Eight makes contact with the Ancients' legacy - and finds it uncooperative.
Distractions abound as Hector instigates a dishonorable discharge; Ling and Carson arm the troops; Richter takes control of the situation; Eight persuades the systems to accept her; and Lady Oq forces a confrontation.
Richter is a little short for a stormtrooper.
Scene 3: The Dark Thought Generator
Richter dodges a bolt or three.
Eight makes a bid for the throne.
Hector makes a bid for the throne.
Lord Zaous places his faith in technology; Lady Oq keeps her distance.
Carson faces his darkest thoughts, and triumphs.
Scene 4: Aftermath
Ling makes an unauthorised broadcast.
Zaous is brought low, and the Tiger is triumphant.
Eight takes a souvenir.
Mauthus II begins a long and painful rebirth - but how ancient are the Ancients?
Quotes
Jon Hector: Do you shoot it to switch it on, or switch it off?
Xiao Ling: When he's fascinated by an object he counts as an innocent.
Continuity
Brilliant inventive ideas of Jon Hector needlessly shot down as overly complicated and hazardous to life and limb. In this case:
Modifying the GravChute of the cargo pod to discharge all its energy in a giant leap at a modified handscanner as a location beacon (for when a safe location was found for the pod to land)
Having Dirk Richter sneak the handscanner into the lair of the big bad and circumventing the loss of peasant army lives with this makeshift suborbital weapon.