ACT FIVE

FADE IN:

45 EXT. SPACE - THE WORMHOLE

The Alpha Quadrant end of the wormhole bursts open... the tachyon grid activates... and the Defiant emerges.

46 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE

Sisko back in command. He gazes at the viewscreen...

...which does not feature the familiar sight of DS9, just empty space. Sisko swallows his emotion at the fresh wound.

ALECO
Canterbury and Brisbane responding
to standard friend-or-foe signals,
Captain. Everything normal.

SISKO
Thank you, Lieutenant. Helm, set
course for Bajor, full impulse.

TENMEI
Aye, sir.

47 EXT. SPACE

The Defiant turns and heads deeper into the Bajor system...

48 INT. BAJORAN CONTROL CENTRE

The image of the wormhole closing up again, and the tachyon grid deactivating, shows on the big viewscreen over the Ops table. RO watches it... SLAINE reports...

SLAINE
Confirmed, Captain - Defiant has
returned. Captain Sisko requests
a conference on his arrival.

RO
Send back agreed.
(beat)
Maybe then we’ll finally find out
what in fire has been going on...
and why DS-Nine was destroyed.

Inspector RWOGO, who has been observing, pipes up.

RWOGO
Actually, Captain, on that topic,
I’ve been having thoughts. Could
we speak in private, please?

Ro is intrigued... she looks to Slaine...

SLAINE
You have at least an hour until the
Defiant arrives.

RO
Alright then. Join me, Inspector.

Ro heads to her own tiny office, Rwogo on her heels. They both enter the glass-walled room, close the door, and sit.

But as Slaine watches from the Ops table, Ro presses a button on her new desk - and the transparent walls turn milky and translucent, like happened to Bashir’s medical office in 14x14. Slaine is intrigued - what’s going on?

51 EXT. SPACE - BAJOR - ORBIT

The Defiant pulls slowly into orbit of Bajor...

52 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE

Tenmei works her controls...

TENMEI
We’re locked into geo-synchronous
orbit over Aljuli, Captain.

Sisko stands from the command chair...

SISKO
Thank you, Lieutenant - please
complete the after-mission checks
and secure the ship. Everyone
else, you’re dismissed.

Sisko heads for the exit, and the rest of the crew staffing the bridge shut down their stations and head out as well. Tenmei and Candlewood remain, both making sure the ship is locked down and secure before they all head down to Bajor.

TENMEI
You can go too if you want, John.
I can handle it.

CANDLEWOOD
No, that’s fine, I’m in no rush.

Candlewood glances over his shoulder, making sure the last person - Ensign th’Shant - has left, and they are alone.

CANDLEWOOD
Truth is, I need to talk to you,
Prynn... about Ensign th’Shant.

TENMEI
(defensive)
Vakell? What about him?

CANDLEWOOD
Look, I know you like him. But I
think there’s something going on
with him. Something... shifty.

TENMEI
(turns away,
back to work)
Don’t be ridiculous.

CANDLEWOOD
Prynn, listen to me. The way he
reacted to the Romulan subspace
blocker, the way he completely
freaked out when the bombs -

TENMEI
He saved lives when the bombs went
off, John! He saved the captain, and
Major Cenn, and dozens more -

CANDLEWOOD
I know that, but -

TENMEI
- so don’t you dare go accusing
him of working with the Typhon
Pact to kill a thousand people.
You’re dismissed, Lieutenant.

CANDLEWOOD
Prynn, please -

TENMEI
I said get out.

Candlewood sighs... shrugs like “Fine, have it your way, can’t say I didn’t try”... then turns to leave as ordered.

53 INT. BAJORAN CONTROL CENTRE - CAPTAIN’S OFFICE

SISKO sits in the guest chair of RO’s new office again. The windows are now back to transparent glass.

SISKO
You have a good crew, Captain.
Especially Lieutenants Candlewood
and Tenmei - they did sterling work
under what must have been very
difficult circumstances.

RO
I’m glad you think so, because
you’ll be with them a while yet.

SISKO
I don’t understand...

RO
Starfleet called again while you
were away. Akaar wants you to stay
in command of Defiant. For now.

SISKO
I’m sorry, Captain. It was never
my intention -

RO
Hey, I said it’s fine and I meant
it. It’ll be good for me to not have
an excuse to run away again. I
need to spend some time working
on my relationship... with Bajor.

SISKO
I know how you feel, Ro. I still
love your world... but sometimes
I feel like it doesn’t love me back.

NOG (comm)
Nog to Captain Ro.

RO
Go ahead, Nog...

NOG (comm)
Could you and Captain Sisko come
out here please? We think we’ve
got something.

Intrigued, both captains rise and open the door...

53 INT. BAJORAN CONTROL CENTRE (CONTINUOUS)

...and exit into the large and busy control centre. They head to the new Ops table, which now casts a new HOLOGRAM. Ro and Sisko join NOG, CANDLEWOOD, SLAINE and RWOGO.

RO
What have you got, Nog?

NOG
(re hologram)
This is the tech the Breen stole
from Overne Three.

SISKO
For building structural integrity
field and deflector generators.

NOG
Yes, sir.

RO
But why would the Typhon Pact need
to steal the Dominion’s structural
integrity tech? Don’t they have
their own?

SLAINE
They do, but apparently not good
enough for what they need it for.

SISKO
What do you mean?

SLAINE
I spoke to my contacts at Lakat,
where they’re building Cardassia’s
version of slipstream. One of the
biggest barriers they’re facing is
maintaining structural integrity
at such enormous speeds.

NOG
She’s right. I’ve studied it with
the S.C.E., and next to the phase
variables, structural integrity is
the biggest problem in creating
a working slipstream drive.

RO
Was there any evidence of this
tech on board the Ren Fejin?
(no response)
John?

Candlewood had been distracted, snaps back to attention...

CANDLEWOOD
Sorry. Umm, no, there wasn’t. But
you can see how big it is. The Ren
Fejin couldn’t accommodate that.

SISKO
So they had the Eletrix fake an
accident, so it was free to help.

RWOGO
...And when they returned through
the wormhole, and it became clear
they weren’t going to get away
with it... they self-destructed
the ship to hide the evidence.

With horror, they all slowly put the pieces together...

RO
So the Typhon Pact tried to steal
the plans to slipstream from us...

RWOGO
...but we were able to stop them
before it was too late...

NOG
...so they decided to try and build
their own instead...

SLAINE
...but their own tech wasn’t up to
the required standard...

CANDLEWOOD
...and they were so desperate to
counter our advantage...

SISKO
...that they were prepared to
invade the Dominion to get it.

A moment to absorb that... Rwogo rubs her hands together.

RWOGO
Well! One thing’s for sure. As the
Eighty-Eighth Rule clearly states,
“It ain’t over till it’s over.”
(off their looks)
If they were so desperate that
they’d go to such extraordinary
lengths - twice - I see no reason
to think they won’t try again.

Off everyone considering that very strong possibility...

54 EXT. SPACE - OVERNE III - ORBIT

Back to the Dominion world, with Jem’Hadar ships in orbit.

55 INT. DOMINION FACTORY

ODO sits on a low-level machine, gazing quietly at the big gap in the factory, where the Breen and Romulans stole from them. Boots on the concrete floor - Odo doesn’t look up.

ODO
What is it, Vannis?

VANNIS
Forgive my intrusion, Founder, but
it has been some time since the
Starfleet ship departed. If you
have no further need of me...

ODO
Yes, thank you. You can take your
squadron and leave now. I’d like
to remain here alone for a while.
I have a lot to think about.

VANNIS
As you wish, Founder. I could
arrange for another ship to pick
you up when you’re ready...?

ODO
I’m quite capable of making my
own way back to the Founders’
homeworld, thank you.

VANNIS
To your homeworld, surely...?

Odo looks pointedly and unhappily at Vannis. Did she just try to correct one of her gods? A moment of defiance, then she bows her head obsequiously. Odo is not impressed.

ODO
(firmly)
You may leave now, Vannis.

VANNIS
Founder.

She backs up a step, then turns and marches to the exit.

Once the footsteps have echoed away, Odo stands, sighs...

VOICE (o.s.)
Founder...

Odo turns, shocked at the deep rich VOICE out of nowhere. But he can’t see anyone...

ODO
Who’s there?

A whisper-rush of air, and a Jem’Hadar UNSHROUDS in the otherwise deserted factory...

...it is TARAN’ATAR. Odo is stunned...

ODO
Taran’atar? But... you were killed.

TARAN’ATAR
No, Founder... I was saved. And
now... we need your help.

Off Odo, intrigued by the sudden mystery...

BLACK OUT

END OF SHOW