ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

26 INT. DS9 – COMMANDER’S OFFICE

Appearing on Ro’s desk screen is the one and only Admiral JANEWAY. Ro sits in the command chair, on edge but forced to control it in front of her superior officer.

JANEWAY (screen)
You’re risking a major diplomatic
incident with this, Commander. You
cannot imprison a duly appointed
envoy from a foreign state.

RO
I understand the rules, Admiral.
But the ambassador is our only
lead in a major security breach.
We need answers, and he’s the
only one who can give them to us.

JANEWAY (screen)
I do appreciate your frustration.
But you’ll have to find another
way. Starfleet is coming under
enormous pressure from the Ferengi
to resolve this – now. I’m going
to have to order you to release
the ambassador. He is to be freed
and back on sovereign Ferengi soil
within the hour. Understood?

RO
Understood, admiral.

JANEWAY (screen)
Good. Command out.

Ro’s screen returns to the standard Federation banner. Ro hisses in frustration. Then she looks up as the doors open – Novice Kira is entering.

RO
Oh, goodie. I was just looking for
someone else to yell at me.

KIRA
I haven’t come to yell, Laren. But
I do have to wonder what the hell
you think you’re doing.

RO
Look, Nerys – you’ve said it many
times. This isn’t your problem
anymore. So just let me handle
it my own way, will you?

KIRA
You’re right, I have no control
over what you do. But I can try
to make you see sense.

RO
Really? Are you seriously telling
me you wouldn’t have come down
on Quark like a ton of bricks if he’d
done this when you were in charge?

KIRA
Probably. But then Sisko or Vaughn
or somebody would have come down
on me like a ton of bricks, and I’d
have realised it was wrong.

RO
Oh, don’t talk to me about Vaughn.
This is all his fault. He got me into
this mess.

KIRA
Maybe. But you’re the one who’s
gotta get out of it.

RO
Exactly – me. Not you, not Vaughn,
not the politicians, not some admiral
at Starfleet Command, not some
sexist pig Ferengi captain. Me. So
let me do what I need to do, and
this’ll all be over.

Ro gets up and stomps out of the office, leaving Kira.

27 INT. DS9 – SECURITY CELLS

Ro walks into the cells area, Cenn and Evik close behind. Quark looks up in confusion – this feels like development.

RO
Mister Evik. I have been ordered
by Starfleet Command to release
the ambassador within the hour.

EVIK
Understood, Commander.

RO
An hour gives me just enough time
to ask a few last questions. Make
sure no-one interrupts us, please.

Evik hesitates. Ro gives him a stern look.

RO
That’s an order, Commander.

EVIK
Aye, sir.

Exchanging a frown with Cenn, Evik retreats back to the security office. Cenn looks no better than he did before. Staring Quark down, Ro doesn’t blink.

RO
Computer, disengage security
and life-sign sensors within cell
block one, and restrict access.
Authorisation Ro Laren, commanding
officer, seven-J-four-two-red.

COMPUTER
Authorisation confirmed. Sensors
disengaged, access restricted.

CENN
Commander, what are you –

RO
Mister Cenn, please release the
ambassador from his cell.

Confused, Cenn moves slowly to do as he’s told. He presses the controls, and the forcefield drops. Meanwhile, Ro grabs a chair, places it in the centre of the room, then moves to a locker on the wall. Quark stands, getting worried.

QUARK
Are you actually going to do this,
Laren? To me?

RO
You’ve given me no choice, Quark.

CENN
Why, what are you –

QUARK
Come on, Major. You’re a Bajoran.
Don’t you recognise a Cardassian
torture chamber when you see one?

CENN
W-w-what? No, Commander, you –

RO
I need to know who your contact
was, Quark. It’s a matter of
national security. Take a seat.

QUARK
Make me.

RO
If you insist. Major, please bring
Quark to the chair.

CENN
But, sir –

RO
Do it.

Hardly able to believe what’s happening, Cenn moves in a daze to grab Quark by the arm. Quark struggles. Cenn weakens. But at a renewed glare from Ro, he grabs Quark again and drags him to the chair in the middle of the room.

Cenn forces Quark into the seat, then stands back. Quark is starting to get genuinely worried now. Ro steps forward.

RO
Thank you, Major. Good to know I
can depend on someone.

Cenn blanches in horror. Ro brings out a set of Starfleet handcuffs, moves behind Quark and locks them around his wrists behind the chair.

QUARK
Okay, Laren. Ha ha. The joke’s gone
far enough now.

RO
(stone faced)
Witness my laughter, Quark.

Ro moves back to the locker and begins picking through its contents. Cenn watches, beginning to sweat. Quark struggles against his bonds.

QUARK
Laren... if you do this, you’re
going to have to live with
yourself afterwards.

RO
I already live with worse.

Ro turns around, holding two hyposprays and walks ominously back towards Quark.

RO
Now. Here’s a little trick they
don’t teach you at the academy.
But hiding in caves, fighting
Cardassians and Jem’Hadar, you
learn a thing or two. One hypo of
morphenolog, standard painkiller,
no side effects. But one hypo of
morphenelog plus one hypo of
dalaphaline – what a fascinating
combination.

Quark struggles again against his handcuffs. Cenn seems rooted to the spot.

QUARK
Don’t you dare do this.

RO
Who gave you the information,
Quark? I need to know.

QUARK
You behave like this, I’m not
telling you anything ever again.

RO
I’m not kidding, Quark. Once these
drugs get into your system, you’ll
feel like you’re burning alive from
the inside out. You’ll beg to tell
me everything you know.

QUARK
Major, do something!

RO
As you were, Major. You can make
this all stop right now, Quark, if
you just tell me who your contact
was. Who gave you the information.

QUARK
You don’t deserve to know!

With shocking suddenness, Ro PUNCHES Quark across the face. Quark SHOUTS in pain; Cenn YELPS in surprise.

CENN
Commander, you have to stop –

RO
He betrayed me, Major! He betrayed
all of us... but especially me.

CENN
But that’s no reason to do this.

QUARK
(desperate)
Yes! No reason! No reason at all!
Laren, look, let’s talk about this,
come to some arrangement.

RO
No arrangements, Quark. I’ve made
my last arrangement with you. Now
tell me who your contact was, or
I’ll make you tell me.

Quark begins to SQUEAL at the top of his voice, that supremely irritating sound only a Ferengi can manage.

QUARK
Heeeelp! Heeeelp! Heeeelp!

Ro PUNCHES him again, and he stops shrieking, starts crying and moaning instead, his face swelling and bruised.

RO
Shut up! I only want to hear one
thing from you Quark, and that’s
a name. Tell me now.

QUARK
I don’t know!

RO
I don’t believe you.

QUARK
It’s true, I don’t know!

RO
Fine. You wanna do this the hard
way, that’s fine with me.

Ro lifts the hyposprays. Cenn surges forwards, grabs Ro, tries to pull her away.

CENN
Commander, no!

Ro SHOVES Cenn away – he staggers back across the room.

QUARK
I don’t know who it was! They
never told me their name! It was
anonymous! It just appeared on
my comm system one day!

RO
Don’t lie to me, Quark.

QUARK
I’m not lying! I can’t tell you
because I don’t know!

CENN
Stop it! Stop it!

RO
Tell me their name, Quark.

CENN
It was me!

Ro stops, turns to Cenn. Cenn is collapsed against the wall half in tears, face ashen, looking like death. He looks back at Ro and Quark, both staring at him in confusion.

CENN
It was me, alright? It was me!

RO
What was you?

CENN
I’m Quark’s contact. I’m the one
who gave him the information about
the Ascendant ship... It was me.

As Ro gawps in amazement, Cenn crumples against the wall...

FADE OUT:

END OF ACT FOUR