TEASER

FADE IN:

1 ADMIRAL AKAAR

The imposing Capellan admiral appears on Bajoran Control Centre’s large master systems display turned viewscreen.
He looks as intense and tightly wound as ever he has.

AKAAR (screen)
I regret to inform you, Captain,
that while your conclusions were
partly wrong... they were partly
right as well.

WIDEN to reveal...

2 INT. BAJORAN CONTROL CENTRE

...that he is speaking to Starfleet captains RO and SISKO, Bajoran major CENN, Ferengi inspector RWOGO and Cardassian dalin SLAINE, who stand around the situation table looking up at the image of the Admiral looming over them. The daily business of the Control Centre goes on behind them all.

AKAAR (screen)
We have acquired... reasonably
reliable intelligence from our
Romulan detainee...

Ro and Rwogo glance to each other - Tomalak.

AKAAR (screen)
(continuing)
...who claims that the Typhon Pact
has no intention of returning to
the Bajoran system...

Cenn breathes with relief...

AKAAR (screen)
(continuing)
...or of invading Cardassia.

Slaine likewise breathes with relief...

AKAAR (screen)
(continuing)
Sadly, that does not mean they are
not making yet another attempt to
acquire slipstream drive, in order
to counter what they perceive as
the Federation’s unfair advantage.

RO
What are they planning, Admiral?

AKAAR (screen)
It seems that the Pact no longer
requires access to the Bajoran
system... because the Tzenkethi
have successfully developed an
artificial wormhole generator.

SISKO
What?!

3 EXT. SPACE - VIR-AKZELEN ASTEROID (INTERCUT)

The Tzenkethi asteroid laboratory sending out its RED BEAMS that converge to create a puncture through space, a giant swirling red whirlpool, a new artificial WORMHOLE...

...and a ROMULAN WARBIRD diving into its gaping maw.

4 INT. BAJORAN CONTROL CENTRE (INTERCUT)

RO speaks up to her old frenemy-mentor-father-figure...

RO
Sir, do you mean they intend to by-
pass our wormhole, and return to
the Gamma Quadrant using theirs?

AKAAR (screen)
Not exactly, Captain.

5 INT. VIR-AKZELEN LABORATORY (INTERCUT)

NELZIK the Tzenkethi scientist at her console, in charge as the machinery around her hums with power and strain...

AKAAR (v.o.)
(continuing)
Apparently the Tzenkethi are not
yet capable of creating a wormhole
that would remain stable over such
vast distances.

6 INT. BAJORAN CONTROL CENTRE (INTERCUT)

RWOGO is confused...

RWOGO
Then where are they going?

AKAAR (screen)
(grim)
I said the Typhon Pact no longer
require access to the Bajoran
system, Inspector. I did not say
they no longer require access
to the Bajoran wormhole...

7 INT. TZENKETHI WORMHOLE (INTERCUT)

The Romulan warbird flies shakily through the structural loops and swirling rapids of the new wormhole, its angry red light reflecting off the ship’s dark green metal...

AKAAR (v.o.)
The Tzenkethi’s solution to the
problem of their wormhole’s
subspace stability was to anchor
its far terminus to something
already stable in subspace...

FOLLOWing the Romulan ship as it reaches the end of the red wormhole, a RAGGED TEAR into shrieking white energy...

...and passes through it...

AKAAR (v.o.)
(continuing)
...such as the Bajoran wormhole.

...emerging into the calming blue of the Bajoran wormhole.

8 INT. BAJORAN CONTROL CENTRE (INTERCUT)

CENN is overcome with horror...

CENN
That thing is breaking into the
wormhole? Toppling the walls
of the Celestial Temple itself?

AKAAR (screen)
That is former Proconsul Tomalak’s
contention, yes, Major.

RO
When are they planning to do this?

AKAAR (screen)
Given that the Vetruvis went
missing from the Lamenda system at
least a week ago, we must assume
it is already happening now.

9 INT. BAJORAN WORMHOLE (INTERCUT)

The Romulan warbird exits the intersection, a bloody red WOUND in the peaceful blue-white-gold wormhole wall...

...and turns to port, heading for the Gamma Quadrant.

10 INT. BAJORAN CONTROL CENTRE (INTERCUT)

SLAINE speaks up...

SLAINE
Admiral, if I may ask...

She checks with RO - is this okay? Ro nods to carry on...

SLAINE
(continuing)
Are we absolutely certain that the
activity in the Lamenda system
was a distraction? Should I advise
Legate Macet to recall his forces?

AKAAR (screen)
That is of course the Legate’s
decision, dalin. But given the
Typhon Pact’s apparent ability to
plan for multiple eventualities at
once, I would advise him to keep
the majority of them where they
are until this is resolved.

SLAINE
Understood, Admiral. Thank you.

AKAAR (screen)
There is one other thing you might
suggest to the Legate, dalin. The
Tzenkethi’s wormhole generating
apparatus can only operate within
five light years of its target -
that being the Bajoran system.

Everyone present looks back and forth between each other in shock, grasping what Akaar is getting at...

RO
But that would have to mean...

11 EXT. SPACE - VIR-AKZELEN ASTEROID (INTERCUT)

The Tzenkethi asteroid lab keeping the red wormhole open...

RO (v.o.)
(continuing)
...they’re in Cardassian space.

12 INT. BAJORAN CONTROL CENTRE (INTERCUT)

SLAINE is confused, worried...

SLAINE
But... why would my government
allow this? We are your allies.

AKAAR (screen)
Tomalak implied he too has allies
within the Cardassian Union.

Ro and Rwogo look to each again, glowering...

RO / RWOGO
The True Way.

13 INT. VETRUVIS - BRIDGE (INTERCUT)

MORAD, the Cardassian courier, stands proudly on the bridge of the Romulan warbird as it travels much more smoothly now, the blue lights of the wormhole on the viewscreen...

AKAAR (v.o.)
Sadly correct.

PAN from Morad, across Cmdr KOZIK in his command chair...

AKAAR (v.o.)
(continuing)
Not only do the Pact have support
from Cardassian separatists...

...to the Breen engineer TROP SAR working at his station.

AKAAR (v.o.)
(continuing)
...they also have a Breen engineer
on board, one of the men who first
discovered that Dominion deflector
technology could be adapted.

14 INT. BAJORAN CONTROL CENTRE (INTERCUT)

Akaar continues...

AKAAR (screen)
(continuing)
Plus the Tzenkethi providing the
method of reaching the Dominion,
and the Romulans themselves the
phase-cloak that will allow them
to infiltrate it once they do.

RWOGO
(dry)
What an inspiring embodiment of
international cooperation.

AKAAR (screen)
Quite.

RO
What are our orders, Admiral?

AKAAR (screen)
(pointedly)
Stop them, Captain.
(beat)
As for the specifics, your crews,
past and present, have by far the
most experience with that part of
space - be it cosmological, astro-
political... or metaphysical.

Sisko reacts to what feels like a comment just for him...

AKAAR (screen)
You know the stakes. I leave the
details to you. Command... out.

Akaar’s image disappears. The various officers - Starfleet, Bajoran, Cardassian and Ferengi - absorb the enormity.

15 INT. VETRUVIS - BRIDGE

On the warbird’s viewscreen, the Gamma end of the Bajoran wormhole blooms open, revealing normal space beyond.

KOZIK
Commander Kozik to all crew. We
have entered the Gamma Quadrant.

As Kozik, Morad and Trop Sar all indicate satisfaction...

BLACK OUT

END OF TEASER