Vigil

From Hidden Frontier

Previous "Beachhead"
Star Trek: Hidden Frontier episode
"Vigil"
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Episode no.	605
Season	HF Season 6
Release Date	September 2005
Writer(s)	Carlos Pedraza and Mike Urvand
Story Elements by	Carlos Pedraza
Director	J.T. Tepnapa
Year	2382
Stardate	59534.3
Episode chronology
Next "Her Battle Lanterns Lit"

Vigil: Episode 6x05 (41): To better understand the tetrahedrons operation, an interrogation of the Orion Syndicate pirate Mason is conducted. When he reveals the location of another tetrahedron key, a mission is set up to retrieve it, with his help. But one of the officers will not return, and the others will be left reeling at the loss of one of their own. Shelby encounters a few ghosts of her own, when assigned to assist a Romulan fleet make the necessary adjustments to traverse the Patch, and runs into her former lover, Captain Mackenzie Calhoun.

1 Summary
2 Production Notes
3 Guest stars
4 References

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Summary

On the USS Excelsior, S'Tal is in solemn meditation. She lights a candle, and begins to meditate on the events that have transpired recently.

Two weeks earlier, the Excelsior had arrived at the Tantalus V penal colony, beginning the mission she had just completed.

Acting Captain Naros, Lt. McCabe, and Counselor Elbrey enter the room where Captain Mason is located. They interrogate him about Siroc and information about the whereabouts of the additional tetrahedron keys. Mason reveals that there is a third key he took possession of, but it is hidden. He bargains with Commander Naros for his release; Naros agrees, under two conditions. One - Mason tells him the exact location of the tetrahedron key, and Two - Mason allows Elbrey access to his inner thoughts. He protests that doing so would be a violation of his rights. Naros points out that he is correct, but should he refuse to grant permission, he could find himself and his family the new target of Siroc's wrath. With a distinct preference for his family's continued safety, Mason grants permission. Elbry learns where Mason hid third third key, as well as learning that Milo Surgant, Siroc's rogue telepath and AWOL Starfleet officer, had also been in contact with Mason's mind.

It is revealed that they need to take Mason from the penal colony to the Orion homeworld because the container the keys are in uses a large number of biometric locks that will open for him and him alone.

"Personal log, stardate 59534.3. The Federation is helping the allies in preparing their ships for difficult conditions of the Briar Patch. Meanwhile, Admiral Nechayev has assigned me to accompany the Romulan task force on a shakedown cruise deep inside the Briar Patch."

Admiral Nechayev starts a briefing and sends Captain Calhoun in. She then introduces Commander Benjamin Nostrom, chief engineer of the USS Valley Forge to Captain Elizabeth Shelby and Commander Lefler. After briefing, the Argo-class shuttle departs Deep Space 12 on their way towards the Romulan Task Force, consisting of the Khre'Riov, Taerha and the Gallhej.

Meanwhile, on the Excelsior, S'Tal and Andrew Barrett are tasked to go to the Orion homeworld to retrieve the tetrahedron key hidden there by Mason. At the same time, Lieutenant Ro Nevin and Tara Abis are talking in the restaurant about the feelings of Aster.

On the Orion homeworld, the three Starfleet officers and Mason come across two guards. The guards inform them that only two people are authorized to be in the secure area at a time, so Mason and McCabe go, leaving S'Tal and Barret with the other guard. After transporting in, they try to open the box but Mason has trouble remembering the correct key sequence to open the lock. Suddenly, loud explosions are heard and felt just outside the facility. With a new sense of urgency bringing on Mason's jogged memory, he successfully opens the case, and gets the key. S'Tal and Barrett overpower the remaining guard but are immediately caught by the arrival of Betras and Surgant. S'Tal and Barrett manage to beam away as Betras raises her weapon. She rushes to the transporter, only to discover that they have erased their destination coordinates.

Reunited with Mason and McCabe, S'Tal notices that the transporter inhabitor fields protecting the facility are fluctuating, and determines that transport back to the scout ship is now possible. Since the fields are still partially up, only two can go at a time. She suggests that McCabe and Mason take the key and return first. Mason and McCabe beam away, but the key falls through their disintegrating patterns and clatters to the floor. It has a dense quantum signature and thus it cannot be beamed without extra effort. As S'Tal is examining the key, Betras and Surgant emerge. S'Tal is beamed up along with the key, but Barrett is caught. Betras tries to murder him, but there is still a dampening field preventing weapons fire. However, Surgant, mentally tortures Barrett while asking where his compatriots are.

Onboard their scoutship, S'Tal says that Barrett has succumbed to a mental assault. McCabe exclaims that he can't just leave him behind, but S'Tal insists that it is the only thing he can do. Realizing that she is correct, and that the value of the key far outweighs the value of one officer, McCabe pilots the ship out of the area at top speed.

Onboard the Excelsior, Ro Nevin enters the bar in a holodeck simulation. He approaches the bartender to get a drink. Shortly thereafter, Aster, now sporting a set of Bajoran nose ridges, comes and talks with him. Nevin confesses his feelings for Aster, and as they are about to kiss, Ro abruptly ends the simulation; the bar, along with Aster, vanish.

The Romulan task force is ready at the designated launch point coordinates and jumps into the subspace currents.

The journey is interrupted when the Romulan ships suddenly experience a massive systems malfunction. The ships suffer heavy damage to many primary systems, including life support. Shelby checks with Lefler onboard the Taerha.

"Personal log, stardate 59572.1. With main power restored, we're returning to Deep Space 12."

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Production Notes

James Cawley, who portrays Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek: New Voyages, appeared in this episode as Captain MacKenzie Calhoun.
Michelle Laurent, who played Wonder Woman in a notable fan film, guest stars in this episode. She returned to Hidden Frontier in Season 7 for another guest role in "Past Sins."
Most of the music used in this episode is from Star Trek: Nemesis, making this the third episode since "Grave Matters," to use this score composed by Jerry Goldsmith, who died in 2004.