"Hare at Arms" by DJ Clawson First draft - 5/19/05 Final draft - 5/30/05 Edited by Rygar 7/1/05 SCENE 1 - GENUSIAN MILITARY ACADEMY, GENUS, 3219 The gym is filled with cadets, on mats and on the bleachers. Some are in their full blue uniforms, and some are working out in T-shirts with their school's logo. Some areas are set up for martial arts, but one section is off for classical fencing. As the sparring COACH is watching with a half-bored look in his eyes, two of the young cadets are sparring. Their faces are covered by protective gear, but the gray FOX is slowly pushing his opponent farther and farther back. FOX You're never going to learn to block. He's probably right. The fox is a point away from winning when his opponent crouches down to avoid the swing, then leaps up into the air, over him and into the rafters. FOX Hey! You're not allowed to do that! The fox's opponent is hanging from a rafter when the coach picks his head up. COACH O'Hare! This is the last time! As he leaps down, the cadet pulls off his heavy face mask. It's an eighteen-year-old BUCKY O'HARE, looking a little flustered from the battle but otherwise eager. He straightens out his long green ears as the coach comes up to yell at him. BUCKY Sorry, sir, but I was getting my tail kicked ... COACH That's no excuse to ignore the rules. Two feet on the ground next time. (turning to the fox cadet) Winner. This comes to no surprise to the fox, or to anyone else watching. Bucky smiles very apologetically to his comrade. BUCKY Sorry ... FOX Forget it. The fox brushes past him and leaves. Bucky looks somewhat dejected. COACH You can't be good at everything. BUCKY I'm not a swordfighter, sir. COACH Fortunately, it's practically an antiquated piece of technology. We just have traditions here. (beat) By the way, the Commander wants to see you in his office. BUCKY When? COACH Sixteen hundred. Get moving, cadet. Bucky salutes, tosses his foil away, and leaves. SCENE 2 - GENUSIAN MILITARY ACADEMY, GENUS The bulldog COMMANDER HUDSON sits behind his desk in an overly neat academy office. Through his window is the complex afternoon skyline of Genus. He is signing various documents when there is a knock on the door. HUDSON Come. The door slides open, and Bucky very reluctantly puts his head in. He is in his regular cadet uniform. BUCKY Sir? HUDSON (with a brief upward glance) Come on in, O'Hare. (nodding to Bucky's salute) At ease, cadet. BUCKY Thank you, sir. Bucky nervously seats himself in one of the plastic chairs. HUDSON I was told by Coach Miller that you pulled that ceiling stunt again. BUCKY Sir, I ... HUDSON It's all right not to be a good fencer. Everyone has their weaknesses. Aniverse knows, it took me forever to master that obstacle course. Hudson briefly looks at what appears to be Bucky's file, then looks back up. HUDSON The point is, we have rules here, and they have to be respected. BUCKY Of course, sir. HUDSON If you weren't getting the highest possible marks in every other subject, I would feel more inclined to discipline you, but the commander in me gets very protective of his top students. All you've flunked is fencing and your psych exam, and I can't blame you for the second thing. Not after what happened to your father. BUCKY Sir ... HUDSON You know we were cadets together, don't you? Before he was transferred back to the Warren Home Guard. BUCKY I do, sir. HUDSON Do you know his record here? BUCKY No, sir. HUDSON He was good. He was very good. I don't know if it was being a hare, or just a damn bastard, but he was very good. Top of his class. Even good with a sword. But he couldn't jump for shit. (beat) What I'm saying is, looking at your record, I think he would be very proud. Bucky's expression is decidedly neutral about this. BUCKY Thank you, sir. HUDSON That said ... (sighs) You don't belong here, Buckminster. One of Bucky's ears picks up in confusion. BUCKY Sir? HUDSON You realize what kind of institution this is? BUCKY (a little startled) It's the best military training center in the mammalian aniverse, sir. HUDSON Yes, yes. And a long time ago, that meant something. (beat) Do you know how long it's been since I've seen active duty? BUCKY No, sir. HUDSON The Android Incident of Rigel VII. Before the place was infested with pirates. When was that? BUCKY (realizing it's a quiz) Uh ... twenty-six years ago? HUDSON That was my last combat. And not because I requested otherwise. This is a peacetime operation now. Most of the mammals here are here because they want a tuition break for some college, or because their family expects something of them, or because they want to do something mindless and violent for a few years before they go on to real life. But you must have realized that by now. Bucky falters, unable to give an immediate answer. HUDSON You've got something in you, something that's driving you, and it makes you a damn fine soldier, but you want to fight something that doesn't exist. BUCKY Sir ... HUDSON And don't get started on the toads again, please. (beat) The point is, I have the decision to enjoy having a student who actually cares about what he's learning, or I can try and let you down easy because I don't think you're going to find what you want here. And you know I've been looking out for you. BUCKY (uncomfortably) Yes, sir. HUDSON I would recommend another place for you, but there's nowhere else to recommend, unless you want to get involved in some minor war between two random planets. The aniverse is stable, and that's hard on both of us, but it's better for everyone else. BUCKY Of course. HUDSON Even the Home Guard has been disbanded. But you obviously thought of that first. That's why you came here. BUCKY Sir ... HUDSON So, that leaves me in a predicament. Well, not really. I could lie back and just let you pass everything and slowly move up the ranks and sit in this very desk in twenty years, but I feel a certain responsibility to steer you into something else. (beat) All right, I'll let you speak now. The young cadet before him -- now somewhat frozen by his predicament -- shuffles his feet nervously. BUCKY Sir, I really want to keep doing what I'm doing. HUDSON Somehow, I knew you were going to say that. But you're a kid. You don't have hindsight. BUCKY With all due respect, I'm not a kid. I can make my own decisions. (beat) ... sir. HUDSON (frowning) I knew you were going to make this hard on me. BUCKY I don't mean to. Hudson pauses thoughtfully. HUDSON I'm going to give you some time to think about it. I'm sending you on a patrol of the orbit of Rigel II. Now, don't get all excited. There's nothing out there but satellite moons and travel ports. You should see what it's like out there. Then come back, and give me your decision. (shuffles paperwork on his desk) You have twenty-four hours to ready yourself for the trip. When you arrive at Rigel, you'll meet your fellow trainee, who will be responsible for piloting the ship. BUCKY It'll take two people? HUDSON No, but we have to do that, for protocol reasons. (slides paper across the desk) Your assignment papers. Be back at eighteen hundred for transport. (beat) Dismissed. And it certainly feels that way to Bucky. SCENE 3 - BAR, GENUS Later that night, Bucky is sitting at the bar, nursing a drink. BUCKY Hey, can't I get something stronger? BARTENDER Not at your age. BUCKY I'm in the military! I could die defending your life. BARTENDER On Genus? Not likely. This just sinks Bucky further into his depression. He leans on the bar, and a baboon hand slaps him, hard, on the shoulder. It's STUDENT ENGINEER BRUCE. BUCKY Maybe I should have tried out for the Betelgeusian Berserker Baboons. BRUCE Somehow, I don' think dat would have worked. BUCKY If I dyed my fur red ... BRUCE Not a chance, buddy. (to bartender) Can't I get somethin' stronger? BARTENDER Not at your age. BUCKY You'd better do it. His brother will beat you up. The ox BARTENDER gives Bruce a once-over. The hulking baboon is just that, with his hair long and wild, but he's carrying a ton of electronic equipment and still has his student badge on. BARTENDER Call your brother and I'll take my chances. The bartender leaves them to their misery. BRUCE Don' be sad. Dis is your first real mission, right? What you've wanted since you started at dat crummy place? BUCKY Yeah, I guess so. Bucky doesn't look any happier, though. BUCKY I just want my own ship and some time to prove I'm right about the toads. BRUCE And a crew as crazy as you are. BUCKY (half-smiles) Right. BRUCE Well, I believe ya about the toads. And dere's a lot of people on Noctur who do, too. BUCKY Lot of good that's doing now. No offense. BRUCE Well, I can't go wit' you, but maybe I can help you. I can give you this droid ... BUCKY A battle droid? BRUCE Well, no. Come t' think of it, if he got blown up on combat, the professor would be pretty pissed. BUCKY (half-interested) So what can he do? BRUCE Math. Amusin' anecdotes. Plays chess pretty good. BUCKY Wait, are you talking about Blinky? The project you wouldn't shut up about even though it was all top secret? BRUCE Yeah, but now dat you're in the military, I guess you have all the right clearance. Besides, he needs testin' dat's not in a lab, if ya know what I mean. (beat) Uh, but he can't walk. BUCKY What? BRUCE No legs. Dey're on backorder. You'll have to carry 'im. Bucky puts his head down on the bar. BRUCE Ya want him or not? BUCKY ... all right. Thanks. BRUCE And you'll have to be nice to 'im. He's got this chip in him, and it's new, so he's a little sensitive ... BUCKY What? SCENE 4 - GENUSIAN MILITARY ACADEMY, GENUS Bucky is on his bunk, working with his comm-link. On the bed beside him is a prototype AFC BLINKY. He's missing a lot of his plating, his hands are barely functional grippers, and below his "waist" are just some trailing wires that have been taped up. His oversized eye swings back and forth curiously. BLINKY This humble robot ... BUCKY OK, I've got a link now. Blinky, be quiet for a second. Blinky briefly shuts his giant eye but quickly reopens it and nervously starts looking around again. Meanwhile, Bucky has gotten the connection running, and the face of his AUNT IRIS appears in the video screen. IRIS Bucky! So nice of you to call. BUCKY Hi, Aunt Iris. How's everything at the farm? IRIS Everything's fine. BUCKY You keeping busy? IRIS Don't you worry about me. I've got more knitting than I know what to do with. Tell me all about the academy. BUCKY There isn't really anything new to report. I think I flunked fencing. (beat) And they're sending me on a mission. IRIS You don't seem so enthusiastic. BUCKY I am. It's just -- other things. Going on. And anyway, it's just some patrol, or so I've been told. IRIS (non-accusingly) You don't have to lie to me. BUCKY No, it really is just some patrol. I couldn't get into danger if I tried. IRIS Well, at least bring your sunscreen. BUCKY Aunt Iris, it's in *space*. Iris folds her arms. IRIS Well, I don't know what else I'm supposed to say, other than to be careful. And don't go looking for trouble. BUCKY All right. IRIS I'm not going to make you promise. You can make your own decisions. BUCKY (smiling) OK. IRIS I love you, Bucky. BUCKY You, too. IRIS Take care of yourself. Iris severs the communication. Bucky sighs and lies back on the bed. He didn't tell her about what Hudson said because he knew what she would say. They had had that conversation before. BLINKY Sir ... BUCKY (sitting up) I'm not a sir. BLINKY This humble robot was told to address authority figures ... BUCKY Fine. I'm not going to argue with you. I don't think I'm supposed to do that. (beat) I don't know what I'm supposed to do. BLINKY Sir? BUCKY Nothing. You wouldn't understand. BLINKY Student Engineer Bruce has installed this robot with a level four logic device and three separate rationality programs ... BUCKY But he didn't give you legs. BLINKY They are on backorder, sir. BUCKY Am I supposed to push you around on a cart? BLINKY If it suits you, sir, you may leave me behind. However, this humble robot would be rather sad that he would not be able to perform the necessary functions ... BUCKY Would you actually be sad, or are you just programmed to say that? Blinky starts shaking, as if he is trying to shudder and sob without being actually able to form tears. BUCKY Uh, I didn't mean it that way. (puts a hand on Blinky's piece of a shoulder) I'm sorry. BLINKY Thank you so much, sir! Blinky embraces him awkwardly with his hastily constructed arms. Bucky shrugs and rolls his eyes. BUCKY *Great Mother*. SCENE 5 - PORT, ORBIT OF RIGEL II The gray spaceport hovers above the green squirrel planet like an overlooking deity. The planet nearly consumes the entire view through the glass windows. Getting off his shuttle, Bucky heads to the reception with the sign for his academy. At the desk is a gray squirrel SECRETARY. She looks up as he puts his papers on the desk and notices he's dragging a cart with him containing Blinky. BUCKY He's, uh, my battle droid. The secretary gives Bucky a rather skeptical look but processes the papers anyway. Bucky salutes nervously as she hands him back his orders in datapad form. SECRETARY You're to report to Docking Bay G7 immediately and relieve Cadet Breaker of his post. If you have any further questions, please consult your datapad. From there, Bucky wanders around a bit, trying to keep an overly curious Blinky quiet, until he finds G7 and scans himself in. As the inner bay doors open with a hiss, a wolf cadet comes out. Bucky realizes it must be CADET BREAKER. The wolf almost storms past him without seeing him entirely. BREAKER Frelling witch ... BUCKY Um, excuse me ... Breaker notices Bucky when they almost crash into each other. It takes the wolf a moment to reorient himself. BREAKER Oh. You must be O'Hare. Well, good luck. BUCKY How's the ship? BREAKER The ship's a ship. And the patrol couldn't be more boring. BUCKY And the pilot? BREAKER (angrily) She's well, you know. Bucky stops in his tracks. BUCKY She? BREAKER Yeah, of course. Have you ever met a male Aldebaran? I don't even know if they have them. BUCKY Aldebaran? Isn't that ... (blanks) It's some planet that's not on a UAC member, right? BREAKER Because it's a planet of uptight sorceresses. BUCKY Huh? BREAKER Wow, you're really a hick, aren't you? (beat, pointing to Blinky) What the frell is that? BUCKY A food processor. Look, what are my orders here? Breaker relaxes a bit. BREAKER Sorry about my behavior. I'm just a little riled up about being on that ship for three days with ... well, you know. BUCKY (doesn't know) Yeah, I know. BREAKER You're to make a complete orbit. There's been some pirate activity reported in the area, so look out for that, but I haven't seen any. I don't think they would have sent us if it was real Corsair Canards. (beat) You *do* know about the Corsair Canards, right? BUCKY Yes. BREAKER Ever met one? BUCKY No. BREAKER Keep it that way. Anyway, you're also supposed to check out Station 5, which is on the other rotation. There's been some kind of weird signals coming from there, but it's probably a malfunctioning comm-link. (slaps Bucky on the back) Enjoy. I'm out. Breaker goes to leave the way Bucky came in. BUCKY Hey, wait. What's her name? BREAKER The pilot? Jenny. Breaker leaves without another word. Bucky turns to the ship, a blue cruiser. BUCKY Well, I guess we should do this. Realizing Blinky can't ascend the ladder onto the ship by himself, Bucky lifts him and puts him on his back. BLINKY This humble ... BUCKY If this is about the food processor thing, don't start. SCENE 6 - SHIP, PORT IN ORBIT OF RIGEL II The hatch is open. Bucky climbs up into the cramped ship, which is little more than a piloting bay and an engine. BUCKY Hello? A mess of the longest pink hair Bucky has ever seen spins around in the pilot's chair to reveal CADET JENNY. Her standard uniform has been modified to accommodate her spell gems, which make the whole thing seem bizarre. She eyes Bucky a little skeptically, especially because he seems to have a giant eye on his back. JENNY You're O'Hare? BUCKY Yes. (handing her his papers) I forget. Am I supposed to salute you? JENNY I think we're fine. Bucky finishes moving into the bay, putting Blinky down on a bench before climbing into the other seat, next to Jenny. JENNY What is that? BUCKY An android. His name is Blinky. JENNY Very appropriate. BUCKY I guess. (to Blinky) Say hello to Cadet Jenny. Blinky shivers nervously. BUCKY He's very shy. (beat) Sorry, I don't know your last name. It wasn't listed on my orders. JENNY I don't have a last name. BUCKY ... well, that clears that up. I'm Bucky, by the way. Bucky offers his paw. Jenny pauses, then shakes it. He notices that beneath her strange jewelry and uniform, her hand is actually very small. JENNY I read it was Buckminster. BUCKY Yeah, but that's a mouthful. BLINKY Sir, this humble robot thinks ... Jenny actually cracks a very small smile. JENNY Your android is addressing you. BUCKY Yeah, I know. He does that all the time. He's really on loan from a friend. JENNY Can he do anything? BUCKY I heard he plays chess really well. JENNY (with the same non-enthusiasm) That's really great. You want to get this patrol over with? BUCKY Sounds terrific. Jenny seems to know the procedure for getting the ship up and running. Bucky isn't at a loss with his training either, and soon they're sitting in orbit. BUCKY So ... where did you do basic? I'm assuming you didn't do it on Genus. JENNY Corneria. BUCKY What, the remote camp? JENNY (harshly) Yes. I did my basic training at a remote camp. So what? Bucky is taken back. BUCKY I didn't mean anything by it. (beat) So the guys were really tough on you? JENNY It's not important. BUCKY Because the only reason *I'm* surviving at all is my dad's record. Commander Hudson's like contractually obligated to look out for me. JENNY Who's your dad? BUCKY Donald O'Hare. He was a big shot in the Warren Home Guard, but he did his training with Hudson at the Academy. JENNY Is that why you joined the military? BUCKY (taken back) What do you mean? JENNY Because of your father. BUCKY My father's dead. JENNY I'm sorry. BUCKY What about the military? Do I just not seem the type? JENNY Well, no. You actually seem like a nice guy. Bucky's a little flabbergasted by this, because the rest of his reception has been downright chilly. He's not even sure if Jenny's serious or not. She is the hardest person to read that he's ever met. BUCKY Hey, I can be mean if I want to be. And I can shoot a moving target from two hundred cubits. JENNY Can you drive this cruiser? BUCKY I'm OK. Better with a smaller vehicle. JENNY But you have driven one of these before, right? BUCKY ... in simulation, sure. JENNY Because it says on my sheet that I'm supposed to let you pilot at least 10% of the time. (beat) How about *after* we get past that rocky patch out there? Jenny points to the tiny satellite moons, which are more like asteroids in orbit. BUCKY Something tells me you don't have a lot of confidence in my abilities. JENNY How many times did you kill yourself and your crew in simulation? Out of curiosity. BUCKY Far less than the normal percentile. JENNY That's a real load off my mind. Bucky laughs. Jenny seems to almost want to join him, but she holds back her emotions. JENNY And thank you. BUCKY For what? JENNY You're the first Academy guy to spend an hour with me and not call me a witch. BUCKY Why am I supposed to call you a witch, anyway? Jenny stares at him with disbelief. JENNY Where are *you* from? BUCKY (smiles) The middle of nowhere, apparently. So why do people say that? JENNY That I'm a witch? Because I'm an Aldebaran, and Aldebarans practice magic. BUCKY You pull things out of hats? JENNY Only ... (pauses, considering what he said) You really are a hick. BUCKY (not seriously) Say that again and I will call you a witch. JENNY Hick. BUCKY Witch. Bucky grins. Maybe this mission won't be so bad after all. SCENE 7 - ORBIT ABOVE RIGEL II Bucky turns the overhead light off, which he was using to read, so he can get a better look at the station in the window. Station 5, which is identified by the ship's scanners, is a dark, quiet place just above the atmosphere. It's tiny in comparison to most of the ports Bucky has been to, and there are no ships coming and going from it. BUCKY So what exactly are we supposed to be checking out? JENNY Let me see. (pulls up some information on her monitor) Odd signals about a day ago. BUCKY Distress? JENNY Not identified as such. BUCKY Has there been any other contact since then? JENNY (thoughtfully) It seems like there's not a lot of regular contact with this station. I don't know much about it, and I've been on this loop a couple times now. BUCKY I have an idea. Bucky spins around to Blinky, who has been busying himself by taking himself apart and reworking his own wiring. BUCKY Can you interface with any remote computers? BLINKY Certainly. Blinky drags himself between Bucky and Jenny and weeds a pointed end from his arm into the dataport. His face becomes a screen with information flying past too quickly to read. BLINKY (more mechanically) Local communications inaccessible. Trying onworld communications. Databank located, coordinates 45.67.56, public records. (beeps, then speaks in a completely different voice) Welcome to the Public Data Archives of the City of Tarvis. To specify a search, please say the name of the search item, or say "help" for an automatic operator. BUCKY Station 5. BLINKY (different voice) Station 5. The fifth of five stations privately commissioned as rest stops and spread throughout the galaxy. Station 5 is in orbit of the planet Rigel II. Living capacity: thirty ordinary-sized adults. Special capacity: seven thousand square cubits. Station 5 has three levels, with public docking available on the first level. It has a commissary, living quarters, and ... BUCKY Who's currently living there? BLINKY Search completed. Current Station Master: Michael Adom. Other internal records are not public property. BUCKY Current population? BLINKY Unreported. BUCKY OK, that's enough. (waits for Blinky to return to his normal state) Do you think you can analyze the signal sent from the station that's causing the confusion? BLINKY Happily, sir. (beeping) While too brief too be considered a regular distress signal, this humble robot does believe it to be of a similar origin. JENNY You mean it *was* a distress signal, but it was cut off. BLINKY Perhaps. BUCKY Have there been further communications with the station? BLINKY Yes. All listed as normal. BUCKY All right. We'd better make our rounds. (beat) Good work, Blinky. Blinky chirps happily. SCENE 8 - STATION 5 The docking bay of Station 5 is tiny. The cruiser barely fits into place, and Bucky and Jenny climb down into the bay. They are quickly greeted by a SQUIRREL in a lab coat who seems genial enough. SQUIRREL I'm Dr. Michael Adom, station master here. I was told you would be stopping by. You're from the Genus Academy? JENNY Yes, we're just on a routine patrol and we got something about a signal? ADOM Well, I'm sorry to say that was merely a computer malfunction. I tried communicating this to Rigel II, but it's been a bit of a comm-tag between them and us. (he gestures around) As you can see, we're quite busy here. The place is a mess. Boxes are strewn everywhere, and there's only one dock worker to work on it. Bucky notices black marks from blaster charges on the wall. BUCKY What happened? ADOM We had a brief ... intrusion by pirates. They didn't take anything because there was nothing to take, but they didn't seem to know that ahead of time. JENNY And you didn't report this? ADOM It's somewhat routine, from what I understand, to expect an occasional Corsair attack, and they didn't really want to harm anyone. (smiles uncomfortably) And to be perfectly honest, if I reported this back to my superiors at the lab on Rigel, they would take my job away. Perhaps you can understand why we're just trying to move along? Bucky decides it's wise to return the smile. BUCKY Yes, of course. Do you have any information on the attack that could aid us in finding the pirates? ADOM I can give you their ship codes and the security cameras from when they were here. Unfortunately, they cut off the feed before the actual attack, but they did spend some time in the bar first. You're welcome to visit the commissary. In fact, I'll take you there myself, if you'd like. I'm headed up there anyway. BUCKY Of course. JENNY Thank you, Station Master. ADOM Please, call me Dr. Adom. As they turn away from the ship, Bucky sneaks a gesture to Blinky, who is peaking out from the ship's hatch with his giant eye. Blinky nods and sends out a probe to connect with the station computers. Adom, by all appearances, does not notice at all. SCENE 9 - COMMISSARY, STATION 5 The commissary is little more than a bar and several tables. There is another squirrel in a lab coat eating a late dinner in the corner, but otherwise, the place is abandoned. ADOM As you can see, our population is rather small. We now have five mammals here, and a very occasional visitor stopping to refuel. BUCKY So it's just a staff of five? ADOM Actually, most of us aren't staff. We're scientists. We came up for some research. Most of the original staff has moved on to other, more profitable stations. BUCKY How do you maintain working order? Adom walks up to the bar and knocks on it. From behind the bar emerges a hulking, multi-limbed metal CYBER SPIDER. While it is tremendously fierce-looking, Adom doesn't seem the least bit put off by it. JENNY Isn't that a cyber spider? ADOM Yes. He -- it's our bartender. Very effective, I might add. JENNY This is legal? ADOM Within Rigel orbit, yes. Believe it or not. (smiles wanly) Just tell him your order. Bucky and Jenny eventually give their orders to the giant droid obviously meant for battle use. It chirps and quickly dispenses everything, using materials from behind the bar. BUCKY Very impressive. (happily taking a drink from the non-ration food) So what kind of research are you doing here? ADOM Well, it's supposed to be confidential, but you are the military, so ... (shuffles nervously) We're doing some search on the effects of an artificial atmosphere on mammals. JENNY Hasn't that topic been explored and documented already? BUCKY I would hope so. ADOM Well, yes, but as you may or may not be aware, there's a special project on Rigel involving cloning, and that requires some extra experimentation. Very technical stuff. You understand. BUCKY Of course we do. (beat) We'll just look over the security tapes for you. Maybe we can identify the pirates who attacked you. ADOM I would be very appreciative. (looks at his watch) But I really must get back to work, if you'll excuse me. They nod, and Adom scampers off. Bucky looks warily at the cyber spider's tiny red eye, which has been staring neutrally at him the whole time. SCENE 10 - DOCKING BAY, STATION 5 Back in their cruiser, which is still parked in the bay, Bucky and Jenny are going over the blurry security tape from the bar. It shows two four-armed ducks in obvious pirate costumes being served by the spider. Though well armed, they don't look menacing at all, or concerned about the spider. They order two giant mugs of green water and talk to each other. One of them is wearing a silk overcoat and a blue hat and the other is wearing an orange jumpsuit, several bandanas, and a red cap. There is no audio. Jenny is relatively calm about the tape, but she notices Bucky has collapsed into his chair, a look of concern over his face. He watches the screen with a certain intensity she hasn't seen before. JENNY Maybe we can run their faces through the UAC database and identify them. BUCKY Maybe. (beat) Something feels wrong here. JENNY What, that they didn't report a Corsair attack, despite the obvious property damage? BUCKY That, and other things. JENNY And the giant battle droid that served us drinks? BUCKY All right, that too. But something else. I can't put my paw on it. (beat) When is this tape dated to? JENNY According to the time marker, it was yesterday. Thirty-five hours ago, to be exact. Bucky frowns, slinking deeper into his seat. BUCKY Blinky ... The android, who has been studiously going through the records currently being pulled from the station itself, stops, and his iris returns to normal. BUCKY I want you to try and find the internal copy of this footage. JENNY Why? BUCKY A hunch. BLINKY This humble robot would like to remind the cadet that by the Privacy Act of 3315 ... BUCKY That humble robot is going to get his feelings hurt if he doesn't do it. Blinky decides that the best thing to do is comply. BLINKY (whirring) Processing ... data found. BUCKY Run it. Blinky plugs his other arm into the ship's monitor. The video plays, appearing identical to the previous one. JENNY What are we looking for? BUCKY The time marker. Blinky? Blinky focuses on it and highlights it. JENNY (surprised) That was two weeks ago. Why did the doctor give us a video from two weeks ago but report it as being yesterday? BUCKY That's a question I want answered. (beat) Blinky, have there been any visitors to the station since the date on the screen? BLINKY (searching) No, sir. BUCKY Run a visual search using the two pirates' faces from the video, and try to dig up some docking bay footage to get their ship license. I want to find those pirates. JENNY Why? Aside from the fact that they're pirates. BUCKY (resolutely) Because they're the most recent visitors, and I want to ask them a couple questions about this station. Something happened here, and I want to figure out what it was. JENNY We're going to find rebel pirates and interrogate them? BUCKY Not interrogate. Just ask politely. They're witnesses, not suspects. JENNY You're sure about that? BUCKY More of a hunch. Jenny sits down next to him. JENNY I think your hunches are going to get us into a lot of trouble. SCENE 11 - BAR STATION, ORBIT ABOVE RIGEL I This pit stop is one of the seediest in the galaxy. The large bar is crowded by creatures of every kind -- mammalian and coldblooded, even some of the legendary lizards from beyond space and time. In the corner, one of the pirates from the video is arguing with two samurai LIZARDS. The pirate is REDBEAK, and he slams one of his four fists down on the table, nearly knocking the dart board off the wall. REDBEAK A Corsair Canard never cheats! LIZARD #1 Am I even hearing this right? You're a frelling pirate! REDBEAK That doesn't mean I cheat! LIZARD #2 There is no way you could have beaten a samurai at a game of skill. REDBEAK I highly doubt that, as I just did. (calls over to the bar) Deadeye! Lady Lanel! At the bar, the other duck from the video -- DEADEYE DUCK, in his orange jumpsuit and with his distinctive eye patch and bandana matching Redbeak's -- is nursing a mug with the female pirate LANEL. DEADEYE Ach, I think somebody's in trouble again. LANEL Aye. I'm not even sure if we can take two samurai lizards. DEADEYE I thought they were supposed ta be honorable. LANEL Maybe we're going to find out. By the time Deadeye and Lanel get over there, the samurai lizards have drawn their swords. Their first swipe narrowly misses Redbeak, who ducks under a table. The second lizard cuts the table in half, despite the protests of the bartender. Deadeye and Lanel draw their maser pistols, but the samurai slice their cannons off and keep on moving. Suddenly, a solid voice interrupts the advance. BUCKY Hold it! I'm a UAC officer, and I have jurisdiction here! The lizards look at each other, then at the little hare in the uniform approaching them. LIZARD #1 No, you don't! You're some flunky from the Academy. (points to Jenny) And so is she. But an Aldebaran witch ... BUCKY That's right. A very powerful sorceress. Bucky raises his blaster, ignoring an angry look from Jenny. BUCKY We have business with these ducks. Are you going to stand in the way of official duty or not? The lizard hesitates before clipping his blade back to his belt. He barks an order in an untranslated language to his partner, and they slink away. BUCKY Good. (authoritatively, to the pirates) We're not here to arrest you. We just have some questions about Station 5. DEADEYE Aye, I suppose we owe you that much. (to Lanel) We'll catch up. We gotta chat with the suits. SCENE 12 - BAR STATION, ORBIT ABOVE RIGEL I Bucky, Jenny, Deadeye, and Redbeak are sitting around a wooden table far away from the rest of the crowd. The pirates are enjoying whatever they're drinking, which they readily offer to their new "friends." BUCKY What is it? JENNY Bucky, you don't want it. REDBEAK It'll put some feathers on yer chest. JENNY And you don't want feathers on your chest. Bucky gives her a look, then takes the offered glass from Deadeye and takes a big gulp. He quickly spits it out. BUCKY Ugh! That is *foul*. (notices Jenny is giggling at him) Hey! Shut up! REDBEAK Did you guys have some questions fer us? DEADEYE Or somethin'? BUCKY (recovering) Right. So, you were both on Station 5 last week. What can you tell me about it? DEADEYE Whattaya mean? BUCKY Well, did you rob it? The Canards look at him surprisingly calmly. BUCKY I'm just asking because they're saying that you did. When we got there, the place was a mess. REDBEAK Yer barkin' up the wrong pole, private. All we did was wet our beaks. If somethin' happened, it happened while we weren't there. BUCKY Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Did you see anything unusual while you *were* there? DEADEYE Ya mean, aside from that giant spider they got at the bar? BUCKY Aside from that. REDBEAK How 'bout that a bunch of 'em were clones? This didn't occur to either Bucky or Jenny. BUCKY Is that illegal? REDBEAK Yer the lawman -- ye tell me. JENNY It's not illegal to be a clone -- not that I know of. But I thought they were restricted to their colonies on Rigel II's surface. BUCKY They said they had come up for some experiments. The scientist -- who I guess was a clone. I don't know. They were all squirrels, but I guess they didn't have to be clones of each *other*. DEADEYE Nah, ye're screwed up. There ain't no clone scientists. REDBEAK The fox guy was the scientist. With the other two. Another squirrel, and a dog. Don' remember their names. Bucky's ears immediately pick up. BUCKY How many people were on the station when you were there? Redbeak and Deadeye do a quick tallying between each other. REDBEAK 'bout eight. Maybe nine. Hard to keep track of 'em. BUCKY Who was the station master? REDBEAK The fox. Doctor -- er, don't remember. DEADEYE Leitch. Doctor Leitch. REDBEAK So yer sayin' that when ye went, ye didn't meet him? BUCKY I met a new station master. And it was all squirrels. There were no other races on the register. (to Jenny) Right? JENNY Right. REDBEAK And ye said it was all messed up there? Like there had been a fight? BUCKY Yes. (curses in Warrenian) I *knew* something was wrong about that place. (stands up) Thank you so much for your help. REDBEAK When you report this, leave our names off the report. BUCKY Of course. Thanks again. Bucky and Jenny practically sprint out of the bar. Redbeak sighs and finishes his drink. REDBEAK Is the ship fueled up? DEADEYE Ye think they're comin' back fer us? REDBEAK Nah, I think they're goin' to do something stupid, because they're dumb Academy kids, and that green one was one of those stubborn crazies. (gets up) C'mon. DEADEYE We're following 'em? REDBEAK Not if you just sit on your tail like that! SCENE 13 - STATION 5 With Jenny's careful help, Bucky is able to maneuver the cruiser back into the docking bay of Station 5. JENNY Have we got some kind of plan for explaining our presence here? BUCKY What we need to do is stall them until Blinky can get more information. (beat, to Jenny) Can you use a maser blaster? JENNY Of course. Jenny powers up her pistol. JENNY See? BUCKY The safety's on. JENNY (shrugs) I'm better with other things. BUCKY What other things? A bat? JENNY You ask a lot of questions. Aren't we supposed to be investigating right now? BUCKY I was just ... Jenny interrupts Bucky by opening the hatch. JENNY Let's go. Bucky senses that this is not the time to pry. Re-holstering his weapon, he follows Jenny out. They are greeted by Dr. Adom and another squirrel, who looks identical to him. ADOM Officers. BUCKY Sorry to bother you again, but we located those pirates. I'm assuming you're interested in pressing charges? ADOM To be honest, the damage was really minimal. And we don't want to run up a huge legal bill. Bucky decides to pretend to be surprised about this. BUCKY That's your prerogative. (beat) Is your bar open for a drink? I'm parched. ADOM Of course, officer. BUCKY (smiling) I'm just a cadet. A few minutes later, they are all up in the bar, enjoying drinks at one of the tables. Doctor Adom is clearly trying to be a good host to his guests, making light conversation with them. Finally, Bucky laughs again and turns to the good doctor with a remarkably relaxed- looking expression. BUCKY Say, do you know a guy named Dr. Leitch? Adom's smile fades. ADOM What? BUCKY Funny thing. According to my android, he's registered as doctor and station master as of a month ago. In fact, he was officially stationed by the Rigellian government for clone research. I was just informed by members of the Clone Overseer Council that he hasn't made his monthly report. You must know something about his whereabouts. ADOM I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. JENNY Did you know it's a crime to lie to a UAC officer? ADOM But you just said you weren't officers. Dr. Adom's face hardens slightly. ADOM Do you know anything about the life of a clone, Cadet? BUCKY No, I can't say I do. ADOM Do you know what it's like to be raised for harvested organs? To have less rights than a normal squirrel, even though you're physically the same? To be told you don't have a soul? BUCKY Look, doctor ... ADOM You would never understand. (stands up) No one understands. BUCKY Doctor ... ADOM No one understands! Adom pulls out a blaster and points it at them. BUCKY (very calmly) Doctor, put the gun down. ADOM You think I'm not serious? I only exist because a mid-level executive needs my liver, and I'm not going to wait around for him to take it. JENNY You killed the doctor, didn't you? ADOM (annoyed) I think that's more than obvious at this point. They're all going to go down, and then we're going to be free. We want freedom, cadet. We want vengeance. BUCKY I want my own vengeance in my life, but I know this is not the way to go about it. Bucky reaches for his weapon, but Adom points his at his head. ADOM Don't make another move, officer. REDBEAK Neither should you, laddie. They turn and notice Redbeak and Deadeye entering the bar, weapons drawn. ADOM What are *you* doing here? DEADEYE Payin' a little visit. And a favor back. Adom's face contorts in anger. ADOM I will not be used for scrap parts! Adom launches himself at the Canards before either of the cadets can move. He is capable of darting back and forth with tremendous agility, and he nearly wipes Deadeye out with a close-up shot. Redbeak is forced to retaliate by blasting Adom across the room. However, Redbeak is no match for the cyber spider, who leaps effortlessly and seemingly weightlessly over the bar and lands on top of Redbeak. REDBEAK Slimy ... Redbeak fires off a shot at close range into the spider's eye. Rearing back and crying in pain, the spider keeps enough wits about it to thrust its front limb downward, piercing Redbeak's body and spearing it. DEADEYE *Redbeak*! Deadeye tries to leap toward the body but is held back by Bucky and Jenny from getting any closer to the spider. BUCKY You've got to stay back! It's blinded, but it can still hit you! DEADEYE Frelling rabbit, let go of me! BUCKY Hare! JENNY Bucky, not now! We have to figure out how to disable that thing. Bucky takes charge and fires his blaster. The maser shot bounces harmlessly off the armor shell of the android. Jenny and Deadeye join in, but the torrent of blaster fire does nothing to halt the advance of the spider. It swings its front arms wildly, knocking Jenny and Deadeye into the wall with such ferocity that it knocks down the rafters of the bar. Bucky is the only one on his feet, and he takes a step closer to the spider with his usual irrational moxie. He puts away his gun and picks up a shard of rafter. BUCKY C'mere, you ... Bucky swings and slams the makeshift weapon down on the head of the spider but only manages to make the smallest of dents. BUCKY Uh-oh. Bucky turns and looks at Deadeye, but he and Jenny are pinned beneath the beam. BLINKY Sir ... BUCKY Not now, Blinky! It occurs to Bucky that he doesn't remember bringing Blinky in. He glances over his shoulder, and the android has apparently dragged himself from the docking bay to the bar, trailing wires behind him. His metal claws are barely gripping enough of the carpet to move him along. BLINKY This humble robot would like to politely interject and suggest ... BUCKY Suggest what? Just stop with the attitude and tell me! BLINKY The spider is mechanical, so it will respond negatively to an electric surge. If sir can be so helpful as to get this poor android a connection ... BUCKY (thinking fast) I think I get it. Bucky aims his blaster and fires at the spider's other eye, connecting. It hisses and backs off, but is hardly beaten. This gives Bucky the time he needs to pick up the metal barstools and smash one into pieces on the ground. He picks up a long rod and hands it to Blinky, who attaches a length of wire to its end. BUCKY Don't charge it until I give the word. (turning to the spider with the rod in paw) Now give me a clear shot, you frelling ... The spider decides to do just that -- by jumping on top of Bucky. Bucky falls to the ground but plunges the makeshift spear deep into the exposed chest cavity before covering his eyes. BUCKY Now! Through the wire attached to the rod, Blinky sends up bolts of electricity, and the spider shrieks as it lights up with blue energy, its body quivering under the force. It dies with a pitiful wail and a long, sustained hiss as smoke begins to form plumes above it. The entire machinery collapses on Bucky, who can see nothing but the black structure. The world is all smoke and fried wires. JENNY Bucky! The spider is pulled off of Bucky, and his eyes focus slowly on the hovering figures of Jenny and Deadeye. Bucky coughs from the smoke as they manage to push the spider's body aside. JENNY Are you all right? BUCKY Still in one piece, I think. (sits up painfully) One very sore piece. Ow. As Bucky gets to his feet, he dusts off his uniform, which is a mess. He notices Blinky is still in the same place, not moving, his eye frozen. BUCKY What ... JENNY I think he blew his energy on the charge. Bucky kneels in front of Blinky and opens the circular disk over his chest cavity. Inside, he struggles with the various arcane controls until Blinky lights up again. BLINKY (mechanically) Battery dangerously low. Attach to external power source. Powering down for safety. Blinky's eyelid closes. BUCKY (trying not to get emotional) I think he's going to be all right -- but I have no idea. I'm not an engineer. Bruce is gonna be pissed. Bucky pats Blinky on the head and gets back to his feet. Jenny points him in the direction of Deadeye, who is standing over the body of his fallen comrade. Redbeak's face is now covered by his hat. BUCKY I'm sorry, er ... DEADEYE Deadeye. BUCKY Deadeye. Deadeye's voice is filled with rage, and Bucky wonders briefly if the four paws are going to turn to their weapons and turn on him. He eyes the pirate warily. BUCKY There was nothing you could have done. DEADEYE I coulda killed that slimy spider. JENNY What's done is done. BUCKY (uncomfortably) Speaking of being done ... JENNY Yes, Cadet O'Hare. What is protocol here? BUCKY What, for Redbeak? JENNY No. For being on a hostile station. It takes Bucky merely a moment to flip back into military mode. BUCKY As we have no orders to establish our territory, the official UAC stance is to retreat from a conflict once relative order has been established. DEADEYE Yer just gonna run? BUCKY As opposed to what? We don't have the manpower to hunt down every clone and arrest them and take them into custody. DEADEYE So yer gonna let them go? BUCKY I didn't say that. (authoritatively) We're not done with this uprising, I promise you that. Not if this is what they're about. But we *should* follow procedure here and not get ourselves or anyone *else* killed. And I'm sure you'd like to -- uh, bury your friend here. Before Jenny can stop him, Deadeye grabs Bucky by all four arms and thrusts him into the wall. DEADEYE You *promise me* we're gonna finish this. BUCKY The UAC will not ignore this. DEADEYE Yer freakin' assembly ignores everything! Bucky thinks on it a moment. BUCKY *I* won't ignore this. Deadeye pauses, then slowly releases him. DEADEYE Yer obviously some kind of heroic idiot, so I'll believe ya. BUCKY ... um, thanks. (beat, to Jenny) OK, Jenny. Hasty retreat? JENNY Hasty retreat. DEADEYE I'm not leavin' Redbeak. BUCKY But we can't leave you. (gets a look from Jenny) Well, according to military policy, we can leave you, because you're a criminal who has endangered himself by coming here, but I feel like we shouldn't. DEADEYE (sarcastically) That's mighty noble of ya. BUCKY (slightly annoyed) I meant it. (beat) New plan. We secure the station. JENNY How? BUCKY Adom. He's the key to all of this, or it at least seems like he is. He's probably holed up somewhere. Let's find him. The three ready their blasters and step into the hallway. In one direction are the stairs to docking bay. In the other, three gigantic cyber spiders. JENNY Bucky ... BUCKY (whispers) I know. Bucky picks up Blinky and carries him over his shoulder. BUCKY Look, Eyepatch ... DEADEYE 's not my name. BUCKY Whatever. We're trained militia, and we've assessed the situation and decided that an extremely hasty retreat is in order. If you want to join us ... DEADEYE Slimy cowards! I'm not leavin' until ... One of the spiders notices Deadeye and points a red laser at his chest. BUCKY Until nothing! Bucky and Jenny grab Deadeye and drag him down the stairs, to the dock. While he's screaming in protest, the spiders are chasing them, but Bucky manages to close off the exit behind him. The sound of metal hitting metal on the other side of the door is loud enough. BUCKY I'm sorry ... ADOM Sorry I can't let you leave. They spin around to face Adom, who is standing in front of the ladder leading up to the cruiser. ADOM You must have figured that out by now. You've figured everything else out. If you leave, you'll report right to the Oversee Council, won't you? BUCKY Doctor, people are dead here ... ADOM And I suppose you would just roll over and die if someone told you to? I bet you've got a healthy pair of lungs -- you seem to use them enough. What do you think they would go for on the open market? JENNY Whatever injustices you may have suffered ... DEADEYE Frelling injustices? Redbeak is dead over some double? Before anyone can stop him, Deadeye charges right ahead and launches straight into Adom. They land on the ground. Adom is up against four furious arms and is getting the crap knocked out of him when he pulls back his lab coat. ADOM This may not be wise ... Beneath his lab coat, Adom has explosives strapped to his chest. JENNY Deadeye! Watch out! Bucky hesitantly raises his blaster to Adom. BUCKY Just ... take it easy ... ADOM Don't get me wrong; I like being alive. But don't think I'm so selfish. My brothers -- all of my brothers -- are depending on me. That is why I can't let you escape. The Clone Uprising must ... Deadeye punches him in the jaw. Adom is out like a light, his body limp and his bombs unexploded. Deadeye carefully gets back to his feet. There is banging on the locked door -- the pounding of fists and the shouting of the other inhabitants. BUCKY To the ship! Bucky darts for the ladder. A weary Deadeye grabs him by his uniform and pulls him back. BUCKY What are you ... DEADEYE Dumb kid! Can't ya see ... Deadeye is trying to point to a small item pinned to the ladder. Bucky and Jenny realize too late that it has been rigged by Adom. Before they can react, Deadeye knocks them out of the way and leaps on top of the bomb. The explosion is muffled but still sizable, shaking the station and sending him hurling back into them. Once the ringing in his ears wears down, Bucky picks himself up and helps Jenny to her feet. Deadeye is lying on the ground, singed but still breathing, and apparently unconscious. BUCKY (sighs) C'mon, cadet. Jenny nods and helps him left Deadeye into the cruiser. SCENE 14 - PORT, ORBIT OF RIGEL II Straightening their uniforms, Bucky and Jenny approach the reception for the Academy. BUCKY How do I look? JENNY Like someone who saw his first combat. BUCKY With how it went, it'll probably be my *only* combat. (to the secretary) Cadet O'Hare and Cadet Jenny to report. SECRETARY O'Hare, you're to report first. He's waiting inside. BUCKY Yes, ma'am. With a supporting glance from Jenny, Bucky steps inside the office. To his surprise, Commander Hudson is sitting behind the desk. BUCKY (saluting) Sir. HUDSON Cadet. (shuffles the papers in his hands) I've just received your written report. BUCKY Sir. HUDSON It seems that you're very good at finding trouble. BUCKY (shamefully) Yes, sir. HUDSON It also seems that you're very good at resolving it. I have some collaborations on the story that you destroyed a cyber spider? BUCKY Only with help, sir. Hudson hits a button on the table, and a holographic diagram of Rigel II pops up. HUDSON This clone business is very troubling. There are people on Rigel and in the General Assembly who would like to hear more about it from me. You understand you'll be taken off your normal patrol to develop a presentation for me? BUCKY (pauses) Yes, sir. HUDSON Very good, soldier. (beat) Now, I know you've had very little time to think, but I'm already assuming that you want to continue on your current career path, unless you got a taste of something you didn't like. Bucky considers his answer very carefully. BUCKY Sir, I made a promise that I would see this clone thing through. HUDSON You seem to make a lot of difficult promises. (clearly debating his answer) Cadet, I'm going to assign you to Rigel II until we know more on this matter. There's a lot of investigative work to be done, and it seems like you might be the right mammal for the job. Bucky feels overwhelmingly relieved, but there's very little way to respond to this in his tight military stance. BUCKY Thank you, sir. HUDSON You'll get Academy credits for your work here, of course, and I can't guarantee that the work will be as ... exciting as your last twelve hours. In fact, you should make every attempt to make sure it isn't. Do you understand? BUCKY Yes, sir. HUDSON There's one other thing. Your pilot. Any recommendations? A lot is going unsaid. Bucky's not sure why it's being put in his paws, but he's willing to roll with it. BUCKY I think the military could use her on Rigel, sir. HUDSON (smiles knowingly) I would agree. (stands up, salutes) Dismissed. Bucky salutes, but he can't leave yet. BUCKY Sir, permission to ... HUDSON What is it now? BUCKY The Corsair Canard. Where is he? HUDSON The pirate? Under custody, at the emergency medical station. BUCKY He wasn't involved, sir. HUDSON So you say, but Deadeye Duck is a known criminal. He's wanted by at least four different planetary governments for theft and property damage. BUCKY (thinking) That isn't this guy. This is another duck. (beat) I would testify to that. Hudson looks at him very skeptically. HUDSON You're willing to get behind this guy? BUCKY Commander, this "pirate" saved my life. And Jenny's life. HUDSON That doesn't make him an innocent bird. BUCKY It does unless I see evidence to the contrary. Hudson sighs tiredly. HUDSON I'll release him to your protective custody. I hope you're ready for the responsibility. BUCKY I am, sir. Commander Hudson doesn't look so sure. SCENE 15 - EMERGENCY MEDICAL BAY, PORT IN ORBIT OF RIGEL II Sometime later, Bucky has collected himself and arrives to speak with the medical TECHNICIAN outside Deadeye's room, which is under guard. BUCKY I'm here to release the patient. I have all the papers. TECHNICIAN (a little surprised) He's just about ready for discharge. They're just adjusting the implants. BUCKY Implants? TECHNICIAN It seems the explosion severely damaged his hearing. Implants were inserted into his cranium, but he'll always have to wear a headset. It's amazing he's not totally deaf. BUCKY Good. Uh, can I see him? TECHNICIAN I don't see why not. The technician leads him past the guards and into the room, where Deadeye is still adjusting the large and bulky headphones attached to his implants. BUCKY Mr. Duck. DEADEYE Ach, I never got your name. BUCKY Cadet O'Hare. (beat) Well, Bucky. DEADEYE Yer just a cadet? BUCKY To be honest, this was my first assignment. DEADEYE They must be doin' somethin' right in that school o' theirs. (beat) What's that in yer paw? BUCKY Your release papers. As long as you don't leave the planet, for the time being. DEADEYE Aye? BUCKY Think of me as your extremely friendly parole officer. Deadeye takes the papers with disbelief and reads them himself. Despite only having one eye, he seems to have no other vision problems. BUCKY I'm sorry about the explosion and the, uh ... Bucky gestures to Deadeye's ears. DEADEYE 's nothing. Me ears are ringin' -- so what? The eye, now that one *really* hurt. BUCKY And I'm sorry about your friend. Deadeye can't slide this off so easily. DEADEYE Ach ... it's all right. Almost all me mateys are dead or locked up by now. BUCKY ... that's sad. DEADEYE What do ye expect? I'm a Corsair Canard. BUCKY I'm not in a high enough position in the military to start lecturing people about their career choices ... not yet anyway. But the point is, if you're interested in helping out with this clone business, I could use a hand. (beat) ... er, hands. Lots of them. DEADEYE Do I have to work with the witch? BUCKY She's not so bad when you get to know her. DEADEYE You can't trust 'em. BUCKY The same could be said for pirates. Deadeye smiles. DEADEYE Eh, you're all right. Put 'er there, Cadet. They shake -- Deadeye using his top two hands and Bucky using both of his. SCENE 16 - RIGEL II A few days later, the cruiser Bucky was given is now parked on a landing strip on the bright planet of Rigel II. Bucky climbs up the ladder to find Bruce hard at work. BUCKY Sorry again for getting Blinky all banged up. BRUCE Eh, it was good for 'em. Right? Bruce nudges Blinky, who is still powered down. BRUCE I'll get him back ta ya in a few days. BUCKY Don't you need him back in the lab? BRUCE I feel bad for him, sittin' around in a lab all day. (peers down through the hatch) Who's the pink puffball? BUCKY Jenny. And don't make any "witch" comments. She's really sensitive about it. BRUCE Sounds like someone's got a girlfriend ... BUCKY (pushes him) Shut up! Bucky and Bruce are still knocking each other around when Jenny sticks her head in. JENNY (huffs) Males. Jenny stalks past them and sits down in her pilot chair. BUCKY Jenny, this is Bruce. He's an engineer. JENNY Jenny. BRUCE I'll get outta your way. Bruce abruptly leaves, with Blinky over his shoulder. Jenny turns her attention to the console as Bucky slides into the seat next to her. BUCKY So ... where to next, pilot? JENNY We're supposed to report to the Clone Overseer Council on the other side of Rigel. BUCKY We'd better get to it. (beat) You don't mind that I put in a request for you to stay on this assignment? Jenny pauses. JENNY How did you know that I'd want to stay on this cruiser? BUCKY Call it a hunch. Jenny smiles, and Bucky smiles back. THE END