ACT TWO

FADE IN:

10 EXT. DEEP SPACE NINE

A Bajoran shuttle docks at the station...

11 INT. DS9 – DOCKING RING CORRIDOR

The airlock cycles open, and KIRA steps out. Ro and Cenn are there to greet her. Cenn is looking pale and sickly. As they talk, other passengers disembark from the shuttle, many giving dirty side-eye to all three of our characters.

RO
Nerys.

KIRA
Commander, Major.

CENN
How are things on Bajor?

KIRA
Not good. We’re pretty isolated in
Janir, thank the Prophets. But I’m
hearing stories of angry protests
from all over the planet.

RO
Yeah. We’re hearing the same
stories here.

CENN
I’ve already had to break up two
fights on the Promenade. Some
people are calling Quark a hero
of the people... others a traitor.

KIRA
(deep breath)
That’s why I’m here. Yevir came to
me. He said that the kai requested
me specifically, to come here and
handle this.

RO
A simple novice?

KIRA
A novice who’s worked with all the
people involved... and who knows
because she’s been there herself.

LEDAHN (o.s.)
I look forward to hearing the
Vedek Assembly’s position.

They turn, and see that Bajoran politician LEDAHN (last seen 10x07 “Instinct”) is one of the last passengers off the shuttle. They’re all surprised to see him.

RO
Second Minister Ledahn. I didn’t
realise you were on board.

LEDAHN
I was able to secure a private
cabin. It’s not exactly safe to be
a politician in public right now.

Cenn blanches even further. This is all getting worse.

LEDAHN
I think it’s best we not talk in a
corridor, Commander. Shall we?

RO
Lead the way, Major.

Nodding, Cenn haltingly leads them off down the corridor.

12 INT. DS9 – SECURITY CELLS

Quark still sits in his cell. Evik sits in a chair opposite the cell, holding a padd, speaking calmly and patiently.

QUARK
You can ask me the same question
over and over as often as you
like, Commander. You’ll get the
same answer.

EVIK
It’s important that you tell us
how you got the information,
Quark. So far as we know, only
a very small number of people
had access to it. So you knowing
implies a leak in our security.

QUARK
That your problem, not mine.

EVIK
And you didn’t consider coming to
me or to Commander Ro, rather
than going straight to the public?

QUARK
Work within the system, you mean?
The system doesn’t work. How are
you supposed to report something
that’s wrong to the people who
are responsible for doing it?

EVIK
What exactly have we done that’s
so wrong?

QUARK
Really? Starfleet is supposed to
protect the people. But you’ve put
them at risk. I have ears. I know
it only takes one Ascendant ship
and one pilot to destroy an entire
star system. And that’s exactly
what you’ve got.

EVIK
Raiq hasn’t been anywhere near the
ship, at least not when she was
conscious. It’s under extremely
heavy security.

QUARK
You shouldn’t have it in the first
place. You should have destroyed
it. Ro should have destroyed it.

EVIK
That’s not your decision to make.

QUARK
If the population can’t keep their
leaders honest and hold them to
account... who can, Mister Evik?

13 INT. DS9 – COMMANDER’S OFFICE

Ro, Kira, Cenn and Ledahn. All on their feet, although Cenn stands somewhat apart, less confrontational than the rest.

LEDAHN
We demand that the ambassador be
turned over to us for questioning.

RO
On what grounds?

LEDAHN
What he has done affects Bajor.

RO
It wasn’t Bajor’s secrets he let out.
It was Starfleet’s. He’s staying here.

CENN
He’s being questioned right now.
We’ll share what we learn.

LEDAHN
(snide)
You’ll forgive me if my confidence
in that has been shaken, Major.

KIRA
The Vedek Assembly agrees with
the Ferengi government that the
ambassador should be released
immediately. And I agree too.

RO
What?!

KIRA
Ro, Quark hasn’t done anything
wrong. Against the rules, maybe.
But that’s not the same thing.

RO
I can’t believe you of all people
are defending Quark.

KIRA
Yeah, that used to be your thing.
But I think you’re punishing him
unfairly. And the Kai agrees.

CENN
(flustered)
Look, it’s... is it really so bad?
Maybe the public should know.

KIRA
Exactly. They can handle it. You
underestimate them if you think
they can’t.

RO
It’s not about whether the people
can handle knowing we’ve got an
Ascendant ship!

LEDAHN
I rather think it is. If I can’t even
tell people where I’m going for
fear of being attacked, then clearly
this was a bad idea.

RO
(dismissive)
So get a bodyguard or something.

14 INT. DS9 – MAIN OPS CENTRE

As the raised voices continue from inside the office, Nog and Candlewood get on with their work in Ops.

CANDLEWOOD
You’re awfully quiet.

NOG
(tight)
I’ve got nothing to say.

CANDLEWOOD
Your uncle has just pulled off the
biggest classified information
heist in decades. That demands
some kind of reaction from you.

NOG
He broke the law. He’s in jail.
That’s all I need to know.

Candlewood gets up from his station, walks across to Nog (passing the office doors through which we can still hear the muffled arguments), and leans against Nog’s console.

CANDLEWOOD
Nog, he’s your family. You should
at least talk to him.

NOG
I told you. I have nothing to say.
Don’t ask me again, John.

As Nog turns back to his console, with the shouting voices still going in the background...

15 INT. DS9 – HABITAT RING CORRIDOR

Ro stomps along the corridor, still in a very bad mood. She turns a corner, THUMPS the wall in unfocused anger on her way past, and keeps on going.

She passes a turbolift entrance. Just after, the turbolift arrives and the doors open. Treir emerges, calls after her.

TREIR
Commander! Can I talk to you?

Ro pauses, grits her teeth. Really not in the mood for this. But she makes an effort to be pleasant and receptive.

RO
Treir. What can I do for you?

TREIR
You can let Quark go.

RO
(turns to leave)
Goodbye, Treir.

TREIR
Don’t walk away from me! You will
talk to me, dammit!

Ro turns back to Treir, looms threateningly.

RO
Who the hell do you think you are?

TREIR
I don’t think – I know – that I’m
not one of your officers, and you
can’t boss me around. And I know
why you’re doing this.

RO
(derisive)
Are you gonna tell me I’m secretly
in love with him? That this is a
spat between lovers and if I could
just let my scorned woman heart go
then I’d see he was right along?

TREIR
Or you’re afraid he’s the scorned
one who did it to get back at you.

RO
He doesn’t care about me. He’s
proven that.

TREIR
Oh yes he does. But this was never
about you.

RO
(grabs Treir)
Did you know about this? Did you
know he was going to do this?

TREIR
(shakes free)
No. But I know Quark. Better than
you do sometimes, I think. And
this was not about you. This was
about right and wrong.

RO
And Quark is the one in the wrong.

TREIR
I don’t think you’d be so angry if
you really believed that, Laren.

RO
Treir, I’m going to say this very
clearly. I have had enough. I
don’t care how many people plead
or beg or demand. Quark is staying
where he is. Goodbye.

Ro turns away again and continues to stomp off down the corridor. Treir watches her go, and makes a decision.

16 INT. DS9 – SECURITY CELLS

Quark is still sat in his cell, quite calm. He looks around at the walls of his cell, at the forcefield in front of him and at the bare, unpopulated room beyond. He sighs.

QUARK
You really got yourself into it this
time, Quark. Mother would be
so proud.

TREIR
Not as proud as I am.

Treir has appeared in the doorway from the office.

QUARK
How did you get in here? I thought
I wasn’t allowed any visitors.

TREIR
I convinced Lieutenant Commander
Evik that I needed to ask you
something about running the bar.

QUARK
You better not have left that
idiot Grimp in charge.

TREIR
I think we have more important
things to worry about than that
right now, don’t you? Like how
to get you out of here.

QUARK
Treir, there is no getting me out
of here.

TREIR
Yes there is. Because I’m gonna
break you out.

Off Quark’s reaction to that...

FADE OUT:

END OF ACT TWO