27. "Aftermath"
by Terry Nation
Directed by: Vere Lorrimer
(c) 1979 by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Series
created by Terry Nation. This is a complete dialogue
transcript for research purposes and is not for sale under
any circumstances. Format (c) 1994 by Susan Clerc, Amanda
Rothman, Nicole Vifian and Micky DuPree.
Dramatis Personae
Avon Paul Darrow
Cally Jan Chappell
Vila Restal Michael Keating
Servalan Jacqueline Pearce
Orac Peter Tuddenham
Zen Peter Tuddenham
Dayna Mellanby Josette Simon
Hal Mellanby Cy Grant
Chel Alan Lake
Lauren Sally Harrison
First Trooper Richard Franklin
Second Trooper Michael Melia
Del Tarrant Steven Pacey
Uncredited:
Battle Commander
Walk-ons:
Alan Mechen David Christian
Bobby Webber Jason West
Brian Montant
-----------------------
[Spaceship fly-bys and space battles]
[Liberator flight deck]
ZEN: Enemy strategy is now confirmed. Battle computers
indicate full alien counterattack is underway.
[Scene cuts between the battle and the apparently
empty flight deck]
COMMANDER: [V.O.] Battle Commander, squadron six, to flagship.
Star One is destroyed. Do you copy? Repeat: aliens
have destroyed Star One. Flagship, do you copy?
CALLY: [V.O.] System malfunction on blocks two and three.
AVON: [V.O.] Vila, go and check the life support capsules.
VILA: [V.O.] On my way.
AVON: [V.O.] Zen. Status report.
ZEN: Damage to the navigation computers is beyond the
present capacity of the auto-repair systems. The
teleport malfunction is now total. Automatic shutdown
has been implemented.
[Liberator life capsule corridor. Vila inspects
indicators]
VILA: Well, that's all right.[An explosion causes smoke and
falling debris in the corridor. A fire breaks out.
Vila speaks into comm] Avon. The life capsules ARE
operational. Let's get out while we still can. Avon.
Avon!
[Sarran surface, beach and sea. Three warriors on
horseback watch explosions in the sky]
CHEL: This is the day that was prophesied. The day our Law
foretold. They will come from the sky to destroy us.
They will burn the stars to light their way. We must
be prepared.
WARRIOR: Look!
[Something arcs across the sky, crashes and explodes]
CHEL: It begins. Hunt them down. Destroy the strangers.
Hunt them down and kill them. Kill them! KILL THEM!
[Warriors shout and gallop toward crash site]
[Life capsule corridor]
ZEN: Damage control estimates breakdown is now beyond the
capacity of auto-repair systems in all areas. Serious
malfunction in life support would indicate evacuation
by life capsule a priority one requirement.
[Vila opens a life support capsule and checks inside.
Avon and Cally enter the corridor with Orac and its carrying
case]
VILA: We've got to get out of here. [To Cally] Where have
you been? Where have you been?
CALLY: Blake didn't want to leave.
VILA: Well, I do!
AVON: I'm surprised you're still here.
VILA: Where's Jenna? We haven't got to wait for her,
have we?
CALLY: Jenna's gone with Blake.
AVON: So let's get on with it.
[Explosion. Avon is unconscious]
CALLY: He's out cold. We must get him into a capsule
fast. And then you can put Orac in with him.
Come on, quick!
VILA: I've only got one pair of hands, you know.
[Another explosion]
ZEN: Confirmation is now accepted. Computers recommend
immediate evacuation by life capsule.
[Cally and Vila check on Avon in the capsule]
CALLY: He should be all right.
VILA: But Cally, he won't be able to operate the launch
button.
CALLY: We can do it on remote. Come on.
[They withdraw from capsule, and its door closes.
Capsule launch seen from outside LIBERATOR]
VILA: [Cally enters capsule] All right?
CALLY: Yes.
ZEN: Damage control estimates total failure of life
support system in thirty-nine seconds.
[Vila stabs a button to open another]
VILA: It won't open!
CALLY: [Exits her capsule] I'll check the overrides.
ZEN: Life support systems will cease to operate in
twenty seconds.
[Begins countdown in background]
CALLY: The relay's been cut. I'll have to reset it.
[She sets to work on it and hands him a tool] Hold
this.
VILA: Come on, hurry up, hurry up! [pause] Get on with
it, get on with it!
[Avon's capsule hurtles through the outer planetary
atmosphere. He regains consciousness. A red light
pulses]
AVON: Too fast. Too fast. Going to burn up.[Tries to
reach the light, but can't quite] Orac, you'll have
to handle it. Instruct the computer. Get us down.
Get. Us. Down. [Passes out]
[Planet surface. Two Federation troopers drop to rest]
TROOPER 1: That was close.
TROOPER 2: Are we the only ones who got out?
TROOPER 1: Could well be, sir. Most of my section were dead
before we hit. Have you any idea where we are, sir?
TROOPER 2: Planet called Sarran, I think. I wasn't able to
get a firm fix. Does it matter?
TROOPER 1: No, sir, no. I'm very grateful to be out of the
battle. And alive.
TROOPER 2: Do you know how many alien ships were confirmed
killed?
TROOPER 1: Five hundred at the last count, sir.
TROOPER 2: I heard it was nearer six.
TROOPER 1: Six hundred?
TROOPER 2: Historic victory, that's what they'll call it.
TROOPER 1: [Groans] Ohh.
TROOPER 2: How does it feel to have made history?
TROOPER 1: Very painful, sir.
TROOPER 2: We lost over eighty percent of the fleet, you know.
TROOPER 1: Eighty percent?
TROOPER 2: We only won because there were more of us than there
were of them. If you call that winning. Look - there's
another one of them. [Light streaks toward the ground
from the sky]
TROOPER 1: Did you see what it was, sir?
TROOPER 2: Life capsule, I think.
TROOPER 1: Yeah, but was it one of ours?
TROOPER 2: Couldn't tell.
TROOPER 1: I'd be very careful if I were you, sir. There could
be some alien survivors down.
TROOPER 2: Oh, we're all right. We're our of the war, now!
Come on.
[Three Sarrans on horseback approach. The troopers
struggle up the hill but Chel catches up to them and
kills them. The Sarrans ride away]
[Sarran beach. The smoking life capsule door raises as
the Sarrans approach]
CHEL: Dismount.
[Avon weakly crawls out, Liberator gun in hand. A
warrior runs to attack him. Avon points the gun but
nothing happens. The warrior kicks the gun from his
hand, rolls Avon and straddles him, then pulls his short
sword to deliver the death blow. He falls over dead with
an arrow in his back. Dayna fires a second arrow into
the sand at the feet of the other Sarrans and they run
away. Dayna then runs to Avon, who is unconscious]
[A small cave. Avon, unconscious, lays on hide covers.
Dayna collects water in a bowl, dabs water on Avon's
forehead. Avon opens his eyes and starts forward]
DAYNA: Are you feeling better?
AVON: Not really. But at least I'm still alive. If I were
dead I don't think I'd have this blinding headache.
[Dayna kisses him]
AVON: What was that for?
DAYNA: Curiosity.
AVON: I'm all in favor of healthy curiosity. I hope yours
isn't satisfied too easily. I think you've cured my
headache.
DAYNA: What's your name?
AVON: Avon.
DAYNA: You are very beautiful, Avon.
AVON: So are you.
DAYNA: Dayna.
AVON: Are you a native of this planet?
DAYNA: The ones who tried to kill you are the natives. Do
I look like them?
AVON: So where do you come from?
DAYNA: I was born on Earth. My father brought me here when
I was a baby.
AVON: Are there many Earth people here?
DAYNA: Just father and myself.
AVON: Just the two of you?
DAYNA: And Lauren. She's of this planet, but she's lived
with us since she was a child.
AVON: Three of you. How do you survive? The natives, what
do you call them?
DAYNA: The Sarrans.
AVON: The Sarrans don't seem exactly friendly.
DAYNA: They don't trouble us much. Father says they were a
problem when we first arrived, now they leave us
alone. They're afraid of us. They're afraid of me,
particularly.
AVON: Presumably, it's the bow and arrow.
DAYNA: I like the ancient weapons -- the spear, the sword,
the knife. They demand more skill. When you fight
with them conflict becomes more personal. More
exciting.
AVON: More dangerous.
DAYNA: Of course. Without danger there's no pleasure.
AVON: That must limit your range of pleasures a bit.
DAYNA: [laughs] You're feeling stronger.
AVON: Yes, I am.
DAYNA: I'll take you to our base.
AVON: Is it far?
DAYNA: No. You should manage it.
AVON: Orac!
DAYNA: What?
AVON: When you found me, I had a box with me, about this
size.
DAYNA: There was nothing.
AVON: Then it must still be in the life capsule. You have
got to take me back to the place where you found me.
Now.
DAYNA: Come.
[On the beach. A Sarran looks inside capsule, removes
Orac's case and throws it down. Dayna pulls Avon down]
AVON: We must keep moving.
DAYNA: No, just a minute. Look. [Four Sarrans walk away from
them] It's safe now, we can go on.
AVON: You are very good at this.
DAYNA: I told you. I enjoy it. Don't you?
AVON: I have had enough excitement for a while. Right now
a little boredom wouldn't come amiss.
DAYNA: Right. Come on. [They descend a dune]
AVON: It's all right. There it is. I'll get it.
DAYNA: Wait.
AVON: You keep watch.
[Avon picks up and throws away gun, then moves toward
the case]
DAYNA: Avon!
[The Sarran attacks, Avon fights and knocks him down,
then picks up Orac]
DAYNA: You fight well.
AVON: Only when I have to. [She draws the bow on the downed
Sarran] What are you doing?
DAYNA: He's your enemy.
AVON: He's no danger now. Leave him.
DAYNA: If the situation was reversed, he would have killed
you.
AVON: His friends might still manage it. Leave him.[Walks
away]
DAYNA: [Turns, looks at Avon] I should have killed him.
[Another part of the beach. Servalan watches Sarran
group pass]
SERVALAN: Open transmission for immediate relay to Federation
fleet command. Message begins. Escort group nine
destroyed en route to main battle zone. President
Servalan forced down on planet Sarran. Rescue is now
your first priority. Repeat: rescue takes precedence
over everything. Message ends. Acknowledge transmission.
[White noise] Answer me, damn you, answer me! [More
white noise. She notices the dead troopers, gets to
her feet holding a gun and walks away]
[Avon and Dayna walk on the beach. They come upon a
gruesome figure: the rotting corpse of a man tied by the
wrists to a makeshift pillory.]
AVON: Dayna!
DAYNA: That's what Chel does to those he doesn't like.
AVON: Chel?
DAYNA: The leader of the Sarrans.
[Chel and several others ransack the life capsule]
CHEL: Shakar! This way. [They follow Avon and Dayna's
trail]
[Avon stops]
DAYNA: Can I help you?
AVON: I'm all right. How much further?
DAYNA: You'll see it in a moment. Come. [They go a little
further and crouch behind a dune. Dayna points at
the sea] There.
AVON: I don't see anything.
DAYNA: The sea!
AVON: Oh, I can see the sea.
DAYNA: That is our base.
AVON: You live underneath it?
DAYNA: In it.
AVON: In it? Listen, I'm not very keen on water sports
even at the best of times.
DAYNA: Don't worry.
AVON: This is not the best of times.
DAYNA: You won't even get your feet wet. Wait here. I'll
check it's safe to go on.[Leaves]
AVON: Well, I hope she's not totally insane. Under these
circumstances that could be a little bit embarrassing.
[Sarran group passes corpse and pillory]
[Muzzle of a gun touches Avon's cheek]
SERVALAN: Stay quite still.
AVON: Servalan.
SERVALAN: You don't sound surprised.
AVON: Why should I be? It has a perverse kind of logic to
it. Our meeting is the most unlikely happening I
could imagine. Therefore we meet. Surprise seems
inappropriate somehow.
SERVALAN: Stand up. Over there. Where are Blake and the
others?
AVON: I haven't the remotest idea. I'm not even sure that
they're alive. I was unconscious. Somebody must have
gotten me into a life capsule.
SERVALAN: And Orac with you. I shall need Orac.
AVON: Where's your ship?
SERVALAN: Plastered over a large area of this miserable planet.
AVON: You should've stayed at Space Command Headquarters.
SERVALAN: The battle was virtually over. A personal appearance
is always good politics. Especially for a new
president.
AVON: Congratulations. Why don't you put away the gun?
SERVALAN: Why should I?
AVON: Good politics?
SERVALAN: I'd need a better reason.
AVON: How about an arrow through the head?
[Dayna walks behind Servalan, bow drawn]
SERVALAN: If she fires, the chances are that I would still pull
the trigger. Do you want to risk it?
AVON: It's out of my hands.
SERVALAN: Perhaps we can come to some arrangement.
DAYNA: Then you'd better come to it quickly. I've no arrows
left for them.
[Sarrans approach on the beach]
SERVALAN: In the circumstances, I suggest we forget our
differences.
AVON: Give me the gun.
SERVALAN: [Tosses it to the ground] That won't stop them. It's
empty.
AVON: It's a great pity that you and I have always been on
opposite sides, Servalan.
DAYNA: You can talk later. Now we must hurry.[She runs on
beach and opens the hatch, Avon runs up with her bow
and arrow and Orac. The Sarrans are in pursuit]
Hurry!
[Dayna takes the bow and arrow and prepares to shoot.
Avon and Servalan go into the hatch. One warrior falls
with an arrow in his neck]
CHEL: Leave him!
[Dayna enters hatch, pulls down cover. Chel tugs futilely
at hatch cover]
[Main section of Mellanby's base. A soft background hum]
AVON: A space vehicle grounded on the sea bed.
DAYNA: It was designed as a fixed orbit station. My father
landed it here more than twenty years ago. Putting it
under the surface gave it the best possible camouflage.
And it worked. They looked for us, but they never
found us.
SERVALAN: Until now.
DAYNA: The Sarrans? They were never the real problem.
SERVALAN: What's your father's name?
DAYNA: Hal Mellanby.
AVON: Mean anything to you?
SERVALAN: No.
DAYNA: I will tell my father you are here.
AVON: Thank you.
SERVALAN: I would like to clean up if I may. And perhaps you
could find me something to wear?
DAYNA: Of course. Come with me.
[They exit, Avon examines a gun on a worktable that
holds several weapons. Mellanby enters. He wears dark
glasses, a gold starburst medallion, and a large disk
with a glass bulb extending from it]
MELLANBY: Welcome. You're Avon. Dayna told me you were here.
I'm Hal Mellanby.
AVON: Good to meet you. Thank you for your hospitality.
MELLANBY: You've been involved in the war.
AVON: You could say that. We were damaged, had to abandon
our ship.
MELLANBY: Come and sit down.
AVON: Thank you.
MELLANBY: You're not alone in losing your ship. The losses on
both sides have been tremendous. I've been monitoring
the status transmissions.
AVON: Did we win? [Mellanby hands him a small listening
device, which Avon puts to his ear]
MELLANBY: Still very confused, but there's not much doubt the
aliens were virtually wiped out.
AVON: Well, the price was high enough, but at least we got
what we paid for.
MELLANBY: You almost didn't. It was a close-run thing. What's
left of the Federation fleet, which isn't much, is
scattered halfway across the galaxy. I'd say the
Federation's in a lot of trouble.
AVON: Yes, it's difficult to sustain a military dictatorship
when you've lost most of the military. [Mellanby
laughs] I only hope Blake survived long enough to
realize that he was winning -- both wars.
MELLANBY: Blake? You were with Blake?
AVON: Yes, though it hardly seems to matter now. If it
ever did.
MELLANBY: If it mattered? Blake and the Liberator? I've been
hearing reports for the last couple of years. You
were magnificent.
AVON: Not from where I was sitting.
MELLANBY: You're doubly welcome here, Avon. We have something
in common, too. We're both fugitives from the
Federation.
AVON: Dayna told me you had enemies.
MELLANBY: I've been hiding here for a long time.
AVON: What was your crime?
MELLANBY: It wasn't a crime. But there's still a price on my
head: three million credits.
AVON: You must be very special.
MELLANBY: I constituted a threat to them.
AVON: Then I'm afraid by asking us to come here, you may
have put yourself in danger. The woman who was with
me is Supreme Commander Servalan. She may even be
President Servalan by now.
MELLANBY: Servalan? I've heard of her. Yes, she came into
power some years after my defection. It's possible
she doesn't remember my case.
AVON: Don't count on it. Servalan has a long memory.
MELLANBY: If it comes to the point, I shall take whatever
actions are necessary to protect my freedom. For
her sake, it would be better that she doesn't
remember.
[Dayna's room]
DAYNA: Will this be all right? [Hold up a purple dress]
I think it should fit you.
SERVALAN: Oh, very attractive. A little old fashioned, and
not my colour, but it'll do very nicely.
DAYNA: Not too young for you?
SERVALAN: Oh, I don't think so, do you? I find unsophisticated
clothes quite amusing, like unsophisticated people.
Obvious, but amusing. [Dayna laughs]
SERVALAN: You say you've been here quite a long time?
[Dayna moves behind a screen to change]
DAYNA: Since I was a small child.
SERVALAN: It must be very boring for you.
DAYNA: Not at all. There never seems to be enough time. I
have my tutorials with the computers. I like
hunting and walking, and I work with my father.
SERVALAN: Doing what?
DAYNA: We design and develop defense systems.
SERVALAN: Really? That must be fascinating. For whom do you
develop these systems? Other exiles, like
yourselves?
DAYNA: We're not exiles. We chose to come here.
SERVALAN: But I thought you said you were in hiding, that the
Federation were searching for you.
DAYNA: [Enters in new outfit] I didn't mention the
Federation.
SERVALAN: Oh, how pretty. Why else would you hide? A
Federation citizen need fear nothing.
DAYNA: You really believe that?
SERVALAN: Of course. The Federation exists to protect its
people.
DAYNA: Even from themselves?
SERVALAN: I don't understand.
DAYNA: Is it a crime to be independent? Father wanted
independence. The Federation refused him permission
to leave Earth so he had to leave secretly.
SERVALAN: And this burning desire for independence -- was
this his only reason for leaving Earth?
DAYNA: What do you mean?
SERVALAN: Well, to hide away for twenty-odd years on some
remote outer planet seems a trifle obsessive. Was
there some other reason for his running away?
DAYNA: No.
SERVALAN: A Federation citizen who fails to register a change
of location commits only a minor offense. Only a
small fine is imposed. It must have been something
more important than that to stop you returning home.
DAYNA: There's nothing else. We just don't want to go back,
that's all. We're not criminals; we're not hiding.
We stay here because we want to.
SERVALAN: You mustn't let me upset you. It's just that I'm
fascinated by your life here. I'm so grateful to
you. I don't know what I would have done without you
up on the surface. You saved my life. And that's a
debt I want to repay. So, [caresses Dayna's cheek] I
hope we're going to be friends.
DAYNA: I hope so, too. Is there anything else I can get for
you?
SERVALAN: Thank you, no. You've already been more than kind.
DAYNA: Then you finish changing. I'll wait for you in the
main section.
SERVALAN: I'll be with you in just a few moments. [Thinks]
Hal Mellanby!
[Main section]
MELLANBY: Hold this. [Hands Avon an odd gun, and opens a window
in the wall]
AVON: A test firing area.
MELLANBY: That's right. Try it.
[A cut-out creature appears in the firing range and Avon fires
at it]
AVON: Impressive. It seemed to aim itself. I felt it
pulling my hand around to the target.
MELLANBY: The weapon has programmable memory. You preset an
image of the target, and it automatically lines up
on it.
AVON: Remarkable.
MELLANBY: A useful piece of equipment.
AVON: How long did it take you to develop this?
MELLANBY: I didn't. That one was Dayna's project. She has a
genius with weaponry systems, and that isn't just
a father's pride.
AVON: And yet with all this to choose from, she still goes
around with a bow and arrows.
MELLANBY: She takes absurd risks. I try to discourage her, but
I think she's trying to prove to herself that there's
no weapon, ancient or modern, that she can't master.
AVON: Forgive me asking, but that device you're wearing ...
[Indicates the glass bulb]
MELLANBY: This? It's an image amplifier. Before I left Earth,
I was taken in for questioning by Federation Security.
They suspected me of supplying weapons to resistance
groups. And they were right. Anyway, in persuading me
to talk they were slightly overzealous. They destroyed
my optic nerves. This thing gives me partial vision.
AVON: I'm sorry.
MELLANBY: No need. It's an attitude of the mind. Most men see
only what they want to see. The difference in my case
is that I know that my vision is limited.
[Loud, hollow gong sounds and repeats]
AVON: What is it?
MELLANBY: I don't know. [Lauren enters]
LAUREN: [Enters] Do you hear it, Father?
AVON: Any idea where it came from?
LAUREN: There's nothing inside the ship.
MELLANBY: Avon, this is Lauren, my adopted daughter. She and
Dayna grew up together.
LAUREN: There it is again.
MELLANBY: Check the surface scan.
[Lauren goes to a small screen and shows a series of
views]
LAUREN: That's the north shore.
MELLANBY: Nothing there. Try the west. Nothing there either.
DAYNA: [Enters] What's happening, father?
MELLANBY: We don't know. We're checking. Lauren, try the
south shore.
[Sarrans are pounding on the hatch cover]
DAYNA: Sarrans.
LAUREN: That's the main entry lock.
AVON: Will it hold?
MELLANBY: I'm not sure. They've got metal tools and the
intelligence to use them properly. Given time, they
could open it.
LAUREN: I wonder what's made them so determined suddenly.
AVON: Survivors, like me, probably.
DAYNA: We'll go out through the other hatch. Get round
behind them, then we'll have a clear field of fire.
Wipe them out with one volley.
MELLANBY: No, Dayna, no! Will you never understand? We take
life only in the last extreme.
DAYNA: They look fairly extreme to me.
MELLANBY: We'll use vitashock weapons. The blasts will be
painful enough to drive them off without causing
any permanent injury.
LAUREN: I'll get the guns from the armory.[Exits]
MELLANBY: You see that Dayna and I don't agree on some
issues.
DAYNA: How can I agree? It contradicts everything I've
done all my life. We've made the most sophisticated
weapons ever known. They are designed to kill.
MELLANBY: No, Dayna!
DAYNA: They have no other purpose. Yet you tell me they
should never be used? Does that make sense, Avon?
AVON: I seldom comment on other people's ethics.
LAUREN: [Enters and hands Dayna a weapon] Dayna.
MELLANBY: You stay here, Avon. We can handle it. Come on,
Dayna.
[They all exit. Avon waits for them to leave, then
picks up the case, opens it, and activates Orac]
AVON: Orac, I want a status report on the Liberator.
ORAC: The ship has sustained considerable damage, but is
now operating at fifty-four percent of normal
capacity. This is increasing rapidly as the auto-
repair systems complete their functions.
AVON: Can you give me a direct voice link with the Zen
computer?
ORAC: Wait. [Several seconds pass]
AVON: Come on, Orac, come on!
ORAC: Communicators have locked on to your voice-beam
channel. Transmission may begin.
AVON: Zen, this is Avon. Have you any information about
the rest of the crew?
ZEN: Direct instructions have been received from Blake.
AVON: Where is he? Is he safe?
ZEN: He reports he's uninjured. A locator malfunction
at the time of transmission made it impossible to
calculate his exact position.
AVON: The others?
[Servalan enters, then hides and listens]
ZEN: Routine message interception indicates that Jenna
is now on a hospital ship. Her injuries are
superficial.
AVON: What was the destination of the hospital ship?
ZEN: That information was unclear.
AVON: All right. What about Vila and Cally?
ZEN: There has been no communication from either of them.
AVON: Is the teleport in operation?
ZEN: Repairs will be complete in two hours and thirty-four
minutes.
AVON: How soon can you bring the Liberator into teleport
range?
ZEN: Eight hours is the estimated time.
AVON: Try and improve on that. Enter orbit with teleport
facility set for random pickup.
ZEN: Confirmed.
AVON: Keep listening out for Vila or Cally. If either of
them come in, give their pick up priority over mine.
ZEN: Confirmed.
AVON: That's about all. Keep feeding reports through Orac.
ZEN: Information. A space vehicle has been registering
on the detectors. Visual scan now indicates that it
is approaching the Liberator. Present status suggests
the vehicle will attempt docking beside port entry.
AVON: Can you identify it?
ZEN: Negative.
AVON: Is there any voice contact?
ZEN: Negative.
AVON: Is it still coming?
ZEN: Confirmed. Full function has been restored on
Liberator weaponry systems. The vehicle can be
destroyed on your order.
AVON: Do it. No, wait. It could be Vila or Cally getting
back. Let it dock.
ZEN: Confirmed.
[The ship attaches to Liberator. Static]
AVON: Zen, report! Zen! Zen!
[Static ceases]
ORAC: Further communication with the Liberator is
impossible.
AVON: I must know if anyone boards the Liberator. That
is vital.
ORAC: The information is not available.
AVON: Reestablish contact as soon as possible.
ORAC: Well, of course I will.[Avon closes case]
SERVALAN: [Emerges from hiding] Avon, you look worried.
AVON: Do I?
SERVALAN: And I thought you were the one who had conquered
emotion, replaced feeling with logic.
AVON: I don't really care what you thought.
SERVALAN: Oh, you ARE worried, aren't you?
AVON: Skip the psychology, Servalan, it is not your
strong point.
SERVALAN: You think not? You could be right. After all,
we're very alike, you and I.
AVON: I doubt that.
[While Servalan speaks, Avon sets Orac's case down
in front of a chair and then sits with his feet up
on the case]
SERVALAN: You are ambitious, ruthless ... you want power
and you'd never let conscience stand in the way
of achieving it. Well?
AVON: You overestimate me.
SERVALAN: You have one other quality I admire. Very much.
AVON: Yes?
SERVALAN: You are infinitely corruptible. You'd sell out
anybody, wouldn't you?
AVON: I don't know; I never really had an offer I felt
was worthy of me.
SERVALAN: Then why don't you see if you can find us a drink.
We have things to talk about.
[Bluff above the beach. Dayna, Lauren, and Mellanby
watch as the Sarrans attack the hatch]
MELLANBY: Set for minimum power. Dayna, set minimum.
Continuous burst. Fire. Cease firing. Dayna, I
said stop.
DAYNA: They'll come back!
MELLANBY: When they do, we'll give them another blast.
Couple more times and they'll come to associate
this area with pain. Then they'll leave it alone.
LAUREN: They're starting to edge back.
MELLANBY: Let them get close.
[Main section. Servalan is now seated on a small couch.
Avon pours green liquid into a glass]
SERVALAN: I'm going to be honest with you.
AVON: That should be mildly disconcerting.
SERVALAN: I know the Liberator is on its way here to pick
you up.
AVON: What makes you think that?
SERVALAN: I was hiding over there. I heard every word.
AVON: I see. Go on. [Hands the glass to Servalan]
SERVALAN: My only chance of getting off this planet is if I
can make contact with a serviceable Federation ship.
[Avon sits next to her on the couch] That possibility
seems fairly remote.
AVON: Surely not. Once they realize the President is
marooned they will be coming in droves.
SERVALAN: I don't think so. You see, there's something you
probably don't know. Star One was destroyed.
AVON: Are you sure?
SERVALAN: Positive. An alien counterattack, it took us by
surprise. They reduced the entire planet to so much
space debris. Nothing survived.
AVON: And Star One was the basis of Federation power. It
controlled everything.
SERVALAN: Exactly. And now it's gone, so is most of the
Federation. From now on there will be chaos in the
star systems. No central control, no unifying force.
Over half the civilized planets left to their fate.
AVON: So Blake's rabble finally get freedom of choice. He
won after all.[They both stand]
SERVALAN: Forget Blake. YOU have control of the Liberator now.
There's no more powerful ship in the galaxy. You have
Orac. Avon! Don't you see what that means?
AVON: You tell me about it.
SERVALAN: You could rebuild it all. All those worlds could be
yours, Avon, they're there for the taking. You and I
could build an empire greater and more powerful than
the Federation ever was or ever could have been. Now,
Avon. At this moment we can take history and shape it
in our own image. Think of it: absolute power. There
is nothing you can imagine that we couldn't do.
AVON: [Takes her glass and sets it aside] I am thinking of it.
SERVALAN: We can do it, Avon.
AVON: I know we can.
SERVALAN: We'll be answerable to no one. Ours will be the only
voice. Imagination our only limit.
[They kiss. Avon grabs her by the throat and pushes
her to the ground]
AVON: Imagination my only limit? I'd be dead in a week.
[At the bluff]
DAYNA: I think they've learned their lesson.
MELLANBY: Good. Let's get back. Lauren?
LAUREN: I'll stay a while longer, just in case.
MELLANBY: They won't be back.
LAUREN: It won't hurt to wait a while longer. Anyway, when
I'm sure it's safe, I want to go a have a look at
the entry lock, see if they've done any damage.
DAYNA: I'll stay with you.
LAUREN: There's no need. I can handle it, Dayna.
MELLANBY: All right, but don't take any chances.
LAUREN: I won't.
DAYNA: Keep your head down.
LAUREN: I always do.
[On the beach]
CHEL: The light that brings pain comes from those rocks.
I saw movement there. When night comes, we'll circle
that place, and destroy them that would harm us.
[Main section. Avon holds a teleport bracelet while
Dayna probes it]
AVON: So you have very little to fear from Servalan. There
is no real Federation anymore. It's unlikely that
anyone will come looking for you. You won't have to
hide any longer.
MELLANBY: It's odd. For the last twenty years that's all I've
dreamed of, freedom to do what I want, go where I
want. Now that I've got it, I'm not sure what to do
with it.
AVON: [To Dayna] Thank you. [Snaps the bracelet on his
wrist] Will you leave this planet?
MELLANBY: I don't know. I...I won't make any decision in a
hurry.
AVON: That's probably wise.
MELLANBY: But no matter what I do, I think it would be good
for Dayna to get away from here. She should
experience other worlds, other people.
AVON: She could have some surprises coming.
MELLANBY: She's an intelligent girl. She'll adapt quickly.
AVON: I'm sure she will.
DAYNA: I'm going to bed, father.
AVON: I could do with some rest, as well. It'll be a few
hours before the Liberator gets here.
MELLANBY: Is it still on its way?
AVON: I haven't reestablished voice contact, but Orac
is tracking it. It's right on course.
MELLANBY: So you should be leaving us soon after dawn.
AVON: That's the plan.
MELLANBY: I'll be sure you're awake in plenty of time.
AVON: Thank you. Good night.
MELLANBY: Night.
DAYNA: Aren't you going to bed?
MELLANBY: I'll wait up for Lauren. She won't be long. Sleep
well.
DAYNA: Good night.
MELLANBY: Night.
[Avon and Dayna exit. Mellanby dims the lights and
sits]
[Dayna's room. Servalan searches drawers, then a
cupboard, and finds a small green gun]
AVON: [V.O.] Good night, Dayna.
DAYNA: [V.O.] I hope you sleep well.
AVON: [V.O.] I'll see you before I go.
[Servalan lays down and pretends to be asleep. Dayna
enters and begins to undress]
[At the bluff in moonlight. Lauren starts to rise
and sees Chel]
CHEL: Welcome back to your people.
[Main section, dimly lit and apparently empty]
[Servalan quietly leaves Dayna's room, goes to the
main section, and finds Orac]
MELLANBY: [Turns on lights and aims gun] Move away from it.
You're welcome to leave, but you're not taking Orac
with you. Just what were you planning?
SERVALAN: It's quite simple. If I have Orac, Avon will agree
to whatever terms I offer him. He can't control the
Liberator's teleport without it. It was a good idea,
I hadn't counted on anyone being here.
MELLANBY: We all make mistakes.
SERVALAN: That's true. You did yourself, once, didn't you?
You see, I finally remembered who you are.
MELLANBY: That was all a long time ago.
SERVALAN: But not forgotten. You led a revolt that took more
than three weeks to suppress. It cost a lot of
Federation lives.
MELLANBY: And the lives of virtually everyone who followed me.
SERVALAN: You knew the consequences of what you were attempting.
MELLANBY: Yes, and when we failed we made an honorable surrender.
We were promised fair trial. Instead, the security
forces massacred everyone, men, women, and children.
That night I watched them all die. My own wife, my
friends, everybody.
SERVALAN: Everybody but you. Hasn't that ever made you feel
guilty, Mellanby?
MELLANBY: Of course it has. I've lived with guilt most of my
life. I should have died with them, but I had a
chance of saving Dayna. I took it.
SERVALAN: They branded you a coward. Your name was universally
despised.
MELLANBY: Might have been true. I've never been sure.
SERVALAN: Still, it's all over now. The Federation is finished.
You have nothing to fear anymore.
MELLANBY: Nothing to fear.[Lowers his gun]
SERVALAN: Mellanby. [Shoots his optical device] Over here,
Mellanby. [He grabs a stave and lashes at her. She
moves away easily. This continues throughout] You're
still a loser, aren't you? You were then, you are
now. You don't win wars by running away and hiding.
[Shoots him again, picks up Orac and mounts the
stairs]
MELLANBY: [Struggles to stand but falls] Dayna! Avon! [Dies]
[Avon runs in, checks Mellanby's body for pulse]
AVON: Servalan. Orac!
DAYNA: [Enters] Father!
AVON: He got away from here after all.
[Dayna throws herself on her father's body]
[On the beach in daylight. Servalan walks, carrying
Orac, and sees Lauren's corpse hanging on pillory]
[Dayna, in hunting dress, hands Avon a gun. She wears
her father's starburst medallion]
DAYNA: Take this. Ready?
AVON: Yes.
DAYNA: Then let's go find her.
AVON: Wait a minute. Take this bracelet. Liberator is due
here at anytime. If things go right it could be your
only way out.
DAYNA: I'm going nowhere until Servalan is dead.
AVON: Unless we find Orac, neither am I. [Takes bracelet]
DAYNA: Then we're agreed. Let's get started.
[Servalan, now without Orac, shoots a Sarran]
[Avon and Dayna find Lauren's body]
DAYNA: Lauren, too. What's left?
AVON: Servalan. We must find her. Now.
DAYNA: Lauren. [Weeps]
AVON: Listen. Her tracks show that she came this way.
There are Sarran tracks as well. They're following
her. We must get to her before they do. [Dayna nods]
[Servalan is caught by a Sarran, who drags her to
their camp]
[Avon and Dayna watch the camp]
AVON: Let's try and get a bit closer.
DAYNA: I can kill her from here. She's well within range.
AVON: No, wait a minute.
DAYNA: Why wait?
AVON: Because I can't see Orac.
DAYNA: What would the Sarrans want with Orac? It is of no
value to them.
AVON: Exactly. They may have left it where they captured
her. Only Servalan knows.
[Sarrans prepare a pillory. Servalan and Chel recline
on the side of a dune]
SERVALAN: It's a weapon many times more powerful then yours.
You've seen what it can do.
CHEL: It is strong, but there is only one.
SERVALAN: But there are many more. I can get them for you,
show you how to use them.
CHEL: You lie.
SERVALAN: Weapons like that would make you invincible.
CHEL: Akran! [Sarran grabs Servalan roughly]
DAYNA: I'm going to kill her now while I've got the chance.
AVON: No. Orac is our only hope. We have got to get her
out of there. Give me a few minutes to get down there,
then start firing. Cause as much panic and confusion
as you can, but keep your fire away from Servalan.
DAYNA: All right.
AVON: I don't want you telling me afterwards that it was an
accident.
[A Sarran ties Servalan's wrists to the pillory, Avon
hits him and cuts her free]
SERVALAN: Thanks.
AVON: You're welcome.
[He is attacked, Dayna fires, Avon fights]
CHEL: Well, there they are, man. Get after them! [Shoves
a Sarran in their general direction]
[Avon, Dayna and Servalan run to Dayna's cave]
AVON: We don't have too much time. Where is Orac?
SERVALAN: Safe.
AVON: Where?
SERVALAN: Let's talk about what I get in return.
AVON: You got your life, didn't you?
SERVALAN: Naturally, I'm grateful. But it's not enough.
DAYNA: You're in no position to bargain.
SERVALAN: Oh, but I am. Without Orac you're helpless, and you
know it, don't you Avon?
AVON: What is it you want?
SERVALAN: Passage off this planet. When the Liberator comes
in, I want to teleport up -- with you.
AVON: No.
SERVALAN: Then we all stay here together. Be sensible, I'm
not asking you to give me the Liberator. Just take
me to the nearest civilized planet and put me down.
You have nothing to lose.
AVON: All right, I agree. Now where is Orac?
SERVALAN: Oh, no, Avon. Oh, no, it's not that simple. We know
each other far too well. There are conditions.
AVON: Go on.
SERVALAN: First of all, I want a gun.
DAYNA: No.
AVON: There is only one.
SERVALAN: I only want one.
DAYNA: Convince her. [Dayna doesn't budge]
SERVALAN: A teleport bracelet.
AVON: I'll give it to you when we have Orac.
SERVALAN: You will give it to me now. [Avon removes his
bracelet and hands it to her] You have another?
AVON: Yes.
SERVALAN: Good. Then I think I can say we're in business.
AVON: You've got what you wanted, Servalan. Don't expect
admiration as well.
DAYNA: There is one thing, perhaps, you haven't accounted
for.
SERVALAN: I don't think so.
DAYNA: I'm going to kill you. Sooner or later.
AVON: Where is Orac?
SERVALAN: I hid it near the entry lock.
[On the beach by the hatch, now open. Dayna keeps
the gun on Servalan]
AVON: All right, where is it?
SERVALAN: Buried over there.
[Avon finds the case, opens it]
AVON: Report!
ORAC: Liberator's navigation systems are locked onto this
location. I will operate the teleport the moment the
ship moves into range.
AVON: All right, we'll be standing by.
[Servalan shoves at the gun, slaps Dayna down, and grabs
the gun]
SERVALAN: Stay where you are. A pity, Avon. I was willing to
share with you.
AVON: Killing us at this point was always part of your
plan. That's why I gave you the faulty bracelet.
SERVALAN: You're lying.
AVON: Look at the casing. It's cracked right across.
[Servalan checks, and is distracted by small explosion.
Chel has fired the gun at her]
AVON: [To Dayna] Get the bracelet! [Fetches Orac]
[Dayna grabs the gun, gets the bracelet, pushes
Servalan down]
DAYNA: Bracelet. [Hands it to Avon, then aims the gun at
Servalan, who is in the hatch entryway] Stop!
Servalan, I made you a promise, and I'm going to
keep it. Stop!
[Avon and Dayna teleport, Servalan closes the hatch,
and the beach is suddenly empty. Chel plunges his
sword into the sand and yells in frustration]
[Exterior shot of Liberator]
[Liberator's teleport bay. Avon puts away the bracelets]
AVON: Are you all right?
DAYNA: Yes.
AVON: When we first met, you said there was no pleasure
without danger. Do you still feel that way?
DAYNA: I think I can do without excitement for a little
while.
AVON: Good, then let's get to the flight deck. There's a
lot to be done. I have to locate the others and pick
them up. Come on.
[They head out but Dayna stops]
DAYNA: Wait!
[Tarrant enters and points a gun at them]
TARRANT: Summary execution is the usual punishment for
boarding a Federation ship without authority. What
are you doing on my ship?