Federation #2: "Discovery, Part II"

[DS9_Fan]

This is the conclusion to my little "pilot"...once again it's going to take many posts to get this up.    



[glow=red,2,300]FEDERATION[/glow]

Episode #2- "Discovery, Part II"



Ext. Discovery Dropping out of warp.  They have finally completed their journey.  

Int. Bridge, everyone is at their stations.  Walker is absent, but Sonak is on the bridge.

TEDRIZ: Approaching our rendezvous point.

MITCHELL: How are you doing with the sensors, Sonak?

Sonak’s hands are flying as he tweaks the sensors.

SONAK: They will not be perfect, Captain.  It will only be a small improvement.  

MITCHELL: A small improvement is still an improvement.

SONAK:  They should be coming back online right about…now.  

HAWKINS: Scanning for “Planet X”.  

Hawkins searches for a few seconds.

HAWKINS: Here it is.  I’m sending the coordinates to the helm.  We’ll need to get closer to find out anything.  

TEDRIZ: It’s a little deeper into the Beta Quadrant than we thought, inside that star cluster up ahead.

MITCHELL: Will we still stay outside of the Romulan border?

TEDRIZ: Yes, but just barely.

MITCHELL: Let’s go to yellow alert.  

HAWKINS: Sir, whoever we meet here may take that as an act of aggression.

MITCHELL: We’ll have to take that chance. As I told you before, all of our knowledge about this space came from a damaged probe.  We don’t know how it became damaged so we need to be careful.  Speaking of which, deploy a marker buoy so Starfleet knows where we are.  

MONICA: Buoy launched, Captain.  

MITCHELL: Then let’s get a move on.  Tedriz, take us to within scanning range.  Let’s take it slow.  Full impulse.

Tedriz: Aye, sir.  ETA in two hours.  

Ext.  Discovery moving ahead at full impulse, towards a murky darkish-blue star cluster.  As Discovery gets far enough out of range about 30 minutes later, an alien ship decloaks.  It is 500 meters long, 400 meters tall, and 300 meters wide.  It has three large fins located at the aft section of the ship.  The hull is a bronze metallic color with a dark gray armor covering some areas, called ablative armor.  It is not a Romulan ship.  It approaches the marker buoy slowly, then stops.  Without firing any weapons, the buoy collapses onto itself.  The ship cloaks, and sets a course for the star cluster.

CUT TO:

Int. Discovery’s bridge.

MONICA:  Sir, we just lost contact with the marker buoy.

MITCHELL: Sonak, are the sensors working properly?

SONAK: Yes.  And I personally checked the marker buoy for defects and didn’t find any.  

HAWKINS: Maybe we should turn around and investigate.  

MITCHELL: No, let’s launch another one.  

HAWKINS: I really doubt that it was a malfunction, Captain.

MITCHELL:  I don’t think it was an accident either.  We’ll keep this one on the view screen.  Then if something happens to it, we’ll see it firsthand.  

MONICA: It’s on the view screen now sir.

They watch as they get further and further away until it is just a speck.  Monica magnifies the image again.

MONICA: I can continue to magnify it, but it will only be in visual range for a half hour.  

They watch and wait…

MONICA: The buoy is passing out of visual range.  Switching to long range scanners.

MITCHELL: Keep all of your scanners focused on that probe.  And let’s put the view screen back onto the star cluster we’re approaching, normal magnification.

MONICA: Got it…I’m picking up something on sensors, but it’s not the marker buoy.  A ship is decloaking near it’s coordinates.  

HAWKINS: The Romulans.  

MONICA: The buoy has been destroyed, but I’m not picking up any weapons signatures.  The buoy simply collapsed on itself, as if it were crushed by the atmosphere of a large gas giant.

MITCHELL: I’ve never heard of anything like that.  Have you, Commander?

Hawkins shakes his head.

MITCHELL: Set a course for that ship, and pick up some speed.    

TEDRIZ: Aye, captain.

MONICA: The ship isn’t Romulan.

HAWKINS: How can that be?  The Klingons don’t go through here.

MONICA: It’s not any configuration we have on the database.  

HAWKINS:  The database was upgraded, right?

MONICA: Yes.

MITCHELL: Hail them.  This is Captain Keith Mitchell of the Federation starship Discovery.  Identify yourself and explain what you’ve done to our buoy.  

MONICA: There isn’t a response.  

Suddenly everyone hears a raspy male voice in their head. It is V’Clara 5.

[DS9_Fan]

V’CLARA 5:  What are you doing in this space?

MITCHELL: We’re investigating an M-Class planet nearby.  We’re not hostile.  

MONICA: They’re cloaking again.  

MITCHELL: End communication.  

MONICA: Should we go to red alert?

HAWKINS:  They probably feel threatened by our presence.  Going to red alert may just aggravate them further.

MITCHELL: Agreed.  They attacked the buoy, not us.  If they’re curious about us, let them observe.  Stay at yellow alert.  But allocate a little more power to the shields.  I don’t want to have this ship implode.  Let’s get back on course.  

TEDRIZ: Should we go to warp?

MITCHELL: Yes, but only warp two.  We should go slow through this region so we don’t scare off our new friends.  

TEDRIZ: Warp two, aye.  

CUT TO:

Ext. Discovery. It has entered the dark-blue star cluster.  It appears like it’s traveling through a storm.  The “fog” around the ship swirls quickly.

Int. Bridge:

MITCHELL: All right.  Take us out of warp. Quarter impulse.

MONICA: I’ve got a visual of the planet.

MITCHELL: Let’s see it.

On the view screen we can see the planet, but there isn’t anything else.  

MITCHELL: Are there any ships in the region?

MONICA: No.  There isn’t anything.  There aren’t any life signs on the surface, either.  This must have been a---

Suddenly the ship is rocked by a huge explosion outside of the hull.  Systems begin failing, so the auxiliary systems turn on.  The bridge is flooded in red light.  Mitchell is knocked out of his chair.  

MITCHELL: Full stop!!

Tedriz has to take a moment to get his bearings before he can respond.

TEDRIZ: Station keeping, aye, sir.  

MITCHELL: Can someone tell me what the hell happened?!

MONICA: I’m taking us to red alert.  

HAWKINS:  Don’t go to red alert unless we say so.

MITCHELL: It’s all right.  Stay at red alert, Monica.  

MONICA:  Our shields are gone.  I’m picking up damage reports all across the board.  

SONAK: I’m going to engineering to access the damage.  

MITCHELL: Hurry.  

Sonak rushes out of the room.

MITCHELL: Monica, can you confirm weapons fire?

MONICA: No.  It looks more like we collided with something.

HAWKINS: I’m checking our logs.  It looks like we hit a cloaked mine.  And if we had been going faster than quarter impulse, we would have been destroyed.

MITCHELL: Is it something our new friends laid down?

HAWKINS: No.  It’s Romulan.  

MONICA:  I thought mines were banned from the former Neutral Zone as a part of the treaty.  

MITCHELL: Apparently that message Starfleet received was right.  They’re hiding something here.  We have to find out what it is.  

HAWKINS: If we go any further we’ll be destroyed.  We should just go back and inform Starfleet of what we know now instead of risking this ship.

MITCHELL: We’re not going anywhere.  We’re in the middle of a minefield.  Even if we wanted to reverse our course, we would risk hitting another mine.

SONAK:  Captain Mitchell, this is engineering.  All systems can be repaired with the exception of our weapons.  I’m afraid the damage is irreparable.  

HAWKINS: All the more reason we should leave.

Mitchell ignores Hawkins.

SONAK: We will have the shields back online in about 2 minutes.

MITCHELL: Sonak, do you know of any ways to detect cloaking devices?  

SONAK: Please wait for a moment.  

Mitchell waits as Sonak runs around engineering, checking few systems.

SONAK: Maybe.  I’m not certain how effective it will be using a ship of this class.  My idea is using an antiproton beam as a flashlight, if you will.  It will take a significant amount of power to generate a beam wide enough to guide us through.  I’ll coordinate the effort on the bridge.

MITCHELL: Do whatever is necessary.  Mitchell out.  I intend to continue this mission.  

[DS9_Fan]

HAWKINS: You might want to reconsider, Cap--

MITCHELL(annoyed): I’ve already considered and the decision is final.  Is that clear, commander?

HAWKINS: Yes.

Hawkins turns back and watches his console.  Mitchell relaxes slightly.  

MITCHELL: Start deactivating unnecessary systems, Monica so we can generate the antiproton beam.  

MONICA: Yes, sir.  I’m receiving a report from sickbay.  There were very few casualties, none of which were fatal.

MITCHELL: That’s good news.  

Sonak runs onto the bridge in an un-Vulcan like manner.

SONAK:  Monica, may I see your console for a moment?

MONICA: It’s all yours.  

Monica steps from her seat and watches as Sonak makes a few changes.  

SONAK: We need more power.  

MITCHELL: Evacuate Decks 5 through 10 of the primary hull and cut off life support to those areas.  

Monica and Sonak work together. After a few minutes, everyone is evacuated.  

SONAK: That should work.  Activating the antiproton beam now.  

Ext.  Discovery fires a wide antiproton beam, acting like a flashlight in the fog.  

Int. Discovery Bridge.  Everyone watches the view screen as hundreds of thousands of mines surround the planet.  

MITCHELL:  You said weapons are inoperative?

SONAK: Indefinitely, sir.  

MITCHELL:  Mitchell to the shuttle bay.  How is the shuttle?

Ensign over the speakers: In fine condition, sir.  

MITCHELL: Have it ready in two minutes.  

HAWKINS: You’re not thinking of taking one of those in there are you!?

MITCHELL: Yes.  The shuttle pod should be able to navigate through it as long as the Discovery continues to fire that beam.  

HAWKINS: If there are ships out there, you’ll be outnumbered and outgunned.  And you’ll probably end up like those marker buoys.  

MITCHELL: I think it’s my decision.

HAWKINS: Then at least let me go instead of you.

MITCHELL: I need you here.  I’ll be taking Monica with me.  And I don’t want any arguments.  

HAWKINS: :sigh:

MITCHELL: Come on.  We’ve got a planet to investigate.  

CUT TO:

Ext. Shuttlepod dodging mines, approaching Planet X.

Int. Shuttlepod.  The Captain is piloting.

MITCHELL: Keep an eye out for any ships.  

MONICA: Don’t worry, that’s first and foremost on my mind…with the exception of running into one of those mines.  We’re reaching the orbit of Planet X.  I’m scanning the surface, but there isn’t anything there. It must be cloaked.  

MITCHELL: Mitchell to Discovery.

HAWKINS: Yes Captain?

MITCHELL: I need you to direct that antiproton beam at the planet now.

Mitchell and Monica watch the view screen.

Ext.  Shuttle pod in orbit.  The “flashlight” slowly moves towards the planet…and exposes a secret outpost on the surface of the planet, along with a D’deridex class Romulan Warbird.  

MITCHELL: There it is.  Scan the surface now.  

MONICA: Scans are still inconclusive, but from the visual data, it definitely looks like there’s a conspiracy afoot.  

The console starts beeping.

MONICA: That Romulan ship is headed our way.  

MITCHELL: I’m getting us out of here.  

Ext.  Shuttlepod heading at full impulse towards the minefield.  The Romulan ship approaches and fires a tractor beam.  It connects.

Int. Shuttlepod.  

MONICA: Wonderful.  

[DS9_Fan]

CUT TO:

Int. Discovery’s bridge.

Hawkins is at communications.

HAWKINS:  Captain, this is the Discovery.  Respond.  

They don’t reply.  

HAWKINS Sir, if you’re listening, you’ve got to respond.  

No one responds.  Hawkins cuts communications.  

HAWKINS: I don’t suppose anyone knows where I can get a second shuttle pod?

The bridge crew just shake their heads.  

CUT TO:  

Int. Romulan Shuttlebay.  The shuttle pod is docked, and the Captain and Monica are escorted out of the pod.  

ROMULAN: Greetings, Captain. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you before. I’m Revek.  And you are…?

MITCHELL: Mitchell.  Keith Mitchell.

REVEK: We weren’t expecting you.  

MITCHELL: That’s because you didn’t think we’d find you.  What’s going on here?

REVEK: We are simply establishing diplomatic relations with the Vicata Confederation.  

MITCHELL: Is there are reason, then, why this place is guarded with mines?

REVEK: The Vicata are a very paranoid people.  They wanted top notch security for our negotiations.

MITCHELL: Do you mind if the Federation gets involved with these…negotiations?

REVEK: As a matter of fact, I’ll let you meet them right now.  

A few security guards lead Mitchell and Commander Tanzia to a transporter room.  The guards place them on the transporter pad.

REVEK. Energize.

Mitchell and Monica finds themselves beamed into the secret complex on the planet.  They are sprayed lightly with a gooey substance every 60 seconds.  The conditions on the base are hot and humid…and there isn‘t a lot of light.  They’re surrounded by non-humanoid creatures with 4 legs and three arms.  Amphibious just like V’Clara 5 and his crew.  

MONICA: You…uh, think these are the Vicata?

MITCHELL: Apparently…

A VOICE IN THEIR HEADS: Come with us.  

4 Vicata lead them down the hall into a small dark room with no light at all, except for a little crack of dim light coming from under the door. They force Mitchell and Monica into the room, alone, and shut the door.  They continue to be sprayed with the gooey substance at regular intervals.

MITCHELL: Hello?  

MONICA: There isn’t anyone in here.  

MITCHELL: Looks like they took our phasers away from us during transport.  



Just after he says that, they get sprayed with the goo.

MITCHELL: It’s really hot in here.  

MONICA: Did I ever tell you that I don’t like the dark?

MITCHELL: Only a few hundred times.

MONICA: My younger sister locked me in a closet once when we were growing up.  I was about 5 then, and she was 3. My older brother was babysitting us at the time…he thought I was lost somewhere outside.  I was in that closet for 4 hours before they found me…

MITCHELL: That explains a lot.  

MONICA: Watch it.  

MITCHELL: Whatever you say.  

After they get sprayed with goo again, Monica gets irritated.

MONICA: What is with these people?

MITCHELL: Maybe they’re used to wet climates.  

MONICA: Is there someplace to sit?

MITCHELL: Try the floor.  

CUT TO:

Int. Discovery Ready Room.  The remaining 4 senior officers sit around the table.

HAWKINS: We need to find a way through that minefield.  My only idea is to use the navigational deflector at high power.

SONAK: We won’t be able to boost the deflector dish high enough on a ship like this.  

[DS9_Fan]

TEDRIZ.  Agreed.  And even if we tried, it would burn out.

HAWKINS:  And of course our tractor beam won’t be an option will it?

SONAK: No.  There is a scattering field preventing that.  

HAWKINS:  How many mines are in our path to the planet?

Tedriz walks up to a diagram of the planet surrounded by the mines.

TEDRIZ: As you can see, the mines surround the planet, and the field is very dense.  If we take the shortest path to the planet, we’d have to hit 7 of them.  

MARTINEZ: Even if we did somehow get through, we don’t have any weapons.  There’s a Romulan Warbird there, along with that alien vessel we just passed by.  

HAWKINS: I’m just as reluctant to go through that minefield as you, as a matter of fact, I’ve been against it from the beginning.  But now there are lives at stake.  Tedriz, any idea where the nearest starship is?

TEDRIZ: Let me check…the USS Honshu is about 8 hours away at maximum warp.

HAWKINS: Then I guess we’re on our own.  Hail the Honshu anyway, and let them know we’re going to need backup.  

TEDRIZ: On my way.  

Tedriz exits the ready room.  

HAWKINS:  Sonak, can we still launch probes?

SONAK: Yes sir.  We can launch 5 probes.  All of our buoys have been used, however. .

HAWKINS:  Good enough.  That takes care of 5 mines.  Hawkins to bridge.  

TEDRIZ: Tedriz here.  

HAWKINS: Find the shortest path to the planet, as we discussed, and launch our probes at those mines.  

TEDRIZ: Aye sir.

HAWKINS: Now we only have two mines to worry about.  Sonak, start building something we can throw at those 2 mines.

SONAK: Sir?

HAWKINS:  A stick, a stone, a brick, anything, just make it quickly!

SONAK: Yes, sir.  

CUT TO:

Int.  Vicata Holding Cell.  Mitchell and Monica are still in the dark, more than four hours later.  They’re waiting on the floor (which is actually just a large grate which the goo can pass through) in their turtlenecks because of the heat, sitting on top of their jackets to make it more comfortable.

MONICA: So this is their idea of “negotiation“?

MITCHELL: They never intended to negotiate with us in the first place.  Why expect them to do it now?  

MONICA: Where do you think all of that goo goes after it passes through the floor?

MITCHELL: Looks like there’s a big hole under this grate.  It probably just goes through some sort of environmental control mechanism and comes back out of the ceiling.  

MONICA: Think you can fit in there?

MITCHELL: Excuse me?

MONICA: I know I can.  I’m not going to spend the rest of my life in this place, are you?

MITCHELL: No.  I don’t think so.

MONICA: Then help me get this panel up.  

Both of them try to pry the grating up, with difficulty.

MONICA: It’s too slippery.  

They place the panel back down.  

MITCHELL:  Let’s try another one.  

They both pry a different panel up.  But they don’t succeed.

MITCHELL: Let’s try it again.  I think it budged a little.

They try again, and it still doesn’t work.  

MITCHELL:  Once more, and put your back into it this time.  

MONICA: And you think I’ve been doing the opposite?

Mitchell ignores her statement and they try again.  The grate flies into the air and it hit’s the door.

MONICA: Finally.  

MITCHELL: We better hurry up.  They might have heard us.  

The instant he says that a guard barges in.  Mitchell shoves Monica down the pit, and punches the guard in the face.  The guard is unfazed by his hit.  The guard pushes Mitchell to the ground and takes out his phaser.  Mitchell grabs hold of the grate and smacks the guard one more time in the face with it.  That distracts the guard enough for Mitchell to jump down the hole.  The guard follows him, but is too large to go all of the way through, and just gets stuck.  Mitchell falls down a long shaft and finally lands in a huge pool of goo.  Following him is the guard’s phaser, and Mitchell grabs hold of it just before it sinks.  Monica is right next to him.  There is no escape out of the pit they just fell into.  They are surrounded by a circular wall.  

[DS9_Fan]

MONICA: So…guess you made it, huh?

MITCHELL: Yeeeees.  Was this all part of your brilliant plan?

MONICA: I hadn’t had my plan worked out to this point yet.  

MITCHELL:  Is there a bottom to this…pit?

MONICA: I’m not sure.  

MITCHELL: Then wait here a second.

Monica rolls her eyes as he gives her the phaser he just acquired.  Mitchell dives down into the pit.  He can’t see a thing but he can hear a whirring noise.  As he dives down more and more, the sound gets louder.  He puts his hand down more to dive, but feels a huge rush of pain in his hand.  Unable to scream, he swims up back to the surface.  

MITCHELL: Aah! Son of a---

MONICA: Let me look at that.  

Mitchell turns his head as he shows her his hand.  She gasps.

MONICA: You don’t want to look.

MITCHELL: Just tell me that my hand is still there.

MONICA: Most of it.  

Mitchell groans from the pain.  

MITCHELL: Apparently we’re in a huge blender and I stuck my hand in the bottom.  It must be some sort of environmental function.

MONICA: Maybe there’s another deck below us and that’s how that goo gets distributed.  A really disgusting thought considering that you just---

MITCHELL: I don’t want to think about it.  

Monica rips a sleeve off of her turtleneck and uses it to wrap around Mitchell’s hand.  

MONICA: These uniforms are a little harder to tear apart than the old ones.  

MITCHELL: I’m glad you admire them.

Monica just grunts in reply.  Mitchell gasps in pain one more time as she tightens the “bandage”.  

MONICA: There.  You’re as good as new…at least until Lieutenant Walker can patch you up.

MITCHELL: It’s a little hard to feel like new when you’re swimming in a pile of goo, missing half of your hand.  

MONICA: Don’t be such a crybaby. We’ve got to get out of here.  

MITCHELL: Hand me that phaser.  

Monica puts the phaser in his right hand, the good hand.

MITCHELL: This isn’t the hand I normally use.  

MONICA: It is now.

Mitchell fires the phaser at the wall, with no effect.  Monica turns up the setting on the phaser and fires, blasting a large hole in the wall, which opens up into a corridor.

MITCHELL: You go first.  Just be careful not to get burned.  

Monica climbs through the hole and falls onto the floor in the corridor.  She gets up and pulls Mitchell out.  He falls on top of her.  

MITCHELL: Are you ok?

MONICA: Yes, if you get off of me.  

Mitchell rolls over, and they stand up.  Monica notices a large cut down her leg from the sharp metal.  Mitchell’s uniform has a tear in it as well, in the front of his shirt.  Both look like they’re wearing shredded rags.  

MITCHELL: That’s a pretty serious cut you have there.

MONICA: It’s all right.  We better get moving.  

As they run down the corridor, Mitchell cradles his wounded hand, as Monica has her phaser aimed in case someone comes at them.  Her hair, which is usually pinned up, now hangs to her shoulders.  As she runs, her wet bangs keep flying into her face.

MONICA: When we get back to the ship, I’m shaving my head.  

Monica then rips the other sleeve off of her turtleneck to match the other side of her uniform.  Mitchell looks at her, but Monica just shrugs.

MONICA: I don’t want to look stupid, do I?

Mitchell and Monica run down the hallway and find a small room with computer equipment.  The room is guarded by two people, and Monica shoots them both.  They look at one of the terminals.  

MONICA: Let’s see what we can find out about these people.

She taps a few buttons.

MITCHELL: It looks like these are plans for attacks.  

MONICA:  Look at this.  

She punches a few buttons and they look at the screen.  

MITCHELL: It has information about the Vicata Confederation.  That’s who these people are, right?

She points at text.  

MONICA: The Vicata have been at war for two decades.

[DS9_Fan]

MITCHELL: Does it say with who?

MONICA: Not specifically.  They just refer to them as “The Plague”.   But they’re getting the tar kicked out of them from the looks of it.  Over the last decade, they’ve been recruiting other races to fight their war with them.  

MITCHELL:  Could that be what they’re doing to the Romulans?

MONICA: That seems likely, but I doubt the Romulans would knowingly agree to get involved in a war.

Another Vicata guard comes around the corner.  Monica shoots her, and she falls.  

MITCHELL: We better get out of here.

The pair run out of the room and begin to pick up speed, but their escape is cut short by a dead end.  

MONICA: I guess we went the wrong way.  

As she says that, 6 more guards come running down the hall.  Mitchell and Monica are cornered.  

CUT TO:

Int. Discovery’s Probe room.  Sonak and a few assistants busily work at making a probe casing. Hawkins calls Sonak’s name over the intercom.

SONAK: Sonak here, sir.

HAWKINS: I want a progress report.

SONAK: We decided it would be best to make a probe casing without the hardware and use those to launch at the mines.  We’re making the last probe casing now.  We should be done in about ten minutes.

HAWKINS:  Good.  Let me know when you’re done.  Hawkins out.  

CUT TO: Discovery’s bridge.  

TEDRIZ: I’m picking up that ship we met earlier that had been destroying the marker buoys.  It’s going to be at our position in half the time we need.  

HAWKINS: Lay in a course for the first mine.  Hawkins to Engineering.

SONAK: Sonak here.  

HAWKINS: Get someone to load that probe casing you just finished.  We need it now.  And you have five minutes to finish that second probe.

SONAK: Yes, sir.  We’ll work as fast as possible.

HAWKINS: Ensign Dawson, fire the probe when ready.  

DAWSON:  Probe deployed.  

They watch the view screen as the first mine explodes.  It sets off a chain reaction that makes a mine close to the Discovery go off as well.  The ship rocks from the shockwave.  

HAWKINS: That was a little too close for comfort.  Any damage to our systems?

DAWSON: Nothing important.  Just a few secondary systems.

HAWKINS: Then lay in a course for the last mine.  

TEDRIZ: Yes sir.  

CUT TO:

The Vicata Secret Complex.  Mitchell and Monica are escorted, once again, to a room, but this time it is larger, and there is a Vicata female.  They are forced to sit on odd shaped stools, which probably wasn’t built for humanoid use.  The guards leave them alone with the Vicata female.

MITCHELL: I’m Captain Mitchell of the Discovery.  Are you in charge of this base?

FEMALE VICATA: Silence.

MONICA: He asked you a question, politely, so there’s no reason why you can’t---

Suddenly a telepathic force knocks Monica out of her seat.  Monica gets back up to retaliate, but Mitchell holds her back.  

MITCHELL:  Take it easy.  

Monica glares at the Vicata, as she sits back down.

MITCHELL: We’re not here to cause trouble.  We only wanted to know what’s going on at this base, and why it’s surrounded by all of these mines.  Are you plotting against the Federation?   Who are you?

VICATA FEMALE: My name is unpronounceable in your language.

MITCHELL: Well I need to call you something.

VICATA FEMALE:  My rank is V’clara 9.

MITCHELL:  Ok…Could you explain why you’re in a base surrounded by mines?

V’CLARA 9:  It is for self defense.

MITCHELL:  We almost got killed by your “self defense” techniques.  What is your business with the Romulans?

V’CLARA 9: We are forging an alliance.  

MITCHELL: And were you planning on telling us about that?

V’CLARA 9:  That depends.  Who do you represent?

MITCHELL: The United Federation of Planets.  

[DS9_Fan]

V’CLARA 9:  Then it is in your best interests to join us.  

MITCHELL: I’m the one who will be deciding what our best interests are today, not you.  

V’CLARA 9: You may not be so reluctant to listen to me when you hear our offer.  But before your Federation joins ours, you will have to give us your fleet capabilities, it’s status, and information on your defenses….we can help improve them if you give us a chance.

MITCHELL: Even if I were to believe that ridiculous excuse, do you really think I‘d let you know our defenses?  We already know you’re fighting in a war.  That’s the only reason you want us to join you.  And all of the proof in that is in your last statement.  Were you planning on telling the Romulans about this war of yours?  

V’CLARA 9:  You *will* join our side, Captain.  Or else you will be destroyed.

MITCHELL:  You mean you can handle a two front war?  When you don’t even know what our capabilities are?

V’clara 9 just closes her eyes.  Suddenly Monica experiences terrible pain and starts screaming.  

MITCHELL: Stop it!

Mitchell gets up, but is flung across the room.  Monica loses consciousness, and blood starts coming out of her nose.  

V’CLARA 9:  Agree to help us, or she will die.  

MITCHELL: You’ll have to kill us both before we agree to anything like that.  

V’CLARA 9:  So be it.  We will use you as an example for the rest of your Federation.

Suddenly Mitchell starts experiencing the same symptoms Monica had, and loses consciousness as well.  

CUT TO :

Discovery’s Bridge.  

HAWKINS: Fire at the last mine.  

SONAK (over the intercom): Firing now, sir.  

Ext: Discovery firing a probe casing.  The casing collides with the mine, destroying both in the process.  The Romulan Warbird, which is sitting right across the minefield, blocks the path between them and the planet.

HAWKINS: Hail the Romulans.  

DAWSON:  Channel open.  

HAWKINS: This is Warren Hawkins, acting commander of the Discovery.  Let us through, now.

REVEK: This is Commander Revek.  Withdraw from this territory at once.

HAWKINS: Trust me, I want to get out of here just as much as you want us to leave, but I’m not leaving without our officers.

REVEK: They are being held in Vicata custody.  

HAWKINS: I don’t care if they’re in Borg custody, I’m not leaving without them.  

REVEK: Well, then I’m afraid you’ll have to get past us first.  Good luck, Hawkins.  Revek out.  

DAWSON:  They’re charging weapons.  

TEDRIZ: Orders Commander?  

HAWKINS: Are we in transporter range?

DAWSON: No, sir.  

HAWKINS: Tedriz, can we get close enough to beam them out?

TEDRIZ: Not unless you want to be 4 meters away from that Romulan war bird.  

HAWKINS:  I do want to be 4 meters away from that Romulan Warbird.  So make it happen.  

TEDRIZ: Yes,sir.  

HAWKINS: Transfer all available power to the shields.  

DAWSON: We’ve got incoming!

Discovery is slammed by Romulan plasma weapons.  

DAWSON:  Shields are at 48%!  

TEDRIZ:: We’ve lost impulse!

HAWKINS: Use the thrusters, then!

Ext.  Discovery continues to get pummeled by Romulan fire.  The Sphere section of the ship has hull breaches all over.

DAWSON: Warp is gone!  So are shields!

HAWKINS: Hawkins to transporter room!  Beam Captain Mitchell and Commander Tanzia aboard, whether we’re in a safe range or not!

CUT TO: Transporter room.

TRANSPORTER CHIEF: Yes, sir.  Engaging.  

Two forms begin materializing, but the phase in and out.  

TRANSPORTER CHIEF:  There’s not enough power.  We’re losing them!

[DS9_Fan]

HAWKINS: Then transfer life support power to the transporters.  

The transporter chief does, and the two officers materialize.  

TRANSPORTER CHIEF: We’ve got them!  Get the medical teams down here, now!

Fade Out, End of Scene.

HAWKINS: Reverse thrusters!  Hail them and tell them we’re getting out of here!  


DAWSON: They’ve stopped firing.  

HAWKINS: Finally.

TEDRIZ: That Vicata warship is blocking our way.  

HAWKINS: Hail them, and tell them what we just told the Romulans.

DAWSON: No response.  

The Bridge crew starts hearing a rumbling.  

HAWKINS: What is that?

DAWSON: Hull pressure is climbing!

HAWKINS: From what?!

DAWSON: I’m not detecting anything that would raise pressure in the space around us.  Nevertheless, it’s like we’ve entered a gas giant!

HAWKINS:  It must be coming from that Vicata ship.  

DAWSON: If we don’t get our shields back, the hull pressure is going to crush us!

HAWKINS: Sonak, have you been listening?

Sonak’s voice is a little stressed.  

SONAK(over the intercom):  Yes sir.  We’ve reset the shield emitters, but they aren’t going to last long!  10 minutes at most!

HAWKINS:  Thanks anyway, Sonak.

DAWSON: The shields are back up.  Hull pressure is decreasing.  

The Bridge shudders again.

DAWSON: The Romulans have resumed firing.

Captain Mitchell steps on the bridge.  His uniform, which he is just barely wearing, is still shredded and covered with goo, but his hand is patched up.  However the damage is still noticeable.

HAWKINS: Captain?

MITCHELL:  Don’t ask.

HAWKINS: For what it’s worth, it’s good to see you again.

MITCHELL:  I’m sorry to say Monica won‘t be joining us..  

HAWKINS: Is she---

MITCHELL:  I’ll explain later.  Hail the Romulans.  This is Captain Mitchell.  Hold your fire!  We have some information about your new “allies”.  

REVEK: Captain, I’m in no mood for your tricks.  

MITCHELL:  The Vicata are using you as pawns.  Don’t you realize that they’re only using you to fight their war with “The Plague”?

REVEK:  The war was part of the deal Captain.

MITCHELL: What?!  

REVEK:  Once we help defeat the Vicata’s enemy, we will gain half of the territory that is won.

MITCHELL: Do you really think the Alpha Quadrant can handle another war, Revek?  If you had any sense of what’s right for your people, you’ll stop this nonsense at once.  

REVEK:  I’m working for the best interests of the Romulan empire, I assure you.  

MITCHELL:  Are you saying that you’re turning your back on the Second Khitomer Accords?  Because if you go through with this, that’s exactly how Starfleet will see it.  Any hope for peace is resting on your actions right now.  

Revek lets out a frustrated sound.  

REVEK:  Very well, Captain.  You won’t die by our hands.  But don’t expect us to come to your aid.  

Revek then looks at Hawkins as an afterthought and smiles.

REVEK: I’m sure well meet again, Mr. Hawkins.  

Revek deactivates the view screen.  

MITCHELL: Great.  Now all we have to do is prevent us from getting crushed into dust.  

HAWKINS: We sent out a distress signal to the nearest Federation starship, the USS Honshu.  She’ll arrive in about an hour.  

MITCHELL: Are there any more cloaked ships in the area?

Hawkins returns to the science station.

HAWKINS:  There is another Vicata warship which will arrive just after the Honshu does.  

[DS9_Fan]

MITCHELL: So we just have to hold these guys off until help arrives.  

DAWSON: The problem is Captain is that our shields are failing.  And we’ve directed all of our energy into the shields.  

MITCHELL:  Can we reset them?

HAWKINS: It would take about 3 minutes to restart the shields.  In the shape this ship is in, that would be enough time for the Vicata’s compression weapon to destroy us.  

Just then, Commander Tanzia steps out of the turbo lift and back on the bridge.  Her uniform is also tattered and she is covered with goo.  She can barely stand due to her injuries, but she doesn’t show her weakness.

MONICA: Permission to take my post sir.

MITCHELL:  You aren’t exactly in fit condition to be on the bridge, Commander.

MONICA: That’s what Lieutenant Martinez told me before I walked out.  

DAWSON: Shields down to 5%!  Life support is failing!

MONICA: Captain, from the looks of things, we’re going to be dead in about two minutes anyway. I’d like to die at my post, if it’s all right with you.  

Mitchell nods his head.

DAWSON: I’ll go down to engineering to see if I can help.  

MITCHELL: Thank you, Ensign.  

MONICA: The shields are gone.  Hull pressure is increasing.  We have about 2 minutes before we lost structural integrity. And sir, we’ve used up all of our reserve power…

HAWKINS:  Perhaps we should offer to surrender, sir.

MITCHELL:  I don’t want to be their prisoner again.  Besides, I’m not going to surrender this vessel to people who might use any of it’s technology against us.  

The hull around the bridge starts creaking.  

Ext.  Discovery.  The warp pylons start to buckle.  The nacelles collapse onto themselves.

MITCHELL:  Monica, are there enough functional life pods for the crew to escape?

MONICA: Yes.  But why….?

HAWKINS: We’re setting the self destruct?

MITCHELL: No, I have a better idea.  Tedriz, set a collision course for that ship, and as soon as the our life pods are clear, engage at warp one.  

MONICA:  We might be able to do something until help arrives.  Besides, Keith, this isn’t the Kobyashi Maru we’re talking about here.

MITCHELL: Help isn’t going to arrive for another 50 minutes.  And I don’t plan on endangering the lives of my crew just to hold on to this ship, no matter how much it means to some of us.  Like you said, it’s time to let go of the past.  Agreed?

MONICA:  …agreed.

MITCHELL:  Mr. Hawkins, start evacuating the Discovery.  Make sure the life pods are programmed to steer clear of the mines.  

HAWKINS: Yes, sir.  

Hawkins tells the crew what Mitchell just told him as Tedriz sets the helm.  

TEDRIZ: Everything is set.  

MITCHELL: Are the controls locked?  

TEDRIZ: Yes.  

MITCHELL:  Then let’s get to the life---

Mitchell is cut off by a hull breach in the ceiling caused by the hull pressure.  Air starts escaping the room.  Everyone runs into the turbo lift.  As they exit, they run down the corridor.  All around them the ship starts to compress.  Everyone but Mitchell goes into the last life pod.  He checks the computer to make sure everyone else is off board, then goes into the life pod with Hawkins, Tedriz, and Monica.

Ext.  Discovery

The hull of the ship is shriveled like a prune as it is being compressed.  Life pods, some of which are slightly damaged, eject from the ship and get away to a safe distance.  The warp engines begin to power up.  

Int. Life Pod.  

MITCHELL: There she goes…my little rust bucket.  

MONICA: It wasn’t too bad of a place to live these last 5 years.  

Mitchell just shakes his head.  

MITCHELL:  Would you have stayed on it another 5?

MONICA:  …In a heartbeat.  I may not have indicated it, but I had a lot of fun on that ship.

MITCHELL: So did I.

[DS9_Fan]

Ext.  Discovery goes to warp and smashes itself into the Vicata warship.  Both ships are instantly destroyed.  The Romulan war bird cloaks and warps out of the system.  

Int. Lifepod.

Mitchell and Co. watch as small pieces of the Discovery’s hull batter the life pod.  A small piece of the hull floats by.  It has half of the word “Discovery” printed on it.  

MITCHELL: Hail the other life pods.  Tell them that we’ll rendezvous on the other side of this minefield.  

MONICA:  Aye, sir.  

Half an hour later, an Akira Class vessel named the USS Honshu arrives and begins picking up the crew of the USS Discovery, NCC 558.  Then it leaves for Earth at maximum warp.

Fade Out, End of Scene.

Caption: Two weeks later…

Ext. McKinley space station.  

CUT TO:

Admiral Grayling’s office.  Mitchell is being debriefed.  He is clean again, in a new uniform, and his hand is fully repaired, with a few synthetic fingers which aren’t detectable as such.

MITCHELL: …and apparently the Romulans are reconsidering their alliance with the Vicata.  Commander Revek will probably be a big proponent of keeping their alliance together, though.  

GRAYLING:  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.  

MITCHELL:  The one thing that bothers me is that we never found out who these people the Vicata consider a threat so much.  

GRAYLING:  If worse comes to worse, and the Vicata turn against us, we might be able to strike up relations with the people they call “The Plague”.  

MITCHELL: If we can find them.  And that’s also if they’re friendly.  If not, we may have to choose the lesser of two evils.  

GRAYLING:  That will be up to you.  

MITCHELL: Me?

GRAYLING: You started the job.  It’s up to you to finish it.  After the board of inquiry reviews the circumstances of how you lost your vessel, and we are satisfied that you had no other choice but to destroy the Discovery, we’ll send you back out there.  The Neutral Zone has only been explored by you and your crew, which makes you the experts.

MITCHELL:  Are you sending us in a freighter?

GRAYLING:  No.  You’ll be reassigned.  But this time, you’ll have no say over any of the details.  

MITCHELL: That seems fair.  

GRAYLING: Good.  Because there won’t be a board of inquiry.  

MITCHELL: I thought you said…

GRAYLING: In perilous times such as these, we don’t have the luxury of going through extensive court hearings.  Starfleet command has already reviewed your logs, and they’ve agreed with your decisions.  Your new ship is here, in the base.  I’ll show you where it is.

MITCHELL: Yes, sir.  And thank you, sir.  

GRAYLING: I don’t think you’ll be thanking me when you see the ship.

MITCHELL: I’m sure it will do just fine.  

Grayling and Mitchell join the other senior officers of the former USS Discovery and Grayling guides them to the viewing area of the hangar bay.  

MONICA:  Which one is it?

They look at all of the different ships.  

GRAYLING: That one…right there.

He points in the direction of…a brand new Sovereign class starship.  The ship is moving on thrusters, as if showing off it’s features.  The crew smiles at the majestic sight.

MITCHELL: Amazing!

HAWKINS: That’s quite a ship…

Grayling clears his throat to get their attention.  

[DS9_Fan]

GRAYLING: Nooooo, I don’t think so.  *That’s* your ship.  

The smiles on their faces slowly evaporate (with the exception of Mitchell) as the Sovereign class ship, which is still moving on thrusters, continues moving until it leaves the bay, revealing their true ship.  It’s the decommissioned (not to mention dilapidated) Excelsior class ship Mitchell had seen earlier.

GRAYLING: That’s your ship.  

The group says “Ohhhh” together as they see the multiple hull ruptures.  

GRAYLING: Don’t look so disappointed.  I had to pull quite a few strings to keep this ship from getting turned into scrap metal.  The ship you’re looking at has a very distinguished history.  It’s name was the USS Hood. It was commissioned 90 years ago.  It’s been in 32 skirmishes over it’s career, 9 of which were during the Dominion War.  It’s received 2 refits, the first one was 60 years ago, and the last was just after the Dominion War.  You see, it holds a special place in my heart.  I was it’s Captain for 15 years before Captain DeSoto took over.  It’s in your hands now.

MITCHELL: I’m honored, sir.  

Grayling looks at the ship with pride.  

GRAYLING:  Well, I better be getting back to work.  I’ll leave the six of you alone.  

Grayling walks away as the 6 stare at the ship.  Martinez, Tedriz, and Monica look at the ship incredulously, not really sure what to think.   Hawkins looks almost horrified by the appearance of the ship.  Mitchell looks at it in pride, and Sonak, for a brief second smiles.  

SONAK: Captain, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to get to work on our new ship.

MITCHELL:  After we celebrate.  

Monica walks over to Mitchell.  

MONICA Well, it looks like you’ve got yourself a new rust bucket.  

Mitchell raises an eyebrow to that statement.  

MONICA: Come on, let’s get a drink before Mr. Hawkins has a coronary.  

Mitchell shrugs, and the six head off to the lounge.

[glow=red,2,300]The End[/glow]


Well, that's all folks.