"Nothing but the Truth" by DJ Clawson First draft - 4/18/98 Second draft - 1/21/99 Final draft - 1/24/99 Edited by Rygar 1/2/04 SCENE 1 - SPACE STATION ORBITING GENUS It's nighttime. The lights are low in the docking bay, where The Righteous Indignation sits docked. There are lights coming from the inside, and the voices of ENGINEER WILLY DUWITT and GUNNER DEADEYE DUCK can be heard. Their speech is too distant to be understandable but is nothing more than harmless chatter. A dark figure enters the bay, creeping up to the ship. The figure is unrecognizable as it enters the ship silently. SCENE 2 - DOCKING BAY Later, the hatch to the ship is closed. CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE and FIRST MATE JENNY enter the bay, talking to themselves. BUCKY This new accelerator will really give us an edge ... (opens the hatch and enters the ship) As soon as I can get the funding, of course. JENNY (following) You're sure the Security Council will give it to you? BUCKY I hope so. (looks around ship) It's awfully quiet. (calls out) Willy? JENNY It's awfully early for him to have gone home. BUCKY That's just what I was thinking ... Bucky goes to open the hatch to engineering and goes through it. Jenny looks up from the panel when she hears Bucky call out. BUCKY (shouting) Jenny! Jenny enters engineering. Bucky is kneeling on the floor, next to Willy, who is apparently unconscious on the floor, next to an exposed panel where he was obviously working. Blood is seeping from out from under his head and has spread across the floor. BUCKY (worried, but still in a confident commanding tone) Call sick bay. Have them bring a team. JENNY (salutes) Aye-aye, Captain. Jenny runs to get help. SCENE 3 - HOSPITAL A typical hospital setting. Bucky is pacing nervously. Behind him, through the glass window, Willy can be seen laid out on a hospital bed, his scalp wrapped in bandages. His glasses are missing. Jenny approaches the captain cautiously. JENNY (softly) I sent Blinky to find Deadeye. Bruiser's on his way back from Betelgeusia. BUCKY Did you tell him? JENNY Yes. He was stomping around and practically destroyed the comm-link. (concerned) Do you have any ideas about who did this to him? BUCKY (shakes his head) The Security Council authorized an investigative team. They're checking the ship now for prints. Just then, a goat DOCTOR emerges from Willy's room, shutting the door behind him. Bucky and Jenny stand eagerly. DOCTOR Captain O'Hare, I presume. BUCKY Yes. DOCTOR (extends paw) I'm Dr. Brown. I'm in charge of taking care of Mr. DuWitt. Bucky takes his paw and shakes it nervously. BUCKY How is he? DR. BROWN He has a severe concussion. The good news is we were able to stop the bleeding before he lost a serious amount of blood, and there's no apparent brain damage. (sighs) The bad news is that he isn't regaining consciousness. If he doesn't wake up in the next twenty-four hours, we're going to have to put him on life support. BUCKY Is there any indication of how this happened? DR. BROWN (scratches his head) A blunt object to the back of the head is all I can say. (beat) I'll be in this ward or on call for the next few days, and we have a nurse watching him. If you need me, tell her to be beep me. Dr. Brown takes his leave. A bear, OFFICER PARKER, dressed in a business suit, approaches them. PARKER Captain O'Hare? BUCKY (nods) Officer Parker. Can you tell me who did this? PARKER Not yet, Captain. Right now, we're trying to figure out if anything was stolen. BUCKY Is there anything I can help you with? PARKER Maybe. We can't access a lot of the ship's files because they're encoded, and we don't know any of the passwords. But I'm assuming he does. Parker gestures in the direction of the unconscious Willy. Bucky nods. PARKER Any chance he might be able to ... BUCKY (a little irritated) We're just hoping wakes up soon, Officer -- and even if he does, I'm not going to push him to sit in front of computer screen for a file inspection. PARKER I see. Well, if he does wake up soon, contact me immediately. Parker leaves, and on the way out, he is nearly smashed into by an eager Deadeye. DEADEYE Where is 'e? (rushes to Bucky, nearly leaping on him) Is his head OK? Did they catch the guy who did it? BUCKY No and no. DEADEYE Lousy scalawag! When I catch the guy ... Deadeye shakes his fists but calms considerably when he notices Willy through the window. DEADEYE Is he gonna be all right, Cap'n? BUCKY They doctors don't know yet. (only semi-confidently) He'll be in trouble if he doesn't wake up in the next few hours. DEADEYE Can I see go in and see him? BUCKY Just don't disturb him. Deadeye nods and enters Willy's room. Bucky watches, curiously. JENNY (noting the look) What's on your mind, Buck? BUCKY Jenny, what was the exact message you gave Blinky to deliver? JENNY I told him to tell Deadeye to get to sick bay as soon as he could, and that Willy as injured. BUCKY That's all? JENNY Yes. BUCKY (thinking out loud) How did he know? JENNY Who? Deadeye? BUCKY Yes. JENNY About what? BUCKY The head wound. It wasn't in the message. JENNY He could have ... (stops, seeing what Bucky's getting at) You don't think ... BUCKY (shakes it off) I'm not thinking anything straight right now, Jenny. Ignore me. Seeing the strain Bucky is under, Jenny decides to let it go. JENNY I'm going to see if Officer Parker needs some help and make sure he doesn't touch my sensors. Call me if there's any change ... or if there isn't. Bucky waits a minute, then enters the room. Deadeye is sitting in the chair beside Willy's bed, obviously concerned. BUCKY You OK, Deadeye? DEADEYE Aw, Cap'n, I wish I coulda done somethin' ... BUCKY (unsuspiciously curious) Weren't you with him when I left for the meeting with Jenny? DEADEYE Aye, Cap'n. Right up until this happened, I guess. I just stepped out fer a drink at the bar ... and I guess whoever did this was waitin' fer me ta leave. BUCKY But you didn't see anyone suspicious? DEADEYE I woulda reported it, Cap'n. BUCKY Right. Deadeye goes to say something, but Parker enters, motioning Bucky outside. PARKER (noticing Deadeye) I didn't know you had a Corsair Canard on your crew, Captain O'Hare. BUCKY So? What's wrong with that? PARKER (defensively) Nothing. Just that there are feathers in rather incriminating areas of your ship. BUCKY He practically lives on it. Of course there are feathers everywhere. There's hare fur and baboon fur if you look hard enough, too. PARKER He's a gunner, right? BUCKY Yes. PARKER Than why would his feathers be in the inside of a computer panel? Bucky thinks for a moment, then responds defensively. BUCKY You can't be sure they're his. PARKER No, not at this point. But they are black duck feathers. (shrugging) Give it some thought, Captain. And keep an eye on your gunner. Parker walks off, leaving a worried and frustrated Bucky. SCENE 4 - WILLY'S HOSPITAL ROOM Bucky is in the chair beside Willy's bed, a little disheveled and looking generally worn out. Deep in thought, he barely notices when Willy begins to shift around. BUCKY (concerned) Willy? Are you awake? Willy nods but winces in pain. He is a little too disoriented to speak. BUCKY I'll get the doctor. Bucky hits the call button. WILLY It's dark. BUCKY (pleadingly) Try to open your eyes. Willy does and is partially successful. BUCKY (softly) How do you feel? WILLY Hurts. A lot. BUCKY Your head? WILLY Yeah. BUCKY (reassuringly) The doctor's coming with some painkillers, I promise. Bucky checks outside, then comes back to Willy's side. WILLY (confused) Why does it hurt ... BUCKY You have a concussion. Do you remember what happened? WILLY (blinking) I ... it's hard ... BUCKY Take it easy. It'll come back to you. The doctor enters, with Jenny and a hypodermic needle. The doctor checks him over, then sticks the needle in his IV tube. DOCTOR Mr. DuWitt? (snaps his fingers in front of Willy's closing eyes) I'm sorry, but I need you to stay awake right now. Do you think you can do that? Willy tries to nod. DOCTOR And don't move your head. WILLY Captain? Bucky realizes Willy cannot see him without his glasses. BUCKY I'm here. What is it? WILLY Is Deadeye OK? BUCKY (frowning) What do you mean? WILLY The guy who did this to me -- he didn't hurt Deadeye? BUCKY Did you see who did it? WILLY No, he knocked me from behind. (pushing) He didn't get Deadeye too, did he? BUCKY Deadeye wasn't on the ship. He said he went to get a drink. WILLY No, he didn't. He was right there. I was talking to him right before it happened. Bucky sits back, letting the implications set in. Willy, in too much pain, does not seem to make the connection. BUCKY (again) Are you *sure* you remember talking to Deadeye right before you were knocked out? WILLY Yeah. (still confused) Where's Deadeye? Is he OK? (now noticing the looks passing between Bucky and Jenny) What's going on? BUCKY Nothing you want to worry yourself with. (pats him on the hand) You need anything? From the ship, or your room? Because something tells me the doctor isn't going to let you sleep a lot. WILLY (still confused, but lets it pass) Yeah, my comics, if you could. They're in one of the overhead bays. And my spare glasses. BUCKY OK. (sees Parker at the door) There's an Officer Parker who wants to ask you some questions. You think you're up for it? Willy (trying to stay awake) Yeah, send him in. Bucky and Jenny leave, letting Parker enter. When they're out of Willy's earshot, Bucky speaks his mind. BUCKY I don't like it, Jenny ... JENNY Do you trust Deadeye? BUCKY Of course I trust Deadeye. He wouldn't be a member of my crew otherwise. But I don't like conflicting stories, and neither will Parker. JENNY There's an explanation for this, I'm sure. BUCKY Then I hope Deadeye's ready to give it when he gets back. Just then, Deadeye enters. DEADEYE (jokingly) Talking about me behind me back, Cap'n? BUCKY Maybe. (serious, in no mood to play around) Where were you when this happened, Deadeye? DEADEYE At the bar, o' course. I told ye. BUCKY (probingly) Are you *sure*? DEADEYE (expression turns confused) O' course. (notices Parker inside) That bear ain't askin' all kinds o' weird questions, is he, Cap'n? Because bears've been known not to trust ... BUCKY Corsair Canards, I know. Parker's not the issue right now. The issue is my engineer has massive head wounds caused by an unknown assailant, and your given location at the time of the attack doesn't match up with Willy's story. DEADEYE (taken back) Cap'n ... I ... (surprised) You don't think *I* would do this to Willy, do ye? He's me mate! BUCKY I just want to know where you were when it happened. I'm not accusing anybody of anything. DEADEYE Cap'n, ye have to understand ... BUCKY (deadly serious) Deadeye Duck, if you cannot produce a decent alibi, I'm going to be forced to place you under arrest ... just to not let Parker have the satisfaction of doing it himself. So, you have sixty seconds to explain yourself. DEADEYE (defensively and innocently) Cap'n, ye gotta believe me. There's an explanation for this ... BUCKY ... that I want to hear. NOW. DEADEYE ... that I just can't share. Not now. I'm tellin' the honest truth. BUCKY (sighs) I hope you are. But I have no choice but to place you under arrest. DEADEYE But I didn't... (resigns) All right, Cap'n. Bucky passes a look to Jenny. SCENE 5 - WILLY'S HOSPITAL ROOM Bucky enters, expecting it when Willy eagerly greats him. Bucky puts a paw up to silence him, handing him his comics and his glasses and getting the important questions by first. BUCKY How are you feeling? WILLY Tired. BUCKY They're not letting you sleep? WILLY They are, but only for a little while. They're waking me up every hour or so. (puts his glasses on) What happened to Deadeye? Jenny wouldn't tell me ... BUCKY I arrested him. WILLY (confused) Why? BUCKY Because he knows something about what happened to you, but he won't tell me anything. WILLY Why not? BUCKY He can't tell me that, either. Parker's questioning him now. Willy, now able to see clearly, reads the expression on Bucky's face. WILLY (confidently) He wouldn't do this to me, Captain. BUCKY Maybe not directly. WILLY (hurt) I'm sure he has a reason. BUCKY You believe that? WILLY Yeah. (shifts in bed painfully) I thought you trusted him. BUCKY I do ... (admitting) ... or I did. But my first concern in the safety of my crew, and when one crewmember puts another one in danger, then trusts have to be compromised. Bucky suddenly realizes he sounds like he's reading from a manual. BUCKY Listen, Willy, I know you want to believe whatever Deadeye says. I want to, too. But we have to think objectively if we're going to solve this thing. WILLY (resignedly) I know, Captain. BUCKY (smiles reassuringly) Get some rest, OK? (stands) I'm going try to clear Deadeye. WILLY (half-salutes) Aye-aye, Captain. Willy grimly watches the captain go, biting his lip. Once O'Hare is gone, he swings his legs over the side of his bed and begins to pull his IV out. SCENE 6 - JAIL CELL The worried and depressed Deadeye sits in a partially darkened cell, resting his beak on two of his paws and gripping his cot with the other two. He looks up when he hears the sound of a pressure hatch opening, and light fills his cell. DEADEYE I told ye, I don't ... Willy enters, dressed only with a flannel over his hospital robes and the bandages on his head ruffled. DEADEYE Willy! Deadeye runs to the bars, placing his four paws over them. DEADEYE (shocked, but worried) Yer not supposed ta be outta bed, laddie! WILLY (sheepishly grins) You don't have to tell me that. Deadeye slumps down in a chair across from the cell, holding his head and waiting patiently. DEADEYE I ... suppose ye want an explanation. WILLY You could say that. Deadeye sighs and sits back on his cot. WILLY (aggravated, but still genuinely friendly) Deadeye! Can't you trust *me*? DEADEYE *You*, I do, laddie ... it's just that ... (frustrated sigh) Ye have to believe me when I say if I could tell ye, I would. And I will. Just not right now. WILLY It's a means to an end, you're saying. Deadeye gives him a queer look. WILLY It's an expression. (exhales) If you say it's important ... I'll believe you. But I want an explanation when you get out of this mess. Willy stands to leave. DEADEYE Willy! Wait! WILLY (stops) What? DEADEYE Since yer the only one who's tryin' ta understand me ... I need yer help. WILLY What do you want? DEADEYE (points to the lock release) Ye gotta get me out of here. I need to be somewhere right now. I can't explain it, I just ... don't want everything that's happened not to come to any good, especially after all that happened to ye because of it. Willy visibly hesitates. WILLY It's gonna get us in a lot of trouble ... DEADEYE Ye won't be held responsible. Yer a minor with a head wound. (anxiously) Please. Willy waits another moment, then hits the release. Deadeye's cell door slides open, and he runs out. WILLY You had better ... Willy is cut off as Parker and Bucky enter the room with a GUARD. PARKER The suspect is escaping! BUCKY Deadeye! Willy! Deadeye waits only a moment before deciding what to do. Grabbing Willy' arm, he pulls him to other side of the room, removing a knife he had hidden in his suit. DEADEYE Back, or the hairless baboon gets it! WILLY (shocked) Deadeye, what are you ... DEADEYE (whispering) I'll explain later, Willy, I promise! BUCKY (aggravated, signals to Parker that he's going to handle it) Let him go, Deadeye. You've already betrayed him -- and us -- once. You don't have to do it again. Deadeye hesitates, then pushes Willy into Bucky and runs out the back door. Parker sends the guard after him. PARKER (into comm-link) I need a security team in the brig, stat! We have a prisoner on the loose! Deadeye, however, is not Bucky's main concern as he watches him go, and instead goes to help Willy sit up painfully. BUCKY What were you doing?! The doctor told you to stay in bed! WILLY I wanted to talk to him ... (hurt look again) I wondered to hear what he had to say from his own mouth -- er, beak. BUCKY (hopefully) Did he tell you why he did it? WILLY No, he didn't. BUCKY But you helped him escape. (checks, notices Parker is busy issuing orders) Not that I won't let that slide for now. WILLY I trust him. (thinks sadly) Or I did. Bucky decides not to force the situation right now. BUCKY C'mon. Let's get you back to sick bay. You're staying there if I have to tie you down this time. WILLY (holds his head) No argument from me. SCENE 7 - SICK BAY Jenny rushes in to where Parker and Bucky are standing, outside of Willy's room. JENNY Did you find him? BUCKY Who? Willy or Deadeye? JENNY Willy. BUCKY (motions toward the glass) He's resting. JENNY And Deadeye? What about him? BUCKY He escaped. With Willy's help, and then he double-crossed him -- again. (annoyed) He still wouldn't give an explanation. Not even to Willy. PARKER And now we have no idea where he's gone. (thoughtfully) Though I can take a guess where a Corsair Canard would run from trouble. BUCKY The Corsair Canard base? PARKER Yes. I just wish anyone outside of their little society knew where it was. JENNY (without thinking) Willy was ... Bucky quickly nudges her. BUCKY Willy doesn't know anything. Jenny catches his drift and shuts up. PARKER Well, I'll just have to continue the investigation without him. And keep an eye on my only witness left! Parker leaves, and Jenny immediately turns back to Bucky. JENNY Why aren't you helping him with the investigation? Do you think Deadeye's innocent? BUCKY I just want to do a little investigating on my own ... and I don't want him interfering. JENNY What are you thinking, Buck? BUCKY Deadeye wouldn't betray Willy -- or us -- repeatedly unless there was more to it besides stealing something. There has to be more to this. JENNY But the only one who can tell us that is Deadeye. And Willy's the only one who knows where Deadeye might be. Bucky nods silently, obviously thinking hard. Then, without a word, he enters Willy's room, with Jenny following. Inside, Dr. Brown is fiddling with Willy's IV and has a set of hypodermic needles set out on the tray. The hare and the cat approach the bedside, where the teenager is still awake. JENNY (softly) How are you feeling? WILLY (frustrated with whole thing) Crappy. DOCTOR I'm upping his painkiller dose. He's not getting enough relief to get any sleep -- which, of course, was *not* aided by his excursion. BUCKY It won't happen again. The doctor huffs and continues with his work. BUCKY Willy ... I need something from you. WILLY What? BUCKY We need to know the location of the Corsair Canard base. WILLY It's on Rigel VII. *Duh*. JENNY No, Willy -- the other base. The human quickly shuts his mouth. WILLY No *way*. BUCKY We need ... WILLY I took an oath not to tell anyone. BUCKY Deadeye took an oath to protect his crewmembers. WILLY You don't *know* that Deadeye was directly responsible. BUCKY But he was involved. Willy sighs, defeated, and looks away. WILLY Two wrongs don't make a right. Sensing Bucky's frustration, Dr. Brown leans over, close to his ear. DOCTOR (whispering) If it would help matters, I could give him a little more morphine ... it might make him more talkative. BUCKY (firmly) No. If Willy tells us anything, it should be off his own accord, not some drug's. JENNY Captain, if I could talk to him alone ... Bucky nods and nudges Dr. Brown out of the room, closing the door behind him. Jenny sits down in the chair beside the bed and takes Willy's hands. WILLY You're *not* talking me into this. JENNY Do you still feel Deadeye's behind all of this? WILLY (hesitating) I don't want to. JENNY Then we need a chance to clear him. And we won't get one unless we find him. Willy looks away, silent for a few moments. He then reaches over to the dresser and retrieves a pad of paper and a pen. He scribbles something on the pad and rips off the first sheet, handing it to Jenny. WILLY The coordinates. But don't tell Deadeye I gave them to you. JENNY (takes the sheet) Thank you. Jenny rises to leave. WILLY Jenny? JENNY (stopping at the door) Yes? WILLY If Deadeye is behind this ... do me a favor and smack him upside the head, will you? JENNY (grins) Will do. Jenny leaves. Willy sighs heavily, then turns on his side and closes his eyes. SCENE 8 - SICK BAY Parker, Bucky, AFC BLINKY, and Bruiser are all standing outside when Jenny exits Willy's room. Wordlessly, she hands him the slip of paper. BUCKY (looks at the paper) The coordinates of the pirate base? JENNY He wasn't happy about it, believe me. BUCKY (stuffs paper in pocket) Let's get going. PARKER Do you think we're going to need backup, Captain O'Hare? BUCKY Well ... we have my crew, minus two. And someone really should stay with Willy. JENNY I'll do it. BUCKY (nods) Good, but that leaves us with a rather small team to be attacking a Corsair Canard base. BRUISER Ah, Cap'n -- we're not really attackin'. We're just lookin' fer Deadeye. BUCKY (rubs his chin) You have a point. PARKER What's the point? BUCKY If we bring a large group, the Corsairs might assume we're on the offensive, and it could turn into a full-scale battle. We could just slip in if there were only a few of us, and call backup if we needed it. (beat) OK, let's go. They hurry out, leaving Jenny alone in the hallway. SCENE 9 - CORSAIR CANARD HEADQUARTERS BLACKBEAK and RED JACK, both four-armed pirate ducks, are discussing something when a haggard-looking Deadeye enters. BLACKBEAK Deadeye! Where have ye been? Deadeye's response is to groan angrily and pick up one of the pirates by his first set of arms. DEADEYE Ye slimy pirate! I told ye Willy wasn't supposed ta be hurt! BLACKBEAK Hey! And I told ye to get him out of harm's way! How else was I supposed ta get the files without giving us away? Red Jack rushes in to stop them. RED JACK This is no time for fighting! Especially between pirates! Deadeye grunts, then sets Blackbeak down. He doesn't, however, let him go without a smack in the beak, sending the other duck reeling back. DEADEYE That's for me mate who can't be here ta give it to ye himself! Just then, Blinky enters from behind. BLINKY Not personally. Blackbeak and Red Jack are taken back and turn their guns on Deadeye. BLACKBEAK Traitor! You brought your android! DEADEYE (surprised, innocently) I didn't bring 'im! BLACKBEAK Then you didn't even bother to cover your tracks ... BLINKY Negative. Android First Class knew location of base. BLACKBEAK That's ridiculous. No one ... (he stops) It's that hairless baboon, isn't it? He was invited here once. DEADEYE Aye. He must'a programmed the location into Blinky and sent 'im here. Bucky enters, maser blaster drawn. Bruiser and Parker follow. BUCKY (cocks gun in their direction) Now I think we *all* deserve an explanation. PARKER All of us. Before I put you under arrest, of course. (to Bucky) I knew you were a little too trusting of that pirate in the first place, Captain. Now I get my chance to prove it to you. (back to pirates) Now, where's the goods? BLACKBEAK Aye, I suppose ye'd be wantin' the files we took. (reaches into coat and retrieves disk, tossing it to Parker) Enjoy, mate. PARKER (puts it away) Good. Your cooperation will be taken into account at your trial. (to Bruiser) Lock them up. (to Bucky) I think you can handle them on the trip back to Genus. BUCKY Where are you going? PARKER I have some important business to take care of. Chairman Warner's orders. Parker leaves without another word. As soon as he's gone, the three pirates put their hands down. RED JACK Gaw, I thought he'd never leave. BUCKY What do you mean? And keep those paws up. DEADEYE Ach, I wouldn't worry 'bout us, Cap'n. The real suspect's gettin' away! BUCKY and BRUISER What? RED JACK (sits down on the desktop, relaxed) That bear's off to deliver those files to the toads. BLACKBEAK Aye, good thing we gave 'im the wrong codes. BUCKY (finally puts blaster down, thoroughly confused) Parker's a toad spy? DEADEYE Now yer catching on, Cap'n. BRUISER You knew dis da whole time? BLACKBEAK We just needed an opportunity to expose it. Parker was assigned to this case for that reason. BUCKY By who? BLACKBEAK Chairman Warner. BUCKY (surprised) Fritz? How is he involved in this? BLACKBEAK He's been helping us smuggle technology we need off of Genus and onto our ships to help us fight the toads since he hasn't been able to get the budget we requested. DEADEYE (steps in to explain) They needed some plans for maser technology that was only available on the Righteous 'cause Willy was still developing it, but because it was so secret, Warner knew if any of it showed up on pirate ships, the council would suspect he was involved somehow. BUCKY And you couldn't trust us with this information? DEADEYE Not Willy. I mean, I trust him, 'cause he's me mate, but he doesn't do well under pressure with secrets. (points out to Bucky) Yer the one who didn't want ta tell 'im about the climate converter switch when you switched with yer cousin. BUCKY Point taken. Go on. DEADEYE (continues) Blackbeak was the only one who could transport the files fast enough, so he had to take them off the ship himself. Willy wasn't supposed ta be on the ship that night, but he showed up anyway, and I couldn't talk him home without sounding suspicious. (gives Blackbeak a look) He wasn't supposed to be hurt, Cap'n, I swear. BUCKY So how does Parker fit into all of this? The pirates shrug. RED JACK Warner knows. We were just under orders to give ya a reason to come find us an' have Parker retrieve th' codes, so we could catch 'im red- handed when he went to send 'im to the toads. BUCKY And you have proof of all of this? DEADEYE Aye, Cap'n. BUCKY (relieved) Then ... I guess you're cleared. Or I imagine you will be, with a pardon from Fritz. (beat) Bruiser, take care of Parker. BRUISER Aye-aye, Cap'n. The baboon shouts and runs out of the room, toward the launch bad. Bucky, Blinky, and the pirates follow. As they approach Parker's launch, they hear the sounds of a fight and a cry. Bruiser emerges, carrying an unconscious Parker over his shoulder. BUCKY I hope he didn't put up too much of a fight for you, Bruiser. BRUISER Heh heh, no. Not dese security officer softies ... Bucky grins. Blinky runs into the ship and comes out a moment later. BLINKY This humble android has found a link to the Toad Homeworld, Captain. BUCKY Did he send the files? BLINKY Not yet, Captain. He got a busy signal. BUCKY (nods) Good. Let's get back to Genus. They head in the direction of the Righteous. DEADEYE (runs up beside Bucky, apologetically) Cap'n, I'm ... BUCKY ... sorry. I know. But I'm not the one you should really be telling that to. DEADEYE O' course. SCENE 10 - CHAIRMAN WARNER'S OFFICE CHAIRMAN FRITZ WARNER is at the desk of his lush office, typing something at the computer, when Bucky, the pirates, Bruiser, and Blinky enter. FRITZ (looks up for a second absently, then back at the computer screen) Oh, good. You get Parker? BUCKY Yes, sir. FRITZ And now I suppose you'd like an explanation? BUCKY (frustrated) Yes! Unperturbed, Fritz wheels his chair away from the desk and faces them for the first time. FRITZ Have you ever heard of the BTA, Bucky? BUCKY The what? FRITZ I'll take that as a no. (rotating a bit in his chair) BTA stands for Bear/Toad Alliance. As you may not have realized, the bear home world, Noctur XI, is in a sector particularly close to toad areas of activity. After all, their raccoon friends were conquered by the toads a few years ago. The bear government has given the matter much thought. (beat) A number of younger rebels, sure that the their planet is next on the toads' list, have decided that it might be better to give in to toad demands early and get better treatment in return when the invasion crew arrives. Their government has formally condemned them, but that hasn't stopped most of them or changed their views. Our intelligence system tells us that they may have even gotten a treaty with the toads together over a technological exchange. (beat) I've always suspected Inspector Parker of being a BTA member, but I've never had a chance to prove it. So when Blackbeak's code-stealing operation on the Righteous unfortunately escalated into a hit-and-run incident, I assigned Parker to the case, knowing that he might use his position to grab the stolen codes and give them to the toads. As it turns out, my suspicions were right. BUCKY What about the smuggling technology to the Corsair Canards? FRITZ What about it? (leans over his desk, looking at Bucky seriously) No one knows about it except the people in this room, and Parker. BUCKY It's illegal. FRITZ Like you haven't done a few under-the-table maneuvers for the good of the war against the toads -- like hiring minors and gunners with bad criminal records. (beat) If anyone else ever gets hurt in this, I will personally take responsibility. BUCKY (sighs, giving in) What about my engineer? FRITZ I believe Blackbeak gets credit for that. BUCKY Can I charge him? FRITZ (shrugs) I suppose so. BLACKBEAK Hey! FRITZ What? I didn't hire you for assault and battery. BUCKY (to Blackbeak) You're under arrest. Bruiser leads away a protesting Blackbeak. As the group leaves, Bucky stops short and approaches the desk of Fritz again, pointing at him. BUCKY I'm ... (beat) ... not sure whether to be mad at you or not. But when I figure it out, I'm going to get you for this. Bucky leaves Fritz chuckling to himself softly. SCENE 11 - WILLY'S HOSPITAL ROOM Willy is in bed, idly working on a laptop computer set up on the tray beside him. He looks up nonchalantly when Deadeye enters. DEADEYE Hiya, laddie. WILLY (looking back at his computer) Hi. DEADEYE (sits) So ... the Cap'n filled ye in? WILLY Yeah. DEADEYE (sighs) Listen, I guess it'd be redundant to tell ye I'm sorry, but I'll do it anyway. Ye weren't supposed ta get hurt. Blackbeak was supposed ta get the files 'n' go. He just decided to do his own thing, and ye were in the way. WILLY I know. It's just ... (frowns, finally looking at him) You could have told me. You know I would have given the files to you. DEADEYE I couldn't risk it ... WILLY Why not? Because I'm a human? Because I'm not a pirate? Because I'm a kid? I can be around the most advanced technology but I can't keep a lousy secret? DEADEYE Nah, Willy, it isn't that ... (shifts in his seat) ... I just didn't want to put ye in a situation ye might not ... WILLY ... know how to handle? DEADEYE (admittedly) Yeah. WILLY Because I'm fourteen and not a trained soldier. DEADEYE No, because no one should put their friend in that kind of a situation. What we were doing was sneakier, underhanded, and illegal. It ain't somethin' I wanted ye involved in. Willy visibly struggles with it for a moment. DEADEYE Aw, c'mon, the Cap'n already chewed me out fer this. WILLY I hope he did. What'd you get? DEADEYE KP duty fer a month. WILLY All right ... but you owe me. DEADEYE (grins) If it helps, I punched out Blackbeak already for ye. WILLY (also smiles) It does. But you *still* owe me. I'm talking serious gaming here. DEADEYE What? Space Runner? The video game? WILLY You wait until I'm legal age, and I'll start hitting you up for beers. Yeah, that. DEADEYE (smiling) Good. Save some simoleans. Space Runner it is. THE END