Longer posting of Star Trek: Liberation will eventually show up in my TL when I get to 24th century Trek
STAR TREK: LIBERATION (1998)
Starring: Patrick Stewart
Jonathan Frakes
Avery Brooks
Marina Sirtis
Co-starring:
Nana Visitor
Michael Dorn
Colm Meaney
Brent Spiner
LeVar Burton
Gates McFadden
Alexander Siddig
Rene Auberjonois
Aron Eisenberg
Terry Farrell
Andrew Robinson (Garak)
Marc Alaimo (Dukat)
Jeffrey Combs (Weyoun)
Majel Barrett
The USS Enterprise leads a fleet to liberate Betazed from the Jem'Hadar. On Betazed, the Jem'Hadar are placing the Betazoids in concentration camps, and there is little resistance to the upcoming genocide, as all attempts to resist have been brutally crushed. Lwaxana Troi barely escapes death with her resistance cell, and is forced into hiding. Through an empathic connection, Deanna determines that her mother is alive, but in great danger. Deanna wants to join the Betazed resistance but Picard turns her down, citing her duties to the Enterprise. Deanna disobeys Picard and goes back home anyway, but is captured by the Jem'Hadar, along with her mother, when her presence exposes the cell.
Weyoun and Dukat argue over what to do with the Trois. Dukat wants them executed, but Weyoun wants to hold them hostage, because the Enterprise will attempt to retrieve Deanna. Weyoun reasons that the Enterprise will be lured into a trap from which it cannot escape. The destruction of the Federation flagship in battle over Betazed could lead to Starfleet's surrender and the end of the war, as the Enterprise is considered a force multiplier in combat with its quantum torpedoes and ablative shields.
On Deep Space Nine, Admiral Ross and Captain Sisko are planning the liberation of Betazed. Sisko will join Picard with the Defiant and lead the fleet against Dominion forces. Sisko initially advises against this, because Starfleet is outnumbered two-to-one, and the Dominion could recapture Deep Space Nine. However, Ross overrules him, because a Dominion foothold on Betazed threatens the Federation core worlds. Although Sisko is emotionally tied to the station, Ross is tactically correct, and Sisko understands that he has to work with a man that he despises in Picard to save the Federation.
Sisko brings his crew together, including Garak, to plan the operation. Odo stays on the station to maintain order, while Quark wishes Nog well on another combat tour. The rest of the DS9 senior staff joins Sisko on the Defiant. Worf is most eager to liberate Betazed due to his previous relationship with Troi. Worf wants to go planet side, but Sisko needs him at tactical on the Defiant. O'Brien tells Sisko that he can man the tactical station, and Sisko eventually lets Worf join the away team. Worf, Kira, Garak, and Bashir will beam to Betazed and retrieve Deanna and Lwaxana from captivity. Kira and Garak grumble about having to work together, but they get over it. Nog becomes the Defiant helmsman, a very imposing and critical job. But Nog is a gifted young ensign, and it works out.
Meanwhile, Riker receives a message from Deanna in captivity. The Jem'Hadar will slaughter the entire Betazoid population, a monstrous genocide. Tens of thousands have already died as the Dominion tighten their grip on the system, seeking to launch an attack on Earth and Vulcan. Riker brings this up to Picard, but is initially rebuffed because Starfleet does not have the fleet necessary to expel the Dominion from the sector. Picard says that if they attack, the fleet will be destroyed, and the Dominion would proceed to Earth. Riker demands action, saying that the line must be drawn here, and that we've said "never again" countless times in our history, only for us to break that promise. Picard contacts Ross and asks how many ships can be spared for a Betazed operation; Ross says the best you can do is be outnumbered two-to-one. Picard decides to proceed, knowing that the odds are stacked against him.
Cut to Betazed; the Trois are being tortured for information. Weyoun demands to know where the Enterprise is, and Deanna refuses to comply. Weyoun tortures both Trois into unconsciousness.
Sisko contacts Picard and says he is on his way to Betazed with the Sixth Fleet. Picard is commanding the Third Fleet as a Fleet Captain. Sisko asks Picard the odds of success, and Picard tells him, "we'll be lucky if it's as successful as Dunkirk. It will probably be Starfleet's Waterloo." Sisko tells Picard he's faced down greater odds against the Borg and survived; Picard reminds him that the Borg were a different enemy; although far more powerful, they were far less agile tactically than the Dominion. Sisko tells Picard he is reluctant to serve in the same fleet because of their history; Picard as Locutus killed his wife in the Battle of Wolf 359. Picard apologizes for the death of Sisko's wife and tells him that we will set it right together at Betazed, to prevent millions more from dying.
Picard's door rings, and Beverly enters. Picard tells her to prepare for mass casualties as they are entering battle with the Dominion. Beverly wonders when it will ever end, and Picard tells her, "if we lose this battle, it all ends right here." Beverly tells Picard that he is in the same dilemma that he faced on the Stargazer, when he sent Jack Crusher to his death. Picard replies that he's sending the entire Federation to its death if he goes forward with this mission.
En route to Betazed, Riker goes to the Holodeck with Data and LaForge. Riker asks the computer to open the Betazed program, and Data goes through the various natural landforms there that are unique. Riker welcomes Data's commentary, but wonders if Data truly understands the consequences of what is happening on Betazed. Data mentions various genocides that occurred in history, but Riker cuts him off, because Data is citing facts and not fully comprehending the emotional scope of genocide, even with an emotion chip. Data asks LaForge why Riker is acting that way; LaForge explains that genocide is deeply ingrained in the human experience and very difficult to understand without an emotional subtext. Data concludes that the Federation was formed to prevent future genocides, and LaForge tells Data that he's beginning to understand. Beverly then enters the Holodeck. She takes on Deanna's old role and comforts Riker as a counselor. Riker then receives an empathic message from Deanna: "Imzadi." He knows Deanna is still alive, but barely.
On the Defiant, Worf, Dax, Bashir and O'Brien are talking about Deanna Troi and their eccentric mother. O'Brien recalls all the times Lwaxana bothered Captain Picard with her presence. Worf grumbles about Betazoid wedding customs, and Dax giggles, mentioning that she quite likes them as Jadzia, but wasn't too fond of them as Curzon. Bashir agrees with Worf about the Betazoid weddings. Sisko calls the crew to the bridge; they are about to enter the Betazed system, and will enter Dominion scanning range in ten minutes. O'Brien quotes "Month of September," a World War I poem by Hilaire Beloc; Bashir follows along. Worf tells them that Klingons sing about victory before battle, not ruminate about defeat; Bashir tells Worf he always contemplates the alternative. Worf then replies, "The alternative is you're dead."
At the end, there is a long battle scene, a shootout on Betazed, the Trois are saved and Betazed liberated, and the Dominion driven from the system, but at a tremendous cost to the Federation; 75% of the fleet's strength is either destroyed or forced into drydock for repairs. Starfleet wins, but it is a brutal and costly victory, and a communique is sent by Picard to Tomalak, his old rival, to see if the Romulans will enter the war...
