Oh, Zima's Back

## Summary

The crew return to the Tiger Nebula Strip Mall with varying intentions. Pleck runs into an old friend. Dar does some grooming. Intel is gathered and maybe processed.

## Plot

### Act I - Aboard The Bargarean Jade

Pleck wonders where Nermut went to find out he went back to RebHQ, which Pleck missed out on because he has been too busy working on his song, which Pleck calls a ballad. Dar enters and is clearly anxious about their relationship with Nermut and needs a mission to distract them, and they and Bargie agree they need to shop. Nermut calls in and when he mentions Mel, the crew gets on his case for being insensitive, although Beano confesses he wuvs the drama. Mel drops in, says something indecipherable and leaves. Nermut returns to why he was calling: the Rebellion has finally finished processing info from the crew's Tatopo casino mission several months back. He explains there were delays because the higher ups thought the second 'crusher' in Planet Crusher Crusher was a typo and the info had to go through cycles of editing. Now, the Rebellion is concerned and wants the crew to return to the Tiger Nebula Strip Mall to find Zwog Tambouie and to find out who the Planet Crusher Crusher is being built for. Nermut says his mission will be to hang out with Mel.

### Ad Break 1

Finniford J. Ryan, board certified loan shark, stores his VistaPrint business card in a pocket in his mechanized water suit. His card includes his tagline: "You owe me a lot of Kroon!" While Sentient Moss in the background exclaim "Yeah. Kroon", Finniford explains he's even loaned a lot of Kroon to one member of the Council of Seven.

### Act II - Tiger Nebula Strip Mall

The crew arrives at the mall but find Zwog's furniture store has been replaced by Pierce Anything, an organic piercing shop that doesn’t believe in sewing up. It is run by Ruce, and her partner droid Bruce. They tell the crew that Zwog's store was foreclosed on, mentioning both money problems and mysterious circumstances. Dar gets a couple of talons pierced and they leave the shop and head to Blue Julius. The employee there is wearing a hooded robe and Blue Julius apron but they quickly recognize him as Old Derf, now going by Older Derf, who says he has been waiting for Pleck just as foretold in the prophecy. (Old Derf apparently survived being blasted into space when they saw him last because he had oxygen, a spacesuit, and a jet pack.) They ask about Tom, who was there the last time they came, and Tom is apparently now the store manager. Old Derf is as cantankerous as ever, complaining about getting older and brittle, expressing no worries about the family he left behind on the mining stroid, and criticizing C-53. He also continues to serve customers as they come in including PPPPPPPV, also known as 7PV, who explains he is a personal assistant droid to Nermut Bundaloy, upsetting Dar. They decide to split with Pleck staying with Derf and C-53 and Dar to go look for Zwog. Derf and Pleck go into the back of the store where Derf has built a Zima temple. There he explains to Pleck that Nermut Bundaloy is the avatar of The Wack and it is Pleck who must defeat him to bring balance back to The Space. Derf quizzes Pleck on his training progress and is disappointed that Pleck can't yet influence other people by gesturing or using The Space to lift stuff. He's also upset Pleck is still wearing Federated Alliance-issued shorts.

Meanwhile, Dar and C-53 are at a spa and while Dar is getting waxed, C offers that their relationship with Nermut might not be healthy long-term for either of them. The conversation is interrupted when they overhear two mover droids talking about the pocket universe they are carrying. They ask one of the mover droids what they are doing but he says he can't say anything and is only good for moving and dropping clues.

Back at the Blue Julius Zima temple, Pleck continues to frustrate Old Derf with his lack of training progress. Old Derf asks Pleck if he is reading the ancient scrolls in wooden box he gave him, and Pleck says that the box was ejected into space once when Bargie opened her hatch. Frustrated, Derf outlines what was in the scrolls, namely that Pleck is the Chosen One and must face off against The Emperor who is growing in strength in The Wack. Pleck is confused since there is no Emperor of the galaxy and Old Derf doesn’t know either because he doesn’t follow politics. But, Old Derf says Pleck must defeat the Emperor to save the universe. They continue to bicker about destiny and Pleck's clothes.

Dar and C-53 have moved to where the shipment is being prepared and find some of Zwog's furniture. They begin questioning the mover droid for information and try and trick him into revealing the delivery location. Their conversation is interrupted by a second mover droid who asks the first for confirmation before labeling the destination as "Quantaris Center". Dar and C-53 then succeed in tricking the driver into revealing they are delivering to someone, presumably Zwog, who is working for a member of the Council of Seven and ominously adds that all of the pieces for the endgame are nearly in place.

Cutting back to the Zimas, Old Derf wants to initiate training with Pleck immediately and jumps up on Pleck's shoulders making Pleck carry him. Old Derf continues to tell Pleck about the prophecies and warns of an upcoming battle and an astral conflagration, and ominously adds that everything Pleck knows will start to fall apart. Old Derf then learns that Pleck has been working on a song and believing that the Chosen One should immediately sing it to recruit forces for battle, he leads Pleck to the mall food court. On stage, he introduces Pleck to a crowd of fans awaiting the performance of Bliff Damor nearly creating a panic as the fans misconstrue Derf thinking he has harmed Bliff. Bliff shows up and the crowd is placated enough that Pleck can sing. Pleck confidently begins singing, revealing an upbeat but very simple ditty. Old Derf bursts into flames in disappointment with how bad the song was. As he burns away, he warns Pleck once more that Pleck needs to prepare for the upcoming battle.

### Ad Break 2

To help reduce stress, Commander Tiddle recommends the "Imaginary Wolds" podcast to all rebels. It also works as a getaway from dysfunctional personal relationship stresses or as a part of denial about having a cloned army based on your genetic code.

### Epilogue - Aboard the Bargarean Jade

Nermut recaps the information the crew learned at the mall, and marks it as "middle high priority". Pleck urges Nermut of its urgency, convincing Nermut to put it on the second line of his list of things to do, leaving the top spot blank in case something more urgent comes along. Bargie interrupts to say she bought a hat and also that she has booked parts through Beano, including a space cop procedural with filming beginning momentarily. Acting as her agent, Beano takes 45% and says he knows the holo business. Filming for her scene begins, and Bargie delivers her lines in typical Bargie fashion. (After calling cut, the director suggests they will edit out the scene they just filmed.) Back inside, Dar sarcastically says she hopes Nermut enjoyed his Blue Julius, however Nermut doesn’t know what she is talking about. Pleck excuses himself, goes to his room and is soon joined by Beano who has found the box of Zima scrolls. Beano leaves and Pleck begins a final chat with Old Derf's voice from beyond.

### Blooper

Old Derf struggles to tell Pleck just how bad his song was as he burns alive.

## Quotes

"I want to feel like I’ve accomplished something without having to do too much." - Dar

"My job is literally to tell you where to go. It’s my actual job, Dar" - Nermut

"Looking jucking fantastic." "Cool. Bleeding out." - Bruce and customer after receiving a kidney piercing

"Hello. Welcome to Blue Julius. It’s worse than a milkshake, but it’s drinkable." - Derf

"Making some caish." Old Derf

"This is not the droid you're looking for." "Are you looking for a replacement droid and didn’t tell me?" - Old Derf and C-53

"Pleck, I am your father…'s father's dentist." - Derf

"But what I am going to do is go behind this mall and continue packing up these boxes marked Zwog Tambooie into a spaceship that might go somewhere, while loudly detailing the who's and wherefore's of this move." Mover Droid

"Pleck! You did this to meeeeee....” -Old Derf as he sets himself on fire

## Trivia

* Plopeye, The Spaceman is a Zima warrior who eats spinach to grow stronger. He has an unnamed love interest.
* Dantomite bags are explosives used to blow up holes in casual mining. Abbreviated as D-bag, its a slang term for a jerky person.
* Mover droids come with outrage protocol.
* Bliff Damor is a musician with patented rap-rock style. His fans are called Bliff-heads
* Nermut bowls and scored a 185 with the inflatable safeties in the gutters.
* There is a Ship Mall where ships can go shopping located next to the Tiger Nebula Strip Mall
* Pleck is pink, but without his shirt, he is very pink.
* Two mover droids appear, without names, but Mover Droid #1 is likely listed in the credits as Mikey.
* Other voiced and unnamed non-credited characters include two customers for the piercing store (one kidney, one midsection), another Blue Julius customer, a waxing attendant at the spa, a woman friend of Old Derf, multiple Bliff-heads, an actor, and a director.

## References

1. ↑ The Space Awakens
2. ↑ A Critical Vulnerability

## Credits

### **Voice actors**

C-53 - Jeremy Bent

Pleck Decksetter - Alden Ford

Dar - Allie Kokesh

Nermut Bundaloy and Bliff Damor - Seth Lind

Bargarean Jade - Moujan Zolfaghari

Beano, Mikey and Bruce - Winston Noel

Old Derf aka Older Derf - Justin Tyler

### **Production**

Edited - Seth Lind

Recorded - Shane O'Connell

Sound Design and Mix - Shane O'Connell

Music - Brendan Ryan

Opening Crawl Narration - Jeremy Crutchley

Ship Design - Eric Geusz