Original subtitles

In light of the Kaylon attack,

the Moclans have proposed a new round of weapons upgrades

for all explorer-class vessels and above.

I would say that's a good idea.

The refit should only take a day or so.

We've also received a special request

from the Moclan Science Division.

You'll be picking up an engineer and transporting him

to a research vessel in the Nekkar System.

Sir, with all due respect, we're starting to feel

- like a taxi cab here. - I know.

But it's the least we can do in exchange for bigger guns.

- All right. - Have fun.

Halsey out.

I'll go start the meter.

30% power upgrade

to the plasma cannons,

20% increase in torpedo capacity.

Guys, this is great. Tell your team well done.

Unless you require further assistance, we will depart.

All good. You've more than exceeded our expectations.

I will escort you to the shuttle bay.

Keyali to Captain.

Mercer here. Go ahead.

Engineer Toren's transport is requesting permission to dock.

Permission granted.

Great. I'll show him to his quarters.

You sure you don't want me to take your bag?

- Looks like it's heavy. - No, I am fine.

So, how long have you two been together?

Korick and I have been mates for nine years.

That's amazing. I always love hearing that.

Gives us single people hope.

I understand that vessels such as this

are very... attentive toward their guests.

However, Toren and I would prefer to be left alone

- during our voyage. - No problem.

Well, these are your quarters.

If you'd like, I can show you around.

That will not be necessary.

Okay, then. Just give me a holler if you need anything.

Thank you, Lieutenant.

This was a mistake. If we are discovered...

We will not be.

The difficult part is complete.

We have evaded their scans, and they do not appear suspicious.

Nonetheless, we must remain vigilant.

You see?

All is well.

We have nothing to fear.

Hey, I need that for my house.

- It's mine. Get your own. - Topa, give it back.

We're supposed to share.

- I don't share with females. - Why not?

My papa says females are weak.

Well, your papa's stupid. Now give it back.

Hey.

Topa, no. We do not shove people.

- Olivia, you okay? - Yeah.

This isn't the first time that Topa's been disrespectful

to a female student.

But he crossed a line today.

Was he provoked in some way?

I don't think so, but even if that were the case,

it's unacceptable behavior.

Perhaps you should consider separating

the male and female children.

None of the other boys

have trouble getting along with the girls.

We apologize for our son's disruptive behavior.

We will speak with him.

Thank you.

Is it true that you had an altercation

with a fellow classmate?

- Yes. - Why?

She had a piece I needed.

Your teacher says you took it from her.

- And that you pushed her. - Yeah, so?

That was wrong, Topa.

But she's a female.

That makes no difference.

They're inferior.

It doesn't matter what they think.

- Where did you hear such things? - From Papa.

Go to your room, Topa.

We will discuss your punishment later.

- I didn't do anything wrong. - Go.

You do not make things easy.

I am simply teaching our son the traditional values

on which we ourselves were raised.

Klyden, has your time on this ship

not changed your perspective in any way?

It has obviously changed yours.

What harm can come from allowing him

to discover his own path?

Topa may decide he wants to live on Moclus one day.

In that event, we must tell him the truth of his origins.

- What happened to you must... - What happened to me

did not shatter my faith in our ways.

Perhaps when Topa is grown,

Moclus will not be so... intolerant.

Who are you to question our core beliefs?

You are only one Moclan.

What makes the rest of our society wrong

and your perverse vision right?

If it were up to you, our son would still be female.

I am sorry.

It is not my wish to hurt you.

- Bridge to Commander Bortus. - Yes.

Isaac has been tracking a power fluctuation on deck C.

We think our Moclan visitors may be tapping into the grid.

For what reason?

That's what we want you to go find out.

If they need extra power for some reason,

that's fine, but they need to ask first.

They can't just plug stuff in.

I am on my way, Commander.

Yes?

There is an unauthorized power drain

originating in these quarters.

The food synthesizer was set to a reduced precision.

My dinner was not flavorful enough,

so I increased the molecular resolution.

I was not aware that I needed permission.

Please stand aside.

You are siphoning power beyond regulation levels.

Please disconnect the device.

It is... sensitive research.

I would prefer to wait until we rendezvous with our vessel.

What are you carrying that would require such power?

You will open it.

Why are you hiding this infant?

She is our daughter.

We are fleeing Moclus.

We do not want her to undergo the corrective procedure

or to live in hiding as an outcast.

Where do you intend to go?

Retepsia.

Their government has granted us asylum.

The captain of the research vessel

has agreed to take us there.

I beg you not to report this.

Our child will be taken from us.

We love her just as she is.

You are asking me to lie to my captain.

Commander, I know of your trial.

I know you understand what is happening here.

The transport ship is only a few hours away.

All we ask is that you stay silent

until we leave.

No one must know.

Bortus to Commander Grayson.

- Go ahead. - Our Moclan visitors

required power for a stasis chamber

which contains perishable supplies.

I will provide them with an alternate power source.

Acknowledged. Thanks, Bortus.

We will not forget your kindness.

Bortus. What can I do for you?

I wanted to see how Topa was doing.

Well, no new incidents so far.

Hopefully, whatever you said to him has sunk in.

I'm optimistic.

I wish to remove him from class early today.

Sure. Any particular reason?

A family matter.

This will provide the power you require.

Thank you. Who is this?

My son, Topa.

May we come in?

It is all right, Korick.

He has promised not to speak

of what he sees here today.

Isn't that right, Topa?

Yes, Papa.

It is a female.

Her name is Mersa.

But there are no Moclan females.

Only a few are born every generation.

Some people fear them.

That is why her parents have chosen to conceal her.

Look at her, Topa.

She is not so different from you or I.

Your hospitality is greatly appreciated.

It's our pleasure. Good luck with your new assignment.

Good-bye, Commander.

Safe journey.

Mercer to Bortus.

Yes, Captain?

Please report to my office.

It's been brought to my attention that we may have had

an unauthorized passenger on board.

Yes.

That'll be all, Klyden.

I'm sorry, Papa. I didn't mean to tell.

It is all right, Topa. We will discuss it later.

Would you care to explain?

The infant was in stasis, and they did not want it known.

Because she was a girl.

Why did you hide it from us?

I did not know how you would respond,

and I did not want to jeopardize the infant's future.

Her parents are taking her to Retepsia,

where they will be free to raise her as a female.

I regret deceiving you, Captain.

How do you know they were telling the truth?

If you had called me, I could have run a DNA scan

to see if they were really the parents.

I had no reason to doubt them.

I'd say there's plenty of reasons.

For one, they boarded a Union ship

under false pretenses.

For all we know, they kidnapped that baby.

I do not believe so.

Well, that's really nice for you, but you've put

all of our asses on the line if you're wrong.

That was not my intention.

Well, we transported that baby, so we need to be sure.

Find that ship and plot an intercept course.

What do you intend to do if we find them?

Well, let's verify their story first, and then go from there.

Dismissed.

It doesn't make sense.

That ship was built for research, not espionage.

How can there be no trace?

Isaac, do you have any way to scan for masked ion signatures?

I believe so.

Okay, this one time at Union Point,

my roommate and I took a shuttle out,

and we turned it into, like, a party bus,

and we used a tractor beam to neutralize our ion trail.

They didn't catch you?

Well, we plowed into a tree

when we landed, and that's when they caught us, but...

before that, we were completely invisible.

I believe I have found it.

That's it.

Look at that. Th-They're not even remotely

on a course for Retepsia.

The ion trail intersects with a class-six absorption nebula

approximately 12 light-years away.

Gordon, set a pursuit course,

- maximum speed. - Aye, sir.

What kind of research vessel masks their ion trail?

I don't think their mission has anything to do with research.

My God,

that thing's got to be over a trillion

kilometers across.

- Isaac? - The trail leads directly inside.

However, scans are unable to penetrate the interior.

Take us in.

There. You see that?

Just off the starboard bow.

It appears to be a K-type star.

There are three planets in orbit.

It's a star system.

Bortus, any sign of the ship?

Negative. However, the innermost planet reads as habitable.

Take us into a high orbit.

The planet's surface is over 80% ocean,

but there are several dozen island chains.

I have located the Moclan vessel on an island near the equator.

I'm picking up bio-signs.

Thousands of them.

Sir?

They're Moclan.

My God.

They're women.

- Hello. - Hello.

Keep moving.

Inside.

Osaia, you can put away your weapon.

I know these people.

Heveena.

You have an extraordinary talent

for tracking me down, Captain Mercer.

The females we saw, how many are there?

Commander Bortus, what I am about to say

will come as a shock to you.

There are many more females born on Moclus

than the government has ever publicly admitted.

Almost all undergo the corrective procedure.

But some oppose it, and those that do

risk everything to escape Moclus

and make their way to this sanctuary.

In our colony, there are over 6,000.

Many years ago, we established a clandestine network of ships

to help families who sought refuge.

I have made the journey over a dozen times myself.

Does Moclus have any idea about this place?

They suspect it exists,

but we have managed to evade detection.

Until now.

Heveena, we must keep them here.

They must not be allowed to reveal our location.

We followed the transport alone.

There are no other ships here.

But there are over 300 people aboard your vessel.

That is over 300 ways to expose us.

She is correct.

This colony cannot remain hidden.

But if they found you...

They would destroy this settlement and everyone in it.

We must relocate.

I will contact the transport circuit.

We can begin the evacuation immediately.

Wait.

Let me suggest an alternative.

Let us go to Union Central

and submit an application for recognition

as an independent state.

If the Union Council agrees, you will be under its protection

and you won't have to hide anymore.

And if they reject your request?

It was always inevitable

that fate would beckon us from the shadows.

"Every revolution"

"begins with a single act of defiance."

One of yours?

Actually, I don't know who said it.

Captain, I would like to accompany you

to stand before this council.

That's exactly what I was going to ask.

Your request for a hearing has been approved

by the Union Council.

As you might expect,

the Moclan delegation is up in arms.

They're demanding to know the colony's location

so they can extradite and prosecute the fugitives.

- Fugitives? - Their word, not mine.

You'll take a shuttle to rendezvous with

the USS Burnell, which will take you back to Earth.

The Orville will remain in orbit to protect the colony.

Acknowledged.

Man, I hope I'm up to this.

I can't think of anyone they could trust more.

Do a good job, and I'll have a bourbon waiting for you.

You got a deal.

I know nothing of your... Earth.

Is it like Moclus?

A little, I guess.

The females on Earth... do they write?

They do.

To be free to create.

To make art.

Well, you know, you can access

Earth's cultural database from here.

You'll find centuries of art of all kinds

from the women of Earth.

Who is she?

That's, uh, Dolly Parton.

Oh.

She speaks with the might of a hundred soldiers.

Yeah. Yeah, I guess she does.

This is the voice of our revolution.

Well, you know, there's actually a whole bunch of stuff...

No!

It is she.

Okay, then.

Go, Dolly.

I wish to thank everyone for convening at such short notice.

We consider this to be a matter of great importance.

A recently discovered colony of Moclans

is petitioning this body to be recognized

as a sovereign state,

entitled to all of the rights and protections

afforded any member of the Planetary Union.

Here on behalf of the colonists is their chosen representative.

Heveena, please,

make your statement.

This is a flagrant insult to every Moclan in this chamber!

You will not allow

- this female to speak. - The council has already

voted on the matter.

You'll get your turn to talk, Dojin.

For now, sit down and listen.

Thank you, Chairman.

And thank you

to the esteemed members of this council.

It is with hope and pride that I stand here today

as a voice for those who have been voiceless for so long.

It is true that we have been living in exile,

outside of the laws of our native planet,

but to do otherwise

would invite persecution, mutilation

and even extinction.

If our plea to be recognized as an independent state fails,

I fear that our voices will be silenced forever.

As I look upon all of the exquisite diversity

in this great hall,

I am reminded

that most of us share something in common.

Over the course of history,

there have been people on nearly every planet who were,

at one time or another, oppressed...

by those who were stronger...

or greater in numbers...

for reasons that now seem insignificant to us.

The history of moral progress

can be measured by the expansion of fundamental rights

to those who have been denied them.

We ask only to be included

in that expanding circle of justice.

There is a visionary Earth poet

who I have recently come to cherish.

- Oh, boy. - What?

With power and dignity,

she boldly cried out

so that all the cosmos would know of her suffering.

"Working 9 to 5"

"For service and devotion,"

"You would think that I"

"Would deserve a fat promotion,"

"Want to move ahead,"

"But the boss won't seem to let me,"

"I swear sometimes that man is out to get me."

In the spirit of her courage,

please...

hear our voices.

Thank you.

The floor is now open to discuss the petition for sovereignty.

Discussion is irrelevant!

Know this, Chairman.

If the council grants independence

to this colony of outlaws,

Moclus will renounce its Union membership.

Commander, long-range scans are picking up

something in the nebula.

- It is a Moclan vessel. - What?

Oh, man, we really stepped in it today.

Lieutenant, open a channel.

Channel open.

This is Commander Kelly Grayson of the USS Orville.

Please identify yourselves.

Good day, Commander.

I am Captain Jakohn.

May I ask what you're doing here?

We are here for the same reason as you...

to monitor the colony

while the council decides its fate.

Really? Then why send a battle cruiser?

If it so happens that the colony

is not granted Union protection,

we wish to ensure that justice is served without delay...

and without interference.

Well, until the council reaches a decision,

there's nothing for either of us to do but wait here quietly.

Indeed.

I am sure we will speak again soon.

Bortus.

Take us to yellow alert.

Aye, sir.

This so-called "colony" is nothing more

than an elaborate child-trafficking operation.

What this female and her accomplices are doing

is not just illegal and immoral.

They are placing their own radical agenda

above the security of the Union itself!

Today is not the day to fracture alliances.

Today, it is more important than ever

that our worlds stand together

against the Kaylon threat!

And I do not need to remind the council

that this Union's primary supplier of weapons

is Moclus.

Why is this debate still going on?

This is about basic rights.

The council needs to grant their request.

Look, Ed, I don't like it any more than you do,

but the Moclans are free to defend their position.

And we must be mindful of our own prejudices as well.

We cannot judge other cultures purely by human standards.

I agree. And-and I am the first person to question the balance

between cultural tolerance and ethical negligence.

But, Admiral, this is over the limit.

Let's stick to the issue.

In the Moclans' view,

the children living on that colony are victims.

And from their cultural standpoint, it's true,

they had no say in their parents'

decision to leave Moclus.

Look, why don't we just call this like it is.

The Union turns a blind eye to Moclan custom

because we need their weapons.

You're out of line, Captain.

And you're oversimplifying

a very complicated situation.

We can't afford to alienate the Moclans right now.

Without their weapons supply,

how soon do you think the Kaylon would wipe us all out?

Look, I've been telling the council for years

that it's crazy to rely so heavily on one planet

for weapons manufacture.

Don't politicize this, Captain.

The time for that debate is after this crisis.

There are no clean options.

If we turn our backs on the colony,

all those women will be rounded up

and probably forced into corrective surgery.

But if we lose the Moclans, the Kaylon come after us.

We're talking about mass genocide.

Yeah, but don't you think the Moclans know that, too?

They're just as vulnerable as we are without this alliance.

They would have to stay with us.

We don't know that they'd see it that way.

Look, I understand what's at stake.

I'm just saying that if we are not willing

to stand up for the values that this Union was founded on...

what exactly are we defending?

Hey.

I just heard from Ed.

The council broke for the evening,

and deliberations are underway.

Thank you, Commander.

What will you do...

if Moclus leaves the Union?

I do not know.

Bortus.

I have been looking for you.

Come home. It is late.

I will be home soon.

We have much to discuss.

There is nothing more to say

until the council reaches its decision.

We cannot ignore the possibility

that we will be going back to Moclus.

I imagine that would please you.

What do you mean?

You have never been comfortable aboard this ship.

There are females here, and it sickens you.

It does not.

You did not bother to greet Commander Grayson.

And you have not acknowledged her presence

since you have been standing here.

Listen, guys, I'd rather not get in the middle of...

No.

Please, stay.

You rarely leave our quarters or socialize with the crew.

You cling to traditions that serve no useful purpose.

Your mind remains closed, and you wish to raise our child

to embrace this ignorance.

Bridge to Commander Grayson.

Four Moclan shuttles are heading for the surface.

Report.

No response from the shuttles,

and the Moclan ship just raised its deflectors.

- Hail them. - Channel open.

Captain Jakohn.

You mind telling me what the hell you're doing?

We were given orders to apprehend the colonists.

They are to be returned to Moclus,

where they will answer for their crimes.

Do not interfere.

Get me Union Central.

This is absolutely unacceptable.

Order your ship to stand down immediately.

The colony and its inhabitants fall under our jurisdiction.

You would go to war over this?

They've been smuggling infants

off our planet for decades.

Perhaps you do not protect your children as we do.

Ambassador, let's not let this get out of hand.

We can and will find a diplomatic solution.

Then present one that is acceptable to us!

We've got to confer with the council.

Sir, Kelly's out there.

I can't just tell her to sit back and do nothing.

You tell her to hold tight.

The Orville will take no provocative action

that could escalate the situation.

- But, sir... - That being said,

communications can be spotty inside a nebula.

Your message may not get through.

What are you talking about? Of course it'll get through.

We just got a new communications array as a part... Oh, right.

Yes. Sorry. It's been a long day.

Commander, we're receiving a transmission from Earth.

It's the captain.

Finally. Put him on.

Ed, we've been trying to reach you.

Things have all gone to hell out here.

I know. What's your status?

I have a shuttle prepped and ready.

You got to get me clearance to go down there

and protect that colony.

Official orders are to hold your position.

What?

Unofficial orders are...

go work on your tan.

Bortus, you have the conn.

Commander, you are not going down there alone.

This could be a career-ender.

I can't ask anyone else to risk it.

Take the conn. That's an order.

I must disobey that order.

Bortus, those are Moclans.

You may have to fire on your own people.

Commander, we are wasting time.

Talla, you have the bridge.

They have locked onto us with a tractor beam.

Full power to the deflectors.

- No effect. - Son of a bitch.

Go to red alert. Isaac, target their emitters.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on. If you fire on that ship,

- that's an act of war. - It sure is.

The Moclans are members of the Union.

You can't make that call on your own. Get Kelly on the comm.

Kelly's never gonna give that order.

If she can end her career, so can I.

- Isaac? - Emitters targeted.

Fire.

I'll give you one warning.

Lower your weapons and walk away from those people.

Do it now.

Do not interfere, human.

This does not concern you.

Typical guy... never listens.

Starboard shields are failing.

Hull damage on decks D and E.

I got an idea.

If I can take us out of orbit

and back into the nebula, the natural E.M. interference

will confuse their targeting scanners.

Do it. Go.

This problem is an internal matter

for the Moclans to handle themselves.

The Union Council is not a policing body.

I must reluctantly agree.

If the Union imposes its will

on Moclus, it sets a dangerous precedent.

- Who will be next? - If you continue

to let them oppress their own people,

what kind of precedent does that set?

We will renounce the Union before we allow it

to force-feed us its own code of ethics.

Ambassador, if you secede, you'll be opening the door

for the Kaylon to destroy us all.

Unless the Krill allied themselves with us

instead of the Union.

It is likely they would

follow the weapons.

Admiral, if I may.

Ambassador, the Moclans and the Krill

can't stop the Kaylon alone, and you know it.

Moclus would be destroyed.

But that little planet inside the nebula

might just be insignificant enough to fly under the radar,

and if that happens,

the only Moclans left in the galaxy

would be female.

But, hey, you'd still be a single-sex species.

With the chairperson's permission,

I would like to propose a provisional compromise.

Proceed, Admiral Halsey.

These are the terms I suggest:

The Union agrees not to recognize the sovereignty

of the colony at this time,

and the colonists agree to end their clandestine

emigration network, effective immediately.

In exchange, the Moclan government

shall agree to leave the colonists in peace

and take no further action against them

now or in the future.

An agreement has been reached.

Stand down.

You okay?

Yes, Commander.

It is all right.

You are safe now.

Heveena, I am so sorry

- for everything that's happened. - It is true.

We did not succeed, not in the way we had hoped.

But then, we did not fail.

You're remarkably optimistic.

The women of this colony could be back on Moclus,

undergoing forced corrective surgery,

and very likely spending the rest of their lives in prison.

But they are here,

safe in the knowledge that their lives,

their identities and their destinies

are their own.

What of your underground?

It is gone, that is so.

But just as we took that bold first step,

in time, others like us

will take a second one.

The revolution has begun.

We will rise, one small victory at a time.

I believe you will.

Captain.

Do you suppose

Dolly Parton would be proud of us?

Oh, yeah.