Down With the Emperor!

Illustration by Eric Geusz @spacegooose

## Summary

The crew has gone into hiding from the Emperor following the tumultuous events of the Battle of the Planet Crushers. Pleck makes a friend. Dar has news. Nermut gets discovered.

## Plot

The C.L.I.N.T.s are approaching the drop zone. They argue over who is the best at approaching the drop zone and jumping out of carriers. They jump out of the carrier and argue who is the best at free falling.

The land in a market, surrounding Pleck who refuses to get on the ground. He pulls out his woodsaber and takes out most of the C.L.I.N.T.s, leaving one to return to the emperor and deliver a message. He tells this C.L.I.N.T. that he is a Zima Warrior. The C.L.I.N.T. refuses to leave and wants to follow Pleck, the encounter has changed him. Pleck does not want him to follow but he does anyway. The C.L.I.N.T. can sense that Pleck was in tune with the space, even if he did fall down a lot. A woman interrupts them to ask if they can take a picture of her family with the Holowood sign in the background. The C.L.I.N.T. manages to get his whole hand in the picture. They don't like the picture Pleck takes, and they end up insulting each other. The C.L.I.N.T. swears loyalty to 'Master' Decksetter, Pleck still wants him to leave until the C.L.I.N.T. reveals that he knows where the rest of the crew is and that they are in danger from the strike teams. Pleck reluctantly allows him to come with him, deciding to call him AJ as his callsign is AJ-2884. They decide to go after C-53 first.

C-53 is serving fast food and answering inane customer questions at On-N-Off Burger as a Yumbassador. AJ and Pleck enter On and Off burger, managing to get there before the strike team. AJ can't decide if he should call Pleck: Master or Papa Decksetter. He tells AJ to sneak into the managers office and get the restraining bolt remover. AJ locks and loads his gun and demands to speak to a manager, C-53 tells him to get in line. The manager comes out of their office to speak to AJ, he awkwardly keeps her attention while Pleck removes the grill station so they have space to leave. C-53 declines to leave as he is a valued On and Off corporation employee. Pleck removes his restraining bolt, much to C-53's relief.

Nermut is on stage, performing as a professional musician. Pleck, C-53 and AJ watch from the audience. Nermut sings a song about loving Dar. There is only two other people in the audience, AJ is curious if he's selling merch. Lucius Montgomery, famous music producer, approaches the stage and tells Nermut that he is very sweaty. Nermut asks the crowd for requests, C-53 requests that he stops and comes with them. Nermut doesn't want to leave. Nermut is confused by the presence of AJ. Nermut is 'living the dream', he sleeps in an old Grt milk crate full of wood chips. He has a long shirt to cover his bits. Nermut has the fourth strongest strike team after him, Pleck is dismayed to learn that he only had the seventh strongest team after him. They flee as the strike team arrives, AJ offers to stay behind and distract them. The crew take a moment to reflect on AJ's sacrifice before he re-appears next to them. Dar has two strike teams after them. Dar is at a farmers market, something the crew finds hard to believe due to their size. AJ assures them that it has wide lanes. Nermut's pants were eaten by rats.

Dar is loving the chef-kissed zoodles at the market. The crew fear they are too late as both strike teams have already arrived at the market. They spot Dar who seems perfectly fine. They excuse themself from a conversation and make their way over to the crew. They notice that Dar seems relaxed and has a glow about them. They warn Dar about the strike teams but Dar has already killed them. Nermut and C-53 feel inadequate when confronted with how well Dar has adapted. Dar reveals that they some things have changed since they all last saw each other, Dar is pregnant, AJ isn't sure what has changed. The crew tell AJ to chill for a moment. Nermut asks if the child is his. Dar isn't sure. They went on a jucking bender when the crew broke up. Nermut tells Pleck that he is pretty sure he's the father. Dar tries to escape the conversation and go home for an afternoon nap. Pleck tries to get Dar to join them in defeating the emperor via inspiring speech, Dar agrees so they can prove an omnisexual being can have it all.

The crew are unsure how they are going to get Bargie to join them. Nermut wants to pool together 15 Kroon to get a Bargie doll. The crew begins to suspect that AJ can't read, despite him assuring them all that he can. C-53 asks AJ if Pleck told him to call him Master, Pleck denies it but AJ says that it was implied.

A broadcast live from the red carpet of 'Atmos-fear 5' begins, it stars Bargie. It's her eight holo in a six month period. She has opened two children's hospitals and is the biggest donor to save the Milpish, the faces of Milpish are very sad. Last premier she shot Kroon out of her vanity guns. Bargie is currently the spokesperson for water, lotions and towels; and soon for hand-cloths and napkins. The crew are watching the broadcast, they get kicked out of the shop they are watching it in for not buying anything. They resign themselves to the fact that Bargie is too successful to join them. Bargie descends from the sky and declares herself in. She doesn't want to talk about it. She needs to get out of there immediately. The crew are amazed at the expensive furniture, Bargie throws it out because its property of Universal Talent Agency.

## Quotes

"This experience has changed me, I'm different now from all the other C.L.I.N.T.s" - AJ

"You have to live mas and eat fresh." - Pleck, "I'm lovin' it." - AJ, responding to Pleck's advice

"I lost an eye in battle" - Pleck, "I didn't tell you to do that" - Holowood tourist

"That's how branding works sir, didn't mean to rock your world." - C-53

"What's a Dar?" - Audience member at Nermut's show

"Lets run fast but not so fast that my shirt flies up above my area." - Nermut

"How'd you keep the rats away from your pants?" - Nermut to Dar "Nermut I don't think that's as common as you think it is" - Pleck

"Yass Papa, Yass" - AJ

"AJ, where did you learn that?" - C-53

"I'm in, because I want to prove to *them* that an omnisexual being CAN have it all!" -Dar

"Children are our future because that's how it works" - Bargie

"Hey, if you want a napkin in your hand, grab it. I'm Bargie." - Bargie

"Uh oh, there's a cloth. Why don't you put that into your hand as well? I'm also Bargie" - Bargie

“Everyone makes mistakes” - Bargie doll

“Buy my merch, I’m Bargie” - Bargie doll

“I’ll pay my taxes when I’m ready” - Bargie doll

“Help me, I don’t belong here.” - Bargie doll

## Trivia

* This is the first episode of Mission to Zyxx to be produced as part of the Maximum Fun network. It also is the first episode to contain music performed by the 55-piece FAME's Macedonian Symphonic Orchestra.
* This is the first episode of Mission to Zyxx to not include any ads.
* This episode takes place on (or slightly above) Planet Holowood, six months after the events of episode 220.
* This is the first episode to feature AJ-2844. It introduces the idea that AJ, and quite likely all C.L.I.N.Ts, struggle with reading.
* The first aside of season 3 is between C-53 and AJ, his first ever, at 31:35.

* The C.L.I.N.T.s organize into seven strike teams. The teams assigned to capture the rebels are as follows:
	+ Strike Team 1 (the strongest Strike Team) - Dar
	+ Strike Team 2 (presumably, although not specified, the 2nd strongest Strike Team) - C-53
	+ Strike Team 3 (the 3rd strongest Strike Team) - Dar
	+ Strike Team 4 (the 4th strongest Strike Team) - Nermut
	+ Strike Team 5 - Bye
	+ Strike Team 6 - Bye
	+ Strike Team 7 (the 7th strongest Strike Team) - Pleck

* Planet Holowood attractions include the Tiny Toots Memorial Museum.
* On and Off Burger sells "Bargie Combo" meals where the items come "Bargie Style" and include a Bargie toy. They do not however, sell Space Shack burgers. On and Off Burger also features a fairly obvious line structure for ordering.
* Entertainment reporters who cover the AtmosFear-5 premiere include:
	+ An unnamed reporter from Species Weekly
	+ Hank Topplemop for Holowood Reportáge
	+ Dedoodop Qwist for The Weekly Nebula
	+ Dinkle Wikompit, a tiny reporter with a long microphone
* Other named guest characters include:
	+ Abigail, an On and Off Burger customer who is not only confused by the size options of beverages at On and Off Burger, but also often forgets her wallet
	+ Grigario, a zoodles vendor at the Holowood Farmer's Market who speaks French and ensures his zoodles are individually kissed by a chef
	+ Celestine, a fan of Dar's special herbs and who specializes in amethyst.

## Credits

### **Voice actors**

C-53 - Jeremy Bent

Pleck Decksetter - Alden Ford

Dar - Allie Kokesh

Nermut Bundaloy - Seth Lind

Bargarean Jade - Moujan Zolfaghari

AJ-2884 and the C.L.I.N.T.s - Winston Noel

### **Production**

Edited - Seth Lind

Recorded - Shane O'Connell

Sound Design and Mix - Shane O'Connell

Music - Brendan Ryan and performed by FAME's Macedonian Symphony Orchestra

Additional Music - Shane O'Connell

Opening Crawl Narration - Jeremy Crutchley

Ship Design - Eric Geusz