Chapter 4

Chapter 4 is the fourth episode of the first season of the Netflix original sci-fi series Tribes of Europa.

Synopsis
Elja, Moses and Amena enlist Bracker's help to fix the Cube. Liv's plan hits a snag. Lord Varvara asks Kiano about his past.

Plot
SPOILERS AHEAD

While Amena fiddles with the Atlantian cube, Moses questions just how Elja knew to activate the device. Elja claims that it happened on its own. Amena then informs them that the fusion module isn’t reparable. She directs them to Bracker, who has a trading post near the Southern Regions and is the only person who can help them. He collects treasures from before Black December. There, he has a fusion module. Moses reveals that he owes Bracker money, and therefore, he would never sell it to them.

Elja storms outside in a fit of rage, refusing to accept that the cube can’t be repaired. Moses follows him out and inquires about his need to fix the cube. All Elja reveals is that his tribe was killed by the Crows and that he’s all that remains. Amena joins them with a tablet from 2029, that they can use to repay Moses’ debt to Bracker. As well as everything of value Moses has in his van, they should have enough for Bracker’s module. Elja hugs and thanks Moses. Elja proposes that Amena join them, but before she can reply, three Crows arrive on horseback. Amena distracts them while Elja and Moses run for the van. They drive off, just barely escaping the Crows’ grasp.

Kiano is escorted in for his execution. They tighten a wire around his neck from above. However, Varvara opens her hand to reveal the wolk that she found inside the intestines of a dead Volnik. Varvara asks who else is involved, and Gregor points out Linus and another Volnik. Varvara approaches Gregor with her dagger and commands him to kill himself, doing so will save what’s left of his honor and his family. Gregor takes the dagger and slices his own throat. The wire is then removed from around Kiano’s neck and placed around Linus’ and the other Volnik. The wire is then tightened and within moments, both Volniks are decapitated. Varvara then orders for Kiano to be taken to her estate.

David gifts Liv her official Crimson Republic uniform — also the uniform of the Eurocorps from pre-Black December. The last great project of the European Union before everything fell apart. The Crimson were those who emerged from it. With this uniform, Liv is now a part of history.

Merk arms Liv in the armory. He presents her with a close combat knife, machete, and hatchet. Rather than choosing a gun, Liv grabs the crossbow that came in just two days ago. He warns her that it only fires up to three shots per minute, but she is satisfied with her choice.

Kiano is taken to Varvara’s estate. He is escorted inside the Hakkar to meet the other Lubovniks: Dewiat, Anon, Eddy, and Usan. Kiano asks if they’re preparing for a Boj, to which Dewiat replies that Varvara wouldn’t risk the lives of her best slaves.

With the information Liv gathered from Grieta, they now know that there is one tunnel that isn’t entirely flooded, allowing them to infiltrate the wolk factory from underneath. David explains that there will be two squads: Alpha (David, Vasquez, Sokolow, Grimm, and Warren) and Beta (Merk, Yeboa, Tiago, and Liv). They intend to destroy the factory to weaken their economical infrastructure. Alpha squad will set the explosions in the production sites while beta squad heads to the building with the collection cells, where the slaves are housed, to extract Liv’s family. Lastly, David states that he hasn’t informed Crimson Capital about the mission, and it must stay that way.

Elja and Moses pull off to the side of the road for the night, both concerned for Amena’s well-being. Moses hopes that she escaped somehow. They suddenly start to hear noises and shine a light on the darkness, where they cross paths with a family of Asian travelers: a man, his wife, and daughter. They’re from the east, specifically Altai mountains, from which they fled due to the "Black Swarms." It’s headed towards Europa, the young girl explains.

The Lubovniks are taken to see Varvara and placed in a line up, where she examines each of them. She looks at Kiano and asks why he isn’t made up like the others. She surmises that he thinks he’s beautiful enough as is. They proceed to have dinner, during which Varvara asks Kiano his opinion of the Hakkar, though he doesn’t say much, which seems to upset Dewiat more than it does Varvara. Kiano remarks that the garden is nice, as it reminds him of home. She then tells him to eat, but when Kiano says that he’s not hungry, she becomes upset. She takes his food and drops it onto the ground before commanding Anon to eat it like a hound, which appears to amuse everyone except Kiano. Varvara then commands her slaves to return to the Hakkar this evening, all except Kiano, which visibly upsets Dewiat.

Kiano is taken to Varvara’s quarters, where she commands her men to undress Kiano before instructing them to undress her as well. She approaches Kiano and throws him on the bed before giving him a warning: "If you cum before me... then I’ll slice your head clean off."

After learning that Merk has left camp, David puts Yeboa in command of Beta squad. Unfortunately, before they can head out, Merk returns with Father. He reveals that Merk has been working for him the entire time, making sure that David never crossed any lines, just as he was intending to do by invading Brahtok. David takes full responsibility and is prepared to accept any consequences. Father charges David with high treason. He will be tried before a military tribunal back in Crimson Capital. And Arhenburg is hereby dissolved. The soldiers will be garrisoned back in the Crimson capital, and their mission is over. David is then placed under arrest.

Kiano returns to the Hakkar the following morning, where Dewiat is clearly jealous. He remarks that Kiano was awarded when he should’ve been punished, stating that Varvara must’ve been aroused by his boundless impertinence. He tells Kiano not to be so ungrateful, to which Kiano replies that slavery isn’t something to be grateful for. However, Dewiat would never leave her, as she’s all that makes him happy.

Elja and Moses arrive at Bracker’s trading outpost with Amena’s tablet to repay Moses’ debt, as well as other pre-Black December items Moses has acquired to pay for the fusion module. Not long after their arrival, one of Bracker’s men approaches Moses with a shotgun, demanding to know the reason for his return. Moses explains that he’s come to pay his debt and is taken to Bracker. They enter his office, where Bracker has the very last of the news reports prior to the Blackout playing on several television screens. Moses reveals that he’s an even bigger Black December obsession than Elja. Bracker asks why have they come. Elja reveals that they need a fusion module. He wonders why they would need a fusion module for an Atlantian cube. Moses claims that he intends to sell it.

Varvara attends a party at a nightclub. She brings Kiano, Dewiat, Anon, Eddy, and Usan along with. Kiano asks about the group of men sitting across from them. Dewiat reveals that they’re the Kapitan’s six highlords. Yvar’s inner circle, though there’s a vacancy that Varvara seeks to fill.

Kapitan Yvar enters the club and approaches Varvara. His arrival is met with kneeling from all in attendance. While he appreciates her efforts to salvage the Atlantian hover jet, which they may be able to recover a plasma cannon and ion drive from, he states that a functional cube would be a great advantage for them, which Varvara’s Bozies are currently searching for. Kiano then discovers that his father is one of the Kapitan’s personal slaves. When he drops the Kapitan’s cane, Yvar beats him over the back repeatedly. The music and dancing then resumes.

Bracker takes Elja and Moses to see his fusion module. Unfortunately for the two of them, Bracker has come to believe that they’re in possession of an Atlantian cube. And just as suspected, Bracker finds the cube inside of Elja’s bag. With the cube in his possession, Bracker orders his men to kick Elja and Moses out.

Varvara sits on Kiano’s lap and whispers into his ear that she likes him. Suddenly the lights come on and Yvar announces that a new Crow will be born, as a Boj is about to take place. Two slaves enter the ring below and fight to the death. Kiano’s interest in the fight isn’t lost on Varvara, who watches him closely. By the end of the Boj, only the female competitor is left standing. Varvara informs Kiano that the slave will be given a new name. She’ll be a Bozie, serving her lord. "She’s now free," Varvara says

Varvara returns to her room with Kiano, who helps her undress. She knows that Kapitan Yvar’s Volnik was Kiano’s leader and mentions that she fought him. She asks if they were close. Kiano replies that he was simply their leader. While Kiano gets undressed, she asks about his life in the forest and his tribe. Kiano reveals that the Origines started in a hidden place between rocks by their founder and his mother, Chloe. Varvara inquires about her death. Kiano was 13 when she went into the forest to get medicine. She was attacked by raiders, and all that was left were her garments. Varvara detects pain and suffering inside of Kiano, which makes him weak and pathetic, so she dismisses him. However, Kiano tells her no. Varvara is impressed and orders her Bozies to leave them alone.

Cast

 * Henriette Confurius as Liv
 * Emilio Sakraya as Kiano
 * David Ali Rashed as Elja
 * Oliver Masucci as Moses
 * Melika Foroutan as Varvara
 * Ana Ularu as Grieta (credit only)
 * Robert Finster as David Voss
 * Benjamin Sadler as Jakob
 * Sebastian Blomberg as Kapitan Yvar
 * Jeanette Hain as Amena (credit only)
 * James Faulkner as General Cameron
 * Johann Myers as Bracker
 * Adriana Ugarte as Alia (credit only)
 * Jannik Schümann as Dewiat
 * Matteo van der Grijn as Merk
 * Eugene Boateng as Corporal Yeboa
 * Richard Zeman as Gregor
 * Leonard Kunz as Linus
 * Patrick Pinheiro as Tiago
 * Kendrick Ong as Grimm
 * Bojan Ban as Warren
 * Yemi Akinyemi as Eddy
 * Jordan Haj as Usan
 * Zdenek Piskula as Anon
 * Darko Trajkovic as Asian Father
 * Nyguen Thi Dinh as Asian Mother
 * Le Ngoc Anh as Asian Girl