At the aliens' open-air theatre, on stage, 'Captain Janeway' has got Seven of Nine at her mercy.
Layna (as Seven of Nine): "My death is irrelevant. You will never see the gleaming cities of Earth. You will be assimilated."
Tanis (as Captain Janeway): "And if I let you live?"
Layna: "Also irrelevant."
Tanis: "You don't believe that. The battle is over." She throws away her spear. "Go home."
Layna gets up. "How foolish of you to let me go, free to attack you again."
Tanis: "And again and again, until all your drones and all my crew are destroyed, until everything we value is gone and there is nothing left but our hatred."
The Autarch is watching and listening intently.
Backstage.
Jero: "This final scene will ruin everything that we've done out there. We'll have to improvise!"
Kelis: "It's too late!"
Torres suddenly arrives. "No, it's not."
Kelis: "I knew you'd come!"
Layna, entering after exiting from off-stage: "And I told you not to."
Torres calls after Layna: "Wait!" But Layna has gone. She turns to Kelis and takes his hand: "Let's go."
She leads him toward the stage.
On stage.
Chorus: "Finally, Voyager has reached our shores."
View of the theatre from the rear of the stage.
Torres enters: "And not a moment too soon. Kelis the poet must say goodbye as B'Elanna Torres returns to the Eternals in a dazzling blaze of light."
The Chorus is unsure how to deal with this unscripted moment.
One of them uses a scripted line, making it a question: "On a far-away snow-covered peak?"
Torres: "No, right here before your eyes."
Layna, runs out and rushes towards the Autarch. She shrieks: "Wait! She's not from across the Eastern Sea! She's an Eternal!" One of the Autarch's guards seizes her to stop her reaching his master. Layna struggles and calls out desperately to the Autarch: "She's B'Elanna Torres, the real B'Elanna Torres! I saw her ship!"
The Autarch stares then gets up.
Chorus member #1 improvises: "The lead actress, in a fit of jealousy, brands her rival an Eternal. Our patron rises to his feet to stop the play."
Kelis and Torres hold their breath.
The Autarch, looking at Kelis, suddenly smiles: "Nicely done." To Layna: "I almost believed you." To Kelis: "Continue."
The Autarch resumes his seat.
Relieved, Kelis and Torres continue with their improvised scene. She hands him her actor's mask.
Kelis to Torres: "Stay."
Torres: "Voyager needs me."
Kelis: "So do I."
Torres: "No, you don't. You have all that you need right here."
Kelis: "I'll be inspired every time I think of you."
Torres taps her combadge. "One to beam, to ascend to the heavens."
As she transports everyone in the audience stands up, astounded!
The Autarch turns and stares at Layna - she must have been telling the truth.
Chorus member #1, using a scripted line to bring the Autarch's attention back to the play: "And so ends the rescue of B'Elanna Torres, half-Klingon; B'Elanna Torres, half-human; B'Elanna Torres, Chief Engineer."
Kelis to the audience: "These stories will continue for as long as we have the breath to tell them, and as long as our patrons remain wise and compassionate. And Voyager will continue on her journey to the gleaming cities of Earth where peace reigns, and hatred has no home."
The Autarch stands looking at them. He has understood the play's message. There will be no war.
