By Dennis Rowarr SCENE ONE Drake's bedroom, the Royal Palace, the Forbidden Citadel, Balticum VI DRAKE is in a lavishly-decorate guest room in the royal palace, pacing about on a lush carpet as he speaks to his crewmembers. MIMI is still in her ballgown, having just returned from the ball with MICHAEL, who is weary after so much dancing. DRAKE: And that's his proposition - the Tsar's become so paranoid about revolution that he thinks it will break out any minute now, and he wants us to provide passage to Aes for his daughter when it does come. MICHAEL: (still catching his breath) What is... what is his daugh... his daughter like? DRAKE: Felicia's the only one of us to have talked to her. (turns to Felicia) What's your impression of her? FELICIA: I don't know. She didn't talk much, but I was able to probe her mind for some more information when things quietened down. (pause) She's been raised in the Forbidden Citadel all her life, and her mother died at childbirth. She doesn't care very much for men due to an incident two years ago. MIMI: Don't tell me. She got dumped at the high school prom, right? FELICIA: (staring hard) No! (calms down) The Tsar once had an advisor, Piotyr Rajbutin. He was a peasant monk with a reputation for women, and he tried to win over Tanya with drink, and then with... She stops, feeling uncomfortable with what she says. FELICIA: (looking down at the carpet) ...Well, he was banished to the frozen plains to die, and he hasn't been seen since. MIMI: And the Tsar wants us to give passage to Aes for this man-hating princess? Well, why not, we've already got one of those on board the Avenger. She and FELICIA exchange icy glances, before OUTCAST comes between the two. OUTCAST: (calmly) That's enough, ladies. The point is, can we afford to take Tanya aboard with us? If we do, then we'll have revolutionaries chasing us to Aes as well as the Federation. DRAKE: And that's the problem that worries me. By taking her with us, we could be taking the princess out of the frying-pan and into the fire. MIMI: But what other option is there? The Tsar has the Avenger held hostage out on the plains. Who's to say that he won't destroy it if we refuse to accept his proposal? MICHAEL: Mimi has a point. Desperate people will resort to desperate measures. (points at his mask) I think this is proof enough of that. DRAKE: It's a tough one, but I think it best if we all made up our minds tomorrow. We'll think it over tonight, and meet up here first thing and cast our votes. The others all turn to leave, except for FELICIA, who moves to DRAKE's side whilst the others leave. FELICIA: Drake, I didn't want to tell you this in front of the others, but there's something else about Tanya I think you should know. DRAKE: (firmly) OK, Felicia, what's the problem? Anything you say to me you could've said to the others. FELICIA: (shakes her head) Not this. (pause) Tanya is a revolutionary. SCENE TWO The shack, outside the Forbidden Citadel, Balticum VI IGNATIEV is present with GRIGOR, MIKHAIL and the other REVOLUTIONARIES. IGNATIEV is pacing about the room, toying with the sharpened dirk in his paw, as he speaks. IGNATIEV: It seems, comrades, that our beloved Princess Tanya also wants the Tsar deposed... but for her own reasons, of course. GRIGOR: (acidly) She is no revolutionary! She is the daughter of the bourgeois king! She can never be one of us! (to others) Remember, comrades, how she used her skills to have Rajbutin banished onto the plains! IGNATIEV: Calm yourself, comrade Grigor. Rajbutin himself was no revolutionary. He simply fancied himself as puppet-master. In any case, I have no intention of allowing the princess to join our movement. MIKHAIL: (calmly) You said that preparations were made, comrade general. Would you care to explain them? IGNATIEV: Of course, that is assuming that your band of freedom fighters are all ready for this? GRIGOR: (impatiently) They are, now get on with it! IGNATIEV gives a sly grin, rolling out a map onto the table, showing the Forbidden Citadel. From above, the citadel can be seen to be surrounded by rectangular walls on all four sides, with several large buildings at its centre. The royal complex, located at the very centre of the citadel, it marked with a crown shape. IGNATIEV: Gentlemen, pay close attention. From here on, there is no going back. SCENE THREE A battlement, above the Royal Complex, the Forbidden Citadel, Balticum VI MICHAEL is sitting on the edge of the parapet, looking down on the smaller, snow-covered buildings below. The cold does not seem to affect him, and his position is such that he blends in perfectly with the gargoyles carved into the walls. He hears a noise behind him, and turns his head towards the shadows. MICHAEL: Who's there? MIMI emerges from the darkness. She has now changed back into her regular uniform, and is looking curiously at the masked squirrel before her. MICHAEL calms down on seeing her. MIMI: Don't you ever get any sleep? (shivers) Or a nasty cold? MICHAEL: (plainly) Sleep is for tortoises, and cold means nothing to a cryogenicist. It's just a layman's term for anything below freezing point. MIMI moves a little closer to him as MICHAEL steps back onto the battlements, still looking out across the landscape. MIMI: I... forgot to say "thank you" for getting me off Wednos. MICHAEL: (waves paw idly) It was nothing. MIMI: It was for me. (moving closer) I could have been frozen on that planet forever if you hadn't picked me up. (lowers voice) Besides, it's not often someone like you comes my way. MICHAEL: What do you mean? MIMI doesn't reply at first, but lets her paw stray towards MICHAEL's mask, stroking the side of it delicately with her finger. MIMI: Someone who's only experienced the worst in people, but still helps them nonetheless. MICHAEL: Mimi, I... MIMI: (places finger on his lips) Shh... She moves closer to him, closing her eyes as her lips graze his, but the cocking of a maser pistol stops them from completing their embrace. Both of them spin around, startled, to see TANYA aiming a maser pistol at them, with a determined look on her face. TANYA: (firmly) Don't move. MIMI: Are you crazy, kid? She takes a step forward towards TANYA, but the polar bear fires a warning shot at the ground, narrowly avoiding MIMI's legs. The vixen leaps back, staring levelly at her adversary. TANYA: Next time, it's your head. Did you honestly think I was as innocent as dear Daddy made me out to be? (snarling) I hate that senile old goat! And the sooner he hands the reins of power over to me, the better. MICHAEL: And how do we fit into this? TANYA: I heard my father saying he intends to have me taken to Aes on your ship. And how can I be taken off the planet when the only crew experienced to fly the Avenger lies dead in the snow? She raises the maser so that it is at chest-level. Her paw slowly squeezes the trigger, but a voice from behind her distracts TANYA from firing. DRAKE: (shouts) Tanya! As TANYA turns around to inspect the noise, MICHAEL swiftly pulls his icesaber from its holster, and slashes TANYA across the back with its glowing, ice-blue blade. Before she can even react, TANYA is quickly entombed in a layer of ice covering her entire body, leaving her frozen in a bizarre freezeframe. DRAKE and FELICIA suddenly run up onto the battlement, looking at what damage has been done. DRAKE: Tanya! She was... MIMI: Desperate to get her claws on the throne. (folds her arms) We could've told you that! FELICIA: (pointing) Look! Over there! They all follow FELICIA's finger to the main gate in and out of the citadel, located a few hundred yards from the royal complex. A large mass of black-and-brown can be seen charging towards the gate, with a Razhnik snow-tractor at it's head. The noise of cheering and gunfire gradually increases as this image approaches the gate. MICHAEL: What is it? DRAKE: The Tsar's worst nightmare. It's a revolution. SCENE FOUR Main gate, the Forbidden Citadel, Balticum VI A few COSSACKS still faithful to the Tsar try to barricade the wall with whatever they can find, whilst others fire shots from along the wall. The remainder line up along the main road out of the citadel, mounted on large, tamed borsels that whinny nervously. COSSACK #1: (in Russian) Make sure those gates are sealed! If any of those dogs come through, shoot them dead! The COSSACKS along the wall suddenly fall from the ramparts, their bodies riddled with maserfire, and they collapse, bleeding to death in the snowbanks beneath the wall. The cries of the REVOLUTIONARIES increases as they come directly against the wall. COSSACK #2: (also in Russian) It's no good, sir! The barricade will not hold! COSSACK #1: It must hold! Otherwise, all will be lost... The large, metal gates begin to buckle and groan as something heavy begins to press against it from the outside. With a loud clatter, the gates burst open, with the Razhnik snow-tractor coming to a dead-stop before the line of COSSACKS, as if waiting for something. COSSACK #1: (shouting) Get out of the vehicle or we will open fire! There is no reaction from the Razhnik, and so the COSSACKS open fire with their hand-held maser rifles. The maserfire simply bounces off the reinforced plating, damaging the surrounding buildings. COSSACK #1: Cease firing! The moment the firing stops, a small nozzle appears from the front of the large snow-tractor, and omits a single, powerful blast of energy. In seconds, all of the COSSACKS and their borsels lie dead, remaining only as mutilated heaps of flesh and bone on the ground. The Razhnik starts up again, driving towards the royal complex with the REVOLUTIONARIES trailing behind it, all of them screaming "Death to the royal pigs!" and "Vive revolution!" SCENE FIVE Throne room, the Royal Complex, the Forbidden Capitol, Balticum VI Several more COSSACKS have taken refuge in the throne room, firing at the oncoming REVOLUTIONARIES from the battlements and anywhere else they can fit. Some of the COSSACKS lie dead, having exposed their true colours when the main gates fell. TSAR WENCESLAS II stands against the far wall, trying to conceal himself from view. The main doors burst open as DRAKE and co. enter. The COSSACKS aim their rifles at the newcomers for a moment, before being ordered to stand down by TSAR WENCESLAS II. TSAR: (feebly, to Drake) Mr. Duck... my daughter... DRAKE: Your highness, there's no time to explain, but we need to get back to our ship. TSAR: But, my daughter... DRAKE: We can't explain, but we must go now! COSSACK #3: (turns to the group) Almighty Tsar, it would be better for your safety if you accompanied these off-worlders. For the good of Balticum, you must go. TSAR: But, what... how...? COSSACK #3: There is a Razhnik snow-tractor parked behind the building, and the south gate is still clear. If you go now, you will avoid detection. OUTCAST: What about you? COSSACK #3: We shall stay here and fight to the last man. That is the only thing for an honourable soldier to do. TSAR WENCESLAS II, at a loss for words, gives a feeble salute. The COSSACK smartly snaps to attention and salutes back, before rejoining his fellow COSSACKS and shooting at the approaching army. DRAKE and co. lead the shaking TSAR out of a side-door near the throne, leaving the others to their fate. SCENE SIX Inside the Razhnik snow-tractor, approaching the South Gate, the Forbidden Capitol, Balticum VI The interior of the snow-tractor is incredibly terse and utilitarian, with wooden benches along the main length of the vehicle, some folded- up blankets beneath these benches, and nothing else. DRAKE is at the controls of the snow-tractor, with MICHAEL at his side, whilst the others tend to TSAR WENCESLAS II in the passenger area. DRAKE: We're sorry about your daughter, your highness, but there's little we can do about it now. TSAR: I... I just can't believe that she'd... The Razhnik picks up speed as the REVOLUTIONARIES begin to try and pursue it on foot, shouting and hollering as they do so. REVOLUTIONARIES: (garbled) Stop the cossack dogs! Burn the royal pigs! The south gate, as promised, is clear and still unguarded. With the exception of a handful of CIVILIANS attempting to flee the revolution by clambering over the wall, it is deserted. DRAKE immediately puts his foot down, putting the Razhnik up to top-speed. The snow-tractor successfully demolishes the gates and makes good its escape. The REVOLUTIONARIES, however, focus on the escaping CIVILIANS, shooting down anyone they do not recognise - including a young, eight-year-old GIRL accidentally caught in the fighting. REVOLUTIONARY #1: What did you do that for?! REVOLUTIONARY #2: To make sure the weaker of our followers get the message. (points his gun at him) If you get my meaning... SCENE SEVEN The spaceport, the frozen plains, Balticum VI The Razhnik comes to a rough halt outside of the tiny spaceport where the Avenger sits exactly where it had been left, albeit with a thin layer of snow along its top. DRAKE, TSAR WENCESLAS etc. all make a dash for the Avenger, before stopping at the sight of several polar-bear PILOTS all lying dead in the snow, their uniforms damp with blood. TSAR WENCESLAS II cannot help but give a harsh cry at this. DRAKE: Please don't tell me they've got the Avenger. SPACE-MAJOR DMITRI ORLOV appears at the foot of the Avenger's hatchway, pointing a maser rifle at the group. His uniform is smeared in specks of blood from the dead PILOTS, and his normally unemotional face now has a sinister glare to it. ORLOV: Not quite, Drake Duck. I do not understand your ship's workings, but I am sure that I can convince you to teach me... There is a single gunshot, and ORLOV collapses dead in the snow. All eyes turn to MIMI, whose maser pistol has a gentle wisp of smoke wafting from its tip. MIMI: (sardonically) Whoops. SCENE EIGHT Bridge, the Avenger, space DRAKE and co. are looking up at DIYANA's spell-gem, which is displaying an image of Balticum VI as they leave it far behind. FELICIA: (thinking aloud) Funny. It looks the same as when we first arrived, but on its surface, so much has changed in the last few hours. TSAR: (downheartedly) Da, but in a few years, Balticum Six will never look the same ever again. DRAKE: Oh, yes it will. (turns to Tsar) I promise you that, one day, you will be Tsar again. But to make that happen, we must get to Aes. Only then can we get the strength to fight... TO BE CONTINUED...