Pandora

Previously on Pandora...

My telepathic powers seem to be growing.

We need Jax to reestablish contact with Cordelia.

This is the latest in surveillance technology

- from the CIS. - That's going inside me?

You don't want to be with me. You want to be with Ralen.

My heart was not into it.

That's because it belonged to Jax, isn't it?

I can't have feelings, Jax, and still do my job.

It appears Parallax is in possession of a powerful new weapon.

Whatever it is, it's too bloody dangerous

to leave in Harlan Fried's hands.

It was you that opened the portal,

just as you will do the same for me.

We must be a pretty long way from Tiagra.

Are those Zatarian ships?

What are they doing here?

They're preparing for war.

This place is an old Zatari outpost from the war,

but we were told it was abandoned.

Not from where I'm standing.

I do not have an explanation for this.

We need to get out of here. Right now.

And how in the worlds do we do that?

We go through there!

- Get to the portal. - No!

What if it takes us back to where we were?

- Anywhere is better than here! - Aah!

Jax!

Ralen!

Ralen, come on!

- Go, go! - No!

Xander.

Start talking!

Now you tell me what you know about the Zatarian fleet.

I am done asking nicely.

Oh, that was nice?

I know half a dozen ways to make you talk,

and most of them are deeply unpleasant.

I want answers!

Start talking!

You are not listening.

I do not know why there was a Zatarian armada in the sky

above the planet.

What are you doing, Xander?

Jax, just relax.

How's your shoulder?

I guess that depends on what I think I'm seeing right now.

If it is the commander threatening to torture me,

then your keen powers of observation

appears to be functioning adequately, Jax.

Jax, you have no idea what's going on here.

I'm pretty sure I just saw you trying to intimidate my friend,

who also happens to be your student,

with physical assault.

Multiple times.

Multiple times? How long have I been out?

A few hours. You're hurt badly, Jax.

You should lie down.

This man is an enemy combatant.

Jax, you saw the fleet.

The Zatarians are preparing for war.

That is in violation of every peace accord

they have with the Confederacy.

Yes, and my father must be warned.

I assure you my government has nothing to do

with this betrayal.

Then who does?

Much like Earth, there are factions among my kind

who are not happy

about the current state of interstellar relations.

This fleet poses as much threat to my race as it does yours.

And you really expect me to believe that?

I do not care what you believe.

Xander, let him go!

Oh, so I suppose you believe him then?

I don't know what I believe.

But I know we need his help to get out of wherever we are.

I know you want to see the good in everyone,

but sometimes you are missing

what is right in front of your face.

Sounds familiar.

How many more of your friends do we have to lose, Jax,

for this ridiculous obsession?

How many more bad decisions do you think you can get away with?

Look where we are.

If you had listened to me on Euphoria 7

instead of running back to Cordelia Fried,

we wouldn't have ended up on Tiagra.

We wouldn't have gone through the portal.

And we would not be here, wherever "here" is.

Do not blame Jax, Mr. Duvall.

You are exactly where your Professor Osborn

wishes you to be.

He sent you to Euphoria 7, did he not?

You are a pawn in a much larger game.

Uncuff him, Xander.

Please.

That will not be necessary.

The portal's vanished.

Please tell me you two have at least figured out where we are.

I've seen historical holos of cities like this.

Old Earth tech.

So the portal brought us back in time?

Not quite.

I want to leave you with a final thought.

Our ancestors fled a dying Earth for the stars.

The single most important step in our evolution

as a species.

Now, the lucky ones headed to our closest celestial neighbors.

But sadly, more than half of our ships

never made it to a planet.

Their crews dying of starvation, radiation sickness,

or vanishing out there in the infinite void.

Their bravery paved our future and helped heal a dying world.

And it's my job to ensure each and every one of you

are found worthy of that sacrifice.

Class dismissed.

Have you seen Ralen?

Why, was he asking about me?

Jax never came back from Solstice Break.

Maybe he's seen her.

He may actually be the why.

Ralen told me he liked her, so I kind of encouraged him

to go after her on Euphoria 7.

So I'm the only one that cares about grades in the study group.

- And celibacy. - Not funny.

If they miss enough classes they'll be expelled.

Well, then we should definitely try and contact them,

before it's too late.

Keep an eye out for any useful tech.

We need to find a way to send a message off this planet.

Judging from that ominous-looking ship

looming above us, we may also may need weapons.

Something about that ship feels familiar to me.

You ever seen anything like it?

No.

It must have something to do with that portal

that brought us here.

Either way, it's freaking me out.

Well, it's not sending out any energy signatures at all.

I think it's derelict.

These were standard issue in the Ark ships

during the Great Migration.

He's covered in burn marks.

What was Ralen doing on Euphoria 7?

I mean, he just turns up in the middle of an EarthCom black-op?

He's part of a species that is building an armada

to wipe out the human race.

We don't know that yet.

You can't let personal feelings get in the way of duty.

I know.

You made that abundantly clear

when you used me as a spy for my uncle.

I'm trying to protect you, Jax.

I don't need you to protect me, okay?

I can protect myself.

And look where that's got you.

Are we really doing this right now?

I know you like him, Jax.

I like him too.

But you cannot ignore the empirical evidence against him.

I hope I'm wrong.

I really hope you're right.

But we need to be vigilant.

Can we at least agree on that?

I think our best hope of finding any useful tech

to contact Earth is on that ship.

Can you just stop it for one damn minute, Atria?

- I am begging you. - Stop what?

I wasn't doing anything.

And you missed another class.

I can't do anything about that.

My head feels like it's on fire right now.

What is that?

Don't worry about it.

It's not your concern anymore.

Jax and Ralen missed their return shuttle from Euphoria 7.

Mystery solved.

They slept in.

What I mean is that's all I found.

They've vanished from the entire data stream.

How is that even possible?

I searched for Xander too.

Ghosted in the same way.

There is no record of them leaving Euphoria 7,

and there's no record of them still being there.

We have to tell someone.

Go.

Good evening, cadets.

I do hope for your sake this is worth

disrupting my very busy schedule.

It concerns your niece,

Ralen and your teacher's assistant, Xander Duvall.

Interesting.

I assumed it was regarding the C-minus you received

on your Battle Tactics & Strategy midterm, Atria.

The point is,

they haven't reported back from Winter Solstice Break.

We think they might be in some kind of trouble.