ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

48 EXT. SPACE

Even Odds flies at warp...

49 INT. EVEN ODDS – BRIDGE

The turbolift opens... and Taran’atar leads Odo onto the freighter ship’s bridge (not seen since 11x02 “Structural Integrity Compromised” and substantially repaired since).

Captain DEZ stands to greet them, and the other bridge crew - buxom Wadi first officer FACITY, reserved Cardassian medic GLESSIN, hulking Dosi gem specialist BRAD, the twin Ferengi accountants FEG and TRIV - turn to look, curious.

Odo is still thrown - not least by the fact these people seem quite comfortable with a Jem’Hadar wandering freely about their ship. Then there’s the familiar faces he hasn’t seen in years - Cardassian, Ferengi. It’s a lot to process.

DEZ
Ah, here you are. You must be Odo
- welcome to the Even Odds.

ODO
Umm... thank you, Captain...?

DEZ
Zin Dezavrim. Dez for short.
Taran’atar told us he’d be
bringing you along this time.

ODO
Did he indeed?
(side glance)
You do many of these trips?

DEZ
(nods)
But always from a different point
on the border. Don’t want anyone
getting suspicious.

Odo turns to Taran’atar, demanding answers...

ODO
And you’re, what - their liaison?

TARAN’ATAR
In a manner of speaking. Since
everyone in the Dominion - except
for Meera and Weyoun - believed I
was dead, I was the ideal choice
to work without being noticed.

ODO
I don’t know how I feel about this,
Taran’atar. Of course I’m proud my
lessons have taken hold, and that
you’ve found a purpose in helping
people instead of killing them. But
I’ve been trying to bring the races
of the Dominion closer... and here
you are trying to break them out.

TARAN’ATAR
You may seek peace and compromise,
Odo. But Laas is happy to torture
citizens of the Dominion for his
entertainment. And you... are
not always around to stop him.

ODO
(indignant)
Are you saying this is my fault?

TARAN’ATAR
I’m saying... this is my solution.

Odo considers that... and turns back to the viewscreen.

ODO
So... how many have you rescued?

TARAN’ATAR
Almost four thousand.

Off Odo’s amazement all over again...

50 INT. BAJORAN CONTROL CENTRE

Ro LOOMS over the situation table, annoyed...

RO
Nothing?

CENN
(shakes head)
Subspace silence. We lost track of
the Aventine almost as soon as
you finished speaking to them.

RO
They weren’t destroyed, were they?

Major CENN moves to check another readout...

CENN
No reports from our listening
posts. They’ve just... vanished.

Ro stands and seethes for a moment... then she spots BASHIR and CANDLEWOOD leaving the break room together, chatting.

RO
(shouts out)
John! Julian!

They look up - she beckons them over. They manoeuvre their way across the large room, past the many rows of computers occupied by junior crew... eventually joining the table.

RO
We need someone to tell us how to
disrupt the Tzenkethi wormhole -
safely. It was meant to be Dax, but
it looks like the Aventine’s not
coming. What have you got, John?

CANDLEWOOD
Buh... I got nothing. I’ll give it a
shot but you know I’m a computer
guy, not a subspace mechanic.

RO
(dry)
Glad you’re on board.
(to Bashir)
Julian, didn’t you host the Kahn
symbiont for a while? Lenara
Kahn, the Trill wormhole expert?

BASHIR
(bad idea)
For about an hour, yes. And it was
half-dead at the time. My memories
of that whole incident are hazy.

RO
Well, you’re still the best shots
we’ve got. Get on it.

BASHIR / CANDLEWOOD
Yes, sir...

They stumble off together, daunted at the sudden impossible task when they were just trying to take their breaks. Ro turns back to Cenn...

51 EXT. VANADWAN MONASTERY - WALKWAY - DAY

KIRA strolls down the covered-but-open walkway, monastery on one side, spectacular view on the other. REBECCA is with her, holding her hand. And KASIDY, JAKE and RENA behind.

KIRA
You know, Rebecca, this monastery
has been here for at least three
thousand years. Isn’t that amazing?

REBECCA
Do you have to pray all the time?

KIRA
Well... not all the time. There is a
small shrine room - that’s where
we keep the Orb we brought here
from Deep Space Nine, in fact.

Suddenly realising what she’s said, Kira looks back in horror to Kasidy at having brought up a difficult subject. But Rebecca’s mother just smiles sadly, so Kira diverts...

KIRA
(continuing)
But most of what we do here is
look after people... people who
don’t have anywhere else to go.

REBECCA
People like Mister Vaughn?

Another awkward pause - they keep on hitting these tricky subjects. But Kira just nods solemnly...

KIRA
Yes... people like Mister Vaughn.

The group turns the corner, into...

52 INT. VANADWAN MONASTERY - COMMISSARY - DAY (CONTINUOUS)

...the communal dining area, with the nurse-ranjens plus some familiar faces - MATTHIAS and her children, O’BRIEN and his... and RAIQ with baby Aniq.

Rebecca stops dead, eyes wide, instantly terrified. Eyes on the Ascendant woman’s silver hands, cradling the baby...

FLASHBACK - 11x22 “PENITENCE”

-- Raiq with hand around Rebecca’s throat, skin burning...

BACK TO SCENE

Raiq’s glowing compound eyes pin Rebecca in place. Clearly the woman remembers the girl as well...

...and Rebecca lets out a strangled SCREAM of terror, the white light BURSTING out of her body, filling the screen...

WHITE OUT

CUT TO:

53 EXT. VANADWAN MONASTERY - WALKWAY - DAY

KIRA strolls down the walkway, Rebecca holding her hand...

KIRA
But most of what we do here is
look after people... people who
don’t have anywhere else to go.

Just as they reach the turn into the commissary, Rebecca PAUSES, gathers her strength, steadies her nerves...

KASIDY
You okay, sweetie?

Rebecca forces a fake smile for her mother, nods, and they walk on into...

54 INT. VANADWAN MONASTERY - COMMISSARY - DAY (CONTINUOUS)

...the communal dining area, with the nurse-ranjens and the familiar faces. As Kira, Kasidy and the rest move into the room to join the others...

...Rebecca pauses to look at Raiq, with baby...

...and Raiq pauses to look at Rebecca, peering at the girl with curious, narrowed eyes. Did something just happen...?

...then Rebecca moves on to catch up with her family. Raiq watches her go, intrigued... yes, something just happened.

55 INT. VANADWAN MONASTERY - HOSPICE ROOM - DAY

VAUGHN lies in bed, no life support machines anymore but still life-sign monitors attached - and apparently still alive. TENMEI sits by his side, reading a book.

The door CREAKS open... and Kira enters quietly. Tenmei looks up...

KIRA
Hi, Prynn. How’s he doing?

TENMEI
(chuckle)
Oh, he’s still being a stubborn
old goat. Refuses to shuffle off.

KIRA
(approaching)
That must be difficult for you.

TENMEI
Actually... no. If anything it makes
it easier. Eases my guilt.

KIRA
Guilt? Over what?

TENMEI
The whole time we were turning
off his life support... I couldn’t
help feeling like I was killing him
myself. After what Opaka said
about there still being more for
him to do, I thought I was taking
that away from him. But I did
my worst... and he’s still here.

KIRA
(warmly, agreeing)
Like you said, stubborn old goat.

TENMEI
I just can’t help wonder... what’s
he waiting for? What’s keeping him
holding on against all reason?

Suddenly a RUMBLE OF THUNDER outside, and the light changes - what was previously bright day fades into shadow...

KIRA
Thunder...? It never thunders in
Relliketh this time of year...

Kira goes to the window... Tenmei stands to join her...

...and the sky is slowly filling with dark grey clouds.

56 EXT. VANADWAN MONASTERY - COURTYARD - DAY

SLAINE and NOG stand at the stone railing, tables and deck chairs ignored behind them as they look out at the sky...

Heavy grey THUNDERCLOUDS are rolling in, blocking out the formerly bright sunlight and casting dark shadows over the tree-lined mountain range. Then it starts to RAIN - gently at first but gradually growing heavier through the scene.

Slaine GRINS wide, leans over the railing, sticks out her tongue to catch the rain, delighting in the experience.

NOG
What are you doing?

SLAINE
It’s rain, Nog.

NOG
Yeah, I know rain. It happens all
the time on Ferenginar. Literally
all the time.

SLAINE
Not on Cardassia. Where I grew up,
in Andak... the scientists chose that
place specifically because it was one
of the driest places on the planet.

The rain gets heavier... Slaine lets it hit her face, run through her long black hair. Nog joins in, lets it bounce off his big bald head, comforted at the reminder of home.

NOG
It’s weird... I spent most of my life
away from my home planet. So
much of what happens on Ferenginar
feels almost alien to me now. But
this... this always feels right.
I guess it must be genetic.

Suddenly KIRA and TENMEI emerge onto the courtyard, urgent and alarmed...

KIRA
This is all wrong...

SLAINE
Vedek? What do you mean? I
think it’s wonderful. Beautiful,
life-giving rain.

KIRA
But not now. This is the hot and
dry season in Relliketh.

Kira stares up into the dark, thunderous sky, the ever-worsening rain plastering her vedek’s robes to her skin. Then the entire monastery SHAKES - everyone staggers...

TENMEI
What the...? An earthquake now?

KIRA
Must be a sign from the Prophets.
Something is very, very wrong...

An even larger TREMOR, shaking the entire mountain. Trees CRASH in the valley. Stone CRUMBLES from the walls of the ancient monastery, falling as dust into the chasm below.

Slaine staggers back from the railing she had been leaning over - just in time, as it CRUMBLES to bits and falls away.

More SHAKING. Jagged CRACKS rip through the stone floor of the courtyard, destroying the very ground they stand on...

...and the entire courtyard COLLAPSES, throwing Kira, Nog, Tenmei and Slaine SCREAMING off the side of the mountain.

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT FOUR