02x03 - The Cord and the a*

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Defiance...

I'm sorry, but effective immediately, you're out of the Adreno business.

What would you like us to do with our existing Adreno stock?

Have it brought to my office.

Something happened to you the night you disappeared.

What was it?

Talk to me, kiddo.

I saw you falling into...

I don't even understand what.

Sounds like post-traumatic stress disorder.

That's it?

You got nothing else to say to me?

I've done terrible things.

What terrible things?

[Shouting]

Did you tell Nolan?

No. It could hurt him.

You have to trust somebody.

[Speaks native language]

Irzu's path flows through us both.

You must follow me.

Look, I have told you everything that I know.

Well, you haven't told me about the safe hidden in your office.

I don't recall a safe.

Right hand.

Hey!

Think of something nice, like Christmas.

No! No!

[Screaming]

You tried to k*ll my mother.

[Sizzling]

[Screaming]

[Gagging]

Hey, Defiance, this is Treasure Doll bringing you the latest hotshtako from Tarr Traxx.

Now, you can say you heard it somewhere else, but we all know I'm the only one who has what you need.

[Alternative music playing]

[Laughs] Oh!

Ah, I love this job! Thank you!

Beats the hell out of turning tricks at the NeedWant.

Huh?

[Scoffs]

I said thanks for the job.

Mm.

Oh, this song gets me so hot.

You wanna help me out with that, hmm?

Have a little fun?

I have a wife... who I'm about to meet for family dinner.

So if you'll excuse me.

Let me give you something to think about when you're with her later.

I... I... I'm not my father.

[Sighs]

Oh.

That's too bad.

Your father was one of my favorite customers.

[Sighs] He treated me rough.

Can you be rough with me?

[Both moaning]

Oh, that's it.

Give me a taste of what you did to Skevur.

I... I didn't do anything to Skevur.

Of course you did.

The word's out. It's okay.

It's okay. I think it's a turn-on.

I'm not like the other girls.

Look.

[Yells]

Whatever you heard is wrong.

If you just shut up and play the records I tell you to play, this could be a nice little side gig for you.

But if you stir up trouble, if you get in my way, I swear I will drop your skinny ass off the top of this arch.

[Sighs]

You're hurting me, Alak.

[Door opens and closes]

[Liquid boiling]

Well, how long you gonna be?

They have to replace the tire.

Two hours?

Now, don't forget to add salt.

Yeah, I... I did that.

How much?

Dad, stop.

Stop, stop, stop, stop.

[Doorbell chimes] Okay.

That's them.

Oh, great. [Groans]

The in-laws are here, and I'm stuck here cooking a snod, and I don't even know what a snod is.

You're k*lling me, Bertie.

Mm.

[Inhales]

[Breathing heavily]

Congratulations, Christie.

Seriously? You can smell it?

What's she talking about?

Hold on, Bertie.

[Laughs]

Is, uh, everything all right?

I don't believe this.

Is that... [Sniffs]

Wh... Are you...

I was gonna tell you in private so that we could announce it at dinner together.

[Sighs]

Rafe, what... what's going on?

I'm gonna be a grandpa.

[Laughing]

Yes!

You hear that, Bertie?

Yes!

Hurry back!

[Squeals]

I'm coming, I'm coming! Whoo!

Oh, baby.

You just wait and see.

I'm gonna be the best nana or auntie or grandma or whatever you wanna call me.

Gonna be amazing.

[Indistinct chatter]

[Suspenseful music]

♪

[Panting]

Why did you stop?

We made a deal.

Now follow her.

[Panting]

No, I won't.

[Laughing]

[Grunts, panting]

[Exhales]

No.

Bertie? Oh, my God.

[Dramatic music]

♪

How's the finger?

Feels like someone cut it off.

For the pain.

Where'd you get this?

One of my few remaining connections.

You sound concerned.

None of my crew have visited.

Mm.

Well, the visitor policy...

My wife is smart enough to circumvent any policy.

She said she's working hard to free me.

Lobbying the Votanis Collective, parleying with the new mayor.

But?

I saw Pottinger's face when we sat across the table.

He was laughing at me with his eyes.

He knew something about the situation that I did not.

I briefly considered the possibility that somehow you had betrayed me to him.

Oh?

But that rang hollow.

You're a pal.

So you think that Stahma...

[Chuckles] She wouldn't dare.

No, she wouldn't.

Ah, feels good to have the family together.

Your mother had a pretty close call with that shrill b*mb last week.

You know, I've been hearing some whispers about this Castithan guy named, uh, Skevur, is it?

You wouldn't know anything about this, uh, Skevur, looking for some payback, would you?

Drug thing maybe?

Just gossip.

'Cause you're a father now, and you have responsibilities.

I know.

Shortly after your wedding, I had some of my miners kick your ass.

You remember that and what I said?

Yeah, I do.

Good.

[Laughter in background]

'Cause I will do whatever is necessary to protect Christie and my grandchild from your family's gangster crap.

Now, I don't know how deep you're involved, and I don't care.

All I care is that it stops.

Today, now.

This is your final warning on the subject.

Congratulations, Dad.

[Beep]

[Indistinct chatter]

And the Sensoth said, "Not with an elephant I can't."

[Laughter]

Anyway, here's to my new grandson.

All: Hear, hear!

Hey, Nolan, pull up a stump.

We're celebrating here.

Rain check. You haven't seen Irisa around, have you?

She didn't show up for her shift.

I'm starting to get worried.

Ah, Irisa's a kid.

She's just probably off doing teenage girl things.

[Laughter]

[Howling, rustling]

[Grunting]

[Door opens]

It's 7:00 in the morning.

Where have you been all night?

I deserve an answer.

Now, I've tried to give you your space, but I'm a bit sick of tiptoeing around this.

I want a straight answer.

I'm not gonna talk to you about this.

If you can't deal with it, you should leave.

You know, you wanna be careful about these threats.

I might just call your bluff.

You're a tracker. I know you can find the door.

Nolan. It's Bertie... she's missing.

She called to say she was stuck in town with a flat, but then she never came home.

[Sighs]

She's never been away all night.

Mr. McCawley hailed me. We went searching.

I found the roller. There's no sign of her.

All right, let's just ask you a few questions.

Shouldn't we be putting together a search party?

First things first.

Uh, can anybody think of anybody who may wish Bertie harm?

No.

Bertie doesn't have an enemy in the world.

No, but I do.

I have no idea who she is, haven't met her.

Well, there's no secret there's bad blood between you and Rafe McCawley.

If I have a problem with Rafe McCawley, I'll deal with it myself.

And I'm not in the habit of abducting servants.

Awesome, then you won't mind me taking a look at your surveillance equipment.

Be my guest. Data room's downstairs.

But send the Irathient.

Let's you and I go for a stroll.

Go.

[Door opens]

Sorry about roughing you up the other day.

How are those bruises healing?

Look, I don't know what happened between you and Tommy.

He doesn't really talk about it that much, but, um...

I feel for you.

Tommy's a great guy, and it must have been hard to lose him.

And I'm sorry.

Are you gonna say anything?

What do you want me to say?

[Sighs]

I like to come down and... feel the pulse of the town as often as I can.

Take a stroll through the market, see what's cooking in The Hollows, have a nip at the NeedWant.

I've seen you there with, um... with Amanda.

You seem very close.

Well, I'd be reclining on a beach in Antarctica if it weren't for her.

Oh?

Last year she convinced me to put on the badge.

And she convinced me to convince you to put it back on.

Whole lot of convincing going on.

I'm a direct man.

I fancy Amanda.

I just wanted to make sure you didn't have a problem with that.

You know, I was pretty young when I enlisted.

Never got a chance to experience high school.

But this conversation right here... this is how I imagined it.

[Chatter in background]

Okay. We're at the marketplace.

Looks like your missing Liberata.

Let's see if we can go in a little bit closer.

Yep, that's her.

She's on the phone.

Looks like she got some good news.

Jumping around, very happy.

Going out of range.

Walking up Carter Street.

We pick her up on camera six.

And we come to Urdu...

[Continues indistinctly]

[Gasps]

What the chup?

Alak?

I didn't know to expect you.

I know that you're counting on me to step up and be the head of the family, and I've tried.

I really have.

Alak, what is this about?

[Sighs] Dad, everything's changed.

Christie's pregnant.

Well, that is good news.

Well, I...

It's got me thinking where exactly my place is in all of this.

You know, what's the best thing to do for Christie and... and the baby?

[Sighs]

The truth is I've done things...

Things I'm not proud of.

And I just... I don't wanna end up...

Like your father?

I didn't say that.

My record business is doing really well.

I just want your blessing to take a step back...

Out of the question!

There must be a Tarr at the head of the table.

Profits are up. Way up.

Under Raiga and Giemo.

Yeah.

They can totally handle it without me.

Well, no doubt. No doubt.

One thing troubles me.

Raiga and Giemo are good workers, but they lack the brains, the leadership, the jondura to raise profits.

Not without guidance.

If they're not getting it from you, then who's the one whispering in their ears?

Hmm?

Your mother, perhaps?

We're not on Casti anymore, Dad.

This is a different world.

Tell me something.

My men... they, uh, willingly follow her commands?

Like I said, profits are up.

They're getting used to it.

Of course they're getting used to it.

They're spineless dogs, loyal only to their last meal.

It all makes sense now.

Your mother has been dragging her feet, pretending to talk to the Votanis Collective, pretending to politic with the mayor.

She's got a taste of power, and the [Speaks native language] likes it!

She's doing it to protect the family.

Don't you dare blame mom for this!

You're here because you couldn't control the one thing you needed to control... yourself!

[Growling]

You're a miserable, old bastard!

I hope you rot in this cage.

Alak! [Pounds wall]

Alak! [Pounds wall]

Alak.

A word, please.

There's something I've been meaning to give you.

Although we were allowed to bring three things from Casti, your father brought only one.

This is what he brought.

Do you know why?

Because all he had to do in life was to protect what was his.

Now you have something of your own to protect.

Your wife and child.

I understand you visited your father today.

How'd you know?

People talk.

Dad's gonna want it.

When he comes back.

We both know we can never allow your father to come home.

Bertie didn't come home last night.

I haven't seen her. Did you check the cameras?

Irisa's on it right now.

At least she's supposed to be.

Who knows with her at the moment?

Am I a bad father?

Since you're asking, kind of, yeah.

Ah, that's what I thought. Thank you.

She deserves better.

Mm. Don't we all?

Years ago when Kenya and I were traveling west from New York, she used to get these terrible night terrors.

Flailing about in her sleep, screaming.

Sometimes she'd wander off.

One night I woke up, and she was gone.

Hmm.

I found her sound asleep in a field of Necronies.

Beautiful flowers. You ever see 'em?

Yeah.

Eat your flesh right off.

Luckily they only bloom in sunlight.

She was okay.

I was not.

What did you do?

I allowed myself 20 minutes to cry, I dried my eyes, and...

I kept us heading west.

Sometimes just not giving up is enough.

Irisa!

Isn't that Irisa's diary?

Yeah.

[Sighs] I can't read this chicken scratch.

What exactly do you think you're gonna find in here anyway?

Something. Anything.

Anything that's gonna explain what's been going on.

She's disappeared again.

She's not answering her hailer calls.

Uh-huh. So you inv*de her privacy.

Man, you just take whatever you want, don't you?

If you're not gonna help me, why don't you go back and search the town?

You know what you are? You are a bully.

You push people around.

No wonder why she doesn't wanna talk to you.

Hold on.

What is this?

Liberata blood.

Nolan, Irisa wouldn't...

Yeah, what?

Wouldn't what, Tommy?

Wouldn't hurt Bertie?

Wouldn't k*ll Bertie?

I don't know. I don't know anymore.

All I know is I taught her how to use those blades she carries around with her. [Slams drawer]

What is that?

Your missing finger.

Peace offering.

You can graft it back on with some of your Indogene wizardry.

I haven't got the right equipment.

But you do back in your old office, back in Defiance.

I've decided to offer you probation.

You'll be remanded to my custody, and you'll report to me and me alone.

If this is about Irisa and her magic tunneling spaceships, I want nothing to do with it. I...

Can you really do what you suggest in these pages?

I would need funding, resources.

Unlimited.

Timetable?

Accelerated.

Intrigued?

Well, it would be something for the record books.

I would need an assistant.

Someone that I know I can trust.

Niles Pottinger is a dangerous man.

Whatever arrangements you made with him, you need to be extremely careful moving forward.

That's your problem now.

Your one and only job is keeping me alive.

Oh?

Open the gate!

Why else do you think I got your pasty ass out of prison?

[Indistinct shouting]

Back up, back up!

[Indistinct chatter]

[Indistinct chatter]

[Muffled music]

♪

[Woman screaming]

[Grunting]

Hey!

Hey!

Laugh at me?

What happened?

She laughed at me.

Well, I'm sure that wasn't the case.

Bitch!

Talk to me.

She laughed at me!

Okay, let's get you downstairs, get you a drink.

And you can have any night porter you want, on the house.

I saw that.

Oh, hey!

[Grunts] Hey!

Play nice!

[Laughing]

Yeah!

Get him, Amanda, go!

Yeah!

[Crowd shouting]

[Shouting]

Easy, tiger.

Come on, hey. Come on.

Hey! You all right?

Fine!

You sure?

I'm fine!

Your pupils are dilating.

I'm fine!

♪ I'll admit I've been searching ♪

Madame Mayor.

I wanted to clear the air about something.

The other day when I saw the Adreno, I was caught off guard.

I might have given the impression that I was judging you.

But I wasn't.

I've used it myself on occasion.

I appreciate your candor.

I was about to partake.

You care to join?

[Clinking]

[Crickets chirping]

Ooh!

[Grunts]

[Both laughing]

[Sighs]

[Sighs] I need your help.

I don't know what to do.

Irzu's path is a lonely one.

[Sighs]

Others do not understand.

When I woke, my people... they were afraid.

They called me... and they rode off into the night without me.

This is not my path.

No, you were chosen.

Irzu directs you. Why do you fight?

I don't wanna k*ll anyone else.

One death could save a thousand lives.

It was more than one death! A lot more!

I see.

[Ominous music]

♪

It's happening. Irzu's speaking to you.

[Dramatic music]

♪

[Gasps]

[Gagging, coughing]

[Breathing heavily]

[Birds crying]

I can't let you do this.

You can't stop me.

That w*apon looks heavy.

[Breathing heavily]

[Grunts]

How many people do I have to k*ll?

How big is my debt?

You don't understand.

You're saving them.

They're under my protection now.

[Laughing]

You're a liar.

And I won't k*ll for you.

[Crying] Not anymore.

[Laughing]

I said no.

I said no!

Put it down!

[Speaking native language]

[g*nsh*t]

They've barely crossed their own oceans.

What about when the rest of the fleet arrives, 3,000 years from now?

Their world will advance.

Kaziri was launched ahead of the arks to terraform a barren world.

This is not a barren world.

How are we supposed to live there amongst aliens?

Irzu values all life, or have you forgotten?

It's time we seize the ship.

[Groaning]

I'm sorry this hurts so much, but you brought it on yourself.

Aw, shh.

I'll wait with you.

Would you like me to sing to you?

It'll help the time go by.

How about the song that Nolan taught you?

♪ As I slept upon the ark ♪

[Crying]

♪ I dreamed about a tree ♪
♪ In it was a Casti bird ♪
♪ That sang of kama lea ♪
♪ Kama lea, kama lea ♪

[Singing in native language]

♪

I brought you some tea for the withdrawal symptoms.

With the Adreno pipeline shut down, some of my customers in The Hollows have been very... sick.

Who says I've withdrawn?

Oh, of course.

Only a fool would underestimate your resourcefulness.

What you've achieved here at the NeedWant, how you've dealt with... change.

I did what I had to do.

Nonetheless, you are impressive.

It's weird having... Nolan back.

Reminds me of the old days.

I miss her too.

Do you think she's ever coming back?

I wish with...

[Speaking native language] all my heart.

Me too.

[Panting]

Irisa!

Bertie?

Are you okay?

Bertie?

[Laughing]

Oh.

You're alive!

[Laughs]

[Vehicle approaching]

Bertie! Where have you been?

One minute I was in the market, and the next I was waking up in the woods.

Irisa found me.

You found her?

Uh-huh.

What were you doing in the woods?

I was looking for Bertie.

You had Liberata blood on your cuffs. Why?

I don't know what you're talking about.

You're lying!

And so are you.

You did something to her, and you're covering up.

All right, back off, Nolan!

I just wanna go home.

[Squeals]

[Squeals] [Laughter]

I'd tell you the truth if I could.

Shh.

♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Can't anybody see ♪
♪ We've got a w*r to fight? ♪
♪ Never found our way ♪
♪ Regardless of what they say ♪
♪ How can it feel ♪
♪ This wrong? ♪
♪ From this moment ♪
♪ How can it feel ♪
♪ This wrong? ♪
♪ Storm ♪
♪ In the morning light ♪
♪ I feel ♪
♪ No more ♪
♪ Can I say ♪
♪ Frozen to myself ♪
♪ I got nobody on my side ♪
♪ And surely that ain't right ♪

[Yelling, grunting]

♪ Surely that ain't right ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Can't anybody see ♪
♪ We've got a w*r to fight? ♪
♪ Never found our way ♪
♪ Regardless of what they say ♪
♪ How can it feel ♪
♪ This wrong? ♪
♪ From this moment ♪
♪ How can it feel ♪
♪ This wrong? ♪
♪ How can it feel ♪
♪ This wrong? ♪
♪ From this moment ♪
♪ How can it feel ♪
♪ This wrong? ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Can't anybody see ♪
♪ We've got a w*r to fight? ♪
♪ Never found our way ♪
♪ Regardless of what they say ♪
♪ How can it feel ♪
♪ This wrong? ♪
♪ From this moment ♪
♪ How can it feel ♪
♪ This wrong? ♪