Blake's 7 (1978) s03e01 Episode Script

(THEME MUSIC) (INTENSE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) Enemy strategy is now confirmed.
Battle computers indicate full alien counterattack is underway.
Battle Commander, squadron six, to flagship.
Star One is destroyed.
Do you copy? Repeat.
Aliens have destroyed Star One.
Flagship, do you copy? (INTENSE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC CONTINUES) System malfunction on Blocks 2 and 3.
Vila, go check the life support capsules.
- On my way.
- Zen.
Status report.
Damage to the navigation computers is beyond the present capacity of the auto-repair systems.
The teleport malfunction is now total.
Automatic shutdown has been implemented.
That's all right.
Avon.
The life capsules are operational.
Let's get out while we still can.
Avon.
Up in the sky.
Look! This is the day that was prophesied.
The day our law foretold.
They will come from the sky to destroy us.
They will burn the stars to light their way.
We must be prepared.
Look! It begins.
Hunt them down.
Destroy the strangers.
Hunt them down and kill them.
Kill them! Damage control estimates breakdown is now beyond the capacity of auto-repair systems in all areas.
Serious malfunction in life support would indicate evacuation by life capsule a Priority 1 requirement.
We've got to get out of here.
Where have you been? Where have you been? - Blake didn't want to leave.
- Well, I do.
I'm surprised you're still here.
Where's Jenna? Do we have to wait for her? - Jenna's gone with Blake.
- So let's get on with it.
He's out cold.
We must get him into a capsule fast.
And then you can put Orac in with him.
Come on, quick.
I've only got one pair of hands, you know.
Confirmation is now accepted.
Computers recommend immediate evacuation by life capsule.
He should be all right.
He won't be able to operate the launch button.
We can do it on remote.
Come on.
- All right? - Yes.
Damage control estimates total failure of life-support system in 39 seconds.
It won't open! I'll check the overrides.
Life-support systems will cease to operate in 20 seconds.
The relay's tripped.
I'll have to reset it.
Hold this.
17, 16, 15 Hurry up.
14, 13, 12 Get on with it.
10, 9 Too fast.
Too fast.
Going to burn up.
Orac, you'll have to handle it.
Instruct the computer.
Get us down.
Get us down.
That was close.
- Are we the only ones who got out? - Could well be, sir.
Most of my section were dead before we hit.
Have you any idea where we are, sir? Planet called Sarran, I think.
I wasn't able to get a firm fix.
- Does it matter? - No, sir.
I'm very grateful to be out of the battle.
And alive.
Do you know how many alien ships were confirmed killed? Five hundred at the last count, sir.
- I heard it was nearer six.
- Six hundred? Historic victory, that's what they'll call it.
- How does it feel to have made history? - Very painful, sir.
We lost over 80% of the fleet, you know.
Eighty percent? We only won because there were more of us than there were of them.
If you call that winning.
There's another one of them.
- Did you see what it was, sir? - Life capsule, I think.
- Yeah, but was it one of ours? - Couldn't tell.
I'd be very careful if I were you, sir.
There could be some alien survivors down.
We're all right.
We're out of the war, now.
Come on.
(DRAMATIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) Dismount.
Are you feeling better? Not really.
But at least I'm still alive.
If I was dead, I don't think I'd have this blinding headache.
What was that for? Curiosity.
I'm all in favour of healthy curiosity.
I hope yours isn't satisfied too easily.
I think you've cured my headache.
- What's your name? - Avon.
You are very beautiful, Avon.
So are you.
Dayna.
Are you a native of this planet? The ones who tried to kill you are the natives.
Do I look like them? - So where do you come from? - I was born on Earth.
My father brought me here when I was a baby.
Are there many Earth people here? - Just father and myself.
- Just the two of you? And Lauren.
She's of this planet but she's lived with us since she was a child.
Three of you.
How do you survive? The natives, what do you call them? - The Sarrans.
- The Sarrans don't seem exactly friendly.
They don't trouble us much.
Father says they were a problem when we first arrived.
Now they leave us alone.
They're afraid of us.
They're afraid of me, particularly.
Presumably, it's the bow and arrow.
I like the ancient weapons.
The spear, the sword, the knife.
They demand more skill.
When you fight with them, conflict becomes more personal.
- More exciting.
- More dangerous.
Of course.
Without danger there's no pleasure.
That must limit your range of pleasures a bit.
- You're feeling stronger.
- Yes, I am.
I'll take you to our base.
- Is it far? - No.
You should manage it.
- Orac! - What? When you found me, I had a box with me, about this size.
- There was nothing.
- Then it must still be in the life capsule.
You have got to take me back to the place where you found me.
Now.
Come.
- We must keep moving.
- No, just a minute.
Look.
It's safe now, we can go on.
You are very good at this.
I told you.
I enjoy it.
Don't you? I have had enough excitement for a while.
Right now, a little boredom wouldn't come amiss.
Right.
Come on.
It's all right.
There it is.
I'll get it.
Wait.
You keep watch.
Avon! You fight well.
Only when I have to.
What are you doing? - He's your enemy.
- He's no danger now.
Leave him.
If the situation was reversed, he would have killed you.
His friends might still manage it.
Leave him.
I should have killed him.
Open transmission for immediate relay to Federation fleet command.
Message begins.
Escort Group 9 destroyed en route to main battle zone.
President Servalan forced down on planet Sarran.
Rescue is now your first priority.
Repeat, rescue takes precedence over everything.
Message ends.
Acknowledge transmission.
Answer me, damn you! Dayna! That's what Chel does to those he doesn't like.
- Chel? - The leader of the Sarrans.
Shakar! This way.
- Can I help you? - I'm all right.
How much further? You'll see it in a moment.
Come.
There.
I don't see anything.
- The sea! - I can see the sea.
That is our base.
You live underneath it? - In it.
- In it? Listen, I'm not very keen on water sports, even at the best of times.
Don't worry.
This is not the best of times.
You won't even get your feet wet.
Wait here.
I'll check it's safe to go on.
I hope she's not totally insane.
Under these circumstances, that could be a little bit embarrassing.
Stay quite still.
Servalan.
You don't sound surprised.
Why should I be? It has a perverse kind of logic to it.
Our meeting is the most unlikely happening I could imagine.
Therefore, we meet.
Surprise seems inappropriate somehow.
Stand up.
Over there.
Where are Blake and the others? I haven't the remotest idea.
I'm not even sure that they're alive.
I was unconscious.
Somebody must have got me into a life capsule.
And Orac with you.
I shall need Orac.
Where's your ship? Plastered over a large area of this miserable planet.
You should've stayed at Space Command Headquarters.
The battle was virtually over.
A personal appearance is always good politics.
Especially for a new president.
Congratulations.
Why don't you put away the gun? - Why should I? - Good politics? I'd need a better reason.
How about an arrow through the head? If she fires, the chances are that I would still pull the trigger.
Do you want to risk it? It's out of my hands.
Perhaps we can come to some arrangement.
Then you'd better come to it quickly.
I've no arrows left for them.
In the circumstances, I suggest we forget our differences.
Give me the gun.
That won't stop them.
It's empty.
It's a great pity that you and I have always been on opposite sides, Servalan.
You can talk later.
Now we must hurry.
(TENSE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) Hurry! Leave him! A space vehicle grounded on the seabed.
It was designed as a fixed orbit station.
My father landed it here more than 20 years ago.
Putting it under the surface gave it the best possible camouflage.
And it worked.
They looked for us, but they never found us.
Until now.
The Sarrans? They were never the real problem.
What's your father's name? Hal Mellanby.
- Mean anything to you? - No.
- I will tell my father you are here.
- Thank you.
I would like to clean up, if I may.
And perhaps you could find me something to wear? Of course.
Come with me.
Welcome.
You're Avon.
Dayna told me you were here.
I'm Hal Mellanby.
Good to meet you.
Thank you for your hospitality.
You've been involved in the war.
You could say that.
We were damaged, had to abandon our ship.
- Come and sit down.
- Thank you.
You're not alone in losing your ship.
The losses on both sides have been tremendous.
I've been monitoring the status transmissions.
Did we win? Still very confused, but there's not much doubt the aliens were virtually wiped out.
The price was high enough, but at least we got what we paid for.
You almost didn't.
It was a close-run thing.
What's left of the Federation fleet, which isn't much is scattered halfway across the galaxy.
I'd say the Federation's in a lot of trouble.
It's difficult to sustain a military dictatorship when you've lost most of the military.
I only hope Blake survived long enough to realise that he was winning both wars.
Blake? You were with Blake? Yes, though it hardly seems to matter now.
If it ever did.
If it mattered? Blake and the Liberator? I've been hearing reports for the last couple of years.
- You were magnificent.
- Not from where I was sitting.
You're doubly welcome here, Avon.
We have something in common, too.
We're both fugitives from the Federation.
- Dayna told me you had enemies.
- I've been hiding here a long time.
- What was your crime? - It wasn't a crime.
But there's still a price on my head: Three million credits.
- You must be very special.
- I constituted a threat to them.
Then I'm afraid by asking us to come here you may have put yourself in danger.
The woman who was with me is Supreme Commander Servalan.
She may even be President Servalan by now.
Servalan? I've heard of her.
Yes, she came into power some years after my defection.
It's possible she doesn't remember my case.
Don't count on it.
Servalan has a long memory.
If it comes to the point I shall take whatever action is necessary to protect my freedom.
For her sake, it would be better that she doesn't remember.
Will this be all right? I think it should fit you.
Very attractive.
A little old-fashioned, and not my colour, but it'll do very nicely.
- Not too young for you? - I don't think so, do you? I find unsophisticated clothes quite amusing like unsophisticated people.
Obvious, but amusing.
You say you've been here quite a long time? Since I was a small child.
It must be very boring for you.
Not at all.
There never seems to be enough time.
I have my tutorials with the computers.
I like hunting and walking, and I work with my father.
Doing what? We design and develop defence systems.
Really? That must be fascinating.
For whom do you develop these systems? Other exiles, like yourselves? We're not exiles.
We chose to come here.
But I thought you said you were in hiding that the Federation was searching for you.
I didn't mention the Federation.
How pretty.
Why else would you hide? A Federation citizen need fear nothing.
Do you really believe that? Of course, the Federation exists to protect its people.
- Even from themselves? - I don't understand.
Is it a crime to be independent? Father wanted independence.
The Federation refused him permission to leave Earth so he had to leave secretly.
And this burning desire for independence.
Was this his only reason for leaving Earth? What do you mean? To hide away for 20-odd years on some remote outer planet seems a trifle obsessive.
Was there some other reason for his running away? No.
A Federation citizen who fails to register a change of location commits only a minor offence.
Only a small fine is imposed.
It must have been something more important than that to stop you returning home.
There's nothing else.
We just don't want to go back, that's all.
We're not criminals.
We're not hiding.
We stay here because we want to.
You mustn't let me upset you.
It's just that I'm fascinated by your life here.
I'm so grateful to you.
I don't know what I would have done without you.
You saved my life.
And that's a debt I want to repay.
So, I hope we're going to be friends.
I hope so, too.
Is there anything else I can get for you? Thank you, no.
You've already been more than kind.
Then you finish changing.
I'll wait for you in the main section.
I'll be with you in just a few moments.
Hal Mellanby.
Hold this.
- A test firing area.
- That's right.
Try it.
Impressive.
It seemed to aim itself.
I felt it pulling my hand around to the target.
The weapon has programmable memory.
You preset an image of the target and it automatically lines up on it.
- Remarkable.
- A useful piece of equipment.
How long did it take you to develop this? I didn't.
That one was Dayna's project.
She has a genius with weaponry systems, and that isn't just a father's pride.
And yet with all this to choose from she still goes around with a bow and arrows.
She takes absurd risks.
I try to discourage her, but she's trying to prove to herself that there's no weapon, ancient or modern, that she can't master.
Forgive me asking, but that device you're wearing This? It's an image amplifier.
Before I left Earth, I was taken in for questioning by Federation Security.
They suspected me of supplying weapons to resistance groups.
And they were right.
Anyway, in persuading me to talk, they were slightly overzealous.
They destroyed my optic nerves.
This gives me partial vision.
- I'm sorry.
- No need.
It's an attitude of the mind.
Most men see only what they want to see.
The difference in my case is that I know that my vision is limited.
(LOUD BANGING) - What is it? - I don't know.
(BANGING CONTINUES) Do you hear it, Father? Any idea where it came from? There's nothing inside the ship.
Avon, this is Lauren, my adopted daughter.
She and Dayna grew up together.
- There it is again.
- Check the surface scan.
- That's the north shore.
- Nothing there.
Try the west shore.
Nothing there, either.
- What's happening, Father? - We don't know.
We're checking.
Lauren, try the south shore.
Sarrans.
That's the main entry lock.
(AVON) Will it hold? (HAL) I'm not sure.
They've got metal tools and the intelligence to use them properly.
Given time, they could open it.
I wonder what's made them so determined suddenly.
Survivors, like me, probably.
We'll go out through the other hatch.
Get round behind them.
Then we'll have a clear field of fire.
Wipe them out with one volley.
No, Dayna! Will you never understand? - We take life only in the last extreme.
- They look fairly extreme to me.
We'll use vitashock weapons.
They will be painful enough to drive them off without causing any permanent injury.
I'll get the guns from the armoury.
Dayna and I don't agree on some issues.
How can I agree? It contradicts everything I've done all my life.
We've made the most sophisticated weapons ever known.
- They are designed to kill.
- No, Dayna! They have no other purpose.
Yet you tell me they should never be used? Does that make sense Avon? I seldom comment on other people's ethics.
Dayna.
You stay here, Avon.
We can handle it.
Come on, Dayna.
Orac, I want a status report on the Liberator.
The ship has sustained considerable damage but is now operating at 54% of normal capacity.
This is increasing rapidly as the auto-repair systems complete their functions.
Can you give me a direct voice link with the Zen computer? Wait.
Come on, Orac.
Communicators have locked on to your voice-beam channel.
Transmission may begin.
Zen, this is Avon.
Have you any information about the rest of the crew? Direct instructions have been received from Blake.
Where is he? Is he safe? He reports he's uninjured.
A locator malfunction at the time of transmission made it impossible to calculate his exact position.
The others? Routine message interception indicates that Jenna is now on a hospital ship.
Her injuries are superficial.
What was the destination of the hospital ship? That information was unclear.
All right.
What about Vila and Cally? There has been no communication from either of them.
Is the teleport in operation? Repairs will be complete in two hours and 34 minutes.
How soon can you bring the Liberator into teleport range? Eight hours is the estimated time.
Try and improve on that.
Enter orbit with teleport facility set for random pickup.
- Confirmed.
- Keep listening out for Vila or Cally.
If either of them come in, give their pickup priority over mine.
Confirmed.
That's about all.
Keep feeding reports through Orac.
Information.
A space vehicle has been registering on the detectors.
Visual scan now indicates that it is approaching the Liberator.
Present status suggests the vehicle will attempt docking beside port entry.
- Can you identify it? - Negative.
- Is there any voice contact? - Negative.
- Is it still coming? - Confirmed.
Full function has been restored on Liberator weaponry systems.
The vehicle can be destroyed on your order.
Do it.
No, wait.
It could be Vila or Cally getting back.
- Let it dock.
- Confirmed.
(SUSPENSEFUL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) Zen, report! Further communication with the Liberator is impossible.
I must know if anyone boards the Liberator.
That is vital.
The information is not available.
- Re-establish contact as soon as possible.
- Of course I will.
Avon, you look worried.
Do I? And I thought you were the one who had conquered emotion replaced feeling with logic.
- I don't care what you thought.
- You are worried, aren't you? Skip the psychology, Servalan.
It is not your strong point.
You think not? You could be right.
After all, we're very alike, you and I.
I doubt that.
You are ambitious, ruthless.
You want power and you'd never let conscience stand in the way of achieving it.
You overestimate me.
You have one other quality I admire very much.
Yes? You are infinitely corruptible.
You'd sell out anybody, wouldn't you? I don't know.
I never really had an offer I felt was worthy of me.
Then see if you can find us a drink.
We have things to talk about.
Set for minimum power.
Dayna, set minimum.
Continuous burst.
Fire! Cease firing.
Dayna, I said stop.
They'll come back.
When they do, we'll give them another blast.
Couple more times and they'll come to associate this area with pain.
Then they'll leave it alone.
They're starting to edge back.
Let them get close.
I'm going to be honest with you.
That should be mildly disconcerting.
I know the Liberator is on its way here to pick you up.
What makes you think that? I was hiding over there.
I heard every word.
I see.
Go on.
My only chance of getting off this planet is if I can make contact with a serviceable Federation ship.
That possibility seems fairly remote.
Surely not.
Once they realise the President is marooned they'll be coming in droves.
I don't think so.
You see, there's something you probably don't know.
Star One was destroyed.
- Are you sure? - Positive.
An alien counterattack.
It took us by surprise.
They reduced the entire planet to so much space debris.
Nothing survived.
And Star One was the basis of Federation power.
- It controlled everything.
- Exactly.
And now it's gone, so is most of the Federation.
From now on there will be chaos in the star systems.
No central control, no unifying force.
Over half the civilised planets left to their fate.
So Blake's rabble finally get freedom of choice.
- He won after all.
- Forget Blake.
You have control of the Liberator now.
There's no more powerful ship in the galaxy.
You have Orac.
Avon! Don't you see what that means? You tell me about it.
You could rebuild it all.
All those worlds could be yours, Avon.
They're there for the taking.
You and I could build an empire, greater and more powerful than the Federation ever was or ever could have been.
Now, Avon.
At this moment we can take history and shape it in our own image.
Think of it.
Absolute power.
There is nothing you can imagine that we couldn't do.
I am thinking of it.
We can do it, Avon.
I know we can.
We'll be answerable to no one.
Ours will be the only voice.
Imagination our only limit.
(ROMANTIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) (TENSE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) Imagination my only limit? I'd be dead in a week.
(SARRANS SCREAMING IN FEAR) I think they've learned their lesson.
Good.
Let's get back.
Lauren? - I'll stay awhile longer, just in case.
- They won't be back.
It won't hurt to wait awhile longer.
When I'm sure it's safe, I want to go and look at the entry lock - see if they've done any damage.
- I'll stay with you.
There's no need.
I can handle it, Dayna.
- All right, but don't take any chances.
- I won't.
- Keep your head down.
- I always do.
The light that brings pain came from those rocks.
I saw movement there.
When night comes, we'll circle that place, and destroy them that would harm us.
So you have very little to fear from Servalan.
There is no real Federation anymore.
It's unlikely that anyone will come looking for you.
You won't have to hide any longer.
It's odd.
For the last 20 years, that's all I dreamed of.
Freedom to do what I want, go where I want.
Now that I've got it, I'm not sure what to do with it.
(AVON) Thank you.
Will you leave this planet? I don't know.
I won't make any decision in a hurry.
That's probably wise.
But no matter what I do, I think it would be good for Dayna to get away from here.
She should experience other worlds, other people.
She could have some surprises coming.
She's an intelligent girl.
She'll adapt quickly.
I'm sure she will.
I'm going to bed, Father.
I could also do with some rest.
It'll be a few hours before the Liberator gets here.
Is it still on its way? I haven't re-established voice contact.
Orac is tracking it.
It's on course.
So you should be leaving us soon after dawn.
That's the plan.
I'll be sure you're awake in plenty of time.
- Thank you.
Good night.
- Night.
Aren't you going to bed? I'll wait up for Lauren.
She won't be long.
Sleep well.
- Good night.
- Night.
Good night, Dayna.
(DAYNA) I hope you sleep well.
(AVON) I'll see you before I go.
Welcome back to your people.
Move away from it.
You're welcome to leave, but you're not taking Orac with you.
Just what were you planning? It's quite simple.
If I have Orac, Avon will agree to whatever terms I offer him.
He can't control the Liberator's teleport without it.
It was a good idea.
I hadn't counted on anyone being here.
- We all make mistakes.
- That's true.
You did yourself, once, didn't you? You see, I finally remembered who you are.
- That was all a long time ago.
- But not forgotten.
You led a revolt that took more than three weeks to suppress.
It cost a lot of Federation lives.
And the lives of virtually everyone who followed me.
You knew the consequences of what you were attempting.
Yes, and when we failed, we made an honourable surrender.
We were promised fair trial.
Instead, the security forces massacred everyone.
Men, women, and children.
That night I watched them all die.
My own wife, my friends everybody.
Everybody but you.
Hasn't that ever made you feel guilty? Of course it has.
I've lived with guilt most of my life.
I should have died with them, but I had a chance of saving Dayna.
I took it.
They branded you a coward.
Your name was universally despised.
Might have been true.
I've never been sure.
Still, it's all over now.
The Federation is finished.
You have nothing to fear anymore.
Nothing to fear.
Mellanby.
Over here, Mellanby.
(INTENSE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) You're still a loser, aren't you? You were then, you are now.
You don't win wars by running away and hiding.
Dayna! Avon! Servalan.
Orac! Father! He got away from here after all.
- Take this.
Ready? - Yes.
- Then let's find her.
- Wait a minute.
Take this bracelet.
Liberator is due here at anytime.
If things go right, it could be your only way out.
I'm going nowhere until Servalan is dead.
Unless we find Orac, neither am I.
Then we're agreed.
Let's get started.
Lauren, too.
What's left? Servalan.
We must find her.
Now! Lauren.
Listen, her tracks show that she came this way.
There are Sarran tracks as well.
They're following her.
We must get to her before they do.
(SUSPENSEFUL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) Let's try and get a bit closer.
I can kill her from here.
She's well within range.
No, wait a minute.
- Why wait? - Because I can't see Orac.
What would the Sarrans want with Orac? It is of no value to them.
Exactly.
They may have left it where they captured her.
Only Servalan knows.
It's a weapon many times more powerful than yours.
You've seen what it can do.
It is strong, but there is only one.
But there are many more.
I can get them for you, show you how to use them.
You lie.
Weapons like that would make you invincible.
Akran! I'm going to kill her now while I've got the chance.
No, Orac is our only hope.
We have got to get her out of there.
Give me a few minutes to get down there, then start firing.
Cause as much panic and confusion as you can but keep your fire away from Servalan.
All right.
I don't want you telling me afterwards that it was an accident.
- Thanks.
- You're welcome.
There they are, man.
Get after them! (TENSE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) We don't have too much time.
Where is Orac? - Safe.
- Where? - Let's talk about what I get in return.
- You got your life.
Naturally, I'm grateful.
But it's not enough.
- You're in no position to bargain.
- But I am.
Without Orac you're helpless, and you know it, don't you, Avon? - What is it you want? - Passage off this planet.
When the Liberator comes in, I want to teleport up with you.
No.
Then we all stay here together.
Be sensible, I'm not asking you to give me the Liberator.
Just take me to the nearest civilised planet and put me down.
- You have nothing to lose.
- All right, I agree.
Now where is Orac? No, Avon.
No, it's not that simple.
We know each other far too well.
- There are conditions.
- Go on.
First of all, I want a gun.
No.
There is only one.
I only want one.
Convince her.
A teleport bracelet? I'll give it to you when we have Orac.
You will give it to me now.
- You have another? - Yes.
Good.
Then I think I can say we're in business.
You've got what you wanted, Servalan.
Don't expect admiration as well.
There is one thing, perhaps, you haven't accounted for.
I don't think so.
I'm going to kill you.
Sooner or later.
Where is Orac? I hid it near the entry lock.
All right, where is it? Buried over there.
Report! Liberator's navigation systems are locked on to this location.
I will operate the teleport the moment the ship moves into range.
All right, we'll be standing by.
Stay where you are.
A pity, Avon.
I was willing to share with you.
Killing us at this point was always part of your plan.
That's why I gave you the faulty bracelet.
You're lying.
Look at the casing.
It's cracked right across.
Get the bracelet.
(INTENSE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) Bracelet.
Stop! Servalan, I made you a promise, and I'm going to keep it.
Stop! (DRAMATIC INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) Are you all right? Yes.
When we first met, you said there was no pleasure without danger.
Do you still feel that way? I think I can do without excitement for a little while.
Good.
Let's get to the flight deck.
A lot is to be done.
I have to locate the others and pick them up.
Wait! Summary execution is the usual punishment for boarding a Federation ship without authority.
What are you doing on my ship? (THEME MUSIC)