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