259. Into the Dark - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. THE SIERRA NOEL LAUNCH DECK - NIGHT


• LIEUTENANT NATALIE "MOSQUITO" HEDER stands on the deck, doing her final flight check.


• The deck is large space with room for three battle squadrons.


• Each fighter docked on a launcher, primed to fire the ships into space at a moments notice.


• Natalie's Dragonfly class ship is lithe, smaller than the fighters belonging to the other squadrons; it seems a perfect match for her small, strong frame.


• Thin blades used for flying in atmosphere fold into the top of the ship.


• Natalie flashes a thumbs up at the control room high above the deck.


• NATALIE
• Good to go.


• CONTROL ROOM (VO)
• Roger that Mos; you have a few minutes, head to the lounge, stretch your legs a bit.


• NATALIE
• Yes, sir.


• She turns to head into the lounge, then hears the slow groaning of metal creaking as the bay doors slide open.


• Pivoting, she heads to the opening and peers out.


• Nothing but a thin force field protects her from the massive vacuum of space.


• The battle group is arrayed around the Sierra Noel, a Dreadnought class carrier.


• The ship stretches for miles past the bay door.


• Looking down, she can see the hundreds of levels below her, bay doors hiding hundreds of other squadrons.


• Large, horizontal shields, attached to the hull by sinuous beams mirror the hull's shape, providing a first layer of defense.


• Small messenger ships and a fighter wing whiz through the space between the shields and the hull.


• CONTROL ROOM (VO)
• I thought I told you to go to the lounge, Lieutenant Heder.


• NATALIE
• If you don't mind sir, I'd like to wait here. I've never quite gotten used to the sight.


• CONTROL ROOM (VO)
• Roger that.


• The battle group hovers above a fiery nebula, red and purple light bouncing off the war-scarred fleet.


• The HENRY ADAMS, a Destroyer moves past the Sierra Noel, tiny in comparison to the massive carrier, its hull proudly displaying the Orion Collective's flag.


• CAPTAIN PARK HYUNG LEE walks around her fighter and stands beside her at the bay door.


• PARK HYUNG LEE
• So you're the famous Mosquito.


• NATALIE
• Captain Lee.


• PARK HYUNG LEE
• Glad we're finally getting to work together; I can find out whether the woman lives up to the myth.


• NATALIE
• Not just that, I'll surpass it.


• PARK HYUNG LEE
• Oh, well, well, that's a lot of talk for a pilot with a Dragonfly.


• She grins at him.


• NATALIE
• My Dragonfly is a thing of beauty, don't you forget it.


• He chuckles and turns to stare out at the nebula.


• PARK HYUNG LEE
• I still get a spark of pride seeing the battle group. But I sometimes wonder if it's worth it. I was part of the battle of Io, and we were in the wrong there. Two colonies wiped clean.


• NATALIE
• Respectfully sir, we don't have space to think like that; we do what we have to do. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not live under the Hegemony. I like my freedoms, thanks you. Yeah, we make mistakes, I've had my share of collateral damage and the dreams because of that. We know what our mission is.


• CONTROL ROOM (VO)
• All strike force pilots to their ships. Launch will commence in one minute.


• PARK HYUNG LEE
• So what do you do?


• Natalie is already off and running towards her fighter.


• A crew member helps her into the cockpit and begins sealing herself into her suit.


• Park Hyung Lee races towards his ship, a large Black Widow bomber, a craft that simply intimidates with its looks.


• Her canopy slides into place, sealing with a hiss.


• She checks her controls, then gives the crew member one more thumbs up.


• He nods and flashes a twenty seconds with his hands.


• She checks her comm, double checks her weapons.


• Her comm crackles.


• PARK HYUNG LEE
• What do you do?


• The crew member flashes ten seconds and begins counting down.


• NATALIE
• I try not to see the faces in my dreams and I do my job. I go back out into the dark.


• There's a whoosh and her ship explodes out of the bay, into silent space, the bombers close behind as they dive into the deep space beyond the nebula.


• FADE TO BLACK.