01x08 - An Old Accustom'd Feast

[bunniefuu]

My name is Roman. Ten years ago, our ship crash-landed on Earth. We came here seeking refuge, but the humans thought that it was an invasion. That night I met a human girl who tried to protect me a girl I never thought I'd see again. The surviving members of my race, the Atrians, were rounded up and isolated inside a militarized sector.

Now it's 2024.

Seven of us have been chosen to attend high school as a part of a government integration program. But the humans and Atrians continue to distrust each other, while I fight to protect my people and the human girl who saved my life at any cost.

Previously, on Star-Crossed

You need to quit the Trags.

Once you're in, there's no going back you know that.

Zoe's an Atrian.

There are other hidden Trags living outside the Sector.

Hey, Zoe I think this is yours.

What about Grayson? I know I want to be there for him as a friend, but I can't be with him, 'cause of the way I feel when I'm with you.

I compared the girl" DNA with the cyper sample, and results are conclusive.

Julia Yeung has cyper in her blood.

Castor.

Emery.

I'm just here to discuss Dinaskyu with Ms.

Garcia.

Uh, Dinas Dinaskyu.

It is an Atrian holiday celebrating family.

Very much like your Christmas and Thanksgiving - rolled into one.

And for the first time, the Atrian Seven will be permitted to invite some of their human classmates to the Sector, for the celebration.

Maybe you'll be lucky enough to get an invitation.

Maybe.

Uh if you'll excuse me, I have something to attend to before class.

Roman? Roman? Did anyone see you come in? It's okay.

Um It was next-door.

I promise it won't always be like this.

I always envisioned my secret romantic liaisons surrounded by buckets of bleach.

Uh I just talked to your uncle.

He's having a meeting with Gloria.

Yeah? Did he tell you about Dinaskyu? He did.

He said that I would have to be invited - by one of the Atrian Seven, so - Mm.

Emery Whitehill, would you do me the honor of joining me tomorrow night at the celebration of a holiday that means absolutely nothing to you? It would be my pleasure.

Mmm But do you think it's a good idea for me to come out to the Sector? What about the Trags? You said they hate race-mixing.

The SEU's gonna be stepping up security for the event.

And Castor and I are gonna take a new approach to the Trags.

We need to make sure that every human that steps foot inside the Sector is safe.

Especially you.

Do you ever think there'll be a day when we don't need to hide? Yes, I do.

So without the Trags threatening to burn me or eat or skin me alive, Dinaskyu should be smooth sailing.

There's one more thing.

My mother.

Your mother? Yeah.

She's definitely not excited about humans joining us for Dinaskyu.

Especially the daughter of Ray Whitehill.

I told her that I invited you to show humans and Atrians that we've moved on from my father's death.

It's it's what he would have wanted, you know? But she just doesn't see it that way.

Maybe I shouldn't come.

I don't want to make any more problems for your family.

Now, that doesn't sound like the Emery Whitehill I know.

Running from a fight? Besides it's important to me that you're there.

Julia.

Hi, Ms.

Benton.

I was wondering, would you be interested in helping me with an organic chemistry study? I can't pay you, - but I can give you extra credit.

Like an internship? - Yeah.

That sounds great.

Okay, good.

I'll give you details after school.

Okay.

Okay.

I just bagged my first internship.

Congratulations.

I had no idea it was a lifelong dream of yours to work for free.

Ha-ha.

I know it's not as exciting as your life, fitting forbidden love and burning desire in between lunch and chem.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Oh, please.

Details.

I'm living vicariously through your escapades.

Being with Roman is amazing.

But it's definitely not without its complications.

He invited me to Dinaskyu.

I'll be there, too.

Sophia invited me.

How come you don't seem excited? Because I need to make a good impression on Roman's mother, and I have no idea how to do it.

Isn't that usually more of a 14th date kind of problem? Like I said, complications abound.

Well, you should definitely talk to Sophia.

She can fill you in on all the traditions, teach you a few handy Sondiv phrases by day's end, you'll be a total Dinaskyu master.

Still haven't broken up with Grayson yet, have you? I'm gonna meet with him after school today.

Good.

Once you rip off that Band-Aid, you can enjoy your scandalous interplanetary romance guilt-free.

Do you know what day it is? Today is the day that you invite me - to spend Dinaskyu with your family.

And you turn me down every year so you can go sulk in your pod and smoke some dovor.

But what if this year is different? - How is this year any different? - How is this year Are you kidding me? Uh, you k*lled a psycho Trag posing as a teenage girl.

We saved all of Edendale from deadly black cyper spores.

And we started high school.

Roman - No, no, don't give me that crap about you not having a family, man, 'cause you have us.

And we're not going anywhere.

Come on.

All right All right? All right what? I accept.

All right? - As long as I can bring over some dovor.

Roman.

A moment, please.

There are going to be some dignitaries visiting the Sector tomorrow night for the holiday.

I was hoping you'd do a round of photos with them.

Since your speech on Arrival Day, you've sort of become the face of this program.

Mm.

No.

Roman, wait.

You know how your father felt about this program.

Don't you think he'd want us to work together, to trust each other? You had an affair with my father, and now you want to exploit this holiday, a day that's supposed to be all about family, - for your own agenda? - My only agenda is to see this program succeed.

You have no idea how important that is to me.

I'll do what I have to do to remain a part of the program, because I still believe in integration.

But as far as being your dancing monkey, or trusting you don't hold your breath.

Grayson, I'm sorry.

I get it.

You do? Yeah.

It must be hard for you being in love with an Atrian.

I saw you and Roman at the, uh, hospital together.

I've been seeing you together.

For some reason I was under the mistaken impression that you actually wanted to be with me.

I did want to be with you.

And now? Uh I never meant to hurt you.

Well, you did.

And you played me.

It's not what you think - It isn't? And you being with him had nothing to do with my mother being outed at the Red Hawk meeting, right? Yeah, I know about that, too.

Someone saw you leave the party with that reporter Bandell.

Grayson I'm so sorry.

It was an accident.

An accident? My mother getting sent to jail was an accident? She wasn't supposed to be at that meeting Oh, stop.

You know what? As far as I'm concerned, everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie.

The Iksen and the heir apparent.

To what do I owe the honor? We are here to discuss your recent activities inside and outside the Sector.

You're gonna have to be more specific.

How about my friend winding up in the hospital with what seemed a lot like black cyper poisoning? Or sending your Trags out into the world without their markings so that they can spy and plot against humans.

You here to lecture me, or is there some point to your visit? I know you heard the humans will be coming - into the Sector for Dinaskyu.

Of course.

It is an affront to all Atrians.

You need to guarantee their safety.

Or else you will leave us no choice but to turn you and your followers in to the SEU.

I hope it doesn't come down to that.

It is a tradition, at Dinaskyu, to exchange gifts.

And yet, all I hear are threats.

Your demands might be better received if you had something to offer.

And what is it that Vega wants? I'm not sure yet.

But when I do, I expect you both to deliver.

Going forward, the Trags will not harm any humans inside the Sector.

Make sure the others know.

Humans are off-limits at Dinaskyu.

You're letting Castor tell you what to do now? Our focus must be on regrowth, child.

We have bigger things on the horizon.

What did you learn about our outside operative, Zoe? Just as Drake said, she's gone.

No one has seen or heard from her.

If Zoe isn't around to pay the price for her failure, Drake will have to pay it for her.

Dinaskyu was held at the beginning of the fishing season before the men went off on their boats for months at a time.

Of course, back then, the kids would have to repair real fishing nets.

Now, we just decorate tiny ones.

And the women get flowers? Because they're left at home with the kids for months.

So they get flowers to I don't know make it less lonely, I guess.

We string them together into necklaces.

Like leis? Right, only, we call them hisu.

Should I bring flowers to your mother? - Not a good idea? - No.

You should do it.

I'm sure she'll appreciate it.

I wish we could just turn them into the SEU.

Be done with the Trags once and for all.

We don't turn against our own kind.

And we don't want to turn the Trags into martyrs.

Their popularity is is waning, but it doesn't take much to sway the opinion of the masses.

Thank you.

They still leave lyeds as a tribute for my father.

They've been showing up in front of our pod all week.

Nox's legacy lives on with you and your sister.

These past few days have opened my eyes.

My first Dinaskyu as Iksen.

And people treating me as the Abor Atedi.

The father of all Atrians.

It has made me more determined than ever to fight for their freedom and keep them safe.

I'll take these.

It's a great choice.

Your mother will be pleased.

I'm actually spending Dinaskyu with a friend.

The hisu is for his mother.

They're very beautiful.

I have a question for you, Drake.

Of course.

What do you think happened to Zoe? She disappeared.

And apparently, she took the black cyper with her.

Like I told Teri I know what you told Teri.

But I want to hear it myself.

You spent time with Zoe.

Why do you think our best Trag operative on the outside suddenly went dark? I think she spent too long among the humans.

Hmm.

Grew to like it.

And when it came time to unleash black cyper on them, she couldn't do it.

Do you think that could ever happen to you? No.

My loyalty is to you and the Trags always.

Good.

Then I'll expect you at my Dinaskyu gathering tomorrow evening, where you'll be given the details of your new assignment.

Assignment? - Yes.

You're our new operative on the outside.

So, what are you working on? I'll show you.

This is a DNA sample.

And you see that blue streak running - through the middle? - Mm-hmm.

That's an Atrian substance called cyper.

Mr.

Burke and I freelance for a large pharmaceutical conglomerate.

I only lobbied for the job at Marshall High to get to know the Atrians.

Why would you do that? - My employers and I believe we can use cyper to end to terminal illness.

So far, all our efforts to learn how cyper grows and heals have failed.

Well, I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with your study, but, you know, this doesn't really sound like something I'd be interested in.

I find that difficult to believe, given that that sample came from you.

What? - Mm-hmm.

How did you get my DNA? From a coffee mug.

I'm sorry.

I had to be sure before I approached you with my proposition.

What proposition? Help me understand how cyper works, how we can use it to save lives.

It stayed in your blood, Julia.

It's continually replenishing itself.

That makes you the only source of activated cyper.

I don't know how cyper got into my blood.

I don't know how to help you.

I have to go.

Think about what I said.

And Julia? Let's keep this between us, okay? Neither of us wants our secret getting out.

It's too dangerous.

Even with your markings removed, you'd still be recognized.

Our faces are everywhere.

Trags are sending me to a new city.

They're gonna change my look, give me a new cover.

I gotta tell Gloria tomorrow that I'm withdrawing from the Integration Program.

Then I'll disappear from the Sector.

Why would you even agree to this?

What choice do I have? If I refuse, she'll question my loyalty and have me k*lled. She'd slit my throat for just telling you this.

There has to be some way to stop Vega.

You know, I used to dream about escaping from this prison, but to some place nice like Eljida.

You know, with my family.

And I keep thinking about how Zoe was living.

How lonely that must have been, pretending to be somebody else.

It's just a different kind of prison.

No wonder she was a psycho.

All right.

We're gonna talk to Castor tomorrow when you're here for Dinaskyu.

No, no, you can't tell Castor.

You can't tell anyone.

And I'm sorry I can't make it tomorrow.

You - Vega wants me to spend the holiday with the Trags before I leave the Sector.

For good.

Hello, son.

Can I sit down? I was, um hoping I could persuade you to come home.

I know you're still angry with me, but your mother's being held without bail.

Yeah, for being a t*rror1st.

After all of this, you're still going to defend the Atrians? Against nut-jobs like you? Yeah, I-I I think so.

Is that big Atrian the one that's filling your head with all these lies? Who, Drake? - I I barely know him.

Really? You left the fund-raiser together.

You two and that-that girl Zoe.

What are you talking about? How much did you have to drink that night? Not that much.

And s-stop trying to put this on me.

You've been lying to me for years.

All right, look you can hate me, but I am telling you the truth, Grayson the Atrians are not to be trusted.

Twice in one day, Roman? I'm starting to think you want me to accept you into the Trags.

Drake stopped by my pod.

He sounded strange, like he was saying good-bye.

What's your point? I don't know what it is that you're ordering him to do, but I am asking you, please, release him.

You are demanding a lot of me today.

I know, I'm in your debt.

I will give you what you ask if you can affect the release of Prisoner 337 from the Crate.

What would make you think that I could arrange something like that? I don't.

Nevertheless, that is what I want.

By the end of tomorrow night's feast.

Even if I could arrange something like that, why would I help free a Trag? To save your friend, I assume.

But I promise you, this prisoner is not a Trag, nor violent.

This is simply a fellow Atrian who was wrongly accused and imprisoned.

And what do you want with him? Prisoner 337, tomorrow night, or you can say good-bye to your friend.

So, what are you gonna do? The last thing I want is to help the Trags, but Vega swore to me that that prisoner is not violent.

Maybe you should tell Castor everything that's going on.

If it gets out that Drake told anyone about his assignment, the Trags will k*ll him.

It's a risk helping Vega, but if that's what keeps him safe, then You have an obsession with protecting people, you know that? Some more than others.

I know you want to help Drake, but you don't have any way to get a prisoner out of the Crate, do you? Actually I do have a plan.

Thank you.

Ms.

Benton? - Hey.

I heard Zoe left town, and I was just wondering if the faculty had heard anything about that.

No.

Um, that's actually a bit of a mystery.

We haven't been able to contact her family.

She just she just disappeared.

I think the last time anybody saw her might have been your parents' fund-raiser.

I'll see you in class, okay, Grayson? Julia Have you had a chance to think about my offer? Frankly, I haven't been able to think about anything else.

Good.

And? Look, I'm sorry, but it's not something that I can be a part of.

What you're doing sounds amazing, but I can't help thinking it's also wrong.

Or else you wouldn't be pretending to be someone you're not.

Okay.

Well, I'm disappointed.

But have you had a chance to really think about the potential of our research? Sorry to interrupt.

We have to go get ready for the Sector.

Go.

Go on.

See ya.

I just wanted to apologize I'm still committed to this program, and I'll do whatever you need me to do.

Why do I feel like I'm about to be asked a huge favor? Because you are.

But I promise you, this is in everyone's best interest.

I'm listening.

I'm asking you to release someone from the Crate.

Prisoner 337.

This is a joke.

Just hear me out.

It's Dinaskyu.

Releasing a prisoner from the Crate today would be a gesture that my people will not forget.

There are a lot of Atrians in the Crate that don't deserve to be there.

I can't do it.

You're on the security committee that oversees the Crate, and my father has told me how well-connected you are.

Please I'm trying to help a friend.

I'm sorry.

You said that my father would want us to trust each other, right? Well, this is where we start.

I promise you, if my father was alive, he would be asking the same thing of you.

I'm asking you to trust me the way you trusted him.

Emery, I'm glad you could make it.

Are you excited about your first Dinaskyu? Uh, yes, very much.

Well, you seem nervous.

I know that Maia's, understandably, not happy about me being here.

My sister can be a very intimidating woman, but let me tell you a secret.

Just like humans, the surest way to an Atrian mother's heart is to make her son happy.

Don't worry, your secret is safe with me.

I'm just glad that you and Roman have found one another.

I'm not sure that anyone else would be happy about it.

Give it time.

It's tangled.

Let me help with that.

Um Let's see.

It's a star.

Open 337.

Are the heat panels necessary? Atrians thrive in humidity.

The panels dry 'em out.

Keep them weak, compliant.

Turn them off.

k*ll 337.

Saroya Saroya It's time to go home.

Emery.

As you wish.

This is not the time.

Thank you for having us in your home.

Julia and Emery are our friends.

It's Dinaskyu.

You taught us to be courteous to our guests.

Never realized I had so many brothers and sisters.

After tomorrow, you'll have one less.

I'm sorry, Drake.

I wish there was something I could do.

It's okay.

Drake.

My children.

Today we honor your brother as he prepares to live among the enemy the humans.

He leaves behind the things he holds most dear: his home, his people, everything that makes him Atrian.

It is the biggest sacrifice a Trag can make.

Your old pod.

Hopefully it hasn't changed too much.

It's a different world than it was eight years ago, Saroya.

Relations between humans and Atrians are are better.

Less hostile.

We even have an integration program now.

It's my hope that by releasing you, we can build on the growing trust between our people.

Well, I will give you your privacy.

I thought you might want to change before the Dinaskyu feast.

Thank you.

I wish you would change your mind.

Maia, please, come to the ceremony.

We cannot fully honor Knox's memory without you.

I'm sorry, Castor.

Not this year.

Not with outsiders at the table.

It's time to go.

Castor and I have to set up the feast.

I'll get my bag.

I'm gonna stay and clean up.

I'll meet you there.

I'll stay and help Sophia.

I'll save you a seat.

Is there anything I can do? I want things to be clear between us.

I never understood my husband's desire to make peace with humans, but I respected his wishes.

To my eternal regret.

For some reason, my children have befriended you, but I am nowhere near as forgiving.

If you think that learning a few Sondiv phrases can possibly make up for what your father took from my family, you are sorely mistaken.

You will never be welcome here, and I won't rest until my children see you as I do: the daughter of a m*rder*r.

Stop it.

Emery is the girl who saved Roman's life on Arrival Day.

How do you know that? I wasn't sure until today, when I saw you with that little girl.

But it all makes sense.

You made that star that Roman keeps in his room.

Is this true? I'm sorry for the pain I caused you today.

But I know it means a lot to Roman and Sophia to have you at the ceremony.

The last thing I want to do is keep you away from your family.

East quadrant clear, checking corridor E.

Before everyone started arriving, I just wanted to give you something.

For my Iksen.

You have no idea how much this means to me.

Julia? I was hoping I'd see you here.

Miss Benton, I didn't know you were gonna be here.

Yeah, my bosses were able to pull some strings and get me an invitation, I Speaking of my employers I want to implore you one last time to consider working for us.

I'm sorry, but I can't.

Please excuse me.

Let me just pose a hypothetical.

Let's say your father was out somewhere tonight.

Say, at his bowling league.

And somebody there maybe Mr.

Burke put something in his drink.

And in the morning, he woke up with a little bug.

And that little bug became something really painful and really fatal.

Would it change your mind about working with us if it meant you could prevent something like that from happening? What do you want? Let's start with how cyper got into your blood.

I don't know how it got there; - you have to believe me.

I'm sorry, Julia, I didn't want to get Mr.

Burke involved.

I really don't know.

But I can tell you where cyper is growing.

Here, in the Sector.

Thank you for coming.

Have you had a chance to meet Roman? - No.

I know he's around here.

It celebrates family.

You don't have to worry about leaving the Sector.

Vega's releasing you.

How'd you do it? Roman.

I'll tell you later.

Cheer up, you're bumming out the kids.

Hey, hey, um I know this is bad timing, but I have to go.

I really need to check on things at home.

Uh Are you listening to me? Yes.

I'm sorry, I just need to find Roman.

He's up front, but we have to leave.

Can you please talk to him tomorrow? Um I'll be right back, okay? Emery.

Come join us.

Come.

Dad, if it's all right with you, I think I'm ready to come home.

As humans become more and more accustomed to these aliens in our schools and in our streets, we become complacent.

The media seems to glamorize them.

They seem to care more about exposing our leaders than exposing the lies the Atrians have told.

Roman, we need to talk.

Guess my mother changed her mind.

Attention, everyone.

This is Dinaskyu.

It is a celebration of family.

It is the first time that we have ever had guests at our table.

To the Swamad, the backbone of our people.

It can't be.

That's not the Iksen.

Where's Nox? Of course, you-you haven't heard.

Nox was k*lled.

Castor is the new Iksen.

Oh, my God.

Zwahan and the Vwasak.

Noble warriors.

It It is my belief that this year will change every Atrian's life for the better.

Mom? Mr.

Burke? Cyper grows from the bodies of Atrians.

Bury them.

Bury them all.

Roman, I need to show you something.

Thank you for being here tonight.

What'd you want to show me? Uh Do you know what this is? It's called a mirzan.

It's a kind of flight recorder.

Like a black box in an airplane.

Where did you get this? Someone left it outside of your pod, and I accidentally picked it up.

I-I know it sounds crazy, but when I touched it, I was suddenly piloting a spaceship.

Yeah, the mirzan records sensory input.

If you plug into it, you relive the pilot's experience.

So anything that they saw, or felt, you would see and feel as if it's happening to you.

So if this is a recorder, that means anything that I saw actually happened? Yes.

Of course.

What did you see? When I was piloting the ship, someone came onto the bridge with a g*n and sh*t me.

Someone sh*t the pilot? Who? Castor.