA Heh, at my age?

POE You know who you're talking to, right?

LUKE SKYWALKER It's time to start fighting as a Jedi.

ORGANA It has been a long time.

POE Aeneas, you got any presents for me?

AENEAS No, but the jail has a few weapons they've confiscated.

Aeneas takes off his helmet to put on a confiscated Crownhunter helmet. Poe takes a different one.

POE Where would I be had you stuck around in the Empire?

ORGANA You'd both be dead.

Organa turns on the lightsaber and heads off to the next room, ready to cleave a path. Poe puts on his armor and yells to the man, wanting the last word.

POE You won't be much better off if you join us now!

ORGANA We all have our roles.

The door opens, Organa, Vilpus, Aeneas, Poe, and Luke all attack. Destined for the battle of the core.

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150 Core Distribution Grid – Int. 150

Rey is crusading inside the core. Ripping machinery off foundations and swatting away troopers.

This section of the reactor is a technological crop field of towering boards generating and delivering power throughout the system. It stretches too deep to see its beginning or end. However, as everyone can see from the burning hole in the ceiling, Rey has entered.

She sees no one around, claps two energy boards together, and flies off —troops in hover-platforms race to the area. Rocket launchers on hand, waiting until Rey is distracted to fire.

They get their chance, spotting Rey in the distance, gripping two more boards. They fire, just missing, and now Rey knows. Some retreat, others go in. Rey lets go of one board and uses the other to block the subsequent attacks.

Rey flies out of her cover and strikes all the troopers pressuring her. They scatter out of sight, and then uncountable numbers start to flood in from the other end.

Rey flies deeper inward, speeding between panels, keeping low, avoiding sight.

She stops. Waits. No sound. She prepares to take down another two panels. The energy wraps around both. A shot is fired from behind her, burning her calve.

Rey falls to the ground. Where?

An engineering officer with his head sticking out from a vent. His standard blaster burning. The man is terrified, meeting the Empress' gaze. He closes the vent and rushes out of sight.

Silence returns. Rey looks at her burned leg. Panic sets in. The wound is less ruinous to her than the shattering of her confidence. She is completely alone. And already a first hit. All the station is racing to kill her.

She has done enough damage. She's fulfilled her promise, now to flee.

Rey pushes herself, but when trying to lift with her burned leg, she collapses and crashes full speed into a panel. It dazes her, but worse: the panic increases. She tries to fly away faster, but only more slips. Now she can see hover platforms closing in.

She tries to fly into a ceiling chute, but she only manages to flutter up to it, troopers begin firing explosive rounds. Rey barely makes it. Her breathing fast and uncontrolled.

She looks around the deep vent. Unclear on where to go. She can hear more hover-platforms. Her eyes screaming.

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151 Mass Hauling Room – Int. 151

Near the core is a room for storing and repairing massive machinery. It stretches kilometers across in every direction, punctuated by super machines and elevators. It exists as the supply vein for the core reactor. Controlling this area controls the core.

At the moment, that is the Cassariot's troopers. However, that is now highly contested: Knowing Kylo likely spoiled the sabotage, Poe called in Republic reinforcements. The unified Cluster army waits in the elevator shafts for the coordinated attack.

At the back, within a makeshift command tent, Cassariot paces in anticipation. Kylo stands by. Seventeen Princes of Dawn wait with them.

Prince Helena arrives with two more Princes.

PRINCE HELENA We have them, your grace.

CASSARIOT …Then it is time.

Prince Helena and three other Princes were in headquarters to hear this plan already. The eager remainder is starved for an explanation.

CASSARIOT I have decided to sabotage this death star. It will explode soon, taking the Empress with it. The elevator behind can shift to a hidden tunnel to an escape hangar. We will be leaving this way in secret.

Visible disgust on the enlightened Princes.

PRINCE KETTLE … we're abandoning our brothers?

CASSARIOT We have no choice. The Empress is already set on destroying this station and us with her. We can't stop her. We CAN take her out with our Death Star.

PRINCE COLACO No! This is our castle. We can't—

CASSARIOT We are facing the EMPRESS OF DEATH! You know her power. The difference between her and us… She wants to destroy this base and all of us in it. If she gets a sign we have left, she will chase us and kill us. This many troopers and Princes can trap her here as well as the Crownhunters. Without her, we will be the greatest in the galaxy. We can regain what we lose today!

PRINCE HELENA …I would prefer to stay Emperor Cassariot.

Cassariot stays off his sorrow. He expected this.

CASSARIOT I can understand your wishes. We started as SLAVES and rose above all. Even with twenty, we will rise again. It is our nature. I need you. You are all my best. If you wish to stay, you may. But with so few of us, we will need every hand. Please. Join me in our next ascension.

A pause.

Only one other prince goes to Prince Helena's side.

CASSARIOT The sacrifices will not be in vain, Helena.

PRINCE HELENA See to it, Cassariot. I'll watch you from beyond the stars.

CASSARIOT I'll look for you between them.

Cassariot goes to hug Prince Helena and the other prince. The other princes go one at a time to say their goodbyes. Cassariot gets the elevator ready in the back. Kylo walks up behind him.

CASSARIOT We are going our separate ways from here.

KYLO I will need a ship for my family. Are there enough inside the emergency hangar?

Cassariot looks back, shrugs, and pulls up the hangar on the viewport. Then backs up.

CASSARIOT See for yourself.

Kylo leans in. There is only one ship.

Cassariot begins whipping Kylo's back, inflicting all the pain he can. Kylo brought to his knees, futilely trying to deflect the blows.

Cassariot shouts while wailing on the man:

CASSARIOT You! Always you! Betrayer! Traitor! I cannot make sense of your ever shifting motivations! You SET US UP! For whom? For Finn!? And when would you betray him!? You vaxlaia!

Cassariot turns Kylo around to see his face. Continues to whip him from the front.

CASSARIOT (cont.) Now you are betrayed! And you deserve much more than this. I'll let Dameron do the rest.

Cassariot rips out Kylo's tongue and stops his onslaught. Satisfied with his work.

The elevator opens.

CASSARIOT Let us go then.

The princes all walk over the broken Knight. They leave him to writhe as the only man left in the command tent.

(Disguised Crownhunters plant bombs in the crowded hauling room. They all detonate at the same time as a flood of cluster soldiers start their first major wave. General Organa leads the charge.)

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152 Elevator Shaft – Int. 152

Poe and Aeneas stand together with a group of sixty Crownhunters around them. They sink down the impossible long chute in apprehended hover-platforms, overcrowding with legs dangling from the vehicle. Every soldier stares at the madness under their feet.

The roaring aftermath of Organa's attack. The only guiding light in the dead dark cavern.

The sound of screams and blasters still echo through the chute, almost pushing back our squad.

POE Long day.

AENEAS Almost over. We infiltrated everything by this point.

POE It's been a while since our opening. Think Organa will leave us any Big Imps?

AENEAS The core's hauling room is the choke point to access the core reactor. Everyone is there.

POE I'm only looking for one.

They arrive. The hover-platforms fly into the ongoing hellscape.

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153 Mass Hauling Room – Int. 153

The hauling room is a mess of bodies and metal. Pockets of continued fighting are distant around them. He signals for one platform to give backup a group of Cluster soldiers.

Poe spots the large burning tent in the back. He floats his craft to this goal. One the way, he sees general Organa, dead, surrounded by sliced enemies. Poe bows his head as they move on to their target.

Landing, the Crownhunters secure the area, but nothing is left to fight. Poe and Aeneas enter the tent. And there: the fading tatters of Kylo Ren. Poe and Aeneas eye each other, surprised to find anyone still here, especially the target. Poe keeps his rifle raised while approaching.

POE All that goodwill you made with people finally paid off, eh Kylo?

Kylo laments. That snark will be the last thing he hears.

But Poe only lingers over him.

AENEAS Sir?

POE Taking a second. I might regret this.

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154 Escape Slicerail – Int. 154

Dark tunnel, endless from both ends. Finn hangs from a ladder, waiting.

The slicerail races forward. Finn dives.

Inside the escape car, Cassariot stays in the far back, beside the door. The moment he entered, his cowardice sunk in, and collapsed on the first seat. His head hung low in a silent dirge. His Princes of Dawn quietly talking toward the front, wanting to give their emperor a moment of silence.

Finn intercepts the car, cuts through the ceiling, and drops inside. The princes spring to action.

The first prince fires beams of light through his eyes, passing through Finn into another prince. Just as the first prince reacts to this, Finn cuts him down.

Two more raise bands of lightning, but pathetic compared to Rey. Finn dices and charges forward.

Cassariot lifts his head in horror. He feels every death. He begins stretching, bringing forth whips, making more until he has a tangle of twenty.

Finn chops down the last prince in the crowd. All that is left is Cassariot now.

Cassariot casts the strings into Finn, extending in every direction to trap him. Finn walks through effortlessly. Cassariot whips once, twice, then Finn closes the distance and backhands the emperor.

A stunned Cassariot falls to the ground. Finn cuts off his legs from the knees. Finn rests the lightsaber at the base of Cassariot's chin.

FINN Surrender Cassariot. It's over.

Cassariot ignores the blade. He looks over the corpse pile of his best men. How quickly and how easily everything fell apart. The tears arrive under Cassariot's face now. There is nothing to be proud of anymore.

CASSARIOT No! NO! You killed them! Kill me! Do it. End it!

Finn looks back over his shoulder at the dead. The life Cassariot saw in them he saw as well, in myriad visions. He knew many of their names. He could see even more potential in them than Cassariot. Though now all that was gone by his hand. Finn understands Cassariot.

FINN I know. I am sorry. They were good men, Cassariot. Strong.

CASSARIOT No! You don't get to say anything about them! Of all the those you have spared, you ended them —my closest.

FINN Because they were strong, Cassariot. Like you wanted them. And with twenty… no other way. More time… or stronger… they all would be alive.

CASSARIOT Cease this. End me with them.

FINN Only if that's your choice Cassariot, I have an offer.

Cassariot laughs.

FINN You kept the Crownhunter's sabotage. This death star won't have long. Turn on the evacuation alarm. I don't have the codes for it.

CASSARIOT Hmpf. We can die together.

FINN …you love your brothers, yes?

CASSARIOT …

FINN Your twenty are gone now. But the ones behind you can still escape. They will live on… without you.

CASSARIOT You'd let them go?

FINN I have seen what they can be without someone bending them. They may exit.

CASSARIOT Ah. Visions. That's how you did all this?

FINN Yes.

CASSARIOT The one trick our masters couldn't teach us.

FINN You had no other weaknesses.

Cassariot looks down. A slight fanciful smile cracks over his defeated face.

CASSARIOT We must have been a frightening future to warrant all this. Tell me this Finn… what were we to be?

FINN A thousand-year scourge on the galaxy. Yourself the God-Emperor for half that time. Enslaved every planet. The internal wars for succession created more voids than stars. Your shadow permanently cut into a once bright system.

A glimmer flickers in Cassariot's eye.

CASSARIOT Not bad for a slave, eh?

FINN …No one else could do it.

Cassariot heaves his head to look up at Finn, a thankful gesture. The Jedi Master's eyes have no hate, to Cassariot's surprise, only filled with hope. Cassariot understands.

Cassariot reaches up to the terminal next to him. He presses a long chain of inputs.

PROMPT ANDROID Evacuation Code requires ranked credentials. Please enter.

CASSARIOT Augustus Echolous Cizero of Tudorn.

PROMPT ANDROID Emperor-level code accepted.

The elevator lights up red, and the sirens scream. Finn looks back at the crippled emperor. The deal has been made, but can he risk it?

Cassariot opens himself for an attack.

CASSARIOT Nothing's stopping you.

FINN …I keep my promises. No legs, no pilot… I have done enough.

Finn slices the doors open, ready to fly off.

CASSARIOT You're going back there?

FINN Rey wasn't at our rendezvous point… one of yours must have got her.

CASSARIOT …I hope you find her. May the Force be with you, Jedi Warrior.

FINN Good luck, Cassariot.

Finn flies off. Cassariot left alone with his fallen brothers.

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