Sands Of Faith

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The Sands of Faith

Episode 1: Introdiction

FADE IN: STARSHIP COCKPIT VEIWPORT 'NIGHTBLOOM'

JERUSALEM sits in the cockpit, looking out over Yathrib as it emerges from behind Shepard's moon. To the distance, a Kurgan cruiser engages with several smaller Crusader craft, the light from meson beams and lasers brilliant in the darkness.

                             JERUSALEM (Voice-over)              
                  Yathrib. A world soaked in mysticism, 
                  religion, prophecy and blood. The 
                  Kurgans have come, forcing the Empire 
                  of the Phoenix back to the shining gulf.

                  Only recently have reinforcements from 
                  the Empire arrived, stabilizing the 
                  realm and ready to push forward. Crusade.

The Kurgan ship lists in space, its side gashed open by a strafing run by an Imperial star fighter. The fighter rotates, twin golden plumes of thrust-exhaust trailing behind it as it zooms past the NightBloom. The pilot is captured in the frame for only a moment, seen tossing a jaunty salute to the camera as he passes, Imperial Phoenix Marker's on his wings glinting in the reflected light of the sun.

                             JERUSALEM (Voice-over)   
                  I am Jerusalem Steele, Knight of
                  Lamorak - and I am a crusader. 
                  Follow my journey of discovery as I 
                  plumb the depths of what it means
                  to be a Crusader. A knight. A warrior
                  for the Pancreator. Explore local 
                  cultures with me, visit exotic locales 
                  and through this holovid series, come
                  to better know what Crusade is.

FADE IN:

 JERUSALEM STEELE's face.

                             JERUSALEM (Voice-over)   
                  Subscribe now - 5 firebirds a month  
                  gets exclusive content. Contact your 
                  local Masque Guild Office today to buy
                  Your licence.

ABRUPT SHIFT

Radar screen and instruments

                         COMPUTER WARNING (ALERT) 
                  WARNING: TWO ENEMY SPACECRAFT ON INTERCEPT VECTOR

JERUSALEM spins the camera to look back at him.

                             JERUSALEM
                  That is all for now, space-fans!
                  It is time to go full burn, make for
                  Atmo and scream into Akko, the seat
                  of Crusade. What wonders await me?
                  Who will greet me? Who's stories will
                  I tell? Find out next week on...

      ___________.__               _________                  .___      
      \__    ___/|  |__   ____    /   _____/____    ____    __| _/______

| | \_/ __ \ \_____ \\__ \ / \ / __ |/ ___/

| Y \ ___/ / \/ __ \| | \/ /_/ |\___ \

|___| /\___ > /_______ (____ /___| /\____ /____ >

                      \/     \/          \/     \/     \/      \/    \/ 
                   _____  ___________      .__  __  .__                 
             _____/ ____\ \_   _____/____  |__|/  |_|  |__              
            /  _ \   __\   |    __) \__  \ |  \   __\  |  \             
           (  <_> )  |     |     \   / __ \|  ||  | |   Y  \            
            \____/|__|     \___  /  (____  /__||__| |___|  /            
                               \/        \/              \/

Episode 2: Hard Landing

WHEN we last left 'THE SANDS OF FAITH', Jerusalem Steele, Knight of the Phoenix was making his run through the dangerous no-mans land of space between the Shepard's moon and Yathrib's Atmosphere. Two Kurgan spacecraft were hot on his tail.

FADE IN: ESTABLISHING SHOT - NIGHTBLOOM dodging among the wreckage of a transport carrier as it orbits Yathrib. Two enemy fighters with red heat trails zoom in behind the NIGHTBLOOM.

SCREEN WIPE

FADE IN: INTERIOR COCKPIT - NIGHTBLOOM

JERUSALEM's hands grip the control yoke, fighting for stability. The ship rolls and pitches around, lances of tracer rounds and lasers arcing past him to strike bits of debris in space. There is the blue-flash of the ship's shields activating as debris from the front impacts and rounds from the back. Alarms sound, damage reports rattling off. The ship seems to be coming apart as he runs the blockade.

                             JERUSALEM (Voice-over)              
                   I KNOW! I KNOW the port thrusters are
                   gone! Shut up! Shut up! Harlan! Can you
                   do something about that?

                             HARLAN, A MECHANIC
                   I'm already on it, boss! Try and hold her
                   Steady!

                             JERUSALEM (Voice-over) 
                   Try and hold her steady, she says...

JERUSALEM punches buttons furiously, flipping switches. Things light up and alarms go silent, but the ship shudders violently. A crack appears in his viewport as the shields fail and a bit of debris slams into the ship at high speed. JERUSALEM picks up the microphone to the radio.

                             JERUSALEM (Voice-over)  
                   This is the Nightbloom, in orbit over
                   Yathrib. I am coming in hot and hard, 
                   I am going to overshoot Akko Spaceport.
                   
                   I am requesting an alternate landing.

                             MEEKHAM TOWER   
                   Nightbloom, this is Meekham Tower. Go 
                   ahead, relate your condition.

                             JERUSALEM (Voice-over)  
                   Oh. You know. Fast reentry. New Kurgan
                   Friends who'd really like to talk to me, 
                   Shot to hell and back with failing engines. 
                   Also, I am ON FUCKING FIRE LIKE A BLAZING
                   COMET SCREAMING ACROSS THE SKY AT 10,000
                   MILES A GODDAMN HOUR!

                             MEEKHAM TOWER  
                   Uh... Right then. We are transmitting the
                   coordinates of our landing field and our 
                   approach paths.

                             JERUSALEM (Voice-over)  
                   Lovely. Thanks so much.

JERUSALEM looks down over his readouts - gravity etched in his face. The glow from the reentry heat floods the view screen, fire casting him in orange and amber. Sweat beads on his face and tension is etched in handsome features. Either he's a damn fine actor, or this is a truly harrowing situation.

SCREEN WIPE: EXTERNAL TRAILING CAM FROM NIGHTBLOOM

Two angry looking kurgan fighters - damaged but doggedly persuing the small starship into the upper atmospehre.

Will Jerusalem Steele make his date with the people of Meekham?

Will the Nightbloom hold together long enough for him to make touch down?

Will the Infidel Kurgans break off?

FIND OUT IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF...

      ___________.__               _________                  .___      
      \__    ___/|  |__   ____    /   _____/____    ____    __| _/______