"Nerys?" "Vedek Bareil!" "Want to play?" "Help me." "Please." "All right." "Who is it?" " It's Prylar Bek." " No, it's not." "It's you." "Good morning." "I thought you'd sleep till noon." "Sh." "You're supposed to be relaxing." "I'm very relaxed." "Good." "How are you feeling this morning?" "Miserable." "I wish you could stay here longer." "All right, I will." "I'll stay a few more days." " You can't." " Why not?" "Because in two days you are going to be elected Kai." "Oh, that!" "There's no guarantee I'll win." "Of course you will." "The people need you." "Are you... going to vote for me?" "Is that why you spent the last three days here?" "To get my vote?" "I know you don't agree with many of my views so I thought a personal appearance might sway your opinion." "I was going to vote for Vedek Tolena." "But I might be persuaded to change my mind." "Good." "Because your vote is the only one that matters to me." "I may not always agree with your interpretations of the prophecies but I think you will make a wonderful Kai." "And you were Kai Opaka's personal choice to succeed her." "I could never replace Opaka." "Bajor wouldn't have survived the occupation without her." "Once you become Kai we'll never have these times together." "Listen to me." "No matter how busy I become..." "I'll always have time for you." " It won't be easy." " I didn't say it would." "I'm not going to lose you, Nerys." "I promise you that." "Remember now, honour the Prophets and they will always love you." "As I understand the sacred texts, the Prophets' love is unconditional." "They ask nothing in return." "Thank you, Vedek Bareil, for reminding us how the sacred text can be so easily misinterpreted." "It pleases me to provide you with an opposing viewpoint." "Somehow you never fail to do that." "I had no idea you were on the station." "But I shouldn't be so surprised." "I wouldn't even try to surprise you." "You've been keeping a close eye on my activities these last few weeks." "The eyes of all of Bajor are focused on you." "Why should I be any different?" "After all, the common wisdom is that you are destined to be the next Kai." " Are you conceding?" " Hardly." "The choosing is still two days away." "The Prophets may yet surprise us all." "Remember that, Bareil." "I would hate for you to start celebrating prematurely." "What brings you to the station, Vedek Winn?" "If the Prophets wanted you to know about my visit," "I would have informed you of it." "Now that I know you're here," "I'll inform Constable Odo to increase station security." "That won't be necessary." "I feel quite safe here." "No, it wasn't your safety that concerned me." "Just what are you trying to infer, child?" "I'm sure Major Kira meant no disrespect." "Not at all." "I want to avoid the violence that occurred during your last visit." "My child, I know you still hold me responsible for the deplorable attempt on Vedek Bareil's life." "But I can only pray that some day you will be cured of this unfortunate misconception." "That prayer will never be answered." "What a pity, for both of us." "Excuse me." "Excuse me, don't I know you?" " You must be mistaken." " No, no, I've seen you before." "You're..." "Kubus, that's it." "Kubus Oak." "You worked for the Cardassians." " Out of my way!" " Wait a minute!" "You're not going anywhere." "I know who you are and I know what you did!" "You're a traitor!" "This is Kubus Oak!" "He's a traitor!" "He worked for the Cardassians!" " What's going on here?" " See for yourself." "Secretary Kubus." "Last I heard, you were living on Cardassia." "It was time to come home." "Welcome back." "You're under arrest." "The Prophets have spoken." "All blessings on the new Kai." "Blessings on the Kai." "May the Prophets guide you." "Kai Opaka." "Be at peace, my child." "You must be strong." "Now, more than ever." "Why did you leave us?" "All is as the Prophets will it to be, as you will learn." "Follow me." "Be careful, Bareil." "The path she walks is a narrow one." "See that you don't stumble." " Heed her words." " I don't deserve to walk in your path." "You must." "It is your destiny." "Prylar Bek?" "Accept this gift from the Prophets." "You must not refuse their offering." "Take it." "Its venom will make you stronger." "There was quite a mob gathering out there." "I had to call in extra security to disperse it." "I never doubted your ability to handle the situation, Odo." "You're good at your job." "I could say the same for you, Secretary Kubus, special liaison between the Cardassian occupation forces and their pawns in the Bajoran government." "I served the only recognised government during the occupation." "Recognised by the Cardassians." "If it wasn't for us, the situation would have been ten times worse." "Maybe, but how could you know that, seeing that you spent all your time here?" "Gul Dukat told me once that you were his favourite Bajoran." "Really?" "I never could stand that arrogant tyrant!" "You hid your feelings well." "It kept me alive." "Bajor is my home." "I never should have left it." "But you did." "And you're going to have to live with that decision." "This is major Kira, the highest-ranking Bajoran on the station." "You're the one I should talk to." "Make it brief." "I don't enjoy talking to collaborators." "I'm simply requesting that I be allowed to return home." "Request denied." "I doubt you can make that decision." "The decision has already been made." "In the llvian Proclamation, every Bajoran member of the Cardassian occupational government was sentenced to exile." "Your name was number four on that list." "Personally, I think you all got off too easy." "Major..." "I don't have many years left." "Let me live them out on Bajor." "When the Cardassians needed Bajorans to work in the mines," " who approved those work orders?" " The Bajoran government." "Whose signature was on those authorisation forms?" "Mine." "You knew those authorisations were death sentences." "Did you ever once refuse to sign them?" "No." "That's why you can never be allowed to set foot on Bajor again." "Because if you do, it would dishonour the memory of every person you sentenced to death." "Vedek Winn." "What can I do for you?" "Emissary..." "It has come to my attention that there are some on Bajor who think my relationship with you is not all it should be." "Really?" "I find such a perception, however inaccurate, to be most distressing." "The question we have to ask ourselves is whether or not that perception is inaccurate." "Don't tell me that you yourself, Emissary, believe that you and I are..." " How shall I put it?" " Enemies?" " At odds." " Well..." "Let's see." "How could I have come to such a conclusion?" "Maybe it's because the last time you were here you claimed that I was here to destroy your people." "What I was really saying... what I have always maintained is that you were sent here by the Prophets to challenge our long-held beliefs." "I assume you no longer consider the Federation to be an enemy to Bajor." "Emissary, I admit I had some concerns about Bajor's application for Federation membership." "But now I see that the Federation's presence here is essential for our long-term security and growth." "Then you support the notion of Bajor joining the Federation?" "If that is the will of the Prophets, I would never oppose it." "I'm glad you said that." "And I would be grateful if you would tell it to the Bajoran people." "Nothing could make me happier than to please you, Emissary." "Perhaps you and I could address the Vedek Assembly together so everyone can celebrate our new friendship." "An excellent idea." "Perhaps some time next week." "Why wait, Emissary?" "The Assembly would grant us an immediate audience." "I'm sure." "Unfortunately, if we were to appear together in public before the choosing it might be seen as an endorsement of your bid to become the Kai." "I doubt that, Emissary." "It's common knowledge that you support Vedek Bareil, although I have been pleasantly surprised that you haven't made a public statement." "The election of the Kai is strictly an internal affair to Bajor." "As a Federation officer, I would never interfere." "What an enlightened philosophy." "So then, it's agreed." "I'll see you next week." "I look forward to it." " Odo to Major Kira." " This is Kira." "Major, Secretary Kubus is about to leave for Bajor." "How can that be?" " Vedek Winn granted him sanctuary." " On my way." " Kira to ops." " Go ahead." "Has Winn's ship left the station?" " I was about to clear them." " Don't." "I don't want that ship going anywhere." "Understood." "Tell me what happened." "Kubus requested a private meeting with Vedek Winn." "Winn then asked for the use of my computer." "She accessed information from the library." "Then she called the provisional government and informed them she was granting Kubus sanctuary." " Do you know what she looked up?" " I'm trying to find out." "That's Prylar Bek." "Why would Winn be interested in another Bajoran collaborator?" "I'm not sure, but Bek and Kubus did know each other." "Bek liaised between the Cardassians and the Assembly when Kubus was secretary to the occupational government." "They spent a lot of time together." "See if Winn accessed any information about the Kendra Valley massacre." "You're right, she did." "Do you think Kubus told her something new?" "Kai Opaka's son and 42 other Bajoran freedom fighters were killed because Bek gave the Cardassians the location of their encampment." "He made a full confession in his suicide note." "You must have read it." "Major Kira, may I speak to you, please?" "Of course." "You were the one who stopped my ship from leaving?" "Yes, I did." "You're the last person I would expect to help a collaborator." "Unless, of course, he has something you need." "My needs are no concern of yours, child." "Now, I suggest you allow my ship to depart immediately." "You're free to leave any time you like." "But in light of public feelings about Kubus, any ship with him onboard can't leave until it's undergone a security check to prevent sabotage, and that includes a molecular scan for nanotechnology." "And how long would such a scan take?" "I'm no expert but I'm sure it could take days." "Even weeks." "Very well." "It seems the Prophets have decided you will have a part in this after all." "In exchange for sanctuary," "Kubus will tell who was responsible for the Kendra Valley massacre." "Prylar Bek was responsible for the massacre." "Bek was a pawn, an intermediary." "He killed himself to prevent the discovery of the real traitor." "The real traitor?" "Bek's superior, the person who ordered him to reveal the location of the rebel base to the Cardassians." "The man who was truly responsible for the massacre." "Vedek Bareil." "Do you think you'll get away with this?" "No one is going to believe a traitor like Kubus." "I never said I believed him." "I'm only trying to protect the spiritual life of Bajor." "Don't flatter yourself." "You're trying to grab power." "My child, do you want to risk the consequences of having a collaborator as Kai?" "He is not a collaborator." "That's yet to be determined." "But if he is chosen and turns out to be guilty, the ramifications for Bajor would be catastrophic." "It would shatter faith in the Kai, and without a strong Kai, Bajor cannot survive." "You can't condemn Bareil without proof." "I don't intend to." "I will conduct a quiet investigation when I return to Bajor." "But I didn't know whom to trust with such a delicate assignment... until now." " You want me to do your dirty work." " I want the truth." "The Prophets have chosen you to help me find it." "I'll find out the truth, don't worry." "But keep Kubus's accusations from becoming public until I can prove Bareil's innocence." "You have my word." "Let the Prophets be my witness." " If you find that he's guilty..." " Whatever I find out, I will share." "Then it's decided." "And, child, one last thing." "I know you're under a terrible strain, but if you're wise you will never speak to me with such disrespect again." "Did you know Prylar Bek was a collaborator?" "He was only a messenger between the Cardassians and the Vedek Assembly." "I could see in the weeks prior to the massacre that something was bothering him." "He was tense and nervous and in constant contact with the Assembly." "Do you know who?" "The day after the incident, Vedek Bareil came to visit him." "Did you see them together?" "I saw Bareil enter Bek's quarters, which were near mine." "He was there for hours and I could hear shouting through the bulkhead." " You heard what they said?" " No, but I saw Bareil later." "He was upset." "In the morning Bek hanged himself." "This is all the evidence you have?" "Isn't that enough?" "Bek was obviously working with Bareil, and when he realised what he'd done he must have wanted to confess." "Bareil wouldn't allow it, so Bek took another way out." "That's fascinating but it is pure conjecture." "There must be a dozen explanations for why Bareil came to see Bek." "It's up to you to find out which explanation is true." "What exactly is it you're asking me, Nerys?" "I guess I'm asking... whether or not you came to see Bek that day?" "I visited Bek, yes." "That hardly makes me a collaborator." "I know that." "It's Vedek Winn who needs convincing." "Poor Winn." "Her desire to become Kai has clouded her judgement." "Don't take her so lightly." "She is determined to ruin you." "Believe me when I say there's no reason to worry." "I had nothing to do with the massacre and Winn will never prove otherwise." "All right." "But I still need to know why you came to the station." "Bek was a deeply troubled man, seeking spiritual guidance." "His guilt at betraying the Kendra Valley base was overwhelming." "He called me for help." "I wish I could have done more." "What did he tell you?" "Nerys, he was a monk speaking in confidence to his Vedek." "I cannot betray that trust." "I understand." "Is there anything else I should know about Bek, about the massacre?" " Nothing that will satisfy Winn." " All right." "I'll keep looking." "I am going to prove to Winn that you are innocent." "Thank you, Nerys." "Just as I thought." "The Cardassians purged all records of communication between here and Bajor." "Get the information from the other end." "I'll establish a link with the Bajoran central archives." "Then I can access the files of the Vedek Assembly." " Are you all right?" " I'm fine." " You don't seem fine." " It's nothing." "Uh-huh." "If you say so." "He says he's not guilty." "I know he's not guilty." "But you're afraid he's guilty." "I love him, Odo." "Really?" "Well, I..." "What?" "I was just wondering when you were going to figure that out." "You humanoids." "When it comes to emotions you never see the obvious." "I'm into the Vedek Assembly files." "Can you retrieve the communications between here and the Assembly?" "Time frame?" "Try the week leading up to the Kendra massacre." " That's odd." " What?" "All the communications records with Bek for that week have been sealed." " Sealed?" "By who?" " It just indicates a seal." "In the Assembly records?" "Who has that kind of authority?" "Only a Vedek." "Six, seven, eight, nine, ten." "OK, OK... 11..." "Fine, 12, 13, 14..." "And not a strip more." " I hate payday." " Ahem." "Whatever she told you, I didn't do it." "Relax." "No one is accusing you of anything." " The day is young." " Don't be so defensive." "I'm developing a persecution complex." "I'm sorry to hear that." "All right." "What's going on?" "You want something from me." "How did you guess?" "It's simple." "We haven't insulted him, threatened or arrested him." "Exactly." "So how much trouble is it going to cause?" "No trouble at all." "We just need you to bypass a security seal." " Isn't that illegal?" " Spare us." "This is important." "We need access to files in the Assembly records." "lllegal and sacrilegious!" "I'm sure the Prophets won't mind just this once." "OK, but I'll have to have written authorisation from you..." " Just do it!" " When things go wrong..." "It won't go wrong!" "I believe in Rule of Acquisition number 285:" ""No good deed ever goes unpunished. "" "You can access the Assembly records through the Bajoran central archives." "Of course I can, if I want to barge in like some rank amateur." "This is going to take a while." "I'll let you know when I'm done." "It happened here." "Bek hanged himself in front of dozens of witnesses." "At least he felt guilty about what he'd done." "Strange." "Bek and I were acquaintances here on the station." "I always thought he was a good man." "A good man does not betray his own people." "The one thing I've learned about humanoids is that in extreme situations even the best of you can do terrible things." "Hey." "Hey, Odo." "The good news is I broke through the security seal." "The bad news is the file is empty." "All the messages have been erased." " They're erased." " Can you do anything?" "I could scan the empty file for traces of data fragments." "There's always a faint residue of the original data." "But to make a coherent pattern could take a while." "So we can't retrieve that information?" "Not in time to do you any good, but let me see something." "I might be able to find out who erased the data." "Their retinal scan would have been noted when they logged on." "But wouldn't the scans have been erased?" "Even a fragment might be enough to identify the user." "I'll run a sweep of the authorisation subroutine." "These are mathematical representations of part of the scan." "We'll use them to reassemble part of the image." "Not bad." "We'll cross-reference this with the Assembly's archive, find out who it is." "I think we've got something." "Blessings on Kai Bareil." "You." "I trusted you." "I needed you." "And you let me die." "You will be rewarded." "Accept this gift from the Prophets." "May the Prophets comfort you, my child." "May they comfort us all." "Come in." "Nerys." "Did you really believe I wouldn't learn the truth?" "The truth is not always easy to recognise." "I recognise it now and I don't like what I see." "Why did you do it?" "Why did you erase those transmission records?" "Don't make me do this." "I don't have any choice." "Winn is waiting to hear from me." "Shall I say that you ordered Bek to give the Cardassians the location of that base?" "That you are responsible for the deaths of those 43 people?" "That you killed Kai Opaka's son?" "The Cardassians were determined to eliminate resistance in the Kendra Valley." "If someone hadn't told them the location they would have wiped out every village in the area." "That would have meant the death of 1200 innocent Bajorans." "I could not allow that." "There had to have been another way." "I believed in you." "I defended you." "And Winn was right all along." "And now she's going to destroy you." "No." "I've destroyed myself." " What's our status?" " Everything is under control." "You received a transmission from Vedek Winn." "She seemed anxious to talk to you." "Open a channel to the Vedek Assembly." "I might as well get this over with." "I was wondering when you'd contact me, child." "I was waiting to complete my investigation." "I must congratulate you on a job well done." "The Prophets were right in picking you to help." "You sound like you know what I'm going to say." "Bareil has just made a surprise announcement to the Vedek Assembly." "He's withdrawn himself." "He no longer wishes to be the next Kai." "I know this is painful for you, child, but you've done a great service for Bajor." "Whoever is chosen as the new Kai will owe you a debt of gratitude." "May the Prophets guide you." "Are you all right?" "It doesn't make sense." "Vedek Bareil is an honourable man." "He wouldn't hide from his actions by covering them up." "I'm missing something." "Chief." "I need to get back into the Vedek Assembly archives." "Yes, sir." "Kai Winn." "Your "pagh" is strong, my child." "Be at peace." "In time you will learn I am not your enemy." "I hope that's true." "I know you do." "And tell Commander Sisko" "I must postpone appearing with him before the Assembly." "At least for now." "Nerys?" "I didn't expect to see you here." "You forgot to erase the transit files." "I don't understand." "You did a wonderful job erasing the transmission reports but you forgot all about the files that prove you weren't a collaborator." "It's over." "Let it rest." "The people have chosen Winn." "Only because you withdrew and you didn't have to." "The reports show you were on a retreat at the Dakeen Monastery before the massacre." "I checked the Dakeen transmission reports." "You had contact with no one except a transmission after the massacre ordering you back to the Assembly." " That's enough." " No, it is not enough." "There is no way you ordered Bek to reveal the location of the Kendra Valley encampment." "You were covering up for someone else." "Someone who meant more to you than me." " More to you even than becoming Kai." " Please, Nerys, don't." "Why not?" "It's the truth, isn't it?" "Who else meant that much to you?" "It had to be Kai Opaka." "Opaka knew where the resistance cell was located... because her son was a member." "She was the collaborator, wasn't she?" "She sacrificed her own son to save a thousand people." "I had to protect her." "So..." "Instead of you, we have Winn to lead us." "It is the will of the Prophets." "The question is... where will she lead us?" "Down paths she cannot possibly imagine." "She's going to need our help along the way, even if she doesn't realise it." " What happens to us?" " What do you want to happen?" "Let's go pay our respects to the new Kai."