"In The Pale Moonlight" Line-by-Line

[LeadHead]

Hi there!

We've recently concluded our "Body and Soul" Line-by-line over in the Voyager forum.

After each completed thread, I'm randomly picking someone who participated to choose the next episode we do. The lucky winner this time around was BlueStuff! And BlueStuff has selected "In The Pale Moonlight" to be our next Line bye line conquest! So, get ready for Romulans, Political Intrigue, Long Personal Log entries and Garak!

For any unfamiliar with our "game," you are asked to post only a single line (defined as one character speaking without interruption by another character) per message. You can post as often as you like, but someone else must post a line in between your posts.

As before, at the conclusion of this thread, I or my Emergency Medical Hologram, CoveTom () will pick someone at random from among all the participants to choose the next episode we do.

 

[LeadHead]

Sisko is seated on a couch in his quarters, looking right at the viewers at home.

Sisko: Captain's Personal Log, Stardate: 5...1...7...er, 574? Computer, what day is it?

 

[Alienesse]

COMPUTER: Stardate 51721.3.

 

[Vanyel]

Sisko: It's only been 2 weeks. I need to talk about this. I have to justify what's happened, what I've done...at least to myself. I can't talk to anyone else...not even to Dax. Maybe if I just lay it all out in my log, it'll finally make sense. I can see where it all went wrong...where I went wrong. I suppose it started 2 weeks ago while I was posting the weekly casualty list in the Wardroom. Every Friday morning for the past 3 months I've posted the official list of Starfleet personnel killed, wounded or missing in the war. It's become something of a grim ritual around here. Not a week goes by that someone doesn't find the name of a loved one, a friend or an acquaintance on that damned list. I've grown to hate Friday's.

Who is it Dax?

 

[Alienesse]

DAX: Leslie Wong.

 

[BlueStuff]

SISKO: The skipper of the Cairo?

 

[Alienesse]

DAX: She was an instructor at the Academy when I was a sophomore.

 

[BlueStuff]

BASHIR: Do you know what happened to the Cairo?

 

[Alienesse]

SISKO: Just that she disappeared on patrol in the Romulan neutral zone. I'll look into it.

 

[Admiral Shran]

DAX: Don't bother. I'm sure it's the same old story. The Jem'Hadar crossed the Romulan border and caught them by surprise. It's only about the hundredth time it's happened.

 

[Brian]

BASHIR: I can't believe the Romulans allow them to violate their territory so brazenly. Why do they get away with it?

 

[Admiral Shran]

SISKO: The Romulans have a treaty of non-aggression and friendship with the Dominion, so they're willing to turn a blind eye to almost anything in the name of friendship.

 

[Alienesse]

BASHIR: What we need is to bring the Romulans into the war on our side. With the combined forces of the Federation, the Klingons and the Romulans we could finally go on the offensive.

 

[Admiral Shran]

DAX: That's the last thing the Romulans want. Think about it. They're in the perfect position. They get to sit back and watch as their biggest rivals slug it out in a long, bloody war. No one's threatening their interests. Why should they risk their necks? There's simply no reason for them to get involved in our war. No reason at all.

 

[Alienesse]

SISKO [OC]: That was the moment I made the decision. It was like I had stepped through a door and locked it behind me. I was going to bring the Romulans into the war.

[Captain's office]

SISKO: It's in their own best interest to join the war, that's the key. That's the reason the Romulans will finally take action. Not to do us any favours, but to protect themselves from the Dominion.

 

[Admiral Shran]

DAX: Okay. Let's say I'm the Romulan Proconsul. From where I'm sitting, the Dominion isn't a threat to me. I have a non-aggression pact with them. They're my allies.

 

[Alienesse]

SISKO: You're not going to put your faith in some piece of paper, are you?

 

[Admiral Shran]

DAX: Not at all. I've been watching them very closely since the beginning of the war, and so far, they've kept their part of the bargain.

 

[Brian]

SISKO: They're violating your territory almost every day. What kind of an ally is that?

 

[Alienesse]

DAX: So they're crossing my backyard to give the Federation a bloody nose. I can't say that makes me very sad.