Preview of Episode Two

 

KENOBI EPISODE TWO

Created by: Alex Enslow

EXT. SPACE – ABDORELLIAN BELT – KEVESHJIM

An expanse of unending stars twinkle before they are abruptly disrupted as the STAR BANDIT rips out of hyperspace. Our view follows the ship and we see its trajectory: a ring of dust and pebbles slowing growing to the size of large asteroids, ending somewhere in the far distance, a shattered moon barely visible behind the planet the ring encompasses. The planet KEVESHJIM swirls with shades of turquoise, cobalt and two distinct lines of white ringing the planet, looking more like swirling sand than dense gas.   

 

INT. STAR BANDIT – BEN’S QUARTERS

Tucked within one of the sleeping alcoves of the cramped quarters, BEN Kenobi rests as the STAR BANDIT nears its destination. The Jedi’s lightsaber, clutched in his right hand, rests on his chest as he sleeps on. Focusing on his face, Ben’s dreams are made visible to us.

 

EXT. DREAM – ILUM – DAY

An icy landscape of colossal icebergs, their jagged protrusions creating small mountains. An ice wall, extending to the sky, stands out distinctly with a stone carved archway leading into a buried building, long ago shrouded in ice and continuously layered upon by the cold storms of the desolate world. A group of six or seven individuals can be faintly seen making their way to the archway, mere specks of black starkly contrasting the predominant white and blue.

 

INT. ILUM – JEDI TEMPLE – DAY

The vaulted ice ceilings of a Jedi Temple lost to the elements shimmer with faint sunlight. A crystal mechanism, with on large central crystal encased in metal and a smaller focusing crystal suspended on a metallic arm, turns laboriously until the focusing crystal catches the brightest sunbeam. The whole system is built like a lightsaber, the focusing crystal directing the dim sunlight through the central piece and redirecting it as a powerful beam of heat at the frozen entryway of the sacred Ilum caves.

A steady dripping begins at the top of the doorway, water trickling down the ice façade.

INT. STAR BANDIT – BEN’S QUARTERS

A pattering outside of the STAR BANDIT syncs perfectly with the melting ice of Ben’s dream. The pattering increases in tempo with a few accompanying pings of larger unseen objects striking the ship.

INT. ILUM – JEDI TEMPLE – DAY

A crowd of JEDI PADAWANS, wrapped in warm coats with hoods cloaking their human and alien features, gaze up at the melting ice wall as small chucks begin to loose themselves from the solid mass. A single human male PADAWAN makes his way through the small group until he stands before all his fellow students, clearly enthralled with the ancient workings of the temple itself.

Two larger chunks of ice crash down not far from the PADAWAN.

INT. STAR BANDIT - BEN’S QUARTERS

BEN twitches slightly in his sleep as the pattering outside is interrupted by two loud thuds, mixing with the sounds of falling ice as we descend back into the dream.

INT. ILUM – JEDI TEMPLE – DAY

With increasing frequency, ice chunks crash down from the wall, splashing in the constant river of water coming down the stairs of the hidden cavern. The other PADAWANS step back as the falling ice bounces of the floor of the cavern and splash into the water already beginning to frost over. The lone PADAWAN in front remains standing before the imposing archway, watching as the way beyond the ice materializes.

The hooded face of the PADAWAN, the student’s braid visible below his right ear, looks up in awe at the hidden passage way newly revealed as ice crashes ever louder before him.

INT. STAR BANDIT – BEN’S QUARTERS

Loud bangs and thuds rattle some loose cargo crates and send pieces of forgotten star freighter components rolling across the floor as BEN sleeps on.

INT. ILUM – JEDI TEMPLE – DAY 

The lone PADAWAN smiles in wonder as he removes his hood. Jedi initiate OBI-WAN KENOBI’s eyes glimmer with wonder, shining with the glow of refracting sunlight.

INT. STAR BANDIT – BEN’S QUARTERS

Louder bangs shake the Jedi’s alcove and jostles his sleeping body.

INT. ILUM – JEDI TEMPLE – DAY

The ice wall cracks suddenly and collapses, time slowing as young OBI-WAN raises has hands in alarm. He turns to run, taking one look back.

FLASH!

EXT. MUSTAFAR – DREAM – DAY

Showers of ember and burning volcanic bombs barrage the suspended heat shield, now deactivated, as ANAKIN and OBI-WAN run for cover, lava cutting off their only path back to solid ground.

The banging of volcanic debris grows loader and LOADER! The former friends cower at the violent power of the planet. Cables give out and the bridges body bows. The dueling force users rush forward to get some form of handhold as the shield collapses. Severed from its base, the shield, with the two adversaries, plunges over the Mustafarian cliff.  

Down, down, DOWN, DOWN!

BANG!

INT. STAR BANDIT – BEN’S QUARTERS

BEN wakes as he is thrust out of his bed by a large object slamming into the wall of the ship. In a split second, the Jedi reacts, pushing with the Force inches away from the ground allowing for him to tumble roughly, but more gently than falling, into the wall below the bottom sleeping space.

BEN groans as he stands. Objects continue to ricochet of the outside of the ship but no other large objects strike the hull as BEN looks around the cabin, trying to remember exactly what brought him to this awful cramped room.

Remembering, BEN jabs the door’s controls and exits.

 

INT. STAR BANDIT – COCKPIT

KEJ grips the controls as the ship navigates through a constant barrage of fist-sized rocks, swerving to avoid a much larger asteroid. R-8BY chirps agitatedly, one extended arm plugged into a computer interface and another spraying foam on a smoking open panel beneath the dashboard.

                     Kej (defensively)

           How is this MY fault? You were supposed to be manning               the laser cannon!

The droid beeps indignantly while simultaneously working the ships controls to fire a precise laser bolt knocking a truck sized boulder out of the ship’s path.

                     Kej (shaking his head)

           Your circuits are fried.

A raspberry from the droid as BEN takes the seat next to KEJ.

                     Ben

           If I can’t rest perhaps I can be of some help.

KEJ glances at BEN quickly.

                     Kej (smiling)

           No that’s alright. Roby may look like a waste bin but               he’s actually a pretty good gunner.

R-8BY sprays some foam on Kej’s leg in protest.

                     Kej

           HEY! I meant it as a compliment!

 

EXT. SPACE – ABOVE KEVESHJIM

Rocks pinging off its metal body, the STAR BANDIT narrowly evades a number of floating boulders. The shattered moon looms in the distance, the system’s sun visible faintly through the colossal pieces of the planetary satellite.

 

INT. STAR BANDIT – COCKPIT

Shouting over the rain of rocks barraging the freighter:

                     Ben

           Can’t we fly OUTSIDE of the planetary ring?

                     Kej

           Not until we are past the sensor towers over there.

KEJ gestures towards a metallic structure atop an asteroid the size of a large building. A faint red light on the tower blinks.

                     Kej (CONT’D)

           For all that sensor can tell, we’re just a large                   rock. We have to get just below it to not be picked up               before we enter the atmosphere.

 

EXT. SPACE – ABOVE KEVESHJIM

Dipping below the sensor-topped asteroid, the STAR BANDIT rockets down towards the planet.

 

EXT. KEVESHJIM – ATMOSPHERE

Small eyeless bat-like creatures weave in and out of blue gas clouds hovering high above any visible terrain. The STAR BANDIT narrowly misses a group of the winged creatures as it burst through the clouds.

The music takes on a more adventurous nature as the ship speeds up, barely skimming the cloud layer above it.

 

INT. STAR BANDIT – COCKPIT

KEJ grips the controls with a worried expression on his face. R-8BY, detaching from the computer interface, hurries to lock himself into the astromech turbulence rig located near the door. BEN cranes his neck to see the clouds just above the ship.

                     Kej (noticing BEN)

           We have to fly the ship just below the clouds until we               get almost directly under the moon.

EXT. KEVESHJIM – ATMOSPHERE

The STAR BANDIT passes over a REFINERY far below on the obsidian-like surface of the planet. Large towers brace enormous drills digging deep into the planets mineral rich core, pillars of black smoke marking their many locations spanning far in the distance.

INT. STAR BANDIT – COCKPIT

R-8BY chirps and KEJ nods.

                     Kej

           Just a little bit farther.

EXT. KEVESHJIM – ATMOSPHERE

The ship soars past, the clouds rippling slightly. After the ship passes, we briefly see a large appendage breach the bottom of the clouds. A tentacle of some sort, metallic blue but altering in color as it moves back into the clouds. It’s gone too quick to tell what it was.

INT. STAR BANDIT – COCKPIT

R-8BY whistles insistently and KEJ immediately pulls the ship into a steep climb.

                     Kej

           Hold on!

The ship’s cockpit darkens as the freighter climbs through the thick blue gas. A front light illuminates, glinting off particles of mineral suspended in the clouds.

EXT. KEVESHJIM – GAS LAYER

The ship cuts through the clouds with ease. The two turbo engines burn bright blue, distinct in the dark gaseous mass.

INT. STAR BANDIT – COCKPIT

R-8BY erupts into a fit of startled beeps and alarms.

                     Kej

           What is it?!

R-8BY more beeps and chirps. A monitor next to the droid shows a sonar-like layout of the ships trajectory, twisted lines appearing just ahead of the STAR BANDIT.

                     Kej (CONT’D)  

           It’s probably just mineral interference! Nothing we                   have to…

KEJ trails off as a dark shadow the shape of a thick cable narrowly misses the ship, disappearing into the darkness of the gas atmosphere.

BEN sits back in his chair, a startled expression on his face.

                     Ben

           Kej… does anything (pause) big live in this atmosphere?

KEJ swallows, not looking at BEN.

                     Kej

           Let’s hope we don’t find out.

The smuggler adjusts in his chair and flips a few switches on the dashboard. Another light illuminates the surrounding gas and KEJ increases the throttle, propelling the ship faster through the dense clouds.

BEN, more alert now, leans forward in his chair, reaching out in the Force. His brow crinkles as he probes the darkness for threats unseen. His eyes widen suddenly, the Force warning him of danger.

                     Ben (to KEJ)

           On your left!

KEJ turns quickly. Another thick shadow, growing out of the blue clouds, can just be seen approaching the left side of the ship. KEJ instinctively pulls the ship to the right, still ascending out of the planet’s atmosphere.

EXT. KEVESHJIM – GAS LAYER

A large tentacle, alternating in color to match the changing hues of blue around it, barely misses the STAR BANDIT. Fleshy flaps open along the arm as the appendage curls back towards the unseen body of the beast. The flaps act as gills collecting floating nutrient particulates from the gaseous environment the beast lives in.

The STAR BANDIT rolls to avoid the massive appendage, barely making it. The engines whine with effort as the ship speeds away.

INT. STAR BANDIT – COCKPIT

R-8BY squeals as the ship comes out of the roll. Several bangs resound from the rear cargo hold as loose crates tumble. Exhaling from the sudden turbulence, BEN sits back in his chair.

                     Kej (wiping sweat off his face and laughing)

           That was too close.

R-8BY raspberries at the remark, decupling from the wall harness and moving down the hallway to a maintenance panel, a red light blinking on the wall next to it. Kej blows off the remark turning back to the controls.

BEN gets up and begins heading down the ship’s hall as KEJ turns.

                     Kej

           Too rough for you?

BEN looks back over his shoulder.

                     Ben (with a small smile)

           No, no. I’ve had my share of rough flights.

Gesturing to the rear cargo hold.

                     Ben (CONT’D)

           I think some of the crates could use strapping down.

KEJ smiles at this.

                     Kej

           Got to make sure that wine doesn’t break before we                   land, eh? Good idea.

KEJ swivels back to the controls, flipping switches while whistling a tune of some kind and BEN continues down the hall, sidling around the busy droid.

INT. STAR BANDIT – CARGO

The Cargo Hold is in disarray. Crates turned over, the contents spilled all over the already cluttered floor. BEN moves over to a stack near the rear of the ship, checking to see that the wine inside hasn’t broken.

INT. STAR BANDIT – COCKPIT

KEJ flips a few more switches before kicking back in his chair. Looking back down the hall to ensure that Ben can’t see the cockpit, KEJ pulls out a mini-holo display. A blue tinted display of Keveshjim appears with an orange path outlining the stolen smuggler’s route Kej has been using.

INT. STAR BANDIT – CARGO

BEN turns the handle on a CARGO CLAMP, securing several crates to the floor of the ship. The Jedi picks up a few loose items and tosses them into a crate nearby. A wood staff catches his eye, wedged behind a storage drum. BEN notices the chest of personal affects that the staff obviously fell from hanging off the shelf above the drum, the straps barely keeping it up. He pushes the chest back onto the shelf and tightens the strap before picking up the staff. The wood is carved, shaped like something. Something familiar. A lightsaber! A crude, short lightsaber, carved from wood!

INT. STAR BANDIT – COCKPIT

KEJ studies the holo, tracing the path with his finger. He glances up to make sure the ship is still flying straight and immediate jerks back in his seat. Another limb emerges from the gas!

INT. STAR BANDIT – CARGO

BEN senses the danger too late! His call to KEJ is cut off.

BAM! The ship shakes and rocks from the impact.