Screenplay: Excelsior Battle Scene Excerpt

by Jack Bullions

Defunct. Content DV. A scene pulled from my defunct Excelsior Pilot draft screenplay. Have a look at it if you're considering scriptwriting for your Trek fics.

BATTLE SCENE EXCERPT:

 SISKO
 Good luck. Fight your way to Cardassia 
 Prime. 

 CLEMENTES
 I'll see you on the other side.

 SISKO
 Defiant out.

 The viewscreen immediately switches back to the incoming 
 Dominion fleet. Clementes looks down at the photo in his hand. 

 CLEMENTES
 Go to red alert.

 SHELBY
 Red alert! Bridge to all hands! Prepare 
 to engage the enemy!

 A klaxon ALARM erupts in the bridge. Off Clementes turning back 
 to the chair -- 

 EXT. DEEP SPACE

 Seconds before the epic battle which will decide the fate of the 
 Alpha Quadrant. Streams of the Allied ships rushing towards the 
 enemy fleet. 

 INT. EXCELSIOR-B - BRIDGE

 Hranok reads from his console.

 HRANOK
 Confirmations are in. First through 
 tenth wings have quantum and photon 
 torpedoes locked on targets.

 SHELBY
 General Martok and Admiral Ross are all 
 reporting lock-ons.

 CLEMENTES
 All power to forward shields. Target 
 their lead ship. Provide cover fire as 
 we break formation.

 Hranok hits a few commands.

 HRANOK
 Targets have been acquired, sir. They 
 are powering their weapons array.

 CLEMENTES
 Lieutenant, inform Third Fleet to break 
 formation now. 

 VIRGINIA (O.S.)
 Aye, Captain.

 SHELBY
 Let's make history, eh ?

 CLEMENTES
 (nods)
 Fire at will.

 EXT. DEEP SPACE

 Several Federation starships peel off to the left. Phaser shots 
 then ERUPT from the Excelsior --

 FOLLOW PHASER FIRE

 as they hit home on an advancing Jem-Hadar warship. Damage is 
 severe. The focused and intensive blast splitting the ship into 
 two giant moving pieces.

 The colossal frame of the Sovereign ship pivots, letting loose a 
 series of torpedoes from it's aft and forward tubes. Wave after 
 wave --

 TIGHT ON another Jem-Hadar ship, taking the full brunt of the 
 barrage from the Excelsior. Each torpedo punching holes into 
 their hull.

 The combined Allied fleets begin to open fire at will. We SEE 
 the Defiant now letting loose a volley of its own, destroying 
 another Jem-Hadar ship instantly.

 JUMP TO the Dominion Alliance ships now. They fire EN MASSE, 
 beams screaming toward the advancing vessels.

 INT. EXCELSIOR-B - BRIDGE

 On the viewscreen, witnessing the incoming barrage. 

 CLEMENTES
 Evasive maneuvers!

 The ship is rocked violently. Alarms go off on the bridge.

 EXT. DEEP SPACE

 The Excelsior's shields FLASH brilliantly from the furious 
 bombardment. Battle is instantly joined. 

 INT. EXCELSIOR-B - BRIDGE

 The bridge is jolted again.

 HRANOK
 Shields at 78%!

 Shelby struggles in her seat, trying to read from her armchair 
 console, as another impact rocks the ship.

 SHELBY
 Captain, Third Fleet's already 
 reporting massive losses in the first 
 wave.

 CLEMENTES
 (re:off his console)
 Our Romulan friends aren't having much 
 luck either. 

 Another impact. The Con console explodes and the officer is 
 thrown from his chair. Clementes rushes over, rolls the man 
 over. Lifeless eyes stare back at him.

 VIRGINIA
 Hull breach on decks ten through twelve!

 CLEMENTES
 Seal them! Number One, take the helm.

 Shelby scrambles to the Con.

 EXT. DEEP SPACE

 The battle. BURNING HULKS of ships dominating the scene. 

 - the Defiant, weaving and dodging her way around, firing rapid 
 series of torpedoes.



 - another Jem'Hadar fighter craft racing towards the Excelsior. 
 A phaser shot nails it head-on. The fighter comes apart.

 - an Akira class starship, has its entire aft portion vaporized 
 from concentrated bursts by several Dominion ships. The 
 remaining saucer section spins into space, COLLIDING with a 
 Romulan Warbird, ripping an ugly tear into its side.

 INT. EXCELSIOR-B - BRIDGE

 The bridge lights flicker. The situation is desperate.

 HRANOK
 Captain, we're losing first wing. We're 
 not causing anywhere near enough damage 
 as the Dominion are.

 CLEMENTES
 Virginia, order the fleet all stop and 
 hold position. Send Captain Sisko our 
 coordinates and our intentions to 
 defend this line! 

 VIRGINIA 
 Aye, sir!

 CLEMENTES
 Give me tactical display, Mr. Hranok.

 Clementes looks down to his console.

 EXT. DEEP SPACE

 One of the Cardassian ships IMPLODES into a mass of steel and 
 fire besides the Excelsior. A torpedo slams into her hull.

 CUT TO:

 INT. EXCELSIOR-B - CORRIDOR

 People rushing down the corridor. The view SHAKES, overhead 
 beams fall, metal CLANGING, and then the RED-GLOWING warhead of 
 the torpedo slams through the ceiling, lodged in. 

 TWO CREWMEMBERS, bug-eyed, saw the whole thing. Their hearts 
 stopped. They start to backpedal. The torpedo detonates, blowing 
 everything into a bloody mess, sending flames roaring down both 
 ends of the corridor. Heart-wrenching SCREAMS.

 INT. EXCELSIOR-B - SICKBAY

 Sickbay has been reduced into a bloody chaos. Biobeds are filling 
 up by the wounded. Some lying on the floor moaning in pain.

 DOORS SLIDE OPEN. More wounded are being carried in. Some on 
 stretchers. Doctor KATHERINE PULASKI, middle-aged woman, 
 maternal presence, the ship's current CMO (Chief Medical 
 Officer), does quick triage as they pass. 

 PULASKI
 Critical -- ward two! -- Give him two 
 CC's of cordrazine, he can't wait --

 A medical N.D. rushes up to her. Flecks of blood on her uniform 
 and face.

 MEDICAL N.D. #1
 We need more help, Doctor!

 Pulaski seems reluctant with what she is about to do.

 PULASKI
 Computer, initiate the Emergency Medical 
 Holographic program!

 The holographic man materializes into the room.

 EXCELSIOR EMH
 Please state the nature of the medical--
 (glancing around)
 I see.

 Pulaski takes his arm, ushers him along.

 PULASKI
 We're in a pitch battle. Anyone who can 
 stand not missing an arm or leg rotate 
 them back on duty. Do you understand?

 EXCELSIOR EMH
 (an odd look)
 Yes, Doctor, although I would like to 
 stress the importance of informing me 
 prior to engaging -- 

 PULASKI
 The next time, Mr. Hologram. You have 
 Ward Two.

 The EMH moves to a patient, gathers himself a medical scanner and 
 waves it over him.

 EXCELSIOR EMH
 Minor second degree burns. No internal 
 damage. Point five cc's of trianoline. 
 Here.

 The female medical N.D. takes the injector, and works on the 
 patient. The EMH moves on between two more patients. Waves his 
 tricorder over the first who's going through some major spasms 
 in his bed. A young nurse, CALLOWAY, is there.

 EXCELSIOR EMH
 Hmm, no major damage. He is fit to 
 return to duty. Give him point two cc's 
 of rexlin.

 CALLOWAY
 What's wrong with him?

 EXCELSIOR EMH
 Combat shock. Nothing a sedative won't 
 cure.

 He checks the next. 

 CUT TO:

 More people rushing by the EMH. He moves on to find Pulaski. 

 EXCELSIOR EMH
 Doctor, we're running out of places to 
 put our wounded.

 PULASKI
 Be creative. There are blankets and 
 pillows inside those compartments.

 EXCELSIOR EMH
 Improvisation was never my strong suit.

 PULASKI
 Well start putting those learning 
 subroutines to work, sweetcakes.

 Another impact and the room goes dark, terrifying the wounded. 
 Then light returns. We see the EMH flicker on and off. He looks 
 down in shock.

 INT. EXCELSIOR-B - ENGINEERING

 TIGHT ON COMPUTER CONSOLES, screens flickering. Connie scans.

 CONNIE
 I'm reading power fluctuations within 
 Deck Eight. Sickbay.

 KOVALEV
 Cut off all unnecessary power from the 
 surrounding sections and divert to their 
 power relays. Make sure you leave a path 
 for people to get there.

 CONNIE
 Right. No problem, sir.

 Kovalev heads off deeper into the room, works over a diagnostics 
 console. 

 KOVALEV
 (to com)
 Kovalev to bridge. We've got a major 
 problem down here. The magnetic 
 interlocks have been damaged. We'll 
 need to --

 A distant -- BOOM -- startles everyone, then suddenly, the warp 
 core starts to spew white-hot gas. 

 COMPUTER (V.O.)
 Warning. Coolant tank microfracture. 
 Antimatter containment field failing.

 KOVALEV
 Coolant leak, everyone out now!

 The emergency isolation door comes down and people start rushing 
 out of Engineering. Kovalev heads for the corridor, to one of 
 the nearby wall consoles. He scans the readings from the monitor.

 KOVALEV
 (to com)
 Bridge, we have another problem. The 
 last torpedo penetrated several decks 
 right near Engineering. The aftershock 
 is destabilizing the antimatter 
 containment field.

 CLEMENTES (V.O.)
 Can you erect a level ten force field to 
 help hold it?

 KOVALEV
 For the moment but the core can't take 
 any more abuse. We might want to start 
 avoiding torpedo hits from this point 
 on, Captain.

 INT. EXCELSIOR-B - BRIDGE

 Clementes folds his hands together, as the problems pile on. The 
 bridge reduced to a mess of SMOKE and SPARKS.

 HRANOK (O.S.)
 Shields at 50%!

 CLEMENTES
 That might be a bit difficult. Can you 
 make repairs outside Engineering?

 KOVALEV (V.O.)
 Yes. I'm assigning teams now.

 CLEMENTES
 Keep me informed.

 INT. HALLWAY - ENGINEERING

 As before. Kovalev slaps an encouraging hand on Barclay's 
 shoulder, startling him.

 KOVALEV
 Take the kit. Get those shields back up.

 He turns, points a finger at Connie.

 KOVALEV
 You, Shelby's boy? Are you done with 
 Sickbay?

 A jarring impact. Connie grabs hold of the hallway pylon.

 CONNIE
 Yes, sir.

 KOVALEV
 You're supposed to be an Engineer. 
 Assist the Lieutenant.
 
 Connie nods and leaves with Barclay. Kovalev runs back to the 
 doors, tries to peer through the clear plexi-glass. A column of 
 white smoke is bellowing out of the warp core. He looks back at 
 his crew.

 KOVALEV
 All right, we need to get that plasma 
 injector fixed right away.

 CUT TO:

 Connie and Barclay enter into a side room. Connie rushes in and 
 pulls off one of the large wall panels. He quickly begins to re-
 route circuitry.

 EXT. DEEP SPACE

 More of the battle. Incredible devastation and mayhem. We watch 
 several Klingon K'vorts and Romulan D'Dredars (small fighter 
 crafts) zero in on a Cardassian vessel. The lumbering ship is hit 
 with tracer phaser fire, sending up geysers of inferno.

 The burning hulk of a Miranda class destroyer doing a complete 
 revolution TOWARDS US, blocking out the view. 

 INT. EXCELSIOR-B - BRIDGE

 Urgent alarms continue blaring over the b.g. 

 HRANOK
 Targetting scanners have been disabled. 
 Switching to manual.

 VIRGINIA
 Structural integrity compromised on 
 sections twenty through thirty-one. 

 CLEMENTES
 Compensate!

 SHELBY
 Life pods dead ahead, Captain!

 THEIR POV: The viewscreen. Life pods ejecting from a nearby 
 starship. One of the pods comes straight at them.

 EXT. DEEP SPACE

 The Excelsior immediately dips sharply just as the pod skims 
 over. Shields FLASH. The pod spins furiously, caroms off the rear 
 of the ship as it passes.

 Jem'Hadar fighters immediately swarm over the pods, destroying 
 them.

 INT. EXCESLIOR-C - BRIDGE

 MOVE TIGHTER on Clementes, eyes turning away from the viewscreen.

 HRANOK
 Shields down to 40%! We have line 
 breaches reporting in from the Exeter.
 
 CLEMENTES
 Order our wing to close up gaps behind 
 us. Number One, adjust course and take 
 us to the Exeter.

 SHELBY
 Aye, Captain! 

 HRANOK
 Sir, we're too late.

 Clementes looks back to the viewscreen just as the Exeter 
 explodes into two sending a blinding flash across the bridge.

 CLEMENTES
 Send a message to Captain Ramius. Inform 
 him he is the new commander of the wing.