[EPISODE SUMMARY: THE NEW KINGDOM]
The episode opens on a moonlit expanse of desert, broken machinery littering the ground and a large palace in the distance. The scene shifts to an interior shot of a dark treasure vault. A beam of light rotates around the room, finally landing on a small, circular case. Jack, lantern in hand, picks up the item called the ‘Seed of Light’ and examines it skeptically. It’s beat up and rusted and Jack thinks it hardly worth their efforts, but Xyber says it’s more valuable than every piece of treasure in the room. An alarm suddenly blares and the pair looks around in confusion and frustration.
The shot shifts once again to an exterior shot of the palace where a large tunnel protrudes from the wall; Ikira hurries out of the tunnel on his speeder, followed by Ana riding Babu. Jack is the last one out and is followed by Machina soldiers, all firing their weapons. “Those are Dark-Armor Machina,” he says. “We should be honored. Machestro sent in the big guns.” Ikira snaps at him for his lack of seriousness in the dangerous situation.
The C.L.O.D. and the tank come lumbering over a hill to join the fray. Inside the C.L.O.D. cockpit, Mick scoffs at the amateurs he has to work with and readies his guns for firing. A heavy fleet of Tunnel Rats head toward him but his weapons won’t work. He frantically tries to fix the problem as he tells Willy, in the tank, that the circuits are shot. Not worried about the C.L.O.D., several Machina target Jack. He skillfully dodges them as Xyber tells him not to do anything rash; he replies cockily, “Hey, Rash is my middle name- that didn’t sound right…”
A laser shot slices cleanly through the strap that Jack carries the Xyber with and it falls from his shoulder, hitting the ground hard. Jack reels the jumper around, trying to maneuver back to the machine. He hovers above it but it quickly surrounded by soldiers; their mission is to ‘acquire the Xyber at all cost.’ Meanwhile, Willy is trying to hold off the rest of the Machina with his tank while Mick pulls desperately at wires in an attempt to fix his own vehicle. It’s clear that the team is outnumbered.
One of the Machina soldiers demands their surrender, the alternative being death, and foolishly calls Jack ‘boy.’ Jack grins ruefully. “Y’see, here’s what happens. You call me ‘boy,’ I get mad… I do something you’re going to regret, so just take it back and we can avoid this whole thing.” Instead, the soldier orders his crew to kill the ‘boy’ and Jack lets him have it, taking control of the guns on his speeder and getting the heck out of there. The soldiers advance toward the Xyber, still on the ground, but Mick (operating the C.L.O.D. with a confusing mass of wires around his fingers) fires a well-placed shot that deters them from picking it up. Ana and Babu swoop down and grab the Xyber, throwing it to Jack.
Even though the C.L.O.D. is hitting the Machina machines they’re not being damaged. The team ducks for cover and Xyber explains that only the Seed of Light (S.O.D. from this point on…) can help them defeat this advanced fleet of Machina. He says that it only has enough energy for one burst so Jack must make it count. Jack holds the box toward the soldiers and bright beams of light shoot from it; the soldiers’ vehicles immediately catch fire and fall from the sky. The remaining soldiers fall back in fear. The group is left in peace and Jack tells Xyber he’ll listen to him next time; Xyber doubts it.
{COMMERCIAL BREAK}
Back at their base, Mick is angry to discover that there was an entire treasure left behind. He drops the S.O.D. in disgust from his perch atop the C.L.O.D. and Jack dives to catch it. Jack says that the box saved their lives but Mick says his and Willy’s quick thinking and skill was what really did it. Ikira takes Jack’s side while Mick complains that there are no rewards in this job; Ana also criticizes Mick but turns on Ikira as well when he scolds her for her rudeness. Jack is fed up with the constant fighting and leaves. He sits on a battered vehicle and confides in Xyber that he’s afraid the group is falling apart. He watches as Babu and Honk have a row at the watering hole; their attention is soon averted to another animal who has entered their territory and they work together to chase it away. Jack realizes that to get the group stabilized they’ll have to work toward a shared goal. He urges Xyber to give him a complete history of the S.O.D., hoping that the information will lead to an upcoming mission and the team’s reconciliation. Xyber claims that the device is no longer useful because it’s been drained of energy, but he continues with the history lesson anyway.
The scene shifts yet again to the moonlit desert; the team’s vehicles move across the land noisily as they head out for their last mission. Mick is still in a bad mood but Jack assures him that in the New Valley they’ll find the Augmenter, an ancient device that will power the S.O.D. and destroy fleet after fleet of Tunnel Rats. Mick continues to verbally-bash Jack but Willy tells him to give the kid a chance- he might just know what he’s doing.
A Machina soldier, watching from a low ridge of vegetation, alerts Machestro of the team’s presence. On a screen in his lair, Machestro and Dakatar watch the team travel across the sand. Machestro realizes that they’re after the Augmenter and sends for Renard’s troops to stop them from reaching the Valley. As the team continues across the desert, a squad of Hammerons descends upon them. The group scatters for cover but Babu is hit and he and Ana plummet downward. Jack watches in horror as they plunge toward the ground.
{COMMERCIAL BREAK}
Jack snaps out of his shocked state and opens the jet hatch as the plane dives down beside the falling pair. They are both unconscious. Jack takes Honk in his lap, who starts bellowing loudly. The noise quickly rouses them and Babu struggles to gain altitude, barely avoiding the hard ground. Ana smiles, claiming that their near-death experience was fun and she wants to do it again. *GRIN*
Meanwhile, Jack tricks two air ships into crashing into each other, Mick takes out several Hammerons and Ikira goes for another. The battle over, the team finally makes it to the New Valley. As the sun rises, everyone marvels at the beauty of the place. They seem happy to be ‘home’- except Mick, who is sure that the Machina are going to rise up from the ground at any second. He just wants to get the job over with and leave.
The scene picks back up at the lake/dam where everyone is helping to set up equipment. “Of course this Augmenter just had to be at the bottom of the lake,” Mick complains. Willy says that he’ll go down but Mick feels connected to the C.L.O.D. and decides to go himself. Willy gives Jack some questionable scuba gear and tells him to keep an eye out for Mick; seems our thief has a fear of drowning.
Back in the lair, Machestro watches replays of the recent battle and grows even wearier of Renard’s military control… which is nil. Angered by Jack’s success he vows “to show them the full power… of the Underworld.”
Back at the dam, the C.L.O.D. is going under; Mick’s not happy. The machine lands on the lake’s floor and treks across the terrain, eventually coming to an immense city, long ago submerged. Xyber welcomes Jack and Mick to the world that created him.
On the raft, Ana is having a hard time choosing between her loyalty to Jack or her instinct to run, like Mick. She and Ikira have a roundabout discussion about fate and choice that leaves Ana looking a little bit flustered.
Xyber leads Mick and Jack through the city to a large block-like platform that is the Augmenter. Jack prepares to exit the C.L.O.D. as Mick holds his breath; water fills the cockpit and the hatch opens, letting Jack out. Mick waits nervously as the hatch seals itself again and the water starts draining; he doesn’t envy Jack for the world. Jack swims to the Augmenter and places Xyber in the control panel.
Machestro tracks their position from the Underworld and sends a large fleet of Tunnel Rats to deal with them. Jack is about to place the S.O.L. on its re-charger when the water becomes choppy; he knows that something’s wrong. Surface-side, the ground shakes and large waves overwhelm the water. In front of Jack searing light rips through the sand as the Tunnel Rats make their appearance. They shoot at the C.L.O.D. underwater and, above water, take aim at the rest of the team. After a moment’s hesitation, and to Ikira’s surprise, Ana takes Jacks place on the jumper; she’s chosen her path. Back down below, the Machina shoot at Jack and he drops the S.O.L. into a shallow ditch. As Mick takes out several Machina with a single blow, Jack dives down to find the box. But as he reaches for it a giant eel-like creature comes out of it’s hiding place and targets Jack as lunch.
{COMMERCIAL BREAK}
Ana and Ikira shoot several Machina off their vehicles while Jack tries to out-swim the eel. He doubles back to get the S.O.L. but the monster gets there first and swallows it. Instead of going after Jack it appears to be temporarily distracted; Jack kicks it hard in the jaw, dislodging the device from its mouth. Unfortunately, Mick was the distraction and is still clinging tightly to its middle, almost out of air. Not used to confrontation, the beast takes off.
More Machina abuse takes place in the air as Jack races against the water troops to get back to the Augmenter. As he places the device in its proper position, a huge burst of light shakes the platform and sends the Tunnel Rats scurrying back to their sand holes. Jack removes the Xyber and the platform suddenly begins to rise, carrying him and the C.L.O.D. toward the surface. The platform breaks through the water and soon towers over the lake like a lighthouse, its steady beams shooting in every direction and causing all of the Machina vehicles to drop to the ground, useless.
The C.L.O.D. makes it to shore and in one massive, metal hand Jack sits, sputtering water. Mick is in a much better mood having just kicked Machina tail, but is quite opposed to ever going on another mission like that. Later that day, the team watches the bright tower and the illuminated force-field it has created over the New Valley; the shield is effective against all Machina technology. Xyber marvels at the teamwork they’ve all displayed and Ikira says that differences can be strengths.
Surprising everyone, Mick praises the new fortress they have; he’s decided to stay, just to keep the ‘amateurs’ out of trouble. As the sun sets on the Valley, the tower still glowing, Jack removes his most cherished item from around his neck. The key to his family’s house is the only thing he possesses from his past and keeps the memories of his loved ones alive; he hangs it on the gate, symbolizing the home and the family that is being built in the New Valley.