Original subtitles

Our galaxy - humankind

colonized space so long ago

that no one remembers which came first - civilization

or the corporations.

But a centuries-old conflict between the Grotto corporation

and our mortal enemy - the mega corporation

known as Helion -

has led to endless wars and broken planets,

making life for most on Grotto planets, known as homeworlds,

a living hell of indentured servitude.

And I was no different.

My only way out was to join Grotto's army - the Reapers.

The Resource Exploration And Procurement Engineer Regiment.

Also known as the Salvage Marines.

Where the hazard pay is high

but the survival rate is low.

She died saving me.

I would sacrifice myself... for any one of you.

I'd do the same.

Without hesitation.

Without hesitation.

I'm calling to discuss

that new piece of machinery you got running down your spine.

Because I wouldn't want your "poor family"

burdened with an insurmountable debt now, would I?

I need you to send in a member of Tango Platoon

to detonate the charges manually.

Yeah, copy that. Ain't gonna happen!

Everybody will be killed down here!

Are you refusing a direct order?!

Yes, I am.

Command, activate Protocol 1138,

and send a cor-sec trooper immediately to detonate

those charges!

All his debts will be expunged, as well as his families.

Everyone! Get back to it!

Back away from the pylons, right now!

Back away!

Tak.

Thank you for joining me, Hyst.

Of course, boss.

Just Aiken. It's not boss anymore.

My time in the Reapers has reached its

logical conclusion.

I've satisfied all of my obligations and

those of my family's house.

The House of Indron.

We are Oligarchs but we still must serve.

What did you want to see me about, sir?

I need to speak to you about your actions

down in Deepspire.

I know I disobeyed a direct order but

Tak and Jada, they--

It's precisely because of those actions

that I'm recommending you for promotion.

You went straight back into the line of fire

to save your squad.

Er... I...

I can't imagine any better reason for commendation

or for promotion. Congratulations,

Reaper.

Or, should I say...

Boss Hyst.

Thank you, Sir

Your unit's lucky to have you.

"Squad Hyst"...

It's got a good ring to it!

I won't let you guys down.

We know.

Aiken was right - we're lucky to have you.

Listen, eh... when you guys are done, why don't you

stop by my office?

Got a new assignment for you, and I wanna talk about

your new wage.

Congratulations, Sam.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Congratulations, Boss Hyst.

Hi!

Oh my goodness!

Guess who's home!

What?

I'm just making sure you're all here, and

nothing's missing.

I was lucky this time.

Not everybody was.

-How's Tak?

He's alive

He...

I don't think he's gonna come down

this time.

Wait... He's not coming

down at all?!

Don't think he'll ever be

the same, Sura.

I think you should hold your son

for the first time!

Aw... Oh!

Oh, you're so beautiful!

Oh, I'm sorry, yeah! I know, it's scary.

It's been a LONG time!

It has!

I can't believe it's been a year!

Oh, it's been a long year!

Aw! I'm sorry about that.

I'm sorry about that all.

But it's... it's for a better life.

I know.

And it's just for another year.

Oh yeah,

I know.

I need to talk to you about that.

I know... when I signed up,

we both agreed

that I'd only do a standard tour

and not a day longer.

Please don't say what I think

you're going to say.

Wha-- what is this?

It's an invoice for my cybernetic spine.

Healthcare plan from Grotto

doesn't cover it.

And maybe if we had a union,

it would be different but

we don't so we're stuck with it.

Why didn't you tell me?

I'm telling you now.

Say, tell me, Sam,

how many people from your platoon

are still alive,

from the 15 you started with?

Nine. Nine.

So many dead.

And that doesn't include your spine, Tak's face,

Jada's lung.

Who knows what other replacements

the others have had!

There's a reason that there aren't

that many retired Reapers.

You'll just get in deeper.

At my current rate, I can pay off your

life bond and Orion's,

and both your expatriation fees.

You guys can leave Baen 6

and start a new life out of the Grotto.

How? From what I've seen, it's gonna take years

to pay that off with your current salary.

Well, first off... I got promoted.

Really?

I'm gonna be commanding my own squad.

Standard 15% pay raise.

Hey! That's a start! But... it's still

not enough.

And we have to get a divorce.

J-just on paper.

So my debt is mine, and they can't dump it

on you or Orion.

A divorce?

What about your death benefit?

Um... they have ways of making you forfeit that, and I'm not

willing to take that chance.

I almost did something really stupid

on this last tour...

that could have jeopardized it.

I tried to go off-mission

to save my friends.

Jada.

Not just Jada.

We don't have to talk about it.

We all get lonely, Sam.

Nothing happened.

As long as that's not the reason

you want the divorce.

You'd tell me, right?

Of course. And it's not. I promise.

I love you

I love you.

You realize where we are, right?

Of course. How could I forget?

Okay.

Perfect!

Can't wait to put that one

with the original.

The first time I saw you!

Hopefully not the last.

Oh! Don't joke around!

Still sleeping!

So cute!

I heard some good news today.

Hmm?

Several more combat deployments

with bonus hazard pay

came in this morning, just like

the Vorhold campaign.

And what's the bad news?

They cut my leave short.

But if these pan out, we can be together,

for good.

Then I can join you and Orion

on the space station.

"Space station?"

What space station? What are you

talking about?

The one at the edge of the system,

Pier 13, where... I just leased you

a place?

What? I don't understand!

Um, this isn't your standard venture.

It was privately funded by one of the major Grotto Houses.

It came with a huge signing bonus.

I was able to pay off your expat fees.

I should be upset you took this job without telling me.

It's so dangerous, they're willing to pay you so much!

Do I even wanna know?

Move to the station.

When the money comes in from one of these missions,

take Orion, go to Longstride.

Get that cabin we always dreamt about.

I'll find you there.

You better!

Stand by. VTOL approaching.

Jada.

Sam. Or should I say, Boss Sam.

You most definitely should not!

Boss Prybar?

I think 'Boss Hyst' in front of the troops.

You got it, boss.

I'm sorry! It's just all

so exciting.

Plus, I've... been going a little stir crazy up here

the past few weeks.

Yeah. How is he?

I'm not gonna lie to you, Sam. He's not the same guy you knew.

But I think a little action will do him some good.

It's funny... You start to miss it.

The rush...

the camaraderie.

Yeah. We're a sick lot, as Tak would say!

Yeah, he would.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

See you at briefing.

At ease. It's just me!

Yeah, but you're the big man now, boss.

Still the same old grunt you always knew.

How is he?

This lying in bed all alone...

You actually Ben Takeda?

I'm not sure, Sam.

You tell me.

Tak, I'm sorry. I don't...

know what to say.

You remember when we signed up?

When...

..you didn't have anything with you.

You said...

"Just as long as I still got you

to kick around!"

That was a long time ago, Sam.

It's only about a year ago.

Yeah.

Look at me now.

The information you are about to receive

is highly classified

so let me remind you

that ANY breach

of the non-disclosure agreement that you have signed

will be dealt with severely.

Now, with that being said...

it is my great honour to present to you

the Anointed Actuary himself,

Kelkis Morturi.

Grotto salutes you. Thank your for being here.

I'm talking today about the Ellisian Line.

People, this is a point in space

where the laws of physics literally break down

and become somewhat fluid.

This, in terms of exploration, has been a disaster -

it has made things difficult, sometimes ultimately futile.

It's not been good. There's been a puzzlement.

Now, I want to draw your attention

to the astrophysicist Dorian Ellis.

Now Dorian, in the time he lived,

he claimed he caught a glimpse...

of a planet on the other side of the Ellisian Line.

And he became so obsessed with this phenomenon,

he devoted his whole life to the study of that phenomenon -

needless to say he was manipulating reality

in the process.

He claimed that an ancient civilization

had created this planet,

had cultivated it.

Well, sadly, h-he never saw the planet again.

Tragic.

As to why I'm standing here right now -

because Dorian's elusive planet...

'UK-1326,' it has reappeared.

It's back.

And you, marines...

you're gonna make history.

Go and look for some good hunting.

Have at it. Good hunting.

Thank you.

Grotto salutes you.

Now... between the strong electromagnetic fields,

and an unusual electrical interference

which we have yet to explain,

the atmospheric conditions

are not particularly well suited to a reconnaissance probe.

These are some of the images we managed to capture.

An ancient derelict city, with no apparent signs of life

exists on the surface.

Or that is what we believe.

We sent in a legion of prisoner troops -

sent in to determine the value of this unprecedented salvage.

Not one of them returned.

This is the only footage we managed to recover.

Now these creatures...

may have been built,

quite literally perhaps for their... stealth

and lightning fast-attack,

rather than a protracted assault.

As such...

we believe Reapers will fare far better.

You might not know all the Reapers on

either side of you

but you're here

because of your superb service records

and proven loyalty.

This necropolis

might well be the greatest salvage in history!

We arrive

at UK-1326 in less than two weeks.

So be prepared to make history, Reapers.

Dismissed.

Do they really expect us to buy into

that "loyalty" bullshit?

The fact our hazard pay and bonuses combined

still don't equal the cost of hiring elites

shows you EXACTLY where we are on the pay scale.

"When war is stripped of its ideology,

all that remains is the simple reality

that it is nothing more, and nothing less,

than the violent redistribution of wealth.

Anyone that says different is just trying to lower your rate."

Boss?

Sorry. It's just...

something someone said to me once.

Everyone on both sides is only in it

for the money.

Treat them like they treat us. It's the closest to equality

you'll ever get.

-But are we ACTUALLY at war. -When aren't we, Bianca?

Is that the same Prybar?

Same Prybar,

just realising his potential.

I can't believe

you got me doing this.

Sneaking around the tug, looking over my shoulder.

Hey.

You realise how much trouble

this could stir up?

Stirring things up is the point, buddy.

We gotta watch each other's backs.

We both know Grotto isn't going to.

We volunteered for this!

Everyone signed a release, you and me included.

No, no. I'm talking about Vorhold.

We're being pushed into something

we didn't sign up for.

Maybe that's why Aiken left after just one tour of duty.

Look, I get it.

I really do.

And there's not one of us that came out of those tunnels

the same person. Alright?

What you're talking about is establishing a labor union.

That's too much.

That is the only way of forcing Grotto

to listen to us.

To take us seriously.

Who else is involved?

I don't know. Listen, listen.

A lot of us are in this.

if we keep it decentralized, and one of us talks,

we'll all get lined up on the bulkhead and shot.

Look, we've got a plan.

It's a good plan.

But if YOU'RE not in it, I'M not in it, okay?

I need you, brother.

Alright. I'm with YOU.

Let's go eat! Meal plan?

Meal plan!

We may have a developing issue with the rank and file.

The rumors of a unionisation may well be true.

Hey...

these negotiations with Helion are at a standstill.

And we don't need a goddam trade war.

So get your house in order!

Don't worry. I will.

Come on!

What's with all this sneaking around, reaper?

Look, every time Grotto finds a valuable resource,

our lives become even less valuable

than they already are.

What's new, kid?

I - myself and others - we want to change that.

Okay, cowboy, how you gonna do that?

You know who my family is. You know we have money.

Yeah. I mean real money.

What's your point?

My point... is using my resources,

I may have found a way to get some real, tangible

leverage on Grotto.

Okay. Let's hear it. Let's hear this masterplan.

It's encrypted body camera.

-What are we gonna do with that? -It's simple.

We convince one of the bosses to replace their camera

with the encrypted one.

Then, next time Tyrol or Grotto

orders us to do something non-salvage related,

they cost us needless lives,

we'll have the audio and video files

to prove it!

Alright. What do we do

with those files?

We hack them into the Grotto Homeworld,

live broadcast.

How are we gonna do that?

I told you - money. A lot of money.

So after these live feeds go out

and they're broadcast,

then what?

We use them.

It forces Grotto to listen to us,

to take us seriously,

to give us a proper union.

Slummin' it with the Salvage Marines

wasn't enough for you!

You wanna risk the noose with unionising?

It doesn't matter! It doesn't matter

where I come from.

It doesn't matter what I have.

What matters is what I'm doing.

I'm doing what's right.

I'm doing what's good.

Fair enough.

Okay.

Say I'm on board, what do you need me to do?

You're the only one that can convince Boss Prybar

to wear that camera.

Talk to him.

Well... I... I could try.

Don't try. Do this.

Okay. Be careful.

The legionnaires served their purpose,

and they served it well.

We have the intel we need

for the invasion.

So that's all they were - cannon fodder?

According to the Grotto, that's all we all are.

And you're alright with this?

No, I'm not.

But like the legionnaires, we knew

what we signed up for.

Or did you forget that during the little pep talk

you gave the tango platoon?

It's not my job to believe everything

I tell my subordinates.

There's hope for you yet, Sam.

Now get your head on straight.

We're planetside in three hours.

And given our experience at Vorhold,

I would say that we're...

uniquely qualified to succeed.

This is the job.

Sure.

They've analyzed the footage, and modified the invasion plan

after the legion's failed engagement.

So what are our chances?

Boss. Shoot straight

with us.

I think Marsters is right -

only Tango Platoon made it past the Basin Gate

on Vorhold.

That's why we stand the best chance

at seizing the central pyramid

and defending it.

Mutants, Gun Spiders, Stalkers, Bone Worms...

this never ends, does it?

Nothing Tango can't handle.

I'm not gonna lie to you.

Reapers will die today so let's do our best

to keep Tango Platoon off that ledger

as much as possible.

Dismissed!

Good to have you back, brother.

Boss?

You don't have to call me that. And I dismissed you guys.

Okay, Prybar!

It's just... I haven't really had a chance to talk to you

since you've been back.

I've been busy.

I missed you.

I missed you too.

Hey honey. I was just about

to call you.

I didn't want to miss you before your mission.

Hello, Mrs Hyst.

Hello, Jada.

Well, I'll leave you two alone.

I need to go gear up anyways.

Good luck today.

How are you?

As well as can be expected.

How's our boy?

He reminds me so much of his father!

Tango approaching surface now.

I am detecting some unusual magnetic activity.

My instruments seem to be off calibration.

Uh... might come in a little rough.

Warning: electromagnetic atmosphere

may cause communication interference and malfunction.

Mission objective: locate and seize control

of energy source within central pyramid.

Beware: Gun Spider, Droid and unknown hostiles.

Where possible, remain in platoon unit.

Squad Hyst, cut left.

We go right, sweep in clear.

Copy that. Move out.

Tactical, everybody. Tactical.

Keep eyes out.

Keep lookin' out.

They could be anywhere.

Yeah... don't recognise any of those symbols.

We're not on Baen 6 anymore.

On me! Keep your eyes open!

Don't go into the light,

Carol Anne.

Marsters? Status report. What do you see there?

Status report, Marsters?

Funny you should ask.

Why is that?

Some kind of fog,

less than a metre of visibility.

Well, is there any movement in the fog?

No can't see squat, can't hear squat.

Scanners are useless

Look, Reaper, we don't know much about this planet

so please stay sharp down there.

So now you care about us lowly Reapers? That's sweet!

Of course I care for you.

I mean, I'm not just a cold-hearted bastard, am I?

Yeah, you could have fooled us on Vorhold.

Look, I do what's best for Grotto,

and Grotto does what's best for the people.

This is the job. Right, guys?

Oh, it's always a job, Marsters.

Keep me informed of your position.

And please...

be careful.

Yeah, sure. Will do. Tango out.

Yeah, that guy doesn't give a squat about us.

Not in the least.

Party on, dudes.

Alright, Reapers, stay frosty!

Check your back shadows

and your dead corners!

This is definitely creepy.

Plus, my jaw is tingling.

Yeah, it's not the photo they sent us

in the brochure.

"Brave new worlds", "Life of adventures",

they said.

So did you, Sam.

Boss Marsters? This is Hyst.

Come in.

Boss Hyst, come in!

Co-- Do you--

I repeat, do you... ..Reaper?

Boss Marsters, I did not copy.

There must be something interfering with the com.

Maybe it's the fog.

See the static in the air?

Yeah, I see it.

Beware of..

I repeat... beware of large... ..spiders

Boss Marsters? I did not copy

your order!

Did he just say spiders?

-Marsters? Marsters?

Boss Marsters, do you copy?

Squad Hyst? Ulanti? Anyone?

Damn it!

Something is blocking our transmissions.

I don't care how you do it but you better break through

that interference.

Does anyone have a visual?

Hyst? Ulanti? Anyone?

I can't see shit! Keep your eyes peeled.

Marsters, get back here!

You see that? They're picking us off

one by one, Sam.

Get to the tunnel! Really?

This place is... just all kinds of wrong,

Sam! It ain't right.

Aim for the joint

to the legs!

Tango, Tango. If you're copying

and you come in contact with one of these... spiders,

..aim for the joint of the legs.

It'll take 'em down.

Copy that, Hyst.

I really hope they figure that shit out, Sam.

Let's keep moving.

Copy to that.

There's one there!

Now they got guns too?!

You take out the gun! I'll take out

the joints!

This is ridiculous!

Where are my cam feeds?

Can we at least have a deep thermo scan?

So I can see if anyone is still ALIVE down there!

What the hell is that, Sam?

I have no idea.

It's, eh... kind of huge.

Yeah.

Comms still down?

Yep. So, eh...

..no back-up, huh?

No.

We got too old for this.

I've been cashing the Grotto cheques.

Fair is fair, I mean.

So we're going in.

I did promise you I'd watch your back

out there.

Alright.

Careful, Sam.

Sam?

What are you... What are you doing, Sam?

He might know where the prison troops are.

Don't, don't do that. Sam!

Sam! Sam, don't touch him!

No, no, no, no, no,

No, sam!

You son of a bitch!

Mission Control, contact the other Tugs

and ask for reinforcements.

I don't like this planet!

Shoot at the eyes!

Go down, you dirty son of a bitch!