screenshots of Star Trek Voyager, USS Voyager, Tom Paris, Lt. Tom Paris, Lt Tom Paris, Thomas Eugene Paris, Lt Paris, Lt. Paris, Kathryn Janeway, Captain Janeway. Starfleet, Star Trek, Cardassia, Cardassian, Cardassians, dreadnought, dreadnaught, Rakosa V

	Dreadnought.
	On Voyager's bridge Janeway orders: "Hail the lead ship." Kim: "Channel open, Captain. Audio only." Janeway: "This is Captain Janeway on board Voyager. I urge you to break off your attack. One of my crewmembers is aboard the missile." Rakosa fleet commander: "You'd better get your crewman out, Captain. We estimate time to intercept 90 seconds." Janeway: "We're still attempting to disarm its weapons." Rakosa fleet commander: "My orders are clear. You'll have to talk to my superiors back home. Rakosa 1 out."
	Janeway: "Janeway to Torres." Torres: "Yes, Captain." Janeway: "The Rakosan fleet is preparing to attack." Torres: "Please don't beam me out. I may not be able to transport back here again." Janeway: "Lieutenant-"

Torres: "I'm making progress. The Rakosan ships have created a diversion. I've already used it to disarm the security codes on board. Now if I can just get to the central processor I can disable the entire system." Janeway: "Alright. We'll try to keep a transporter lock on you. Janeway out."

Tuvok: "The Rakosan attack is commencing, Captain." Janeway: "Move us into weapons range, Mr Paris." Paris: "Aye, Captain."

Janeway: "Give them some cover fire. Red alert." Tuvok: "Firing phasers." Aboard Dreadnought, Torres is told: "All command control functions have been re-routed to protected back-up circuits, B'Elanna. Your attempt to compromise weapons control has been blocked." Torres: "Those ships aren't your enemy! They are not Cardassian. Can't you recognise that?!" Dreadnought: "This vessel is programmed to respond to all necessary force to prevent any disruption to its mission."

Dreadnought fires back at the two Rakosan ships and completely disintegrates them. Torres, watches with horror.

On Voyager's bridge Kim reports: "Shields are holding."
Tuvok: "We are drawing minimal fire from the missile. Its primary weapons systems are focussed on the Rakosan vessel."
Paris: "Another group of fighters is starting an attack run."
Janeway: "Draw more of the vessel's fire. Make Voyager more of a serious threat, Tuvok."
Tuvok: "Shields at 40 per cent."
Kim: "Damage reported on decks 3 and 4. Repair crews responding."
Paris: "The Rakosan vessels are withdrawing, Captain."
Janeway: "Good. Move us out of range of the plasma wave." She signals Torres: "Janeway to Torres."
Torres: "Yes, Captain."
Janeway: "The Rakosan ships have retreated. We have 1 hour and 9 minutes until the missile reaches the planet. Any progress?"
Torres: "Dreadnought's created back-up systems to replace the ones I tried to disable."
Janeway: "Do you have any other ideas?"
Torres: "I'm reluctant to discuss them in present company but could you send over a-" Abruptly Dreadnought cuts communications. "Captain?"
Dreadnought: "Communications have been terminated. Transporter lock has also been disengaged."
Torres: "What took you so long?"
Dreadnought: "There was a tactical advantage in monitoring your ship's communications until this time."
Torres: "So, it's just you and me now."

Dreadnought: "You are accessing the detonation control circuit. Probability assessment indicates you are attempting to detonate the explosive before it reaches its target." Torres: "That wouldn't make much sense, would it - I'd be killing myself in the process." Dreadnought: "Probability assessment indicates you are attempting to detonate the explosive before it reaches its target." Torres: "If I'm being coerced by Cardassians, why would I be willing to sacrifice myself for them? Answer that one!"

Dreadnought: "Unable to respond. Re-assessing probability."
Torres: "Aha, gotcha!"

	Torres gets up. "Why don't we re-assess those probabilities together, ok? Remember how we used to play hypothetical games?" Dreadnought: "Affirmative." Dreadnought: "The probability of being in the Delta Quadrant, 75,000 light-years from last confirmed location is negligible." Torres: "Hypothetical, Dreadnought! It's a game, remember? Assume it's true for a moment." Dreadnought: "Assumption entered." Torres: "And we're heading for the wrong target." Dreadnought: "Assumption entered." Torres: "Millions of innocent people about to die when you detonate." Dreadnought: "Assumption entered." Torres: "Now explain to me how this might happen." Dreadnought: "If key sensor programs were damaged or deleted, databanks would be compromised."
	Torres: "Just for the fun of it, let's have a look at those databanks, see if anything looks at all 'compromised'." The files scroll past on the wall monitor. "Is this a complete file directory? There seem to be a few missing." Dreadnought: "Files containing information about the weapons or tactical systems are not necessary to verify sensor accuracy." Torres: "Oh I'm hurt you don't trust me. Hold on. Pause the display. What's that? Computer, identify the Cardassian file on screen." Dreadnought: "Unable to identify." Torres: "Looks like a back-up file. Computer, when was this file created?" Dreadnought: "Stardate 46437.5." Torres: "I believe that was before you and I ever met."
A monitor display aboard Dreadnought indicates stage 1 alert. (pop-up window)	Dreadnought: "Hypothetical game terminated. Probability re-assessment complete." Torres: "New conclusion? Dreadnought: "Affirmative. Probability of being in the Delta Quadrant remains negligible. When that option is rejected, new probability asssessment indicates that you've changed loyalties, B'Elanna. You are now co-operating with the Cardassian-Federation alliance as described in the treaty of 2367, a treaty which has been rejected by the Maquis-" Torres: "Dreadnought-" Dreadnought: "Humanoid life support aboard this vessel has been terminated. Approaching target at full impulse. Stage 1 alert has been activated. Initiating final detonation sequence."

Captain's Ready Room. Kellan: "People are crowding every port, trying to get off the eastern continent. There aren't enough ships." Janeway: "Kellan, there are still 41 minutes for us to prevent this." Kellan: "What can be done in 41 minutes?" Janeway: "I'm prepared to use this ship to detonate the warhead before the missile reaches you." Kellan: "Use your ship? To collide with it?" Janeway: "Something like that." Kellan: "Do you really think that would work?" Janeway: "I'm not sure." Kellan: "You would sacrifice yourselves to benefit a people you didn't even know two days ago?" Janeway: "To save 2 million lives, that's not a hard decision." Kellan: "Your repuation in this Quadrant isn't deserved, Captain. For what it's worth, you've made a friend here." Janeway: "I'm still hoping we'll have a chance to celebrate this new friendship together."

Dreadnought: "All key systems have been secured. You will not gain access." Torres: "I'm not interested in your key systems any more, Dreadnought." Dreadnought: "That is an unlikely assertion, B'Elanna." Torres: "Seriously, see for yourself." Dreadnought: "You are attempting to access the obsolete Cardassian file. Why?" Torres: "Oh, just killing time." Dreadnought: "Life support has been terminated. It is adviseable for you to return to your ship."

	Janeway comes out of her Ready Room and faces Chakotay and Tuvok who are both at the tactical/security station. Janeway: "Gentlemen, I believe our best chance of stopping Dreadnought now is to set off a large anti-matter explosion directly in its path." Chakotay: "To work it would take more energy than all our photons put together." Tuvok, understanding her: "Or more to the point, it would take a warp core breach." Janeway: "You'll be in charge of the evacuation, Commander." Chakotay: "I'm not leaving you on the ship."
	Janeway: "Captain's prerogative. Get the rest of the crew to the escape pods. I'll send the senior officers to join you in a few minutes. We don't have time to debate this, Chakotay." Chakotay calls out to address everyone on the Bridge: "Everyone except senior officers, with me." All the Bridge personnel leave the Bridge except for Tuvok, Kim and Paris.
	Janeway: "Computer, initiate the self-destruct sequence. Authorisation Janeway pi-one-one-zero. Set it at 20 minutes." Computer: "Warning: self-destruct sequence has been initiated. Warp core overload in 20 minutes."

Thanks to Feeble Minds for the animated star background (tweaked by me).