Star Trek: Deep Space Nine s07e11 Episode Script
Prodigal Daughter
- By the way, your "gagh" has arrived.
|- My what? Oh, no.
- lt's waiting for you in cargo bay 2.
|- Your "gagh?" Jadzia ordered it.
She was planning|a party for Martok's birthday.
- How much "gagh" did she order?|- 51 cases.
- Each containing a different variety.
|- There are varieties? Oh, yes.
l can remember|what each one tastes like.
And the way they feel|when you swallow them.
Torgud "gagh" wiggles.
Filden "gagh"|squirms.
Meshta "gagh" jumps.
Are you all right? - Are you all right?|- Me? You've barely said three words.
l justcan't wait to see Miles,|that's all.
Let me guess.
|You have a holosuite appointment? - Defending the Alamo again?|- You know me too well.
- When does he arrive?|- Half an hour.
Bithool "gagh" has feet.
- Flush it out the airlock.
All of it.
|- Environmental regulations.
- Why don't you give it to Martok?|- He'd insist on sharing it with me.
Wistan "gagh" is packed in "targ" blood.
l have to go now.
See you later.
l think l'd better go too.
Give my regards to Santa Anna.
Miles asked me not to say anything|but l haven't heard from him and l think something|might have happened to him.
He said he was visiting his father.
He may have implied that|but he didn't actually say - Doctor, please.
|- Yes, sir.
- So where is he?|- The last message l received said that he was following leads|in New Sydney.
He's not a detective! He's my chief|engineer and now he's missing! Who is this woman|he's supposed to be looking for? - She's the widow of Liam Bilby.
|- BilbyBilby The man he befriended|in that undercover operation? Yes.
Miles still feels|responsible for his death.
He's kept in touch with his widow.
When she disappeared three weeks|ago he decided to find her.
And now they're both missing.
He did try and go through|the official channels but the authorities weren't cooperative|and Starfleet doesn't have jurisdiction.
So he decided to turn into|a one-man police force.
New Sydney.
|lt's in the Sappora System, right? l want a written report on this woman, O'Brien's plan to find her, and anything|else you neglected to mention.
- May l ask what you're going to do?|- No.
l want that report on my desk|within the hour.
As your family lives|in the Sappora System, they might have contacts|on New Sydney.
l'm sure they do.
My mother's|an important business leader.
Your file says she owns the fifth largest|pergium mining facility in the sector.
Sixth.
The Ferengi found a large|deposit on Timor ll a few years ago.
My mother nearly died when she|found out we were out of the top five.
Please.
Do you think she'd be willing to look into|what happened to the Chief? - l'm sure she would.
|- That's the best news l've had all day.
Something wrong? No.
Yes.
l don't know.
l haven't talked to my mother|in almost six months.
l last saw her just after l was joined.
She came to visit me on Trill.
|l was still a littleconfused.
She walked into my room,|l put on a smile, looked her in the eye and said, ''Hi, Mum, it's me - Curzon!'' Things went downhill from there.
l'm sure she understood|what you were going through.
You weren't prepared to be joined.
She|couldn't blame you for being confused.
She didn't.
Not really.
But she did want|me to come home to recuperate.
We had a disagreement.
- Not for the first time?|- No, not for the first time.
lf there was any other way,|l wouldn't ask you to do this.
No.
That's all right.
My problems aren't as important|as finding the Chief.
- l'll call my mother.
|- Thanks, old man.
Anytime.
- We've been worried about you.
|- l'm all right.
Really.
And l'm a lot more sure|of who l am than last time.
That's a relief.
|l'd hate to have to call you Curzon.
- l uml've been promoted.
|- Oh? Lieutenant junior grade Ezri Dax|at your service.
Ezri Dax.
The symbiont name always replaces|the new host's name.
lt's traditional.
Of course.
|l haven't been away from Trill that long.
The important thing is you're doing well.
Mother, l'm calling|because l need your help.
One of our officers, Miles O'Brien, went|to New Sydney and now he's missing.
- Captain Sisko was wondering if|- l'll do everything l can.
Thank you.
Now.
When are you coming home? l'm not sure when l can get away.
You haven't been home in three years.
l know.
But with the war on|and everything Ezri TiganDax.
Tell your commanding|officer that l'm a difficult woman and l refuse to help look for Mr O'Brien|unless you return home right away.
No.
Please, don't put me in this Ezri, goodbye.
|l'll see you when you get here.
Take 20 milligrams if you're spacesick.
|lf you don't, you'll regret it.
So will the other passengers.
Everything Starfleet knows|on Bilby's widow.
Where's your report? lt's the one with Sisko's boot prints|all over it.
l'm sure you'll be out of the doghouse|by the time l get back.
As someone who isn't especially close|to his parents, l sympathise.
l'm about to present my family|with a whole new Ezri.
And they didn't know what to make|of the old one.
But thanks for trying, Julian.
l'll let|you know when l find out anything.
Have a safe trip.
- Zee!|- Norvo! l cannot believe you're really here.
Neither can l.
- You cut your hair.
|- Oh, yeah.
lt kept getting in my eyes.
- Do you like it?|- lt'll take some getting used to.
l think you've just|summed up my entire visit.
- ls this yours?|- Mum insisted on hanging it.
l hate it.
- Why?|- The composition is puerile, the colours childish|and the technique laughable.
- But other than that|- lt's perfect.
Welcome home, little girl.
Hi, Janel.
Do l have to take a sonic shower|before l get a hug? - lt's good to see you.
|- You too.
- What happened here?|- She cut it.
l think it gives her|more of a classic look.
lt's cute.
Mum said to give you|the police report on your friend.
- Have they found out anything?|- Not yet.
But they have a few leads.
l hope you appreciate|all the trouble she's going to.
She called in a lot of favours.
Of course l appreciate it.
- How long are you staying?|- l'm not sure yet.
She's not going to be here|a minute longer than she has to.
We're in the middle of a war.
|l have responsibilities.
There's always something.
- Hello, Mother.
|- l hate your hair.
- Have you eaten?|- No, not yet.
Good.
l've got Korella|working on a very special dinner.
- Have you taken care of Lorkin?|- l was about to.
l want him paid and gone before dinner.
And that third quarter review|l asked for? - l'm still working on it.
|- lt's been a week.
l miscalculated some of the revenues.
|l have to redo them.
l know you don't like bookkeeping|but l really need that review.
Good.
l want to show you|the new solarium.
l had the tiles brought in from Andoria and then hand-painted|by a charming old man l met Have Mr Lorkin report|to the main house.
Why are you getting rid of Lorkin? That broken waveguide is going to cost|us 1,000 bars of latinum a day.
Mother thinks it's sloppy maintenance.
- What do you think?|- Brand new waveguides don't break.
You mean Bokar was behind it? lt's a message.
The Orion Syndicate|doesn't take no for an answer.
- Maybe we should tell Mother.
|- No.
l can deal with Bokar.
l don't know.
Relax.
Everything's going to be all right.
Jadzia considered Kira|one of her best friends.
l'm starting to think of her|the same way.
She didn't have any trouble adjusting|to having a new Dax in her life? No more than anyone else.
None of them were expecting|another Dax in their lives.
Did any of them wonder if you What happened to the man|you were interested in? Lieutenantsomething? Brinner Finok.
He was an ensign.
l did talk to him|after l was joinedonce.
l don't think we're right|for each other now.
He reminds me too much of my son|Gran.
lt makes me uncomfortable.
Sorry.
Audrid's son Gran.
|l'm still sorting out my pronouns.
- l'm sure all joined Trills go through it.
|- No, just me.
Nothing's simple for Ezri.
The computer asks me to identify|myself and l have to think.
l wake up and l don't know if l'm a man|or a woman until l pull back the covers! l also have|an unfortunate tendency to ramble.
Don't be embarrassed.
|lt's not your fault.
You should've gone through|years of training.
lt wasn't fair of them to join you to Dax.
lt's no surprise you're having trouble|sorting out eight lifetimes' of memories.
lt can be a little overwhelming at times.
l'm sure.
But don't you worry.
|We'll take care of you.
Won't we? - Absolutely.
|- Of course.
That's nice to know.
|But l think l've got things under control.
Ezri, you always were|too proud for your own good.
Come in, Zee.
- How did you know it was me?|- No one else uses the chime.
Hm.
l see some things never change.
Here.
Have a seat.
- How many of these are yours?|- All the bad ones.
When did you become|such a harsh critic? Just being realistic.
lt's amateurish.
|l know that.
lt says so right there.
- Saurian brandy?|- Sure.
- l should probably get a clean one.
|- l don't care.
- Norvo, this doesn't mean|- To my sister.
A shining angel in a dark sky.
The Andorian Academy|rejected your application.
That doesn't mean|your work is amateurish.
- There are other art schools.
|- lt's the best.
You shouldn't just quit.
l'm not very good, Zee.
l never was.
All this is an indulgence.
Just like|my other hobbies - poetry, music l can't concentrate.
My mind wanders.
l don't have the discipline to succeed.
Those are Mother's words.
l know because l've heard them too.
She's wrong about both of us.
l'm fine with the way things turned out.
|Really.
Besides, they need me here.
To do the family bookkeeping?|Norvo, you could do so much more.
l'm not trying to make you feel bad.
l just want you to know|that l believe in you.
Thanks.
- Good night.
|- Night.
l hope you're satisfied.
|Have you seen Norvo today? - No.
|- Well, maybe you should.
He's in bed with a hangover.
When l woke up this morning|he was passed out in the entry room.
Evidently he spent|most of the night doing this.
You think it's funny? l think it's funny you think|he did this because of me.
- He's not happy here, Mother.
|- That's nonsense.
He's defacing his own work,|which you displayed after he objected.
l'm trying to encourage him.
But you've made him|feel trapped and powerless.
You've barely spent one night|in this house and you think you can analyse|our entire family? You don't know your brother.
He's|a fragile young man who needs care.
He's a grown man who needs freedom.
|You're smothering him.
You're telling me how to be a mother?|What do you know about children? l have three, no, four lifetimes' worth|of memories about raising children.
l have worked and sacrificed|for each one of you for over 30 years.
- Not now!|- Sorry to interrupt, but - Miles!|- Ezri? What're you doing here? This is my home.
This is where l live.
|My mother.
l'm pleased to meet you, Mr O'Brien.
|Can you? - He was unfriendly when we found him.
|- So were you.
lf you'll excuse me, we're having|a problem with a drill down in 24-B.
- Did you do this?|- Just the one on the jaw.
The rest he got|from the Orion Syndicate.
- Did you find anything on Bilby's wife?|- l found her.
She's dead.
Thanks.
The DNA scan confirmed|that the body was Morica's.
She'd been dead at least six weeks.
- Do you know the cause of death?|- No.
lt was the Orion Syndicate.
There's no evidence of that.
|lt could've been an accident.
She accidentally hit herself in the head|and threw herself in the river.
We pull dozens of bodies out of the|river.
You think they're all murders? lf they're anything like this, yes.
lf you hadn't interfered,|l'd have proof.
lf we hadn't interfered, you'd be dead.
We knew that a Starfleet operative|was trying to infiltrate the Syndicate.
lt didn't take long to realise|it was your friend.
We found him being beaten up|by a pair of Nausicaans.
- They were just trying to scare me.
|- Why? Exactly! Why were they|trying to scare me? Because l found Morica Bilby's body|and could trace her murder to them.
They'd never kill an operative's widow.
The thing holding them together|is the loyalty they show to operatives.
They may not be as loyal as you think.
Mrs Tigan, please contact us|if there's anything else we can do.
Thank you.
l will.
Ezri, show Mr O'Brien to a guest room.
Let him clean up|and have something to eat.
Thanks.
So that tip led me to the river.
l searched the south bank for|three hours before l found her.
The solvents in the water had partially|decomposed her body.
But it was her.
l'm sorry, Chief.
l wish there|was something more l could do.
Maybe you could put in a good word|for me with Captain Sisko.
lt may take a lot of good words.
|But l'll talk to him.
Mr O'Brien, how are you feeling? Fine, thank you.
|l've eaten enough for a week.
Good.
l understand you're an engineer.
- That's right.
|- He's not a mining engineer.
We have a problem with a drill|that no one seems capable of fixing.
l would be grateful|if you would take a look at it.
Now? Mother, he needs some rest.
- How much rest do you require?|- Actually, l feel fine.
Thank you.
l'll see you at dinner.
l'm sorry about this.
|Our mother is a force of nature.
lt's all right.
lt'll be good to get|my hands on a problem l can solve.
Lead on.
- Good morning.
|- Good afternoon.
Mother is not going to be happy.
You're out of the line of fire|for the moment.
- She's busy torturing Janel and Miles.
|- Miles? - Oh, they found him?|- He's fine.
Great.
That's great, Zee.
- Does that mean you're leaving?|- Not right away.
Let's talk about you.
More specifically,|about what you did last night.
What can l say?|l get drunk, l become an art critic.
Do you regret what you did? Not really.
|l never liked those pieces anyway.
So what are you feeling? l'm feeling like l don't want|to be analysed by my sister.
Sorry.
lt's what l do.
The situation is not that complex, Zee.
l'm wallowing in self-pity and acting out|my frustrations by throwing tantrums.
All right, Dr Norvo.
lf that's your|diagnosis, what's your prescription? Mother disapproves of suicide.
- All that blood on the carpets.
|- Not funny.
Best l can do with a hangover.
Norvo, what would happen|if you left with me tomorrow? What do you mean? What would happen|if you went back to DS9 with me? - Mother would go insane.
|- Forget about her for now.
l can't just pick up and leave.
lt doesn't have to be|a permanent move.
Think of it as a vacation, a break from|all this.
Some time to clear your head.
l can't leave all this|on Janel's shoulders.
- Janel can handle it.
|- lt's not that simple.
There are complicated things going on.
- Like what?|- Things with the company.
No offence but you're not exactly|holding the company together.
Mother can pay a real accountant.
- l don't know, Zee.
|- Think about it.
You're right.
The problem's|in the secondary input transtator.
- But it checks out perfectly.
|- l'm sure it does.
- But it's the wrong type for this drill.
|- What? You need a 52-J.
This is a 52-L.
- lt says 52-J.
|- l know.
But it's definitely an L.
- Accidentally mislabelled?|- Or deliberately.
Another equipment failure? lf you hadn't dismissed Lorkin,|it wouldn't have happened.
He was dismissed|on my mother's order.
Then we'll have to change|her mind, won't we? Who's your new mechanic? This is Mr O'Brien.
|He's a friend of the family.
- Would that be Chief O'Brien?|- How did you know that? l have friends|in the New Sydney Police.
l heard they rescued a chief named|O'Brien from an unpleasant situation.
That's me.
l don't believe|l caught your name.
Thadial Bokar.
l'm a commodities broker, attempting|to establish ties with the Tigan family.
Will you excuse us, Chief? Mr Bokar and l have|some business to discuss.
Thank you.
l'll have|a new transtator installed.
Glad to do it.
Sabotage won't convince me to do|more business with the Syndicate.
We'll argue about that later.
|We have more immediate concerns.
- O'Brien is with Starfleet lntelligence.
|- No, he isn't.
He works on Deep Space 9.
So he wants you to think.
But why did|he try to infiltrate the Syndicate? - He was looking for some woman.
|- ''Some woman.
'' - Do you know her name?|- No.
l do.
Her name was Morica Bilby.
What? l haven't heard from Morica Bilby|in quite some time.
Rumour has it that she's dead|but l wouldn't know about that.
What l do know is that Chief O'Brien|should leave this System before something happens to him.
So you're not leaving until tomorrow? - Probably.
lt really depends on Ezri.
|- Why? She's my superior officer.
|l go when she goes.
Besides, l'm not looking forward|to seeing Captain Sisko.
He has a boot with my name on it.
This is a bad time for guests.
|There's work to do.
The quicker you're on your way,|the better.
Your brother's eager to get rid of us.
He's been under a lot of pressure.
Do you know Thadial Bokar?|Says he's a commodities broker.
No.
l make it a point to know as little|as possible about the family business.
Why? He came to talk with Janel|while l was working on the drill.
He reminded me of when l was|working with the Orion Syndicate.
Something about how|they dealt with civilians.
You think he's|a member of the Syndicate? lt's just a feeling.
|A pretty strong feeling.
We should tell Janel.
l think Janel knows.
l know l'm not offering you|any hard evidence, but Janel seems like a man who's|being pressured by the Syndicate.
He's experiencing sudden equipment|breakdowns, work stoppages, mysterious accidents.
That's the way the Syndicate|extorts money.
''Do business with us or we'll ruin you.
'' Janel is not easily intimidated.
My mother would destroy this place|before she'd deal with the Syndicate.
There's one way to find out.
Do you have access|to the company's financial records? - What would you do on DS9?|- Take a vacation.
- Clear my head.
|- Clear it of what? - l don't know.
|- Then why do you need a vacation? l guess l don't.
But it would be nice|to spend some time with Ezri.
You're spending time with her|right now.
- We're ready to open 25-Beta.
|- l'll be right there.
This is a bad time for you to take|a vacation.
We have too much work.
- Have you finished the review?|- Almost.
- Then maybe you should get to it.
|- Yes, ma'am.
Let's go.
l remember why|l never went into the business.
Contracts and invoices,|balance sheets and shipping orders.
l feel like l'm trapped|in a Ferengi nightmare.
What? - What is it?|- l don't know.
- What's going on here?|- What do you mean? Did you come here to find me|or to prevent me finding out the truth? l don't know|what you're talking about, Chief.
The connection between the Syndicate|and your family is Morica Bilby.
She was on the company's payroll|when she died.
- Did you know about this?|- No.
Of course not.
Someone in your family did.
And they obviously|don't want us to know.
- Are you suggesting?|- l'm not suggesting anything.
But it's possible|that somebody in your family was involved in her death.
There.
Nine months ago, Morica Bilby shows up on the payroll|as a shipping consultant.
Five bars of latinum a week for|services rendered.
What services? There's no indication|of what she was doing for the company.
She must have been good.
Her salary increases to ten bars|a week, then 20, then 30.
The last payment entry|was six weeks ago.
The day before she was killed.
- Who's in charge of the payroll?|- My mother, ultimately.
But she's turned over most|day-to-day operations to Janel.
And Norvo's been doing|the bookkeeping.
Any one of them could know|about Morica's payments.
Or all of them.
We have to show this to the authorities.
Not yet.
|Not until l find out what's happened.
That's an order.
Yes, sir.
Why was this woman on our payroll? - We were returning a favour.
|- To whom? - To the Orion Syndicate.
|- And what favour did they do for us? When the Ferengis|opened up the Timor ll mine the price of pergium dropped.
That came at a bad moment.
We|were overextended on some loans, our cash reserves were depleted and a Jem'Hadar raid destroyed a|shipment before it reached the refinery.
- So you turned to the Syndicate?|- They came to me! They offered us a way out and l took it.
|l did what l had to do.
You didn't question it when our cash|problems were resolved overnight.
Because l trusted you.
|Obviously it was a mistake.
What about Morica? A month after Bokar arranged the loan,|he said it was time to return the favour.
A woman needed a job with a salary|but without any actual work involved.
She was the widow of their associate|and they needed to take care of her.
l didn't feel like|l was in a position to say no.
So l started making the payments.
No one would've known|if Norvo had altered the payroll records.
You dragged your brother into this? You say nothing's more|important than the company.
That's all l was thinking about.
You dumped it in my lap and l saved it.
|So don't complain now.
- lf it weren't for me|- Don't rationalise what you've done.
All right! We can discuss|who saved what later.
Now we have to concentrate|on what happened to Morica.
There was a steady|increase in her payments.
Why? She wasn't happy with her salary.
The Syndicate promised a comfortable|living and she wasn't comfortable.
- How did she die?|- l don't know.
Janel, if you have anything to do|with this, now is the time to speak.
What are you saying? - That l had her killed?|- l'm asking.
- He wouldn't have killed her!|- Stay out of this.
Listen to me.
l will get you|the best solicitor in New Sydney but you must tell me the truth.
l didn't kill her.
Janel, why don't l believe you? This woman just happened to die at the|exact moment she was pressuring you? Listen to him.
He didn't do it! l may not have shed any tears|when l heard she was dead, but l didn't kill her.
Norvo, you don't know|what happened to Morica, do you? l'm the idiot brother.
How would l know? Tell me|you don't know anything about this.
l tried to reason with her|but she was very angry.
Angry at the Syndicate.
Angry at us.
|Angry at her husband for getting killed.
l didn't go there to kill her, Zee.
|l really didn't.
But she wouldn't listen to me.
She started yelling.
Said our family|was just as bad as the Syndicate.
That we were all liars and cheats.
Then suddenly l realised|that if she were dead all of our problems would go away.
Oh, Norvo.
l took care of it.
You always said l was too weak|to handle the tough ones.
l'm not.
l proved it.
l handled a problem that you couldn't.
|l handled it.
l need to inspect the ore samples|from 53-C.
We have to make a decision|on whether to open up a new Janel.
Forget about the mine.
|lt doesn't matter.
l want you to listen to me.
After|Norvo's trial is over, you need to go.
- Go where?|- lt doesn't matter.
Just go.
Find another life for yourself.
|Trust me.
You'll be happier.
They've taken Norvo.
l'm going to stay on New Sydney|for the trial then head back to DS9.
This isn't my fault, is it Ezri? l didn't do this, did l? Mind if l join you? - When did you get back?|- Last night.
Norvo was sentenced to 30 years.
l wish l could say l was sorry but|considering what he did he got off easy.
l understand why you feel that way.
But you didn't know him.
|Norvo was very gifted.
He had so much potential.
Norvo was the one we all thought|would be something special.
l don't know what happened.
l don't|know how my brother turned into l spent so many years|dreaming of getting out of that house that l didn't see|what was really going on inside, what was happening to Norvo.
The endless humiliation,|the constant drumbeat of criticism, the way his heart was|carved up into little pieces.
l should've seen it.
|l should've tried to stop it.
You can't blame yourself.
|You're not responsible for that.
But l am.
Don't you see? l should've gone home|a long time ago.
|- My what? Oh, no.
- lt's waiting for you in cargo bay 2.
|- Your "gagh?" Jadzia ordered it.
She was planning|a party for Martok's birthday.
- How much "gagh" did she order?|- 51 cases.
- Each containing a different variety.
|- There are varieties? Oh, yes.
l can remember|what each one tastes like.
And the way they feel|when you swallow them.
Torgud "gagh" wiggles.
Filden "gagh"|squirms.
Meshta "gagh" jumps.
Are you all right? - Are you all right?|- Me? You've barely said three words.
l justcan't wait to see Miles,|that's all.
Let me guess.
|You have a holosuite appointment? - Defending the Alamo again?|- You know me too well.
- When does he arrive?|- Half an hour.
Bithool "gagh" has feet.
- Flush it out the airlock.
All of it.
|- Environmental regulations.
- Why don't you give it to Martok?|- He'd insist on sharing it with me.
Wistan "gagh" is packed in "targ" blood.
l have to go now.
See you later.
l think l'd better go too.
Give my regards to Santa Anna.
Miles asked me not to say anything|but l haven't heard from him and l think something|might have happened to him.
He said he was visiting his father.
He may have implied that|but he didn't actually say - Doctor, please.
|- Yes, sir.
- So where is he?|- The last message l received said that he was following leads|in New Sydney.
He's not a detective! He's my chief|engineer and now he's missing! Who is this woman|he's supposed to be looking for? - She's the widow of Liam Bilby.
|- BilbyBilby The man he befriended|in that undercover operation? Yes.
Miles still feels|responsible for his death.
He's kept in touch with his widow.
When she disappeared three weeks|ago he decided to find her.
And now they're both missing.
He did try and go through|the official channels but the authorities weren't cooperative|and Starfleet doesn't have jurisdiction.
So he decided to turn into|a one-man police force.
New Sydney.
|lt's in the Sappora System, right? l want a written report on this woman, O'Brien's plan to find her, and anything|else you neglected to mention.
- May l ask what you're going to do?|- No.
l want that report on my desk|within the hour.
As your family lives|in the Sappora System, they might have contacts|on New Sydney.
l'm sure they do.
My mother's|an important business leader.
Your file says she owns the fifth largest|pergium mining facility in the sector.
Sixth.
The Ferengi found a large|deposit on Timor ll a few years ago.
My mother nearly died when she|found out we were out of the top five.
Please.
Do you think she'd be willing to look into|what happened to the Chief? - l'm sure she would.
|- That's the best news l've had all day.
Something wrong? No.
Yes.
l don't know.
l haven't talked to my mother|in almost six months.
l last saw her just after l was joined.
She came to visit me on Trill.
|l was still a littleconfused.
She walked into my room,|l put on a smile, looked her in the eye and said, ''Hi, Mum, it's me - Curzon!'' Things went downhill from there.
l'm sure she understood|what you were going through.
You weren't prepared to be joined.
She|couldn't blame you for being confused.
She didn't.
Not really.
But she did want|me to come home to recuperate.
We had a disagreement.
- Not for the first time?|- No, not for the first time.
lf there was any other way,|l wouldn't ask you to do this.
No.
That's all right.
My problems aren't as important|as finding the Chief.
- l'll call my mother.
|- Thanks, old man.
Anytime.
- We've been worried about you.
|- l'm all right.
Really.
And l'm a lot more sure|of who l am than last time.
That's a relief.
|l'd hate to have to call you Curzon.
- l uml've been promoted.
|- Oh? Lieutenant junior grade Ezri Dax|at your service.
Ezri Dax.
The symbiont name always replaces|the new host's name.
lt's traditional.
Of course.
|l haven't been away from Trill that long.
The important thing is you're doing well.
Mother, l'm calling|because l need your help.
One of our officers, Miles O'Brien, went|to New Sydney and now he's missing.
- Captain Sisko was wondering if|- l'll do everything l can.
Thank you.
Now.
When are you coming home? l'm not sure when l can get away.
You haven't been home in three years.
l know.
But with the war on|and everything Ezri TiganDax.
Tell your commanding|officer that l'm a difficult woman and l refuse to help look for Mr O'Brien|unless you return home right away.
No.
Please, don't put me in this Ezri, goodbye.
|l'll see you when you get here.
Take 20 milligrams if you're spacesick.
|lf you don't, you'll regret it.
So will the other passengers.
Everything Starfleet knows|on Bilby's widow.
Where's your report? lt's the one with Sisko's boot prints|all over it.
l'm sure you'll be out of the doghouse|by the time l get back.
As someone who isn't especially close|to his parents, l sympathise.
l'm about to present my family|with a whole new Ezri.
And they didn't know what to make|of the old one.
But thanks for trying, Julian.
l'll let|you know when l find out anything.
Have a safe trip.
- Zee!|- Norvo! l cannot believe you're really here.
Neither can l.
- You cut your hair.
|- Oh, yeah.
lt kept getting in my eyes.
- Do you like it?|- lt'll take some getting used to.
l think you've just|summed up my entire visit.
- ls this yours?|- Mum insisted on hanging it.
l hate it.
- Why?|- The composition is puerile, the colours childish|and the technique laughable.
- But other than that|- lt's perfect.
Welcome home, little girl.
Hi, Janel.
Do l have to take a sonic shower|before l get a hug? - lt's good to see you.
|- You too.
- What happened here?|- She cut it.
l think it gives her|more of a classic look.
lt's cute.
Mum said to give you|the police report on your friend.
- Have they found out anything?|- Not yet.
But they have a few leads.
l hope you appreciate|all the trouble she's going to.
She called in a lot of favours.
Of course l appreciate it.
- How long are you staying?|- l'm not sure yet.
She's not going to be here|a minute longer than she has to.
We're in the middle of a war.
|l have responsibilities.
There's always something.
- Hello, Mother.
|- l hate your hair.
- Have you eaten?|- No, not yet.
Good.
l've got Korella|working on a very special dinner.
- Have you taken care of Lorkin?|- l was about to.
l want him paid and gone before dinner.
And that third quarter review|l asked for? - l'm still working on it.
|- lt's been a week.
l miscalculated some of the revenues.
|l have to redo them.
l know you don't like bookkeeping|but l really need that review.
Good.
l want to show you|the new solarium.
l had the tiles brought in from Andoria and then hand-painted|by a charming old man l met Have Mr Lorkin report|to the main house.
Why are you getting rid of Lorkin? That broken waveguide is going to cost|us 1,000 bars of latinum a day.
Mother thinks it's sloppy maintenance.
- What do you think?|- Brand new waveguides don't break.
You mean Bokar was behind it? lt's a message.
The Orion Syndicate|doesn't take no for an answer.
- Maybe we should tell Mother.
|- No.
l can deal with Bokar.
l don't know.
Relax.
Everything's going to be all right.
Jadzia considered Kira|one of her best friends.
l'm starting to think of her|the same way.
She didn't have any trouble adjusting|to having a new Dax in her life? No more than anyone else.
None of them were expecting|another Dax in their lives.
Did any of them wonder if you What happened to the man|you were interested in? Lieutenantsomething? Brinner Finok.
He was an ensign.
l did talk to him|after l was joinedonce.
l don't think we're right|for each other now.
He reminds me too much of my son|Gran.
lt makes me uncomfortable.
Sorry.
Audrid's son Gran.
|l'm still sorting out my pronouns.
- l'm sure all joined Trills go through it.
|- No, just me.
Nothing's simple for Ezri.
The computer asks me to identify|myself and l have to think.
l wake up and l don't know if l'm a man|or a woman until l pull back the covers! l also have|an unfortunate tendency to ramble.
Don't be embarrassed.
|lt's not your fault.
You should've gone through|years of training.
lt wasn't fair of them to join you to Dax.
lt's no surprise you're having trouble|sorting out eight lifetimes' of memories.
lt can be a little overwhelming at times.
l'm sure.
But don't you worry.
|We'll take care of you.
Won't we? - Absolutely.
|- Of course.
That's nice to know.
|But l think l've got things under control.
Ezri, you always were|too proud for your own good.
Come in, Zee.
- How did you know it was me?|- No one else uses the chime.
Hm.
l see some things never change.
Here.
Have a seat.
- How many of these are yours?|- All the bad ones.
When did you become|such a harsh critic? Just being realistic.
lt's amateurish.
|l know that.
lt says so right there.
- Saurian brandy?|- Sure.
- l should probably get a clean one.
|- l don't care.
- Norvo, this doesn't mean|- To my sister.
A shining angel in a dark sky.
The Andorian Academy|rejected your application.
That doesn't mean|your work is amateurish.
- There are other art schools.
|- lt's the best.
You shouldn't just quit.
l'm not very good, Zee.
l never was.
All this is an indulgence.
Just like|my other hobbies - poetry, music l can't concentrate.
My mind wanders.
l don't have the discipline to succeed.
Those are Mother's words.
l know because l've heard them too.
She's wrong about both of us.
l'm fine with the way things turned out.
|Really.
Besides, they need me here.
To do the family bookkeeping?|Norvo, you could do so much more.
l'm not trying to make you feel bad.
l just want you to know|that l believe in you.
Thanks.
- Good night.
|- Night.
l hope you're satisfied.
|Have you seen Norvo today? - No.
|- Well, maybe you should.
He's in bed with a hangover.
When l woke up this morning|he was passed out in the entry room.
Evidently he spent|most of the night doing this.
You think it's funny? l think it's funny you think|he did this because of me.
- He's not happy here, Mother.
|- That's nonsense.
He's defacing his own work,|which you displayed after he objected.
l'm trying to encourage him.
But you've made him|feel trapped and powerless.
You've barely spent one night|in this house and you think you can analyse|our entire family? You don't know your brother.
He's|a fragile young man who needs care.
He's a grown man who needs freedom.
|You're smothering him.
You're telling me how to be a mother?|What do you know about children? l have three, no, four lifetimes' worth|of memories about raising children.
l have worked and sacrificed|for each one of you for over 30 years.
- Not now!|- Sorry to interrupt, but - Miles!|- Ezri? What're you doing here? This is my home.
This is where l live.
|My mother.
l'm pleased to meet you, Mr O'Brien.
|Can you? - He was unfriendly when we found him.
|- So were you.
lf you'll excuse me, we're having|a problem with a drill down in 24-B.
- Did you do this?|- Just the one on the jaw.
The rest he got|from the Orion Syndicate.
- Did you find anything on Bilby's wife?|- l found her.
She's dead.
Thanks.
The DNA scan confirmed|that the body was Morica's.
She'd been dead at least six weeks.
- Do you know the cause of death?|- No.
lt was the Orion Syndicate.
There's no evidence of that.
|lt could've been an accident.
She accidentally hit herself in the head|and threw herself in the river.
We pull dozens of bodies out of the|river.
You think they're all murders? lf they're anything like this, yes.
lf you hadn't interfered,|l'd have proof.
lf we hadn't interfered, you'd be dead.
We knew that a Starfleet operative|was trying to infiltrate the Syndicate.
lt didn't take long to realise|it was your friend.
We found him being beaten up|by a pair of Nausicaans.
- They were just trying to scare me.
|- Why? Exactly! Why were they|trying to scare me? Because l found Morica Bilby's body|and could trace her murder to them.
They'd never kill an operative's widow.
The thing holding them together|is the loyalty they show to operatives.
They may not be as loyal as you think.
Mrs Tigan, please contact us|if there's anything else we can do.
Thank you.
l will.
Ezri, show Mr O'Brien to a guest room.
Let him clean up|and have something to eat.
Thanks.
So that tip led me to the river.
l searched the south bank for|three hours before l found her.
The solvents in the water had partially|decomposed her body.
But it was her.
l'm sorry, Chief.
l wish there|was something more l could do.
Maybe you could put in a good word|for me with Captain Sisko.
lt may take a lot of good words.
|But l'll talk to him.
Mr O'Brien, how are you feeling? Fine, thank you.
|l've eaten enough for a week.
Good.
l understand you're an engineer.
- That's right.
|- He's not a mining engineer.
We have a problem with a drill|that no one seems capable of fixing.
l would be grateful|if you would take a look at it.
Now? Mother, he needs some rest.
- How much rest do you require?|- Actually, l feel fine.
Thank you.
l'll see you at dinner.
l'm sorry about this.
|Our mother is a force of nature.
lt's all right.
lt'll be good to get|my hands on a problem l can solve.
Lead on.
- Good morning.
|- Good afternoon.
Mother is not going to be happy.
You're out of the line of fire|for the moment.
- She's busy torturing Janel and Miles.
|- Miles? - Oh, they found him?|- He's fine.
Great.
That's great, Zee.
- Does that mean you're leaving?|- Not right away.
Let's talk about you.
More specifically,|about what you did last night.
What can l say?|l get drunk, l become an art critic.
Do you regret what you did? Not really.
|l never liked those pieces anyway.
So what are you feeling? l'm feeling like l don't want|to be analysed by my sister.
Sorry.
lt's what l do.
The situation is not that complex, Zee.
l'm wallowing in self-pity and acting out|my frustrations by throwing tantrums.
All right, Dr Norvo.
lf that's your|diagnosis, what's your prescription? Mother disapproves of suicide.
- All that blood on the carpets.
|- Not funny.
Best l can do with a hangover.
Norvo, what would happen|if you left with me tomorrow? What do you mean? What would happen|if you went back to DS9 with me? - Mother would go insane.
|- Forget about her for now.
l can't just pick up and leave.
lt doesn't have to be|a permanent move.
Think of it as a vacation, a break from|all this.
Some time to clear your head.
l can't leave all this|on Janel's shoulders.
- Janel can handle it.
|- lt's not that simple.
There are complicated things going on.
- Like what?|- Things with the company.
No offence but you're not exactly|holding the company together.
Mother can pay a real accountant.
- l don't know, Zee.
|- Think about it.
You're right.
The problem's|in the secondary input transtator.
- But it checks out perfectly.
|- l'm sure it does.
- But it's the wrong type for this drill.
|- What? You need a 52-J.
This is a 52-L.
- lt says 52-J.
|- l know.
But it's definitely an L.
- Accidentally mislabelled?|- Or deliberately.
Another equipment failure? lf you hadn't dismissed Lorkin,|it wouldn't have happened.
He was dismissed|on my mother's order.
Then we'll have to change|her mind, won't we? Who's your new mechanic? This is Mr O'Brien.
|He's a friend of the family.
- Would that be Chief O'Brien?|- How did you know that? l have friends|in the New Sydney Police.
l heard they rescued a chief named|O'Brien from an unpleasant situation.
That's me.
l don't believe|l caught your name.
Thadial Bokar.
l'm a commodities broker, attempting|to establish ties with the Tigan family.
Will you excuse us, Chief? Mr Bokar and l have|some business to discuss.
Thank you.
l'll have|a new transtator installed.
Glad to do it.
Sabotage won't convince me to do|more business with the Syndicate.
We'll argue about that later.
|We have more immediate concerns.
- O'Brien is with Starfleet lntelligence.
|- No, he isn't.
He works on Deep Space 9.
So he wants you to think.
But why did|he try to infiltrate the Syndicate? - He was looking for some woman.
|- ''Some woman.
'' - Do you know her name?|- No.
l do.
Her name was Morica Bilby.
What? l haven't heard from Morica Bilby|in quite some time.
Rumour has it that she's dead|but l wouldn't know about that.
What l do know is that Chief O'Brien|should leave this System before something happens to him.
So you're not leaving until tomorrow? - Probably.
lt really depends on Ezri.
|- Why? She's my superior officer.
|l go when she goes.
Besides, l'm not looking forward|to seeing Captain Sisko.
He has a boot with my name on it.
This is a bad time for guests.
|There's work to do.
The quicker you're on your way,|the better.
Your brother's eager to get rid of us.
He's been under a lot of pressure.
Do you know Thadial Bokar?|Says he's a commodities broker.
No.
l make it a point to know as little|as possible about the family business.
Why? He came to talk with Janel|while l was working on the drill.
He reminded me of when l was|working with the Orion Syndicate.
Something about how|they dealt with civilians.
You think he's|a member of the Syndicate? lt's just a feeling.
|A pretty strong feeling.
We should tell Janel.
l think Janel knows.
l know l'm not offering you|any hard evidence, but Janel seems like a man who's|being pressured by the Syndicate.
He's experiencing sudden equipment|breakdowns, work stoppages, mysterious accidents.
That's the way the Syndicate|extorts money.
''Do business with us or we'll ruin you.
'' Janel is not easily intimidated.
My mother would destroy this place|before she'd deal with the Syndicate.
There's one way to find out.
Do you have access|to the company's financial records? - What would you do on DS9?|- Take a vacation.
- Clear my head.
|- Clear it of what? - l don't know.
|- Then why do you need a vacation? l guess l don't.
But it would be nice|to spend some time with Ezri.
You're spending time with her|right now.
- We're ready to open 25-Beta.
|- l'll be right there.
This is a bad time for you to take|a vacation.
We have too much work.
- Have you finished the review?|- Almost.
- Then maybe you should get to it.
|- Yes, ma'am.
Let's go.
l remember why|l never went into the business.
Contracts and invoices,|balance sheets and shipping orders.
l feel like l'm trapped|in a Ferengi nightmare.
What? - What is it?|- l don't know.
- What's going on here?|- What do you mean? Did you come here to find me|or to prevent me finding out the truth? l don't know|what you're talking about, Chief.
The connection between the Syndicate|and your family is Morica Bilby.
She was on the company's payroll|when she died.
- Did you know about this?|- No.
Of course not.
Someone in your family did.
And they obviously|don't want us to know.
- Are you suggesting?|- l'm not suggesting anything.
But it's possible|that somebody in your family was involved in her death.
There.
Nine months ago, Morica Bilby shows up on the payroll|as a shipping consultant.
Five bars of latinum a week for|services rendered.
What services? There's no indication|of what she was doing for the company.
She must have been good.
Her salary increases to ten bars|a week, then 20, then 30.
The last payment entry|was six weeks ago.
The day before she was killed.
- Who's in charge of the payroll?|- My mother, ultimately.
But she's turned over most|day-to-day operations to Janel.
And Norvo's been doing|the bookkeeping.
Any one of them could know|about Morica's payments.
Or all of them.
We have to show this to the authorities.
Not yet.
|Not until l find out what's happened.
That's an order.
Yes, sir.
Why was this woman on our payroll? - We were returning a favour.
|- To whom? - To the Orion Syndicate.
|- And what favour did they do for us? When the Ferengis|opened up the Timor ll mine the price of pergium dropped.
That came at a bad moment.
We|were overextended on some loans, our cash reserves were depleted and a Jem'Hadar raid destroyed a|shipment before it reached the refinery.
- So you turned to the Syndicate?|- They came to me! They offered us a way out and l took it.
|l did what l had to do.
You didn't question it when our cash|problems were resolved overnight.
Because l trusted you.
|Obviously it was a mistake.
What about Morica? A month after Bokar arranged the loan,|he said it was time to return the favour.
A woman needed a job with a salary|but without any actual work involved.
She was the widow of their associate|and they needed to take care of her.
l didn't feel like|l was in a position to say no.
So l started making the payments.
No one would've known|if Norvo had altered the payroll records.
You dragged your brother into this? You say nothing's more|important than the company.
That's all l was thinking about.
You dumped it in my lap and l saved it.
|So don't complain now.
- lf it weren't for me|- Don't rationalise what you've done.
All right! We can discuss|who saved what later.
Now we have to concentrate|on what happened to Morica.
There was a steady|increase in her payments.
Why? She wasn't happy with her salary.
The Syndicate promised a comfortable|living and she wasn't comfortable.
- How did she die?|- l don't know.
Janel, if you have anything to do|with this, now is the time to speak.
What are you saying? - That l had her killed?|- l'm asking.
- He wouldn't have killed her!|- Stay out of this.
Listen to me.
l will get you|the best solicitor in New Sydney but you must tell me the truth.
l didn't kill her.
Janel, why don't l believe you? This woman just happened to die at the|exact moment she was pressuring you? Listen to him.
He didn't do it! l may not have shed any tears|when l heard she was dead, but l didn't kill her.
Norvo, you don't know|what happened to Morica, do you? l'm the idiot brother.
How would l know? Tell me|you don't know anything about this.
l tried to reason with her|but she was very angry.
Angry at the Syndicate.
Angry at us.
|Angry at her husband for getting killed.
l didn't go there to kill her, Zee.
|l really didn't.
But she wouldn't listen to me.
She started yelling.
Said our family|was just as bad as the Syndicate.
That we were all liars and cheats.
Then suddenly l realised|that if she were dead all of our problems would go away.
Oh, Norvo.
l took care of it.
You always said l was too weak|to handle the tough ones.
l'm not.
l proved it.
l handled a problem that you couldn't.
|l handled it.
l need to inspect the ore samples|from 53-C.
We have to make a decision|on whether to open up a new Janel.
Forget about the mine.
|lt doesn't matter.
l want you to listen to me.
After|Norvo's trial is over, you need to go.
- Go where?|- lt doesn't matter.
Just go.
Find another life for yourself.
|Trust me.
You'll be happier.
They've taken Norvo.
l'm going to stay on New Sydney|for the trial then head back to DS9.
This isn't my fault, is it Ezri? l didn't do this, did l? Mind if l join you? - When did you get back?|- Last night.
Norvo was sentenced to 30 years.
l wish l could say l was sorry but|considering what he did he got off easy.
l understand why you feel that way.
But you didn't know him.
|Norvo was very gifted.
He had so much potential.
Norvo was the one we all thought|would be something special.
l don't know what happened.
l don't|know how my brother turned into l spent so many years|dreaming of getting out of that house that l didn't see|what was really going on inside, what was happening to Norvo.
The endless humiliation,|the constant drumbeat of criticism, the way his heart was|carved up into little pieces.
l should've seen it.
|l should've tried to stop it.
You can't blame yourself.
|You're not responsible for that.
But l am.
Don't you see? l should've gone home|a long time ago.