01x02 - The Triple Dark

[bunniefuu]

[engines whining]

[ring beeping]

Neeku, why did you sign me up? I don't want to be in this race!

I am trying to help you, Kaz, to prove that you truly are who you claim to be.

The best pilot around this platform.

But I never said that! It was-- it's-- it's just a dream.

Something I've always wanted.

Then this is your chance to make that dream come true!

I don't think it works like that, Neeku.

I believe in you.

You are going to change our lives, for the better.

Me? Change your life?

I can't get my own life on track. How could I possibly help you?

Because we have a common dream.

You want to be the best-- I mean, a pilot?

No, of course not, but I do want to be on a team with the best pilot in the galaxy, because if you are the best, then you will be one of the Aces, and when you are one of the Aces here on the Colossus, that pilot, you, and their team, which includes me, gets to live in Doza Tower!

And that's a good thing?

Oh, yes.

A very good thing.

The food is better, the hallways are cleaner...

You might not realize it, but the rest of this platform is largely a mess, a disaster, even.

But with you, all of that could change.

[sighs]

Nice job keeping a low profile.

I guess your strategy is to be so visible that no one would even think you're a spy.

I'm sorry, Yeager.

I'll find a way out of this. Then I'll be gone.

You still have no clue where you are, do you?

You don't get out of anything. Not here.

When you say it like that, it kind of reminds me of home.

Well, tomorrow, you get to prove what you're made of.

Who knows? You might become a star around here, or you might go out in a ball of fire.

[laser f*ring]

[heroic fanfare]

[racers whooshing]

[crowd talking]

Who's in the lead?

That's Hype Fazon, one of the best pilots on the platform.

[engine revving]

Wow, he is fast.

-Whoa. -[crowd cheering]

[announcer] And the winner yet again:

Hype Fazon!

[crowd cheering]

There's got to be a way to back out of the race and not look like a total numnoid.

I told you, you don't quit a race on the Colossus.

You drop out, they'll drop you off the platform... head-first.

[Neeku] There are big things that live under the water, Kaz.

Big things that eat little things, like you.

Look, uh, if I could just talk to whoever's in charge, I could straighten this mess out.

Captain Doza's the boss, and he's not gonna let you back out.

Trust me on that.

[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, Hype Fazon!

[cheers and applause]

Don't forget, we have a new challenger for tomorrow's one-on-one sky race, and there he is, the self-proclaimed best pilot in the known galaxy!

There's that phrase again.

I never said known galaxy!

That's right, the known galaxy!

What's your name, challenger?

Kaz. [echoes]

Kaz? Kaz?

Well, Kaz-Kaz, you get to choose your opponent.

You get to pick the racer.

You get to select the instrument of your own fiery destruction!

Hype Fazon, Griff Halloran, Freya Fenris, Bo Keevil, and the newest and youngest of our Aces, Torra Doza!

Five. I'll pick five.

[crowd exclaims, laughs]

Torra Doza!

What? Was that bad?

Tell me that wasn't bad.

All right, Kaz's odds of winning now are 387 to 1, With the odds of him exploding into tiny bits of debris, 2 to 1.

[speaking alien language]

Drowning and getting eaten by fish?

Haven't thought of that one, but run those numbers for me, will you, Glitch?

[speaking alien language]

I mean, I don't even have a ship!

What am I supposed to do, flap my arms and fly?

We have a ship you can use.

You get the "Fireball."

"Fireball." That sounds fast.

-Yeah, fast to explode. -[sputters]

It's called the "Fireball" because it has this habit of bursting into flames.

Only when you accelerate, or shift, or steer, or land.

-What?

Even when you land?

Occasionally, yes, sometimes.

[pessimistic beeps]

It's actually a good ship if we had time to get it up and running.

We can make it ready. I know we can.

[sighs]

[doors open]

[clapping]

That's the "Fireball"?

That thing looks like an expl*si*n with wings.

[concerned beeps]

How many times has it blown up?

Only three times.

-Four. -[pessimistic beeps]

That thing's a disaster.

Disaster?

You've never flown a better ship than this one, kid.

Kid? Did she just call me "kid"?

This is Tam Ryvora, one of my mechanics.

Tam, meet our new employee, Kazuda Xiono.

Another mechanic?

We're barely scraping by as it is.

I'm loaning the "Fireball" to him as a favor to someone.

You said if I get the ship back in the air, I could have it.

It's not in the air yet, is it?

[sighs] You know, I'm gonna take my break before I say something, I seriously regret.

Get out of my way.

[declarative beeping]

Maybe it's not so bad.

Looks sturdy enough. She just needs a few bolts, some laser cutting, a little paint, touch up the gloss.

[metal clanking]

This is gonna take a lot of work.

Bucket!

[warbling]

[aggressive chirping]

Back off, you box of bolts!

[laughs] That's my co-pilot, Bucket.

Bought him when he was already 100 years old.

That old tech was built to last.

Right, Bucket?

[affirmative warbling]

The name fits him perfectly.

Oh...

[concerned beeping]

[mechanical whirring]

[Kaz] Alright.

What do I need to get this old rocket fired up?

Ten aux generator rings, 30 spools of tri-cable, five frequency alternator servos, static discharge couplings, four heat sinks...

Anything else?

Seven hypernodes, three new power converters, wiring for the flight computer.

Wow, that's a lot of parts.

Hey, everyone!

Oh, hello, Torra Doza.

We never see you down here.

I just wanted to stop by and wish my competition good luck on tomorrow's big race.

Luck?

I don't need luck.

I've been in plenty of races in my time.

-Oh, whoa! -[skeptical warbling]

I'm sure you have.

Just be careful, and don't explode when you hit the first marker.

Almost everyone does the first time.

-Good to know. -Don't worry.

I'm sure it'll all end quickly and painlessly, one way or another.

Nobody's survived racing against me, but who knows?

Maybe you'll be the first to walk away.

Yeah.

-Thanks? -Bye!

Hate to be in your boots right now, kid. Torra's the daughter of Captain Doza, who runs this whole place.

That makes your chances of winning, slim as they are, nearly impossible.

But... that means you think I still have a chance, right?

A slim chance.

Don't be a hotshot.

You don't need to win. You just need to survive.

Poe sent you here on a mission, and right now, part of that mission is not to die.

I think not dying's a very important part of the mission always.

You three go down to acquisitions, get this list to Flix and Orka.

[machine whirs]

This way, Kaz.

Orka and Flix will have everything we need.

[chittering]

-[banging] -[chittering]

Hello, Flix. Hello, Orka.

Uh, hey, Neeku. What can we do for you?

We are here to obtain parts for one of Yeager's ships.

Uh, it's not the "Fireball," is it?

Yes, yes, it is.

[both laugh]

[laughing] The "Fireball"!

[laughter]

Neeku, you are one funny son of a sleemo.

Oh, he's being serious.

Well, that's completely unfortunate.

Goodness, yes.

It is the "Fireball."

[Flix] This is quite a voluminous list of parts.

Everyone, step back.

[Orka] Yep. Alright, one of these...

Yep! Static discharge coupling.

[Orka] Four heat sinks.

Seven hypernodes, three new power converters...

Five frequency alternator servos...

-So I guess Yeager's paying for all this stuff, right?

Do you have his credit disk?

Yeager's credit disk?

[laughs]

Of course not.

You are the pilot. You will have to pay for these parts.

What? Me, pay?

But I lost all my money! I don't have any more credits.

[Orka] What, you can't pay?

Ah, no credits, no merchandise. No exceptions.

[protesting beeps]

Please, you have to help me out.

If I don't fly tomorrow, they'll drop me off the platform, head-first.

Well, maybe I'll wager 100 credits that a sharvo fish eats you whole.

200.

Orka, you and I have been friends for a long time.

Please, help us.

Look, we can, um...

We can give you some secondhand parts, I suppose, you know, but they're, they're not worth much, but just go grab us some lunch, okay?

How about a nice, fat, juicy gorg?

You know? And then we'll call it even, okay, pal? [laughs]

Thank you, friend Orka, thank you.

One gorg, coming right up.

I hope.

[indistinct chattering]

Sponsored by Flix and Orka's, Hype Fazon's acquisition of choice.

Neeku, what exactly is a gorg, anyway?

Oh, they are tiny creatures that are considered delicacies on many planets.

I personally have developed quite a taste for them.

Think of them as the womp rats of the sea.

[gorgs purring]

Um, excuse me.

-Sir? -Mm?

You!

Best pilot in the galaxy!

Me? Huh?

What? No!

I just got here.

No, he is right, Kaz.

It's the guy you threw darts at, remember?

[growls]

I knew it!

Wait, wait, don't squish me.

I'm here to make you a deal.

[announcer] When Hype isn't competing, he likes to race over to Aunt Z's tavern.

You like to make money, right?

Everyone here does.

How about you give me a gorg now, and I'll put your logo on my racer?

That way, if I win, you win, because your business will be booming!

[growls]

Hm... Alright.

-Deal. -[sighs]

You know, you ever have a problem because these things are just so cute?

Who wants to eat them?

[baby talk] I mean, look at this ador--

Gah! Little snapper.

I'll take this one.

Oh, Flix! Orka!

Here you go.

Lunch is... served?

Wait, you already had food?

What? You took forever.

I mean, we'll take that gorg anyways, though.

[laughs] And we already wrapped up your parts.

Okay, you'll need these, and you'll need this, and you probably need a crate of these.

You know, you'll definitely need some of this.

-Ah! -And this, uh...

I don't even know what this one does. You know what this does?

Thanks. [grunts]

Appreciate it.

[chirps]

[trills]

[heavy breathing]

Ugh!

What's with the parts?

You're gonna fix my ship with this junk?

We're gonna have to reinforce all of these stabilizers before we can even get started.

Well, I--

This is an absolute mess.

Do you know what it took to get this stuff?

Ugh, even when I do something right, I do it wrong.

I thought I could handle anything. Things just keep getting worse and worse.

[sad beep]

My dad always did everything for me.

He thought he was giving me the life I wanted, but it was what he wanted for himself.

[sad beeps]

He never asked me what I wanted.

Never gave me a choice.

[sympathetic beep]

But tomorrow, it's all me.

[encouraging beep]

And I'm gonna win, no matter what it takes.

[rousing music]

[beeping]

I'll be right here on the other end of this comm.

And let me give you a piece of advice.

Even though you have to race, you don't have to win.

You have a mission here for Poe.

Remember that.

Thanks, Yeager, but I think I got this.

[machinery whizzing]

[announcer] Alright!

Time to start the big race!

Whew. Okay, all right. You know what you're doing, Kaz.

Alright, you ready for this?

Ready as I'll ever be.

[Jarek] Okay, here's what's going to happen.

You'll see a series of metal rings.

Fly through them as fast as you can.

The winner is whoever makes it through the final hoop first.

[announcer] Ready to launch.

[engines starting]

In five...

[engine switches off]

Four...

Three...

Two, one...

Go!

[Jarek] Hit the jets! Hit the jets!

[cheers and applause]

-[Jarek] Okay, you're coming up on the first ring.

Get ready.

Yes! Not bad, right? Just got to push it faster.

[loud thud]

[Jarek] Be careful. Torra won't hesitate to take you out.

I think I can catch her.

-I can do this! -[rattling noise]

You're doing great, Kazuda.

[Jarek] Don't do anything stupid, Kaz.

Remember what I told you.

Survive.

[cheers and applause]

She's good, but I'm better.

[Jarek] Stay with her. She's gaining air.

He might actually win.

Come on...

[gasps] He's got her!

-Go, Kaz! -[excited beep]

[engine shudders]

Don't do it.

[Jarek] Kaz, if you push it any harder, the "Fireball" is gonna live up to its name.

I know what I'm doing!

You have a choice, Kaz.

You can push the engine and die, or live to start your mission.

-[engine revs] -[engine shorting]

-He backed off. -Look.

-[alarms blaring] -Yeager, you were right.

I didn't back off soon enough!

I'm going down!

Steady it, Kaz. Steady it.

[engine whirring]

-[alarms beeping] -[metal banging]

Ah!

Whoa!

Ugh, what...

What?

What happened?

You survived.

With barely a scratch.

You truly are an amazing pilot, Kazuda Xiono.

I--I've won?

[Tamara] No, you definitely didn't.

You lost, but you lost well.

I am so glad you didn't explode, Kaz.

I think it's time we talked.

[Kaz] Before you say anything, I just want to thank you.

Without your help, I would've gotten thrown over the side.

[Jarek] Head-first.

[Kaz] It's a tough place.

I'm not sure I'm cut out for it.

I'm not sure, either, but Poe thinks you are.

Look, Poe and I go way back, I trust his judgment, and as a favor to him, I'll give you a place to stay.

You can work as a mechanic on my team, earn your keep like everyone else, but when it comes to your mission as a spy, I don't want anything to do with it.

[quavering beep]

Understood.

Looks like I got my work cut out for me.

If the First Order is here, we'll all have to make some difficult choices in the future.

[Base] Transmit clearance code.

Transmitting now.

[comm beeps]

Code approved.

Welcome home, Vonreg.

Acknowledged, Starkiller Base.

Inform Captain Phasma I have returned.

[heroic fanfare]

[theme music playing]