I saved this to my hard drive, as an idea I had around 2010 or so.
STAR TREK
L E G A C Y
Film opens in 2387 with scenes involving the destruction of Romulus. Possibly Nimoy back as Spock, if that can be worked in... sadly probably now using reused footage and CG trickery. That’s your big Praxis moment that sets up a chain of events for the rest of the story.
Many years have passed (it’s possibly the eve of the 25th Century) and an older bearded, Admiral Picard is teaching a class at Starfleet Academy about early Federation history.
Next scene with Captain Riker aboard the Titan, on its way to the new Romulan Homeworld – Quirinus*, to provide aid and resettlement… continue peace dialogue with Ambassadors onboard, when it’s attacked and destroyed.
Picard seizing the opportunity to get back to being on the Enterprise, rushes a round-up of TNG characters. But some can’t make it… Worf is within the Klingon Empire but promises to provide support. LaForge is Captain of his own Galaxy class, the Challenger. So the Enterprise-E is pulled out of mothballs and sent out with whoever is available. Admiral Picard advises, with an all-new character as Captain (he’s probably going to die as is the tradition), Miles O’Brien takes over Engineering, Tuvok at Security/Tactical, an EMH in sickbay (maybe the VOY one, since he’s given full rights as an individual) and Deanna Troi, career paths having forced her marriage to Riker apart at this point.
One or more of the Crusher family and B-4 (whether or not, he’s Data) don’t make it aboard in time but are seen briefly in transmissions to the Titan or the Enterprise. Offering assistance, tracking down information and passing it along, in little scenes.
Surviving Titan crewmembers including Riker are being held by the Romulans, and about to publically executed in a broadcast in front of the whole Star Empire. Diplomacy appears to win through when Picard arrives. A breakway military fraction (possibly led by Sela or a Tomalak figure) having been using the capture of the Starfleet Officers as leverage to meet with the new Romulan government and expressly with people from the Federation in attendance. There they present some shocking secret evidence they obtained, that threatens to derail negotations to incorporate the Star Empire into the UFP.
It’s historic footage taken at an event instrumental in the formation of the Federation, depicting a key moment in the Earth-Romulan War. That allows Captain Archer to put in an appearance from two centuries past. He’s shown giving orders to destroy a Romulan flotilla carrying dignitaries trying to broker peace, just days before the Federation charter was signed. (A moment Picard had been showing earlier in class.)
Picard (plus a couple of others advising) are kept in enemy hands and agrees to take part in a trial against the Federation. Some slimy Romulan prosecutor dredges up all the wrongs the alliance of worlds has ever allowed to happen… including the destruction of their homeworld. Various attempts by humans to keep the Vulcans and Romulans apart are cited in their case against the UFP.
Meanwhile the Enterprise, with Riker in charge has been ordered back into Federation space. The crew (that’s O’Brien, Tuvok, the EMH, among others) race against time and across the quadrant, to bring Picard the proof he needs. Going up against some strong opposition to find what they’re looking for.
There’s a stopover at DS9 to retreive information (for a price naturally) from Quark on the whereabouts of an extremely eldery Andorian, who can provide eyewitness testimony and evidence, needed to sway the Romulans.
There’s a clash between the Enterprise and (Sela’s or the Tomalak kind of leader’s) Romulan ships, in trying to get back to Quirinus. This is where Captain Geordi LaForge’s support on the Challenger comes into play. When that fails, Governor Worf arrives with Bird of Prey backup.
In the end, Picard is able to provide proof that the historical records about Archer’s actions at the heart of all this, have been forged. For the Andorian brought by the Enterprise-E… is Shran – doing all this to repay one final debt to his long dead ally. More than that to have the upper hand on him.
It’s all been a conspiracy, designed to ensure what’s left of the Star Empire would launch into one final war with the Federation. To keep a once proud empire from joining their Vulcan brothers, on their enemy’s terms.
And in return, the Prateor reveals some unreleased information he has on Ambassador Spock’s fate. A last recorded final transmission or message received from the Vulcan a lá “The Immunity Syndrome”.
From that and the ship's telemetry, the new mix n’ match Enterprise-E crew are somehow able to determine that Spock survived the supernova which destroyed Romulus, making it through to the other side of the Red Matter black hole created to stop it.
* Quirinus being the name of a new capital planet survivors fled to in the Romulan Star Empire… Probably not such a catchy name, but it continues a Roman mythical influence – it being the name of a deity Romulus was supposed to have become after his death.
Star Trek Legacy, because it effectively criss-crosses all the generations within the same plot. No time-travel. From a TOS character at the start, to TNG/VGR ones coming together, some unseen ENT to fight over and a dash of DS9. A lot taken from the sixth film, which is more my favourite of the TOS ones and the perfect example how to do a last hoorah and say goodbye.
While I’ve tried not to rely on anything that can’t be shown in the film itself.
I suggested it over in a thread where somebody brought up how they'd handle the last TNG movie. And I had some spare time to organise my thoughts into a story with a beginning, middle and end. Rather than a list of stuff I'd like to see, just to throw out there, in a random order. In-universe motivation to back up how I can pick and choose a few ex-Voyager crewmembers, throwing them on the Enterprise is perhaps sheer fan fiction. But hey, they're in Starfleet and have to obey when an Admiral comes knocking. I see maybe O'Brien being at a stage in life, Molly all grown up and Keiko off Earth for some reason - to go running off for an adventure. The Enterprise-E at one of DS9's docking pylons is something I've wanted to see, while they check in on Quark.
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