TEASER
FADE IN:
1 INT. UTOPIA PLANITIA - CORRIDOR
A RED ALERT light flashes urgently, keeping rhythm with a wailing SIREN. Ugly dark SMOKE drifts across it, as scared VOICES chatter in the background, and the sound of PHASERS.
Ensign FYYL, a young male Bolian engineering officer fresh out of Starfleet Academy, runs down the corridor waving the smoke away. He is verging on panic - this situation is much more than he ever wanted or expected to face.
Ahead of him, at the end of the corridor, the PRESSURE DOOR is starting to rumble closed. Not wanting to end up trapped in this narrow, creaking corridor, Fyyl dashes for the door and DIVES for the shrinking gap between it and the deck...
2 INT. UTOPIA PLANITIA - JUNCTION ROOM
Fyyl skids across the floor, CRASHING into the far wall of this small boxy space with an OOF. He scampers to his feet, reaches quickly for the COMPUTER PANEL in the wall, working it even as the red alert sirens continue to wail elsewhere.
FYYL
This is Ensign Fyyl, reporting
section twenty-three-gamma
secure. Requesting new orders...
please... I don’t know what’s going
on. I don’t know what to do!
The computer shows a graphic of the UTOPIA PLANITIA CONTROL CENTRE - a modular Starfleet design comprising a vertical tubular core with half-globes at each end, and two rings of other domed structures linked to the core by smaller tubes.
As Fyyl watches the screen, sections of the graphic turn in sequence from YELLOW to GREEN, indicating those sections have also reported in secure. Fyyl breathes in relief...
...until other sections turn instead from yellow to RED. Whatever is going on here, it is only getting worse.
3 EXT. SPACE - UTOPIA PLANITIA FLEET YARDS
The control centre hangs in space, the hull breached and ATMOSPHERE escaping from one of the narrow connecting arms.
PAN across the many starship construction frames containing half-built ships, over the red curve of MARS hanging below, readings in green ROMULAN script super-imposed as we go...
...then we ZOOM sharply and artificially to the outskirts of the facility until we find the Nova-class USS Sparrow, calmly patrolling. More Romulan sensor readings flow.
4 INT. ROMULAN SHIP - BRIDGE
Subcommander T’JUL, an officer whose light eyes and long chestnut hair make her stand out from the usual Romulan soldier, observes this with tense interest. The sounds and voices of a low-lit Romulan bridge continue around her...
KOZIK (o.s.)
The patrol vessel is beginning
to react to the red alert...
MARIUS (o.s.)
The command centre?
KOZIK (o.s.)
They were venting atmosphere,
but forcefields are now in place.
MARIUS (o.s.)
As expected. No matter, it’s the
first crack in the dam.
T’Jul stands taller at this news...
5 INT. UTOPIA PLANITIA - CORRIDOR
Poor terrified Ensign Fyyl dashes back into the now-sealed corridor. PHASER in hand, he pelts towards the far end, towards the SOUNDS of weapons fire and shouting voices.
Through the windows, he sees across empty space to other tube connectors, and similarly panicked scenes taking place inside them. The far door opens, Fyyl plunges through...
6 INT. UTOPIA PLANITIA - CORRIDOR
...and right into a FIREFIGHT he is in no way prepared for. He SLAMS himself against the bulkhead to avoid the criss-crossing phaser beams, flinching from the heat and light.
To one side, through the smoke, three Starfleet security FIRE their phasers. Fyyl FIRES his own weapon blindly in the same general direction, no idea what he’s firing at.
Return shots blast down the corridor, catching one of the security officers - he collapses to the deck, eyes open but lifeless. Fyyl stares at him in terrified horror.
OFFICER
Fall back!
The second security OFFICER lays down covering fire towards the intruder, while the third beckons Fyyl urgently towards them. The young Bolian ducks his head and runs for cover. But as he reaches them and they begin to back away...
...An EXPLOSION fills the corridor, a WALL OF FIRE racing towards Fyyl and the security officers. They turn to run...
7 INT. ROMULAN SHIP - BRIDGE
The viewscreen of the Romulan bridge shows the station...
MARIUS (o.s.)
Increase magnification.
The viewscreen ZOOMS IN, and through the same windows they can see the wall of flame rolling down the corridor, and the doomed Starfleet officers trying to stay ahead of it.
They fail - the explosion swallows them up.
Seeing this, T’Jul briefly looks away - those officers were only doing their jobs. Then she steels herself and looks back - she is also here to do hers.
T’Jul finally turns and looks to the centre chair and the older Romulan male sitting in it - Commander MARIUS. He nods his permission, and she moves into action.
T’JUL
Move us into position, Centurion.
KOZIK
Yes, Subcommander.
Centurion KOZIK works his console, and the image on screen shifts as the Romulan ship moves closer to the station...
KOZIK
Commander - internal comm traffic
suggests their security forces are
closing in on the operative.
T’Jul tenses - that would not be good. Another ALERT...
KOZIK
The Starfleet patrol ship is now
moving to assist, and they are
charging their tractor beam -
T’JUL
Have they detected us?
KOZIK
I do not believe so, Subcommander.
The cloaking device is operating
according to specifications.
T’Jul turns towards her commander Marius, speaks softly...
T’JUL
Commander, it is a new generation
of cloak. The Dekkona is the first
vessel to be fitted with it. There
could be variables we did not -
Before Marius can respond, a new EXPLOSION briefly whites out the screen - but notably does not rock the ship.
8 EXT. SPACE - UTOPIA PLANITIA FLEET YARDS
The explosion has ruptured the inverted dome at the bottom of the station, all but severing it from the core. A new BALL OF FLAME billows out of the hole...
...and right towards the Sparrow. Shields protect the small Starfleet ship but are unable to stop it from being THROWN backwards by the force of the blast.
9 INT. ROMULAN SHIP - BRIDGE
Seeing the station list sideways, venting more atmosphere, running lights flickering wildly, T’Jul is alarmed.
T’JUL
That’s too soon.
MARIUS
(urgent)
Go. Get to the transition control
room and prepare for extraction.
T’Jul leaves the bridge without another word.
10 INT. UTOPIA PLANITIA - CORRIDOR
Another figure runs down another dark corridor, RED ALERT lights flashing, SMOKE hissing, distant voices pursuing.
This is the one responsible for all this - a male alien, humanoid but of a species we have not seen before, bronze skin with thin white hair. He is called KAZREN, and he wears a Starfleet engineering jumpsuit (as seen in TNG).
He turns a corner into a dark and empty alcove. Not enough of a hiding place. But as the voices grow closer, he spots a service hatch in the bulkhead, close to the deck.
He grasps his phaser, steps briefly back out of the alcove and HURLS the weapon as hard as he can down the corridor. It spontaneously FIRES through the smoke as it flies.
Then Kazren crouches down, rips open the service hatch and crawls inside, curling up into a ball and pulling the hatch cover back into place to hide himself.
Half a dozen Starfleet security run down the corridor, following the phaser fire and completely missing Kazren’s tiny hiding place...
11 INT. ROMULAN SHIP - CONTROL ROOM
T’Jul dashes into the room, dominated by a large platform atop which rests a complex construction of articulated metal bars, almost like a child’s climbing frame.
Two junior officers - DIVELN and RIXORA - crew a standing console opposite this. T’Jul is right to business.
T’JUL
Display the ship.
DIVELN
Yes, Subcommander.
A screen displays a SCHEMATIC of the very ship they are on, the Mogai-class IRW Dekkona, pride of the Romulan fleet.
T’JUL
Expand.
The SCHEMATIC recedes until both the Dekkona and the Utopia Planitia control centre can be seen. They are surprisingly close - the Romulans’ cloaking device has brought them to the very heart of the Federation. T’Jul is proud of this.
RIXORA
Subcommander - we’re not picking
up the operative’s homing beacon.
T’JUL
Secondary protocol then, passive
sensors only. The operative’s
physical parameters are on file.
RIXORA
Yes, sir. Initiating scan.
T’Jul waits nervously - she does not want to be responsible for something going wrong at this late stage. Finally...
RIXORA
I’ve located the operative, sir.
He’s alive, near the extraction
point, but stationary.
T’JUL
Is he alone?
RIXORA
Yes, Subcommander.
T’JUL
Tell Commander Marius we’re taking
helm control, then take us in.
DIVELN
Firing thrusters...
On the display, the two graphics of the Romulan ship and the Starfleet station grow closer... closer...
DIVELN
Ten... nine... eight...
T’Jul watches the screen, hoping this will work...
12 INT. UTOPIA PLANITIA - SERVICE HATCH
Kazren curled up in his tiny hiding space, as the angry VOICES of Starfleet security grow closer... closer...
13 INT. ROMULAN SHIP - CONTROL ROOM
The graphics of the Romulan ship and the Starfleet station are practically bulkhead to bulkhead, about to crash...
DIVELN (o.s.)
Six... five... four...
And then the two graphics actually CROSS, the Romulan ship passing THROUGH the Starfleet station. T’Jul smiles with small relief, but the mission is not over yet...
DIVELN
One! Extraction point achieved,
initiating phase transition...
On the platform, the construction of metal bars SHIFTS, quickly rearranging itself until it forms the shape of a small CUBE, big enough for a humanoid to crouch inside...
14 INT. UTOPIA PLANITIA - SERVICE HATCH
Kazren begins to GLOW, his body overtaken by a blue-green energy, something like a transporter but not quite...
15 INT. ROMULAN SHIP - CONTROL ROOM
The platform and its metal bars also GLOW, a blinding white light that forces T’Jul to wince...
...inside the cube, the blue-green energy starts to form the shape of a body, bit by bit, agonisingly slowly...
16 INT. UTOPIA PLANITIA - SERVICE HATCH
The troop of Starfleet security officers TEAR the service hatch open, but to their frustration find nothing inside.
17 INT. ROMULAN SHIP - CONTROL ROOM
The energy finally solidifies into the form of KAZREN. The glow recedes, the metal bars disengage, the frame opening out. Kazren stands tall, steps down from the platform.
KAZREN
Subcommander T’Jul... we have
achieved our mutual objective.
He reaches into a pocket of his Starfleet jumpsuit and pulls out an isolinear chip, holds it in his palm. T’Jul gazes at this chip with a thrill of satisfaction. This is what it’s all been about. She reaches out...
But Kazren SNAPS his fist closed around the chip before T’Jul can take it from him.
KAZREN
Our orders are to deliver the
information directly to Salavat.
T’JUL
Of course.
Swallowing her frustration, T’Jul instead bends to pick up a small crate, hands it to Kazren.
T’JUL
Your suit is ready. I imagine you
must be eager to wear it again
after going so long without.
Kazren takes the box without a word, lays it down, enters a code onto its control panel - it opens with a HISS. Then he starts quickly stripping off his Starfleet jumpsuit.
T’Jul turns back to her subordinates...
T’JUL
Disengage from the station, then
signal Commander Marius that we
can proceed to the delivery point.
RIXORA
Yes, Subcommander.
As T’Jul turns back to Kazren, she sees him just snapping the chestplate of his suit into place.
T’JUL
You have performed a great service
for your people and mine today,
Trop Kazren.
As T’Jul watches, Kazren dons the final part of his suit - a BREEN HELMET. He replies in the usual grating Breen ELECTRONIC BUZZ, translated into ON-SCREEN SUBTITLES:
KAZREN
Long live the Breen Confederacy.
Long live the Typhon Pact.
Off that...
BLACK OUT
END OF TEASER