STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Tears of the Prophets" (fka "Tears of the Gods") #40510-550 Written by Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler Directed by Allan Kroeker THE WRITING CREDITS MAY NOT BE FINAL AND SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR PUBLICITY OR ADVERTISING PURPOSES WITHOUT FIRST CHECKING WITH THE TELEVISION LEGAL DEPARTMENT. Copyright 1998 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved. This script is not for publication or reproduction. No one is authorized to dispose of same. If lost or destroyed, please notify the Script Department. Return to Script Department FINAL DRAFT PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION April 8, 1998 STAR TREK: DS9 - "Tears of the Prophets" - 04/08/98 - CAST STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Tears of the Prophets" CAST SISKO GARAK KIRA NOG ODO MARTOK BASHIR DUKAT DAX WEYOUN WORF DAMAR QUARK ROSS O'BRIEN LETANT JAKE VIC SAHGI GLINN Non-Speaking Non-Speaking N.D. SUPERNUMERARIES STAR TREK: DS9 - "Tears of the Prophets" - 04/08/98 - SETS STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Tears of the Prophets" SETS INTERIORS EXTERIORS DEEP SPACE NINE DEEP SPACE NINE/SPACE QUARK'S WORMHOLE WARDROOM_CARDASSIA PRIME BAJORAN SHRINE NEW ORLEANS/BACK ALLEY CAPTAIN'S OFFICE HOLOSUITE/LAS VEGAS LOUNGE SISKO'S QUARTERS OPS HABITAT RING CORRIDOR SECURITY OFFICE AIRLOCK CORRIDOR INFIRMARY/SURGERY PROMENADE CARGO BAY DEFIANT BRIDGE DOMINION BRIEFING ROOM DS9 - "Tears of the Prophets" - 04/13/98 - PRONUNCIATION STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Tears of the Prophets" PRONUNCIATION GUIDE SAHGI SAW-gee SOLIS SOLE-us TORG'Q TORK VENTANI ven-TAHN-ee TRET AKLEEN tret ah-KLEEN CHIN'TOKA chin-TAW-ka TRINETIUM trie-NET-ee-um DIBRINIUM die-BRIN-ee-um CHRONITON CRONE-eh-ton KLINGON DEATH CHANT (Phonetic Spelling with English Translation) nech-TACH KRO-nos (Only Kronos endures) HEGH baht-LEH-ku hoch nej-MACH (All we can hope for is a glorious death) nech-TACH KRO-nos (only Kronos endures) yai jeh BAHT-leh mach-NOHB HEGH (In death there is victory and honor.) DEEP SPACE NINE: ""Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - TEASER 1. STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Tears of the Prophets" TEASER FADE IN: 1 INT. BAJORAN SHRINE CLOSE ON a happy, eight-year-old Bajoran girl, SAHGI, as she runs up to SISKO. He is standing beside KIRA watching several BAJORANS take down various decorations from the walls of the shrine. In the b.g., an orb ark sits on the altar. SAHGI (excited) Peldor joi, Emissary. SISKO Peldor joi to you. And with that, Sahgi runs off, back to her mother. WE HOLD ON Sisko and Kira. SISKO Looks like the festival was a success. KIRA Everyone seemed to enjoy it. (a beat) Thank you, captain. SISKO For what? DEEP SPACE NINE: ""Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - TEASER 2. 1 CONTINUED: KIRA For insisting that the festival take place in spite of the fact that we're in the middle of a war. SISKO War or no war -- we have a lot to be grateful for. It's important to remember that. KIRA Yes, it is. (a sudden thought) Shouldn't you be heading over to the wardroom for the ceremony? SISKO I'm on my way. And with that, Sisko heads out the door just as ODO ENTERS. Odo seems a bit rattled as he makes a beeline for Kira. ODO Nerys -- I've been looking for you. Kira's expression hardens at the sight of Odo and she turns her back to him. KIRA I don't really feel like talking to you right now. ODO Don't you want to hear my side of the story? KIRA No. ODO (telling her anyway) Somebody has to maintain order on the Promenade. KIRA (an accusation) You arrested a Vedek. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - TEASER 3. 1 CONTINUED: (2) ODO I'd hardly call it an arrest -- he wasn't in the holding cell for more than an hour. Besides, he was breaking the law. Fundraising on the Promenade without a license is strictly forbidden. Station regulation fifteen-twenty-six, paragraph seven-- KIRA (cutting him off) Vedek Solis was collecting donations for Bajoran flood victims! ODO A very worthy cause. Nevertheless, station regulations are quite clear -- KIRA (fed up) I don't care about station regulations. Odo looks to change the subject. ODO (re: the orb, innocently) Is that the Orb of Contemplation? KIRA (with finality) Good-bye, Odo. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - TEASER 4. 1 CONTINUED: (3) A beaten Odo EXITS. We HOLD ON Kira as she moves over to help the others take down the decorations. 2 INT. WARDROOM SISKO stands before ADMIRAL ROSS who is holding a small flat box. WORF, DAX, O'BRIEN, BASHIR and JAKE stand ceremoniously nearby. ROSS ... to Captain Benjamin Lafayette Sisko, in recognition of your remarkable leadership and meritorious conduct against the enemy, and in particular for acts of personal bravery displayed during the battle to retake Deep Space Nine, Starfleet Command is proud to award you the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor. Ross opens the box and hands the medal to Sisko. The medal contains an engraving of Captain Pike. ROSS (continuing) Congratulations, Ben. SISKO Thank you, admiral. 3 ANGLE ON THE OTHERS as they proudly look on. DAX (with a twinkle in her eyes) And to think... I knew him when he was just a callow youth. O'BRIEN I bet even then he showed signs of greatness. DAX (thinking about it) Only with the ladies. DEEP SPACE NINE: "'Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - TEASER 5. 3 CONTINUED: JAKE (interested) I'd like to hear more about that. WORF Then let him tell you. DAX (to Worf, re: Sisko) But he'll leave out all the good parts. 4 ANGLE ON ROSS AND SISKO ROSS The medal usually comes with a lot more pomp and ceremony, but we figured you wouldn't want to be called back to Earth just to sit through a bad chicken dinner with a bunch of brass hats. SISKO This suits me fine, admiral. Dax approaches and cranes her head to look at the medal. DAX Now you have something else to put on your desk besides that baseball. WORF What she means to say, captain, is that she can't think of anyone more deserving of this honor. O'BRIEN I certainly can't. JAKE I'm proud of you, Dad. Sisko and Jake hug. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - TEASER 6. 4 CONTINUED: ROSS (to the group) If you'd excuse us, I'd like a word with Captain Sisko. The others file out. 5 ANGLE ON SISKO as he faces the Admiral Ross waits for the door to close, ensuring their privacy. ROSS I've got good news for you, captain. Starfleet Command has decided we've been waging a defensive war long enough. They figure we're never going to win this thing unless we take the fight into Dominion territory. Off Sisko's small smile. ROSS (continuing) I know, you've been saying that ever since the Romulans opened a second front against the Dominion. It took a while, but your message finally got through. SISKO When do we go? ROSS (smiling) That all depends on you. SISKO Me? ROSS That's right, Ben. Starfleet has chosen you to plan the invasion of Cardassia. And off Sisko's look of determination, we: FADE OUT. END OF TEASER DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT ONE 7. ACT ONE FADE IN: (Note: episode credits fall over opening sequence) 6 INT. QUARK'S Worf and Dax, carrying bat'leths, are coming down the stairs from a holosuite. BASHIR (O.S.) Finally. ADJUST to include an exasperated Bashir seated at the bar. QUARK is standing nearby, behind the counter. BASHIR I've been waiting for you to get out of that holosuite for twenty minutes. DAX Sorry, Julian. We lost track of the time. BASHIR (suspicious) Doing what? You were supposed to be in there exercising. I don't see any sweat. Where are the bruises? The broken bones? The blood? WORF We were... talking. QUARK For an hour and forty-five minutes? WORF It's a private matter. DAX (to Bashir) We're thinking about having a baby. WORF (so much for privacy) It was a private matter. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT ONE 8. 6 CONTINUED: Both Bashir and Quark are taken aback by the revelation. But before they can respond: SISKO (O.S.) Sisko to Commander Worf. Please report to my office immediately. WORF Acknowledged. Worf nods to Dax, then EXITS. We HOLD ON Bashir and Quark, who look at Dax somberly. DAX You're both awfully quiet. BASHIR I don't want to dampen your spirits, but I told you before you got married that, medically speaking, it wouldn't be easy for a Trill and a Klingon to have a child. QUARK And I'm worried the kid will end up looking like his father. DAX (with saucy defiance) I hope she does. And with that, Dax EXITS. 7 ANGLE ON BASHIR AND QUARK watching Dax leave. BASHIR (incredulous) A baby? QUARK It's bad enough she married that Klingon psychopath. BASHIR A baby... you know what this means, don't you? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT ONE 9. 7 CONTINUED: QUARK (nodding) Their marriage is going to last longer than we thought. And on their forlorn expressions, we go to -- 8 INT. WARDROOM Sisko, Worf, O'Brien and GARAK are gathered near the wall monitor which displays a graphic of the Cardassian border. There are various PADDs displaying star charts scattered about the table. WORF What about the Torg'Q system? Of all the targets along the border, it's the closest to Cardassia Prime. GARAK It's also the most heavily fortified. WORF True. (to Sisko) But that could work to our advantage. The Dominion will never expect us to attack there. O'BRIEN (skeptical) The element of surprise might give us an initial advantage... but I'm not sure how long it would last. And I don't even want to think about our casualty figures... GARAK I recommend the Ventani System. I know it's a long way from Cardassia Prime, but its second planet was the birthplace of Tret Akleen -- the father of the Cardassian Empire. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT ONE 10. 8 CONTINUED: GARAK (Cont'd) To lose such sacred ground would be devastating to Cardassians everywhere. And a great propaganda victory for you. WORF Even so, there is little strategic value in holding the Ventani System. SISKO And its loss would have no effect on the Jem'Hadar. GARAK True. Under this, Sisko notices that O'Brien has fallen very quiet as he mulls over one of the star charts. SISKO Something on your mind, Chief? O'BRIEN What about the Chin'toka System, sir? WORF The Chin'toka System is protected by a fleet of Dominion ships. O'BRIEN The last time we patrolled that section of the border, I noticed something strange about the warp signatures of their bigger ships... the cruisers, the destroyers... SISKO (interested) Go on. O'BRIEN They were slightly different from the first time we scanned them. The field variance readings seemed almost too synchronized. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT ONE 11. 8 CONTINUED: (2) SISKO Are you suggesting that the warp signatures are fake? That those ships are no longer there? O'BRIEN It's possible. WORF Why would the Dominion pull so many of their ships away from the border? GARAK Perhaps they've been sent to the Romulan front. WORF Then how many ships does the Dominion have at Chin'toka? SMASH CUT TO: 9 INT. CAPTAIN'S OFFICE (OPTICAL) CLOSE ON a wall monitor displaying a star chart of the Chin'toka System. SISKO (O.S.) Five squadrons of Jem'Hadar attack ships. 10 NEW ANGLE (VPB) to REVEAL Sisko, GENERAL MARTOK and Admiral Ross studying the map. SISKO At the moment, that's the entire Dominion "fleet" protecting the Chin'toka System. MARTOK Only five squadrons... It appears you've found the weak spot we've been looking for. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT ONE 12. 10 CONTINUED: SISKO Now all we have to do is convince the Romulans to join us. MARTOK (grumbling) That won't be an easy task. They're an arrogant and untrustworthy people. ROSS Without their help, we'd have little chance of success. MARTOK We will succeed. Mark my words. By this time next year, the three of us will drink bloodwine in the halls of Cardassia's Central Command. And off this moment of shared hope -- CUT TO: 11 EXT. CARDASSIA PRIME (OPTICAL) (STOCK) Establishing. 12 INT. DOMINION BRIEFING ROOM WEYOUN and DAMAR are in the midst of one their acrimonious briefing sessions as a CARDASSIAN OFFICER hands Damar a PADD for his approval. DAMAR (annoyed) You're worrying about nothing. Damar hands the PADD back and the Cardassian Officer EXITS. WEYOUN Am I? It's a mistake to underestimate our enemy, Damar. You're spreading our forces too thinly. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT ONE 13. 12 CONTINUED: DAMAR Until we can find a way to bring reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant, we have to make due with what we have. Besides, you told me we needed more ships on the Romulan front. So I sent them. WEYOUN And in doing so, you left the Chin'toka System vulnerable. DAMAR Not as vulnerable as you think. Damar steps over to a panel near the wall monitor. 13 NEW ANGLE (OPTICAL) as the wall monitor comes to life displaying a three- dimensional model of a deadly-looking orbital battle station. DAMAR (O.S.) You see, we don't need starships to protect Chin'toka. Not anymore. 14 ADJUST TO INCLUDE (OPTICAL) DAMAR These are our new unmanned orbital weapon platforms. Their hulls are protected by regenerative forcefields and their arsenals include a thousand plasma torpedoes. Weyoun studies the display carefully, and after some consideration: WEYOUN I like them. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT ONE 14. 14 CONTINUED: DAMAR I thought you would. Which is why I've already ordered their deployment. 15 OMITTED 16 NEW ANGLE as a Cardassian GLINN ENTERS looking somewhat flustered and uncertain. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of'... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT ONE 15. 16 CONTINUED: GLINN (to Damar) Legate Damar, excuse the interruption but we have a... problem. DAMAR What kind of problem? DUKAT (O.S.) Me. 17 ANGLE ON THE DOOR to see DUKAT being led in by two N.D. Jem'Hadar GUARDS. Both Weyoun and Damar are surprised by Dukat's presence. DUKAT Isn't anyone going to welcome me home? WEYOUN Heroes get welcomed home, Dukat. Not failures. Or have you forgotten that under your leadership the Dominion almost lost this war? DUKAT As I recall, you were right by my side, agreeing with every one of my decisions. DAMAR If you're here because of what happened to your daughter -- DUKAT You disappoint me, Damar. I thought you, of all people, would be glad to see your old mentor. (open-armed) Besides, I don't hold you responsible for Ziyal's death. You may have fired the phaser, but it was Benjamin Sisko who forced your hand. And that's why I'm here. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT ONE 16. 17 CONTINUED: DUKAT (Cont'd) The time has come for me to take my revenge against the good captain. Under this, Weyoun studies Dukat intently. WEYOUN We're in the middle of a life- and-death struggle for control of the entire Alpha Quadrant, and all you care about is quenching your petty thirst for revenge. (a beat) You haven't changed a bit, have you? DUKAT On the contrary, I'm a new man. I no longer have a need for conquest or power. I've moved beyond all that... I exist in a state of perfect clarity. A clarity I intend to share with the universe. WEYOUN You're right, Dukat. You have changed. You've gone from being a self-important egotist to a self-deluded madman. I hardly call that an improvement. (to the glinn) I don't have time for this. Remove him. But Damar intercedes. DAMAR Wait. (to Dukat) Why did you come here? DUKAT Isn't that obvious? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT ONE 17. 18 CLOSE ON DUKAT as he steps closer to Damar and Weyoun. DUKAT To give you what you desire above all else. The Alpha Quadrant. Weyoun LAUGHS derisively. But Damar is willing to take his old mentor seriously. DUKAT All I need is a certain Bajoran artifact... one of the many that the Cardassians "appropriated" during the occupation. WEYOUN And how is this artifact going to help us? DUKAT Let's just say it will make it possible for Dominion reinforcements to come through the wormhole and destroy Captain Sisko and the Federation once and for all. Weyoun and Damar are both intrigued by Dukat's revelation. And off Dukat's satisfied expression: FADE OUT. END OF ACT ONE DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT TWO 18. ACT TWO FADE IN: 19 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) The invasion force has begun to assemble around the station. It is primarily composed of Federation and Klingon ships, though there are a few Romulan warships hovering about. 20 INT. WARDROOM Sisko, Worf, Martok, Ross and SEVERAL OTHER STARFLEET AND KLINGON BRASS sit across from a ROMULAN DELEGATION. The conversation is heated, as a Romulan Senator, LETANT, aristocratically sits back in his chair, sneering with disdain as only a Romulan can. LETANT (to Sisko, re: Martok) Really, Captain, I see no reason why I should sit here while this Klingon jackal calls me a coward. Across the table, Martok leaps to his feet. MARTOK Apparently, this "jackal" has more courage than the entire Romulan Senate. LETANT (to Sisko) You see my point? WORF (to Martok) General, you must try to remain calm. MARTOK Calm? This is'no time for calm -- (to Letant) -- it's time to strike the enemy, strike them hard. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT TWO 19. 20 CONTINUED: SISKO We found their weak point. Now we need to exploit it. MARTOK (to Sisko, re: Letant) But this p'tagh would rather sit home and count his dead. LETANT If we invade Cardassia now, all we'll do is count our dead. Sisko raises his arms in a conciliatory manner. SISKO Gentlemen, please. We're allies, remember that. MARTOK What good is an ally that'll stab you in the back? The Senator leans over to speak to another Romulan, but his voice is loud enough for everyone to hear. LETANT (re: Martok) Notice the primitive rage in his eye... the uncontrolled brutality. Klingons can be quite entertaining, don't you agree? I think every Romulan zoo should have a pair. Martok's anger flares as he reaches for his dagger, but Sisko's hand grabs his before he can unsheathe the weapon. SISKO Sit down, general. Save your anger for the Dominion. Martok glares at Sisko, but Worf stands on the other side of Martok and rests his hand on his shoulder, reassuringly. Martok takes a deep breath, regaining his composure. Glaring across the table at the Senator, who smiles contemptuously at him, Martok finally sits back in his chair. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT TWO 20. 20 CONTINUED: (2) SISKO Senator -- you've studied our invasion plans... LETANT I have. And I remain convinced they're premature. Let the Dominion continue to send their fleets against us. We will annihilate them one by one. ROSS And they'll continue to rebuild their ships and send more. WORF The Dominion breed Jem'Hadar faster than we can destroy them. SISKO The only way to achieve lasting victory is to demolish their shipyards, their weapon plants... to force them to retreat, deeper and deeper into their own territory until our ships surround their headquarters on Cardassia Prime and they have no choice but to surrender. I know it won't be easy... I know we'll pay a heavy price for every system we take from them. But, in the end, it's the only way to drive the Dominion out of the Alpha Quadrant. And that's a goal we all share. Klingons, Humans and Romulans. Sisko stares at Letant, who eyes the captain thoughtfully. And off the Senator's enigmatic expression, we go to -- DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT TWO 21. 21 INT. QUARK'S A glum-looking Odo sits beside an even glummer- looking Bashir, while a glummest-looking Quark commiserates from across the bar. ODO What am I going to do? Nerys hates me. BASHIR I envy you. At least hate is an emotion. All I get from Jadzia is indifference. QUARK Me, too. ODO (wistful) For one brief moment, I was the happiest man in the universe. Now... it's over. I'll never be happy again. BASHIR I know what you mean. QUARK Me, too. ODO What am I going to do without her? BASHIR (still thinking of Dax) I wish I knew. QUARK Me, too. With a sigh, Odo gets up from the stool. ODO I guess there's nothing else to do but go back to work. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT TWO 22. 21 CONTINUED: BASHIR Good idea. And with that, Odo EXITS. Bashir and Quark watch him leave. BASHIR I think we cheered him up. QUARK Me, too. (a beat) I wish there was someone to cheer us up. BASHIR (a sudden thought) I know just the person. And as Quark looks over at Bashir, we go to -- 22 INT. HOLOSUITE - LAS VEGAS LOUNGE where the inimitable VIC FONTAINE, with his BAND behind him, is SINGING that swinging tribute to one and all, "Here's to the Losers." 23 NEW ANGLE to REVEAL Bashir and Quark seated at the only table in the joint, listening forlornly. As the song ends, Bashir and Quark applaud halfheartedly. BASHIR That was great, VIC. VIC It's not exactly the most requested song in my repertoire, but I'm glad you liked it. So why the long face, pallie? BASHIR It's a long story. VIC This wouldn't be about Dax's baby, would it? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT TWO 23. 23 CONTINUED: QUARK (to Bashir) What is he, a telepath? VIC No, I'm a hologram. BASHIR A very smart hologram. VIC It's simple. You take one beautiful, happily married filly... add the possibility of her giving birth to a foal, and what does it leave you? (not waiting for an answer) A couple of lovesick stallions that never got out of the starting gate. QUARK (to Bashir) You have any idea what he's talking about? VIC I've got news for you two -- it's time to move onto greener pastures. BASHIR It's not easy to lose a woman like Dax. VIC I hate to break it to you, pallie, but you lost her a long time ago. You both did. Vic allows the moment to sink in. DEEP SPACE NINE: "'Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT TWO 24. 23 CONTINUED: (2) VIC But lucky for you, space is big. There are a lot of other nice girls out there... with and without spots. Capice? Bashir and Quark exchange a look. QUARK That's it? That's supposed to cheer us up? VIC The truth shall set you free. QUARK (to Bashir) Do you feel better? BASHIR (surprised) A little. How about you? QUARK I guess. After a beat, they stand. VIC Good. Because you were starting to depress the band. BASHIR Thanks, Vic. We appreciate the advice. QUARK (looking around the room) I like this place. I may have to drop by more often. VIC Anytime, pallie, anytime. Bashir and Quark, their spirits lifted, EXIT. We HOLD ON Vic watching them leave. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT TWO 25. 23 CONTINUED: (3) VIC (to himself) Nice guys. But absolutely clueless. CUT TO: 24 INT. SISKO'S QUARTERS Jake is seated across from his father at the dinner table, taking a first bite of jambalaya. Jake closes his eyes, savoring the flavors, then finally swallows. SISKO What do you think? JAKE (smiling) I think the Romulans have agreed to invade Cardassia. SISKO How'd you know? JAKE The jambalaya's perfect. (off Sisko's look) When you're frustrated about something you usually overcook the rice. SISKO You never told me that before. JAKE I'm telling you now. So when do we leave? SISKO We? JAKE I'm a journalist, Dad. Remember? SISKO Forget it, Jake. You're not going. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT TWO 26. 24 CONTINUED: JAKE But, Dad -- we're talking about the invasion of Cardassia. A savage thrust into the very heart of the Dominion. (off Sisko's look) That's not how I would write it. SISKO That's a relief, but you're still not going. JAKE I have to go. It's my job. Now if you don't want me on the Defiant, fine. I'll go with General Martok -- get the story from a Klingon perspective... Sisko takes a deep breath; he knows there's no way he can stop Jake from going. SISKO All right. The Defiant it is. JAKE So when do we leave? SISKO Just keep your bags packed. JAKE Yes, sir. Jake gets up and heads for the door. SISKO Where are you going? JAKE To pack my bags. SISKO Do I have to remind you about the need for strict security? JAKE You just did. SISKO What about your dinner? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT TWO 26A. 24 CONTINUED: (2) Jake comes back and takes the plate with him. JAKE It's delicious. Jake heads back to the door, taking a few bites. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT TWO 27. 24 CONTINUED: (3) SISKO Jake. Sisko catches up to his son. Puts his arm around him and gives him a bear hug. JAKE Don't worry, Dad. We'll look out for each other. And with that, Jake smiles and EXITS. 25 ANGLE ON SISKO (OPTICAL) thoughtfully watching his son leave. Once the doors have closed, Sisko turns away only to find himself -- 26 INT. OPS (OPTICAL) -- facing Worf. However, it clearly isn't Worf, but rather a wormhole ALIEN. WORF/ALIEN The Sisko is of Bajor. 27 INT. WARDROOM (OPTICAL) where another wormhole ALIEN waits for him, this time in the guise of MARTOK ALIEN. MARTOK/ALIEN It is where he belongs. 28 INT. CAPTAIN'S OFFICE (OPTICAL) where an Admiral Ross ALIEN is seated at Sisko's desk. ROSS/ALIEN It is where he is meant to be. SISKO Are you telling me not to go to Cardassia? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT TWO 28. 29 INT. HABITAT RING CORRIDOR (OPTICAL) Sisko again finds himself facing the Letant Alien. LETANT/ALIEN You are the Sisko. 30 INT. OPS (OPTICAL) All four of the wormhole aliens are now present. ROSS/ALIEN The Sisko is of Bajor. MARTOK/ALIEN It is dangerous to walk a different path. SISKO Dangerous? In what way? ROSS/ALIEN The Sisko must not leave the chosen path. WORF/ALIEN The Sisko is of Bajor. LETANT/ALIEN It is where he belongs. SISKO But why is it dangerous for me to leave? Does it have something to do with Bajor? You have to tell me -- But the only answer Sisko gets is to find himself back in -- 31 INT. SISKO'S QUARTERS Alone. There's no sign of the wormhole aliens. And on his disquieted expression, we: FADE OUT. END OF ACT TWO DEEP SPACE NINE: "'Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT THREE 29. ACT THREE FADE IN: 32 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) Re-establishing. There are now many more Federation and Klingon ships surrounding it. There are also more Romulan ships. 33 INT. WARDROOM CLOSE ON a map of the Chin'toka System. The map displays a defensive grid of hundreds of O.W.P.s surrounding the system's binary planets. ROSS (O.S.) The Cardassians call them orbital weapon platforms. PULL BACK to REVEAL Ross explaining the display to Sisko, Martok and Letant. Clearly, Sisko has something weighing heavily on his mind. ROSS Intelligence reports indicate that the Dominion is placing hundreds of them throughout the Chin'toka System. SISKO Are they operational? ROSS Not yet. MARTOK How much time do we have before they are? ROSS Two, maybe three days. LETANT (to Sisko) It would appear that your "weak spot" is about to get a lot stronger. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT THREE 30. 33 CONTINUED: MARTOK Leave it to a Romulan to run at the first sign of trouble. LETANT And leave it to a Klingon to leap to the wrong conclusion. (to Sisko) The Romulan Empire has agreed to join the invasion of Cardassia and we live up to our agreements. The question is: can we launch an invasion before their defensive grid is activated? MARTOK We'll have to leave first thing in the morning. ROSS Then it's settled. Good luck, General. (a beat) Good luck to us all. Martok and Levant head for the door. LETANT Romulans don't believe in luck. MARTOK All the better. That leaves more for the rest of us. They EXIT, but Sisko hangs back with Admiral Ross. Ross can see that something is on Sisko's mind. ROSS You've been quiet, Ben. Those weapon platforms have you worried? SISKO It's not that, sir. (a beat) It's about the Prophets -- the wormhole aliens. They spoke to me last night. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT THREE 31. 33 CONTINUED: (2) This isn't a subject that Ross wants to see brought up at the moment. But he values Sisko enough to indulge him. ROSS I hope they gave the mission their blessing. SISKO They told me not to go to Cardassia -- that I should stay here. ROSS Did they give a reason? SISKO Nothing concrete. Just that it would be dangekous. Ross begins to lose his patience with this. ROSS In what way? Dangerous to you? To the mission? To Bajor? SISKO I'm not sure. ROSS (cutting to the chase) Then what are you telling me, Ben? You want permission to stay behind? SISKO It's not about what I want. It's about what the Prophets want. DEEP SPACE NINE: ""Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT THREE 32. 33 CONTINUED: (3) ROSS That's not a good enough answer. Not from a Starfleet captain. SISKO The Prophets don't see me as a Starfleet Captain -- they see me as their Emissary. ROSS That's the problem, isn't it? For the past six years, you've tried to be both. And up to now, I've been patient... I've indulged you... I've gone out on a limb for you many times. But this is it. You have to make a decision. You're either the Emissary or a Starfleet captain -- you can't be both. Ross takes a breath, allowing Sisko to come to a decision. SISKO I'll be on the Bridge of the Defiant at oh-five hundred. ROSS (smiling) Good. And off this moment -- CUT TO: 34 EXT. CARDASSIA PRIME (OPTICAL) (STOCK) Re-establishing. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT THREE 33. 35 INT. DOMINION BRIEFING ROOM A surly Damar is being confronted by a wrathful Weyoun. DAMAR A combined fleet at Deep Space Nine? WEYOUN Composed of Federation, Klingon and Romulan ships! DAMAR You think they'll head for the Chin'toka System? WEYOUN I would. DAMAR Then we have nothing to worry about. The Weapon Platforms will be operational in time to greet them. WEYOUN That's a very comforting thought... if it's accurate. DAMAR I'll make sure it is. DUKAT (O.S.) Gentlemen -- 36 ANGLE ON THE DOOR to see Dukat and two N.D. Jem'Hadar Guards ENTER. Dukat carrys an ancient Bajoran box, about thirty centimeters long, and a satchel, strapped across his shoulder. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT THREE 34. 36 CONTINUED: DUKAT I hope I'm not interrupting. WEYOUN What is it now, Dukat? DUKAT I found it. Dukat shows them the box. DUKAT Behold -- the key to victory. Weyoun looks skeptically at Dukat, who proceeds to open the box. He takes out a wooden figurine of a Bajoran Vedek. Weyoun and Damar exchange a look, clearly unimpressed. DUKAT I see you remain skeptical. You won't for long. Dukat ceremoniously places the figurine in the center of a nearby table. From the satchel, he takes out a pair of Bajoran votive candies and lights them. DUKAT Over the last few months, I've immersed myself in the study of the Bajoran Ancient Texts. And I've come to realize that the wormhole is much more than just a gateway to the Gamma Quadrant. It's the Temple of the Prophets. It's from there that they smile benevolently down on Bajor. It's from there that they protect that world and its people. (to Damar) The sad truth is, we wasted our time fighting the Bajorans when we should've been fighting their gods. DAMAR How do you fight a god? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT THREE 35. 36 CONTINUED: (2) DUKAT (smiling) I'll show you. You see, we have an ally we never knew we had. (a beat) You may want to take a few steps back. Dukat faces the figurine and begins to CHANT a Bajoran prayer. DUKAT Dorrah tolka bretri pah'rahn, meedor. Dorrah tolka ullkess pah'rahn. 37 CLOSE ON DUKAT (OPTICAL) as he takes the wooden figurine in both hands and SNAPS it in two. An ENERGY VORTEX comes swirling out of the bottom half of the statue and is absorbed into Dukat's body, throwing him back against the bulkhead. 38 ANOTHER ANGLE as Weyoun and Damar are taken aback. But after a beat, Damar recovers and rushes over to his old mentor. DAMAR Dukat -- 39 ON DUKAT as his eyes pop open, revealing the blood-red eyes of a Pah-wraith. DUKAT/PAH-WRAITH Your concern is touching, but unnecessary. And as Weyoun and Damar react to the change in Dukat, we go to -- 40 INT. SECURITY OFFICE Odo is working at his desk as Kira ENTERS. Whatever anger we saw earlier is completely gone. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT THREE 36. 40 CONTINUED: KIRA Busy? Odo isn't sure how to respond; he's not sure why Kira is there -- unless she's come to give him another piece of her mind. ODO A little. Kira walks over to his side of the desk and leans over him. KIRA I'll be leaving with the task force first thing in the morning. ODO I heard. KIRA (smiling) And... ? Kira waits for Odo to say something. Odo misunderstands what she wants. ODO (agitated) And I'm sorry I arrested him. I was simply trying to do my duty, but I can see how it might've seemed excessive... KIRA (truly confused) What are you talking about? ODO Vedek Solis. Isn't that why you're here? KIRA No, but now I know why you've been avoiding me these last few days. ODO I haven't been avoiding you. I've been helping you avoid me. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT THREE 37. 40 CONTINUED: (2) KIRA Why would I want to do that? ODO (tentative) Because... you don't want us to be together anymore? The coin drops for Kira. KIRA Is that what you've been thinking? Odo -- we had an argument. People have them all the time. Look at Worf and Dax -- they love each other and they fight all the time. ODO Are you saying you love me? KIRA Don't try to change the subject. ODO Which is? KIRA (smiling) I don't even know anymore. ODO But you're no longer angry at me? KIRA That's right. Though I still think you were wrong to arrest the Vedek. Odo doesn't quite follow her logic. ODO I see. KIRA And I thought it'd be nice if we spent my last night on the station together. ODO That's a wonderful idea. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT THREE 38. 40 CONTINUED: (3) KIRA Then I'll see you later. ODO I look forward to it. KIRA Good. She kisses him. ODO You know, Nerys, observing humanoid relationships and being in one are very different things. And as they exchange a warm smile of understanding -- 41 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) Re-establishing. 42 INT. AIRLOCK CORRIDOR Sisko, Kira, Dax, Worf, O'Brien and Jake walk toward the airlock. O'Brien is drinking a cup of raktajino. O'BRIEN If you ask me, it's an ungodly hour to go to war. (to Jake) And you can quote me on that. JAKE I will. O'Brien looks over to Dax. O'BRIEN Do me a favor, Jadzia. Look in on Keiko and the kids while I'm gone. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT THREE 39 42 CONTINUED: DAX You can count on it. O'BRIEN And make sure Julian stays out of trouble. DAX (smiling) Now you're pushing... They reach the airlock. SISKO (to Dax) It's your station, old man. DAX I'll take good care of her. Sisko, O'Brien and Jake enter the airlock. Kira stops in front of Dax. DAX Give my best to the Jem'Hadar. KIRA I'll do that. (looking to Worf and Dax) I said a prayer for the two of you at the shrine last night. DAX About having a baby? KIRA (nodding) Sometimes the Prophets can be helpful in these matters. DAX I hope they were listening. Kira moves off into the airlock. As soon as she's gone, Dax leans over and kisses Worf. DAX You hear that? We have the Prophets on our side. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT THREE 40. 42 CONTINUED: (2) WORF According to Doctor Bashir, we could use all the help we can get. DAX Just remember, when you get back, we have a lot of "work" to do. WORF I do not consider that "work." The moment has come for them to part. DAX I wish I was going with you. WORF You are. (tapping his chest) In here. DAX I love it when you get romantic. Worf takes her in his arms and kisses her passionately, then follows the others into the airlock. We HOLD ON Dax for a beat -- she misses them already. 43 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE As Sisko, Kira, Worf and O'Brien take their stations. NOG is seated at the helm. Garak is at one of the side stations. Jake takes a seat at the back table. O'BRIEN (to Garak) You got here early. GARAK This is a momentous occasion. It's not every day I embark on a journey to liberate my homeworld. O'BRIEN That's one way to put it. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT THREE 41. 43 CONTINUED: MARTOK'S COM VOICE This is General Martok to all ships. Assume tactical formation, we're moving out. SISKO Take us to Cardassia, Mister Nog. NOG Aye, sir. As Nog works his console, we HOLD ON a grim and thoughtful Sisko. 44 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) The Defiant and the rest of the invasion task force move away from the station. It's a massive and impressive collection of Federation, Klingon and Romulan vessels. And as they head off toward Cardassia, we: FADE OUT. END OF ACT THREE DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FOUR 42. ACT FOUR FADE IN: 45 INT. DOMINION BRIEFING ROOM Weyoun and Damar are looking over a map of the Cardassian border. There are markers indicating the approaching invasion force, as well as markers indicating the defensive grid. DAMAR The enemy fleet is approaching the Chin'toka System. WEYOUN What's the status of our weapon platforms? DAMAR Still off-line. WEYOUN (alarmed) It pains me to say this, but you Cardassians are proving to be quite a disappointment. DAMAR (surprisingly confident) I'll remind you you said that. 46 EXT. SPACE (OPTICAL) The invasion task force -- divided into three wings of Federation, Klingon and Romulan squadrons -- approaches the first few Orbital Weapon Platforms that form the outer rim of the defensive grid protecting the binary planets. The Weapon Platforms are silent, dark and ominous. 47 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE . Sisko and the others are at their battle stations. O'BRIEN Looks like we're in luck, captain. The defensive grid's still off-line. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FOUR 43. 47 CONTINUED: KIRA Jem'Hadar fighters approaching, bearing zero-five-nine mark zero- three-one. NOG They must know they don't stand a chance against a fleet this size. WORF That won't matter to the Jem'Hadar. Jake has gotten out of his seat to get a better view of the action. Without even realizing it, he's moved up next to his father's chair. SISKO Sit down, Jake. JAKE Right. Jake goes back to his seat. MARTOK'S COM VOICE Martok to Sisko. SISKO Go ahead. MARTOK'S COM VOICE My attack wing is closest to those Jem'Hadar fighters. We're preparing to engage them. SISKO Good luck, general. 48 EXT. SPACE (OPTICAL) Klingon ships break formation to intercept the Jem'Hadar fighters. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FOUR 44. 48 CONTINUED: The two sides exchange fire, but the Dominion strategy is soon apparent: the Jem'Hadar fighters fly directly at the Klingon ships, slamming into them. Two or three Jem'Hadar ships crash into larger Klingon birds of prey and cruisers, disabling a few and destroying others. 49 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE as Sisko and the others watch the battle. NOG I always knew the Jem'Hadar were crazy. GARAK There's method to their madness. They're inflicting considerable damage on the Klingons. WORF And buying time to get their Weapon Platforms operational. 50 ANGLE ON SISKO SISKO (to com) Sisko to Martok. MARTOK'S COM VOICE The Jem'Hadar have managed to cripple or destroy fifteen of my ships. SISKO Do you need assistance? MARTOK'S COM VOICE No, that won't be necessary. Commence firing on the Weapon Platforms. DEEP SPACE NINE: ""Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FOUR 45. 51 EXT. SPACE (OPTICAL) The Federation and Romulan attack wings open FIRE on the Weapon Platforms. Several of the platforms are destroyed. 52 ANOTHER ANGLE (OPTICAL) The invasion force moves deeper into the defensive grid, heading toward their goal: the binary planets of the Chin'toka System. Suddenly, and all at once, the defensive grid goes on-line -- the Weapon Platforms spring to life and let loose a massive barrage of FIREPOWER against the task force. Several Federation and Romulan ships are destroyed. 53 INT. DOMINION BRIEFING ROOM (OPTICAL) Weyoun and Damar are looking at the wall monitor, which displays a representation of the ongoing battle. DAMAR I believe you owe me an apology. WEYOUN (in a much better mood) I believe you're right. DAMAR Now if Dukat can get our reinforcements through the wormhole... WEYOUN I'm not sure how much faith I have in this -- what did he call it? DAMAR A Pah-wraith. WEYOUN Pah-wraiths and Prophets. All this talk of gods strikes me as nothing more than superstitious nonsense. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FOUR 45A. 53 CONTINUED: DAMAR You believe that the Founders are gods, don't you? WEYOUN That's different. DAMAR In what way? WEYOON The Founders are gods. And with that, we go to -- 54 EXT. SPACE (OPTICAL) The task force FIRES back at the Weapon Platforms, but they fail to penetrate the platform's shields. 55 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE as it's ROCKED by enemy fire. WORF We're unable to penetrate their forcefields. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FOUR 46. 55 CONTINUED: SISKO Chief -- isolate their lower frequency shield harmonics. Find a way to punch through. O'BRIEN Their resonance modulations are fluctuating at an exponential rate. It'll take time to find a pattern we can lock onto. The ship is ROCKED again. SISKO We don't have time. GARAK (off his console) Captain, I just noticed something odd about those platforms. SISKO Don't keep it to yourself, Mister Garak. GARAK None of them seem to have a power generator on board. O'BRIEN (off his console) He's right. Each one must be getting its power from a central source. KIRA We've got to find that source and destroy it. The ship SHAKES from another hit. SISKO Chief -- O'BRIEN I'm on it. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FOUR 47. 55 CONTINUED: (2) And as O'Brien works his console -- CUT TO: 56 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) Re-establishing. 57 INT. PROMENADE - SECOND LEVEL Dax and Bashir are walking down the corridor. BASHIR According to the DNA scans I took this morning, the ovarian resequencing enzymes I've given you are working. DAX You mean Worf and I can have a baby? BASHIR It looks that way. (a beat) I have to say, I didn't expect such positive results so quickly. It's quite amazing, actually. Dax can't hide her joy at the news. Dax impetuously throws her arms around Bashir and gives him a warm hug. Bashir is a little taken back, but he returns the embrace. DAX Thank you, Julian. BASHIR It's all part of being a doctor. Dax steps back from the embrace but continues holding Bashir by the arms. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FOUR 48. 57 CONTINUED: DAX No, it's more than that. You're a good friend. You always have been. BASHIR (with genuine gallantry) And I always will be. The warm moment hangs in the air for a beat, then Dax nods, acknowledging Bashir's statement. DAX I'd better get back to work... (a beat, smiling) But first, I think I'll stop by the Bajoran shrine. BASHIR What for? DAX (with a twinkle) Kira said a prayer for Worf and me last night. She told the Prophets how much we wanted a baby. BASHIR Then I'd say they were listening -- that is, if you believe in Prophets. DAX I do today. And with that she EXITS. We HOLD ON Bashir, watching her leave. Whatever melancholic feelings he might have, they're more than offset by his happiness for his friend. 58 INT. BAJORAN SHRINE Alone, Dax stands in front of the altar, looking at the orb ark. She places a votive candle in a torchier. DAX I'm not sure if I'm doing this correctly... I don't come here a lot. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FOUR 49. 58 CONTINUED: DAX (Cont'd) To be honest, I'm more comfortable thinking of you as wormhole aliens. But Kira believes you're a lot more than that... (a beat) Maybe she's right, I don't know. But if you are prophets, and you're listening to me right now... I just want to say -- But before Dax can complete her thought, she hears a SOUND off screen. She turns to see -- 59 NEW ANGLE (OPTICAL) the Dukat/Pah-wraith MATERIALIZES near her, his eyes burning red. The moment he appears, the candles on the altar are extinguished by a GUST of wind. DAX Dukat? Dax reaches for her phaser, but the Dukat/Pah-wraith stretches out his hand. Instantly, RED ARCS dance throughout her body and she begins convulsing. 60 ON DUKAT/PAH-WRAITH as he raises his arm. 61 ON DAX (OPTICAL) being lifted off the ground -- the RED ARCS getting brighter and more intense, her convulsing more violent. Dax hangs suspended in the air for several seconds, the life literally being drained out of her. 62 NEW ANGLE as Dax's lifeless body suddenly SLAMS against the floor. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FOUR 50. 63 ANGLE ON THE DUKAT/PAH-WRAITH with barely a glance at Dax's body, he approaches the altar and opens the orb ark. 64 CLOSER (OPTICAL) as the ORB LIGHT envelops the Dukat/Pah-wraith, he throws back his head, opens his mouth and the ENERGY VORTEX bursts out of Dukat's body and pierces the orb itself. Almost immediately, the orb light BRIGHTENS in intensity and then, just as suddenly, goes dark... lifeless. 65 ANOTHER ANGLE Dukat, free of the Pah-wraith, collapses to his knees. Dukat looks exhausted, overwhelmed. After a few deep breaths, he collects himself and a small, victorious smile breaks across his face. 65A EXT. SPACE - WORMHOLE (OPTICAL) as it OPENS and IMPLODES SPECTACULARLY. HARD CUT TO: 65B INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE to see Sisko suddenly stagger back and steady himself on the railing surrounding the Captain's Chair. (Note: Though the ship is under attack, it should be clear that what Sisko is feeling is not connected to the battle.) Kira and Jake hurry over to his father. KIRA Captain -- JAKE Dad, what is it? Kira and Jake help Sisko into the Captain's chair. Sisko looks shaken. The ship is ROCKED as it takes a hit. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FOUR 51. 65B CONTINUED: SISKO I'm not sure... I think I felt the Prophets reaching out to me. (concerned) Something's wrong... The ship takes another HIT. Sisko seems disoriented, lost. O'BRIEN (to Sisko) Sir, I found it. There's a subspace power generator on a small moon orbiting the far planet. It's transmitting energy to the weapon platforms. But Sisko, still disturbed by what he felt, seems unable to focus on it. O'BRIEN Captain? Kira sees that Sisko is in no shape to give orders. KIRA Take us there, Mister Nog. NOG Aye, sir. KIRA (to Jake, re: Sisko) You better get him to his quarters. Jake leads an unresisting Sisko off the Bridge. Before he goes, Sisko and Kira exchange a grim look. KIRA Don't worry, captain. We'll get the job done. Jake and Sisko EXIT. CUT TO: 65C INT. BAJORAN SHRINE as Dukat gets to his feet and looks over at Dax's corpse. His victorious smile fades a bit. DEEP SPACE NINE: ""Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FOUR 52. 65C CONTINUED: DUKAT I know this must be of little comfort, but I never intended you any harm. 66 NEW ANGLE as a MONK comes out from the adjoining room, startled by the tableau that greets him. Upon seeing the Monk, Dukat taps a Dominion transporter device on his forearm and DEMATERIALIZES. We HOLD ON the Monk who hurries over to Dax's body. And on that disturbing image, we: FADE OUT. END OF ACT FOUR DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 53. ACT FIVE FADE IN: 67 EXT. SPACE (OPTICAL) The battle continues. The invasion task force continues to lose more and more ships in the barrage coming from the Orbital Weapon Platforms. 68 EXT. SPACE (OPTICAL) Dodging heavy FIRE, the Defiant approaches an asteroid-sized moon. 69 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE The ship rocks as it takes a heavy pounding from the enemy fire. NOG Approaching the target. KIRA On screen. 70 ANGLE ON THE VIEWSCREEN (OPTICAL) On the moon, we can see various structures, conduits and transmitters that form the power generator supplying the weapon platforms. The asteroid itself is protected by several weapon platforms, which open FIRE on the Defiant. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 53A. 71 RESUME The ship ROCKS VIOLENTLY as it absorbs another hit. WORF Target locked. KIRA Fire. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 54. 72 EXT. SPACE (OPTICAL) The Defiant FIRES upon the moon, but the phaser bolt dissipates as it strikes the forcefield surrounding the moon. 73 RESUME WORF We can't penetrate the moon's defense grid. The ship SHAKES again. O'BRIEN Sir, I have an idea. KIRA Go ahead. O'BRIEN Maybe we can't destroy that power generator, but I'd bet those Weapon Platforms could. KIRA Why would they fire on their own power source? GARAK (catching on) We'd have to fool the platforms' targeting systems into thinking the generator is an enemy ship. O'BRIEN We can use our deflector array to imprint a Federation warp signature on the generator's energy matrix. WORF It's worth a try. After a beat, Kira nods to O'Brien and Garak, who immediately begin working their consoles as the ship takes another VIOLENT HIT. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 55. 73 CONTINUED: KIRA Evasive maneuvers, Mister Nog. Pattern Theta. 74 EXT. SPACE (OPTICAL) The Defiant skirts and dodges through enemy FIRE. 75 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE The ship takes ANOTHER VIOLENT HIT as O'Brien finishes his preparations. O'BRIEN Induction stabilizers set. Booster modulators synchronized. Ready to activate the deflector. KIRA Do it. O'Brien taps his console 76 EXT. SPACE (OPTICAL) The Weapon Platforms surrounding the moon continue to FIRE at the Defiant. Suddenly, the platforms redirect their FIRE at the moon. It's an intense concentration of firepower from all the platforms, and after a few seconds, the moon EXPLODES into a giant FIREBALL. 77 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE To see the crew exuberantly react to the explosion. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 56. 78 EXT. SPACE (OPTICAL) Cut off from their power supply, all the Orbital Weapon Platforms stop firing and go dark. 79 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE (CONTINUOUS) MARTOK'S COM VOICE Martok to the Defiant. KIRA Go ahead, General. MARTOK'S COM VOICE Well done, major. We'll begin transporting ground troops to both planets immediately. But the jubilation is short-lived: O'BRIEN Major, we're getting a priority- one transmission from Deep Space Nine. (a beat) It's from Julian. 80 CLOSE ON KIRA to see her growing concern -- something tells her the news isn't going to be good. And off this moment, we go to -- 81 INT. DOMINION BRIEFING ROOM (OPTICAL) Weyoun and Damar are talking to the image of Dukat, on a monitor. Dukat is on the Federation shuttle he stole in "Waltz." WEYOUN (angry) This is a disaster! Federation soldiers have landed on Cardassian soil. And now you're telling me the wormhole is gone! DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 57. 81 CONTINUED: WEYOUN (Cont'd) And with it any chance of our getting reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant. DUKAT I'm well aware that things didn't turn out quite the way I'd planned, but I assure you we've still achieved a great victory. WEYOUN Forgive me if I don't share your euphoria. DUKAT But you should. The Bajoran people have been cut off from their gods... perhaps forever. DAMAR And how does that help us? DUKAT Because Sisko's been cut off from the Prophets as well. And without the Prophets, he's just another Starfleet captain. WEYOUN And that's supposed to make me feel better? DUKAT Believe me, it will. And as Weyoun and Damar ponder Dukat's words -- CUT TO: 82 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) The Defiant approaches the station. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 58. 83 INT. PROMENADE Worf and O'Brien grimly emerge from the airlock and make a beeline for the Infirmary. Moments later, they're followed by Sisko, Kira and Jake. Sisko looks drawn, strained, as if a great burden weighs heavily on his shoulders. The Promenade is filled with solemn-looking Bajorans, most of whom are gathered around the shrine. Upon seeing Sisko, Sahgi, the Bajoran girl we saw earlier, rushes up to him. Sisko, Jake and Kira stop, while Worf and O'Brien continue into the Infirmary. SAHGI Emissary! My mother says all the orbs are dark -- that the Prophets have abandoned us. (not waiting for a response) You have to find them, Emissary. You have to ask them to come back. Sisko doesn't know how to answer her. SISKO I'll try. Satisfied, Sahgi runs back to her mother. Kira manages to smile at the Emissary, though she is clearly shaken by the loss of the Prophets. Sisko, Jake and Kira head off toward the Infirmary -- 84 INT. INFIRMARY Sisko and Kira ENTER to find O'Brien with Odo and Quark, waiting silently for word of Dax's condition. Looks are exchanged, but nothing's said. Nothing needs to be said. After a beat, Bashir emerges from surgery. One look tells us all we need to know. BASHIR (to Sisko) I was able to save the Dax symbiont, but we need to get it back to Trill as soon as possible. (a beat) There was nothing I could do for Jadzia. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 58A. 84 CONTINUED: Bashir can see that Sisko isn't himself. BASHIR (Cont'd) Are you all right, Captain? SISKO I've been better... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 59. 85 INT. SURGERY Sisko ENTERS to see Worf standing by a bio-bed where Jadzia clings to life. 85A CLOSE ON WORF AND DAX sharing this final moment. DAX I'm sorry... WORF Save your strength. But Dax is determined to say something to him. DAX Our baby... would've been so beautiful. And with that, Dax exhales her last breath and dies. Worf immediately lets out a bloodcurdling SCREAM of pain and rage. 85B ON SISKO as he and Worf exchange a long look of sorrow. Worf looks back at Jadzia's body and begins to recite a Klingon mourning CHANT: WORF neH taH Kronos. Hegh bat'lhqu Hoch nej maH. neH taH Kronos. yay je bat'lh manob Hegh. (Only Kronos endures. All we can hope for is a glorious death. Only Kronos endures. In death there is victory and honor.) And off this charged moment, we: DISSOLVE TO: 86 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) Re-establishing. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 59A. 87 INT. CARGO BAY A long, sleek, jet-black coffin containing Jadzia's body sits in the middle of the otherwise-empty Cargo Bay. One of the Cargo Bay doors OPENS and Sisko ENTERS. It's the next day and Sisko's grief is not as raw anymore. He walks over to the casket and stares down at it for a moment. When he speaks, it's with gentle affection that covers a deep and profound regret. SISKO The funeral service is due to begin in a few minutes, Jadzia... but I need to talk to you one last time. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 60. 87 CONTINUED: Sisko pauses to collect his thoughts. SISKO When I first met you, you said that my relationship with Jadzia Dax wouldn't be any different than the one I had with Curzon Dax. But that's not the way things worked out. I had a helluva lot of fun with both of you. But Curzon was my mentor. You... you were my friend. And I'm going to miss you. (a beat) I should've listened to the Prophets and not gone to Cardassia... maybe then you'd still be alive. (a sudden flash of anger) Why aren't you here, Jadzia? I need you to help me sort things out. Something's happened to the Prophets... something that's made them turn their backs on Bajor, and I'm responsible. But I don't know what to do about it. How to make it right. (a beat) I've failed as the Emissary and, for the first time in my life, I've failed in my duty as a Starfleet officer. (a beat) I need time to think... clear my head. And I can't do it here. Not on the station. Not now. I have to get away... so I can figure out a way to make things right again. (a beat) I have to make things right, Jadzia. I have to. And off this anguished moment -- CUT TO: 88 INT. OPS Kira, Odo, O'Brien, Bashir and Jake are gathered by the stairs. The door to the captain's office OPENS allowing Sisko, carrying a shoulder bag, to come down the steps. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 61. 88 CONTINUED: SISKO The station's all yours, major. KIRA She'll be here when you get back. BASHIR Sir, this leave of absence you're taking... how long do you think you'll be gone? SISKO I can't say exactly. ODO We'll be waiting. O'BRIEN Best of luck, sir. SISKO Thank you, Chief. My thanks to all of you. Sisko walks over to Jake. SISKO Let's go home, Jake. 89 NEW ANGLE as Sisko and Jake ENTER the Turbolift. SISKO Landing Pad "C." And with that, the Turbolift descends. HOLD ON the faces of the group as they watch Sisko and Jake disappear out of sight. 90 ANGLE ON KIRA as she turns and walks to the captain's office. Curious, Odo follows after her. 91 INT. CAPTAIN'S OFFICE Kira and Odo ENTER and step over to the desk. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 62. 91 CONTINUED: KIRA I was afraid of that. He's not sure he's coming back. ODO What makes you say that? 92 NEW ANGLE to include Sisko's empty desk. KIRA His baseball. He took it with him. 93 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) To see a shuttle take off from the station and begin the long journey to Earth. DISSOLVE TO: 94 EXT. NEW ORLEANS - BACK ALLEY - NIGHT A warm, Louisiana evening. CAMERA SLOWLY DRIFTS down the dark, empty alley. As we move, we begin to HEAR the faint, rollicking SOUNDS of a New Orleans JAZZ BAND coming from inside one of the buildings. As we continue to move, we begin to distinguish a new sound: an intermittent CLANG of something hitting a metal bowl. CAMERA COMES TO REST on Ben Sisko, dressed in a cook's white T-shirt and pants, sitting on the back steps of his father's restaurant, scrubbing the shells of fresh clams and tossing them into a large, metal bowl. Sisko seems calm and at peace, lulled by the simple, repetitive actions of preparing the food. JAKE (O.S.) Dad... 95 NEW ANGLE to include Jake standing at the doorway. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Tears of... " - REV. 04/28/98 - ACT FIVE 63. 95 CONTINUED: JAKE Grandpa's ready to close up the restaurant. He wants to know when you're coming in. SISKO In a little while... Jake nods and goes back inside. We HOLD ON Sisko as he reaches for another clam and begins to scrub it clean. And on that image, we: FADE OUT. END OF ACT FIVE THE END