"even a small light dispels the darkness." "shine on, mesmer." "the time has come to say hello and goodbye." "i'd just like to thank you all" "For being here." "It's much appreciated." "um..." "I'm sorry for your loss," "Trance..." "If mesmer was anything like you, trance," "I'm sure he was incredible." "thank you." "i've had a lot of cousins." "You know, a lot of cousins... and relatives." "just about my whole family." "Who knows where they are now?" "uh, anyway..." "It may be very comforting to you to know" "That both scientifically and metaphorically, nothing ever truly disappears." "yeah, i mean, our atoms," "They recombine, and, um, they make other things," "Like daffodils." "Yes, um, look... as a crew member," "I feel somehow obligated to be here." "Beyond that, trance, perhaps an explanation would help." "mesmer gave life to many." "He gave life to everything he touched." "he was warm, wonderful... mesmer, a part of you will be in me always." "The way of the universe." "trance..." "How did he die?" "[ alarm shrieking ] shock waves." "Everybody to command, now." "Oh, no." "another incoming shock wave." "the universe is a dangerous place, but in our future, my crew and i fight to make it safe." "i am dylan hunt," "Captain of theandromeda ascendant, and these are our adventures." "for once in my life, everything looks just right." "harper, are you all right?" "just a little bent, is all." "Maybe if you gave me a massage later, and worked out the kinks..." "Ow." "Rommie, report." "that was an exploding star." "Epicenter in the kantorek system." "supernova." "what are the odds of that?" "it's a statistical impossibility," "Given the level of residual voltarium." "voltarium?" "any schoolboy with a knowledge of the elements" "Knows voltarium doesn't occur in nature." "and it's only good- make that great- for one thing." "making nova bombs." "Yeah." "all right." "Trance, harper, run a damage report," "Check for radiation leaks." "Then meet us in the briefing room." "beka, tyr, you're with me." "cross-Index planets closest to the blast with planets most likely to make" "Voltarium-Based weapons." "searching." "I know who it is." "hmm." "We're on the outskirts of the kantorek system." "mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the evilest rogue planet of them all?" "Marduk." "yeah, surprise, surprise." "where would marduk get the resources to refine voltarium to make nova bombs?" "you can save a lot of money feeding your workforce chickweed and lint-Stuffed sausages." "they're dabbling in the dark side." "Enigma." "dylan, i do so hope you're not seriously considering" "Going in there." "The same single-Minded fanaticism" "That has allowed marduk to produce this weapon has also given them the most fearsome orbital defense systems ever known." "tyr, they will soon be able to kill billions on a whim." "they're using nova bombs to slaughter the very heart of existence." "we cannot let this go on." "we won't, trance." "Rommie." "pitted against marduk's array of orbital defense systems," "The andromeda would be a minor irritant at best," "And would be highly ineffectual." "humor me and play it out." "Run mission scenario." "penetrate marduk's known defense system." "positing scenario." "Andromeda entering the- mission scenario terminated." "try it again." "this time give us a chance, please." "making all other variables" "Most favorable to our endeavor." "thank you." "blinding the first of the sensor receptor satellites" "And using them as cover." "run mission." "mission 59% complete." "well, there you are." "game over." "i'm sure you'll agree we should no further consider this." "he's considering it." "We can't help, dylan." "an unprovoked attack on marduk would be seen" "As commonwealth hypocrisy." "No one's happy" "With the change in power on marduk." "In fact, we don't even know" "Where their new leader is." "cautious diplomacy is called for." "This is beyond politics." "I mean, they're making nova bombs." "i need a fleet." "that reactor has to be destroyed." "no." "dylan, we can't do it." "all right, what do you expect me to do?" "I can't sit here and do nothing." "I'm sorry, dylan." "all right, what about plausible deniability?" "Are you saying" "We're not having this conversation?" "what conversation?" "We could live with that, dylan." "Just one thing, dylan." "Be forewarned," "We once green-Lighted" "A similar mission out of delgron 5." "Please observe." "i've been hit." "O.B.D. Satellite four's got a plasma cannon on it or something." "wait a minute." "i know them." "yeah, jane and dorothy rubenfeld." "well, what do you know?" "They've recently been appointed joint ministers of the exterior and, dylan," "They each hold one fine set of ph-Double-Ds." "Not to mention" "As joint secretaries of state," "They managed to get all the signatories to the treaty of himmelstoss, just so you know." "yeah," "But, man, are they hot." "Yeah, so was the radiation corridor after a nova bomb blast." "well, at least" "The slip drive's not broken." "that's true." "arman kroz." "he gladly led the marduks into the commonwealth." "Bernard renoir." "now in hiding," "Seized power from kroz, and led to this..." "Poverty, starvation, police state." "these poor people." "Starved and oppressed, all in the name of power." "the aftermath of a nova blast" "Leaves nothing." "absolutely nothing." "I know." "no particles," "No dust, just oblivion." "We can't let this happen." "no one should be able to wield that kind of power." "let's take that power away." "How?" "Slipfighters..." "The dogs of war." "Harper says" "He's reconfigured the v. R. Simulation" "For you." "that's right." "What's going on?" "i've piloted a slipfighter on many an occasion." "The precision, the reflexes..." "I was bred for this." "What's the problem?" "i don't know." "I am preoccupied." "With what?" "Beka, this whole slipfighter assault thing, it's just..." "It's a bad idea." "Tyr, in order for this to work," "We're going to need you at the top of your game." "that's the problem." "Commencing tactical simulation." "Thattaboy, tyr, rip him a new tail pipe." "stay steady." "ending tactical simulation." "Yes." "tyr, that was great." "it was all right." ""All right"?" "tyr, whatever you're going through, fight through it." "let's suit up and try one for real." "Are you kidding?" "We'll kill him." "not if i kill the two of you first." "that is the point of all this, isn't it?" "let's fight." "all right." "let's do it." "[ dylan ]:stand by for simulated attack run." "Stay alert and focused." "that's everything." "let the games begin." "got to go faster." "here we go." "stay with me, tyr." "Got it." "on your lead." "all right, follow me around the drain." "that was all around a lateral axis, tyr..." "Nice and easy." "all right, am i dead yet?" "Follow me down." "Sometimes the baddies play dead, sometimes you'll want to, so stay with me." "it's called a "lumshovok. "" "Flyers from the primortan galaxy coined it." "it means..." ""headache. "" "lumshovok... all right, tyr, kick out." "tyr, i said kick out." "[ alarm beeping ]" "Damn it." "Full right, tyr." "Real ammunition?" "concentrate, tyr." "just stay focused." "catch me if you can." "[ dylan ]:gotcha." "let's go back." "lumshovok." "it's just an expression, tyr." "yes, headache." "i know, yes." "I had no trouble flying." "I knew what you both were doing." "it's just, i... understand, i need to be confident of my own ability" "To win the day." "I understand, tyr," "But if you stay here, then you'll never know," "Will you?" "i'm going back out in a slipfighter" "To fight the only enemy i ever worry about." "Dylan, come to command." "there's something you want to see." "Rommie, status." "A sector in the vicinity of marduk." "Sensors indicate" "That gravity has reversed itself." "on-Screen." "i don't believe it." "marduk has tested another nova bomb." "i can't take this any more." "this can't go on." "where is tyr?" "Bring him up on display." "Com-Link opened." "tyr, get back in here." "he's going too hard." "he's going to have an anti-Proton problem." "tyr, eject." "i said eject." "always pushing the boundaries and testing my patience." "rommie... bring him in." "Two novas" "Is a standard run of weapons tests." "As soon as marduk" "Can refine more voltarium," "They'll be ready to attack more helpless solar systems." "it's time." "as you might expect for marduk's capital city, baal is heavily defended." "the intel forwarded to us by the exterior ministers" "Places the reactor here, however, i would recommend that on approach," "Just four clicks north of baal, you activate your sensors" "Of any residual voltarium emissions." "you haven't the slightest idea where the refinery is located," "Do you?" "Not really, no." "look at the bright side, tyr." "by the time we get there, you'll have the satisfaction of having penetrated five impenetrable orbital and planet-Based" "Defense systems." "he doesn't appear to be satisfied." "have you guys noticed how cold it is lately?" "No." "Android." "must be some kind of crazy space weather thing." "could it be" "That maybe you're scared about the mission" "And you'd like to talk about it?" "what makes you think that?" "No weather in space." "You know, ever since we re-Established the commonwealth, i've been wondering- is it really necessary to risk life and limb" "Every time someone, somewhere" "Has a problem?" "we're the good guys, beka." "we fight the bad guys." "i mean, so some stars blew up." "There are more stars than one person could count in a lifetime." "The lifetime of a human is infinitely smaller compared to that of a star, but a star is born, created from dust, just like a human, with life and fire breathed into it." "it shines," "But eventually the star grows old, and it hunches and winks out." "maybe it even goes out with a bang," "And that's life," "But just because there are so many of them, beka, don't think that it's not valuable" "Or that it doesn't make a difference." "It does." "you two are no help." "you know that, right?" "Help is our mission." "It's what we do." "i'm staying behind." "oh, no, you're not." "two pilots are required for protective air cover," "While the third" "Focuses on the bombing run." "Shut up." "sir, i must tell you now." "this fight is unwinnable." "we should not go." "you heard rommie." "we need three pilots." "you're going." "I'll volunteer." "I'll be the third." "Trance, no offense, but i think we all remember what happened the last time you tried to pilot the slipstream." "You took us back 300 years in time" "Into the middle of a humongous space battle, where we, uh... fixed the course of history." "lucky for us." "that's not the point." "Tyr, we've gone on more dangerous missions." "they were winnable missions." "i have seen you go up against hundreds of magog" "And not even blink, tyr." "how many generations of nietzscheans would marvel at the idiocy of this?" "i can't make you go... but we need your help." "hello, trance." "you're not mad at me?" "I knew you wanted to come along." "besides, how could i ever be mad at you?" "You know, you need me." "I have no doubt." "what is it that mr." "Harper always says?" ""buckle your seatbelt and hold your mud. "" "the odss look like moons." "activate stealth mode." "trance, will you do me the honors, please?" "Stealth we are." "thank you." "all right, ready to thread the laser sweeps." "Break on my mark." "three." "two." "one." "mark." "anyone jump rope as a kid?" "is there an official word for "phew"?" "i think you just said it." "Prepare to enter marduk's atmosphere." "we have to skim the terrain to avoid radar contact." "let's hope the topography hasn't evolved since our maps were last updated." "fell into some cotton here." "visuals gone." "people, use your heads-Up." "it's all instruments now." "There's always light to fly to." "from here on out, we are playing everything by ear." "All the lights." "It's truly a wonder." "never thought i'd be so happy to see a place so evil." "we've been detected." "ladies and gentlemen, the stealth portion of our flight has officially ended." "Split formation." "dodging the hairballs." "That last burst washed right over me." "well, try not to be there next time." "get plasma in your intake, and you'll catch fire." "Watch out for fighters." "How are you holding up, trance?" "i'm okay." "any words of wisdom?" "um..." "Always be nice to your parents." "sound advice." "marduk fighters on our back." "8:00 high." "there are six of them." "Regroup, finger three formation." "Tyr, cover my left." "assembling." "Roger that." "assembling." "climb and turn to meet the enemy." "dylan, swerve." "they've got a bead on you." "they did have a bead on me." "Yes." "Flamed one." "where's my second pigeon?" "tyr, on your six." "triples, tyr." "wing over." "'round the drain." "we're almost there." "Tyr, let him go." "tyr..." "They got tyr." "He's going down." "all right, tyr, kick out." "he's losing control." "tyr... tyr, eject." "Damn it." "No response." "mark where he hits." "Impact." "i didn't see a chute." "trance..." "I've got a fix on his location." "They need hostile terrain sr from the commonwealth." "search and rescue?" "Tell them not to hold their breath." "I just picked this up" "A few minutes ago." "we are just as bewildered" "As everyone else." "Our hearts and prayers" "Go out to the families" "Of the victims." "Captain hunt has a long history of recklessness," "But we never expected" "They're good." "The very effective" "Seamless duck and cover." "classic non-Denial denial." "Dylan, we've got to go back for him." "let's finish the mission." "We'll double back for tyr later." "damn, we've been hit." "beka, we're ejecting." "we're going down." "Dylan... solid ground." "[ powers up weapon ] all bets are off." "Dylan?" "Beka, we're down and we're safe." "make your way to the voltarium site." "we're going after tyr." "dylan out." "[ speaking in foreign language ] it's okay." "it's okay, we're here as friends." "we're friends." "Trance, you all right?" "yes." "uh, trance, give me your food." "here you go." "This is all we have." "I'm sorry..." "We don't have that much." "i'm sorry." "Please share." "Go, go, move it." "let's go." "Trance, check the casualties." "trance... how are they?" "dead." "Come on." "dylan, the voltarium reactor site is now a children's hospital." "talk about winning the pr war." "great." "find tyr." "track him" "On his emergency locator transponder." "Yeah, then what?" "i've got a big bomb, no place to drop it." "no worries." "we'll find a place to drop your bomb." "if they don't shoot us first." "they're not going to shoot us." "we have a mission to finish." "Behind us." "oh, great." "[ ?" "]" "tyr." "Get down." "hello." "hello." "Tyr, feel free to correct me if i'm wrong," "But it just could be the music that attracts the enemy." "don't you love it?" "how are you?" "i've been better." "This way." "No..." "Follow me." "follow her." "dylan," "Hurry up." "My fuel's gauging down." "roger that, beka." "the voltarium reactor is right ahead." ""Right ahead"?" "Sorry, trance," "You're going to have to do" "A little better than that." "that place." "It makes me ill just looking at it." "It's always curious to me" "That i know what you're talking about" "When i have no idea" "What you're talking about." "beka," "We have your building." "I'm going to paint it" "With the laser pointer." "You do the rest." "if you're close enough to paint it," "The blast will likely kill you." "no, it won't." "i'm indestructible." "Besides," "I've got your favorite lucky charm" "Standing next to me." "the plant is there." "you have to be sure, trance." "We've only got one shot at this." "You have to be sure too." "say no more." "You okay?" "the darkness." "It's the voltarium, isn't it?" "yeah." "Don't worry." "You'll feel better in about 10 seconds." "All right, beka." "target is painted." "Target locked." "Commencing bomb run." "Smart bomb away." "Here she comes." "Good work, beka." "We're heading for the pickup point." "bring us home." "so, we take out the reactor." "what about inhabitants of marduk?" "Where does that leave them?" "You mean, did we do enough?" "we did what had to be done." "It's what didn't happen that's important." "no one should have the capability of destroying a sun." "it is a big responsibility." "all right, come on, you guys." "you did a lot of good down there." "i mean, you took out a major threat." "If you hadn't, their lives would probably get even worse." "yeah, but did we make their life better?" "i mean, there's always going to be another guy" "Who comes along and builds another reactor." "and we'll be there to destroy that one as well." "That's our job." "It's what we do."