ACT FIVE

FADE IN:

56 INT. ELETRIX - CONFERENCE ROOM

The purple-grey planet of Overne III, as seen through the window of the Romulan version of a conference room.

PAN ACROSS to the door, which opens to allow LAAS to enter, his arms held by two Romulan soldiers. He is led to one end of the conference table...

...facing Commander T’JUL, who stands facing him from the opposite end of the table. On her right are the two Romulan males TOMALAK and KINN, the latter now somewhat livelier. On her left are TROK and KAZREN, both in their Breen suits.

T’Jul gestures for the two guards to let go of Laas - they step back, but pull their weapons just in case.

T’JUL
I am Commander Orventa T’Jul of
the Romulan Imperial Fleet. Your
name is Laas, I’m told. You are
aboard the warbird Eletrix.

Laas doesn’t respond. In fact he doesn’t even look at her.

T’JUL
All Jem’Hadar from the Breen vessel
are alive. They have been divested
of their Breen armour and are being
held in detention. We are prepared
to set them free - and you as well.

Still getting no response, T’Jul walks around the table and approaches the Changeling - although makes sure to stay an arm’s length away. She gestures to the DEVICE on the table.

T’JUL
I’m sorry for our use of these
devices. But I wasn’t sure you’d
listen to me without them.

Laas still says nothing. T’Jul is getting frustrated.

T’JUL
Neither my crew nor that of the
Breen vessel have come to commit
violence against your people or
any part of your empire.

Finally Laas looks up, pins T’Jul with his dark eyes...

LAAS
We come in peace, is that it? I
believe that is what monoforms
say before committing genocide.

T’JUL
We came here to acquire technology
from the Dominion that will put us
on an even footing with Starfleet.
We are only seeking structural
integrity systems, not weapons.

LAAS
It’s all monoforms know how to do.
Fight... until you are all dead.

T’JUL
I doubt you hold any love for the
Federation. We are here because
they threaten our people as well
now. We should be allies in this!

LAAS
And alliance to you means stealing
from us just because you need it?

T’JUL
We do need it. Our people’s safety
depends on matching the Federation.
We are trying to avoid war.

LAAS
Go ahead and kill each other. The
fewer monoforms left, the better.

Frustrated now, T’Jul returns to her own end of the table. Laas clearly won’t budge, so she gets down to business.

T’JUL
We contacted the Jem’Hadar holding
position on the other side of the
planet. They know we are holding
you. They consented to allowing
the surviving Breen to return to
their ship, repair it and leave
Dominion space. They have yet to
consent to providing us with the
technology we need. I was hoping
you might convince them.

LAAS
Why would I help you? You take
me prisoner, restrict the essence
of who I am. Now you threaten
me unless I do your bidding.

T’JUL
I’m not threatening you, Laas. I’m
asking for your cooperation. Allow
us to take what we need, and we’ll
let you go free. Then we’ll leave
your space and never return.

LAAS
And if I don’t?

T’JUL
Then we will bring you back with
us to the Romulan Star Empire,
where you will spend the rest of
your considerable life confined.

Laas settles back, a defiant expression on his face.

T’JUL
Very well. I understand there is
a time limit on how long you can
stay in one shape. We can wait.
(to the guards)
Lock him up.

The guards take Laas and drag him out of the room again.

57 INT. ELETRIX - SECURITY CELL

Laas sits calmly in one cell behind a forcefield, glaring from under heavy brows at the Romulan guard who holds a weapon on him anyway just in case, and at the Romulan tech who checks the readings on another quantum stasis device...

58 INT. ELETRIX - SECURITY CELL

Eight JEM’HADAR soldiers stand tensely in two other cells, on edge and despising the many Romulan guards who watch over them with weapons at the ready. That anyone could dare to hold a Founder hostage... they will make them pay.

59 EXT. SPACE - OVERNE III - ORBIT

Several JEM’HADAR ATTACK SHIPS continue to hold position in orbit over Overne III...

...and then the Eletrix uncloaks right in their midst.

The Jem’Hadar ships react immediately, moving quickly into attack formation... but holding fire for now.

60 INT. ELETRIX - BRIDGE

T’Jul is back in her command chair, portraying confidence and unflappability to the same Vorta we saw earlier. This is NEMAN, and he is wearing one of their eye-drives.

T’JUL
Hello, Neman. T’Jul here again.

NEMAN
What do you want, Romulan?

T’JUL
Well, my patience is not endless, and
you’ve wasted enough of my time.
So I’ve decided if you don’t allow me
to beam my crew down to Overne
Three immediately and take what we
need, I will execute the Founder,
and you will watch it happen.

As the Vorta reacts to that...

T’JUL
I should also point out that if the
Jem’Hadar - or anyone else for
that matter - approach us during
this process, I will end Laas’s life.
Agree to my terms, and as soon
as we’ve completed our work, we’ll
leave for the wormhole. If we
make it there without Jem’Hadar
pursuit, we will leave Laas safe
and intact someplace where you
can collect him at your leisure.
(beat, smile)
Do you agree to my terms?

Neman stews - what other choice does he have?

61 EXT. SPACE - OVERNE III - ORBIT

The Jem’Hadar ships peel away to a higher orbit...

...and the Eletrix heads down towards the planet.

62 INT. ELETRIX - CARGO BAY

Thot TROK and Sublt RIXORA work the controls together...

RIXORA
Rixora to T’Jul - cargo transporters
are networked across all four bays.

T’JUL (comm)
Proceed, Sublieutenant.

Rixora works her panels as ordered, the METAL FRAME opens out to its widest possible dimensions, and the BLUE-GREEN ENERGY starts to form. As Trok watches fascinated, the machines he was sent here to find begin to materialise.

Slowly, slowly... and there they are. The huge chunks of machinery seen earlier on the surface, now in the Romulan cargo bay. Trok’s suited shoulders slump with relief.

Trok eagerly grabs his scanner, dashes to the machines and begins to scan them over. After a while...

THOT TROK
Trok to T’Jul - transport complete.
We have everything we need. With
this equipment... the Typhon Pact
will have slipstream drive.

63 INT. ELETRIX - BRIDGE

T’Jul receives this report with satisfaction...

T’JUL
Excellent. Thank you, Thot Trok.
And congratulations on the success
of your mission. Channel closed.

T’Jul looks to Tomalak, stood behind her. He looks back, silently acknowledging that her plan worked after all. She turns back to her bridge, proud of her success.

T’JUL
Centurion Diveln, set course for
rendezvous with the Ren Fejin
and engage at maximum warp.

DIVELN
Yes, Commander.

T’JUL
Then we find a place to leave Laas
and his Jem’Hadar. Then, at last,
on to the wormhole... and home.

Satisfied at a job well done, T’Jul settles into her chair.

64 EXT. SPACE - OVERNE III - ORBIT

Eletrix rises up from low orbit, past the waiting Jem’Hadar ships... and as soon as it can, JUMPS to warp.

65 INT. ROBINSON - BRIDGE

Rather than staying distant in his command chair, SISKO is up and moving between the science and tactical stations aft of the bridge, conferring with Lts CORALA and UTELN.

SISKO
You’re absolutely certain? I can’t
go to Starfleet with an accusation
that the Romulans have abrogated
the treaty without definite proof.

UTELN
Yes, sir. It can’t be Eletrix down
there. There are just too many
anomalies for it to be real.

SISKO
...Why?

CORALA
Sir?

SISKO
Why are there too many anomalies?
If the Romulans wanted to fool us
into thinking they were destroyed,
why not do a better job of it?

CORALA
Maybe they didn’t have time to.

UTELN
Or maybe... they didn’t need to.

SISKO
(intrigued)
What do you mean?

UTELN
Look at where this supposed crash
happened - a carbon planet, toxic
atmosphere, impossible to scan
from any reasonable distance. The
only way to investigate is by hand
through bulky environment suits.

CORALA
If the answers were obvious, we’d
find them out and move on. But if
we had questions, we’d take the
time to clear those questions up.

UTELN
This whole thing was designed to
waste our time, so that we’d be
busy here while they do whatever
they’re doing somewhere else.

SISKO
(puts it all together)
And by the time we realised it
wasn’t the Eletrix... it would be
too late. They would have already
done whatever they needed to do.

UTELN
Yes, sir.

SISKO
Alright, you’ve convinced me.
Package up everything we’ve got
and send it back to Starfleet now.
Top priority, highest encryption.

CORALA
Aye, sir.

While Uteln and Corala get to work on that, Sisko returns to his seat and sits beside Rogeiro, who heard it all.

ROGEIRO
Should we abort the mission?
Return to the Alpha Quadrant?

SISKO
No. Eletrix could be anywhere. As
long as Starfleet’s been warned,
there’s not much else we can do.
And as long as we’re here, there’s
a chance we might run into them.
(turns to helm)
Helm - set course for the next
stop on our exploration program.

UTELN
Captain - that comm packet. It’s
come back as undeliverable.

Sisko is alarmed by that. Rogeiro pipes up...

ROGEIRO
We never did receive our regular
dispatch from Starfleet.

SISKO
And now we can’t communicate with
them either... Is there a problem
with our comm array, Lieutenant?

UTELN
(working)
Diagnostics are clean. And we did
receive Eletrix’s distress call.

ROGEIRO
Then maybe the problem’s at the
other end.

SISKO
The other end... you mean Deep
Space Nine.

Rogeiro nods - yes, that’s what he means. Sisko hardens.

SISKO
Helm - belay my last. Set new
course back to the wormhole...
maximum warp.

Off Sisko’s once again darkening mood, as the ship builds to warp around him...

BLACK OUT

END OF SHOW