Epitaph
From Hidden Frontier
| Star Trek: Hidden Frontier episode | |
| "Epitaph" | |
| |
| Episode no. | 5.05 |
|---|---|
| Season | Season 5 |
| Release Date | November 2004 |
| Writer(s) | Carlos Pedraza |
| Story Elements by | Rob Caves |
| Director | Risha Denney |
| Year | 2381 |
| Stardate | 58523.1 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | |
| Next | |
Epitaph. Shelby experiences a personal loss, while the rest of Excelsior’s crew uncovers some of the secrets of the Grey. Naros history with Tren'La make working with Princess Illiana difficult, as they discover more clues that link the Grey with the tetrahedrons.
Contents |
Synopsis
In a briefing for Admiral Nechayev, Commander Naros reports that the Tholians have continued to test the integrity of Starfleet's blockade of the Briar Patch, especially near the mouth of the currents that lead to the center of the Patch, including the Tren'La system. Tren'La Princess Illiana accuses Naros and Starfleet of leaving her home exposed to danger. Nechayev assures her that Tren'La is the reason they're meeting. The Admiral orders Captain Elizabeth Shelby, Naros and Illiana to take the USS Excelsior to Tren'La to investigate Grey activity. The center of the Patch is largely unexplored, Illiana explains, "because that's the only place the Grey are certain to be." Naros tells Nechayev a small side trip will be necessary along the way.
On their way back to Excelsior, Shelby notes the tension between Illiana and Naros during the meeting. Naros reveals that he spent some time on Tren'La with the Royal Family. Their scientists theorized about the existence of the Patch's subspace currents but couldn't find them. Naros said he bragged about knowing how to navigate through them. He granted access to commerce between Tren'La and the outside galaxy but did not share his knowledge of the currents with any of the travelers. By that time, Tren'La and the Grey were at open war, and the Tren'La wanted access to the currents in order to gain advantage over their enemies. Naros refused them, judging they were not sufficiently advanced to use the knowledge wisely. Shelby asks him how it felt to have so much power. "I'm not proud of my conduct ... but it was the right decision," Naros answers.
Shelby receives an urgent personal message in her quarters. As she reads it, she's overcome with emotion. The next morning, Shelby meets her friend, Chief Engineer Robin Lefler, for a workout on the holodeck. While they spar with each other, they exchange news about their former ship, the USS Excalibur, and Lefler's attempt to strike up a relationship with the chief engineer aboard the USS Valley Forge. Shelby appears distracted and almost hurts Lefler. After Lefler's insistence, the captain reveals the news she received the night before: Her mother died on Mars. Setting aside her initial reluctance, Shelby agrees to let Lefler accompany her home.
Naros takes command of Excelsior for the mission while Shelby takes personal leave. The Tren'La system appears devoid of either Grey or Tholian activity. Naros orders a search for traces of the Grey or of tetrahedrons. Illiana objects, suggesting they should give first priority to locating survivors of the Grey attack on her world. Naros cuts her off and asks to meet with her privately.
In the captain's ready room, Illiana confronts Naros, accusing him of being callous about the Tren'Las‘ deaths because of his obsession with tetrahedrons – "another technology you're willing to exploit," Illiana states, "no matter what harm befalls anyone else." Naros reminds her that Tren'La enlisted the aid of Siroc to steal the Grey's fold drive technology, provoking the Grey's final assault. She leaves the ready room, bitterly complaining that Naros plays God.
Meanwhile, Shelby and Lefler travel to Mars on a runabout. Shelby reminisces about growing up on Mars with her mother, a teacher who formerly served at Starfleet Academy, how she got into the Academy herself, and her distant father, a Starfleet Admiral.
Excelsior enters the Tren'La system. The planet itself is barren, the victim of intense orbital bombardment. There are no survivors. Illiana pleads for a retaliatory strike against the Grey at the center of the Patch. Naros ignores her and orders a detailed examination of the weapons signatures on the planet. He announces he will be taking a runabout to the center of the Patch, but that Illiana will stay put. Counselor Elbrey and Ensign Artim join him aboard the runabout, wondering what Naros hopes to find so deep in the Patch. He speculates they will find the Grey's homeworld. Elbrey reminds him about Commodore Knapp's cryptic dreams of a Dyson Sphere after he was abducted by the Grey's leaders, the Ethereals. ("Enemy Unknown, Part 3")
Shelby and Lefler reach Mars, and they land near Shelby's mother's grave in New Cydonia. Shelby talks about how old-fashioned her mother was, moving to Mars to teach children, and insisting she be buried in a coffin. Unlike her students, Shelby reveals she never told her mother she loved her. Lefler comforts Shelby as she criticizes her own emotional distance, ending up like her father, "ambitious and alone." They lay flowers at Paula Mary Shelby's grave, reading the epitaph written by one of her students. As she reads it aloud, Shelby realizes that she is not alone in her grief, that she is in the "good company" of her dearest friend.
In the center of the Patch, Naros, Elbrey and Artim discover a huge Dyson Sphere, composed of interlaced tetrahedrons, the size of a small solar system, with a dying star at its center. They detect Grey ships heading toward them and move in closer to gather as much data as they can before they are intercepted. Naros insists they need to know what the Grey are doing inside the sphere and why the Tholians want it so badly. Artim discovers the Grey's Class F star should have already died but is still very much alive. Elbrey concludes the star is being kept on life support with energy provided, Naros theorizes by tetrahedrons. The Grey battleships arrive and dispatch small ships to attack the runabout. The runabout plays cat-and-mouse with the ships in a nearby asteroid field as they make their way back to the entrance of a current.
After rendezvousing with the Excelsior, Lt. Aster reveals Tren'La was laid waste, not by the Grey, but by the Tholians, who had driven the Grey out of the system. Why the Tholians then abandoned the system is a mystery. Naros speculates the Tholians didn't need a foothold; they only needed to drive the Grey back to their home star system. Whatever is going on inside the Dyson Sphere, the Tholians want but don't know how to reach it. Aster wonders why the Grey are defending their dying star when they're sufficiently advanced to leave their star system behind. The Tholians want the star dead, Naros says. "Now we need to find out why."
Background Information
"Epitaph" is the first of Hidden Frontier’s serialized episodes, stretching from this episode through the series' conclusion in Season 7. The audio role "Mars Approach Control" was awarded to fan Christopher Bunye after an audition conducted on the Hidden Frontier Web site.
Rob Caves’ use of stock photos of Egyptian pyramids to depict Mars' New Cydonia region was criticized by some fans. Others, however, speculated the episode drew a parallel between Martian pyramids and the Briar Patch's tetrahedrons. Rob based his treatment of Mars on a conspiracy theory about the discovery of life on Mars being hidden by the U.S. government.
Memorable Quotes
- "She lived only to serve others. May those she touched repay her by living well, justly and in good company." – The epitaph of Paula Mary Shelby.
Guest Stars
- Katie Moss as Princess Illiana
- Beau Christian Williams as Ensign Artim Ibanya
- Reneé Huberstock as Admiral Nechayev
- Christopher Bunye as Mars Approach Control
References
Briar Patch ; fold drive ; Grey Confederacy ; Grey enhanced technology ; Siroc ; tetrahedron ; Tren'La
