Secret Like Sul
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Secret Like Sul” | |
|---|---|
| Ōban Star-Racers episode | |
 |
|
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 20 |
| Guest stars | None |
| Written by | Savin Yeatman-Eiffel |
| Directed by | Thomas Romain Savin Yeatman-Eiffel |
| Production no. | 120 |
| Original airdate | 06 November 2006 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "The Origin of the World" | "Ominous Like O" |
| Episode chronology | |
"Secret Like Sul" is an episode of the series Ōban Star-Racers.
Molly discovers a conspiracy by other racers to take Sul out of the competition, but struggles with how she should use this information. Stay quiet and take the opportunity to advance in the rankings, or inform Sul and give up any hope of catching the overall points leader. At the same time, Kanaleto begins to set his own plans in motion.
[edit] Plot
| “ | I'm not the type of guy who scares easily, you know me...but now that we've reached the second part of the grand finals, the Ultimate Prize has gone to their alien heads. Our ex-pal "Prince Double-Crosser" most of all. I'm not gonna give up. I'd do anything for the Earth Team, and for Molly...but that's another story.
~Jordan |
” |
Inside the floating temple Molly walks up to a stone archway. Engraved at the top of the arch is Aikka's symbol. Molly says that it's now or never and proceeds into the structure and stands in front of the portal that leads to Aikka's module. Taking a deep breath she approaches the portal and places her hands on the stone but nothing happens. Surprised she checks to see if anything is wrong but realizing that she can't enter and leave. Walking back down the path, the structure suddenly lights up inside. Molly quickly ducks behind a pillar just as Aikka emerges from the structure and scans the surroundings. Molly makes a bitter remark that she doesn't even 'recognize' him anymore.
Aikka makes his way to another building, while Molly follow him being careful not be noticed. He stops just inside the entrance and turns to scan the surroundings one more time before going inside. Molly creeps forward and slowly enters the structure. She is surprised when she discovers that the building is empty and Aikka has disappeared. Looking down she notices several stone circles outlined on the floor and stoops down to examine the stone. Tapping with her knuckles she discovers that there’s nothing underneath the inner ring. Running her fingers around the edge of the ring she finds a crevice and pulls out a pair of pliers. She gives a short smile saying that the prince will have to do better to get rid of her. Digging at the edge with her tool she is suddenly dumped through the opening down a long dark shaft.
Molly emerges at the bottom into a large dark hall full of broken pillars and moss. Back in the Earth Team module, Don Wei yells at Stan, Koji and Jordan asking where Molly is. They don't answer and Don says that she's the pilot and tells them to go find her. They run off and Don silently comments that it was bad enough when she was just a regular team member. Molly walks through the hall but finds that she doesn't know where to go. She starts to hear strange sounds echoing off the walls. A brightly lit shape passes behind her causing her to run in a panic. She finds another spot to hide and when she realized she is not being followed calms down. Molly notices a dim blue glow coming from the end of small tunnel and crawls through it towards the source of the light. Emerging from the tunnel she sees a massive water fountain that looks like a strange creature sitting inside a large bowl. Glowing blue waters cascade from the top of the statue down into the bowl. Underneath the bowl, she sees Aikka standing with Ondai and Ning and Skun.
Ning comments that Aikka shot them down in the last race and that they’re not exactly happy to be talking with him. Skun walks up to Aikka, extends her talons and grabs his cloak. She says that he will not be walking away from the meeting. Aikka unmoved, comments that 'the prize is the prize' and that he didn't invite them there for tea. He remarks that he wants the Ultimate Prize more than anything and will do anything to get it, and that they would do the same. Skun lets him go and retracts her claws. Aikka confesses that he asked them to come in order to make a temporary alliance in order to take out a mutual threat. Ondai comments that Sul is the biggest threat and the most unpredictable. Aikka says that they must take Sul out of the race for good, because if he's allowed to score again they would never catch up; the race would be essentially over. The four racers put their hands together and make a pact to stop Sul. Molly crawls away disgusted by what she has seen and heard. She comments that she believed that someone was forcing Aikka hand and that she's been so naive.
Emerging from the tunnel, a large glowing alien flies over her head startling her; she yells in panic. The others hear the scream and run off to investigate. Molly, knowing she's been heard, runs through the hall to escape and runs into a dark shape. Recovering she sees that she ran into Satis. He says she shouldn't scare him like that since he's old. She asks him why he's there and he comments that he's just making his rounds. Hearing the other quickly approaching she puts her hand over Satis' mouth to quite him and pleads with him to help her escape. Satis tries to talk but only makes mumbling sounds until Molly pulls her hand away and asks him to please help. He smiles and says that the 'magic word' opens many doors. He taps on the nearby wall with his staff and it pulls apart to reveal a spiral staircase. They move inside and the walls close.
Descending the staircase, Molly emerges into a large room full of furniture and books. Satis welcomes her to his home, which Molly sarcastically finds 'charming'. Satis points to one of many glowing portals and says that when she's ready to go back she can leave through the Earth Team portal. He says that she must at least stay for a hot drink first and begins rummaging through his possessions. Seeing Aikka's portal, Molly has a short flashback of his comments about taking out Sul. She then notices Sul's portal and walks over to the archway. Seeing that Satis hasn't noticed she walks through the portal commenting that she can't let this happen. Satis spins around to stop her but it is too late.
Molly emerges into Sul's module and walks into the courtyard. She calls out for Sul but he doesn’t responds. Walking to the other end of the courtyard she stops and turns around to find Sul floating behind her. She tells him that other racers are preparing an ambush for him; Sul doesn't say anything. She asks if he understands what she’s saying, but Sul turns and flies away. She yells at him that she's serious. He stops and asks her why she telling him this, to which she says that she can't let it happen. He asks why she can't, since she would have everything to gain from his destruction. He asks if she desires the Ultimate Prize as much as he does. She answers that she does but that she won't let the prize destroy her. Sul doubts her and flies up and extends his hand. A glowing symbol appears and ripple of energy emerge. Sul begins to forcefully read her thoughts and sees images of her childhood, including the death of her mother and her relationship with her father. Molly begs him to stop and collapses to her knees.
After a few moments, Sul stops and comments that her scars run deep and that they control her making her an easy target. He informs her that her efforts are in error and that he welcomes the ambush as it would, in his mind, break up the monotony of the race...and perhaps his life. She asks him why he wants the prize. Sul reveals that he is 'the master over space, time, and even the course of destiny', and that there is nothing he wants to wish for. He tells her to leave and floats away. Angered, Molly follows him and shouts to him that if he's so bored he should quit the race and leave the prize to those who really want it. He ponders her words for a moment then turns and leaves Molly to her simmering anger.
Later, Molly emerges from a portal back into the Earth Team module and finds Jordan waiting for her. He berates her for leaving and that Don has been worried sick, and asks her what she's thinking. She dejectedly remarks that she doesn't know anymore and says they have a race to win and they run off. The temple sends out light beams signaling the start of the race. As Molly gets ready, Don Wei radios in and tells her that they will 'discuss' her absence later but they need to focus on the race. He reminds her that they can't let Sul get any more points. The racers drop from the modules and fly down into a dark, ruined gully and accelerate towards the first gate. Molly approaches Kross from behind and he sees the Arrow but his focus is not on the Earth Team but Sul who is behind them. He accelerates and catches up to Aikka. As he passes he tells Aikka to get rid of Sul. Aikka turns around and flies back down the trench. Ning and Skun see him and also change course. They fly past Ondai who also turns. As Molly races down the trench she is shocked to see the other racers bearing down on her and swerves to avoid them as they fly back in the other direction. Jordan is confused as they are going the wrong way, but Molly just says it's none of their concern and flies through a ring right behind Kross.
Sul flies down the trench and suddenly stops as he finds Aikka, Ning and Skun and Ondai waiting for him. As the Arrow flies down the trench flashes of light appear over the horizon. Jordan comments that someone’s getting a beating. The conspirators are unloading all their weapons onto Sul, who just sits their without moving; Sul is engulfed in explosions. Kross sees the explosions as well and laughs as he says that victory is his as he and Molly both fly through another gate. As she begins to gain on Kross, she suddenly screams in her head that she can't do this and turns around and heads back down the trench. In the control room, Don yells at her to turn around, that it's not her battle. As she moves back towards the battle, she sees Sul fly by unscratched. Rounding a corner, she sees nothing but rubble and flaming wreckage. Inside his prison, Kanaletto stares at glowing orbs with the pilot’s faces in them. All but Sul's orb changes into feathers and fall into his hand. He comments that once again destiny has been altered.
Aikka crawls out of the rubble and sees the Arrow flying overhead. Don chimes in and tells Molly to turn around. Aikka gets on his beetle and flies up into the air but is unable to look at Molly as her withering gaze cows him; he flies away. Watching him leave, she also turns around and follows him. Sul flies through a gate and accelerates down the course and spots Kross in the distance. Kross is angered when he sees Sul quickly gaining on him. Back in his cell, Kanaletto reaches down and grabs a handful of sand and tosses it over the glowing orb with Sul's face. Back on the course, Sul is engulfed in a strange fog and suddenly disappears. Kross can only stare in shock. In the Earth Team control room, Koji says that Sul's pyramid has just disappeared and everyone is speechless. Suddenly his signal reappears but is far away from the race course. Sul flies through the fog and emerges into the courtyard of a large temple. He disperses his ship and floats forward. There is a surge or red light and an image of Kanaletto appears before him. In Satis' chambers, all the glowing portals flare with intense light and Satis stares in disbelief.
Sul asks if the he is the being known as Kanaletto. Kanaletto says that Sul lives up to his reputation, his knowledge is impressive and he is far more powerful than he lets others know. Don hears a strange peel in his headset and the monitor turns to static. Koji says they are picking up a strange magnetic signal and a blurry outline of Kanaletto appears on the monitor. Kanaletto responds that the light of Sul's presence clouds his vision of the future; a future he has worked very hard to nurture. Moving up to Sul he says that this must end. Sul smiles for the first time and retorts back about how Kanaletto intends to stop him. Kanaletto responds that he is offering him a rare alliance, that if two powerful being like them joined together, they would be unstoppable. Sul says that alliances are for the small and weak and that if he really is Kanaletto, he will have no power over this world...not yet. Kanaletto raises his arms and tells him he is making a grave mistake. Sul raises his hands and sends out pulses of energy commanding Kanaletto to be gone. The massive energy surge explodes the monitor inside the Earth Team control room. When the light fades, Kanaletto is gone. Sul looks down and comments that he is disappointed, he didn't think Kanaletto would give up so easily.
Sul turns to leave but several pillars in the courtyard start to glow red and then a red pattern appears on the ground under his feet. Sul tries to fly away but blast of red energy keep him from leaving the pattern. Suddenly a swirling vortex of red energy appears from the middle of the design and Sul gasps in horror saying that it's a trans-dimensional portal. He begins to be dragged into the center as Kanaletto laughs at him saying that he's not as powerless as Sul believed and that he brought him there for a reason. Sul struggles and cries out as he begins to be sucked down into the portal. Satis runs through the darkened hall and approaches the fountain to find that the water has turned dark red. Satis at seeing this says that it really is Kanaletto. Some red water spills over the edge and lands on the floor which bursts into a small image of Kanaletto and then splits into several more. He says that it's almost his time. Satis rebukes him saying that he has no right to be there and strikes his staff on the floor sending out energy rings. Kanaletto says that his time is near and disappears. Sul yells out in vain as he is sucked into the portal and the pattern disappears leaving an empty courtyard. In the main temple, Sul's column falls and sinks back under the water. Satis collapses, gasping for breath, wanting to know what Kanaletto has done.
Molly pursues Aikka down the trench. Aikka fires magical arrows at her but she avoids them. Jordan fires back at him from his turret. They approach the last gate and they fly through at almost the same time and the ring crumbles. Molly strikes her controls in frustration. She radios the control room and says that she lost to Aikka so she guesses they didn't get any points again. Don solemnly corrects her saying that she in fact came in third place and got some points; Sul is gone. She is confused and asks him to explain. Don says that Sul is no longer part of the competition and says that they are waiting for her to come back. Molly looks on speechless, unable to grasp what has happened.
[edit] Standings
Current points as of the seventh race "The Ruined Gully"
| Pos | Racer | Points Awarded | Total Points | Points Behind | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kross | 9 | 27 | 0 | |
| 2 | Ning & Skun | -- | 12 | -15 | |
| 3 | Eva (Molly) | 3 | 12 | -15 | |
| 4 | Aikka | 6 | 12 | -15 | |
| 5 | O | -- | 6 | -21 | |
| 6 | Ondai | -- | 6 | -21 | |
| 7 | Furter | -- | 3 | -24 | |
| 8 | Muir | -- | -- | -27 | |
| 9 | Sül | -- | -- | -- | Eliminated from the competition |
[edit] Trivia
- The Ruined Gully race track bares a strong resemblance to the Death Star 'trench' from the end of Star Wars: A New Hope.
