ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

30 INT. VANADWAN MONASTERY - HOSPICE ROOM - AFTERNOON

TENMEI on her feet beside her father’s bed, incensed...

TENMEI
How dare you. I invite you here to
celebrate my father’s memory, and
you accuse him of murder?

DAX
(hands up,
placating)
That’s not what I’m saying -

KIRA gently reaches out and takes Tenmei’s hand, tries to calm her. BASHIR stands as well, heads to join Dax...

BASHIR
Prynn, I’m sure Ezri never meant
to accuse your father of any such
thing. We didn’t always get along,
but I know what your father went
through on that mission...

RO
(gentle warning)
Doctor...

BASHIR
We’re all Starfleet, you can keep
a secret. But on my first job for
Intelligence... I was forced to
kill for the sake of the mission.

DAX
(quietly horrified)
Julian...

BASHIR
I hated it. I’m sure your father
did as well. But it was necessary.

Tenmei begins to settle, sits back down again...

KIRA
They’re right, Prynn. Sometimes
good people have to do bad things.
It doesn’t make them bad people.

Tenmei considers Kira’s gentle words... and silently nods.

RO
So... he obviously didn’t kill Kamemor...

DAX
No... he didn’t.

31 INT. TOMED - SHUTTLE BAY

Young Vaughn holding his disruptor on Kamemor...

VAUGHN
I’m sorry. I don’t want to do any
of this. But I have a mission.

Before Vaughn can fire, or Kamemor can respond...

...a hand reaches in and PINCHES her neck, and she drops to the deck. The disguised Cmdr T’Prynn stands behind her...

T’PRYNN
It is inadvisable to discuss the
details of a secret mission with
the mission’s target, Lieutenant.
Perhaps they neglected to teach
you that at Advanced Tactical?

VAUGHN
I killed them...

T’PRYNN
I understand. But focus on your
mission - to secure our escape
once the Tomed is under control.

VAUGHN
Yes... yes. This shuttle is ours.
Everyone else is gone.

T’PRYNN
Sadly not. The admiral and his top
advisors chose not to evacuate.
(re Kamemor)
Help me with the Ambassador. There
is an unused escape pod nearby, we
will send her to safety.

VAUGHN
But she recognised me.

T’PRYNN
If Ambassador Dax is correct, that
may yet work to our favour.

VAUGHN
(deep breath)
Thank you, T’Prynn.

T’PRYNN
Do not mistake me, Elias. These
are unlikely to be the last enemy
soldiers whose lives you will take
in the course of our missions.

VAUGHN
(hardening)
Whatever serves the greater good.

T’Prynn nods, and they move to lift Kamemor’s body...

32 EXT. SPACE - TOMED

One last escape pod ejects from the Tomed...

...then the Romulan warbird powers back up again and JUMPS to warp, disappearing into the distance.

33 INT. TOMED - BRIDGE

Vokar reacts to the reports of LINAVIL and AKEEV...

AKEEV
We have entered warp, Admiral.
Course is set for the Federation.

LINAVIL
The singularity is now stabilised,
and self-destruct is unavailable.

VOKAR
Clearly they intend to capture the
Tomed and present it as a gift.
(thinking)
Surely that would also be seen by
the Klingons as an act of war...
(realises, sly)
...if it were to get out.

AKEEV
But our external communications
are locked out as thoroughly as
helm control, Admiral.

Sudden inspiration - Linavil runs to a panel and checks it.

LINAVIL
There is one shuttle still in the
bay. Its comm may be operational.

VOKAR
Take that shuttle, Subcommander.
Make sure the whole galaxy knows
who’s responsible for this.

With a vengeful grin, Linavil dashes to a weapons cabinet, grabs a disruptor, and EXITS. Vokar taps a comm panel...

VOKAR
All remaining crew, this is the
Admiral. Locate these Starfleet
saboteurs now - and kill them.
(to Akeev)
Sublieutenant - assist me.

Vokar starts dismantling the helm console...

34 INT. TOMED - CORRIDOR

Vaughn dodges behind a bulkhead - a DISRUPTOR SHOT blasts the bulkhead only inches from his head.

He peeks around - and FIRES his own disruptor. A YELP and a THUD - the weapon hit its target. He looks sideways at...

...T’PRYNN, who calmly hides behind the opposite bulkhead as more weapons fire SCREECHES out, missing them both.

T’PRYNN
Only one remains here. Return to
the shuttle bay and prepare for
launch. I will join you shortly.

Vaughn nods and turns away. Steps over another Romulan body - the soldier he stole his weapon from - and heads down the corridor. T’Prynn steps out to cover his escape, firing her own disruptor and advancing with terrifying composure...

35 INT. TOMED - SHUTTLE BAY

Vaughn runs back in, heading straight for the control panel along the bay’s side wall. He reaches it, spends a moment scanning it visually, to be sure he knows what does what...

...he takes a few quick deep breaths, preparing himself...

...then hits the button. LIGHTS begin to flash, the HATCH begins to RUMBLE slowly open, and the air in the bay begins to HISS out into open space, the stars at warp outside.

Vaughn knows he only has moments until the air is gone - he dashes as quick as he can across the bay, into the one last shuttle whose door he left open before they left...

36 INT. ROMULAN SHUTTLE (CONTINUOUS)

...and comes up short at the sight of LINAVIL with one hand on the front console, and the other pointing her disruptor right at him. They glare as the air runs out around them...

...and she FIRES. But the disruptor MISFIRES in the near-vacuum, allowing him to dodge...

...and RUSH her, head and shoulders low to dive under the disruptor. BARREL into her waist, KNOCK the air out of her, disruptor goes flying, FLIP her up over his back...

...and out of the open shuttle door. Vaughn quickly works the controls, and the door begins to close...

...but before it can close all the way, Linavil LEAPS back in through the gap and tackles Vaughn down...

37 INT. TOMED - BRIDGE

The door opens and T’PRYNN strides in. Vokar and Akeev look up, briefly caught off guard by this unfamiliar Romulan...

VOKAR
Who are you? Are you on my crew?

T’PRYNN
No, Admiral, I am not.

And she raises her disruptor and SHOOTS Akeev on the spot. He tumbles to the deck, dead. Vokar steps back, seething with rage as T’Prynn adjusts the disruptor settings...

VOKAR
Harriman sent you, didn’t he?

T’PRYNN
We gave you the chance to abandon
ship. You should have taken it.

VOKAR
I will never abandon the Tomed!

T’PRYNN
As you wish, Admiral.

And she SHOOTS him too.

38 INT. ROMULAN SHUTTLE

Vaughn is RAMMED against the shuttle’s bulkhead, Linavil’s grip around his throat. Her other hand pulls back to punch him right in the face....

...and he drops like a stone, letting the PUNCH go right into the bulkhead. He RAMS through her middle, unbalancing her again. She CRUMPLES in an uncoordinated tangle...

...he SCRAMBLES to the other end of the cabin. The door is closed, air is replenished, but a fight against a pissed off Romulan with three times your strength is no time to recover from oxygen depravation. He needs a moment...

...but he’s not going to get it. Linavil rights herself, reaches into her boot, pulls out a KNIFE, and charges...

39 INT. TOMED - BRIDGE

Vokar JERKS awake, struggles to right himself... but his limbs are tied to his command chair with strips of plastic.

T’Prynn glances at him dismissively while she works to dismantle a bridge console...

T’PRYNN
Welcome back, Admiral. I thought
perhaps you might sleep all day.

VOKAR
You’ve sealed your people’s fate,
Vulcan. Everyone will know what
you’ve done, the Klingons will
ally with us against you... and
there will finally be war.

T’Prynn completes her work and hefts a large DEVICE out of its housing. She turns to face him, quite calm.

T’PRYNN
You misunderstand our intentions,
Admiral. You are about to prevent
a war, not start one. Be proud.

She heads for the door, carrying the device, and EXITS. He ROARS his frustration, struggling against his bonds...

40 INT. ROMULAN SHUTTLE

Vaughn ROLLS onto his back... Linavil LEAPS into the air...

...and LANDS right on top of him, straddling his midsection and pinning his forearms with her knees. Reaches down, RIPS the false points off his ears, throws them away in disgust.

VAUGHN
Do it! Kill me!

Linavil grins - gladly. Raises the knife above her head...

...he YANKS one arm free, raises it lightning fast...

...and the plunging knife SLICES right through his palm, out the other side. He swipes the hand sideways, she loses grip on the knife, scrambles to reach for it again...

...he YANKS the other arm free, grabs the handle before she can reach it, draws the knife out of his own hand...

...and PLUNGES it into her ribs. She SCREAMS, more out of rage than pain... he draws the knife back, and STABS again. She falls back off him, to the deck... and goes limp.

Catching his breath, he reaches for her pulse - she’s dead. The briefest flash of a grin - Good! - before he pulls back with horror at himself and what he has done.

He staggers to his feet, pins his bleeding hand under the other arm, uses the free hand to work the consoles. Checks something, nods with relief. Presses a button - the shuttle door rumbles open. Drags Linavil’s dead body to the door...

...only to find T’PRYNN approaching the shuttle across the airless bay deck, carrying the stolen device. She helps him haul the body out onto the deck, then calmly steps inside.

Vaughn works to close the shuttle door again. He is about to speak, but she holds up a single finger - wait. The door closes, air whooshes back in, and she finally breathes...

T’PRYNN
Was she able to send a message?

VAUGHN
No. I’d locked out the controls
already, she didn’t break them.

T’PRYNN
(re hand)
You are wounded.

VAUGHN
I’ll be fine.

T’PRYNN
Then help me install the cloaking
device.

They get to work...

41 EXT. SPACE - ALGERON SYSTEM

The planet of Algeron III in the middle distance, with the glittering lights of a starbase and its surrounding colony across part of its surface. Enterprise-B hoves into view...

42 INT. ENTERPRISE-B - BRIDGE

SULU reacts to her console with surprise and horror...

SULU
Captain! Long-range sensors detect
a ship entering the sector at high
warp - it’s the Tomed!

Harriman glances to Curzon sat beside him, then fakes it...

HARRIMAN
Hail them - warn Vokar that he is
not authorised to enter our space.

SULU
No response.

HARRIMAN
Can we intercept?

SULU
No time - they’re heading straight
for the border station on Algeron.
And these readings... oh my God...
they’ve got an isolytic weapon!

HARRIMAN
Contact the border station - tell
them to get out of there now.

SULU
No response! My God, there are
thousands of people down there...
Tomed is entering the system...

HARRIMAN
Sulu - maximum warp, now!

43 EXT. SPACE - ALGERON SYSTEM

With the planet still in the background, Enterprise jumps to WARP out of the system...

44 EXT. SPACE - TOMED

The Romulan ship warps past us... and as it passes, we see that its rear shuttle bay is open to space, and empty...

45 INT. TOMED - BRIDGE

VOKAR, still tied to his chair - he ROARS in futile fury...

46 EXT. SPACE - ALGERON SYSTEM

...and the ship SLAMS into the planet, targeted perfectly for the colony. A massive EXPLOSION rocks the surface...

...and sets off a CHAIN REACTION across the entire planet, creating fault lines and volcanoes as the world is torn apart from the inside out...

47 INT. ENTERPRISE-B - BRIDGE

As the Enterprise crew watch this on the viewscreen...

Harriman looks again at Curzon. They both look sick...

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT FOUR