Krypton (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - The Rankless Initiative - full transcript
During a military crackdown on Seg's home district, Seg and Adam Strange race to find a deadly Sentry.
- Val of House El,
you are hereby
sentenced to death.
- No!
- Seg, someone from the future
is coming to destroy Krypton.
Take this.
You have to find the fortress.
- Grandfather was no traitor.
He was a hero.
Welcome to your grandfather's
Fortress of Solitude.
Val was determined to prove
that we weren't alone
in the universe.
We have to finish his work.
- Who's your accomplice,
Charys?
- I love you.
It was me!
- No, Val!
- No!
Please, no, please!
- No!
- Your parents chose chaos.
I need to know if you intend
to follow in their footsteps.
- I don't.
The blood of House El will
forever bind us.
- Hello, Seg.
- Grandfather.
- I'm a projection
of Val-El.
- You've still got me, Seg.
- We were never gonna find
a way to be together.
- You want me to bind
with your daughter?
Okay.
Even if I never get to bear
the sigil of my own house,
I will not wear yours.
- Commander?
What is all this?
- The Rankless initiative.
We're going down to the
Rankless to crack some skulls.
- You are Lyta of House Zod.
You are a warrior.
- Commander Quex-Ul.
I challenge you
to a Kandorian duel.
No mercy will be shown.
- Lyta-Zod.
I hereby appoint you Commander
of Fourth Squad, Sagitari.
- Here's something
you don't see every day.
The meteor shower reported
in the Outlands.
- We're gonna check that out.
Something crashed here.
- This better be
something real, Earth man.
I'm getting tired of being--
- Val!
Grandfather!
- Hello, Seg.
- Whoa.
You look super realistic
for a--
- Val, Adam.
Adam, Val.
This was found in the Outlands.
We think it's a--
- I know what it is.
It's one of Braniac's probes.
He sends these things
out into the universe.
- It's how he determines
if a civilization's
worthy of collection.
- Exactly.
- We need you to run
some analysis on this.
See what we can find out.
- Well, let's take a look.
Put it there.
The techno-organic material
of this device
is of unknown origin.
But this is only a casing
for another device.
- It's a shell?
- Precisely.
This is used
to contain a Sentry.
Once the shell is opened,
the Sentry's exposed.
But right now...
we can extrapolate from the
interior structure of the shell
the approximate size and shape
of the Sentry.
- Right,
I get what it looks like.
But what exactly is it?
- It's parasitic.
Once the Sentry
is out of the shell,
it seeks a host.
It takes over the host's body.
It then uses that host
to gather information
about whatever planet it's on.
Defense systems, population,
vulnerabilities, etcetera.
Once it's gathered
all the information required,
it uploads it to Braniac,
and leaves the host body
for dead.
- So we need to extract this
little bastard from its shell
and then deactivate it before
it goes to work, right?
- Easier said than done.
Remember,
once we open the probe shell,
the Sentry will activate
and do what parasites do:
seek out a host body.
You do realize I'm a hologram,
don't you?
- Do it, Grandpa.
- Shit.
It's not in there, is it?
- I'm afraid not.
It appears the Sentry
has already been released.
- Oh, Mighty Rao,
before your grace,
we wandered lost
in the darkness.
Until you appeared and led us
into the light.
- Beautifully said, Ona.
[groans]
- Thanks, uncle Kem.
- My pleasure.
You'd better hurry up and
eat that before it eats you.
- Do you want some?
- No, I'm not hungry.
- What?
Well.
That is unfortunate,
because it would be a shame
for this to go to waste.
Rhom, don't worry, okay?
I know things are
tough for everybody,
but there will always be a meal
here for you and Ona.
- I'll pay you back soon.
I...
I'm starting a glamorous
new job tonight.
- Rhom, isn't it?
You having trouble
with the scanner?
- Yeah, a little.
Thank you.
- No problem.
Your first time
working salvage?
- Yeah.
Got any advice?
- Just remember, it's up to you
to report what you find.
Some things are worth more
on the black market
than in the hands
of the guilds.
- Okay.
Let's think this through.
If the Sentry isn't here,
it means it's found its host,
right?
- I believe so.
And whoever that host is,
I'm afraid they're
in mortal danger now.
- You said the Sentry's
a parasite.
Maybe it takes time
to infect its host.
Maybe we can find the person
before that happens.
Deactivate it.
- Perhaps.
But honestly, Seg, I--
I just don't know.
My research was
interrupted too soon.
I'm sorry.
- Okay, well, we at least
have to try, right?
Let's go back to the beginning.
Okay, we found this thing
in the Outlands.
So, who else goes out there?
- Salvage crews.
- So, let's say that some poor
chump found the shell
and somehow got
a hold of the Sentry.
What happens then?
- Well, if he reports it,
it goes up to the guild.
- And if he doesn't?
- Might try and sell it.
Keep it for himself.
Look, if we're gonna
find this thing
before it completely
takes over its host,
then we gotta start
working fast.
You find Kem.
Head over to the Labor Index.
Find out if anyone in those
salvage crews saw anything.
I'm gonna head up the Guilds,
find Lyta.
See if anyone turned it in.
- Sounds good to me.
- Let's go.
- Seg, wait up.
- I can't.
I'm in a hurry.
- Well, I'm sure I can keep up.
Nice to see you walking
amongst the Guilded.
Didn't even have to send
a Sagitari to retrieve you.
Some would call that progress.
One of these days,
we'll work up
to a family dinner.
- I'd like that.
- Hm, I really need
to teach you how to lie, Seg.
- I'm better with the truth.
It means a lot what
you did for me, Nyssa.
Allowing me the chance to give
my parents an honorable burial.
- Urgent military business?
- I just need to get my
security clearance reinstated.
- Better.
That was almost believable.
Have your secrets, Seg.
I most certainly have mine.
Be sure to give
my congratulations to Lyta
on her new promotion.
- You could have been killed.
- I know,
but I wasn't.
- I don't get it.
Was this to earn
your mother's respect,
to--to somehow prove
that you belong?
- No.
- Then why?
Why would you risk your life
like that?
- I don't have time for this.
And you shouldn't even be here.
- Lyta.
You killed someone.
- I challenged Quex
to change things.
To change the way the Sagitari
treat the Rankless.
- Then I guess
I should be thanking you.
- I appreciate you
checking in on me.
- If I'm being honest,
it's not the only
reason I'm here.
I need your help tracking
down any reports
of anything unusual
or suspicious being turned in
to the Guild.
There's something
we need to find.
- What is it?
- I found it in the Outlands.
Never seen anything
like it before.
- Give you 200 solars.
- 200?
No.
It must be worth
more than that.
- Not to me.
- Oh, fine.
Deal.
- Pleasure doing business.
- Let's go.
- Black Zero has already made
one attempt on my life.
Can you assure me this
Rankless Initiative
will mean it's the last?
- When the sun rises tomorrow,
Black Zero and
their sympathizers
shall be brought to justice.
- I hope so,
because if this
initiative fails
and they are not made
to suffer the consequences
of their actions,
then perhaps you should be.
Keep me apprised
of the progress.
- Of course,
Your Eminence.
- The Sagitari will be
comforted to know
the Voice has taken such
interest in the operation.
- I do not care
for their comfort.
Only that they succeed.
- Black Zero's
leadership hierarchy.
We still don't have
any substantiated images
of Jax-Ur,
but you should all be familiar
with most of these other faces
by now.
- Not this one.
Who's he?
- Unknown.
Intelligence suggests
he's a relatively new player.
Seems to be rising up through
the ranks very quickly.
We've detected a high
concentration
of Black Zero activity which
suggests they have a stronghold
somewhere in this area.
Sector 19.
The council have authorized us
to seal off the entire area,
to go street by street
and root out their operatives.
Their leaders are
our primary targets.
Brief your squads.
We are a go at 4300 hours.
- There are thousands
of innocent citizens
in this sector.
- If they give refuge
to enemies of Kandor,
how innocent can they be?
- They know more about the area
than our satellites ever will.
If we take our time to get
to know these people
rather than uprooting them
from their homes,
they will be more willing
to give us information
about Black Zero.
- If the Rankless choose not
to divulge what they know about
these terrorists,
then they will pay a price
for their silence.
- Now, if there are
no more questions....
- Nothing unusual reported
to the Guilds.
Any luck with the salvagers?
- Do you know how hard it is to
ask someone if they've found
any alien technology without
actually asking them,
"Hey, have you found
any alien technology?"
- I'm sure you found a way.
They're the only ones
out there.
They had to have
seen something.
- Sure, um,
rusted-out skimmers,
a half-eaten ice wraith,
the carcass of the much bigger,
much scarier thing
that ate the ice wraith.
But listen, don't worry.
I'm sure that our friend
from a distant galaxy has got
it all figured out.
- Kem.
- Lyta.
You just couldn't
keep your mouth shut.
- I killed a man for the right
to open it.
I deserve to be heard.
- You know what I mean.
We both know
who lives in Sector 19.
- Seg's not Black Zero,
and neither were his parents.
- Their actions at the Tribunal
suggest otherwise.
And I'm sure they had friends
who were Black Zero
who are still
among the Rankless.
Any forewarning puts
every Sagitari in danger.
Your squad needs to know
they can trust you.
Remember, the higher you rise,
the more eyes are eager
to watch you fall.
- This is your locker now.
- Dev, I know how much
you cared about Quex.
- I care about you, too.
- I'm sorry.
- Look,
you did what you had to do.
- I keep telling myself that.
[solemn music]
- It's natural to have doubts,
Lyta.
About what you've done,
what you're about to do.
But if you let
your squad see them,
they'll begin
to have doubts about you.
- If we go through with this,
I believe we will create more
terrorists than we'll stop.
- What do you mean,
"if" we go through with it?
We have our orders.
- But we can't--
- We don't choose
which orders we follow.
I shouldn't have to tell
a Commander that.
- All right.
- Hey, uh, I'm...
I'm looking for something...
a little unusual.
Just...
- H'Rakan egg sac.
Very unusual.
And delicious.
- No, I think maybe something
a little less unusual.
Maybe something, uh,
more shiny.
- I recently acquired
a Daxamite hunting blade.
- No.
- What about...
Mithenite gemstones?
- No, I'm looking
for something...
Maybe, uh, that.
Right there, yeah.
Yeah, how much?
- One of the few
remaining relics
of the legendary Tenth City?
- [sighs]
Listen, from one bullshitter
to another,
we both know that's not true.
- 20,000 solars.
- Come on, man.
Look, the guy over there
sells them for half that.
I didn't wanna say it, but, uh,
he says yours are fake.
- Attention!
- Listen up, because I'm only
going to say this once.
The Rankless are not our enemy.
This Initiative is about
targeting Black Zero
and Black Zero only.
They have killed citizens
of Kandor, the Guilded,
and Rankless alike.
It is our job to stop them
from killing more.
And it will be done
with honor and respect.
And without a single shot fired
on innocent people.
Mark my words.
There will be no cracking
of heads or thinning the herd.
Nobody fires unless
I give the order.
Understood?
all: Yes, Commander.
- The ability to divorce
oneself from emotion
is what separates a successful
mission from failure.
And we do not fail.
May Rao's grace be your shield.
all: And light the way
to victory.
- What are you doing?
- Shh.
- Did you--
did he just shush me?
- In your own tavern.
- Did anyone follow me in here?
- I don't see anyone, no.
Why?
What did you do?
What superheroes do.
- Is this what I think it is?
- Well, it ain't a hot dog.
Yes, it's the Sentry.
And it looks to me like
it hasn't activated yet.
Eh?
Fist bump.
No?
Is that a thing here?
- Look, will you just get out
from behind my bar?
And you're paying
for that drink, by the way.
- Hey, focus.
Fate of the world.
Let's get this thing
back to the Fortress
and make sure
it never finds a host.
- I don't understand you!
And you owe me
for that drink!
Idiot.
- So, we get Val to make
absolutely certain
that it hasn't been activated.
Then, all we have to do
is figure out
how to destroy that thing.
- Well, maybe there's a way
to reverse engineer it.
We can figure out
how far away Braniac is.
- You can do that?
- Maybe.
With Val's help.
- Attention,
Rankless citizens.
This quadrant is
being evacuated.
Sector 19 residents
are hereby evicted.
Prepare to be scanned
and processed.
- Attention,
Rankless citizens.
This quadrant
is being evacuated.
Sector 19 residents
are hereby evicted.
Prepare to be scanned
and processed.
- On the ground!
- Sect off the perimeter.
- Attention,
Rankless citizens...
- Aah!
- Hurry it up.
- Prepare to be
scanned and processed.
- Attention,
Rankless citizens...
- Sector 19 residents
are hereby evicted.
Prepare to be
scanned and processed.
- Back up!
- Attention,
Rankless citizens.
This quadrant
is being evacuated.
Sector 19 residents
are hereby evicted.
- You, over here!
- All adults older
than 15 cycles...
- Come here right now.
- Stop!
- Another one.
- Turn your face
toward the scanner.
- No sudden movements!
- All Rankless citizens will
evacuate their homes.
- This one's fine.
Move to sector three.
- Hey, let's get out of here.
Let's go.
- Listen to me.
Take this.
We can't risk it falling into
Sagitari hands, all right?
Get it back to the Fortress
and start working with Val.
- How am I supposed
to do that?
Look around you, Seg.
- I don't know.
Find a way.
- No, hey, hey!
Where do you think
you're going?
- To talk to Lyta.
Adam, go!
- Please remain calm!
- I want squads three and eight
to secure this area.
Once that's done,
move onto the next one.
- Is this your idea
of changing things?
- I am trying, but we cannot
ignore the intelligence
that Black Zero's operated
out of this area.
- Do they look like Black Zero
to you?
- This was going to happen
with or without me.
I am doing my best to make it
as safe as possible.
- How long have you known
about this?
You chose not to tell me.
You didn't trust me.
- I can't talk to you
right now.
Get out of here, Seg.
Go.
- Report to
the southern checkpoint.
Come on, I'm dying here,
man.
How long does it take to figure
out if it infected anyone?
- Well, if you believe there's
a more efficient method,
you're welcome to try.
- No, all good here.
But when you're done there,
I got something else
for you to look at.
It's called a Zeta-Beam Device.
I know,
came up with it myself.
Anyway, it's kind of the horse
I rode in on.
Only she won't
giddy up anymore,
and she's my return trip home.
So, I'd kinda like to get--
Uh, that's not good,
is it?
- Who else has the Sentry
been in contact with?
- Kem?
Kem, are you here?
- Seg, we kinda got
a big problem here.
- What is it?
- I'll let Val explain.
- An analysis in the Sentry
shows it to be inactive.
- Great, why is that a problem?
- Because it means the Sentry's
already found a host.
- Let's go.
- Hey...pig.
Rhom?
- Ah.
- Rhom, Ona?
- Why are they doing this?
- I don't know, but just come
with me, all right?
- Everything hurts.
- Everything will be fine.
Just trust me.
- Mama...
- Did the Sagitari hurt her?
- No,
she's been sick all day.
- Mama, are you okay?
- We're scanning this area.
Get out.
- No, she needs a doctor.
She needs a doctor.
- Children to
the southeastern sector.
- She needs a doctor!
- Mom!
- No, don't touch her!
- Please, don't hurt her!
- Ona!
- I want my mom!
Where are you taking me?
- Get to the checkpoint.
Move, now.
- Okay.
- Up, Rankless.
This area is being evacuated.
We need you out.
Hey!
Hey!
- Aah!
- We need to go.
We need to go, come on.
Ona, come on.
Let's go, let's go.
- Over here, Rankless.
- What are you doing here?
- In here.
In here.
Seg's on his way.
We'll figure this out.
You're safe in here, okay?
Don't worry.
- I don't understand.
What's happening?
Why did my mom do that?
- Are you guys all right?
- Mm-hmm.
Yeah, we're fine.
But Rhom.
- She hurt those men.
I think...
I think she...
- It's not her fault.
It's not her fault.
She's sick.
Whatever she did,
whatever happened,
it's because of the sickness.
Understand?
It's not her fault.
It's not her.
- You can help her though,
right?
- Why don't you
tuck into these,
and we're gonna figure it out,
okay?
- Please help her.
- We're gonna do
everything we can.
- I thought we'd found
the Sentry in time.
What happened?
- We were too late.
It was dormant because
it had already found its host.
In Rhom.
- I knew
she was doing it tough,
but I...I had no idea that
she was working salvage
in the Outlands.
I just don't understand
why she didn't tell us.
We could have helped.
- She was probably
too embarrassed.
- Do you, um...
do you think we can save her?
- I dunno.
But if there's a way,
I'm gonna find it.
Did you see which way she went?
- Towards the market,
I think.
I don't know.
It all happened so quickly.
- Okay.
- Hey, hey.
Be careful.
Seg, you--you haven't seen
what she can do.
- Just take care of the kid.
- All squads,
lock down your sectors
and form your lines.
All squads,
lock down your sectors
and form your lines.
Now.
- Do you think we're going
to let this go unpunished?
You think
we can't make you talk?
You think you can protect
the bastards that did this?
Tell us where
Black Zero's hiding.
- I don't know.
I didn't see anything.
- How about now?
This jog your memory?
I can't breathe.
- If you can talk,
you can breathe.
- Got no right to be here.
You've got no right!
- He's not Black Zero.
- Now tell me where
Black Zero is.
- Let him go!
- Shut your mouth, Rankless!
- Let him go!
- Back off!
- You murderer!
- Quadrants one, two, and three
have been swept,
cleared, and secured.
- And?
- And we've yet to locate
the Black Zero stronghold,
but there's only one quadrant
left to lock down.
- Why the delay?
- There's been a situation
with the Rankless.
- Move!
Back up!
- Killers!
- Step back!
- Weapons down!
Weapons down, now!
That is an order!
What happened here?
- She killed an innocent man!
- She murdered him.
- It was self defense.
I had no choice.
- So you, a Sagitari,
felt threatened
by an unarmed man in shackles?
- He was coming to the aid
of a Black Zero sympathizer.
- That's not possible.
- That's a lie.
- She's lying.
- Probably one himself.
- Probably?
So you admit you weren't sure?
Kol-Da.
You are under arrest
for the unlawful death
of a Rankless citizen.
- For defending myself
against a terrorist?
- You will get your chance
to plead your innocence
before the Tribunal.
A chance you denied this man.
- Justice!
- Calm down.
- And unless you would all
like to join her,
I suggest you disperse
and proceed
to the nearest checkpoint now!
- I can't find
any sign of Rhom.
Do you have any idea where
she would have been headed?
- Wherever will allow it
to upload
information on Kandor
to Braniac.
Might try
a communications center.
Listen, you have to destroy
that thing before--
- It's not a thing or an it
we're dealing with.
Rhom's my friend.
- Not anymore.
She's been taken over
by Braniac's technology.
- What if we can find a way
to disable it?
- Even if we could,
how would you get close enough
and not end up
like those soldiers?
I know you wanna save
your friend, Seg.
But there's a lot more lives
at stake.
You heard what Val said.
Braniac's Sentry has one goal
and one goal only.
To gather all the information
Braniac needs
to lay this planet to waste.
I want you
to think about that.
Anyone that you have ever
known or loved.
Whoever she once was to you
is gone.
She's Braniac's agent now.
- I can't sneak away for long,
Seg.
What is it?
- You owe me.
I need an electrostatic
discharge grenade.
But it only works
on electronics, right?
It's not gonna kill anyone?
- Well,
what do you want it for?
What's really going on?
- Three of my squad are dead,
and now there are reports of
a communications hub breach,
and you come asking for an ESD,
and I'm not supposed to think
that's connected?
If you are covering
for Black Zero--
- Not Black Zero.
- Then who is it?
Some pissed off Rankless
out for revenge?
- It's a friend.
It's a friend.
Okay?
And she's not herself.
But I can stop her.
That's why I need the ESD.
- You are asking me to
hand over military ordinance.
I'm gonna need
a little more than that.
- If I thought there was
any other way to do this,
I wouldn't be here.
But I have nowhere else to go.
I am asking you, Lyta,
to trust me this time.
- I have dead Sagitari.
- You're gonna have a lot more
if you send them inside
that communications hub.
Do you trust me?
- Yes.
Be careful.
- Commander Zod, we have
possible Black Zero activity
in the communications hub.
Why is your squad
holding their position?
- We're still assessing the
nature of the threat, Primus.
- It's not your job to assess,
Commander.
It's to neutralize.
- I understand that.
- Then order your squad
to move in at once.
- Negative, Primus.
Not until I can ensure
the safety of my troops.
- Lyta, you are disobeying
a direct order.
- I hope you know
what you're doing, Seg.
- Rhom?
Rhom, it's me, Seg.
I can help you.
- There is no Rhom.
- Rhom has been collected.
Krypton is worthy
of collection.
- You will be collected.
I am transcendent.
Free of the material universe
and the limitations
of physical existence.
- [gagging]
Rhom...it's me.
I'm your friend.
I know you're in there
somewhere.
- There is nothing to fight.
This is a gift.
My faculties of cognition
are beyond
any living being's
comprehension.
- Fight it, Rhom.
Fight for your daughter.
Fight for Ona.
Ona loves you.
And there isn't anything
you wouldn't do for her.
I need you
to come back for her.
Fight this, Rhom.
I need you to help me.
- Primus,
we're breaching the hub.
- Clear left.
- Clear right.
- Commander Em,
situation report.
- Primus, it looks like
they tried to hack
into the electro-communications
grid.
- No Black Zero operatives
in sight.
- But no sign of
any Black Zero operatives.
- What happened to her?
Is she still alive?
- Barely.
- Seg, what's going on?
- My grandfather was right.
We're not alone
in the universe.
There's something out there.
It found her,
and it's coming for us.
- Whoa!
Whoa.
- It's okay.
He's...an acquaintance.
- The skimmer's close,
but we should hustle
before these lights
turn back on.
- Seg, if what
you're saying is true,
then the Council
need to see her.
We can make them believe.
♪
I have to save her.
Lyta,
thank you for trusting me.
- Yes.
The only arrest made
in the Rankless Initiative.
One of our own Sagitari.
Father?
What are you going to tell
the Voice of Rao?
- The only thing I can.
The truth.
- Are you sure the truth
is the best option right now?
- What's the alternative?
Black Zero continue
to exist unabated,
and now...
- Is she going to live?
- It's difficult to say.
Whatever Braniac did,
it appears to be
keeping her alive.
My concern is that,
in trying to reverse it,
we risk losing her.
- Well,
at least you stopped her
before she got to a transmitter
and uploaded whatever info
she accessed.
- I don't believe
that was her intention.
- What do you mean?
- I believe
she is the transmitter.
- We gotta stop her before
she sends a signal to Brainiac.
- It's too late.
It's already been sent.
- Krypton,
your world is at an end.
you are hereby
sentenced to death.
- No!
- Seg, someone from the future
is coming to destroy Krypton.
Take this.
You have to find the fortress.
- Grandfather was no traitor.
He was a hero.
Welcome to your grandfather's
Fortress of Solitude.
Val was determined to prove
that we weren't alone
in the universe.
We have to finish his work.
- Who's your accomplice,
Charys?
- I love you.
It was me!
- No, Val!
- No!
Please, no, please!
- No!
- Your parents chose chaos.
I need to know if you intend
to follow in their footsteps.
- I don't.
The blood of House El will
forever bind us.
- Hello, Seg.
- Grandfather.
- I'm a projection
of Val-El.
- You've still got me, Seg.
- We were never gonna find
a way to be together.
- You want me to bind
with your daughter?
Okay.
Even if I never get to bear
the sigil of my own house,
I will not wear yours.
- Commander?
What is all this?
- The Rankless initiative.
We're going down to the
Rankless to crack some skulls.
- You are Lyta of House Zod.
You are a warrior.
- Commander Quex-Ul.
I challenge you
to a Kandorian duel.
No mercy will be shown.
- Lyta-Zod.
I hereby appoint you Commander
of Fourth Squad, Sagitari.
- Here's something
you don't see every day.
The meteor shower reported
in the Outlands.
- We're gonna check that out.
Something crashed here.
- This better be
something real, Earth man.
I'm getting tired of being--
- Val!
Grandfather!
- Hello, Seg.
- Whoa.
You look super realistic
for a--
- Val, Adam.
Adam, Val.
This was found in the Outlands.
We think it's a--
- I know what it is.
It's one of Braniac's probes.
He sends these things
out into the universe.
- It's how he determines
if a civilization's
worthy of collection.
- Exactly.
- We need you to run
some analysis on this.
See what we can find out.
- Well, let's take a look.
Put it there.
The techno-organic material
of this device
is of unknown origin.
But this is only a casing
for another device.
- It's a shell?
- Precisely.
This is used
to contain a Sentry.
Once the shell is opened,
the Sentry's exposed.
But right now...
we can extrapolate from the
interior structure of the shell
the approximate size and shape
of the Sentry.
- Right,
I get what it looks like.
But what exactly is it?
- It's parasitic.
Once the Sentry
is out of the shell,
it seeks a host.
It takes over the host's body.
It then uses that host
to gather information
about whatever planet it's on.
Defense systems, population,
vulnerabilities, etcetera.
Once it's gathered
all the information required,
it uploads it to Braniac,
and leaves the host body
for dead.
- So we need to extract this
little bastard from its shell
and then deactivate it before
it goes to work, right?
- Easier said than done.
Remember,
once we open the probe shell,
the Sentry will activate
and do what parasites do:
seek out a host body.
You do realize I'm a hologram,
don't you?
- Do it, Grandpa.
- Shit.
It's not in there, is it?
- I'm afraid not.
It appears the Sentry
has already been released.
- Oh, Mighty Rao,
before your grace,
we wandered lost
in the darkness.
Until you appeared and led us
into the light.
- Beautifully said, Ona.
[groans]
- Thanks, uncle Kem.
- My pleasure.
You'd better hurry up and
eat that before it eats you.
- Do you want some?
- No, I'm not hungry.
- What?
Well.
That is unfortunate,
because it would be a shame
for this to go to waste.
Rhom, don't worry, okay?
I know things are
tough for everybody,
but there will always be a meal
here for you and Ona.
- I'll pay you back soon.
I...
I'm starting a glamorous
new job tonight.
- Rhom, isn't it?
You having trouble
with the scanner?
- Yeah, a little.
Thank you.
- No problem.
Your first time
working salvage?
- Yeah.
Got any advice?
- Just remember, it's up to you
to report what you find.
Some things are worth more
on the black market
than in the hands
of the guilds.
- Okay.
Let's think this through.
If the Sentry isn't here,
it means it's found its host,
right?
- I believe so.
And whoever that host is,
I'm afraid they're
in mortal danger now.
- You said the Sentry's
a parasite.
Maybe it takes time
to infect its host.
Maybe we can find the person
before that happens.
Deactivate it.
- Perhaps.
But honestly, Seg, I--
I just don't know.
My research was
interrupted too soon.
I'm sorry.
- Okay, well, we at least
have to try, right?
Let's go back to the beginning.
Okay, we found this thing
in the Outlands.
So, who else goes out there?
- Salvage crews.
- So, let's say that some poor
chump found the shell
and somehow got
a hold of the Sentry.
What happens then?
- Well, if he reports it,
it goes up to the guild.
- And if he doesn't?
- Might try and sell it.
Keep it for himself.
Look, if we're gonna
find this thing
before it completely
takes over its host,
then we gotta start
working fast.
You find Kem.
Head over to the Labor Index.
Find out if anyone in those
salvage crews saw anything.
I'm gonna head up the Guilds,
find Lyta.
See if anyone turned it in.
- Sounds good to me.
- Let's go.
- Seg, wait up.
- I can't.
I'm in a hurry.
- Well, I'm sure I can keep up.
Nice to see you walking
amongst the Guilded.
Didn't even have to send
a Sagitari to retrieve you.
Some would call that progress.
One of these days,
we'll work up
to a family dinner.
- I'd like that.
- Hm, I really need
to teach you how to lie, Seg.
- I'm better with the truth.
It means a lot what
you did for me, Nyssa.
Allowing me the chance to give
my parents an honorable burial.
- Urgent military business?
- I just need to get my
security clearance reinstated.
- Better.
That was almost believable.
Have your secrets, Seg.
I most certainly have mine.
Be sure to give
my congratulations to Lyta
on her new promotion.
- You could have been killed.
- I know,
but I wasn't.
- I don't get it.
Was this to earn
your mother's respect,
to--to somehow prove
that you belong?
- No.
- Then why?
Why would you risk your life
like that?
- I don't have time for this.
And you shouldn't even be here.
- Lyta.
You killed someone.
- I challenged Quex
to change things.
To change the way the Sagitari
treat the Rankless.
- Then I guess
I should be thanking you.
- I appreciate you
checking in on me.
- If I'm being honest,
it's not the only
reason I'm here.
I need your help tracking
down any reports
of anything unusual
or suspicious being turned in
to the Guild.
There's something
we need to find.
- What is it?
- I found it in the Outlands.
Never seen anything
like it before.
- Give you 200 solars.
- 200?
No.
It must be worth
more than that.
- Not to me.
- Oh, fine.
Deal.
- Pleasure doing business.
- Let's go.
- Black Zero has already made
one attempt on my life.
Can you assure me this
Rankless Initiative
will mean it's the last?
- When the sun rises tomorrow,
Black Zero and
their sympathizers
shall be brought to justice.
- I hope so,
because if this
initiative fails
and they are not made
to suffer the consequences
of their actions,
then perhaps you should be.
Keep me apprised
of the progress.
- Of course,
Your Eminence.
- The Sagitari will be
comforted to know
the Voice has taken such
interest in the operation.
- I do not care
for their comfort.
Only that they succeed.
- Black Zero's
leadership hierarchy.
We still don't have
any substantiated images
of Jax-Ur,
but you should all be familiar
with most of these other faces
by now.
- Not this one.
Who's he?
- Unknown.
Intelligence suggests
he's a relatively new player.
Seems to be rising up through
the ranks very quickly.
We've detected a high
concentration
of Black Zero activity which
suggests they have a stronghold
somewhere in this area.
Sector 19.
The council have authorized us
to seal off the entire area,
to go street by street
and root out their operatives.
Their leaders are
our primary targets.
Brief your squads.
We are a go at 4300 hours.
- There are thousands
of innocent citizens
in this sector.
- If they give refuge
to enemies of Kandor,
how innocent can they be?
- They know more about the area
than our satellites ever will.
If we take our time to get
to know these people
rather than uprooting them
from their homes,
they will be more willing
to give us information
about Black Zero.
- If the Rankless choose not
to divulge what they know about
these terrorists,
then they will pay a price
for their silence.
- Now, if there are
no more questions....
- Nothing unusual reported
to the Guilds.
Any luck with the salvagers?
- Do you know how hard it is to
ask someone if they've found
any alien technology without
actually asking them,
"Hey, have you found
any alien technology?"
- I'm sure you found a way.
They're the only ones
out there.
They had to have
seen something.
- Sure, um,
rusted-out skimmers,
a half-eaten ice wraith,
the carcass of the much bigger,
much scarier thing
that ate the ice wraith.
But listen, don't worry.
I'm sure that our friend
from a distant galaxy has got
it all figured out.
- Kem.
- Lyta.
You just couldn't
keep your mouth shut.
- I killed a man for the right
to open it.
I deserve to be heard.
- You know what I mean.
We both know
who lives in Sector 19.
- Seg's not Black Zero,
and neither were his parents.
- Their actions at the Tribunal
suggest otherwise.
And I'm sure they had friends
who were Black Zero
who are still
among the Rankless.
Any forewarning puts
every Sagitari in danger.
Your squad needs to know
they can trust you.
Remember, the higher you rise,
the more eyes are eager
to watch you fall.
- This is your locker now.
- Dev, I know how much
you cared about Quex.
- I care about you, too.
- I'm sorry.
- Look,
you did what you had to do.
- I keep telling myself that.
[solemn music]
- It's natural to have doubts,
Lyta.
About what you've done,
what you're about to do.
But if you let
your squad see them,
they'll begin
to have doubts about you.
- If we go through with this,
I believe we will create more
terrorists than we'll stop.
- What do you mean,
"if" we go through with it?
We have our orders.
- But we can't--
- We don't choose
which orders we follow.
I shouldn't have to tell
a Commander that.
- All right.
- Hey, uh, I'm...
I'm looking for something...
a little unusual.
Just...
- H'Rakan egg sac.
Very unusual.
And delicious.
- No, I think maybe something
a little less unusual.
Maybe something, uh,
more shiny.
- I recently acquired
a Daxamite hunting blade.
- No.
- What about...
Mithenite gemstones?
- No, I'm looking
for something...
Maybe, uh, that.
Right there, yeah.
Yeah, how much?
- One of the few
remaining relics
of the legendary Tenth City?
- [sighs]
Listen, from one bullshitter
to another,
we both know that's not true.
- 20,000 solars.
- Come on, man.
Look, the guy over there
sells them for half that.
I didn't wanna say it, but, uh,
he says yours are fake.
- Attention!
- Listen up, because I'm only
going to say this once.
The Rankless are not our enemy.
This Initiative is about
targeting Black Zero
and Black Zero only.
They have killed citizens
of Kandor, the Guilded,
and Rankless alike.
It is our job to stop them
from killing more.
And it will be done
with honor and respect.
And without a single shot fired
on innocent people.
Mark my words.
There will be no cracking
of heads or thinning the herd.
Nobody fires unless
I give the order.
Understood?
all: Yes, Commander.
- The ability to divorce
oneself from emotion
is what separates a successful
mission from failure.
And we do not fail.
May Rao's grace be your shield.
all: And light the way
to victory.
- What are you doing?
- Shh.
- Did you--
did he just shush me?
- In your own tavern.
- Did anyone follow me in here?
- I don't see anyone, no.
Why?
What did you do?
What superheroes do.
- Is this what I think it is?
- Well, it ain't a hot dog.
Yes, it's the Sentry.
And it looks to me like
it hasn't activated yet.
Eh?
Fist bump.
No?
Is that a thing here?
- Look, will you just get out
from behind my bar?
And you're paying
for that drink, by the way.
- Hey, focus.
Fate of the world.
Let's get this thing
back to the Fortress
and make sure
it never finds a host.
- I don't understand you!
And you owe me
for that drink!
Idiot.
- So, we get Val to make
absolutely certain
that it hasn't been activated.
Then, all we have to do
is figure out
how to destroy that thing.
- Well, maybe there's a way
to reverse engineer it.
We can figure out
how far away Braniac is.
- You can do that?
- Maybe.
With Val's help.
- Attention,
Rankless citizens.
This quadrant is
being evacuated.
Sector 19 residents
are hereby evicted.
Prepare to be scanned
and processed.
- Attention,
Rankless citizens.
This quadrant
is being evacuated.
Sector 19 residents
are hereby evicted.
Prepare to be scanned
and processed.
- On the ground!
- Sect off the perimeter.
- Attention,
Rankless citizens...
- Aah!
- Hurry it up.
- Prepare to be
scanned and processed.
- Attention,
Rankless citizens...
- Sector 19 residents
are hereby evicted.
Prepare to be
scanned and processed.
- Back up!
- Attention,
Rankless citizens.
This quadrant
is being evacuated.
Sector 19 residents
are hereby evicted.
- You, over here!
- All adults older
than 15 cycles...
- Come here right now.
- Stop!
- Another one.
- Turn your face
toward the scanner.
- No sudden movements!
- All Rankless citizens will
evacuate their homes.
- This one's fine.
Move to sector three.
- Hey, let's get out of here.
Let's go.
- Listen to me.
Take this.
We can't risk it falling into
Sagitari hands, all right?
Get it back to the Fortress
and start working with Val.
- How am I supposed
to do that?
Look around you, Seg.
- I don't know.
Find a way.
- No, hey, hey!
Where do you think
you're going?
- To talk to Lyta.
Adam, go!
- Please remain calm!
- I want squads three and eight
to secure this area.
Once that's done,
move onto the next one.
- Is this your idea
of changing things?
- I am trying, but we cannot
ignore the intelligence
that Black Zero's operated
out of this area.
- Do they look like Black Zero
to you?
- This was going to happen
with or without me.
I am doing my best to make it
as safe as possible.
- How long have you known
about this?
You chose not to tell me.
You didn't trust me.
- I can't talk to you
right now.
Get out of here, Seg.
Go.
- Report to
the southern checkpoint.
Come on, I'm dying here,
man.
How long does it take to figure
out if it infected anyone?
- Well, if you believe there's
a more efficient method,
you're welcome to try.
- No, all good here.
But when you're done there,
I got something else
for you to look at.
It's called a Zeta-Beam Device.
I know,
came up with it myself.
Anyway, it's kind of the horse
I rode in on.
Only she won't
giddy up anymore,
and she's my return trip home.
So, I'd kinda like to get--
Uh, that's not good,
is it?
- Who else has the Sentry
been in contact with?
- Kem?
Kem, are you here?
- Seg, we kinda got
a big problem here.
- What is it?
- I'll let Val explain.
- An analysis in the Sentry
shows it to be inactive.
- Great, why is that a problem?
- Because it means the Sentry's
already found a host.
- Let's go.
- Hey...pig.
Rhom?
- Ah.
- Rhom, Ona?
- Why are they doing this?
- I don't know, but just come
with me, all right?
- Everything hurts.
- Everything will be fine.
Just trust me.
- Mama...
- Did the Sagitari hurt her?
- No,
she's been sick all day.
- Mama, are you okay?
- We're scanning this area.
Get out.
- No, she needs a doctor.
She needs a doctor.
- Children to
the southeastern sector.
- She needs a doctor!
- Mom!
- No, don't touch her!
- Please, don't hurt her!
- Ona!
- I want my mom!
Where are you taking me?
- Get to the checkpoint.
Move, now.
- Okay.
- Up, Rankless.
This area is being evacuated.
We need you out.
Hey!
Hey!
- Aah!
- We need to go.
We need to go, come on.
Ona, come on.
Let's go, let's go.
- Over here, Rankless.
- What are you doing here?
- In here.
In here.
Seg's on his way.
We'll figure this out.
You're safe in here, okay?
Don't worry.
- I don't understand.
What's happening?
Why did my mom do that?
- Are you guys all right?
- Mm-hmm.
Yeah, we're fine.
But Rhom.
- She hurt those men.
I think...
I think she...
- It's not her fault.
It's not her fault.
She's sick.
Whatever she did,
whatever happened,
it's because of the sickness.
Understand?
It's not her fault.
It's not her.
- You can help her though,
right?
- Why don't you
tuck into these,
and we're gonna figure it out,
okay?
- Please help her.
- We're gonna do
everything we can.
- I thought we'd found
the Sentry in time.
What happened?
- We were too late.
It was dormant because
it had already found its host.
In Rhom.
- I knew
she was doing it tough,
but I...I had no idea that
she was working salvage
in the Outlands.
I just don't understand
why she didn't tell us.
We could have helped.
- She was probably
too embarrassed.
- Do you, um...
do you think we can save her?
- I dunno.
But if there's a way,
I'm gonna find it.
Did you see which way she went?
- Towards the market,
I think.
I don't know.
It all happened so quickly.
- Okay.
- Hey, hey.
Be careful.
Seg, you--you haven't seen
what she can do.
- Just take care of the kid.
- All squads,
lock down your sectors
and form your lines.
All squads,
lock down your sectors
and form your lines.
Now.
- Do you think we're going
to let this go unpunished?
You think
we can't make you talk?
You think you can protect
the bastards that did this?
Tell us where
Black Zero's hiding.
- I don't know.
I didn't see anything.
- How about now?
This jog your memory?
I can't breathe.
- If you can talk,
you can breathe.
- Got no right to be here.
You've got no right!
- He's not Black Zero.
- Now tell me where
Black Zero is.
- Let him go!
- Shut your mouth, Rankless!
- Let him go!
- Back off!
- You murderer!
- Quadrants one, two, and three
have been swept,
cleared, and secured.
- And?
- And we've yet to locate
the Black Zero stronghold,
but there's only one quadrant
left to lock down.
- Why the delay?
- There's been a situation
with the Rankless.
- Move!
Back up!
- Killers!
- Step back!
- Weapons down!
Weapons down, now!
That is an order!
What happened here?
- She killed an innocent man!
- She murdered him.
- It was self defense.
I had no choice.
- So you, a Sagitari,
felt threatened
by an unarmed man in shackles?
- He was coming to the aid
of a Black Zero sympathizer.
- That's not possible.
- That's a lie.
- She's lying.
- Probably one himself.
- Probably?
So you admit you weren't sure?
Kol-Da.
You are under arrest
for the unlawful death
of a Rankless citizen.
- For defending myself
against a terrorist?
- You will get your chance
to plead your innocence
before the Tribunal.
A chance you denied this man.
- Justice!
- Calm down.
- And unless you would all
like to join her,
I suggest you disperse
and proceed
to the nearest checkpoint now!
- I can't find
any sign of Rhom.
Do you have any idea where
she would have been headed?
- Wherever will allow it
to upload
information on Kandor
to Braniac.
Might try
a communications center.
Listen, you have to destroy
that thing before--
- It's not a thing or an it
we're dealing with.
Rhom's my friend.
- Not anymore.
She's been taken over
by Braniac's technology.
- What if we can find a way
to disable it?
- Even if we could,
how would you get close enough
and not end up
like those soldiers?
I know you wanna save
your friend, Seg.
But there's a lot more lives
at stake.
You heard what Val said.
Braniac's Sentry has one goal
and one goal only.
To gather all the information
Braniac needs
to lay this planet to waste.
I want you
to think about that.
Anyone that you have ever
known or loved.
Whoever she once was to you
is gone.
She's Braniac's agent now.
- I can't sneak away for long,
Seg.
What is it?
- You owe me.
I need an electrostatic
discharge grenade.
But it only works
on electronics, right?
It's not gonna kill anyone?
- Well,
what do you want it for?
What's really going on?
- Three of my squad are dead,
and now there are reports of
a communications hub breach,
and you come asking for an ESD,
and I'm not supposed to think
that's connected?
If you are covering
for Black Zero--
- Not Black Zero.
- Then who is it?
Some pissed off Rankless
out for revenge?
- It's a friend.
It's a friend.
Okay?
And she's not herself.
But I can stop her.
That's why I need the ESD.
- You are asking me to
hand over military ordinance.
I'm gonna need
a little more than that.
- If I thought there was
any other way to do this,
I wouldn't be here.
But I have nowhere else to go.
I am asking you, Lyta,
to trust me this time.
- I have dead Sagitari.
- You're gonna have a lot more
if you send them inside
that communications hub.
Do you trust me?
- Yes.
Be careful.
- Commander Zod, we have
possible Black Zero activity
in the communications hub.
Why is your squad
holding their position?
- We're still assessing the
nature of the threat, Primus.
- It's not your job to assess,
Commander.
It's to neutralize.
- I understand that.
- Then order your squad
to move in at once.
- Negative, Primus.
Not until I can ensure
the safety of my troops.
- Lyta, you are disobeying
a direct order.
- I hope you know
what you're doing, Seg.
- Rhom?
Rhom, it's me, Seg.
I can help you.
- There is no Rhom.
- Rhom has been collected.
Krypton is worthy
of collection.
- You will be collected.
I am transcendent.
Free of the material universe
and the limitations
of physical existence.
- [gagging]
Rhom...it's me.
I'm your friend.
I know you're in there
somewhere.
- There is nothing to fight.
This is a gift.
My faculties of cognition
are beyond
any living being's
comprehension.
- Fight it, Rhom.
Fight for your daughter.
Fight for Ona.
Ona loves you.
And there isn't anything
you wouldn't do for her.
I need you
to come back for her.
Fight this, Rhom.
I need you to help me.
- Primus,
we're breaching the hub.
- Clear left.
- Clear right.
- Commander Em,
situation report.
- Primus, it looks like
they tried to hack
into the electro-communications
grid.
- No Black Zero operatives
in sight.
- But no sign of
any Black Zero operatives.
- What happened to her?
Is she still alive?
- Barely.
- Seg, what's going on?
- My grandfather was right.
We're not alone
in the universe.
There's something out there.
It found her,
and it's coming for us.
- Whoa!
Whoa.
- It's okay.
He's...an acquaintance.
- The skimmer's close,
but we should hustle
before these lights
turn back on.
- Seg, if what
you're saying is true,
then the Council
need to see her.
We can make them believe.
♪
I have to save her.
Lyta,
thank you for trusting me.
- Yes.
The only arrest made
in the Rankless Initiative.
One of our own Sagitari.
Father?
What are you going to tell
the Voice of Rao?
- The only thing I can.
The truth.
- Are you sure the truth
is the best option right now?
- What's the alternative?
Black Zero continue
to exist unabated,
and now...
- Is she going to live?
- It's difficult to say.
Whatever Braniac did,
it appears to be
keeping her alive.
My concern is that,
in trying to reverse it,
we risk losing her.
- Well,
at least you stopped her
before she got to a transmitter
and uploaded whatever info
she accessed.
- I don't believe
that was her intention.
- What do you mean?
- I believe
she is the transmitter.
- We gotta stop her before
she sends a signal to Brainiac.
- It's too late.
It's already been sent.
- Krypton,
your world is at an end.