PRELUDE TO ATHENA: A FAMILY REUNITES

PRELUDE TO ATHENA: A FAMILY REUNITES ALEX BAMFORD FADE IN: INT A STAR CHART IS SEEN WITH MULTIPLE PLANETS DOTTED ACROSS THE SCREEN. ONE PLANET IS BLINKING REPEATEDLY. AN OUTSTRETCHED FINGER POINTS AT THE PLANET. CAMERA PANS REVEAL HARAKA IN FULL BATTLE ARMOUR AND THE MONARCH IN THE BACKGROUND ON A RAISED THRONE WITH HONOURED GUARDS TO EITHER SIDE OF THE THRONE. HARAKA: He’s there. MONARCH: How sure are you? HARAKA: I'm a man of my word. Give me the order and I can have a battalion find The Knight and bring him to you. THE MONARCH RISES FROM HER CHAIR AND MOVES SWIFTLY TO HARAKA GETTING RIGHT IN HIS FACE. MONARCH: No. I have a better idea. The people of that planet adore him. Attack the capital. Teach him a lesson. Make him realise he should never have gotten the innocents involved in a war they weren't originally not a part of. HARAKA SMIRKS AND WALKS OFF. HARAKA: With pleasure. THE MONARCH CONTINUES TO LOOK AT THE STAR CHART. SHE REACHES INTO HER ROBE, PULLING OUT A BEJEWLLED DAGGER, AND WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE STAR CHARTED SCREEN, SHE PLUNGES IT INTO THE DORRIS PRIME ICON. MONARCH: Helm. You know our course. Head for Dorris Prime. CUT TO BLACK. FADE IN: AN EARTH-LIKE PLANET. THE CAMERA FLYS OVER TREE AND THROUGH BUSHES REVEALING A CITY. POPULATED AND LIVELY. A GIANT PALACE SHADOWS THE CITY IN A FRIENDLY, PROTECTIVE LIGHT. THIS IS THE CAPITAL OF DORRIS PRIME, EMERALD. CUT TO: THE CITY. PEOPLE GO ABOUT THEIR DAILY BUSINESS/ROUTINE. PEOPLE ARE CHATTING, SHOPPING ETC. A SONIC BOOM IS HEARD AND THEY ALL LOOK UP IN CONFUSION AND CURIOSITY. AMELIA IS SEEN. SHE SWING OVER THE CITY AND THE CROWD CHEERS. FADE TO: AMELIA EXT AMELIA HAS LANDED. HER EXTERIOR RAMP OPENS AND JACK AND LUCY WALK OUT (BOTH WEAR THE CIVILIAN CLOTHING WORN IN “PRELUDE TO ATHENA: THE KNIGHT” BUT WITH JACK WEARING A BLACK DOG TAG AND LUCY A BLUE). THEY BOTH WALK TOWARDS THE PALACE. LUCY: I love coming here. JACK: I’ll second that. LUCY: (slightly confused) But why are we here? JACK: We need to lay low for a while, Mother dear and Haraka will be harbouring a grudge after what we pulled off. Call it, damage control! LUCY: Fair enough. Your Mother has always been one for an argument. She's like a dog with a bone. THEY LAUGH, WALKING UP TO A FLIGHT OF STAIRS THAT LEAD UP TO THE MAIN GATE. TWO GUARDS STAND AND WATCH THEM APPROACH. JACK: SLIGHTLY SHEEPISH Are we all still up for drinks later? LUCY: Of course we are. You don't need to tread on egg shells around us you know! JACK: I know, I know. I'm just aware that I’ve been hard on you all as of late. Unfortunately it’s the stress. LUCY: THE PAIR STOP Look, Jack, we all knew what this adventure of yours was going to be like when we agreed to go with you. Pressure, sleepless nights, full on war. We're not holding anything against you, and never would. SAID COMMINALLY. JACK: SMILING You really are the best guys, I know you wouldn't, I just feel ba… LUCY: SARCASTICALLY, BUT IN A FUN LOVING-KIND OF WAY! Awful, depressed, like you're the worst person in the entire universe?! BOTH SMILE AT EACHOTHER AFTER THE BANTER, THEY CARRY ON WALKING. JACK: TENDERLY Very funny Luce, I am sorry though. I just want to find her. LUCY PLACES A HAND ON JACKS ARM. LUCY: (SYMPATHETICALLY) It’s fine. I understand. SHE PULLS HIM CLOSERS FOR A FRIENDLY HUG Just take your anger out on the punch bag and not the bulkhead next time. I’m getting sick of fixing up you’re hand. JACK: I’ll try. THEY CONTINUE TO THE DOOR AND APPROACH THE GUARDS. JACK SPEAKS TO THEM IN A PROUD, NOBLE VOICE. THE FIRST GUARD DOES THE SAME. JACK: The Princess requested our presence in the great hall. Let us past. GUARD 1: We will, when you wearing the appropriate attire. JACK COCKS HIS HEAD TO THE SIDE AND HE RETURNS HIS VOICE TO NORMAL. JACK: Does that mean I have to pull my trousers down again. ALL FOUR BURST OUT INTO LAUGHTER AND A LOUD ONE. GUARD 2: You know what we mean Jack. JACK NODS AND SIGHS. JACK: That we do mate. That we most certainly do. A GRIN MOUNTS JACKS FACE AS HE LOOKS AT LUCY. SHE NODS. BOTH CLENCH THEIR FISTS AND FLEX THEIR ARMS AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL ARMOURS UNFOLDS FROM THEIR DOG TAGS. IT MOULDS ROUND THEIR BODIES TO FIT. JACK’S ARMOUR REMAINS THE SAME WHILE LUCY SPORTS COPPER AND BLACK ARMOUR. BOTH GUARDS CHUCKLE AND LET THEM IN. THE HALL IS GRAND, LARGE AND VERY BRIGHT. WHITE LIGHTS AND GOLD PILLARS BEING THE MAIN SOURCE OF THE SHINE. GUARDS STAND AT EACH PILLAR. AT THE FAR END OF THE ROOM SITS A GOLD STONE THRONE AND A YOUNG GIRL. BLACK HAIR AND BRIGHT, KIND GREEN EYES SITS ON SAID THRONE WATCHING JACK AND LUCY APPROACH HER. AS THEY REACH THE THRONE, BOTH JACK AND LUCY DROP TO ONE KNEE. JACK: (SPEAKING LOUDLY AND PROUDLY) Noble and mighty Princess of Dorris Prime. We request temporary asylum from our enemies. Shelter from those who hunt us. A place to rest for several days. PRINCESS: (WITH NO ENTHUSIASM) And I accept your request for asylum…..yada, yada, yada…….. RISES FROM THE THRONE AND LAUGHS Stand up Jack and give me a hug you numpty. JACK LOOKS UP AND SMILES AND OBLIGES. JACK: How have you been, your highness? PRINCESS: Good. Politics still bore me. But it’s the people I care more about. JACK: I can see that. I Prefer that. LOOKS AROUND. Have my guys arrived yet? PRINCESS: They arrived 2 days ago. They’re in the south hall. JACK: Thank you. JACK AND LUCY BOW AND LEAVE VIA AN OPEN DOOR. CUT TO: SOUTH HALL. IT LOOKS SIMILAR TO THE THRONE ROOM MINUS THE PILLARS AND THRONE INSTEAD FULL OF TABLES WITH ROLAND, MISSOURI, EVE, SANDRA AND AL SCATTERED AROUND THE ROOM. JACK AND LUCY WALK IN, LUCY BACK IN CIVILIAN CLOTHES, AND EVERYONE BUT MISSOURI WALKS TOWARDS THEM. HAPPY TO SEE THEM. ROLAND: Well aren’t you guys a site for sore eyes. EVERYONE GOES ROUND EXCHANGING HUGS AND CHEERY HELLO’S. JACK SEE’S MISSOURI SITTING BY HERSELF WITH A GLUM AND UNHAPPY LOOK ON HER FACE. JACK: (SO ONLY ROLAND CAN HEAR) What's up with Missy? ROLAND: During our raid, Al killed a soldier we almost convinced to join us. (JACK AND ROLAND LOOK DIRECTLY AT AL, WHO IS LOOKING VERY APOLOGETIC.) She found a picture in the soldiers jacket that had him hugging his wife and daughter. She's just finding it hard to process that the daughter is without a dad, an unfortunate thing that connects them now. JACK: Christ. Have we located the daughter? ROLA ND: Yeah. She’s with her Aunt on Horatio Station. JACK: (NODS) As soon as we can, We’ll head there and give our condolences. HE WALKS OVER TO MISSOURI. SHE LOOKS UP AT HIM WITH TEARS POURING DOWN HER FACE. MISSOURI: (TRYING TO KEEP IT TOGETHER) Why? Why is it always the innocents who are affected. JACK: (TAKES HER HAND) Why is it the ones one who want to live the most, who deserves life the most die, and the ones who don’t deserve to live continue their lives? It’s the gamble of life. MISSOURI BURYS HER FACE INTO JACKS CHEST PLATE AND BEGINS TO CRY. JACK HOLDS HER. THEN GIVES HER A LOOK OF “YOU GONNA BE OK” AND SHE NODS. HE LETS HER GO AND SHE JOINS THE OTHERS. EVERYONE BUT AL COMFORTS HER AND THEY START TO CONVERSE. AL GOES TO LEAVE, WALKING PAST JACK WHO STOPS HIM WITH A HAND ON HIS CHEST. JACK: (CALM) I was like you once so i can sympathise with how you feel. I know you’re trying to prove yourself. Make yourself a valued member of the team. Of this family. You are doing that. But stunts like what you did harm your chances. Remember that the next time you’re in that situations. AL NODS. JACK RETURNS WITH A PAT ON THE SHOULDER. THEY BOTH LEAVE ONE AT A TIME. CUT TO: JACKS BEDROOM. STANDARD PALACE BEDROOM. NOTHING TO GLAMORISE. HE WALKS TO A TABLE AND HEARS CRASHING BEHIND HIM. HE DRAWS HIS SWORD. A SHADOW FALLS ON HIM WIDE AND THREATENING. HIS MOUTH GAURD EXTENDS AND SWINGS HIS SWORD WHICH MEETS ANOTHER SWORD. HE TILTS HIS HEAD IN A NOT SO SURPRISED MANNER. JACK: Living a fantasy are we? CAMERA PANS ROUND REVEALING BELLE IN A RED AND GOLD FRENCH BALL GOWN. BELLE: Maybe. Scare ya? JACK LOWERS HIS SWORD AND LAYS IT ON THE TABLE BEHIND HIM. BELLE DROPS HER SWORD AND BOTH STARE AT EACH OTHER FOR SEVERAL SECONDS THEN EMBRACE IN A COUPLE-LIKE HUG WITH JACK SPINNING HER AROUND. SHE THEN PULLS A BOTTLE OF FIZZ FROM UNDERNEATH HER BALL GOWN BELLE: I brought the fun! JACK: Not cheap I’m guessing. JACK SMILES WHILE BELLE GIGGLES. CUT TO: SOUTH HALL. EVERYONE LEFT IN THE HALL IS AROUND A TABLE. MISSOURI HAS MANAGED TO KEEP HERSELF TOGETHER AND ROLAND’S ARM IS AROUND HER TO KEEP HER UP RIGHT. ROLAND: So his own mother tried to space him. LUCY: Something like that. (A BEAT) We can’t rely on her to help us. And if this alliance between her and the League is true…… MISSOURI: If the alliance is true, the galaxy is in a crap tone of trouble and finding Jack’s sister is gonna turn into a 1 sided war. We've practically failed before we've even started! EVE: Agreed. Yet something doesn’t make sense. ROLAND: (CURIOUSLY) Explain? EVE: The League as a whole is more of a shadow group…… SANDRA: Shadow race. EVE: That too. They don’t do much active work. Only appearing when they choose to and when it suits them. ROLAND: For all we know they could have built an army and a fleet in the absence. MISSOURI: How big is the Republic fleet? ROLAND: A last count? Big. LUCY: Jack’s mother will convince the League of the prophecy and succeed. SANDRA: Making her in their eyes their all mighty leader. LUCY: Making her an all mighty something all right! ALL: LAUGH EVE: It will not doubt make them more determined and ruthless than before. MISSOURI: The size of war we're looking at here will dominate all known worlds,not to mention the millions of casualties. EVERYONE STOPS. SILENCE BETWEEN ALL FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. ROLAND BREAKS THE SILENCE. ROLAND: I’m surprised I haven’t heard bed springs. MISSOURI SMACKS ROLAND IN THE CHEST. MISSOURI: ROLAND! ROLAND: What? they haven’t seen each other in several months. I would be if I was him... HE SLOUCHES BACK IN HIS CHAIR. Just sayin'! CUT TO JACK’S QUARTERS. BOTH JACK AND BELLE ARE ON THE FLOOR IN A CUDDLE. BELLE IS STILL IN THE FRENCH GOWN AND JACK STILL IN HIS ARMOUR. BELLE: You know I’ll do anything for you Jack, I’ve never felt so safe in someone’s arms before. Jack kisses Belle’s forehead JACK: You know I’ll always be here for you. I just have to find her, she is the only one left of my family. Belle sits up and faces Jack with a concerned look on her face BELLE: I know finding her is the only thing on your mind right now but I can’t loose you Jack. You might be a solider and have a duty but you also have a duty to me, you promised me we could focus on our future. On our relationship. On starting our own family, and you can’t do that if you’re 6 feet under. Jack pulls Belle in, whispering to her whilst he strokes her perfect skin JACK: Belle, I will never leave you. I would give my last breath to tell you I love you. Belle lets a single tear drop fall from her eye before she gets to her feet. She walks towards the bathroom to start running a bath BELLE: Do you remember the first time we saw each other? It was so perfect, you were so clear in the crowd like no one else existed, nothing else mattered any more. You made my head run wild with thoughts of you. I want to go back to that day Jack, I want to feel that way again, I haven’t felt that alive since being here. JACK: Belle please stop thinking like that, you kno… BELLE: I can't Jack! I just want it to be you and I now. I'm not expecting you to give up your duty to find your sister. But I am asking you to... You can't leave me for so long again, Jack. It's not fair on either of us. Jack walks over to Belle as she starts crying over the basin JACK Belle, look at me. BELLE LOOKS JACK: I know. I love you, Belle. I love you. Let's enjoy the time we have together now. BELLE: PULLING GENTLY AWAY FROM JACK It's hard to enjoy the now when I know what lies ahead for us. JACK PULLING HER BACK INTO HIS CHEST SWEETLY, AND STROKING HER HAIR I promise it won't be forever. But this is something I have got to finish. My sister needs me... Just like I need you. I need you to be strong. I need you to understand. BELLE: You're asking a lot. I don't know if I can wait for you Jack. My heart says wait, but, but my head pulls me back to reality. We're not getting any younger, baby. I'm not getting any younger. BELLE LOOKS AT HER STOMACH, JACK WIPES A TEAR AWAY FROM HER CHEEK JACK: You know I want our future more than anything in the world, but I need to complete the past and the present before that can happen. I love you Belle, all I want is for you to love me too. BELLE: I swear, I'll love you until the day I die Jack. JACK WIPES A TEAR AWAY FROM HIS EYES, AND KISSES BELLE, HOLDING HER CLOSE. CUT TO A BAR. IT’S LOUD BUT FRIENDLY. THE TEAM IS SAT AROUND ONE TABLE. AL IS KNOCKED TO THE FLOOR CAUSING THE OTHERS TO EITHER LAUGH OUT OR CHUCKLE. TURNS OUT A GIRL KNOCKED HIM TO THE FLOOR. JACK: That's not how you flirt my friend. It’s a swift way to sounding like Mickey Mouse for the rest of your life. AL GROANS AS HE PICKS HIMSELF UP. SANDRA STANDS UP AND FIXES HERSELF UP. SANDRA: Let me show you how its done. SANDRA WALKS UP TO THE BAR AND STARTS CHATTING TO A RANDOM STRANGER AT THE BAR. EVERYONE WATCHES FROM A DISTANCE. THE GUY THEN PRODUCES TWO DRINKS AND GIVES ONE TO SANDRA. SHE HOLDS IT UP TO CLINK GLASSES WITH THE STRANGER, AND SUBTLY WINKS AT AL. ROLAND: She certainly has a talent in flirting. MISSOURI: COUGHS LOUDLY, AND RAISES AN EYEBROW AT ROLLAND EVE: And we aren't?! THE THREE OF THEM TURN AND LOOK AT BELLE. SHE PUTS HER DRINK DOWN BELLE: I’m taken. (CUDDLES WITH JACK) I don't need to be a good flirt! JACK: But you are! MISSOURI AND EVE TURN BACK AND LOOK AT ROLAND ROLAND: I uh….. (HE GULPS ALL OF HIS DRINK AND TURNS TO THE BARTENDER) Another please. THE TEAM LAUGHS AS LUCY ARRIVES TIRED, EXHAUSTED AND COVERED IN PAINT. JACK: Heyup, the Kids have made a master piece. LUCY: Worth it though. If i wasn’t a pilot and soldier….. JACK: And a damn good one at that! LUCY: Thank you. If I wasn’t a pilot and soldier, I’d be a teacher. BELLE: When this is over, maybe you can be. Maybe we can return to some kind of normality. LOOKS AT JACK IN A HINTING KIND OF MANNER. AL: Here here. HE RAISES HIS GLASS AND THE REST DO THE SAME BUT JACK RAISES HIS TO AL FOR WHAT HE’S DONE. CUT TO: DORRIS PRIME ORBIT SEVERAL ROYAL STARSHIP AND OTHER STARSHIPS FLY AROUND THE PLANET TWO SHIPS FLY OFF AND INTO OPEN SPACE. SHIP 1: Ground control, This is the Hercules. We’re detecting something odd behind the third moon. The Gemani and we are on route to investigate. GROUND CONTROL: Understood Hercules. Caution is recommended. CUT TO: THE BAR. THE CREW CRASH THE GLASSES LAUGHING AND ENJOYING EACH OTHERS COMPANY CUT TO: DORRIS PRIMES THIRD MOON THE HERCULES AND GEMANI ARRIVE AT WHAT LOOKS LIKE LIGHTNING STORM IS SPACE. HERCULES CAPTAIN: Control this Hercules, are you seeing what we see? GROUND CONTROL: No. Why? HERCULES CAPTAIN: Cause what were seeing is out of this terrifying. A SHIP EMERGES FROM THE LIGHTNING STORM, THE MONARCH’S ROYAL SHIP. HERCULES CAPTAIN: Holy Shi….. THE ROYAL SHIP RAMS THE HERCULES, DESTROYING IT AND THE GEMANI OPENS FIRE BUT IS QUICKLY DESTROYED. CUT TO: THE BAR THE CREW CONTINUE ENJOYING EACH OTHERS COMPANY CUT TO: DORRIS PRIME ORBIT SEVERAL SHIPS ARE DESTROYED AND DRIFTING WHILE THE MONARCH SHIP PLOUGHS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. CUT TO: THE BAR A SONIC BOOM IS HEARD AND EVERYONE RUNS OUTSIDE. THE CREW LOOKS UP TO SEE THE SHIP AND FIGHTERS AND LANDING CRAFT SWARM OUT ATTACKING THE CITY. THE ENTIRE CREW BANDS TOGETHER. JACK: Ok, we’re dealing with a large scale attack so here’s how it goes; Lucy, Sandra, get back to Amelia and take out the forces in the sky. Al, I want you up high, moving from building to building taking out heavily armed targets only. Belle, Roland, Eve, Missy take the fight to the ground troops hit them hard. ALL NOD. THEY ALL CLENCH THEIR ARMS AND THEIR ARMOUR MOULDS TO THEIR BODY TYPES. ALL OF THEIR ARMOUR MATCHES, BLACK AND COPPER. JACK (CONTINUED): Haraka is leading. He’s mine. CAMERA PANS TO A CLOSE UP OF JACKS CHEST AND HEAD, IRON MAN STYLE Now, let's kick some ass. ALL: Oo-rah! THEY ALL RUN TO BATTLE. CUT TO: TITLE CARD THE WORDS “A FAMILY REUNITES” COME TOWARD THE SCREEN SIMILAR TO THE “GOTHAM” TITLE CARD. THE END PRELUDE TO ATHENA CONTINUES IN: THE CASUALTIES OF WAR PART 1