The Boo-Ya!, Season 2- Issue 9: Part 1.2

Page 3

3.1: They glance back at our protagonists as the doors close in the background with a mournful glint in their eyes as they begin to reply.

TA PRIVATE Alright. Not sure what else there is for you to learn. I don’t really consider my story all that different or unique than most other grunts. At least, those who signed on voluntarily…

3.2: Cut to the closed elevator door, displaying in a series of images that tell the Private’s life starting from the lower class lifestyle through to the sickness in the family all as they thrive in schooling. It ends with them talking to an Army recruiter about volunteering, followed by a General forcefully dragging them out of a college classroom to fight on O’Julana.

3.3: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. The images fade as the doors open back up a short time later, revealing the near mid-day sky and sunshine above said bunker.

ROBIN (Off-Panel) Bloody hell…!

3.4: Action shot of the group heading out in a line toward the Jumper ship a beat later; the Private toward the center-left area, adding in a brief connector to the whole story.

TA PRIVATE

(Cont.) A friendo of mine in Camp told me of rumors all that wasn’t unique to this conflict; that they’ve been doing this shite in past wars going back to the founding. But they keep it all clammed up out of fear or blind loyalty or…

ROBIN (knowing)

Not wanting to end up dead.

TA PRIVATE (Bubble 2)

Exactly!

3.5: Nessa glances up and to the left where a loud, somewhat distant explosion occurs, which stops the three of them in their tracks.

ROBIN (glances at Nessa)

Looks like it came from the big compound where Qualg Gray’s at. You think it could be…?

NESSA

Could literally go either way, Robbo. It’s best just to keep focus and book it over there, on the two-step.

3.6: We move to an interior shot of the hideout at the same time this is going on, showing a couple of the mercs with soot over their faces as well as the top half of their bodies.

NESSA (Cont., Caption) And if you wanna throw any good word to those fictional characters you’re always going on about as a boost, I wouldn’t say no.

MERC #1

I told you mixing Yiant with the L’Loonkta would cause a big boom. You owe me 50 ched.

MERC #2

(seething) Yeah, yeah…!

QUALG GRAY (Caption) You know you’re on the losing side, yes?

Page 4

4.1: Cut to the tied up Qualg tied up in a separate room on the compound, glaring confidently at the Merc head as they pace in front of her. You can see the rag that acted as her gag resting just below her chin.

QUALG GRAY (Cont., defiant)

Your satellite is gone, your forces are disorganized and continue to lack any organizing principle for being here. It’s a matter of time before the Palace Guard discovers where I am and comes to rescue me, before the Alliance leaves this planet in shame…why not leave? What profit is there in continuing with them?

MERC HEAD (scoffs) The profit is the point, “Your Magnificence.” That high stack of ched and power that’ll come after the job’s done- certainly makes the blather coming from whatever soulless, ego-driven arsehat scams their way to the Prime Chancellorship a lot more tolerable.

4.2: Close-up on the Head glaring back with equal defiance at the Royal, revealing the secret behind his confidence.

MERC HEAD (Cont.)

As for your little buddies…we’ve prepped for them, too.

4.3: A few miles underneath the compound is a triad of bombas that have been drilled into the base of the mountain, just waiting to be armed by the controller (the Merc Head) topside.

MERC HEAD (Cont., Caption) Any ship starts to break our proverbial airspace, four hundred tentos of flarking hellsfire bellows up from the ground to obliterate them to votbett’n ash.

4.4: Back in the room, the Qualg lets out a limp chuckle in response, seeing through it with no crack toward her confidence from Panel 2.

QUALG GRAY I’d heard stories of how the Alliance can destroy and warp the minds of any who call it home. It is another thing to see it for myself…!

4.5: The Merc Head, with misdirected over-aggro energy given the comment, turns moments later and stands within a matter of inches from the Royal; his fist clenched tightly, ready to clobber her with a powerful uppercut.

4.6: A few tense moments later, he backs down and walks out of the room; the anger still visible on his face, even as the fist unfolds once more. You can see his gaze looking down toward his comm as if getting a message, though we don’t know from whom.

DYIO PETRO

(Caption)

Just outta curiosity: You ever get nervy, given your crew's penchant for riding the edge of death?