[Promenade]
(The place is deserted except for Vedek Bareil. He
walks along, looks round and bumps into a corpse in religious habit
hanging from a crossover. The slightly off-focus effect and the
background heartbeat tell us this is not for real.
Then he sees Kira playing springball)
BAREIL: Nerys?
KIRA: Vedek Bareil. Want to play?
BAREIL: Help me. Please.
KIRA: All right.
(Kira goes up the stairs and cuts down the body.)
KIRA: Who is it?
(Bareil rolls it over. There's no noose around the neck now.)
BAREIL: It's Prylar Bek.
KIRA: No, it's not. It's you.
[Orb Shrine]
(Bareil comes out of his vision.)
[Kira's quarters]
(Bareil is staring out of the window when Kira puts
her arms around his bare chest.)
KIRA: Good morning.
BAREIL: I thought you'd sleep till noon.
KIRA: Shh. You're supposed to be relaxing.
BAREIL: Oh, I'm very relaxed.
KIRA: Good.
BAREIL: How are you feeling this morning?
KIRA: Miserable. I wish you could stay here longer.
BAREIL: All right, I will. I'll stay a few more days.
KIRA: You know you can't do that.
BAREIL: Why not?
KIRA: Because in two days, you are going to be elected Kai.
BAREIL: Oh, that. You know there's no guarantee I'm going to win.
KIRA: Course you're going to win. The people need you.
(They kiss.)
BAREIL: Are you going to vote for me?
KIRA: Is that why you spent the past three days here? To get my vote?
BAREIL: Well, I know you don't agree with many of my views. So I
thought a personal appearance might sway your opinion.
KIRA: I was going to vote for Vedek Tolena. But I might be persuaded to
change my mind.
BAREIL: Good. Because your vote is the only one that matters to me.
KIRA: I may not always agree with your interpretations of the
prophecies, but I think you will make a wonderful Kai. Besides,
everyone knows you were Kai Opaka's personal choice to succeed her.
BAREIL: I could never replace Opaka. Bajor wouldn't have survived the
occupation without her.
KIRA: Once you become Kai, we'll never have these times together.
BAREIL: Listen to me. No matter how busy I become, I'll always have
time for you.
KIRA: It won't be easy.
BAREIL: I didn't say it would be. I'm not going to lose you, Nerys. I
promise you that.
[Promenade]
(Outside the Shrine, Winn is talking to a group of
children.)
WINN: Remember now, honour the Prophets and they will always love you.
(The children leave.)
BAREIL: As I understand the Sacred Texts, the Prophets' love is
unconditional. They ask nothing in return.
WINN: Thank you, Vedek Bareil, for reminding us how the Sacred Texts
can be easily misinterpreted.
BAREIL: Nothing pleases me more than providing you with an opposing
viewpoint, Vedek Winn.
WINN: Somehow you never fail to do that. I had no idea you were on the
station, but perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised.
BAREIL: Oh, I wouldn't even try to surprise you. I understand you've
been keeping a close eye on my activities these last few weeks.
WINN: The eyes of all of Bajor are focused on you, Bareil. Why should I
be any different? After all, the common wisdom is that you are destined
to be the next Kai.
KIRA: Was that a concession speech?
WINN: 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.
KIRA: What brings you to the station, Vedek Winn?
WINN: My child, if I thought the Prophets wanted you to know the
purpose of my visit, I would have informed you of it in advance.
KIRA: Now that I know that you're here, I'll be sure to inform
Constable Odo to increase station security.
WINN: That won't be necessary. I feel quite safe here.
KIRA: No, it wasn't your safety that concerned me.
WINN: Just what are you trying to infer, child?
BAREIL: I'm sure Major Kira meant no disrespect.
KIRA: No, not at all. I just want to avoid the violence that occurred
during your last visit.
WINN: My child, I know you still hold me responsible for the deplorable
attempt on Vedek Bareil's life, but I can only pray that someday you
will be cured of this unfortunate misconception.
KIRA: Well, that's one prayer that'll never be answered.
WINN: What a pity, for both of us.
(An old Bajoran man is bumped into by a younger one.)
EBLAN: Excuse me.
(After a moment, he turns and goes back to the old man.)
EBLAN: Excuse me, don't I know you?
KUBUS: You must be mistaken.
EBLAN: No, no, I've seen you before. You're Kubus. That's it. Kubus
Oak. You worked for the Cardassians.
KUBUS: Out of my way.
EBLAN: You 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.
ODO: What's going on here?
EBLAN: See for yourself.
ODO: Secretary Kubus. Last I heard, you were living on Cardassia.
KUBUS: I decided it was time to come home.
ODO: Welcome back. You're under arrest.
(As Kubus is lead away to cries of 'Good', he and Winn look straight at
each other.)
[Outside the Assembly room]
(It's another vision.)
WINN: The Prophets have spoken. All blessings on the new Kai.
CROWD: Blessings on the Kai. May the Prophets guide you.
BAREIL: Kai Opaka.
OPAKA: Be at peace, my child. You must be strong. Now more than ever.
BAREIL: Why did you leave us?
OPAKA: All is as the Prophets will it to be. As you will learn. Follow
me.
WINN: Be careful, Bareil. The path she walks is a narrow one. See that
you don't stumble.
OPAKA: Heed her words.
BAREIL: I don't deserve to walk in your path.
OPAKA: You must. It is your destiny.
BAREIL: Prylar Bek?
BEK: Accept this gift from the Prophets.
(Bareil opens the offered box. A snake hisses.)
OPAKA: You must not refuse their offering. Take it, my child. Its venom
will make you stronger.
(Bareil pulls a hangman's noose from the box.)
[Holding cell]
ODO: There was quite a mob gathering out there. I
had to call in extra security to disperse it.
KUBUS: I never doubted your ability to handle the situation, Odo. You
always were good at your job.
ODO: I could say the same for you. Secretary Kubus, special liaison
between the Cardassian occupation forces and their pawns in the Bajoran
government.
KUBUS: I served the only recognised government on Bajor during the
occupation.
ODO: Recognized by the Cardassians.
KUBUS: If it wasn't for us, the situation on Bajor would have been ten
times worse than it was.
ODO: Maybe. But I don't see how you could know that seeing that you
spent nearly all your time here on the station. I remember Gul Dukat
telling me once that you were his favourite Bajoran.
KUBUS: Really? I never could stand that arrogant tyrant.
ODO: You hid your feelings well.
KUBUS: It kept me alive. Bajor is my home. I never should have left it.
KIRA: But you did. And you're going to have to live with that decision.
ODO: This is Major Kira, the highest-ranking Bajoran on the station.
KUBUS: Then I suppose you're the one I should be talking to.
KIRA: Make it brief. I don't enjoy talking to collaborators.
KUBUS: I'm not asking you to like me. I'm simply requesting that I be
allowed to return home.
KIRA: Your request is denied.
KUBUS: I doubt if you have the authority to make that decision.
KIRA: The decision has already been made. In the Ilvian Proclamation,
every Bajorans who was a members 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.
KUBUS: Major, I'm an old man. I don't have many years left. What's the
harm of letting me live them out on Bajor?
KIRA: When the Cardassians needed a new group of Bajorans to work in
the mines, who approved the work orders?
KUBUS: The Bajoran Government.
KIRA: Whose signature was on those authorisation forms?
KUBUS: Mine.
KIRA: You had to know that those authorisations were death sentences.
Did you ever once refuse to sign them?
KUBUS: No.
KIRA: And 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.
[Commander's office]
SISKO: Vedek Winn. What can I do for you?
WINN: Emissary, it has recently come to my attention that there are
some on Bajor who believe my relationship with you is not all it should
be.
SISKO: Really?
WINN: Personally, I find such a perception, however inaccurate, to be
most distressing.
SISKO: I suppose the question we have to ask ourselves is whether or
not that perception is inaccurate.
WINN: Don't tell me that you, yourself, Emissary, believe you and I
are, how shall I put this
SISKO: Enemies?
WINN: At odds.
SISKO: Well, let's see. How could I have come to such a conclusion?
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the last time you were
here at this station, you claimed that I was a danger to Bajor. That I
was here to destroy your people.
WINN: What I was really saying, what I have always maintained is that
you, Emissary, were sent here by the Prophets to challenge our
long-held beliefs.
SISKO: Am I correct in assuming that you no longer consider the
Federation to be an enemy to Bajor?
WINN: 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.
SISKO: Then you support the notion of Bajor joining the Federation?
WINN: If that is the will of the Prophets, I would never oppose it.
SISKO: I'm glad you said that. And I would be grateful if you would
tell it to the Bajoran people.
WINN: 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.
SISKO: An excellent idea. Perhaps some time next week.
WINN: Why wait, Emissary? I'm sure the Assembly would grant us an
immediate audience.
SISKO: I'm sure they would. Unfortunately, if we were to appear
together in public before the Choosing, it might be misconstrued as an
endorsement of your bid to become the Kai.
WINN: Oh, I doubt that, Emissary. It's common knowledge that you
support Vedek Bareil. Although I have been
pleasantly surprised that you haven't made any public statement to that
effect.
SISKO: The election of the Kai is strictly an internal affair to Bajor.
As a Federation officer, I would never interfere.
WINN: What an enlightened philosophy.
SISKO: So, then, it's agreed. I'll be seeing you sometime next week.
WINN: I look forward to it.
[Kira's quarters]
ODO [OC]: Odo to Major Kira.
KIRA: This is Kira.
ODO [OC]: Sorry to disturb you, Major
[Security office]
ODO: But I thought you should know that Secretary
Kubus is about to leave for Bajor.
[Kira's quarters]
KIRA: How can that be?
[Security office]
ODO: Vedek Winn has granted him sanctuary.
KIRA [OC]: I'll be right there.
[Kira's quarters]
KIRA: Kira to Ops.
DAX [OC]: Go ahead.
KIRA: Dax, has Winn's ship left the station?
DAX [OC]: Not yet.
[Ops]
DAX: I was about to clear them for departure.
KIRA [OC]: Keep those docking clamps locked on. I don't want that ship
going anywhere until I say so.
DAX: Understood.
[Security office]
KIRA: Tell me what happened.
ODO: Kubus requested a private meeting with Vedek Winn. They talked for
ten minutes, after which Winn asked for the use of my computer. She
accessed some information from the library system.
KIRA: And?
ODO: And then she called the Provisional Government and informed them
she was granting Kubus sanctuary.
KIRA: Do you know what she looked up?
ODO: I'm trying to find that out right now. Ah.
KIRA: That's Prylar Bek. Now why would Winn be interested in another
Bajoran collaborator?
ODO: I'm not sure, but Bek and Kubus did know each other. Bek was the
liaison between the Cardassians and the Vedek Assembly at the same time
that Kubus was Secretary to the occupational government. They spent a
lot of time together on the station.
KIRA: Hold on a minute. See if Winn accessed any information on the
Kendra Valley massacre.
ODO: You're right, she did. Do you think Kubus told her something new
about the massacre?
KIRA: What else is there to know? Kai Opaka's son and forty two other
Bajoran freedom fighters were ambushed and killed because Bek gave the
Cardassians the location of their encampment. He made a full confession
in his suicide note. Well, you were here then. You must have read it.
WINN: Major Kira. May I speak to you please?
KIRA: Of course.
[Promenade]
WINN: I was told you were the one who stopped my
ship from leaving.
KIRA: Yes, I did. You know, you're the last person I would expect to
help a collaborator like Kubus. Unless, of course, he has something you
need.
WINN: My needs are no concern of yours, child. Now I suggest you allow
my ship to depart immediately.
KIRA: Oh, you're free to leave any time you like. Unfortunately, in
light of public feelings about Kubus, I can't allow any ship with him
on board to leave the station until it's undergone a thorough security
check to prevent sabotage, and that includes a molecular scan for
nanotechnology.
WINN: And how long would such a scan take?
KIRA: Oh, I'm no expert, but I'm sure it could take days. Even weeks.
WINN: Very well. It seems the Prophets have decided you will have a
part in this after all. In exchange for sanctuary, Kubus has agreed to
provide the name of the man responsible for the massacre at Kendra
Valley.
KIRA: Prylar Bek was responsible for the massacre. Everyone knows that.
WINN: Bek was a pawn, an intermediary. He killed himself to prevent the
discovery of the real traitor.
KIRA: The real traitor?
WINN: 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.
KIRA: Do you really think I'm going to let you get away with this? You
know, no one's going to believe the word of a convicted traitor like
Kubus.
WINN: I never said I believed him. I'm only trying to protect the
spiritual life of Bajor.
KIRA: Don't flatter yourself. You're trying to grab power, nothing
more.
WINN: My child, do you want to risk the consequences of having a
collaborator as the next Kai?
KIRA: He is not a collaborator.
WINN: 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 authority of the Kai, and without a strong Kai
Bajor cannot survive.
KIRA: You can't condemn Bareil without proof.
WINN: I don't intend to. I was planning to conduct a quiet
investigation when I returned to Bajor. But I didn't know whom to trust
with such a delicate assignment, until now.
KIRA: You want me to do your dirty work for you.
WINN: All I care about is the truth. And I believe the Prophets have
chosen you to help me find it.
KIRA: I'll find the truth, don't worry about that, but I want you to
keep Kubus's accusations from becoming public until I have a chance to
prove Bareil's innocence.
WINN: You have my word. Let the Prophets be my witness. But if you
discover proof that he's guilty?
KIRA: Whatever I find out, I will share with you.
WINN: Then it's decided. Oh, 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.
[Cargo bay]
KIRA: Were you aware at the time that Prylar Bek
was a collaborator?
KUBUS: He wasn't a collaborator, he was only a messenger between the
Cardassians and the Vedek Assembly. At the time I could see in the
weeks prior to the massacre that something was bothering him. He was
tense and nervous and he was in constant communication with the Vedek
Assembly.
KIRA: Do you know who?
KUBUS: Not at the time, but the day after the incident, Vedek Bareil
came to visit him on the station.
KIRA: Did you see them together?
KUBUS: I saw Bareil enter Bek's quarters, which were in the same
section as mine. He was in there for a couple of hours and at times I
could hear shouting through the bulkhead.
WINN: Did you hear what they were saying?
KUBUS: No, but I saw Bareil when he left the station. He was upset. In
the morning, Bek hung himself.
KIRA: This is all the evidence you have?
KUBUS: Well isn't that enough? Bek was obviously working with Bareil
and when he realised the enormity of what he'd done, he must've wanted
to confess. Bareil wouldn't allow it, so Bek took the only way out he
had.
KIRA: That's a fascinating story but it is pure conjecture. There have
to be a dozen explanations for why Bareil came to see Bek.
WINN: And it's up to you to find out which of those explanations is
true.
[Kira's quarters]
BAREIL [on monitor]: What exactly is it you're
asking me, Nerys?
KIRA: I guess I'm asking whether or not you came to the station to see
Bek that day.
BAREIL [on monitor]: I visited Bek, yes. That hardly makes me a
collaborator.
KIRA: I know that. It's Vedek Winn who needs convincing.
BAREIL [on monitor]: Poor Winn. Her desire to become Kai has clouded
her judgement.
KIRA: I wouldn't take her lightly, if I were you. She is determined to
ruin you.
BAREIL [on monitor]: Believe me when I tell you there's no reason to
worry. I had nothing to do with the massacre and Winn will never be
able to prove otherwise.
KIRA: All right. But I still need to know why you came to the station.
BAREIL [on monitor]: 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 came as soon as I could. I only
wish I could have done more for him.
KIRA: What did he tell you about the massacre?
BAREIL [on monitor]: Nerys, you have to understand, he was a monk
speaking in confidence to his Vedek. I cannot betray that trust.
KIRA: I understand. Is there anything else you think I should know
about Bek, about the massacre?
BAREIL [on monitor]: Nothing that will satisfy Winn.
KIRA: All right, I'll keep looking. But one way or another, I am going
to prove to Winn that you are innocent.
BAREIL [on monitor]: Thank you, Nerys.
[Security office]
ODO: Ha. Just as I thought. When the Cardassians
left, they purged all records of communication between the station and
Bajor.
KIRA: Then we'll just have to get the information from the other end.
ODO: I'll establish a computer link with the Bajoran Central Archives.
That way I can access the files of the Vedek Assembly. Are you all
right?
KIRA: I'm fine.
ODO: You don't seem fine.
KIRA: It's nothing.
ODO: If you say so.
KIRA: He says he's not guilty. I know he's not guilty.
ODO: But you're afraid he's guilty.
KIRA: I love him, Odo.
ODO: Really? Well, I, er.
KIRA: What?
ODO: I was just wondering when you were going to figure that out. You
humanoids. When it comes to emotional attachments, you never see the
obvious. I'm into the Vedek Assembly files.
KIRA: Can you retrieve the communications records between the station
and the Assembly?
ODO: I'll need a time frame.
KIRA: Try the week leading up to the Kendra Massacre.
ODO: That's odd.
KIRA: What?
ODO: All the communications records between the Assembly members and
Bek for that week have been sealed.
KIRA: Sealed? By who?
ODO: It doesn't say. It just indicates a security seal.
KIRA: In the Assembly records? Who has that kind of authority?
ODO: Only a Vedek.
[Quark's]
(The clink of money.)
QUARK: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
(The dabo girl gives him a Look.)
QUARK: Okay, okay. Eleven? Fine. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen. And not a
strip more.
(The dabo girl leaves, happy.)
QUARK: I hate payday.
ODO: Ahem.
QUARK: (whirling round) Whatever she told you, I didn't do it.
ODO: Relax, Quark. No one's accusing you of anything.
QUARK: The day's still young.
KIRA: Don't be so defensive.
QUARK: I can't help it. Between the two of you, I'm developing a
persecution complex.
KIRA: I'm sorry to hear that.
QUARK: All right, what's going on? You want something from me, don't
you?
KIRA: How'd you guess?
ODO: It's simple. We've been here more that a minute and we haven't
insulted him, threatened him or arrested him.
QUARK: Exactly. So what is it and how much trouble is it going to cause
me?
KIRA: No trouble at all. We just need you to bypass a security seal.
QUARK: Isn't that illegal?
ODO: Oh, spare us.
KIRA: Quark, this is important. We need access to certain communication
files in the Vedek Assembly records.
QUARK: Perfect. Not only is it illegal, it's sacrilegious.
KIRA: I'm sure the Prophets won't mind just this once.
QUARK: Okay, but I'm going to have to have written authorisation from
you, countersigned by Commander
ODO: Just do it, Quark.
QUARK: Sure, and then when things go wrong, I take the fall.
KIRA: Nothing is going to go wrong.
QUARK: That's what you think, But I happen to be a firm believer in
Rule of Acquisition number two hundred and eighty five. No good deed
ever goes unpunished.
(Odo pushes Quark to his comm. panel behind the bar.)
ODO: You can access the Vedek Assembly's records through the Bajoran
Central Archives.
QUARK: Of course I can, if I wanted to barge in like some rank amateur.
This is going to take a little while. I'll let you know when I'm done.
[Promenade]
ODO: It happened right about here. Bek hanged
himself in front of dozens of witnesses. It caused quite a stir.
KIRA: At least he had the decency to feel guilty about what he'd done.
ODO: Strange. Bek and I were passing acquaintances here on the station.
From what little I knew about him, I always thought he was a good man.
KIRA: A good man does not betray his own people.
ODO: The one thing I've learned about humanoids is that in extreme
situations even the best of you are capable of doing terrible things.
QUARK: Hey, hey, Odo. The good news is I broke through the security
seal. The bad news is the file's empty. All the messages have been
erased.
[Ops]
O'BRIEN: They're erased, all right.
KIRA: Is there anything you can do about it?
O'BRIEN: I could scan the empty file for traces of recurring data
fragments. There's always a faint residue of the original data, if you
know where to look. But to unscramble those fragments so they form a
coherent pattern could take a while.
KIRA: So what you're telling me is we're never going to retrieve that
information.
O'BRIEN: Not in time to do you any good. But hold on a second. Let me
see something. I may not be able to get you the data, but I might be
able to find out who erased it. Their retinal scan would've been noted
by the authorisation subroutine when they logged on.
KIRA: But wouldn't the scans have been erased, too?
O'BRIEN: Sure, but even a fragment of the retinal scan might be enough
to identify the user. Here, I'll run a sweep of the authorisation
subroutine, see if we can find anything. Okay, these are mathematical
representations of fragments of the retinal scan. We can use them to
reassemble a portion of the original image. Not bad. Now we'll
cross-reference it with the Assembly's main archive. See if we can find
out who it is. I think we've got something.
(It's Bareil)
[Outside the Assembly room]
(Another vision.)
VEDEKS: Blessings on Kai Bareil.
[Promenade]
BEK: You. I trusted you. I needed you. And you let
me die.
[Kira's quarters]
(Arms encircle his naked torso. He turns and kisses
)
WINN: You will be rewarded.
[Outside the Assembly room]
KIRA: Accept this gift from the Prophets.
(Kira stabs Bareil. He falls into the arms of )
OPAKA: May the Prophets comfort you, my child. May they comfort us all.
[Orb Shrine]
(Bareil closes the orb box and there is a knock on
the door.)
BAREIL: Come in. (enter Kira) Nerys.
KIRA: Did you really believe I wouldn't learn the truth?
BAREIL: The truth is not always easy to recognise.
KIRA: I recognise it now and I don't like what I see. Why did you do
it? Why did you erase those transmission records?
BAREIL: Don't make me do this.
KIRA: I don't have any choice. Winn is waiting to hear from me. Do you
really want me to tell her that you ordered Bek to give the Cardassians
the location of that resistance base? That you are responsible for the
deaths of those forty three people? That you killed Kai Opaka's son?
BAREIL: The Cardassians were determined to eliminate all resistance in
the Kendra Valley. If someone hadn't told them the location of that
base, they would've wiped out every village in the area. That would
have meant the death of twelve hundred innocent Bajorans. I could not
allow that.
KIRA: 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.
BAREIL: No. I've destroyed myself.
[Ops]
KIRA: What's our status?
O'BRIEN: Everything's under control.
DAX: You received a subspace transmission from Vedek Winn. She seemed
anxious to talk to you.
KIRA: Open a channel to the Vedek Assembly. Put it on monitor seven. I
might as well get this over with.
WINN [on monitor]: I was wondering when you'd contact me, child.
KIRA: I was waiting to I complete my investigation.
WINN [on monitor]: I must congratulate you on a job well done. I knew
the Prophets were right in picking you to assist me.
KIRA: You sound like you already know what I'm going to tell you.
WINN [on monitor]: Oh, but I do. Bareil just made a surprise
announcement to the Vedek Assembly. He's withdrawn himself from the
Choosing. 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 all of
Bajor. Whoever is chosen tomorrow as the new Kai will owe you a debt of
gratitude. May the Prophets guide you.
(end transmission.)
DAX: Are you all right?
KIRA: It doesn't make sense. Vedek Bareil's an honourable man. He
wouldn't hide from the consequences of his actions by covering them up.
I'm missing something. Chief, I need to get back into the Vedek
Assembly archives.
O'BRIEN: Yes, sir.
[Outside the Assembly room]
KIRA: Kai Winn.
WINN: Your pagh is strong, my child. Be at peace. In time you will
learn I am not your enemy.
KIRA: I hope that's true.
WINN: I know you do. Oh, and tell Commander Sisko I must postpone
appearing with him before the Assembly. At least for now.
(Winn leaves, and other religious come out of the Assembly room.)
BAREIL: Nerys? I didn't expect to see you here.
KIRA: You forgot to erase the transit files.
BAREIL: I'm not sure I understand what you mean.
KIRA: Oh, you did a wonderful job erasing the transmission records, but
you forgot all about the transit files. The files that prove you
weren't a collaborator.
BAREIL: It's over. Let it rest. The people have chosen Winn.
KIRA: Only because you withdrew and you didn't have to. The transit
reports clearly show you were on a personal retreat at the Dakeen
monastery during the week leading up to the massacre. I checked the
Dakeen transmission reports. You had contact with no one except one
transmission after the massacre, ordering you back to the Vedek
Assembly.
BAREIL: That's enough.
KIRA: 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.
BAREIL: Please, Nerys. Don't.
KIRA: 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?
BAREIL: She sacrificed her own son to save a thousand people. I had to
protect her.
KIRA: So instead of you, we have Winn to lead us.
BAREIL: It is the will of the Prophets.
KIRA: The question is, where will she lead us?
BAREIL: Down paths she cannot possibly imagine. She's going to need our
help along the way, even if she doesn't realise it yet.
KIRA: And what happens to us?
BAREIL: What do you want to happen?
(Kira kisses him.)
KIRA: Let's go pay our respects to the new Kai.
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