ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

23 INT. B’HALA CAVES – BANTACA CHAMBER

Sisko stands atop his own platform at B’Hala, pouring his own oil into the channel, setting the brazier alight. The crowd here CHEERS and APPLAUDS as well.

SISKO
Thank you all for being here. It
means a lot to me, and to the
memory of Prylar Eivos. In his
name, I place the first renewal
scroll into the fire, so that we
may all start anew.

He looks across the crowd, where Kasidy stands in the front line, Rebecca secure in front of her. He makes eye contact, smiles hopefully. She smiles back. She gets it. He lowers the scroll into the fire, and the crowd APPLAUDS again.

The ceremony done, Sisko steps down from the platform and returns to stand with Kasidy.

KASIDY
That was nice, what you said.
About a new start.

SISKO
I meant it.

KASIDY
I know. Rebecca – do you want to
place your scroll into the fire?

REBECCA
Okay, mommy. I wrote that –

SISKO
Oh no no no – you can’t tell us
what you wrote.

REBECCA
Why not?

KASIDY
Your wish might not come true.

SISKO
Besides, once the scroll is all
burned up, whatever it is won’t
matter anymore. It’ll be gone.

KASIDY
That’s right.

Rebecca doesn’t catch the subtext. She just drags Kasidy by the hand towards the brazier, holding out her scroll.

KASIDY
Carefully, carefully!

On the other side of the platform, Raiq stands gazing into the flames. The party going on around her. Kira sidles up.

KIRA
You okay?

RAIQ
This... is much as the Ascendants
meditate. Over the flames.

KIRA
I remember.

RAIQ
The flames represent the power of
the True. It burns out all heresy,
until only the truth is left.

KIRA
It’s exactly the same for us. You
burn away what doesn’t matter,
till all you’re left with is what does.
You see? We’re not so different.

Raiq doesn’t want to hear it. She looks across the chamber, sees Luka. The one who told her to stick to her beliefs.

RAIQ
No! I will not accept this!

People nearby turn and stare, having overheard. She sneers back at them, raising a hand. It bursts into FLAMES.

RAIQ
We are not alike. You are heretics!
All of you!

She holds her flaming hand out in front of her, using it to force a path through the crowd. She stalks away in a fury.

Kira watches her go. Then turns to look across the brazier at Sisko, who has seen the whole thing. They share a look of worry. Is Raiq going to snap?

CUT from the flaming brazier at B’Hala...

24 INT. DS9 – PROMENADE, LOWER LEVEL

...to the flaming brazier on Deep Space Nine. Candlewood is holding his crumpled scroll towards the fire. He hesitates a moment... then drops it in. It burns to ashes.

HETIK (o.s.)
Can I ask what was on it?

Candlewood turns and sees that Hetik has crept up on him. His breath catches as he looks up into the warm brown eyes.

CANDLEWOOD
Oh, just... stuff.

HETIK
Do you have anything like this
on Earth?

CANDLEWOOD
Everybody’s got their festivals.
We have one called Yom Kippur -
“day of atonement.” It’s supposed
to be a new start, like this.
Repenting of your sins so you
can start fresh.

HETIK
Well... happy Yom Kippur then.

CANDLEWOOD
Tzom Kal. That’s what we say. But
thanks. And... I hope you and
Kovacs are very happy together.

HETIK
...What?

CANDLEWOOD
Daniel Kovacs. I hope you’re happy.
Really. I mean it.

HETIK
Why would I be happy with Daniel
Kovacs?

CANDLEWOOD
Hetik, I saw you. This morning.
You naked, him leaving your
room, first thing in the morning...

HETIK
Daniel Kovacs is married, John.

CANDLEWOOD
You slept with a married man?

HETIK
No! I didn’t sleep with anyone.

CANDLEWOOD
Then why was he in your quarters?

HETIK
Fixing my shower! My shower wasn’t
working and he’s an engineer.

CANDLEWOOD
That’s why you were in a towel.
Oh thank God.

HETIK
But why were you outside my
room first thing in the morning?

Oh crap. Candlewood is caught out...

25 INT. DS9 – QUARK’S BAR, LOWER LEVEL

Ro and Quark at a table, LAUGHING their guts out together. They’ve both had a bit to drink, and are distinctly merry.

RO
You did not!

QUARK
And after he promised to look
the other way on the Tzenkethi
imports, I told him exactly why
the Cardassians were here. It’s
hardly my fault if Vaughn was just
about to tell him the whole thing
ten minutes later anyway.

RO
You are so mean! I wish I could
have seen his face.

Quark pulls a funny face. They laugh again.

RO
Thanks for this, Quark. We needed
this, all of us. And it worked.

QUARK
You’re very welcome.

RO
I just don’t know what we do now.
You did something horrible to me,
I did something horrible to you...

QUARK
You always hurt the ones you love.

RO
That cannot possibly be a Rule of
Acquisition.

QUARK
Oh, like you haven’t broken a
few rules in your time.

They smile again together, conspirators in rule-breaking.

26 INT. DS9 – PROMENADE, LOWER LEVEL

Candlewood and Hetik are now sat together at a table out on the Promenade, specially set up for the festival.

HETIK
You broke up with me, John.

CANDLEWOOD
I know. To save myself, I guess.
Because I didn’t see how you could
possibly love me. I mean, why
would you? Look at you.

HETIK
Of course I loved you. Didn’t the
fact that we dated for months,
that we slept together, that I
didn’t break up with you... didn’t
that make it obvious enough?

CANDLEWOOD
See, when you say it, it makes
sense. But my self-esteem didn’t
allow me to hear that.

HETIK
So instead you told me you didn’t
love me. How is my self-esteem
meant to respond to that?

CANDLEWOOD
Wait... you loved me?

HETIK
That’s a surprise to you?

CANDLEWOOD
People don’t usually love me. Like
me, maybe. Think I’m funny. But
love seems to be asking too much.

HETIK
I really wish you wouldn’t put
yourself down like that. You are
funny. You’re also cute, smart,
spiritual, brave, cute...

CANDLEWOOD
You said that already.

HETIK
Just trying to drill it into your
thick skull. Yes, I was pretty mad
at you for a while there, but once
that wore off...

CANDLEWOOD
You still love me? Then why the
hell didn’t you say anything?!

HETIK
I’ve been trying to talk to you for
months! Congratulating you on
your promotion, complimenting you
on your outfit... And every time
you’ve turned and walked away.

CANDLEWOOD
So the constant sweating, the
staring forlornly from across the
room, the total inability to form
sentences when you’re around...

HETIK
Was I supposed to interpret that
as you being interested? Because
where I come from, not talking to
somebody is a sign that you’re
not interested. And that staring
thing is creepy, by the way.

CANDLEWOOD
I know. Sorry. I guess it’s a
cultural thing, but with humans,
all of that just means we’re
nervous. And very interested.

HETIK
(chuckle)
So we could have asked each other
out again months ago? Or still
been together to start with? Wish
we’d talked like this earlier.

CANDLEWOOD
I’m not the best at talking when
there’s an unbearably beautiful
man in front of me.

Hetik rolls his eyes at the over-the-top compliment.

HETIK
You know, we never did complete
the Rite of Separation.

CANDLEWOOD
That’s right, we didn’t.

HETIK
Which means that, by a strict
interpretation of Bajoran
tradition, our relationship
never actually ended.

CANDLEWOOD
(gestures around)
Well, we are at a traditional
Bajoran festival. It would be
inappropriate not to observe
a strict interpretation of your
traditional rites.

HETIK
I would take it as a deep and
personal insult if you didn’t.

Pause. Candlewood frowns, processing it all.

CANDLEWOOD
Wait, what just happened? Did we
just get back together?

HETIK
Is that what you want?

CANDLEWOOD
Yes. Holy Lord, yes. Do you?

Hetik takes a bit longer to answer – long enough that Candlewood starts to worry.

HETIK
Only if you let it happen. Stop
putting yourself down so much.

CANDLEWOOD
I’ll work on it.

Candlewood reaches out to shake Hetik’s hand, like a formal business agreement. Hetik takes it... and then holds it longer. They keep hold, and we PAN up to...

27 INT. DS9 – PROMENADE, UPPER LEVEL (CONTINUOUS)

Prynn and Nog sit together at another table, looking over the balcony’s edge and down towards Candlewood and Hetik. Seeing them holding hands, Prynn points for Nog’s benefit.

PRYNN
See? Told you.

She holds her hand out to him; reluctantly, Nog digs in his pocket and hands over a couple of slips of latinum to her.

PRYNN
Thanks. I may have no romantic
life of my own whatsoever, but
I can still spot it in others.
(beat)
What? Not jealous, are you?

NOG
Not like that. Just... they look
so happy. I’ve never had that.

PRYNN
(realising)
Nog, when you said you never had
a girlfriend, did you mean...?

Nog’s furious blush makes it clear she’s hit a nerve.

PRYNN
It’s nothing to be ashamed of.

NOG
I’m not ashamed.

PRYNN
Liar. Do you want me to help?

Nog’s face is a comical mixture of amazed and horrified.

PRYNN
Not like that. But maybe I could
set you up...?

NOG
Don’t even think about it. I’m not
having you paying someone to
take my virginity.

PRYNN
Nobody said a thing about paying!
But there’s gotta be some girl on
this station with her eye on you.

NOG
There isn’t.

PRYNN
Okay, a new mission. I got my dad
together with Opaka, I got John
together with Hetik, I’ll find some
one for you too. Trust me, Nog.
I am the Goddess of Romance.

Prynn rubs her hands together gleefully. Nog looks on, suddenly very worried...

FADE OUT:

END OF ACT FOUR