Script for Blake

by Chris Boucher

(c) 1981 by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Series created by Terry Nation. This is a complete dialogue transcript for research purposes and is not for sale under any circumstances. Format (c) 1992 by Micky DuPree and Betsy Ramsey.

Dramatis Personae

Kerr Avon
Vila Restal
Del Tarrant
Dayna Mellanby
Soolin
Orac
Slave
Roj Blake
Deva
Arlen
Klyn

Uncredited:

Male voice


[Scorpio launches from the Xenon base.]

TARRANTAll main drives and boosters running. [Explosions detonate the Xenon base. Scorpio leaves orbit.]
SLAVEAll explosive devices have functioned correctly, Master. The base complex has been totally destroyed.
AVONThank you, Slave.
VILAI never liked that place anyway.
SOOLINEspecially not once the wine ran out.
DAYNAYou know, I still don't think Zukan told the Federation.
VILAAbout the wine?
DAYNAAbout the location of the base.

TARRANTWhy not? Wouldn't you expect someone who'd betray his own daughter to betray everything else?
AVONAnd if he didn't, one of the others will, sooner or later.
SOOLINSooner, definitely. Your anti-Federation alliance wasn't worth spit without Zukan.
AVONA slight exaggeration.
SOOLINYou think so?
AVONNobody is indispensable.
SOOLINYou needed a figurehead. He was it. Or am I wrong?
AVONYou are right. But then figureheads aren't too difficult to come by. Any idiot can be one.
DAYNAHeh. On your feet, Vila. This could be your big moment.
AVONAny idiot within reason, that is.

TARRANTYou going to tell us what we've got planned, Avon?
VILAWe know what we've got planned. Running away is what we've got planned.
DAYNAA strategic withdrawal is what we've got planned.
VILAThere's a difference?

TARRANTOh, yes. A strategic withdrawal is running away -- but with dignity.
VILASo lay in a course and let's get the dignified hell out of here.

TARRANTThat isn't the plan anymore, though, is it Avon?
AVONI think we can do better.
VILADoes that mean safer?
AVONIn the end, winning is the only safety.
VILAIt doesn't mean safer. I didn't think it would.

TARRANTSo what does it mean?
AVONIt means I think we can find ourselves another figurehead, someone we can use to unify and expand the Rebel Alliance.
SOOLINJust like that.
AVONMore or less. He is strongly identified with rebels, you see, and very popular with rabbles. They will follow him, and he will fight to the last drop of their blood. [smiles] Idealism is a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use.
DAYNASomeone like you.

TARRANTSo where do we find this useable idealist?
AVONAccording to Orac, he is on a frontier planet called Gauda Prime.
SOOLINGauda Prime?

TARRANTYou know it?
SOOLINYes, I know it. It's a bad place to be. No self-respecting idealist would be found dead there.
AVONI imagine that is what HE is trying to avoid: being found dead anywhere.

TARRANTLook, are you going to stop playing games and tell us who it is, Avon?
VILAIt's Blake, isn't it? You think you've found Blake. [Avon turns away and smiles.]

[Sitting beside his campfire, Blake hears a noise and looks up. He moves to lean against a tree.]

BLAKEWhoever you are, I'll share the food. So long as you stop skulking about out there. [noise repeats] You're not exactly stealthy, are you. I've heard quieter troop transporters.
ARLEN[O.O.V.] You're looking in the wrong direction.
BLAKEI know. But at least you're out in the open now, aren't you. [Arlen bounds into the clearing, pointing a gun at Blake.]
ARLENIf this is a trap, you won't live to see it sprung.
BLAKEWhere did you get that gun?
ARLENI won it in a lottery. What do you care?
BLAKEI don't, so long as it wasn't issued to you.
ARLENIt's Federation.
BLAKEThat's what I mean.
ARLENDo I look like one of theirs?
BLAKE[walking back to campfire] I can't really tell anymore. [looks back to Arlen] You hungry?
ARLENYes.
BLAKESo am I.

DAYNABut Servalan told us he was dead.
AVONAnd you believed her?
DAYNAWell, she had no reason to lie.
AVONShe doesn't need one. It comes quite naturally to her, like breathing.

TARRANTThe last time you went after Blake, it was a trap. We were lucky to get out.
VILACally didn't get out.
DAYNAAnd Blake wasn't even there.
VILANever had been.
AVONDo you take me for a fool?
SOOLINOnly a fool would go to Gauda Prime without a very good reason.
AVON[activating Orac] Orac, what proof do we have that Blake is on Gauda Prime?
ORACThat is where his trail ends.

TARRANTWhat trail? Explain.
ORACThe chain of cause and effect amounts to a trail, if you can follow it.
VILAI can't even follow you.
ORACEverything has an effect on everything else around it. It is not easy to trace one line through the pattern of infinity, but in this case, I have. Blake is on Gauda Prime.

TARRANTHow long have you known?
AVON[smiles] Long enough.
DAYNABefore Zukan.
AVONOh, yes. And the answer to your next question is, yes, I would have left Blake where he was and said nothing if things had gone according to plan.

TARRANTOh, I must try and work that into the conversation when we meet him.
VILAIf we meet him.
SOOLINStill not convinced?
VILAYou tell me what a line through the pattern of infinity is, and I'll tell you whether I'm convinced or not.

BLAKEYou sure they were bounty hunters?
ARLENWell, it's not my irresistible charm that keeps them coming.
BLAKEHow long have they been tracking you?
ARLENLong enough. You ask a lot of questions.
BLAKETry answering one occasionally, maybe I'll stop.
ARLENI've got a better idea. [rises] Thanks for the food. You can keep the Federation gun as payment.
BLAKEThere's no charge.
ARLENArlen pays her debts.
BLAKEI'll keep the gun.

[Arlen backs away from the campfire. She whirls. A bounty hunter jumps out in front of her with a knife and she shoots him. Two more bounty hunters move in. She shoots the first, but the second shoots her in the leg and she drops her gun. She tries to reach it as the bounty hunter approaches. Blake shoots the bounty hunter.]

ARLENGive me my gun, and get down, quick. I think there were four of them tracking me.
BLAKEThere were. And then there was one.
ARLENYou scum!
BLAKEDon't bother calling me names, girl. Not after the killing you've done. [She tries to reach her gun again but Blake kicks it away.] There's a premium for bringing you back alive, but I'll kill you if I have to. The price for you dead isn't bad, but I'm not a greedy man.

VILAI can't see Blake doing anything like that.
ORACMy interpretation of the data leaves little room for error.
VILAHunting people for money? Not him.

TARRANTAvon?
AVONWhy ask me?
DAYNABecause you and Vila know him. We don't. Could he be a bounty hunter, do you think?
AVONDoes it matter?

TARRANTWell, it might. There's still a price on our heads from the old days.
SOOLINNot on G-P, there isn't.
VILAG-P?
AVONI imagine that is what the locals call Gauda Prime, [to Soolin] your home planet.
SOOLINI grew up there, yes. But for a home you need a family and mine were murdered when the Federation declared Gauda Prime an Open Planet.
AVONA general suspension of the penal code.
SOOLINThat's right.
DAYNAYou mean there's no law at all?
SOOLINIt's the fast way to get resources exploited, in this case mineral resources.
DAYNAI don't understand.
VILANeither do I. How does junking the law speed up mining?
SOOLING-P was an agricultural world. The settlers were sent there to grow crops, raise timber. They were farmers, my family among them. They were given title to the land.
AVONAnd then somebody discovered there was more profit under the ground than there was on top of it, only the farmers were in the way, and the law was on their side. Hence the Open Planet designation.

TARRANTWhat, get rid of the law you get rid of the problem? [To Avon] You seem to know a lot about it.
AVONOrac is an excellent research tool. Do you imagine I would take us in blind?

TARRANTYou've done it before.
DAYNAWhat happened to your family?
SOOLINWhen the mining corporations moved in, the farmers moved out. Those that didn't were murdered.
VILAAnd it wasn't even a crime.
SOOLINOh yes, it was a crime all right. It just wasn't illegal.
VILAThat's what I meant.
SOOLINI hope so.

TARRANTPlanet must have been a draw for every crook and killer in the quadrant.
AVONA lot of people made a lot of money.
SOOLINSome even lived to enjoy it.
AVONI imagine they are the ones who now want the planet returned to normal legal status.
SOOLINYou're not serious.
AVONOrac?
ORACA formal application was laid before the High Council on Earth within the last thirty days. I could get you the exact date --
SLAVEUh, I don't wish to interrupt, Master --
ORACThen kindly don't.
SLAVEI wasn't talking to you.
ORACYou were attempting to override a superior system. Be silent. [continues] -- the exact date, if you wish. But the importance of the application lies not in its exact date, but in its general requirements.

TARRANTWhich are?
ORACThat the citizens of Gauda Prime put their house in order. Law must be established before the benefits of law can be restored.
AVONIt is the day of the bounty hunter. [cut to close-up of Vila] Thieves, [cut to close-up of Dayna, pan to Soolin] killers, [cut to close-up of Tarrant] mercenaries, [cut to close-up of Avon; he smiles] psychopaths, are as unwelcome now as the farmers once were. [Scorpio's alarm goes off.]

TARRANTSlave, what's wrong?!
SLAVEWell, nothing is actually wrong, sir, yet.
AVONExplain the alarm, Slave. [Alarm cuts out.]
SLAVEI had to get your attention, Master, and I was forbidden to speak unless spoken to.
AVONAll right, you're spoken to. What is it?
SLAVEI beg to advise you, Master, that we're approaching the planet Gauda Prime. And Scorpio is under attack! [An explosion rocks the flight deck.]

ARLENHow much further to your flyer? [Blake gestures her on with a wave of his gun; after a few paces, she stops again] I can't walk any further.
BLAKEYes, you can.
ARLENWhy don't you just kill me?
BLAKEI told you. You're worth more alive. [Arlen whirls, swinging the stick she is using as a cane at Blake. He sidesteps, and she falls and gives a yelp of pain.]
BLAKEGet up, girl.
ARLENArlen. My name is Arlen.
BLAKEThat's the name they're paying for.
ARLENThat's right. I made them pay for it. So use it, scum.
BLAKEBlake. My name is Roj Blake.

[Explosions are continuing to rock Scorpio.]

VILAWho the hell are they?
DAYNAWho the hell cares?
VILAThey could be making a mistake.
SOOLINIt doesn't seem to affect their aim. [Cut to shot of gunships pursuing and firing on Scorpio.]
AVONBurnout on drive two. Overall power loss is thirty-two percent.

TARRANTAlignment on three and four is drifting.
AVONThis won't hold it for long.

TARRANTHave we shaken any of them off?
SOOLIN[looking at monitor] Not exactly.
VILANot remotely. There's four more coming on zero two three.
DAYNAAnd two more on the reciprocal bearing.
SOOLINThey'll have us in strike range in twenty-five seconds.

TARRANTWe're running out of options. [Gauda Prime appears on the main viewscreen.]
AVONPowerdive the atmosphere. Fake it. Make it look as though we're out of control.

TARRANTI may not have to fake that.
AVONDo it!

TARRANTAll right, everybody, stand by for a rather sudden visit to Gauda Prime. [The gunship pursuit falls off as Scorpio makes a run for the planet.]
SOOLINThey're not following us down.
DAYNAThey're breaking away, all of them.
VILAThey're falling for it.

TARRANTSo are we.
AVONIt was a calculated risk.
DAYNAWhat's wrong?
AVONThere isn't enough power to get us back out.

TARRANTOr enough control to land.
VILAYou mean we really are going to crash?!
SOOLINNo wonder they were convinced!
VILAThere must be something we can do!
AVONI'll accept suggestions!
VILAHow does "Abandon ship!" grab you?

TARRANTWell, it's a neat trick if you can do it!
VILAWe can use the teleport!
AVONHe's right.
DAYNAWhat, at this speed?
AVONDo you want to wait around until we hit something soft? Come on, you're wasting time.
SOOLINAnother calculated risk?
DAYNATry and get the sums right this time.
AVONAre you ready?
VILANo, but do it anyway!
AVONGood luck! [Vila, Dayna and Soolin teleport to the planet surface and start to run. On Scorpio, Avon prepares to move Orac.]
AVONOrac, on my order I want you to operate the teleport.
ORACVery well. But the previous coordinates can only be matched approximately.
AVON[picking up Orac] Come on, Tarrant. [heads toward teleport]

TARRANTI can't.
AVONWhat?! [approaches Tarrant]

TARRANTIf I leave the controls for a second, she'll flip over and break up.
AVON[puts Orac down] Slave, take over the flight controls.
SLAVEI am most humbly sorry, Master, but I can find no flight controls.

TARRANTIt dropped below his tolerance a couple of minutes ago. It's only a computer, Avon. It takes talent to fly a dead ship. Look, there's nothing you can do. You're not a good enough pilot.
AVONI can see that.

TARRANTSo get the hell out of here, will you? There's no point in both of us dying.
AVON[picks up Orac again and makes his way to the teleport area] Are you ready, Orac?
ORACOf course I am.
AVONThen do it! [dematerializes] Goodbye, Tarrant. [Avon rematerializes on the planet, and kneels to shield Orac.]

TARRANTSlave, any crash systems still functioning, put them online.
SLAVEYes, sir. Am I to understand that you are going to try and ground the ship, sir?

TARRANTI'm going to turn it first. [On the planet surface, Vila, Soolin and Dayna continue to run. Vila dives for cover.]
SLAVEThe ground is very close, sir.

TARRANTI know that! [Scorpio crash lands on Gauda Prime. Tarrant screams.]

[Avon stands and looks at the woods all around him. He picks up Orac.]

AVONAll right, Orac, where is the nearest settlement and how do I get to it?

[Blake empties a pouch of jewels into his hand, chuckling. Arlen can be seen on a large viewscreen behind him.]

DEVAChecks are finished. She is who you say she is.
BLAKEI wouldn't have brought her in if I hadn't made sure.
DEVAYes, you're good at this, aren't you.
BLAKEI'm still alive.
DEVAAccording to HER, three of your erstwhile colleagues no longer share that happy condition.
BLAKE[puts the jewels back into the pouch] HAPPY condition?
DEVAShe says YOU killed one of them.
BLAKESo?
DEVA[deactivates viewscreen] Was it necessary?
BLAKEYes, Deva, it was necessary. [removes his gun, setting it on the console]
DEVAOne bounty hunter killing another?
BLAKEIt's a competitive profession.
DEVAThat isn't funny.
BLAKENeither was Tando.
DEVATando?
BLAKEUm hm.
DEVAOhhh. Oh, it was Tando you killed.
BLAKEDoes it make a difference?
DEVAHe's worse than the people he hunted.
BLAKEHe didn't have a price on him, though, did he?
DEVAIt was only a matter of time.
BLAKEIsn't everything? Who's next on the list?
DEVAUh... [hands him some perspex squares]
BLAKEThank you. [The intercom beeps.]
DEVA[into intercom] Deva.
KLYNIt's Klyn.
DEVA[V.O.] Yes, Klyn?
KLYNWe've been tracking a ship that tried to run the blockade.
DEVA[V.O.] Did it get through?
KLYNThere was a full squadron of gunships on its tail when it hit the atmosphere.
DEVAIt didn't, then.
KLYNBits of it, maybe.
DEVAWhat was it? Do you know?
KLYNA planet hopper from the scope reading. Might have been Wanderer class. We estimate it must have crashed somewhere in Plantation Five. Do you want a search patrol sent out?
DEVAUh, no, just log it.
KLYN[V.O.] Right. [intercom link breaks]
BLAKEChalk up another one to law and order.
DEVASmuggler, do you think?
BLAKESomething like that. Do you know it's getting so you can't make a dishonest living on this planet anymore?
DEVAThat is the object of the exercise.
BLAKEHm. I wonder if those gunships challenged him before they opened fire.
DEVAI doubt it.
BLAKEHm? Uh, these two. [hands him two of the perspex boards; Deva punches some buttons] Plantation Five, did she say? [picks up his gun from the console]
DEVAYes.
BLAKEI might just take a swing out in that direction, see if there's anything left.
DEVAYou'll be wasting time.
BLAKEI'll bear that in mind. [puts his gun back in his belt] [A card comes out of the computer. Deva reads it and hands it to Blake.]
DEVALast known locations and probable movements for both subjects, and official authorization to hunt them.
BLAKEThank you. [Another card comes out; Deva takes it and reads it.]
DEVAHm. You've been given a temporary appointment as a law enforcement officer.
BLAKEThat central computer doesn't care who it makes respectable, does it?
DEVAIt's an inferior model, I'm afraid.
BLAKEI'll be in touch if I find that ship.
DEVATime really is getting short, you know. The representative from the Federation High Council could come at any moment. We can't afford mistakes.
BLAKEI wasn't intending to make any. [exits]
DEVA[over the intercom] The bounty hunter is on his way up. Make sure his flyer is fueled and ready to leave, will you?
VOICERight. I'll check it. [link breaks]
DEVA[activates viewscreen] Arlen. Have you anything to say before I decide what to do with you?
ARLENI have information.
DEVAWhat information?
ARLENFor my life.
DEVAWhat information?
ARLENIt's about the man who brought me here.
DEVAWhat about him?

[Blake enters the tracking gallery just as a console alarm goes off.]

BLAKEProblem?
KLYNSomeone's operating a distress beacon. It's on the official frequency.
BLAKENothing in it for me, then. Outlaws tend not to use distress beacons. [Klyn smiles; Blake chuckles.]

ORACI assume you have given some thought to how you will explain your presence here, not to mention my impersonation of an official distress beacon.
AVON[sitting against a tree, gun in hand] Just keep sending, Orac. I don't particularly want to spend the night out here.
ORACYou may have to. There is very little daylight left, and search parties are unlikely to operate in this terrain at night.
AVON[rising] Stick to the distress beacon, Orac. When I want your impersonation of a pain, I'll let you know. [Avon picks up Orac and heads through the woods, first walking, then running.]

[It's night. Dayna, Soolin and Vila break into a deserted, rundown shack in the woods.]

VILAOh, charming. Really charming.
DAYNAOh, stop moaning, Vila.
SOOLINIt's better than spending a night in the open.
VILAAre you serious? The state the roof's in, it's the same as spending a night in the open.
DAYNAWell, if you'd prefer the trees, feel free to go. Don't let us stop you.
VILAI'd prefer a city, but I'd accept a town. In fact, I'd settle for some indication that we weren't the only people left alive in this miserable tree sanctuary.
DAYNALook, why don't you go and collect some firewood, hm?
VILABecause it's dark out there.
SOOLINSurely you're not afraid of the dark.
VILAOnly when it's unilluminated. What's that?
DAYNAAll right, Vila, you've made your point.
VILANo, listen. [flyer becomes audible]
DAYNAWhat is it?
SOOLINFlyer, coming fast.
VILAFlyer, as in transport?
SOOLINAs in transport.
VILAWell, let's get out there and attract their attention.
DAYNANo --
SOOLINWait a minute, Vila.
VILAWhat do you mean, wait! That's the sound of civilization.
SOOLINNot necessarily!
VILAIt's got to be better than this!
DAYNAVila!
SOOLINI wouldn't bet my life on it! [They scramble for cover as the flyer approaches, seems to hover for a moment, then departs.]
VILAThey might have been friendly.
DAYNAThey might have come to apologize for shooting down Scorpio, but it doesn't seem likely, does it.
VILAAll right. So who do you think they were, Soolin?
SOOLINI've no idea, Vila. But one thing I do know: if you want to survive on this planet you have to assume that everyone is out to get you.
VILAI always assume that wherever I go.
SOOLINThe difference is, on Gauda Prime you'll be right.

[Meanwhile, Tarrant lies unconscious in Scorpio's wreckage.]

SLAVESir? Are you still not awake, sir? I would be most grateful if you could try to stir yourself and listen to my report. My emergency power cells are virtually exhausted, I'm afraid. There is a flying vehicle approaching, sir. I'm sorry, but I will have to close down now. Crash damage and power loss make it impossible for me to continue. May I express the humble hope that the same is not true for you, Tarrant. [A flyer approaches and fires into the wreckage. Tarrant crawls away from the blasts.]
BLAKE[O.O.V.] Lie still.

TARRANTWho's that?
BLAKELet them think you're dead. Plasma ammunition is scarce. You're lucky that you weren't hit. They won't want to waste any more.

TARRANTWho are they?
BLAKEGun runners.

TARRANT[to himself] Gun runners? [to Blake] Why would gun runners be shooting at me?
BLAKEThey're not. They're shooting at me. [Blake fires at the flyer. It crashes and burns.]

[While Vila is feeding sticks into the stove, two gun-toting bounty hunters enter the shack. One attracts Vila's attention, and when he turns away, the other knocks him unconscious. The two bounty hunters prepare to club the sleeping Soolin and Dayna with their gun butts.]

AVON[O.O.V.] I wouldn't do that, if I were you. [From the doorway, Avon shoots one of the bounty hunters. The second one fires at him and misses. Avon shoots him.]
DAYNAWhat happened? Avon?
AVONThe fire was stupid. Putting Vila on guard was suicidal. What's the matter, is staying alive too complicated for you?
SOOLINIt's beginning to look that way. How did you get here?
AVONI teleported and I walked, just like you did.
SOOLINIs he dead? [Vila moans.]
DAYNANo more than usual. He'll recover. What about them?
SOOLINThey're dead, all right. [Avon retrieves Orac from the brush where it's been hidden.]
VILAWhat hit me?
DAYNADon't worry, Vila, they went for your least vulnerable spot.
VILAOh, my head.
DAYNAExactly. So who are they?
AVONBounty hunters. I did warn you there were a lot of them about.
DAYNAYou didn't say the woods were full of them.
SOOLINDo you know how they found us?
AVONThey have heat tracers in their flyer. At night the equipment is sensitive enough to pick up normal body heat within a radius of two miles. You can imagine what they made of that. [indicates the stove]
ORACTheir inboard computer almost rejected the data as too gross to be correct.
SOOLINDid you find out what they were doing in this area, Orac?
ORACThey came to investigate my distress signals, naturally.
DAYNANaturally. You wouldn't have set us up, by any chance, would you, Avon?
SOOLINNow that is an unattractive idea. I really could be quite annoyed if I thought we'd been the bait in a trap you'd laid for them, Avon.
VILAWhere's Tarrant?
AVONI had no idea it was you. And it shouldn't have been. As a matter of interest, you've been walking in the wrong direction if you want to get out of this forest.
VILAI asked where Tarrant was.
AVONStill, that's no longer a problem. [nudges one of the bounty hunters with his foot] We just inherited a flyer.
VILAAvon, if you're here, and Orac's here, how did Tarrant get off the ship? [Avon gives Vila a hard stare.]

[Blake examines a teleport bracelet. Tarrant drinks something and coughs.]

BLAKEYou feeling better?

TARRANTA little.
BLAKE[tries on the bracelet] Whose ship is this?

TARRANTWhy? You thinking of making an offer for it?
BLAKE[discards the bracelet] Want to tell me your name, then?

TARRANTNot particularly.
BLAKEHm. I did just save your life.

TARRANTYou just saved YOUR life. It was you they wanted, if you remember.
BLAKEActually, uh, [fishes out pouch] it was these they wanted. [tosses the pouch; Tarrant catches it] They had some quaint idea I was going to pay for consignment of arms in advance. [Tarrant pours some gems out and looks at them] I had some quaint idea they were trying to cheat me.

TARRANT[replaces the gems in the pouch] Yes, well, it's difficult to tell who you can trust these days. But as tests go, isn't THAT [indicates Blake's gun, which is beside him] and THIS [holds up pouch] a bit obvious? [tosses pouch back; Blake catches it]
BLAKEMaybe. It's getting light. Shall we go? [Blake extends his hand and Tarrant takes it. Blake pulls him up. Tarrant stumbles and grunts.]

[It's daylight. Avon, Dayna, Soolin and Vila head down a trail.]

VILAWhy did they land it so far away?
SOOLINPresumably they thought the noise would alert someone.
AVONIn your case, they could have put it down on the roof without any trouble.
ORACAvon, the other flyer has just lifted off.
DAYNAThe other flyer? What other flyer, Avon?
AVONOur guide. Come on, we don't want to lose him.

[Tarrant and Blake are aboard Blake's flyer, in flight.]

TARRANTSo how far is this base of yours?
BLAKEWe'll be there soon enough.

TARRANTWe'd be there a lot sooner if your computer stuck to direct line of flight. Is the constant change of direction for my benefit?
BLAKENo.

[Avon and company board the flyer.]

ORACThe other flyer appears to be maneuvering to conceal its true course.
VILABecause of us?
AVONNot unless the pilot is clairvoyant.
DAYNAWell, why, then?
ORACFrom the programming of the inboard computer, it is standard procedure.
AVONJust keep monitoring. [The flyer lifts off.]

TARRANTA random program.
BLAKEIt's an old smuggler's trick.

TARRANTDid you learn it from an old smuggler?
BLAKENo, from a young one, actually. Her name was Jenna.

TARRANTWhat happened to her?
BLAKEShe tried to run the blockade once too often. Happens to all of them eventually.

TARRANTYou made the capture?
BLAKENobody made the capture. She hit the self-destruct. And when it blew, she took half a squadron of gunships with her. Brace yourself.

VILAHow does it feel to be home?
SOOLINI wouldn't know.
ORACThe target flyer has entered an underground silo.
AVONCan you pinpoint it? Exactly?
ORACI can do better than that.
DAYNAAren't you always?
ORACMy capacities are frequently underutilized, it's true.
AVONJust tell us what you're offering, Orac.
ORACWhen we reach the appropriate coordinates, I can simulate the necessary signals to open the silo and allow this flyer to enter.
DAYNAOh, sounds good.
VILANo it isn't. Sooner or later we're going to drop into one of these holes in the ground and never come out.
AVONSooner or later, everyone does that, Vila.

[In the tracking gallery, Blake and Tarrant approach Klyn, who is watching a monitor.]

BLAKEYou still on watch?
KLYNI decided to stay on. There's too much activity up there somehow.
BLAKELike what?
KLYNI don't know. It's not something I can pin down precisely. One or two transports have crossed without clearance, some flyers that weren't planned for the area, that sort of thing. Could be the Federation's observer's finally arrived, of course.
BLAKEYes, that's probably it. [Blake and Tarrant head down the corridor toward Deva's office.]

TARRANTGauda Prime seems to give law and order a certain priority.
BLAKEYou could say that.

TARRANTIs that the main control center?
BLAKEDeva can tell you more about that than I can. [They enter Deva's office.]
DEVAWell, now, bounty hunter, that was a short trip even by your standards.
BLAKEShort, but profitable. [grabs Tarrant's gun] Even by my standards.

TARRANTWas it something I said?
DEVAWho is he?
BLAKEHis name is Tarrant. [to Tarrant] Your flight computer mentioned it whilst you were unconscious.
DEVATarrant...
BLAKENo, I wouldn't run it through the computer just yet, Deva. You see, this one has a very high Federation price on his head.
DEVAAre you sure?

TARRANTOh, give the man credit for knowing his trade, dirty though it is.
BLAKEHe also has several associates with Federation prices, and one of them is particularly valuable.

TARRANTAnd all of them are particularly dead.
BLAKEIn which case, that other flyer was merely a coincidence. A coincidence, however, that might just have analyzed a random flight program?
DEVAAnd the significance of that is...?
BLAKEA very useful device called Orac. Why don't you sit down, Tarrant? If it is Avon, we shouldn't have much longer to wait.

TARRANT[to Deva] Doesn't it occur to you to wonder where he's got all this information from?
DEVAGive the man credit for knowing his trade.

TARRANTOh, surely you're not that naive.
BLAKEYou're wasting your breath, Tarrant. [The intercom beeps.]
DEVA[into intercom] Yes?
KLYN[V.O.] There's a flyer just put down in the silo. It had all the right signals, but it isn't one of ours.
BLAKELet them through.
DEVA[into intercom] Let them through. [intercom link breaks] Is that wise?
BLAKEWe don't want them damaged, do we? Get me one security guard. I'll deal with it.
DEVA[into intercom] Send a security guard to my office, will you?

TARRANT[to Blake] What on earth happened to you?
BLAKEOh, most of it wasn't on Earth, Tarrant. Not what happened to me. [Arlen enters, Blake turns, Tarrant kicks the gun out of Blake's hand, shoves him into Arlen, and bolts out of the room, strongarming Deva on the way.]
ARLENDo you want him killed?!
BLAKENo, of course not! When he knows as much about this as you do now, he'll join us, like you did.
ARLENHe passed the test, then.
BLAKEI'm satisfied.
DEVAThese stupid games you insist on playing, Blake, will get someone killed eventually.
BLAKEI have to test each one myself.
DEVANo, you don't have to! I set up systems for that. I broke the security codes on their central computer. I got us access to official channels, information, everything we could possibly need! You don't need to be involved at all.
BLAKEAll right, I find it difficult to trust. It's a failing, I admit--!
DEVAAnd any one of our people could select the people you've collected. You don't need to do the bounty hunter routine, either!
BLAKEIndulge me.
DEVADo I have a choice?
BLAKEOh, there's always a choice, Deva.
DEVANot for me, there isn't. I said I'd follow you, and I will, until the Federation's finally destroyed. But if you're killed, where does that leave us?!
BLAKEWith a base, the beginnings of an army!
DEVAAll of it useless if you're not there to lead it.
BLAKE[removes his gun, setting it on the console] You worry too much, Deva.
DEVASomebody has to.
ARLENIt might be an idea for somebody to start worrying about the one we just lost.
BLAKEWhy? He isn't armed.
ARLENI didn't notice that slowing him up.
BLAKEThat's true. Relax, Deva. Nobody's indispensable. [Blake and Arlen exit.]

[Tarrant enters the main tracking gallery.]

KLYNHey, you. Wait a minute! [Tarrant chokes her into unconsciousness. He's attacked by a technician who has just entered. The alarm starts to go off. Avon, Soolin, Dayna and Vila enter, sans Orac. Avon is carrying a long-barrelled gun. Soolin shoots Tarrant's assailant. Dayna reaches Tarrant first. They all gather around him.]
AVONI'm glad you made it.

TARRANTSo am I. Avon, I think he's here. [Avon and Vila look at each other]
KLYN[into intercom] Security personnel to main tracking gallery. Security personnel to main tracking -- [Avon shoots her with his long gun. Blake and Arlen enter. Avon brings the rifle to bear on Blake. Arlen is armed; Blake is not.]

TARRANTIs it him?
VILAIt's him.

TARRANTHe sold us, Avon. All of us. Even you. [Avon lowers the gun and approaches Blake.]
AVONIs it true?
BLAKEAvon, it's me, Blake. [starts to move forward]
AVONStand still! [Blake does] Have you betrayed us? Have you betrayed me?!
BLAKETarrant doesn't understand!
AVONNeither do I, Blake!
BLAKEI set all this up!
AVONYes!
BLAKE[starts forward again] Avon, I was waiting for YOU. [Avon brings the gun around and fires. Blake is visibly hit. Avon fires again. Blake continues his approach, and Avon fires a third time. Blake stops, but is still standing. Avon swings the gun up to point at Blake's face. As his knees begin to buckle, Blake grabs Avon's arms.]
BLAKEAvon... [He collapses; Avon lets him go. Blake falls at Avon's feet.]
DEVA[rushing in] Blake! They've found us! The base is under -- [stops cold at the sight of Blake] Arlen, what happened?
ARLENHE happened. [camera indicates Avon; Arlen shoots Deva and he collapses] Be so kind as to drop your guns, all of you. [Three Scorpio guns hit the floor in short order. Avon is still staring at Blake's lifeless body and takes no notice whatsoever. An explosion is heard in the distance.] You and this nest of rebels are now prisoners of the Federation. Your friend Blake said he couldn't tell anymore who was Federation and who wasn't. He was right. He couldn't.

TARRANT[smiles] You're a Federation agent?
ARLENI'm a Federation officer.
VILAOh, now, look, I've never been against the Federation. [crosses over to Arlen] I mean, I've only ever been along for the ride. I'm not even armed. You can't kill me. I'm completely harmless and armless. [Dayna goes for a gun. Arlen shoots her. Dayna falls back into Tarrant's arms. He lays her down. Vila whacks Arlen and she falls unconscious. Vila picks up Arlen's gun.]
VILA[to Arlen] Sorry. [Shots or explosions are now heard nearby. Vila is shot in the back by a Federation trooper. Soolin shoots a trooper, but is shot herself. Tarrant also shoots a trooper, and heads toward Avon.]

TARRANTAvon! [Tarrant is shot by a trooper. Avon looks up from Blake's body as additional troopers enter the room. Avon watches as the troopers form a rough circle around him. He looks back down at Blake and then straddles Blake's body. He looks up. The alarm stops. Avon slowly raises his weapon. He smiles/ grimaces. Cut to credits as the first of several shots rings out.]

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