Scene 5: Crossfire

Aaron leads Kanon and Ellan down some stone steps from the city streets to the interior of the skyscraper.  There they discover narrow tunnels flanked on each side by three stories of entrances to apartment buildings (where there are catwalks placed along the front of these doors almost as an afterthought).  Scaly humanoids lounge out on the third tier beneath the incandescent lamps that have to light all three levels of the tunnel.  Their eyes rest droopy against the weak light source.

Then, Ellan notices blinking red eyes beneath her feet.  There are more levels further down, which are plunged into darkness with only dim red lanterns next to apartment doors.  The nearest lanterns are difficult to see and so the levels beneath them appear bottomless.

They cross this long bridge of apartment complexes and step out of the tunnel into a common area of restaurants, which are walled off but lack ceilings as they are already inside.  Ellan lingers over the aroma of some of the food.  She wanders near a takeout serving window.  Kanon catches a whiff of something from a neighboring vendor and twists his face in disgust before joining Ellan. 
A rotund alien in an apron waddles over.  Kanon indicates one of the dishes on display.

KANON:  How much?

COOK:  No humans allowed.

KANON:  What's that supposed to mean?

AARON:  It means he doesn't want his 

food to burn a hole through your

intestines and get him closed down.

COOK:  It's nothing personal, kid.  It's just business.

AARON:  Sorry about my friend there, Nitch.

COOK:  No worries, Miles.

Bring'em around sometime when

I'm serving something mild.

AARON:  So long, Nitch.

COOK: (calling after) You keep those

other bounty hunters out of here.

You're the only one who

doesn't cause trouble.

Aaron leads them down another tunnel,
which is much shorter and leads back outside.

Here, there is a market place in full midday activity.  Cars and other small vehicles pass overhead as this is actually a thoroughfare between buildings (the city being so tall) and loitering is tolerated at their own risk.  Nearly all the drivers fly high, but one suddenly elects to circumvent the line of traffic and dips low near the mouth of the tunnel.  Aaron raises a halting hand to keep the other two from stepping out and leads the way again once the car passes.

ELLAN:  Wasn't that illegal?

AARON:  No.  We're the pedestrians.

So keep an eye out.

KANON:  That's Janriel for you.

ELLAN:  And you wanted to 

come back here?

KANON:  Want...
is a strong word.

AARON: (calling over) Stand closer to the
venders. They're more trouble to
get in a collision with.

Kanon and Elan have to catch up to him and browse a couple of stations back from each one that he inspects.  Kanon picks up several samples of jewelry for Ellan to see, but she glances over at Aaron.
He carries on a conversation with the vendor and ignores her, but she is torn between the desire to move on and yet would rather not catch up with Aaron.  She catches his eye the next time she glances at him.  He smiles meekly, uncertain of what could be prompting her interest, and turns to hand money over to the vendor in exchange for a small sack of something before he moves on.

She breaks from Kanon's side, who is now deep in conversation with their own vendor, and she marches passed Aaron while headed to the other side of the street.  There is another woman there with dark red hair and a leather jacket.  On her left hand she wears a tool glove where her various small instruments rest on the back of her hand.

TULIA:  Where are you 

going in such a hurry?

Tulia is flanked by two aliens.  One has a large head, bald all over, and large eyes without pupils.
This one wears the underlayer of a flight suit.  The other is reptilian, like the ones at the top floor of the apartment complex.  It wears tight-fitting overalls and no shirt or shoes.  Both companions brandish laser rifles.

Ellan draws first.  Kanon starts to run over, but stops short when Tulia draws.  And his attention quickly turns on three more bounty hunters walking up the street.  Aaron immediately turns in the opposite direction of these adversaries and correctly predicts the threat coming up from behind them: two more.  Both humans in raggedy attire wielding one pistol each.

Aaron points one blaster in their direction and the other at the head of the vendor nearest to him who drops his own laser gun on the cart.  He allows the vendor to bow and back away a couple steps and then trains both barrels on his two bounty hunters.

Two guns in each hand, all three withdraw from
their respective opponents to end up back to back.
The eight mercenaries stay where they are.

AARON:  What kind of trouble

are you mixed up in?

KANON:  I really wish I knew.

ELLAN:  Do you have a plan?

AARON:  Can't say as I planned on this.

ELLAN:  I wasn't talking to you.

TULIA:  Aaron Miles... you trying
to cut us out of our bounty?

AARON:  I don't know you.

TULIA:  We should rectify that.

AARON:  And I don't owe
you any bounty.

TULIA:  Now, be reasonable.
The Republic wants these
fugitives for breaking through
the blockade.  And I figure such
singular notoriety deserves a
special reward for bringing them in.
Such as a one-way ticket off of Janriel.

KANON:  And what happens to us?

TULIA:  That's not my concern.

AARON:  Do you really think the
Republic will agree to that?

TULIA:  Why not?

ELLAN:  You're not seriously
thinking about taking them
up on their offer?

TULIA:  Why are you helping them,
Mr. Miles?  It sure didn't look like
you were leading them to
the bounty office just now.

AARON:  New people are easy to spot on
Janriel nowadays.  You don't need to be an
expert to notice these two.  I didn't see the
value in a couple of cheap bounties in
exchange for what they could offer.
I was going to make them partners.
I see your plans are a little more
ambitious than mine.

TULIA:  You just need to learn
how to think big, Mr. Miles.

AARON:  And if I was skeptical
that the Republic would make an
exchange for me over two bounties
how do you think the eight of you
will fair?

BOUNTY HUNTER: (alien language)
Who said there was only eight of us?

Two dozen robots (all copies of the same design) either drop the goods they were carrying or march out from the tunnels with weapons drawn.  Those that come from the tunnels arm those that were hiding in the crowd.  They all appear brand new with an assembly line grey paint job.  The war machines encircle the pre-existing standoff.

DRONE 1:  Indeed.  There are many of us

who would like to collect on the bounty.

Come quietly.  And we may see to it

that no harm comes to you.

TULIA:  Since when do machines

need the money?

DRONE 1:  I confess, the bounty is a mere

matter of convenience for appearances.

We would much rather have the

ship that the bounties came in on.

DRONE 2:  Though, the cash bonus would be nice.

DRONE 3:  We receive so little recognition for our work.

DRONE 1:  Inform us where we can locate the

ship that you arrived in, the Shadow's Heart,

and we promise to not collect on your bounties.

ELLAN:  Rescue us first.  Then we'll talk.

DRONE 1:  This is not a negotiation.

The alternative is we dispatch all 

parties involved and then sort out 

on whom a bounty may be collected.

AARON: (aside) No, really. 

Tell me.  What kind of trouble 

are you mixed up in?

KANON:  We surrender!

ELLAN:  That's your plan?

KANON:  Yep. Yep. No arguing with

the battle bots.  Take us to your

boss and we'll be happy to tell

him where the Shadow's Heart is.

DRONE 2:  We have no superior.

ELLAN:  You don't?

DRONE 2:  Correct. 

We are freelance automatons.

TULIA:  You're not stealing our bounties.

DRONE 3:  Perhaps we should eliminate

the competition.  If the bounties prove

uncooperative we could always

dispose of them afterwards.

DRONE 1:  Very well.  Proceed.

The drones fire into the bounty hunters.

Of the three bounty hunters who had walked up the street to confront Kanon, one pushes another forward in the midst of diving to the ground and the other two are blown away while returning fire.  The two facing off with Aaron are killed before they have the chance to put up a fight. 

The overall-wearing reptilian absorbs much of the laser fire on his side of things and remains standing.  His remaining two companions duck behind the nearest cover of some thinly built food stands and shoot back from there.

Aaron grabs Ellan and ducks to the side of the nearest stand.  The vender who had surrendered his laser gun before now rushes for it and is shot in the back just short of reaching it.  Aaron leans out and shoots the drone under the chin that murdered the vender.  Another drone to Aaron's right takes notice and its rifle audibly hums with powering up a charge.  Suddenly it is peppered by a barrage from Ellan.  The armor protects it, but Tulia delivers a killing shot to the eye before ducking back down behind cover again.

The big-headed alien draws a cluster of grenades from a satchel at his side and clutches them with his long spindly fingers.  He flings them in an underhanded fashion so that they skip and skid across the concrete toward a cluster of drones standing out in the open further up the street.  Just before the explosion he turns into Tulia, bows his head, and closes his eyes desperately tight.  She in turn immediately raps herself around his cranium and rests a cheek on his head.

When the shockwave hits the breath is knocked out of him worse than anyone.  Tulia reclines him back against the base of the food stand and a minor streak of blood appears from a nose slit and ears.  His eyes drop weakly, hardly aware of himself.

From the opposite direction that the grenades were thrown another drone rounds the food stand to loom over Tulia and her shaken friend.  She sits frozen.  And then a single shot flares underneath its left cheek.  She looks out and sees Aaron still pointing one of his pistols.

But then Aaron and Ellan become surrounded at point-blank.  Ellan lays her two pistols down on the ground and Aaron palms his with his thumbs and places them on the stand next to the vender's gun.  Now they have the opportunity to glance over and notice Kanon lying flat on his back.  He is shaking terribly and Ellan rushes over to him.  Seeing this, one drone marches up to the other for a report.

DRONE 1:  What happened?

DRONE 3:  One of the bounty hunters

dove in front of him.  He was not

my intended target.

Kanon tries to speak, but can't.  Ellan
strokes back his hair and cries terribly.

DRONE 1:  Unfortunate.  It would have

been more useful to pit one bounty 

against the other for interrogation

purposes.  Very well.

So long as we have one 

bounty to lead us to 

the Shadow's Heart.

DRONE 3:  I can begin immediately.

DRONE 1:  You will not be rewarded

for your failure.  You will report

for reprogramming when we

return to base.

DRONE 3:  Understood.

The reptilian bounty hunter gasps
from where he lies a couple feet away.

DRONE 1:  Curious.  Is he not dead yet?

BOUNTRY HUTNER: (alien language)

You think you've won?

DRONE 2:  Well, yes.

DRONE 1:  Handily, I might add.

Our losses were negligible.

The damaged will be repaired.

BOUNTY HUNTER: (alien language)

I already told you.  

We are not alone here.

Grenades rain down, skip across the ground and sit silently a moment where they come to rest. 
Then they explode.  Shots ring out from the rooftop and each beam from the sniper rifle rips through the drones' armor in one shot. 

Aaron jumps up to grab the vender's weapon and it lets out one concentrated blast through the chest of the nearest unsuspecting drone.  He turns it on another and pulls the trigger to a harmless "click."  And he dives back down and shields Ellan and Kanon as best he can.

Tulia blasts away with her friend's rifle and the one other surviving bounty hunter shoots prone on the ground.  With the help of the sniper soon none of the drones are left standing.  Tulia breaks from cover and kneels over the reptilian.  She turns and shouts at the rooftop.

TULIA:  Rune, get down here!

A young man gets up, waves his acknowledgement, and runs to the small shuttle parked on the roof several feet behind him.  Tulia turns back to the reptilian who struggles to breathe and the only other bounty hunter still standing comes to her side.

Meanwhile, Kanon lies completely motionless.








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Scene 4: Chance Encounter

While the police are sorting through disgruntled
club patrons there are two bounty hunters lounging
at the bar.  One of them discovers a pistol in his back.

KANON:  Arrest us.

Elan and Kanon each take a pistol from one of the men and have them stand up before walking between both of them.  The first bounty hunter tips his head to the officer at the door and they proceed outside across to another building.

Out of sight, Kanon takes the lead and
forces the bounty hunters into an alley.

BOUNTY HUNTER:  Now what?

KANON:  Find another profession.

Kanon hits one with the butt of the pistol
and he falls unconscious, but Ellan hits
the other and only causes him to complain.

BOUNTY HUNTER:  Owww.

ELLAN:  Sorry.

She produces a taser and he falls unconscious.

Emerging on the other side of the alley there is less of a crowd to disappear into, but no authorities are within sight.  Kanon and Ellan walk embracing each other, but there is no tenderness.  They take turns scanning around themselves as casually as possible.  This would be helped by looking around at the venders.  Instead, they march straight along the pavement and approach the landing pad from the opposite direction that they had left it.

To their restrained horror the landing pad is vacant.  The Shadow's Heart is gone.  Elan tugs on Kanon's arm and Kanon looks back, as if he might catch a glimpse of it, and looks back again at the landing pad.

KANON:  Well, I locked the door.

Where do you suppose

it could have gone?

ELLAN:  Sure. Bright idea leaving it here.

I knew we should have kept going.

KANON:  I don't understand it.

This used to be such

a nice neighborhood.

ELLAN:  Any more bright ideas?

KANON:  Nothing, except, that

we shouldn't stand around here

talking about.

They turn to leave and immediately bump into someone.

KANON:  Oh, sorry, excuse us.

AARON:  No problem. You wouldn't

believe how many people here just
run into you and don't say anything.  

Is something wrong?

Ellan looks at Kanon.

ELLAN:  Stop staring.

KANON:  Oh, uh, sorry.

I just recognized you.

AARON:  It's alright.

So you were at the dueling ring.

I hope you weren't too disappointed

by how it turned out.

ELLAN:  We didn't even know it 

was an illegal fight.

AARON:  I'm sure.

KANON:  I've been away.

Janriel's my home away from home.
I wanted to show Ellan around.

AARON:  You got permission to

come through the quarantine?

That's not an easy thing.

There's a lot of people who would

jump at the chance to be able to leave.

ELLAN:  Our ship was stolen.

AARON:  Well, I'm sorry to hear that.

I can't get off Janriel myself.

Janriel is a dangerous place.

We just might be stuck with each other.

She strokes her hair back.

ELLAN:  Is that... an offer?

AARON:  All the honest bounty hunting

is getting played out.  So, no luxuries.
But no one else lives with me.  I could give you

a place to stay; at least until the quarantine's lifted.

KANON:  That's very generous of you.

AARON:  Follow me, then.

I could use the company.
By the way I'm Aaron Miles.
Welcome to Janriel, miss.

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Scene 3: The Dueling Ring

The Shadow's Heart gently lowers onto a landing pad, which is extended out on an arm attached to the top of a skyscraper that doubles as a city street.  Kanon and Ellan disembark and are immediately confronted by crowded streets.  Kanon reaches back and punches a large button on the underside of the ship in front of the opening for the loading ramp.  The door closes, Kanon takes Ellan's hand and they go off to disappear into the crowd.

Ahead, there are bounty hunters brandishing warrants to any passersby.  Ellan spots it first and tugs on Kanon's shirt.  They press against the wall of one of the stores.

ELLAN:  How did they ID us so fast?

KANON:  Not enough work to go around.

Bounty hunters must be looking for

every lead they can get their hands on.

ELLAN:  Where do we go?

KANON:  Come on.

Hand in hand, they cross another bridge that covers a short distance between skyscrapers.  This one displays neon lights of glasses clinking, dancers, and a laser pistol firing.  There is a line, which they meld into, and are not questioned by the bouncer at the door.  The interior is dark, no windows, with flashing lights surrounding a dance floor at a lower level than the entrance.  The room is bridged by a bar serving drinks and on the other side of it is a well lit room with a domed-over arena and dining tables surrounding it.

Kanon elects to pass the bar and the couple finds an empty table ringside.  A waiter promptly comes to serve them and notices Ellan's distraction by the arena.

WAITER:  Is this your first time

dining with us, ma'am?

KANON:  Yeah, she's new.

I've been showing her around.

Kanon proceeds to slip the waiter a tip.

WAITER:  I see.  Well, we have

a wonderful selection to choose from.

I'll return when you're ready to order.

The waiter moves off and a large explosion rocks the arena underneath the dome barrier.  As the smoke clears there is one man who has positioned himself at the center of the ring and lifts his arms to the adamant applause of the other patrons.

ANNOUNCER:  Well, that was quick; don't you agree?

Put your hands together for the best fighter on Janriel.
Theee… Drusus Gaul!

Amidst the applause, the victim is removed
from the ring on a stretcher and the next
runner-up passes him as he steps into the wring.

ANNOUNCER:  But what's this?  Another challenger for

the king of the ring's title?  Another victim
for the undefeated legend himself?

Kanon partakes in booing, holding both hands
up to his face, but Ellan grabs one hand
and lays it down on the table.

KANON:  What?  No one ever dies in these matches.

ANNOUNCER:  I have been informed that we have 

a very special treat in store for you lucky

patrons tonight.  We could not afford to

advertise this event. (laugh) Though I'm
almost certain that many of you
must have heard by now.

ELLAN:  What is he talking about?

Kanon shrugs.

ANNOUNCER: We have for you two duelists

who for your sole enjoyment will... fight, to the death!

There is a mix of applause and shocked gasps
(evidently some hadn't heard).  But the place is
quickly becoming packed and now Kanon knows why.

KANON:  We have to go.

ELLAN:  I'll say.

KANON:  Elan, the police will come.

We can't let them find us here.

Aside from the crowd, Kanon spots a couple of bounty hunters mingled among them so that they cannot leave the same way that they came in.  They've only moved a couple feet from their seats, but as they turn back there are already takers.  Kanon brazenly grasps the back of the chair with a mean smile and offers for Ellan to sit as though it were the first time.  The rebuffed couple move on without incident.

ELLAN:  What do we do now?

KANON:  I have no idea.

ANNOUNCER:  And now, please, take your seats; those of

you lucky enough to have them; for the moment

you've all been waiting forrr... fight!

The newcomer draws two pistols and fires wildly while running for the cover of some rubble that was created by the grenade from before.  Drusus stands tall, holding only one pistol, and is protected by his armor as some laser fire glances his shoulder.  He laughs and turns to play up to the audience with a raise of his arms and ignores the fire he is taking to his back.

DRUSUS GAUL:  Is this the best they could

send for your price of admission?

The crowd cheers emphatically, but then let out a collective "ohhh" that alerts Gaul to his opponent's approach.  Indeed, the other man has broken cover and is rushing the champion.  Gaul turns, fires once, and the newcomer roles to avoid the shot and comes up with a spike stabbing between Gaul's plates of armor.

STRANGER:  I was thinking the same thing.

Then he presses a button at the base of the spike and jumps away to hide behind a smaller block of rubble and shields his head in the fetal position.  Drusus Gaul is left with only a breath of confusion before the spike beeps and then explodes, throwing him back against the wall of the pit.  The audience is silent.  Some rocks crumble as the stranger slowly rises from cover, both pistols drawn.  He walks over to where Drusus lays and finds the front of his chest plate and helmet blown away.  There is still an under-layer of protection from a mesh shirt, but his face is bloody and he is gasping.

DRUSUS GAUL:  Who are you?

STRANGER:  I'm here to

collect on your bounty.

DRUSUS GAUL:  Why?

STRANGER:  You are wanted

in connection to previous

death matches.

He turns to step to the center of the ring and displays a bounty hunter's badge to resounding boos.  Then the police flood into the club.  The stranger strides out the ring the same way he came in.
Kanon watches the man leave while caring nothing about the police.

KANON: Who was that guy?

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Scene 2: The Tower

The small black transport slides gently and quickly deeper into the solar system it has intruded upon.  Already, a bustling and vibrant planet comes into view with a complex cityscape covering the whole of the surface.  In three places there are what might have been oceans, but now are completely landlocked (and closer inspection would probably reveal further infrastructure even amidst the seas).

There is a small moon in low orbit over the planet.  It does not appear to have an atmosphere of its own, but is similarly industrialized to manufacture living space on the surface and digs down into the interior.  The surface structures are spread low over the surface in a snowflake pattern.  At the moment, the moon crests from the dark side of the planet.  Kanon and Ellan proceed toward the day side while continuing to sit sealed within the cockpit.

ELLAN:  I found the name of the ship.

It's called the Shadow's Heart

KANON:  That's strange.

How about we call it the Fortune?

ELLAN:  Do you have a name for

this planet we're headed to?

KANON:  The capital of the Republic.

A city made of nothing but alleyways.

The brightest center of the galaxy in trade

and fertile crescent of crime: Janriel.

ELLAN:  None of that is true.

KANON:  It might as well be.

I guess the Republic got tired of
how much influence came from here.
That must be why they quarantined it.

ELLAN:  Have you been here before?

KANON:  I only ever pass through here.

But I know my way around.  

We'll find somewhere to lay low.

The Shadow's Heart begins the descent into the atmosphere.  And the planet rotates so that they disappear from view.  On the dark side of the planet, with full view of the moon, there is a high narrow tower that reaches far enough outside the atmosphere for an unobstructed view of space.

The tower is impossibly simple.  The observatory of the tower is a massive chamber with a circle of windows.  The floor does not touch the walls, but instead is a rounded platform with a long walkway that leads away from the chamber.  This long walkway, down a narrow hallway (with more windows for the ceiling) divides between two stairways that follow the curve of the tower.  And there are no other rooms for the length of the tower; just the stairs.  The stairs periodically intersect at landings.

At one such landing, halfway up the tower, there is an old woman gazing up at the observatory.  Her wrinkles are slight, but her hair is stark white.  As the only source of light, the outline of the platform and walkway are reminiscent of a key hole.  She looks away to continue up the steps.

Thunder claps and she glances up while continuing her ascent and witnesses the formation of dark clouds, which contain blue flashes of light within, but do not release any stray bolts.  She rolls her eyes and looks down again to watch her footing. 

When she nears the top there is a black barrier in her way.  A stretch of the hand and her hood bristles from the gust of wind that is produced.  And she sustains this gale until standing safely at the center of where the walkway bridges off between the two sets of stairs.  The obsidian phantoms moan and wail, but are confined to the space between the walkway and wall.  The lightning is localized to the chamber.  She marches on, but the dark shadows have formed a hurricane within the chamber with a lone figure standing at the eye of the storm.

The old woman stands there, stoic, but confounded.  One stray shadow grows bold enough to take a vaguely human shape and menaces her with a thundering growl.  This entity represents a genuine threat, but she remains unmoved.

ABBESS:  I will speak with you, Samael.

She extends a finger and draws it close to the hurricane wall.  Before they touch, the shadows abruptly burst into flame, which only creates a doorway large enough for her to step through.  On the other side, smoke rises from her robes as there are stray places where they were singed.  The doorway collapses behind her almost immediately.  Minor flames carried elsewhere in the hurricane are extinguished before the wall of dark energy subsides and forms in a pool around the open space of the chamber.

SAMAEL:  I no longer require your counsel, Abbess.

ABBESS:  You are disturbed, Samael.

What is this familiar presence

that has returned to you?

SAMAEL:  I had thought my Shadow's Heart was lost.

I should have known that the blockade

would be unable to keep it away.

ABBESS:  The Shadow's Heart?  A... prophetic name

from the time you were still among the Order.

SAMAEL:  Do not remind me of such things, Abbess.

ABBESS:  It's far too late for that.

You have grown complacent.

Our enemies surround us.

And you confine your

energies to this place.

SAMAEL:  I control Janriel. 

From here I can save the Republic.

ABBESS:  Your reign has ended, I'm afraid.

The Shadow's Heart is proof of this.

SAMAEL:  I could not foresee its survival.

Nothing has changed.

ABBESS:  Everything has changed.

Your enemies now know they

can reach you.  Soon, the 

Republic will be at war.

SAMAEL:  Recover the Shadow's Heart.

ABBESS:  You are not listening to me-

SAMAEL:  I have, Abbess.  I must learn

where the Heart has been in my absence.

ABBESS:  Our enemies have gathered.

We cannot remain here.

SAMAEL:  I was always going to face them,

in time.  My enemies are no closer

than before the Heart arrived. 

And there are strangers aboard it.

ABBESS:  They are of no consequence.

SAMAEL:  Precisely.  The better to take possession of it.

ABBESS:  I do not support this decision of yours.

SAMAEL:  You are free to depart

from my presence, Abbess.

ABBESS:  I will not abandon you to

the ignorant galaxy.  I will have

the Heart delivered to you.

She turns and marches away from the chamber.  Slowly, the black shadows advance in her wake.  The wall around the walkway is consumed and follows her down the wall along the stairs.  The old woman reaches the first landing.

SAMAEL:  Too soon, my teacher.

This is all happening too soon.

All may be lost.

ABBESS:  You are ready, Samael.

There is nothing new to teach you.

All that remains are the consequences.

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Scene 1: The Wrong Ship

A soft glow surrounds the aged tan hull of the freighter.  A toned code is exchanged between the freighter and the nearby space station that it is approaching.  There is no other traffic. 

Holding course, the freighter approaches one of the station's hanger bays, which remains open to space through a force field.  The hull of the old ship creaks under the weight of the artificial gravity field that takes hold as soon as it passes through the hanger bay force field.  The ship comes to a rest on the right side of the hanger bay as there is another ship already parked on the left.  The landing struts strain under the weight of the ship and the glow fades from around the hull.

The boarding ramp lowers and a young man and woman step out into the empty hanger.  Another man, who happens to be somewhat fat and old, stays behind on the ship and sees them off at the door with a friendly wave.  The young couple must cross to the left side of the hanger bay for the exit.

ELLAN:  Why are we going through with this?

KANON:  There's nothing to it.
In and out.  Nothing to it.

ELLAN:  Do you even know where you're going?

KANON:  The meet is just around the corner.
One level down.  We'll be off the station in no time.

The moment they disappear from view, almost as if no time has passed, Ellan and Kanon run back into the hanger bay under a hail of laser fire.  They are forced to duck behind some cargo crates near the middle of the bay and cannot make it to their own ship.

ELLAN:  What did you take?

KANON:  It's what I gave them.  

I met these guys a few months back.

I guess they didn't like the relics I sold them.

ELLAN:  You didn't remember

who you sold them to?

KANON:  I didn't know it was the
same guys.  Saul made this deal.

Look, we need to get out of here.

ELLAN:  I'll say.

The small arms fire peppers away at the freighter as well as Ellan and Kanon.  Saul is forced to run away from the boarding ramp and heads to the cockpit to start up the engines.  And the glow around the ship returns.

ELLAN:  He's leaving without us.

KANON:  Saul wouldn't do that.

Kanon takes one glance at the strange ship
that was already in the hanger to begin with.

KANON:  Come on.

Before Ellan can protest, he takes her by the hand and they both run up the open loading ramp of the strange ship.  Once inside, Kanon immediately closes the door, and the pair quickly check to see the way ahead is clear at the point of a gun.

Much of the outer hull is painted black with some unpainted sections of grey metal.  The interior has them entering through a modest cargo hold with the only other door in or out straight ahead. 
The walls bow out to follow the curve of the ship and are a dark grey.  Beyond the hold, the corridor almost immediately branches into a T (ahead and to the right) and they turn right, which leads into the common dining area.  One more turn to the right leads them up the neck of the ship to the cockpit.
Having made it this far without encountering the owner of the ship, Kanon seals the cockpit door behind them and they both commence prepping the ship for launch.  Indeed, the controls are not at all complicated for them and a gentle glow also envelopes this second ship.  In turn, the laser fire stops leaving burns on the hull of the vessel.

KANON:  Do you see any weapons?

ELLAN:  Forget about that.

Let's just get out of here.

KANON:  You're right.

The dark ship turns and passes through the outer force field before engaging the full thrusters.
The old freighter is slower to turn and engages its thrusters too soon.  Sparks fly and structural supports fall.  The other smugglers retreat back into the station and seal the door to the hanger to escape the flames.  However, the damage to the hanger bay activates the station's alert defenses.

Ellan and Kanon are already too far away, but behind them Saul's ship limps along trying to catch up. And he comes under laser fire, which pounds away at the ship.

ELLAN:  Saul's in trouble.

KANON:  We'll never make it in time

to save him from the authorities.

SAUL:  {My shields are down!}

The glow around Saul's ship dissipates suddenly
and then the hull of the ship crumbles into wreckage
beneath the pounding of the station's laser cannons.

KANON:  No!  They killed him.

They didn't have to do that.

ELLAN:  Kanon, I'm sorry.

But I'm detecting a lot of cruisers
up ahead.  They'll be here any second.

KANON:  It's the blockade.

We're going to go through them.

ELLAN:  Are you insane?

KANON:  Those smugglers will follow us.

We need to go where they won't.

ELLAN:  Those cruisers will kill us.

KANON:  There's something in that star system

that they're protecting.  This could be

the big pay day.

ELLAN:  We just left behind the big pay day.

Do you remember how well that went?

KANON:  Strap in.  We really don't

have anywhere else to go.

The cruisers start firing long
before the ship is within range.

ELLAN:  I guess they see us.

KANON:  Keep looking for those weapons.

ELLAN:  This little ship is not going

to have anything big enough

to take on a cruiser.

KANON:  This is a smuggler's ship.

It will have what we need.

ELLAN:  What makes you so sure

that it's a smuggler's ship?

KANON:  I never felt more at home.

Kanon twists and ducks the fire as it becomes more accurate.  He rolls once, dives, and soon is close enough to skim the launch bay pod of one of the cruisers.  They travel the length of the ship in this manner and soon are rocketing away from the aft section of one cruiser and diving for the underbelly of another.  The scanner pings at Kanon that strike craft are launching from the second cruiser.

ELLAN:  I increased power to the shields.

For a moment it is still.  The cruisers have stopped firing.  And then the wing of fighters ahead of Kanon and Ellan start firing blindly so that the saturated laser fire does impact the shield by chance.  Rather than dive, Kanon plows through them and the fighters are forced to turn out of the way.  The wing of fighters then banks around and still manage to be on the smugglers' tail almost immediately.

Mercilessly, the small transport is showered with laser fire and Kanon has no other alternative but a dead run.  To make any more turns now would be to lose speed.  Ellan's readings grows ever more threatening until finally the shields are indicating to be in the red.  She works to compensate power and the whole of the ship starts to shake.

And then, suddenly, it all subsides.  The shields stop suffering damage and the hull's shaking stops.  Kanon and Ellan share a confused look.  And Ellan activates a rear view camera.  The fighters are turning back.

ELLAN:  Why?

Kanon checks the holographic map between them.

KANON:  We're inside the quarantined zone.

There's no turning back now.

NEXT