EPISODE ONE – KENOBI
SERIES CONCEPT
Created by: Alex Enslow
RECAP SCENE
COMPILATION
Excerpts from
Revenge of the Sith flash on the screen, lasting seconds:
Padme talking with
Anakin:
Padme
Ani, I’m pregnant.
Scenes flash of
Anakin and Obi-Wan fighting side by side, pauses on final conversation they had
before Kenobi left to fight Grievous on Utapau.
Anakin
I have just been so frustrated with
the council.
Flash to different
point in the conversation.
Obi-Wan
…You
have become a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be.
The two exchange
smiles from that conversation. Flashes of Anakin’s visions of Padme’s death
during childbirth.
Palpatine (VO)
…he could even keep the ones he cared
about from dying.
Flash forward.
Anakin
Is it possible to learn this power?
Flashes of scenes
when Anakin killed Jedi, Separatist leadership and finally settling on Anakin
turning to look at the camera with Sith eyes.
Palpatine (VO)
Not from a Jedi.
Faster flashes of
scenes. Anakin and Obi-Wan battling on Mustafar, lightsabers clashing, close
ups on both Anakin and Obi-Wan’s faces.
Obi-Wan (VO)
You were the Chosen One!
Anakin is chopped
out of the air by Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan (VO CONT’D)
It was said that you would destroy
the Sith, not join them!
Anakin (VO echoing)
I hate you!
Fast flashes of Obi-Wan
holding Luke, Padme dying, Obi-Wan handing Luke to Aunt Beru.
Obi-Wan (VO)
I will take the child and watch over
him.
Yoda (VO)
In your solitude on Tatooine,
training I have for you… Your
old master.
The screen turns
abruptly to black with Obi-Wan’s voice echoing softly…
Obi-Wan (VO like a whisper)
Qui-Gon?
EXT. SPACE - ABOVE
THE PLANET NEJEEV
A deep expanse of
stars interrupted with a bright blue and a deep maroon moon.
Panning down, a
planet of jade green appears, snow-capped and dotted with lights visible only
in the shadowed portion of the planet. Several ships can be seen as tiny
specks, approaching and leaving the biggest cluster of lights. The central city
of the planet Nejeev.
INT. NEJEEV CITY –
CITY CENTER – NIGHT
The city, raised
buildings carved into jagged mountains of jade stone, steam emitting from
unseen volcanic vents under the city. Crowds of varying species peruse shops,
banter, and trade their less than legal wares.
INT. NEJEEV CITY –
ALLEYWAY – NIGHT
An icy-blue skinned
Wroonian male pushes through the crowd, frantically attempting to flee a
cloaked pursuer. The Wroonian looks back and the pursuer is gaining. The
pursuer has a familiar look, the look of a Jedi.
The Jedi’s robes
flap in the air as they leap over boxes and roll under tables. The Wroonian
ducks into a circular, open roof building and the Jedi follows, losing sight of
the fleeing deviant just as the Jedi reaches the door.
INT. NEJEEV CITY –
BUILDING – NIGHT
Entering, the Jedi
stops in the middle of the room, spinning around, sensing unseen danger.
Several armed aliens
and humans emerge from the shadows, encompassing the Jedi.
Thug #1 (speaking in alien
language)
Looking for someone? Are you lost?
The group snickers
and jeers at the trespassing Jedi. The Jedi’s face is completely shadowed but
we hear a familiar voice.
Young Obi-Wan
Hello
there. I seem to have lost the man I was chasing. Did you happen to see where
he ran off to?
The Wroonian steps
out from behind a taller thug, blaster leveled at KENOBI and sneering.
Young Obi-Wan
I see you’ve all met.
The entire group
level their blasters at KENOBI preparing to take down the Jedi intruder.
A sudden figure in
similar Jedi robes jumps down from the open roof. A green lightsaber ignites,
and Kenobi’s blue lightsaber ignites with it.
Young Obi-Wan
Nice of you to jump in, Master.
The thugs open fire.
Blaster bolts are deflected with precision and several thugs retreat with
wounds to their arms and legs. The two Jedi flow with practiced movements, the
movements of two synced force users.
The assailants are
quickly defeated and all retreat except for the Wroonian, holding his injured
leg. The two Jedi extinguish their lightsabers.
The Jedi Master
removes his hood, and the familiar profile of Qui-Gon Jinn is seen in the
shadowed room.
Qui-Gon
Well
done, Padawan. While the methods could have been cleaner, you managed to
apprehend our spice dealer friend.
A much younger
OBI-WAN than seen in Episode I removes his hood, his Padawan braid visible on the back of his head.
Young Obi-Wan
Thank you, Master. Your assistance
was very well timed.
Obi-Wan kicks a
blaster pistol away from the injured Wroonian and checks the doorways for more
thugs.
Qui-Gon (thoughtfully)
Assistance
that may not have been needed with a little more mindfulness on your part.
Obi-Wan’s head
droops as he finishes his sweep of the room, thinking he has upset his master.
Qui-Gon turns to his
Padawan, placing a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.
Qui-Gon
Your sense of duty serves you well.
Capturing this spice
dealer will be crucial in our goal to
end the spice trade
in this and other sectors of the core worlds.
At this Obi-Wan
smiles. His Master’s approval is something he strives for and receives often
from the wise, kind teacher.
Qui-Gon (CONT’D)
I simply wish to emphasize the
importance of heeding the
LIVING FORCE.
All around the two
Jedi fades and the familiar FORCE THEME is heard.
Qui-Gon (CONT’D)
The LIVING FORCE surrounds us all. It
teaches us, guides
us. *It can alert us to danger.
*Qui-Gon gestures to
the room and Obi-Wan appears ashamed of the danger he just walked into.
Qui-Gon (CONT’D comforting)
It will take time and training. But
you will learn to feel
it more readily, as I have learned.
It will guide you.
Obi-Wan smiles and
looks up to his Master, figuratively and literally. He trusts him and strives
to be like him.
Obi-Wan
Thank you, Master. How will I know
when the LIVING FORCE
is…
He is cut off as
Qui-Gon pushes him out of the way, shouting as he deflects the laser bolt
headed for Obi-Wan’s back. The bolt is directed back at the shooter, the
injured Wroonian who managed to slip a blaster out of a hidden holster,
unbeknownst to the Padawan but sensed by the Master through the LIVING FORCE.
As the blast strikes
the spice dealer, we are jolted out of the scene.
INT. TATOOINE – BEN
KENOBI’S HUT – EARLY DAY
OBI-WAN, now known
to all as BEN, sits up abruptly in his bed. He is much older than he was when
we last saw him: much longer hair, a thick beard with gray/white coming through
and deep wrinkles attesting to his quickened aging on the dry, desert planet.
He breathes heavily,
attempting to relax as he checks for his lightsaber hidden in an alcove just
above his head carved into the sand-based cement of his desert home.
The home looks much
as it does when Luke and his droids visit Ben’s dwelling years from then.
Vessels, cargo chests and pelts of unknown creatures decorate the place. A
simple home, as a Jedi would have.
As BEN calms, he
dresses in a simple over shirt, a light scarf to protect his neck from the sun
(as well as cover the cylindrical holster supported with shoulder straps) and locks
his lightsaber securely out of sight, just under his neck.
EXT. TATOOINE – BEN
KENOBI’S HUT – EARLY DAY
BEN emerges from his
home and the door closes automatically behind him. We are greeted with a
spectacular Tatooine sunrise, the duller sun just barely cresting over far off
sand dunes, the sky a peachy hue.
BEN’s home sits atop
a familiar volcanic crag, tucked into a sandy outcropping overlooking the Dune
Sea. A pile of large, broken rocks lies in a pile near the home. BEN, placing a
large pack down, begins packing up stones. He slings the pack onto his back and
jogs off towards a narrow trail up the crag. He is not the refined, polished
Kenobi we remember. As BEN heads up the trail you see the muscles he’s acquired
from a hard life and even harder self-induced training.
The sweat drips from
BEN as he approaches the end of the trail: a steep cliff made of the jagged volcanic
rock. We see well-worn hand and foot holds on the face of the cliff and BEN
begins his climb, still carrying the stones on his back.
Halfway up the cliff
face, BEN reaches a break in the hand holds. The closest hold lies far above
his head. Without much hesitation, BEN places both hands in one handhold and
braces his legs against the rock wall. He leaps, we hold our breath. Just as
his hands reach the hold the scene changes.
As BEN reaches the
leveled off top of the cliff, he removes his pack and pushes it away from him,
taking a long drink from a canteen attached to the side and breathing heavily.
EXT. TATOOINE –
CLIFF TOP – DAY
We see BEN, eyes
closed in deep concentration, extending his right arm, reaching with the FORCE.
As our view widens, we see his concentration is focused on one of the stones he
carried up the cliff face. The stone, suspended by the force, rests upon a
stack of similar stones.
Ben’s face is
focused on as he exhales, having completed his exercise. As he sits down to
meditate, we see that this is not a singular stack of rocks. The entire cliff
top is dotted with these pillars. The Jedi Master has built them, training for
10 years, honing his focus in the Force.
EXT. CLIFF TOP -
CAVE
A handmade steel
cylinder trap hangs from a cable within a small cave, an undistinguishable
creature, similar to a LOTH CAT, lies still within. BEN appears at the mouth of
the cave, opening the trap and retrieving his quarry. He reaches into his belt
for a scrap of food stuffs that he places inside the trap, closing it and
setting the device for the next wandering creature.
INT. BEN KENOBI’S
HUT - DAY
A low humming emits
from Ben’s ACCELERATED INDUCTION PLATFORM COOKER. Rough sliced game meat hangs
of a hovering rack, slowly dehydrating into jerky-like rations. BEN works on
something in the background.
EXT. BEN KENOBI’S
HUT – LATE DAY
The suns sink lower
as BEN throws a fresh pelt over a makeshift metal drying rack near the MOISTURE
VAPORATOR tower of Ben’s home.
Packing some jerky
rations in a saddle bag, BEN climbs atop his EOPIE, the animal giving a
friendly snuffle to its rider as the two descend the volcanic crag, following a
sandy trail.
EXT. TATOOINE – DUNE
SEA – LATE DAY
The EOPIE slowly
crosses the sand, casting a long shadow as the suns dip lower towards the
horizon.
BEN stops the EOPIE
at the crest of a hill and uses binoculars to look at some point unseen.
Through the
binoculars, a moisture farm comes into view, so familiar to us. The lights of
the Lars family homestead shine dimly, each window a soft orange, with a soft
glow emitting from the entrenched living quarters and vehicle hanger.
EXT. TATOOINE – LAR’S
HOMESTEAD – EARLY EVENING
As BEN approaches on
his EOPIE, no one appears to be outside of the subterranean home. BEN dismounts
his animal and unpacks the dried food from the saddlebags.
As BEN approaches
the door, we hear the voice of a young boy from the hanger pit. BEN turns to
the pit and begins walking to the edge. Whoops and mouthed vehicle noises grow
louder as we approach and peer over the ledge to find a young boy, his back
turned to us, working on a SX-14 FIELD HOVER-UTE utility vehicle. The sandy
blond hair, a white tunic, a belt around his waist. It’s LUKE.
Young LUKE, seen
from Ben’s perspective on the ledge, fiddles with the complex network of wires
and pipes within the SX-14. While his skills are still developing, LUKE clearly
knows the inner works of the vehicle. He works carefully and slowly, chattering
to himself.
Young Luke (BARELY AUDIBLE)
…engines are powered on and ready,
captain. (inaudible
chatter)…look out! Shields up!
Whoosh!
YOUNG LUKE lifts a SIPHON
VALVE into the air, mimicking a starfighter mid-battle with a HYDROSPANNER
hanging from the vehicle. The boy’s dreams come to life as he begins playing
out the mock battle. Starfighter cannons blaze, engines roar, hulls of ships
buckle, all created through the boy’s mimicked sounds and motions.
Focused on BEN, we
see memories in his eyes. Another boy from his past with dreams of traversing
the stars, a different Skywalker. Ben’s lips turn up in a small smile and his
eyes shimmer remembering Luke’s father at a similar age. An extended pause on
BEN as he remembers.
A figure stands not
far behind BEN. He grunts and BEN turns to see OWEN LARS standing close to the
entrance of the family home. He doesn’t look pleased to see the weathered Jedi.
Owen
What are you doing here?
Coming out of long-gone memories, BEN holds up
the dried meat.
Ben
I thought you might like…
BEN looks back at
the pit where LUKE continues to work and play.
Ben (CONT’D)
I thought you could use some meat rations
in case you
and your family ran low on…
Owen
We
have plenty of food. I’ve told you, we don’t need your help, Ben.
This obviously isn’t
the first time Ben has come by.
BEN sighs and places
the package of meat down on a barrel near the house.
Ben
I
don’t question your ability to be able to provide for
your family, Owen. I simply wanted to
do what I can.
OWEN steps to BEN,
clearly frustrated.
Owen
To what, Ben? Help? To protect us? To
protect him?
Ben (wounded)
Of course, I want to protect…
Owen
The best way you can protect him
(gesturing in Luke’s
direction) is by staying away.
OWEN sighs, seeing
that Ben is hurt by what he is saying.
Owen (CONT’D gently)
I know that you care about him.
(Pause)
But
you have to stay away. The Empire isn’t looking for him. But they are looking
for you. The closer you get to him the more you put him in danger.
BEN knows that what
Owen says is true. It’s hard for him to keep away. He knows the boy will have
to be trained someday.
Ben
He can’t be kept in the dark forever,
Owen. He must
eventually be trained. If he is to
become a Jedi, he…
Owen (sharply)
And why should he want to be a Jedi?!
What good would
that do?! You said it yourself. The
Jedi were killed. What
kind of life would that be for him?
Hiding, living alone,
a wizard in the desert?
A direct jab at Ben.
Owen
(CONT’D)
He
can have a life here. A safe life. This farm could be his someday. He already
has his head wrapped up in the stars. He doesn’t need any more dreams or…
Ben
IS
that what Luke wants? (Owen caught off guard by this)
Does he want to be a farmer?
OWEN knows he
doesn’t and looks away from Ben, knowing he can’t honestly say that he does.
Ben (hesitantly)
Does he ask about his father?
OWEN looks up, not
answering but it’s clear that the boy has asked before.
Ben
*sigh* I am sorry to have stopped by
unannounced.
BEN takes the reigns
of his EOPIE and begins walking away into the desert.
Ben
I am never far if you should need me.
OWEN snorts and
turns back to the man as he disappears into the night.
From inside the
hangar pit.
Young Luke
Uncle Owen!
OWEN turns to the
pit but doesn’t approach the edge.
Owen
What is it, Luke?
Young Luke
Who was that? Who were you talking
to?
OWEN sighs and looks
after Ben who has already disappeared into the desert.
Owen
Just an old man.
INT. TATOOINE – BEN
KENOBI’S HUT – NIGHT
BEN, blanketed in
pelts, tosses in his sleep, plagued by dreams.
Anakin (VO)
If you’re not with me…
Visions of the clash
on Mustafar flash: lightsabers clashing, Anakin and Obi-Wan locked in combat
over raging lava. Every scene flashes by in a matter of second.
BEN tosses in his
bed, sweat beading on his forehead.
Anakin (VO)
…then you’re my enemy.
Scenes of the two
former friends clashing in the Mustafar control room, collapsing platforms,
locked lightsabers on a shared platform, inches from liquid destruction. Again,
the scene ends in second.
BEN breathes heavily
and whimpers.
Ben
No…no…
Anakin glares at
Obi-Wan as he stands above him on the lava riverbank.
Obi-Wan (VO from dream)
Don’t try it!
Flashes of Anakin
dismembered and tumbling towards the lava flow.
BEN winces in his
sleep, feeling the pain of that moment all over again.
The dream slows.
Anakin groans in pain, unable to distance himself from the heat of the molten
river.
Obi-Wan looks down,
distraught at the hate and pain his former friend has brought about.
Anakin (VO, off screen)
I hate you!
Obi-Wan (VO, off screen)
You were my brother, Anakin.
Flashes of scenes
starting from when Anakin first met Obi-Wan to just before the mission to
Utapau, all depicting the trust these two had prior to Anakin’s turn.
The scene becomes
one we never saw in the battle on Mustafar. We see Obi-Wan from behind, looking
down on his former padawan, feeling his suffering.
Obi-Wan (VO)
I loved you.
A hand appears in
the dream, just behind Obi-Wan on the Mustafarian hill. As the hand rests on
the Jedi’s shoulder, the dream abruptly ends.
BEN sits up in a
cold sweat. He is alone in his home. He rests his head in his hands as he sits
up. The moment is silent.
BEN slides off the
bed and continues to breathe as he settles into a seated, meditative position.
This action seems practiced, he’s had these nightmares before.
As BEN settles on
the floor, he exhales, closes his eyes and his face relaxes.
Ben
Master?
The moment swells as
the Jedi reaches out in the force to his former Master.
Ben
Master?
A familiar voice
breaks the silence of Ben’s desert home. The voice of QUI-GON JINN.
Qui-Gon (VO)
Obi Wan.
The voice doesn’t
startle BEN. He was expecting an answer, having communed with his master using
this method many times over the last ten years.
Ben
Master, I could sense your presence
in the dream. How was this possible? Is this one of your
trainings?
Qui-Gon (VO)
No.
Dreams may often serve as a conduit of the LIVING FORCE. They may serve as
warnings or insights.
BEN nods at this,
accepting his master’s wisdom.
Ben
I have had far more frequent
nightmares since our last meeting. They all revolve around Anakin’s
death.
Qui-Gon (VO)
The
LIVING FORCE can reveal our deepest wounds. We are the
vessels
through which it can flow. Our own
internal
life force affords us some abilities but is
limited
by our own frailties in mortality. There is wisdom
in
the tradition of using KYBER to build our tools of
defense.
Kyber
does not possess energy of its own. It is attuned to
the
Force user with which it bonds. It allows energy to
flow
through it. There was even a time when the Jedi used
these
conduits without the assistance of power cells and
metal
casings. This ancient practice was symbolic of our
own
need for connection to the LIVING FORCE. The only way
for
the Ancients to produce a blade was through a deep
connection
with the Kyber and the Force as one. You must
become
as Kyber, my friend. Channel the Living Force.
Become
the vessel. Only through achieving peace and
balance
within can you become one with the Force, a
conduit
for its power. The training I have given you
during
your solitude has helped you to expand your ability
to
harness the Force. But now it is time for you to begin
your
true training in becoming a vessel of the Living
Force.
(Pause)
You must go to the Ablorellian belt
above Keveshjim.
BEN opens his eyes
in surprise. The hut is empty still.
Ben
I must what?
Qui-Gon (VO)
You will meet with a cargo inspector
named Merax.
Ben
Master, I don’t…
Qui-Gon (VO)
You will tell them that you are
seeking to “Commune with the forest”. They will know its meaning.
BEN is shocked that
QUI-GON would ever ask him to leave. He sighs before replying.
Ben
I can’t leave this place. I must
protect…
QUI-GON cuts off Obi
Wan’s comment.
Qui-Gon (VO)
Obi-Wan.
BEN is still
stammering but quiets, waiting for an explanation from his long gone master.
Qui-Gon (VO)
The boy’s anonymity will protect him
in your absence. The enemy does not know of his existence.
There
are others who need your help now. A trial lies ahead that will prepare you to train
the boy.
With that, the voice
of QUI-GON fades.
Ben
Master… Master wait!
No reply. BEN sits
alone in the dark, stunned at what he has just been instructed to do. The hut
is dark and silent as the scene ends.
EXT. TATOOINE - BEN
KENOBI’S HUT – EARLY DAY
As the Tatooine suns
rise in the distance, BEN packs rations and canteens into the same pack he had
packed stones into the day prior. The Jedi wears a simple tunic with
mid-forearm sleeves, a wide leather belt and dark trousers. His usual scarf
flutters in the wind, concealing his lightsaber, and a holster packing a short
barreled TM-49 BLASTER PISTOL hangs under his left arm.
BEN pats the neck of
his EOPIE as he unties the harness on its back, releasing the rope keeping the
animal close to the hut. The EOPIE snuffles at Ben’s tunic as he puts away the
saddle and straps.
Ben
I don’t know when I will be back.
The EOPIE trumpets
in a friendly way.
Ben (CONT’D)
I left the backfill tanks of the
MOISTURE VAPORATOR open.
BEN leads the EOPIE
over to the VAPOR SPIRE of the moisture vaporator. A pipe at the base drips
water into a stone bowl. He gestures to the bowl.
Ben (CONT’D)
It’ll be here for you if you need it.
Couldn’t blame you if you left though. I’m sure you will be able
to scrounge up something to eat from the scraps of
yesterday’s catch.
The EOPIE bows its
head to drink, and BEN fondly pats the animal on the back.
Ben (CONT’D)
Goodbye, old friend.
EXT. TATOOINE – DUNE
SEA – EARLY DAY
As the wind whips
across the dunes, BEN treks towards a distant collection of rock formations.
The old Jedi wears the scarf over his mouth and nose, blocking out the flying
sand.
A shot shows the
larger dull sun rising in the distance, BEN silhouetted in the orange
background.
As BEN reaches the
rock formations, we see a Jawa SANDCRAWLER far in the distance, striking out on
another scavenging expedition.
As BEN clambers the
peaks of the rocks, we look up with a clan of TUSKEN RAIDER WOMEN and CHILDREN
at the strange figure leaping between jagged gaps. No rifles point in the
figure’s direction; the men are away on an early morning hunt.
After traversing a
narrow ledge, BEN reaches a flat outcropping. Gazing down into the sand valley,
we are greeted with a spectacular view of MOS EISLEY SPACEPORT. Ships fly in
and out of the hanger-dotted city. It looks just like it will many years later
when Ben and Luke look out at it from a similar cliff side.
EXT. TATOOINE – MOS
EISLEY SPACEPORT – DAY
Rough characters
stroll the narrow streets of the spaceport, forcing BEN to step out of the way
as they hurry by. A market stall, with a tattered, sun-bleached covering, sells
seeds and dried fruits with a small selection of wild game and fish swinging
from hooks. A speeder speeds by, spooking a group of hooded alien pedestrians.
Spice dealers and
buyers haggle nosily outside an alleyway as BEN crosses a street of pedestrians
and pack animals of varying species and sizes.
INT. TATOOINE – MAIN
HANGAR - DAY
Vents hum and
machinery beeps as BEN passes through a doorway leading to one of the largest
hangers. A group of pilots and mechanics drink and laugh next to several large
freighter starships.
A DEJARIK TABLE
hosts a number of pilots with a HUMAN MALE, dressed in a worn-out jacket with a
jump suit tied at the waist, and a reptilian MALE TRANDOSHAN, in the midst of
molting, battling holographic beasts. BEN, removing his scarf from his face,
casually comes up behind the HUMAN MALE to watch the game.
The TRANDOSHAN grins
as he moves one of his terrible, holographic goliaths over to a spindly,
worm-like creature of his opponent. The goliath easily dispatches the worm with
terrible slam of its fists. The HUMAN flinches and desperately looks over his
remaining pieces. The TRANDOSHAN hisses in satisfaction, playing with a large
stack of previously won credits and foreign currencies. The human’s chances
don’t look good and it’s clear that there is money riding on this game.
BEN surveys the
board. Leaning over the shoulder of the HUMAN MALE, BEN presses a button on the
table.
Ben
Might I suggest this move?
A lumbering
squid-armed brute responds to the button command, crossing several spaces on
the board. Settling between two opposing beasts, the squid seizes the digital
foes and tosses them off the holographic board, both creatures disappearing as
they reach the edges.
Ben (looking up with a grin
at the TRANDOSHAN)
Your move.
The HUMAN MALE looks
up, open-mouthed at his opponent, laughing in disbelief. The TRANSDOSHAN scowls
and attempts to knock some pieces off the board, forgetting that they are all
projections. BEN, still grinning slightly, heads over to the main body of
pilots and mechanics. The TRANDOSHAN, hissing angrily, glares at the stranger
as he walks away.
BEN approaches the
nearest pilot, surveying the other members of the group as he clears his
throat.
The amethyst-skinned
RODIAN MALE eyes BEN, sipping from a mug of marmalade-hued liquid.
Ben
I wonder if you could help me find a
pilot who could take me to the Ablorellian Belt.
The group laughs and
the RODIAN shakes his head.
Rodian Pilot (translated on
screen from Rodese)
No pilot on this planet would be dumb
enough to try a run on that rock pile. The Empire’s presence is
too big a risk.
The remaining pilots
in the group seem to share the opinion of the Rodian as they all chuckle and
jeer before turning their backs on BEN.
Ben
I can provide you with plenty of
credits.
The pilots take no
notice of the offer and return to their conversations.
BEN, taking the
hint, heads back through the doorway. A pair of DUROSIAN MECHANICS signal each
other a short moment after his departure and begin pursuing the Jedi. The HUMAN
MALE from the dejarik table notices the thugs trailing the stranger and he
quickly grabs his meager winnings and heads out the door, provoking a growl and
hiss in protest from the TRANDOSHAN clearly hoping for the chance to win back
some credits.
EXT. TATOOINE – MAIN
ROAD - DAY
BEN pulls his scarf
over his mouth as he heads down one of the city’s busy alleys. The DUROSIAN
MECHANICS, carrying holstered blaster pistols, follow inconspicuously behind.
A market stall,
selling various metal scraps and plastic panels, attracts the Jedi’s attention
and BEN stops to look at a triangular cockpit shaped component. As he surveys
the table further, three identical, miniature wing-shaped panels stand out to
him. He picks up one panel, the ALIEN SHOP KEEPER smiling encouragingly as she
senses a potential sale, and places it atop the triangular piece. As he fixes
the panel crudely to the cockpit-shaped component, we see the familiar shape of
what will one day be Luke’s MODEL T-16 SKYHOPPER. BEN smiles as he sees the toy
coming together in his mind. Placing the pieces down, he haggles with the
SHOPKEEPER for a moment as we see the DUROSIAN MECHANICS lingering nearby. The
mechanics’ interests are peaked when BEN pulls credits from a hidden pouch on
the inner side of his belt. Placing the pieces in his pack and wrapping them in
a graying piece of clothing, BEN continues down the alleyway, covertly looking
back to see the MECHANICS following him.
Music drifts out of
a local bar as BEN walks briskly down a central street of the space port. The
MECHANICS weave around pedestrians and parked speeders, attempting to keep the
Jedi in their sights.
As BEN walks a HUMAN
MALE suddenly catches up to him, pretending to walk next to the Jedi but not
with him. It’s the same HUMAN MALE from the dejarik game, hooded as to not be
recognized by the other hanger patrons.
Human Male
I don’t know if you realize but
you’re being followed.
BEN raises his
eyebrows in feigned surprise, looking behind his shoulder overtly.
Human Male
Don’t look!
BEN turns back
forward.
Human Male
There’s a corner coming up on your
right. I know the bar keeper there. Helped him out a few times.
Turn down the alley and I will let you in the door.
The HUMAN MALE
breaks off, crossing behind BEN and entering a street-facing door of the
building just to the right of Ben.
Approaching the
corner, BEN notices the MECHANICS speeding up behind him, anticipating his
upcoming turn.
BEN turns at the
corner and immediately leans up against the doorway directly to his right. For
a tense second, the door does not open. BEN pushes the button display next to
the door but nothing happens.
The MECHANICS round
the corner, sure to find the Jedi trapped in an alley with no outlet. Their
brows furrow as they look down the alley. BEN is gone.
INT. TATOOINE – BAR
– DAY
Shying away from the
doorway he had opened with the force, BEN weaves through the dim lit, crowded bar. Humans and aliens drink
florescent colored cocktails and chat loudly. This is not the Mos Eisley
cantina but it has a similar layout only smaller: underlighting in the bar
counters, circular tables, liquids of every color displayed for patrons to
choose from. A distinctive feature of the place are cylindrical aquariums
filled with murky water, positioned like pillars, equally spaced, ringing the
bar. Frog-legged, multi-eyed amphibians swim up and down the tubes, feasting on
scum and small swimming shrimp.
BEN turns back to
check the door he entered, obviously having used the Force to open the sealed
door, when the HUMAN MALE meets him in the middle of the crowd.
Human Male
You made it in? I was on my way… Who
let you in? The door was locked.
Ben
Got lucky. They were taking out some
waste.
The HUMAN MALE nods
but his brow is knitted, obviously confused with how lucky Ben was.
Nodding to the
four-armed bar keeper polishing some mugs, the HUMAN leads BEN back to a
storage area of the bar closing the door behind them. Crates of sealed food
stuffs and cylinders of drink and live shrimp creatures line the walls. A
singular lamp gives the room a dull amber lighting.
The HUMAN MALE sits
on a closed crate, grabbing a metal foil baggie of dried snacks and popping one
in his mouth.
Human Male (mouth full)
Grab a crate if you want.
BEN eyes the man,
cautious but slightly amused, and remains standing.
Human Male
Or stand if you want.
(Pause)
I overheard you asking about passage
to the Ablorellian Belt. Lucky for you I know how to get to
that particular port without
alerting the Empire. I know one of the dock inspectors
and he owes me a favor.
Ben
It seems like you know a lot of
people. Part of your trade?
The HUMAN MALE
chuckles at this.
Human Male
You could say that. I am sort of an
infamous character around here.
My name is KEJ. I’m the captain of
the notorious STAR BANDIT.
BEN shows no
recognition of the name or this supposed “infamous character”.
Kej
I do quite a lot of smuggling of
certain goods that are hard to come by. You saw the fish tanks in
the bar? A gift from me to the bar keep. At a fair price of
course.
Seeing that BEN does
not recognize the smuggler, Kej continues.
Kej (CONT’D)
Anyway, I figured I could help a
fellow space traveler out by offering my services to you.
Ben
At a fair price, of course.
Kej
Just the necessary cost for fuel,
potential dangers we could run into, some in-flight refreshments,
perhaps.
Kej is obviously
good natured but, just like any smuggler, he is in it for the money.
BEN smiles.
Ben
How much?
Kej shrugs his
shoulders, exhaling exaggeratedly as he calculates the cost in his head.
Kej
About… seven thousand credits,
leaving room for any unforeseen complications, of course.
Ben’s smile falters
a little but not completely.
Ben
I would be willing to pay five
thousand.
Kej chuckles,
smiling in a mischievous, but good-natured, way.
Kej
Six thousand.
Ben
Five thousand and a case of meat
rations.
Kej sighs and leans
back, still smiling.
Kej
Five thousand, the case of rations
and you throw in that nice belt of yours.
Ben
Five thousand, no belt and I buy you
a case of Corellian wine.
Kej raises his
eyebrows at this, obviously interested.
Kej
Deal. You are quite the negotiator.
Kej stands up
heading for the door.
Kej
I expect payment up front.
Kej exits into the
bar and BEN stands to follow him, sighing but still smiling to himself.
Ben
Of course.
INT. TATOOINE – STAR
BANDIT HANGAR – DAY
The STAR BANDIT sits
in the middle of a large, open top hangar. The ship has two curved wings
reminiscent of a tie bomber with a long neck and tetrahedron-shaped cockpit, looking
like a long-necked bird with its wings tucked in.
Kej loads a hovering
crate of wine onboard as BEN boards the ramp. Hydraulics release steam, readying
for the upcoming lift off. Boarding the ship, BEN enters a hallway.
To the left, Kej
stacks the crate of wine on a pile of roughly organized similar looking cargo.
The cargo room has a slanted wall at the back end of the ship, capable of
acting as a ramp when larger shipments are expected. Besides the cargo crates,
the room is littered with spare parts, loose panels and wiring and banners with
unknown languages and symbols hanging from the wall. A ladder sits at the right
far end of the hallway leading up to a domed gunner turret.
To the right, there
are two sealed doors on the left and right. The cockpit lies at the end of the
hallway, the hanger visible through the large windows. A pilot and passenger
chair are positioned in front of a dashboard covered in buttons and levers.
Green and blue lights blink in front of the two steering handholds positioned
directly in front of the seats.
As Kej finishes
loading the crate, he shimmies past BEN in the narrow hallway and opens the
cabin on the left.
Kej
Your quarters.
BEN looks confused,
entering the small room with a simple set of beds built into the walls and
enough room for someone to possibly pace two to three steps across the cramped space.
Ben
I was under the impression that we
would jump directly to Keveshjim.
Kej laughs.
Kej
Only
if you want the Empire to blockade us before we reach the port.
BEN looks confused
as Kej shakes his head, still smiling at Ben’s bewilderment and explaining his
plan.
Kej
The only way not to check in with
Imperial sentries before we land is to go through the atmosphere of
the planet before landing at the port. Then it looks
like you came directly from the surface. The only way to
do THAT without getting stopped on our route is by taking a
secret route to the underside
of the planet. Old smuggler’s secret.
Kej grins and winks
at BEN.
Ben
Alright then.
Kej slaps BEN on the
back and steps towards the door.
Kej
Relax. I’ll get you there. No
problem. I have flown this route hundreds of times.
Kej closes the door
and BEN sits down on the bed, looking around the room, not feeling completely
at ease with his decision to hire the “infamous smuggler.”
INT. STAR BANDIT -
COCKPIT
Kej enters the
cockpit of the ship. Hopping in the chair and spinning around once, Kej engages
the engines and pulls up a holomap of the route he is planning on taking. As he
studies the map, an R-4 unit astromech, colored tan with black detailing and a
cone shaped head, rolls out from the room adjacent to Ben’s quarters.
R-8BY
Beep boop. Blip.
The droid sounds
concerned.
Kej
Don’t worry, Roby. I know what I’m
doing.
The droid
raspberries as it plugs into the ships computer port, running diagnostics
preflight.
Kej
I am sure that the plans we borrowed
from Oqrim are accurate. He runs that route all the time!
R-8BY chirps,
chastising the “smuggler”.
Kej
You know I don’t like that term. It’s
not stealing if nobody gets hurt.
INT. STAR BANDIT –
BEN’S QUARTERS
We jump back to
Ben’s quarters where the old Jedi rests his pack against the wall and sits down
on the floor, preparing to meditate. The ship rocks and BEN braces himself as
the ship tilts.
EXT. TATOOINE –
OUTSIDE OF Kej’S HANGAR – DAY
The TRANDOSHAN from
the dejarik game works at the control panel of the hangar, trying to get inside
and get his money back from Kej. The door panel beeps a negative tone and the
TRANDOSHAN hisses loudly at the controls. A sudden engine roar attracts the big
lizard’s attention as the STAR BANDIT rises out of the hanger. The alien shakes
his fists at the ship as it rises into the air, flying past the two suns
setting in the distance.
EXT. SPACE – STAR
BANDIT- ABOVE TATOOINE
Kej takes one last
look at the star map, checking the trajectory and putting in calculations for
the first hyper jump. R-8BY rotates his head, looking with his round optical
lens at his reckless owner, clearly judging him.
Kej
Don’t look at me like that!
Everything is going to be fine!
R-8BY raspberries
again but locks into place, readying for the hyper jump. Kej snorts at the
droid but then looks back at the controls and the holomap with a worried
expression.
Kej (CONT’D)
Here goes nothing.
An external shot
shows the STAR BANDIT powering up its engines. The stars begin to stretch and
the vehicle rockets into hyperspace, leaving us with a view of the stars as the
vehicle speeds off.
END OF EPISODE
ONE.
