"Pieces in Place" by Rygar Additions by DJ Clawson First draft - 7/25/05 Final draft - 4/27/06 SCENE 1 - DILE'S HOSPITAL ROOM, WARREN GENERAL HOSPITAL This well-lit room is quiet, save for the quick, precise scratching of pencil on paper. ENGINEER DILE O'CROCK, though still out of commission, is sitting up in his hospital bed, making sketches on a notepad. A stack of engineering books sits beside him on the bed. Dile looks focused but happy; he can't get back to work onboard The Screaming Mimi, but he's doing what he can. Suddenly, the calm is broken when the room's door swings open. AL NEGATOR, wearing a stolen doctor's white coat, quickly slinks in and shuts the door behind him, looking wary. The two sleazasaurs make eye contact and react at almost the exact same time. AL Dile! DILE (surprised) Uncle Algernon? AL It's so good to see you, Dile ... DILE (curtly) Why are you here? AL (blinks) To see you, like I said. To make sure you were OK. DILE Oh. (looks away) I ... I have nothing to say to you. Al's shoulders slump slightly. He was expecting this, but Dile used to be very fond of him, and it hurts. AL Look, Dile. I don't expect you to forgive me. DILE (still not looking at Al) And I cannot. I will not. AL But can you at least give me a chance to explain? DILE To explain what? (turning to Al, a little upset) Explain how you masqueraded as a charitable relative, all the while using your illicit gains to fund our education? Why? Did you hope our knowledge could be of use to you as a criminal? AL What? That's crazy, Dile. Of course not. DILE (his eyes narrowing) I do not believe you. I may never believe you again. (sighs) And I may as well be a criminal now. AL (rolls his eyes) Come on, Dile. You're a respected engineer for S.P.A.C.E.! I'm proud of you! DILE Proud? Criminals do not know pride. All they know is hate and profit. AL (blinks) Wow, someone's been hitting the mammal propaganda pretty hard. But really, Dile, I don't see how this changes anything. DILE Everything has changed! You have made a mockery of me and everything I have worked for. Originally, no one trusted me because I am a sleazasaur. I finally gained acceptance, and then I learn that my own uncle is a sworn enemy of S.P.A.C.E.! No one believes now that I was ever really on their side. (with a tinge of sadness) No one believes that I could work for the fleet while my own scales and blood fight against it. Al lets Dile calm down before responding. AL Dile, did anyone actually say all of that stuff to you? DILE No, but it is obvious. I can see it in peoples' eyes. AL Well, I think you're making all that up. You always overanalyze everything, Dile. DILE That is what makes me a good engineer. That, and the fact that I am hardworking and trustworthy. I once thought I got those traits from you, Uncle. Now I know that is not the case. Al can't think of anything to say. He begins to silently walk toward Dile, but Dile turns away again. DILE I will give you thirty seconds to evacuate the premises before I call security. Consider it repayment for all the dirty money you spent on me. Al spends a moment looking at his cousin, a deep sadness burrowing into his gut. Then, he reaches under his stolen coat and pulls a file out from a pouch strapped to his side. He takes one more step and places the file on Dile's bed, next to him. AL This'll help you get back at the toads for what they did to you. (beat) If you never wanna see me again, Dile, I understand. But I mean it. I'm proud of you. You've accomplished what I never could. You made something of yourself, and you did it honestly. You showed 'em not all sleazasaurs are like me. (beat) You're a hero, Dile. You've got to stop forgetting that. Al quickly turns and leaves, slipping out the door as if he were escaping from a room he just looted. Dile sits motionless for a minute, then turns and looks at the file. A large tear runs down his cheek and plops onto the file. Dile picks up Al's gift and begins to rifle through it. His eyes grow wide as he reads the titles of the documents: "KOMPLEX Imperial Upgrade Flaws," "Programming Errors to be Corrected," "Security Entry Routines," "KOMPLEX Complete Binary Code," and other, similar names. Dile's breathing becomes slow as he skims the treasure before him. Then, almost on impulse, his fingers dart to the comm beside his bed. DILE (urgently) Nurse! Nurse! I need to speak with Captain O'Hare, immediately! SCENE 2 - BUCKY'S APARTMENT, WARREN It's the middle of the day, and CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE is lying in his bed, wide awake and staring at the ceiling. He has a wild, restless look on his face. BUCKY (slowly, to himself) How are we going to take back Genus? ... Why hasn't Jenny contacted me? ... What does Mimi want? ... Why am I putting Willy in danger again? ... (groans) I need a drink. Bucky slowly props himself up and gets out of bed. His apartment is a mess; he obviously hasn't cleaned it in days. He shuffles over to his kitchen and reaches in a cabinet for a bottle of cheap Warrenian liquor. His other hand grabs a shot glass. As he begins to pour, he hears the comm ring in his bedroom desk. He closes his eyes, downs the shot, then hurries to answer the comm. BUCKY (into comm, the tiniest bit affected by the alcohol) Cap'n O'Hare here. Dile's face appears on the comm. DILE (over comm) Captain O'Hare, it is Dile O'Crock. I need to speak with Willy DuWitt immediately. BUCKY Why's that? I told him to take the day off. It's not like we're freeing Genus or anything. DILE I have just come into possession of documents that he may find interesting. BUCKY Such as? DILE KOMPLEX's source code, a list of design flaws and errors, ways to access his programming ... Bucky is taken aback. BUCKY (coughs) You're kidding. DILE I would not kid about something this serious, Captain O'Hare. Bucky shakes his head, trying to counteract the effects of the drink. BUCKY I'll call him right now. Are you doing all right? DILE I ... (sighs) I am fine. I would like to get to work with Willy on interpreting these documents. I feel they will give us the edge we need against the toads. BUCKY OK. (salutes) Good work, Engineer. DILE Thank you. Dile signs off. Bucky stands still for a second, ideas racing through his head. He then grabs his communicator from beside the desk and flips its switch, signaling Willy. SCENE 3 - LIVING ROOM, THE DUWITT RESIDENCE, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH ENGINEER WILLY DUWITT walks in through the front door of his house. Behind him is his friend, SCOTT OSBOURNE. Scott takes one look at the '70s decor of the house and gets a bemused look on his face. SCOTT Nice place. WILLY You should see my folks' bedroom. SCOTT I'll pass, though I'd like to check out yours. Thanks for letting me come over, by the way. WILLY Hey, no big deal. I haven't had anyone over since ... (thinks) Geez, since Susie. SCOTT (his interest piqued) Susie? You got a lady friend? Willy feels like laughing and feeling sorry for himself at the same time. WILLY No, no. Susie is this girl I was sort of friends with a few years back. We really don't talk much anymore. SCOTT So you're single, huh? A dashing stud like yourself? WILLY Uh, yeah. SCOTT Aw, c'mon. I bet the female hares are all over you. Willy looks very uncomfortable for a second, then closes his eyes, not trying to think about that. WILLY That's really gross. SCOTT Just kidding, man. Sorry. (looks around) So are we gonna keep pretending we're in "That '70s Show," or can I see your digs? WILLY (not getting the reference) Huh? SCOTT Your room, Willy. Where all the cool stuff in this house is, I'd bet. WILLY Oh, yeah. Sure. Willy leads Scott up the stairs to his room. Scott notices the sign that says "Nuclear Physicist at Work." SCOTT Nuclear physicist, eh? You get your Ph.D. in a crackerjack box, or do they graduate 'em young in the aniverse? WILLY (rolls his eyes) You think you're funny, but you're really not. SCOTT Yeah, sorry. I got real sarcastic back in the day. Defense mechanism. WILLY (shrugs, walking in) It's OK. This is my room. Scott looks around. Willy's room is messy, but at least it has neat stuff here and there. His eyes immediately wander toward the huge orange machine against the wall. SCOTT That's the proton accelerator? WILLY Photon, yeah. I'm not looking to lower the aniverse's pH or anything. SCOTT (wincing) And you think *I'm* not funny? WILLY You shoulda been at this engineer convention I went to. I've never heard so many jokes about logic gates in my life. Scott looks at Willy's bed. It has a few clothes strewn on it. He walks over and picks one up. SCOTT Nirvana? Are you one of those "Cobain is God" freaks? WILLY Nah, I just got one of their CDs once. It was OK. (in all seriousness) Are they still around? Scott blinks. SCOTT You're kidding, right? WILLY No, why? SCOTT Willy, Kurt Cobain killed himself like seven years ago. WILLY (surprised) Really? Scott realizes something. SCOTT How much time *do* you spend in the real world, Willy? WILLY Assuming you're talking about Earth ... not enough, probably. SCOTT And I thought you were weird for not knowing about Harry Potter. WILLY Hey, that was a fun book, by the way. They got a lot about magic wrong, though. SCOTT (confused) Uh, right. Glad you liked it. I'll bring the second one with me next time. But anyway, I was wondering: What kind of music do you like? WILLY I dunno. I don't really listen to music much. I've got that Nirvana CD and maybe five more. SCOTT Ever heard of Linkin Park? WILLY No ... SCOTT Eminem? Staind? WILLY (realizing what Scott is getting at) No? SCOTT (not wanting to say it) Britney Spears? WILLY Doesn't ring a bell. SCOTT Lucky you. (hopefully) Green Day? WILLY That sounds familiar ... SCOTT (runs his hand through his hair) Maybe I should start with the basics. The Rolling Stones? The Beatles? WILLY (insulted) Hey! I'm not *that* bad. SCOTT U2? WILLY (thinks) Um ... SCOTT That tears it, buddy. (smiles, points to himself by jabbing his thumb into his chest) I'm putting myself in charge of re-educating you. Before you know it, you're gonna join the 21st century. Willy realizes this is Scott's way of being friendly and supportive. WILLY Sure. That sounds good. I guess I could tutor you or something as repayment. SCOTT Tutor me? In what? I got my GED last year, so I'm done with school. WILLY (surprised) You're not going to college? You ... you didn't even finish high school? SCOTT (jokingly) That doesn't get me kicked out of the Ph.D.'s room, does it? WILLY (realizing) I'm sorry, Scott. I just hadn't thought about it. I didn't think you were a high-school dropout. SCOTT I got a degree, man. To Willy's semi-relief, Bucky's communicator interrupts the awkward conversation. He walks up to his desk and lifts it. WILLY Damn. I guess you've gotta go. They need me in the aniverse. SCOTT Do you come running every time they snap their fingers? WILLY Bucky said he was only going to call me if it was important. I trust him on that. He really wasn't happy with me going back. SCOTT How happy would he be with getting *two* humans? WILLY Wait, what? You want to come, too? SCOTT (waving it off) Eh, not really. Maybe someday, but I don't really know you well enough to dive headfirst into your weirdness just yet. WILLY (a bit insulted) Thanks. SCOTT I guess I should go, then? I'm sure Danielle will *love* to have me back early. WILLY You call your aunt by her first name? SCOTT As soon as she deserves me calling her "Aunt," I'll do it. (pats Willy on the shoulder) If it's any consolation, you're not as screwed up as I am. Gimme a call when you get back, dude. And don't get hurt. WILLY (feeling reassured) I will. I won't. I mean ... thanks. Scott gives Willy a salute and then heads out the door. Willy notices that Scott's salute is better than his. WILLY (thinking) (beat) Willy activates the accelerator, plunging his room into darkness. SCENE 4 - DILE'S HOSPITAL ROOM, WARREN GENERAL HOSPITAL An hour later, Bucky and Willy are meeting with Dile in the hospital. Willy is flipping through the files, his eyes wide. Bucky is trying to remain calm but is clearly excited. BUCKY So, what will this allow us to do? Can we take down KOMPLEX with it? WILLY (pushing his glasses up) I think so. It's going to take me a while to look over everything, though. KOMPLEX is a huge program. And even once I figure all of this out, we can't affect KOMPLEX remotely. BUCKY You mean we'd have to infiltrate the Toad Homeworld, right? WILLY (a little nervous) Uh-huh. BUCKY That shouldn't be too hard; we've done it a few times already. All we need is a plan. Willy does not respond. Bucky notices and looks at the human, who seems to have turned slightly green. BUCKY Oh. (beat) I take it you don't want to go back there. WILLY (trying not to think about it) I don't think they'd treat me too well if they got their hands on me again. BUCKY I know, but ... (stops and thinks) You're right. You definitely shouldn't go. Can you just program Blinky to do it? WILLY (closing the file) That's what I'm hoping. I'm not going unless I absolutely have to. DILE I would go in your place if I could, Willy, but I am afraid I cannot. WILLY (turning to Dile) That's OK. Thanks, though. How'd you get these files, by the way? They're amazing. Dile averts his gaze from Willy. DILE I do not wish to discuss it. I am glad you will find them useful, though. Bucky and Willy both give Dile an odd look but decide not to push the issue. BUCKY This will definitely be useful, Dile. This could end the Toad Wars for good. Dile smiles weakly. DILE I am glad that, even while in the hospital, I can be of use to S.P.A.C.E. BUCKY (to no one in particular) Heck, I probably should've tried to steal you from Mimi instead of hiring Mike. WILLY Hey! Mike seems nice. BUCKY (shrugs) Doesn't mean I have to like him. Anyway, we'd better get going. Thanks again, Dile. DILE It is my pleasure. Bucky walks out. Willy smiles and waves goodbye to Dile before stepping through the door. DILE (softer) ... feel free to come visit again, if you would like. SCENE 5 - SPACE, OUTSIDE GENUS A few miles from Genus, a mammal frigate jerkily exits hyperspace. It clearly does not pilot well, and its dents and scars give it a distinctive look, as does its rusted metal hull. It's The Valkyrie, piloted by FIRST MATE JENNY. JENNY (spotting Genus) There it is. As Jenny flies closer, an uneasy feeling creeps into her stomach. As Genus grows larger and larger, she notices that a large portion of the planet is covered by dark clouds. JENNY (thinking) Jenny decides to get a closer look and begins to approach the defense satellites. The one closest to her activates and spins around. The satellite's glaring insignia of the Toad Empire stares evilly at her as it trains its guns on The Valkyrie. JENNY Shoot. Jenny jerks the controls upwards to escape the hail of maser fire zooming toward her. Making a sharp turn, she pilots the ship away from Genus as fast as she can. She notices on her radar, though, that the satellite is trailing her, still firing. JENNY (frustrated) That's a new trick. Unable to dodge every shot, Jenny feels the ship shake as it takes a direct hit. JENNY Argh! (concentrating) Get off! Her forehead gem glowing bright pink, Jenny casts a destructive spell targeting the defense satellite chasing her. In a flash, the satellite explodes. JENNY (thinking) I've got to get to Warren immediately. Jenny bites her lip as she sets the ship on autopilot and climbs down the cockpit to activate the photon accelerator. SCENE 6 - WAR ROOM, UAC HEADQUARTERS, WARREN PRESIDENT MORELAND and WIA CHAIRMAN ARCHER sit across the table from Bucky, Willy, COMMANDER SIRIUS DOGSTAR, and CAPTAIN MIMI LAFLEUR. The two hare politicians have serious but thoughtful looks on their faces. MORELAND So you're saying that with this information, we could reprogram or even destroy KOMPLEX. WILLY That's right. I've taken a look at all his code, and I've figured out enough weak spots to crash the program for good. ARCHER But you would need to go to the toad planet to do that, right? WILLY Yeah. (quickly) I'm going to try to program Blinky to do what needs to be done. MORELAND What? Why can't you do it yourself? Willy looks a little ashamed. WILLY I'd really rather not go back to the Toad Homeworld after what happened, sir. MORELAND (getting intense) I can understand that. But this is end of the war that we're talking about. I don't think we should take any risks. BUCKY Sending Willy *is* a risk. My engineer does not want to go on this mission. Period. MORELAND (sternly) I'm not authorizing this mission without him. MIMI That's ridiculous, Chairman. This is a crucial mission, and ... Dogstar clears his throat. DOGSTAR If I may speak, gentlemen. Mimi glares at Dogstar but quiets down, and everyone turns to look at Dogstar. DOGSTAR Now, I agree that sending Willy back to the toads is dangerous, and if it were possible to keep him out of harm's way, then we should do that. (beat) However, he and he alone understands exactly how the toads work. He understands exactly how KOMPLEX functions, and he knows what needs to be done. Forgive me for sounding skeptical, but I don't think all that can be programmed into an android. Willy tries to speak, but Dogstar just keeps going. DOGSTAR Besides, with the three of us protecting Willy, I see no way that he would be captured by the toads before dismantling KOMPLEX. (in all seriousness) I would give my life before allowing Willy to be captured. Willy's mouth hangs open slightly, surprised. The others at the table, though, don't really react. BUCKY So would I. So would Mimi, I hope. But I don't think we *need* to send Willy. MORELAND I think we do. BUCKY He's suffered enough. DOGSTAR We all have, Captain. This is war. BUCKY (forcefully) He's not going. MORELAND (about to stand up) Yes, he is. WILLY (irritated) Hey! I'm right here! The hares, Dogstar, and Mimi all turn to the frustrated Willy. WILLY Stop trying to make my decisions for me! I said I don't want to go. MORELAND (trying a new approach) Why? Don't you want revenge? WILLY What? MORELAND Revenge, Willy. For what the toads did to you. MIMI (disgusted at Moreland's attempt to manipulate Willy) Oh, cram it. This is not about revenge. This is about putting Willy in harm's way when there's no reason to. He can program Blinky. He can get the job done from here. I don't see what the question is. ARCHER (loudly) All this arguing is getting us nowhere! Everyone falls silent again. ARCHER (kindly) Willy, will you please at least consider it? Willy mulls this over for a second. WILLY (resigned) Fine. I'll think about it. MORELAND Good. BUCKY (grumpily, under his breath) Politicians. Mimi doesn't look too happy either, though Dogstar appears satisfied. DOGSTAR Well then, once Willy makes his decision, we can begin planning how to take out KOMPLEX. ARCHER Please don't take too long to decide, Willy. The sooner we end this, the better. WILLY (uncomfortable) I know. MORELAND Thank you all for coming. This meeting is adjourned. The three captains and Willy exit. Bucky and Mimi stride away as if they had been insulted. Willy seems to have a lot on his mind, and Dogstar is his usual composed self. WILLY (under his breath, to Dogstar) You'd really die for me? DOGSTAR What? Of course, my boy. That's what comrades do for each other. We're all fighting the same fight, you know. Willy turns this over in his mind as the group walks away. SCENE 7 - SPACE ABOVE WARREN The Valkyrie pops into space above Warren. Jenny quickly scans the planet's surface with her eyes. Everything seems normal. She flies toward one of the defense satellites, which is smaller and less powerful than the ones orbiting Genus, and activates the frigate's intercom. JENNY (into comm) This is First Mate Jenny of the S.P.A.C.E. frigate The Valkyrie, requesting permission to land. VOICE (over comm) Roger that. Uh ... we don't have any listing of a Valkyrie on the roster, ma'am. JENNY (closes her eyes) We've only had the ship for a couple months. I used to pilot The Righteous Indignation with Captain Bucky O'Hare. VOICE Oh, yeah. I've heard of you. One sec, lemme check protocols ... For about five seconds, Jenny listens to the sound of buttons being pressed and papers rustling. JENNY (impatiently) Genus has been taken over by the toads! I've got to talk to Captain O'Hare! Is he on Warren? VOICE Yes, Captain O'Hare is on Warren. JENNY Then can I *please* touch down? VOICE Hold on, they're beefed up security. I have to ask you some questions. JENNY (vexed) *Fine*. VOICE Are you a toad spy? JENNY (incredulous) No. VOICE Are you carrying anything on your frigate belonging to the toads? JENNY (rolling her eyes) No. VOICE Have any toads boarded your ship without your knowledge? Jenny wants to snap back with "How would I know?", but she bites her tongue. JENNY No. VOICE You're good to go, then. JENNY *Thank you*. (shuts off the intercom) By the stars, this is ridiculous. Jenny navigates the ship through the defense system and aims for the secondary UAC Headquarters building's landing pads. SCENE 8 - BUCKY'S APARTMENT, WARREN Bucky is fixing himself dinner. Willy is on the couch in the living room, working on Blinky. WILLY Thanks for letting me come over for a while, Captain. BUCKY No sweat. I wouldn't want to be around those politicians anymore, either. (opens the microwave) How's Blinky coming along? WILLY I've programmed in a list of the important flaws in KOMPLEX's programming that need to be targeted. I was going to install KOMPLEX's source code, but I don't want to run the risk of the program compiling itself and starting to run on Blinky. BUCKY (pouring something to drink) Well, at least his speech pattern would be better. WILLY Yeah. (bites his lip) I don't think I can program Blinky to do everything I need him to, after all. BUCKY Oh. (realizing) Well, frell. Willy closes Blinky's back panel and puts the android down on the floor. He leans back in the couch and lets out a worried sigh. WILLY I really don't want to go back, Captain. But I think I'm going to have to. BUCKY (walking toward the living room, dinner in paw) If there's any way to keep you from going, I'll advocate it. WILLY There isn't. There really isn't. Not if we're going to stop KOMPLEX, anyway. (beat) Why do I feel like I shouldn't be scared? BUCKY Well, on one hand, you took the worst they could throw at you, and you came back alive and healthy. WILLY And on the other hand? BUCKY (frowns) The toads are mean bastards. I hate to admit it, but they almost went easy on you. I've seen them do far worse things than what happened to you. Willy gulps. BUCKY And that's why I don't want you going back. Willy sits in silence for a moment. Bucky takes a bite, not really tasting it. Finally, Willy speaks. WILLY No. I can't sit here and be afraid anymore. I'm going to go. Bucky is actually surprised by this. BUCKY (eyeing Willy) Are you sure? WILLY Yeah. Besides, this is bigger than me. This is for the whole aniverse. The good of the many outweighs the good of the few. BUCKY But the good of keeping you alive outweighs the good of you getting killed. Or worse. WILLY Come on, Bucky! Don't try to talk me out of this, when I just convinced myself to go through with it! This is hard enough. BUCKY Sorry. I just ... (sighs) I don't want you involved in this. It's not your fight. WILLY The toads made it my fight. They want to make me a part of this war? Fine, I'm in. BUCKY Should you ask your parents? WILLY Should I? Yeah. They'll say no. So I'm not going to. BUCKY Willy, they're your parents. WILLY (half-joking) I'm sixteen years old. I'm not *supposed* to listen to my parents. BUCKY Look, Willy, you promised me that if you came back on this ship, you would spend more time with your family. That includes talking to them. WILLY And if this works, I may never have to come back to the aniverse again, and I can be with my folks all I want. What's your point? Bucky just shakes his head. BUCKY I can't believe I'm arguing for you *not* to help us stop the toads once and for all. Teenagers. (sternly) Mimi, Dogstar, and I will protect you, but you will do everything possible to avoid engaging in any combat whatsoever. You will avoid the toads and only deal with KOMPLEX's programming. That's an order. WILLY Now that one, I'm not stupid enough to disobey. BUCKY Good. (offers Willy his dinner) Want a bite? Willy sniffs it. WILLY (repulsed) You have tofu in the aniverse, too?! BUCKY What? It's good. Willy shakes his head. WILLY I guess you might get along with my parents after all. Willy takes a bite, his hunger overpowering his dislike for tofu. Bucky sits down next to him. WILLY (hesitantly) Have you heard from Jenny? Hearing Jenny's name stirs up an interesting mixture of feelings in Bucky. He immediately settles down and plays it cool with Willy, though. BUCKY Have you? WILLY I haven't tried. I mean, I've left messages on her machine, but I haven't, like ... (waves his hand in front of his forehead) I can't. That part of me's still dead. I don't know if I'll ever get it back. BUCKY (supportively) You'll get it back. I mean, that's what Jenny would probably say. It's what I would imagine she would say. It's probably some energy thing. You blew out some power cells and they'll regenerate. They're still trying to figure out what you did. WILLY What do you mean? BUCKY Back when we rescued you. You were somewhere and then you were somewhere else. You were right in front of me and then you showed up on another part of the base. They thought it caused you to go into that coma. You didn't know that? WILLY (hesitantly) I don't remember much about any of that. BUCKY That's probably for the best. Bucky and Willy lapse into silence, overwhelmed by their thoughts. This is the first time they've sat like this in a long time. Finally, the silence is broken when the phone rings. BUCKY (sighs as he gets up) Probably Archer or Moreland. So I should tell them you're going? WILLY (nibbling on the tofu) Yeah. SCENE 9 - LANDING DOCK, WARREN The Valkyrie enters Warren's atmosphere, and Jenny nervously activates the intercom. She tries Bucky's apartment first. JENNY Come on ... The signal comes up busy. This dampens Jenny's enthusiasm, but only briefly. JENNY (realizing) That means he's in his apartment. Jenny deactivates the comm and reverses direction, speeding toward Warren's military apartment complex. SCENE 10 - OUTSIDE BUCKY'S APARTMENT Jenny, having checked the directory, is walking down the hallway, following the room numbers. JENNY Here. Jenny stops and knocks on the door in front of her. BUCKY (from inside) Willy, can you get the door? WILLY Yeah. The door swings open after a moment, with Willy standing there. His eyes go wide and his jaw drops once he sees who the visitor is. WILLY (flabbergasted) Jenny? We were just ... JENNY (surprised) Willy! Thank goodness you're OK! BUCKY (calling from inside) What? Jenny? JENNY Bucky! Jenny bursts inside and runs up to Bucky. Before the hare can react, Jenny pulls him into a warm embrace. Bucky instinctively returns it, rubbing the fur on her back. Willy just watches. BUCKY (practically struck dumb) Jenny, I ... oh, man, I ... it's so good to see you ... JENNY (still holding him warmly) It's good to see you, too, Bucky. Willy keeps his distance, not wanting to interrupt. BUCKY (still a bit dazed) Where ... where have you been? JENNY I ... Jenny lets go in response to this sudden questioning and looks at Bucky. Bucky knows the look on Jenny's face. BUCKY So you can't even tell me that. (faces away from Jenny) You'd think I would have learned to stop asking by now. JENNY (upset) Bucky, aren't you glad to see me? Bucky hesitates for just a second. Mimi flashes prominently in his mind. BUCKY Of course I am, Jen. JENNY (sensing something is amiss) You certainly don't seem too happy. BUCKY Well, you deserted us right before the toads overran Genus! JENNY I know, and I'm sorry, but I had to. I just had to. BUCKY What was more important than Genus? What was more important than me? Jenny realizes Bucky isn't acting inappropriately, but his accusatory tone of voice still puts her off. JENNY Aldebaran fell into civil war, and I had to do something about it. Bucky's eyebrows jump in surprise; he wasn't expecting Jenny to offer a shred of information. Willy, who had previously felt it was best to stay out of the lovers' spat, decides that he deserves to know about this. WILLY What, you mean the Male Resistance attacked? Or did Cassie try to take over? What happened? JENNY It's a long story. I promise I'll tell you later, but I don't want to talk about it right now. WILLY Well, is everyone OK? JENNY (with the faintest hint of a smile) Cassie isn't. BUCKY Hold on a second. Looking like something just clicked in his mind, Bucky pulls Jenny by the arm into his apartment and closes the door. BUCKY (businesslike) Jenny, did you come to Warren first, or Genus? JENNY Genus. I wanted to see how bad things were. BUCKY Did you get close to the satellites? JENNY Closer than I'd wanted to, actually. Yes. BUCKY Good. Is your magic powerful enough to zap a way through them? JENNY (thinks) Depends on how many I'd have to take care of. I had to destroy one of them earlier, in fact. BUCKY Good. Are you OK? Did you get hurt? JENNY Not physically, no. BUCKY Good, because I just got an idea. SCENE 11 - WAR ROOM, UAC HEADQUARTERS, WARREN About two hours later, a large group of mammals sites in a larger planning room, decorated with maps and semi-sophisticated military equipment. Bucky is flanked by Jenny and Willy. Dogstar and Mimi sit close to them, and FIRST MATE JONATHAN WEISSMAN is nearby. VINCENT ROEDECKER is there, too. They are far outnumbered, though, by the other military personnel there: Moreland, Archer, and a number of generals of various species (mostly hares). Moreland motions to Bucky and begins to speak. MORELAND Well, Captain, you called us all here. What's the situation? BUCKY Earlier, sir, we spoke about infiltrating the Toad Homeworld. While I still believe this is a very important offensive to take, I don't think it should be our only one, especially if it fails. (looking around the room) That's why I've decided we should attempt to free Genus at the same time. A murmur goes through the crowd. It sounds as though most people like the idea but can't imagine how it could be pulled off. ARCHER If you can envision a way to achieve this, Captain O'Hare, please enlighten us. BUCKY (motioning to his side) Now that Jenny's back, we have a way to blast through the defense satellites and get on the surface of the planet. A HARE general interjects. HARE Wouldn't stealth be more appropriate? BUCKY I can't think of any way to get a large group onto Genus using stealth. If anyone can, I'd like to hear it. Bucky pauses briefly until the silence satisfies him. BUCKY And we need a large group, because we're going to have to take Genus back by force. Between Jenny, Bruiser, and Jonathan's strength ... JONATHAN Wait, how did you ... BUCKY (ignores him) ... Dogstar's ability to command, Deadeye's shooting, and the help of any mammal slaves we can free, we should be able to overpower the toads on Genus. Another murmur arises but quickly dies down. BUCKY Chairman Archer, how much information have we gotten from the devices we planted on Genus? Anything that can help us with this mission? ARCHER I believe so. I'll have my men go over it with you. BUCKY Good. Get an ASC that Dogstar can use and feed it the information. We'll be needing Blinky when we infiltrate the Toad Homeworld. MORELAND (concerned) Does that mean Willy won't be going with you? WILLY No, I'm going. I'm going to need Blinky to hack into their systems, though. MORELAND (appeased) Good, good. BUCKY Now, *this* mission will be one of stealth. Willy says he can scramble the toads' radar enough to get a small four-person personal cruiser through their defenses. That'll be me ... Jenny raises an eyebrow. BUCKY (finishing) ... Willy, Blinky, and Mimi. This garners a small reaction from most, though Jenny and Roedecker are noticeably agitated. JENNY You're going on this mission with Mimi? ROEDECKER Mimi's not going. Not unless I go with her. BUCKY (sternly, to Jenny) We need you to free Genus. I'm not going to be any help there. (to Roedecker) You're going to help free the slaves on Genus. If not, you can walk away. Door's behind you. Roedecker sneers but does not object. Jenny crosses her arms, but she trusts Bucky enough not to argue. MIMI (sensing the tension) Uh, are you sure this is a good idea, Bucky? Maybe someone else should infiltrate the Toad Homeworld with you. BUCKY (shakes his head a little) No. We've learned to work with each other well lately, and I trust you. You're going with us. Another general, this one a BADGER, speaks up. BADGER And what if either of these missions fails? BUCKY Then you'll have to try something else. We've sat around long enough. Unless anyone has any better ideas, I'm doing this. (his eyes glide over to Moreland) With or without sanction. DOGSTAR (properly) Well, I must profess that I see wisdom in Captain O'Hare's strategy. Planning for multiple possibilities, yes. I say we do it. MIMI I'm in. All eyes turn to Moreland. MORELAND I'm all for this. Just don't screw it up. BUCKY Thank you, Chairman. Bucky stands up, and everyone else follows his lead. Most of them begin to shuffle out, though Jenny hangs around to talk to Bucky. She doesn't manage to push her way through the crowd well enough, though; he and Dogstar disappear with Moreland to talk specifics. Upset, Jenny looks around, hoping to vent her unease on Mimi. All three captains are gone, however. She sighs and begins to walk out herself. JENNY (thinking) (stepping a little more precisely) SCENE 12 - BUCKY'S APARTMENT, WARREN That night, after meeting with Moreland for more than an hour, a weary Bucky walks into the front door of his apartment, which is still very messy. He notices he has one message. He turns on the machine, and Mimi's angry voice springs out at him. MIMI (recorded) Thanks for letting me know Jenny was back. I really appreciate it. The message clicks to a stop. Bucky groans. BUCKY Looks like it's gonna be a fun ride to the Toad Homeworld tomorrow. Trying not to think too much, Bucky plops down on the couch and absentmindedly sees what's on television. Nothing catches his interest. BUCKY (thinking) Yawning, Bucky stands and makes his way to his bedroom. Putting on an old T-shirt and some shorts, he begins to climb into bed. The thoughts he was blocking out begin to filter into his mind. BUCKY (thinking) Bucky lies down and closes his eyes, trying to relax. BUCKY (thinking) Bucky fidgets. BUCKY (thinking) Bucky smirks, laughing to himself. BUCKY (thinking) (groans) Bucky has seemingly given up sleeping at this point. He's staring at the ceiling, trying hard just to get his mind off of things. BUCKY (thinking) (blinks) Bucky's mind finally veers away from his relationship problems, though it settles on an even more nagging dilemma: Willy. BUCKY (thinking) This thought doesn't console Bucky as much as he'd hoped. BUCKY (thinking, uneasily) Bucky pulls the covers over him, flips onto his side, and tries to get comfortable. He doesn't sleep well tonight. SCENE 13 - DOCK FOUR, UAC HEADQUARTERS, WARREN The next morning, Bucky, Willy, Blinky, and Mimi are standing in a dock on Warren, preparing for their mission. Willy is running a diagnostics check on a small, blue four-person personal cruiser. Bucky and Mimi are loading themselves with as many blasters as they can carry without being bogged down. MIMI (not looking at Bucky) So did you and Jenny have a good time last night? BUCKY I didn't see Jenny last night. MIMI That's good. Of course, you didn't see me either. BUCKY Can we please have this conversation a week from now? MIMI Fine. (checks a blaster) I still say I can handle this on my own, if you'd rather go with Jenny. BUCKY (checking a blaster) And I still say I'm going. This isn't about Jenny, or about you. I'm not going to abandon Willy. (thinking) Mimi looks Bucky over for a moment, not entirely sure what to think. Resigned, she turns back toward the cruiser. MIMI How's it looking, Willy? WILLY Everything's operational. I've set up a radar scrambler that should buy us plenty of time once we get close to the home world. I also know a place we can land that should be deserted. MIMI And once we get there, we're hitting the air ducts, right? BUCKY Right. MIMI (smirks) Always a personal favorite. WILLY There's really no other way to get around the planet undetected. I put some wheels on Blinky, because I don't think he could get through the ducts silently otherwise. (beat) We'll have to be really careful, but we should be able to make it to the main room that houses KOMPLEX's hardware. Once we get there, Blinky and I can begin dismantling him. BUCKY Mimi and I will protect you in there. WILLY With any luck, you won't have to; the toads would have to be really careful in there, or they'd cause some damage to KOMPLEX themselves. MIMI Don't underestimate their stupidity, Willy. WILLY Don't underestimate their intelligence, either, Mimi. You know what they've done to both of us. Bucky steps forward, trying to defuse the situation before it gets uncomfortable. BUCKY And once that's over, we can get back out using the ducts? WILLY If we shut KOMPLEX down for good, we should be fine. Most of the toads are just brainwashed, so once we get rid of KOMPLEX, they'll revert to their normal selves. (beat) There will still be a few loyalists, though. BUCKY (gripping his lightsaber, a hint of disgust in his voice) Toadborg. WILLY Exactly. And maybe some others. Scientists, maybe, though I doubt they'll be a problem. MIMI (pats a blaster on her holster) You never know. BUCKY Are we all ready to go, then? WILLY Yeah. BUCKY Excellent. I'm going to go wish Dogstar luck. The rest of you get on board. Mimi begins to board. Bucky, remembering something, pulls Willy aside. BUCKY One quick thing, Willy. Who's Amadeus? WILLY (surprised) Amadeus? BUCKY (neutrally) Yeah. Who is he? WILLY (uncertain) Uh ... the Air Marshal. That's his real name. Bucky's eyelids crease as his eyes narrow almost imperceptibly. BUCKY The Air Marshal. WILLY Why do you ... BUCKY Don't worry about it. I'll be back in a moment. You should get on board. Bucky turns to walk to the adjacent dock. Willy stands still for a moment, dumbfounded and concerned, then climbs aboard the small ship. SCENE 14 - DOCK THREE, UAC HEADQUARTERS, WARREN Next door, a large team is gathering to board two frigates, The Indefatigable and The Screaming Mimi. Onboard for this mission are Dogstar, Jenny, Jonathan, GUNNER DEADEYE DUCK, BRUISER, PITSTOP PETE, ENGINEER MIKE MARISON, Roedecker, and a small, unremarkable ANDROID SECOND CLASS. Everyone is suiting up, checking their weapons, and muttering prayers under their breath. Roedecker walks up to Dogstar, trying not to look like he wants to pick a fight. It's not easy for him. ROEDECKER Dogstar, are you sure ... DOGSTAR (straightening his cufflinks) Address me as Commander, young lad. ROEDECKER Hey, I'm doing you a favor, not the other way around. Look, are you sure you don't want to use my ship? It's probably got better firepower and maneuverability than either of these. DOGSTAR (glances at the S.P.A.C.E. frigates) You may be right, my boy, but I've been working with these frigates for quite some time now. I trust them. (slightly scornful) I don't trust you. Or your ship. ROEDECKER Fine. Just trying to help. Roedecker walks away. Dogstar finishes straightening his uniform and addresses his troops. DOGSTAR Let's go over the plan once more, shall we? Everyone quiets down and looks at Dogstar. DOGSTAR Right. Firstly, Jenny and I will be in the lead, piloting The Indefatigable. Upon arriving at the defense satellites that protect Genus, she will blast our way through. JENNY Jonathan, stay close, because I don't know how big a path I can cut. JONATHAN Right. DOGSTAR We'll land near the UAC building, or whatever's left of it. Bruiser, Jonathan, and Deadeye, I want all of you to join Jenny and me in attacking the toads there head-on. Roedecker, Pete, I want the two of you to sneak about and free any mammal slaves you can find. Tell them to help us fight; there is strength in numbers. PETE Yup. DOGSTAR And Mike ... Mike gulps but tries to appear brave as he turns and looks Dogstar in the eye. MIKE (saluting) Yes, sir? DOGSTAR (under his breath) Never did get a hang of that salute, did he? (out loud) You'll be coming with us. I want you to try and disable as much important toad equipment as you can. Take the ASC with you; it should tell you where to focus. Deadeye, you're our best shot by far; you can cover Mike if you need. DEADEYE (proud to have received the compliment) Aye-aye, Commander! DOGSTAR You'll also need to take out the climate converter, though we can do that after we've got the toads on the run. Think you can handle that? MIKE (remembering the fiasco on Narnox) I'll do my best, sir. DOGSTAR Well, that's all I can ask for, I suppose. I think that's everything. Any questions? No one says anything. Dogstar can tell they're all a bit nervous. DOGSTAR Oh, buck up, everyone. This isn't much worse than the time I had to invade that ice base on Gatma III ... Before Dogstar's tangent picks up steam, Bucky walks into the dock. Jenny smiles warmly and begins to walks toward him, but Bucky heads straight for Dogstar. BUCKY (tapping Dogstar on the shoulder) Commander. DOGSTAR (turning) Bucky, my boy. All ready to go? BUCKY I am. Just wanted to wish you luck. Bucky extends his paw. Dogstar returns the shake. DOGSTAR Good luck to you, too. All of you. Incidentally ... (pulls Bucky aside, under his breath) I didn't want to tell the rest of my men this, but I felt you should know. The urgent tone in Dogstar's voice concerns Bucky. BUCKY What? DOGSTAR I've decided this is going to be my last mission, Bucky. I just can't do this anymore. I'm too old for active duty. I think I should retire to something more fitting for a dog of my years. It takes Bucky a moment to respond. Somehow, he feels like he could see this coming. BUCKY Why are you telling me this now? DOGSTAR As a precaution. If, somehow, you learn something has happened to me, I want you to carry on with your mission. I daresay yours is far more important than ours. BUCKY Right. (musing) You'd better not be planning to get yourself killed or anything, Dogstar. DOGSTAR Of course not! Honestly, I just felt like telling someone. Made it feel more real. It wasn't an easy decision, you know. BUCKY I'm sure it wasn't. (offering a perfect salute) It's been a pleasure and an honor to work with you all these years, Commander. I wish you the best of luck. DOGSTAR Keep some luck for yourself. We need enough to go around. Dogstar steps away and begins to board. Bucky motions as though he's about to go back to the other dock, but he decides to walk up to Jenny. BUCKY Jenny ... JENNY (mostly ignoring him) I can't blame you for being mad at me, Bucky. BUCKY I just wanted to wish you luck, Jen. The next thing Jenny knows, Bucky's holding her in a tight hug. She gasps softly, then holds him as well. BUCKY Thank you for agreeing to this. I ... I love you. Bucky forces the words out of his throat. He hopes they don't sound as hollow to her as they do to him. Jenny's mind feels far away for just a moment. A tear trickles down her cheek. JENNY I know. Be careful. BUCKY (joking) I'll be fine. I'm bringing Mimi as a shield, remember? Jenny gives Bucky a quizzical look. JENNY That better be all you're bringing her for. BUCKY Anyway, right now, I just want you to make me a promise. JENNY And what's that? BUCKY Keep track of how many toads you flatten. I want you to shatter your old record. Jenny just smiles. She squeezes Bucky's paw, then walks toward The Indefatigable. Once she's out of view, Bucky lets out the breath he's been holding in. BUCKY (thinking) Trying not to think about anything but the task ahead, Bucky walks back to his dock, trying to seem more confident than he is. SCENE 15 - UAC HEADQUARTERS, WARREN The three ships take off almost exactly at the same time. The large frigates and the small cruiser stay nearly neck and neck through Warren's troposphere and stratosphere. They finally break free of Warren's gravity and reach space. As if perfectly synchronized, the three peel off simultaneously. The Indefatigable and The Screaming Mimi set their sights on Genus and leap into hyperspace, while the personal cruiser begins its long, comparatively slow journey toward the Toad Homeworld. TO BE CONTINUED