07x07 - The Last Stand (1)

[bunniefuu]

I can't believe it.
We're finally back to Earth.

Well, what are we waiting for? [grunts]

[Pidge] I'll see if I can get a message
out to my dad.

Dad, it's me, Pidge. Do you copy?

We're back in Earth's solar system,
and heading home now.

[static crackling]

[Sam's voice] To any beings
who receive this message...

Dad, you're okay.

-How's Mom and Matt? Is he with you?
-Planet Earth has been...

Most of the citizens...

Hold on, let me try to get a clear signal.

- ...have been captured.
-What?

Who's captured? Dad, what are you saying?

Those of us remaining
are making our last stand.

If you get this message,
please get word to Voltron.

-We need help.
-[display beeping]

Guys, are you seeing this?

[Sam continued] To any beings
who receive this message...

Oh, no.

...Planet Earth has been overrun
by the Galra.

The Galra have invaded Earth.

Most of the citizens have been captured.

Those of us remaining
are making our last stand.

If you get this message,
please get word to Voltron.

We need help.

It's not a reply. It's a distress signal.

Dad.

Admiral Sanda, how long have I--?

It's been about a week since you landed.

Sorry, we've had you under
for most of the time.

-A week?
-We had to run tests.

You spent years in an alien environment.

Look, Sam, the joint chiefs are eager
to hear what you have to tell us.

Tell the chiefs
I'll debrief when I'm ready.

There's someone I need to see first.

[doors close]

Sam.

[Colleen gasps]

Colleen, I've missed you so much.

I thought you were dead.
I thought I'd never see you again.

[grunts] You're squeezing me pretty tight.

Being abducted by aliens didn't k*ll me,
but I think you might.

-Aliens?
-On the Kerberos mission.

Matt, Shiro and I
were taken by hostile aliens.

So Matt is with you?

No, but he's alive and safe.
So is Katie. They're together.

Last time I saw them, they were just
outside the planet Olkarion.

They saved me.

There was a device on my pod,
a transmitter. Where is it?

I can use it to contact my children
and the other Paladins, cadets.

I'm afraid we can't allow you
to broadcast yet.

We need more information before you start
sending messages into deep space.

Any contact with alien species
needs to be run through

the appropriate channels.

We need to be sure you're not putting
Earth in danger, Sam.

I don't care about your channels.
I want to talk to my children.

And you will, soon.

We just wanna debrief you first.

Tell them what you know,

then we can talk to our children
and get you home.

I'm afraid we can't allow Sam
to leave the premises.

We're not prepared to tell the world

about the existence of alien life
just yet.

Remember, everyone thinks you're dead.

So you're holding me like a prisoner?

Not a prisoner. You're free to move about
within the Garrison grounds.

Just until we're ready.

If he's staying, I'm staying too.

I'm afraid you don't have
the clearance, Colleen.

This is the only family I have left.

You'll get me the clearance.

-Here's what we know.
-[remote beeps]

Two years ago,
during your Kerberos mission,

our scans picked up an anomaly
at your location.

Minutes later, we lost contact with you
and the rest of the crew.

In the immediate aftermath,
we intercepted a transmission.

[Zarkon's voice] We found
these primitive scientists.

I don't think they know anything useful.

Take them back to the main fleet
for interrogation.

The Druids will find out what they know.

That last voice is Zarkon,

the emperor of an advanced
hostile alien race known as the Galra.

-How advanced?
-And how do you know they're hostile?

Do you have the device I asked for?
The one from my pod?

Bring it to him.

[device beeps, hums]

Before I left, I downloaded
as much information as I could

from the Castle of Lions.

For 10,000 years,
Zarkon has been expanding his empire,

conquering vast swaths of the universe

and harnessing its quintessence
in order to survive and maintain power.

Quintessence?

It's an energy generated by living beings.

-[man] You mean certain alien beings?
-No. Quintessence is within us all.

Impossible. We've never come across
anything like that.

Maybe because this is beyond the realm
of what you think you know.

Have you ever traveled faster
than the speed of light?

Have you ever seen a living creature
bio-hack nature?

Have you ever come face to face
with an alien warlord

who's older than the entirety
of human civilization?

Well, I have.
And I assure you, it's all real.

Following our abduction,

Shiro, Matt and I were taken
by Galra scouts to the main fleet

where we were interrogated.

After that, we were split up.

I spent the next year at a remote outpost,

working alongside other c*ptive
scientists researching

and creating new technologies
to be used by the Galra.

I later learned that Shiro and Matt

had been sent to fight
in the gladiator pits.

Matt would have been k*lled,
but Shiro, he saved my son's life.

Later, Matt was rescued
from a work camp by alien rebels.

He now works alongside them,
fighting back against the Galra.

During his time on Zarkon's command ship,

Shiro discovered that Zarkon was looking
for a super weapon hidden on Earth.

Shiro escaped to get the weapon first.

That must be when Lieutenant Shirogane
returned to Earth.

That's right.

Following Garrison protocol,

we placed Lieutenant Takeshi Shirogane
under mandatory quarantine,

but he managed to escape
with the aid of several Garrison cadets.

We later found out the one known
as Pidge Gunderson

was your daughter, Katie Holt,

who had illegally enrolled
in the cadet program

under an assumed identity.

The following day,
the Blue Lion appeared on our radars.

Long-range sensors tracked the UFO
to the edge of our solar system

traveling at speeds we've never achieved.

It disappeared along with the ship.
That was the last activity we had

until your pod arrived on Earth
a month ago.

So that Blue Lion,
that was the super weapon?

Part of it. The super weapon
is known as Voltron.

It's made up of five mechanical lions.

As fate would have it,
when Shiro crashed on Earth,

those same Garrison students
that got him out of quarantine

became the pilots, or Paladins,
of the five lions of Voltron.

The Paladins are doing everything they can
to protect the universe from the Galra.

But we must begin
to bolster Earth's defenses now,

or we do not stand a chance.

w*r is coming.

So this Zarkon,
you think he'll attack Earth?

No. Zarkon is dead,
but the Galra Empire is not stopping.

There are factions fighting for control

and looking to dominate
their own sections of the universe.

Without a clear leader,
things are worse than before.

So what do we do?

We hold a conference and announce
what we know to the world.

Absolutely not.

They need to know.

And if we can bring the world's
top minds together,

it might mean the difference--

If we told the world
there was an imminent attack,

we'd set off a global panic.

But there will be an attack.

When? How will the attack happen?
Is there a plan to stop it?

None of these things have been discussed.

None of these things have been
thought through.

And until they are,
we're not going to be responsible

for sending the world into disarray.

If you would allow me to contact Katie
and the Paladins right now,

we could begin to answer those questions.

Very well.

This is Sam Holt
calling the Paladins of Voltron.

I'm on Earth. Please respond.

-Pidge, this is Dad. Come in.
-Katie, it's your mom. Are you there?

The transmission's not being received.

There might be interference.
We need to keep trying.

We can have someone send out
regular transmissions

around the clock until we hear from them.

But in the meantime, we stay quiet.

Very well. But we should at least
begin preparations.

We already have.

We've been studying the ship

that Shiro crash landed in
for the last year,

and we've begun research
on the ship you arrived in.

We thought the technology
would be exactly the same,

but that's not the case.

[Sam] That's because one is Galran
and the other, Altean,

created by two different alien species.

-[Sam] So did you get it airborne?
-[Iverson] Unfortunately, no.

We got the nav system
and other instruments turned on

by powering them externally,

but the power it would take to fly them
is unsustainable.

Hmm. The crystal must have been damaged
on entry if you couldn't power it.

Crystal?

[Sam] It's the main energy source
for most alien spacecraft.

If you haven't been able
to get it running,

then what have you been doing with it?

We created a simulator
based on the controls

so that when we figure out how
to integrate the tech into our own ships,

we'll be ready to fly.

Commander Holt, I'd like to introduce you
to the best pilots

to come out of the Galaxy Garrison
in the last year.

These are officers Griffin, Rizavi,
Kinkade, and Leifsdottir.

They're young, but their ability to adapt
to new flying techniques is a step above.

On behalf of my squadron,
it's an honor to meet you, sir.

I've got them running drills
in the simulator five days a week.

They can take just about anything
you can throw at them.

Good. Now it's time to get them
out of the simulator

and flying these things for real.

But they aren't working, sir.

Then we better get them working.

[charging hum]

[Rizavi gasps]

No way.

When can we fly them, sir?

You're gonna be flying ships much faster

and much more maneuverable
than this in no time.

Sir?

[Sam] This is just an Altean shuttle pod.

The engine and functions
are extremely basic.

If we're going to defend the planet
against the Galra,

we're going to need better ships.

When I was enslaved by the Galra,

I was forced to work on technologies

that are a hundred times more complex
than a simple pod.

And after I regrouped with the Paladins,
I continued learning alongside the Olkari,

some of the most amazing engineers
I've ever had the honor to work with.

They taught me everything I know
about integrating technologies.

These are Altean schematics.

We're gonna use these
to upgrade our weapons,

build new ships,
and create a defense for Earth.

Engineers will be in charge of salvaging
what they can from the pods.

Re-purposing parts
is of the utmost importance.

Our pilots must get out of the simulators

and into real ships
powered by crystal technology

if they hope to stand a chance
against Galran battle tactics.

[Sam] It's gonna be a steep
learning curve, but I know they'll get it.

The Garrison will become the epicenter

of technological advances
beyond what this world has ever seen.

[weapon charging]

[Sam] In the meantime,
we will continue our attempts

to contact Matt and the Paladins.

It's imperative that we find out
what's happening beyond our galaxy.

There is a w*r coming,
and we need to be prepared.

-[Griffin] Sorry, guess I'm too quick.
-[Rizavi] Not for my micro-pulse boosters.

How's the response time
compared to the previous generation?

[Rizavi] Instantaneous, sir.

It's like it knows what I wanna do
before I think it.

It's amazing what you've done
in just over a year.

We've done it together.

[woman] Sir, you're needed
in the communications room immediately.

It's Matt. He contacted us.

-[Matt] Mom, is that Dad?
-He just got here.

Matt, are you okay?

I've been trying to contact you
and Katie for months.

Where are you? What's going on?

-So, you didn't hear yet?
-Hear what?

Mom, Dad,

no one has seen or heard from the Paladins
in the last six months.

-No.
-Katie.

[Colleen sobs]

What happened?

No one is really sure.

There are rumors that Voltron fought
Lotor, then they just disappeared.

-So they could still be alive.
-No one knows.

But, Dad, listen to me.
You need to stop broadcasting from Earth.

Members of the Blade of Marmora

and the Voltron Coalition
are being hunted.

Our army has been all but wiped out.

The situation is bad out here,

and the last thing we need
is to put Earth in danger.

But how will I get ahold of you?

I have to go.
I'll contact you when I'm safe.

I love you both.

It's time. We need to tell
the rest of the world the situation.

Sam, I'm sorry to hear
about your daughter,

but we can't get off course.

If we wanna finish the IGF-ATLAS,
we need more resources and more manpower.

The world needs to come together so that
we can take the fight to the Galra.

You're too emotional right now
and you're not thinking straight.

We're not building ships
to go fight aliens in different galaxies.

[thuds] But they need us.

The citizens of Earth need us.

And yet you refuse to tell them the truth!

Maybe we should talk about this later.

We can talk later,
but my decision will be the same.

We're not telling the people of Earth

and we're not fighting
in someone else's w*r.

They're gonna be okay.

They will be okay because they're strong
just like their mother.

We've gotta do something.

We can't just sit here
while our children are in danger.

We're doing everything we can
with the limited personnel we have.

Then we'll get more personnel
and more resources.

The admiral is making decisions
for the rest of the world.

I say let them make decisions
for themselves.

You wanna tell the world?

The repercussions could be serious.
They could kick us out of the Garrison.

It's risky, but that ship
may never get done otherwise.

And I'll do whatever it takes
to see my kids again.

Okay.

-You're sure you wanna do this?
-I'm sure.

[display beeping]

All right, I'll be broadcasting
on every channel. You ready?

Citizens of Earth.
My name is Colleen Holt.

I am the wife of famed astronaut,
Sam Holt, and mother of Matt Holt.

Two years ago,
it was believed that they died

during a deep space mission.

That was a lie.

My husband, along with his crew,
were abducted by an alien race

known as the Galra,

a fact that was covered up
by the Galaxy Garrison.

Admiral, you need to see this.
They're broadcasting on every channel.

A year ago, my husband returned to Earth,

but the Garrison forced him
to stay in hiding.

[Sanda] I'm afraid we can't allow Sam
to leave the premises.

We're not prepared to tell the world

about the existence
of alien life just yet.

But I refuse to stay hidden any longer.
We desperately need your help.

Not every alien species is friendly,
and Planet Earth must be protected.

Here at the Garrison,

we've been working on creating
advanced ships and weaponry.

Get the rest of the guards.

The footage you are about to see is real.

[Sam] These are the Galra.

If they find Earth, they will attack,
and we must be prepared.

Huh. Guess the cat's out of the bag, huh?

[Colleen] But there are those
that have spent years protecting us.

They are the Paladins of Voltron,
and they come from Earth.

I can't wait to be back home.
I'm not really sure when that'll be,

but when I get there,
I really want Uncle Filo

to make some of his amazing pork lau lau.

I can almost taste it now.

Hi, Mom, hi, Dad. It's me, Lance.
I'm here in outer space somewhere.

I, um, uh, don't really know what to say.

I miss you guys. I miss you guys a lot.

Mom, I'm so sorry I left
without saying goodbye.

I think of you every day.

Now is the time to come together.

To protect our world,
we must be united under one cause.

[scanner beeping]

Override the lock.

[beeping]

Lock them up.

-For what?
-For divulging top secret information.

Now, now, Admiral. Don't get emotional.

You disregarded a direct order.

You held me at the Garrison
against my will.

You lied about my death.

You wanna control every situation.
But face it, you can't.

The world needed to know this,

and now that they do,
it will be better for us.

Right now, the world needs a leader
that's not afraid to face facts

and you're not it.

And you think you are?

Yes.

Get these traitors out of here.

Stop.

If Sam goes, I go too.

Admiral Sanda, calls are coming in
from all over the world.

Citizens want to know how they can help.
It's incredible.

It worked.

[whirring]

[thuds]

-That's the last one.
-Think it'll work?

Well, particle barriers are tricky,

but if my calculations are right,
these just might act as a perimeter.

[device beeping]

[Sam] What's that?

I don't know. I didn't think
we were doing any test flights today.

They're here.

Activate the particle barrier immediately.

[woman] Are you sure, sir?
We haven't run diagnostics--

Do it, now!

[charging hum]

[weapons charging]

[Sam grunts]

-[thudding]
-[barrier buzzing]