Star Trek

The play's the thing

Torres is slumped in the pilot's chair of the Delta Flyer. She has a wound on her forehead and she is unconscious. She had ordered Kim into the escape pod before the crash, but he is nowhere to be found. As Torres is coming to, she notices someone standing over her. It is Kelis, an actor and playwright on the L-Class planet, who is trying to heal her wounds. Torres, startled, jumps to her feet and questions his intentions. Kelis replies saying that he is her servant and she is his muse.

Kelis' intentions are to keep Torres on the planet as his inspiration. Kelis feels that Torres can inspire him to put together a play that will promote peace between the Warlord, his clan, and the rival clan.

Kelis further explains that the Warlord became insulted over a dowry offered by a patron from Kelis' clan. Kelis feels that the play may help the Warlord and the patron forget their anger.

Meanwhile back on Voyager, the crew is busy searching for Kim and Torres. Tuvok is very upset about the loss of his comrades. He has not slept in the eight days and exhaustion is starting to take its toll on him. Chakotay tells him that he can take over the search, but Tuvok sternly refuses.

Back on the L-Class planet Torres is trying to repair the ship, however the propulsion has died and the ship will not start. Kelis offers to help her in return for stories about the Voyager and its crew. He feels the stories will promote enough interest among the patrons that they will forget why they are fighting. He offers her food and supplies that she desperately needs. She reluctantly agrees to help Kelis.

It has been almost two weeks and Torres and Kelis have been rehearsing the play non-stop. They still do not have an ending to the show that is opening the following day. Layna, an alien actress portraying Torres in the play, has grown jealous of Torres' relationship with Kelis.

The night before the performance, Layna follows Torres back to the ship and confronts her. She threatens to expose Torres' real identity to the Warlord if Torres does not leave at once.

After Layna leaves, Kim appears through the window of the ship. Kim ran into turbulence and decided to turn around and follow Torres' signature. He tracked Torres' position with a tricorder. Kim has a Starfleet satchel that contains emergency rations such as a phaser and the escape pods emergency transmitter.

All the while, Kelis is preparing for the big night. He is waiting for Torres, but the patrons are growing impatient and he must start the show.

On Voyager, Tuvok is caught sleeping by Paris who decides it is time for him to take a break. As Chakotay enters to relieve Tuvok, they hear the messages sent by Kim and Torres.

While waiting for word from Voyager, Torres receives a note from Kelis implying that there will be a war if she does not help him come up with an ending to the play. He needs her for inspiration. Torres, feeling obligated to help Kelis, tells Kim she will be back and leaves for the play.

Torres enters the stage and begins performing an ending that she has come up with. She came up with a scene in which she and Kelis say good-bye because it is time for her to leave. Layna tries to sabotage everything by telling the Warlord that Torres is really an Eternal, but Kelis pretends that it is part of the play and that Layna is just playing the part of the jealous girlfriend. The Warlord loves the plot twist. The show is a success and there will be no war. Kim then beams Torres up and they return back to Voyager.