Zeitgeist 1: Symphony of Dreams - July 2071

"The Iris, Part 1" - Kathris and Hali go patrolling for demons in the forest nearby Vanskar with Rikan. / After they kill the demons, they return to Vanskar and make their case for improved defenses to Simba and Arandis. They consider their options and debate their choices. 2 Angel and Alexis meet in the library and she is digging around for something of interest to her, but she is unable to find it. 1 / Hali talks to Summer about having a sword of her own, and Summer asks her what kind she would want. 2 Estipax speaks to Captain Stark and her second about his plans to eliminate Vanskar and everyone in it. 1 Hali paints Kathris’s portrait, and tells him she thinks he has great potential. They kiss. 2 Wade triumphantly fixes the sensor grid around the building, and Simba declares maybe now they can get some work done. 2 / Rikan asks Kathris if he would participate in his coming of age ceremony in a few weeks, and Kathris accepts. 2 Captain Stark suggests a plan to eliminate Kathris and the others, and Estipax prefers to go himself and meet this special forces team. 2 Kathris and the others are walking in the moonlight and Estipax appears and makes a challenge. Kathris and he are locked in combat. 2 (1)

"The Iris, Part 2" – Estipax nearly defeats Kathris in battle, and then Rikan and Hali pull him to safety. / Arandis treats Kathris’s wounds and advises him to be more careful the next time he fights. 1 Rikan fills Simba, Summer, Wade, and Alexis in on what had happened the previous night. 2 / Estipax tells Captain Stark to look for a book that can foretell the future. 2 Kathris asks Simba for ways that he can be stronger, and that he needs a sword. Simba gifts him the diatrix, and tells him it’s always brought his family luck. 2 Hali asks Summer if they should patrol tonight, and Summer tells her it’s likely more important now that Estipax is around. 1 Estipax meets the girls patrolling, and tells them there is far more going on than they see. He does fight them, but it is obvious they are not his priority. 2 / Simba discovers a book that appears to be some kind of a journal, but he pays it no attention and files it away while he and Arandis are talking. 2 Estipax and Captain Stark make their way to the library, but Kathris intercepts them and with Rikan and Hali’s help, he forces them out. 2 Kathris gathers a staff meeting, and tells everyone he expects it to be a long fight, but he plans to count on everyone here. 2 (2)

"Club Amaragne" – Hannah is singing some song with Pascal while Kathris and Hali do a sexy dance. When the song is over, Hannah introduces herself and Pascal. Captain Stark asks someone outside where the book is. / Rikan is looking for Kathris, and Wade complains that they’re out partying while she’s holding the fort. 1 Hannah and Pascal tell Kathris and Hali all about themselves and how they ended up there. 2 / Alexis comes to Simba with a report on Captain Stark and her activities since she went renegade. She reports what she was doing near the club the previous night. 2 Rikan trains with Kathris and tells him that one of these days he’ll have to let him handle the demon fighting. Kathris jokes with him. 2 Captain Stark enters the club and asks Pascal if he knows any place that might have hard to find volumes. 1 Arandis asks for Wade’s help with the setup for a genetic comparative analysis. 2 / Captain Stark and her second bust into the club and hold everyone indefinitely. Pascal attempts to stop them, but he is injured. Hannah takes care of him and calls for help. 2 Rikan, Kathris, Hali, and Wade respond to the call, and they slowly weaken their forces before they attack in force and stop Captain Stark. 2 Hannah thanks Kathris for helping them, and tells them to stop by often. 2 (3)

"Pomp And Circumstance" – Rikan comments on the outfit he must wear for his ceremony, and then it pans out to show what Kathris, Simba, and Summer are wearing. / A shadowed figure gives Shrag and Karris their instructions on whom to terminate and why. 1 Kathris and Rikan participate in the Passing of the Sword ritual and spend time celebrating with ritual dancing. 2 / Alexis asks Wade and Summer about the feline coming of age ceremony, and Wade tells her about all of the idiosyncrasies of the ceremony and what they must do next. Summer complains the ceremony for the girls is much less involved. 2 Kathris and Rikan head off to a campsite where they talk for a while and bond. 2 Shrag and Karris attempt to eliminate then while they sleep, but they put up a fight. 1 Alexis, Wade, and Arandis surprise Summer with ice cream and their idea of a girls ceremony. 2 / Rikan and Kathris attempt to figure out who these guys are, but they do not identify themselves beyond saying they’re from CAT. 2 Hali attempts to contact Kathris and see how the ceremony is going, but she does not get a response and heads after them. 1 Kathris and Rikan are approximately even with Karris and Shrag when Shrag almost kills Rikan, but Shrag hesitates. Hali arrives just as they leave. 1 Rikan reports on what happened to Simba and Arandis, and Simba expresses his pride in his son. 2 (4)

"That Old Brother Of Mine" – Arandis and Simba are walking in the alley and they see a rabbit demon slayer finish off a vampire. Simba asks if she knows this rabbit. Arandis says he’s her brother, Adair. / Adair calls Roki out and she has a conversation with him. Adair tells her he was concerned and thought she was in danger. 2 Hali asks Wade what’s going on in there, and Wade tells her they’ve been in there for three hours. 1 / Captain Stark tells Estipax about some new players in town. Estipax decides he’ll pay them a visit. 2 Kathris goes patrolling and is joined by Adair and Roki. Estipax draws them to a construction site and introduces himself. There is a brief skirmish before they disappear. Adair gets a cut on his arm. 2 Arandis catches Adair when they return and bandages his wound while she berates him. 2 Alexis finds Roki in the library and asks him what his story is and how he got involved with Adair. 1 / Adair tells Arandis he is going out, and Arandis tries to stop him but he goes anyway. 1 Estipax and Captain Stark as well as their underlings attack them and force them into a corner. 2 Simba and Arandis talk, and then she decides that she should help him. 1 Arandis and Simba help Adair and Roki, and then he tells her he still must leave. He tells her that if he does need help, to give him a call. 2 (5)

"Precursor Legacy" – Kathris, Rikan, and Hali are walking along when they are attacked by vampires. After they slay them, a being from above has been watching. It is Aeris. / Hannah and Pascal spend some time talking to Hali, and she comments back and forth with them. 2 Hali leaves the club and heads back towards Vanskar, but she is stopped by Aeris. She identifies herself as Kai’Rin, one of the heyani. Hali is hurt in the fight. 1 / Kathris and Arandis tend to Hali, and they care for her wounds while Arandis attempts to heal her injuries. 2 Simba asks for Angel and Alexis to help him research the Kai’Rin and the word ‘heyani’. They discover that it means ‘precursor’. 2 Rikan and Summer patrol looking for Aeris, and she greets them with a violent and powerful display. They fight her, but are forced to retreat. 2 Hali recovers and tells Kathris of her encounter. 1 / Simba calls a meeting and tells of the horrors of the precursor and the empire they controlled, and what one of them could do now. 2 Kathris volunteers to go after her, but Hali insists on coming. They engage her together, and when Aeris is forced out, she leaves behind the Bianca Sol, her blade. 2 Simba investigates the white sword, and though he plans further research, gives it to Hali. 2 (6)

"The Beast In Me" – Arandis is running a checkup on Wade, who has become an anthro tiger due to her weretiger nature. / Kathris listens while Simba tells Kathris everything he knows of conventional knowledge on Animalians, also known as the were species. 2 Hali and Summer take Wade out for a relaxing evening, and she warns them to keep an eye on her. 1 / Alexis is conducting some practice of her powers, and Arandis joins her to check her out considering Wade’s situation. Alexis hides something. 2 Wade is walking with Hali and Summer when her bestial nature overtakes her and she escapes from their custody. 1 Rikan and Kathris attempt to track her on sensors, and halfway through the attempt Kathris decides to track her the old fashioned way. 2 Simba hands out plasma pistols, and Alexis tells Kathris she can probably detect her through passive psychic sweeps. 2 / Kathris and Alexis are wandering through some streets, and Wade drops in on them. Alexis touches her mind, and is forced out by the sheer bestial nature. Wade escapes. 2 Rikan, Summer, and Simba manage to keep her occupied long enough for Alexis to suspend her in air and for Arandis to give her a hypo. 2 Wade apologizes to Arandis and Kathris, and Arandis injects her with something to better monitor it from now on. 2 (7)

"Living Images" – Estipax insists that Captain Stark step up her efforts to find the journal, but she tells him she will need Kathris occupied. Estipax concocts a plan. / Hali paints a picture of a dragon, and Kathris gives his opinion. After they flirt and leave the room, the image glows. 2 Rikan is talking to Simba about something, and they are attacked by the dragon. It disappears after a short fight. 1 / Captain Stark passes into the Vanskar building and attempts to search their library, but Alexis stops her. She tells her they are looking for the same thing when she scans her mind. 2 Kathris and Hali are training in the training room when they are attacked by an image of Kathris that Hali had painted. She recognizes the painting. It too vanishes. 2 Estipax asks Captain Stark why she failed, and she tells her that the Esper knows more than she seems. Estipax states the psychics are full of secrets. 2 Alexis reports to Simba and Kathris that Captain Stark was here, but that she did not get anything. 1 / Kathris, Simba, Hali, and Rikan are talking about what to do about these images, when one of a demon in the room appears and attacks them. They defeat it, and it vanishes. 2 Estipax and Captain Stark are planning what to do next, and Alexis interrupts them and shatters the orb that generates the spell. Estipax and Alexis both seem to know more than they indicate. 2 Kathris and Rikan plan to attack Estipax with the belief he is behind it, but Alexis tells them the matter has been taken care of. 2 (8)

"Measuring Up" – Summer sits in the library looking up research on those in her family line, and Angel comments back and forth with her. / Summer asks Hali and Wade what she’s done or will do to eventually warrant her inclusion into the family history. 2 Arandis and Simba talk it over with Rikan, and they decide to give Summer a mission. 1 / Alexis talks to Raoul McCloud over the comm about Captain Stark and how they know about the journal as well. 2 Summer follows a mysterious figure through several streets, and when she realizes she is being followed, she identifies herself as Robin. They fight. 2 Estipax welcomes Robin to his observatory with Captain Stark, and she nods. 1 Summer tells Arandis and Kathris about Robin, and that she was a tough fighter. 2 / Summer expresses her desire to go out again and find Robin, and Rikan insists on going with her. 2 Robin heads out on her own, and runs into Summer outside the Club Amaragne. They fight each other, but Robin is defeated. 2 Simba finds Summer and Rikan in Rikan’s room and tells her he entered her a commendation in the log. 2 (9)

"Secret Identity" – Kathris discusses with Simba and Arandis about Alexis and her mysterious activities, particularly during episode 8. / Alexis is working in the library, and Angel asks if she needs help, but she tells him to go away. 1 Kathris talks to Angel about what Alexis usually does in the library, but he tells him she usually keeps to herself. 2 / Arandis asks Wade to tap into Alexis’s communications logs, and Wade asks if it’s needed. Arandis says it’s important, but they don’t find anything unusual. 2 Kathris confronts Alexis about her silence in episode 8, and her activities. He says she has this whole identity she keeps secret from them, and she tells him to leave her the hell alone. 2 Hannah gives Alexis a drink and she tells her she’s got a lot of sorrows to drown. 1 Summer, Hali, and Wade are talking, and Summer wonders if they have legitimate reason to investigate Alexis. 2 / Hannah tells Alexis she’s cutting her off, and Alexis agrees to go home and figure things out without the help of gallons of soda. 2 Wade finds a mysterious file in the computer system, but it has many layers of encryption. Kathris tells her to leave it, as they don’t have enough of anything to warrant further investigation just yet. 2 Alexis contacts Raoul again over the comm, and tells them that the others are getting suspicious. 2 (10)

"The Choice" – Simba picks up Alyanna at the local transport station, and they catch up on old times. / Hali, Summer, Kathris, and Rikan try and figure out what a scientist would want here. 2 Alyanna tells Wade that she’s heard a lot about her, and wants to utilize her expertise on a long term research project. 1 / Wade asks Arandis and everyone else in a montage scene about what she should do. 2 Simba asks Alyanna what kind of research project she has in mind, and she tells him about a theory of vortexes as a travel method. 2 Kathris asks Rikan if he would ever leave if such an opportunity arose, and Rikan affirms he doesn’t plan on going anywhere. 2 Alyanna tells Wade this could make her career if she takes the offer. 1 / Alexis talks to Alyanna about her theories, but several of them are currently classified. 2 Hali talks to Wade, and suddenly the power core has a problem. Wade fixes it in the nick of time. 2 Wade talks to Alyanna and says she appreciates the offer, but she wants to stay. Alyanna tells her one day she’ll bring the project here, because she wants Wade’s help. 2 (11)

"On Angel’s Wings" – Angel examines some of the rare volumes in his library, and comes across the journal that everyone has been looking for. Simba interrupts, but he hides the journal. / Estipax orders Captain Stark to return to Vanskar and get the journal, since he knows it must be there. He has a different mission for Robin. 1 Kathris comes to check on Angel, and he tells him Simba was concerned about him. Angel denies anything is wrong. 2 / Kathris talks to Rikan and asks him what he’s supposed to do with a person like that, that you don’t know much about and who won’t talk to you. 2 Angel reads the journal, some of it out loud, and then when he realizes the information contained therein, leaves the building. 1 Captain Stark recognizes the book that Angel carries, and demands he hands it over. He refuses. 2 Arandis comes to Simba, Kathris, and Hali and tells them that Angel is gone and his stuff is missing. 2 / Angel and Captain Stark fight for the journal, and he eventually gets the upper hand and is able to kill her with a plasma pistol. He takes the journal and heads for the transport station. 2 Wade, Arandis, and Kathris find Captain Stark’s body and a feather and confirm it was Angel. They follow him to the transport station, but it is too late. 2 Kathris and Simba discuss the situation with command. 2 (12)

"From A To Z" – Hali welcomes Ellinia to Vanskar, and shows her Angel’s room. She tells her this was where the last librarian stayed. / Hali, Wade, and Ellinia go to the Club Amaragne, and Hannah and Pascal entertain them. Pascal hits on Ellinia, with mixed results. 2 Pascal talks to Ellinia in more detail and apologizes for his earlier attempts. 1 / Kathris and Simba try to figure out what Angel took, but they aren’t able to find what book he stole. 2 Hannah talks to Pascal and tells him she thinks he’s smitten with the new librarian. 2 Ellinia gets some lunch and introduces herself to Summer, Arandis, and Alexis. 2 Wade begins work on a holosimulator that they could use to train themselves. She has Hali helping. 1 / While Ellinia sets up the library desk the way she likes it, Pascal stops by and asks if she’d want to go out sometime. She accepts. 2 Kathris tells Simba and Arandis that Ellinia seems to be fitting in well around here. 2 Alexis walks into the library and continues to look for the journal. Ellinia asks what she’s looking for, but Alexis tells her she’s fine. 2 (13)

"Power Trip" – Kathris and Hali spend the morning snuggling together and loafing around, procrastinating facing the world. / Robin returns to Estipax with a powerful magic scepter, and he expresses his appreciation. 2 Kathris tells Rikan that he’ll probably want to marry Hali someday, and Rikan pokes fun at him. 1 / Kathris and Hali patrol together, and they are attacked by Estipax. They manage to seek temporary refuge and contact Simba. 2 Simba and Ellinia research what the scepter could be and what its capabilities are. 2 Estipax searches for Kathris and Hali and plays mind games with Kathris. 1 Simba tells Rikan and Wade what the scepter can do and how to defeat it. 2 / Estipax fights Kathris and Hali, and then Rikan and Wade join the fight. They soon destroy the scepter. 2 Estipax talks to Robin and tells her they don’t need toys to do what needs to be done. 2 While Arandis patches up Hali and Kathris, they spend the time bonding. 2 (14)

"Change Of Heart" – The shadowed figure again gives Karris and Shrag a new mission. They are to terminate Wade. / Wade works on maintenance for the power core and Hali asks if she wants to go out later. Wade says she might go out by herself later. 2 Shrag and Karris observe Wade together when she is walking. 1 / Shrag tells Karris he’s having second thoughts, and Karris makes sure Shrag reaffirms his loyalty before they continue. 2 Arandis and Simba engage Wade in conversation when she tells them she’s not really in the mood for socializing right now. 2 Wade is walking when Shrag and Karris confront her. Wade fights them but is hurt. 2 Arandis and Simba wonder if they shouldn’t check on her. 1 / When Karris is about to attack Wade again, Shrag switches sides, and the two of them hide together. 2 Arandis looks for Wade with Simba, and they don’t find her, but they find signs of a fight. 1 Shrag and Wade face Karris together, and when Karris is defeated he tells Shrag that there will be consequences. 2 Kathris puts Shrag in a detention cell for the time being until they know they can trust him. 1 (15)

"Monologue Or Dialogue" – Estipax and Robin invite Kathris to meet him alone at his observatory and talk, and he promises no tricks. / Kathris tells Simba and Rikan about the proposal, and Rikan thinks it’s a bad idea. 2 Arandis checks out Shrag for a physical. 1 / Rikan talks to Shrag and reads what’s in his file versus the gaps that Shrag fills in. 2 Hali and Summer both tell Kathris that he shouldn’t go unarmed, but Hali suggests this may be a way to find out what Estipax wants them to know. 2 Estipax descends the stairs and tells Kathris they are of the same blood and come from the same place. 2 Hali tells Wade that she’s worried about Kathris, and she tells her he’s probably fine. 1 / Robin tells Kathris the Espers are hiding something and that he must be able to feel it. Estipax tells him not to trust that psychic he has in his midst. She’s a Varish, one of the Esper knights. 2 Alexis inquires where Kathris is, and when she hears of where, she is concerned, though not for the reasons the others suspect. 2 Estipax tells Kathris that the next time they meet, he will kill him. Kathris tells him he’ll do the same. 2 (16)

"Renaissance Skunk" – Pascal visits Ellinia in the library and performs a song for her with his guitar. / Kathris hears music in his room, and Hali tells him it’s Pascal in the library. 2 Pascal and Ellinia kiss, and she flatters him, but not without taking him down a peg or two. 1 / Hannah tells Hali and Wade about the time she and Pascal used to date, and she tells him what broke them up. 2 Arandis gets a coded message from the Council Leader that there is someone they’d like her to watch for a bit. 1 Pascal walks with Ellinia and they are attacked by some vampires. When Pascal disposes of them both, Ellinia is impressed. 2 Rikan trains with his sword and tells Kathris Shrag’s been behaving himself, and that he might be useful. 2 / Pascal and Ellinia enjoy a dance at the club, and Hannah tells him not to screw this one up. 2 Kathris tells Shrag that he’ll give him a shot to prove himself, but one slipup and he’s out. 2 Pascal tells Ellinia that he’s never considered himself anything like a family man, but he does want to stick around indefinitely. 2 (17)

"On Your Side" – Kathris and Shrag train with each other so Kathris can test Shrag’s abilities. / Summer asks Wade if it makes her nervous considering that he tried to kill her. Wade points out he switched sides and helped her. 2 Estipax tells Robin that she has been useful up to this point, but he must send her elsewhere soon to gather together the Kai’Rin. 1 / Kathris and Shrag track Robin and follow her to a transport hub. She prepares to leave, but they confront her. She fights them and gets away. 2 Kathris, Simba, Rikan, and Shrag try to figure out where she was going, and it appears she was headed for another section of Earth. 2 Shrag talks to Wade and attempts to make sure that he’s settled things with her. Wade forgives him. 2 Estipax contacts Robin and she informs him she’s arrived at her prearranged location. 1 / Rikan gives Shrag his quarters, and tells him that Kathris will be by later to see him. 2 Alexis and Arandis make comments on C.A.T.’s threat to come back after Shrag, and when they’ll carry that out. 2 Kathris tells Shrag that he did well, and that he’ll keep him on the team as long as he proves trustworthy. 2 (18)

"Enter The Dragon" – Ryder is heading towards Vanskar when he is attacked by a pair of dragons. Arandis fights them off, and welcomes Ryder to Vanskar. / Arandis tells Kathris and Simba who Ryder is, and that he is waiting until he is able to take the draconian throne while the regent rules in his place. 2 Kathris tells Shrag that he’s got an assignment for him, and that he will be protecting prince Ryder until he leaves their custody, including sharing quarters. 1 / Arandis asks Kathris if he’s certain this is a wise idea, and Kathris tells her he knows what he’s doing. 2 Ryder and Shrag talk to each other, telling each other about their origins and where they came from. 2 Simba explains to Hali, Summer, and Wade about the dragon monarchy, and the fringe element that wants to keep Ryder from reaching the throne. 2 Arandis tells Ryder that she is for the time being his guardian, and that he’d best not do anything foolish. 2 / Kathris asks Arandis how she ended up picking up custody of Prince Ryder, and she tells him that she can’t share that information. 2 Wade and Alexis install additional equipment in Ryder and Shrag’s quarters so that they have everything they need. 2 Shrag asks Ryder how long he thinks he’ll be here, and Ryder tells him at least a year. 2 (19)

"The Call" – Pascal finishes a performance and talks to Ellinia by the bar, and then Hannah tells him there’s somebody here for him. It is Adair and Roki. / Adair and Roki tell Pascal things are getting bad on Harlequin, more so than normal. They tell him they need his help to get Finola out. 2 Kathris talks to Ellinia and asks her if she’s come across anything interesting. She tells him possibly. 1 / Pascal tells Ellinia that he’s got to go and help one of his friends, and she asks him to stay. 2 Adair and Roki are hanging in the club, and Arandis scolds him for not coming to see her. 2 Wade, Hali, and Summer tell Ellinia that Pascal probably is doing what he has to do, and that he’ll come back when he’s done. 2 Alexis comes to see Ellinia and asks her if she’s going to say good-bye to Pascal, she says no. 1 / Adair and Roki tell Arandis they’ll be out of contact for a few months in Harlequin, and that he’ll send her a message when he can. Arandis hugs him. 2 Kathris talks to Ellinia, and asks her if she really wants to let Pascal go without saying good-bye. 2 Hannah bids Pascal good luck with Adair and Roki, and then she tells him to come back to her. Ellinia shows up at the last minute and gives Pascal a kiss before they leave. 2 (20)

"The Key" – Estipax ushers Finn into his observatory and asks if he brought him what he promised. Finn shows Estipax the key. / Kathris and Hali patrol and slay several demons, and Hali comments that Estipax has been quiet lately. 2 Simba and Ellinia show Kathris something they found, that an artifact has been stolen from a Paris museum. Simba shows an illustration of The Key. 1 / Estipax tells Finn that this will tell him where to find the twelve Kai’Rin crystals and the clock that will release their power. 2 Kathris and Rikan head for the observatory, and are interrupted by Finn. He attacks them and tells them they’re not going to interfere just yet. Estipax establishes a barrier around the observatory. 2 Kathris asks Wade, Alexis, and Ellinia to figure out how to break through that barrier. 2 Estipax tells Finn that if anything should happen to him, to gather the crystals himself and meet up with Robin. 1 / Alexis attempts to punch through the barrier while Wade attempts technological methods, and Ellinia tries magic. Nothing succeeds. 2 Arandis tells Kathris that he must stop Estipax. She wishes him luck. 2 Estipax performs a ritual with Finn present, and then he thrusts the Key into the ground and it begins to glow. Estipax states it’ll only be a matter of time. 2 (21)

"The End Of The Beginning" – Estipax watches the Key flash in patterns and project something above the Key. He marks down the coordinates of the first crystal. / Simba and Ellinia conduct more research to find out what could break through a massively powerful energy barrier, and Simba suggests the precursor weapon. 2 Finn tells Estipax that Kathris and the others will come soon, and Estipax orders him to find the crystals they’ve located at that point. 1 / Hali tells Kathris that when he goes against Estipax, she’s going with him. He tries to talk her out of it, but Hali suggests he can’t get in without her sword. 2 Arandis contacts the Council Leader and he asks if Ryder is safe. When she tells him yes, he orders her to make sure it stays that way. 2 Estipax notes that there are three crystals now located, and that it does not function fast enough. 1 Kathris and Hali get some advice from Simba and Arandis, and Wade gives them a little something to take along. 2 / Estipax marks down a fourth coordinate and Finn watches while Kathris and Hali bust in. 2 Kathris and Hali kill Estipax, and the Key is destroyed. Finn escapes with the coordinates on a data pad. 2 Kathris tells Simba that he’s about tired of not knowing what’s going on, and that this time he’s going to find some answers. 2 (22)