Excerpt: Die Another Day

Within the Room of a Thousand Fountains in the ancient, ruined Jedi Temple...

NATHAEL
You should have killed him.

ILEANA
No. He’ll get us what we need.

NATHAEL
He’s already turned traitor once against his friends. He could very well do it to us. We already know that he’s a backstabbing, two-timer and his slicing skills are next to none. He’s the perfect double agent – for all we know, he could be bluffing.

ILEANA
No. There’s something else going on here.

NATHAEL
I think we should kill him before he has a chance to alert the RAS.

DARIAN
No. We can’t touch him. He’s our spy, not theirs. This is our last chance of getting into the base and getting what we need. The other half of the equation.

NATHAEL
And what of the first half?

DARIAN
Oh… I believe she’ll show up sooner or later.

Suddenly, the floor of the passageway gives out beneath Eva. With a yelp, she falls amongst the stones of the ceiling, plummeting downwards towards the fountain. She lands with a splash, sinking to the bottom. Large chunks of stone follow her.

The Echani agents spin around.

ILEANA
Over there!

They run towards the fountain that the ceiling caved in on, drawing their weapons. Eva surfaces for a moment behind a large stone – the Echani can’t see her. She takes a large breath of air and plunges under the dark water, searching for an escape. She finds an underwater exit – the fountain flows into a pathway for the water, heading across the room. Eva follows it – the small current in the water helps push her forwards as the Echani investigate the cave-in back at the fountain.

When she is far enough away, Eva surfaces for air. She sees Darian giving quick instructions as he, Nathael and Ileana search around the wrecked fountain for any sign of an intruder. Eva stays in the water, watching them for a moment. Suddenly, someone reaches out and grabs hold of her arm, whisking her off into another pool. Eva gasps, swallowing a mouthful of water.

The pool is guarded by several large pieces of stone that apparently were another ruined fountain. Eva is about to protest very loudly to her attacker when he presses a hand to her mouth to silence her. She struggles for a moment and then sees that it is Keiran. He glares down at her, his expression telling her to be quiet before the Echani hear them. Eva stops moving and he releases his grip on her.

Keiran and Eva are about shoulder-deep in the flowing water, hiding behind the ruined fountain. Eva spits out the water in her mouth.

EVA
(whispering furiously)
What the hell are you doing here?

KEIRAN
I was looking for you when I came across one of their agents. He was following you. I traced him back here.

EVA
One of their agents? But – wait a minute. (Her eyes flash dangerously, turning to his wrists -- the binders are long gone). I attached you to your bunk! How did you get free?

KEIRAN
You think I don’t know how to pick my own binders?

EVA
(sarcastically)
Ha ha.

KEIRAN
Shut up and listen. We’ve got bigger problems now.

MAN’S VOICE
These the ones you looking for, Darian?

Keiran and Eva spin around in the water to see the large Echani wearing the shades – the same one who had been following Eva – pointing a blaster at them. They glance at each other.

ECHANI
Move, Jedi, and he dies.

Eva and Keiran slowly raise their hands in surrender. Darian, Ileana and Nathael have arrived. Darian takes one look and walks away.

DARIAN
Get them out of there. And make sure they can’t escape. We’ve got business to attend to.