TEASER

FADE IN: 

1 EXT. SPACE - DEFIANT

The Defiant zooms along at low warp through open space. 

2 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE

Cmdr RO LAREN sits in the centre chair, reading a padd as the business of the ship goes on smoothly around her. After a moment, she frowns at something she reads... 

RO
Nog, didn’t you say the plasma
coolers were getting an overhaul
before we left the station? 

Lt NOG turns from the bridge engineering console to reply. 

NOG
I tried, Commander. But I couldn’t
get hold of the parts.

Lt PRYNN TENMEI throws a barb from the helm console.

TENMEI
Oh yeah - that old chestnut. 

NOG
Hey, it’s not my fault if the
sector quartermaster is out
of plasma cooler interlinks. 

RO
Couldn’t you bribe him with
something? 

NOG
I tried! Turns out you can’t bribe
a Catullan - they only care about
doing a good job. As if doing a
good job and making money are
somehow mutually exclusive.

TENMEI
So if we have bad plasma cooler
interlinks, how much longer until
we blow up?

NOG
About two years.

RO
Two years?! Then why do they need
replacing now? 

NOG
Because I care about doing a good
job too. As well as making money. 

Ro CHUCKLES. At the tactical console, Lt BOWERS purses. He hates this friendly banter on the bridge. Suddenly an ALERT sounds - Bowers checks his readings.

BOWERS
Commander - we’re receiving
a distress signal. A Cardassian
freighter is under attack. 

RO
By who? 

BOWERS
It doesn’t say. 

RO
Prynn - how long? 

TENMEI
(checks panels)
Twelve minutes at warp eight. 

RO
Do it. 

TENMEI
Aye, sir. 

Tenmei works her panels, and we feel the ship turn and increase in speed. 

RO
Sam, reply and let them know we’re
on our way. I guess they’re lucky
we were out here.

BOWERS
Aye, sir.

Still pursing - he shouldn’t be referred to by his first name while on duty - Bowers nevertheless follows orders. Ro smoothly turns the discussion towards business...

RO
Where are they, and what do we
know about it?

BOWERS
The freighter is on the outskirts
of the Orias system, within the
Cardassian Union. 

TENMEI
Are we allowed to cross the
border, then? 

RO
For a distress call, yes. That was
in the treaty. What else? 

BOWERS
Orias is where the Obsidian Order
built their secret fleet before it
fell to the Dominion. 

RO
I thought the name was familiar.
The Maquis found out about it.

BOWERS
After that, it was just a standard
Cardassian colony. Liberated by
the Romulans during the war, then
administrated by them until it could
be handed back to Cardassia.

RO
So if it’s just a regular colony
now, and not a base for a secret
fleet of warships, why is somebody
attacking ships near there? 

BOWERS
Unknown, sir. I suppose we’ll find
out in...
(checks panels)
...eleven minutes. 

Ro nods, pondering that... 

3 EXT. SPACE - DEFIANT

The Defiant zooms along, now at high warp... 

4 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE

Another alert on Tenmei’s panels. She checks...

TENMEI
We just crossed the border. We
are now in Cardassian territory. 

BOWERS
Going to yellow alert. 

RO
Is that really necessary? We’re
not here under false pretences.

BOWERS
That we know of. I’d rather be
cautious until we know more. Sir. 

RO
Alright. Go ahead. 

Bowers sets alert to yellow - the lights begin to flash. 

NOG
Coming into sensor range...

RO
On screen. 

Nog works his panels, and the MAIN VIEWSCREEN changes to show a firefight in the distance, too far away to clearly discern the participants.

RO
I recognise those weapons. 

NOG
Sir, readings say that’s a Galor-
class warship. The Trager. 

RO
Trager? That’s Macet’s ship. But
you said it was a freighter that
was under attack, not a warship.

NOG
Yes, sir. But it’s not the Trager
that’s under attack. The Trager
is the one doing the attacking. 

Nog works his panels again, ZOOMing the image in, until we see a clearer image of a Cardassian GALOR-class warship firing on a small and defenceless GROUMALL-class freighter. 

Ro leans forward in her chair, peering at this. 

RO
What the hell is going on? 

FADE OUT

END OF TEASER