*****Audio File***** "Chapter 35 - Premiere - Audio File" [The White Raven, Chapter 35, Premiere] [Swan Theater, Eagle Province, Planet Darai] “Are we going to get to see the movie tonight?” asks Raen settling into his box seat next to Vas. “Yes, and the projectionist has asked for political asylum,” replies Vas. “Are you serious?” “Yep, the Constable has the poor fella in protective custody, Lady Swan was trying to throw him off the cliff.” “It’s not his fault a fuse blew out, or that we don’t have an electronic store yet.” “House Swan takes failure pretty serious," says Vas. “I’ll talk with Lady Swan,” says Raen looking down at the hatchlings on the main floor throwing popcorn at each other. “They’re in high spirits tonight.” “At least until they find out they have to clean up that mess,” says Vas. “Speaking of messes, some fool from the Commonwealth Senate showed up earlier today and tried to give us a citation for not having a fire department.” “Where is he now?” Raen hoped it wasn’t the bottom of the cliff, he already had enough problems without adding the Senate to the list. “Last I saw, the hatchlings were chasing him back to the airport with the water buckets we have laid out in case of fire.” “You didn’t have anything to do with that, did you?” asks Raen raising an eyebrow. “Funny you should say that, the Constable asked the same question,” replies Vas. “Never mind, I don’t want to know,” says Raen. “Look over there,” says Vas. “The Constable's here, and he’s sitting with that Robbyn fella.” “Robbyn’s afraid of us,” says Raen. “Probably thinks he’s safer sitting with that fool.” Vas laughs. “Well, he picked the most unsafe seat in the theater.” “Did you two ever consider that the Constable is a Sparrow, and Robbyn is from Sparrow Province? It’s only natural he would sit with someone from home,” says Peli leaning over the seats. “Now hush, the movie is starting.” The curtain across the movie screen parted and the wonderfully archaic beam of light from a projector located in a small room above the box seats splashed onto the heavy white vinyl screen. The Swans had built an older rustic style theater, using a projector instead of the more popular digital Vid-Screen. The effect was startling in it’s antique beauty, and would likely become a tourist attraction for visitors. An image of an eagle in flight over a mountain range appeared and the hatchlings cheered. Raen wondered which world the Swans had filmed the eagle at, eagles had been extinct on Darai for at least a million years. The movie title, in large golden block letters, appeared next, ‘The Rise of the Eagles’. Raen could feel the floor under him vibrating with the thunderous roaring approval of the hatchlings. The first scene opened in a dimly lit tunnel with a chisel-jawed Hawk in the black leather uniform of a Raven standing defiantly in the middle of the tunnel. His brown wings were folded back, and a Talon dagger dripping with blood was in his hand. The Raven-Hawk had a noble appearance, in stark contrast to the female Raven standing next to him. The female Raven had long flowing black hair, and her black leather uniform glistened with blood - it looked like she had been dipped in a blood-bath. “My love, Raen, we must pull back, they outnumber us like grains of sand on a beach,” shouts the female Raven playing the part of Moeth. “I want blood!” shouts a male Raven standing nearby. “No, Vas, my brother, we must save the hatchlings,” shouts the actor-Raen. “We will fight our way to the Blood-Dart hanger.” Another Raven runs out of the shadows. “Raen, the High Guardian has over-run our brothers in the lower Death Tunnels, they murdered the First Egg hatchlings as they slept.” The real-Raen turns to the real-Vas sitting next to him. “What in the blazing ancestors is this, and what is a Blood-Dart?” “I have no idea, but it’s exciting,” says Vas scratching his head. Raen turns back to the movie. “My brothers, protect the hatchlings, I’ll cover our retreat,” shouts the actor-Raen. “What of these two?” asks the evil-looking actress-Moeth pointing at two Ravens sitting against the wall in an obvious drug stupor. “Bring them,” says the actor-Raen. “I can yet save them from the evils of the drugs the Ravens have forced on them for so many years.” The actress-Moeth helps the two nearly unconscious Ravens to their feet and pushes them along with the retreating Ravens and screaming hatchlings. The real-Peli leans across the seat. “Oh my Goddess, is that supposed to be Ring and Vel?” “Thank the ancestors they aren’t here to see this,” says the real-Raen. The movie continues with the fleeing Ravens fighting tunnel by tunnel towards freedom. They reach an intersection and The White Raven appears from a side tunnel, two white winged acolytus at her side. “It’s Dartarion,” squeals the real-hatchling girls in the theater - Dartarion is playing the part of Cala. “This way,” shouts The actress-White Raven. “They are waiting in ambush for you ahead.” The White Raven glides ahead of the rebel Ravens, cutting down scores of black clad Ravens coming at her from side tunnels - and yet never seeming to get any blood on her white robes. Her two acolytus fight through the attacking black-clad Ravens ahead of her. The rebel Ravens make it to the ‘Blood-Dart’ hanger and rush to their ‘Blood-Dart’ ships. The actor-Raen and the actor-Vas holds back hundreds of evil Ravens as the hatchlings are loaded aboard the ‘Blood-Darts’. The actor-Raen and Vas run for the ‘Blood-Darts’ and the ships lift off and up through the launch tunnel. The scene shows the bloody and wounded rebel Ravens inside the ships, holding each other and hatchlings. “We made it, my love,” says the actress-Moeth. “We have escaped the evil Raven Temple.” “Yes, my dearest, these hatchlings will never know the horror of slavery as we have known,” says the actor-Raen. “And never again to kill for our Master’s pleasure,” says the actress-Moeth. “We have no Masters now, we are free,” says the actor-Raen. The real-Raen leans over the balcony at the sound of clapping and roaring from below. The hatchlings are on their feet clapping wildly. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding,” says the real-Raen. “Are they buying this crap? Except for Kata and Cala, our hatchlings have never seen the Raven Temple.” “They’re entertained,” says the real-Vas. “Doesn’t matter that they know this is all fantasy - and I must say, I’m rather proud of the way I fought during our escape from the evil Raven Temple.” The real-Raen rolls his eyes and sits back. The rebel Ravens land somewhere in the mountains and the actor-Raen dramatically jumps out of his ‘Blood-Dart’, carrying the Eagle Banner in his hands. The ragged hatchlings and rebel Ravens follow him. The actor-Raen lifts the Eagle Banner over his head and roars, “We are Ravens no more, we are free Eagles!” And then drives the Eagle Banner into the ground with one powerful thrust. Real-Raen glances down at the hatchlings on the main floor, they are now on top of the benches jumping up and down and screaming approval at the top of their lungs. Real-Raen just shakes his head at the shameless propaganda movie and continues to watch. “My lost fledglings, come to me,” shouts the actor-Raen. Hundreds of hatchlings dressed in rags stumble from the forest and fall at actor-Raen’s feet. “Father, we have come,” weeps a hatchling-actor. The actor-Raen lifts a hatchling into his arms. “Fear no more, my son, you are safe.” Real-Raen hears a commotion from the hatchlings below and looks down. They are playfully shoving each other and yelling, “That was you, suck-up… No, it was you… Nuh-uh, it was you, egg-licker…” The movie continues, showing scene after scene of Raen saving hatchlings from tigers, bears, bandits, and even a charging rhinoceros. Real-Raen hears laughing and turns around, Peli is nearly on the floor laughing hysterically and wiping her eyes. “A rhinoceros…” chokes Peli gasping for breath. “I thought fighting the tiger bare-handed in a loin-cloth was rather heroic,” says Vas. “What were the rest of us doing during all this, weaving baskets?” “Oh shut up and watch the movie,” snaps Raen. A new scene opens with the actor-Raen gathering the hatchlings around him. Tears are flowing down the faces of the hatchlings. “I must leave you, my fledglings,” says actor-Raen. “Our Demonian cousins are in great need and I must fly to their aid.” “You must go, my child,” says the actress-High Priestess. “None but you can save our dearest cousins from extinction.” The elderly actress playing the part of the High Priestess must be at least in her eighties. Real-Raen glances at the High Priestess sitting in a separate box seat with The White Raven. The real-High Priestess is only in her early forties, and her face is red with anger. The White Raven seemed happy though, the entire movie has portrayed her as a valiant and wise hero dispensing advise and knowledge to the hatchlings and rebel Ravens. Actor-Raen and half the Moeth Alliance depart for Demonia. The next several scenes show the elderly High Priestess bumbling about the camp in her aged senility. Actor-Vas becomes the new hero, loyally filling in for Raen. The day of the Red Feather comes and actor-Vas assembles the remaining rebel Ravens to defend the planet. Actor-Vas is shown in the next scene in his ‘Blood-Dart’ with the Daraian First Wave. “I will have blood this day - My life for Darai!” shouts actor-Vas and his ‘Blood Dart’ disappears into TDS with the First Wave. The scene cuts back to the Eagle Camp. The hatchlings are busy sharpening sticks to be used to defend when the invaders arrive. The invaders arrive two days later in no less than three dozen large attack destroyers - which in the real world would be enough to destroy several light infantry Hawk Divisions. The White Raven calls the hatchlings together to defend the Eagle Camp, but the elderly High Priestess stops her. “No, my dearest child,” says the actress-High Priestess. “You must save as many hatchlings as you can. I have lived a long and good life, I will defend with the oldest of the hatchlings and give you time to escape.” “Oh for the love of the ancestors,” says real-Raen. “The White Raven was with the evacuation fleet.” “Shh,” whispers Vas. “This is good stuff.” Many of the real-hatchlings on the theater floor were now crowded against the stage staring up at the screen. The actress-White Raven takes the Eagle Banner and splits the orphan hatchlings into groups and they run into the forest. The actress-High Priestess prepares the oldest hatchlings to defend. They meet the invaders head on and fight, running from cabin to cabin throwing spears. The doomed defenders are eventually captured and the actress-High Priestess stands defensively in front of the hatchlings as an ugly human with a twisted face approaches. “You are my prisoner,” growls the twisted-faced human invader. “Lock the revered one in her cabin, and put the hatchlings in the cage.” “Wait… what?” says the real-Vas. “They beat and tortured her, and cut off three of her fingers, what’s this nonsense?” “The Swans can get away with a lot,” replies the real-Raen. “But, they could never show a human torturing a Daraian Priestess. Our fleets would launch against the humans, and what we would do to the humans would make what the Kitsune did to the Demonians look like child’s play.” “Hmm… you’re probably right, maybe Lady Swan isn’t as dumb as I thought she was,” says the real-Vas. “She’s made a patriotic propaganda movie that will be played before every war we ever fight from now on,” says the real-Raen. “This piece of drivel is brilliant, I’ll bet it becomes the highest grossing film in history.” “More than Super Hawk - The Movie?” asks Vas. “Would you two hush,” scolds Peli. “I can’t hear the movie.” The scene cuts to a group of hatchlings running through the forest being led by one of the older orphans, a fifteen year old - The human invaders are chasing and closing in fast. “They’re going to catch us,” cries an actress-hatchling. “I’m scared.” The actor-boy leading the group stops and looks back at the invaders nearly upon them. “I will hold them,” shouts the heroic boy leading the group of hatchlings. “Run to the caves and hide there, for it is my honor to give myself for Darai.” Real-Raen glances down at the hatchlings, they are roaring with laughter. “That has to be Luka,” shouts a real-hatchling from the theater floor. “He’s the only one that talks corny like that.” Real-Luka jumps up on a bench and strikes a heroic pose. “Shut up, egg-muncher, I am a hero of Darai.” “You threw a rock from behind a tree and ran with the rest of us,” shouts another hatchling a few rows away from where Luka is striking his pose. The actor-Luka runs through a creek and the film goes to slow motion as the camera focuses on his legs and the water dramatically splashes around him. Actor-Luka charges into the invaders, swinging his spear wildly and two of the invaders go down before actor-Luka disappears under the crush of the invaders. The real-hatchlings scream and roar anger at the screen, and even the new orphans that arrived yesterday are screaming in anger - No doubt real-Luka will enjoy a brief period of hero worship from the new orphans. The scenes alternate back and forth between the hatchlings in the forest engaging in gorilla warfare and the hatchlings captured at the Eagle Camp. The caged hatchlings are shown performing acts of tremendous sacrifice for each other. Real-Raen gets caught up in ‘the smallest hatchling’s sub-plot, and Vas catches Raen wiping a tear from his eye. The smallest hatchling is Taln, being played by Calistian. Taln was always a quiet boy, but now hasn’t spoken a word since being freed from the cage. All the captured hatchlings were kept in deplorable conditions in the cage. The hatchlings that survived the ordeal in the cage still have nightmares. Real-Raen wishes their story wasn’t being told, they really don’t need to be reminded of the horror they endured. The Swans went to elaborate lengths to reproduce the conditions the hatchlings suffered in the cage, and if nothing else, this part of the movie they got hauntingly correct. The scenes progress in a manner that shows the deteriorating conditions in the cage. The invaders, for whatever reason, begin to take a perverse pleasure in singling out and tormenting Taln - taking him from the cage each day and beating him in front of the other hatchlings. Fearing for Taln’s life, the other hatchlings manage to pull the slats of the cage apart enough for the small Taln to wiggle through and escape, but instead of running as the hatchlings intended, Taln risks his life crawling across the compound in the dark to steal scraps of food from the garbage. Taln brings the scraps back to the cage for the others and wiggles back inside, even knowing the next beating in the morning may be his last. Taln continues bringing food back each night to the hatchling prisoners until he is too weak to make the nightly journey. The scene changes again, and with it the only part of the movie that had some truth. Rain is pouring down on the caged hatchlings shivering inside. A hatchling turns his head at the sound of a Raven cawing. Kata and Cala, played by Dartarion and an actress real-Raen doesn’t recognize, are crawling through the mud towards the cage. Cala reaches through the cage and takes the hand of Taln. “I will free you, my brother,” says Cala. “No, save yourself, we are already dead,” croaks Taln. Cala unwraps a cloth he retrieves from inside his shirt and holds up two berries, all the food Cala has left. Cala places one of the berries in Taln’s mouth, and the other he presses into Taln’s hand. “Be ready, my bravest brother,” says Cala. “I will return.” Several of the real-hatchlings crowding the stage are now crawling onto the stage to get even closer to the screen. A Tarlock stands and shoos them back down to the theater floor. Actor-Cala and actress Kata crawl back through the mud to the edge of the forest. Cala removes the Ungula stave from his back, which in reality had been hanging in the Dining Cabin. "Count to five-hundred, and then make a diversion," says actor-Cala. "I will attack the invaders in the Dining Cabin and steal some guns." "Be careful, my love," says actress-Kata. "And you, my love," says actor-Cala. A chant rises from the real-hatchlings. "Cala loves Kata… Cala loves Kata…” Real-Raen grins at the childish chant. Of course Cala loves Kata, they have been meant for each other since they were hatched, only Cala is still too young to admit it. Right now Kata is just Cala’s best friend, but in time. Raen thinks back on how long it took him to say the words to Moeth - Raen sighs, hoping Moeth is safe. Actor-Cala gently kisses actress-Kata, setting off a round of eww’s from the hatchlings in the theater. Real-Cala jumps up on his seat and shouts, “I never did that!” The theater explodes in a round of laughter. Actor-Cala is now circling through the forest in a crouch towards the back of the Dining Cabin. An invader is sitting on the back-steps of the Dining Cabin puffing foul looking clouds of smoke from a cigar. Cala rushes the invader and quickly dispatches him. Cala crushes the cigar under his boot. “You shouldn’t smoke those, they could kill you,” Cala tells the dead invader sarcastically. The audience explodes in another round of laughter and the hatchlings cheer. The kitchen is empty as Cala makes his way towards the Dining area, and presses himself against the back of the door, waiting for the diversion actress-Kata will create. “They’re leaving out the poison Cala used,” says real-Vas. “Can’t show that, using poison is considered dishonorable by most Houses,” says real-Raen. “Don't you think House Raven will be offended by this movie, especially after the way they were defeated in the ‘Death Tunnels’?” asks Vas. “Naw, they’ll just claim that only Ravens could have created House Eagle,” says Raen. “I’ll bet they think this whole movie makes them look like heroes.” Peli, finally fed-up with Raen and Vas’ continuous talking through the movie gets up and moves to the end seat in the row. Shouting from the diversion actress-Kata is creating outside the Dining Cabin pulls Raen's attention back into the movie. Half the invaders rush outside to investigate the diversion the caged hatchlings are creating and Cala pushes the door open and steps into the Dining area - perhaps two dozen invaders remain at the tables eating amidst the disgusting remains of many meals. “I believe you are sitting at my table,” taunts Cala to the invaders. The invaders scramble to their feet and Cala charges into them swinging his Ungula with expert precision. Several of the hatchlings have crawled back up on the stage despite the Tarlock’s attempts to keep them down. The next nine minutes of the movie is the most elaborate fight scene Raen has ever seen. The hatchlings roar enthusiastically when Cala runs up one wall, across half the ceiling and drops down on three of the invaders. Raen has to admit that the special effects are impressive, even if not in the slightest bit realistic. “And that’s for Taln,” shouts Cala dropping the last invader on the floor. Cala grabs something that is probably supposed to be a Needle Gun, but no gun of such ridiculous proportions has ever been built on any of the twenty-seven known worlds of the galaxy. Raen rolls his eyes at the silly gun that could only come from the imagination of an over-exuberant writer that has never seen a gun before. “Oh, I’ve got to get one of those,” says Vas. Cala runs outside in pursuit of the invaders that could have in the real world run five laps around the camp, but are only half-way to the cage one-hundred feet from the porch of the Dining Cabin. Actress-Kata is standing in front of the cage holding a leafy branch to defend the hatchlings with. “Oh come on,” shouts real-Kata. “I had a bigger stick, that looks like I’m getting ready to sweep the porch.” The invaders open fire and actress-Kata is riddled with bullets and falls to the ground. “No!” screams Cala and opens fire with the ridiculous gun that looks too large to even mount on the wing of a Dart ship. Cala runs at the invaders firing hundreds of rounds before being hit… Raen tries to count the number of times the actor-Cala was shot, he loses track at forty-eight. Cala falls to the ground and only moments later the ‘Blood Darts’ of the Moeth Alliance return from the Red Feather and another battle scene begins. Twelve-minutes and some spectacular pyro-technic effects later, the Rebel Ravens, in nine ‘Blood Darts’ manage to destroy all three dozen of the invaders attack Destroyers - a feat an entire Battle Carrier group would have difficulty with. The ‘Blood Darts’ land and actor-Vas runs to the cage and rips the door off with his bare hands, while actor-Raen kneels next to Cala and lifts him into his arms. Cala opens his eyes. “Father, you’ve returned,” says Cala weakly. “I am here, son,” says actor-Raen. “I’m cold, father,” whispers Cala. “Kata waits for you in the land of the ancestors, my son,” says actor-Raen. “Am I an Eagle, father?” whispers Cala, his eyes beginning to close.” “You are the greatest of Eagles, my son,” says actor-Raen spreading his wings out to their full wing-span. Cala's body goes limp and actor-Raen lifts his head and screeches the cry of an Eagle. The camera switches to a view from above and lifts away into the sky and the words, 'The End', fade onto the screen. The audience stands, roaring and clapping. Lady Swan walks out onto the stage and holds her hands up until the theater is quiet again. “As you know, the film opened yesterday on all twenty-seven worlds,” says Lady Swan. “We were unable to see it yesterday due to a technical problem. I am getting the first reports back from our affiliates. The highest grossing film in history was Super Hawk, opening at 1.2 billion.” Lady Swan pauses for effect to build suspense. “Rise of the Eagles has grossed an opening of 1.6 billion, becoming the highest grossing premiere in history. That is a profit to House Eagle of 160 million for the opening weekend.” The High Priestess silently stands, looks over at Raen and nods before turning and leaving the theater. “Well, damned if her plan didn’t work,” says Raen. “Yea, but she’s going to be impossible to live with now,” says Vas grinning.