EXT. MAGNAPOLIS - DUSK

A procession of shuttlecraft move slowly through a canyon of
concrete in the center of Magnopolis. A NEW ANGLE reveals
their destination: the United Center, a large boxy building
in the center of Mangapolis, near the Presidential and
Corporate towers. ANOTHER ANGLE shows the shuttles finally
arriving and docking at the Center. SUPERIMPOSED over this
is the image of a FEMALE REPORTER. She speaks in an
exaggerated tone.

                          REPORTER
          The sun is setting here in
          Magnapolis, seat of the mighty
          United Star Systems, for the first
          time in ninety-six years, and
          against this beautifully dramatic
          backdrop the President arrives at
          the Senate Chambers of the United
          Center to make his annual State of
          the Union Address. This will be
          the President’s first Address, but
          things are expected to run
          smoothly—

PULL BACK TO REVEAL:

INT. STARBASE ONE ONE FOUR - QUARTERS - DIM

Lieutenant Robert Johnson, along with four or five of his
new comrades-at-arms, disinterestedly watches the action
unfold on a holodisplay in his room.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. STARBASE ONE ONE FOUR - COPLEY’S OFFICE - DIM

The same drama plays out on Admiral Copley’s desk. Copley
pours himself another drink as he watches the President exit
his shuttle.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. USS GEMINI - READY ROOM - BRIGHT

Dawson, aboard his flagship the Gemini, observes the
President move in a formal procession toward the entrance to
the building on his own holodisplay. He quickly turns away
and moves out of the small and spare ready room.

INT. USS GEMINI - BRIDGE - BRIGHT - CONTINUOUS

Dawson enters the bridge of the Gemini. A three level room
with a massive bay of windows, it is now a beehive of
activity as dozens of OFFICERS prepare to launch. Outside
the last sliver of Gauleius’s weak sun disappears over the
distant horizon, casting the craters and canyons into
shadow. Dawson steps up to a balcony railing ahead of him
and looks down over his crew. He speaks with amplified
voice.

                           DAWSON
          Prepare for launch in three
          minutes.

INT. UNITED CENTER - DUSK

There is a great FANFARE, and all the SENATORS and
DIGNATARIES inside the Center rise. The room is
unsurpassingly gargantuan and magnificent. Along the rear is
the tiered sitting area for Senators and, above that and to
either side, a sitting area for spectators. In the center
rear, cut through the high seats, is the Grand Entrance, and
above that is a finely-appointed box where the CEO now
stands. At the room’s forefront is the Speaker’s stage and
rostrum where the President will address the assemblage,
above which are two huge holoprojectors which will show the
President larger than life.

Presently a train of DIGNIFIED MEN in exquisite uniforms
ritually enters the room from the Grand Entrance. Near the
rear of this procession strides the President, who stares
unflinchingly ahead ignoring the explosive applause that
greets him. He is sweating and anxious but his face is
serious and his jaw is set.

EXT. UNDERGROUND CITY

HUNDREDS OF FIGHTERS zoom out of their hangars in the craggy
roof of the underground city. They weave in formation
between the buildings and make for a gaping tunnel not far
ahead, its massive doors almost completely open.

IN THE TUNNEL more fighters speed on, leaving the lights of
the city behind. They all head toward another pair of doors
open to the starry night sky.

EXT. GAULEIUS - NIGHT

The fighters blast out of the tunnel and speed over the pock-
marked surface of the planet Gauleius. Already a number of
capital ships have assembled behind them, slowly moving into
the proper formation. Some fighters peel away towards these
larger ships; the advance guard continues on ahead.

INT. UNITED CENTER - CONTINUOUS

The fanfare ends and the applause dies away. The large
audience seats itself almost all at once and the President
steps up to the high podium. He speaks.

                        THE PRESIDENT
          Gentlemen, we are here tonight to
          celebrate the countless glories
          that have befallen our great
          nation of late.

The audience rises to its feet and applauds; the President
smiles faintly.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUOUS

The fleet assembles, capital ships protected by the more
numerous fighters, and they move together toward the nearby
hypergate.

INT. COPLEY’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Copley takes another drink and lays his glass down near his
holovision. The image of the President’s face scatters and
twists through the glass. The President looks around him and
waits for the applause to die down.

                        THE PRESIDENT
          Since declaring war against Al
          T’Har barely one month ago—

INT. UNITED CENTER - CONTINUOUS

A NEW ANGLE shows the President is sweating profusely under
the glare of lights and audience.

                   THE PRESIDENT (CONT'D)
          We have reaped only victory, never
          defeat—

The audience stands again, clapping and cheering. The
President shouts yet his amplified voice is nearly drowned
out.

                   THE PRESIDENT (CONT'D)
          And we have the nation on its very
          knees!

The President looks around him, licks his lips, then finds a
glass of water suddenly placed on the podium beside him. He
takes it to his lips with shaking hand and drinks.

INT. STARBASE ONE ONE FOUR - QUARTERS - CONTINUOUS

Robert Johnson and his wingmates continue to watch as the
President places down and glass and makes ready to speak.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUOUS

The fleet begins to emerge from a hypergate near a small
blue world.

INT. USS GEMINI - STRATEGIC PLANNING ROOM CONTINUOUS

The Strategic Planning Room is a round dark room, the
majority of which is given over to a flat circular object in
the center, like a sort of table, perfectly black. There are
four monitors affixed to the edge of this strange item. The
President’s image is holographically projected on the one
nearest the room’s single entrance; the President stands by
the podium and waits for another spate of clapping to end.
Dawason, standing nearby but examining a separate display,
spins as Exler Joggins enters the room.

                           JOGGINS
          Sir?
          
                           DAWSON
               (Nodding)
          Go ahead with the attack.
          
                           JOGGINS
          Yes, sir.

Joggins leaves just as the President begins to speak again.

INT. UNITED CENTER - CONTINUOUS

The crowd has sat back down.

                        THE PRESIDENT
          We have tasted of glory!

The audience quickly rises to its feet. The President smiles
quickly, then takes another nervous drink and a deep breath.

EXT. SPACE - CONTINUOUS

The capital ships have come to a halt but the fighters swoop
down toward the water planet. Already the first have reached
the upper reaches of the planet’s atmosphere.

INT./EXT. GUNSHIP - CONTINUOUS

INSIDE THE CRAMPED CABIN OF THE GUNSHIP the Black Aces are
assembled. Hayden Doyle guides the vessel toward the planet.

                            DOYLE
          Hold on, guys, we’re entering the
          atmosphere fast.

A FIGHTER ESCORT flanks the gunship as it flies forward. All
of them glow with the heat of entry.

THE CABIN jitters and vibrates and then shakes violently.
Davies grabs a handhold and smiles nervously at the others.
Even they seem a bit on edge.

                            MACY
          Nervous?
          
                           DAVIES
          Yeah.
          
                            STEVE
          We all are.

Getty nods. Willem’s eyes are tightly closed.

INT. UNTIED CENTER - CONTINUOUS

The CEO is on his feet clapping along with the cheering
crowd. He seems almost bored. A NEW ANGLE, FAVOURING the
President as he speaks nervously over the din.

                        THE PRESIDENT
          Thank you. . . I thank you.

EXT. GUNSHIP - MOVING - CONTINUOUS

THE GUNSHIP AND ALL OTHER FIGHTERS pull up as they pass
through white puffy clouds at outrageous speeds. They streak
over green valleys and forested hills and, in the distance,
snow-capped mountains; they scream past the shoreline and
soar over a tumultuous sea.

INSIDE THE CABIN Doyle checks his instruments as he begins
to reduce speed and descend. He speaks without looking back.

                            DOYLE
          Hold on tight!

AHEAD OF THEM the first fighters plunge into the ocean with
a SPLASH.

JACK DAVIES grips his handholds with white knuckles. He
grinds his teeth.

LOOKING FORWARD the waves are rushing up to meet the
gunship, faster, faster, closer, closer, closer, and then,
in the blink of an eye the gunship is--

UNDERWATER, where everything seems to happen in slow motion.
Bubbles stream out of the rear of the fighters and gunship
in brief spurts; sunlight streaks through the water making
playful patterns on the hulls.

INT. UNITED CENTER - CONTINUOUS

The President speaks, his words bolder than his voice.

                        THE PRESIDENT
          And tomorrow brings a better day
          and a stronger nation. We have
          conquered!

At this the audience stands in a chorus of whoops and
cheers.

INT. COPLEY’S OFFICE – CONTINUOUS

Copley drains his drink and exhales heavily.

                           COPLEY
          Fucking circus. But they’re
          barking up the wrong tree, aren’t
          they?

He holds his empty glass in an empty toast to an empty room.

INT. STRATEGIC PLANNING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Dawson observes a holographic representation of the battle
playing out on the round device before him. He touches one
portion of the display with his fingertip twice and drags it
up and left; this particular area of the battlefield is
magnified. He watches ten ships moving forward together, the
one in the center slightly larger than the others.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT./EXT. GUNSHIP - MOVING - CONTINUOUS

The sunlight is gone. The fighters’ own weak lights are
enough to demarcate them but not enough to reveal much of
what’s ahead. Still, some distance away, a bright spot can
be discerned against the inky blackness.

INSIDE THE GUNSHIP Doyle checks displays and controls as he
speaks.

                            DOYLE
          That’s the base ahead. Forward
          elements should be making their
          initial run about now.
          (Turns to the others)
          Then it’s our time to shine.

Some of the others solemnly nod.

AS THE NEAREST FIGHTERS APPROACH MacGuffin Base, they
prepare to launch their first volley of torpedoes.

CLOSE ON MISSILE BAY of one of the fighters. There is a
WHIRRING NOISE and then a torpedo breaks through and passes
out.

ANOTHER ANGLE reveals dozens, maybe hundreds of torpedoes
moving in tandem toward the distant base at break-neck
speed.

INSIDE THE GNUSHIP, Jack Davies looks through the glass
ceiling, rotating his head as torpedoes pass above.

THE TORPEDOES approach the base. MacGuffin Base becomes
suddenly clear, bathed as it is in artificial light. It is
huge, affixed to the ocean floor and built against an
underwater cliff; there are thousands of windows and
portholes and appendages and guns. Submarines are docked,
bubbles stream out in a few spots, and there are a few
openings of various sizes that subs and shuttles can pass
through.

CRANE UP to reveal the station in its entirety: atop the
submerged precipice is an expansive low dome, the base’s
manufacturing center. Suddenly the missiles streak by. A few
are intercepted by guns or countermeasures, but most strike
the dome. There is a riveting explosion and clouds of gas
and sand and billowing flame expand and obscure the station.

THE FIRST WAVE OF FIGHTERS swoop up and over the base and
into the growing cloud.

THE GUNSHIP approaches the base, slowing down as it does so.
In the growing confusion, as dozens of tiny enemy
submersibles emerge from the station, the vessel is barely
fired upon.

INSIDE THE CABIN Doyle maneuvers the gunship close to the
side of the base, making for a wide curving wall with no
windows or visible hatches. One particular spot is
illuminated red and flashing in the HUD.

                            DOYLE
          We’re gonna set it down there. You
          guys better get ready. As soon as
          the umbilical touches down you’d
          better be blasting that hatch. I
          don’t wanna sit here on my hands.

Macy, Steve, Willem and Getty jump into action, grabbing
their proper tools and lining up above a hatch in the
cabin’s floor. Davies remains seated watching the others,
trying to control his face.

OUTSIDE, the gunship deftly positions itself over the
station’s hull, surrounded by chaos. The gunship comes to a
rest and a short accordion-like connector extends and gloms
onto the hull.

INSIDE, Macy watches a display near the hatch as it flashes
red. After a second it turns a solid shade of green. Macy
immediately reaches down to twist the handle on the hatch.

                            MACY
          Pressure’s good.

The hatch opens. Davies peers over everybody’s shoulders as
they begin to hop one by one down into the connector.

INSIDE THE CONNECTOR Steve bends down and takes out an item
that looks like a pin connected to a wire connected to a
handheld monitor. Steve inserts the pin into a tiny hole in
the hull of the station at his feet.

                            STEVE
          Watch out. Get behind me.

At that moment there’s a BEEP and the others move behind
Steve. Steve removes the pin from the hole and a hatch, so
perfectly placed into the hull that it was near invisible to
the naked eye, suddenly pulls back. Steve is the first
through, finding a ladder leading down.

OUTSIDE, a sub is in hot pursuit of a fighter. The fighter
barrel-rolls toward the station and pulls away at the last
moment. The sub is forced to pull too late and grazes the
station’s hull, spinning terribly as it zooms away in the
opposite direction. It suddenly collides with a fighter and
the two vessels explode. A huge intact hunk of the fighter
spirals away – directly toward the nearby stationary
gunship.

INSIDE, Doyle sees the twisted steel approaching.

                            DOYLE
          Oh, shit.

4/11/2003 10:15:45 PM
(Updated: 4/12/2003 5:43:18 PM)
(Updated: 4/12/2003 5:49:06 PM)

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