ACT FIVE

FADE IN: 

29 EXT. SPACE - ANDOR ORBIT

The Venture continues to sit in orbit over a world that is gradually darkening for night. 

30 INT. VENTURE - SICKBAY

Vaughn’s unconscious form has been relayed onto a mobile biobed, all the support tech going with him. Medical EXTRAS are making a last check of all the readings. 

Rogeiro stands supervising. Sisko enters and joins him. 

SISKO
Everything under control? 

ROGEIRO
It’s good to see you out of your
quarters, sir. And yes, Lieutenant
ch’Thane is feeling better. Not
ready to return to duty quite yet,
I don’t think, but on his way. And
Mister Magrone is ready to receive
the captain aboard the Madeira.

SISKO
What about messages for Lieutenant
Tenmei and Commander Ro? 

ROGEIRO
Umm, not yet sir, sorry. I’ve been
occupied... 

SISKO
That’s alright, I’ll send those
messages. Speaking of which... I’d
like a moment alone with Vaughn. 

ROGEIRO
Of course, sir. We’ll be waiting
outside. 

Rogeiro and the medics step away, leaving Sisko standing alone with his friend’s might-as-well-be-dead body. Once he is sure they are out of earshot...

SISKO
It’s started, Elias. Everything
I was afraid of... it’s here. And
I don’t know what to do. 

Of course, Vaughn has no words of comfort for Sisko... 

31 INT. DS9 - MAIN OPS CENTRE

The turbolift rises into place, carrying Tenmei and Aleco. They step down to the central Ops table, where all the rest of the senior staff are gathered - Ro, Cenn, Evik, Bashir, Nog and Candlewood. It is the end of a long, tiring day. 

TENMEI
Defiant’s all tucked in warm and
comfy for the night, Commander. 

RO
Thanks, Lieutenants. Major Cenn
told me about your adventures -
good work. 

EVIK
I let the Laweya’s captain go free
- he actually asked me to pass on
his apologies to you all. Plus he
was right that I do actually have
bigger things to worry about.

BASHIR
And no casualties either, except
for the expected radiation cases.
Those are all fixed now. 

NOG
As are the replicators. Until the
next time they overload of course.

CANDLEWOOD
And my new comm traffic priorities
are in place and working great. 

RO
Actually, the comm failure helped
me prove my case to the admiral -
he’s agreed to shuffle the refugee
ships around a bit. Not send them
away altogether, I don’t want us to
ever turn anyone away. But some
will be going to Prophet’s Landing
instead, and some to the Bajoran
colonies in the Valo system. 

She shares a look with Evik - that’s where they both grew up as refugees themselves during the Cardassian Occupation. 

EVIK
They’ll take care of them. 

RO
I know they will. You’ve all done
well today - thank you. In fact...
(out loud)
Umm... everyone? Can I have your
attention for a second please?
There’s something I need to say. 

Everyone stops what they are doing and pays attention to Ro - senior officers and random extras alike.

RO
I know things are bad right now.
I know you want there to be one
big thing you can do that will fix
everything all at once, and there
just isn’t anything. And that’s a
very helpless-causing feeling.
(beat)
But you’re not helpless, and you
can do something to help. You’re
doing it. All the little things, the
people you’ve helped today, the
people you will help tomorrow
- those are our victories. They
feel small and insignificant.
They’re not. Small things tend to
accumulate and become big things. 
So let those small victories buoy
you. Let them keep you going when
it feels like it’s all too much. And
I think if we keep doing that,
then that’s what will get us all
through this. 
(beat)
So... that’s what I wanted to say.
Now let’s all get back to work,
shall we? 

Candlewood stands and starts CLAPPING. Ro rolls her eyes in mild embarrassment, but she is happy really. Then she turns and heads back into her office, Cenn trailing behind her. 

32 INT. DS9 - COMMANDER’S OFFICE

Ro returns to her desk, and Cenn stands nearby.

CENN
I think you may have a talent for
this “command” thing after all. 

RO
Thank you, Major. 

CENN
Could I ask you something? 

RO
I guess. What’s on your mind? 

CENN
I couldn’t help but notice...
you’ve taken your earring off.
May I ask why?

Ro’s fingers instinctively go to her now-bare ear. She sits back and ponders Cenn’s question. 

RO
I’m not totally sure I know why
myself. But I was thinking about
that conversation we had, Major
– the one about the Prophets.

CENN
Really? 

RO
It won’t come as a surprise if I
tell you I always had a difficult
relationship with the religious
authorities of Bajor. 

CENN
You hid it well. 

RO
(faux glare, then...)
I’m Bajoran, I’m proud of being
Bajoran, so I wanted to wear my
earring. But I was fed up of the
vedeks wandering up and grabbing
my ear whenever they felt like it.
So I put the earring on the other
ear to stop them doing that.

CENN
And to deliberately annoy them.

RO
That was just a fun bonus. But
after everything we talked about
that day... it didn’t seem right
to be going out of my way to do
that anymore. So I took it off. 

CENN
I think I understand. You wore it
as a kind of protest, and you’re
not protesting anymore. I like it. 

RO
Your approval was not required,
Major... but thank you. 

CENN
Who knows, maybe one day you
might even put it back - on the
proper ear - and come to services
with the rest of us. 

RO
Didn’t you hear the speech? I
said take your small victories
where you can get them. 

A small smile between them, and then Ro nods for Cenn to be on his way. He goes, and she gets back to work. 

33 INT. VENTURE - SISKO’S QUARTERS

Sat at his own desk on the Venture, Sisko taps the computer screen, which beeps affirmatively. 

SISKO
Computer, record a message for
delivery to Lieutenant Prynn
Tenmei at Deep Space Nine. 

COMPUTER
Working.

SISKO
Lieutenant, this is Captain Sisko.
I don’t know if you’re aware, but
I accepted reactivation to the
fleet to fight the Borg threat. I
was part of a task force assigned
to protect Andor. Your father’s
ship was in the same task force.
(closes eyes)
The James T Kirk took heavy battle
damage. I’m sorry, but your father
was critically wounded. His body
is alive, but... but the doctors
report no brain activity. 
(deep breath)
Lieutenant... Prynn... I want you to
know that Captain Vaughn fought
heroically. I realise that sounds
trite, but it’s true. His last act was
a brave, desperate attempt to
save the people of Andor without
sacrificing the lives of his crew. 

FLASHBACK - 12x21 “FRIENDLY FIRE”

-- Sisko on the darkened bridge of the New York, staring powerlessly at his own viewscreen, seeing...

-- The Kirk impacting the Borg cube, its main hull skimming its surface by inches while its low-hanging warp nacelles are sheared off and explode in the depths of the cube

BACK TO SCENE

Sisko flinches against this memory, but pushes on. 

SISKO
As I record this, your father is on
his way back to Deep Space Nine
with Lieutenant Magrone, his chief
tactical officer. Maybe Doctor
Bashir will be able to help him. 
(beat)
I know that the two of you had a
stormy relationship, but he was so
happy that you both managed to
put it behind you at last. He loved
you very much, Prynn. I’m sorry
for your loss. End message. 

The computer beeps again, recording complete. Another look out of the window at the devastated world below, where the meridian between day and night is fast creeping across the planet’s surface. Sisko takes a deep breath, forges on. 

SISKO
Computer, record another message
for delivery to Kasidy Yates, Kendra
Province, Bajor. 

COMPUTER
Working. 

SISKO
Kasidy...
(start over)
Kas, I wanted to tell you... 

But he is lost for words. Before he can figure out what to say about what is going through his mind... 

VOICE (comm)
Bridge to Captain Sisko. There is
a pre-recorded message for you,
sir. It just came in. 

SISKO
Send it down here. 

Sisko taps to pause the message to Kasidy and receive the new incoming one - and is surprised to see JAKE pop up on the screen. The younger Sisko looks tired and worried. 

JAKE (screen)
Dad, it’s Jake. I’ve been trying to
get a hold of you but the comm
traffic is all screwed up. I don’t
even know how long this will
take to reach you. 
(voice shaking)
It’s Grampa Joe, dad. He’s sick.
He collapsed right in the middle
of the restaurant. He’s in Orleans
Parish Hospital, and he improved
a little bit, but... 
(beat)
Aunt Judith and Uncle Samuel are
here, and Uncle Aaron is on his
way. I know what you’re doing is
important, dad, but if you can get
here, you should. It’s serious. 

Already buried in existential horror, Sisko is hit anew. He looks out of the window at the curve of Andor below...

...and night has fallen on his view. 

FADE OUT

END OF SHOW