Endgame
Solari.
They've gotta be on the other side of the trees,
my queen. Let's go.
EPHINY
No. Amarice you follow behind me. We look first,
and then we attack.
AMARICE
In my tribe, looking first is like giving a warning.
EPHINY
What does your tribe think about following orders?
Let's go.
Chilapa, move to the rear. Protect the flank.
CHILAPA
Come on!
EPHINY
Amarice stay close.
CHILAPA
This way!
No! My queen!
Pull back! Re-form!
You've gotten really good at that.
GABRIELLE
Well, I've been practicing on rocks long enough.
You see it won't hurt the fish. They're not going
to suffer at all.
XENA
Oh, they told you that?
GABRIELLE
Yeah. Yeah, they did. You wanna see?
You know, Gabrielle-
-there's only one way that you can know how fish
really feel and that's to become one with them.
GABRIELLE
Don't do it.
XENA
Oh, yeah.
GABRIELLE
Xena, this outfit takes forever to dry.
XENA
Oh, well I've got time. Come on, fishy, fishy, fishy.
What are you waiting for?! Run! I'll hold her off!
XENA
Oh, no. I surrender before Gabrielle.
AMARICE
Is this a trick, my queen?
GABRIELLE
No this is Xena. She's my friend.
AMARICE
Xena? Wow. I--I thought you'd be...taller.
GABRIELLE
Who are you?
My name is Amarice. I come from the village of your
tribe, my queen. You must come with me, quickly.
GABRIELLE
What happened? Why do you keep calling me
Queen? I'm not queen unless...unless Ephiny were...
AMARICE
Ephiny is dead and we need our queen to lead us.
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
She's here!
Chilapa, what happened?
CHILAPA
Ephiny was leading patrol. We ran into some
Romans in the highlands. There was a battle
and...she was killed.
GABRIELLE
Romans?
XENA
Go on.
CHILAPA
We brought Ephiny's body back here to the village
when we were hit again. We managed to throw
them back, but they captured most of our sisters.
AMARICE
Captured? I'm going after them.
Just calm down. When you saw the Romans, was
Caesar leading 'em?
CHILAPA
No, but I did see the other one, the one who killed
Ephiny in the highlands.
GABRIELLE
What did he look like?
CHILAPA
Young, black hair, wore silver armour.
XENA
That's Brutus, Caesar's right hand.
AMARICE
What are we waiting for? Why hasn't anyone gone
out after them?
CHILAPA
They left on rafts down the river. We couldn't track
them. But we're ready now. (to all) Now that the
queen has returned!
All right, we need to build a defense for this village.
AMARICE
What's left of it.
XENA
Chilapa, post two guards down at the river. We
need to know if they come back. And I want a
squad working in shifts to repair the huts.
Is that correct, Gabrielle?
GABRIELLE
Thank you. (to Chilapa) Where's Ephiny's body?
CHILAPA
We hid it during the attack. It's in the queen's hut.
In my tribe, we never needed to defend. We
always attacked.
XENA
Well, we do things differently here.
This doesn't make any sense. This fighting. War.
XENA
Over the last ten years, I've watched the Amazons
go from mighty nation to scattered tribes and
I wondered if, what I was seeing was their greatness
coming to an end. But Ephiny showed me there
was hope.
GABRIELLE
Xena, why would Caesar attack the Amazons?
Why would he take prisoners?
XENA
It wasn't Caesar. It was his enemy Pompey.
Look, I found this.
That's Pompey's crest. See that would make sense.
Pompey's trying to rebuild his army so he can go
after Caesar again. For that he needs money. So
he's selling our friends as slaves. Look, Pompey's
trail has gone cold. I want to go after Brutus. He'll
lead me to Pompey and to the Amazon prisoners.
Ephiny, this will not go unpunished. I will not
let the Amazons just die away. That I promise you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take me!
XENA
No, the rest of you need to stay here in case they
come back. Chilapa, come with me. Meslena,
mount up.
Amarice, you too.
AMARICE
Okay.
Yah! Yah! Yah!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two men, go! Find them!
Xena! Char-r-r-r-r-r-ge!
Yah! Yah-h-h-h!
Yah! Yah! Go, Argo! Yah-h-h! Yah!
BRUTUS
Xena-a-a! Yah-h-h!
XENA
This one's for you, Ephiny. Yah!
BRUTUS
Xena-a!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where's Amarice?
XENA
She took off before we got here. I think she was
upset I didn't let her kill him.
Come on!
Hello, Brutus.
BRUTUS
Gabrielle, they told me you were the new leader
of this tribe.
GABRIELLE
Thanks to you. You killed Ephiny, our queen.
My friend.
BRUTUS
Ephiny, that was her name. One of the best fighters
I've met. She died as a warrior. And for that, I have
no guilt in my actions.
XENA
All right, where's Pompey?
BRUTUS
Ah-h, you're after the slaves. That's why I'm important.
XENA
No, that's why you're alive.
BRUTUS
Then I still have some power. I'd like some water
first and then I'll tell you what you want to know.
XENA
(to an Amazon) Get it.
ACT TWO
Ah-h-h!
Ah-h-h-h!
Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h! Uh.
What were you thinking?!
AMARICE
Amazon justice for a killer! In my tribe-
GABRIELLE
"In your tribe" doesn't matter here. This is
my tribe. I think you need a few days to think
about that. Take her away.
Come on.
XENA
(to Brutus) Don't get too comfortable. I don't think
anyone would have been too upset if she had
have killed you.
BRUTUS
Except that I have the knowledge that you need.
The location of Pompey's army.
XENA
Oh, yeah. About that.
All right, you know the drill. Thirty seconds, you die,
no blood to the brain. Where is Pompey?
Come on, Brutus. Pompey's no friend of yours.
Anything I do to him can only make Caesar happy.
BRUTUS
F--follow the river north. Move west past the cliffs.
His army's camped in the forest.
XENA
That'll do it.
Xena!
No. We have the information. Now let Amazon
justice be done. Let him die Xena.
Get out of my way Chilapa.
CHILAPA
He killed the queen. Amazon law says-
GABRIELLE
Amazon law says that Brutus' punishment is
my decision!
Take him and hold him.
Hey Roman, have you ever witnessed an Amazon
execution before? I don't know how they do it here,
but in my tribe...it took a long, long time. And as
the life oozed out of you, we'd talk with you, ask
you how it felt.
BRUTUS
You're such a child. I've seen death that you could
never dream of. And the fact that you would tell
me that story means either you never saw it, or
you're a fool.
You're coming with me.
AMARICE
I betrayed my queen. I know the price of that.
XENA
Yeah, I'm sure they covered that in your tribe.
Gabrielle has pardoned you. Let's go.
Xena doesn't give many second chances, little girl.
Yeah, this is the route that Pompey will take to
the sea.
AMARICE
How do you know?
XENA
Because it's quickest and easiest. Besides he's
got no reason to be cautious. He thinks he's
already beaten us. (to others) All right, you know
what to do!
EXTRA
All right, let's go!
I don't get it.
XENA
What?
AMARICE
You and Gabrielle. Are you really gonna
just let her pardon Brutus?
XENA
Well, what do you suggest? That we take over
the village, chain up Gabrielle and kill him?
AMARICE
Pick one. I'll go with it.
XENA
You know Gabrielle is not the weakling that you
think she is. She's seen more of life and death
than you will ever know. This is just one more
battle and she's got her own way of fighting it.
AMARICE
By letting him go? Are you crazy?
XENA
Her battle isn't with Brutus. It's with-
-this.
With this. With war and with hatred. And
you know what? Sometimes I don't like
the way she goes about it, but I've come to understand
her. Amarice you're so young and when you're
young, ya think the answers are simple to find.
You think you're gonna find them on the point of
a sword? Well, you're wrong. I just pray
that you live long enough to lay down your sword
and look for those answers in yourself.
AMARICE
Well, I still think she's wrong, but if you trust her
...nah, sorry, I can't go there. You'll just have to
trust her on your own.
XENA
I hope that you can follow orders.
AMARICE
Not a problem. In my tribe, we would...well, it's
not a problem. I mean, I followed Ephiny's orders.
I still think I could have done something to save her.
XENA
You know Amarice that wasn't your fault. If it wasn't
for women like Ephiny, the Amazon nation would
have died out a long time ago. But you and
I and Gabrielle aren't gonna let that happen.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Excellent.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's not one in the lot that'll go for less than
five hundred dinars.
Any word from the Serate pirates?
CARMINUS
They should be in port tomorrow. I understand
the captain has brought two ships just
to carry the gold.
Amazons. They'll fetch a big price in the
desert states.
If they can be broken.
They can be killed for all I care. As long
as I get my money! With that I'll buy weapons
for my army and the mercenaries I need to take
Caesar and Rome.
EXTRA
Yes Centurion!
POMPEY
Head them out Carminus. Get back here as
quickly as you can.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keep movin'!
CARMINUS
(to soldier) We're about to be ambushed. Quietly
take a man behind the trees and wait there.
Halt!
Xena.
I didn't know you were in the area?
XENA
Just passing through. Where's Pompey?
CARMINUS
Not here, but don't worry, Pompey the Magnus
is just passing through as well. Just long enough
to make some money.
XENA
Well, you're going to have to tell him to take up a
new hobby, because he's not making
money out of my friends.
Well, look what we have here.
AMARICE
I'm sorry, Xena. They were trying to get around
you. I had to do something.
XENA
You could'a stayed put like I told you.
CARMINUS
Any more out there? Tell me quick or she dies!
XENA
Meslena. Chilapa!
Hm-m-m!
Move!
CHILAPA
Get your hands off me!
EXTRA
Get over there!
(to Xena) So much for your ambush.
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
Thank you, whoever you are. I'm not sure the
pirates can afford Xena, but Pompey can find a
buyer somewhere.
I'm gonna give you one chance, Carminus. You
give up now and I'll go easy on ya.
Oh, please. You and what army?
EXTRA
Yeah!
Now!
Me and this army.
Ah-h-h!
No! Let him go.
He'll warn Pompey!
XENA
That's right. I want him to.
EXTRA
Get up! Get back here.
XENA
(to all) Round up all the men that are still alive.
I want you to take 'em back to the village.
EXTRA
Come on!
XENA
That's where Pompey'll be headed next.
AMARICE
Lucky for them, we've got just the queen
for the situation.
Sorry.
EXTRA
Chicken!
AMARICE
But I did good. I really fooled them.
XENA
Yes, ya did. Now get moving.
EXTRA
Come on! Chicken.
XENA
You've got your orders. I'm gonna ride ahead.
Let's go!
Xena. Always Xena. I get this close to
victory and she turns up. I used to think all her
hatred was reserved for Caesar. Now I'm beginning
to wonder.
CARMINUS
She does have a habit of...getting in the way?
POMPEY
Yes and you let her save those Amazons!
She's taking money from me! Money that I need.
(to guard) Break camp. We move back to Amazon
land by morning.
They'll be ready this time.
POMPEY
Xena's left me no choice. We attack, only this
time, we don't leave any behind.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Break camp! We strike at dawn!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leave us.
We want to talk about peace between Xena
and Caesar.
BRUTUS
Impossible. Can you blame Caesar for hating
Xena? Look at all she's done to him.
GABRIELLE
(whispers) What?
BRUTUS
Xena interfered in Caesar's war with Pompey.
He would have been out of the picture long ago
if it wasn't for her.
GABRIELLE
Xena was trying to stop a war.
BRUTUS
And why do ya think there was a war?!
Because of Pompey! He opposes everything
Caesar wishes for Rome. Peace, prosperity, a
return to the republic.
GABRIELLE
We really know different Caesars.
BRUTUS
Caesar doesn't care about the Amazons. What
happened was an accident. We can make sure
it doesn't happen again.
GABRIELLE
I can. As queen of the Amazons, I propose
a treaty of peace to Caesar. We're not afraid to
fight or to die. Guards!
You surprise me. I accept. Contingent on Caesar's
approval, of course. And Xena.
What do you think?
Well he's not Caesar, but he may be the chink
in Caesar's armour.
Xena! Pompey's turned his army around. He'll
be here by morning.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fall in your lines! Tighten up those ranks!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'll get the other one!
XENA
Fell those trees! We need clear sightlines! Make
the breastworks half-height. We may need to jump
over them. Amarice?! Get the prisoners.
CHILAPA
Xena-
EXTRA
Bring 'em in.
CHILAPA
-we've got scouts trailing them, but they outnumber
us three-to-one.
EXTRA
Come on.
XENA
That's all right. He'll come straight on.
CHILAPA
Is he that foolish?
EXTRA
Stay still.
XENA
No, but he's that angry.
Tie him up.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xena, I brought Brutus. He-
What is this?
AMARICE
Isn't it great? Pompey's gotta get through his
own men just to get to us. And when he does,
we light the pit.
GABRIELLE
You light a pit?
AMARICE
This one's filled with oil. While they're trying to
untie their men, we toss in a torch and poof!
Pompey-cue.
XENA
Amarice.
GABRIELLE
(whispers) Xena-
XENA
Gabrielle, Pompey outnumbers us. We need
every advantage we can get.
GABRIELLE
You put them on crosses.
XENA
If that's what it takes to preserve Ephiny's tribe,
then that's what I'll do.
BRUTUS
Trade me to Pompey.
GABRIELLE
He'll only kill you.
BRUTUS
Pompey needs money. His supplies are low
and he has to pay his mercenaries. He'll risk
everything because he's desperate. He can sell
me to the pirates for more than he could've
gotten for your Amazons.
XENA
He'll only use you against Caesar himself.
BRUTUS
Either way, he'll be certain of getting his money
and there would be no reason to risk losing
his army here.
AMARICE
Are we gonna believe him? It's a trick.
CHILAPA
Xena, you'd better come to the top of the hill. Quickly.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
There. To the south of us.
I thought Pompey was coming from the north.
XENA
He is. That's-
BRUTUS
Xelifus. The legion I was to command when I
located Pompey. Caesar's taken advantage
of the situation.
Stay together!
XENA
Pompey hits us from the north and Caesar hits
us from the south. In getting to Pompey, Caesar
wants to obliterate us.
END OF ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
Centurion!
EXTRA
Keep in formation!
XENA
Brutus, if I hand you over to Pompey he's going
to kill you.
EXTRA
Come on!
BRUTUS
I'm willing to take that chance and I don't think
you have much choice.
XENA
That's where you're wrong. I do have choices.
I've had choices since we first captured you.
EXTRA
That's it men! Come on!
XENA
No I think I'd rather give you back to Caesar.
Forward!
XENA
(to Amarice) Cut down the Romans and take
them to the rear.
AMARICE
What about our defense?
XENA
If my plan works, we won't need them. And besides
...we don't kill just for the sake of it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brutus. We were told you were captured by the Amazons.
BRUTUS
I'm taking command, Xelifus.
XELIFUS
The honour of command is yours as always.
BRUTUS
Give the order to wheel eastward. We're taking
Pompey from the side.
XELIFUS
Yes sir, immediately.
BRUTUS
And bring up the artillery. We're gonna blast a
path right through to Pompey's command, starting
from that hill.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Char-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-ge!
Ready.
And...fi-i-i-i-i-ire!
First wave atta-a-a-ack!
Ah-h-h-h-h-h!
What are you doing?!
(to all) Pull back! Now!
EXTRA
Get the Romans!
EXTRA
Kill him!
XENA
Amarice I need you to do something for me.
I need you to stay here and hold the line.
AMARICE
Right, count on it.
XENA
One more thing. Protect Gabrielle.
AMARICE
Are you kidding me?
XENA
You heard me. Do as I say.
(to waiting Amazons) Hold! Hold!
(to Gabrielle) You better get back to camp. You
might get hurt.
GABRIELLE
You don't know me very well.
Hold your positions! We have to wait and give
Xena more time! Hold the line.
For Ephiny!
EXTRAS
For Ephiny!
Ephiny-y-y-y-y!
AMARICE
Go! Go! Go!
GABRIELLE
Ephiny-y-y-y-y!
Duck!
Thanks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pompey Magnus, Brutus is approaching from
the east. We have to disengage with the
Amazons and turn-
POMPEY
No! We stay and we fight!
Xena. To ar-r-r-r-r-rms!
Wait! If you kill me, Caesar gains control.
You know it and I know it. That's the balance I
give you, Xena. It's always been like that. And
you may hate us both, but without one you can't
control the other. Now if you let me live, well...we
can't destroy the world if we're trying to destroy
each other now, can we? Hmm?
It's not about balance anymore.
Pompey's army is scattered. We're ready to move
the legion into the area near the hill.
BRUTUS
No. No, that's Amazon land. We stay out.
EXTRA
Rider approaching!
Well your plan worked.
XENA
If you wanna stay alive don't mention my name
to Caesar. The plan was yours.
BRUTUS
Xena, your vision of Caesar is blinded by hatred.
He is the only hope to restore the democracy
of the republic.
XENA
And a man like you would do well in his democracy,
huh? Brutus, your faith in Caesar is misplaced.
One day you're going to have to decide whether
your Caesar's man or your own.
BRUTUS
Never. I know Caesar. He wouldn't betray a friend.
XENA
Pompey was a friend. And Crassus. Wasn't
Crassus a friend, too? I was once a very good
friend of his. But maybe you're special.
Remember, this was your doing.
Pompey's changed his hairstyle. Too bad.
BRUTUS
I'm afraid I was unable to bring him back alive
as you requested Caesar.
CAESAR
Alive or dead, no matter, he's out of Rome's way.
Now the future can begin.
BRUTUS
This is a personal message from the queen of
the Amazons to Caesar, ruler of all of Rome.
A peace treaty. The queen of the Amazons promises
to respect the territories of...
If they're not under my control Brutus, they're a
threat. There was a rumour that Xena was
headed towards the Amazons. Any word of that?
BRUTUS
No. Not that I'm aware of.
CAESAR
Hmm, well, her time will come. Thank you, Brutus.
You're a loyal friend.
Are you sure?
GABRIELLE
Chilapa, you would make a better queen than I.
CHILAPA
But you have wisdom that I don't have.
There's a trick to that. When you need to make a
decision, think of Ephiny. Do what she would do.
It's so unreal, Xena. I don't know why I don't just cry.
XENA
Maybe you're trying too hard or maybe part of you
knows that Ephiny didn't die in vain. She made a
difference with her life and in her death she
became a symbol. One way or another, the
Amazons will go on.
Well, when do we leave?
XENA
I thought you were staying here with the tribe.
AMARICE
I gave it a shot; long enough to know it's not my
place. I mean, they're all great and everything,
but they treat me like a kid.
GABRIELLE
You are a kid.
AMARICE
Right, and you're a warrior. Besides I need to
see more of the world. I was thinkin' about what
you said, Xena, about not finding my answers
at the end of a sword and it seemed to make
sense. Then I started thinkin' about old Pompey,
and it seems to me he found an answer at the
end of yours.
GABRIELLE
Amarice, did you not find any philosophy behind
those words?
AMARICE
Yeah, kick butt and take names later.
XENA
(to Gabrielle) It's gonna take some time.
AMARICE
So where are we headed?
XENA
That way.
AMARICE
Perfect. Exactly where I was thinking we'd go.
Trouble. So you ready-
STARRING
Lucy Lawless as Xena
Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle
GUEST CAST
Jennifer Sky as Amarice
Danielle Cormack as Ephiny
Karl Urban as Caesar
Jeremy Callaghan as Pompey
David Franklin as Brutus
Stephen Butterworth as Carminus
Nicole Whippy as Chilapa
Tony Wood as Xelifus
Written by: Steven L. Sears
Directed by: Garth Maxwell
Disclaimer: Pompey's reign came to a head during the production of this motion picture.
