Killjoys (2015) s01e04 Episode Script
Vessel
Previously on Killjoys You've been cleared for Level Four.
Just as soon as you pass your psych eval.
Go see Pawter.
You need a RAG-certified doctor.
I'm the only one around for miles.
You're passing me.
Well, all right.
The Jaqobis brothers together as Killjoys.
Asking D'avin to join our team, without asking me first? He's your brother.
I thought you'd be happy.
He'll probably just leave again once he finds that doctor he's tracking.
Hey! Stop him! Tell me that you got him.
Next time you tell me to go east, don't mean west.
- He didn't get him.
Fine.
Plan B.
- What's Plan B? - The plan where Dutch and I take over because you didn't listen to my directions, Rookie.
No way.
It's my first collar.
My call.
My balls.
One, please.
Thank you.
Whoops.
So, if I touch him first, this could still count as my first catch, right? Maybe.
Say pretty please.
Touch this.
Bye, hop-bag.
I do not like him.
Then, get him.
Hey! Hey! Hey! Enzo! Do you mind? Sorry.
Smells delicious.
Lost him.
- John, you got a bead on him? - Go west.
Your west, or a normal person's west? Funny.
I miss just shooting people.
They're so much easier to catch when they're dead.
You're not a soldier anymore, remember? You're a Killjoy.
First official warrant, D'avin.
How do you think a miss will look to the RAC? Fail.
The answer is fail.
There.
Hey.
Welcome to Plan C, bitch.
No.
No, I can't do another set in West Hole.
Oh, I hear you, man.
But you kind of, uh, how do I say this, chopped up your foreman.
People frown at that.
Nowhere else to go.
Except up.
So long, shit-stacks.
Oh, don't do that.
Screw it, I'm taking him out.
Stop! That's a security wire.
Move back.
Why? What's it do? That.
Um Level Four warrants are "live or dead," right? Yeah.
Yeah.
- Dead, it is.
- Bellus again.
What's up her skirt today? We're bringing him in.
Someone get a shovel.
You tagged him, you bag him.
You tag him, you bag him.
We are now 205 minutes behind schedule.
Shut up, Lucy.
Finally, she shows up.
What's with all the calls today? We got the mark.
Like we always do.
Took some doing.
Yeah, we're still smoothing out the kinks of working together.
Smooth faster.
You've been requested for a warrant.
Bellus, I'm still wearing my last warrant.
This one comes direct from the Nine.
So, I'm expected to volunteer? I'd say you're being volun-told.
Volun-told to do what? Nothing.
We pass.
Enzo Galang.
As promised.
Congratulations.
You're getting Enzo all over my desk.
Dutch, with me.
I'm not changing my mind.
The Nine are a bunch of inbred fascist nobles who think that just because they run the Company, they run the Quad.
Don't they? Why are you using the good tea? And whose perfume am I smelling? Forgive me.
I may have sprayed it on a bit thick.
My sense of smell's a tad inbred.
May I present Delle Seyah Kendry of the Nine.
You couldn't warn me? And miss all this? This broker assures me you are the best female Killjoy.
I am the best.
Period.
I certainly hope so.
Come.
I require your assistance.
To do what? Prevent a war.
Come, come, come uninvited Run, run, run till I find you I don't care which side that you're fighting Gonna get you gone I need you to transport a young woman to Qresh.
Provided you can keep your lovers in check.
Pardon? This girl rarely encounters men.
It's critical she's kept unmolested.
I think my lovers can handle that.
All clear.
Leave us.
What I'm about to tell you is confidential.
Two days ago, one of our nine clans, the Lahanis, unexpectedly lost the last of their line.
As luck would have it, the family is survived by one last hope.
An heir, implanted in a pristine surrogate.
A Leithian Vessel.
I've heard of this practice.
So, are you Nine infertile? No more or less than any others.
But we of the Nine find birth gauche.
An unnecessary risk for our wives and daughters.
So you outsource it.
Why not? Leithian girls make excellent Vessels, raised in an entirely organic environment.
And what's in it for the surrogates? The distinction of incubating us future leaders of the Quad, of course.
I'm guessing it's not all rosy, if you came all the way here.
If the Lahani line were to die out, their lands and Company seat could be annexed by any of the other Nine.
The last time such a thing happened, the resulting War of the Nines shook the entire Quad.
So, you want my team to escort the surrogate to Qresh, so the heir can inherit the child's lands and title? My ancestors began the Vessel program, and our line continue to be its patrons.
Some want the Lahani heir protected.
Some want him dead.
I must appear to be non-partisan, so I need this done cleanly, quietly.
And no one can know I was ever involved.
Discretion is my team's specialty.
Good.
A less discreet person might ask why a lowborn Killjoy possesses an instrument reserved for female royalty in other parts of the J.
It came with the ship.
One question, my lady.
To come all this way personally, why the sudden urgency? Where is the baby? We have no idea.
Approaching Westerley.
Initiating descent.
0-87229.
Congratulations on receiving your Reclamation Agent Certificate.
Level Four.
D'avin Jaqobis.
Well, thank you, ship.
And now, I need to find someone.
Name input.
Dr.
Pim Jaegar.
Searching.
Shit.
Yeah.
It's pretty annoying.
Damn it, John.
What did you do? Changed the mainframe search parameters to alert me in case of a breach.
You're the breach.
You set a trap for me.
You say tomato, I say that's what you get for not confiding in your brother.
Ah.
It's true.
Who is she? An army doc.
All I know is she's in the Quad.
- She's why you're here? - John.
Look, D'av, whatever.
The point is, I'm a Killjoy.
Finding people is literally what I do.
You won't even tell me who you're looking for? That's bullshit.
So, that Delle Seyah seemed like a piece of work, huh? I just wish you'd told me first, instead of Dutch.
Some things are easier to tell a stranger than your little brother.
I got my head a bit scrambled during my last combat mission.
I think this doctor can help.
That's it.
Don't make a deal.
I can handle this on my own.
Okay? Boys? With me.
Docking at Westerley.
What do you mean, they lost the baby? How do you lose a baby? Right? I've met babies.
They're very slow.
Are you done? Our baby has not been born yet.
The target is a surrogate.
The monastery where she's living is cloistered.
No men in, no girls out.
But the abbess has sent daily health reports to the Nine.
Last week, the monastery went dark.
Delle Seyah sent her people to investigate.
Damn.
And our target? Missing.
The remaining sisters have all gone underground.
They won't even reply to the Nine.
If she won't talk to her employers, then how are we supposed to find her? With a little help from our friends.
Where's your ID, Scarback? Enjoying your work, Officer? I'll be praying for you tonight.
And your family.
Keep sassing them, and one day, I'll be bailing your ass from jail.
Company punks? They're too scared of my kind.
You look well.
I feel well.
I'm great, too, by the way.
Is that the new one? Yeah, I'm the new one.
Nice cape.
So, any news on the monastery massacre? One survivor.
The abbess.
My people have been in touch with her.
She says to tell you that the girl is safe.
Girl's name is Constance.
Once the abbess heard she was carrying the last of the Lahani line, she moved her.
Moved her where? Safe house.
Only the abbess and one other sister knows the location.
This will get you to the safe house.
The abbess has one condition.
You trust no one, tell no one, until the girl is safe on Qreshi soil.
I know how to do my job, Alvis.
And I'm just doing mine.
Hang on.
These coordinates can't be right.
Why? Where are we heading? I love the badlands.
Just admit it, John, we're lost.
I don't get lost.
Coordinates say this is the location.
Except it isn't.
This is our fourth jaunt past that cliff face.
And the perfect chance to enjoy a refreshing beverage.
So, why can't we just fly in? Because we can't take Lucy this deep.
The sand here, it reflects electromagnetics.
It fries the navs, whatever.
Besides, wasn't that fun? Let me simplify, Rookie.
Bad air make ship go boom.
Badlands are what the Company leaves behind after they strip an area bare.
Hell of a place to hide a baby maker for blue bloods.
Clever.
Nobody will think to look in the most toxic place in the Quad.
Hey.
Does that horizon look hinky? Whoa, easy with the technical terms.
He's right.
There's no lichen growing on the escarpment, even though it faces south.
Security projection.
Nice eye.
Johnny! You should see your guys' faces.
What's back there? Just more badlands.
Come on.
Oh, and a giant fortress.
Get the Rambler.
Nice place for a safe house.
Unless it's just another trick.
Some tech-mirage.
With a front door? Time to ring the doorbell.
Ladies first.
Rarely, in my experience.
Then, they're doing it wrong.
I'll be the lady.
Yes, ma'am.
Moment of truth.
This is a bad time to discover I'm claustrophobic.
Sure hope they built this place to code.
Shh.
This could be an ambush, look alive.
Here they are.
This is officially my favorite ambush ever.
It's okay.
We're here to help.
Are you here to take us to Qresh? Which one of you is Constance? I am.
Nuns.
With guns.
That's different.
Easy, sisters.
I knew Leith's silence was a portent.
You're scaring the girls.
Let us explain.
Shut up.
What are you doing? They're not here to rescue us, girl.
They're here to execute you.
Put down the guns.
We work for the RAC.
We have a warrant.
That's bullshit.
Drop them.
You want an act of faith? Here's one.
I haven't killed you yet.
The abbess sent us.
We're here to extract the surrogate immediately.
What's wrong with her? She's eight months pregnant.
Sister Therese.
Take Constance to her room, and then check the perimeter.
You.
Dutch.
Tell me about the others on Leith.
Ladies, be kind to these rakes.
Apparently, they're our honored guests.
Well, this should go well.
Everyone at the birthing sanctuary? Except the abbess.
I could have been there when they attacked.
I could have been killed.
There's a chance that whoever did it is heading here now.
We need to evacuate.
Right now? No.
Constance is on bed rest.
She took a turn for the worse when transferring here.
Aren't we all safer in here, anyway? My team's job is to transport people.
We're very good at it.
I can keep Constance safe.
Their tracks continue through here.
Get the gear.
So, you're brothers? Yeah.
I love brothers.
Do you guys like being Killjoys? And flying around and stuff? Totally.
Stuff is great.
It's feeding time in the lion's den.
And you're the meat.
No, you're wrong.
Please, she has to stabilize or she could go into labor.
So, stabilize her.
Projection camouflage.
Hermetically sealed from the elements.
Shock-shielding on perimeter.
All the precautions have been taken.
The danger is out there.
In here, we are perfectly safe.
You were saying? System down.
Security disabled.
Air purifiers compromised.
What's going on? I bet a bird flew into the grid again.
Sister Therese is outside, patrolling the perimeter.
There's no need to panic.
Get the girls to a more secure place.
Check on Constance.
Lock her down.
Okay, ladies, let's get lower where it's nice and cool.
I'll monitor the grid.
See if I can boot it up internally.
You can.
Well, I can.
Then, you'd better come along.
You go with the girls.
I'll sweep.
Hey.
Don't you think it would be better if, you know, you stayed with them? Why, because I have breasts? Sort of.
Wait, is that, like, a trick question? They like you, okay? You're a big muscle-y distraction, and we need that right now.
Look, our warrant is for Constance, remember? And when it comes down to it, she's the one we need to save.
How do you think the others will react once they figure that bit out? No idea.
Neither do you.
Trust me, I know.
I grew up in a place just like this.
You grew up in a fertility cult? Okay, not exactly like this.
What you'd probably call a "royal harem.
" Long story, another time.
Here's how it works.
Treat people like chattel, make them fight for approval, and they will always turn on one another in the end.
You've seen them.
They're basically brainwashed.
And probably really, really scared.
Not everybody is as hard as you, Dutch.
I didn't start out this way.
Someone's patched this together with fusion gel and duct tape.
Unconventional.
It's impressive.
Improvised.
It was you? I was re-routing harvest drones to terrorize my sisters when I was knee-high to a copter pod.
And now you're a surrogate for Qreshi nobles who can't, or won't, make their own babies.
How'd that happen? Constance, Clara, Gwen, we're all daughters of farmers on Leith who didn't need any more daughters.
This is how we serve our families.
Constance.
Hi, I'm Dutch.
The lady Killjoy.
I'd get up, but I know you're not very well, but we really need to leave.
Now.
I'm ready.
I may be weak, but this baby is very strong.
These days, I feel him moving a lot.
But he has to wait.
The Lahani heir is only legitimate if he's born on Qreshi soil.
Am I boring you? Sorry.
Evaluating security.
Part of my job.
Yes, and listening to me wax poetic about my vow of bounty isn't.
I get it.
Your beliefs are none of my business.
I'm the only one of the girls that was able to conceive this round.
That's great.
No, I need to see it through.
That's not faith, it's fact.
Oh, you need a dirk.
You're bossy.
You're also right.
So, we all took and passed the purity test together.
It takes a lot of sacrifices to be fit for service.
No booze, no boys, no flesh.
Not even bacon.
No room for a career.
No chance to build your own copter pods.
Why? Traditions die hard.
You know the old joke.
What do you get when you scratch a Leithian? What? A Qreshi ancestor who's embarrassed to be there.
We're all descendants of some Qreshi fourth or fifth son, sent to Leith when land got scarce.
Some see honor in keeping that connection alive.
So, what do you get when you scratch a Westerlyn? Scabies? Sorry.
No, it's okay, we just dock there.
Anyway, my family gets paid three times for my honor, what I'd make as an engineer, so Maybe you're underestimating how good an engineer you could have been.
I've thought about it.
Look, those girls are my real family now.
I'd do anything for them.
Please don't tell them that I sometimes have doubts.
Not even if they bribe me with bacon.
Where have you been? I told you to stay with her.
I know how to protect my girls.
I've been doing it for 23 years, missy.
Did you bring someone up with you? Stay with Constance.
For real this time.
Lock the doors.
I'll be right back.
And I mean now.
I always wanted a big brother.
You two close? Well, we used to be.
Now it's all his secrets hiding from my secrets.
Your secrets? We just met and I know your blood type and why you don't like pie.
Be cake or be pudding.
But commit.
Why, yes.
I'd love to dance.
Oh, you like to lead? So do I.
I think there's something really wrong.
Look, a short this size is only possible if the surge was external.
Big.
Deliberate.
Not a bird? More like a satellite.
I can override the system, but Who sent you? Leith nationalists or the Nine? You are a special snowflake, John Jaqobis.
We weren't down for long.
By my count, eleven minutes without security.
That's long enough.
For what? For whoever cut the power to get inside.
Whoever's paying, we'll double it.
Go to hell, listy slag.
The Nine it is.
Thanks.
Dutch, you okay? All we want is the Lahani breeder.
Send her outside and no one else will die.
No one else? Sister Therese.
Leithian breeder.
I'm coming for you.
Mercenaries? I offered him more money.
A true merc would have at least heard me out.
Look at his hands, his gear.
This is pure Qreshi house guard in disguise.
No colors, no crests.
So, no way to tell which of the Nine families he was working for.
Great.
I'm going out there.
No, you're not.
Stay here.
It's safe.
And next stop, hair pulling.
Ladies.
Hey! What the hell am I watching? Clara, let her go.
Jenny, put on your damn shoe.
And you, sobbing helps exactly zero percent.
He knows their names? Sorry, D'avin.
Apology accepted, Clara.
Now, go get Constance.
He knows their names.
Hey.
Can we get to your ship already? It's parked a few miles away.
Through the badlands? No.
Surrogates can't breathe Westerlyn air.
It will negate Constance's status.
So will dying.
We can get halfway there through the tunnels.
Her room's empty.
Stop.
I'm sorry, Constance.
lam.
But if the brigands get in here, it's rape and murder for everyone.
They shot Sister Therese in the head.
I never took you for a coward.
Yeah.
Cowards survive.
Eight failed implantations, living off the crumbs of charity.
I've given enough to bounty.
Playing brood mare to Qreshis isn't a higher calling.
That's just a story we tell idiot girls like you to get control of your wombs.
Shut your mouth.
Well, I knew someone would go full bitch.
Just didn't think it would be Mother Inferior.
If we give them the girl, the rest of us stand a chance.
It's triage.
It's fair.
It's pathetic.
Let go of the girl.
I won't risk my life for this baby.
I will.
It's okay.
You're okay.
Just breathe.
Look at me.
It's okay.
What do you care? You haven't stopped judging us since the moment you got here.
You think we're stupid? No.
I think you're really brave.
But you have been manipulated.
And I know what that's like, and I'm not going to do that to you now.
Forget the bounty, forget the Nine.
What do you want? I'm not a quitter.
I promised the Lahanis that I would continue their line.
Constance.
Don't patronize me.
Being a Vessel is my calling and it matters to me.
Mother Sal doesn't get a say in that, and neither do you.
Okay.
Good.
I want to finish this.
For the baby and for me.
Will you help us? I'm no quitter either.
But I can't make any promises about your baby blanket.
They're coming through the doors.
How many do you figure are out there? A few more than us, probably better armed.
Says who? Damn, girl.
Pass me the flash rifle.
Clara, take the mags.
My kind of girls.
ls that a flamethrower? You sure you can handle your weapons? Please.
We're country girls from Leith.
We learned how to fire a rifle before we learned to thresh.
Okay.
Let's do this.
All right, listen up.
We need your help covering us through the tunnels in case we're not alone in there.
Once we get to the door, you reseal it and sit tight.
We're not leaving Constance.
This is their baby, too.
They're coming.
Looks like it's all for one.
And one for me.
All right.
Let's go.
You sure you wouldn't rather just carry the hammer? Cute.
But I think I'm going to stick with my plasma grenades.
I get it.
Respect the classics.
John.
Thanks.
Stay close, okay? Hey, we need to keep moving.
Her pulse is faint.
Heartbeat's erratic.
Deep breaths, Mama.
Why didn't he kill me? They must need you alive.
Guardians of royal children control their lands.
Maybe that's why they want the baby.
Steal the kid, steal the land? That only works if the baby lives.
Put me in the front.
I can act as a shield for the others.
You're too weak.
Let's move, people! Now! I have a synthesized adrenaline shot.
I stole it from the matron's cabinet.
What will that do to the baby? Keep me alive long enough to get to Qresh.
Incoming! Is it working? Oh, yeah.
Come on.
Constance.
What do we do now? I'll lay cover.
Clear a path to the Rambler.
We'll bring up the rear.
So, move your pregnant ass.
Move it! Clara, watch your back! They shot Sarah.
Johnny, on your left! My left or a normal person's left? Jakkhole.
Shit! He shanked the coupler.
I'm down to my quarter tank of petrol.
Oh, my God.
Gwen.
They got Gwen.
Running low on ammo.
You'll need two minutes to reboot.
We don't have two minutes.
I'll buy them for you.
Just promise me you're going to get these girls back home.
No.
No, no, no.
Jen.
Jenny, it's not worth it.
Of course it is.
They're my sisters.
Jenny! No! Jenny, what are you doing? Jenny, come back.
It's the breeder.
Hold your fire.
Jenny! Constance, you're okay.
I'm sorry about your friends.
Just hang in there.
I can't anymore.
Yes, you can.
Don't quit now.
You've been so brave.
You're not listening to me.
I'm having this baby, now! Initiating launch.
Johnny? Get us the hell out of here.
We need to get to Qresh.
My cargo bay is not equipped for this situation.
Can you reschedule? Use your anger.
It's just pain.
Then you do it.
Where are we at? Her contractions are getting closer together.
Is that good? We don't do this part.
They take us to the best doctors on Qresh.
We should take her to Old Town.
It's closer.
No.
The baby has to be born on Qresh to claim his Lahani birthright.
If we fail, then all of that was for nothing.
They all just died for nothing.
We have to try.
- We'll do more than try.
- Dutch.
I need a word.
I got this.
All right.
Status? Royally forked.
Emphasis on royal.
I'm not getting a landing code.
And now being denied airspace access full stop.
Delle Seyah revoked our clearance? Why would she do that? Court politics are a bitch.
But so am l.
Lucy, get me Delle Seyah.
Contacting.
Excuse me.
I didn't think I'd hear from you.
We're in stratosphere.
I have the cargo onboard, but we're being denied entry.
One of the other Nine must be blocking you.
I can't help with that.
Lady, we need to land.
And I needed discretion.
Instead, the other families are gossiping about dead Vessels in the desert.
And you want to connect me to that? This plan is no longer viable.
And this baby is about to be viable in the hold of my ship.
Not on Qreshi soil, therefore not a trueborn Nine.
I have no obligation to a random baby.
Who made the better offer? Hmm? Which family bought you out? There are delicate politics at play here you cannot begin to understand, so let me say it simply.
You failed me, Killjoy.
I will not soon forget it.
We're going in.
Dutch, there's bending the law, and then there's breaking it.
Shields still at 90%.
We are talking about going up against the Nine.
Against Delle Seyah.
She could have us staked in Black Rain, Dutch.
And by the time she's done with us, we might be begging to be.
If she didn't want us to finish the job, she shouldn't have hired me.
And the last thing she wants is publicity.
Constance, two more minutes.
Let that baby know who's boss.
And hold on.
John, we have Company ships on our tail.
Hailing.
You have unlawfully entered Qreshi airspace and will be shot down if you do not pull up.
Do not attempt to land.
We will execute with impunity.
I respectfully hold on that, Border Patrol.
We are RAC agents with an active warrant.
This must be some sort of mistake.
We're disabling our weaponry.
Let's figure this out.
You, come with me.
Secure the perimeter! Bio spill in cargo bay.
I'll have a look.
I'm sure everything is fine.
You were told not to land.
My lady was very clear.
We have a valid RAC warrant.
Which is why your ship is still intact.
Get back onboard or I'll splatter this grass with gray matter.
That's a bit extreme.
I liked it.
Felt like it came from a real place.
We're just here to drop off some precious cargo.
Delle Seyah Kendry, of Land Kendry.
May I introduce the latest Qreshi citizen.
Trueborn, on mother soil.
Your soil.
Thanks to you, the Lahani line lives on.
Praise the trees.
The Nine are whole again.
Welcome home, little one.
I've overlooked that the surrogates breathed polluted Westerley air.
As far as everyone else knows, the girls remain 100% pure.
Well, I imagine that's to your advantage, now that you're the heir's legal guardian.
You, uh, made me a few enemies tonight.
Reckless move, forcing my hand.
Not really.
When your enemy has two faces, strike a deal with both.
You can't be serious.
You've read Derhlek? Only the simple words.
Well, go on, then.
Amuse me, Killjoy.
What are my two faces? By my count, you're a decent person genuinely trying to protect the surrogates.
Or a ruthless politician who either used me to find the girls so that you could attack them, or cut a deal with the persons who did.
What's your bet? Even odds.
But I can make either work.
If you are a decent person, the baby is safe.
And if I'm a scheming opportunist? He's even safer.
Qreshis can't bequeath land until they turn 18, and you've no claim to his without him.
So, good or evil, it's now in your best interest to do everything in your power to keep him safe.
Well, aren't you a pearl hiding in the muck.
Thank you? It's a compliment.
You have an unusual grasp of statecraft, for a woman with calloused hands.
I could use someone of your complexity.
Now, get off my property before I have you shot.
I like her.
Find out everything you can.
That was the most painful, terrifying experience of my life.
Why can't I stop staring at his fingernails? I've heard they've asked you to stay on as his nanny.
I always hoped they would.
He was never really mine, but I hoped I would stay in his life, teach him about my home.
Help raise a Qreshi leader who understands Leith.
There's certainly time.
I need you to take Clara and I home.
- No.
- Your farm? That's not my home anymore.
Don't say you're staying a Vessel.
No.
A guardian.
Coach other girls through this honor.
You know it's not honor.
It's whatever we make of it.
You asked me to figure out what I want.
This is what I want.
Someone has to protect the Vessels for as long as the girls are called to serve.
And after everything they gave up for me, how could I abandon my sisters? They'll be lucky to have you.
You ready? No.
Girls are finally asleep.
Algae brew? She was on Qresh.
The capital city.
Madidus.
Who? Dr.
Jaegar.
Was? There's no sign of her after she stepped off the transport that brought her to this system.
But someone, they paid significant joy for a solid cleanup job.
So, that's it.
Well, she'll have left a trail, a clue.
I mean, they always do.
I didn't ask for your help, John.
What? Yeah, but you should have, dipshit.
I'm your brother.
This doc, can she fix you? I don't know.
Maybe.
Okay.
So then, we search, we find out.
But Dutch has to be in on it.
She's family, too.
Okay.
Meaning don't plow our sister.
Remind me.
Was that on the Jaqobis family crest? I've seen how you look at her.
D'av, this is almost working.
We are a good team, but we could be great.
So, don't mess that up for us.
I won't.
I promise.
Promise what? That next time I get to pick the damn warrant.
I, uh, got to go do a thing.
I don't know exactly what happened to you in that rich kid orphanage of yours.
But you came out the other side clean.
Don't ever think otherwise.
Just as soon as you pass your psych eval.
Go see Pawter.
You need a RAG-certified doctor.
I'm the only one around for miles.
You're passing me.
Well, all right.
The Jaqobis brothers together as Killjoys.
Asking D'avin to join our team, without asking me first? He's your brother.
I thought you'd be happy.
He'll probably just leave again once he finds that doctor he's tracking.
Hey! Stop him! Tell me that you got him.
Next time you tell me to go east, don't mean west.
- He didn't get him.
Fine.
Plan B.
- What's Plan B? - The plan where Dutch and I take over because you didn't listen to my directions, Rookie.
No way.
It's my first collar.
My call.
My balls.
One, please.
Thank you.
Whoops.
So, if I touch him first, this could still count as my first catch, right? Maybe.
Say pretty please.
Touch this.
Bye, hop-bag.
I do not like him.
Then, get him.
Hey! Hey! Hey! Enzo! Do you mind? Sorry.
Smells delicious.
Lost him.
- John, you got a bead on him? - Go west.
Your west, or a normal person's west? Funny.
I miss just shooting people.
They're so much easier to catch when they're dead.
You're not a soldier anymore, remember? You're a Killjoy.
First official warrant, D'avin.
How do you think a miss will look to the RAC? Fail.
The answer is fail.
There.
Hey.
Welcome to Plan C, bitch.
No.
No, I can't do another set in West Hole.
Oh, I hear you, man.
But you kind of, uh, how do I say this, chopped up your foreman.
People frown at that.
Nowhere else to go.
Except up.
So long, shit-stacks.
Oh, don't do that.
Screw it, I'm taking him out.
Stop! That's a security wire.
Move back.
Why? What's it do? That.
Um Level Four warrants are "live or dead," right? Yeah.
Yeah.
- Dead, it is.
- Bellus again.
What's up her skirt today? We're bringing him in.
Someone get a shovel.
You tagged him, you bag him.
You tag him, you bag him.
We are now 205 minutes behind schedule.
Shut up, Lucy.
Finally, she shows up.
What's with all the calls today? We got the mark.
Like we always do.
Took some doing.
Yeah, we're still smoothing out the kinks of working together.
Smooth faster.
You've been requested for a warrant.
Bellus, I'm still wearing my last warrant.
This one comes direct from the Nine.
So, I'm expected to volunteer? I'd say you're being volun-told.
Volun-told to do what? Nothing.
We pass.
Enzo Galang.
As promised.
Congratulations.
You're getting Enzo all over my desk.
Dutch, with me.
I'm not changing my mind.
The Nine are a bunch of inbred fascist nobles who think that just because they run the Company, they run the Quad.
Don't they? Why are you using the good tea? And whose perfume am I smelling? Forgive me.
I may have sprayed it on a bit thick.
My sense of smell's a tad inbred.
May I present Delle Seyah Kendry of the Nine.
You couldn't warn me? And miss all this? This broker assures me you are the best female Killjoy.
I am the best.
Period.
I certainly hope so.
Come.
I require your assistance.
To do what? Prevent a war.
Come, come, come uninvited Run, run, run till I find you I don't care which side that you're fighting Gonna get you gone I need you to transport a young woman to Qresh.
Provided you can keep your lovers in check.
Pardon? This girl rarely encounters men.
It's critical she's kept unmolested.
I think my lovers can handle that.
All clear.
Leave us.
What I'm about to tell you is confidential.
Two days ago, one of our nine clans, the Lahanis, unexpectedly lost the last of their line.
As luck would have it, the family is survived by one last hope.
An heir, implanted in a pristine surrogate.
A Leithian Vessel.
I've heard of this practice.
So, are you Nine infertile? No more or less than any others.
But we of the Nine find birth gauche.
An unnecessary risk for our wives and daughters.
So you outsource it.
Why not? Leithian girls make excellent Vessels, raised in an entirely organic environment.
And what's in it for the surrogates? The distinction of incubating us future leaders of the Quad, of course.
I'm guessing it's not all rosy, if you came all the way here.
If the Lahani line were to die out, their lands and Company seat could be annexed by any of the other Nine.
The last time such a thing happened, the resulting War of the Nines shook the entire Quad.
So, you want my team to escort the surrogate to Qresh, so the heir can inherit the child's lands and title? My ancestors began the Vessel program, and our line continue to be its patrons.
Some want the Lahani heir protected.
Some want him dead.
I must appear to be non-partisan, so I need this done cleanly, quietly.
And no one can know I was ever involved.
Discretion is my team's specialty.
Good.
A less discreet person might ask why a lowborn Killjoy possesses an instrument reserved for female royalty in other parts of the J.
It came with the ship.
One question, my lady.
To come all this way personally, why the sudden urgency? Where is the baby? We have no idea.
Approaching Westerley.
Initiating descent.
0-87229.
Congratulations on receiving your Reclamation Agent Certificate.
Level Four.
D'avin Jaqobis.
Well, thank you, ship.
And now, I need to find someone.
Name input.
Dr.
Pim Jaegar.
Searching.
Shit.
Yeah.
It's pretty annoying.
Damn it, John.
What did you do? Changed the mainframe search parameters to alert me in case of a breach.
You're the breach.
You set a trap for me.
You say tomato, I say that's what you get for not confiding in your brother.
Ah.
It's true.
Who is she? An army doc.
All I know is she's in the Quad.
- She's why you're here? - John.
Look, D'av, whatever.
The point is, I'm a Killjoy.
Finding people is literally what I do.
You won't even tell me who you're looking for? That's bullshit.
So, that Delle Seyah seemed like a piece of work, huh? I just wish you'd told me first, instead of Dutch.
Some things are easier to tell a stranger than your little brother.
I got my head a bit scrambled during my last combat mission.
I think this doctor can help.
That's it.
Don't make a deal.
I can handle this on my own.
Okay? Boys? With me.
Docking at Westerley.
What do you mean, they lost the baby? How do you lose a baby? Right? I've met babies.
They're very slow.
Are you done? Our baby has not been born yet.
The target is a surrogate.
The monastery where she's living is cloistered.
No men in, no girls out.
But the abbess has sent daily health reports to the Nine.
Last week, the monastery went dark.
Delle Seyah sent her people to investigate.
Damn.
And our target? Missing.
The remaining sisters have all gone underground.
They won't even reply to the Nine.
If she won't talk to her employers, then how are we supposed to find her? With a little help from our friends.
Where's your ID, Scarback? Enjoying your work, Officer? I'll be praying for you tonight.
And your family.
Keep sassing them, and one day, I'll be bailing your ass from jail.
Company punks? They're too scared of my kind.
You look well.
I feel well.
I'm great, too, by the way.
Is that the new one? Yeah, I'm the new one.
Nice cape.
So, any news on the monastery massacre? One survivor.
The abbess.
My people have been in touch with her.
She says to tell you that the girl is safe.
Girl's name is Constance.
Once the abbess heard she was carrying the last of the Lahani line, she moved her.
Moved her where? Safe house.
Only the abbess and one other sister knows the location.
This will get you to the safe house.
The abbess has one condition.
You trust no one, tell no one, until the girl is safe on Qreshi soil.
I know how to do my job, Alvis.
And I'm just doing mine.
Hang on.
These coordinates can't be right.
Why? Where are we heading? I love the badlands.
Just admit it, John, we're lost.
I don't get lost.
Coordinates say this is the location.
Except it isn't.
This is our fourth jaunt past that cliff face.
And the perfect chance to enjoy a refreshing beverage.
So, why can't we just fly in? Because we can't take Lucy this deep.
The sand here, it reflects electromagnetics.
It fries the navs, whatever.
Besides, wasn't that fun? Let me simplify, Rookie.
Bad air make ship go boom.
Badlands are what the Company leaves behind after they strip an area bare.
Hell of a place to hide a baby maker for blue bloods.
Clever.
Nobody will think to look in the most toxic place in the Quad.
Hey.
Does that horizon look hinky? Whoa, easy with the technical terms.
He's right.
There's no lichen growing on the escarpment, even though it faces south.
Security projection.
Nice eye.
Johnny! You should see your guys' faces.
What's back there? Just more badlands.
Come on.
Oh, and a giant fortress.
Get the Rambler.
Nice place for a safe house.
Unless it's just another trick.
Some tech-mirage.
With a front door? Time to ring the doorbell.
Ladies first.
Rarely, in my experience.
Then, they're doing it wrong.
I'll be the lady.
Yes, ma'am.
Moment of truth.
This is a bad time to discover I'm claustrophobic.
Sure hope they built this place to code.
Shh.
This could be an ambush, look alive.
Here they are.
This is officially my favorite ambush ever.
It's okay.
We're here to help.
Are you here to take us to Qresh? Which one of you is Constance? I am.
Nuns.
With guns.
That's different.
Easy, sisters.
I knew Leith's silence was a portent.
You're scaring the girls.
Let us explain.
Shut up.
What are you doing? They're not here to rescue us, girl.
They're here to execute you.
Put down the guns.
We work for the RAC.
We have a warrant.
That's bullshit.
Drop them.
You want an act of faith? Here's one.
I haven't killed you yet.
The abbess sent us.
We're here to extract the surrogate immediately.
What's wrong with her? She's eight months pregnant.
Sister Therese.
Take Constance to her room, and then check the perimeter.
You.
Dutch.
Tell me about the others on Leith.
Ladies, be kind to these rakes.
Apparently, they're our honored guests.
Well, this should go well.
Everyone at the birthing sanctuary? Except the abbess.
I could have been there when they attacked.
I could have been killed.
There's a chance that whoever did it is heading here now.
We need to evacuate.
Right now? No.
Constance is on bed rest.
She took a turn for the worse when transferring here.
Aren't we all safer in here, anyway? My team's job is to transport people.
We're very good at it.
I can keep Constance safe.
Their tracks continue through here.
Get the gear.
So, you're brothers? Yeah.
I love brothers.
Do you guys like being Killjoys? And flying around and stuff? Totally.
Stuff is great.
It's feeding time in the lion's den.
And you're the meat.
No, you're wrong.
Please, she has to stabilize or she could go into labor.
So, stabilize her.
Projection camouflage.
Hermetically sealed from the elements.
Shock-shielding on perimeter.
All the precautions have been taken.
The danger is out there.
In here, we are perfectly safe.
You were saying? System down.
Security disabled.
Air purifiers compromised.
What's going on? I bet a bird flew into the grid again.
Sister Therese is outside, patrolling the perimeter.
There's no need to panic.
Get the girls to a more secure place.
Check on Constance.
Lock her down.
Okay, ladies, let's get lower where it's nice and cool.
I'll monitor the grid.
See if I can boot it up internally.
You can.
Well, I can.
Then, you'd better come along.
You go with the girls.
I'll sweep.
Hey.
Don't you think it would be better if, you know, you stayed with them? Why, because I have breasts? Sort of.
Wait, is that, like, a trick question? They like you, okay? You're a big muscle-y distraction, and we need that right now.
Look, our warrant is for Constance, remember? And when it comes down to it, she's the one we need to save.
How do you think the others will react once they figure that bit out? No idea.
Neither do you.
Trust me, I know.
I grew up in a place just like this.
You grew up in a fertility cult? Okay, not exactly like this.
What you'd probably call a "royal harem.
" Long story, another time.
Here's how it works.
Treat people like chattel, make them fight for approval, and they will always turn on one another in the end.
You've seen them.
They're basically brainwashed.
And probably really, really scared.
Not everybody is as hard as you, Dutch.
I didn't start out this way.
Someone's patched this together with fusion gel and duct tape.
Unconventional.
It's impressive.
Improvised.
It was you? I was re-routing harvest drones to terrorize my sisters when I was knee-high to a copter pod.
And now you're a surrogate for Qreshi nobles who can't, or won't, make their own babies.
How'd that happen? Constance, Clara, Gwen, we're all daughters of farmers on Leith who didn't need any more daughters.
This is how we serve our families.
Constance.
Hi, I'm Dutch.
The lady Killjoy.
I'd get up, but I know you're not very well, but we really need to leave.
Now.
I'm ready.
I may be weak, but this baby is very strong.
These days, I feel him moving a lot.
But he has to wait.
The Lahani heir is only legitimate if he's born on Qreshi soil.
Am I boring you? Sorry.
Evaluating security.
Part of my job.
Yes, and listening to me wax poetic about my vow of bounty isn't.
I get it.
Your beliefs are none of my business.
I'm the only one of the girls that was able to conceive this round.
That's great.
No, I need to see it through.
That's not faith, it's fact.
Oh, you need a dirk.
You're bossy.
You're also right.
So, we all took and passed the purity test together.
It takes a lot of sacrifices to be fit for service.
No booze, no boys, no flesh.
Not even bacon.
No room for a career.
No chance to build your own copter pods.
Why? Traditions die hard.
You know the old joke.
What do you get when you scratch a Leithian? What? A Qreshi ancestor who's embarrassed to be there.
We're all descendants of some Qreshi fourth or fifth son, sent to Leith when land got scarce.
Some see honor in keeping that connection alive.
So, what do you get when you scratch a Westerlyn? Scabies? Sorry.
No, it's okay, we just dock there.
Anyway, my family gets paid three times for my honor, what I'd make as an engineer, so Maybe you're underestimating how good an engineer you could have been.
I've thought about it.
Look, those girls are my real family now.
I'd do anything for them.
Please don't tell them that I sometimes have doubts.
Not even if they bribe me with bacon.
Where have you been? I told you to stay with her.
I know how to protect my girls.
I've been doing it for 23 years, missy.
Did you bring someone up with you? Stay with Constance.
For real this time.
Lock the doors.
I'll be right back.
And I mean now.
I always wanted a big brother.
You two close? Well, we used to be.
Now it's all his secrets hiding from my secrets.
Your secrets? We just met and I know your blood type and why you don't like pie.
Be cake or be pudding.
But commit.
Why, yes.
I'd love to dance.
Oh, you like to lead? So do I.
I think there's something really wrong.
Look, a short this size is only possible if the surge was external.
Big.
Deliberate.
Not a bird? More like a satellite.
I can override the system, but Who sent you? Leith nationalists or the Nine? You are a special snowflake, John Jaqobis.
We weren't down for long.
By my count, eleven minutes without security.
That's long enough.
For what? For whoever cut the power to get inside.
Whoever's paying, we'll double it.
Go to hell, listy slag.
The Nine it is.
Thanks.
Dutch, you okay? All we want is the Lahani breeder.
Send her outside and no one else will die.
No one else? Sister Therese.
Leithian breeder.
I'm coming for you.
Mercenaries? I offered him more money.
A true merc would have at least heard me out.
Look at his hands, his gear.
This is pure Qreshi house guard in disguise.
No colors, no crests.
So, no way to tell which of the Nine families he was working for.
Great.
I'm going out there.
No, you're not.
Stay here.
It's safe.
And next stop, hair pulling.
Ladies.
Hey! What the hell am I watching? Clara, let her go.
Jenny, put on your damn shoe.
And you, sobbing helps exactly zero percent.
He knows their names? Sorry, D'avin.
Apology accepted, Clara.
Now, go get Constance.
He knows their names.
Hey.
Can we get to your ship already? It's parked a few miles away.
Through the badlands? No.
Surrogates can't breathe Westerlyn air.
It will negate Constance's status.
So will dying.
We can get halfway there through the tunnels.
Her room's empty.
Stop.
I'm sorry, Constance.
lam.
But if the brigands get in here, it's rape and murder for everyone.
They shot Sister Therese in the head.
I never took you for a coward.
Yeah.
Cowards survive.
Eight failed implantations, living off the crumbs of charity.
I've given enough to bounty.
Playing brood mare to Qreshis isn't a higher calling.
That's just a story we tell idiot girls like you to get control of your wombs.
Shut your mouth.
Well, I knew someone would go full bitch.
Just didn't think it would be Mother Inferior.
If we give them the girl, the rest of us stand a chance.
It's triage.
It's fair.
It's pathetic.
Let go of the girl.
I won't risk my life for this baby.
I will.
It's okay.
You're okay.
Just breathe.
Look at me.
It's okay.
What do you care? You haven't stopped judging us since the moment you got here.
You think we're stupid? No.
I think you're really brave.
But you have been manipulated.
And I know what that's like, and I'm not going to do that to you now.
Forget the bounty, forget the Nine.
What do you want? I'm not a quitter.
I promised the Lahanis that I would continue their line.
Constance.
Don't patronize me.
Being a Vessel is my calling and it matters to me.
Mother Sal doesn't get a say in that, and neither do you.
Okay.
Good.
I want to finish this.
For the baby and for me.
Will you help us? I'm no quitter either.
But I can't make any promises about your baby blanket.
They're coming through the doors.
How many do you figure are out there? A few more than us, probably better armed.
Says who? Damn, girl.
Pass me the flash rifle.
Clara, take the mags.
My kind of girls.
ls that a flamethrower? You sure you can handle your weapons? Please.
We're country girls from Leith.
We learned how to fire a rifle before we learned to thresh.
Okay.
Let's do this.
All right, listen up.
We need your help covering us through the tunnels in case we're not alone in there.
Once we get to the door, you reseal it and sit tight.
We're not leaving Constance.
This is their baby, too.
They're coming.
Looks like it's all for one.
And one for me.
All right.
Let's go.
You sure you wouldn't rather just carry the hammer? Cute.
But I think I'm going to stick with my plasma grenades.
I get it.
Respect the classics.
John.
Thanks.
Stay close, okay? Hey, we need to keep moving.
Her pulse is faint.
Heartbeat's erratic.
Deep breaths, Mama.
Why didn't he kill me? They must need you alive.
Guardians of royal children control their lands.
Maybe that's why they want the baby.
Steal the kid, steal the land? That only works if the baby lives.
Put me in the front.
I can act as a shield for the others.
You're too weak.
Let's move, people! Now! I have a synthesized adrenaline shot.
I stole it from the matron's cabinet.
What will that do to the baby? Keep me alive long enough to get to Qresh.
Incoming! Is it working? Oh, yeah.
Come on.
Constance.
What do we do now? I'll lay cover.
Clear a path to the Rambler.
We'll bring up the rear.
So, move your pregnant ass.
Move it! Clara, watch your back! They shot Sarah.
Johnny, on your left! My left or a normal person's left? Jakkhole.
Shit! He shanked the coupler.
I'm down to my quarter tank of petrol.
Oh, my God.
Gwen.
They got Gwen.
Running low on ammo.
You'll need two minutes to reboot.
We don't have two minutes.
I'll buy them for you.
Just promise me you're going to get these girls back home.
No.
No, no, no.
Jen.
Jenny, it's not worth it.
Of course it is.
They're my sisters.
Jenny! No! Jenny, what are you doing? Jenny, come back.
It's the breeder.
Hold your fire.
Jenny! Constance, you're okay.
I'm sorry about your friends.
Just hang in there.
I can't anymore.
Yes, you can.
Don't quit now.
You've been so brave.
You're not listening to me.
I'm having this baby, now! Initiating launch.
Johnny? Get us the hell out of here.
We need to get to Qresh.
My cargo bay is not equipped for this situation.
Can you reschedule? Use your anger.
It's just pain.
Then you do it.
Where are we at? Her contractions are getting closer together.
Is that good? We don't do this part.
They take us to the best doctors on Qresh.
We should take her to Old Town.
It's closer.
No.
The baby has to be born on Qresh to claim his Lahani birthright.
If we fail, then all of that was for nothing.
They all just died for nothing.
We have to try.
- We'll do more than try.
- Dutch.
I need a word.
I got this.
All right.
Status? Royally forked.
Emphasis on royal.
I'm not getting a landing code.
And now being denied airspace access full stop.
Delle Seyah revoked our clearance? Why would she do that? Court politics are a bitch.
But so am l.
Lucy, get me Delle Seyah.
Contacting.
Excuse me.
I didn't think I'd hear from you.
We're in stratosphere.
I have the cargo onboard, but we're being denied entry.
One of the other Nine must be blocking you.
I can't help with that.
Lady, we need to land.
And I needed discretion.
Instead, the other families are gossiping about dead Vessels in the desert.
And you want to connect me to that? This plan is no longer viable.
And this baby is about to be viable in the hold of my ship.
Not on Qreshi soil, therefore not a trueborn Nine.
I have no obligation to a random baby.
Who made the better offer? Hmm? Which family bought you out? There are delicate politics at play here you cannot begin to understand, so let me say it simply.
You failed me, Killjoy.
I will not soon forget it.
We're going in.
Dutch, there's bending the law, and then there's breaking it.
Shields still at 90%.
We are talking about going up against the Nine.
Against Delle Seyah.
She could have us staked in Black Rain, Dutch.
And by the time she's done with us, we might be begging to be.
If she didn't want us to finish the job, she shouldn't have hired me.
And the last thing she wants is publicity.
Constance, two more minutes.
Let that baby know who's boss.
And hold on.
John, we have Company ships on our tail.
Hailing.
You have unlawfully entered Qreshi airspace and will be shot down if you do not pull up.
Do not attempt to land.
We will execute with impunity.
I respectfully hold on that, Border Patrol.
We are RAC agents with an active warrant.
This must be some sort of mistake.
We're disabling our weaponry.
Let's figure this out.
You, come with me.
Secure the perimeter! Bio spill in cargo bay.
I'll have a look.
I'm sure everything is fine.
You were told not to land.
My lady was very clear.
We have a valid RAC warrant.
Which is why your ship is still intact.
Get back onboard or I'll splatter this grass with gray matter.
That's a bit extreme.
I liked it.
Felt like it came from a real place.
We're just here to drop off some precious cargo.
Delle Seyah Kendry, of Land Kendry.
May I introduce the latest Qreshi citizen.
Trueborn, on mother soil.
Your soil.
Thanks to you, the Lahani line lives on.
Praise the trees.
The Nine are whole again.
Welcome home, little one.
I've overlooked that the surrogates breathed polluted Westerley air.
As far as everyone else knows, the girls remain 100% pure.
Well, I imagine that's to your advantage, now that you're the heir's legal guardian.
You, uh, made me a few enemies tonight.
Reckless move, forcing my hand.
Not really.
When your enemy has two faces, strike a deal with both.
You can't be serious.
You've read Derhlek? Only the simple words.
Well, go on, then.
Amuse me, Killjoy.
What are my two faces? By my count, you're a decent person genuinely trying to protect the surrogates.
Or a ruthless politician who either used me to find the girls so that you could attack them, or cut a deal with the persons who did.
What's your bet? Even odds.
But I can make either work.
If you are a decent person, the baby is safe.
And if I'm a scheming opportunist? He's even safer.
Qreshis can't bequeath land until they turn 18, and you've no claim to his without him.
So, good or evil, it's now in your best interest to do everything in your power to keep him safe.
Well, aren't you a pearl hiding in the muck.
Thank you? It's a compliment.
You have an unusual grasp of statecraft, for a woman with calloused hands.
I could use someone of your complexity.
Now, get off my property before I have you shot.
I like her.
Find out everything you can.
That was the most painful, terrifying experience of my life.
Why can't I stop staring at his fingernails? I've heard they've asked you to stay on as his nanny.
I always hoped they would.
He was never really mine, but I hoped I would stay in his life, teach him about my home.
Help raise a Qreshi leader who understands Leith.
There's certainly time.
I need you to take Clara and I home.
- No.
- Your farm? That's not my home anymore.
Don't say you're staying a Vessel.
No.
A guardian.
Coach other girls through this honor.
You know it's not honor.
It's whatever we make of it.
You asked me to figure out what I want.
This is what I want.
Someone has to protect the Vessels for as long as the girls are called to serve.
And after everything they gave up for me, how could I abandon my sisters? They'll be lucky to have you.
You ready? No.
Girls are finally asleep.
Algae brew? She was on Qresh.
The capital city.
Madidus.
Who? Dr.
Jaegar.
Was? There's no sign of her after she stepped off the transport that brought her to this system.
But someone, they paid significant joy for a solid cleanup job.
So, that's it.
Well, she'll have left a trail, a clue.
I mean, they always do.
I didn't ask for your help, John.
What? Yeah, but you should have, dipshit.
I'm your brother.
This doc, can she fix you? I don't know.
Maybe.
Okay.
So then, we search, we find out.
But Dutch has to be in on it.
She's family, too.
Okay.
Meaning don't plow our sister.
Remind me.
Was that on the Jaqobis family crest? I've seen how you look at her.
D'av, this is almost working.
We are a good team, but we could be great.
So, don't mess that up for us.
I won't.
I promise.
Promise what? That next time I get to pick the damn warrant.
I, uh, got to go do a thing.
I don't know exactly what happened to you in that rich kid orphanage of yours.
But you came out the other side clean.
Don't ever think otherwise.