FINAL STAND
.HE Final Stand 2/13/87 #
FADE IN:
EXT SKY - JUMPSHIP - MORNING
The jumpship screams across the landscape TOWARD CAMERA, shooting past us and then away into the distance UNDER:
POWER (VO)
Database Journal: 1/7/99. Captain
reporting. En route to sector seven,
grid coordinates nine-by-five. It used
to have a name, once. Not any more.
INT JUMPSHIP - COCKPIT
TIGHT on Scout working a portable monitor/laptop computer, wires hanging everywhichway. The workspace is cramped – he has it all pretty much in his lap, on the floor, the others visible just behind, at their stations.
POWER (VO/cont'd)
Scout's first attempt with the biodread
receiver gave us enough date to locate their
next target. Just hope we get there in time.
Power squeezes past the cockpit seats and leans over toward Scout, who barely looks up from his work.
POWER
Pick up anything else?
SCOUT
Not yet. That's the problem with
biomechs -- they're hard to pin down.
Broadcasting all over the spectrum.
POWER
Keep at it. Shout if you get anything.
He claps Scout on the shoulder, heads back into the cockpit. Pilot is at the controls, Tank beside her, as Hawk examines a grid-map.
POWER
Status?
HAWK
Last survey shows two, maybe three
hundred civilians in the area.
POWER
How long to evacuate everyone? Best guess.
TANK
Three trips -- say, one hour.
POWER
Not good enough. Dread forces could
be on us by then, digitize the
whole bunch before we even --
Suddenly a warning light FLASHES on the console. Pilot notes it.
PILOT
Speak of the devil. Biodread at six o'clock.
EXT SKY - ANOTHER ANGLE - SOARON
Streaking TOWARD camera and banking around. (INTERACTIVE)
INT JUMPSHIP - COCKPIT
Everyone's getting into battle positions.
POWER
Has it seen us yet?
PILOT
I don't think so -- not yet.
And suddenly Power is all business, taking his place at the helm, flipping switches and checking coordinates.
POWER
Let's keep it that way. Hawk, you get
those antiques installed?
HAWK
On line and ready to go.
POWER
Fire number one.
EXT JUMPSHIP - UNDERBELLY
A pair of side-hatches swing open, revealing two air-to-air missiles, looking pretty old but useable. One of the missiles FLARES to life and BLASTS off into the distance.
EXT SKY - SOARON
Streaking along when suddenly it looks behind, sees the oncoming missile racing toward him from behind. Soaron banks, swerves. The missile stays right on his tail. He fires at it, just misses.
SOARON
Pursuit mode. Maximum burn -- now.
His jets flare brighter as he picks up speed, starts to bank around to face the oncoming missile. (INTERACTIVE)
INT JUMPSHIP
Power smiles grimly.
POWER
Distracted. Good! And -- fire two!
Bring us up on it, 90 degree angle, fast!
EXT JUMPSHIP
The second missile flares to life and is FIRED.
EXT SKY - SOARON
Hovering, facing the oncoming missile. He raises one hand, FIRES. (INTERACTIVE) The missile is hit, EXPLODES.
SOARON
Target destroyed. Follow-up attack
projected.
It turns, back to us, (INTERACTIVE), SEES:
EXT JUMPSHIP - FORWARD LASERS
The lasers FIRE TOWARD CAMERA. (INTERACTIVE)
SOARON
Zooms in and out of the rays, FIRING as he goes. (INTERACTIVE)
SOARON
Enemy sighted -- preparing to --
(hears sudden roar)
-- what?
He spins around. Too late.
THE MISSILE - streaking right INTO CAMERA –
SOARON - tries to get out of the way, executing evasive maneuvers, FIRING (INTERACTIVE). But it's too late –
THE MISSILE - hits, EXPLODES. Smoking, damaged, Soaron FALLS.
INT JUMPSHIP
All smiling. Hawk looks to Power.
HAWK
Nice. It expected a follow-up attack,
but not from two directions at once.
POWER
Should buy us just enough time to get
those people out. Maximum drive, Pilot.
PILOT
Full throttle, Captain.
EXT GROUND - ANGLE TOWARD SKY
As the jumpship shoots past overhead, PAN DOWN to Soaron, now in various pieces, but his eyes still glowing. Tracking with the passing jumpship.
SOARON
Systems disabled, my lord. Required
time for regeneration: two hours.
And on the word "regeneration," a segment of broken wing suddenly shoots out, repairing itself. Growing.
EXT VOLCANIA - ESTABLISHING
Stock. Gouts of fire from the rim. (INTERACTIVE)
INT VOLCANIA - DREAD'S CHAMBER
Where Dread focuses his attention on a map lit with tiny grids. He frowns. On one screen, riddled with static, is Soaron's POV.
DREAD
Finalize regeneration and then complete
the mission. Locate the humans,
digitize and store.
SOARON (VO)
Yes, my lord.
Dread toggles a button. The image vanishes from his screen.
MENTOR
More salvaged artifacts from Seattle
for your examination, Lord Dread.
Dread steps down from his chair to a wall panel (small, two feet by two feet) that opens to reveal a MIRRORED INTERIOR as he approaches. Inside it we can SEE a collection of seeming junk. He goes through it, smiling as he picks out a working music box, an antique locket, a pocket-watch – all UNDER:
DREAD
Yes -- this we'll save -- and this,
nice, very nice --
– and then he stops. Picks up one of those children's glass- and-wood wind-up music-boxes. Below the glass lid a cardboard cutout of a rather grotesque robot lay still. He touches it. The music GRINDS to life. The robot dances a twisted, almost spastic kind of dance. Dread looks from the robot to the mirrored reflection of his own face, and back. He frowns. Throws the music-box back into the panel. Heads back to this seat. A glass sheet slides down as a JET OF FLAME fills the small container. The robot burns as it dances . . . .
EXT RUINED CITY
The Jumpship, in fg, has landed. The ramp lowers. Power and the rest clamber out, looking up and down the debris-clogged street. Weapons drawn, they take up positions on either side of the street and start moving down and away. Scout is in the lead.
POWER
All right -- hit it. Quarter and
search by sectors. First one to find
anybody, chirp in. Keep it loose.
QUICK SHOTS:
Everything quiet, dead. Scout, skirting under a broken window ledge, then popping up to look inside. Nothing. He moves on.
Pilot looking in a door, moving on. She stops, glances down, picks something up. We SEE it close: a makeshift doll, made of a cloth cut in human shape, stapled to a torn baseball marked with pen-drawn eyes and mouth. Sad and abandoned. She starts to throw it away, rethinks, sets it gently on a ledge. Moves on.
Hawk racing across a street, hitting the wall, listening, moving on. Exchanging a glance with Power further on.
POV ANGLE - TANK
SHOOTING THROUGH a curtained window. The curtain moves slightly, as if someone is holding it back. Through the window we SEE Tank moving down an intersecting street. At an angle to the window, we can see several women and children huddling against a wall.
KASKO (OS)
(quietly)
Well, well, what do you know?
WOMAN
Please, if you'll just let us go --
KASKO (OS)
Quiet! This is what I've been waiting for.
With that, the curtain falls closed again.
EXT STREET
Power and Hawk squat down beside an old suitcase on the ground. Clothes are scattered everywhichway. As if thrown there. Then:
SCOUT (OS)
Captain! Over here!
They head off toward
INT ALLEY
Move into the shot slowly, moving with Power and Hawk as they enter the alley – and we see what they see: burned husks of cars, garishly painted slogans and pictures, including the words THE MARAUDERS; the leftover ash of a huge bonfire; cases of food and (presumably) alcohol scattered everywhere. The rest are already on the scene as Power and Hawk enter.
POWER
. . . marauders.
HAWK
Looks like it.
POWER
Hit and run. Take what they can and
burn the rest. Bad enough we've got
bio-dreads to worry about; but looters
-- humans preying on other humans --
Tank comes up on the run, stops beside Power.
TANK
Marauders hit the place hard, Captain.
Drove everybody out. Best guess is the
whole sector's abandoned.
HAWK
At least it puts them out of Dread's
reach.
POWER
(grudgingly)
Yes -- but I'd prefer it if we could've
gotten them to the Passages, someplace
relatively safe --
And suddenly they're all alert, all diving for walls and cover at the sudden sound of:
KASKO (OS)
I'd be worried about my own safety
right now, if I were you!
Tank starts. Frowns. Scans the rooftops.
TANK
(half to himself)
That voice -- I know that voice --
POWER
Could be a trap. Power on!
QUICK SHOTS:
Instinctively, reflexively, they press their actibadges. With a FLASH of PYROTECHNICS their softsuits transform. They unsling their heavy-duty weapons. Scan the area.
KASKO (OS)
How about the safety of others? Eh?
Care about that, any of you?
POWER
(to Scout)
Get a fix. Cross and triangulate.
SCOUT'S POV - THROUGH VISOR
Everything red-tinted. We HEAR Kasko's voice with a slight REVERB, tiny cross-hairs (VIDEO) intersecting on the visor to focus on a rooftop across the street, all UNDER:
KASKO (OS/cont'd)
You always were worried about the
little guy, Michael. Better start
worrying now, old friend. Worry real hard.
BACK TO SCENE
Scout suddenly points to the indicated rooftop.
SCOUT
There!
POWER
(to Hawk)
Go!
Hawk's jets flare to life. He shoots up toward the rooftop –
ANGLE - ROOFTOP
As Hawk comes over the edge of the ledge, weapon in his hands. Ready to fire – when suddenly he sees who's up there: one man. Dressed in fatigues, and cammies, and leather, and bits of old and blasted armor plating – something cobbled up from your worst nightmare of the ultimate thug. He's big. Powerful. Muscled but the kind of lean you get from using those muscles to beat the crap out of other people. His face is scarred, dirty. In one hand he holds a device of some sort; in the other hand he holds a walkie talkie. He stares into Hawk's visor with contempt.
KASKO
Kill me, pal, and everybody dies.
Hawk hesitates. Then lowers the blaster. Kasko smiles. It's not a pretty sight.
EXT STREET
Hawk lowers to ground level as, across the street and down, Kasko comes out of a ruined building and approaches – but stops at a safe distance. Even through the armor, we see Tank tense.
TANK
Kasko . . . .
POWER
You know him?
Tank presses his actibadge. The powersuit reverts back to its normal soft form. He nods. He's not happy.
TANK
Yeah. I know him. Name's Kasko. Came
out of the same experimental community I
did. Genetically engineered. A mutant.
KASKO
Same as you.
Tank's face tightens. He doesn't like this topic much.
TANK
(quiet)
Like me.
WIDEN
As the rest reach for their actibadges. Switch them off. Revert to their normal uniforms.
KASKO
Ah, much better. Now we can talk like
civilized people.
TANK
We've got nothing to say to you, Kasko.
KASKO
(snaps it out)
This isn't the time for high-and-
mighties, Michael. Not with the lives
of women and children at stake.
(snigger)
Thought that'd get your attention. See,
not everyone got out. Still a half dozen,
mainly women and kids -- slow, you know.
I was about to let 'em go, then head
out myself, join up with the rest of the
gang. Then I saw you drop in. Lucky me.
Kasko holds up the device. We see that he's clutching it tight.
KASKO
A simple detonator. Radio-controlled.
On a dead-man switch. Kill me, and I
let go. I let go -- and boom. Women
and kids go bye-bye. Big mess. The
other half's wired to a timer. If I
don't stop it, in one hour, it goes
boom anyway. Unless we make a deal.
TANK
Don't believe him, Captain. The man's slime.
He starts forward, angry. Power puts out a restraining hand.
POWER
How do we know you really have hostages?
Kasko smiles, flicks on the walkie-talkie. Speaks into it.
KASKO
Showtime, lady. Do it like I told you,
or it's bye-bye time.
WOMAN (VO)
(over walkie-talkie)
Hello? Someone, please, help us! He's
-- he's going to kill us. He's got
plastique, wired to the door. Ogod, he
says he'll blow us all up, help us,
please. Please!
During this, we SEE the anguish on everyone's face. Scout takes a sudden step forward.
SCOUT
(very quickly)
Where you are?
WOMAN (VO)
We're in the --
Suddenly Kasko crushes the walkie-talkie in one hand. Smiles.
KASKO
Sorry. Line's . . . dead. Do we deal?
Power looks to the rest. They haven't got much choice.
POWER
What do you want?
KASKO
From you -- nothing. It's him I want.
We have an old score to settle, don't we?
And he's indicating Tank. Tank says nothing.
KASKO
Here's the deal. I'll release the
hostages before the bomb goes off -- on
one condition: you come out and face
me. One on one. Without the armor.
Think about it -- but not too long.
He turns and walks off a few paces. Leans up against a wall, every inch of him cocky and self-assured. Power and the rest confer.
TANK
Captain --
POWER
Negative, Tank. It's too dangerous.
HAWK
If we told him about the bio-dread --
TANK
He wouldn't believe us. Even if he
did, it wouldn't matter. He's mad,
captain. You've got to let me do it.
POWER
If a biodread gets here and you're out
of armor, you'll be helpless.
TANK
I know. Captain, we're running out of time.
Power is anguished. He doesn't like the decision that seems to be creeping inevitably forward.
PILOT
He's right. I don't know which'll hit
first, the blast or a biodread, but
either way the hostages are finished
unless we move fast.
POWER
(finally)
All right. Meanwhile we'll try to find
the hostages on our own. The second we
do, we're coming after you. Got it?
Tank nods. Face set, a mask, he starts back toward the jumpship.
POWER
Blast. I don't like this. I don't
like this at all.
They start off after him.
EXT OPEN TERRAIN
Soaron raises an arm, or what remains of it. Flexes. Another replacement section of the arm suddenly appears.
SOARON
Regeneration fifty percent complete.
Time remaining: one hour.
CLOSE on those eyes. Hateful. (INTERACTIVE?)
EXT JUMPSHIP
Tank comes down the ramp – minus his armor. Muscle-shirt and pants, shoes. He's BIG. The rest stand before him. He pauses.
TANK
One favor. If it comes down to the
last minute, get the hostages out of
here. I can take care of myself.
Promise me that much.
Power hesitates, then nods.
POWER
You have my word. And when this is all
over, you can tell us what the heck
it's all about.
TANK
Maybe. We'll see.
He starts off. And from nowhere, everywhere, we HEAR:
KASKO (OS)
Come on out, Michael! I'm waiting for
you! Street rules?
TANK
(pause, then firmly:)
Street rules.
And he continues on a pace. Pilot calls out to him.
PILOT
Tank? Street rules?
Tank doesn't even look back. Calls over his shoulder:
TANK
To the death.
And on that note, he walks off into the distance, and we
FADE OUT: End_Act_One Act_Two
FADE IN:
EXT JUMPSHIP - STREET
Scout works on the ruined walkie-talkie with a screwdriver, the laptop computer in his hand. Power, pacing, stops beside him.
POWER
How much longer?
SCOUT
(struggling with it)
Just a bit. I was hoping he'd break it
-- then leave it. The speaker may be
broken, but there's still the --
With a CRACK the panel he wants pops out. He holds it up, smiles.
SCOUT
-- the crystal. Just interface this
with the receiver, and we should be
able to locate the other walkie-talkie,
assuming it's still transmitting.
POWER
Then get to it. We've only got forty-
five minutes left.
With a nod, Scout starts ripping into the laptop computer. Power moves on, joins Hawk and Pilot.
PILOT
You think Tank can take this guy?
HAWK
He's been through worse.
POWER
Yeah. I just wish I knew what was
going on out there.
EXT STREET - DEEP IN RUINED CITY
Where Tank moves cautiously up a buckled sidewalk, buildings – little more than skeletons of girder and brick – looming over him on either side. Kasko could be anywhere, and he knows it.
KASKO (OS)
Just like old times, back in Babylon
Five, isn't it?
TANK
Look -- you want me, you got me. Come
on out. Let's finish this.
KASKO (OS)
I'm in no hurry. Plenty of time to
die, Michael. All the time in the world.
Suddenly there's a RUMBLE from somewhere above: a crumbling smokestack is shattered from behind. The lethal rain of bricks streaks down toward Tank, who barely manages to leap out of the way in time. He lands hard against the bulk of a ruined car.
Kasko appears at the ledge of the building, squats and looks down at Tank. He's enjoying this immensely.
KASKO
I promised I'd find you someday,
remember? Pay you back. All you had
to do was be quiet. I could've been in
charge at Babylon Five -- but then you
went to the Council, had to tell them
what we were up to. And you didn't
like the Council any more than I did.
TANK
They were bad. Murderers, madmen --
but you would've been worse. You're a
sick man, Kasko.
And Kasko looks about ready to kill Tank with his bare hands.
KASKO
Sick?! Do_you_know_what_they_did_to
me?
Tank stops. Nods. His head drops. It's not a pleasant memory.
TANK
Yes. But if I hadn't stopped you,
hundreds, thousands would've been
killed, I --
Suddenly he stops, looks around. Kasko's gone. He tenses. Then: the whistle of something cutting through the air. He leaps out of the way just as a six-foot shaft of lethal metal pipe – virtually a spear – comes shooting across the street, hits the side of the car, and penetrates two-thirds through. Tank comes to a tuck-and-roll stop, on his feet, hands ready, eyes everywhere. But there is only the hollow mocking of:
KASKO (OS)
You always were a loser, Michael.
Tank's face tightens, but he doesn't say anything. Just picks himself up and continues down the street, hugging the wall.
EXT OPEN TERRAIN
Where Soaron comes to his feet. Sways, but he's stable. UPSHOT on him as he tries his back-jets. They FIRE (INTERACTIVE), but just for a second before flaring out, with a sputter and GRIND. Soaron turns, looks off in the direction the jumpship went in.
SOARON
Not quite yet. But soon. Soon.
With that, Soaron turns, and blasts the bejeebers out of a boulder.
EXT JUMPSHIP - STREET
As Scout comes barreling out of the jumpship. The laptop computer is BEEPING, slowly, steadily. He runs to the rest.
SCOUT
Captain! I've got it! Picking up the
frequency loud and clear.
POWER
Can you get a fix on the location?
SCOUT
It'll take a while --
HAWK
We don't have a while.
PILOT
Twenty minutes till the bomb goes. Who
knows when a biodread'll get here.
POWER
Then let's get started. Which way?
Scout checks the laptop computer. Swings it around. The beeping is louder in one direction. He points.
SCOUT
That way. Come on!
He heads off. They follow him.
EXT ANOTHER STREET - RUINED CITY
Tank comes to a door. Listens, then kicks it in. Nothing. He looks back at the street.
TANK
We're running out of time, Kasko. You
said you'd release the hostages.
Then, suddenly, a door across the street opens. From inside:
KASKO (OS)
Why don't you come in and make me?
Tank heads across the street.
INT RUINED BUILDING
Tank comes to the doorway, looks inside. Nothing. Just debris and fallen beams and bits of furniture. The plaster is off the walls and (most importantly) the ceiling in places. As Tank checks out the room, he hears footsteps up above, on the second floor. He moves to the stairs, starts up.
INT UPSTAIRS ROOM
Virtually the same as the one below. (Can be redressed to double as the downstairs room, and the room where the hostages are being kept.) Kasko's sitting on a chair against the wall opposite the door, where Tank enters. Kasko is toying with the detonator.
KASKO
You know, I was thinking. You're
right. Time's nearly up. If you don't
find those people soon -- boom. Guess
you should take this before they get
hurt. Here. Take it.
He holds out the detonator. Tank looks to either side, sees nothing – but knows there's more going on here. He doesn't trust this guy one bit. But he doesn't have much choice. He starts forward – and suddenly there's a CRACK as the flooring gives way! With a YELL he falls down through the rotten boards.
DOWNSHOT through the hole, as Kasko looks down at Tank, prone on the floor down below. Unconscious. He heads for the door.
EXT ANOTHER STREET - CITY
Power, Scout, Tank and Pilot move quickly down the street. The laptop computer BEEPS faster, louder, as they proceed. Finally, Scout stops before a building. The BEEPING is insistent, loud.
SCOUT
This is it. C'mon!
POWER
Wait.
Power goes up to the door. Turns the knob slowly. Nothing. It turns easily. He shifts it open just a bit.
INT BUILDING
We SEE his fingers slithering around the doorjamb. Feeling for wires. Finally, finding nothing, he slowly opens the door – and REACTS at what he sees: across the room is a second, locked metal door leading into a storage room. The bomb has been welded onto the door at the jamb. The knob is wired, and there are additional contact wires at the top and bottom of the door. There are three lights on the device: green, yellow, red. The green light is on. The digital count-down readout says 08:30. Power rushes to the inner door, the others behind him.
POWER
Pilot, check for rear windows.
PILOT
(heading back out)
On it.
POWER
(through door)
Hello? Can you hear me? Are you okay?
INT STORAGE ROOM
Where the Woman rushes to the other side of the door – but stops before it without touching it. We see the other women and kids scattered around the room.
WOMAN
Yes! We hear you! Please, get us out
of here!
INT MAIN ROOM
Where Power is closely examining the device as Pilot rushes in.
POWER
You'll be okay -- just stay clear of
the door.
PILOT
This is the only way in or out.
POWER
(long exhale)
Right. Okay -- let's do it.
And he begins to examine the detonating device.
INT BUILDING - MAIN ROOM
Where Tank regains consciousness on the floor. He clutches his head, tries to stand. His knees are like rubber, barely sustaining him as he pushes himself up – only to be roundly kicked down again by Kasko.
KASKO
Welcome back to the real world.
TANK
(realizing)
Time -- what time -- how long --
Kasko sits on a stool across the room, against the street wall. He holds the detonator in his hands. We see now that the device also has three lights on it: green, yellow, red. Green is lit.
KASKO
Five minutes. But I decided, why wait?
One little push of the button, and --
bye bye. And I wanted you to see it
happen. I want your last thoughts to
be that those people died because of you.
Tank slowly works himself up to one foot, still a little unsteady.
TANK
Let them go. They're not important.
It's me you want -- let them go.
KASKO
Noble right to the end. Sad, really.
You've lost the killer instinct. If I
didn't know better, I'd say you were
holding back. What'sa matter -- lose
your taste for violence?
TANK
Something like that.
KASKO
Too bad -- for them. Say goodbye.
He toggles up the safety on the detonator. Tank's eyes go wide. He's going to do it. Instinctively, with a YELL, he leaps to his feet and charges across the room, hitting Kasko with all he's got –
TANK
Nooooooooo!
EXT STREET
– and the impact carries them both right through the thin wall and into the street. The detonator rolls out of Kasko's hand and TOWARD CAMERA. It's now flashing yellow.
INT OTHER ROOM
Where as Power reaches to cut a wire, the light suddenly flashes yellow.
POWER
Everybody else out. Fast!
(at their hesitation)
Move it!
Hawk, Scout and Pilot hesitate, then leave. Power keeps working.
EXT STREET
Kasko rolls to his feet, and Tank does the same. The detonator is equidistant from them both. Kasko makes a move for it. Tank blocks his way. Kasko – smiles. With a YELL he charges Tank, and the face-to-face battle we've been waiting for begins in earnest. There's nothing pretty about it: down and dirty and rough. Punches, trips, cuffs, each trying to do the maximum amount of damage to the other. (Details left to fight director.)
INT OTHER ROOM
Power hesitates over the last wire. He clips it. The countdown stops at 01:05. He kicks the door open, hurries the people outside.
POWER
Everybody outside! Hurry!
EXT STREET
Everyone scrambles out and down the street as Power turns the people over to Pilot and Scout.
POWER
Get them to the jumpship, fast! Hawk,
with me!
They race off down the street.
EXT OTHER STREET
Where the private war between Tank and Kasko continues, though they are both utterly exhausted, both pretty damagaed. They roll in renewed battle, slugging and punching until they're both on their knees. Kasko, caught in a grip, reaches across the ground for the detonator. Can't quite make it. He chops Tank, gets free. Crawling, he manages to snare the detonator. He puts his thumb to the detonator –
KASKO
You -- lose.
He presses the stud. Nothing. No sound. Except, suddenly, from around one corner:
POWER (OS)
Tank? Tank! We got 'em! C'mon! Soaron's
on the way -- we have to clear out, now!
KASKO
(stunned)
No --
TANK
(smiles grimly)
You lose.
Kasko charges, but Tank delivers a roundhouse blow that sends him flying. Tank stands, a little wobbly, and starts to head off – when suddenly we HEAR the sounds of approaching jets. He signals to Power and Hawk coming around the opposite corner –
TANK
Down! Fast!
And everybody, Kasko included, hits the dirt. He takes cover in a doorway, the others hug the down-slope of the hilly road, peeking out as Soaron appears, flying down the middle of the street, not seeing them yet. He slows. Looks. Listens.
TANK
(whispers)
You guys get out of here.
POWER
Forget it. We can't leave you here --
without armor you wouldn't stand a chance.
HAWK
Question is, how do we activate the suits
without it seeing us and getting Tank?
Meanwhile, in the doorway, as Soaron draws closer, Kasko fumes.
KASKO
(to himself)
No, Michael -- I don't lose. Not yet.
He waits. Then, suddenly, he rushes out of the doorway and into the street. He rushes toward Soaron, waving to get its attention, pointing to where Tank, Power and Hawk are concealed.
KASKO
Over there! Hey! Power and his bunch
-- they're over there!
Soaron turns, sees him.
SOARON
Organic sighted. Obliterate.
And he raises his digitizer – FIRES –
KASKO
No! Noooooooooo!
– digitizing Kasko as Power and Hawk reach for their actibadges.
POWER
Now! Power on!
PYROTECHNICS as the powersuits are activated. Soaron turns, sees them – too late. They FIRE. Sparks FLASH on Soaron's armor. He reels. Blasts bounce, burn, and throw up smoke. (INTERACTIVE)
POWER
Move it! Come on!
They begin running for all they're worth. Soaron shoots through the smoke and pursues, jetting past us. (INTERACTIVE)
EXT STREETS
Power, Tank and Hawk running, giving it all they've got. They race PAST CAMERA, BLASTS from Soaron impacting all around them. They fire back. We just SEE Soaron above, streaking past on a strafing run.
ON SOARON
Moving fast. Faster. Jetting around a corner. (INTERACTIVE)
EXT JUMPSHIP - THROUGH COCKPIT WINDOW
Pilot hits the engines as she sees Tank, Power and Hawk racing toward the ship.
PILOT
Buckle down, everybody! I think we've
got trouble!
INT JUMPSHIP - CARGO HOLD
Scout helps everyone get against a far wall –
SCOUT
Hold tight, and don't move!
– then rushes for the cockpit.
EXT JUMPSHIP - RAMP
Tank, Power and Hawk make for the ramp. BLASTS hit all around them. (INTERACTIVE) Power stops, waves the others on.
POWER
Go on! I'll catch up!
They do. He returns fire, taking what cover he can. A BLAST hits Soaron throws him back, stuns him. (INTERACTIVE)
HAWK
Jonathan! Come on!
Power runs for the ramp, which is already retracting. He leaps through it as the jumpship starts moving:
INT COCKPIT - Pilot FIRES aft lasers. (INTERACTIVE)
SOARON - Hit by the lasers, tumbles in mid-air, over and over.
EXT JUMPSHIP
Turns away from camera and speeds away.
SOARON rights himself, sees the ship taking off. Starts to move after it, but the ship's clearly got too much of a head start. He stops, hovers.
SOARON
Next time.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT JUMPSHIP
Just behind the cockpit. It's later. Tank finishes pulling on the softsuit top. Power comes up behind him. Tank sees him, but only nods. Lost in thought.
POWER
How're you doing?
TANK
Okay.
It's a lie. They both know it. Power waits. Tank looks down.
TANK
Jonathan, when I escaped from Babylon
Five, I swore I'd put that life behind
me, start over. Then he comes along --
brings it all back. Makes me just like him.
POWER
You're not like him. He enjoys what he
does. You don't.
TANK
Thing is, when I finally beat him, I --
god help me, Jonathan, I liked it. So
what makes me different from him?
He smashes a hand into a bulkhead. Torn. Power follows.
POWER
Simple. Tank, he wanted to fight. But
you held back as long as you could. Yeah,
you used sheer force. You had to. Or
be killed. Difference is -- he was
fighting for revenge. You were fighting
for them.
He indicates the rescued people with a nod of his head. Tank follows the look. Frowns. Considers.
POWER
Will that do?
TANK
(a beat)
Yeah, I -- I guess. For now. Thanks.
Power meets his glance. Smiles. Claps Tank on the shoulder, then heads into the cockpit proper. The rest look over at him at:
POWER
All right, people -- next stop, the
Passages . . . then let's go home.
HAWK
Amen.
EXT JUMPSHIP
As the jumpship screams over the landscape, heading away from camera, we
FADE OUT:
The_End
.pa .he
CAPTAIN POWER
And the Soldiers of the Future
"Final Stand"
written by
J. Michael Straczynski
FIRST_DRAFT February 9, 1987 FINAL 2/13/87
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