Skinner: Captain’s log, stardate 82396.5. We are on course to sector 213 responding to a federation distress call. The strange thing is sector 213 is deep within Cardassian space, and we still don’t know who the distress call is from.
Delf: 30 minutes, sir.
Laurie: Captain, I’m getting a message from starfleet on a secured channel.
Skinner: Put it through to my ready room.
Laurie: Aye, sir.
(Skinner walks into his ready room)
Skinner: Admiral.
"McCoy: Captain. Due to the secrecy of this mission, I am reporting you to Deep Space Nine for the docking of the Lexington…"
Skinner: But…
"McCoy: I am giving you command of the Defiant, which is heavily armed and equipped with a cloaking device."
Skinner: Uhh, thank you sir.
"McCoy: Captain Sisko will be expecting you at the station in 2 hours. Good luck captain, starfleet out."
(Skinner walks back onto the bridge)
Skinner: Nemo change course, heading 119 mark 2.
Nemo: Aye, sir.
Delf: What’s up?
Skinner: Starfleet is giving us the Defiant for the mission, which has a cloaking device. We are to dock at Deep Space Nine.
Delf: The Defiant, I hear she’s got power.
Skinner: Sure does. The cloak is a main addition though. We need to get in, rescue the survivors, and get out without bringing attention to ourselves.
Dal: And we still don’t know what ship it is.
Skinner: We’ll know soon enough, Dal. Probably sooner than you’d like.
Laurie: Being hailed by the station.
Skinner: On screen.
"Sisko: Captain Skinner, good to see you again."
Skinner: As you. Permission to dock.
"Sisko: Granted. We’ll pull you in with a tractor beam."
Skinner: Excellent, Lexington out.
Dal: Tractor beam locked on.
Skinner: OK people, we depart in two hours.
Odo: Welcome to Deep Space Nine gentlemen. I am Odo, Chief of Security.
Skinner: Hello Odo, if the captain is not too busy, I would like a word with him.
Odo: He is expecting you.
Skinner: Oh good. Delf and Tyberius come with me, the rest of you can enjoy the station. Senior staff meet in the observation lounge 30 minutes before departure.
Odo: This way.
Sisko: Captain.
Skinner: Captain. Could I have a word with you in private?
Sisko: Of course. Kira, please show our guests around the command center.
(The two walk into Sisko’s office)
Skinner: You know how important this mission is, correct?
Sisko: If you mean am I fully aware of the risks, then yes.
Skinner: Because of it, I need to borrow some of your people for the crew.
Sisko: Are you out of your mind? I’m not just going to let my crew go on a mission with such a high risk of failure.
Skinner: You don’t understand. My crew is new, young, inexperienced. There is no room for mistakes, and you never know when they may make one.
Sisko: Who did you have in mind?
Skinner: I’ll need Bashir, in case of heavy casualties. Odo, for some tactical strategy in case of Cardassians. And O’Brian and Dax, who know a lot about engineering work.
Sisko: OK, but I’ll require some of your crew in case of an emergency.
Skinner: Agreed.
Sisko: All right, because of the importance of this mission, there are going to be a few crew switches. Skinner?
Skinner: Coming on the Defiant will be Dax, Dr. Bashir, O’Brian, and Odo. Staying onboard will be Laurie, Dal, Dain, and Cerebus.
Bashir: Why the double doctors?
Sisko: In case of heavy casualties.
Skinner: Only the senior staff and a few others will be coming along. We leave in 10 minutes.
Sisko: Any questions? Dismissed.
"Sisko: You are cleared for departure, good luck."
Skinner: Thank you captain, Defiant out. Nemo, set course heading 337 mark 215.
Nemo: Laid in, and set to warp 9.
Skinner: OK then, get us clear of the station, raise cloak, and engage.
Dax: Approaching coordinates, captain.
Skinner: On screen.
(A beat up vessel comes into view)
Dax: Scans show the ship to be the USS Saratoga, sir.
Nemo: My god.
Skinner: Life signs?
Dax: 5 sir. 3 on the bridge, 1 in sickbay, and 1 in engineering.
Nemo: The crew compliment was 245.
Skinner: O’Brian, get a lock on those people and beam them directly to sickbay. Bridge to Tyberius, you’re about to get some guests.
O’Brian: Got them.
Bashir: Captain, you’d better come down here.
Skinner: On my way. Delf, stay cloaked until I get back.
Skinner: Where’s Sindbad, I need to talk to him.
Tyberius: That’s what I need to tell you. He’s not here, captain. Probably captured by Cardassians, which is what we think happened to the rest of the crew.
Buckwheat: Ahh, captain. Finally. I need to tell you what the…
(The ship rocks)
Skinner: Sickbay to bridge, I told you to stay cloaked.
Nemo: We are cloaked, sir. Four Cardassian warships entering the sector. Heavy casualties reported all over the ship.
Skinner: Shields up, red alert. I’m on my way. Buckwheat, Bashir, come with me.
Nemo: Sir, Delf is down over there.
Bashir: I’ll see to him.
Skinner: Well, the secret’s out now. Drop cloak and hail them.
(a Cardassian appears on the screen)
Cardassian: This is Gul Varek, disperse immediately or you shall be destroyed."
Skinner: I assure you Varek that our stay here is short and our mission peaceful. We are rescuing survivors from this ship and…
Varek: We know of your federation ship. It attacked us so we destroyed it, and took prisoners."
Skinner: Well, if you could return them to us we will be on our way.
Varek: I believe that is impossible, captain."
(the image disappears)
Skinner: Lock phasers and quantum torpedoes onto Varek’s ship and fire.
Odo: Direct hit, little damage.
Skinner: Set course for federation space, maximum warp. Engage.
Buckwheat: But our crew…
Skinner: We’ll be back for them, don’t worry.
Bashir: Captain, Delf is dead.
Dax: Sir, one of the Cardassian ships are following us.
Skinner: We have no choice. Mr. O’Brian, prepare the engines for an instant stop and start up. Nemo, prepare to initiate the Skinner Maneuver.
Buckwheat: What’s that?
Skinner: We’re flying at, oh say, warp 9.5 with someone chasing us. We drop just below their flight path and slam on the breaks as they fly past us. Then, while they’re slowing down, we jump back to warp 9.5 while firing all our weapons. The extra boost of warp will make the weapons more powerful, and hopefully destroy them.
Buckwheat: Sounds like fun.
O’Brian: Ready, sir.
Nemo: Here too, captain.
Skinner: Now.
(Nemo initiates the maneuver, while Odo fires the weapons)
Odo: Ship has been destroyed, sir.
Skinner: Excellent work Odo and Nemo.
Nemo: Thank you sir.
Dax: We’re being hailed by the station.
Skinner: Put it through.
"Sisko: Welcome back, captain. I hope your mission was successful."
Skinner: Sort of. We’ll talk once onboard. Defiant out.
Nemo: Bringing us about.
Bashir: I would recommend staying onboard the station for a while, until I’ve had a chance to help the Saratoga crew.
Skinner: Sounds good to me. I’ll have to talk to Sisko about quarters.
(the senior staff of the station and Lexington, as well as the Saratoga crew, are all gathered together)
Skinner: And so we bid farewell to Delf. Our crewmate, companion, and friend.
(guy blows the whistle)
Skinner: Skinner to bridge, launch the capsule.
(the capsule can be soon from the windows)
Skinner: Goodbye Delf.