[Damocles]

Fifth Act

Act 5; Scene 1

Setting; Cain's quarters aboard the Pegasus

[Note to set dresser]

Dress the set as a sitting room(center), office(right), sleeping quarters(left). Provide a table(desk) with at least three chairs.

[Note to director]

Provide hand props to the actors, to substitute for the bignavigation/ plotter table that we see used on the Phoenix's bridge set. These can be anything, from clipboards to notebook computers. If you have the resources, give Cain's quarter's a small plexiglass plot screen, that duplicates the Phoenix's bridge plexiglass screen plot throughout the play.

The three present;

Admiral Cain

Pegasus' Captain; Captain Herodatus Caman

Doctor Archet

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Cain(Seated behind the desk. Distraught, Cain drops the handheld. It clatters onto the desk.); She could die.

Doctor Archet; She pulled it off, Admiral

Captain Herodotus Caman; Let us not waste that.

Cain(becoming resolute); You know my intentions, Herodatus?

Captain Herodotus Caman; Send the Phoenix into close orbit and finish the job with kinetics. That kills the outlying Toasters. We jump in and refuel. Then we send Glen's Vipers out to tag a couple of Raiders.

Doctor Archet; Then it is Happy Birthday!

Captain Heodatus Caman; Doctor!

Cain; Captain, tend to the orders?

Captain Herodotus Caman(understanding Cain's grief); At your order, Admiral, (Captain Herodotus Caman salutes, and exits stage/camera left.)

Doctor Archet; By your leave; Admiral? (Doctor Archet bows and exits stage/camera left.)

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Act 5; Scene 2

Setting; the bridge of the Phoenix

[Note to set dresser]

The set should have a series of banked screens and desks set in two parallel rows, one stage left, and one stage right; set obliquely, so that the audience/camera appears to look from the back of the compartment, looking forward. At stage/rear is a large plexiglass plotting screen, that a writer can stand behind, and be seen writing backwards, as data is relayed to him/her from the various technicians, at their consoles.

Stage/center is a table where the navigation and battle conferencing is conducted by the bridge battlestaff.

[Note to director]

Most, of your action, takes place around this table. You are free to block the stage direct,ion as you see fit; but just remember that the central table is a plotter/projector navigation table of the ship's tactical situation. The actors look down into it. The audience/camera does not see, what the actors see, as they describe to each other, what they see, and what they propose to do about it.

Phoenix battlestaff

Captain Noretu Osbor

Acting Ensign Selene Spright

Marine/technician 1 Thoma(wears helmet to obscure his face. See production notes.)

Marine/technician 2 Bellam(wears helmet to obscure his face. See production notes.)

Marine/technician 3 Croftus(wears helmet to obscure his face. See production notes.)

Marine/technician 4 Horati(wears helmet to obscure his face). See production notes.)

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Captain Noretu Osbor; Welcome back from the Pegasus, Mistress Spright.

Acting Ensign Selene Spright; Thank you, Sir.

Captain Noretu Osbor; Lady and Gentlemen, are we ready to do this?

Marine/technician 4 Horati(wears helmet to obscure his face) First load outbound in five minutes, Sir. Then we expend ordnance according to fire-plan seven. We hit the Cylon beta legion barracks site as the last target in the firing sequence, about one hundred ten minutes, once we start shooting.

Captain Noretu Osbor; Do it.

Marine/technician 4 Horati; At your order; Captain.(Salutes)

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Act 5; Scene 3

Setting; the Cylon Command Post on Murado;

[Note to set dresser]

Use the Phoenix bridge set and redress.

You can remove the navigation/plotter table, and substitute a throne chair in the middle of the stage, on a rotating dais. Remove the stage right consoles, and screens, and put in a wall with a doorway. Hang banners, there, and across the backwall to hide that from view.

[Note to director]

It is the Moffitt party, that runs the Satellite command complex. Block the scene, so that the Plexiglass plot board remains unobstructed, so that the audience/camera can see the near orbit battle, that is taking place over the planet, Murado. Lara Petry sits on the throne, that Ravidge once called his own. She is all business.

Satellite command center party;

Major Gideon(Hacksaw)Johron

Lara Petry

Ledon Thoma

Lieutenant Charus Hevo

Tien Thee

Marine/technician 3 Croftus

Marine/technician 4 Horati

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Lara Petry; How far away are our friends?

Lieutenant Charus Hevo(from his station) That near base-star is just about inside the outer gunsat kill-zone boundary. The other one is still being cautious.

Lara Petry; Are we still broadcasting our ^victory^ over the Pegasus?

Marine/technician 3 Croftus; Just like good little dutiful Cylons. And we have the clones doing their tylium thing, in case the base-stars telescope us.

Lara Petry(with deep anger); Come on you, Tin-heads. Buy into it. This cost us too much, for you not to pay-out.

Major Gideon(Hacksaw)Johron; Easy does it, Lara. Patience

Lara Petry; Easy for you to say. Did you lose a husband?

Major Gideon(Hacksaw)Johron; No, I lost a squad of Marines, and Buster. Poor Crabbe, I should have left you with Hastur, and taken him to drive the Chariot.

Lara Petry(turns the throne from the workstations to face Major Gideon(Hacksaw)Johron, who stands next to the Plexiglass plotting board); Why?

( Marine/technician 4 Horati leaves his workstation to update the base-star positions on the plexiglass plotting board.)

Major Gideon(Hacksaw)Johron; Ah. Our uninvited guests are within range.

Lara Petry; You did not answer my question.

Major Gideon(Hacksaw)Johron; This would be a good time for Mister Thoma to do his magic, Madam Petry.

Lara Petry(leaves the throne, and goes over to where Ledon Thoma stands. She takes him by the hand, and leads him to the throne. She seats him upon it, as an adult leads a child. She turns the throne, so that Ledon Thoma sees the stations, where the Moffitt party technicians work.); Look, Ledon.(Lara Petry points) There are the ones, who killed your brother. They are here, to kill the rest of us.

(Ledon Thomas becomes angry. He begins to work the Cylon control systems with manic fury.

Marine/technician 4 Horati; There goes the far one. The near one is trying to open a wormhole. He is not going to make it. Lucky Murado is between him, and us. Poof. Gone.

Lara Petry; After all that blood, storm, and all that fury. Just that quick?

Major Gideon(Hacksaw)Johron; Just that quick. Ninety percent of final victory is the losing that leads up to it. I think that Ledon is done.

(Lara Petry goes to the throne, and leads Ledon Thoma off; back to where he stood. He assumes his childlike waiting.)

Major Gideon(Hacksaw)Johron; Mister Chevo? Would you send this message to the Pegasus.. The skies are clear, and Moffitt wants to come home.

Lieutenant Charus Hevo; At your order, Sir.

Major Gideon(Hacksaw)Johron(To Lara Petry); You would not let a punk like Hastur jump you.

Lara Petry(surpised by the change in subject); Oh I see.

Major Gideon(Hacksaw)Johron; Yes, you do. After all, you hunted Hastur down after the fact.

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BREAK