ACT THREE

FADE IN

17 EXT. SPACE

The Trager and the Ashell - but focusing on the Defiant. 

18 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE

The door opens and Ro steps back onto the bridge, somewhat preoccupied. Bowers shoots to his feet from the chair. 

BOWERS
Captain on the bridge. 

The declaration startles Ro out of her doldrums. Tenmei is still at helm, but the other stations are filled by extras. 

RO
Did I miss anything exciting? 

BOWERS
The Trager’s weapons remain
powered down, Commander.
Macet is keeping his word, so far. 

Ro settles into the vacated seat - Bowers remains standing. 

RO
I never thought he wouldn’t.
Anything else? 

BOWERS
Sensors detected more Cardassian
warships at the limits of our range.
They’re staying there, not getting
any closer. Yet. 

RO
(figures it out)
Macet’s under pressure from the
Castellan to keep this situation
under control. She probably sent
those other ships to make sure
he behaves himself.

BOWERS
That was my conclusion as well,
sir. I’ve maintained yellow alert. 

RO
Alright, thank you, Lieutenant. 

BOWERS
Sir. 

Ro sits, pondering. Tenmei turns, notices her state. 

TENMEI
Everything alright, Commander? 

RO
I... think so. Not really sure. 
(off Tenmei’s 
questioning look)
What do you do when someone does
something you don’t like, and you
didn’t know you wouldn’t like it
until they did it. And you don’t
have any good reason to tell them
not to do it, you promised you
wouldn’t. But you really want to,
even though you know you
shouldn’t want to... but you do.

TENMEI
...Are we still talking about the
Cardassians? 
(off Ro’s 
bashful look)
We’re not, are we? Ooh, spill it.
What’s going on? 

BOWERS
Lieutenant Tenmei. That kind of
talk is not appropriate to your
commanding officer.

RO
(half-hearted)
It’s okay. I started it.

Yes, Bowers knows that. And it annoys him greatly. But he can’t exactly say that, can he? Ro gets up, half-sits against the helm console, all chummy with Tenmei. 

RO
Normally when I have a problem,
I talk to Quark. But this problem
is about Quark. He’s here, with
Natima Lang - his ex-girlfriend.

TENMEI
And that makes you... jealous? 

RO
It shouldn’t. I’m the one who
wanted to keep it casual with
Quark, friends with no strings.

TENMEI
Have you told him how you feel? 

RO
I didn’t know I felt anything
until about half an hour ago. 

TENMEI
Begging you pardon, Commander...
but I don’t think that’s how it
works. People have noticed... 

RO
...noticed what? 

Bowers has had enough. He stands and approaches Ro. 

BOWERS
Commander. Could I confer with you
in private for a moment, please?

RO
(shrug)
Sure, I guess. 

Ro gets up and walks to the exit. Bowers follows. Tenmei returns to the helm. They reach the door... 

19 INT. DEFIANT - CORRIDOR

They step out into the Defiant’s corridor. Bowers stands at attention. Ro is much more casual. 

RO
What’s up? 

BOWERS
Commander, I must reiterate that
I do not believe it is appropriate
for a commanding officer to have
these personal conversations on
the bridge. Especially when in
a potential combat situation.

RO
(sigh)
You know what? You’re right. This
whole thing with Quark is a stupid
distraction. I have to figure out
what I’m gonna do about Macet. 

She’s still missing his point, but at least the result is what he wanted. He relaxes a bit, back on familiar ground. 

BOWERS
Tactically speaking, we are the
superior vessel. Politically speaking,
we are very much at a disadvantage.
Once humanitarian aid is rendered,
it is against regulations for us to
interfere in an internal Cardassian
matter.

RO
No. I don’t accept that. They
asked for our help. 

TENMEI (comm)
Commander Ro to the bridge! 

The alarm in Tenmei’s voice is clear. Ro immediately re-enters the bridge, Bowers on her heels. 

20 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE

Prynn glances over her shoulder as they approach.

TENMEI
Those other Cardassian warships
that you said weren’t moving? 

BOWERS
Yes, Lieutenant? 

TENMEI
They’re moving now. 

RO
How long till they get here? 

TENMEI
Less than an hour. 

Ro considers her options for a moment. They’re not good. 

RO 
I have to talk to Quark. 

And she turns and leaves the bridge. Bowers watches her go, astonished and more than a little angry. 

21 EXT. SPACE

Focusing on the battered and defenceless freighter Ashell. 

22 INT. CARDASSIAN FREIGHTER - CARGO BAY

Nog has his hands inside a wall panel, fixing the various doodads within. Quark stands nearby, leaning against the wall, ostensibly helping but really woolgathering. 

QUARK
You know... Natima’s right about
me. I do fall for strong women.
I blame Moogie. She twisted me.

NOG
I told you that two years ago.
Pass me that flux coupler. 

Quark grabs a gadget and absent-mindedly hands it to Nog, who continues working. 

NOG
There’s a hew-mon psychological
theory that says that the reason
you go after women who remind you
of your mother is that you really
want to sleep with your mother. 

QUARK
That’s disgusting! Why would you
say something like that? 

NOG
I didn’t, the hew-mons did.

QUARK
Yeah, well they’re twisted too.

NOG
What are you doing here, uncle? 

QUARK
What are you blithering on about
now? I’m helping get the food to
the colonists. I’m passing you a
flux coupler. 

NOG
Not that. What are you doing with
Natima?

QUARK
I’m not doing anything with her.
We’re catching up, it’s called
being friends.

NOG
You weren’t catching up. You were
flirting. It was obvious to anyone
- including Commander Ro. Pass
me the coil spanner now. 

Quark grabs another gadget, hands it to Nog. 

QUARK
So what if I was flirting? I’m a
free man. Ro told me to my face I
could flirt with whoever I wanted
to. We’re not a couple, she said. 

NOG
Are you really so dense? Flirting
with your ex-girlfriend, a woman
you called the love of your life
for all of a month, is not like
flirting with a dabo girl or some
random bar customer. And nobody
says what they really mean. Isn’t
that the Thirty-Ninth Rule?

QUARK
“Never tell your customers more
than they need to know.” You’re
right. So... you think Laren is
upset about me and Natima? But...
she said we were just friends.
(quibble)
Friends who have sex. 

NOG
Yeah well, maybe she changed her
mind. 

QUARK
In the last hour? 

NOG
All I know is the look I saw on her
face when you were being all cute
and coupley with Natima.

QUARK
But I don’t want to hurt Laren. 

NOG
Because you care about her. 

QUARK
Of course I do. 

NOG
Then why were you flirting with
Natima? 

QUARK
Because... nnngggaaahhh!!! Why is
this so complicated?

NOG
Now you know why I’ve never even
had a girlfriend, never mind an
ex-girlfriend. 

Nog steps back from the panel, satisfied with his work. 

RO (o.s.)
Quark! 

Quark spins, instantly worried as Ro strides into the cargo bay with a purpose. 

QUARK
I wasn’t doing anything! 

RO
And I wasn’t accusing you of
anything. But I must say your
innocence was very convincing.
Where’s Natima? 

QUARK
How should I know?

RO
I need to talk to her. I need
to talk to both of you. 

Quark turns to look at Nog. Nog encourages him to talk about it. Quark turns back, nervous and a bit scared... 

QUARK
Look, Laren... I’m sorry about
flirting with Natima. I don’t want
you to get the wrong idea about
the two of us - 

RO
Quark, I told you I don’t care
about you and Natima. We’ve got
bigger problems right now. The
Cardassians are coming. 

QUARK
(be careful; she 
might be insane)
The Cardassians are already here.
We’re on a Cardassian ship.

RO
(exasperated)
Not those Cardassians. The other
Cardassians. The ones who are
much more likely to shoot you.
That’s why I need to talk to you
and Natima - now. 

QUARK
What do you want to know?

RO
How exactly you broke the law
to get that food for the colonists. 

QUARK
(warily)
...Why?

RO
(grin)
Because I wanna break some
laws too. 

FADE OUT

END OF ACT THREE