Pan across the spires of Crystal Tokyo. It's mid-morning, the sun is shining and it's a beautiful day, as always. Linger a few beats on the tranquil scene. Then, with a sudden scream:

PRINCESS USAGI

Yeeeee!

Princess Usagi bursts into view, coming up from behind and roaring past the camera: nine years old, pink hair, twin odangos, and all attitude. She is riding a hover-board at high speed, a few hundred metres up in the air, zooming down toward the city. Her arms are outspread to catch the wind and she is shouting for joy.

A moment later, with another scream of exhilaration, Princess Kakyu follows Usagi. She is seven years old, with vivid green hair and a single odango and long pony-tail at the back of her head.

Another instant, and the two are followed by Prince Elios on a third hover-board. He is also seven, with bright blond hair in a mullet.

PRINCESS KAKYU

Yahooooo!

PRINCE ELIOS

Wait for meeeee!

Elios and Kakyu are trying to catch up with Usagi, but she is way ahead of them. The three roar down, weaving and banking, until, in a matter of seconds, they are lost to view among the spires of the city.

Sailor Jupiter is standing over a hot stove, delicately adding a pinch of spice to something purple in a pot. Suddenly Usagi, Kakyu and Elios roar past her window, one at a time. She looks up.

SAILOR JUPITER

(smiling)

They're at it again…

Mars is still in bed, sprawled out in an ungainly pose. There are a number of bottles on the bedside table, most of them suspiciously empty. With a sudden blast of sound, the three kids shoot past, waking Mars.

SAILOR MARS

(groaning, clutching her head in pain)

Those dratted kids…!

A fencing match is in progress. Two figures, masked and wearing full protective gear, battle each other back and forth along the piste. A crowd in the background cheer them both on. Suddenly the three hover-boarders shoot past the windows at the end of the arena. One of the fencers is distracted.

FENCER

Whaaa…?

In a flash, the other fencer lunges forward in a dazzling move, spearing the distracted man in the chest. The audience bursts into applause. The winner pulls off her mask to reveal a smirking Sailor Venus. She glances toward the windows.

SAILOR VENUS

Guess I owe the princesses one…again.

The laboratory is filled with racks of equipment, benches filled with chemical apparatus, bubbling retorts, etc, and shelves of thick technical books. Sailor Mercury is standing before a large, complex piece of equipment. Her usual round glasses have been replaced by ones with red-tinted lenses.

She presses a switch and a pencil-thin laser beam shoots out at a test sample. It begins to vaporise. At that moment, the three princesses shoot past the window. Sailor Mercury does not react.

SAILOR MERCURY

(still watching experiment)

Good…good…

(beat)

Morning, princess…

She makes a note on her computer.

The three hover-boarders race through the city streets, weaving to and fro, up and down. They skim past a cleaning droid which is polishing one crystal spire, causing it to panic in a shower of sparks. Finally they zip in through one wide-open window.

The hover-boarders enter through the window and jump to the floor. Elios stumbles and falls as he lands. All three are laughing.

PRINCE ELIOS

That was so great!

PRINCESS KAKYU

We went so high…

PRINCESS USAGI

See? I told you you'd like it.

PRINCESS KAKYU

But you know Captain Taiki told us we're not supposed to go out flying without permission.

PRINCE ELIOS

(gulps)

Are we gonna get in trouble?

PRINCESS USAGI

(grinning)

Not as long as we don't get found out.

QUEEN SERENITY (O/S)

Found out about what?

The three kids look around to see that the queen has entered, unnoticed. She is smiling, but it's a smile that spells trouble.

PRINCE ELIOS

Uh-oh.

FADE TO BLACK

FADE IN:

Slow pan through the hall, ending on the Queen, who is talking to a palace servant.

QUEEN SERENITY

Make sure that all three hover-boards are locked away for the next month. Princess Usagi should be old enough to know how reckless a stunt that was. Endangering Kakyu and Elios just makes it worse.

(beat)

Oh, and no dessert for Usagi for a week, either.

SERVANT

Yes, Your Majesty.

The servant bows and departs. As she reaches the door, it opens and Captain Yaten enters. The servant bobs her head as he passes. He is a tall, massively-muscled bald man with a dark scar running down his face. He wears a heavy leather uniform. He strides toward the Queen, boots ringing on the floor, and gives a short bow.

CAPTAIN YATEN

Your Majesty, we've intercepted a signal from the Asteroid Belt. It's coming…from the direction of the Palace of Skulls.

QUEEN SERENITY

(stunned)

W-what? Queen Ryoko's palace? But we defeated her and her Space Pirates months ago! The Palace of Skulls was destroyed…

CAPTAIN YATEN

Yes, Majesty. We don't actually think it's an intelligent signal at all. It's pure random gibberish. But you did command us to keep watch on the palace ruins.

QUEEN SERENITY

Then there's no chance that…she could somehow have survived…?

CAPTAIN YATEN

We all saw her destroyed, Your Majesty. This signal is probably just from some left-over bit of machinery that's finally losing power. But still—

QUEEN SERENITY

Still, it would be wise to check it out. Very well, Captain. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Please inform Sailor Mercury of this, and ask her to investigate it for me.

(beat)

That mysterious shadow we've seen several times in the last few weeks…we can't afford to take any risks…

Captain Yaten salutes, and turns to leave.

Yaten heads for Sailor Mercury's laboratory.

Yaten enters the laboratory without knocking. His eyes widen, and he ducks frantically. An instant later, a massive energy beam strikes a target right behind where he was standing.

SAILOR MERCURY (O/S)

Oh, sorry!

CAPTAIN YATEN

(standing up and brushing himself down, poker-faced)

Quite all right, Sailor Mercury.

Pan around to reveal Mercury standing at a complex control panel. A viewscreen, out of Yaten's sight, shows him in silhouette. There is a big targeting cross-hair right over his heart.

SAILOR MERCURY

I was just testing my…well, never mind. How can I help you, Captain?

CAPTAIN YATEN

It's not me; it's the queen. There's something she'd like you to take a look at…

Usagi is pacing up and down, in a temper. Kakyu and Elios are sitting to once side, watching her and occasionally exchanging glances.

PRICESS USAGI

A whole month! It's not fair! I wasn't in any danger; Mother knows how well I can fly! How can she do this to me?!

She catches sight of Kakyu and Elios, and looks embarrassed for a moment.

PRINCES USAGI (CONT'D)

Um, I mean…I was the one who suggested it. It's not fair that you should be punished too.

(beat)

But still…a whole month!

PRINCE ELIOS

And a week without dessert.

PRINCESS USAGI

(even more depressed)

And…a week without dessert.

From out of shot, we hear a high-pitched whine start up. It's faint at first, but gradually becomes recognisably the sound of a Viper's engines warming up.

The kids carry on, not noticing yet.

PRINCESS KAKYU

(elbowing Elios in the ribs)

Dummy! Why'd you have to say that?

PRINCE ELIOS

I was just saying.

PRINCESS KAKYU

Well just don't!

PRINCESS USAGI

Hey…what's that noise?

They look around, suddenly aware of the Viper engine-sounds. All three hurry to the window and look out. As they reach it, the Viper moves slowly into view. Sailor Mercury is visible in the cockpit. The Viper starts to accelerate forward, still ascending, and vanishes into the sky.

PRINCESS USAGI (CON'T)

Sailor Mercury? I wonder where she's going?

The Earth falls away behind Mercury's Viper.
Empty space: Mercury's Viper shoots past the camera with an audible whoosh.
Space, another angle: The Viper approaches and passes the camera. As we pan around to follow, we see a line of asteroids ahead, tiny in the distance.

Mercury's Viper manoeuvres through the belt, banking around tumbling asteroids. We hear a faint 'ping'ing sound.

The 'ping'ing sound is louder inside the Viper. Mercury studies her controls.

SAILOR MERCURY

Yes…a definite source. I've got you now…

The Viper makes a tight turn around an asteroid and heads in a different direction. As it moves off, we ZOOM IN to show a tiny camera anchored to the asteroid, tracking the Viper's movements.

The 'ping'ing sound is a little louder, a little clearer.

SAILOR MERCURY

Just a little further…

Suddenly her face registers shock. Ominous, dramatic music.

SAILOR MERCURY

Oh, dear!

Just ahead, from her POV, we see the ruins of the Palace of Skulls, exactly as it was left at the end of Season 2. Carved out of a giant asteroid, a vast, intricate web of domes, launch tubes, solar collectors, etc, laid out so that the patterns of buildings seem to resemble a maze of stark, grinning skulls. Now half the palace is a litter of charred, blackened wreckage, but it still presents a chilling sight.

Mercury touches a control on her console.

SAILOR MERCURY

Mercury to Crystal One. Confirm that the signal comes from the Palace of Skulls. I'm going in to investigate.

CAPTAIN YATEN

(distorted, over comm)

Roger that, Sailor Mercury. Good luck.

The Viper airlock slides open and Sailor Mercury climbs out, her Caduceus in her right hand. She launches herself away from the Viper and drifts for a few seconds down toward the palace.

Gloomy music, with a hint of Ryoko's theme tune in a minor key.

All is in shadow, only partly visible. Sailor Mercury walks in slowly, scanning all around her with her computer as she goes. She walks past a vast, torn portrait of Queen Ryoko with a shudder.

As she moves off, ZOOM IN on the face of the portrait. We see that one of Ryoko's eyes has been replaced by a camera that swivels to follow Sailor Mercury.

A series of brief shots as Mercury walks through various palace rooms. All of them are at least partly wrecked; some are open to space.

The throne hall is strewn with wreckage from the final battle. Ryoko's throne is overturned, the back cracked in two. The gloomy music reaches a peak. Sailor Mercury picks her way gingerly past the rubble, still studying her computer.

In the darkness, as she leaves the room, we see two ghostly points of light appear—like glowing eyes blinking open.

The roof and part of one wall of the corridor have been blasted open; we can see stars and distant asteroids outside.

There is a bulky cleaning droid, lying apparently inert in the middle of the corridor. As Sailor Mercury enters, we see that it has a single faint glowing light on its control board. Mercury notices this and stops.

SAILOR MERCURY

There it is! A derelict cleaning droid—is that all?

Relieved, she steps closer to look. As she does, there is a faint hint of movement, almost invisible, behind her.

SAILOR MERCURY

Yes, I see—a leaky energy coil.

Suddenly she freezes.

SAILOR MERCURY

Wait a minute—there isn't nearly enough power left here to be detected on Earth—

She whirls around, starting to raise her Caduceus—but too late. With a brilliant flash, an energy beam from the roof strikes her full-on. She convulses and falls to the floor. The Caduceus, dropped, floats out through the shattered wall into space.

In the darkness, we see a shadowy figure glide toward Mercury's limp body. It is roughly humanoid, but completely black; we cannot make out any features at all. But where its eyes should be, there are two glittering points of light.

Pull slowly away from the Palace. After a second, in the foreground, the Caduceus drifts past, lost.

FADE TO BLACK

(Commercial break)

FADE IN:

Princess Kakyu is brushing her hair, humming a sweet little song under her breath. Suddenly the door bursts open and Prince Elios rushes in, wildly excited.

PRINCE ELIOS

Kakyu-neesan! I just found out—

PRINCESS KAKYU

Don't you ever knock?

PRINCE ELIOS

You gotta listen! I found out where Sailor Mercury went this morning!

PRINCESS KAKYU

(unimpressed)

Oh? How?

PRINCE ELIOS

I overheard Captain Yaten talking to Captain Seiya. He said that she went out to the asteroid belt! The queen sent her to investigate something.

PRINCESS KAKYU

(alarmed)

The asteroid belt? Did…did they think it's something to do with…Queen…

She shivers at the thought.

PRINCE ELIOS

(comforting)

Don't worry, oneesan. Queen Ryoko is dead. She can't hurt us any more.

(beat; then, indignantly:)

But still…the asteroid belt! That's our dem—…dem—…

PRINCESS KAKYU

Demesne?

PRINCE ELIOS

Um…I think so. Anyway, she shouldn't be going out there without us!

Kakyu puts down her brush. She can see where this is heading.

PRINCESS KAKYU

You want to go after her…?

PRINCE ELIOS

Of course!

PRINCESS KAKYU

All right.

PRINCE ELIOS

Oh, come on, oneesan, I…what? Really?

PRINCESS KAKYU

I want to see for myself…that Ryoko is really gone.

Kakyu and Elios emerge onto the roof. They look around, somewhat guiltily. Nobody is in sight.

PRINCE ELIOS

Ready?

PRINCESS KAKYU

Ready.

They face each other and reach out one hand to one other, so that their fingers are almost touching.

ELIOS AND KAKYU

(together)

STAR TWINS POWER…MAKE-UP!

Stock transformation sequence. A vortex of energy surrounds the two, sweeping them up and merging them together, then fading away to reveal the slender, androgynous form of Sailor Asteroid.

Sailor Asteroid glances up at the sky.

SAILOR ASTEROID

Sailor Mercury…I'm coming.

S/he races across to the rooftop hangar and touches the palm-print reader. The doors begin to rumble open, revealing the ranks of mecha standing silently within. Sailor Asteroid runs to the Ceres, a sleek, electric pink unit. The front plastron slides open as Asteroid approaches, and s/he climbs in. As the plastron closes again, Ceres' eyes begin to glow.

SAILOR ASTEROID

CereCere…launch!

The deep hum of engines powering up. Ceres rises from the hangar floor, glides forward through the doors, and then shoots into the sky, leaving a trail of translucent pink that lingers for a second behind it.

Central Security is filled with glowing monitors showing images and digital readouts of a thousand locations. In the background, people huddle over the displays. In the foreground, Captain Seiya studies her own panel. She is fifty-ish, with slate-grey hair. There is a metal plate bolted on where her left eye should be. A glowing blue sensor is fitted in the middle of the eye-plate.

There is a sudden 'ding', and a light on her panel turns red. She stiffens, then touches a control. The panel shows a wire-frame detail of the roof-top hangar.

CAPTAIN SEIYA

Hel-lo. An unscheduled launch?

Princess Usagi is lounging on a couch, looking morose. Suddenly something casts a faint pink light across her face. She looks up, and we see from her POV: Ceres rising rapidly into the sky.

PRINCESS USAGI

CereCere? Where's Sailor Asteroid going?

Captain Seiya has been joined at the security desk by Captain Yaten.

CAPTAIN YATEN

You're sure it's the Ceres?

CAPTAIN SEIYA

Definitely. It could be support for Sailor Mercury's mission…?

CAPTAIN YATEN

Perhaps. You'd better inform the queen, just in case.

Pan across the roof for a moment. The hangar still stands open. After a few seconds, the stairwell door opens a crack, and a pair of pink odangos poke through. A few seconds later, Princess Usagi's head follows.

PRINCESS USAGI

(whispering)

Nobody's around.

(beat)

Sailor Asteroid…how could you go off and leave me behind?

She tip-toes across to the hangar in a very exaggerated I'm-being-sneaky way. Inside, she heads for the Star Pegasus, a towering, vaguely horse-shaped mecha. The chest plates open as she approaches it, and a ladder descends silently. Usagi is just beginning to climb when:

QUEEN SERENITY (O/S)

And where do you think you're going, young lady?

Usagi looks around to see the Queen standing in the stairwell door. Captains Yaten and Seiya are just behind her.

PRINCESS USAGI

Oh…drats.

Pause for a moment on the palace. Then, with a whoosh, Ceres roars into view from behind the camera (echoing the episode's opening shot), heading toward the palace.

Sailor Asteroid is seated in Ceres' control rig, arms and legs encased in control gauntlets and boots. A screen shows an exterior view of the Palace of Skulls.

SAILOR ASTEROID

Sailor Asteroid to Sailor Mercury…do you read me? Sailor Asteroid to Sailor Mercury…

Pull back as Ceres approaches the palace. A small asteroid drifts nearby—the same asteroid as in scene 19. We ZOOM IN to show the camera anchored to its surface is now tracking Ceres.

SAILOR ASTEROID (O/S)

Are you receiving me? Come in, Sailor Mercury.

A blip appears on Sailor Asteroid's screen. S/he touches a switch and the screen zooms in to show Sailor Mercury's Viper, drifting not far from the Palace of Skulls.

SAILOR ASTEROID

The airlock door is still open. Mercury must be inside the Palace…

Elios and Kakyu face each other against a blank background.

PRINCE ELIOS

We'd better go in and check she's okay.

PRINCESS KAKYU

No! I'm afraid…!

PRINCE ELIOS

But we have to. We're Sailor Asteroid.

Kakyu hesitates. Then her resolve firms.

PRINCESS KAKYU

All right. I'm ready.

Ceres' front plastron opens silently and Sailor Asteroid emerges. S/he leaps toward the Palace, drifting a few seconds in free-fall, head-first, before doing a showy flip to make a perfect landing before the main gate. S/he walks in without looking back.

Sailor Asteroid stands in the Throne Hall, looking around. S/he has a haunted expression.

PRINCESS KAKYU (V/O)

Ryoko's not here. She's really gone.

PRINCE ELIOS (V/O)

I told you.

PRINCESS KAKYU (V/O)

…All right. Let's find Sailor Mercury and get out of here.

Sailor Asteroid approaches the cleaning droid and steps past it with barely a glance. S/he moves on toward the end of the corridor.

SAILOR ASTEROID

(into communicator)

Sailor Asteroid to Sailor Mercury…do you read me? Sailor Asteroid to—

There is a sudden burst of static from the communicator.

SAILOR MERCURY

(distorted)

Sailor Asteroid—watch out—it's a trap—!

Another roar of static from the communicator, almost drowning out what could be a cry of pain. Then silence.

Sailor Asteroid whirls, and starts to sprint back the way s/he came. Suddenly the cleaning droid comes to life, moving to intercept. Asteroid raises a hand, and energy starts to collect there for an attack—

Too late. The same energy beam that hit Mercury lances down again. Asteroid screams—tries to fight off the attack. But the beam is relentless, following as s/he tries to evade it. With one last cry, Asteroid convulses and separates into Kakyu and Elios, who fall to the floor, unconscious.

The shadowy figure we saw earlier moves in silently toward them… and we

FADE TO BLACK

FADE IN:

At first all we see is a misty blur. Slowly this resolves into the face of Sailor Mercury, as seen from Elios' POV, looking directly into the camera.

SAILOR MERCURY

(fuzzy at first, then becoming clearer)

…lios? Prince Elios? Can you hear me? Are you all right?

PRINCE ELIOS

Uhh? Whaaa…?

SAILOR MERCURY

(looking away from him)

He's awake.

A small, featureless room. The floor, walls and roof are all bare metal. A closed door, with no handle or control pad, is on one wall.

Elios is lying on the floor, looking round. Sailor Mercury is kneeling by his side, with one hand on his forehead; Kakyu is hovering a little way off.

PRINCESS KAKYU

Elios! You're okay!

PRINCE ELIOS

Oneesan? What—what happened? Where are we?

SAILOR MERCURY

In a holding cell. I can't tell exactly where; the whole room is energy-screened, so my computer can't pick up much. I think we're still in the Palace of Skulls, though.

(beat)

You were taken prisoner the same way I was.

PRINCE ELIOS

Some kind of…ray…?

SAILOR MERCURY

That's right. Now, what on Earth are you two doing out here? Did the Queen send you?

PRINCESS KAKYU

No. We came on our own.

PRINCE ELIOS

I heard you were coming here and I wanted—

PRINCESS KAKYU

We wanted.

SAILOR MERCURY

That was very foolish of the two of you. Does anyone else know you came?

PRINCE ELIOS

No.

PRINCESS KAKYU

Who did this? Who attacked us? Was—was it Queen Ryoko?

SAILOR MERCURY

(startled)

Ryoko? Of course not! She was destroyed when the Alpha Fleet rebelled and joined us to attack the Palace of Skulls. Don't you remember?

PRINCE ELIOS

That's what I said.

PRINCESS KAKYU

But then who—

SAILOR MERCURY

I'm not sure. But there have been a number of unexplained disasters across the Solar System in the last few weeks. Strange alien forces attacked Titan and Rhea Base. When the senshi went to investigate, we drove off the attackers, but there was something else…a dark shadow that seemed to command them…that we could never quite catch.

As she speaks, we see a montage of the events she's describing, superimposed behind her face.

PRINCE ELIOS

(shivering)

A shadow?

SAILOR MERCURY

Yes. My computer scans at Rhea Base showed some kind of negative energy that I've never seen before. Our enemy may not come from this solar system…or even this universe.

Suddenly there is a strange, unearthly laugh—sinister, not "mad" —followed by a voice that seems to come from nowhere.

SHADOW VOICE

Very impressive, Sailor Mercury. But it's time for your little guessing games to end.

The cell door slides open. The cleaning droid enters…but now it has undergone a transformation of its own. It is bristling with weapons, all of them aimed at the three.

SHADOW VOICE

Step into my parlour…said the spider to the fly.

Slowly, the three raise their hands.

The three step into a huge control room, filled with banks of mysterious equipment. There is a faint glow of light from the equipment; some of the control consoles show patterns of lights, or viewscreens filled with incomprehensible data; but overall the chamber is very dark and gloomy.

Mercury, Kakyu and Elios stand for a moment, their hands behind their heads, staring around.

SAILOR MERCURY

What the…

PRINCE ELIOS

Wow…

A door at the far side of the room slides open, and a tall figure enters. It is roughly human-sized, but for now we can make out no features in the darkness. There are glints of light from where its eyes should be.

SHADOW

Welcome, Sailor Mercury…and the redoubtable star twins, Princess Kakyu and Prince Elios. Or should I say, Sailor Asteroid?

PRINCESS KAKYU

(gasps)

How did you—

PRINCE ELIOS

You can't—

SAILOR MERCURY

Who are you? What do you want?

SHADOW

What do I want? Why, you, Sailor Mercury. The information locked inside your head.

(beat)

I knew that if I made the lure subtle enough, you would be the one to come.

SAILOR MERCURY

What do you mean? What are you—

The shadow makes a sudden gesture. A beam of light spears down from the ceiling and engulfs Mercury. She is frozen in place with a cry of dismay. At the same time, a slim, deadly-looking weapon lowers down and trains itself on the twins.

SHADOW

(another sinister laugh)

And now, Sailor Mercury…you will give me the security codes to unlock the ginzuishou…or I will destroy the twins before your very eyes.

Close-up on Mercury. We can see the agony of indecision in her expression. Tense music. Reaction shots of the twins, their faces taut with fear.

PRINCESS KAKYU

Sailor Mercury! No!

PRINCE ELIOS

Don't do it!

SHADOW

Choose, Sailor Mercury! Will it be life…or death?

It begins to laugh again. Close-up on Mercury's face once more, as the tension music builds to a climax. She closes her eyes for a moment…then opens them once more, her expression resolute.

SAILOR MERCURY

I—

There is a sudden explosion of sound—dozens of alarms and warning signals going off, drowning out her words. The control stations all around the room are alight with flashing red and orange indicators. The alarms are so loud that we can barely hear the shadow's snarl of frustration.

SHADOW

What—?!

Start from a close-up on the palace; then pull back, and back, to finally reveal the vast shape of the royal command carrier, the Endymion, gliding majestically toward the palace.

After a moment a launch bay slides open, and three tiny shapes shoot out. As they accelerate away from the Endymion, zoom in once more to show they are Vipers.

Queen Serenity stands at a console on the bridge, tall, serene and elegant. The usual bridge bunnies are at their own consoles. Standing near the rear of the bridge is Captain Yaten, brawny arms folded across his massive chest. At his side, looking forlorn and depressed, is Princess Usagi.

A comm link to the three Vipers is open, and we can hear a buzz of chatter from the senshi, slightly distorted.

SAILOR VENUS (COMM)

Anything yet?

SAILOR JUPITER (COMM)

Nothing.

SAILOR MARS (COMM)

Are we sure this isn't a wild goose chase?

Asteroids drifting here and thee. Three Vipers loop and wheel between them, obviously searching.

SAILOR VENUS (COMM)

Just keep looking.

SAILOR VENUS (COMM)

Wait a minute…got something now. Hold on a sec… It's Mercury's Viper.

Close-up on Serenity's face. Sudden tension in her expression. In the background, Usagi is wide-eyed.

Sailor Mercury's Viper drifts as we saw it last. Venus' Viper is now nearby.

SAILOR VENUS (COMM)

The airlock is open. She's not here.

The Ceres drifts where Sailor Asteroid left it. Now another Viper draws near.

SAILOR MARS (COMM)

I've found the Ceres. Nobody here either. What did those stupid little kids think they were doing—?

A sudden gasp of dismay over the comm-link. Then:

SAILOR JUPITER (COMM)

I've found something too. Oh, no…

Sailor Jupiter's Viper has come to a halt. Jupiter is floating a short distance from the Viper. She is reaching out for an object half-invisible in shadow.

SAILOR JUPITER

It's…it's Mercury's Caduceus.

Close-up on the Caduceus as she speaks: an ornate short staff with the Mercury symbol on one end, and a small control pad mounted in the handle. There is a blackened area of carbon scoring part way along the staff.

SAILOR MARS (COMM)

But…for Mercury to lose it…

SAILOR JUPITER

It's been hit by some kind of energy beam.

(beat)

Mercury too, probably. She'd never drop it otherwise.

SAILOR VENUS (COMM)

She must be in the Palace. Her and Sailor Asteroid. We've got to go in after them.

QUEEN SERENITY (COMM)

Wait.

Quick close-ups on Venus', Mars' and Jupiter's faces. Over these, we hear Serenity's voice continue.

QUEEN SERENITY (COMM)

Come back aboard the Endymion. That's an order.

Captain Yaten is now working at a console to one side. Queen Serenity is looking over his shoulder.

CAPTAIN YATEN

Still no response from Sailor Mercury or Sailor Asteroid, Your Majesty. But from this close, we can detect the energy signature of the enemy— whoever it is.

Nearby, Captain Seiya at another console.

CAPTAIN SEIYA

The same negative energy as at Rhea Base.

Seiya and Yaten exchange grim looks.

The rear door hisses open and the three senshi enter. Jupiter is carrying the Caduceus. She leans it against the rear wall as she comes in, then moves forward to stand with the rest.

SAILOR VENUS

Why? Why can't we go in?

QUEEN SERENITY

It's obvious Sailor Mercury was hit by some kind of surprise attack. She must be a prisoner now.

SAILOR MARS

If she's alive.

Queen Serenity gives her a look. Mars blanches and falls back.

QUEEN SERENITY

If you go charging straight in, you'll only endanger Mercury and Asteroid. We have to find another way.

One of the bridge bunnies speaks up. She is, of course, young, cute and perky.

BRIDGE BUNNY A

Comm channel now open, your Majesty.

Queen Serenity goes to the comms console.

QUEEN SERENITY

This is Queen Serenity of the Crystal Millennium, calling the Palace of Skulls. Respond at once. Palace of Skulls, respond.

She continues to call. At the rear of the bridge, Usagi steps slowly toward the Caduceus and reaches out to touch it gingerly. She looks frightened.

QUEEN SERENITY

Palace of Skulls, respond immediately. Respond, or we will—

Suddenly we hear laughter—the same sinister, mocking laughter as we heard in the shadow control room. A second after the laughter begins, the main viewscreen on the bridge flickers and shows a dark, blurry image. Slowly, it begins to grow clearer as the shadow speaks.

SHADOW

Or you will what…Queen Serenity?

QUEEN SERENITY

Who are you?

The shadow becomes clear at last. A lean, male face wearing tinted glasses that reflect the light. He has a sharply-cut beard, and his face is set in a sadistic smirk.

SHADOW

I am Gendo…the Death Phantom.

Gendo stands before a huge viewscreen that shows Queen Serenity. The bridge of the Endymion is visible behind her.

He gestures behind him, to where Mercury, Kakyu and Elios all stand, imprisoned by the same columns of light that we saw trap Mercury before.

GENDO

And now, Queen Serenity…you will surrender to me…or watch your friends die…!

FADE TO BLACK

(Commercial break)

FADE IN:

Recap of the end of the last scene. On the Endymion's viewscreen, we can see Gendo, his face clear at last. Behind him, imprisoned in columns of light, are Mercury, Kakyu and Elios.

GENDO

I am Gendo…the Death Phantom.

Quick reaction shot of Serenity and the other three senshi. Shock, horror.

Back to the viewscreen.

GENDO

And now, Queen Serenity…you will surrender to me…or watch your friends die!

Pause. Then the lights on Mercury, Kakyu and Elios pulse, and Kakyu and Elios cry out in pain.

VENUS / JUPITER / MARS

(together)

No!
Stop! Don't!
You sonuva—

QUEEN SERENITY

(icy calm)

Silence.

The three shut up.

QUEEN SERENITY

Who are you? Why are you doing this?

GENDO

(laughs)

That, you will never learn.

(beat)

You have ten minutes to comply. After that…

The screen shimmers, then goes dark.

Gendo stands looking up at his own viewscreen, which now shows a distant image of the Endymion. He gives a cold laugh.

GENDO

Fools. I already know you won't surrender. But the threat will keep you busy…until I have what I need.

He touches a control, and the three columns of light wink out. Mercury, Kakyu and Elios slump to the floor, unconscious.

GENDO

Take them back to their cell. Then fetch the mind probe.

The cleaning droid moves ominously toward the three limp bodies. Gendo looks back up at the viewscreen for a moment, then touches another control.

GENDO

(to viewscreen)

There. That should give you something to think about.

As before. The screen now shows an external view of the palace. One of the bridge bunnies suddenly gasps.

BRIDGE BUNNY A

Look!

On the viewscreen, the palace has been surrounded by a defensive net: an intricate, ever-shifting web of energy, like a globe of arcing electricity that encloses the palace.

CAPTAIN YATEN

A defense web…

CAPTAIN SEIYA

Incredibly powerful.

SAILOR JUPITER

Could we make it through in our vipers?

Seiya taps a control, brings up a schematic of the palace and the web around it.

CAPTAIN SEIYA

Never. You'd be cut to pieces.

Close-up on Usagi.

PRINCESS USAGI

You're too big to get through…

SAILOR MARS

If we form the Omega Senshi, we could overpower the web.

SAILOR JUPITER

But we can't form the Omega Senshi without Sailor Mercury.

SAILOR VENUS

If Mercury still had her Caduceus she could get out. But…

Close-up on Usagi. Wide-eyed, she looks over at the Caduceus, still resting against the wall not far away, and then back to the screen.

Slowly fade the background bridge sounds, and the voices of the arguing senshi, down to a tense silence. Then:

PRINCESS USAGI

Kakyu…Elios…Sailor Mercury…

Sequence of quick shots from previous episodes, superimposed over Usagi's face as she remembers key scenes from the past. Each flashback scene is re-rendered in monochrome. We hear no audio from any of the scenes; just background music.

1. Usagi lies in bed, her face a ghastly colour, critically ill with the Pluto Plague. Sailor Mercury stands at her side, exhausted from days without sleep searching for a cure, and rests a cool hand on Usagi's forehead.

2. Usagi cowers in the throne room of the Palace of Skulls. Sailor Asteroid stands over her, grim and terrifying. In the background, seated on her throne, head thrown back, Queen Ryoko laughs wildly.

3. The ruins of Station Epsilon. Finally defeated, Sailor Asteroid falls at the feet of Sailor Jupiter. There is a sudden glow and s/he separates, becoming two weeping children, clutching each other. As Jupiter stares in shock, Princess Usagi steps timidly toward them.

4. The courtyard before the palace in Crystal Tokyo, during the attack of the Proton Warriors. Usagi, Kakyu and Elios crouch at the feet of Sailor Mercury, who is holding off the combined attacks of all five Warriors with her Caduceus Shield.

5. The bridge of the Endymion. On the viewscreen, the combined armada of Crystal Tokyo and the Alpha Fleet thunder in toward the doomed Palace of Skulls. In the foreground, their backs toward us, watching the screen, are Princess Usagi, between Kakyu and Elios. The three are holding hands.

6. A quick glimpse of the opening scene: Usagi, Kakyu and Elios riding their hover-boards through the spires of Crystal Tokyo.

The bridge background noise is back. Usagi glances around, suddenly resolute. Nobody is paying attention. She picks up the Caduceus and runs out.

Usagi runs down a corridor, clutching the Caduceus.

PRINCESS USAGI

(panting a little)

It's got to be there…she always locks it in the same place…

The room is impeccably clean and elegant. On the bedside table is a photograph of the Queen and her husband; but as always, a coincidental reflection makes it impossible to make out his face.

The door hisses open and Usagi runs in. She sprints to the wardrobe door and tries it. It is locked. She stamps in fury, and looks around the room, uncertain. Suddenly her eyes light up. She goes to the bed and gingerly lifts the corner of the mattress. There is a little silver key underneath.

PRINCESS USAGI

Oh, Mama!

She snatches it up, runs back to the wardrobe, and unlocks it. The door swings open…revealing three hover-boards.

Silence for two or three seconds. Then a hatch glides open, and a tiny figure shoots out: Usagi, riding her hover-board, the Caduceus still firmly tucked under her arm.

Once out of the ship, she glides to a halt, orients herself…and then darts away, directly toward the Palace of Skulls.

The discussion on what to do next is still raging. Suddenly there is the chime of an alert from the computer.

BRIDGE BUNNY A

Your Majesty…!

They all turn to look. The bridge bunny adjusts the controls, and the viewscreen zooms in to show Usagi heading for the defense web.

SAILOR JUPITER

No!

SAILOR MARS

She'll be killed!

QUEEN SERENITY

Usagi—!

SAILOR VENUS

No, wait! There's a chance. She's small…if she can just move fast enough…

They watch, tense.

Usagi nears the perimeter of the defense web. Crawling, ever-shifting arcs of energy are everywhere. It seems impossible to avoid them all. At the last instant, Usagi suddenly ducks to the left, then sharply cuts upward and to the right, between two strands of energy, and enters the web.

Sequence of confusing, rapid, fast-cut shots from odd angles. Usagi twists and turns wildly, her moves as fast as lightning, displaying phenomenal control of her hover-board, as she passes through a constantly-shifting maze of energy.

The inner side of the web around the palace. Usagi suddenly bursts out of the web, flying nearly upside-down at high speed, and cuts to the right just in time to avoid slamming into the palace wall. Without pausing, she turns again and zooms through the main gate.

Usagi flies along the hall, slowing a little.

PRINCESS USAGI

Now, if I were a death phantom, where would I have my prisoners…?

Suddenly, there is a glow from her arms. The Caduceus is pulsing with a faint light.

PRINCESS USAGI

Of course! It's reacting to Sailor Mercury! It will show me the way!

She puts on speed again.

Usagi flies through at high speed. The Caduceus is glowing a little brighter.

The cleaning droid is nowhere to be seen. The defense web can be seen, pulsing and flaring, through the hole in the wall and roof.

Usagi flies down the corridor, the Caduceus glowing brightly.

The same cell as before, but there is now a row of three chairs set against the far wall. Elios, Kakyu and Mercury are seated in them, held in place by straps on their wrists and ankles. A metal helmet, covered with sinister flashing lights, is on Mercury's head; it is connected to a large, complex device. The cleaning droid is nearby, linked to this device by a heavy cable.

A row of lights on the front of the droid begin to pulse. The lights on the device, and on Mercury's helmet, pulse in sync. Mercury screams in agony.

SAILOR MERCURY

No! no! Aaaaah!

PRINCESS KAKYU

Stop it! Please stop!

PRINCE ELIOS

Help! Anybody…

Gendo's voice comes from a speaker on the wall.

GENDO (V/O)

Spare yourself the pain, Sailor Mercury. Stop resisting the mind probe. Just give me the infomation I require.

SAILOR MERCURY

N-never…

GENDO (V/O)

Very well. You force my hand.

(beat)

Increase to power level nine.

The lights flash faster.

SAILOR MERCURY

Aaahhhhh!

Suddenly the door bursts open. Usagi flies in on her hover-board and stares, aghast, at the scene.

PRINCE ELIOS

Usagi?!

The cleaning droid begins to turn in Usagi's direction. She moves forward quickly, and slams the Caduceus down on its "head". There is a burst of energy; the cleaning droid's lights go out, and it freezes. Mercury sags back into her chair, looking semi-conscious.

PRINCESS KAKYU

Hurry! Get us out of these!

Usagi is already moving. She hops off her board, and quickly releases the three.

PRINCESS USAGI

We've got to move fast! Quick, everybody…

Not far away, an alarm siren begins to wail.

Gendo is studying an indecipherable computer display on a monitor labelled "MIND PROBE". He looks up, startled, as the alarm sounds.

GENDO

What the—?

Kakyu and Elios have become Sailor Asteroid again. Usagi, Mercury and Asteroid are now floating, in an awkward balancing act, on the hover-board: Usagi in front; Mercury (still looking woozy) behind her, with her arms around Usagi; and Asteroid holding on rather precariously at the rear.

PRINCESS USAGI

Let's go!

SAILOR ASTEROID

(strained voice)

And hurry, please…

The board begins to move out the door. It gradually picks up speed, but it is still moving much slower than before.

The four wobble down the corridor on the hover-board, moving a little faster now. Suddenly, at the end of the corridor, Gendo appears.

GENDO

Stop where you are! You fools…if you think I'll let you escape so—

SAILOR ASTEROID

No! Not this time!

S/he drops from the rear of the hover-board, touching wrist-bands together with the usual chiming sound and spark of energy.

SAILOR ASTEROID

Asteroid Power! Form of a laser!

A beam of energy shoots from the wrist-bands, striking the roof over Gendo's head. With a loud rumble, the roof collapses.

GENDO

Aaah—!

Gendo is apparently buried. Sailor Asteroid sprints to catch up to the hover-board, leaping onto the rear.

SAILOR ASTEROID

Now, Princess! Let's get out of here!

PRINCESS USAGI

Right.

She banks to the right, and the hover-board shoots out through the hole in the wall.

Outside the hold in the wall. The hover-board hurtles out, directly toward the defense web. Sudden terror on the board-riders' faces.

SAILOR ASTEROID

Look out!

PRINCESS USAGI

No! We're going too slow—I won't be able to dodge fast enough!

SAILOR MERCURY

My Caduceus! Quick!

Usagi slaps the Caduceus into Mercury's hands (which are still looped around Usagi's neck). At the last instant before they run into the web, Mercury closes her hands around the shaft of the device.

Suddenly the four of them, and the hover-board, are surrounded by a pearly shell of light. They pass into the web—and the deadly arcs of energy glance off the shell harmlessly. A moment later, the four are lost to view.

Quick shot of the four, barely visible within the Caduceus Shield, racing through the web.

The pile of rubble that buried Gendo. Ominous chords. Suddenly a black-gloved hand shoots out of the pile.

The four shoot free of the web. The Caduceus Shield flickers off. They coast for a moment, then bank around and head toward the Endymion.

The viewscreen shows the four, heading for home. Everyone shouts for joy. General relief. A quick glimpse of Queen Serenity, her face shining with pride.

Close-up on the Queen.

QUEEN SERENITY

Now, my senshi!

Action music. The senshi leap into their Vipers. One by one, the Vipers launch into space.

The four Vipers loop around the Endymion. As they do, the Endymion begins to reconfigure itself. With whines of power and solid metallic clunking sounds, the front section tilts up, the rear section separating and reshaping itself. One by one, the Vipers slot themselves into place in the transforming ship.

SAILOR VENUS

Sailor Venus—lock!

SAILOR JUPITER

Sailor Jupiter—lock!

SAILOR MERCURY

Sailor Mercury—lock!

SAILOR MARS

Sailor Mars—lock!

ALL FOUR

(together)

Senshi Power!

The Endymion, and the docked vipers, have become a giant humanoid figure—yes, a female one—floating in space.

Gendo races furiously down the corridor.

The cockpit of the giant figure. Queen Serenity is in the pilot's seat. (Everyone else on the bridge earlier has mysteriously—and conveniently—vanished.)

QUEEN SERENITY

Omega Senshi—Activate!

She draws out the ginzuishou and pushes it into a prominent socket on the control panel. All around her, displays suddenly light up, and there is a rising hum of power.

Close-up on the head of the transformed ship—the Omega Senshi. Its eyes suddenly glow a blinding silver.

The Omega Senshi raises a vast sceptre, glittering with power.

Queen Serenity places her hands on the control yokes.

QUEEN SERENITY

Omega Retribution Strike!

A titanic vortex of power shoots out from the Omega Senshi's sceptre.

The vortex strikes the defense web surrounding the palace. The web glows brilliantly—holds for a second—then collapses with a flare of energy. The vortex hammers into the palace.

We see the Palace of Skulls in the distance; the Omega Senshi is closer, to one side. The Palace explodes with a blinding flash; the Omega Senshi is silhouetted against the light.

As the glare fades, we catch a brief glimpse of something small and dark, darting away from the destruction.

A small, dimly-lit pod. Outside the front window, the stars wheel and spin crazily. Gendo is seated at the controls.

GENDO

Curse you, Serenity!

Outside, the stars steady as he brings the pod under control.

GENDO

That was the least powerful of my bases! You've set me back by a few days—no more. And when I return…

Again, the sinister laugh.

The escape pod recedes into the distance.

FADE TO BLACK

FADE IN:

The senshi, plus Usagi, Kakyu and Elios, are clustered around Queen Serenity.

SAILOR JUPITER

He got away, then?

SAILOR MERCURY

I'm afraid so. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of him.

SAILOR VENUS

Huh. Figures.

PRINCESS USAGI

But why was he attacking us? What did he want?

SAILOR MARS

Oh, what does it matter? If he shows up again, we'll just pound him again.

QUEEN SERENITY

For once, Sailor Mars, you're right. This "Death Phantom" captured one of my senshi, and threatened those I love.

(she rests a hand on the heads of Kakyu and Elios, and looks over at Mercury)

If my daughter hadn't saved you, all three of you might be dead.

Usagi looks up at her, eyes shining.

QUEEN SERENITY

His deeds cannot be forgiven. In the name of the Moon…he will be punished.

PRINCESS USAGI

(cheering)

We'll beat him!

PRINCE ELIOS

Yeah, and me, too!

They all look down at him. As he blushes scarlet, everybody laughs.

FADE TO BLACK