By Dennis Rowarr SCENE ONE The Oval Room, Federation High Command, Ardea Prime PRESIDENT BROCK CARNE is present at the circular table along with his GENERALS. The table-top shows a scaled-down map of the aniverse. The planet Balticum VI is highlighted in red, and a line near it glows yellow, with the words "FEDERATION BOUNDARY" flashing repeatedly. GENERAL MOSLEY is speaking as CARNE and the others look at this. MOSLEY: Our most recent reports indicate that Tsar Wenceslas has regrettably been deposed by left-wing revolutionaries on the planet, but we've had no news about the crew of the Avenger. CARNE: (slams fist down) We must know, Mosley! If the Avenger is in the hands of those Marxist pigs, then the Federation is in deep trouble! PELLEY: The reports are still hazy, Mr. President. We're still trying to decipher most of 'em. CARNE: (bellows) Then you're not trying hard enough! (calms down) Whose section does the Balticum system fall under? One of the GENERALS, who is considerably thinner than his fellow Herons, puts a hand up nervously. CARNE's sharp eye instantly catches it. CARNE: OK, Baars, what precautions are there to stop enemy ships crossing the Federation boundary? BAARS: (nervously, Dutch accent) N-None, Mr. President. CARNE: (thunders) WHAT?! BAARS: My predecessor, General Burgundy, decommissioned the communication satellites in the system during his term in office. He... he said that the system was safe from harm. CARNE: Then it's quite obvious that he got it wrong, isn't it?! Why didn't you reinstate them? BAARS: B-Because of the drain of resources made by the Sludge Rebellion, Mr. President. The normal channels refused my authorisation. CARNE turns his icy glare on PELLEY, who shivers at the sight of the president's hatred-filled face. CARNE: (through clenched teeth) You will see me in my office first thing tomorrow, Pelley, and you had better have a good excuse for rescinding those authorisations. (turns to Baars) Baars, I want every spaceworthy vessel in your command dedicated to suppressing the revolutionary scum. (points to Pelley) If necessary, you may commandeer some from THIS fool! (calms down) Now, if you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I have a meeting with the vice-president. He marches out of the room, leaving the GENERALS alone with their thoughts. LE PEN: (to Baars) Why did you not tell him about the Avenger? BAARS: Are you mad? He would have killed me! MOSLEY: (slyly) So, instead of being branded a coward, you prefer to be branded a liar? All eyes turn on the unapologetic MOSLEY, who simply looks idly at those around him. SCENE TWO Bridge, the Avenger, space All seven members of the crew (including DIYANA the computer) are on the bridge, contemplating a small planet that is showing up on DIYANA's spell-gem. It is almost entirely brown, but several areas of green dotted around the surface indicate extensive forest, whilst a few small rivers and lakes can also be seen at a closer glance. DRAKE takes charge of matters. DRAKE: (to Diyana) There is absolutely no mistake? DIYANA: Negative. DRAKE: This is definitely it? After all this time, we've finally arrived? DIYANA: Confirmed. Entering re-entry orbit. Estimated time for touchdown on Aes surface: 0.125 minutes. Despite the good news, everybody is still tense, watching as the planet slowly grows larger as the Avenger enters orbit. The atmosphere is tense, with the crew waiting impatiently to see if their suffering has all been worth it. DRAKE: (breathing deeply) Any signs of life? DIYANA: Surface-scans are inhibited by an electromagnetic pulse of unknown origin. Visual scans detect no lifeforms. DRAKE: Continue with re-entry. DIYANA: Confirmed. All eyes are now fixed solely on the image projected through DIYANA's spell-gem. Amidst the tension, nobody dares to move, with the exception of MICHAEL and MIMI, both of whom hold hands as they await touchdown. SCENE THREE A meadow, somewhere on Aes The mighty Avenger cruises gently down over fields of lush, green vegetation, stirring up wind currents in the tall trees as it passes, gradually slowing at a tall steeple at the edge of one of the great forests. Its rockets whine noisily as it gently touches down atop of the hill, the roar of its engines gradually dying away to be replaced by the gentle whooshing of a light wind. The hatchway opens, and the crew cautiously step out. DRAKE: (to others) All clear. They step out a little further, gazing around at the apparent emptiness before them, all of them confused and uncertain what to make of Aes now that they have arrived. OUTCAST: Seems...quiet. FELICIA: Yes... a little too quiet for me. Something catches the eye of TSAR WENCESLAS II, who points nervously towards the edge of the nearby forest. TSAR: I-I heard something... Just as the others turn to investigate, a group of mammals, comprising mostly of HARES, WOLVES and DOGS, leap from the ground and rush towards them. Their camouflaged suits helped to disguise them so easily in the tall grass, and they rush towards the others, cornering them to the side of the ship. The mammals are all armed with poor-quality maser rifles, although some have to make do with metal javelins. One of the HARES speaks up, addressing DRAKE. HARE #1: (acidly) You'd better have a good reason for landing here, mister! DRAKE: (firmly, crossing his arms) I do if this is Aes. HARE #1: Who are you? DRAKE: I could ask you the same thing, whoever you are. The HARE takes one step forward, but a voice from the forest stops him in his tracks. VOICE: (middle-pitched, male voice) Stop! All eyes turn to the edge of a forest, out of which comes a male ALDEBARAN, dressed in clothes of alternating red and ochre, highly reminiscent of Robin Hood. He has bright-green fur and sports an Aldebaran spell-gem as a belt buckle. He halts short of the group and the HARES, DOGS etc. all immediately stand down. It is only after the ALDEBARAN gives a stern look that the HARE also backs down. ALDEBARAN: (friendly voice, to Drake) My apologies for this unusual welcome, Drake, but you'll find that Cameron here suspects everyone. CAMERON: (bitterly) Not without good reason, SIR! We've had word that the Federation have been sending scout ships beyond the boundary! ALDEBARAN: Yes, but you knew full well that the Avenger was on its way here, and security is no reason for rudeness! DRAKE: (puzzled, to Aldebaran) Look, I don't mean to break up your little quarrel, but just who are you, Mr...? The ALDEBARAN smiles, and holds up a friendly paw, which DRAKE shakes uneasily. ALDEBARAN: Valentine. Valentine O'Hare. My parents are the leaders of the Aniverse Liberation Movement, as is your father. DRAKE immediately perks up on hearing this, grabbing VALENTINE by the shoulders and looking at him desperately. DRAKE: He's alive? VALENTINE: (nods) As well as can be, but we must move on if we are to reach our camp. It's a long way from here, and it might be wiser if we all went in your ship. DRAKE pauses for a moment, before nodding silently. VALENTINE smiles in return, and they begin filing back into the Avenger. As they do, however, CAMERON gives an icy snarl at DRAKE as they march back in. SCENE FOUR Outside the Forbidden Citadel, Balticum VI Several large, menacing tanks are making their way through a large hole in the city walls, which smoulder from recent destruction. Several Federation fighters are flying overhead, and STORK-TROOPERS are marching through the snow, pursuing several revolutionary POLAR BEARS, who have taken to flight. At the edge of the wall, a small spacecraft lands, and BAARS emerges from the hatchway on the side. A STORK-TROOPER (whose high rank is indicated by gold chevrons on his body armour) walks up and gives a Nazi salute. OFFICER: (deep voice) Hail Carne! BAARS: (salutes back, now in a calm voice) Hail Carne. What's the situation, colonel? They start walking towards the hole in the wall, talking as they go. COLONEL: We've captured most of the orchestrators of the revolution, sir, but there are still several large factions spread across the planet. We may have the capitol, sir, but there are still other cities to deal with. BAARS: Have the orchestrators given any information on the movement of ships to and from this planet? COLONEL: (confused) Ships, sir? BAARS: (nods once) Yes. Spacecraft. I don't care what type or size they are, colonel, I just want the facts. COLONEL: (salutes) I'll see to it at once, sir. He leaves, and BAARS turns to look at the corpse of a BABY lying in the ground, with a toy duck at its side. He picks up the duck, toying with it for a moment, before throwing it back into the snow, marching away briskly into the citadel. SCENE FIVE A canyon, somewhere on Aes The Avenger flies over a gigantic canyon lined on both sides by steep, red-coloured cliffs. Slowly, the Avenger prepares to land vertically at the bottom of the canyon, which it executes perfectly, stopping outside of a gigantic cave that almost dwarfs the Avenger in terms of size. DRAKE and his crew, along with VALENTINE and his band, all alight from the Avenger, walking towards the cavern. VALENTINE: (turning to Drake and co) Welcome to freedom. They all walk into the cave, with the HARES, WOLVES etc. all lighting torches to light their way. SCENE SIX Central Cave, beneath Aes The group finally emerges in an enormous cave, where many more MAMMALS of all races are chundering backwards and forwards. Some are fixing pieces of machinery, others are studying diagrams, and some are simply playing games. One or two turn to look at the new arrivals, and at the sight of DRAKE and his motley crew, all turn with curiosity. VALENTINE: (to cave-dwellers) My friends, the Federation transmissions we intercepted were true! (gestures to Drake) Here is Drake Duck, the Liberator of Genus, who has brought the Avenger to us despite all odds with the aid of his fellow freedom-fighters! Some of them begin cheering, whilst others simply applaud quietly. The only one who doesn't is CAMERON, for obvious reasons. VALENTINE: And now that they are here, we must inform our leaders! I am sure they will be just as eager to meet them as our new arrivals are to meet our leaders! They cheer again, and VALENTINE turns to DRAKE and his crew, whilst CAMERON and the band of HARES, WOLVES and DOGS all walk off through the other tunnels that branch off from the cavern. VALENTINE: Just wait here. I'll be right back... (turns to Drake) ...and then, I think you'll finally be satisfied. He walks away into the farthest corner of the cavern, where a red curtain blocks off another concealed tunnel. OUTCAST: (looking around the cavern) I wonder how many people there are here. DRAKE: I remember Callan telling me back on Genus that very few actually made it here once they started from Genus. FELICIA: But we don't know how many have come straight from Genus. (pause) Besides, we also don't know how many were first here when the Federation started its conquest of the aniverse. MICHAEL: I'm sure we'll know soon enough. Let's get the introductions out of the way first, eh? There is a brief fanfare, and all those in the cavern immediately stop what they are doing and stand up. VALENTINE re-emerges from the closed- off area, and holds the curtain open for a procession of mammals, including: a GREEN HARE in a tattered, red uniform; an elderly female ALDEBARAN with pink hair and graying fur; a four-armed DUCK in an orange robe; a 30-something male HUMAN with long, blonde hair; a small, one-eyed ROBOT with its protective plating missing; and a gigantic BERSERKER BABOON who has seen better days. It does not take long for DRAKE to realise who they are. VALENTINE: Announcing the Founders of the Aniverse Liberation Movement, and the Heroes of the Righteous Indignation. The DUCK looks over at DRAKE, and leaps back a little in surprise. DRAKE immediately recognises the other in return, and the two move closer, each with their eyes filling with tears as memories both return to them. DRAKE: (whimpering) D-Dad? DUCK: (hoarse, pirate-like voice) Drake, me ol' lubber! They embrace, allowing their tears to flow as they embrace, neither of them wanting to let go. DUCK: I thought I'd lost ye, lad. When we jumped ship on Genus, I wanted to come lookin' for yer, but with the Federation on us... DRAKE: (tearfully) I know, Dad, I know. I've missed you so much after all of these years... GREEN HARE: (mumbling, to pink-haired Aldebaran) If only Deadeye showed that much compassion every day of the week. PINK ALDEBARAN: Quiet, Bucky! You'll ruin the... She immediately catches eye of MIMI, and the two begin staring daggers at one another. PINK ALDEBARAN: (sternly) Mimi LaFleur. MIMI: (crossing her arms) Jenny. JENNY: I suppose you found somebody foolish enough to thaw you out of Wednos. MIMI: (frowns) When you get to know him, Jen, he's not as foolish as you think. She drags MICHAEL over by the arm, who had been talking with OUTCAST before MIMI pulled him away, and he looks oddly at JENNY, who pulls back a little on seeing his facemask. JENNY: Sorry, it's just that... MICHAEL: (waves hand idly) I know, I know. You don't have to apologise on my account. MIMI: (holding his hand firmly) Besides, Jen, he knows how to take care of a woman! JENNY'S eyes narrow, and she notices FELICIA, now just a blue blur as she rushes ecstatically towards the HUMAN. For the first time in years, she is smiling broadly as she wraps herself around the nervous HUMAN, who steps back a little. FELICIA: (excitedly) Oh, Willy! My little Willy DuWitt! Even after all of these years, I can still recognise your handsome face! WILLY: (awkwardly, now in a deep voice) Err, yeah, it's great to see you too, Felicia. BUCKY: (walking over to Drake and Deadeye) I'm sure glad you came through fine. We wanted to wait for you, too, but things got pretty rough, especially on Kanopis. DRAKE: (wiping away his tears) But...how did you know we were coming? DEADEYE: Radios, lad! Harry Callan an' the other landlubbers send out codes on a secure waveband whenever we get some new scallywag comin' our way, an' then we monitor Federation transmissions t'see how they're doin'. BUCKY: And now that you're here, we can finally give the Federation the fright it deserves. With you and the Avenger, things can only improve from here on in... TO BE CONTINUED