Tale of Might and Peace (episode)


*The following article is written from an Out of Universe perspective.*

Tale of Might and Peace was the eighth episode of Season 3 of The Elysium. It was written by Toni Graphia, directed by Phillip John and it featured Mina Anwar, Sarah Winter, Esai Morales, Suzanne Packer, Pallance Dladla and Sinead Keenan.

Synopsis

The winds of change are blowing. When the new mindsets are gaining popularity among the Rhaighr kind, The Almighty is forced to look for allies in the last place she'd ever want to. Meanwhile, Cizzaurans are afraid, as yet another mysterious threat arises, and the government seems helpless against it - but there's another hope... As Julie and Calem get involved into internal problems of their two neighbour races, they'll find out that the world of Elysium is far more complex and ambiguous than it seems.

Plot

Previously on the Elysium... but not on the side you know

Thrreodhrirr finds herself looked down by some of her kind, after recent events, and this enrages her. Underling Rhaighrs say that she’s fallen from the path of might, and rumours circulate of a general, Emphrrr, wanting to cease power. Lybhrrthyrr doesn’t understand why the Rhaighrs have cut themselves off from the Scallatti, as he believes they can learn from them and achieve greater might. Soon Thrreodhrirr is forced to announce she’ll prove her power, as a battle with the Cizzaurans goes wrong. Thrreodhrirr roars out-loud, which shakes even the foundations of the Almighty’s palace.

Present Day

In the Cizzauran’s Gallane village, two people discuss the appearance of Ganatlai, fearing what further cooperation with the Scallatti could lead to. They meet with a young girl, who shares the same concern, but mentions that her friends found some information about it. She then invites them for dinner, to talk about it some more.

Thrreodhrirr is a mess. She is stressed about this uprising against her, led by Emphrrr, and she needs to prove her might, more than ever, however, Berzhrr suggests she do the opposite and says that perhaps the Rhaighr people are calling out for a nicer, softer approach, and maybe an alliance with the Scallatti could help. Thrreodhrirr bursts out into a fit of anger, scolding Berzhrr, but after he again reasons his idea, she calms down and begins to listen to it. He reasons that the Rhaighrs can either adapt or die, and the Scallatti aren’t exactly popular with the Cizzaurans, at the moment, maybe they could be a good ally. He says that this would be a good line for her to tread, which will really make her stand out against Emphrrr and make the Rhaighr people see her in a new and positive light.

The two Cizzaurans arrive for dinner in the Hut of the Kahwatsire Clan, as a handsome Cizzauran, Thralsai, welcomes them in. The conversation turns into one about the Ganatlai, again, as Thralsai warns everyone of it’s danger, and that it will return, before long, in larger numbers. They discuss that they come from the underworld, as Danadaskagi and Galvladi send out their servants, as the gods are angered. As the dinner ends, Thralsai invites them to come again to the next dinner, tomorrow.

Syd and Claude arrive on the Southern Continent on Tolia, whereby they enter a large camp. Inside they see a whole community of Scallatti inside, to their astonishment. The Tolian guards tell them that this is their new home, for the rest of their entire lives. Claude angrily strikes one of them, before they chain him up and take him away, leaving Syd in extreme distress.

Calem looks in utter disbelief as a Rhaighr messenger stands before her, and tells her that the Almighty has invited Scallatti representatives to come and visit their land. Calem is handed a document in the Rhaighr language as validation, and then she says that she doesn’t care because she was captured, imprisoned, and tortured by the Rhaighrs when they first landed on this planet, and now they want to welcome her in as a visitor? The Rhaighr nods and tells her that any safety measures they choose to bring with them will not be treated as enemy hostility and that the Almighty herself has personally vouched that no Scallatti will be harmed. Calem stays silent for a moment and says, that if SWN are allowed exclusive access to broadcast anything that they see, this is an opportunity she simply can’t waste.

A meeting of the Satachha opens with a moment of silence for the Makhabe Caretaker, who recently died before the conversation moves onto another row about the Keratherions, and possible ways to fight them. Suddenly, however, a messenger from Sennekh enters and says he has terrible news.

The following day, accompanied by the SWN crew, and a group of mercenaries, under Jeriah, Calem enters Stambhrrm, home to the Rhaighrs. Lybhrrthyrr greets her straight away, saying he’s terrified, but also honoured, to meet the ‘great Calem’, the woman who stopped the Almighty, with only her words. He offers himself as a guide, which Calem accepts, but she makes clear, that before anything else, she needs to meet the Almighty, Thrreodhrirr. Lybhrrthyrr, leads the way to the palace, as, much to the dismay of several guards.

Addaho, amongst others, stands over some Cizzauran corpses, back at their village. The medic confirms that neither Rhaighr claws nor Ganatlai spikes could have caused such damage; he theorises that they were killed instead by knives and swords. The Cizzaurans act in shock, as this is just unprecedented, beyond belief, as murder is such a rare occurrence, by Cizzauran hands. Basthiall, however, says that they are forgetting one party, bar themselves and the Rhaighrs, who could, very well, be responsible: the Scallatti. He asks the medic if this could be the case, and while he says that he doubts it, it’s a possibility that they’d be foolish to discount, without knowing any more information. Basthiall is quick to take that as fact that the Scallatti were responsible, but Addaho interrupts him, telling everyone that if the Scallatti were involved that they should be fully represented in the investigative team, and then orders everyone to return to the Great Hut, so he can go about forming this team, properly and promptly. But Basthiall snarls back, saying he will do his best to block any attempt at Scallatti inclusion, to which everyone sighs, fed up of the constant bickering, but Menhocc doesn’t care, as he thinks the anti-Scallatti rhetoric is abhorrent and says he will do everything he can to ensure the opposite.

Calem gasps, out-loud, as he enters Thrreodhrirr’s palace, submerged into the tallest mountain on the planet. Lybhrrthyrr explains to her how it was made, and shares some basic information about general Rhaighr architecture, all the while the SWN crew, and the other Scallatti, make their way inside.

Lea, Raleigh and Utnaphistim are gathered around a table with a map of the sector out, and a pin directly through Tolia. Raleigh says that the only sensible course of action they can take is to rescue them, and if possible any other survivors. Utnapishtim disagrees and says they should just continue on their mission, but Lea says she agrees with Raleigh. Eddie and Begass walk onto the bridge, to the argument and Begass tries to cool it down, but Utnaphistim freaks out seeing Eddie walking about freely, and asks why. Begass says he’s been of great help and he needs to become part of the crew, especially with Syd and Claude gone. Utnapishtim storms off in anger.

At the Satachha, the Plinnae delegation devices to vote, which lands in favour of Addaho’s pitch for the investigative team, angering Basthiall, but he is forced to give support, in the name of the tribe’s unity. The legislation then moves throughout the other tribes, before Addaho gives the orders to contact the Scallatti, about bringing their people on board.

As evening closes, the young Cizzaurans leave the party at Kahwatsire, after almost being begged to stay. They promise, again, that they will return the next day before they come back to their own hut, where they get a telling off from their Caretaker, who tells them that it’s irresponsible to walk the night, and keeping the whole Clan in fear. They react aggressively, to the complaints, calling it oppression and they say that they don’t need her or her clan, before they leave, with the Caretaker in disbelief.

Calem finally arrives within Thrreodhrirr’s sights, as they lock eyes and murder each other with a look. Finally, the Almighty says that perhaps they got off on the wrong foot, and they should get to know each other a little better before they decide who is truly the mightiest. Calem tells her that her words are empty, and she seems like she is being forced to say them, before theorising that she must be having terrible internal problems, within her rule, if she’s having to take such an insincere, and drastic, step herself. Thrreodhrirr waits a moment, before telling Calem, and the cameras, that power means responsibility and she will do what is good for her people, even if she has to sacrifice some of her most stringent beliefs. She then asks Calem if she’d do the same, to which Calem is speechless, not knowing quite how to answer. Thrreodhrirr chuckles, thinking she’s proven herself as certainly the mightiest now.

Back in Hortus, Julie is greeted by a Cizzauran messenger, who tells her that the help of the Scallatti government is required, and explains the situation. Julie, chuckles, before saying that she can get her people to get together a list of professionals, who can aid, but the messenger says that Addaho has personally asked for her, as he enjoyed their previous working relationship. This charms Julie, who says that she’ll deal with it herself if that will help improve interspecies relations.

She then opens a transmission to Dien and tells him about it, and asks if he has any advice. Dien says he’ll do all he can to help

In the early morning, the young Cizzaurans again visit the Kahwatsire hut. They are welcomed in, quickly, and hug Thralsai, as they notice a herb growing around the hut, which whirrs in the wind.

Lybhrrthyrr continues the tour, for Calem and SWN, as they meet several Rhaighr pro- Scallatti activists, who believe they should be at peace, and they bombard her with questions about Scallatti culture. Calem interviews a few of them for SWN, before moving on. Unrest begins as Emphrrr’s followers make there way over to the Scallatti, and begin heckling them. One particular unpleasant Rhaighr, Khrodhrr, demands that they are expelled immediately, and a fight nearly breaks out, which is only stopped by Thrreodhrirr flying down and personally vouching for the Scallatti, saying that they are all under her protection. Khrodhrr argues back and calls her a coward, saying that she murdered his cousin pointlessly, to which Thrreodhrirr grabs him by the throat and tosses him to the ground. She then flies back to her palace, leaving everyone in shock.

Syd awaits Claude’s return besides a series of bunks, in one of the huts in the Tolian camp. She asks a guard, just how long he’ll be, and the guard says that he doesn’t know. Syd walks through the room, at all of the other Scallatti, and begins a conversation with one woman, Marie. She says that this wasn’t supposed to happen and that the government failed them.

Continuing on the tour, Calem gets into a fierce debate with Lybhrrthyrr about Rhaighr philosophy, and she finds out that concepts of greed and sadism are actually completely alien to the Rhaighrs, as they don’t understand why anyone would risk the natural order, when it’s so important to them. Lybhrrthyrr explains that what has it’s place in nature is good and what diverges from it, is not just bad, but poisonous. Calem admits she never thought about it like that and she always saw their race in the complete opposite light, but in a way that philosophy is... beautiful. However, this moment is soon broken, when Lybhrrthyrr becomes confused about concepts such as ‘justice’ and ‘compassion’ as they’re completely alien to Rhaighr culture too.

Julie, with a group of armed escorts, as well as Dien, arrive at the Cizzauran’s Tehaddah village, only to learn that the impending situation has got far worse, as another murder was committed the previous night, and from what they can gather, the same methods were used. Dien has a look over the evidence and deduces that he’s 95% sure it’s a Cizzauran who committed these murders, but he believes there is a possibility of it being a Scallatti, but they must be purposely trying to make themselves look like a Cizzauran, in that case. Before Basthiall can raise any concern, Julie says that she thinks it’s ridiculous that a Scallatti would even do that, as framing a Cizzauran is such a bizarre notion, especially as everyone knows the peaceful nature of their race. Dien adds that no Scallatti has even entered Cizzauran territory since the Keratherion attack, so if even one went near them, they would surely be noticed.

Another dinner takes place at Kahwatsire, and everyone is suspiciously euphoric. Thralsai tells everyone, decisively, that judgement day is coming. He says Ganatlai, the Scallatti and Doyohila will purge the infidels, and those chosen to survive will gather under the prophet and reign over this new world. The young Cizzauran asks Thralsai if he is the prophet, to which he chuckles and says that, as a matter of fact, he is. He goes onto expanding that he is the god of delight and proclaims that they have a celebration in his own name, right now, to which they all cheer.

Calem continues learning about the Rhaighrs and their culture, as they continue to tape the events for an upcoming SWN report. She isn’t particularly fond of their folk music, but she enjoys their poetry and thinks its all rather lovely. Lybhrrthyrr tells Calem and the cameras, that there’s one more thing he wants to show them, but he warns them that this will take a bit longer. Calem says, instantly, that she is in.

Julie, Dien and the rest of the Cizzauran investigative team meet with several Cizzaurans about the situation, Julie and Addaho engage in a conversation, during this, about the pros and cons of the Cizzauran political system. Julie says she appreciates the amount of control the citizens have over the ruling bodies but says that this has paralysed all forms of reform and isn’t protecting them against crime. Addaho says that some work is still too do, but he says he feels most people enjoy the way things are, and this doesn’t cause any particular concern.

The evening draws as the investigative team get nowhere. They decide to call it a day, but Addaho is heckled by the Gallane Caretaker who begs him for help as several children from her call have disappeared.

In the middle of the night, the Kahwatsire stands, widely dishevelled. Half-naked bodies, spilt drinks, demolished furniture and standing in the middle, Thralsai. He explains to the little followers, who are still conscious, that the purge of the infidels is inevitable and the gods demand them to take part in the holy process. He says that after successful attacks in the Sennekh and Tehaddah villages, it’s now time to strike the biggest sinners of them all - Plinnae and their hate-mongering chief, Basthiall. Thunderous applause begins, even if it’s just from the few who are still conscious, including the young Cizzaurans, who excitedly volunteer to help; sick of Basthiall.

The Great City of Harrdebhr makes white an impression on Calem, as she enters, but as Lybhrrthyrr leads in the group, he says that this city is the thing he’s most proud of in the whole of Rhaighr culture. Inside one of the large buildings in the centre, they find Rhaighrs reading manuscripts, discussing theories, sculpting, leading classes of younger Rhaighrs, taking care of eggs. They enter the Harrdebhr Academy, the place where every Rhaighr is taught what they should know before they join the fight for might. He explains to Calem that all younglings deserve special care if they expect them to earn wings in the future. Just like nature cares about all of them, they need to care about the weaker; that's a responsibility which comes with might. Calem looks with admiration when suddenly one of the Rhaighr scholars challenges another loudly and they start wrestling, accompanied by the challenge call all around the hall. Calem comments that at the end of the day, they are still a society of endless fight overpower. Lybhrrthyrr asks if they are black-sheep in the universe, but Calem pauses for a moment before saying that they aren’t, but some ‘less desirable’ qualities, by at least Scallatti standards, are amplified in their culture, but on the whole, they seem to have just as many positives as many other races. She then thanks Lybhrrthyrr for the tour and says it was a pleasure to meet him, and that she thinks SWN will have a very interesting report to publish.

Julie interviews the Caretaker, while Dien looks through her hut. She explains to Julie that they left very early in the morning and returned very late in the evening, and no one has seen them since. Julie notices that she was quick to report a missing person and she says that judging by the two’s aggressive mood from yesterday, she just had a gut feeling. She says she’s checked all over the neighbouring clans, and beyond, but they’ve just vanished. Julie decides to check for herself and gets the task force to check the neighbouring huts, waking up the caretakers, who are annoyed with the disruption. They say it’s a very normal thing that happens, someone disappearing and they don’t usually make such a big deal of it. Julie is angered, as she says that she would move the Elysium and back to save her son, in fact, she has, on many occasions, and begins naming the things she’s done, which has put her in danger, to do so. She just cannot understand how someone can be so uncaring and flippant about such a thing. Addaho is enraged too and rejects the reasoning that it’s due to a Rhaighr attack, from some of the Caretakers. Plinnae calls for war, Gallane ignores people disappearing. Addaho asks what kind of people does he rules over? Julie asks if anything of interest happened in Gallane recently and Addaho remarks that the Caretaker of the Makhabe Clan did die, and she was replaced by a strange young girl, who has been very quiet, since taking over. Julie says that they better have a look there, then.

In the Plinnae village, a group of Cizzaurans with swords and knives creep into the Sippi. But Menhocc stands before them, unnoticed at first, with a group of armed guards. He says that they must surrender, as this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated. They quickly flee, but as it becomes a chase, one of Menhocc’s pack manages to capture one, as he is asked, for who he works for.

At Thrreodhrirr’s palace, a state banquet is held, to mark the end of the Scallatti visit. Thrreodhrirr discusses with Berzhrr what was achieved by the visit, as they didn’t trade technology, sign any treaties, or at least negotiate anything, but Berzhrr interjects and says that all of that is to come, but what they got out of today is that the general Rhaighr public got to see that she will at least open up a dialogue with the Scallatti, and that will really make the people listen, far more than they will now to Emphrrr. Calem, while tucking into her meal, asks Berzhrr, jokingly, if they could be considered ‘The Equal’ now, but Berzhrr is, even himself, a bit horrified at the suggestion, saying that the Rhaighrs aren’t ready for that, anytime soon, but maybe one day. Calem admits that there’s a lot she has learnt from this visit, but sadly it’s going to take a lot more before Scallatti and

Rhaighr relations will dramatically improve. Berzhrr says that there’s a lot they’ll have to compromise on, but he’s glad communication has now started. He does say, however, that above all, the Rhaighrs, including himself, will never give up on their belief in the importance of might, and if the Scallatti truly wants peace, they’ll have to respect that, to which Calem, politely, nods in understanding.

The investigative team arrive at the Makhabe hut. When inside, they are all taken aback, when an arrow flies through the window, only missing, a very surprised, Dien, by a few millimetres, bruising his arm. Addaho calls for all the guards in the village, to help get to the bottom of this. Meanwhile, Dien investigates the strange vegetation growing around the hut, and after some brief analysis, he realises that hit seems to have addictive and psychoactive proprieties, in other words - a drug. In the meantime, the fleeing assassins are caught, as Menhocc’s pack also arrive. Basthiall learns that Menhocc has been observing his house since he amped up his anti-Scallatti rhetoric, and he’s furious, but it’s then pointed out that his clan and family owe their lives to Menhocc. Cautious, both of them shake hands as the troops finally break-in, and see the image of a massacre. Thralsai is abducted, as he tries to make it for the window, and the Caretaker shouts that they’ll never get her and opens her stomach with a machete. Silence falls.

Later that day, Julie and Basthiall interrogate Thralsai, who says that it was just too perfect to pass up: the old Caretaker enforced horrendous discipline, whole in other huts everyone had so much freedom, even to the point of neglect. This went onto build up rage in the youth and with his help, they poisoned the Caretaker and took it upon themselves to establish a new order. He says that he turned the clan into a true Cizzauran Kahwatsire, or a family in Scallatti terms. Julie asks what about the ones who didn’t want that, to which he says that they were disposed of. Basthiall says that what he says is rubbish and that he just brainwashed the youth with Hokki, a unanimously forbidden drug. Thralsai says that they don’t understand; they are too blind, too neglectful to see problems of the youth. He says that he won because he gave people what they all couldn't, a feeling of safety, a feeling of home, and it's all their fault. He remarks that they had fun. Julie then gives this information to Addaho, and he considers putting in a request for a death sentence, to which, to Addaho’s surprise, Julie is horrified at. Addaho clarifies that it hasn’t been used in many years, but no crime this grave has been committed for many years. He says he will not use it, to which Julie is pleased, and he goes onto apologies to her, about letting their faith in them down.

Julie sits in her office, back in Hortus, and turns on the monitor, awaiting the SWN report. Others do the same, as Calem stands amongst her colleagues in the SWN officers, awaiting it, and so does Richard, amongst his PACIFA friends, as the report begins. They all expect a look at the brutal life of the Rhaighrs, but instead, the report offers a more balanced perspective, with Calem ending the report by saying that she, along with most Scallatti, used to think Cizzaurans are better than them and Rhaighrs are worse, but now she sees that it's far more complex. Are they all equal? No, they are all different. They all love to compare each other, but maybe they should set the milestones first. They need to ask themselves the question: how much should they value the might and peace?

Cast

Starring

Co-Starring

Janos Aladar Claude - John Hannah
Utnapishtim - Francis Magee
Begass - Hugo Speer
Sydecyah Skendelle Codail - Priyanga Burford
Ersiah - Annette Badland
Dien - David Bamber
Addaho - David Wenham
Thrreodhrirr - Tia Carrere
Lybhrrthyrr - Sam Strike
Berzhrr - Kristian Kiehling
Khrodhrr - Tom Turner
Maurihrr - Ian Redford
Jeriah - Brian Pettier
Basthiall - James Cosmo
Menhocc - Alexander Morton
Meithekk - Michael Smiley
Thralsai - Ian McElhinney
Kahwatsire Caretaker - Briar Nolet
Kahwatsire Younger - Myles Erlick
Young Cizzauran #1 - Robert Ryan
Young Cizzauran #2 - Samuel Faraci
Cizzauran Medic - Jack Pierce
Messengers - Chris Wilson, Richard Herdman, Lee Asquith-Coe
Marie Annetta Saran - Ellie Bamber

Crew

Based upon "Doctor Who" Created by Sydney Newman, Donald Wilson and C.E. Webber
Created by Ronald D. Moore and Jane Espenson

Executive Producers - Jane Espenson, Ronald D. Moore and Toni Graphia
Co-Executive Producers - Anne Kenney, Simon Ashdown, Adrian Hodges and Emer Kenny

Memorable Quotes

"We had fun, you know!"

- Thralsai

Background Information

Production History

To be added

Development

To be added

Production

To be added

Post-Production

To be added

Reaction

To be added

Story Notes

To be added.

Continuity

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Home Video Releases

To be added.