ACT FIVE
FADE IN:
EXT. SPACE
The Orion Interceptor is slightly more maneuverable than Enterprise, and is able to get into some good firing positions on the Earth ship, which does its best to give them hell. More and more disruptor hits are finding their mark. The Orion ship makes the mistake of getting closer, and Enterprise’s plasma batteries open up on it, and it soon backs off. Enterprise fires another volley of missiles at the Interceptor, giving the other ship a distraction while Enterprise moves into position.
INT. ENTERPRISE – BRIDGE
We focus on Major Reed, who’s looking through his holo-targeter with his finger over the “fire” button.
REED
Firing laser cannons….
Reed depresses the button, and we change angles to the viewscreen. Three red beams of light instantly lash out and connect with one of the Orion Interceptor’s impulse engines. We change angles to Reed again as he checks his console for a damage assessment before Captain Archer can even ask for one.
REED
Their starboard impulse engine is disabled.
(beat, smirking)
That ought to make them a little less spry.
We change angles back to the viewscreen, watching the missiles Enterprise unleashed earlier track on the Orion ship as it desperately tries to fire its disruptors at the incoming warheads as it maneuvers. It does manage to take about half of them out, but thanks to the damage Reed just inflicted, they’re too slow to avoid the rest, and they impact against the Interceptor’s hull.
REED
They are getting better Captain, and they’re a tough nut to crack at that.
(beat, dryly)
They also appear to have found a way to cut through our sensor jamming.
ARCHER
How? I thought you said we had an advantage because of our countermeasures.
T’POL
I believe I have an explanation, Captain.
(beat)
Their sensors appear to be from a Vulcan ship, and are far more advanced than human technology.
ARCHER
(sourly)
Then why did our jamming help before?
T’POL
Obviously the Orion crew is inept at handling their stolen equipment.
ARCHER
(sarcastically)
Right.
(beat, serious again)
Is there anything you can do to improve our countermeasures against them?
T’POL
Not with this equipment.
(beat, inclining her head thoughtfully)
However … if their sensors are from one of our older generation starships, I may be able to disable them.
ARCHER
(without hesitation)
Do it. Anything you can give me.
T’Pol nods and starts to work on her console.
REED
(warning)
They’re coming right at us.
(beat, into comm. panel)
Standby plasma batteries.
ARCHER
Helm, hard-a-starboard!
(beat, to Reed)
Fire missiles!
We watch the viewscreen as Enterprise takes a hard banking turn to the right, the Orion ship disappearing quickly from the screen.
REED
(looking through holo-targeter)
Missiles away.
The ship is rocked by several disruptor hits. ENSIGN JANE TAYLOR, sitting at Damage Control, checks the alarms on her console.
TAYLOR
Ventral plating damaged, E and F Deck!
(beat)
Another hit like that could cause a breach, Sir!
ARCHER
(to Reed)
Are the lasers recharged yet!?
REED
(calmly)
Thirty more seconds, Sir.
We focus on T’Pol as she looks through her holo-viewer, a rectangle of light framing her eyes as she focuses in on something. We change angles again as she looks up at one of her monitors, which is now displaying something that looks like a wiring diagram. She enters some commands into her console.
EXT. SPACE
We appear to be in a fixed position on Enterprise’s hull, aft of the bridge dome. The stars spin around us and the Orion Interceptor flashes by, several disruptor hits just barely missing the ship. Several antennae begin to push out of the hull on the aft portion of the bridge dome itself.
INT. ENTERPRISE – BRIDGE
T’Pol enters more commands into her console.
T’POL
Initiating High Command override.
(beat, looking through holo-viewer)
Command successful; the Orion sensors are now disabled.
ARCHER
They’re blind?
T’POL
Yes.
Archer allows himself a small smile.
ARCHER
Helm, bring us up behind them.
(beat)
Let’s finish this.
Mayweather manipulates the helm controls, bringing the ship about.
MAYWEATHER
Coming up behind them now, Captain.
EXT. SPACE
The Orion ship continues to make random evasive action, and fires its disruptors wildly in random directions. Enterprise moves up behind the Interceptor and dodges the occasional disruptor blast sent in its direction.
INT. ENTERPRISE – BRIDGE
We focus on Archer as he gives the viewscreen a resolute stare.
REED (OFFSCREEN)
Laser cannons charged and ready to fire, Sir.
ARCHER
Target their remaining impulse engine and fire.
INT. ORION INTERCEPTOR – BRIDGE
The room shudders hard under the impact of Enterprise’s lasers. One of the consoles explodes, sending the Orion crewman manning it to the floor in a shriek of pain. Harrad-Sar picks himself up off the floor in a flurry. He glares at his crew, as if it’s their fault he was thrown from his seat.
HARRAD-SAR
[Damage!?]
ORION 3
(checking console)
[Propulsion has been disabled!]
HARRAD-SAR
[What is the other ship doing? Give me a visual!]
ORION 1
[I’ll try, but-]
HARRAD-SAR
(interrupting)
[Don’t try, do! Or so help me, I’ll sell you in compensation for your incompetence!]
Very afraid now, the Orion crewman works his console.
ORION 1
[They’re moving off, back toward the slave transport.]
The frightened Orion punches in another command and the viewscreen sputters to life, giving us a static-filled view of Enterprise as she moves off and away from the disabled Orion Interceptor. Harrad-Sar glares at the second Orion crewman.
HARRAD-SAR
[That transmission for reinforcements had better have gotten through.]
Harrad-Sar takes one last look at Enterprise.
HARRAD-SAR
(softly, to the image of the Enterprise)
[You will pay for this...]
Harrad-Sar storms out of the room, leaving behind a terrified crew.
EXT. SPACE
Enterprise warps through space, pulling the Alien Ship closely behind with several tow cables.
ARCHER (V.O.)
Captain’s Log: 1654 hours, 7 July, 2152. We’ve taken the former Orion slave ship under tow and have set course for an uninhabited system we passed a few days ago to complete repairs.
INT. ALIEN SHIP – ENGINE ROOM
Enterprise engineers and former slaves work on the various equipment in the room, now no longer wearing radiation suits. The engine core in particular looks in much better shape.
ARCHER (V.O., CONT’D)
I’ve given the ship’s crew asylum, and repair efforts continue even as we hope to find a safe haven for these people. Chief Engineer Tucker tells me that their warp drive should be back online by the end of the day.
INT. ALIEN SHIP – BRIDGE
We pan from Danik and Keyla to see Tucker rooting around in one of the consoles’ access areas, lying on his back, holding a flashlight in his mouth.
ARCHER (V.O., CONT’D)
Commander Tucker has been keeping himself busy with repairs himself, having concentrated his engineering team on repairing the alien ship’s propulsion systems.
We pan again, to see T’Pol standing nearby, using her scanner to help him, but we can’t hear anything she says as the log entry continues.
ARCHER (V.O., CONT’D)
Even Sub-Commander T’Pol has been spending most of her time helping the repairs along.
(beat, reluctantly)
I must admit, she has been invaluable during this incident. Without her, it would have been much more difficult to beat the Orion frigate sent to recover the escaped slaves, and we probably would have taken far heavier damage and suffered casualties. As it is, there were only a few minor injuries reported, and damage is minimal.
INT. ENTERPRISE – CAPTAIN’S OFFICE
Captain Archer sits at his desk, talking into his computer terminal. A mostly empty cup of coffee sits on the desk, not far from Archer’s clinched hand. There is some short stubble visible on his face, and he’s obviously fatigued.
ARCHER
(tersely)
Still, if she’d had her way, we’d have run away with our tails between our legs, and left ten members of Commander Tucker’s engineering team and eleven members of Major Reed’s Security Forces behind.
(beat, taking a sip of coffee)
I have no regrets handling the situation the way I did. It appalls me that there are still people who enslave other people. My only concern now it that we may have awakened a new threat, one that could make the continuing Nausicaan raids look like a school-yard bully by comparison.
(beat)
This “Orion Syndicate” is a serious threat, one that should be brought to the attention of the military. I’d hate to think what these Orions could do if nothing is done about them.
(beat)
End Log.
The computer beeps its obedience and Archer finishes off the last of his coffee. Standing up, he slowly makes his way to the door on the far end of his office (to our left when facing the interior wall). Pushing a button, the door obediently unlocks and opens, revealing Captain Archer’s quarters.
INT. ENTERPRISE – ARCHER’S QUARTERS
We follow Archer through his quarters, getting a look at its layout. A twin-sized bed along the wall shared by his office, a small table under some bookshelves, which are filled with books and binders, a large closet, and a door leading to a bathroom. Archer opens the door, and we watch from his quarters as he opens a drawer under the sink and pulls out the 22nd century version of an electric razor. He runs it over his face, shaving the stubble we saw earlier off of his face. He’s just about done when the comm. channel opens.
GARLA (COMM. VOICE)
We’re approaching the system, Captain.
Archer finishes up and makes his way to his room’s comm. panel.
ARCHER
I’ll be there shortly.
Leaving his “razor” on the small table, he exits and we
CUT TO:
EXT. SPACE
Two more Orion ships have joined Harrad-Sar’s disabled Interceptor as it slowly drifts.
INT. ORION INTERCEPTOR – BRIDGE
Harrad-Sar looks at the static-filled image of one of the other Orion Captains on his viewscreen. It’s obvious that the other Orion man isn’t pleased, and that Harrad-Sar is in a difficult position, the conversation having gone on for some time now.
HARRAD-SAR
[You will be compensated, Captain. The slaves may have escaped, but I have detailed scans of a ship that will lead us to a new source of slaves and other goods.]
ORION CAPTAIN
[So give them to me now, and we’ll tow you into port in return.]
Harrad-Sar’s face contorts with anger.
HARRAD-SAR
[No!]
(beat)
[I found them, not you. In return for towing me to port, I will share this information with you. When my ship is repaired, we can begin raiding these “humans”.]
ORION CAPTAIN
(smugly)
[We’ll consider it.]
The Orion Captain cuts the transmission, leaving Harrad-Sar to fume as we…
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT FIVE
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