ACT THREE

FADE IN:

17 INT. DS9 – SECURITY CELLS

Picking up exactly where we left off.

QUARK
What are you talking about?

TREIR
I can talk to Major Cenn. He’s
crazy about me. If I work on him
just right, I’m sure I can get him
to loosen the locks on your cage.

QUARK
(amused)
And then what?

TREIR
And then I sneak you out of here,
get you off the station, and...

QUARK
And what?

Treir hesitates. This is a big thing for her.

TREIR
And then I talk to the Orion
Syndicate and get them to take
care of you.

QUARK
The Orion Syndicate?! Oh Treir,
there are so many things wrong
with that plan...

TREIR
I know they’re not the most
trustworthy people, but –

QUARK
Plus they hate me, plus they want
to make you a slave –

TREIR
I know all that. But you stood up
for me when I needed it. I wanna
return the favour.

QUARK
Treir... I appreciate the offer. Really.
But no. I am not going to the Orion
Syndicate. You are not breaking me
out of here. And you are certainly not
seducing Major Cenn to do it. He’s a
good guy, he doesn’t deserve that.

TREIR
You don’t have to be a martyr,
Quark. You’ve got people out there
right now fighting for you.

QUARK
(touched)
Really? That’s sweet.

TREIR
And you’ve also got three Ferengi
Marauders coming in with their
weapons charged any minute now.

QUARK
I’m not running, Treir. I did this,
and now I’m going to face the
consequences.

Quark sits back in his cell, resolute.

18 EXT. DEEP SPACE NINE

One at a time, three Ferengi Marauder vessels drop out of warp and approach the station.

CENN (v.o.)
(shaky)
First Officer’s log, Major Cenn
Desca reporting. The Ferengi
cruisers Kreechta, Togram and
Flibb’s Folly have just arrived.

The three ships take up positions surrounding the station in an unambiguously threatening posture.

CENN (v.o., cont)
This has gone so much further than
I expected. If we end up going to
war over this... I don’t know what
I’m supposed to do here.

19 INT. DS9 – WARD ROOM

The doors open and DAIMON GROB (last seen on screen in 10x08 “Property Values”) struts proudly in. The diminutive Ferengi holds himself tall as he can, wearing a fur-lined uniform as in early TNG, energy-whip coiled at his side.

Out in the corridor, two armed Ferengi security officers cringe at the dark architecture and suspiciously eye the two Starfleet security also standing there. The door closes on them, and Ro, Kira, Cenn and Ledahn rise to greet him.

RO
Daimon Grob, welcome to Deep Space
Nine. Allow me to present Second
Minister Ledahn, Novice Kira –

GROB
Where is the ambassador?

CENN
(tense)
He’s being held for questioning.
If you’d like to see him, that can
be arranged.

GROB
I would like to see him freed. I
have orders from the Grand Nagus
himself to ensure the ambassador’s
freedom... or else.

RO
Let me be clear about something,
Daimon. Threats are not going to
work. You don’t scare me.

GROB
I’m wearing fur, aren’t I? Of
course you’re scared of me! And
I will not be talked down to by
clothed females.

RO
One more comment like that, and
you’ll be wearing your fur on the
inside, Daimon.

Kira and Ledahn smirk. Cenn gulps nervously.

RO
Now if you’ll take a seat, I’m
prepared to talk about this. But
if you’re just going to bluster,
we can leave right now.

Grob seethes quietly to himself... but begrudgingly sits down. Ro, Cenn, Kira and Ledahn do the same.

20 INT. DS9 – QUARK’S BAR

Nog is sat at the bar, eating his lunch, as business goes on around him. The atmosphere is quiet, as they all discuss recent events in hushed, worried tones.

Treir steps up to Nog from her place behind the bar.

TREIR
I’m disappointed in you, Nog.

NOG
(surprised)
Why, what did I do?

TREIR
You abandoned your family. People
who’ve never even met him are
fighting to defend his name, and
you haven’t even been to see him.

NOG
Treir, this really isn’t any of your
business.

TREIR
You know what I don’t understand?
How come I, who have done nothing
but fight with the son of a slorg
since the day I got here, am the only
one who seems to give a damn.

NOG
You think I don’t care? I care a lot.
I’m embarrassed. I’m ashamed of
him. I don’t wanna see him. I don’t
wanna talk to him. He disgusts me.

Nog throws down his fork onto the plate, leaving his food half finished. Then he stands, turns and stomps across the bar and out onto the Promenade.

21 INT. DS9 – PROMENADE (CONTINUOUS)

Exiting the bar, Nog catches sight of the security office doors. He pauses, torn by indecision. What will he do?

22 INT. DS9 – SECURITY OFFICE

Evik returns from the cells, stopping in surprise to find Nog standing in the office, watching his uncle on screen.

EVIK
Plucking up the courage?

NOG
Trying not to reach for a phaser.

Evik steps aside; with a nod, Nog walks past to the cells.

23 INT. DS9 – SECURITY CELLS

Nog enters the cells area, seeing Quark sat across from him. Quark looks up, smiles in muted relief. But Nog has nothing but scorn for him.

NOG
I always knew you were a criminal.

QUARK
Nice to know I’m appreciated.

NOG
How much did you get paid, uncle?
How much money does it take for
you to spit on the organisation
I’ve dedicated my life to? On the
people who’ve protected you, who
let you get away with all your little
schemes over the years? Huh?
How much, uncle, to send an
entire planet’s society to hell?

QUARK
(chuckle)
At least you’ve inherited my flair
for the dramatic, if nothing else.
I’m surprised at you, Nog. You’re
the one who always says money
isn’t everything.

NOG
And I believe that. But you –

QUARK
Then you should be happy! I’ve
finally lived up to all your hopes
and dreams. I didn’t take a single
slip of latinum for this. Not one.

NOG
I don’t believe you.

QUARK
Check my accounts if you want. I
have nothing to hide. I received
the information, I read through
it, I decided that the public had
a right to know that the people
charged with protecting them are
actually putting them in danger,
so I passed it on. Simple as that.

NOG
Who gave you the information?

QUARK
Okay, I guess I do have one thing
to hide. You know a businessman
never reveals his contacts.

NOG
He does if you pay him enough.

QUARK
We already established it’s not
about the money. I’m not getting
any reward for this, Nog. Actually
I’m making a substantial loss. I
stand to lose my business, my
reputation, even my freedom. But
you know what? It was worth it.

Nog is dumbfounded. This is so unlike Quark, and yet it seems to be true. Nog doesn’t know what to believe...

24 ON SCREEN

A small personal screen. It shows the NEWS FEED, where Bajoran civilians continue to riot in the streets. Militia and Starfleet officers work together to control them.

TIANA (v.o.)
The Vedek Assembly has come out
in support of Ambassador Quark,
calling him “a scapegoat and the
victim of a monstrous miscarriage
of justice”.

25 INT. DS9 – CENN’S QUARTERS

Now we see that Cenn is watching, in the dark, alone in his quarters. He looks absolutely stricken, horrified.

TIANA (screen)
The First Minister’s office has
said they will make a complete
review of the evidence against
the ambassador before deciding
how to proceed.

Cenn turns away from the screen and rushes to his bathroom.

We stay with Cenn; Tiana’s voiceover continues over the background sounds of rioting Bajorans.

TIANA (v.o.)
General Lenaris has admitted that
he was aware of the existence of
the Ascendant vessel, but was
under instructions from Starfleet
not to reveal it. And Commander Ro
of Deep Space Nine has refused to
comment, despite several requests.

In his bathroom, Cenn lurches to the sink and VOMITS hard, belly twisting and skin sweating. He retches and coughs, wracked with sobs of revulsion. Stay on him. No flinching.

TIANA (v.o.)
Meanwhile, the protests continue.
And while Militia and Starfleet are
ostensibly working together to
quell them, there are unconfirmed
reports that Militia are in fact
turning on Starfleet, blaming them
for having caused this crisis.

Cenn drags himself upright and stares in the mirror. He looks awful – sweating, dark circles, hair unkempt.

TIANA (v.o.)
Dozens of injuries have been
reported, and there are rumours of
at least one death in the fighting
outside the Starfleet recruitment
offices in Musilla province...

Off Cenn’s stricken face in the mirror...

FADE OUT:

END OF ACT THREE