ACT FIVE

FADE IN:

35 EXT. BAJOR - ASHALLA

A new day in the Bajoran capital...

36 INT. VEDEK ASSEMBLY CHAMBER

Kai Solis sits in his chair, waiting to begin the day’s session. He looks out across the chamber...

...and it’s half empty. The Vedeks who are there, including Pralon and Yevir, seem equally surprised and confused by the smaller numbers. Where is everybody else?

Solis waits, trying not be impatient. But this is a bad start to the day.

After another few fidgety moments, a side door opens and a low-level monk rushes in. He goes to Pralon, whispers something in her ear. Pralon listens, thanks the monk and sends him on his way. It’s news, but is it good?

SOLIS
Vedek Pralon? There is news?

Pralon doesn’t want to have to tell him, but she can’t not. She’s quietly furious underneath it all.

PRALON
Prylar Haim informs me that
Vedek Bellis has just entered the
monastery. He is on his way here.

SOLIS
At last.

After a few more moments, a larger ceremonial door opens, and Vedek Bellis strides in.

He is at the head of a phalanx of other clerics - all the number that were missing. They march into the room behind Bellis, a determined army of stony-faced contrarians.

Bellis comes to the centre of the room, does not sit, but places his hands firmly and unambiguously on the table. Solis sees the insincerity in the action, grits his teeth.

SOLIS
(tense)
The chair recognises Bellis
Nemani. I hope, Vedek, that you
will begin with an apology for
keeping this Assembly waiting.

BELLIS
I will not... “Eminence.”

The naked disrespect gets mutters going through the crowd.

BELLIS (cont)
I am not here to pay pointless
courtesy to a chair I do not
recognise. I speak for the common
people of Bajor, who believe in
traditional worship, in the natural
order of this world.
(re his followers)
We all speak for them, whose voices
are ignored and drowned out in this
new world of blasphemy.

PRALON
Drowned out? You never shut up.

BELLIS
I must speak out, since no-one
else here will. This man has no
right to sit in that chair. This
Assembly was built upon the path
of the Prophets. So how can it
possibly have as its leader, a man
who does not even follow that
path? It is nonsense.

PRALON
The kai was popularly elected by
this chamber, Vedek. Sore losers
seldom get their way.

BELLIS
You think this is jealousy?

PRALON
(simply)
Yes.

BELLIS
Then that just shows me how out of
touch you are. The people did not
vote for this man. The followers
of Ohalu are nothing but a handful
of deviants. This Assembly no
longer represents the people, and
as such it should no longer stand.
(to the room)
My followers and I call for a vote
of no confidence in Kai Solis’s
ability to lead Bajor.

Arguments explode across the room, angry voices on both sides. The noise rages for a while, as Solis slumps in his seat. Finally he grabs the GONG and bangs it hard.

SOLIS
I am disappointed, Nemani. I had
hoped you would grow past your
resentment. I’m sad for you.

BELLIS
Will you allow a public vote? Or
are you a tyrant, Solis?

PRALON
That’s not how this works, Bellis.

BELLIS
I wasn’t speaking to you.
(back to Solis)
Well?

SOLIS
As I have always said, Bellis, I
will hear every voice. Very well.
A vote. I hope you are prepared
for the results.

BELLIS
We will see about the results. But
in the meantime, this Assembly
stands in recess.

PRALON
You do not have the authority to
declare that, Bellis!

BELLIS
What I have is more than enough
followers to drag this farce to a
halt. The Vedek Assembly cannot
sit in session without a minimum
of seventy in attendance.
(grandly)
Until the people’s voices have
finally been heard and this man
is removed from the Apex Chair,
it will not.

SOLIS
You’d bring the entire religious
structure of this world to its
knees out of spite?

BELLIS
Out of duty. Out of conscience.
There are times it is necessary to
step outside of the rules to do the
right thing, Solis. To do what our
conscience demands of us. This
is one of those times.

His job done, Bellis turns and marches back out of the room, his followers trailing behind.

Solis sits in his chair, stunned.

Pralon and Yevir both go to him, and gaze in amazement at Bellis’s retreating back.

37 EXT. SPACE

The runabout approaches a dark and rocky planet.

38 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT

All five are present. While Cenn drives, Ro studies the displays and readouts.

RO
I’m picking up faint traces of an
Ascendant warp signature. I think
this is the place.

CENN
It looks like the planet is
synchronously locked. A very slow
axial rotation. One hemisphere
would be almost permanently dark.

RAIQ
The Hearth does sit in darkness,
all the better to witness the power
of the True’s light.

KIRA
Very poetic. But I guess it does
fit. Any life signs?

CENN
Possibly. There’s a lot of
geothermal interference.

KIRA
Do you think we’re in danger?

RAIQ
From Vexh? The Hearth is a place
of power. He is in a strong position
from which to attack, if he so chose.

RO
And there’s no way to know what
he’ll choose until we get there.

KIRA
Then I guess we just have to take
the plunge. Take us down, Major.

Cenn gets the ship underway again.

39 EXT. SPACE

The runabout heads down towards the planet.

40 EXT. BLACK WORLD - SURFACE

The runabout touches down again. Instead of sunny fields and trees, this time its on cold dark rock, no signs of civilisation, against a backdrop of permanent night.

As the ship settles, the hatch opens. Raiq steps out first. She sighs with relief to be back here. She looks up to the blanket of stars. This was the last place she felt right.

Now she’s here, it’s like she can feel the other Ascendant nearby. Without waiting for the others or even looking back, she strides off into the distance.

Kira, Ro, Cenn and Pif step out of the ship.

PIF
Not exactly Bajor, is it?

CENN
Should we let her go on ahead like
that? Or should we stick close by?

KIRA
Best to let her face him alone at
first. She can break it gently.

RO
You realise there’s every chance
Vexh is not the one we need to
be worried about?

Kira looks to Ro for an explanation.

RO
Nerys, I want her to have this
too. But do you really trust that
she’s on our side here? We’ve gone
to all this trouble to keep Axno’s
ship out of her hands. Who’s to
say she won’t just get into Vexh’s
ship, turn around, and come right
back to Bajor with guns firing?

By the look on Cenn’s face, this is exactly what he believes will happen.

KIRA
I guess... faith. I have faith
that she’s had time to see that
we’re not her enemies.

RO
I hope you’re right.

Kira strides off after Raiq. Ro, Cenn and Pif follow.

Together they trudge up a slight incline of dark and dusty rock, until they reach a peak, and look over it to see...

41 EXT. BLACK WORLD

Stretching out before them all is the giant natural bowl formation that was the Ascendants’ encampment all last year. Black stone swoops down from the edge where Kira, Ro, Cenn and Pif stand, to a central depression far below.

Unlike last year when the place was packed with tents and pavilions and training spaces and silver vessels, all lit with flaming braziers, now it is cold and dark and empty.

Raiq is a few steps ahead of them, slowly making her way down the incline towards the centre. They stay at the lip of the quarry, letting her go on ahead of them.

At the centre of the quarry, where Iliana’s pavilion once stood, now there’s a single Ascendant ship. Clearly damaged like Axno’s, the silver skin is dull and lifeless. Raiq is heading straight for it.

From far above, Kira and the rest watch as she approaches.

With some distance yet to go, we see the ship’s transparent canopy slide open, and a figure emerge. The figure pauses, trying to ascertain if this really is what he thinks it is.

Raiq continues to approach. Kira et al continue to watch.

The figure climbs out of the ship and down to the ground, and finally we see him clearly - an Ascendant male, VEXH. He looks at the nearing Raiq with amazement and relief. She looks back with the same emotions... and something else.

Finally they’re together, and without any words said, they EMBRACE, filled with blessed relief to see another of their kind. As they hold each other, FLAMES begin to lick around their bodies, generated by their armour.

Up on the ridge, Kira and Ro share a wary look. This could be good, or it could be very very bad.

On RAIQ

...as she and Vexh hold each other, flames licking around their bodies... and Raiq’s eyes shift sideways toward where she knows Kira and Ro are watching.

On that suspicious note...

BLACK OUT:

END OF SHOW