05x01 - The Prisoner

[bunniefuu]

That's our target, the moon of Tragoch.

According to our latest intelligence,

that's where the Galra are building
their upgraded sentries.

Taking out this base will mean
the Galra won't be able

to resupply their bases and ships
for months.

[Lance]
How do we know this isn't a trap?

All the intel's checked out so far.

Everything's exactly
how we were told it'd be.

-[alarm blaring]
-Including preparing for those!

[Allura] Pidge?

Allura, I'm sending you the signals
to interfere with the drones.

Signal acquired. Broadcasting.

Let's take them out before
they recalibrate and report our approach.

[Shiro] Form up on me. We're going in.

We have five minutes
before the base realizes

their drones aren't responding.

Be careful to stay in formation
and don't touch the sides! [grunts]

Don't touch the side.
Don't touch the side.

Don't touch the side.

-Uh-oh! [screams, groans]
-[Pidge] Hunk!

I think I may have
nicked the side a little bit.

Let me through!

We'd better hurry.
That patch won't last long.

[alarm blaring]

We're under attack!

It's Voltron!

All forces, prepare for enemy as*ault.
This is not a drill.

[Hunk] The lava's gaining on us!
We can't outrun it!

We should be directly underneath
the Galra base.

[Shiro]
There's an opening up ahead. Follow me!

[Lance] Oh, no! We're trapped!

[Shiro] No, we're not!

There's another way out!

Form Voltron!

[roars]

[roars]

Stand down. Voltron is no more.

-[grunts]
-[loud rumbling]

[Shiro] Take down the factory machines!

[roars]

We have to get out of here!
To the escape pods!

Oh, man! Going on missions is a lot easier
when somebody gives you

the information you need
before you get there.

And yet, you still managed
to run your lion into a wall.

Yeah, information is one thing.
Ability is something completely different.

No doubt about it,
we haven't encountered a single problem.

I must admit,
we took down a vital target today.

And we made it look pretty easy,

except for the getting buried
in lava part.

It may be time
to consider taking the next step.

I'm still not comfortable with this.
It just doesn't feel right.

-[Shiro] Your intel checked out.
-You still feign surprise.

All of the information I've given,
proven correct.

Every target I've provided,
easily dispatched.

-Yet, you still look at me--
-As if you were the leader

of the most bloodthirsty race of murderers
this universe has ever known.

Can people not change?

Is it so hard to believe
that I wish to return the Galra Empire

to a bygone era of peace?

Our fathers were friends once, long ago.
There must be hope for us.

I guess we still need convincing.

The facts speak for themselves.

The Galra Empire is completely reliant
on quintessence.

Serve that need peacefully,
and you have a complete paradigm shift,

a new dawn for the old empire.

And you're the man to make this happen?

My plan from the beginning has been
to find a way to harvest quintessence

without resorting
to the barbarism of the Komar.

Extracting quintessence
from entire planets

at the cost of every living thing?

I think not.

And your solution was to send Voltron
to do your dirty work.

Only Voltron could retrieve
the trans-reality comet.

So, yes, I'm afraid I had to be a bit
duplicitous in effecting its retrieval.

But if the paladins were k*lled,
that would be fine for you, too.

It was a calculated risk, I admit that.

But I knew they'd come through
without a scratch.

Since recovering the comet, I haven't
been in the least bit aggressive.

-What about your generals?
-A simple misunderstanding.

I had no idea our paths would cross
in the Ulippa System.

What would I gain by fighting you?

My sole focus has been finding a way
to enter the zone between realities.

Sounds like you are your father's son.

It was your father
who led the scientific exploration

that discovered quintessence.

An exploration, I might add,
that resulted in the creation of Voltron.

This isn't a zero-sum game.

Meeting the needs of the Galra Empire
means bringing peace to the universe.

That is the future
enlightenment brings us,

one of prosperity for all.

I saved your lives
and the lives of all your comrades.

I have given you target after target
in the Galra Empire,

and all of them have been dismantled
or destroyed at no cost of life to you.

All I ask is to be judged by my actions

rather than your preconceptions
of my race.

If that is beyond you,
then perhaps you should just finish me

and get it over with.

Clearly, Princess,
you are not ready to end this w*r.

-Princess? The meeting's about to start.
-I'm almost ready.

If I'm expected to lead this,
I need to know what I'm talking about.

But no one expects you
to memorize everything.

We can have a script-screen,

or you could jot notes down
on the inside of your hand.

I mean, I do it all the... uh, time.

I'm kidding!

Princess, everybody's ready.

As of today,
our rebel forces have taken control

of one-third of the former Galra Empire.

But we cannot grow complacent.

The Galra Empire is still
the dominant force in the universe.

However, the tide is changing.

The rebel coalition is winning
because of you, Princess Allura.

You and Voltron.

Mere cycles ago, I felt that my race
would breathe its last in Galra chains,

but then Voltron appeared on the horizon,
and our lives changed forever!

This bid for liberty is only possible
because of all of our sacrifices.

And we still have a long way to go
before the entire universe is free.

We'll be behind you every step of the way.

Thank you.
We will reconvene soon. Until then.

[Shiro] Did you complete raids
on targets we sent

on our last communication?

Yes. The information we've received
from Lotor has consistently checked out.

With all these successful missions taking
place in such a short period of time,

it won't be long before the Galra realizes
we're using inside information.

That's true. We should expect the enemy
to change protocol soon.

Then we need to act fast
and hit as many targets as possible.

We'll talk to Lotor and see
if there's anything else he can give us.

I can't stop thinking
that we might be an unwitting part

of a much larger ulterior motive.

Every lead I've provided you so far

has been unerring, exact,
and relatively easy to accomplish.

Anything I would give you now
would be somewhat more perilous in nature.

We're listening.

I have some information I believe
you would consider important

on a more personal level.

There is a prison,
formerly under my control.

It houses a special inmate.

[Nyma] Thank you for helping us
get the fleet back in order.

They were banged up
after the invasion.

No problem.

We re-booted
the entire targeting system in this one.

Pidge wrote a patch that will increase
accuracy by a power of three.

[Pidge] Yeah, well, Matt overhauled
the thrusters on this one.

It can pull out of a six-g dive
and not lose thrust.

That's Newton's gravitational constant,
of course.

Duh! What would she think,


-[laughing]
-[muttering]

But we saved our best work for last.

[gasps]

-He looks brand-new!
-[beeping]

-I can see myself in his chest plate.
-[buzzing]

Pidge, you got a message incoming.

-Hey, guys.
-Pidge.

Is something wrong?

We have a lead on Commander Holt.

Your father.

Our father?

Lotor gave us information
on his whereabouts.

Where is he?

Because your father was considered
a valuable scientific asset,

he was moved to a remote prison
with others like him.

They're being forced to work
for the Galra Empire.

According to Lotor,
he's still at the prison,

but he could be transferred
at any moment.

As soon as the teludav is repaired,
we can all head over there.

Send us the coordinates.

Pidge, Matt! If you wait for us,
we'll be able to provide you with backup.

Hey, don't worry. We'll make sure
they got the backup they need.

-[Beezer buzzing]
-Bring them back safe.

Good luck.

What if something's happened
to him, Matt? What if--?

We're gonna bring Dad back, I promise.

[Pidge] Approaching the prison.

This place is gonna have security.
We're gonna go headfirst into that?

[Pidge] That's why we got cloaking.

[rapid beeping, buzzing]

[Pidge] How did it detect us?

-[alarm blaring]
-Doesn't sound good.

We've hit some sort of barrier!
We've lost cloaking!

[Beezer buzzing]

-[beeping]
-Galra fighters on intercept course!

[grunts]

[Pidge] Change of plan!
I'm gonna have to drop you off!

Hold on! [grunts]

Go get him, Matt.

Everybody, fire jet packs!

Uh... Uh...

Something's wrong!
My pack's not working!

-Matt!
-[screaming]

[beeping, buzzing]

[continues screaming]

[grunting]

[sighing, panting]

[whimpering]

-You know, you can let go of him now.
-I'd rather not.

No guards.

Security and defense systems
in this prison are completely automated.

Override codes should
shut everything down.

[Nyma] Uh, looks like everything
is already shut down.

What's going on?

[screams, grunts]

Come on, girl!

Stay with me, Green!

-Huh?
-[alarm blaring]

[grunts]

[aliens chattering]

[chuckles]

[gasps, yells]

[all gasp]

Everyone, relax.

[whimpering]

-Don't hurt us!
-[aliens chattering]

No one's here to hurt you.

-You're not with the scary lady?
-We're here to rescue you.

Wait, what scary lady?

She told us to stay inside.
If we went out, we'd be hurt.

Well, no one is here now.
Come on, we're leaving.

Is this everyone?

No, there are others back in the cells.

Everybody, hurry up and come with us.

-[Matt] Hello? Dad? Dad, are you here?
-[aliens chattering]

Has anyone here seen Sam Holt?

A human like me.
Is-- Is there another human here?

[prisoners panting]

Pidge, we're ready for pick-up.

I can't come get you! It's still too hot!

If I fly down to pick you up,
I'll be leading all of these ships there.

You'll be sitting ducks! [grunts]

[Pidge] We have to come up
with some other way

to get the scientists off the planet.

Pidge, what if I brought the group to you?

-And how are we gonna do that?
-I've got an idea. Follow me.

[aliens chattering]

These pods are only meant
to carry five passengers.

We'll be lucky
to break through the atmosphere.

Yeah, yeah, I know.

[powering on]

-Come on, Matt. Where are you?
-[Beezer buzzing]

-Let's go.
-But where's--?

Let's go!

[growling]

[thrusters buzzing, crackling]

[thrusters buzzing, crackling]

[all whimpering]

Something's wrong.

The thrusters are maxed out!

[roars]

Pidge, we're about as high
as this overloaded escape pod'll take us.

-We could sure use a pick-up.
-On my way!

[roars]

[thrusters crackling, exploding]

[alarm blaring]

Engines are failing!

[powering down]

[gasps]

Hang on tight!

[grunts]

[beeping]

[Pidge] Cloaking back online.

Matt! Matt, did you find him?

I'm sorry, Pidge.

-No! Dad! Dad, where are you?
-He wasn't there.

-[grunting]
-He was already gone.

No. No... [crying]

Don't give up, Pidge.
We know Dad's alive.

We'll find him.

[continues crying]

Emperor Zarkon.

What do you want?

We have something in our possession
we think you'd be interested in.

We are willing to trade it
for our safe passage

back into the Galra ranks.

I'm listening.

[electronic beeping]

Paladins of Voltron.

Zarkon.

I am making a one-time offer.

I have someone of value to you.

Dad!

I will hand him over,

and in exchange,
you give me my son Lotor.