01x05 - Helion Engineers and Grotto Greed

[bunniefuu]

Our galaxy.

Humankind colonized space

so long ago that no one
remembers which came first:

civilization,
or the corporations.

But a centuries-old conflict
between the Grotto Corporation

and our mortal enemy,
the mega-corporation

known as Helion,
has led to endless wars

and broken planets,
making life

for most on Grotto planets
- known as Homeworlds -

a living hell
of indentured servitude.

And I was no different.

My only way out was
to join Grotto's army,

the Reapers.

The Resource Exploration

and Procurement
Engineer Regiment,

also known as
the Salvage Marines,

where the hazard pay is high

but the survival rate is low.

I need to speak to you about
your actions down in Deepspire.

I know I disobeyed
a direct order,

but Tak and Jada they--

It's precisely
because of those actions

that I'm recommending you
for promotion.

I think you should hold
your son for the first time.

Oh...Oh!
Oh! You're so beautiful!

What is this?

It's an invoice
for my cybernetic spine.

Maybe if we had a union
it would be different

but we don't,
so we're stuck with it.

When the money comes in
from one of these missions,

take Orion go to Longstride.

Get that cabin
we've always dreamed about.

I'll find you there.

You better.

Boss.

You don't have to call me that.
I dismissed you guys.

I missed you.

This necropolis might well be

the greatest salvage in history.

Do they really expect us to
buy into that loyalty bullshit?

Let's hear it.
Let's hear this masterplan.

Next time Tyrol or Grotto

orders us to do something
non-salvage related,

that cost us needless lives,

we'll have the audio
and video files to prove it!

After these live feeds go out,

and they're broadcast,
then what?

It forces Grotto
to listen to us.

To take us seriously.

To give us a proper union.

You see that? They're picking
us off one by one Sam.

Get to the tunnel!
Really?!

We're gonna do it.

This place is just
all kinds of wrong Sam.

It ain't right!

Sam! Sam, don't touch him!

No, no, no, no, no!
No, no, no, Sam!!

The more we do this,

the less of ourselves
we become, Boss.

I see you, um...

made some key
medical decisions for me.

Tryin' to split the difference
and do right by you, Bianca.

Maybe it's time
we both got out while we can.

We'll have debt,
but we'll be alive.

Either that,
or die like Logan and Vaughan,

or before we turn into

Marsters or Aiken.

Boss...

I wish I could, but eh...

..I can't afford it.

I have at least a few years.

Especially now.

I'd have nothing to live on.

But you, Sam...

Get your family off the station

and...and...

..and live a better life
for the rest of us.

Please.

It was an honor
to serve with you, Boss.

This is the job.

This is the job.

You wanna...talk about it?

Nothin' left
to talk about, brother.

Did the job,
and paid the price.

And now it's time to collect.

Still tryin' to convince myself
it was all worth it.

How 'bout you? Stayin' in?

Have you reconsidered
coming back with me?

You know Sura would k*ll me if
she thought I left you behind.

There's nothing
left for me on Baen 6.

My only family is...

..Samuel Hyst and Tango Platoon.

Think I'll just go after
another Merc coin and...

..see if I can
get into merchants' military.

By the way, your skin graft
looks good, Tak.

You probably haven't heard it
'cause you've been

with the wounded all day
but more planets and systems

have begun showing up
in long-range scans.

Whatever we did down there, Sam,
it started a chain reaction.

More and more of Necro space,
this side of the line

started charting.

There are so many opportunities
for fortune and glory

that even Tyrol's at a loss
for what to do next.

New worlds,
more wars to fight over

who gets to own them.

We'll be battling
armies of Mercs

before we even get back home.

Maybe I should
find our comrade Imago,

give my resumé to the Folken.

Think Tak...

you didn't
even wanna come out here!

..hands and such.
Hey you guys!

Harold here has some blotto
left over from Vorhold.

The last of Vol's stash.

WE are throwing a little going
away party for you and Tillman.

-Virginia's leavin'?
-Yeah.

I guess she's gonna join

the unionist movement
back on Baen 6,

for all the good it'll do!

Hey, she could be runnin'
the whole organization one day.

-You're drunk.

Boss.

A toast.

To your last day as one of us.

-To safe travels.
-To the fallen.

To the fallen.

One for the stalker.

To the stalker
in the dark.

Careful, your jaw's gonna rust!

You will be fully compensated
under the Grotto life plan.

There is no service like it,
and no job like it.

This is the job.

So, I tell that guy,

I am a Salvage Marines now,
a Reaper, no doubt.

And he can kiss my a*s.

Tryin' to get
thrown in jail again?

I spoke to MY Grotto
debt collector the other day.

Oh yeah? Good old Torin.

He's always a ray of sunshine,
isn't he?

Sun doesn't shine
where that man stands.

-He was happy.
-Happy?!

Yeah, he loved telling me
how much more my payments are

now that I have
this cybernetic spine.

Hey, slacks. How's that
rusty armor holdin' up?

Yeah, so kind of Grotto
to give us replacement plates

from our fallen comrade's gear.

At least we got replacement
parts this time!

Always lookin'
on the bright side!

Can I talk to you for a second?

Sure.

What is it?

I wanna ask you to do something.

Do...what exactly?

Since the turbines
at Tetra Prime,

and the devastation
at Deepspire,

things have been different.

Yeah, I know.

Some of our squad members

aim to change that.

And how do they aim to do that?

I can't go into detail here,
but you could help.

How can I help?

By recording certain aspects

of our mission.

Are you asking me
to spy on Grotto?

Not spy...

..but wear an encrypted bodycam.

Get evidence of Grotto's

extracurricular activity.

To what end?

Negotiation leverage.

Are you talking
about unionization?

Maybe.

That's dangerous talk, Jada.

Sure you're on board with this?

I might be.

Something's gotta change.

And with everything lining up,
maybe it's the right time.

Uh...I don't know.

Why do you want me
to wear a camera?

Since the turbines,
Tyrol takes pleasure

in giving you orders
that go against

what the Salvage Marines
are about.

And if the public finds out,

then they'll know
what the Grotto really is.

That's a lot
of if's in your plan.

I'm not asking you
to decide right now.

I'm asking you
to think about it.

And change your uniform.
You're still a boss, Prybar.

I forgot my boss patch.

< Psst! Hey!

Did you get it?

Yeah, was able to find

a full encrypted
and tether-free one.

Nice.

Look...

Whoever's gonna wear that,

make sure they
don't disconnect

from their standard-issue
bodycam.

That might alert Grotto
that somethin's wrong.

So they've to put it on after
kit inspections, before battle?

-Yeah.
-OK.

Thanks, Flyboy. You gotta be
the best pilot in Grotto

to have pulled that off.

You bet your a*s I am!

Alright, let's do it.

Is that OK?
I know it's not the full,

but I'll pay you in increments.
That way it's not suspicious.

-That'll work.
-Alright, let's get outta here.

Hey, we shouldn't be
seen leavin' together.

Right, OK.

You hang back, I'll head out.

Thanks again Darex.

I won't forget this.

Good luck.

Agh! Hi! Hello, Sir.
You look tall.

What exactly are you doing
in a machine room, Reaper?

Just...

And why on earth
are you ... sweating?

I was jogging, Sir.

-Jogging?
-I was jogging, yeah. Yeah.

Running...running.
I was stretching

my body...my legs, eh...

As..f..yeah.

Stretching?

Here? In the machine room?

Well...

You expect me to believe

you jogged all the way down
to the machine room to stretch?

Yeah!

Yeah, no, yeah!
like, it's quiet.

It's um...

..quiet in the machine room.

It's eh, the buzzing

helps soothe my mind.

Yeah.

For the ... cool down.

You know, lactic acid,

exercise...

body...words.

Of course it does!
Of course it does!

-Of course it does.
-You know me.

I, yeah.

You here by yourself then?

Yeah, yeah!
Well now, you,

so not by ourselves, 'cause
we're here alone...together.

I've got my eye on you,
Reaper...

Marr.

And I swear...

..if you're up to somethin',

anythin' that'll
jeopardize Grotto--

I'm not up to anything, Sir.

Just getting
some exercise in my off time.

Well then...

..back to your ... stretching.

Would you like
to stretch together, Sir?

We could eh, do this...
or same time tomorrow, you know?

I only stretch
in my own quarters.

Ok.

Boss Marsters,
launch sequence engaged.

Prepare for liftoff.

Mission objective:

Sweep through disabled frigate.

Locate and salvage
technical assets and data.

Prepare for hull breach access.

Gravity plates to be enabled.

Tango, we're about to enter
the Helion debris field.

It might get a little bumpy.

Brace for impact.

Prybar, you seein' this?

Helion g*n frigate.

It's hard to tell in this soup.

Looks like Class A to me.

That's why Helion backed off.

Battle fleets only run with one,

maybe two ships max,
with that size a*tillery.

I'm guessing that they dropped
down behind Grotto lines,

separated themselves,
from the group.

Helion seems to breed people

with a flair
for over-confidence.

Somethin' on your mind, Hyst?

No disrespect, Boss,
but this sounds like

Grotto propaganda to me.

It is and it isn't.

Helion think
they're better than us.

That makes them arrogant,
sloppy.

At the end of the day,
they still buy a*mo

from the same place that we do.

Only difference is,
we know how to use that a*mo.

If this is your first mission,
welcome to the w*r machine.

Think this platoon
is always smiles

before plunging
into almost certain death?

I dunno. It's mildly twisted,
not that I mind.

Initial sweeps indicated
life support and cabin pressure.

I am definitely picking up
some survivor activity.

Engineering, get a lock
on their frequency comms.

Send 'em over
a surrender agreement.

Surrender agreement?

Aren't we gonna do the standard
sweep and clear as always?

The survivors are gonna be
Journeymen or Master Class.

That means this time
the crew IS the salvage.

Trade specialists
such as engineers

have experience and training.

That gives them
substantial value.

Understood.
Ulanti, anything?

Actually, yeah. Distress beacon,
automated, repeating.

Well, just be ready
for anything.

Boss, if they're broadcasting,
they want the attention.

I wouldn't assume
they just want a fight.

They may try to k*ll us and take
the ship for all we know.

Even if they don't,
we've no way of knowing

who's been
listening to that beacon.

Maybe the scavengers
are slavers?

Like I said...

..just be ready.

Tango Reapers,
prepare for breach and board.

Copy that.
Reaper actual.

Contact in three...two...

..one!

Move it!

On the double!
We're goin' in hot, Reapers!

Check the voids, Reapers.

Clear!

I don't think
we need grav tech in here.

Keep 'em on anyway, we don't
know what's beyond the seals.

All clear, no hostiles.

Multiple blast points.

I'm guessing
munitions cache exploded,

blew out the hull
and the a*mo with it.

Yeah, and all, uh,
equipment and crew

that wasn't secured down until
emergency auto seal kicked in.

I'm getting
cabin pressure up ahead.

Alright, listen up.
Keep your wits about you.

I don't want you
shootin' anything

that doesn't need to be shot.

We're gonna peel off,
go squad by squad, deck by deck.

More scrap wagons, the platoons
from the tug, presumably.

Or other interested
third parties.

Could be delayed explosions
from the battle.

It's a big ship,
so we're gonna need to peel off

Hyst, take this deck.

Ulanti,
take it up one deck.

Squad Marsters,
we're goin' below.

On me, let's move out.

Excellent, Reaper.

Check your back shadows
and your dead corners.

Hyst, report!

Place is a tomb, Boss.

Let's just make sure
it isn't ours.

Scorch marks.

expl*si*n went everywhere.

Weapons cache
probably went nova.

This way.

Hey, we got
a clean seal here, Sam.

Good catch, Tak.

Observe and report,
it's what I do.

Bianca, core that lock.

Everyone else, stack up on Tak.

Marsters, we have someone
sealed in a service chamber

on our level.

Could be the assets.
Copy that.

Preparin' to go in hot.

Hold off,
they may just surrender.

Yeah, I think we
all know better than that, Sir.

On my mark.

Don't sh**t!

Hold your fire!

They're unarmed.

You're not slavers.

We thought you
were Tasca Cartel,

but you're Grotto.

You are hereby ordered
to surrender

your ship and your crew.

Why d'you even give us a chance

if you were just
gonna attack us anyway?

You people have a funny way
of surrendering.

-You fired first.
-To hell we did!

You boarded our engine room
before we could

even respond
to your damn message.

And then you took
half our engineers!

That wasn't us.

If it wasn't you,

then Tasca is here.

Boss Marsters,

this is Hyst, come in.

< Boss Marsters,
send your traffic.

The service chamber
and control deck are secure.

We have five engineer noncoms
in custody.

Copy that!

Coulda been worse.

It might just be.

They thought we were
the Tasca Cartel.

And they say that

half their engineering crew
have been taken.

< Sounds like you got a fight
on your hands after all.

Better get the word out
to the other platoons.

We'll convert on your position.

Roger that.

Stand up! Stand up!

Stand up! Come on!
Put your hands down.

Put your hands down, it's OK.

There's no g*ns, right?

No g*ns? No weapons?

Check 'em out.

We've got five engineers, Boss.

Good job, Sam. We're to secure
the assets with no damage.

Let's just get them out of here
without further losses.

Losing these assets
is not an option.

Some of you are gonna break off
and fight the cartel.

Everybody else,
prepare for pick up.

Sounds like Ulanti
could use our help, Boss.

Alright, let's get on that.

The rest of you, come with me.

We're gonna cut a path
to the escape hatch

so we can get
these engineers outta here.

Hyst, you're gonna take
everyone else to the engine room

and you're gonna give Ulanti
the help that she needs.

Roger that.
Good hunting.

If you wanna
save your friends...

..you shouldn't go that way.

The engine room's
two levels down

and behind at least
four security doors.

You wanna take the airlock
from this room

and access
the whole of the ship directly.

-Sounds like a new plan.
-Yeah.

It's the fastest way to access
the ship, providin' you've got

your void seals,
which you clearly have.

Let's get the engineers with me

and prepare you
for decompression.

Let's move it. Chop-chop!
We'll give you some water too.

Let's move it!

Alright, make sure
your grav tech is engaged.

-I'm about pop the seal.
-You heard the lady.

Locked and loaded, partner.

I got a bad feeling
about this, Sam.

We're on our way, Ulanti.

Warning!
Slaver ship in vicinity.

Repeat, slaver ship
in vicinity.

Salvaged assets must
be protected and retained.

And trust your grav tech!

Let's find that slaver ship!

Spread out!

Keep your eyes open
for hostiles!

-I see one!
-Wait, Jada!

He's not a scavenger, Jada!
His weapons and armor alone

would set us back a year's pay.

You sayin' he
knows what he's doin'?

Yeah!

Jada!

Sam, don't worry about me,
just go!

Damn it, don't worry, Jada.

I'm gonna get this sonofab*tch.
Hang tight!

Thanks,
I didn't even see him!

Go free Jada.

Oh my God!

Good to see Squad Ulanti
all in one piece.

How are your new recruits doin'?

We're still alive, Boss!

All good, Hyst. What do you say
we finish the job?

-I'll lead the way,
-We are taking that ship!

Everybody, move up!

Jada's back in action, Sam!

You were right,
those nets are no joke.

Slavers don't mess around.

I think it's kinda funny.
This much effort

to keep people we're at w*r with
from becoming sl*ves.

Try to hold this off
until the cage is on board.

We've gotta
keep pushin' through,

or they're gonna
get away with the pay load.

They sure picked
a damn fine spot to defend.

We're not gonna get past
these guys in time.

Men down here.

We need assistance.
We're runnin' out of options.

Ulanti, Marsters, Hyst.

If you're unable
to recover the assets,

your secondary objective
is to ensure

that the slavers
walk away empty-handed.

I repeat, no engineers
to the Tasca cartel.

-But, Sir--
-That's an order, Hyst!

-Boss down! Boss down!
-Medic!

Boss Ulanti is down!

Prybar, you're
the ranking officer now.

We can't win this,
we're getting picked apart.

-Cover me!
-We gotta push forward.

We got you.

Noooo!

Hostiles on your right,
two points ahead.

I'm gonna push 'em towards you.

Hyst, can you recover
those engineers, yes or no?

Negative,
slaver ship is leaving.

We can't lose anyone else.

You KNOW
what needs to be done, Hyst.

Liquidate the assets.

Aaaagh!

-We really doing this?
-Aaaaagh!

Did we just
commit a w*r crime?

Sam...

Sam, are you alright?

Sam!

Uh, I'm sorry.

Excuse me.

I'm here for you, Sam.

I don't even know
what we're doin' anymore.

Two corporations feedin'
off the corpses of each other.

You can't blame yourself.

I'm the one
that called the order

to k*ll those engineers.

You know why we had to do that.

Do I?

I coulda s-- I coulda said no.

I coulda told Tyrol to shove it.

We could've disengaged.

I...I don't know.

So many friends lost.

Just...

Gone.

Coulda done somethin'.

I coulda done somethin'
this time, I...

I coulda s...

What time is it?

It's early.

I was gonna go to the canteen

and get some breakfast.

That was quite a night, huh?

Was it?

Relax!

You prude! Nothing happened.

We both passed out

before we even hit the bed.

But it would've been
the night of your life,

I'm just sayin'.

You hungry?

Later.

I see you brought it with you.

You're crazy for doin' this,
Harold.

For takin' this kind of risk.

Well then you're crazy
for helping me.

Yeah, probably.

Boss Hyst?

Marsters wants to meet you

in the mess hall, Sir.

Did you see how those
Helion helmets exploded

after we came down on them?

Dude, it was crazy.

-How many did you hit?
-Three, you?

-Hey.
-Hi.

-Hi.
-Hi.

-Hi.
-So, ladies...

I mean, fellow Reapers.

How're we feelin'
after our first battle?

-Wha--
-Good.

What my buddy Milplan's
tryin' to say is

would you ladies
like another drink...on us?

That depends
how much you boys...

eh, Reapers,

can handle your liquor.

You know, 20 credits
says they can't even keep up.

A million credits says we do.

I don't agree. You don't
even have a million credits.

We're gonna need a bottle.

Have you heard
of Reaper roulette?

You know what I heard?

Boss Marsters used
a suicide sh**t of all things

to evacuate human assets

recovered from the frigate.

I know those folks
didn't have void suits.

It was the only thing
he could do, I guess.

Man, I never would've thought
of anything that crazy.

And there were 20 or so
of the b*stards.

Helion techs, I think.

Mm, Tasca Cartel

means business.

Right?

Man! Those slavers?

They're hard meat.

What'd you just say, Reaper?

Oh, um, I'm sorry, Sir.

I simply said that the slavers
were hard to beat.

Carry on.

Maybe we can get some
positive ID on those slavers.

Just in case
they really were Tasca.

We're Reapers, not slavers.

k*lling all of those people
just because

we couldn't make a profit
off of them is wrong.

Recording
any military engagement

without proper authorization
is a crime.

Then I don't understand, Prybar,
if you've a problem sharing

the footage, why did you wear

the rig in the first place?

I think it's crazy
goin' up against Grotto.

This isn't
what we signed up for.

Grotto's taking advantage of us,
and it's not right.

But unionization..?

They will HANG us for this.

I know you think
it's worth the risk.

It's still
an alpha class felony.

Stand with me, Sam.

I am.

I just wanna make sure my family

is as far away from
corporate space as possible.

For whatever it's worth,

I am a patriot of Grotto.

Reapers.

Good to see you
on your feet, Marsters.

Tango Platoon!

Tonight, we raise our glasses...

..to the early death
of Reaper Green,

and the rest of the Reapers
we've lost along the way.

They stood by us,
and paid the ultimate price,

so that we wouldn't have to.

This is the job.

This is the job!

And one for the stalker
in the dark.

-One for the stalker?
-Trust me, Hyst.

There's no love lost
for what happened

on Downspire, or what
we did to those engineers.

Every day we become
less and less salvage Marines.

They're startin' to use us

like criminal troops.

After sacrificing the payload
last time,

we should be grateful that
we're getting anything at all.

They did not like the news.

So I should be grateful that

they're not
personally docking me

for the value of
those Helion engineers?

We SHOULD be grateful.

Now you listen to me.
You keep your head down

and hold on to that footage.

You don't show anyone
until I say so.

Because if you do,
you will hang, are we clear?

Alright.

Who else knows about this?

Everybody.
Everyone's in on it.

Oh, Sam!

It's more wonderful
than we ever imagined.

There's no pollution
to blot out the sun

and when it rains...
it doesn't burn.

Our family will grow strong here

in the light
and among the green.

There have been...challenges
along the way.

I would not have overcome them

without the knowledge
you've shared with me.

We've found our freedom

on the lawless fringes
of the universe

and it has needed protecting
from time to time.

Every day...

..your son looks to the sky

and asks about his father.

I tell him that a brave soldier
is fighting his way

across the universe
to us, even now.

I tell him that one day...

..Samuel Hyst will
come walking over that hill.

And our family
will be whole again.