Ga'Hoole: Allomere's Betrayal

**Ga'Hoole:** **Allomere's Betrayal** is a 2015 fantasy-adventure film based on Kathryn Lasky's Guardians of Ga'Hoole series. It is a prequel to the 2010 film Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole.

## Plot

The film opens with a young Allomere engaging in mock combat with Reda. He nearly defeats Reda, but she gains the upper hand after Allomere becomes distracted by a group of weather interpretation chaw owls flying away from the Great Tree. Teasing him slightly for his fascination with the "rescue nerds", Reda helps Allomere up and invites him to grab dinner. While eating, Allomere confesses his desire to become a member of the search and rescue chaw and save lives, inspired by stories of how his mother was saved as an owlet during a fierce storm and brought to the Great Tree.

Several years later, Allomere is flying through a storm, leading a group of trainee rescuers. Despite pleas from his group to turn around, Allomere insists that they need to perfect their technique in conditions they will face as rescuers. A gust of wind blows one of the trainees away, prompting Allomere to enter a steep dive to rescue the trainee. Searching through the rain and wind, Allomere is unable to find the trainee and returns to the Tree with the remainder of his group. He begs for a patrol to be sent out to locate and rescue the trainee, but his request is refused as the storm is deemed to be unsafe for flying.

Over the following years, Allomere grows bitter as more and more owls are lost in storms and then never recovered. Reda, now a fully fledged ryb of the Ga'Hoolology chaw, attempts to explain that more owls would only get hurt or die if they try to save those who went missing in the storms. Allomere retorts that he wouldn't be alive if that line of thinking were in place when his mother was in danger, and that countless owls would be denied a future under the current leadership of the search and rescue chaw and the Great Tree as a whole.

While conducting a patrol near the Beaks, Allomere is ambushed by two of the Pure Ones's soldiers and kidnapped. Allomere is restrained by his ankles and comes face to face with Nyra. He demands to be released and insists that if he isn't, the Guardians will come for him and slaughter the garrison where he was being held. Nyra laughs and explains how that won't be an issue, but that he would be released if he cooperates with her demands. Allomere remains defiant, insisting he will never betray the Guardians and the Tree. Nyra leans in closer and berates him with details about the various owls and owlets that his chaw, and he, had failed to rescue, causing Allomere to break down sobbing. Nyra looks down, satisfied, and asks if he's prepared to cooperate.

Back at the Great Tree, Reda sits anxiously and is elated once Allomere returns. She asks where he's been for the past two days and he replies that the patrol simply needed to conduct more in-depth reconnaissance of the Beaks due to heightened Pure Ones activity. Satisfied with his answer, she returns to her work while Allomere returns to his den. While sorting through his items, he finds a slip of parchment tucked in between his helmet and battle claws. Reluctantly, he grabs the parchment and reads it. Allomere closes his eyes and sighs in anger, looking over the note again before tucking it away in a drawer.

Some time later, Allomere leaves the Tree again and flies towards the Beaks under the cover of a storm. Unbeknownst to him, Reda watches him leave and decides to follow him. Metalbeak chides Allomere for being late, to which he replies that leaving the Tree during adverse weather is the only way he'd leave unseen. Nyra is perched above them with a group of Tyto soldiers beside her. Allomere scoffs at her before following Metalbeak through a tunnel to an outcropping. Confused, Allomere asks why he is here, and Metalbeak replies that he wanted to show Allomere a way that they could do away with the leadership of the Tree and destroy the Guardians. Still loyal, Allomere shakes his head and explains how he's bitter at the Tree's leadership for what it's done, but isn't at the point of betraying them outright. Metalbeak chuckles and moves his wing, revealing the trainee that Allomere had lost years ago in the storm.

Shocked, Allomere demands an explanation. Nyra swoops down beside Metalbeak and explains that she and the Tytos rescue owlets of all kinds, including those "abandoned" by the Guardians. Allomere is stunned and walks a slight distance away from Metalbeak and Nyra, who watch on. Sighing, he turns back around and agrees to help them with what they need, but he demands some form of compensation for his efforts. Metalbeak promises him the Great Tree and all its occupants to run as he saw fit. More than satisfied, Allomere asks what he needs to do in return.

The trio is interrupted by Reda's shouting and scraping of talons on the rock. She is carried into view by two Tyto soldiers to a grimacing Nyra and a horrified Allomere. Metalbeak asks if she's a friend of his, to which he shakes his head. Metalbeak approaches Reda while Allomere begs him not to hurt her. He stops just short of her and turns around, walking back to Allomere and reminding him that she is in their custody and he now has full reason to cooperate. Reda looks on hopefully, shouting at him of his oath to protect the weak and vanquish the evil. Allomere sighs and lowers his head, stating that's exactly what he is doing by collaborating with Metalbeak.

Allomere is brought to a cliff overlooking a massive collection of flecks. Metalbeak explains that this new weapon would be able to defeat the Guardians decisively, and that he had one more mission for Allomere: to lure the Guardians into their trap, and if they were successful, Allomere would gain control of the Tree and the Western Kingdoms.

Returning to the Tree, Allomere is summoned to council with Boron, Barran, and other senior members of the Tree. Soren and his group have begun explaining how St. Aegolious has been moonblinking owlets and constructing a weapon. Allomere expresses his doubts about the plan to cover up his involvement in it, but Ezlyryb defends Soren's story and eventually convinces Boron to send a scouting party. Allomere is selected to lead the party and they depart from the Tree.

The group is ambushed by bats and Allomere nearly escapes being ensnared by the power of the flecks. He then attempts to fly back towards the Tree but is apprehended and pinned down by bats. Metalbeak lands in front of him and demands to know why he came with soldiers. Allomere insists he did not send the soldiers and that a young Tyto (Soren) had warned the Guardians of the flecks and their plan. Metalbeak glares down at Allomere, but decides that they can use this to their advantage. He has Allomere fly to St. Aegolious and retrieve two moonblinked owlets to use as evidence for an attack. Kludd and Nyra present two for Allomere to return with.

Allomere returns to the Tree with the owlets and presents his findings to the Tree's leaders. More than convinced, the Guardians mobilize for war and set out to liberate the enslaved owlets. Allomere diverts from the group before the Guardians are struck with the power of the flecks and lands next to Nyra and Metalbeak to observe the coming slaughter. He expresses his disdain at the use of bats for the killing, to which Nyra replies it is necessary due to their lack of gizzards.

In the distance, the cloud of bats is disrupted by a group of four owls. Nyra is furious, demanding to know why there were still Guardians active when Allomere promised to bring all of them to the trap. Metalbeak declares he cannot trust Allomere anymore, prompting Allomere to angrily remind Metalbeak of his promises. He's seized and dragged away by bats into a cave, but manages to kick them off and escape with battered wings. While under pursuit, he manages to fight back the swarm of bats and dive for cover near the trapped Guardians.

Soren dives down and destroys the trap, freeing the Guardians. Allomere uses the distraction to slip away, but comes face to face with Soren. A fight ensues, with Soren managing to get the upper hand on Allomere long enough for Twilight and another Guardian to restrain him. Allomere taunts Soren for fighting for a corrupt, broken system that leaves owlets to die in storms. Soren defends the Guardians' ideals, stating it is Allomere who has fallen far enough to join with the Pure Ones.

As the Guardians take to the air to battle the Tyto soldiers, Allomere attacks his captors and escapes again. As he rests on an outcropping, he sees Metalbeak dive at Soren and fall limp seconds later. Moments later, Nyra and several Tyto soldiers fly over him and into the distance. Allomere collapses and closes his eyes from exhaustion, only to awake to Soren, Ezylryb, and several other Guardians surrounding him. With no energy to fight back, Allomere is taken back to the Tree.

Allomere is presented before a tribunal and declared a traitor. He is sentenced to permanent exile from the Tree and flies away as Soren, Reda, and others watch on.