Burning Desires: Part 1

"Burning Desires: Part 1" is the series premiere of Network League. It originally aired on November 25th, 2023. It depicts the appearance of Blaze, as hostilities increase between Pyros and the space world, while at the same time, a plot by his brother threatens Blaze's life.

Plot
The Aliens Spaceship USS Defiant is on patrol beneath the planet, when it happens too close to an armada from Pyros. The Pyronites spaceships attack, and the Alien Spaceship sinks to the lava floor. Blaze, captaining the lead ship, coldly orders it abandoned.

The Network League leads a rescue and retrieval team to the ships before the crew suffocates, where they confront Blaze and his troops. Pyros grudgingly allows them to rescue the crew, but says that the spaceships is now his property. Steven Universe angrily objects, saying that the ships's nuclear material is too dangerous, but Ben as AmpFibian says that they have to rescue the crew before it is too late. He urges Blaze to visit the surface world and air his grievances before an upcoming conference of the Plumbers in Earth. Pyros is skeptical, but promises to consider the suggestion.

Back in Pyros, he listens to the counsel of his brother, Ger, and the head of his military, General Mack, both of whom say that Blaze has the technology and the manpower to wipe out the space world. He refuses to listen to them. In private, he confers with his Queen, Anala, and looks fondly at his baby son. Above all, he wants to make a safe and prosperous kingdom for his son, but wonders whether there isn't a peaceful way to do it.

Blaze goes to the surface and visits the world conference. Unfortunately, his approach is less than diplomatic: He arrogantly insists that the space surface nations must cease their intrusion into and pollution of the space. Outraged, the world's leaders say he is being unreasonable, and he walks out in anger. Ben tries to convince him to stay and be more moderate. Blaze continues to walk out. Just then, a sniper fires a bazooka water rocket which hits the pavement in front of Blaze, gravely injuring him.

Blaze is rushed to the hospital in critical condition, where they are unsure how to treat him. Hendrix then appears and orders that he should be moved into a radation tank, which allows his natural healing abilities to work.

Back in Pyros, word comes that Blaze has been injured, possibly killed. Ger reassures Anala, and assumes the crown and royal trident in his brother's absence.

The League decides to try a ruse to catch Blaze's would-be assassin. Putting the word out that they are moving Blaze to a specialist facility, they wait for the assassin to try again, and he reveals himself: Mite. He realizes he has been fooled — the "Blaze" on the gurney is Tarlock in disguise — but has a well-prepared escape plan in place.

The real Blaze decides that he's recovered enough, and is returning to Pyros immediately, over Steven's objections.

After a long, hard chase through the sewers, and then the streets, Mite is finally caught by Ben as Chromastone. He admits casually that someone hired him to kill Blaze, but refuses to say who. Hendrix takes over the interrogation, and a few seconds later, Mite cracks. He doesn't know the name of his employer, but he was paid in gold. Examining the gold, Hendrix deduces the Pyros DNA and crosses are Pyros doubloons which the Plumbers have found fo years, obviously salvaged from a sunken spaceship — which means that the one who ordered Blaze's assassination is from Pyros.

Blaze returns to Pyros and is stunned to see Ger sitting on the throne. Ger says he is sick of Blaze's tolerance for the surface dwellers, and has decided to take matters into his own hands. Mack's soldiers surround him, revealing that Ger and Mack are behind the plot.

Continuity

 * Ben knows Blaze after Omniverse, he helped him fought off against Predators

Trivia Edit

 * Rex, Secret Saturdays and Pearl do not appear.
 * First appearances of Mite and Anala in the NCAU.
 * Right after Hendrix foils Mite's attempt to kill "Blaze" (who is really Tarlock in disguise), there is a female reporter whose manner of dress resembles Lucy Killington.
 * Ger is better known in the comics as Fire Master.
 * In the same commentary, the creators also noted that Ger's death was ambiguous enough that he easily could have been brought back in the series had they wanted him to return.
 * Pyros appearance have changed with a armoured suit
 * In Part II, Hendrix is shown alerting the rest of the League to the rising temperatures from the Linguistics Cave. On the commentary, the producers said that during the first season, the idea was for Hendrix to be spending most of his time in Calimonia and having little to do with the League hands-on.
 * In the DVD commentary for Part II, Creators admitted that the rogue Pryonites happening to have a fire chamber "doesn't make any sense" considering the fact that they already live with fire.
 * In Part II, the death of Ger is a reference of The Lion King, the roles however, are reversed, with Ger asking his Brother for help as opposed to the The King begging his Brother for help.