[Captain's quarters]

BATEL: We already had spaghetti last night.
PIKE: I'm making pasta mama. Just add eggs, parmesan... lightly sauté and it transforms from leftovers into something new.
BATEL: Mmm. Little like what we're doing to these outposts.
PIKE: Not as tasty, though.
BATEL: Keep hearing rumours the Romulans are developing new weapons.
PIKE: Ah, the Romulans are the bogeymen. No one's ever seen one. Nobody even knows what they look like, and yet they get blamed for a lot of things around here.
BATEL: Some actually their fault. You know, I think I miss the beard.
PIKE: Yeah, I... It felt like it belonged to a different era of captain.
BATEL: Thought that's what you were going for. A man out of time. How have you been holding up?
PIKE: Someone told me I have better places to be, so I'm trying to be there. Better places.
BATEL: And how's that going?
PIKE: You tell me.
BATEL: Well. Much as I love you being mysterious, I've got a date on the far side of the Neutral Zone.
PIKE: Mmm. (kiss) Anyone I know?
BATEL: Not that kind of date, actually.
PIKE: You know, I'm making osso bucco next week, if you're interested.
BATEL: I mean, I'm always curious who the Chris of tomorrow is gonna be. Beard. No beard. Surprise me.

[Ready room]

HANSEN: We are on our own out here. How do you plan to fix our supply chain problems?
UNA: Under the proposed retrofit directive, every outpost will be equipped with state-of-the-art matter synthesizers fueled by minerals from the asteroid itself.
SPOCK: They will also each receive a set of fully-automated mining craft that can be operated remotely.
PIKE: Commander? How does this sound?
HANSEN: Sounds like what I've been asking for for the last five years.
PIKE: Well, you're welcome.
(A boy runs in.)
HANSEN: You know I'm working.
MAAT: I just wanted to meet Captain Pike.
HANSEN: Apologies. Maat has always dreamed about joining Starfleet.
PIKE: What did you say your name is?
MAAT: Maat.
PIKE: Maat Al-Salah.
HANSEN: He has a model of the Enterprise back home. You're quite a hero of his.
MAAT: Is it true you can tell what warp you're at just by listening to the sound of the engine?
PIKE: Apologies, I think I need a moment.
HANSEN: I'm sorry, he just gets a little excited.
PIKE: It's totally fine. I'm just feeling a little under the weather. Number One and Spock can answer any further questions you have.

[Corridor]

(Pike is 'remembering' his future accident.)
UNA: Captain. Chris, that boy. He's one of the names you mentioned.
PIKE: Yes. I wasn't expecting that. There's two cadets who don't make it. He's one of them.
UNA: You don't have to face this alone. What are you going to do?
PIKE: I don't know. But I have to do something, don't I?

[Captain's quarters]

PIKE: Computer. Take dictation. Dear Maat. I'm gratified to see your deep interest in Starfleet, and I encourage you to pursue your dream, but there is something you should know about... the future?
ADMIRAL: You'll figure out how to say it. Trust me.
PIKE: Who the hell are you?
ADMIRAL: Thought that would've been obvious. I'm you.
(In a movie era uniform. After the opening credits...)
ADMIRAL: Sorry. It's just this room brings back a lot of memories.
PIKE: Is this some kind of...
ADMIRAL: Joke? No.
PIKE: How am I supposed to believe...
ADMIRAL: That I'm really you?
PIKE: You ever gonna let me get a word in edgewise?
ADMIRAL: I knew you were going to say that. Does that help?
PIKE: I've been doing this long enough that I'm not just gonna take the word of somebody who shows up in my cabin and says he's future me.
ADMIRAL: Hmm. Your first pony was named Sir Neighs-a-Lot. He broke his leg in a rainstorm. Your parents had to put him down, and you cried for a week. Ever tell anybody that?
PIKE: It's hard when your tragic backstory starts with...
ADMIRAL: A silly name. Sorry. Look, I'm here because that letter you're about to write is going to wreck the future.
PIKE: How, though? Wh... W-Why?
ADMIRAL: Two cadets die in that accident seven years from now. Maat is one of them. You're trying to figure out how to save the cadets and yourself. And you do. We do. You write to all of them, tell them not to be there that day. But like so much of this time-bending stuff, there are er... unforeseen consequences.
PIKE: Well, how bad can it be if I figure out a way to save all the cadets and myself? Hell, isn't you standing here evidence that I pull it off?
ADMIRAL: Yes. And that's the problem. Causality is complex. The letter is just the first domino to fall in a chain reaction of events that leads to catastrophic results. It alters the future in ways that we never intended to change.
PIKE: You sound like one of those Klingon monks from Boreth.
ADMIRAL: Who do you think sent me? They gave me something to show you.
PIKE: Is that what I think it is?
ADMIRAL: A time crystal. It will show you the effects of changing your fate. This is serious. This is "end of the world" stuff. Now I know that you would never put your own fate before the fate of the galaxy, and that's how I convinced the Klingons to let me show you instead.
PIKE: Instead of what?
ADMIRAL: You know the Klingons. Nothing they wouldn't rather solve with a bat'leth.
(Pike puts his fingers on the crystal.)

[Cargo bay]

(Should be the ship's Chapel but that's too limiting for today's audience.)
PIKE: I...
ANGELA: Captain?
PIKE: Er, sorry. What was I saying?
ANGELA: Er, that since the age of wooden ships, all shipmasters have had the happy privilege of...
PIKE: Right. I assume I was... I was talking about weddings, yeah? Which we get to perform, as captains on... on ships. So we take you... and you... er... and you... both want to get married. So...
COMPUTER: All decks, red alert. Repeat, all decks, red alert.
PIKE: Thank God.
SPOCK [OC]: Number One to Captain Pike. Outpost Four reports they are under attack by a space vessel, identity unknown.
PIKE: Copy, Mister Spock. On my way.

[Bridge]

PIKE: What's the situation, Mister Spock?
SPOCK: Lieutenant Uhura can brief you.
UHURA: Outpost Four reported under attack, sir. Then message terminates.
PIKE: Any word from Two or Three?
UHURA: Two has not responded to our hails, and Three has also gone silent.
PIKE: How far out are we, Erica?
ORTEGAS: Eight minutes from Outpost Four at this velocity, sir. Did Outpost Four say anything
PIKE: else about the attacking vessel?
UHURA: No identification, sir.
ORTEGAS: I'm guessing it's the same attackers, sir. The Romulans.
PIKE: Let's not make guesses just yet. I'd like to avoid a war if I can. Maintain course. Alert me when we're two minutes out. Mister Spock, could you join me in the ready room, please.

[Ready room]

PIKE: 2266. Seven years into the future.
SPOCK: I do not understand. Is this one of your human jokes?
PIKE: I'm serious, Spock. This is... Well, it's time crystal stuff.
SPOCK: Approaching this logically, time travel seems a less likely solution than that you are compromised mentally. And as your first officer, in these circumstances, it is my job to assume command.
PIKE: I agree, if I was mentally compromised. But I am not. So, what's the logical solution?
SPOCK: Perhaps the doctor could do a full scan.
PIKE: Why don't we try a mind meld? That way you'll know if I'm lying or not.
SPOCK: My mind to your mind. My thoughts to your thoughts.
(He sees the accident that puts Pike in the wheelchair.)
SPOCK: You... carry the weight of a terrible future, Chris. The accident in question was six months ago. In this timeline, there were no cadets at the reactor incident to save. No one was even hurt.
PIKE: I need your help, Spock. I was sent forward to this moment in time for a reason. We have to figure out why.
SPOCK: I would posit that in this present, you were never injured in the training accident, thus you remained captain of the Enterprise, putting you in charge at a crucial moment in the ship's existence.
PIKE: A moment where the whole future hangs in the balance.
SPOCK: All we can surmise is that, in the prime future, some other captain of the Enterprise must have commanded it differently. Thus, it is imperative you do not change what you would normally do on the ship.
PIKE: I thought we were trying to avoid a terrible future.
SPOCK: We are trying to discover why this future is, in the estimation of your older self, worse.
PIKE: So the only way to discover the terrible future... is to live it.

[Bridge]

ORTEGAS: Enterprise is in position and holding, sir. Just out of weapons range.
(Ortegas is standing in for Stiles in the original.)
SPOCK: Detecting a fair amount of debris, but no sign of any attacking ship.
PIKE: Let's triple check. Nyota, see if there are any other Federation ships in the vicinity, in case we need backup.
UHURA: The Farragut is closest. A couple hours away. That's La'An's ship, sir.
PIKE: Yes. I'd forgotten.
UHURA: Sir, we're being hailed. It's the outpost. Audio only.
HANSEN [OC]: Enterprise, can you read me? This is Commander Hansen Al-Salah.
PIKE: This is Pike. What's your status?
HANSEN [OC]: Outposts Two, Three and Eight are gone. Unknown weapon completely destroyed. We had our deflector shields on maximum. Hit by enormous power. First attack blew through our shields. If they hit us again with our deflectors gone... Do you read me, Enterprise?
PIKE: What hit you, Commander? What vessel? Can you identify?
HANSEN [OC]: Negative. It all happened so fast. And it seems to have disappeared somehow. Switching to visual. Enterprise, can you see? My command post here... we're a mile deep on an asteroid.

[Outpost 4]

HANSEN: Almost solid iron. And even through our deflectors, it did this.

[Bridge]

HANSEN [OC]: Can you see?
PIKE: We see, Hansen. Was your son with you?

[Outpost 4 / Bridge]

HANSEN: No, thank God.
PIKE: What can you tell us about the attacker?
HANSEN: No identity. Only a glimpse of... Then it fired something at us. High-energy plasma. Fantastic power. Vessel seems to have disappeared, but it is out there somewhere. Enterprise, there's something's on our sensors moving fast.
PIKE: Send us your signal.
HANSEN: Switching. Enterprise, can you see in the centre of my screen?
PIKE: Phasers?
MITCHELL: Still out of range, sir.
(AKA Sulu, for the purists.)
PIKE: We're out of range, Commander. Do you have weapons?
HANSEN: Negative. Phasers gone. Weapon crew are all dead.
PIKE: Hail them. Warn that ship off.
UHURA: I'm trying. They're not acknowledging us.
(The ship fires its weapon.)
HANSEN: Aargh!
(The outpost explodes. The attacker disappears.)

[Bridge]

SPOCK: Interesting how they became visible for just a moment. Perhaps necessary to use weapons.
ORTEGAS: Sir. We have to find a way to engage them.
PIKE: We need something to follow, Lieutenant.
SPOCK: We have no visuals. Analysing their movement patterns now. Give me a moment.
MITCHELL: Sir? Incoming warp signature.
UHURA: We're being hailed. It's one of ours. The Farragut.
PIKE: La'An's ship. Who's hailing us?
UHURA: Their captain. James Kirk.
PIKE: Sam's brother? I mean, er... On screen.

[Farragut Bridge / Bridge]

KIRK: Enterprise, this is Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Farragut, offering assistance.
PIKE: Christopher Pike. Good to see you, Captain.
KIRK: We received Outpost Four's distress signal and pushed warp nine for as long as we safely could. Do we know who did this?
ORTEGAS: We have a pretty good idea.
PIKE: We're trying to determine conclusively.
SPOCK: I may have a lead, sir. The ship in question appears to have a kind of cloaking device, but they still have a detectable gravitational presence.
KIRK: So, can we track it, Commander...?
SPOCK: Spock. Theoretically, yes. By detecting the microlensing of background stars we can determine an approximate location.
KIRK: Impressive, Mister Spock.
PIKE: Where's the intruder now?
SPOCK: He has changed heading, at a very leisurely manoeuvre. They may not be aware of us.
PIKE: How can that be true?
SPOCK: They had to decloak to fire. Their device may work both ways. It makes them invisible to our sensors, but requires a massive amount of energy. They are likely flying blind, without enough power to run their scanners.
KIRK: So, we can't see them but they can't see us.
SPOCK: His heading is now 1-11 mark 14. The exact heading a Romulan vessel would take toward the Neutral Zone and home.
ORTEGAS: Sir, it's the Romulans. We have to take them out.
PIKE: We can't enter the Neutral Zone. Starfleet is clear on this. We do, that's considered an act of war.
ORTEGAS: They've destroyed three of our outposts. That's not an act of war?
PIKE: We attack the Romulans without authorisation, the Federation will consider us expendable.
KIRK: We do have another option. We can shadow the ship. Follow a parallel course, to buy us some time.
ORTEGAS: Not an intercept course, sir?
KIRK: No. The captain is right. That would be a declaration of war. But if Enterprise and Farragut match course and speed with the enemy ship, exactly, move for move, they might think we're just a reflection. Echoes on their sensors. That way we won't lose them while we wait to hear back from Starfleet.
PIKE: Let's start shadowing them. Uhura, send a message to Starfleet. Ask for permission to engage the Romulans. Captain Kirk, we'll be talking.
KIRK: I look forward to it. Kirk out.

[Bridge]

PIKE: Get Sam Kirk up here, ASAP.

[Ready room]

SAM: Am I off the record here, sir? Jim was always at the top of his class. He's smart and highly skilled, obviously, but he's not above relying on charm or even luck.
PIKE: Sounds like a wild card.
SAM: A whole deck of 'em. He doesn't like to take the path everyone else does. And he doesn't like to lose.
PIKE: Should we be worried that he's going to start a war?
SAM: Look, I'm not gonna say that Jim isn't a pain in the ass. He is. He's a huge pain in the ass. But the truth is, he's as fine a captain as Starfleet has.
PIKE: Okay. Good to know.
SAM: Like I said, he does like to bend the rules sometimes. No, more like all the time.
SPOCK [OC]: Captain, can you come to the bridge? There is something you should see.

[Bridge]

UHURA: There's a comet ahead, and its trail is reflecting a signal on an unused EM frequency. It is encoded. Mister Spock is trying to decipher. But we think it might be from the enemy ship.
SPOCK: They cut off transmission, but we managed to make a copy. I think it's the feed from their bridge, sir.
ORTEGAS: So, we're finally going to see what the Romulans look like.
PIKE: Put it on the screen, please, Mister Spock.
(The TOS Romulan theme swells, and everyone turns to look at Spock, who twitches an eyebrow. Dear Leonard was far better at raising it than young Ethan is.)

[Transporter room]

PIKE: Captain Kirk, welcome aboard the Enterprise.
KIRK: Thanks, Captain Pike. Sam. Quite the ship you got here.
SAM: He's jealous.

[Ready room]

PIKE: Well, we're not gonna get out of this problem by not talking about it.
ORTEGAS: Agreed. I'd like to hear what Mister Spock has to say for himself.
SPOCK: I assure you, Lieutenant, the similarities between Vulcans and Romulans came as a surprise to me. Perhaps even more so than you.
KIRK: It does seem suspicious. Not the similarity itself, but the fact that we should discover it right now.
PIKE: What are you suggesting?
KIRK: Well, it's no secret that the Vulcans and the humans are in alliance. Perhaps the Romulans allowed us to see that transmission in hopes that it would sow discord among us.
ORTEGAS: Even if we ignore the pointy-eared elephant in the room, we have another problem to worry about. We're going to lose our prey.
MITCHELL: The Romulans are on a bearing to return to the Neutral Zone in an hour.
KIRK: I don't think we can wait. We have to make a choice here.
SPOCK: Say we do make that choice. Their plasma weapon can still slice through our shields. That, in conjunction with their cloaking device, gives them a tactical advantage, even against our ships working in tandem.
M'BENGA: Working in tandem for what? To destroy them? Say we're lucky enough to do that. Isn't that, technically, an act of war?
ORTEGAS: I hate to say it, Doc, but they started it.
M'BENGA: This isn't a schoolyard. Billions of lives are at stake here.
PIKE: Which is why I want to hear everyone's opinion before we take any action.
M'BENGA: I vote against war.
ORTEGAS: So do I. I just think that means killing Romulans.
PIKE: Captain, your thoughts?
KIRK: What happens when they return to Romulus and tell their leaders that the Federation won't even fight back? I'm starting to lean toward attack. If we allow them to destroy our outposts with no repercussions, we run the risk of war.
PIKE: Have to believe there's another way forward.
SPOCK: I think we should attack.
PIKE: Mister Spock?
SPOCK: If the Romulans are an offshoot of my Vulcan blood, which I believe, then attack is indeed the only option. Vulcan, like Earth, had its aggressive colonising period, savage even by human standards. If the Romulans retain this martial philosophy, then weakness is something we dare not show.
ORTEGAS: Well, if Spock and I can agree, then there's hope for all of us.
PIKE: We don't all agree.
KIRK: Hold a moment. Captain Pike, that comet we're approaching might just be the alternative that you've been looking for. Mister Spock, can you put up the trajectory on screen, please? Currently, the Romulan ship is headed for the comet's tail. Now, I know that they're invisible and we can't lock on to their exact position, but the second they go through that, particle distortion will reveal their location.
PIKE: And we'll be flanking them on either side.
KIRK: They'll be penned in and we'll be able to get weapons locked.
PIKE: Good plan, Captain. Captain's personal log, stardate 1709.2. Per Captain Kirk's plan, we are mounting a pincer move. Our two ships will slowly drift closer as the Romulans remain unaware. When they pass through the comet's tail, giving us their exact location, we will be in weapons range. Kirk, however, has agreed to my plan to neutralise, not destroy, the Bird-of-Prey, leaving open the possibility of dialogue. And yet I remain concerned this brash, young Starfleet captain follows his own rules. I can't help but wonder, is Kirk the reason I was sent here? If I wasn't here to stop him, would we be lead into a war?

[Bridge / Farragut Bridge]

PIKE: Ortegas, maintain present course, but be ready.
ORTEGAS: I'll keep my foot over the gas, just in case.
SPOCK: Still tracking the gravitational presence of the Romulans. Their trajectory remains unchanged.
KIRK: Holding position. Let us know when you see them, Enterprise.
ORTEGAS: We're passing through the tail.
PIKE: Any second now.
KIRK: Something isn't right.
SPOCK: The captain is correct. We should have seen them by now.
KIRK: Enterprise, I don't like this.
SPOCK: Reading gravitational signature again. It's behind the Farragut.
PIKE: Kirk, get out of there!
KIRK: Red Alert!
PIKE: Red Alert. Erica, close that distance as fast as you can.
KIRK: Attack pattern Tiberius 4.
(The Bird-of-Prey fires, hitting the saucer.)
KIRK: Get behind them. Fire!
(The Bird-of-Prey makes another run, nearly destroying the ship.)
KIRK: Fire phasers, Captain.
PIKE: We're out of range. We're just as likely to hit you as them.
KIRK: Maybe you'll draw their fire.

[Bridge]

PIKE: Mitchell, full phasers, now.
MITCHELL: Holy... We actually clipped them.
PIKE: Nice shooting, Jenna. Nyota, hail them. I want them focused on us.
UHURA: Hailing, sir.
PIKE: Keep firing.
MITCHELL: They're firing their plasma weapon.
PIKE: Brace for impact!
(It hits a nacelle.)
MITCHELL: Damage to decks six, seven, and nine. And weapon control is down.
PIKE: That should have destroyed us. How are we still standing?
SPOCK: They were shooting at a distance. Perhaps their plasma weapon is less effective when fired long range.
PIKE: Status of the Farragut?
SPOCK: Critical. They will lose life support inside of five minutes.
ORTEGAS: I can get us there in 30 seconds.
PIKE: Pike to transporter. Get the pads warmed up, Chief. We're about to test their upper limits.

[Transporter room]

LA'AN: Clear the pads. There's one more group behind us. Am I glad to see you.
PIKE: Oh, er... I didn't know you were a hugger, Lieutenant.
LA'AN: Oh, Commander. Or have you forgotten?
PIKE: I d... Of course I haven't. Er, speaking of... when's the last time you've talked to Una?
LA'AN: Well, I... I can't talk to her. No one can. It... She's not allowed contact.
PIKE: Of course.
KIRK: Captain Pike. We need to talk. Now.

[Ready room]

KIRK: You flinched. You deliberated and we lost.
PIKE: We fired, Captain, and we were fired upon. That's why you're still here.
KIRK: From the start, you wanted to cripple them, not take them out.
PIKE: We may have different points of view, but do not question my combat readiness, Captain.
KIRK: I'm saying caution means you're not going to put everything you have into the punch. And that's a good way to lose, because your enemy will see that and act accordingly.
PIKE: All this because of a second's delay?
KIRK: Tell me I'm wrong, Captain, and I will back down.
PIKE: If you're saying you're more willing to take risks than I am, I don't disagree. And let me remind you that you're saying that on my ship after yours has been destroyed.
KIRK: Fair. I'm just saying I underestimated him. I'm not going to do it again.
SPOCK [OC]: Captains Pike and Kirk to the bridge. There is something you'll both want to see.

[Bridge]

SPOCK: Before they cloaked, I was able to scan the Bird-of-Prey. They are trailing trilithium fragments. Their power supply is damaged. I do not believe they have enough to make it back to Romulus.
KIRK: Do we know their position?
SPOCK: Yes. On a heading for the Neutral Zone. We could overtake them.
PIKE: What's the status of our weapons?
SPOCK: Our offensive capabilities are limited. Phasers are down, and torpedo launch tubes sustained damage in the attack.
KIRK: But the Romulans don't know that.
PIKE: They will if we pull up on their six and can't fire. Lieutenant Uhura, open a channel to the Romulan ship.
UHURA: Sir? They haven't responded to any of our hails before.
PIKE: I know. Open a channel. We're going to send them a message.
KIRK: What are you doing?
PIKE: Taking a risk. This is Captain Christopher Pike of the USS Enterprise. Our two cultures have been at war for a 100 years. Long enough that we don't even question it. But I believe we can make another choice, right now. I'm offering you a temporary cease-fire, so that we can talk for the first time in a 100 years.
KIRK: Okay. That was... unexpected.
PIKE: They want to destroy us, but they also want to get home. Knowing what your opponent wants is key to a successful negotiation.
KIRK: That's assuming they can be negotiated with.
UHURA: Captain Pike, the Romulans are calling.
PIKE: Looks like we're about to find out. On screen, please, Nyota.

[Bridge / Bird-of-Prey]

COMMANDER: Captain Pike, it is good to make your acquaintance.
PIKE: Commander. I know your ships attacked our outposts on the edge of the Neutral Zone. But I also know that our two cultures have been at war for generations without ever having been face-to-face. I don't know why your ancestors attacked Earth or what my ancestors did in retaliation. I only know that we're paying a bill that was written long before you and I were ever born. Perhaps it's time we reconsider the cost. So, we can blow each other out of the sky using what little power we have left, or we can try something different. We can explain ourselves to each other. Understand each other. Empathise. If we don't, this war between us will simply continue unabated, and the cost for that is sure. Death. More and more death.
COMMANDER: Our peoples are indeed different, Captain. In our culture, your words are a show of weakness. What chance does dialogue offer, save to delay me? Why should I listen to you?
PIKE: Both our ships are damaged. Your cloak is unstable, which leaves you vulnerable to our weapons. Maybe you have enough power to attack us. Maybe you have enough power to get back to Romulus without repairs. Conversely, maybe we can marshal our weapons and destroy you before you make it to the Neutral Zone. Or perhaps we chase you across the border and destroy you and get out before anyone's the wiser.
COMMANDER: So what is it that you're suggesting, Captain?
PIKE: A good faith gesture. Two hours. Enough time to repair our ships and bury the dead. And maybe this bit of mercy will lead to something further and better between our two cultures.
COMMANDER: Two hours.

[Bridge]

ORTEGAS: Captain. They are lying. Romulans can't be trusted. They shot Farragut right in front of us.
PIKE: Stand down, Erica.
ORTEGAS: You can't let them get away with it!
PIKE: Stand down!
ORTEGAS: Yes, sir.
SPOCK: Sensor readings suggest the Romulans have stopped forward movement.
KIRK: I wonder what they're doing over there.
PIKE: Hopefully, same thing we are.

[Bird-of-Prey]

SUBCOMMANDER: A cease-fire? This is Federation weakness. Is it not the Romulan way to attack when we are given advantage like this?
COMMANDER: We are engaged in a cease-fire, Subcommander. We have two hours. Put all hands to repair our engines. If we do not, we will not make it back to Romulus.
SUBCOMMANDER: Sir, we should commit all hands to weapons repair. The Federation has given us the advantage. We can strike before this ridiculous cease-fire is completed.
COMMANDER: This is your fourth mission, is it not, Subcommander?
SUBCOMMANDER: Third, sir.
COMMANDER: I served with your Uncle Tarqan during the Reman campaign. Did you know that, Subcommander?
SUBCOMMANDER: I did. His death was a great victory for Romulus.
COMMANDER: Yes, he was brave. His commander, however, was a fool. He forced him to fight after we'd lost weapons and the only logical choice was retreat. He did not have to die.
SUBCOMMANDER: Sir?
COMMANDER: His death was a waste. And it was stupid. It left us weaker. Now, I can say that because I'm old enough and I don't care what people think of me. Pride is not something we can afford. We look at the world clearly on my ship. We do not make choices based on ego. Engines first, then weapons. That is my order. Or are you so arrogant you think you know better than your Commander?
SUBCOMMANDER: No, sir.
COMMANDER: Good. Because I need you. I don't know if this peace game we're playing with the Federation will work, but I have to see it through. And if we achieve it, then, good.
SUBCOMMANDER: But if not?
COMMANDER: Then you'll get your war.

[Ready room]

PIKE: Do you want some coffee?
SPOCK: I do not drink coffee. I do drink tea.
PIKE: All right, Would you like some tea?
SPOCK: No, thank you, Captain.
PIKE: Well, the more things change, the more they stay the same. It's good to see you're still you, Spock. So many things have gone wrong today. The loss of Outpost Four. The destruction of the Farragut. Any one of them could set us on a path to a dark future. But I can't help feeling that there's something worse to come.
SPOCK: Typically, no one can know the future in the moment. One can only follow one's instincts and hope the truth will present itself.
PIKE: Spock, what happened to Una?
SPOCK: She was sentenced to the Federation penal colony on Salius Six, where she has spent much of the last seven years.
PIKE: Why?
SPOCK: Her deception. I am confused. Even years ago, I thought you knew.
(Door chime.)
PIKE: Come.
SPOCK: If you'll excuse me, I wish to supervise the repair of the phaser array personally. Captain. Captain.
PIKE: I know you want me to change tack, but pride is just not something we can afford.
KIRK: You want me to tell you that I wouldn't have tried to blow those Romulans out of the sky? Well, I would have. But it wasn't my call. Okay. We're here now, and the truth is... I don't know these Romulans can't be trusted. But I also don't know if they can. And neither do you.
PIKE: Fair enough.
KIRK: I'd like to explore a backup plan, if you'll give me the resources.
PIKE: I'm listening.
KIRK: Look, the Romulans just bought themselves some time. Sure, they can use that time to make repairs. But remember, they're on the edge of the Neutral Zone. They could also use it to call for reinforcements. So, what if we did the same, just in case they decide to turn and fight after all.
PIKE: Jim, we're on the far edge of Federation space. It takes days to get a message to Starfleet. We're weeks away from help getting to us, even at maximum warp.
KIRK: But the Romulans don't know that.
PIKE: Captain Kirk, what are you suggesting?
KIRK: Captain Pike, can I borrow a shuttle?

[Jefferies tube]

SPOCK: Try it now.
(The off-camera voice has a Scottish accent and no name. Let's make an assumption.)
SCOTT [OC]: Aye, that's the one. This is where the auto repair was getting hung up. She's very fused.
SPOCK: I do not need to remind you that we have less than two hours to restore phaser control to working order.
SCOTT [OC]: I'm an engineer, not a miracle worker, Mister Spock.

[Bridge / Bird-of-Prey]

UHURA: Two minutes, Captain.
PIKE: Status?
MITCHELL: We have engines, but weapons systems are not back online.
PIKE: Bridge to Spock. Status?
SPOCK [OC]: Working on it, Captain.
PIKE: Working on it.
UHURA: Two hours, Captain. And... mark.
PIKE: Open a channel to the Romulan ship. Have you repaired your ship, Commander?
COMMANDER: Have you repaired yours, Captain?
PIKE: Conventional wisdom suggests that our next move is to resume hostilities. To fight. You yourself told me that in your culture to do anything else would be a sign of weakness. But let me tell you a way in which humans are not weak. Our strength comes from our willingness to see a partner instead of an enemy. In our culture, that is an act of faith and strength, not a failure of character. Do Romulans have that kind of strength?
COMMANDER: I too tire of endless war.
(Perimeter alert.)

[Bird-of-Prey]

COMMANDER: Why is the fleet here? I did not call for them.
SUBCOMMANDER: I alerted them of our situation, Commander. The Federation showed weakness. It is the Romulan way to strike. You were not going to. I took matters into my own hands.
COMMANDER: You disobeyed a direct order.
SUBCOMMANDER: Had you not negotiated with the Federation, I would not have needed to. We undertook this mission to test the strength of the Federation. They showed us they lack it. We should have destroyed them the moment they did.
COMMANDER: You don't remember a time without war, but I do. Who wins an endless war with the Federation?
SUBCOMMANDER: We will, Commander.
COMMANDER: An endless war, by definition, can never be won. Captain Pike will nottrust my word now.
SUBCOMMANDER: What does that matter? He will be dead soon.
COMMANDER: Take him off the bridge.

[Bridge / Flagship]

UHURA: We're being hailed, sir. It's the Romulan flagship.
PIKE: On screen.
PRAETOR: Human. I am here to accept your unconditional surrender.
PIKE: Nice to meet you, too. I'm Captain Pike of the Federation Starship Enterprise. And you are?
PRAETOR: You may address me as Praetor. It is customary to kneel.
PIKE: As I'm not a Romulan, you'll forgive me if I don't. Now, I'm confused. We are holding to our side of the Neutral Zone, as you are, yet you demand our surrender?
PRAETOR: Captain. I have you surrounded. Surrender or we will destroy you. You have one minute to comply.

[Bridge]

PIKE: You know, I don't like her.
MITCHELL: Perimeter alert. We have ships incoming, sir. Dozens.
PIKE: More Romulans?
MITCHELL: No. They look like... ours.
(That Neutral Zone is barely two starships wide...)
UHURA: I've got a secure channel from the lead ship, sir. It's Captain Kirk.
KIRK [on viewscreen]: Chris, the reinforcements you ordered? Been a 100 years since the Federation has seen the Romulans. We didn't know what their ships looked like, and so I figured they don't know what ours look like, either.
UHURA: All robotic mining craft?
KIRK: Mining, hauling. Not one of them manned. But to the Romulans, who's to say we aren't a Federation armada?
PIKE: You sneaky son of a bitch.
KIRK: It's enough to bluff with, I hope. Try not to get us in a real fight.
PIKE: I'll do my best. Thanks, Captain.
KIRK: It's my pleasure, Captain.
PIKE: Bridge to Spock. We really could use some phasers right about now.

[Jefferies tube]

PIKE [OC]: How's it going down there?
SPOCK: We are making progress. The conduits are severely damaged.
PIKE [OC]: Work faster, Mister Spock.

[Bridge]

PIKE: We're going to need weapons soon or we're not going to need them at all.
UHURA: The Romulan Praetor is hailing us, sir.
PIKE: Keep a secure channel open for Captain Kirk so he can listen in. You ready to sell this?
KIRK [on viewscreen]: Ready as I'll ever be.

[Bridge / Flagship]

PIKE: By now you've probably noticed our armada of Starfleet Delta Class attack ships. But we won't have to use them, will we, Praetor?
PRAETOR: This is an act of unparalleled aggression on the border of our territory, Captain.
PIKE: No, just a standard training manoeuvre that happened to land our fleet here the same time as yours. You want to know what actually is an act of unparalleled aggression? A Romulan Bird-of-Prey using cloaking technology destroying our Neutral Zone outposts.
PRAETOR: I know nothing of what you speak.
PIKE: That's okay. We'll send you a recording of it de-cloaking right before destroying Outpost Four.
PRAETOR: I see.
ORTEGAS: A Romulan ship is de-cloaking and breaking formation. Heading our way.
PIKE: Praetor, what is this?
PRAETOR: This is a culling, Captain. That commander should not have allowed himself to be caught.
ORTEGAS: Sir. It's the Bird-of-Prey we've been chasing.
PIKE: Nyota, pause communication. Open a channel with the Romulan Commander.

[Bird-of-Prey / Bridge]

COMMANDER: Captain. So, we see each other once again, after all.
PIKE: What are you doing?
COMMANDER: Only what is asked of me. I never called for that Armada.
PIKE: We can beam you and your crew aboard. You don't have to do this.
COMMANDER: It is not our way. I regret that we meet in this way. You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could've called you friend.
PIKE: What purpose will it serve to die?
COMMANDER: We are creatures of duty, you and I. Just one more duty to perform. Do not be upset. I have accepted my fate. Perhaps someday my sacrifice will lead to an end to this conflict between us.

[Bridge]

ORTEGAS: They're powering up weapons.
(Multiple Romulan vessels destroy the Bird-of-Prey.)
UHURA: The Romulan Praetor is hailing us again, sir.
PIKE: On screen.

[Bridge / Flagship]

PRAETOR: Our fleet is stronger now. And I am ready to accept your surrender.
PIKE: This is really how you want to end a 100 years of peace?
PRAETOR: What do Romulans care of peace? It means nothing to us. And your apparent affinity for it has sealed your fate. Thank you, Captain Pike. If not for your weakness, we would never have known what easy targets your Federation would be. Goodbye.

[Bridge]

ORTEGAS: They're powering up weapons again.
PIKE: Evasive manoeuvres, Erica. Pattern Zeta-3.
(The Romulans open fire, destroying some of the mining drones.)
PIKE: Kirk, get back here. We're about to warp out.
KIRK: Roger that.
ORTEGAS: Captain, warp engines aren't engaging.
PIKE: Erica...
ORTEGAS: I'm sorry, sir.
MITCHELL: Sir, the drone ships are moving.
PIKE: Son of a bitch. Kirk, what are you doing?
KIRK: Covering your escape. Get those engines fixed.
ORTEGAS: He's putting the drones between us and the Romulans.
(It doesn't stop them taking a plasma attack.)
MITCHELL: Captain Kirk has beamed on board.
ORTEGAS: Engines online, Captain.
PIKE: Hit it. Damage report.
MITCHELL: Reports coming from all decks.
UHURA: Captain, the Romulans are broadcasting on all known subspace frequencies. It's a declaration of war, sir, against the Federation.
MITCHELL: Decks five, 11, 12, and 22 are all reporting hull breaches. Weapons systems took a direct hit.
PIKE: Spock. Medical.

[Sickbay]

(The bride is dead and the groom is grieving. Spock is missing an arm and a leg.)
CHAPEL: Massive cerebral trauma. Major blood loss. Spinal fractures. Radiation burns across 40% of his body. I'm not sure that he will recover from this, but if he does... he will not be the same.

[Captain's quarters]

ADMIRAL: I know what you're thinking. I was thinking the same thing when I went through this.
PIKE: That I traded my fate for Spock's?
ADMIRAL: Yes. This isn't going to help, but... it gets worse. This war with the Romulans. Millions die. So far. It's still going on. Not only did you start something that should never have been started, the best chance at a lasting peace between the Federation and the Romulans in any timeline? Well... turns out he's lying in a biobed. We all want to think our future is important. And ours... yours and mine... it is. Just not the way you think. Time is er... is complicated. But the monks showed me something simple. Every time we change the path, he dies. And he's got things to do. Fate-of-the-galaxy type things. Paths diverge, but I am the result of one that should never have been taken.
PIKE: Thank you.
ADMIRAL: Hey, look at it this way. How many people get to give their life for someone twice in one day? See? Twice, 'cause there's two of us and we're both...
PIKE: Yeah, I... I got it. Got it.
(Door chime.)
ADMIRAL: Oh yeah.
PIKE: Come.
KIRK: Not interrupting, am I?
PIKE: No, I... Not really. I'm just er... talking to myself. Fancy a drink?
KIRK: Sure.
PIKE: You know, er... I don't think I can explain it, but... I think I was supposed to meet you.
KIRK: I get that feeling too. I er... honestly just came by to check on you. I'm sorry things went down the way they did. You tried for something better.
PIKE: Tried and lost.
KIRK: Did it ever occur to you that sometimes you can't avoid a fight? If you had just chased that Romulan ship from the get-go and taken it out, maybe none of this would've happened.
PIKE: You're a good captain, Jim Kirk. Enterprise would be lucky to have you.
KIRK: You thinking of retiring?
PIKE: No. Oh, no. No, not yet. So... come on over and have a seat, Captain. Tell me about yourself. Where are you from?
KIRK: I grew up in Iowa. My father George was first officer on the Kelvin before he moved to...
(Fades away. Pike goes to the box with the time crystal in, opens it and touches it. And he's back dictating that letter.)
PIKE: Computer, delete file.

[Ready room]

(With Kirk's service record on the big screen.)
PIKE: Come.
SPOCK: Captain. Am I interrupting?
PIKE: No. I'm very glad to see you.
SPOCK: But you saw me only moments ago.
PIKE: Right.
SPOCK: You left the briefing suddenly. It was uncharacteristic.
PIKE: Was it?
SPOCK: But now your demeanor appears changed. Having heard the boy's name, I cannot help but wonder if this pertains to your future.
PIKE: Let's just say I think the universe is telling me that some fates are inescapable. And even if I could get out of mine, it might just fall to someone else.
SPOCK: Someone you know?
PIKE: Yes.
SPOCK: Is that why you are very glad to see me? I believe I may owe you a debt of gratitude, Captain. Although for precisely what, I do not know.
PIKE: Spock, you are... You are very important to me.
SPOCK: As you are to me, Captain. Chris.

[Bridge]

(Una is in the big chair. Pike relieves her.)
UHURA: Captain, incoming message from Starfleet Command. Captain Batel is beaming onboard. They want you and Commander Chin-Riley to meet her in the transporter room.

[Transporter room]

PIKE: Captain Batel, I didn't think we'll be seeing each other so soon.
BATEL: I know, Captain. And for the record, I'm sorry about this.
PIKE: Wh...
(Two red-shirts take Una's arms.)
PIKE: What the hell is going on?
BATEL: Under Starfleet code of conduct 587.63, I'm arresting Commander Una Chin-Riley for violations of our anti-genetic modification directive. She's an Illyrian, Chris.
PIKE: I don't care what she is. She's my...
BATEL: I don't like it either, but I have orders.
UNA: Captain. Don't. I've known this might happen for years.
BATEL: I didn't ask for this job. I really am sorry.
PIKE: So am I. Because this isn't over.
BATEL: Energise.