- S T A R T R E K -
V I R T U A L E N T E R P R I S E
Story by
Justin Valencia
Teleplay by
Simon Murray
Justin Valencia
Original release: July, 12th, 2006
This episode is also available in pdf
.V-ENT is a production of www.trekonline.org
TEASER
EXT. SPACE - TORPEDO (POV)
A missile races silently towards a barely M-class world.
A tiny point of blazing light in the vast void, cutting through the endless night. Then, as the torpedo breaches the atmosphere of the small blue planet, there is a sudden, deafening roar.
EXT. VEGA COLONY - MOUNTAIN VIEW - CONTINUOUS
From a distance we see the fireball descending towards a domed city. Moments later a massive red and orange fireball stretches the length of the horizon. The ground shakes and the sky itself seems to burn. Birds take flight to escape the blast as boiling winds spread out from all all directions, incinerating everything, and everyone, in its path.
INT. VEGA COLONY - COMMAND CENTER
Frantic scenes as the officers, caught unawares, are unseated from their stations and thrown to the ground; the entire command center is shaking from the aftermath of the explosion.
Commodore Wyndham a smart looking man in his fifties, is the first to compose himself.
WYNDHAM
What the hell was that? Status
report!
All he gets in reply is confused and frightened stares; finally a young female officer - Ensign Nicholson, her black hair askew and her uniform in shambles, finally speaks up.
NICHOLSON
Short range sensors have detected
an unidentified vessel on the
edge of our sensor range.
WYNDHAM
Why the hell didn't long range
sensors pick it up?
NICHOLSON
I don't know sir; I can't explain
it.
WYNDHAM
What about the defense grid? Why
isn't it responding?
NICHOLSON
The vessel is emitting some sort
of powerful jamming field it's
disabled the defense grid somehow.
It's... sir, it's Xindi!
An older male officer by the name of Xang cuts across her before the Commodore could utter his reaction; his tone loud and fearful.
XANG
Commodore! It's firing again!
EXT. SPACE - TORPEDO TUBES
The scene snaps to the silver jaws of rows upon rows of torpedo tubes, the view so extreme that the vessel remains unknown.
Suddenly, space is ripped by blinding flashes. One, two, three, four torpedo's speed towards the colony, their deadly journey innocently silent until they, once again, come into contact with the planet's atmosphere.
INT. VEGA COLONY - COMMAND CENTER
A tense command center cuts into view, the sweat on the officer's brows glistens heavily in the glare of their consoles, as they wait, with baited breath, for what they know is coming.
Beat.
All at once sirens blare from all corners, the command center erupts in showers of sparks, fires, and yells, as the scene is shaken fiercely by explosions from high above. There is complete pandemonium.
The Commodore, now sporting a hefty gash across his forehead, lashes himself to his console and attempts to send a distress call. In the background we can hear the cries of the wounded and the dying.
WYNDHAM
(shouting over the din)
Activate the planetary distress
beacon!
(beat)
Mayday, mayday, mayday, this is
Commodore Wyndham, Starfleet
Command, Vega sector! We are
under attack from hostile Xindi
forces! Repeat, hostile Xindi
forces...
The comm goes dead before he can finish broadcasting. Wyndham looks up looks up to where Ensign Nicholson should be, but finds her slumped over her station, eyes wide, a large shard of shrapnel lodged in her back.
At that moment, another officer, clambering over fallen bulkheads, stumbles into the command center. This is Commander Kelby. Wyndham rushes to him.
WYNDHAM
(to Kelby)
They've taken out the relay
station, we can no longer
broadcast - I'm ordering you to
commandeer a shuttle! Get outside
of the jamming field and send a
distress call at any costs - do
you understand?
Kelby hesitates, looking at the carnage all around him - the remains of fellow officers litter the stricken command center.
KELBY
Commodore, we have to start
evacuating -
WYNDHAM
NO! There's no time. That vessel
will shoot down the transports,
there too big. Get to a shuttle
and call for help! Tell them we
have detected Xindi power
signatures, now go!
KELBY
But sir -
WYNDHAM
No buts, Commander. Get the hell
out of here!
The Commodore shoves Kelby back into the hallway. Kelby trips over a fallen beam and before he can get back up to his feet the door to the command center is sealed behind him. Wyndham takes a step back, looking resigned.
A moment later, Kelby is banging desperately on the steel door, pleading for the commodore's life, all the while the sounds of distant explosions fills the hallway.
KELBY
(OS)
Sir open the door! We can both
make it out. OPEN THE DOOR!
WYNDHAM
(quietly, to himself)
Sorry kid, no good given me
orders...
He takes one last look at the remains of his post and fellow crew members lying all around him; the young Ensign Nicholson, whom moments before was alight with life, now so still and silent, her limp form draped over her console, her eyes frozen with fear... she was 23.
Wyndham opens his mouth to say something, but -
INT. OUTSIDE COMMAND CENTER
The loud blaring of a proximity sensor heralds the end; Kelby barely manages to escape the explosion as the command center and the commodore are consumed by the flames of a direct hit.
EXT. OPEN SHUTTLE DOCK - VEGA COLONY
The echoes of explosions and the cries of the wounded fill the devastated hallways, as Kelby rushes towards the shuttle dock. Injured officers stretch out their bloodied hands, crying for help but he can't stop.
INT. STARFLEET SHUTTLE - CONTINUOUS
Kelby dives through the shuttle's hatch and crashes to the floor. He sits alone on the shuttle's floor for a moment, frozen. It takes another loud explosion to snap him awake. Kelby leaps up to his feet and throws himself at the control console where he works at the controls. The hatch closes behind him as the engines ignite and blast him off into the green streaked Vegan sky.
EXT. VEGA COLONY - ATMOSPHERE
The sky is filled by death as torpedo's rain down from above.
In the midst of this death, a lone shuttle frantically fights to climb the skies, weaving in and out of the falling missiles.
INT. STARFLEET SHUTTLE
KELBY
(Frustrated)
Argh! Come on your piece of junk,
CLIMB!
Kelby's hands wrap tightly around the controls and his face, marred by scratches, grits against the emerald filled sky beyond the shuttle window.
KELBY (CON'T)
Faster ... faster goddamnit!
EXT. ATMOSPHERE - VEGA SYSTEM
The engines glow white-hot and sparks fly from the controls, as he pushes the shuttle to its limits, breaches the atmosphere and sails into the blackness of space.
INT. STARFLEET SHUTTLE
Everything is quiet and the enemy ship is no where in sight; an alarm signals his clearance from the jamming field and he begins to send his distress call.
KELBY
This is Commander Kelby,
broadcasting from of a
shuttlecraft beyond the orbit of
Vega Colony; this is an emergency
transmission to any and all
friendly ships in the area, we
are under attack...
(beat)
I repeat, we are under attack,
Vega Colony is under attack.
Xindi...
A massive explosion near to the hull rocks Kelby from his seat and he comes crashing to the floor; by the time he picks himself up, the comm system is dead and proximity sensors are screaming at him.
Without hesitating he clambers back into his seat and grabs the control stick. He drives the shuttle into the nearby asteroid belt, narrowly avoiding the deadly green streak of a second torpedo... the enemy ship, had found him.
KELBY
Damn... damn, damn, damn!
Commander Kelby's flight experience was pushed to the limit, as he flew right into the maw of a dense asteroid field, his shuttled dogged by what seemed like dozens of torpedoes.
KELBY
Damn... that was too close...
Pulling the shuttle into a sharp upward spiral, Kelby sees several torpedoes collide with each other behind him. His cries of celebration are short lived though, as he misses the third torpedo streaking right at him. He grabs the stick and tries desperately to turn, but it was too late... the torpedo flies past him and detonates on the surface of a nearby asteroid, the blast wave crippling his engines.
Unable to maintain flight, Kelby steers his shuttle back towards the planet, limping out of the asteroid field and aiming to fall back to the planet's surface.
Just before entering the atmosphere, Kelby sees from the corner of his eye a glimpse of a large red hull, but before he could do a double take it vanishes from view and his screen was consumed by fire as he breaches Vegan's upper atmosphere and plummets to the surface.
INT. VEGA COLONY - MOUNTAIN VIEW
The once green streaked sky of Vega is now silent, nothing but a thin column of burning black filling it, as the smoldering remains of Kelby's shuttle falls like a great meteor, and disappears behind a mountain.
The burning remains of Vega colony are visible in the fore.
ACT I
INT. ENTERPRISE - MAIN BRIDGE
Archer walks out from his ready room onto the bridge reading from a PADD. He looks tired. Hoshi is at her station, as are Illetschko, Jackson and Hansson. The captain heads towards the planning station at the back of the bridge where Reed is looking over schematics.
ANGLE: Reed taps some keys on the panel in front of him bringing up a plan of a space station. It looks highly advanced - a sort of hybrid of ENT and early TOS technology.
ARCHER
If I'd realized how much
paperwork was involved in this
operation, I would have declined
immediately.
REED
Captain?
ARCHER
The fleet. Many of these vessels
already require service parts.
REED
I take it Starfleet didn't plan
this out very well.
ARCHER
They handed me a situation that
requires several hands, not just
my two.
REED
Perhaps you need an assistant,
sir, for the administrative
duties? Someone to take the load
off?
Archer looks up from his PADD, and notices Reed going over
the designs.
ARCHER
Salem One?
REED
I've been trying to figure out
the defensive platform relays.
Something of a side project. I
figured I'd get some work done
during this little exercise.
ARCHER
This is a little more than an
exercise, Malcolm.
REED
Of course, Captain.
(beat)
I've been wondering something
though, something that's been
bothering me for a few days now.
A questioning look from Archer.
REED (CON'T)
I find it funny that as the
Coalition is finding its feet
that you are sent on a mission
so far away from everything.
(beat)
I mean, I know the Xindi
requested you lead the fleet, but
you set the Coalition in motion,
you should be there now. It sort
of seems like some sort of Greek
tragedy.
ARCHER
(smiling)
Don't jinx us Malcolm. I'd hate
to run into anything Greek out here.
HOSHI (O.S.)
Captain.
ANGLE: On the main viewer we see the ECS Artemis drop a relay. Walking over to Hoshi's station Archer watches as it comes to life and begins to transmit.
HOSHI
The Artemis has just launched the
first relay. I'm picking up the
test signal now. It looks like
it has just tied into the
Tellarite Network.
ARCHER
(tired again)
Now only a couple hundred more
to go.
(beat)
Very good, give my regards to
Captain Soldin on the Artemis.
But Hoshi is distracted by a commotion over the comm. She pulls out a small device from her ear, similar to a TOS communication device.
HOSHI
Captain, I'm picking up a sudden
influx of chatter.
ARCHER
Already?
(beat, concerned)
What is it, Hoshi?
Hoshi listens.
HOSHI
(baffled)
It's gone.
Hoshi works.
HOSHI (CON'T)
Captain, I think it was a
distress signal. Radio only.
ARCHER
Can you play it?
Hoshi taps into her panel systems. Everyone listens.
RADIO VOICE (COMM.)
"...shuttlecraft beyond... Vega
Colony; this is an emergency...
Vega Colony is under attack...
Xindi.
Archer looks at Reed, then at Hoshi.
REED
Sir, isn't that Commander Kelby?
Jackson looks up at Archer.
JACKSON
Captain, shall I...?
ARCHER
Not while we're escorting the
fleet, Ensign.
(to Hoshi)
Patch me into Starfleet Command.
Hoshi starts to work, and then stops.
HOSHI
(surprised)
Captain, there's an inbound
message is for you.
ARCHER
On screen.
Over the main viewer, Vice Admiral Gardner appears.
ARCHER
Admiral, we just received -
GARDNER (ON SCREEN)
(interrupting)
I know, that message is several
hours old. We already have rescue
operations underway.
ARCHER
We left Vega Colony no more than
eight hours ago.
GARDNER (ON SCREEN)
I assure you, Captain, the rescue
is well in hand. The Andorians
have offered their assistance.
An officer hands Gardner a PADD.
GARDNER (ON SCREEN, CON'T)
(to officer)
The Vash'Kar? Are you sure?
That gets Archer's attention.
ARCHER
Admiral?
GARDNER (ON SCREEN)
You were scheduled to rendezvous
with the Vulcan Cruiser Vash'Kar?
ARCHER
They were due to catch us up in
a few hours.
GARDNER (ON SCREEN)
I'm afraid it looks like more of
a delay. Yesterday, Starfleet
Command received reports that the
Vash'Kar left Vulcan ahead of
schedule and that she wasn't
responding to hails. We now
believe former Minister V'Las
aboard.
HOSHI
V'Las? he was supposed to be at
the tribunal.
GARDNER (ON SCREEN)
The tribunal was attacked and
V'Las disappeared, along with a
number of others. And based on
the report just handed to me, we
must assume he is in control of
the Vash'Kar and those still
aboard.
(beat)
Long range sensors from the
Moscow detected Xindi Conduit
signatures, and one from a Vulcan
cruiser.
ARCHER
I have officers on that ship.
GARDNER (ON SCREEN)
Everything that can be done is
being done. The Moscow is en-
route, so is Venus IV. They will
rendezvous with the Andorian
Transport Colran and the Colombia
to coordinate a detailed search
of the area.
(beat)
Listen Jon, I don't want you to
worry. Continue on your mission
as planned and let us deal with
the Vash'Kar. We will be in
contact when we have any news.
Gardner out.
The screen goes blank, then the Artemis and A-ECHO 1 relay pops back up. Archers stares at the screen, the PADD in his hand completely forgotten.
T'POL'S MIND
Pictures of T'Pol's daughter, Elizabeth. She is crying.
Then her daughter is gone and T'POL stands in the void of her mind, a void once filled with light, but that is now dark and full of shadows. Trip is there, looking uncertain. He looks at T'Pol questioningly, and then round at a new form. A silhouette of a person lurks in the background, but neither Trip nor T'Pol can make out the face.
T'Pol opens her mouth to speak but -
INT. VASH'KAR - CREW QUARTERS
T'Pol gasps as she is jolted sharply out of her mediation. She is sat cross-legged in candlelight.
V'Las strides in flanked by guards.
V'LAS
Lights. Full illumination.
The lights brighten and T'Pol blinks uneasily. V'Las ignores her though and instead walks over to a lit candle, which he extinguishes. Smoke rises from dead flame as T'Pol looks on, impassive.
V'LAS (CON'T)
I have just leveled Vega Colony.
V'Las moves in closer to T'Pol and notices that her eyes are blood-shot and wet.
V'LAS (CON'T)
I thought the Kir'Shara prevented
such emotion. For such a
dedicated a student of Surak you
perform poorly.
T'Pol stands up slowly.
T'POL
Surak's teachings are allowing
all of Vulcan to learn their own
true path.
V'Las slaps her across her face. She stumbles hard to the floor.
V'LAS
True path?
(angrily)
I was the true path. Now, you and
your Coalition has forced my hand.
Reunification will come now at a
greater price.
(loudly)
Give me your authorization code!
Getting back to her feet, T'Pol ignores V'Las and walks over to the candle. Despite the fact that the lights are at full illumination, she re-lights it.
Drifting over to her with menace, V'Las raises his hand again. T'Pol turns back to him definitely but makes no attempt to defend herself. Before V'Las can land the blow though, he is interrupted by the comm.
COMM.
Bridge to V'Las. Sir, we just
detected an unauthorized access
to Section 4.7, Grid A. It is a
junction center that can access
communications. We believe
someone may have tried to send a
message.
Angrily, V'Las turns and walks out of the quarters.
V'LAS
(to guards)
Put her with the others!
INT. ENTERPRISE - MAIN BRIDGE
Archer sits up in his chair. Reed, Hoshi and Jackson are all at their stations.
REED
Captain, do we intend to do nothing?
Archer looks at Reed, then walks over to him.
ARCHER
What information do we have about
the Vash'Kar.
HOSHI
Wasn't the vessel originally
going to be used as evidence?
REED
Yes, the rumor was that V'Las
built her with the intention of
orchestrating an unprovoked
invasion of Andoria. But it could
never be proven.
ARCHER
And after the Xindi attack, V'Las
invented the notion that Andoria
was hiding a Xindi Superweapon
instead. A far more expedient
excuse for genocide.
(beat)
But how do we track her?
REED
I did talk to Trip once about the
Vash'Kar. She has impressive
armaments, but even more
impressive engines. It utilizes
the curvature of space in three
waves and Trip theorized that the
three ringed design would leave
a very distinctive warp trail.
ARCHER
But can it be tracked?
Reed looks puzzled. He doesn't know the answer to that question. Archer looks away, and thinks.
INT. ENTERPRISE - MINUTES LATER
As before.
On the main viewer, Shran appears.
SHRAN
Pink-Skin.
ARCHER
Shran. I need to owe you another
favor.
SHRAN
Would you now.
ARCHER
What do you know about the Vash'Kar?
SHRAN
Just that we have been looking
for her. The Vulcan authorities
have become unable to cover for
their own mistakes, so now we do
it for them. How things have
changed.
(beat)
But I'm even no longer in command
anymore, Captain. I must serve
under a novice. A hard price to
pay for losing one's ship.
ARCHER
Shran...
Beat.
SHRAN
Andorian intelligence believes
that the Vash'Kar needs a set of
codes to break the Warp 7 barrier,
but so far it doesn't seem to
have them.
ARCHER
What if it did? Could its warp
trail be detected?
SHRAN
Pink-Skin, you surprise me. We
have been waiting for her to make
exactly that mistake.
Archer looks away, frustrated.
SHRAN (CON'T)
The High Guard believes that she
has set on course for Andoria.
It has thus far taken out several
Andorian and Human colonies.
Somehow, V'Las has been able slip
under our noses, using some sort
of technology we've never seen
before.
ARCHER
Can you send us the information
you have on the Vash'Kar?
SHRAN
I already have, Captain.
Archer looks at Hoshi, she nods yes.
SHRAN
Oh, and Captain...
Archer looks at him on the main viewer.
SHRAN(CON'T)
...that's three.
The Andorian vanishes from the screen.
REED
Nice to have a free flow of
information from the Vulcan's AND
Andorians now, isn't it?
Archer walks over to the communications station, where Hoshi and Illetschko work furiously to interpret and integrate the information. Reed acknowledges that the necessary information has been uploaded into the long range sensors.
Archer sits back down.
ARCHER
Hail the fleet. We are breaking
off to undergo search and rescue
operations.
HOSHI
Aye, sir.
(beat)
Sir, we're being hailed by a
number of ships, one of them is
the Shenzhou.
Archer nods and Captain Mosweu appears on the view-screen, looking disgruntled.
MOSWEU
Captain Archer. Charging off into
the fray again I see. Don't you
have enough medals?
ARCHER
(smiling)
You can never have too many,
Captain.
MOSWEU
That's fortunate for you, because
if you do this, you'll most
likely find yourself at a court-
martial.
ARCHER
(all business)
Keep the fleet together, and
maintain the Operation North Star.
(beat)
We'll be right back.
There is a trace of a sly smile form Mosweu as the main viewer goes back to a starscape.
ARCHER
Hoshi, monitor all Starfleet and
Coalition communications.
(beat)
Ensign Jackson, bring us to warp
five and set a course back
towards Vega Colony.
EXT. ENTERPRISE
Enterprise breaks formation with the North Star Fleet and zips off into high warp.
INT. COLOMBIA - MAIN BRIDGE
ANGEL: on the viewscreen is Fleet Admiral Kumiko.
KUMIKO
You have your orders, Captain.
Starfleet out.
Kumiko disappears from a main viewer.
ANGLE: Captain Hernandez stands in command. She pauses a moment, looking solemn.
HERNANDEZ
(to her crew)
As you just heard we have been
ordered to locate the Enterprise
and use whatever force is
necessary to bring Captain Archer
in.
(beat)
But let it be noted that I did
my best to convince Starfleet
that Archer must have good reason
for his actions, and, for the
record, they were not interested
in hearing my pleas.
(beat)
Our orders come directly from the
Secretary General, and as an
officer, I am bound to do my duty
no matter how much I disagree
with it.
Hernandez takes her seat.
HERNANDEZ (CON'T)
(quietly)
I hope you know what you're doing,
Jon.
EXT. COLOMBIA
The Colombia breaks into a warp trail, just like Enterprise.
Act II
EXT. DEEP SPACE
We close in on a distant Tellarite station.
INT. TELLARITE STATION
Over the monitors, a blip is heard as Vulcan Ambassador Skon studies the dynamics of the Tellarite Radio network. He overhears a slight commotion, several Tellarites argue amongst themselves. Skon listens closer -
TELLARITE
This is not a natural phenomenon!
It's similar to what our
ancestors used to relay
information...
As the two Tellarites walk away still arguing, Skon moves over the station they were working at, his curiosity peaked.
INT. VASH'KAR - CARGO BAY
, Koss, and Phlox are held captive along with a number of Vulcans. T'Pol is also present, however, Trip is missing. The Starfleet officers are in consultation with each other when the doors open and V'Las enters with two guards.
V'LAS
Dissension will NOT be tolerated!
He motions his finger forward. Two more guards bring in a beaten man. This is TRIP. He's forced down to his knees.
V'LAS
This human has tried to send a
message. It goes without saying
that he failed!
Trip looks at T'Pol. V'Las looks at her too.
V'LAS (CON'T)
(to T'Pol)
Give me your authorization code!
Pulling out a disruptor, V'Las levels it at Trip's head. T'Pol remains silent, however, it is evident that she is torn. V'Las sees this. He resets the setting as the two guards continue to hold down Trip on his knees.
V'Las fires at a cargo drum, vaporizing it, then re-points it back at Trip's head.
V'LAS (CON'T)
And now?
T'Pol shakes her head "yes".
V'LAS (CON'T)
Good. Escort her to the bridge.
The two guards drop Trip and he collapses on his chest and coughs weakly. They then pick up a fairly resistant T'Pol and leave drag her away with V'Las, the doors locking behind them.
Phlox and Travis hurry over to Trip.
TRIP
I did... send one... ECHO...
Trip fades into darkness.
INT. VASH'KAR - MAIN BRIDGE
V'Las brings T'Pol onto the bridge. She notices a monitor of the prisoners in the cargo bay.
T'POL
What assurance do I have that you
will not harm any of them once
I've given you my authorization
code?
V'Las smiles. He taps a key on a nearby console.
V'LAS
(into comm.)
Choose one.
GUARDSMAN (COMM.)
Understood.
Over the monitor we see the guardsman stride into view and without hesitation he shoots Koss dead. Phlox and Travis try to fight back, but are stopped cold by two guards.
T'Pol stares at V'Las, stunned.
V'LAS
I assure you there are NO
assurance. Would you like me to
target another?
After the slightest of hesitations, T'Pol then punches in the code, a previously dark section of the console comes to life.
V'LAS
Tell me, was that a logical
decision?
T'Pol looks away.
V'LAS (CON'T)
You're a fraud and a traitor. You
disgust me!
(to guards)
Take her from my sight!
T'Pol is escorted from the bridge.
As she leaves V'Las sits himself in the captain's seat.
V'LAS
Helm, lock the navigational
computer onto the coordinates we
procured from our Xindi friends,
and engaged at warp seven.
EXT. VASH'KAR - NACELLES
Suddenly, the nacelles begin to glow. They are now online and pulsing with energy. The vessel maneuvers into a new direction and then zips off into a multi-wave warp.
INT. ENTERPRISE - MAIN BRIDGE
Reed is in command, with Baird and the communications station and a young woman, Ensign Kitten Smith, at the helm.
BAIRD
Sir, I might have something. A
Vulcan ambassador has just copied
a recording of an unusual
transmission to Starfleet.
Reed moves over to him.
REED
What is it?
BAIRD
I think it might be Morse Code, sir.
Reed smiles and taps a few keys.
REED
(into comm.)
Reed to Captain Archer. I believe
we may have had a break.
INT. ENTERPRISE - MAIN BRIDGE - MINUTES LATER
As before.
Archer and Hoshi both enter and so Reed has gone back over to tactical. Hoshi hurries over to Biard
ARCHER
Well? What does it say?
HOSHI
It's short. Looks like it cuts
off halfway through:
(reading deliberately)
"S O S - SOS - V A S H K A R -
Vash'Kar - T A."
(looking up)
That's it, sir.
REED
Sir, I'm detecting unusual energy
waves. It could be the signature
we've been looking for.
ARCHER
Ensign Smith, bring us about.
KITTEN
Captain, that course will put us
directly ahead of the North Star
Fleet.
ARCHER
(realizing)
They were never going to Andoria.
(beat)
Engage at warp five. Hoshi, open
a channel to Mosweu.
INT. VASH'KAR - READY ROOM
the Vulcan ship, V'Las is interrupted by one of his GUARDSMAN.
GUARDSMAN
Sir.
(beat)
Should we not be taking this ship
elsewhere?
V'LAS
And where might that be?
GUARDSMAN
Our goal is to bring this vessel
to our benefactors, so that they
may use it, so that the Xindi may -
V'LAS
(interrupting)
I'm not concerned with the Xindi.
It is their problem now. This
ship, at this moment, is mine;
AND it will remain mine until
this detour is completed. We will
wait for them at these coordinates.
V'Las hands over a PADD.
GUARDSMAN
But we were instructed -
V'LAS
(interrupting again)
They will get this vessel when
I'm ready to give it to them!
(beat)
Leave me, I will hear nothing
further.
The Guardsman leaves.
INT. VASH'KAR - CREW QUARTERS
The same Guardsman who argued with V'Las has returned to his quarters. He produces some very alien-looking technology, which appears to be some sort of transmitter. He activates it.
MAN (COMM.)
What do you have to report?
GUARDSMAN
(into comm.)
Things are not going as planned.
V'Las refuses to do as he was
instructed.
MAN (COMM.)
We will have everything under our
control soon enough. If he is
disagreeable then you may put the
contingency plan into operation.
(beat)
You will be rewarded for such
allegiance. We will be in contact.
The transmission ends abruptly.
EXT. DEEP SPACE
The Vash'Kar drops out of warp near a trinary star system. Shrouded by the eerie hue of the three suns, the vessel maneuvers into an asteroid belt and hides. It quickly powers down.
INT. ENTERPRISE - MAIN BRIDGE
The atmosphere on the bridge is tense. Archer stands staring at the view-screen, while Reed and Hoshi work at their stations. Illetschko has returned to man the science station while Jackson has taken back over at the helm.
After a moment, Archer flicks a comm. switch.
ARCHER
(into comm.)
Archer to engineering.
HANSSON (COMM.)
Lieutenant Hansson here, sir.
ARCHER
(into comm.)
Increase to warp 5.2.
HANSSON (COMM.)
Understood, Captain.
Archer closes the channel.
JACKSON
Warp 5.1, sir.
(beat)
5.2!
Jackson looks like he's having the time of his life.
REED
Captain, we should consider the
possibility that they know we're
onto them. And even if they don't,
they are still likely to see us
long before we see them.
HOSHI
Can't we just order the fleet to
change course?
ARCHER
These aren't Starfleet vessels,
Hoshi. They'd never be able to
keep in a tight formation.
Diverting them could result in
chaos.
That thought seems to even dull Jackson's enthusiasm.
EXT. ENTERPRISE
Enterprise enters the same trinary star system as the Vash'Kar, and dropping out of warp, it heads for the system's asteroid belt, drawing closer to the colliding debris.
INT. ENTERPRISE - MAIN BRIDGE
As before.
Illetschko checks her sensors through her science visual.
ILLETSCHKO
Ship's sensors cannot penetrate
the asteroid field. Too much
Duratanium ore.
ARCHER
How long until the fleet enters
the system?
JACKSON
A matter of minutes, sir.
Archer turns to Hoshi but is interrupted.
REED
Sir, another ship is entering the
system with weapons charged!
EXT. TRINARY STAR SYSTEM
Enterprise banks hard to port as a single torpedo misses her by a good margin. A warning shot. As Enterprise comes about we see the identity of the attacking ship: The NX- 02: Colombia.
INT. COLOMBIA - MAIN BRIDGE
Hernandez stands in command, looking determined.
HERNANDEZ
Hail them.
COMM OFFICER
Channel open, sir.
HERNANDEZ
(into comm.)
Jon, Starfleet has ordered us to
bring you in. I'm ordering you
to power down a surrender your
command.
Nothing is heard in return.
INT. ENTERPRISE - MAIN BRIDGE
As before.
HERNANDEZ (COMM.)
We have been given the authority
to all necessary force. Don't
force me to fire on Enterprise.
Archer collects his thoughts, and then sits back down and nods to Hoshi, who opens two-way communications.
ARCHER
(into comm.)
Erika, the Vash'Kar may be hiding
in this system. They're going
after the fleet.