ACT THREE

FADE IN:

EXT. SHIP - LATE AFTERNOON

The PIRATE SHIP can now be easily seen by everyone aboard ship.  Though still quite a distance away, it is gaining quickly.

GABRIELLE

Can we outrun them?

CYDELL

Too much ballast.  With all these

women and provisions, we’d be

lucky to outrun a Roman bath.

Gabrielle flinches.

GABRIELLE

I’m....

CYDELL

‘sall right.  Nothing to be

done about that now.

GABRIELLE

What can we do?

RAYA

I say we fight!

AMAZONS

YEAH!!

Raya turns in a circle, arms raised.

RAYA

We’re Amazons, not old women!

I’m tired of running away!  Let’s

stand our ground and fight!

AMAZONS

YEAH!!

SOROI

(from the wheel)

Not on my ship, you’re not.

RAYA

Stay out of this!  You’re

not even an Amazon!

Soroi puts a hand on the hilt of her sword.

SOROI

Would you like to test that theory?

Raya draws her sword.

RAYA

Let’s get it on, old timer.

A piercing battle cry freezes the erstwhile combatants in their tracks, along with the rest of the Amazons.  Xena strides onto the deck from the hold.

XENA

Any more fighting and I’ll hand

you all over to the pirates myself.

Is that understood?

The Amazons grumble, but back down.  No one is willing to test the validity of Xena’s threat.

XENA

(Cont’d)

Good.

(beat)

Gabrielle, Cydell, Soroi, come with me.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SHIP’S CABIN - NIGHT

Dressed in simple breast wraps and loincloths, Xena and Gabrielle face one another.  They smooth the last of the dark, pungent ointment that will keep them all but invisible to their enemies over their exposed flesh.

Xena teasingly wipes another daub along Gabrielle’s nose.  Gabrielle grins white teeth blinding against the oily dark of her face.

Xena slips a heavy waterskin over Gabrielle’s shoulder.

XENA

Careful with that stuff.

 It’s worse than Greek fire.

GABRIELLE

I know.  I’ll be careful.

Nodding, Xena slips a heavy length of coiled rope over her own shoulder and grips her chakram securely in one hand.

XENA

Ready?

GABRIELLE

As I’ll ever be.

XENA

Let’s go.

CUT TO:

EXT. SHIP - NIGHT

The Amazon ship has slowed appreciably and a white flag, indicating surrender, flies from the main mast.  Most of the Amazons are now below deck, and the ones that remain topside are hidden in the shadows, hands on their weapons.

The pirate ship has closed the distance and has likewise slowed in preparation for coming alongside the surrendering ship and boarding her.

Xena, Gabrielle, Soroi and Cydell stand in the shadows along side the rail.

XENA

You know what to do.

SOROI

Yes, though gods willing,

we won’t have to. 

Xena nods.

XENA

Just be prepared.

CYDELL

The Fates be with you both.

GABRIELLE

The Fates are....

CYDELL

Dead, I know.  Just… good luck.

GABRIELLE

(smirking)

Who needs luck?  I’ve got Xena.

Cydell and Soroi laugh softly as Xena and Gabrielle climb over the rail.  Xena nods to Cydell, who nods back.

Xena and Gabrielle let go of their holds and plummet, feet first, into the water.  The slowly moving hull of the Amazon ship hides them from the view of those on the pirate ship, and they tread water until their ship passes.  Xena adjusts the rope and chakram.

XENA

Let’s go.

CUT TO:

EXT. SEA - NIGHT

Xena and Gabrielle surface just as the pirate ship glides past, continuing to slow.  Treading water, Xena lifts the heavy rope over her head, frays one end, and ties it securely through her chakram.

Also treading water, Gabrielle moves behind Xena and firmly grasps her around the waist.

XENA

Ready?

GABRIELLE

Yep.

With a slight grunt, Xena releases the chakram, and watches with satisfaction as it imbeds itself high in the square stern of the pirate ship.  The rope unravels and becomes quickly taut, jerking both women hard and dragging them through the water.  Working hand over hand, Xena slowly pulls them both along until they reach the ship.  Gabrielle then reaches down and grabs the trailing rope in one hand, releases Xena, and follows her partner as Xena begins to climb the slippery hull.

CUT TO:

EXT. PIRATE SHIP - NIGHT

A split second after Gabrielle’s feet land on the deck, she releases Xena, and ducks as a fist flies over her head, crushing the nose of the unfortunate pirate who has stumbled upon their covert entrance.

As Gabrielle drags the now unconscious pirate further into the shadows at the ship’s stern, Xena hurriedly retrieves her chakram and drops the rope into the sea.

Turning, Xena hands Gabrielle the chakram, and briefly touches the side of Gabrielle’s face.

XENA

Good luck.

GABRIELLE

You too.

With a battle cry, Xena leaps, and flips into a large group of pirates who are preparing to board the Amazon vessel.  Bodies scatter as Xena straightens, grinning.

XENA

Hello, boys.  Can I play too?

After a moment of shock, the pirates grab for their swords.

PIRATE CAPTAIN

GET HER!!!

The sound of sabers being unsheathed seems to echo in the still air as the pirates form a large circle surrounding Xena.

XENA

Hmm. And me without my weapons.

(slyly)

Whatever shall I do?

PIRATE

Aarrrgghh!

The pirate rushes forward, intending to gut Xena through the middle.  Her hand snakes out and clamps vice-like-on his wrist.  His sword drops neatly in her free hand.

XENA

For me?  How considerate.

The pirate receives a hilt to the forehead for his courtesy and drops like a stone at Xena’s feet.

XENA

(Cont’d)

C’mon, boys, let’s step on it.

I don’t have all day.

PIRATES

AARRGGGHH!

The pirates move in en masse, but Xena holds them off easily.  She ducks under the sweeping blade of one, kicking out hard with one foot as she parries the swing of another.  The first pirate screams in pain as his knee joint is shattered, and he falls to the ground, writhing.

Two more suddenly find their swords wrenched from their grips by the vicious left to right sweep of Xena’s borrowed blade.  They are quickly punched into oblivion.

Sensing another thug behind her, Xena holds her sword above her head, blade parallel to the ground, and blocks the cut meant to cleave her head in two.  Then she drops to one knee, twirls the blade, and stabs backward and up, piercing her attacker’s heart.

Another pirate takes advantage of her temporarily vulnerable position and knees her in the chest, causing her to roll to her back.

Dropping her borrowed sword, she catches the blade in two hands, inches from her face.  Her lips split in a fierce grin.

XENA

Ah. Ah. That’s not very nice.

The pirate howls as Xena launches a kick up between his legs.

Xena rolls away from the falling man, and comes to her feet, laughing and twirling her new sword in a series of intricate figure eights.

She spares a moment to look into the shadows in the ship’s stern, and gives Gabrielle a quick nod.

Then, with another laugh, she begins backing toward the bow, waggling her fingers at the remaining pirates to get them to follow her.

They do.

Seeing all attention diverted from her, Gabrielle takes a step forward and flings the chakram toward the main mast.  Her aim is true.  Groaning, the huge mainsail begins to fall, its rope neatly sliced in two.  She catches the chakram easily as it flies back to her.

GABRIELLE

Heh.

Several more pirates scream, trapped beneath the heavy weight of the fallen sail.

XENA

(wincing)

Ooh.  That had to hurt, huh boys?

As their fellows struggle from beneath the sail, the rest of the pirates push forward, intent on trapping Xena against the narrow prow of the ship.

Another battle cry and Xena vaults over their heads, landing behind them and knocking out another two with a double back fist.

Gabrielle runs to the sail as the last man frees himself from under its weight.  Slipping the heavy waterskin off of her shoulder, she uncaps it and begins squirting the pungent oil over the cloth sail in a random, but effective pattern.

That done, she tosses the skin to the side.  She turns, just as a pirate approaches with a torch in one hand, and a sword in the other. Gabrielle indicates the torch.

GABRIELLE

Can I have that?

The pirate crumples to the ground, brained by the hilt of Xena’s sword.  The torch falls into Gabrielle’s waiting hand.

GABRIELLE

Thanks!

With a mighty heave, Gabrielle tosses the torch onto the sail.  The liquid catches immediately and flames greedily consume the cloth.

PIRATE CAPTAIN

FIRE!! FIRE!!!

The scene on deck becomes instant chaos as the pirates run pell-mell, some jumping overboard to get away from the fire, others running for buckets filled with rain water in order to put it out.

Xena and Gabrielle are quickly forgotten.

Grinning, Xena takes Gabrielle’s hand and leads her to the rail.  The pirate ship has pulled along side the Amazon ship, and both women can easily see the concerned faces of the Amazons peering across the narrow space separating them.

Xena bends slightly, lacing her hands together.  Gabrielle steps into the foothold, and Xena straightens, catapulting Gabrielle into the air.

GABRIELLE

Yodel ay hee-HAH!

Tucking her body, Gabrielle does a double flip in the air and comes down easily, landing squarely in the middle of the deck of the Amazon ship.

XENA

Cheeeeee-YAH!

Xena leaps off of the rail, tucks into a double flip of her own, adds a fancy twist, and lands beside Gabrielle, grinning.

GABRIELLE

Show off.

The Amazons cheer.

SOROI

All right, you landlubbers,

put your backs into it!!

The main sail is swiftly raised, and the Amazon ship catches the stirring wind, easily leaving the foundering pirate ship behind until it is nothing but a tiny speck in the background.

The Amazons continue to cheer, waving their swords and laughing.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT THREE

ACT FOUR