Gammer - Opening Battle Scene

FADE IN:

EXT. SPACE

TITLE CARD: The planet Teera

Teera is a beautiful blue-green planet set against the pitch black background of space scattered with its many glowing stars.  A massive warship, the Gammer, looms over it.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

The warships bridge is almost silent.  One tall man wearing a flowing black robe and hood that completely obscures his face is the master in charge.  He stands staring out of the huge front viewport.

MASTER
Admiral Korum.

Admiral Korum, a middle-aged man wearing a uniform with an Admiral’s rank insignia pinned to it approaches the Master.

KORUM
Yes, Sir.

MASTER
Take one squadron with you to make sure the area is clear.

KORUM
Yes, Sir.

Korum exits the bridge.

MASTER
Captain.

The Captain is monitoring a brightly lit control panel.

CAPTAIN
Yes, Sir.

MASTER
How long until we’re in range?

The Captain glances at a counter on the control panel.

CAPTAIN
Just under five minutes, Sir.

MASTER
Good

Admiral Korum’s large one-man starfighter flies past the viewport.

MASTER (cont’d)
That should be long enough for the area to be cleared.

EXT: SPACE

Two smaller Gammer one-man fighters fly near the Admiral’s ship as they inspect the area around the warship.  Suddenly, one of them is blown up.

INT. KORUM’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

Korum looks over his right shoulder at the disintegrated fighter.

EXT. SPACE

Korum pulls his fighter away from a near collision with a giant battlecruiser which is followed by a large attack fleet of one-man fighters and two strike cruisers.

INT. KORUM’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

Korum pushes down a switch on his ship’s control panel to activate an intercom and a communication link with the Gammer.

KORUM (into intercom)
Korum to bridge.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

Korum’s voice can be heard loudly across the bridge.

KORUM (over intercom)
We’re under attack.

The bridge bursts into alarm.

MASTER
How many ships are there?

KORUM (over intercom)
There’s...one Regonian battlecruiser, two Rebel strike cruisers and hundreds of their fighters.

MASTER
Captain, send out five squadrons to fight.

The Captain activates an intercom built into his control panel.

CAPTAIN (into intercom)
Squads two to six, go!

MASTER
We can’t lose this all now.

EXT. SPACE

Hundreds of Gammer fighters pour out of the warship and into chaos.  The ships’ guns fire concentrated, deadly plasma bolts to blow up their enemies.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

The Master stares as the heated space battle begins.

EXT. SPACE

A Gammer fighter chases a Resistance fighter but comes too close to the Regonian battlecruiser and is blown to dust by it.  The Resistance fighter pulls away.

INT. REGONIAN BATTLECRUISER – BRIDGE

An aging Admiral with grey hair is in charge of the battlecruiser.  As he watches the battle through his ship’s viewport, the crew are busy behind him readying weapons, maintaining the shield or keeping the battlecruiser moving.  Lieutenant Lukton calls to the Admiral.

LUKTON (O.S.)
Admiral, I think there’s something you should see here.

The Admiral walks over to the Lieutenant who is tapping at some keys under a computer readout.  Lukton is in his late twenties but his hair is already greying.  His face shows the hardened expression of many years of fighting.

ADMIRAL
Yes.

LUKTON
Look at this.  See that ship?

He points to the computer readout showing a small but heavily armed and powerfully shielded starfighter.

LUKTON (cont’d)
It doesn’t belong to Gammer, it’s fighting against them and I know that we never sent it up.

ADMIRAL
Odd...Very curious...Don’t interfere with it but keep an eye on it. If it turns on us destroy it.

LUKTON
Yes, Sir.

ADMIRAL
I know you won’t let me down.

LUKTON
I won’t, Sir.

Lukton continues working on the computer and the Admiral turns away.

EXT. SPACE

A Gammer fighter flies through space, blowing up several Resistance fighters as it goes.  Suddenly, it is blown up and the unidentified fighter flies through the dust.

INT. KORUM’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

Korum watches as the mysterious fighter flies in front of him and suddenly turns to face Korum’s fighter.

EXT. SPACE

The fighter flies straight at Korum.

INT. KORUM’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

Korum watches helplessly as the two ships are about to crash.

EXT. SPACE

At the last possible second both fighters fly upward vertically.  All in one swift move, the unidentified fighter pulls away from Korum and passes underneath.  Then it performs a loop and ends up over Korum. It’s plasma guns flash and it flies away.

INT. KORUM’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

Korum panics.  Warning alarms and red lights fill the small cockpit.

EXT. SPACE

A small fire has erupted on the fighter’s wing. It flies away from the area.

INT. REGONIAN BATTLECRUISER – BRIDGE

A young Gunnery Officer calls to the Admiral.

OFFICER
Torpedoes ready, Admiral.

ADMIRAL
Fire.

EXT. SPACE

A torpedo fires from the battlecruiser and soars through space to explode in the Gammer’s hull.  It scorches the shielded metal but does no damage.

INT. REGONIAN BATTLECRUISER – BRIDGE

The Admiral stares in disbelief.

ADMIRAL
That’s impossible.  Try it again!

EXT. SPACE

The battlecruiser fires torpedo after torpedo, none of which damage the Gammer.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

The Master watches as the torpedoes explode harmlessly on his ship.

MASTER
Is my fighter ready?

The Captain looks up and is suddenly reluctant.

CAPTAIN
Y-Yes, Sir.

MASTER
I’m going out there.

He moves toward the exit.

CAPTAIN
Sir, you can’t, you’ll be killed.

MASTER
The moment the missile is ready, fire it.

CAPTAIN
But, Sir...

The Master exits the bridge before the Captain can finish.

EXT. SPACE

The heated battle continues as Gammer fighters and Resistance fighters blow each other up.  Korum’s fighter continues battling despite the now much larger fire destroying the ship.  A Resistance fighter blows up an enemy.  A Gammer fighter shoots it from behind.

INT. THE GAMMER – HANGER

The hanger is a giant room inside the warship.  The one-man fighters hang magnetically from the ceiling in rows with walkways behind them to allow pilots access to their fighters.  The floor is lined with different shapes and sizes of big and small battleships.  In front of all the fighters is the sleekest of all of them.  This fighter belongs to the Master. It starts up, detaches from the ceiling and flies toward an opening leading out of the warship.  The fighter flies through an invisible seal that keeps oxygen and gravity held within the ship.

EXT. SPACE

The Master’s fighter flies out of the warship and into space and becomes instantly engaged in battle.  But the Master of Gammer is also a master pilot who manoeuvres and systematically destroys his enemies.

INT. REGONIAN BATTLECRUISER – BRIDGE

Lukton jumps up from the radar screen he has been monitoring.

LUKTON
Sir, something else has just flown out of the Gammer, it’s a lot faster than the others.

ADMIRAL
Could it be their leaders?

LUKTON
That’s what I suspect, Sir.

ADMIRAL
I want it destroyed.  Their fleet is large but we can’t let them win.  Try to get past the fighters and engage the warship.

EXT. SPACE

As the battle goes on, the Gammer fighters advance on the battlecruiser.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

The counter turns to 0:00 and the Captain’s palm comes crashing down onto a red button.

CAPTAIN
Missile ready!

The bridge explodes into cheers.  A Gunnery Officer speaks after the excitement has died down.

OFFICER
Ten seconds to missile launch.

CAPTAIN
Keep a count.

OFFICER
Nine...eight...

EXT. SPACE

A Resistance fighter destroys an enemy in front of it.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

The whole bridge is tense with anticipation.

OFFICER
...seven...six...

EXT. SPACE

Two Resistance fighters fly together.  One of them is blown up, the other keeps on going.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

OFFICER
...five...four...

EXT. SPACE

The fighter has reached the warship.  It shoots at the hull but does no damage.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

OFFICER
...three...two...one...

EXT. SPACE

Two Gammer fighters appear above the Resistance fighter and barrage it with plasma bolts until it is set ablaze and explodes.

INT. The GAMMER – BRIDGE

OFFICER
...zero.

EXT. SPACE

There is a bright flash from under the Gammer and a missile appears, speeding toward Teera.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

OFFICER
Missile away!

EXT. SPACE

The missile is about five meters long but with enough power to destroy a small planet.  It travels with immense speed leaving a trail of blue smoke behind it.

INT. REGONIAN BATTLECRUISER – BRIDGE

The Admiral stares in horror as the missile speeds toward the planet.

ADMIRAL (distressed)
No...impossible.
(shouting)
Shoot it!  Shoot it down!  Direct all fire to that missile.

EXT. SPACE

Plasma bolts streak toward the missile from all of the Resistance ships.  The Gammer fighters have stopped their onslaught, all of them are confident that the missile will reach its target.  The plasma bolts that hit the missile don’t even slow it down.

INT. REGONIAN BATTLECRUISER – BRIDGE

LUKTON
It’s no good.

ADMIRAL
Keep on trying.

EXT. SPACE

As the Resistance fleet continues its barrage on the missile, the unidentified fighter flies in front of them and travels at an immense speed, heading straight for the missile.

INT. REGONIAN BATTLECRUISER – BRIDGE

The Admiral stares at the fighter now only about a couple hundred meters away from the missile.

ADMIRAL
What the hell is that doing?

EXT. SPACE

The fighter speeds forward.  The missile is close to Teera’s atmosphere now.

INT. THE UNIDENTIFIED FIGHTER – COCKPIT

The hardened looking man piloting the ship is Kile Oran.  He is in his early forties and is skilled and determined.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

The Captain stares nervously.

CAPTAIN
No!

The fighter is just a meter behind the missile.  The missile is less than a meter away from entering the planet’s atmosphere.

EXT. SPACE

In under a second the fighter has swooped underneath the missile and blocked it from entering the planet.  The missile smashes onto the fighter.

EXT. SPACE – LOOKING INTO REGONIAN BATTLECRUISER BRIDGE THROUGH VIEWPORT

The Admiral stares in astonishment.  The missile can be seen reflecting off the viewport.  The fighter disintegrates under the missile and the force of impact causes an explosion to rip through the heavily armed missile casing.

EXT. SPACE – LOOKING INTO THE GAMMER BRIDGE THROUGH VIEWPORT

The Captain’s expression is that of sheer horror as the flames, seen reflected off the viewport, spread in a circular pattern just above the planet.

EXT. SPACE

All ships have fallen still, all fighting stopped as all eyes focus upon the flames that spread in a complete circle of fire above Teera.  When they have spread about five hundred meters, the flames begin to disintegrate and disappear.

EXT. TEERA – TERRENA - JUNGLE – BATTLE STATION – LANDING PLATFORM – DAY

P.O.V. through a pair of futuristic binoculars.  The ships and explosions are just barely visible as specks in the sky.

The man watching the battle is Bay Oran, the son of Kile Oran, no more than twenty.  He is lying on his front atop a landing platform that has been built next to a very small adapted battle station.  A one-man fighter and a small cruiser sit atop the landing platform.  One small ship swoops and an abnormal bright flash is seen.  Bay gasps and lowers the binoculars in panic and horror.  He jumps up, leaving the binoculars on the platform, and runs toward the fighter.  Jumping into the opened cockpit, he has the engines running in an instant.  He closes the cockpit’s hatch, straps himself in and ignites the rocket boosters.  The fighter takes off and flies away from the landing platform, emerges from the clearing in the jungle and disappears into the clouds on its way to the battle in space.

EXT. SPACE

The flames disappear completely.  The two sides remain stunned for a few minutes more.

INT. REGONIAN BATTLECRUISER – BRIDGE

ADMIRAL (quietly)
It gave its life for our planet.

The Admiral looks up and notices the Gammer once again.

ADMIRAL (cont’d, shouting)
Shoot the ships.  Destroy the Gammer!

The bridge bursts back into action.  The Admiral stares at the spot were the heroic pilot perished.

ADMIRAL (cont’d)
Thank you.

EXT. SPACE

The Resistamce begins a fresh assault, driving the Gammer forces back.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

The Captain rushes across the bridge to the Chief Navigation Officer.

CAPTAIN
We’re out of options.  Evacuate.  Keep the shield up until we’re out of they’re range of fire then divert all power to the engines and get us out of here.

NAVIGATOR (nods)
Yes, Sir.

The Captain pushes down an intercom switch.

CAPTAIN (into intercom)
Retreat!  All ships evacuate back to base.

INT. KORUM’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

Korum hears the transmission and swings his fighter around.

EXT. SPACE

Bay’s fighter emerges from Teera’s atmosphere.

INT. REGONIAN BATTLECRUISER – BRIDGE

Lukton is standing next to the Admiral watching the battle progress through the viewport.  A quiet alarm sounds and the Chief Navigator calls Lukton.

NAVIGATOR
Lieutenant.

LUKTON
Yes.

NAVIGATOR
This attack was a top secret operation wasn’t it?

Lukton glances at the computer screen.

LUKTON
Damn it!

ADMIRAL
What’s wrong?

LUKTON
Another fighter’s just flown into the battle.

The Admiral slams his fist down onto the desk in frustrated anger.

ADMIRAL
I thought this attack was meant to be confidential.

LUKTON
It was.  I don’t understand it.

Pause

ADMIRAL
Continue with the battle.

The Admiral strides away.

EXT. SPACE

The greatly reduced Gammer starfleet attempts an evacuation with the Resistance close behind them.  Admiral Korum, flanked by two Gammer fighters, follows the Gammer as best he can with his damaged wing which is now worse than ever.  Suddenly, both Gammer fighters are blown up by Resistance plasma blasts.  Another blast hits Korum’s flaming wing, blowing up the wing entirely.

INT. KORUM’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

The alarms fall silent, the warning lights fall dead.

KORUM
No.

The fighter starts to lose power.

EXT. SPACE

With only one wing the fighter becomes unbalanced and swings onto its side, the one wing weighing down the entire fighter.

INT. KORUM’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

Korum punches some commands into a small computer and watches a display reading “power conversion.”

KORUM
Come on, come on!

The screen’s display changes to “complete” and then goes blank.  Korum pushes forward on the throttle.

EXT. SPACE

The fighter soars away at an incredible speed and disappears into the darkness of space.  Meanwhile, Bay’s fighter flies around obstacles, speeding toward the Gammer.  He swoops under Resistance and Gammer ships and soars over explosions.

INT. BAY’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

Bay swerves around a resistance fighter and gets a clear shot at the Gammer warship. His targeting screen shows a clear shot at the ship’s bridge.  Bay pushes down on the trigger and a torpedo launches from the fighter.

EXT. SPACE

The torpedo flies straight toward the Gammer’s bridge.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

The torpedo smashes into the viewport causing a bright flash but no damage.  The Captain looks up.  The Gunnery Officer jumps up and runs toward the Captain.

CAPTAIN
It’s nothing, just another torpedo.  Don’t get excited.

The Officer stares for a moment more and, just before he is about to turn back, he notices something.

OFFICER
Captain, look!

He points to the viewport.  The Captain looks and sees the tiny fighter, far away in the distance, getting bigger and bigger, coming toward the Gammer at too great a speed.

CAPTAIN
Oh, no!

EXT. SPACE

Bay speeds straight toward the Gammer.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

The fighter is very close now and keeps on going as if it’s going to fly straight through the viewport.

OFFICER
Look out!

He hits the deck and the Captain ducks.  Suddenly, just at the last second, the fighter pulls up, avoiding the near crash, and disappears over the ship.

EXT. SPACE

Bay’s fighter flies over the Gammer and unleashes a barrage of plasma fire onto the top of the ship.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

The Captain and the Gunnery Officer stand up, staring out of the viewport were the fighter flew over them.

EXT. SPACE

Bay hits an exposed antenna and fire engulfs it, eventually blowing it up.  Smoke erupts from the burned out remains of the antenna.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

The bridge rumbles and shakes violently.

CAPTAIN
What the hell?!

A young Lieutenant jumps up from his chair.

LIEUTENANT
We’ve just lost the shield.  Another torpedo could destroy us.

CAPTAIN
Divert all power to the engines.  Get us out of here!

INT. REGONIAN BATTLECRUISER – BRIDGE

The Admiral watches the battle and sees the explosion.

ADMIRAL
They’re weakening.

Lukton walks to the viewport.

LUKTON
What is that?

Bay’s fighter can be seen flying down the back of the Gammer.  The Admiral squints.

ADMIRAL
Not one of ours.

LUKTON
It’s the fighter from Teera.

ADMIRAL
That’s destroying their entire warship?

LUKTON
Yes, Sir.  It’s working much more systematically.

ADMIRAL (to himself)
Who is that?

EXT. SPACE

Bay’s flies around the rocket boosters, plasma guns flashing.  One of the boosters explodes.  Bay’s fighter disappears underneath the Gammer.  He hits the gun turrets lining the bottom of the warship and starts a chain reaction of explosions.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

The Gunnery Officer yells in alarm.

OFFICER
Forty nine percent of our weapons are down.

EXT. SPACE

Bay flies up the front of the Gammer.

INT. BAY’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

Bay pushes the trigger and a torpedo is launched.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

OFFICER
Torpedo!  Four seconds to impact...

The torpedo appears speeding toward the viewport.  Bay flies away from the warship.

OFFICER (cont’d)
...three seconds...

EXT. SPACE

Bay stops his fighter at a safe distance away from the battle.

INT. THE GAMMER – BRIDGE

The Captain watches, stone faced with an expressionless look.

OFFICER
...two seconds...

The Captain watches the torpedo speed ever closer.

OFFICER (cont’d)
...one second...

A second later the missile smashes through the viewport and explosions sweep through the bridge.

EXT. SPACE

The giant explosion blows up the front of the warship.  Smoke erupts from it and it slowly begins to fall.

INT. REGONIAN BATTLECRUISER – BRIDGE

The Admiral stares in amazement.  His jaw hangs open.

ADMIRAL
Incredible...they’re all dead.  My God.

He shakes off his astonishment and yells to the bridge.

ADMIRAL (cont’d)
Shoot the rest of it!

EXT. SPACE

The Gammer fighters fly away from the battle with destroyed spirits.  As they evacuate, the Master’s giant fighter flies away from them and heads toward Bay whose fighter hovers far away from the action.

INT. THE MASTER’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

The Master’s face is not hidden by a hood.  His hood is down around his neck and it reveals an old man, it seems older than any man could possibly live, whose face is covered in odd, black scars and tattoos of alien design.  He lets out a violent battle cry.

EXT. SPACE

The Master flies in front of Bay who swerves away.

INT. BAY’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

Bay regains control and the two fighters face each other.

EXT. SPACE

The Master unleashes a hail of plasma fire.  Bay spins onto his side, avoiding the deadly barrage.  When the plasma fire stops, Bay fires once and misses by an inch.  The two fighters speed straight toward each other.  Just before the crash, Bay fires and damages the Master’s fighter.  The fighter’s crash and the Master’s bursts into flames.

INT. THE MASTER’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

The Master screams as flames spread across his ship. He loses altitude and his weaponry.

EXT. SPACE

Bay fires and the Master and his fighter explode into dust.

INT. BAY’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

Bay lets out a sigh of relief and looks up.  The Resistance fires on the paralysed Gammer warship.  There is a blindingly bright flash.

EXT. SPACE

The Regonian battlecruiser fires a torpedo into the warship and the entire giant warship explodes. All ships stop moving and watch as slowly the explosion sweeps across the Gammer and, a minute later, it’s gone.

INT. REGONIAN BATTLECRUISER – BRIDGE

The Admiral stares in silence for a few seconds, a victorious smile on his face.  Then he speaks.

ADMIRAL
Are they all gone?

LUKTON
YES, Sir.  Gammer is confused and scattered.

The Admiral pauses for a moment.

ADMIRAL
Let’s go.  Send a message to all ships, return to Teera.

LUKTON
Yes, Sir.

EXT. SPACE

The battlecruiser turns around and heads toward the planet followed by the two Rebel strike cruisers and the dozens of surviving fighters.

INT. BAY’S FIGHTER – COCKPIT

Bay watches, smiling, as the ships disappear one by one into Teera’s atmosphere.

EXT. SPACE

When all the ships have disappeared into Teera, Bay flies toward the planet and enters its atmosphere.

EXT. TEERA - TERRENA – CITY – DAY

The fighter passes over the planet’s capital city, Terrena.  It is small with not much of a population.  Humans and exotic aliens walk the streets which are lined with large futuristic buildings. The planet’s proud government building towers over the city as its centrepiece.  Vehicles hovering a foot or two off the ground move up and down the roads.  The air is incredibly clean.

EXT. TEERA – TERRENA - OVER THE JUNGLE – DAY

Bay’s fighter leaves the city and flies over the trees of the huge, dense jungle.  Moments later it has disappeared in the distance.