ACT FOUR

FADE IN

6 INT. DS9 - RO’S QUARTERS

Picking up where we left it - with Cenn’s unexpected declaration and everyone’s silent amazement.

RO
Desca... I never knew... 

CENN
No-one did.
(as if just 
realising)
Almost twelve years... and I never
even let myself say their names.
I couldn’t bear it. 

Everyone in the room is suitably gentle and sensitive - even Candlewood knows to be quiet. 

EVIK
(softly)
What were their names? Say them.
Remember them. 

CENN
(tearful smile)
Lesedi. That’s my wife. And my
daughter was...
(sniffle)
...Tamani. 

RO
Jo’kalan for “precious”. 
(Cenn nods)
You don’t have to... 

CENN
I’ve come this far. Maybe it’s time.
We’d been married two years.
Lived in that same tiny village in
Jo’kala all our lives. We were of
no interest to anyone. 

RO
You mean, to... 

CENN
To the Cardassians. We were so far
from the cities, had no particular
resources they were interested in.
It was almost like we didn’t exist
to them. But we still knew they
were there. 
(beat)
I heard rumours some others in
the village had run off to join the
Resistance. I only ever wanted to
slice off a little piece of this horrible
world and raise a family in safety.
If I kept my head down, didn’t
bother anybody, made jumja
soufflés just for the three of
us... we could get through it.

NOG
What happened? 

CENN
We heard stories the Cardassians
had been packing up their things.
Like they were getting ready to
leave. I didn’t believe it. They’d
been here all my life, I saw no
reason they wouldn’t always be
here. So I just carried on.
(beat)
And then one day, there they were.
A whole garrison of Cardassian
soldiers... They laughed about how
they were going back to Terok Nor
and then off this stinking dirt ball
of a planet... but they were going
to have as much fun as they
could before they left.

TENMEI
Oh my god... 

CENN
They burned everything. Lesedi
tried to fight them... so they pinned
me down and made me watch while
they split her open with a knife and
set our house on fire with Tamani
still inside it. And then they left...
still laughing. I’d done nothing. Not
for them, not against them. And
they still came and destroyed my
life anyway... because they could.
(beat)
So I just sat there. There was
no-one to fight. They’d gone
already. Nothing I could do but...
try to grasp what had happened
and figure out what the hell I was
supposed to do next. And then
two weeks later, somebody said
Starfleet was here to help. And
I thought... what use is that?

CANDLEWOOD
I guess that explains why you
resented Starfleet so much. 

Prynn silently rolls her eyes at Candlewood breaking the spell, but Cenn carries on... 

CENN
Not resented so much as just...
Why couldn’t you have come two
weeks sooner and actually made a
difference? Oh I know, you helped
thousands, millions of Bajorans
put their lives back together...
But not me. Somehow all that
Federation generosity never made
it to my little village any more
than the Cardassians did.

RO
Oh Desca... I’m so sorry. 

Through the tears, Cenn takes another mouthful of soufflé. 

MATTHIAS
If I may, Major... Desca... I think
maybe you must have felt like it
was time to talk about it at last...
or else you wouldn’t have made
the soufflé.

CANDLEWOOD
Can I say something?

TENMEI
John... 

CENN
No, that’s okay. What is it, John? 

CANDLEWOOD
Tonight, we’ve all revealed parts
of ourselves nobody’s ever seen. 
(closes eyes)
That sounded wrong. What I mean
is, we’ve talked about our own
problems. Our own insecurities,
our own tragic pasts. We’ve all
got them. 

TENMEI
(face palm)
John, please stop... 

CANDLEWOOD
No, wait. I’m not saying that to
diminish what you went through,
Desca. I can’t even imagine. I’m
just saying that we’ve all been
through things, and that means
we all understand. You can talk
to any one of us, and we’ll all
know what you’re talking about. 

RO
He’s right, Desca. We’re all here
for you, if you need help. You’re
not on your own. 

CANDLEWOOD
And the soufflé really is great. 

A tiny joke to break the tension... and it works. 

CENN
Thanks, John. Thank you all. I
appreciate the support. 

QUARK
Alright. Now, does anyone need
another drink? 

Quark gets up to head back to the drinks station. Nog and Evik follow to help out. 

Matthias gives Ro a silent look. Ro nods and stands up - Matthias takes her place. Ro instead goes to sit by Bashir.

Meanwhile Tenmei comes to sit next to Candlewood, forcing him to budge up on the couch. 

CANDLEWOOD
Prynn, have I done something to
upset you lately? 

TENMEI
No more than you normally do. 

CANDLEWOOD
See, right there. You’ve been
taking pot shots at me all night.
Shutting me down every time
I’ve tried to say anything. 

TENMEI
Just wanted somebody else to
get a word in edgeways. 
(off his look)
I’m only joking, John. 

CANDLEWOOD
Are you, really? Because after a
while I’m not sure I can tell the
difference anymore.

TENMEI
Oh, so you’re allowed to say
funny things but I’m not?

CANDLEWOOD
At least I’m not malicious with
it. I say stupid stuff because I’m
stupid, not because I’m cruel.

TENMEI
(deflating)
You’re not stupid, John. Yes, you
may be “awkward and annoying.” But
we love you that way. And I’m not
being cruel - or at least I’m not
trying to be. I’m just playing. 
(beat)
In fact, here goes. My thing I’ve
never said out loud. You are my
best friend, John. You and Nog
both - there’s nobody I enjoy
spending time with more. I think
we make a hell of a team, and I
wouldn’t change either of you.

CANDLEWOOD
Then maybe you could cut back on
the witty barbs aimed directly at
all my biggest buttons and just be
nice to me every once in a while?

TENMEI
Ugh - fine. If I must. 

CANDLEWOOD
You must. 
(beat)
Love you too. 

They smile shyly, and then Tenmei looks across the room to where Nog is chatting with Quark and Evik. 

TENMEI
(calls out)
Nog...

NOG
What? 

TENMEI / CANDLEWOOD
(sing-song)
We loooove youuu! 

Nog smiles awkwardly, quietly horrified and embarrassed. It’s clear that his friends are a bit drunk at this point.

NOG
That’s great, thanks. 

TENMEI / CANDLEWOOD
(louder)
We loooooooove yoooouuu!!! 

As if of the same mind, they get up and dash across the room, chasing Nog with giggles and air-kisses, while he runs in horror. Ro and Bashir watch, amused. 

BASHIR
Children. 

RO
That’s exactly what I was saying! 

BASHIR
It’s strange... when I first came
aboard this station, I was that
age. When did I stop being the
green, untested baby of the crew
and become the elder statesman?

RO
I know what you mean. How did the
rebellious troublemaker end up as a
respectable commander in charge
of other rebellious troublemakers? 

They both look wistfully across the room at the play-fighting junior officers, almost wrestling as they try to pepper Nog with kisses and he bats them away in disgust, while an annoyed Quark just tries to make sure his bottles don’t get knocked over. 

BASHIR
I kind of miss that innocence. 

RO
The youthful exuberance of those
who haven’t yet been beaten up by
the universe a few dozen times and
been ground down by unescapable
reality, you mean? Yeah.

BASHIR
Here’s to being the grumpy and
cynical elder statesmen. 

RO
Cheers. 

They chink their glasses together. Ro looks around the room, everyone chatting happily or at least content. Quark and Evik. Tenmei, Nog and Candlewood. Cenn and Matthias. And herself and Bashir. She smiles. 

BASHIR
What? 

RO
Just that... I think it worked. 

Off Ro’s proud smile... 

FADE OUT

END OF ACT FOUR