TEASER

FADE IN:

1 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE

A majestic shot of the famous Cardassian-designed space station, dark and swooping and beautiful, against the evocative swirls of the Denorios Belt. No ships docked.

RO (v.o.)
This. This is what’s at stake.

2 RO

looking up at this view, filled with determination.

RO
This is what they took from us.

3 OTHERS

Other faces looking from various angles, equally daunted.

Starfleet captains SISKO of the Defiant, AKOLKAR of the Venture (Indian human female, 10x12 “Heresy”), EULER of the Canterbury (14x08 “99 Problems”) and FREYY of the Brisbane (female Benzite), plus Commander ROGEIRO of the Robinson.

Bajoran leaders First Minister ASAREM, Over-General LENARIS and Kai PRALON, plus our own Major CENN. Over this:

RO (o.s.)
This is how far they’re prepared
to go.

4 EXT. SPACE - WIDE

Finally the whole group - all ten people stood in a circle and looking up at Deep Space Nine hanging in space over them, the stars of the Bajoran sector surrounding them all.

And then it EXPLODES.

A composite of sensor readings taken by Defiant, Robinson and the runabouts, recreating the disastrous event.

Most of the spectators FLINCH back, shielding their eyes. But SISKO looks away guiltily, and RO refuses to look away.

LENARIS
As dramatic as ever, Captain.

RO
Just wanted to make sure there was
no misunderstanding, General.

Ro turns to each of the others in turn, giving them orders even though most are either equal or greater in rank.

NOTE: each stumbles and steadies themselves, as where they are is buffeted by TREMORS or gravity distortions - but not all at the same time, as they are all in different places.

RO
Captain Sisko, you’ll take Defiant
into the wormhole to disrupt the
Typhon Pact’s plans however you
can. Commander Rogeiro, Robinson
will guard the wormhole, confront
the Vetruvis if it emerges.
(beat)
Captains Akolkar, Euler, Freyy - I
need you here at Bajor. You’ll all
coordinate through me. Good luck.

ROGEIRO
To us all, Captain. Robinson out.

With that, Rogeiro’s image DISSOLVES. Euler, Akolkar and Freyy nod respects and disappear as well. Sisko is last...

SISKO
We’ll fix this, Ro. Defiant out.

Then Sisko DISSOLVES too. Ro turns to the Bajorans...

PRALON
The vedeks have been evacuated
to safety already, Captain. I’ll be
joining them shortly.

ASAREM
Same for the Chamber of Ministers.

RO
Thank you both - quite frankly I
have enough to manage without
worrying about Bajor’s religious
and political leaders as well.

LENARIS
Major Cenn, you’ll coordinate
Captain Ro’s crew with me.

CENN
(glance at Ro)
Of course, General.

ASAREM
Ro... I know I’ve said this before
through proxies. But now I want to
say it to your face. We trust you.
I say that not to add pressure but
to relieve it. Whatever happens,
we’ll know you’ve done your best.

A moment - Ro absorbs the confidence of the other Bajorans.

RO
Thank you, First Minister.

Asarem nods, and she, Pralon and Lenaris all DISSOLVE. With space at their backs, Ro and Cenn turn to each other...

CENN
She’s right, you know. You’re good
at this. Believe in yourself.

RO
I try to. But there’s always that
nagging voice in the back of my
head that says I don’t deserve it.

CENN
But isn’t that what this whole
casual command style is about?
Letting them get to know you as a
person, so that when crunch time
comes, they’ll be there for you?

RO
You noticed that, huh?

CENN
I spend literally every day with
you, of course I noticed. And we’re
at crunch time now. So trust your
people. And let them trust you.

Ro considers that... smiles her thanks. Then they both turn to leave, the image of space and the debris of Deep Space Nine around them also DISSOLVING...

5 INT. QUARK’S NEW BAR

A collection of the former DS9’s senior officers and known civilians wait in the otherwise closed bar. KIRA, O’BRIEN, RWOGO, SLAINE, MATTHIAS, SARINA. Junior officers - ETANA, RICHTER, PERMENTER, K’UHLLO, others. Plus QUARK and his staff - TREIR, HETIK, SEBRIGAR and HULPESH. Until...

CENN (o.s.)
(command voice)
Alright, everybody pay attention.

They turn to see CENN and RO descending the steps from the upper level. Cenn carries on down a few more steps, lets Ro stay on the higher step, looking over her crew and friends.

INTERCUT with reaction shots and inserts as required...

RO
As of this moment, I am mobilising
every Starfleet officer and non-com
on this planet. The Militia is doing
everything it can, but Bajor needs
more than that. The Venture,
Canterbury and Brisbane will cover
the major cities - Dakhur, Qui’al,
Ashalla, and so on. It’s our job
to help the smaller areas.

As if to punctuate, the room SHAKES, everyone staggers...

RO
I’m splitting the crew into teams
and sending you out to help. These
people are going to be terrified -
their lives are being ground up
and spit out and they have no idea
why. Give them whatever they need.
Rescue, food, medical care, a kind
word... and a face they can trust.

Around the room, Ro can see her people resolve themselves to help however they can. It makes her proud.

RO
Major Cenn will hand out your
assignments in a moment... but I
just want to say that you are my
crew, and you are my friends. And
I know some of the people we care
about are in danger right now.

Reaction shots as Ro continues...

RO
(on Sarina)
Doctor Bashir...
(on Hetik)
Lieutenant Candlewood...
(on Quark)
Lieutenant Commander Nog...

INSERT - VAUGHN

On death’s door in the Vanadwan hospice...

RO (v.o.)
Lieutenant Tenmei...

INSERT - KASIDY

Sheltering in the commissary with the other families...

RO (v.o.)
Captain Sisko...

INSERT - DAX

On the Aventine’s bridge as the ship is under attack...

RO (v.o.)
And Captain Dax.

BACK TO SCENE

Back to Ro’s speech to her crew...

RO
(continuing)
But the Bajoran people are depending
on us to go into danger too. They’re
trusting us. And I’m trusting you.
(beat)
Good luck, everyone.

CENN moves into the crowd, picking up a pile of PADDS and handing them out one by one with instructions.

CENN
Okay, here are your teams. You’re
being assigned in pairs, each pair
will command one team of crew and
take your assigned runabout or
shuttle. You will report back to
Captain Ro at regular intervals.
(first padd)
Matthias, Douglas - the Tilar
Peninsula, in the Acheron.

Cenn continues in BACKGROUND dialogue, but we FOCUS on Ro as she watches over her people, absorbs the responsibility.

CENN
(background)
Nurse Etana and Sergeant Richter
- Musilla in the Cooper. Treir and
Hetik - Suramil, in the Eclipse.
Permenter, K’Uhllo - you’re going
to Janitza in the Comet.

Coming back to Cenn now. The next padd goes to O’Brien...

CENN
Chief O’Brien, Vedek Kira - since
you live there anyway, I’m sending
you to Relliketh with the Styx.

KIRA
Okay. Good. Thank you, Major.

CENN
Dalin Slaine, with me. I’m taking
you back to Jo’kala in the Nile.

SLAINE
Understood, Major.

CENN
And finally, Ambassador Quark and
Inspector Rwogo - you’re staying
right here in Aljuli, with the Rio
Grande for support.

On RO, as she absorbs the two Ferengi conferring closely, even intimately over the padd and instructions...

...and on KIRA, as she watches Ro watching them.

CENN
Head back to the Control Centre
now, pick up your teams and your
ships, and get to work. Dismissed.

Everyone pairs up and heads out... although as Ro slowly descends the stairs to ground level, Kira hovers back to talk to her. Last to leave the bar are Quark and Rwogo, thick as thieves... and Ro watches them go off together.

KIRA
Quark and Rwogo seem awfully close.

Kira sees Ro tense subtly - everything she needs to know.

KIRA
(continuing, gently)
But then you already knew that,
didn’t you?

Ro reveals a small, sad, wistful smile.

KIRA
I’m sorry, Laren. May I?

Ro sees that Kira is holding up her hand, asking permission to feel her pagh as vedeks do. The old earring that used to be on the wrong ear precisely to discourage that is gone...

Ro nods permission... and Kira gently grasps her earlobe. Closes her eyes, breathes, feels... lets go, smiles.

KIRA
Trust yourself, Ro. You’re a good
commander. A good leader.

RO
Thanks, Nerys.

KIRA
(distant chuckle)
I remember the first time I ever
left you in charge...

RO
(pout, pointed)
You left me to distract Akaar
while you ran off to be a hero.

KIRA
You got the job done then. You’ll
get it done now.
(beat)
I’ll see you soon.

With a last smile, Kira heads for the door. Ro watches...

BLACK OUT

END OF TEASER