TEASER

FADE IN:

1 EXT. SPACE - SALAVAT ORBIT

The barren rocky world, with only the meagre buildings of the shuttle landing strip showing. But underground...

2 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - CHECKPOINT

SIRENS sound and surveillance drones HOVER ominously over the scene, as BREEN soldiers block the paths of civilians and scan their ID chips before letting them pass. This is not the bored, everyday formality in the arrivals hall but a tense military operation. They are hunting for fugitives.

PAN UP to the rough-hewn ceiling, where a MAINTENANCE HATCH is set high up in the wall, with a ladder leading up to it from the floor. Quietly, slowly, the hatch creeps open...

...and two BREEN can be seen crouching in the small space beyond it. They peer down at the soldiers...

BASHIR (comm)
You’re certain this is the only
exit on this level?

SARINA (comm)
Yes. I’ve checked three times.
It’s the only one that exits on
this side of the checkpoint.

BASHIR (comm)
Maybe we should lay low until the
city’s not on high alert anymore.

SARINA (comm)
Our ride home won’t wait forever,
Julian. We can’t afford to bide
our time. We have to be bold.

BASHIR (comm)
There’s bold and there’s suicidal.
If we climb down this ladder,
they’ll shoot us long before -

SARINA (comm)
Who said anything about a ladder?

The first BREEN pulls out a tiny portable HARPOON GUN.

BASHIR (comm)
No, no, no, no...

SARINA (comm)
Stand clear.

She JAMS an anchor into the wall outside the hatch, turns and FIRES into the darkness of this underground city. The bolt FLIES, carrying a monofilament WIRE until it HITS and embeds itself into the opposite wall.

Sarina quickly tests the wire - it is taut and strong - then clamps a tiny PULLEY over it and PUSHES off without another word, flying into the darkness and silence.

The second Breen sighs inside his suit, pulls out his own pulley, attaches it and PUSHES off after her.

WITH BASHIR in his Breen suit as he flies across the open space, Breen soldiers unaware beneath him, into complete darkness, no sign of Sarina...

SARINA (comm)
Brakes! Brakes!

Bashir SQUEEZES the pulley around the wire, slowing himself until two HANDS reach out and catch him, guide him to a stop and a standing surface. They are in total DARKNESS.

3 INT. BASHIR'S SUIT (INTERCUT)

BASHIR’s view through the slim eye-slot is total blackness, but the suit’s Starfleet-installed HUD reveals a HOLO-IMAGE projected before his eyes - the shape of a Breen helmet in green, like sonar, with that shape clearly labelled SARINA. Also visible are the words PRIVATE CHANNEL.

SARINA (comm)
Can you walk? How’s your leg?

BASHIR
I only had time for a quick run
over with the dermal regenerator.
I’ll have a scar.

SARINA (comm)
It won’t be your last. Come on.

The Breen holo-shape turns and moves off, and Bashir goes after her. As they walk, the shapes of the passages around them loom into the holo-image, allowing a clearer picture of where they’re going. Staying in Bashir’s POV:

BASHIR (o.s.)
I can’t help noticing you’ve been
giving me a lot of orders. Perhaps
you forgot that I outrank you?

The other Breen shape glances back, not appreciating Bashir’s indignant tone, before forging onwards.

SARINA (comm)
I also must have forgot when you
thanked me for getting us both out
of there alive. I’m the one who’s
done this before, Julian, but if
you’re sure you can do better...

4 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - PASSAGEWAY

Sarina reaches an intersection into a somewhat more well-lit corridor, although still in the hidden depths of the city. As she warily pokes her head out to check...

SARINA (comm)
(continuing)
...I will happily hand control of
the mission over to you.

Seeing it’s clear, she steps out, and Bashir follows.

BASHIR (comm)
That’s not what I’m saying. Just -

A sharp, staccato BUZZ of Breen industrial noise barks out from behind them (translated into ON-SCREEN SUBTITLES)...

CHOT NAR
Stop where you are!

Bashir and Sarina spin, and see a government-suited Breen, CHOT NAR, standing and holding a WEAPON on them. Sarina instantly pulls her own weapon, ready to fire. Bashir jumps between them, now also speaking in BUZZ with SUBTITLES...

BASHIR
There’s no need for weapons. We’re
no danger to you. I am Khet Rhun.

Nar looks at Sarina, who has lowered her weapon... a bit. When Nar holsters her own weapon, Sarina does the same.

SARINA
Minh Sann.

CHOT NAR
Those are not your real names.

BASHIR
Why do you say that?

CHOT NAR
Because no-one goes to the trouble
of having themselves zeroed just
to then go around giving out their
real names. That’s how I found you
- you were setting off null value
errors all over the surveillance
grid. I thought everyone had been
warned. Are you from the colonies?

Bashir and Sarina glance at each other, then back to Nar.

SARINA
You could say that.

CHOT NAR
You’d better come with me. I’ll
keep you somewhere safe until
we can fix your ID chips.

Nar moves off down the passage. Bashir and Sarina follow...

5 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - APARTMENT BLOCK FOYER

It is shift change time on Salavat. Hundreds of BREEN of all suit-types come and go, either heading off to work or coming home from it. ADVERTISEMENTS cover every wall, a new product displayed on them with every Breen that passes.

CHOT NAR, BASHIR and SARINA cut through this in a straight line, keeping to the middle of the room so as not to get too close to the adverts and set off any more null errors.

6 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - CHOT NAR’S APARTMENT

The door OPENS and Nar leads Bashir and Sarina inside. It is basic but serviceable, the same as any normal person’s apartment, all as generic and bland as at the marketplace - a sofa and chairs, coffee table, vid-screen on the wall. Nar continues to speak in Breen noise with SUBTITLES...

CHOT NAR
Make yourselves comfortable.
It’s not much but it’s all I can
offer you for now.

Having locked the door with several different locks, Nar heads off to her bedroom. We go with her...

BEDROOM

Opening her closet, Nar unclasps her helmet and lifts it off with a sigh of blessed relief, revealing her FACE. She is the same species as Kazren, the spy from 14x01 “Siren”. Bronze skin, white hair which has been bunched up inside the helmet but which she now shakes free and long.

LIVING ROOM

Bashir and Sarina are hovering where they were, unsure what to do with themselves. Then Nar appears in the doorway from the bedroom, completely out of the suit.

She is humanoid, and is wearing a silk robe that disguises her figure in a much more flattering way than the Breen suit did, with her long white hair tumbling fetchingly over her shoulders. She looks stunning.

As Bashir and Sarina gawp, Nar looks back confused, and we hear her real voice for the first time.

CHOT NAR
I don’t mean to criticise, but it
is impolite to remain masked
once your host has unmasked...

Bashir and Sarina glance to each other, unsure...

CHOT NAR
You are safe here. Please - remove
your masks and be at home.

Bashir and Sarina’s private comm, which Nar can’t hear...

SARINA (comm)
We really can’t refuse. Follow my
lead, and let me do the talking.

Bashir nods, and both of them unclasp their own helmets and lift them off, revealing the faces of BASHIR and SARINA.

Nar’s jaw drops, amazed and utterly shocked...

CHOT NAR
You’re... you’re not Breen at all.
You’re humans.

As Bashir and Sarina stand there, wondering if they’re about to be turned in as dangerous alien imposters...

BLACK OUT

END OF TEASER

ACT ONE

FADE IN:

7 EXT. DEEP SPACE NINE

The Cardassian-designed station, with the Defiant docked...

8 INT. DS9 - CAPTAIN’S OFFICE

The door from Ops opens, and Nurse ETANA pokes her head in.

ETANA
Hey, boss - you got a minute?

Captain RO smiles from behind her desk...

RO
Sure, Kol - come on in. What’s up?

Etana enters and takes the guest seat, a bit awkward.

ETANA
Kristen and I were just wondering
when Doctor Bashir is coming back?

RO
Getting busy in the Infirmary?

ETANA
I know it’s not like he hasn’t
taken leave before, but we usually
have some notice so we can plan
ahead, maybe get help from Bajor.
This time it was like he had to take
leave right this minute, couldn’t
even wait long enough to tell
us how long he’d be away.

Ro ponders her reply - she can’t tell Etana about Bashir’s secret mission, but she doesn’t like lying to her friend.

RO
Julian... had some stuff he had to
take care of. Can’t Doctor Aylam
handle it?

ETANA
She’s only one woman, boss. She
can’t work twenty-six hours a day.
And Kristen and I are nurses, not
doctors - what if someone needs
emergency surgery overnight?

RO
Look, Kol - I can’t tell you when
Julian will be back, because I just
don’t know. But... maybe there’s
something else I can do.

She gets up, heads to the door, but doesn’t open it. She looks through the glass, to where Lt CANDLEWOOD sits at his science station. Ro KNOCKS on the glass, Candlewood looks up, Ro beckons him. As he gets up, Ro returns to her seat. By the time Candlewood ENTERS, she is back behind her desk.

CANDLEWOOD
Hey, boss. What’s up?

RO
(faux glare)
That’s “what can I do for you,
Captain?”, Lieutenant. Sergeant
Etana only gets to call me boss
because we’re friends.

CANDLEWOOD
(faux insulted)
We’re not friends?

They are, so Ro lets it go - this time.

RO
What are you working on lately?

CANDLEWOOD
Nothing that can’t be put off.
Why, what do you need?

RO
You’re assigned to the Infirmary
until further notice.

CANDLEWOOD
...I’m sorry, what?

RO
They’re short-handed with Bashir
away. I know you’re not a doctor -

Candlewood scoffs - yeah, obviously. Ro continues...

RO
(continuing)
But you worked in sickbay before,
enough to offer support. I’ll ask
Counsellor Matthias to help too -
she does have medical experience.

CANDLEWOOD
All blue-shirts together, huh?

RO
Between you, it should be enough
to take some pressure off Doctor
Aylam. Delegate what needs to
be delegated, and report to the
Infirmary first thing tomorrow.

CANDLEWOOD
Understood...

With a look of “Alright, on your head be it,” Candlewood heads out. Etana turns back to Ro with her own look - Candlewood is a good guy, but he can be a bit... much.

ETANA
This’ll be fun. Thanks... boss.

With a wry look, Etana heads back out to Ops as well. Ro watches them go, then turns worried again. When will Bashir be back? Will he be back at all?

9 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - CHOT NAR’S APARTMENT

Bashir and Sarina have just revealed themselves to their saviour, Chot Nar. She steps back, wary and unsure...

CHOT NAR
I’ve never actually seen humans
before. Not in the flesh, anyway.

SARINA
(hands up)
Please don’t be afraid. Yes, we’re
humans. Cultural observers.

CHOT NAR
Civilians? From the Federation?

SARINA
That’s right. We’re just here to
learn about your people.

CHOT NAR
Then why did you attack the civil
control drones in the marketplace?

SARINA
We didn’t, they attacked us. We
were just defending ourselves.

BASHIR
And we did everything we could to
keep innocent civilians out of the
crossfire.

CHOT NAR
What happens now that I’ve seen
your faces?

SARINA
Well, that depends. Do you have
any food?

CHOT NAR
Some.

SARINA
Then perhaps we could sit down,
have a bite to eat, and you could
tell us things we don’t know about
the Breen. Which is most things.

A pause to consider, then Nar pulls her robe tighter about herself and comes into the living room. She takes one of the chairs, Bashir and Sarina sit together on the sofa.

CHOT NAR
What do you want to know?

BASHIR
For starters, I’d love to know
about your own species, including
what you call yourselves.

CHOT NAR
My people are the Silwaan. We were
one of the founding members of the
Confederacy.

SARINA
Silwaan? Not Dessev?

CHOT NAR
(bark of laughter)
Dessev? Gods no, nobody’s called
us that in centuries. Where ever
did you hear that?

SARINA
Just a name we heard in passing.

Bashir picks up his discarded helmet...

BASHIR
I’m guessing the snouts on these
things aren’t for your benefit.

CHOT NAR
(faint smile)
No, that feature is included to
accommodate the Fenrisal. I don’t
think your people have met them.

SARINA
One of the rumours I’d heard was
that the Breen had no blood, and
they need to wear refrigeration
suits or they’ll evaporate.

CHOT NAR
Ah - whoever told you that must
have encountered an Amoniri.

BASHIR
Are they the ones with the four-
lobed brains that foil telepaths?

CHOT NAR
No, those are Paclu. They are also
very strong. That’s why they and
the Amoniri dominate the military.

Bashir leans forwards, intrigued...

BASHIR
Do you mean it’s a caste system?

CHOT NAR
Not at all. Confederate Congress
sets standards of performance for
all roles within the government,
military and educational sectors.
Certain species are better able to
meet those demands, that’s all.

BASHIR
Remarkable. Then if it’s not too
impertinent to ask, why exactly do
your people wear these masks?

CHOT NAR
To prevent exactly the kind of
discrimination you hinted at.

SARINA
I don’t follow. How do the masks
do that?

CHOT NAR
Outside the family unit, only the
Intelligence Directorate know the
race of individual citizens. Since
we only evaluate one another by
our performance records, no-one
is advanced because of species, or
age, or attractiveness. Breen are
judged on their merits alone.

BASHIR
(smile)
An entire culture predicated
on blind tests. I’ll say this for
it - it certainly sounds fair.

SARINA
If no-one ever sees anyone else’s
faces, how do you know everything
you just told us about the others?

CHOT NAR
(sly)
Well, we’re not supposed to see.
But there is a small yet vibrant
dissident subculture that exists
in the hidden spaces of all Breen
cities. Agitators who yearn to
live without masks. To be free.

SARINA
Why are you telling us this?

CHOT NAR
Because I am one of them. I work
for the Intelligence Directorate -
and I use that position to help my
friends. But with your arrival, I
can offer them something better.

BASHIR
And what’s that?

CHOT NAR
Asylum in the Federation.

Off Bashir and Sarina’s amazed reactions...

10 EXT. PALAIS DE LA CONCORDE - DAY

The centre of Federation government in Paris...

11 INT. PALAIS – PRESIDENT’S OFFICE - DAY

Klingon ambassador K’MTOK rips apart a lIngta’ leg with his bare hands and stuffs some of the raw meat into his mouth.

Ferengi ambassador DERRO crunches hard into a crab’s shell and scoffs it down with relish, followed by a soft burp.

Cardassian ambassador GARAK sips demurely from a goblet, watching the other two with a politely blank expression. He turns and shares the look with...

Federation president BACCO, who tries to control her smirk.

DERRO
I love a female who cooks.

BACCO
I’m glad I could could make you
happy, Ambassador Derro. But
you realise I didn’t invite you
here just for the Kytherian crabs.

K’mtok waves his half-chewed lIngta’ leg in the air, and leers through meat-skewering teeth...

K’MTOK
A fresh lIngta’ leg is the food of
seduction. Do you want something
from me, Madam President?

GARAK
While I’m certain no sane woman
could resist your charms, K’mtok,
I do not believe President Bacco
is seeking access to your body.

BACCO
Very astute of you, Mister Garak.
In fact this is a matter of utmost
importance and secrecy.

DERRO
Yes, we’re here to talk about your
spies in Breen space, obviously.

Bacco’s face drops, blood draining. She looks to K’mtok, who grins at her knowingly through bloody teeth. She looks to Garak, who sips from his drink with an enigmatic smile.

BACCO
How did you...

DERRO
I’m a Ferengi - we hear things.

GARAK
Whereas secrets are a Cardassian’s
specialty, Madam President.

K’MTOK
And if we have this intelligence,
so does the Typhon Pact.

BACCO
Alright, time saved then. You know
what they’re up to, and you know
we have an operation underway
right now to stop them. But if the
Typhon Pact are working together
to screw with us, I say we should
work together to screw them back.

GARAK
What did you have in mind?

BACCO
You spoke of specialties - they’re
using theirs, so let’s use ours.
Ambassador Derro, I want those
ears of yours out there hearing
everything. Mister Garak, you also
have the plans for slipstream -

GARAK
And if for some reason the Breen
should find themselves without
their newly acquired plans, they
will not find us too talkative.

BACCO
Glad to hear it. And K’mtok -

K’MTOK
You wish us to fight? I thought you
didn’t want this to turn into a war
with the Typhon Pact.

DERRO
Besides, I thought the Klingons
were in as bad shape as Starfleet.
And the last fleet you sent into
Breen space never came back.

GARAK
And with the Kinshaya taking their
chance to harass your borders...
(off K’mtok’s
growl)
Please don’t be upset, Ambassador.
The Cardassian Union is facing
similar issues with the Tzenkethi.

BACCO
That’s alright, Ambassador K’mtok.
You’re right, I don’t want a war.
But there is something else your
people are very good at...

K’MTOK
And what’s that?

BACCO
Hating the Romulans.

Bacco has turned dark and intense, even vengeful. In response, K’mtok gives a toothy grin...

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT ONE

ACT TWO

FADE IN:

12 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - CHOT NAR’S APARTMENT

The door CHIME sounds. Chot Nar, still out of her suit, steps behind a privacy screen and boots up a small viewer beside the door. It shows...

SCREEN

...another BREEN out in the corridor. It looks into the security camera and BUZZES. The COMPUTER translates.

COMPUTER VOICE
It is I - Chon Min.

On screen, a BEAM reaches out to scan the visitor’s ID chip. The computer BEEPS affirmatively.

CHOT NAR (o.s.)
Enter the pass code.

On screen, the visitor enters a code into the panel outside the door. The computer BEEPS affirmatively again.

BACK TO SCENE

Chot Nar steps back from the screen and presses the button to open the door. It does, and the Breen visitor enters.

As soon as the door closes again, the visitor removes his helmet, revealing CHON MIN, a FENRISAL Breen - basically a werewolf. Golden fur, a long doglike snout and sharp teeth.

CHON MIN
I’m here. What’s the urgency?

Before Chot Nar can answer, Chon Min’s sensitive doggy nose flares, and he steps back, worried.

CHON MIN
Strange scents. Not like any I know.
Who is here?

CHOT NAR
Calm down. My guests are outsiders
but they have come in peace. Treat
them as friends, Min.
(calls out)
You can come out now.

Hesitantly, Bashir and Sarina step out from the bedroom.

CHOT NAR
Chon Min, allow me to introduce
Julian Bashir and Sarina Douglas
of the United Federation.

CHON MIN
Nar, have you lost your mind?
Why did you bring them here?
Why did you let them see me?

CHOT NAR
They are cultural observers, Min.
They can help us.

CHON MIN
They can get us all killed.

CHOT NAR
Listen, I need you to modify their
ident chips so they have proper
profiles. Right now they show
up in the system as zeroes.

BASHIR
Actually, I didn’t really follow
that. What did you mean when
you said we’d zeroed ourselves?

CHON MIN
(to Nar, frustrated)
Don’t they know anything?
(to Bashir, annoyed)
When any Breen interacts with any
piece of technology, it scans their
chips to identify them and show
them what they most want to
see, based on their history.

SARINA
(catching on)
So the information kiosk, and the
advertising hoardings. That’s why
they didn’t work for us - because
we have no history here.

CHOT NAR
Yes. That’s how I found you, and
how everyone else will find you if
we don’t fix it. Min, will you? Or
do I need to find someone else?

CHON MIN
Telling more people about these
two is the last thing we need. I
can do it, only because it’s you.

Nar reaches out and strokes Min’s fur affectionately - he purrs low in response. Clearly, these two are a couple.

That done, Min pulls a tool out of a pocket and walks up to Sarina, starts tweaking the chip in her Breen suit.

CHON MIN
I’ll programme these with existing
fake idents already on the system.

SARINA
Thank you for helping us.

CHON MIN
I’m not doing this for you. I’m
doing it because I owe Deshinar
many favours.

SARINA
Nevertheless, we’re grateful.

CHOT NAR
Now we just need to find some-
where safe for them to stay...

Off Bashir and Sarina’s curious look...

13 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - PASSAGEWAY

All three back in their suits, Chon Min leads Bashir and Sarina down a staircase into the darkness. They talk in the Breen BUZZ, translated by ON-SCREEN SUBTITLES.

BASHIR
Are you sure this is right?

CHON MIN
I’m taking you to a haven off the
surveillance grid. Only a handful
of us know of this sanctuary.

They reach the bottom of the stairs, and face a heavy DOOR, with a broken light fixture next to it. Min moves the light aside, revealing a BUTTON. He presses it. A voice buzzes...

VOICE
Valley.

CHON MIN
Harbour.

With a CLUNK of heavy locks, the door swings open. Two armed BREEN stand guard on the other side, weapons raised.

CHON MIN
I bring new friends. Welcome them.

Apparently satisfied, the soldiers lower their weapons, and Chon Min, Bashir and Sarina enter...

14 INT. BASHIR'S SUIT (INTERCUT)

...as they pass through the door to whatever is on the other side, Bashir’s face is overcome with WONDER. As the lights of his HUD scramble to keep up, his jaw drops and his eyes raise, taking in the vista before him...

15 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - THE WARREN

A huge, multi-level secret city within a city, with shops, “open-air” restaurants, and BREEN of all species mingling freely without need of feature-hiding suits. SUBTITLES...

CHON MIN
Welcome to the Warren. You’ll be
safe here - for now.

BASHIR
A handful? There must be thousands
of people in here.

CHON MIN
We’ll draw stares by not removing
our masks. But better that than let
them see humans among them.

SARINA
We understand. We don’t want
to cause any more trouble.

CHON MIN
Follow me.

He leads them into the Warren. As they walk, they pass...

A SILWAAN male stirring food in a big pot, ladling some out into a bowl for a FENRISAL female, who wolfs it down... 

A group of PACLU (tall and imposing, four-lobed brains like Ferengi but without the ears) dancing to alien music...

A FENRISAL male making good use of his furry coat against the cold required to keep safe his AMONIRI make-out partner (a gas-filled mylar balloon in the shape of a humanoid)...

Plus more species, some humanoid some not, but all could fit into a humanoid Breen suit. Living their lives, crying or laughing, drinking or dancing, fighting or f**king.

16 INT. BASHIR'S SUIT (INTERCUT)

Bashir watches all this with utter elation.

BASHIR
This is... wonderful.

CHON MIN (comm)
Then do not betray them. We are
placing our trust in you, humans.

Bashir nods, solemnly taking on that responsibility...

17 EXT. SPACE - ROBINSON

The Galaxy-class USS Robinson flies at impulse...

18 INT. ROBINSON - BRIDGE

The door from the ready room opens and SISKO enters, quite pleased but trying not to show it. Cmdr ROGEIRO stands from the captain’s chair, steps aside for his captain.

ROGEIRO
I don’t mean to pry, sir, but that
was the third comm from Starfleet
Command in the last few hours.
Is there some new development?

SISKO
Yes. What’s the status of our
experimental cloak detector?

ROGEIRO
Lieutenant Corala reverse-engineered
the transphasic torpedo we used
against the Borg, combined it with
the quantum transport module you
used to access the alternate universe.
This will allow us to scan multiple
phase states at once using Dominion
anti-proton beams to echo-locate any
cloaked vessel hiding in those states.
Commander Relkdahz refit the main
deflector and sensor array, and
Commander Plante has designed a
search pattern that will allow us to
scan as much space as possible
without entering the Neutral Zone.

SISKO
Sounds like we’re ready. Excellent
work, Commander. Please pass on
my commendations to the crew.

ROGEIRO
Aye, sir. Thank you, sir.

Sisko confidently takes his centre seat, and Rogeiro sits beside him. Sisko toggles the control station at his side.

SISKO
Sisko to all senior staff. Prepare
to activate the new phase cloak
detection system on my signal.

Rogeiro leans in and speaks sotto...

ROGEIRO
You realise, of course, sir, that
the Romulans’ new ship could be
anywhere along the entire border.

SISKO
We have to start somewhere. And
the sooner the better.

ROGEIRO
Also that absence of evidence
is not evidence of absence. The
system might just not work,
and we’d never know.

Sisko doesn’t like that, but he can’t argue with it either.

SISKO
That doesn’t mean we don’t try.
(out loud)
Alright, Commander. Let’s do it.

ROGEIRO
Aye, sir.

Rogeiro stands again and begins throwing out orders.

ROGEIRO
Sivadeki, take us to the first
point on Plante’s search pattern,
thrusters only. Uteln, full power
to the main deflector and direct
the beam across the Neutral Zone.

SIVADEKI at helm and UTELN at tactical respond...

SIVADEKI
Bearing four-zero mark two-five,
thrusters aye.

UTELN
Powering the deflector now...

19 EXT. SPACE - ROBINSON

Close-up on the DEFLECTOR DISH as a steady beam of energy FIRES out of it, scouring the space in front of the ship...

20 INT. ROBINSON - BRIDGE

Sisko sits patiently in his chair as PLANTE (ops) pores over her sensor readings...

PLANTE
Nothing yet, captain.

SIVADEKI
First point scan complete, moving
us to second -

PLANTE
Wait! There may be something...

SISKO
Tactical display.

The bridge is on tenterhooks as Plante casts her readings up to the main VIEWSCREEN...

VIEWSCREEN

A MAP of the Neutral Zone between Federation and Romulan space, with the Robinson depicted on the Federation side and sending its beam into the zone...

...and something as yet unidentified detected nearby...

BACK TO SCENE

Sisko stands from his chair, approaches the screen...

SISKO
Can we get anything clearer?

PLANTE
I’m working on it, sir...

21 EXT. SPACE

The energy beam firing out from the Robinson... and bouncing off a SHAPE.

From the point of contact, the shape UNCLOAKS... revealing a ROMULAN WARBIRD (D’Deridex class).

PULL BACK from this reveal, and we see two more warbirds uncloak as well, on either side of the first, all arrayed in front of the Robinson.

22 INT. ROBINSON - BRIDGE

The crew reacts to this as the ship goes to RED ALERT.

UTELN
Three warbirds decloaking, sir!
They’re in an attack formation...
and they’ve just charged weapons.

ROGEIRO
They were on top of us all along.

As Sisko glares down the Romulans on his viewscreen...

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT TWO

ACT THREE

FADE IN:

23 EXT. SPACE

Robinson facing the three Romulan warbirds...

24 INT. ROBINSON - BRIDGE

RED ALERT lights flash. While the crew is tense and urgent, Sisko himself remains calm, taking his seat confidently.

SISKO
Attention Romulan vessels. This
is Captain Benjamin Sisko of the
starship Robinson. You have ten
seconds to respond and explain
your presence in the Neutral Zone.

Rogeiro is quietly nervous - it’s a bold strategy to try to take charge when they’re so clearly outnumbered.

UTELN
They’re responding, sir.

SISKO
On screen.

The viewscreen changes to reveal Cmdr BRETOR, on a standard Romulan bridge background. He is clearly not happy.

BRETOR (screen)
You have some nerve, Starfleet, to
demand an explanation from us
when you are clearly the aggressors.

SISKO
(unfazed)
And you are?

BRETOR (screen)
I am Commander Bretor of the
D’Varian. You are outnumbered,
outgunned and surrounded.

SISKO
And I’m still waiting for a reason
not to demand your surrender for
violating the zone. I warn you,
Commander, I’m not a patient man.

BRETOR (screen)
You are in a position to demand
nothing. You come here, parade up
and down our border, threaten us
when we have done you no harm.
How did you expect us to react?

SISKO
After Utopia Planitia, Commander,
how do you expect us to react?

At this, Bretor seems genuinely baffled.

BRETOR (screen)
You want to blame us for your own
accident? Starfleet must be more
desperate than I thought. Let me
be blunt, Captain. You are one. We
are three. You will surrender your
ship, or we will take it by force.

SISKO
My answer is still no.

BRETOR (screen)
Very well. The deaths of all your
crew will be -

ROMULAN (screen)
Commander! Vessels decloaking!

On screen, the Romulan crew go to RED ALERT themselves...

25 EXT. SPACE

Robinson facing the three Romulan warbirds...

...but then five KLINGON WARSHIPS of various classes uncloak on the Robinson’s side.

26 INT. ROBINSON - BRIDGE

Uteln reacts to his tactical console...

UTELN
Five Klingon warships decloaking,
sir. All targeting the Romulans.

Sisko just smiles quietly. On screen, Bretor seethes.

BRETOR (screen)
Well played, Captain.

SISKO
Give yourself credit, Commander. I
couldn’t have done it without you.
Now, our Klingon friends are going
to keep you company here while we
return to our patrol route. And if
you feel like making a fight of it,
I might remind you that you’re
the ones who entered the Neutral
Zone, not us. Robinson out.

The screen returns to an external view.

SISKO
Commander Sivadeki, take us to
point two on the search grid.

SIVADEKI
Aye, sir.

The ship gets underway, the crew lets out a breath.

ROGEIRO
You knew that was going to happen,
didn’t you? That’s what all the calls
from Starfleet were about.

SISKO
They suspected the Romulans would
keep a close eye on us out here,
so they arranged some back-up.
It’s not even the first time the
Romulans fell for that trick.

ROGEIRO
It’s good to see you smile again,
sir. Even if it is at my expense.
(Sisko nods)
But he seemed genuinely confused
when you mentioned Utopia Planitia
- is it possible he really didn’t know
his own people are behind it?

SISKO
If it was a top secret Tal Shiar
mission, a regular commander
would never have been told.

ROGEIRO
Then we may have just confirmed
his worst fears - the Federation
and the Klingons working together
to threaten his homeland.

SISKO
A necessary evil, Commander.

As Rogeiro reluctantly accepts that...

27 EXT. SPACE - SALAVAT ORBIT

Re-establishing the deceptively empty world...

28 INT. BREEN SHIPYARD - KEER’S OFFICE

A private space within the shipyard for the private use of project leader THOT KEER. This Breen male, an ordinary man just trying to do his job, stands facing three superiors. They surround him in a semi-circle, and are all HOLOGRAMS.

They are: Keer’s direct commander THOT NAAZ (seen 14x02 “Poker Face”), their ambassador to the Typhon Pact THOT GREN (seen TNG 19x11 “Puzzle Box”), and the highest Breen in the entire Confederacy, the exalted DOMO BREX.

They are distinguishable by different marks on their suits that denote rank and specialty without giving away anything personal, and all speak in Breen NOISE, with SUBTITLES.

Thot Gren angrily points a finger at Keer and Naaz...

THOT GREN
All we ever get from you two is
promises, never results. Your
project is late, over budget, and
now a political liability. By any
standard, the project has failed.

THOT KEER
It will have failed only if it is
abandoned before it can succeed.
With all respect, Domo, we cannot
let all our efforts so far go to
waste, not when we are so close.

THOT NAAZ
The Romulans already wield power
disproportionate to their size,
thanks to their reunification and
their cloaking technology. If they
gain control of slipstream before
us, we risk becoming even more of
a second-rate power than we are.

THOT GREN
Thank you, Thot Naaz. The Domo
and I are well aware of the political
ramifications. But if we defy the
Typhon Pact’s information exchange
requirements, we will face stiff
economic sanctions. We might even
find ourselves expelled from the
Pact altogether, which leaves us
exposed before the entire galaxy.

Tired of the bickering between his subordinates, Domo Brex finally speaks up.

DOMO BREX
Thot Keer, answer the following
questions with hard numbers. How
many additional workers do you
need to complete your slipstream
prototype within three days?

THOT KEER
Seven-hundred twenty-eight, Domo.
All requisite personnel are here
on Salavat, and available to be
drafted immediately. We have space
to board them, and our provisions
are more than sufficient.

DOMO BREX
Then the chief impediment to your
operation is money.

THOT KEER
Correct, sir.

DOMO BREX
So to hire the crew and work them
in double shifts for three days,
factoring in parts and fuel...?

THOT KEER
My currently estimated total cost
is six-point-four billion sakto.

DOMO BREX
A steep request.

THOT NAAZ
Consider it an investment in the
Breen Confederacy’s future, Domo.

THOT GREN
A Ferengi might call it doubling
down on a bad bet.

THOT KEER
I can have the prototype powered
up and ready for preliminary
testing in fifty-two hours, Domo.

DOMO BREX
If I grant your request for more
funding and personnel.

THOT KEER
Yes, sir. If you grant my request.

A moment of silence as Brex considers what to do...

DOMO BREX
Request approved. Do it. Gren, do
whatever is necessary and legal to
stall the rest of the Pact. Naaz,
anything that money cannot buy for
Keer’s project, I authorise you to
commandeer. Anyone who refuses
to be hired, I give you permission
to kidnap and press into service.

THOT NAAZ
It will be done, Domo.

DOMO BREX
Fifty-two hours, Keer. May darkness
and silence protect you, because if you
fail, the repercussions will be severe.

THOT KEER
I understand, Domo.

The holograms of Brex and Gren disappear. Naaz remains...

THOT NAAZ
Keer, I just want you to know that
whatever happens in the next three
days, if you lead this project to
disgrace, I intend to make sure
that you alone bear the blame.

THOT KEER
Of course, Naaz. But how could I
possibly fail, with such inspired
leadership as yours to guide me?

Keer’s sarcasm makes Naaz fair vibrate within his suit. Then his hologram disappears as well, leaving Keer alone. He turns, walks to the window, and looks out over the view of the shipyard hangar on the other side.

THOT KEER
Time to go to work.

29 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - THE WARREN

Life goes on in the even-more-secret underground hidden city-within-a-city of free Breen...

30 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - BASHIR & SARINA’S APARTMENT

Bashir stands at a window, looking out at this view...

SARINA (o.s.)
You should stay away from the
window. Someone might see you.

Bashir lets the curtain fall back over the window, covering the view. He turns back to the room and sees Sarina lying on the bed, watching him from afar. The room is simple with a bed, a comm unit, a cooking nook and a partition for the bathroom. They have both stripped out of their Breen suits, which stand propped against the wall, eerily disembodied.

BASHIR
We’re cultural observers, aren’t we?
Not that Min was buying it.

SARINA
Could hardly tell him the truth.

BASHIR
Why not? They’re dissidents. You
saw how eager Nar was to help us.

SARINA
Being dissidents doesn’t make them
traitors, Julian. Helping peaceful
observers is one thing. Abetting
spies on a mission of sabotage is
entirely different. Besides, they
can’t reveal what they don’t know.

BASHIR
Very thoughtful. But how do you
know they aren’t listening in on
us right now? Everywhere else in
this place is under surveillance.

SARINA
Because while you were gazing out
of the window, I was scanning the
room for devices. We’re clear.

Bashir smiles and joins her on the bed, stretching out beside her, facing her across the pillow.

BASHIR
Alone at last.

SARINA
And it only took you six years. My
mother warned me about fast boys.

BASHIR
Did she indeed?

SARINA
Actually, it was Lauren. And she
said those kind of boys were the
most fun.

BASHIR
That sounds like Lauren.

Bashir chuckles, then drifts away, thinking. She reaches out, strokes the edge of his face.

SARINA
You’re thinking something. I can
see it in your eyes.

BASHIR
This isn’t the time or place.

SARINA
Sure it is. Either one or both of
us might not make it out of here
alive, Julian. It’s now or never.

BASHIR
Just... I missed you so much after
you left. You needed space, so I
didn’t call or write. But I wanted
to, more times than I could count.

SARINA
I’m sorry. That must have hurt.

BASHIR
You were the woman I’d waited my
whole life to meet. And then there
you were, in my arms. Then just as
quick, you were gone again. Oh, I
understood why. But that didn’t
make it any easier to let you go.

Sarina wipes the tear from his eye. She’s crying too.

SARINA
I didn’t understand then what I
meant to you. Or what you meant
to me. I couldn’t, I wasn’t capable
of it. If I had... I don’t think I would
have been able to leave. And I
don’t want to leave you again.

BASHIR
I never want to leave you again
either. Not ever. I love you.

He reaches out and kisses her. She kisses back, hungrily. It’s natural, no awkwardness or uncertainty.

As hands start to roam and clothes start to slip, we PAN back to the window, and...

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT THREE

ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

31 EXT. SPACE - AVENTINE

The shark-like Vesta-class ship patrols at full impulse...

32 INT. AVENTINE - BRIDGE

Captain DAX looks to tactical officer KEDAIR in dismay...

DAX
How many?

KEDAIR
Six Breen ships and two Romulan
warbirds, moving in a staggered
formation, shadowing our course.

Cmdr BOWERS reads off his own readings, also not happy...

BOWERS
Starfleet reports ship movements
from Gorn and Tholian space, as
well, heading in this direction.

DAX
So this is the Typhon Pact’s oh-
so-subtle attempt to tell us to
stay on our side of the border.
Are they massing to attack?

KEDAIR
No, Captain. They’re manoeuvring
to keep themselves in between us
and Salavat. That’s not an attack
fleet - it’s a blockade.

BOWERS
At slipstream speeds, we might
still be able to sneak through.

Dax gets up from her command chair, beckoning Bowers with her from his. They meet at Kedair’s tactical console, where they watch the DISPLAY of icons representing ship movement.

TACTICAL DISPLAY

Dax points to some of the icons...

DAX (o.s.)
No... their fleet is maintaining a
steady distance from us. Look -
we move up half a light year, they
move back by the same amount.

BACK TO SCENE

DAX
(conclusion)
They’re giving themselves room,
which equals time to react.

BOWERS
I don’t suppose we have time to go
back to DS-Nine and borrow the
Defiant’s cloaking device?

DAX
(shakes head)
We need to stay in case Bashir and
Douglas call for extraction. Not that
we could reach them with our
friends here in the way.

KEDAIR
There’s something else, Captain. This
formation is not optimal for catching
anyone trying to sneak through their
blockade. There are significant gaps.

DAX
Which means that’s exactly where
the cloaked ships will be. They’re
daring us to run the blockade.

BOWERS
Maybe we need to fight cloak with
cloak. Hand off extraction to the
Klingons, send in a bird of prey.

DAX
(shakes head)
That card’s been played already.
They’ll know to look for it now.
And the Romulans are the experts
in cloaking tech - any Klingon
ship will be detected.

BOWERS
Then why not use that? Send in the
Klingons to distract them, force
them to break their own blockade.

DAX
(ponders it)
Make them pick their battle - the
one they can see or the one they
can’t. And either way, they lose.
(nods)
It would take a lot of cloaked
ships, but it’s worth a shot.

Dax heads towards her ready room, throwing one last order over her shoulder to Kedair...

DAX
Lieutenant, put a message through
to Starfleet Command. I’ve got
some major grovelling to do.

Off Dax’s determination...

33 EXT. SPACE - SALAVAT ORBIT

Back to the rocky world that they are trying to get to...

34 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - TASK POD

Chot Nar’s small private room in the Breen Intelligence Directorate. The door opens and she ENTERS, back in her identity-hiding suit.

As before, she takes a seat at her desk, lets the computer scan her ID, BEEP happily, and come to life. She BUZZES...

CHOT NAR
Recognise Chot Nar of the Breen
Intelligence Directorate. Sleep
break complete, resume urban
surveillance network analysis.

The computer BEEPS again, and starts doing its normal work. Then Nar hits a certain control, and the desk goes BLACK...

...rebooting a few moments later in two partitions - one continuing to do its work in GREEN text, and the other now running with BLUE text instead. Nar nods approvingly, and begins working this new display.

CHOT NAR
Access segregated files, run off-
line tests on profiles indicated.

The computer does it works silently... then BEEPS again. Nar reads the displays...

CHOT NAR
No errors detected, histories
and credit lines are stable...
ident profiles are active.

Satisfied, she begins working the computer again.

CHOT NAR
Upload profiles to public servers,
and delete local copies. Initiate
secure erasure protocol.

The computer BEEPS yet again, and goes to work covering its own tracks. Chot Nar relaxes, job done.

An ALERT sounds - Chot Nar reacts. And another, and another - several different ALARMS going off at once.

Nar stares in horror for a second, then her gloved fingers start flying over the controls, hunting for what went wrong. After a moment of panic, she sits back...

CHOT NAR
They know.

35 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - BASHIR & SARINA’S APARTMENT

Bashir and Sarina are in bed, asleep, curled around each other naked in the aftermath of passionate lovemaking.

BEEP BEEP BEEP from the comm unit - Sarina is instantly on high alert. She jumps out of bed and rushes to the comm unit while Bashir is only just dragging himself conscious.

The comm system robotically speaks NAR’s words...

COMPUTER
I’m compromised. You are free and
clear to move, but I have to run.

Bashir shares a look of horror with the stoic Sarina...

COMPUTER
Your new IDs are in deposit boxes at
the Bank of Ferenginar branch in the
Padlon Sector. They will identify you
as senior officials in the Confederate
Information Bureau. I’ve fragged and
scrambled all data so there should be
no way for anyone to trace you. But
they will be coming for me. Good luck.

The signal drops, and Sarina is in motion, slipping on her black bodysuit and gathering their few meagre belongings.

SARINA
We have to move - now.

BASHIR
Do you think we can save her?

SARINA
No. But we can save ourselves.

Not liking the sound of that, Bashir gets out of bed...

36 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - TASK POD

Chot Nar performs a last data sweep of her computer and urgently heads for the door. She opens it...

...and a bigger taller soldier BREEN is in the doorway, looming over her. He brings up a neural truncheon...

...and JAMS it into her stomach, jolting her with agonising energy. Her BUZZ is transformed into a metallic SQUEAL...

37 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - BASHIR & SARINA’S APARTMENT

Bashir and Sarina are now back in their suits, but without helmets. Sarina is quickly gathering the last of their things, while Bashir is pleading with her...

BASHIR
But she’s only in trouble because
of us.

SARINA
She’s been working against them
long before we came along. This
was inevitable, and she knew it.

BASHIR
We were strangers, and she used
her last moments to warn us.

SARINA
Then let’s not waste it. Come on!

She picks up his helmet, shoves it at him. Reluctantly he takes it, and together they lower their masks into place, disguising themselves again. They head for the door...

38 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - INTERROGATION ROOM

Chot Nar is no longer in her suit. She is tied to a chair and slumped forward, unconscious, long white hair hanging freely. She jerks awake, whimpers...

A Breen BUZZ sounds in the room, overlaid with a robotic translation from a SPEAKER in the cold metal wall...

BREEN INQUISITOR
Hello, Chot Nar.

Nar replies in her own voice, trying to hide her face...

CHOT NAR
Please, let me have my mask.

BREEN INQUISITOR
Traitors do not deserve to wear
the face of the Breen.

At that, she looks up, revealing her true face, her Silwaan face - bruised and beaten but defiant. She cannot see her accuser, he is silhouetted by a bright interrogation light.

CHOT NAR
I am no traitor. I am no-one of
consequence. This is a mistake.

BREEN INQUISITOR
You give yourself too little credit.
And there is no point denying
what we already know.

CHOT NAR
You know nothing about me.

The Breen calmly steps out of silhouette. He bends down to her level, brings his Breen mask up to her naked face. He BUZZES, the SPEAKER translating it aloud, the words all the more threatening for their synthetic emotionlessness...

BREEN INQUISITOR
I know everything about you, every
detail of your life... including how,
where and when it will end.

Off Nar, trying to control her terror...

39 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - THE WARREN

Life goes on for the maskless denizens of the secret Breen city. But two fully suited BREEN walk among them, making a beeline for the exit while trying not to draw attention. Bashir and Sarina talk via their private comm line...

BASHIR (comm)
Sarina - wait a second!

SARINA (comm)
Julian, how long do you think it
will take for the Breen to break
Nar and get her to tell them
everything she knows?

The Bashir Breen grabs the Sarina Breen’s arm, stops her...

BASHIR (comm)
All the more reason for us to warn
these people to get out of here
while they still can.

SARINA (comm)
I’m not talking about them. Nar is
not trained for interrogation, and
if I had to bet, I’d say she’ll sell
us out long before she’ll betray
them. That means we have less
time than ever to complete our
mission. So get moving.

She turns the arm-grab on him and drags him to the exit...

40 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - PASSAGEWAY

Bashir and Sarina climb the stairs out of the Warren back into the passageways of the underground Breen city. But Bashir is still pleading even as Sarina forges on...

BASHIR (comm)
Sarina, stop. We have to help -
those people are in danger.

SARINA (comm)
Those people are not our mission.
Our mission is to find the hidden
shipyard, destroy the slipstream
prototype, and sabotage any copies
of the plans, not to get mixed up
in Breen internal politics.

BASHIR (comm)
Well I’m sorry, but I can’t be so
blasé about it. They sheltered us,
we at least owe them a heads up.

SARINA (comm)
I’m sorry Julian, but no we don’t.

The NOISE of running boots and angry BUZZES coming their way. Alarmed, Sarina grabs Bashir and quickly pulls them both into a darkened alcove off the main passageway...

41 INT. SARINA’S SUIT (INTERCUT)

The night-vision HOLO-IMAGE as seen in scene 3. Sarina sees the mouth of the alcove they are hiding in, the passageway beyond it, the boots and shouts getting closer...

SARINA (o.s.)
I’ve heard there’s a Breen saying -
“May darkness and silence protect you.”

In the holo-display, a dozen BREEN SOLDIERS thunder down the passageway, heading for the Warren, too single-minded to spot Bashir and Sarina hiding in the darkness...

42 INT. BASHIR’S SUIT (INTERCUT)

As Bashir waits in the dark, holding his breath, the sounds of WEAPONS FIRE, shouts and SCREAMS filter through...

BASHIR
They didn’t protect the dissidents.

SARINA (comm)
I hate this as much as you do, but
you have to put aside your empathy
and accept there was nothing we
could have done. We should go.

43 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - PASSAGEWAY

With the Breen soldiers all distracted raiding the Warren, Sarina steps quietly out of their alcove, pulling Bashir with her. As the sounds of WEAPONS and SCREAMS continue, the two humans turn away and quickly walk the other way.

BREEN SOLDIER (o.s.)
Stop where you are!

Bashir and Sarina freeze, hands up. They slowly turn on the spot, and see a BREEN SOLDIER standing in the passageway holding a weapon on them, much like in scene 4. It BUZZES at them, translated by ON-SCREEN SUBTITLES...

BREEN SOLDIER
You are dissidents.

From this angle, Bashir stands between Sarina and their accuser, trying gallantly to protect her. He replies, also in BUZZ and SUBTITLES...

BASHIR
That’s not true -

In a split second, Sarina takes the opportunity Bashir’s coverage provides to pull her own weapon and SHOOT the Breen down on the spot. He THUDS to the ground, a smoking hole in the front of his suit.

Bashir stands stunned at this, horrified. Sarina grabs his arm and pulls him on down the passageway...

SARINA (comm)
Julian, we have to go. Now!

Too stunned to resist, Bashir lets himself be dragged away, and they run down the passageway, away from the noises of WEAPONS and SCREAMS from the Warren...

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT FOUR

ACT FIVE

FADE IN:

44 INT. BANK OF FERENGINAR - RECEPTION

The well-dressed Ferengi banker LAG greets us volubly...

LAG
Welcome to the Bank of Ferenginar!
My name is Lag, senior accounts
supervisor. How may I serve you?

Bashir and Sarina stand in their Breen suits in this oasis of Ferengi tastelessness, financial reports on every wall. They talk in Breen NOISE, which Lag apparently understands.

SARINA
Safe deposit boxes. Hesh Rin.

BASHIR
Hesh Gron.

Lag does not object to their bluntness, he is used to it. He just bows obsequiously and brings out a hand scanner...

LAG
Of course. May I be permitted to
scan your ident chips?

SARINA
Proceed.

Lag scans their chips - the scanner BEEPS affirmatively.

LAG
Excellent. Please follow me to
the deposit room.

Lag heads deeper into the bank. Bashir and Sarina follow.

45 INT. BANK OF FERENGINAR - DEPOSIT ROOM

A smaller private room within the bank, lockboxes covering the walls, a table and chairs in the centre of the room. Lag leads Bashir and Sarina in...

LAG
Please wait here while we - ah!

Two younger FERENGI, his junior clerks, scuttle into the room, place two small deposit boxes onto the table, and scuttle out again. Lag backs out of the room, bowing...

LAG
Your boxes are coded to open on
contact with your ident chips.
Take as long as you like. Let me
know when you’re ready to leave.

And he’s gone, fawning all the way.

Bashir and Sarina pick up the boxes - their lids spring open the moment they touch them. Bashir takes out the contents - a SECURITY CARD. He inspects the symbols...

BASHIR (comm)
No wonder he was so subservient
- these make us practically VIPs.

SARINA (comm)
With luck, they should get us
wherever we need to go.

BASHIR (comm)
Hard to believe that a culture as
paranoid as this could let their
infrastructure get so vulnerable
to virtual fraud.

SARINA (comm)
I guess that’s what happens when
you reduce everyone’s life to an
algorithm.

As they slip their new ID cards into their pockets...

BASHIR (comm)
They’re not algorithms, Sarina -
they’re people. And you killed
one of them back there.

SARINA (comm)
It was self-defence. You’ve been
in war, you know how it works.

BASHIR (comm)
We’re not at war - in fact we’re
specifically trying to prevent a war.

SARINA (comm)
And at that time, in that place,
that Breen soldier was stopping us
from reaching that objective. Did
I want to kill him? Of course not.
But I did it, for the sake of the
mission and the Federation.

BASHIR (comm)
How noble of you.

SARINA (comm)
No-one ever said intelligence work
was noble. But it is necessary.
Time’s wasting - let’s go.

She SLAMS the lid of her safe box and heads for the door...

46 EXT. SPACE - AVENTINE

Patrolling at full impulse...

47 INT. AVENTINE - BRIDGE

The ready room door opens - Dax emerges, stomps unhappily back to her command chair. Bowers sees the grumpy face...

BOWERS
I take it that’s a no?

DAX
The Klingons have denied President
Bacco’s request and recalled their
fleets. They’re facing too much
pressure from the Kinshaya and
the Gorn to spare any for us.

KEDAIR
Without the Klingons, we can’t
break the Breen’s blockade.

DAX
(sharp)
I’m aware of that, Lieutenant. But
apparently being the Chancellor’s
ex sister-in-law isn’t enough to
swing them our way, not when they
already helped us out against the
Romulans. We’re on our own -
we’ll just have to deal with it.

BOWERS
So we deal with it. Isn’t this the
finest ship and crew in the fleet?

Dax turns to Bowers, bolstered by his boasting.

DAX
Yes, Sam. Yes it is.
(toggles control)
All hands, this is the captain. As
of now, all Aventine’s resources
are devoted to finding a way to
break through that blockade and
reach our agents on Salavat. No
sleep, double shifts, whatever it
takes. Contact your department
heads for specific orders.
(toggles off again)
Take charge of it. We have to
reach them, Sam. We have to.

As he watches her, Bowers is starting to wonder if there’s a personal dimension to Dax’s determination...

48 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - CHECKPOINT

A checkpoint much like in scene 2, with an entire platoon of Breen soldiers stopping everyone and scanning their ID chips before waving them on through...

...Except that this time, our two “hero Breen” are about to pass through it face-on instead of trying to evade it.

As Bashir and Sarina wait in line, inching forward step by step, they look up to the signage over the checkpoint...

49 INT. BASHIR’S SUIT (INTERCUT)

In Bashir’s heads-up holo-display, the Breen characters are translated, revealing CONFEDERATE INFORMATION BUREAU.

BASHIR
Hell of a way to test out our new
disguises - by walking into a
crowd of armed Breen soldiers
protecting a government complex.

50 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - CHECKPOINT

They reach the front of their respective queues. The guards SCAN their ID chips, read the results... and immediately bow their heads in deference, allowing Bashir and Sarina through with no questions. The two spies move on.

51 INT. BASHIR’S SUIT (INTERCUT)

Bashir’s sigh of relief cannot be seen through his suit. To his consternation, Sarina’s voice sounds almost playful...

SARINA (comm)
One down, one to go.

The HUD shows their next barrier - the reception desk.

BASHIR
Now for the real test...

52 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - RECEPTION AREA

A standard reception desk like in any office block. While numerous civilians move back and forth through the foyer area, several more sit behind the counter, dressed in the same suit style as Nar - government workers, not soldiers.

Bashir and Sarina approach and hand over their new security cards. The receptionist takes the cards, glances at them, scans them, hands them back, nods their owners on their way without a word. It is all tragically perfunctory.

Bashir and Sarina move on into the building, boots stomping on the granite floor.

BASHIR (comm)
He has no idea who he just let in.

SARINA (comm)
All the better for him.

BASHIR (comm)
So where do we go now?

SARINA (comm)
I guess we look for a directory.

They stop at another INFORMATION KIOSK, the green figures moving right-to-left in more controlled fashion now that they have proper fake identities.

BASHIR (comm)
I can actually read this now. I
don’t even need the translator.

SARINA (comm)
One of many reasons you’re here.
(points)
This is what we’re looking for -
here, on the twenty-third floor.

BASHIR (comm)
Auxiliary systems control? Why
make that our target?

SARINA (comm)
Because auxiliaries are often less
defended than primaries. There’s
an elevator over there - let’s go.

She leads him on...

...they step into an elevator, the doors close...

...and we PAN UP to show the enormous height of this Breen government complex, all of it buried deep underground.

53 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - PASSAGEWAY

On another level of the complex, the elevator doors open again, and Bashir and Sarina emerge. They pause a moment, then Sarina takes the lead in heading down the corridor, their heavy boots continuing to STOMP on the ground.

BASHIR (comm)
I hope we don’t have to sneak up
on anyone.

They reach the door at the far end of the corridor. Sarina lets the scanner pass its beam over her ID chip - the scanner BEEPS and the door opens. They walk in...

54 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - TASK POD

A small private office space much like Chot Nar’s. A lone BREEN ANALYST sits with his back to the door, working his angled computer, but he SPINS at their unexpected entrance.

BREEN ANALYST
Who are you? What are you doing
here? This is a restricted area!

Sarina steps forwards, replying in Breen BUZZ / SUBTITLES.

SARINA
I am Hesh Rin. This is Hesh Gron.
We have been sent by the Bureau
to demand your cooperation.

BREEN ANALYST
I will need to see confirmation
of those orders before you can
access my task pod.

A moment’s pause, as Sarina figures out her next step.

In a split-second, she HITS him with the edge of her hand right into his throat. With his chokes converted into noise by his helmet, Sarina PUNCHES him under the chin, knocking his head back with a wet SNAP. He drops to the floor, dead.

While Bashir stands once again stunned, Sarina is straight into action like killing the Breen was no big deal.

SARINA (comm)
(re access panel)
Open that up and put the body in
there. Make sure to disable his ID
chip transponder. The longer they
take to find him, the better.

But Bashir doesn’t move...

55 INT. BASHIR’S SUIT (INTERCUT)

The horror is clear on his face. As he looks from the body on the ground up to Sarina’s face...

...all he can see is the Breen mask, a green-edged ghost in his heads-up holo-display. He confronts her...

BASHIR
You didn’t have to do that!

SARINA (comm)
Julian, we’ve been over this -
it was self-defence.

56 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - TASK POD

BASHIR (comm)
The last one was self-defence -
maybe. He was military, he was
pointing a weapon at us.
(points)
But this one - he was a civilian.
He was just trying to do his job,
and you killed him for it. What
ever happened to do no harm?

Sarina’s response is equally uncompromising...

SARINA (comm)
You’re the doctor, Julian, not me.
You knew what you signed up for,
and we don’t have time for this.
Hide the body, now. For all we
know, ID chips might alert the
system if their wearer dies.

She turns to the dead analyst’s computer and starts working it, giving Bashir no more room to argue.

Bashir reluctantly does as he is told - opens up the panel, hefts up the dead Breen’s body, bundles it unceremoniously into the crawlspace beyond the access panel, then closes it back up again. It’s as if the poor man was never here.

While Bashir stands and stares, Sarina is working hard...

SARINA (comm)
I have something. Encrypted files and
communiques, all tagged for a special
research division of the starship design
bureau here on Salavat. I’ll bet
that’s our slipstream project.

She pulls a small DEVICE out of another hidden pocket and places it onto the computer’s surface...

SARINA (comm)
I’m downloading the data into a
portable unit that we can analyse
once we’re safely out of here.
(a beep)
Right, that’s it. Let’s go.

She disconnects the portable device, gets up and heads for the door, a Breen on a mission.

After a moment, Bashir manages to tear his gaze away from the access panel and follows her, another Breen with his helmeted head hanging in shame... 

BLACK OUT

END OF SHOW

TNG 19x03 - “NOCTURNE”

A cloaked Breen ship is making a run for it, with the stolen Soong-type androids on board. A mysterious shuttle with no life signs but the apparent ability to track cloaked ships follows it. Enterprise is following them both – at a discreet distance. On the way, Worf and Choudhury discuss their relationship, both agreeing they like the casual, noncommittal place they are in. Picard watches his son René sleep, thoroughly enjoying father-hood. LaForge has dinner with junior doctor Tamala Harstad, and admits that all this android talk has him thinking about his friend Data. When the Breen ship finally stops at a world, the second ship also follows it down. Enterprise hides in the magnetic pole while Worf leads a perilous away mission, descending to the surface by EVA orbital skydive. The away team finally catches up with the mysterious shuttle and its pilot on the surface. “Took you long enough,” smirks Noonien Soong.

VOY 12x03 - “DO NO HARM”

At Earth with Janeway and Galen, the EMH receives orders to head to Starbase 185 – they rescued a crippled survivor who, impossibly, reads as Caeliar. Starfleet is paranoid about the super-advanced aliens returning, but the Doctor establishes that the man is not a Caeliar at all – he is a former Borg who brutally ripped out his own implants. After days of healing with the help of Seven’s borrowed catoms, the Doctor is finally able to identify the stranger – Axum, Seven’s ex-boyfriend (VOY “Unimatrix Zero”). Axum recalls the horror of his existence to Galen’s Cmdr Glenn, but Starfleet Medical demands they hand over Axum and all research into catoms. The Doctor is incensed, until Medical reluctantly reveals they are facing a “catomic plague” on planets attacked by the Borg. Millions are at risk if they cannot solve this. Back on Voyager, Seven experiences erotic dreams starring a man who is not Counsellor Cambridge...