'Justitia Omnibus' by Grizz"Burn slowly."The King is dead. Long live The Queen.
Despite taking aggressive action to confine all known conspirators aligned to G'rath and Venn, President Taylor briefly united the Federation, it's friends and new Romulan allies to stand against Peirce and a cowering G'rath himself, in his final moments. Renee Hampton was located alive, imprisoned on Verina IV. Chaplain and Burke squared off over the morality of justice. The seeds of doubt were planted in Alicia Costello's mind over Chiba Shigehito - shortly before an attack aboard Pioneer Station, believed to be have been caused by an inside man. Tabor Laren made his abrupt debut aboard the Hera, soon to familiarise himself with the staff. The gathering at Verina was simply the backdrop for the final act of the Illuminati storyline, between it's two contrasting leading figures.
This episode focused on what was right and what was wrong in the search for retribution.
- Was Chaplain too quick to criticize Burke's hunt for his son's killer, when he would later admit to being able to kill in search of revenge?
- Was President Taylor right to approve an operation which would incur massive collateral damage, for the purpose of eliminating Illuminati forces within the Government and Starfleet? Will there be a backlash against her?
- Was Amber Munro right to take it upon herself to take G'rath's life? Was it the wrong decision, or was it the right choice, given that he had already faced legitimate justice.
- What became of Walter Peirce? Was he aboard that cruiser? Did he surrender as quickly as Governor Brack?
- Who was responsible for the explosion on Pioneer's Promenade? What will become of Gaila's Bar? Download the new map and find out.
For those that missed it, or just wants to look over it again, here is the transcript of the final scene between President G'rath and Amber Munro:
QuoteG'RATH LOOKS DOWN TOWARDS THE LAVA PIT BELOW; HE DOES NOT LOOK BACK
MUNRO
Is this it? No exit strategy? What's the plan?
G'RATH
Aren't you supposed to be dead?
MUNRO
Did you think that I was?
G'RATH
No
MUNRO
Then why don't we skip that part?
MUNRO MOVES CLOSER TO G'RATH, HIS BACK STILL TURNED
MUNRO
Your wife and daughter died not far from here. They're the reason we're standing here, aren't they?
G'RATH
What would you know about my family?
MUNRO
Everything Starfleet knows. Everything they found out, the moment that you took office.
G'RATH
Surprise me.
MUNRO
When the Star Empire began making incursions, Starfleet pledged to protect this colony. But instead, they deployed their support ships elsewhere. They sent them to Yara.
Yara, of course, being the colony governed by Olivia Taylor, only a few years later. Hence the supposed random attack on the planet two months ago. Modest delivery, by the way. Broadcasting a massacre to billions
G'RATH
They had to see it.
MUNRO
No they didn't. You were making a point. That's what all of this has been about. You... making a point. You blamed the Romulans for the attack and Starfleet because they didn't get there in time. So you masterminded a reverse proxy war. Contacted Sel'tar at the birth of her splinter faction. Then you turned to Venn. Your man in Starfleet. A Vulcan, no less, very clever. Unstable dissident groups on both sides – positioned to ally with each other. The Cult of Romulus... The Illuminati.
G'RATH
That's the easy part. Go on.
MUNRO
Operation: Trojan wasn't an undercover assignment. It was a spark. It was never going to remain a secret. Sel'tar knew of its existence the entire time. She knew that I was a spy.
G'RATH
She did.
MUNRO
The whole thing was a trap.
G'RATH
It was.
MUNRO
The Cult of Romulus developed weapons of mass destruction... disguised as facilities created within asteroids. But they were all in close proximity to each other, except one. Asteroid Base: Alpha was not constructed by Romulans, we know that. But Sel'tar found out what was on Accobar III. Advanced technology. Hidden secrets. She told you know that she intended to keep it, even after the Federation took control. You had to get rid of her.
G'RATH
Very good.
MUNRO
My father didn't install Walter Peirce, did he? You did. You fed him Sel'tar's location for the rest of us to find. We eliminated her, then you tried to eliminate me. Failed, of course.
G'RATH
...and I'm the modest one.
MUNRO
Through Peirce you had the control bracelet. You had allies lined up in an alternate reality. Powerful allies. So you sent Ian Campbell. Matthew West warns me to get out, just after we learnt of your involvement in the whole bloody mess. Peirce forces the President to resign. You take office. Campbell takes Accobar. But you didn't count on my crew to run Campbell out.
G'RATH
Ian Campbell did not know how to control his situation.
MUNRO
Campbell was your mistake. You made it personal. You walked in to my home and hurt my family. The rest, as they say, is history.
G'RATH
Fitting that it should come to you and I, on the last line of my obituary.
MUNRO
Well you couldn't sit in jail after Pioneer became operational. Its goal of peace between Earth and Romulus? That undermined everything you worked towards.
G'RATH
It won't last, Taylor knows that. A cheap shot at a legacy.
MUNRO
Taylor wouldn't have been President of the Federation if you hadn't tried to write your own. All of this, just to make us feel how you felt. To lose the people you loved. You killed my son. Forced my daughter in to hiding. You split up Lexi and Jemma Etis. Taylor thinks of Hampton as a daughter and you made her watch her apparent execution. The Yara Colony. The assault on Rageth. Jupiter Station. The lives you've destroyed, just to make a point. Yet people are still going to ask, if you were always the bad guy... whether or not it's a thin line between heaven and hell.
AMBER MOVES CLOSER TO G'RATH, HE FINALLY TURNS AROUND TO FACE HER
AMBER REVEALS THE ROMULAN BLADE
MUNRO
This is what Walter Peirce used, when he thrust it in to my chest. He got the angle wrong. I won't.
G'RATH
Thank you.
MUNRO
For what?
G'RATH
Sparing me reincarceration.
MUNRO
You know, all I have done, for as long as I can remember... is what my father... and people like you... have ever asked of me. So I would ask something of you.
G'RATH
What?
AMBER LUNGES FORWARD, IMPALING THE BLADE IN G'RATH'S CHEST AND GRABBING HIS JACKET. SHE WHISPERS IN HIS EAR
MUNRO
Burn slowly.
AMBER PUSHES G'RATH BACK, OVER THE EDGE, MAKING THE LONG DROP IN TO THE LAVA PIT BELOW
Asteroid Field's second season is underway. Thank you for attending. Rate and discuss, above and below!
This episode marked the final appearance of President G'rath [as played by Grizz / Talus / Griffiths / Jenson ] and Ryan Burke [as played by Grizz ]
Nice episode Grizz =) I loved the story although not sure about the seeds of doubt/suspicion planted :P
A 5 star episode Grizz as always I really enjoyed it thanks for letting me join in :)
Indeed, a nice unfolding of the entire G'rath storyline. I loved it how both element from Asteroid Base, back to it's first season, and AF came together. Kudos on this plotline!
And so the webs begin to spin together - even as you dangle more mysteries in front of us. *Shakes fist*