Opposing Forces

Scene opens in the empty vacuum of space. Suddenly a green and violet portal splits the darkness, out of the rift emerges the Voyager. The only ones on the bridge are Silverbolt, Blackarachnia, Anarchy and Crynoth, the rest all went to their quarters during trans-dimensional travel.

SILVERBOLT: Crynoth, is this it? (Crynoth zips across the keyboard.)

CRYNOTH: Give the computers a minute, (He looks at a light on the monitor.) Oh man, we damaged an intake valve! Hopefully we'll be able to repair somewhere.

ANARCHY: You realize your chances are lower than surviving a trip through a black hole right?

BLACKARACHNIA: Tell me again why we invited you. (She gives the humanoid lion a playful punch in the arm.)

COMPUTER: Scan for Cybertron, negative. (Silverbolt's ears drop.) What other species are there? (Crynoth brings up an image, an endless list of green names scrolls across the veiwport.)

CRYNOTH: Whoa! We got a whole buffet of species here! (He scans through it.) Here! Human.

BLACKARACHNIA: Again! (She reads over some of the many species.) Wow.

SILVERBOLT: Crynoth, where's the nearest planet? (Crynoth goes over the computers again, a 3-D image of a light tan planet comes into view.)

CRYNOTH: It's called, Tatooine, mostly desert, there are some places to land though, here's one, Mos Eisly. (Blackarachnia slams her forehead.)

BLACKARACHNIA: Greeeeeeaaaaaaat, now we get to land on a giant ball of sand, I mean, this planet couldn't be farther away from the center of the universe, who knows what kind of scum lives there.

ANARCHY: Why don't we just go refuel and get the repairs done?

SILVERBOLT: Good a place as any I guess. (Crynoth sets the Voyager on course.)

Scene goes to the bridge of a triangle shaped starship, watching the Voyager speed away is a tall figure dressed all in black, his breathing reverberates through his mostly mechanical body, an man walks up to him.

TIECT: Lord Vader, do you wish to follow them? They are heading for Tatooine. (The dark figured, Darth Vader, turns his dark masked gaze upon the man.)

VADER: No captain, (His voice is deep and menacing, even when calm.) I will deal with them myself. (The captain backs away slowly and Vader walks off. Vader opens a door, inside the door a dark being, like a dragon/human cross, gargoyle-like, wings folded around a tight black cat suit along with a cape, the face is mostly human, resembling a Faleen's, she kneels down in front of him and speaks.)

SCALE: What is thy bidding, my master?

VADER: Our scanners have detected a new species, its technology is far more advanced than our own and I wish that you would retrieve it.

SCALE: I shall not fail you.

VADER: A ship will be prepared for you, they are attempting to land on Tatooine.

SCALE: Yes, my master.

VADER: Now go, and do not disappoint me, my young apprentice. (She walks around the dark figure and heads down the hallway. The captain walks beside Vader.)

TIECT: Lord Vader, I do not believe it is wise to hide an apprentice from the Emperor, he will find out. (Vader stops and raises his hand, the captain starts choking and clawing at his collar.)

VADER: He will not find out! (Vader releases the man from the invisible hand and continues walking away, the captain goes to his knees, gasping for air.)

Scene goes to a docking bay where a GAT 12H Skipray Blast boat flies out, its wings rotate from the horizontal docked position, to the vertical flight position and powers its engines.

Scene goes to the meeting room of the Voyager on the surface of Tatooine. All of the crew is gathered there, all of the transformers are in beast mode except Silverbolt.

SILVERBOLT: I have just been informed that we either raise the credits to pay for the fuel, or, we stay here and rust.

PUN: You couldn't expect to get it free could you?

SILVERBOLT: I didn't, they just wouldn't take our kind of currency. Now the way I figure it, we need to raise money somehow, and within a week.

CRYNOTH: Couldn't we get jobs around the spaceport?

SILVERBOLT: None open, we have to go into the city.

LUNA: Joy.

INFERNO: Let's get started then.

B'BOOM: I know this won't be good.

SILVERBOLT: We have to go in groups, to be safe, how about three groups of four? One group will stay at the ship to guard it, the other two will find work within range of each other. (Silverbolt and of course Blackarachnia go with Anarchy and Cheyenne, Tigatron and Airrazor go with Opal and Crynoth, and the last group is Inferno, B'boom, Luna and Pun.) Now let's draw straws to see who stays. (Silverbolt's group gets the short straw.)

ANARCHY: As much as I'd love to go out into that cesspool, I prefer this job. (He tilts back in his chair and puts his feet up on the table, Luna tips him back more, his arms flail and he falls back to the floor. Opal picks up a backpack and puts one strap over her shoulder.)

OPAL: Let's go.

BLACKARACHNIA: Good luck. (The two groups of four walk out into the blinding suns of the sandy desert planet, their mechanic, an ugly little bat-like creature, points them in the direction of the city.)

SEEKUS: Hi, my names Seekus, I don't think you care anyway, the city's that way. (He points in a direction.) Why did you want to land so far away from the city? Troubles with the Empire? Trust me, I know what you mean.

LUNA: Who? (Seekus looks stunned.)

SEEKUS: Whoa! You really aren't from around here are you? (He starts a short story about the history, none of them are really interested that much.) And that's about it, since you don't know you're way around, here. (He hands them a small data-card.) Just a friend I know that can get you started. (The eight start off over the sand, Tigatron and Airrazor go to their vehicle modes, Inferno converts to tank mode, Pun and Luna get on, B'boom converts to dragster mode and Opal and Crynoth get on, they head over the numerous sand dunes.)

Scene goes to a docking bay, where Darth Scale's ship has just landed, the manager walks up to her.

MANAGER: Okay now look, I need a down payment right now since I didn't authorize you, or I'm gonna take your ship. (Darth Scale just looks him in the eyes.)

SCALE: You don't need a payment.

MANAGER: I don't need a payment.

SCALE: You will not tell anyone of my presence.

MANAGER: I will not tell anyone of your presence.

SCALE: That's more like it. (She walks past him and into the streets, as people walk by no one seems to notice her, as if she is invisible, merchants who would usually be badgering a new-comer don't even take a second look, Scale disappears into an alley.)

Scene goes back to the groups, they have just reached the edge of the city.

TIGATRON: Should we really trust this Seekus creature?

B'BOOM: Yeah, we trusted Batty, that almost got us killed, I say we can find jobs on our own, I mean how hard can it be? I think we should stay in robot mode though, not attract too much attention. (The two groups head into town and separate, first Tigatron, Airrazor, Opal and Crynoth go into a building that everyone seems to be heading toward or coming out of, they get down in and are greeted by faces and creatures of their wildest dreams, a catchy tune reverberates around the cantina. The bartender speaks up.)

BT: Hey! We don't serve your kind here droids! (Airrazor steps up to the bar.)

AIRRAZOR: We don't want drinks, we want jobs, and we aren't droids!

BT: Whatever, if you're looking for jobs, I need someone to clean dishes, but only two people. (He points to Crynoth and Opal, then to Tigatron and Airrazor.) I'm sure Piddy next door could use your service next door, he can't get anyone else to work at that dinky fix-it shop otherwise! (Some of the bar patrons laugh, or gurgle, or whatever their species has the capacity to do. Airrazor and Tigatron walk out and into the next little dug-out building, inside are a ton of spare parts and other gizmos, a short ugly creature waddles up to them, it looks like a kind of frog, except his back legs are in no way strong, he takes a 'Help Wanted' sign off of his wall and throws it behind the counter.)

TIGATRON: I know this is going to be interesting. (Airrazor gives a weak smile to the nasty creature.)

Scene goes to the other group, they are walking around the streets, talking to various creatures when one, a very old and wrinkled humanoid walks up to them.

MAN: So it's credits you need ay? I think I got what you need, of course the money ain't as good as it youst to be. Which reminds me, how much do you need? (Luna shows him a data-pad with the amount.) Oh that's all? I can fix you up really well. (he puts his arm on Luna's shoulder and starts guiding her in the direction he wants to go.) Have you ever heard of pod-racing? It used to be a big sport, huge! But then all these newfangled gadgets came out and beings lost their interest, there's still a few of us that still bet. (He opens a door into a small mechanic bay, in the center is a badly beat up cockpit-like pod and two very beat up plasma engines.) If you can fix it up in three days, you can enter the race, I'll come back later to see how you're doing. (The man runs out before they can even get his name.)

PUN: Weird old bat, idn't he?

INFERNO: Very peculiar. (He turns to the pile of broken down scrap.) How are we supposed to get this up and running? (The other three stand by him and stare at it.)

B'BOOM: Hooo.

Scene goes to the inside of the Voyager, outside it is night and Silverbolt is talking to Crynoth over their radio.

SILVERBOLT: You're washing dishes? And Tigatron and Airrazor are working at a fix-it shop? How are we supposed to get enough money?

CRYNOTH: Every little bit helps. Have you heard the others yet?

SILVERBOLT: No, but they should be calling in soon.

CRYNOTH: Well, see ya, our boss wont give us more than five minutes at a time for break. (The line goes dead and Silverbolt sits back in his chair, the other three are also lounging in the chairs.)

CHEYENNE: This is kind of unfair to them you know, us getting to stay in here and all. (She takes a drink from a glass sitting next to her.) Feh. (The light goes off on the console.)

BLACKARACHNIA: There they are. (She turns on the monitor and Inferno's face comes up.) So, how'd it go? (Inferno looks back at the pile of scrap pod-racer now up on blocks.)

INFERNO: Well, the good thing is that if we succeed, we have more than enough, if we don't well... (He trails off and points the camera at the pod-racer.) We have three days to fix it up and win a race.

SILVERBOLT: What are you talking about? You entered a race? (Silverbolt has that failed tone in his voice.)

INFERNO: We need parts to fix it up, and a new plasma driver. (Silverbolt's ears perk up.)

SILVERBOLT: Fix it? Fix-it shop! Ha this may work out after all, I'll give you the co-ordinance of Tigatron and Airrazor's job, I hope that nasty toad takes credit.

INFERNO: Yes sir! (He turns off the monitor.)

Scene goes to a dark little room, inside it is a work desk, a bed, and a few lights, a basic little home, suddenly a form smashes onto the desk, the form is a humanoid with slight spiked ridges on his cheek bones and eye brows and a reddish skin, his name is Grath, he raises his head, he is then lifted off of the ground by an invisible force and slammed into the wall, out of the dark doorway walks Darth Scale, her black cape and cat-suit blending into the shadows.

SCALE: Where are they!? (Grath struggles to break free of the invisible hand at his throat.)

GRATH: Who? (Choke.) Who!?

SCALE: You can't fool me Grath Du-chatt, you and that vermin Seekus always take in the new arrivals and try to hide them from the Imperial search squads. Now where are they!?

GRATH: I don't know what you're talking about! (The invisible force tightens.) I swear I don't know! Seekus hasn't been in contact with me for weeks! (Darth Scale snarls, her wings flare out from behind her as she begins to lose her temper, she lifts her gloved hand and makes a fist, then swings her arm to the side, Grath moves with it and slams into the wall, he falls to the floor, lifeless, Scale roars in anger and storms out.)

Camera shows several days pass by, to the morning of the race, inside the little room, Luna, Inferno, B'boom and Pun step back and look at their finished product, the former pile of scrap, still looks bad but is in one piece and fully functional.)

LUNA: So who drives it? (No one jumps at the chance, in fact, the other three back away.) Oh come on, how dangerous can it be?

PUN: Are you kiddin'?! That thing can go over six hundred miles per hour!

INFERNO: I volunteer, B'boom. (B'boom gives Inferno a fist to the shoulder and sighs.)

B'BOOM: Fine, I'll do it! (The door to the street opens and the old man walks in.)

MAN: Good, good you're finished, the race is in three ours, don't be late. (The man scurries back out the door.)

LUNA: Boy that's annoying! We better get this thing ready to go.

The_Rest