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A Call to Arms

Overview

The Drakh launch a devastating attack against Earth. Leads into the sequel series, "Crusade." Tony Todd as Captain Anderson. 
Production number: TNT MoW4
Original air date: January 3, 1999
DVD release date: August 17, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar
Novelization by Robert Sheckley

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

A Call to Arms

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)

ISN News Broadcast:

"Meanwhile, on Earth and Minbar preparations continue for next month's celebration marking the fifth anniversary of the Interstellar Alliance. Aside from one brief conflict with the Centauri Republic early in its first year, ISA President John Sheridan has delivered on his promise to maintain peace among all its member worlds. Although ISA Vice-President Delenn continues to make appearances during these preparations, Sheridan himself has not been seen for several days. Speculations on his absence range from the flu to a good will mission to Narn.

"In other news, ground was broken today in Earthdome for a monument dedicated to the many who died in the recent telepath crisis, including..."

Sheridan has not been seen because he has joined Garibaldi on a secret trip to oversee the final stages of the construction of the prototypes for the destroyer class White Star ships ("Movement of Fire and Shadow"). Garibaldi is taking a bit of time away from managing Edgars Industries on Mars ("Objects in Motion") at Sheridan's request.

The head of the construction project, Drake, is being too cautious for Garibaldi's taste. But Sheridan points out that reverse engineering Vorlon and Minbari technology to fit human technology is uncharted waters, and caution is necessary. The construction is top secret, not the least because the other races are likely to object to Earth, Minbar, and Sheridan being the sole beneficiaries of the project. Sheridan is sure no one can follow them to the construction site, as they are aboard a White Star, the fastest known ship. But he is wrong. A small probe follows them into and through hyperspace, projecting the image to a small crystal globe.

The globe is held by a man called Galen. He is interrupted and told he must explain his behavior and account for his activities to something called "the circle," and everyone involved. Although annoyed, he agrees to do so.

Sheridan and Garibaldi arrive at the construction dock. Two prototypes are there, the Victory and the Excalibur. Sheridan is welcomed by Drake, who gives him the tour. They are still battling some minor problems, haven't fully figured out the artificial gravity for example. But the ships are mostly ready, and the controls are intuitive and easy to master for Earthforce personnel.

"How does she handle?" asks Sheridan, excited; but they haven't actually tested it yet. And when they try, the propulsion system fails, despite Drake's assurances that there would be no problems.

Sheridan is told a message from Delenn has arrived. He takes it by himself in the conference room, but the message is all garbled. Sheridan is transfixed, seemingly for a few seconds. But Garibaldi enters, breaks the spell, and claims Sheridan has been there for almost half an hour. Garibaldi suggests he get some rest while Drake works out the bugs. Sheridan agrees.

"Things were so much easier on Babylon 5," muses Garibaldi.

On Babylon 5, a female alien arrives, and a weapons violation is detected. Zack Allan demands she turn over her weapons, and she does so silently: about a dozen or more blades and other low-tech weapons. Before leaving, she asks where the lost people, the neglected and forgotten, go. Zack directs her to Downbelow, Brown sector.

Aboard the Excalibur, Sheridan dreams. He finds himself on a desolate, burning world, ruins aflame all around him. A voice calls out to him: Galen. The world is dead, Galen says, murdered. Not an attack, but a test. Galen says he is the one who sent the message Sheridan received earlier; he needed a connection for the electron incantation.

A ship arrives. Galen claims it is the killers, come back to check on their work. He and Sheridan must leave, to ensure his probe goes undetected. Before leaving, he shows Sheridan the name of the world: Daltron 7.

Sheridan awakes as the ship begins to move. It is being towed to the firing range.

On Babylon 5, the alien female works her way through Brown sector, following hidden signs painted on the walls and ceilings. And she is being followed. Finally, she makes her way to an opening in the ceiling, where she is hit on the head. She falls unconscious to the ground...

... and dreams. She is on the dead planet Sheridan was on. "No. I can't be back," she says to herself. Sheridan suddenly appears, and she throws herself at him in rage. But she passes right through the image, and as she does, Sheridan changes, becoming a Drakh. The Drakh holds in his hand a miniature galaxy. He closes his fist over it, and disappears.

And then Galen appears. "This is not your world, Dureena Nafeel," he booms at her. "But it shares the same fate as your world. When the time comes to choose your target, be sure to pick the right one. Because you will only get one shot." An earthquake hits, and Dureena falls; she awakes back on Babylon 5.

She is chained, lying on a small platform, surrounded by many beings, both human and alien. She is asked her name, and to show a mark: a tattoo bearing the same designs as the markers she followed to get there. It marks her as a member of the Thieves' Guild. She is asked the name of her teacher, and his teacher before him. She answers, and says she has been a thief long enough to be good at it. But apparently, she is challenged, not good enough to avoid being followed and chained up.

"What chains?" she asks simply, and the manacles fall in pieces to the ground. Dureena attacks the man who followed her, knocking him out. She was captured only because she chose to be captured, to meet the Guild. The leader of the Guild welcomes her and gives her the local rules: no inteference with other members, nothing violent, nothing to draw attention to them. They'll protect her and give her a place to stay in exchange for ten percent of her take; but if captured, she is on her own. The Guild must remain a secret organization.

The leader has one more question: they have never seen an alien like her before. She is far from home; why did she come to Babylon 5? "I don't know," she replies, and leaves.

On board the Excalibur, Sheridan is shown the weapons. He is not impressed with Level One, though; it isn't much more firepower than an average White Star. As destroyers, these ships should pack more punch. Garibaldi orders Drake to go to Level Two. But Drake lets them know there is a problem. The main guns are based on Vorlon design, and were intended for far more advanced ships. They use up almost all available power, and should be used only as a last resort. Sheridan orders a demonstration anyway.

Before he can give the order to fire, the view changes: the Excalibur is aiming straight at Earth. Sheridan is confused, gives orders to stop. Sheridan looks again, but the Earth is gone. Sheridan sits back down and orders the main guns to fire. They do so with impressive results, but all lights dim inside. According the Drake, there's barely enough energy left for life support and gravity. After firing, the ship cannot maneuver or fire again for at least one minute.

Sheridan starts to reply, but finds himself elsewhere again. Several robed men are around a campfire. "It's a mistake! You shouldn't have brought him here!" one of them says. They are chastising Galen for breaking the isolation without proof. But Galen claims that they need to break it to get the proof. And Sheridan is the only one who can get it. The others relent, but warn Galen he will be the first to die if their security has been compromised through his actions. They disappear, leaving Galen and Sheridan along. Sheridan can now piece together the clues: Galen and the others are technomages ("The Geometry of Shadows"). Galen explains they are not hurrying to return from hiding. They have, however, been watching the Drakh. They think the Drakh are preparing to move. Sheridan points out that the Drakh have no homeworld and the Shadows are gone; how much power can they possibly have?

Galen replies that Sheridan himself must find the answer to that question, because Galen believes the Drakh will start by attacking Earth. Sheridan begins to ask more questions, but Galen has said everything he is allowed. Sheridan and his companions must discover the rest. However, he is not to tell anyone about what he is doing or why. The Drakh have spies everywhere. Before leaving, Galen shows Sheridan four faces: a Drazi, a human, Sheridan himself, and an alien, a good match for Dureena Nafeel; and an image of Babylon 5 high overhead.

And then, Sheridan finds himself back aboard the Excalibur. Drake is explaining that the hull can reflect 80% of any energy weapon. "We have to go right now," Sheridan interrupts. Garibaldi wants to know where. "It was above the faces," replies Sheridan, "above them all. Babylon 5."

While enroute, he refuses to tell Garibaldi why they are going; and he makes a sketch of the three faces he saw in the vision. Garibaldi is worried; he offers to stop by Minbar and talk to Delenn, but Sheridan insists he is fine. He also asks Garibaldi to find out everything he can about Daltron 7. "Never heard of it," says Garibaldi. "Me either," replies Sheridan, a response that adds to Garibaldi's doubts and misgivings about Sheridan's rationality. On his way out, he asks for a connection to Capt. Lochley.

The Charon, and Earth Alliance destroyer, is in hyperspace also on her way to Babylon 5. The first officer is questioning the Captain on the new destination. They are disobeying orders and not informing Earthdome. "I know what I'm doing," answers Captain Anderson enigmatically, and adds to himself: "I hope."

Lochley welcomes Sheridan aboard. He gives her the drawings, and asks her to find out where they are. "Are you sure they are here?" she asks. "No," replies Sheridan. "But if they aren't here yet, they soon will be... I think." With that, he leaves Lochley and Garibaldi, both utterly confused.

In the Zocalo, Dureena is stealing wallets and money belts when security arrives with the drawing. She tries to flee, but is stopped and captured. Lochley informs Sheridan. "Who is she?" he asks. Lochley doesn't understand; after all, he drew her. Since she was caught with stolen wallets, she is being deported. Sheridan asks where she is from, and is told she is from Zander Prime. Lochley thought it was a dead world, however. It is now, replies Sheridan. It was one of the last planets destroyed by the Shadow planetkiller ("The Long Night") during the Shadow War.

Sheridan then gets a message from Captain Anderson. He doesn't know him. "Hello, Mr. President," says Anderson. "By any chance, have you been looking for me?" Lochley looks at Sheridan's drawing: Anderson is the human drawn there. "So it would appear," replies Sheridan with a faint smile.

They meet in Babylon 5's conference room, and Captain Anderson explains the man in his dreams told him to find Sheridan. Dureena is then brought in, and when she sees Sheridan, she attacks him like she did in her dream.

Dureena blames Sheridan for the destruction of Zander Prime. For attracting the Shadows, and not being there to help despite requests. But Sheridan explains they didn't know about the attack until it was too late; and even if they had heard, they didn't have anything to stand up to the Shadow's planetkiller. He's asked himself over and over, since the war, if there was anything he could do to save more people. But there wasn't. He also points out it was the Drakh and the Shadows who destroyed her planet, and the Drakh are still around. She then recalls Sheridan's transformation in her dream. Sheridan offers her the chance to strike at them. Dureena relents. Perhaps this is what the dream meant.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi is in Lochley's office. "You think he's lost it?" he asks. Lochley isn't sure. Finding Dureena and Capt. Anderson, dead matches for Sheridan's drawing, has given her pause. "All I know is he isn't behaving rationally," she adds. "It's almost as if he's acting under some sort of outside influence."

Sheridan is worried the Drazi hasn't arrived yet, but they cannot wait any longer. Why us? asks Dureena. Sheridan thinks each of them brings something to the mission to increase the odds of success. Captain Anderson points out the Charon isn't powerful enough for the sort of thing they are contemplating. They need something bigger, and nastier. "I think I may just have the thing..." replies Sheridan.

In the morning, Garibaldi arrives in Lochley's office for a meeting with her and Sheridan. But Sheridan isn't there. He skipped out and is well on his way to the construction yard. Garibaldi asks for a line to Drake, anticipating him.

But Sheridan is a step ahead. He contacts Drake and tells him there's been a breach in security. All messages should now come through a new frequency, and no other messages should be replied to or acknowledged. Garibaldi won't be able to delay him.

Sheridan, sitting on the captain's chair, asks Capt. Anderson if he really wants to go through with this: going AWOL and risking his career. Anderson explains that during the civil war, they had a chance to join Sheridan but didn't; and they were wrong not to. Earth is in danger now, and this time he intends to be on the winning side. The crew feels the same way. "We let you down once," says Anderson. "We won't do it again."

They arrive at the dockyard, and over Drake's objections they commandeer the Excalibur and the Victory, leaving him behind. Sheridan takes command of the Excalibur, and Anderson of the Victory. Dureena joins Sheridan, and they head out to Daltron 7.

Once there, they find the dead world of Sheridan's dream; but Daltron 7 is supposed to be the next best thing to paradise. A pattern of craters seen from orbit is the same as that produced by the Shadow planetkiller.

There are no life forms, but they do pick up a Drazi distress signal. When they go down to investigate, they find the Drazi of Sheridan's dream dead, a data crystal hidden inside his body.

Meanwhile, Capt. Anderson's people have been doing an analysis of the planet and records. He asks Sheridan if he is sure this is the work of a Shadow planetkiller. Sheridan is. "We have a serious problem then," replies Anderson. "Because if what I'm reading is correct, this just happened over a week ago." The Shadows left a planetkiller behind. And everytime Sheridan and the Alliance have ran into leftover Shadow technology, they've gotten their butts kicked.

Garibaldi has by now reached the dock, and Drake explains that Sheridan stole the prototypes, and seemed crazed. Garibaldi heads out to Daltron 7, taking Drake with him.

Meanwhile, Capt. Anderson calls his wife and daughter on Earth, to reassure her everything is fine and he hasn't deserted, merely been "transferred by a higher force." He also reassures his daughter, who is afraid of going to sleep because of nightmares, that he will protect her from the monsters.

Later, Anderson and Sheridan look at the contents of the data crystal they found on the Drazi. He too had dreams, which led him to Daltron 7. There, he saw and recorded the Shadow planetkiller in action. Then he followed the deathcloud to where the fleet was concentrating. Finally, he returned to Daltron 7 to see if anybody was left and to wait for the others, hoping the dark ones would not find him first.

And then, five small ships arrive: Drakh fighters. The Drakh send a message, trying to figure out who the two ships are; they don't recognize the design. On Dureena's suggestion, they try to bluff their way into the Drakh's good graces, pretending to be allies. But the Drakh receive an extremely powerful tachyon-enhanced transmission and start attacking.

Sheridan and Anderson fight back, destroying several of the fighters. A few more try to escape, and head for a strange, black, null-area in space. Sheridan orders the main guns to fire, and destroys the fighters. But inertia carries him through the null field, unable to maneuver for a full minute after firing. On the other side, which matches the coordinates the Drazi gave for the Drakh fleet, the Drakh wait. As soon as he can, Sheridan turns around and heads out through the null field, a few small fighters in pursuit. The rest of the fleet is already on its way.

Sheridan and Anderson move ahead, and jump to hyperspace before the Drakh can catch up; the fighters are caught in the collapsing jump point and are destroyed. Then, the Victory and Excalibur slip past the main fleet in hyperspace, and head for Earth at top speed.

Sheridan calls Lochley. He tells her of the Drakh fleet and the Shadow deathcloud. Lochley is skeptical; she thinks Sheridan may have indeed flipped. But Sheridan insists, and asks her vehemently for her trust and help. Delenn is already scrambling as many Alliance ships as she can together. Sheridan wants Lochley to call Earth and tell President Luchenko ("Rising Star") to do the same. Sheridan isn't much liked or trusted on Earth, so he needs her to make the call. Lochley can hardly believe she is doing this, but she does as he asks.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi is told someone aboard the White Star tapped into communications a while ago. Before he can investigate further, they receive a call from Sheridan. Sheridan tells Garibaldi about the planetkiller. Garibaldi is also skeptical. Sheridan wants to warn him the Drakh are onto them, and know about the new ships.

Garibaldi mentions that he has found out about Dureena's membership in the Thieves' Guild. She is not to be trusted, he says. Maybe it is her fault. Sheridan is partly taken aback, but Dureena points out that if she is the leak, she is stupid, as she could have gotten killed with him.

"Killed how?" asks Garibaldi, and Sheridan recounts their brief encounter with the Drakh, and the tachyon signal they received. The signal told the Drakh who they were. Garibaldi makes the connection with the anomaly in the communication system of his ship...

... and hears a PPG powering up next to his head: Drake. Mars born, he owes no loyalty to Earth, and the Drakh made him a great offer. He is the leak. Garibaldi cuts the communication. Then he points out to Drake that if he shoots Garibaldi, the Rangers around him will take him down. One of them activates a fighting pike, distracting Drake. Garibaldi then quickly disarms him and puts him in a headlock.

"Now, you are going to tell me everything you know," says Garibaldi. Drake, frightened, nods slowly. Garibaldi later contacts Sheridan, and confirms everything. The Drakh are headed for Earth, want to make a statement to the Alliance by wiping out Earth in a big show of force. The only silver lining is that they only have one planetkiller. If Sheridan can destroy it, they won't have another one to worry about.

Sheridan arrives in Earth space. Lochley has apparently convinced Luchenko, and Earthforce has mobilized its ships. Aboard the Earth Destroyer Hermes, General Yuri Mikhailovich Denisov, in command of the EarthForce ships, is annoyed and thinks this is all some sort of exercise. Sheridan's assurances that this is for real are soon confirmed, as the Drakh fleet jumps into normal space.

Sheridan tells Gen. Denisov to leave the fleet to the defense grid ("Endgame"). He wants the destroyers and Alliance heavy ships to form a wedge around the Excalibur and the Victory and lead them into the planetkiller itself. "Then what?" asks Gen. Denisov. "Then we kill it," replies Sheridan. "Somehow."

The General agrees and leads them in. While enroute, Sheridan uses the Excalibur's advanced sensors, more advanced than anything they've had previously, to analyze the deathcloud. It has a superstructure inside, a lattice of some kind, which is what they must destroy.

Sheridan notices the center of the lattice is bigger and reinforced: probably the command center. That's their target.

"When the time comes to choose your target, be sure to pick the right one. Because you will only get one shot." Galen's words echo in Dureena's head.

"No," she tells Sheridan simply. "If you hit that part you'll fail and your planet will be destroyed." She explains that a thief learns to look where you aren't supposed to look; that the most valuable items are never inside the safe, but next to it. Next to the central point of the lattice is a joint, seemingly the same as others in the structure. "There's nothing special about it," Dureena explains. "Then why is it surrounded by short range weapons? Why are they so determined to protect it?"

Capt. Anderson has been monitoring the situation. Enemy ships are closing in, and the deathcloud is approaching Earth. They are running out of time. They can hit one target but not both. Which one? Sheridan has to choose quickly.

"Hers," Sheridan replies. The Victory and the Excalibur accelerate towards the deathcloud.

But the deathcloud's defenses are formidable, and more Drakh ships join the defense as they figure out what is happening. The fire isn't getting through to the target. The Victory is hit severely, and its main weapons array destroyed. The planetkiller is minutes away from Earth.

"My daughter is out there, Phil," Capt. Anderson tells his first officer. "I made a promise to her that I'd protect her from the monsters. What kind of father am I if I can't keep my promise?"

Anderson contacts Sheridan. He suggests that Sheridan fire his main gun; although it will probably miss at that range, and leave the Excalibur vulnerable for one minute, it will clear away the defending ships. The Victory can cover her for a minute and get within range. Then the Victory will fire her main guns while the Excalibur covers her. It's a long shot, but it is their only one. Sheridan agrees and fires.

The Excalibur misses the joint barely, but destroys the enemy ships in the way. Captain Anderson then issues the order: "Ramming speed." Sheridan can't do anything, his ship out of power. The Victory heads in, taking hit after hit. Despite extensive damage, the ship makes it all the way to the joint, and destroys it in a fiery crash. But the Victory doesn't survive.

Anderson's sacrifice isn't in vain. The planetkiller begins to collapse. The missiles fire prematurely, hitting the superstructure itself. With the Excalibur back on line, Sheridan heads out. He escapes as the deathcloud collapses into itself and is destroyed.

Before they can even take stock, they see the remains of the Drakh fleet heading towards Earth. They watch in horrified silence as the ships descend into the atmosphere, and start releasing some sort of dust. The defense grid hits many of them, but they only fall towards the surface, releasing more dust on their way down.

Sheridan looks down in silence. "What is it?" asks Dureena, who does not understand what is going on. "What happened?"

Galen is looking over the results of the battle in his crystal globe when a voice calls out to him. "The circle requires your presence."

Sheridan is back on Babylon 5, explaining to Lochley and Garibaldi. "So, they finished analysing whatever it was the Drakh sprayed into Earth's atmosphere?" asks Lochley.

"It's a biogenetic plague," replies Sheridan. "Earth has been completely quarantined, nobody allowed in or out. The death cloud was the only one the Drakh had left, but it wasn't the last weapon in their arsenal. From the complexity of its structure, the bioweapons division back home thinks the plague was probably engineered by the Shadows."

"How much time do they have?" asks Garibaldi. "Looks like that's the only bright spot in this," replies Sheridan. "The Drakh didn't have time to finish adjusting it our biology, or they just didn't know how. But either way, its going to take time for the plague to adjust to a new host. They're saying 5 years. Could be less. But probably five years is the best guess for now."

"And... at the end of five years?" asks Lochley.

"Every man, woman, and child on Earth will be dead. Unless we can find a cure."

Since the plague is Shadow technology, they won't be able to solve it on Earth in five years. "But since this came to us from outside," adds Sheridan, "maybe we can find a cure out there." There are other races, as old as the Shadows; one of them must have a cure. "We'll find them. We have to."

Sheridan adds: "I've told president Luchenko we'll put all the resources of the Alliance and the White Star fleet at their disposal. We'll turn the Excalibur into a traveling research vessel, manned by the best crew we can find. The Rangers will search every corner of space, looking for clues to a cure. Then the Excalibur and her crew will go in to follow it up."

On their way out, Sheridan says, the Drakh hit the construction dock, destroying years of work. It will take time to make up for it, and so, for now, the Excalibur is the only of one of her kind.

Meanwhile, Galen arrives on Babylon 5, and joins Dureena.

Sheridan finishes: "Those who command the Excalibur will never stop, never give up, and never slow down until a cure is found. And we'll take any help we can get, wherever and whoever it comes from. Because this is a cause that surpasses borders, and differences, and distrusts. This is a mission about the survival of Earth itself. What we do over the next five years here, at home, and across the darkness between the stars, will determine whether an entire world will live... or die. It's a fight we can't afford to lose.

"And we won't. We won't."

A Day in the Strife

Overview

Sheridan and Ivanova try to deal with an association of cargo pilots. An alien probe makes first contact with the station. G'Kar's position among the Narn is threatened by the arrival of a Centauri-appointed liaison. Stephen Macht as Na'Far. Marshall Teague as Ta'Lon. Anne Betancourt as Dr. Gonzalez. 
P5 Rating: 7.85

Production number: 303
Original air week: November 20, 1995
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

A Day in the Strife

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

Sheridan and Ivanova try to keep order as they meet with the transport association to work out the new ship screening policy on Babylon 5. Ivanova tries to appease the crowd, but they will not listen to anything she has to say. One man stands up and accuses them of hoarding the weapons so they can control everyone. He challenges Sheridan, saying that, without his gun, Sheridan would be afraid to fight. Sheridan steps down from the rostrum and hands his PPG to the man, taking his less-powerful weapon away and using it instead. When Sheridan asks the man to use the PPG, the man backs down. Sheridan retrieves his PPG, and tells Ivanova to adjourn the meeting until the next day, which she does. The crowd files out, and Sheridan is upbraided by Ivanova for handing the man the PPG until Sheridan explains that he removed the PPG's energy source prior to giving it to the man. Two Narns enter the room, and one introduces himself. "Captain Sheridan? Counselor Na'Far. I've just arrived and wanted to check in with you. I'm here to replace citizen G'Kar."

Na'Far explains to Sheridan and Ivanova that the Centauri believe G'Kar is creating an armed resistance on the Narn Homeworld, and they want it stopped. Sheridan asks Na'Far why he doesn't want the occupation stopped; Na'Far says that he feels it is not yet the time for action, and that he has been instructed to take over on Babylon 5. Sheridan denies his request, and insists that Na'Far work out his problems with G'Kar alone. Na'Far politely, but reservedly, thanks him and leaves.

In Earhart's, Garibaldi tells a very tired Dr. Franklin a story, but Franklin is in no mood. Ivanova comes by and sits down with them. Franklin says that he has been worried about Sheridan, who has been under an extreme amount of pressure recently, but Ivanova insists that he has had to be, because he has had more to deal with. Franklin receives a call from MedLab, asking him to take an extra shift. He reluctantly agrees, and goes off to the bathroom. While he's gone, Garibaldi tells Ivanova that he looked through Sheridan's file when he came aboard the station, and that he feels Sheridan is capable of handling any problems that arise. Ivanova leaves, running into Franklin on the way out. He is much more energetic now, and tells Garibaldi that he plans to ask a beautiful woman sitting nearby to dance, which he does.

Na'Far talks to Londo, to whom he was instructed to report prior to contacting G'Kar. Na'Far asks if he may speak with G'Kar, but Londo avoids the request, instead asking whether or not it would be safe to visit Narn, if the captured Narns are doing what they should, and if the executions are continuing. Na'Far answers affirmatively to each. Londo says that Na'Far may leave, which he does. Vir, who witnessed this, asks Londo if it was really necessary to break the Narns' spirit as well, but Londo insists that the Narn must lose their pride, or they'll pose another problem later.

Lt. Corwin tells Sheridan that they have been monitoring an alien probe that has entered Babylon 5 space, a probe of no known design. The probe, which appears to have no weapon systems, begins transmitting a code to Babylon 5, a series of repeating signals that will take the computer several hours to decode.

Londo tells Delenn that he feels the rift that has grown between them is unfortunate, and that he misses her as a friend. He tells her that he has done her favors in the past, and now wants her to repay him. He says that he believes Vir would be an excellent choice for a new Centauri diplomatic mission to Minbar. Delenn asks why he feels Vir should be sent to Minbar, and Londo attempts to lie to her, but she catches him. "Over the last two years," he tells her, "to my considerable surprise, I have become very fond of Vir. Sometimes in his eyes, I see a younger version of myself, before... He would be better off away from here. Away from what must be. He would only get in the way." Delenn suggests that perhaps Londo needs Vir, but Londo insists this isn't true, and gives Delenn Vir's papers. Delenn says that she will do what she can. Londo leaves.

Garibaldi and Franklin sit down for an Italian dinner in Garibaldi's quarters, and Garibaldi begins to talk to Franklin about his use of stims. Garibaldi tells him that, for obsessive compulsives like themselves, it can be easy to form addictions. Franklin insists that he doesn't have a problem, but Garibaldi, who noticed Franklin's stim use back at Earhart's, tells him that he checked the records and found that Franklin purposefully takes extra shifts, even though he is always overworked. Franklin is upset that Garibaldi did this, but promises Garibaldi he doesn't have a problem, and will cut back on his use of stims.

While Sheridan sits at a bar, Na'Far's bodyguard, Ta'Lon, the same Narn Sheridan rescued the previous year from the Streib ship, appears and tells Sheridan that he wants to repay the debt he owes. In his desire to help the Narn after the Narn-Centauri War began, he ended up Na'Far's bodyguard, but says that he is no longer sure if he is protecting Na'Far from outsiders or other Narns. Ta'Lon tells Sheridan there is a debt he must repay as a matter of honor, and though Sheridan is initially resistent, he accepts Ta'Lon's offer.

Lt. Corwin reports to Ivanova that the computer has finished analyzing the probe's language codes. It was sent to initiate contact with other life forms, and promises that, if a list of just over 600 questions in many complex scientific and mathematical fields are answered within 24 hours, they will be rewarded with cures for disease and highly-advanced technology, but should they fail, they will be vaporized in a 500,000 megaton explosion when the probe self-destructs.

Ivanova and Sheridan try to work through solutions to the problem, but are unable to come up with any acceptable alternatives other than answering the probe's question. Ivanova tells him that most of the questions are very technical and some nearly theoretical, and that she had to send some of them back to Earth to be answered.

Na'Far tells G'Kar that many Narns are starving, and that the resistance is keeping the Narns on the homeworld from getting the food sent by the Centauri. G'Kar tells him that they don't want the help of the Centauri, but Na'Far says that Centauri food may be their only chance for survival. G'Kar explodes, telling Na'Far that he isn't responsible for the Narn invasion, and that he doesn't want to be blamed for those problems. G'Kar insists that the resistance is working to secure their own food and resources, but Na'Far despairs that they will ever be able to bring in enough. G'Kar says that the Centauri are simply trying to control them, a fact to which Na'Far concedes, but insists that the time for action is not yet at hand. Na'Far begs G'Kar to postpone his battle against the Centauri and return home, while Na'Far looks after things on Babylon 5. G'Kar says the other Narn on Babylon 5 will not accept Na'Far, and therefore he must stay, but Na'Far tells him that the Centauri will persecute and imprison their families if he remains.

Dr. Franklin tries to treat an alien patient, but is unable to communicate with him, and there is no translator available. Ivanova calls and asks Franklin if he has received answers to the questions he relayed to Earth. Franklin, under a great deal of pressure, orders the patient away and looks in his desk to see stims inside, but quickly closes the desk without using them.

Vir insists that he doesn't want to go to Minbar, but Londo assures him that he will have a good time, and that it is a good career move, and that he will still return to the station now and then. He assures Vir that he is simply trying to protect him, and is capable of taking care of things himself. Londo is confident that Vir will adjust to his life on Minbar.

"Londo, if I leave, you'll be alone!" Vir objects.

"Ah," Londo replies, "I have always been alone."

Na'Far and Ta'Lon leave G'Kar's quarters and are accosted by some of the members of G'Kar's resistance, who insist that he is merely a puppet of the Centauri designed to carry out their will on Babylon 5. One of the Narns insists that Na'Far's sole purpose there is to break their souls, and wants him to go back to Narn. A battle ensues, but is interrupted by G'Kar who stops them and tells them that they cannot succeed if they fight amongst themselves. If the only way to solve these problems is to return to Narn, he agrees to do so.

With only six hours left, Babylon 5 has all but 75 questions answered, and they continue to process more all the time. Sheridan asks if they might be able to power up the weapons slowly so the probe wouldn't be able to detect it, but this crisis is interrupted by another: Corwin tells him that the transport association is demanding another meeting, which Sheridan reschedules seven hours later.

Garibaldi visits G'Kar, who is in the process of packing to return to Narn. He explains his reasons, but Garibaldi tries to explain that the Centauri will kill him should he return, a fact which G'Kar is only too aware of, but believes is only the solution. Garibaldi tries to convince him to stay, but G'Kar will not. G'Kar thanks him for his concern, and Garibaldi leaves.

Dr. Franklin, talking to a doctor on Earth, is outraged to hear that they do not have answers to all the questions he asked. He blows up at her, telling her to find the other answers, or else he will do what he can before he dies to discredit her. He shuts off the link, and opens his desk again. This time, he succumbs and injects himself with stims.

Na'Far tries to rally the Narns aboard the station to his way of thinking, and tells them that one great victory is better than numerous small victories. He does a good job of persuading them of this, but there is one thing that this plan omits that they all want to have.

With three minutes remaining, C&C rushes to get the answers transmitted, but Sheridan stops Ivanova, saying that he thinks there is something unusual about the situation, namely why a more advanced race would wish to give less-advanced races technology beyond their own. He says that wishing to eliminate lesser races, in that case, doesn't make any sense. He proposes that the entire thing is a ruse, designed not to destroy races who haven't reached a certain level of technological awareness, but rather to destroy races who HAVE, and present a threat to the probe's creators. With only 15 seconds remaining, Sheridan orders the information to not be sent. The probe leaves. Sheridan orders all of the answers relayed through a securebot a large distance away from the station. The probe self-destructs, destroying both itself and the securebot, but leaving the station intact. While Ivanova tries to get the debris back to the station for study, Sheridan laments that he now has to face the Transport Association again.

As G'Kar leaves the station, he is stopped by the many Narns of the resistance, who insist that G'Kar is valued and needed on the station. They refuse to let him leave, and though he tries to insist he is leaving in order to help them, they will not let him leave. He reminds them that their families may be in jeopardy, but they all realize this and are ready to accept what happens if it means the freedom of all Narns. Even Ta'Lon has been convinced to stay and join the Narn resistance, and tells G'Kar that only with his help can they eventually succeed. G'Kar agrees to stay aboard the station.

Garibaldi and Franklin sit in Earhart's discussing recent events, and though Garibaldi apologizes for what he said about the stims, Franklin tells him that he does have his use of them under control, since he managed to get through the previous days' trials without using them at all. He asks where Ivanova and Sheridan are, and Garibaldi tells him not to ask...

...Because they're embroiled in a Transport Association meeting, this one even louder and more disorganized than before.

Londo and Vir walk together in the docking bay, not saying a word. As Vir boards a ship, he looks back to Londo, who does nothing but nod. Vir enters the ship, and Londo turns and walks away.

A Distant Star

Overview

Disaster strikes an old friend of Captain Sheridan. Dr. Franklin offers nutritional advice to some reluctant patients. Russ Tamblyn as Capt. Maynard. Miguel A. Nuñez, Jr. as Orwell. 
Sub-genre: Suspense
P5 Rating: 7.34

Production number: 204
Original air date: November 23, 1994
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by D.C. Fontana
Directed by Jim Johnston

Watch For:

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Dave Zimmerman

A Distant Star

At C&C, Ivanova delivers a message to Sheridan from Captain Maynard of the Cortez. The Cortez is coming to Babylon 5 to pick up supplies. Ivanova notices that they are asking for a lot of supplies, and Sheridan explains that it is because they have been travelling for five years. The Cortez is an Explorer ship, a rare sight for most people since such ships are nearly always out mapping the edges of known space. Sheridan is informed that the ship is coming through the jumpgate, and everyone is amazed by it; it's nearly as long as Babylon 5 itself. Sheridan tells everyone at C&C to take a good look.

The Cortez.

Sheridan and Captain Jack Maynard of the Cortez spend some time getting reacquainted. Maynard talks about some of the mapping he did on the rim, and says that he returned to fix one of the Euphrates jump gates and to resupply.

Delenn approaches them, and Sheridan introduces the two. Delenn makes a request to convene the council to discuss the problems in sector 19, and Sheridan agrees to do so. Maynard is confused about Delenn's apperance, not understanding how a Minbari can look so unusual.

"There's the story she told us," Sheridan explains, "but then the Minbari never tell you the whole truth."

Maynard agrees. They talk about Babylon 5, and Sheridan talks about how busy the job is keeping him. Maynard says that he never thought Sheridan would accept such an assignment.

Garibaldi is in MedLab, being examined by Dr. Franklin. Garibaldi says that he appreciates Franklin's help, but eats whatever he wants whenever he wants, and as much as he chooses. Dr. Franklin says that Garibaldi can no longer do that, as he is iron-deficient and has high blood pressure. Dr. Franklin says that, to remedy the situation, Garibaldi needs to be put on a restricted diet. Garibaldi objects, saying that it is almost time for him to make Bagna Cauda, an Italian fondue that contains olive oil, garlic, butter, anchovies, and other ingredients, but Franklin says he shouldn't have it, and that he should stay away from salt and bread especially. Garibaldi says that, without those things, he can't make Bagna Cauda. Dr. Franklin still won't allow Garibaldi to eat it, and gives him a list of other things he shouldn't eat. Garibaldi looks at the list and is angered that most of his favorite foods are there.

Unpleasant diet plan.

Dr. Franklin says that he is serious and that this gives him the opportunity to call in the ranking officers for a nutritional profile, as they probably all have poor eating habits.

Sheridan tells Maynard about his first day on Babylon 5, regarding the Narns and Centauri, the Vorlons, the Minbari's feelings toward him, and Delenn's chrysalis. Sheridan says he is handling things one day at a time. Maynard says that he never imagined Sheridan would be on the station. He wonders why the President would choose someone the Minbari didn't like. He also wonders how Sheridan is doing, since this job was not what he was trained for. Sheridan says that he can make a difference on Babylon 5, and that doing that is important. Maynard doesn't understand how Sheridan could be satisfied with a desk job, but Sheridan says, "Well, it's a hell of a desk to be tied to."

Toasting Sheridan's desk job.

Garibaldi reports to Sheridan about a recent wave of shoplifting cases. Sheridan is upset that Garibaldi would come to him with such a minor problem. He says that he is sure Garibaldi can handle the problem, and expects a full report as soon as the guilty parties are apprehended. Garibaldi thought that Sheridan wanted to know everything that happened on the station. Sheridan says he wants to know everything important that happens, but wants Garibaldi to take care of the details.

Sheridan, Ivanova, Warren Keffer, and the leader of Zeta Squadron are in the officer's lounge, listening to some of Captain Maynard's stories about the rim. Maynard says he wants to hear their stories, but the others say that his stories are more interesting. Keffer asks Maynard where he is headed next, and Maynard says that he is going back to the rim to build jump gates so the area can be explored. Ivanova asks about Maynard's experiences in hyperspace, but Maynard is unsure what she means. Keffer tells Maynard about the Universe Today article a few months earlier asking if something was living in hyperspace. Maynard isn't sure about the answer to that, but does say that he has seen something out there, and that it is "stranger than any one of us can imagine."

Sheridan escorts Maynard back to his quarters, and asks if his comments about hyperspace were true, or if he made it up. Maynard says that they were true. "Well," he continues, "it wasn't in hyperspace, though. But you know, things can get kind of weird out on the rim, too. It's funny. You never know what you're going to find when you look over the edge of what's known and into what's not. We were in sector 857. I took my nav officer, Lietuenant Patrick, with me for a look around in one of our scout ships. Well, I noticed that we'd gotten out of sight of the Cortez, and I was, I was just about ready to turn back when I saw something. It was maybe a thousand kilometers away--black against space. Now, the reason that I knew it was there is that it blotted out the stars behind it. I don't know the exact shape of it, but...it was big. I turned to Pat, to ask him if he could see it, and when I looked back, it had vanished."

Sheridan tells Maynard that he is the second person in a month to tell him that something strange is happening out on the rim. He asks if Lieutenant Patrick saw anything. Maynard says he only saw a blink--a change in space. "He doesn't know what it was any more than I do," Maynard continues. "But it's there. And it was real. It still sends a shiver up my back when I think about it."

Garibaldi is talking with a young man named Orwell. Orwell tells Garibaldi that it will be very difficult to obtain the items he wants. Garibaldi says he can pay for it, but Orwell thinks it will be difficult to obtain because Garibaldi won't accept substitutes, and it is extremely difficult to find the items. Garibaldi offers a bonus and tells Orwell not to mention anything about it to Dr. Franklin.

"How much to tell nobody?" "You couldn't afford it."

Meanwhile, Sheridan is in MedLab, talking to Dr. Franklin, who says that Sheridan should lose ten pounds, and should avoid meat, fat, and should eat lots of vegetables.

"I'm not sure I understand the intent of this meeting, Teronn," Delenn tells the Minbari who is speaking with her.

He explains that the other Minbari on the station are afraid that Delenn is no longer one of them.

"I am more 'one of us' at this moment, than I have ever been. More than you will ever know," she tells him. She says that she appreciates the concern, but says she can't tell him anything else.

He tells her that they need to understand what has happened.

"Understanding is not required. Only obedience."

Teronn says that they would be obedient if they could be assured that she was still one of their own kind. He says they have the right to know if she is. "If you can not give us what we need," he continues. we will ask permission to send a representative to speak directly with the Grey Council...unless you object." She does not object. Teronn leaves.

Dr. Franklin tells Ivanova that she too needs to go on an increased diet in order to replenish deficiences in calcium, iron, and other minerals that are hampering the healing of her leg. He hands her a food plan, and after looking at it, she protests that she will gain weight. As she leaves angrily, she says, "Figures. All my life, I've fought against imperialism. Now, suddenly, I AM the expanding Russian frontier." As she leaves, Dr. Franklin adds, "But with very nice borders."

Sheridan escorts Maynard to the Cortez. Sheridan tells Maynard that he wishes he were going along. Maynard says he understands Sheridan's feelings, but does regard his job as just a job. He says that interesting things don't happen very often, but Sheridan doesn't agree. "The adventure is out there, Jack. A man has to go meet it."

Maynard says that sometimes, you don't need to find it, because it will find you. Captain Maynard is then called to the Cortez. He and Sheridan say their goodbyes and leave. Sheridan goes to C&C, where he gives the final departure clearance to the Cortez. He watches it enter the jumpgate and disappear.

Later, Ivanova is in Sheridan's office, talking to him about problems she is having with two of the delegations on board. He tells her that such problems should be her concern, but she informs him that they will not accept a solution from anyone but him. Sheridan reluctantly agrees to help solve the delgations' problems, but Ivanova is not completely satisfied. She tells him that she feels he has been acting strangely ever since the Cortez arrived. She asks him if he wants to talk about it.

"I command starships, Susan," he explains to her, "not cities in space. These problems, the...the petty complaints, the endless bickering, the constant negotiations. Jack Maynard said this isn't what I was trained for, and he's right. I mean, I am constantly sandbagged, swamped, drowned, and snowed under by nothing but trivia. I mean, look at this desk. I can't find a thing on it. You know me. Is this me? Huh?"

She tries to tell him that command a starship and commanding Babylon 5 are two different challenges, but that one is not more difficult than the other. She doesn't accept this as an answer because he never had difficulty with problems such as these on a starship.

He says that Captain Maynard was right. "They have turned me into a bureaucrat, a politician."

Ivanova asks him if he believes President Clark was wrong in assigning him to the post.

"I don't know," Sheridan answers. "Maybe he was, and it's just taken this long to sink in."

The Cortez is in hyperspace when an explosion rocks the ship. After they completed the jump, their fusion reactor spiked, dropping power to 30%, and causing the ship's tracking system to malfunction. This caused them to lose their lock to the jump point and rendered them incapable of leaving hyperspace. Though they are flying blind, they continue to move through hyperspace, hoping to eventually locate a jump point through which they can exit.

Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Sheridan are sitting at a table together, eating dinner. They eye the plates before them with great distate, not seeing the types of food they would normally eat. Garibaldi explains that he was able to solve the problems with the shoplifters. Sheridan tries to eat some of his salad, but can't. He points at Garibaldi and accuses him of being at fault for the food plan. Garibaldi tries to absolve himself of blame, but the three find a better solution: Ivanova gives her food to Garibaldi, who gives his to Sheridan, and Sheridan gives his to Ivanova. They are all about to eat the meals they would prefer when Dr. Franklin walks by and catches them. They all quickly switch plates around again and begin eating their proper meals.

Almost enjoying a meal.

The Cortez is still flying blind, and while power has returned, they do not have the time necessary to fix the navigational systems of the ship, as it would take them 48 hours, by which time they would no longer be able to locate the jump gate's signal. Captain Maynard orders their communications officer to send a mayday. Though the officer doesn't believe it could travel far enough in hyperspace to be of any use, they send it anyway. Babylon 5 receives the mayday, and Sheridan responds to it, saying that help is on the way. He orders all available pilots to their squadron bays. Ivanova reminds Sheridan that no ship has ever escaped from hyperspace in such a situation. Sheridan knows that, but rushes off to prepare anyway.

Dr. Franklin is examining Delenn in MedLab. She objects to being examined so much, but he says that, in addition to curiosity, he has a responsibility to make sure she is healthy after her change. She says that she is, and has suffered only minor problems, such as dizziness and fatigue. He asks if anything else is bothering her, and she says no. He also asks if the other Minbari are accepting the change without question.

"Of course," Delenn says. Changing the subject, she asks Dr. Franklin about a new delegation coming to the station. Dr. Franklin doesn't understand, but Delenn explains that Garibaldi was waiting for them. "I believe," she tells him, "they're called Bagna Cauda?"

Sheridan and Ivanova are in the squadron bays, addressing the pilots who will go out to attempt to rescue the Cortez. Sheridan says that they must try, even though no ship has been found when lost before. They don't know where the ship is, but they do know that, while the first mayday sent by the Cortez was strong, they are fading now.

Galus, the leader of Zeta squadron, asks how they can find the ship if they do not even know how to begin looking.

Sheridan says that he has an idea, although it is a risky one. "The first fighter will stop just inside the gate, and lock onto the gate's signal," Sheridan explains. "The second fighter will proceed 1000 kilometers further in, and lock onto the signal of the first one. The third fighter will lock onto the signal of the second one, and so on." He also says that they could increase the range, if necessary, by moving subsequent fighters further out. While it is a dangerous mission, all the pilots understand and prepare to leave, though both Sheridan and Ivanova wish they were going with them.

Sheridan addresses all fighters as they prepare to leave on the mission. "An old friend of mine once quoted me a ancient Egyptian blessing: `God be between you and harm, and all the empty places we must walk.' Bring the Cortez home." The fighters then leave the station and enter the jumpgate, to search for the Cortez.

There is no longer a signal from the Cortez, but the fighters are positioned inside the jumpgate, relaying the message to each other, and broadcasting it in hopes that the Cortez will receive it, though there hasn't been a response yet. Soon, the Cortez does receive the signal from Babylon 5, and responds, saying that their lock-on still isn't functioning. Sheridan orders the Cortez to continue broadcasting their mayday so that a fighter can find them and lead them out of hyperspace. The fighters chosen for this are Galus and Keffer. They have difficulty locating the Cortez, because the radio locator "doesn't want to settle." Eventually, the fighters move out so far that they lose contact with Babylon 5.

Starfuries to the rescue.

Ivanova and Sheridan are both in C&C, anxiously awaiting any information about the Cortez, but they hear nothing. Sheridan asks Ivanova to take a break, but she doesn't want to any more than he does. Sheridan says that Maynard is too good a friend to leave his post. "If this turns into a wake," he says to Ivanova, "I want to be here." Sheridan explains that Maynard was his first commanding officer; Sheridan worshipped him. Ivanova understands his feelings, and says that she will be there for him if the Cortez does not make it back, but asks him to remember the Egyptian blessing, given him by Maynard, in the meantime.

Keffer locates the mayday from the Cortez, and radios Galus, telling him so. Galus tells Keffer to go, saying that he will maintain position while Keffer finds the Cortez. Keffer soon finds the Cortez, and approaches it. Keffer loses contact with Galus when a Shadow ship appears in hyperspace and collides with Galus' ship, destroying it. On its way, the Shadow ship also collides with Keffer's ship, though luckily it only sends it spinning away, stabilizers offline.

Maynard and the Cortez manage to locate Keffer's ship, but notice only that he repeatedly fires in the same direction as his ship spins. Captain Maynard determines that this must mean Keffer wants him to go in the direction of the fire. They begin to lay in the course when they regain contact with Keffer's Starfury. They offer to come and retrieve him, but Keffer says that both vessels will be lost if they waste time picking him up. Maynard understands, and orders the Cortez to be taken back to Babylon 5.

Sheridan, Ivanova, and the others are relieved at the safe return of the Cortez and most of the Starfuries, though saddened that two fighters did not make it back.

Orwell is waiting impatiently for Garibaldi, who soon arrives. Orwell explains that he had difficult obtaining the items Garibaldi wanted, but did manage to do so, and opens a case for Garibaldi's inspection. Garibaldi begins examining the contents when he is interrupted by Dr. Franklin, who realized that Orwell had the ability to gather the ingredients for Bagna Cauda so far away from Earth. Orwell leaves, and Garibaldi says that he wants Bagna Cauda for his birthday. Dr. Franklin doesn't accept this as an excuse until Garibaldi explains further. "My father always made Bagna Cauda for me on my birthday. Pop was a great cook, and Bagna was his speciality. When he used to cook it, I mean, the smell, oh man, the smell would fill the whole place. It's funny, you know. When I watched him cook, I knew he was doing it because he loved me. He just could never say it, so he did that instead. He's been gone a long time. So, now, I make it myself once a year, honoring him, you know. It's...it's the only part of him I got left." Franklin believes the story, and tells Garibaldi to make enough for two people.

Sheridan is in the arboretum when Delenn comes in. She expresses her sympathy over the loss of the two Starfuries. Sheridan says that the hardest part of command is sending others out to die. She tries to tell him that because he did so, they managed to save others; he was in the right place.

He asks what makes her think that he belongs on Babylon 5, and she answers. "The universe puts us in places where we can learn. They are never easy places. They are right. Wherever we are is the right place at the right time. Pain sometimes comes. It is part of the process of constantly being born."

Sheridan says he thinks she's been doing thinking about this on her own.

"Perhaps," she tells him. "We are both, I suppose, going through transitions. But the universe knows what it's doing."

Sheridan says that he wishes he had the faith in the universe that she did.

"Then I will tell you a great secret, Captain," Delenn says to him. Perhaps the greatest of all time. The molecules of your body are the same molecules that make up this station, and the nebula outside, that burn inside the stars themselves. We are starstuff, we are the universe, made manifest, trying to figure itself out. As we have both learned, sometimes the universe requires a change of perspective."

Keffer is still lost in hyperspace, and running out of air, though he finally gets his thrusters back on-line. He cannot, however, locate the jumpgate because his lock-on systems are not functioning. Suddenly, another Shadow ship appears, flies a brief distance, and vanishes. Keffer tells the computer to analyze its flight path and tells it to correlate with the last sighting.

An unlikely savior.

Sheridan is about to give up on Keffer's return when the jumpgate activates, and Keffer comes through it, requesting permission to dock. Sheridan happily agrees.

Keffer proposes a toast to Commander Galus. Ivanova asks Keffer if he could determine anything about the object that hit him, and indirectly, saved him. He says he couldn't tell anything about it, but that because he knew its position when it first appeared relative to his position, he was able to find his way out, using its origination point the second time as a reference. But he didn't know what it was. "There was just this feeling that something dark and dangerous had gone by," he explains.

Maynard agrees that the feeling is powerful. Keffer wants to learn what the object was, but Ivanova says there are more important matters to attend to. She promotes Keffer to the leader of Zeta Squadron.

Garibaldi and Dr. Franklin are in Garibaldi's quarters, preparing to eat the Bagna Cauda. Though Franklin initially objects, once he tastes it, he admits that he likes it very much. Garibaldi offers him dessert. Franklin says he didn't authorize dessert, but Garibaldi doesn't care -- he simply chooses not to give any to Franklin, who then objects to that, but soon loses his cares in the Bagna Cauda.

Franklin digs in.

Ivanova enters Sheridan's office where Sheridan is hard at work. Ivanova tells Sheridan that the others would like to see him in the officer's club. Sheridan says that he has much work to do, but will try to catch up to them in an hour or so. He asks Ivanova if she has ever had a long talk with Ambassador Delenn.

"From time to time."

"She and the universe seem to have a special relationship."

"Don't we all?" says Ivanova as she leaves.

Sheridan leans back in his chair to contemplate what Ivanova and Delenn have said. "Starstuff," he says, smiling.

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

A Late Delivery From Avalon

Overview

As Sheridan and Ivanova try to gain recognition of the station's new status among the alien governments, a traveler arrives with an unbelievable story out of distant legend. Michael York. 
P5 Rating: 7.79

Production number: 312
Original air week: April 22, 1996
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

A Late Delivery From Avalon

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

The Commander and Captain are relieved to see the first Earth transport arrive since their secession from the Earth Alliance, as they need the trade to pay the station's operating costs. However, their defense needs are still uncertain since the Minbari war cruisers can't be expected to hang around outside forever.

The scarcity of trade isn't bad news for everybody. The postal worker gouging Garibaldi one hundred credits for his last care package from Earth, is positively loving the power it gives him to set his own rates. In fact, the man treats Garibaldi's refusal to pay as dismissively as the dangerous glint in his eyes.

Meanwhile on the transport, one of the passengers tosses in his bunk with nightmares. He stumbles down a narrow corridor between doors that refuse to stay shut, terrified by the sights beyond them. He runs, and finds a shining sword standing at the end, awaiting his grasp.

Dr. Franklin is impressed to find that Marcus has diagnosed and perhaps saved the lives of some sick lurkers, both because of Marcus's perceptiveness and his concern. When he questions further about Rangers, he learns that the brooch they wear is a symbol of Minbari and human souls melding into one. But what really intrigues the doctor is that in their training Rangers learn "about terror--how to use it, and how to face it."

Their conversation takes them past customs just as the restless dreamer sets off a dozen alarms by striding through the security gates wielding a broadsword and naming himself Arthur, King of the Britons. Marcus is able to fast talk him into medlab where Franklin questions him about his identity. "Arthur" replies that his last memory is of dying on the battlefield of Camlan, all his mighty knights dead around him, and that before he could rest he needed his brother Bedevere to give Excalibur back to the Lady of the Lake. His return now to Babylon 5, he claims, signifies that he must be most needed here and now.

When Marcus mentions Arthur in the war council, Sheridan is not impressed, but the doctor seems almost eager to believe that the Vorlons might have been responsible for preserving and restoring another legend, even though the practical part of him discards the notion. He can't investigate for psychological trauma however because the man has escaped medlab.

In DownBelow Arthur finds a distraught old woman, weeping because she has been preyed upon by ruffians, and he swears to help her. He finds, challenges and vanquishes a small group of villains, only to be outnumbered again by their friends. However, a champion emerges from the shadows in the form of G'Kar, who has been conducting business of his own DownBelow, and together they set things right.

Garibaldi isn't too keen on the idea of a crazy knight roaming the station with a big sword, and tells his security to find Arthur.

Sitting over a couple flagons of ale, G'Kar is still pumped with enthusiasm over their victory. He grows even more impressed as Arthur tells him of chivalry and the purpose of the Round Table, and he subsides in awe when Arthur dubs him Sir G'Kar, the Red Knight.

Garibaldi, on the other hand, is suffering from a lack of sufficient awe--for the Post Office. He breaks into the package storage room only to find the postal worker ready and waiting to turn him away.

Arthur is lost again on the field of Camlan, telling G'Kar about the misunderstanding that had started the battle in which his knights met their deaths, but visions of Minbari vessels destroying Star Furies are dancing in his head.

Sheridan addresses ambassadors from the League of Nonaligned Worlds, petitioning them to join an alliance to defend the station in return for being able to use the station for trade, travel and even peace negotiations among themselves.

Marcus is able to convince Arthur to return to medlab, but promptly regrets it when he learns that Franklin has discovered the dreamer's true identity, and intends to tell him. When Marcus argues let the man believe he is King of the Britons, Franklin contests that the truth will help the man heal. So Franklin tells "Arthur" that he is David McIntyre, and was Gunnery Sergeant on the EAS Prometheus which opened fire on Minbari vessels in a first contact situation and thus sparked the Earth-Minbari war. The memories flood back into him. In his fertile imagination they mix with a vision of himself trying to give back Excalibur but being struck down from behind by a black knight, and this knocks him into a state of catatonic shock.

The Captain is delighted to hear that enough of the League worlds are signing on to the mutual defense treaty to keep the station in business, but nobody's happy about what happened to "Arthur." Franklin is the most upset, berating himself for trying to fix everything again. With Marcus however he finally figures out what McIntyre came to the station to do: to give up the King's responsibility, the King's pain, the King's sword, to the Lady of the Lake.

It is Delenn who is called upon to take up Excalibur, and thus relieve the poor man's guilt for the war and its hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Garibaldi pays in full for his package, but springs a little surprise of his own on the post office. Rent for the space the office uses is due...and it costs one hundred and one credits.

His spirit transparently lighter, McIntyre leaves the station bound for Narn, where G'Kar thinks he would make an excellent organizer of the resistance movement. Watching him depart, Marcus suggests that Sheridan is forming a new Round Table with himself as Arthur, Kosh as Merlin, Franklin as Percival, Marcus as Galahad, and Ivanova as Gawain. Mordred is obvious, Marcus says, but who is Morgana Le Fey?

A Race Through Dark Places

Overview

Bester asks Talia to investigate an "underground railroad" of unregistered telepaths. Walter Koenig as Bester. 
Sub-genre: Intrigue
P5 Rating: 8.38

Production number: 207
Original air date: January 25, 1995
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jim Johnston

Watch For

A minor character from a previous episode, who turns out not to be so minor after all.

Backplot

Michael Garibaldi says, "The Corps got started because of our own fears." The sudden appearance of real psi abilities in otherwise unremarkable people caused so much concern among the general population that those showing such talents were gathered together into a group that could be more easily controlled -- and Psi-Corps was born. Its members are deeply conditioned to prevent any psi from using his or her talents to dominate normal people or disrupt society. But this conditioning isn't absolute, and attitudes molded early in life can still evolve over a persons lifetime.

Given that psis were forced into this essentially closed society, shunned by the rest of humanity, it isn't surprising that the loyalties of the telepaths turned to the Corps itself. Soon Psi-Corps gained control of itself, and eventually the organization began pursuing its own goals. The leadership began to exert ever greater control over the lives of the members, in an effort to enhance the abilities of their people.

The level of control exerted by the Corps over its members grew as they began seeking to enhance the abilities of their people, extending even to marriage and reproduction. Eventually the onus became too great and too pervasive for newly awakened psis to tolerate, and they began seeking ways to escape. The Psi-Cops exist to counter this, to search for and either capture or eliminate psi talented people who escaped early detection or who fled Psi-Corps.

Now the Corps has become a power in its own right. Though the organization was intended to keep psis under control, it has itself come under the control of those very people. As a group, they must feel seperate and different if not outright superior to the rest of society, and who have long been held in a position of subservience. They are organized, ruthless, and determined to pursue their own agenda.

"We created our own monster." -- John Sheridan

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Dave Zimmerman

A Race Through Dark Places

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

Ivanova is in Sheridan's office, reporting to him about the budget problems Babylon 5 is facing, due in part to the increased number of EarthForce military transports passing through Babylon 5. That is forcing the station to reroute its commercial traffic, though EarthForce claims it is only temporary. She tells Sheridan that EarthForce, in order to reduce the deficit forming on Babylon 5, wants the two of them to either move out of their quarters, or pay rent of thirty credits per week, as they are the largest quarters on the station. Sheridan refuses to pay the rent, and tells Ivanova that, because of the work they do, they deserve the quarters they have. He tells Ivanova to inform EarthForce that they have no intention of paying for the extra space.

On the Mars colony, the PsiCop Bester is interrogating another telepath. "This is unnecessary, you know. If you'd just give us the information we need, we could stop this. We don't blame you. You fell under the influence of outsiders. They used you and then abandoned you. You mean nothing to them. You were raised by the Corps. Clothed by the Corps. We are your father and mother. Don't force us to do this." When the man refuses to speak, Bester continues, "We know there's an underground railroad helping unregistered telepaths. We know you gave them access to our files. Who was your contact? Who's running the operation?" The man claims he doesn't know, and that they don't use names. Bester asks where the central clearing house is for the railroad, but the man refuses to answer, instead, he recites "Mary had a little lamb." Bester reaches out and holds his hand above the man's throat, scanning him; the man dies painfully. "I caught it," Bester says. "Just before he died. Betrayed by his final thoughts. Babylon 5."

"We don't blame you."

Sheridan is in Earhart's, talking to Dr. Franklin about the problems he's having with EarthForce. Dr. Franklin tries to convince him that he might be making a mistake, but Sheridan refuses to pay rent on his quarters. Dr. Franklin jokingly offers to let Sheridan sleep on the spare cot he requisitioned for medical purposes. They meet up with Ambassador Delenn, who asks to speak with Sheridan privately. She asks him to help her better understand what it is to be human. "Though I now look more like you, I'm not like you. And if I am to be a bridge of understanding between humans and Minbari, it would help if I knew more about your people." She explains that she wants to go out to dinner with him, to sit and talk with him, as long as it is not about business. Sheridan agrees, and they make plans for that evening.

Delenn invites Sheridan to dinner.

A ship carrying Bester arrives on the station, and Bester tells C&C that he wants to have a meeting with full command staff. In the meeting, he explains, "For some time now, we've been aware of an underground railroad smuggling unregistered telepaths away from Earth to the outer colonies where the Corps can't reach them." Ivanova tells him that she doesn't see a problem, but he claims that unregistered telepaths are a security risk. He explains that he learned the railroad was centered on Babylon 5, and that he wants it closed down. Bester asks for their cooperation, but Sheridan asks to speak with the others before committing to a decision. Bester leaves with Talia. After he leaves, Sheridan asks Garibaldi whether or not Bester was right in his request. Garibaldi explains that he was, because, whether they like it or not, they are obliged to uphold the laws of the Earth Alliance, and the law compels them to help the PsiCorps.

"It's damn ironic, isn't it?" Garibaldi says. "The Corps got started because we were afraid of telepaths, and now they're victims of our own fears. We took away every right they had and shoved them into a big black box called PsiCorps. Now, look at them. Black uniforms, jack boots, giving orders... Some days they scare the hell out of me."

"Yeah," Sheridan tells him, "if you ask me, we created our own monster. Maybe we deserve it." Sheridan tells Garibaldi to help him in any way he can, but still keep an eye on him. As Garibaldi leaves, Ivanova reccommends to Sheridan that he check the files on Bester, because of the trouble he made before regarding Jason Ironheart. (cf. "Mind War")

Bester tells Talia on their walk that he is confident they will do what he asks. Talia asks him if he scanned them. Bester answers that it's against the law to scan normals. She asks him if he's scanning her, and though he claims she'd feel it, she says she wouldn't know if it was a surface scan. As he tries to convince her that he would only do such a thing if he believed she was doing something inappropriate, he hears the word "murderer" whispered over and over in his mind. He asks Talia if she heard it, but she says she didn't. He tells her to drop her defenses and listen again, but she still hears only the background noise of the area. "They're here," he tells her. "I was right."

Strolling through the bazaar.

Meanwhile, the underground railroad continues its operation. One telepath reports to another, Rick, who is apparently in charge, that Bester is there. Rick asks if Bester sensed him, but the telepath isn't sure. He says that they need to warn the runner and get out of there. He knows that Bester will attempt to stop them, and, in that event, their only option is to kill him.

That evening, Delenn, clad in an attractive black dinner dress, enters a restaurant and meets Sheridan, who is astonished by her appearance. He is not the only one, as many others around his table notice her. He asks her what she might like to order, and they look at the menu together.

Meeting for dinner.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi enters Earhart's and finds Ivanova there. He attempts to talk to her about official business, but at the mention, following military tradition, she forces him to buy the next round of drinks. He explains that he really does need to talk to her privately, and they find a table by themselves. He tells her that he needs a contact on the underground railroad. She wishes him luck, but is not sure what that has to do with her. She tells him that, even though she resents the PsiCorps, she is not responsible. He explains to her that he knows someone high up on the station must be responsible for such a large operation, and that he suspected it was her. She assures him that she is not responsible, and tells him that she wants to go back to her quarters and get some sleep. "That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about," he tells her.

After dinner, Sheridan and Delenn are enjoying some pleasant conversation, discussing such topics as household pets and humor. Sheridan says he never thinks of Minbari laughing, but she tells him that the Minbari think no race can be truly intelligent without laughter, and that learning to appreciate humor is a large portion of their religious development. Sheridan explains to her that such things are not uncommon on Earth. "It would appear that we have much more in common than we imagined," Delenn tells him. Smiling, Sheridan agrees.

Talia is getting ready for bed when she is interrupted by a call from Bester. Bester tells her that he regrets the way he has treated her, especially in regards to Jason Ironheart. He tells her he wants to get to know her better, and invites her to join him for breakfast the next morning. She tells him that she will be there, and he hangs up. She walks over to a mirror and looks into it. Seeing her face, she remembers the time, about a year earlier, when Jason Ironheart came onto the station. She remembers his confiding in her, and Bester's attempt to kill him, his transcendence, and his mysterious gift to her. As she recalls those traumatic events, a penny on a nearby table slowly begins to move, flies from the table, and imbeds itself into a wall. "He's been in my mind twice today," she says as she watches the penny. "Why isn't he seeing this? Or was that the other part of the gift?"

An exhausted Sheridan approaches his quarters and attempts to use his card to open the door. He tries twice, but the door refuses to open. Ivanova appears, noticing his trouble, and informs him that EarthForce sealed their rooms until they decide to move to smaller quarters or pay rent. She tells him that she was on her way to rent a room, but he won't let her do that.

The unregistetred telepaths are gathered together, apparently assembling weapons. Rick insists that they do something again. Another telepath says that they are safe as long as they are hidden from him, but Rick knows better... he knows the telepath Bester killed to obtain the information cracked, and that they must be stronger to keep him off the track. Everyone agrees, and they all begin reciting "Mary Had a Little Lamb," apparently using it to block out all other thoughts.

"Do it again."

Ivanova is curled up on the couch in Sheridan's office, while he reclines in his desk chair. He tells her that they need to be strong and cannot show weakness. She agrees reluctantly. To lighten the mood, he tells her a joke. "How many Minbari does it take to screw in a light bulb?" She doesn't know, so he explains. "None. They always surrender right before they finish the job, and they never tell you why. Knock knock." "Who's there?" "Kosh." "Kosh who?" "Gesundheit." Ivanova is less than amused.

The next morning, at breakfast, Talia and Bester are talking about the situation back home, especially regarding the death of the president. He asks her to keep an eye on the people on the station, wondering what they have to say about the president's death. Seconds later, he hears something else in his head -- plans to attack. He leaps away just in time, shouting at Talia to get down. He fires at and kills his attackers, but as Talia attempts to escape, she is grabbed by several people, knocked out, and dragged off.

Bester addresses the staff, telling them about the attack. He admits, however, that he doesn't know what happened to Talia. He tells them that he thinks she's fine, because they were after him. When Garibaldi asks Bester if the thought had occurred to him that they may have kidnapped Talia to get to him, Bester simply says that she doesn't know anything that could endanger either him or the Corps. This greatly upsets Garibaldi, who begins screaming at Bester that he should have notified security as soon as he knew she was gone. Bester tells Garibaldi that, if he really wants to find her, he needs to double the efforts of security. "You've got two bodies to start with. Make the best of them."

Talia begins waking up from her unconciousness, hearing voices in her head as she does so. She awakens to find herself lying on the floor, surrounded by people. She rises and attampts to walk around the room, and meets with no resistence. She walks over to Rick, and he tells her that they don't want to hurt her, but they will if necessary. Realizing this is the leader of the underground railroad, she tells him that they are only hurting themselves, and that the Corps just wants to protect them. He says he doesn't believe that and that she doesn't either. He also tells her that she is "almost there." She asks what he's talking about, and what he wants with her. He tells her that he wants her to understand.

Talia and her captors.

Dr. Franklin reports to Sheridan that he heard from the people running the underground railroad, who said that Talia isn't hurt. He tells Sheridan that they want to arrange a meeting between Sheridan and the head of the operation, but if anyone besides Sheridan arrives, the meeting is off. Dr. Franklin tells him that they want to find a solution to the situation without anyone else being hurt. Sheridan asks Dr. Franklin if he can trust them, and Franklin says he can, but refuses to explain how he knows that. Sheridan agrees to the meeting.

Talia listens to the story of one of the telepaths, who explains to her how his brother took medication to suppress his telepathic powers, which didn't stop him from speaking out against the PsiCorps. However, one day, when the PsiCorps came to inject him with the suppressing medicine, he never woke up. Talia refuses to accept that the Corps would kill someone, but the man insists it's true. Rick tells her that she's afraid of the truth. She tries to explain to him what the Corps gave her, but he tells her they took even more away, forcing her to wear a badge and wear gloves, and taking away her freedom. He tells her that the PsiCorps tries to keep telepaths seperate, but still dependent. She can't believe what he's saying. He tells her that he knows what happened to Jason Ironheart, that he was a rogue and ran away, just like all the others on the underground railroad.

Bester enters Garibaldi's office, where Garibaldi is waiting. He asks what Garibaldi wants, and Garibaldi tells Bester that he needs to see him, even though he doesn't want to. Bester tells Garibaldi that they both have the same interests and want to protect Talia, but Garibaldi doesn't believe it. Bester tries to convince Garibaldi that he has a wife and daughter, and is hardly the monster Garibaldi believes him to be, but Garibaldi cannot believe that story either. He tosses Bester some information, and tells him that he has learned the would-be assassins were living in Downbelow. Bester determines, as Garibaldi did, that the rest are probably down there as well. Garibaldi tells Bester that he will meet with Bester in one hour to go down there together. Bester agrees.

Talia is still with the other telepaths, this time listening to the story of a P-11 telepath who was asked to marry a man, another P-11, so that they could increase the chances of creating a baby as powerful, or more so, than the parents. When she refused, she was taken away during the night, only to discover a short time later that she was pregnant. After she had the baby, it was taken away, and she never saw it again. She escaped the hospital and never turned back. Rick talks to Talia again, telling her that the original function of the Corps has been lost through time. He wants to stop it, and he asks for her help. She can't easily agree, because it has been her way of life since childhood. She asks him why he wants her involved, and tells her that she's special. "Your friend Ironheart was my friend, too. They experimented on both of us. They pushed me up here," Rick tells her, pointing to his head, "they made me a P-12, maybe even a P-13, but Ironheart...he went further than I did. Further than anyone will ever go again. When he escaped, I went with him. Helped set all this up. I know he touched you. I know he gave you something. I know you can help us if you want to."

Sheridan arrives at the predetermined place to meet with the leader of the operation, when he inexplicably meets up with Dr. Franklin. Sheridan tells Franklin that he should leave, or else scare off the leader. But Franklin is the leader. Sheridan tells Franklin that he'd better have a good explanation. Talia appears. "I think he does, Captain, and I think you should listen to him. I think you should listen to all of them."

"I think you should listen to him."

"Back on Earth," explains Dr. Franklin, "I heard things. The kind of things you're not supposed to hear about. Genetic manipulation, breeding telepaths against their will, so-called relocation camps for rogue telepaths that aren't much better than concentration camps. It started when a few doctors began referring latent telepaths to each other, keeping them out of circulation -- losing reports, and changing medical history files. We couldn't just keep moving them around like checkers -- we had to get them away from Earth. They were filtered into Babylon 5 on business visas. Last year, I set up a clinic downbelow so we could start processing runaways and changing records without anyone from MedLab knowing about it. I trust my staff, but the PsiCorps has a knack for intimidation." Sheridan tells Franklin that he agrees, in principle, with what Franklin is doing, but that he is bound to obey the law as a soldier. Franklin is also bound, by an oath to protect lives. Sheridan doesn't want to turn Franklin in, because it would embarrass EarthForce, and give them another reason to shut down Babylon 5, but, if he doesn't turn him in, he becomes just as guilty.

"No," Talia tells Sheridan. "There's a third option."

Bester appears, without Garibaldi. He looks around for a while, turns a corner, and sees a group of telepaths there, with Rick in the front. Bester tells Rick that, if they return peacefully, they won't be harmed. Talia appears from behind the other telepaths, all together in a tight group, and tells him that he is lying, and that they will only be destroyed as a lesson to the others. "You want to keep us frightened and isolated. Not just from normals, but from each other. That's the real reason we wear gloves, isn't it? To keep us apart. But what happens when the gloves come off?" She raises her gloveless hands, and the other telepaths do the same.

The entire group joins hands together and begin fighting Bester collectively. He tries to stop them, but is unable. The telepaths, however, are making no progress. "It's not working," Rick says, straining against what he is doing. "Someone's fighting us." He suddenly realizes who it is, and turns to Talia. "You!" She shouts out to Bester, and they both fire on the entire group, quickly killing them all. He surveys the bodies, telling her that he would rather have taken them all alive, but that the leader is dead, and an example has been set. He tells her that the body will die when the head is cut off, which he orders her to do. He tells Talia he was convinced by her ruse.

Joining forces.

"The Corps is mother, the corps is father," she tells him. "I know where my loyalties lie." He tells her that security will be there soon. He suggests that they leave seperately, and hopes that she will deny all knowledge of the incident; she agrees. Bester leaves, and she walks off in the other direction.

Sheridan suddenly appears in the room, where all of the telepaths, including Talia, are gathered together, holding hands. They drop their hands as Sheridan explains that he only saw Bester appear in the corridor, then walk away. But Talia explains that they projected an image into his mind telepathically, and that he believed what he saw completely. Sheridan asks them how they did it, assuming that a PsiCop would be able to see through the trick. Talia tells him that they could only do it together, and that a single telepath could never have done it. Franklin tells Sheridan that, because Bester is convinced what he saw actually happened, he will not press the issue, not wanting to answer lots of questions about the dead telepaths. Because Sheridan doesn't have the defenses to block a scan, Talia recommends that he not see Bester before he leaves. Dr. Franklin also informs Sheridan that, because of the attention drawn to it, the underground railroad will no longer pass through Babylon 5, but that others will take over for him. Sheridan tells the telepaths that they are free to leave, but that he doesn't want them back. The telepaths agree and file out. Sheridan and Franklin leave back toward the elevator, Sheridan warning Franklin that he will turn him in if he does it again. Franklin tries to get Sheridan to admit that he agrees with Franklin's actions, but Sheridan won't. When Franklin asks him what he's saying, Sheridan only replies, "I'm not saying what I'm saying. I'm not saying what I'm thinking. As a matter of fact, I'm not thinking what I'm thinking." He tells Franklin that all he wants is a drink. Franklin reminds him that he also needs a place to stay, something which Sheridan had forgotten about.

As Talia returns, Rick emerges from the shadows and startles her. He says that she can never return, but she tells him that she can't leave the Corps. He points to his head. "No, I mean in here. You know too much. If Bester scans you, you...Can you keep him out?"

"I think so. Jason's little gift."

"He gave you more than you know. What we did back there...shouldn't have worked. Not with that PsiCop. You tipped the balance. I felt it when we were joined. You're more than you think you are."

"Then what am I?"

"The future," Rick says as he vanishes again into the shadows.

Ivanova appeals to Sheridan to the repeal the protest, since she believes that Earth Central will never concede. She tells him, however, that she will continue with the protest if he will. She also tells him that he snores, a fact he vehemently denies, but which she insists. She asks to sleep on the couch, but he says that she can sleep in her own quarters instead. She asked if he gave in, but he tells her, "I'm deducting sixty credits per week from the budget set aside to maintain combat readiness, and applying it against the rent." Ivanova asks on what grounds he's doing that, and he responds, "On the grounds that I'm not ready to fight anybody until I've had a decent night's sleep in my own damn bed." She thinks it's a good solution, and leaves Sheridan's office to go to sleep.

Ivanova, ready for bed.

Talia accompanies Bester to the docking bay. Bester tells her that he is very disappointed that Sheridan was not as supportive of the Corps as he had been told. He tells her to keep an eye on Sheridan as well, and Talia says that won't be a problem. He leaves, but as he is walking away, he stops suddenly, turns back toward her questioningly, then walks away.

Ivanova is interrupted by the door chime just as she climbs into bed. She answers the door, and Talia enters carrying a bottle of wine and two glasses. At first, Ivanova wants her to leave, but Talia soon changes her mind. Removing her gloves, Talia tells her, "I just wanted to say that you were right and I was wrong about the Corps. I can't go into details, but in light of recent events, I think we need to reevaluate our relationship. Which is just a formal way of saying that I needs someone to talk to, and, strange as this sounds, you're the only one I can think of. Unless my being here offends you."

"I come bearing gifts."

Ivanova shakes her head. "No, you don't offend me. But that does."

Talia looks down at her collar and sees the PsiCorps badge there. Without saying a word, she removes it and sets it on a nearby table. "Better," Ivanova tells her, and the two sit down and begin to talk.

A Spider in the Web

Overview

Talia is caught in a treacherous web of intrigue after she witnesses a murder. Adrienne Barbeau as Amanda Carter. Michael Beck as Abel Horn. Jessica Walter as Senator Voudreau.
(Originally titled "A Trick of the Mind") 
Sub-genre: Mystery
P5 Rating: 8.04

Production number: 206
Original air date: December 7, 1994
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by Lawrence G. DiTillio
Directed by Kevin Cremins

Watch For:

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Dave Zimmerman

A Spider in the Web

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

While Sheridan and Ivanova take care of minor station affairs, Talia waits for a friend who soon arrives, Taro Isogi. They greet each other, and he asks her what she thinks of his new Mars proposal. "It's like all your proposals," she says. "Too progressive, too risky, and too costly in the short run. But if you can make it happen..." He says that he must make it happen so that FutureCorp can expand beyond Earth, with Mars as the next logical step. Talia says that senate will be against it and that the Mars Conglomerate will bury him, but Isogi says he is prepared, if they can convince Mars to share the risk. He says that, if his plan doesn't go through, many innocent people, and his dream, will die on the path toward Martian independence.

Another woman enters. She introduces herself as Amanda Carter, of the Mars colony business affairs committee. Isogi introduces Talia to her. Carter says that she read Isogi's proposal, and that he is either insane or very brave. He says that people probably felt much the same way about her great grandfather John, when he piloted the colony first ship to Mars. She sits down to discuss the proposal with Isogi and Talia.

The negotiations begin.

In a small office deep in the midst of the San Diego wastelands, a woman sits at a desk, with many monitors and displays around her, one of which is showing a speech made by President Clark soon after President Santiago's death. A component on the desk beeps, and she answers it by saying, "Thirteen?"

A strange circular pattern of lights appears on a screen. A computerized voice says to her, "All components have arrived safely on Babylon 5. Control is prepared to go on-line." She orders the operation to commence. On Babylon 5, in a cargo bay, a large container marked CLASSIFIED CARGO opens, and a hand reaches out, as something or someone emerges.

Sheridan receives a call from Earth, from Senator Elise Voudreau. She tells him that Isogi has arranged a meeting with Carter, who she describes as an "outspoken advocate of Mars independence," and who she believes is conspiring with FutureCorp to finance another rebellion on Mars Colony. Sheridan asks her for proof, and she tells him that if the current Mars Conglomerate could be removed, FutureCorp could get a foothold in space if they had an exclusive trade and services agreement with Mars. She says that most of the members of the Mars Conglomerate wanted to leave after the last rebellion. Sheridan apologizes, but says that he cannot interfere. She tells him to investigate the matter, and report anything of interest to her. He says that his duties don't include spying, to which she replies, "These are volatile times, Captain. Practicality is more important than principles, if lives are to be saved. I'll expect to hear from you soon." She breaks off the communication.

Isogi tells Carter that Mars has resources that could be used by alien worlds, which in turn would supply Mars with economic base enough to win Mars its independence in about ten years. Carter says that it will be hard to convince the committee of this, and that they will need lots of assurance. Talia points out that her words aren't entirely true--it is Carter that needs the assurance, since Carter believes the committee will accept her recommendation. Carter says that Mars is in great turmoil now, and that she doesn't want to propose anything to the committee without knowing all that is expected of them. Isogi explains that it is for that reason that he chose Babylon 5 for the negotiations, since the representatives of the alien worlds involved in the plan are located there.

Carter says that she will speak with the business affairs committee, says that she might have an answer by the next day, and leaves. After she is gone, Talia explains that Carter likes the idea, though she does have her doubts. Isogi asks Talia what she thinks, and she says that there is a great financial risk, and that the legal maneuvering will be difficult. They agree to go to dinner.

While Sheridan and Ivanova discuss a new alien delegation that has come to the station, Talia and Isogi walk along a corridor, talking about the benefits of Isogi's plan. He says that Mars can be the beginning of a new life for humans. As they talk, a man approaches the two of them. "Free Mars," he says. He clutches Isogi's neck, and throws Talia to the ground. Electricity streams forth from the man's hand, electrocuting Isogi. When Isogi drops to the ground, dead, the man comes after Talia, but as he approaches, she senses something. In his mind, she sees a strange image which looks like a ship being blown apart as seen from the inside. The man sees it in his own mind as well, and walks away, confused. Talia goes over to Isogi's body, but can do nothing to help him.

"Free Mars!"

In Sheridan's office, Sheridan asks Talia if she was sure she didn't understand the meaning of the images from the man's head. She says that all she saw was a blur of light and sound, followed by blackness. She explains that, although all he said was "Free Mars," he was feeling no emotions, and had only those images in his head, much different from other Free Mars advocates she scanned when she worked on Mars.

Sheridan asks her why someone from Free Mars would kill Isogi, and she says that there would be no reason, as his solution was peaceful. Sheridan tells her that Earth Central disagrees, and that they believe that he had planned to back another rebellion on Mars. She tells him that Isogi wouldn't do such a thing, and that someone is lying to him. He suggests that someone may be lying to her, even though she is a telepath, because Isogi was an old friend of hers. Crying, she says to Sheridan, "Taro Isogi spent his life improving the lives of others. He built a business based on that principle, and he never broke a rule or harmed another to do it. Mars was his dream, Captain, now he's been murdered for it, and you're trying to cast the blame on him." Sheridan apologizes, and Talia asks to go back to her quarters. Sheridan says he will arrange for an escort, and Garibaldi appears to perform the job. On their way in the elevator, Garibaldi tries to cheer Talia up, and is partially successful. He also promises to find the person responsible.

The man who murdered Isogi approaches a communications terminal and enters a code. The same circular light pattern that appeared on the console in the office in the San Diego wastelands comes onscreen. The computerized voice asks for a report, and the man says that phase one has been completed. The voice orders him to download all the data accrued during the mission, and then erase the source file. The man removes the flesh-colored covering from his hand, revealing a black extension, lined with circuits. He inserts a finger into the transfer port. An image of Isogi being killed appears on the screen, followed by one of Talia on the ground. The computerized voice analyzes the information, telling about Talia's position and telepath rating. The voice says, "Control states Miss Winters could jeopardize mission. Eliminate her, then continue with phase two." The communication ends, and the man asks the station's computer to locate Talia.

Consulting with Control.

On C&C, Sheridan orders all outgoing traffic to be held, as he doesn't want the murderer leaving. Ivanova asks if he knows who did it. He says he doesn't, but that Talia was an eyewitness. Ivanova asks if she is okay. Sheridan says that she is, and that he believes the killer wanted a witness. Sheridan asks Ivanova what she thinks of Talia. Ivanova says that she is interesting. Sheridan observes that Ivanova doesn't usually describe people as "interesting." Ivanova says that she doesn't know Talia very well, though she has talked to her several times before. She reminds him how she feels about telepaths.

Sheridan asks her if Talia can be trusted, and Ivanova says that she believes so, but that Talia is very loyal to PsiCorps. Sheridan asks her if she trusts PsiCorps, and Ivanova says that she doesn't and asks Sheridan if he does.

"Telepaths are gifted and cursed in ways I can never hope to understand," Sheridan answers. "But they're still human beings -- good, bad, or indifferent. I trust in individuals, not organizations."

"Then you may trust Miss Winters," Ivanova says.

Amanda Carter is in her quarters when Sheridan enters. He tells her he wants to ask her questions about Isogi. She declines, saying that her affairs are none of Earth Force's business. Sheridan tells her that in this case they are, because of Isogi's murder. She asks who could have done it, and Sheridan tells her that the man who did it said, "Free Mars." She says that Free Mars was not informed of the meeting, and that they would have had nothing to gain anyway. She says that someone didn't like the idea of Mars gaining its independence.

Sheridan delivers the bad news.

Sheridan asks who would go to such lengths, and she says that the senate and Mars Conglomerate would both be opposed to the deal, though she couldn't believe that either group would go as far as murder. Sheridan says good-bye to her, but says he might have to ask her some more questions. As he leaves, she says that she wants to help in any way possible, as "whoever killed Taro Isogi killed Mars' best hope for the future."

Sheridan enters Garibaldi's office, where Garibaldi is going over the medical report, and tells Sheridan that he died of electrocution. They found finger marks on Isogi's neck, but no prints or striations. Sheridan asks if it may have been a slaver's glove, but Garibaldi said it couldn't have been. He says that it must have been some sort of prosthetic weaponry, though he doesn't know why the power source didn't show up on scanners. Sheridan says that he might need to enlist some "special help," though he doesn't want to elaborate further until they have more information. Sheridan orders Garibaldi to watch over Talia, and continue the investigation, including Earth government and "Corp secure areas." Garibaldi agrees, but wants to know what Sheridan has in mind. Sheridan declines to answer what he is thinking, but does hope that he is wrong. He then leaves.

Talia is being escorted by a security guard when a voice behind them calls out, "Hey, Earthers!" The man who killed Isogi runs up to the security guard and electrocutes him. Talia tries to escape, but the man catches her and prepares to electrocute her, saying only "Free Mars." Unable to break free, she sees more of the scene she saw in his head earlier; this time she sees another ship firing. While the man is stunned, she runs away, looking for help. The man looks at his hand. "What have they done to me?" he wonders. He wanders off.

Talia explains to Sheridan her recent experience. "The images in his mind were the same as before, except this time I saw an Earth Alliance ship. A big one, a cruiser I think. It was firing at him. And I know this sounds crazy, but it hit him and he died." Sheridan has difficulty believing this. "It was as if he were reliving the thought of his death over and over again, clinging to it as if it were the only thought he had." Garibaldi comes into Sheridan's office, and tells them that Medlab was able to analyze the DNA of some of the assailant's hair. He puts the analysis up on the screen, and Talia confirms the man as her attacker. Garibaldi explains that the man is a leader of Free Mars, by the name of Abel Horn. Sheridan recognizes him as the man who claimed responsibility for destroying Richie Station on Mars, and he wants him captured. Garibaldi says that there is a problem -- according to Earth Force intelligence, Horn is dead, his ship destroyed during the rebellion. Talia is able to interpret that as the image from his mind. Sheridan doesn't explain anything to Garibaldi, but orders Talia put in protective custody, and a fugitive alert placed on Horn. Garibaldi escorts Talia out of the office.

Amanda Carter enters her quarters, and runs into someone who is already there -- Abel Horn. She says that she thought he was dead, and he explains that he was attacked over Phobos, but that a friend of hers rescued him and helped him. He says that he has been on the run and hiding until he heard that she was on Babylon 5. She asks him why he killed Isogi. He says that the murder charge is a lie, and that he only came to see her. He says he needs to get back to Mars, and that she is the only one that can help him. She says that she can't help him because she doesn't want anyone to know that she was once a member of Free Mars, and she doesn't want to jeopardize Mars' chance at independence. Horn threatens to tell her secret if he doesn't help her, and she says that she can't believe blackmail is something he would stoop to. He tries to tell her he's changed, and removes the covering on his hand, when he cripples over in pain. She asks him what is wrong, and he says that he needs her to help. He says that Talia can help him, and asks Carter to find her.

Horn begs for Carter's help.

Garibaldi is with Talia telling her that she is safe, and that she can get an escort if she needs to leave. He is about to leave when she offers him some tea. He agrees to stay, saying that it is his third favorite thing in the universe.

Ivanova tries to deal with the problems cropping up from keeping the ships docked aboard Babylon 5, but Sheridan says that he doesn't think the murderer is trying to leave, though he does order her to check all ships before letting them go. He says there is something else he wants to check, and leaves.

While they drink their tea, Garibaldi tells Talia that his father taught him everything he knew about security, and that he misses him now that he is dead. Talia says she never knew her parents, but had someone help her through her first year at the PsiCorps academy. Garibaldi receives a call from Sheridan, who tells him to come to his quarters. As Garibaldi leaves, Talia thanks him for talking with her, and Garibaldi says it was his pleasure.

Garibaldi goes to Sheridan's quarters, and Sheridan shows him some data regarding a project entitled Lazarus. Sheridan explains it was part of Earth Force's experiments with cybernetics. Garibaldi knew that they weren't able to make them work because humans couldn't function with machines put in their brains. Sheridan tells Garibaldi that they then experimented with using people on the brink of death. "The theory was to 'hard-wire' the subject's brain with a computer intelligence that kept the brain functional while the body was repaired. Then, using telepathic deep scan, the subject was fixated on the moment of his death, shutting down all conscious thought. The computer takes complete control, while the subject is dying over and over again in his subconscious." Sheridan tells Garibaldi that Talia sensed that from Horn, and that it is possible that Horn is someone to whom that happened. Garibaldi says that he thinks that Sheridan's information could be wrong, but Sheridan disagrees, saying that he had two opportunities to kill Talia, but didn't do so, which might mean that Talia made him realize who he was, which screwed up his programming. Garibaldi and Sheridan both express uncertainty at this idea, but Sheridan says that, if he is correct, there might be some way to locate Horn.

Viewing the Lazarus files.

Meanwhile, Horn lies, unconscious, on Carter's sofa. Carter walks over to her communicator and tells the computer she wants to send a message to Talia. At the mention of Talia's name, Horn's eyes open suddenly. When she contacts Talia, she asks Talia to meet her in her quarters in thirty minutes. Horn tells Carter that he knew she'd help, but as she tries to explain, he hits her, knocking her unconcious.

Sheridan and Garibaldi believe that they have found a way to track Horn. Though Sheridan's information on Project Lazarus is quite old, the power crystal of the cybernetic computer emits radiation. It wouldn't show up on environmental scans, but if they reconfigure the sensors, it might be detectable. Garibaldi receives a call from security, telling him that Talia has asked for a security escort to meet with Amanda Carter. Garibaldi assigns an officer, telling him that he will meet them outside, just in case. Sheridan tries to reconfigure the scanning device, but has difficulty. Garibaldi walks over and tells him to "let the wizard have a go." Sheridan does, and Garibaldi attempts to reconfigure the scanners, but only succeeds in causing the door to the room to open and shut repeatedly. Garibaldi admits that the task is difficult and leaves. "Thanks, Mr. Wizard," Sheridan says as Garibaldi leaves.

Garibaldi meets up with Talia on her way to Carter's quaters. Garibaldi asks why she is going there, and she says that Carter wants to push Isogi's plan through. Talia isn't sure if she can convince FutureCorp to go along with it, but, if she can, it would be honoring Isogi's memory. She enters Carter's quarters, and finds her on the floor. As she examines the body, Horn grabs her, warning her that he will kill her if she screams.

As Sheridan completes the reconfiguration of the sensors, Horn orders Talia to tell him what the images in his head means. He lets go of her, and asks her to help him. She scans him again. She sees the same images as before, with the addition of several others. After the destruction of Horn's ship, she sees the inside of a room where he is being operated on by several doctors, who supply him with a cybernetic prosthesis on his hand. Also present in the room is a female PsiCop, who looks at him and smiles. "Ours now. All ours." Talia loses the scan, and she tells Horn what happened to him. She tells him that, while he was dying, he was scanned, operated on, and then rebuilt. She asks him who the PsiCop is, but he doesn't respond.

"All ours."

Sheridan's environmental scan finishes, and he learns that Horn is in Carter's quarters. Sheridan calls Garibaldi, telling him what he just learned. He orders Garibaldi to take Horn alive. Garibaldi and the other security officers enter, but, as they do, Horn grabs Talia and threatens to kill her. Garibaldi tells Horn to think about what he's doing, but Horn says he can't. Horn orders Garibaldi and the others to drop their weapons, which they do. Horn picks one of the guns up. Garibaldi says that he will see Horn dies painfully if he kills Talia, but Horn says that he is already dead. Sheridan bursts in and says that Horn isn't really dead, but that he is being used to betray Mars. Horn asks how Sheridan knows this, but Sheridan says that Horn knows as well. Sheridan tells Horn that he wants to help him, but that he wants Talia to be freed as well. Horn lets go of Talia, who runs to Garibaldi. Sheridan tells Horn to put the weapon down. "It was the Earthers, wasn't it?" Horn asks. "It wasn't...it wasn't enough just to kill me." Sheridan says that he will help Horn learn who is responsible if he puts down the gun. "Mars will never be free until the sands run red with Earther blood," Horn says to Carter, who just regained conciousness. He fires at Sheridan, but misses. Sheridan draws his weapon quickly and hits Horn, who falls to the ground. Before he dies, Horn thanks Sheridan for killing him. A security guard scans Horn, and detects a dangerous energy surge. Realizing what is going on, Sheridan evacuates everyone from the room, right before Horn explodes, leaving no evidence.

Carter apologizes to Talia; she only asked Talia to talk to her because she believed that Talia could help Horn. Garibaldi asks how Carter knew so much about Horn, and Carter explains that Horn wasn't always a terrorist. She was once in love with Horn, and he convinced her to join Free Mars which, at that time, wasn't violent. But, when it became more violent, she left it, and him. Garibaldi doesn't believe this. But Carter insists that she is telling the truth, that she has just ended her career by telling it. Carter says that she still believes in Isogi's ideas, and Sheridan tells her that, if she will do her best to make Isogi's plan go through, they won't report the incident. Talia even agrees to help talk to FutureCorp to convince them that the Mars government had nothing to do with the murder. Carter thanks Sheridan for his help, and Talia, Sheridan, and Garibaldi leave. Garibaldi asks Sheridan why he did what he did, but Talia explains that Horn didn't want to kill her -- only to be scanned by her. Sheridan asks her if she did, and she tells him that she did, and that she saw the image of the operation. Sheridan asks her if she recognized anything, such as a face or a uniform. Talia says that she didn't, and is escorted back to her quarters by Garibaldi.

Garibaldi enters Sheridan's office, and asks him how he knew about the Lazarus Project. Sheridan explains that, while some people collect art or coins, he collects secrets, such as black projects, secret organizations, and conspiracies. Garibaldi asks if one of those secrets includes who was behind the recent incidents. Sheridan tries to avoid answering, but Garibaldi says that he needs to know if there is a threat to the station. Sheridan says that the threat goes far beyond the station, and Garibaldi agrees, saying that, if Horn was what Sheridan believed, the situation has nothing to do with Free Mars. Garibaldi knows that to do something like this would take a lot of power and money. He suspects Sheridan knows who is behind it.

Sheridan tells Garibaldi his suspicions, after making Garibaldi promise to not tell anyone else. "For the past six years, there have been rumors about a...rogue agency operating deep inside Earth gov. A dirty tricks squad dealing in black projects and Star Chamber justice. It took me over three years just to get the name: Bureau 13. And the man who gave me that name died soon after. I am convinced that they exist and that they are behind this incident."

"Why?" asks Garibaldi.

"Isogi was a danger to Earth policy on Mars. I think his death was a warning to the other corporations. I also think Horn was meant to destroy Free Mars from the inside, and, possibly, ruin Amanda Carter as well. Unfortunately, I can't prove any of it."

"If this is true..."

"Then everything we believe in is in jeopardy. There is a spider in the web, Mr. Garibaldi, and I intend to find it... and kill it."

"There is a spider in the web..."

Inside the office in the San Diego wastelands, the woman working there answers another communication. "Thirteen." A screen with the familiar circular light pattern appears, and the same computerized voice says, "Report from Babylon 5 control mission only partly successful. Isogi terminated but unit was destroyed before he could leave station for Mars."

"Is the bureau at hazard?" asks the woman.

"Control does not believe so."

"Belief is not enough. He is to follow up until he is certain. Thirteen out." The woman turns around, and we see her face -- she is the PsiCop from the images Talia found in Horn's mind.

Talia searches through her computer, looking for records of the PsiCop from Horn's mind. As she recalls the information she found in Horn's mind, the computer completes its search. Talia looks over the information. On the computer screen is a picture of the woman -- the same one from Horn's memory. Under her picture is but one flashing word: DECEASED.

A Tragedy of Telepaths

Overview

The telepath situation continues to deteriorate. The attacks on Alliance ships continue. Londo and G'Kar find an old friend in a nearly forgotten place. Robin Atkin Downes as Byron.

Originally titled "Cat and Mouse" 

P5 Rating: 8.18

Production number: 510
Original air date: March 25, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Tony Dow

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

A Tragedy of Telepaths

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)

Byron's telepaths are dug in in Brown Sector, and threatening a hunger strike until their demands for a homeworld are met ("In the Kingdom of the Blind"). Sheridan cannot intervene, since his hands are full with the attacks on the Alliance ships, and the alien ambassadors blaming each other. So Lochley sends a message to Bester, asking for help.

The telepaths are using telepathic suggestions to slow down security, which is trying to burn through to where the telepaths are. When Lochley comes down to investigate, Zack tells her about the air ducts. They are too small and fragile to send a security team, but one person could make it through. Lochley wants to go in: a telepathic suggestion from Byron.

Meanwhile, on Centauri Prime, G'Kar is eating some fresh spoo and Londo is reading some reports. The reports indicate a 15% increase in production of war materials, which doesn't make sense for peace time, and is in fact contrary to standard Centauri procedure. G'Kar is unconcerned, and offers Londo some of the spoo. But Londo refuses, saying that only a Narn can tolerate fresh spoo. G'Kar is suddenly interested: the spoo was going to the south wing of the palace, and was not meant for him. Who was it meant for? Londo reveals that there are some cells in that area of the palace, and G'Kar demands to be taken there.

In a dark cell, they find a Narn chained to the wall: G'Kar's aide, Na'Toth. At first, Na'Toth thinks G'Kar is also a prisoner, but G'Kar explains that the war is over. Na'Toth then recounts her experiences: she was on the Narn Homeworld when the Centauri bombed it with asteroids ("The Long, Twilight Struggle", "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place"). She was later taken captive by the Centauri and taken to the Royal Palace as entertainment, a task for which she proved unsuitable. As punishment, Cartagia ordered her put in the cell two years ago.

G'Kar demands to know why she is still a prisoner. "I have no idea," replies Londo; "she was probably just forgotten." Having received a royal order that was never countermanded, the guards have kept her prisoner there. And Londo, even though he is the Prime Minister, cannot order her release: that would be countermanding a royal order, which is treason and punishable by death. Only the Regent can order her released, and they cannot count on his help. Londo cannot do anything until he is Emperor. But G'Kar points out Na'Toth may not survive that long. "There is nothing I can do," says Londo. "There is something you can do," says G'Kar angrily; "you will find it, and you will do it! One way or another, we are leaving here with Na'Toth."

On Babylon 5, Lochley gets ready to go in through the air ducts.

In Sheridan's office, Garibaldi explains that in his opinion, the problem is not Byron, but rather the telepaths that got out before Byron sealed himself in. He is worried about sabotage. Garibaldi also has another piece of information: the Drazi found debris from a Brakiri ship where the latest attack on their ships occured. They plan to introduce it as evidence on the next council meeting.

Lochley finally makes it through to where the telepaths are, and is taken to see Byron. Lochley explains that everyone in the Alliance was tense because of the attacks on their ships, and wanted someone to lash at; Byron's threats gave them a target. "Any chance you may have had of getting a homeworld for your people," Lochley adds, "is pretty much shot to hell." She tells him that they have to give up and give up now, otherwise people are going to die when they come to them. Byron regrets the deaths that are coming, but again refuses to leave.

As a final plea, Lochley asks him for help in identifying the telepaths who are outside and are a threat. But despite Byron's disagreements with them, he will not turn them in. "We don't betray our own kind," Byron explains.

Lochley offers to take anyone out with her, but no one wants to leave. Lochley is now confused. "Why did you let me come here?" she asks Byron, and adds "Why did you agree to see me?"

"To say goodbye," answers Byron. He adds "While you have not gone out of your way to be kind to us, you have been fair, and that requires comment. Especially since I have a feeling this will be the last time we will see one another." He shakes Lochley's hand, and Lochley turns around and leaves the way she came.

Londo is in his quarters when G'Kar comes in. G'Kar has arranged for a Narn ship to meet them halfway to Babylon 5 to take Na'Toth home to Narn. Despite this arrangements, Londo still does not know how they will get her out of the palace. A Centauri woman enters to inform him that a cruiser bound for Babylon 5 will depart that night. Londo is struck by an idea, and asks the woman for a loan of her clothes, a request with which she complies.

In a closed session of the Interstellar Alliance Council, the Drazi ambassador accuses the Brakiri of working with the telepaths and attacking their ships. The Brakiri are outraged and deny the charge. The Drazi have dispatched warships to their border with the Brakiri: for every Drazi ship destroyed, the Drazi will destroy a Brakiri ship.

The Gaim ambassador also has an announcement, however. The Gaim have found debris as well, but it is from Drazi ships, not Brakiri. The Brakiri now accuse the Drazi of orchestrating it all.

Sheridan disagrees. He points out that it must be a trick by someone else. Furthermore, Garibaldi has analyzed the debris and concluded the pieces were not shot off, but rather were cut off and left behind. "They planted them," says Sheridan, "where they knew you would find them, hoping for exactly this reaction." But Sheridan still doesn't know who is behind it all. He asks the ambassadors to work together to find out, or at least to give Sheridan more time to figure out who is behind the attacks.

But the Drazi are through waiting: "Any ship that crosses into Drazi space without proper authorization," warns the Drazi Ambassador, "will not survive the mistake!" He leaves the meeting, and the other ambassadors follow him.

In Centauri Prime, Londo enters Na'Toth's cell. After ascertaining she is the only prisoner left, he orders the guard never to come back and not to let anyone else go there. He implies Na'Toth will be dead soon, and as a final order, tells the guard to wait three days and then wall up the hallway. The guard obeys and leaves.

"Have you come to kill me, Mollari?" asks Na'Toth in a weary voice. "No," replies Londo. "I will kill you," says Na'Toth, softly, "at the very first opportunity." "Yes," replies Londo, "I suspect you'll have to get in line for that honor." He unchains her as G'Kar comes in with the clothes Londo borrowed.

Londo's plan is simple: with Na'Toth dressed and veiled as a Centauri woman, they will simply walk to their ship. The Royal Court has been trained to turn a blind eye to inappropriate behavior, so Londo walks hand in hand with Na'Toth, pretending to be drunk and being quite loud in his promises of future delights and adventures. As he predicted, everyone they meet turns away and pretends not to notice, and they make their ship safely.

On Babylon 5, Bester arrives. "I told you they were trouble," he reminds the Captain smugly, "but you wouldn't listen. That's all right, I'm used to it. I'm here now. It's all going to be just fine."

The telepaths who left Byron have found out that Bester is back, and realize the Bloodhounds cannot be far behind. Since they cannot count on help from Lochley, and they will not let themselves be taken back to the Psi Corps, they decide to fight back. They attack some security guards, and telepathically get the code for the weapons locker from one of them.

Bester arrives with Lochley to where security is still trying to cut through, and helps block the telepaths inside, thus allowing the welder to cut through the doors without being slowed down. Lochley promises Bester that if he can get the telepaths out safely, he may take custody of them.

Just before they cut through, the armed telepaths open fire and kill the welder and a security guard before withdrawing.

Inside, Byron is distraught at the knowledge that his people are killing in his name. "I've got to stop it," Byron tells Lyta. "There's nothing you can do," she replies. "Yes," counter Byron, "yes there is."

Sheridan and Delenn invite the Drazi, Gaim and Brakiri ambassadors to a private meeting. They tell the Drazi that White Stars are now watching their ships massed on the border, and will intervene if they attack any Brakiri ships. According to the terms of the Alliance, no member race may attack any other member race. The same threat of retaliation applies to the Gaim and the Brakiri. The three Ambassadors are outraged, and consider this an attack on the sovereign rights. But they cannot stand up to the White Stars. Sheridan asks for more time to gather evidence, and the three reluctantly agree.

"We will wait for a little while," the Drazi Ambassador says, and then he warns: "But we will not forget this. You threatened to use force against us when all we wanted was to protect ourselves. Every great fall begins with a single mistake. This was yours."

En route to Babylon 5, Na'Toth is taken to a Narn transport. It will be difficult for her to heal, especially her spirit, but G'Kar is confident she will make a full recovery, given time. Londo admits to G'Kar that saving was Na'Toth was a very exhilarating experience for him, and he enjoyed it immensely.

And on Babylon 5, Bester welcomes some of his associates to the station: the Bloodhounds have arrived, and the storm is about to begin.

A View from the Gallery

Overview

As the station defends itself against an alien attack, two ordinary crewmen, Mack and Bo, try to carry on and keep the station running. Robin Atkin Downes as Byron. Lawrence LeJohn as Bo. Raymond O'Connor as Mack. 
P5 Rating: 7.87

Production number: 505
Original air date: February 11, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Story by J. Michael Straczynski & Harlan Ellison
Directed by Janet Greek

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

A View from the Gallery

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)

In hyperspace, a probe is destroyed by passing fighters. Shortly thereafter, Capt. Lochley is awakened by a call from Lt. Corwin, telling her of the probe's destruction. "Is it them?" she asks, but the probe was destroyed too quickly to give much information. She gets up and goes to C&C.

When she gets there she informs the command crew that this is probably the scouting party they've been warned about. A large hostile force is looking for likely invasion prospects, and Lochley expects them to attack Babylon 5. She hopes to convince them that the station is more trouble than is worth, to save themselves from a difficult battle later on.

She orders that a lifepod be made ready for Sheridan and Delenn. Although Corwin assures her neither one will agree to leave the station, she vows to knock them unconscious herself if necessary to get them into the pod. Finally, she orders a stand-by Red Alert.

In Blue Sector, Bo and Mack, two maintenance workers, hear about the Alert as they finish working on the tubes behind a wall. Later, as Bo sweeps the floor with a piece of equipment and Mack works on a computer terminal, they overhear Lochley and Sheridan as they walk by arguing. Lochley wants Sheridan and Delenn in the lifepod, or at the very least to know where they are at all times. With all the White Stars away, this will give her one less thing to worry about, and allow her to do her job of protecting the station. At first Sheridan will have none of it, but finally agrees to do what he can after grudgingly admitting he would be doing the same thing in Lochley's position.

As they both leave on a lift, Mack and Bo comment on their approval of Sheridan's hands-on approach to everything. They like the fact that he is always down in the trenches, with everyone else. He is a good man, they both agree.

Later, their lunch is interrupted by a full blown Red Alert, as the scoutships activate the Jumpgate, and Mack and Bo are called for some service calls. Mack goes to C&C, and Bo goes to MedLab.

In MedLab, Franklin is organizing his team to deal with the wounded, and asks Bo to look at the console on the IsoLab. It is only giving them access to standard atmospheres, and he needs to be able to ask for anything on the fly, in case they need some strange atmosphere to treat the invaders. As Bo works on the console, he asks Franklin why he bothers getting ready to heal the invaders, rather than just letting them die. By way of explanation, Franklin relates that his father once got caught in the middle of a civil war of mid-range colonies. The Ares, on which he was XO, crashed, and two months later, when the Earth forces retook the base, his father and two other injured soldiers were found alive. The Doctor at the base had taken care of them despite the objections from his CO, because he believed life was sacred. It was then, Franklin says, that he decided to become a doctor, and it is why he will try to save anyone, regardless of sides.

"So... what happened to the doctor that helped your dad?" asks Bo. "Shot and killed by his own men," replies Franklin quietly. "They said he was a traitor." Bo then finishes the work on the IsoLab console.

In C&C, the secondary targetting console is on the blink, and Mack gets to work on it as the crew prepares for the three scoutships, which come in firing. Starfuries and the defense grid get two of the scouts, but in the meantime the aliens scan the station and try to access the codes for the defense grid. As the third scoutship is about to escape, Mack gets the secondaries back on line, which destroy the last alien ship. Lochley is relieved, and goes to talk to Garibaldi.

Mack joins Bo, who is now working on a deck in Blue Sector. Mack says he likes the new captain and is glad she's on their side. Bo replies that the rumors are she fought on the side of President Clark during the Civil War, but Mack dismisses his concerns. Many people were on the other side, he says, and one shouldn't listen to rumors anyway. As Bo finishes the work, they are called to fix a problem in Brown sector. They get in the lift, and are later joined by Lochley and Garibaldi.

Lochley and Garibaldi are arguing. Lochley is demanding to know why Garibaldi didn't tell her the aliens could download the tactical codes, but Garibaldi claims he is innocent. The Gaim didn't say anything, and he didn't think to ask. Lochley angrily tells him that it is his job to think of quesitons like that, and demands he go back to the Gaim and ask all the questions he didn't think of in the first place. With the assault fleet on its way, she wants a fighting chance of surviving the next 12 hours. Lochley and Garibaldi get off, and Mack and Bo go on their way.

After Mack and Bo finish fixing the problem in Brown sector, they are ordered to the Sanctuary to prepare it for a religious ceremony, as Lochley announces over the monitors that the first wing of the attack is coming through the jump gate.

From the sanctuary, Bo and Mack can see the firefight and explosions outside the station: a red explosion for human pilots blowing up, green for the invaders. Eventually, a lone White Star arrives and joins the fight, and Mack and Bo note a breaching pod closing in on the station. All personnel are ordered to the shelters. The station is being boarded.

Bo and Mack are on their way to the shelter, but the lift shorts out and stops. When they force the doors open, they find themselves in the middle of a firefight in Brown sector between the invading aliens and Zack's security forces. Zack orders them out and covers them, and they stumble into Byron's telepaths.

Byron assures them they are safe, and advises them to stay until the fight is done. Mack and Bo eventually figure out these people are the recently arrived telepaths, and when the fight dies down they get up to leave. Bo expresses his desire to be out in space fighting alongside the starfury pilots, and Byron uses his telepathic ability to make him believe he is, for a few seconds. Bo silently thanks him as they leave.

In the shelter, they overhear Londo and G'Kar. Londo is complaining about the situation, but G'Kar is quite calm. G'Kar practically grew up in shelters such as this, escaping from Centauri bombardment of the Narn cities, so he feels quite at home. Londo complains that the White Stars aren't there to protect them, and G'Kar reminds him they are coming back from guarding the Imphili homeworld ("The Paragon of Animals"). They both leave to "see how things are out there," as the second wave of invaders comes through.

One of the invading ships is damaged and crashes onto the station, making a sizeable hole in the hull. As maintenance bots put out the resulting fires on the outside, all maintenance personnel are called to Red One to deal with the fires on the deck burning through the hull.

As Mack and Bo are going there, they pass Sheridan and Delenn. Sheridan insists Delenn should get on the lifepod, but she refuses. Sheridan enlists Bo and Mack to escort her to the pod. "Look," says Sheridan to Delenn, "with luck the rest of the White Stars will get here on time and we won't even need the pods." "But what if we do?" asks Delenn. "What if the station falls?" "Then, as you said to me once," replies Sheridan, "I'll see you again in a place where no shadows fall" ("Confessions and Lamentations"). They kiss and Sheridan leaves Delenn in Mack and Bo's care.

Before they get to the pods, however, Delenn asks them their names. Delenn also asks what would happen to a lifepod if, shortly after launch, the equipment were accidentally smashed from the inside. Mack and Bo agree it would either crash on Epislon 3, or explode. Delenn then makes it plain that if she is put in a lifepod and forced to watch the station fall, her pod would suffer such an accident. "The President is right, ma'am," argues Bo. "It's not safe here for either one of you." "I know," replies Delenn. "But it is home for both of us." Mack and Bo let her depart, and she smiles at them before leaving.

The station shudders and Mack looks through a porthole and yells in triumph. "The cavalry is here!" he says. The White Stars have arrived at last.

With help from the White Stars, the fighting is soon over, and Mack and Bo get back to work. The shelter is a mess, and according to Bo there is a lot of work to do: a damaged hull to repair, garbage to be picked up, debris to be cleaned up from space surrounding the station, and airlocks to fix in Brown Level. "Typical," complains Mack. "They call all the shots, they get all the glory, we clean up the mess."

Then they see dozens of bodies lying still on the deck, draped in sheets. Dr. Franklin is going over them one by one, closing their eyes, making notes, and finally pulling the sheet over their heads. "Well," says Bo somberly, "maybe not all the mess."

As the cleanup continues, Mack and Bo are working on C&C and overhear Corwin reporting to Lochley that not a single alien made it back to report on Babylon 5. Lochley is pleased, and does not expect them to try again.

"Captain, ehr... Captain Lochley!" yells Mack suddenly. The Command Deck falls into an expecting silence, as Mack continues lamely. "Well, Captain, ah, I know you're new here and all and, ah, I just wanted to say, you're okay in my book, ma'am." "Thank you," says Lochley sincerely, smiling widely. Mack goes back to work.

Later that day, Mack and Bo are on their way to lunch when they pass Sheridan and Delenn, walking hand in hand, in a corridor. "Hello Mack, Bo," she greets them by name as they walk by.

"Bo?" "Yeah?" "She remembered my name." "Our names." "I think I'm in love..." "She's married!" "We'll work something out."

A Voice in the Wilderness, Part 1

Overview

Seismic activity on the planet near the station uncovers what may be signs of an extinct alien civilization. An old mentor pays a visit to Ambassador Delenn. The unrest on the Mars Colony intensifies. Louis Turenne as Draal. Curt Lowens as Varn. 
Sub-genre: Suspense/mystery
P5 Rating: 8.50

Production number: 120
Original air date: July 27, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

A Voice in the Wilderness, Part 1

An elderly Minbari male arrives on the station and asks to be shown to Ambassador Delenn.

Asking for directions.

Epsilon 3, the planet B5 is orbiting, is experiencing large earthquakes. Ivanova and Sinclair clear Dr. Tasaki, a geologist, to take a shuttle closer to the planet and collect data.

On his way to a negotiation session, Sinclair runs into Talia Winters waiting for the transport tube. She comments that Garibaldi is always in the tube waiting for her, and sure enough, he's there when the door opens. She opts to take the stairs.

As Dr. Tasaki's shuttle nears the surface of the planet, a powerful energy beam suddenly fires into space from below ground, knocking the shuttle out of control. Ivanova orders two Starfuries to tow the shuttle back to base. When he returns, Tasaki is eager to go down again the next day with more equipment, to try to figure out what's causing the beam.

Sinclair is presiding over a negotiation between Delenn and Londo about trade routes. The negotiation proceeds smoothly, which Londo attributes to G'Kar's absence. Delenn assures him that G'Kar's anger will fade with time, but Londo insists that the Narn hatred of the Centauri is intense enough to reduce Centauri Prime to ash if it could be made physical -- and the Centauri react to that hatred by hating the Narn all the more. After Londo leaves, Delenn comments to Sinclair that if Londo is right, if future generations won't be born into a brighter world, "then life is pointless, and evolution vastly overrated."

Londo describes the Narns' hatred.

Later, Ivanova tells Sinclair that the beam is a signal, perhaps a beacon, though nobody has been able to decipher it. She remarks that the day's Earth Force status report didn't say anything about the Mars colony, very unusual as it's mentioned every day.

Delenn is returning to her quarters when she's met by the Minbari male who boarded the station earlier. His name is Draal, and he's an old teacher of hers.

Sinclair is preparing for bed, watching the news on TV. The anchor is interrupted by a special report from the Mars colony: an armed revolt has begun, and heavy fighting is reported. The news show is able to broadcast a few moments of a field report before the reporter is cut off. Sinclair shuts off the television, disturbed.

Before he can contemplate further, a flickering image appears in midair across the room, an alien man who pleads for Sinclair's help before vanishing abruptly.

Pleading for help.

The next morning, Sinclair and Ivanova talk about the situation on Mars over breakfast. Sinclair, of course, was born there, and it's his home that's being blasted apart; but neither of them has friends or family there any more. Garibaldi, according to Ivanova, is taking the news badly.

Draal joins Delenn in her quarters. After thanking her for arranging for his quarters, he says that he left Minbar because it's changing for the worse, the people growing dissatisfied, self-involved to the exclusion of others; they've lost their sense of purpose. He says that he's "going to the sea" -- journeying out into the sea of stars in the hopes of finding a place where he's needed. Delenn is shocked.

Garibaldi tries to get a comm channel to Mars, but the government has imposed a communications blackout and he's not highly-placed enough to get through despite the blackout.

Ivanova briefs Dr. Tasaki and his crew, reminding them that the Starfuries escorting them are only designed for spaceflight and won't be able to help if the shuttle goes into the planet's atmosphere. Tasaki agrees not to do that, and the shuttle and escort are launched.

Ivanova briefs the shuttle crew.

Garibaldi goes to Talia and explains that when he was working security on Mars, he met and got involved with a woman named Lise Hampton. It was serious, but when he accepted Sinclair's offer to come to Babylon 5, he and Lise broke up angry with each other. They haven't spoken since, but now he's worried sick about her. He asks Talia to try to get him a comm channel via the secret Psi Corps training facility on Mars -- a facility, Talia notes with surprise, that he's not supposed to know about.

Garibaldi talks about Lise.

Ignoring Ivanova's order, Tasaki takes the shuttle into the upper part of the atmosphere to get more detailed sensor readings. Suddenly, a barrage of missiles is launched from the surface. One of them strikes the shuttle, but after Ivanova has the Starfuries disorient the missiles from orbit, Tasaki and his crew manage to escape safely.

Back on the station, Tasaki shows Sinclair and Ivanova a high-resolution image he captured just after the missiles were launched. It shows them coming from deep inside a fissure in the surface, five kilometers below the surface. Sinclair easily convinces Ivanova that the two of them should take a shuttle down to take a closer look, justifying his presence because it might be a first contact.

Tasaki describes the image.

Garibaldi is in the zocalo, looking miserable. Londo cheers him up by telling him a story. Londo was sitting in a club one day, looking miserable, when one of the dancers kissed him and told him it couldn't be that bad. He married her, regretted it the next morning, and has regretted it ever since.

On his way back to his quarters, Londo sees the same alien Sinclair saw earlier. Once again, it asks for help, then vanishes.

With orbiting Starfuries disorienting the missiles, Sinclair and Ivanova take a shuttle into the fissure, where they discover an artificial tunnel in the rock face. They land on a platform inside and put on breathers to go have a look around.

Distracting the planetary defenses.

Talia speaks with a member of the Psi-Corps, someone at the Mars facility. The woman refuses to let Garibaldi have a link -- doing so would confirm the existence of the facility, and he might be asking for a channel just to find out if the place really exists -- but she offers to look Lise Hampton's name up in the files and see if she's all right. Fighting is occuring less than a quarter-mile away from the facility, it seems; the Free Mars movement was much better armed and organized than anyone suspected.

Sinclair and Ivanova explore some smaller side tunnels on foot. They pass a dead alien, then nearly stumble into a high-tech deathtrap, but Sinclair sees it in time and the two of them make it through uninjured. They find themselves on a bridge spanning what looks like the hollow core of a gargantuan machine, miles tall with huge parts moving up and down the walls.

Sinclair and Ivanova cross the bridge.

Delenn and Draal visit Londo, who complains that he's unable to comprehend Earth people. As an example, he quotes a song he's been studying for a week. "It doesn't mean anything," he complains.

Talia visits Garibaldi in the command center and tells him Lise Hampton isn't on the survivor list. Garibaldi refuses to believe that something has happened to her, but seems somewhat numb.

An earthquake cuts off the tunnel behind Sinclair and Ivanova. Continuing forward, they see another projection of the alien Sinclair saw on the station. This time, though, the real alien is just around the corner, strapped into the center of a huge machine on the wall. "Help me," he says, "or your people, all your people, will die."

They help him out of the machine and take him back to the shuttle. With fighter cover, they head full-speed back toward the station. Sinclair orders Garibaldi to have a medical team standing by.

Garibaldi is relieved to hear that they're returning, but his relief is cut short when a tech announces that a ship, a big ship, is coming through the jump gate. He looks down at his computer display. "What the hell?"

To be continued...

Synopsis by Steven Grimm

A Voice in the Wilderness, Part 2

Overview

Sinclair fights two turf battles at once as alien invaders claim the planet the station orbits, and an Earthforce captain disagrees with him about how to deal with the situation. Ron Canada as Capt. Ellis Pierce. Louis Turenne as Draal. Curt Lowens as Varn. Denise Gentile as Lise Hampton. Aki Aleong as Senator Hidoshi. 
Sub-genre: Action
P5 Rating: 8.49

Production number: 121
Original air date: August 3, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

A Voice in the Wilderness, Part 2

(Continuing where Part 1 left off)

Garibaldi is relieved to hear that Sinclair and Ivanova are returning from the planet, but his relief is cut short when a tech announces that a ship, a big ship, is coming through the jump gate. He looks down at his computer display. "What the hell?"

The ship is an Earth Alliance heavy cruiser, the Hyperion, Captain Ellis Pierce commanding. He says he's been ordered to take control of the situation.

The Hyperion comes through the gate.

In Medlab, Sinclair and Franklin watch over the alien from Epsilon 3. Franklin says he is still studying the alien's biology, but that he seems to be stabilizing.

Pierce is waiting in Sinclair's office, looking at an onscreen introduction to Babylon 5's facilities, when Sinclair arrives. Pierce says his crew will enjoy getting a little R&R on such a "cushy" station. Sinclair wants to know who authorized Pierce to take over; Sinclair has jurisdiction over Babylon 5's sector. Pierce says the Hyperion was in hyperspace when it received orders to divert to Babylon 5. The potential of the technologies Sinclair has discovered are enormous, and Earth wants a show of force so other races don't try to get a piece of the action before Earth has had its pick; if the Hyperion weren't present, the situation could get very messy. Sinclair angrily replies that the situation was fine until Pierce charged in with a heavy cruiser and shook things up.

Pierce tells Sinclair why he's there.

Garibaldi is at a bar, drinking water and watching the news with some other patrons. The top story, of course, is the revolt on the Mars colony. Earth is sending in shock troops to quell the rebellion. The other bar patrons are delighted, and start insulting the Mars colonists. "We pay taxes so they can have the best atmosphere reprocessors, water reclamation... They ought to be damned grateful." One of them suggests, jokingly, that Earth should do "what my grandfather always said: nuke 'em till they glow and shoot 'em in the dark. That'd take care of 'em, just like magic." Infuriated, Garibaldi performs a magic trick of his own, assaulting the mouthy bar patron and stalking off.

Sinclair confers with Senator Hidoshi, complaining that he'd been told personally by President Santiago that he has jurisdiction over Babylon 5's sector. He threatens to resign over the issue unless Hidoshi can get Santiago to reaffirm his authority in the matter. Hidoshi says he'll see what he can do, but it might not be much as the President is preoccupied with the Mars colony revolt.

In the command center, Ivanova tells Sinclair that the Hyperion has just launched an expedition to the planet's surface, and that the planet's defense systems, much more active than before, are preventing them from getting close. Sinclair demands that Pierce call off the expedition, making up a story about needing a special jamming device to get through the defense systems.

Ivanova then tells Sinclair that they've been monitoring greatly increased seismic activity from the planet, activity that seems to be artificially induced and that's increasing in severity. If it continues to do so, the planet will rip itself apart, taking Babylon 5 with it.

Later, Ivanova reports that they've discovered the planet is honeycombed with passages and fusion reactors, some of them miles in diameter. The fusion reactors seem to be set to overload. She estimates less than 48 hours until the planet is destroyed. Garibaldi says it would take at least three days to evacuate the station even if all the ships in the sector were called in.

Discussing the situation.

Londo catches up with Ivanova in the corridor and demands to know what's going on. He presses her on the issue, until she replies, "You want to know what's really going on down there right now? Boom. Boom boom boom. Boom boom. Boom. Have a nice day."

Delenn and Draal are returning to Delenn's quarters when Draal hears the sick alien's voice calling out to him. The two of them head for Medlab.

Sinclair goes to talk to Garibaldi about the incident in the bar. Garibaldi expresses his frustration at finding himself helpless; he can't help Lise, doesn't even know if she's alive or dead. "The planet we're parked next to is about to go up like a Roman candle. What am I supposed to do, arrest it?" He says he just snapped. He and Sinclair discuss his reluctance to call Lise over the years -- he was afraid she'd reject him, and even more afraid she wouldn't -- and Sinclair promises to try pulling a few strings to get Garibaldi a comm channel to Mars. He asks Garibaldi to make sure Ivanova leaves the station if they end up needing to evacuate.

Draal and Delenn arrive in Medlab. Franklin tries to stop them from going in to see the alien, but the alien awakens and calls out to Draal. He says everyone must stay away from the planet, that it will explode without a heart, "without another."

Draal and Delenn listen to the alien.

After getting that confirmation that expeditions to the planet will only hasten its detonation, Sinclair arrives in the command center to find that Pierce is about to launch another group of ships to the planet. He knows what the alien (whose name is Varn) said, but feels that Varn has every reason to lie to keep people away. Sinclair threatens to shoot Pierce's ships out of the sky if they approach the planet, and orders the station's fighters to prepare for launch. Convinced that Sinclair feels he has nothing to lose, Pierce backs down.

Suddenly, an unknown alien ship enters through the jumpgate and scans the station's language and translation files. Its captain, Takarn, who appears to be of the same race as Varn, claims that the planet belongs to his people, who have been searching for it for 500 years. He gives Sinclair and Pierce ten hours to leave the area, or he'll take the planet by force.

The Hyperion and Babylon 5 are scanned.

Before Sinclair can respond, Pierce answers Takarn with his own ultimatum: withdraw within nine hours, or the Hyperion will attack.

Varn tells Sinclair that the newcomers are outcasts, rejected by his people, who are all long dead now. He has been guarding the planet, connected to the heart of the machine, for five hundred years. He monitored Babylon 5's construction, learned its languages from its transmissions, but the time wasn't right to reveal himself until his failing health forced the issue. He warns Sinclair that the newcomers must not be allowed to take the planet. It is for the future.

Sinclair talks to Delenn and Draal, who claim that Varn didn't tell them anything more than what he told Sinclair. Sinclair leaves, and as Delenn and Draal talk about what Varn meant by "another," Londo enters and says the three of them need to talk.

Pierce tells Sinclair that he needs Babylon 5's forces to make an effective attack against the alien ship. Sinclair assures Pierce that when the time comes, he'll commit his forces to the battle.

Londo, Delenn, and Draal talk about Varn; Londo tells them of Varn's appearance in the hallway earlier. He wants to help, to take a risk, as he did years before when he led the raid on Frallis 12. He realizes that one of the group will have to stay behind permanently.

Londo volunteers his help.

Ivanova clears a transport to leave the station: "The more we get out now, the fewer we'll have to evacuate later." It flies off -- it's a shuttle with Centauri markings -- just as Garibaldi links in to report that someone has stolen Varn from Medlab.

Takarn signals the station, furious that they're allowing a transport to try to go to the planet. Ivanova checks, and sure enough, the Centauri shuttle is headed for the surface. Takarn launches his attack, prompting Babylon 5 and the Hyperion to unleash their fighter wings. The battle is joined.

Londo, piloting the shuttle, seems delighted to be back in the thick of things. "Who says the good old days are gone, eh?" Draal and Delenn, tending after Varn, look a little nervous about Londo's daredevil piloting style.

Londo looks for the landing thruster controls.

On the station, Sinclair and Ivanova note that the planet isn't attacking the Centauri shuttle for some reason. Garibaldi goes after it in a shuttle of his own.

Deep within the planet, with the battle raging furiously overhead, Garibaldi finds Delenn, Draal, Londo and Varn in the room where Sinclair and Ivanova discovered Varn initially. Draal tells Garibaldi that he's staying behind; someone has to run the machine, and it will give him the purpose, the life in service of others, that he has long been missing among his own people.

The Hyperion fires its main gun.

Back in space, the battle continues. The station takes a direct hit, sustaining serious damage. It's about to be fired on again when a strange force emanates from the planet, causing all the controls in the command center to go dark. A translucent image of Draal appears, informing all three parties that the planet belongs to none of them. "It belongs only to itself, and to the future." As the planet's secrets would give a huge advantage to any race that had them to itself, he places the safekeeping of the planet in the hands of the Babylon 5 Advisory Council, whose enlightened self-interest he hopes will cause them to leave the place alone. But if not, he warns that the defense systems are now fully operational, and any ship that attempts to land will be destroyed.

Emanation from Epsilon 3.

The aliens, apparently not believing the threat, fly toward the planet. As promised, a tremendously powerful weapon fires from the surface, vaporizing them instantly.

Delenn says an emotional farewell to Draal. Varn, staying behind to watch over Draal, assures her that the planet is wondrous, that Draal's life will be extended. He will "see all the futures, hear all the songs, and touch the edge of the universe with his thoughts."

As the Hyperion leaves, Pierce says he's received a message from Earth reaffirming Sinclair's authority. He apologizes to Sinclair. After the ship leaves, Ivanova tells Sinclair she has a channel to Mars for Garibaldi.

Garibaldi is delighted to learn that Lise is alive, even more so to talk to her. She was caught in the crossfire while getting food, but her wounds aren't serious and she's expected to recover. She says the fighting has begun to die down; the Earth-supported provisional government seems to have the upper hand. Garibaldi tells her he's sorry he ever left, and asks if he can meet up with her on his next leave. She tells him she's married, and expecting a baby. The news crushes him.

Later, Garibaldi is in an observation area, staring out into the stars, when Delenn joins him. He asks why she and Londo didn't come to Sinclair once they realized someone needed to be in the planet. She says she didn't, "because I know in my heart that if I had, Commander Sinclair would be down there now. He is searching for a purpose. But his destiny lies elsewhere." Garibaldi asks how she managed to get Londo to go. She says she offered him a deal. She now owes him a large favor, which she's sure he'll collect eventually, but she says he enjoyed the adventure, as it awakened something in him that had long been buried.

Delenn joins Garibaldi.

"One thing I've discovered," Garibaldi says. "Some things are better left buried." He leaves.

Delenn gazes out across the stars. "Good night, old friend," she says. "Sleep well."

Synopsis by Steven Grimm

Acts of Sacrifice

Overview

G'Kar asks Sheridan to intervene militarily on behalf of the Narns; Ivanova tries to institute an ambassadorship with a visiting alien. Paul Williams as Taq. Ian Abercrombie as Correlilmerzon. 
Sub-genre: Drama
P5 Rating: 7.97

Production number: 212
Original air date: February 22, 1995
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jim Johnston

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Acts of Sacrifice

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

The Narn and the Centauri are engaged in battle, while the Narn attempt to evacuate civilians from a planet. Several ships are destroyed, and despite the efforts of one large Narn war cruiser, they are unable to completely stave off the Centauri attacks, though they do assist one stray transport in escaping before they too are destroyed by Centauri fire.

[Movie] [Movie] Narns to the rescue.

G'Kar shuts off the viewscreen, which Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Franklin had all been watching. G'Kar explains that the Centauri attacked without warning, killing over 5,000 Narns, expressly breaking a promise to not attack civilian targets. Sheridan asks why Londo is not there to make a statement, but Ivanova tells him that the Centauri government believed the ships contained not civilians, but weapons. G'Kar dismisses this as a lie, but is calmed down when Sheridan offers to intervene on their behalf, promising to talk to his government. This pleases G'Kar, who leaves. As he leaves, Sheridan receives a message from C&C saying that the ship he has been waiting for just arrived.

Sheridan and Ivanova arrive on C&C, and Sheridan explains that the Earth government wants to persuade the Lumati to side with them in the case of the conflict, and that they have come here for negotiations, which Sheridan has decided Ivanova should take care of. He tells her that she should do whatever is necessary, as long as they agree to ally with the Earth government or become a part of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. Ivanova accepts this task.

As the Lumati ship arrives and docks, Delenn finishes watching the recording of the Centauri invasion, which she believes is inexcusable. G'Kar asks her if her world will be willing to help the Narn, and tries to appeal to her sensibilities. "The war is young, the Centauri are still in the process of committing their forces, some in their government are unsure about the entire affair. They only need a reason not to fight." He tells her that her decision could save many lives. She tells him that she doesn't know if the Minbari should help the Narns or not, as they may simply seek revenge on the Centauri afterwards, and the Centauri will come to her asking for help. He tells her that he believes they had no other choice. He asks her if he should beg, but she refuses. She explains to him that she was there when the Earth-Minbari war began and that, by virtue of a mistake, an entire race was almost obliterated. She says she doesn't believe the Minbari can help with good conscience, but that the Council may be able to use non-violent means to help the Narn. This doesn't satisfy G'Kar, who thanks her for her "honesty" and leaves hastily.

G'Kar pleads for help.

Several Narns stand at a bar sharing a drink, watching a group of Centauri at a table nearby insulting their race. Their claim that destroying all the Narns would be a good thing angers the Narns, who throw a bottle at them. This nearly starts a conflict, which is quickly averted by a passing security officer.

Ivanova meets the Lumati delegation in the docking bay, and introduces herself to the two Lumati. One speaks and identifies himself as Correlilmerzon. She asks the other his name, but the same one speaks again with the same response. He explains that he speaks through his translator, as it would be inappropriate to speak with an inferior life form. He says that he must investigate further before he can speak to her directly, and that, once he decides, he may honor them by meeting other Lumati. Ivanova isn't thrilled at hearing this, but takes the two off on a tour of the station.

The Lumati arrive.

Londo sits in a chair in his quarters, listening to a merchant complaining about his inability to deliver his products on time due to excessive paperwork. He wants the process to be expedited, hopefully by a helpful word from the influential Londo. The merchant says that, if Londo will help him, he will be glad to provide Londo with some of his illegal or hard-to-find merchandise. Londo promises to see what he can do, and the merchant leaves. Vir asks Londo if he should log this visit with the rest, and Londo tells him to do so, saying that, now that he has gained influence, everyone wants to be his friend. He says that his desire for respect has backfired. He tells Vir to leave and to send the others away.

"I've become a wishing well with legs."

A small skirmish between a group of Narns and Centauri is broken up by a security officer who attempts to keep one Narn and one Centauri away from each other. The Narn picks up his weapon and, despite the officer's warning, charges on the Centauri. The officer shoots the Narn, killing him. The Centauri manages to sneak away.

Sheridan is in his office, yelling at G'Kar that the Narn was ordered to put down his weapon. G'Kar says that the Narn had a right to defend himself, but Sheridan tells him that the Narns started the incident. Sheridan calms down a little and tells G'Kar that, while he is doing the best he can to get Earth to help the Narn, skirmishes like these are making things difficult, and he promises to tell Londo the same thing, since he doesn't want Babylon 5 becoming a war zone. Sheridan says if G'Kar cannot control his people, he will have them all thrown off the station and sent elsewhere. Saying nothing, G'Kar leaves.

Ivanova and the Lumati arrive in MedLab, where they meet Dr. Franklin, who is fascinated by the symbiotic relationship between the two. Correlilmerzon asks (through the translator, as usual) why such a facility exists--the weak should die, and the strong should remain. He says that saving the weak members of races pollutes the genetic pool, which doesn't serve evolution. Though Ivanova tries to intervene, Dr. Franklin defends himself saying that he doesn't believe any life is inferior to any other. They debate a little further, but before they leave, the translator tells Franklin that he thinks his "strange notions" will disappear with time. Dr. Franklin is not pleased by that comment, either.

After losing a game gambling, Londo meets up with Garibaldi, who asks only to speak with him briefly. Garibaldi agrees to have a chemically inoffensive drink with him. While they wait for the drink, Londo gives Garibaldi several ducats, saying it is the money he owed Garibaldi from helping him out of several gambling debts. Londo tells Garibaldi that he wants the two of them to be friends and be happy for each other. Londo asks why everyone is afraid of him, and Garibaldi says that, because of recent events, they aren't sure if they know him anymore. Londo tells Garibaldi that he appreciates Garibaldi's kindness and hopes that he will not change just because Londo has, and he hopes Garibaldi will continue to be there for him. Garibaldi says he will try to stop by for the drink later.

"Don't worry, it's not a bribe."

G'Kar meets with a large group of Narns on the station, telling them that, because of their disagreements with the Centauri, they are risking not receiving aid from Earth. The other Narns disagree with needing allies, but G'Kar explains that, now that they are in direct war with the Centauri, they need to approach the situation differently. He doesn't want anything getting in the way of their winning the war, and he realizes it is difficult to just stand by and watch what's going on, but G'Kar tells them they must do it. One Narn tells him that his message was heard and understood, and G'Kar leaves. "Now we send a message of our own," the other Narn says. The Centauri who earlier started the fight where a Narn was killed is brought forth, bound and gagged. The Narn stabs him. "Leave him where they can find him, and tell the others we attack in six hours. And when we finish, there must not be one Centauri left alive on this station!"

Dr. Franklin examines the murdered Centauri, while Sheridan and Garibaldi look on. Sheridan asks if there is any conclusive proof that the Narns were responsible, and Franklin says there is some evidence, but no real proof. Garibaldi suggests they inform Londo, but Sheridan recommends against it, not wanting to cause undue trouble, especially since they can't prove the Narns murdered the Centauri. Sheridan tells Garibaldi that delaying telling Londo about the murder will give him some time to maneuver and maybe save many lives. Meanwhile, Londo waits in the bar for Garibaldi, but leaves when it becomes apparent he is not coming.

The next morning, the Lumati arrive at Ivanova's quarters, telling her that they believed she had not showed them all the areas of the station, but only a few, and they wanted to get a better idea of what humans are like. She says that she would have appreciated being told of their coming ahead of schedule, and then tells them that, if they will wait outside until she is ready, she will take them anywhere on the station they want to go. They agree to this and leave.

The Narn who earlier opposed G'Kar talks to a weapon merchant, who shows him several long, curved blades. The Narn asks the merchant if he has many of those, and the merchant assures him he does. In a dark corner, Na'Toth watches and then quietly slips away.

Shopping for Drazi knives.

Sheridan receives a message from Earth which denies his request for intervention. Sheridan tries to convince them otherwise, but the Earth government has decided that the Narns will have to fend for themselves. This decision does not appeal to Sheridan, and he decides to try something else, and begins by calling Delenn.

Na'Toth tells G'Kar what she saw, and G'Kar is quite upset by this. Na'Toth offers to inform Sheridan, but G'Kar tells her not to, saying that an attack will eventually occur unless he stops it at the source himself, and reclaims his authority. The two of them leave together.

Ivanova and the two Lumati are touring Downbelow, Ivanova explaining to them that, when people arrive on Babylon 5 but are unable to afford passage to leave, they usually end up down there. She tells the Lumati that they shouldn't be seeing this, but Correlilmerzon disagrees, saying that they approve of the way humans seperate the stronger membersr of their species from the weaker members. She tries to tell him that it's unintentional, but he is already convinced otherwise, and tells her that they will institute this in their own world as well. As the translator begins to explain, Correlilmerzon takes over personally, and tells Ivanova that Downbelow has convinced them to ally with Earth. Ivanova tries to protest, but realizes she has been successful and leaves with them.

Ivanova, Correlilmerzon, and translator.

The Narns are meeting to discuss their plans when G'Kar and Na'Toth arrives. G'Kar tells the Narns that his authority can only be taken by force, since it was bestowed upon him by the Narn government. A fight ensues between G'Kar and the head Narn, and though others try to intervene, Na'Toth holds them off. The fight ends with G'Kar dropping the opposing Narn and then ordering the other Narns to go back to their quarters, telling them that if peace on Babylon 5 is the only way to win the war, that is what they shall have. He doesn't see the dropped Narn come up behind him and slash him with a posioned Drazi blade. G'Kar rounds on him, dropping him again. Na'Toth helps the injured G'Kar out of the area.

Sheridan talks to Delenn telling her his plans. He explains that they can get medical aid to the Narns and help get some Narn civilians to safety. He says that this help is unofficial, and therefore doesn't violate Earth's orders. Sheridan tells her that, though there is a risk, it is up to them to make up for what the governments think is not in their best interests. Sheridan also tells Delenn that he learned there is a considerable surplus of food on Babylon 5 that could be transferred to Minbari ships to be taken to Narn territory. Those ships, when emptied, could be filled with Narn and taken to safety. Delenn admits to Sheridan that her resources are not what they once were, but she will help in any way she can.

Sheridan explains his plan.

Ivanova and the Lumati are in Sheridan's office, finalizing the deal. "Tradition is important to my culture," Correlilmerzon explains. "Our important agreements are symbolic with coming together in perfect union." Ivanova agrees to this, but is taken aback when Correlilmerzon tells her that the traditional manner of closing such agreements is by having sex. Ivanova is taken aback by this idea and fakes a call from C&C to get out of it. She leaves hastily, leaving Correlilmerzon and the translator there, puzzled.

Sheridan arrives in Garibaldi's office, to see Na'Toth and the renegade Narn there. Na'Toth explains that the Narn has "come to understand the concepts of honor and obedience." The Narn reluctantly agrees, and he is led away. Garibaldi tells Sheridan that he feels this will escalate problems even further, and Sheridan agrees, saying that the trial won't help any either. "Could this situation possibly get any uglier," asks Garibaldi.

Ivanova is walking with Dr. Franklin, explaining to him the situation she's in. He tells her that, because of their extremely limited contact with the Lumati, they didn't know that they treated sex like a handshake. He tells her that she should talk to the Captain, but she refuses. He also offers to inject her with something to make her sick. "After all, he doesn't know a thing about anybody's biology but his own. He'd probably fall for it." Ivaova suddenly gets an idea and tells Franklin that she will give Correlilmerzon exactly what he wants, and hurries off.

Na'Toth arrives back in G'Kar's quarters, telling him that Sheridan wants to see him and Delenn in his office. Though G'Kar is still in pain, he has treated the poison and tells her that, no matter how much pain he is in, he will do anything to help the Narns.

When he hears what Sheridan and Ivanova have to tell him, however, he is much saddened to learn how little help they can give him. Delenn tells him that they can't enter the conflict between the Narns and the Centauri, but that they will help save as many Narn lives as possible. G'Kar also laments the fact he can't talk about it, or the aid will disappear. Sheridan assures G'Kar that they will go through with the plan, but it has to be done quietly. Despite how upset he is that he can't get more aid, G'Kar thanks them, and tells them he will honor their request. He leaves, but is unable to contain his tears soon after he does so.

Correlilmerzon and the translator arrive in Ivanova's quarters, where she is waiting for them. She tells them that she set aside as much time as necessary to have sex the way the Lumati do it, claiming it would take too long to do it like humans. Correlilmerzon asks if she means that Lumati sex is inferior. She says no, but tells him that it would be too much to ask him to do it on such short notice. He insists that they do it human style. She asks him if he is sure, and if he knows what is involved, and he says he does, as ignorance would be a sign of inferiority. She begins by taking a few deep breaths, and then dances around him several times, singing a rhyme and doing a little dance about human mating rituals, covering such topics as the initial pick-up, dinner, drinks, the kiss, and finally, the sexual act, which she highlights with a high-pitched orgasmic yell. Out of breath, she tells him, "God, you're good!" Correlilmerzon asks what he does next. "Old style, you roll over and go to bed. New style, you go out for pizza and I never see you again." Stunned, Correlilmerzon leaves, but the translator remains long enough to kiss her hand, before he leaves as well.

Sex, human style.

Londo is in Sheridan's office, being told of the murder of the Centauri. Sheridan suggests to Londo that he delay the trial as long as possible. Londo asks to see a picture, which is provided for him. Londo tells Sheridan and Garibaldi that he knew the murdered Centauri. "He was trouble. I always said things would not end well for him, and they would be his fault." Londo says that because the Centauri had no family and no one to care for him, the Narn that killed him should be deported, with his personal property being auctioned off with the money going to the Centauri war fund. Londo leaves.

Sheridan arrives at the bar to find Ivanova there. He tells her that the Lumati told Earth they are anxious to work with Babylon 5, and that they said some very complimentary things about her. Sheridan also gives her a gift that Correlilmerzon left for her. She reads the card attached, which says, "Next time: my way." She opens the gift to find a strange yellow device inside, with beads and jewels attached.

"Commander," Sheridan asks her, "is there something you'd like to tell me?"

Garibaldi arrives back at the Zocalo, where Londo is sitting. Garibaldi thanks Londo for being so lenient. "The Narns are falling before us. Soon, they will have all the trouble they could wish for. What else does one need? And, if it makes your life a little easier in this difficult time, it is a happy coincidence. It is good to have friends, is it not, Mr. Garibaldi? Even if, maybe, only for a little while?"

Garibaldi shares this sentiment with Londo as they drink. "Even if only for a little while."

All Alone in the Night

Overview

Sheridan is kidnapped and taken to an alien ship. The Grey Council decides Delenn's fate. General Hague makes an unofficial visit to the station. Robert Foxworth as General Hague. Marshall Teague as the Narn. 
Sub-genre: Action/intrigue
P5 Rating: 8.33

Production number: 211
Original air date: February 15, 1995
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mario DiLeo

Watch For

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

All Alone in the Night

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

Ambassador Delenn is in her quarters, examining a mobile hanging there. Lennier comes in, asking why he was summoned. She tells him that she received a message from the Grey Council, saying that, now that the new leader is in place, she should return so it can be decided whether she can remain part of the Council, or should be removed from it. She tells him that she is leaving shortly, and is not certain if she will return, as they may remove her from Babylon 5 as well, because she made the decision to undergo her transformation. She tells him that she is leaving him as much information as possible about her work so that, in case she doesn't return, he will have everything he needs if someone else is assigned to the station. She says to him that she feels very alone. He takes her hand and tells her she will never be alone.

"Never alone, Delenn."

"The last two ships that came through sector 92," Commander Ivanova explains to Captain Sheridan, "both reported unusual sightings." He asks what details they provided, but she tells him that they discovered little more than a disturbance or flash of light, but that at least one transport just vanished in that area. Sheridan knows that it can't be the raiders, as they are out of commission, but something is clearly going on. He asks what squadrons are available to investigate, and she tells him that alpha and zeta squadrons are unavailable, and the leader of delta squadron is sick. She offers to reassign the leader's second to command, but Sheridan decides to do it himself. Ivanova insists he take a full escort with him, and he agrees, though she is still uneasy about his going on the mission. "I'll be in and out in an hour," he tells her. "What could go wrong?"

Meanwhile, a group of several Narn ships is attacked by a huge ship. All of the Narn ships are destroyed, and the pilots killed, except for one Narn pilot, whom the ship brings into its depths with a blue beam.

Lennier arrives in the docking bay, where Delenn is waiting, and he tells her that her flier is recharged, and can leave at any time. He has borrowed a flier as well and intends to accompany her. She tries to dissuade him, in case her disfavor with the Council becomes associated with him, but he insists.

Sheridan arrives in his quarters and receives a message from Ivanova, telling him that his escort is ready for him and that General Hague is arriving earlier than planned. She complains that she should have been informed of the General's visit, but Sheridan tells her that it is a private matter, and nothing to worry about. And since he will have returned from his trip by the time the general arrives, there is nothing to worry about.

Delenn and Lennier arrive at the Grey Council's ship. She tells him that he must wait outside while she enters the Council chamber. He tells her that he will wait, and pray, for her. "Until later, Satai," he says to her as she enters the chamber.

Sheridan and his escort explore sector 92, but they find no debris or strange radiation there. They prepare to return to the jumpgate and Babylon 5, when a jump point forms, and a large, strangely-configured ship emerges. Sheridan orders his people to take evasive action. The ship fires on him. He manages to eject right before his ship explodes, but most of the other starfury pilots aren't so lucky--with the exception of one starfury, the rest are destroyed trying to rescue the captain. The starfury that remains is disabled by a blast from the strange ship. The pilot, Lt. Ramirez, is the only one to see Sheridan's ejection pod be taken aboard the ship.

[Movie] [Movie] Sheridan in peril.

Ramirez receives a message from his computer, telling him that the ship has been severely disabled and that a leak in the fusion reactor has caused radiation in the ship to reach terminal levels. Since the communication system is not functioning, he redirects all the energy he can to the system controls, and re-enters the jumpgate he came through.

Ivanova greets General Hague, who arrives in the docking bay. He asks where Captain Sheridan is, and Ivanova tells him that he had to look into another problem. Hague says it is unlike Sheridan to be late, but Ivanova tries to convince him that nothing is wrong, and takes Hague to C&C.

Sheridan awakes to find himself in a strange, cavernous room on the alien ship, strapped to a table. He calls out, to see if his abductors are there, but no one answers. A panel opens in the ceiling and a strange device with surgical implements is lowered into the room above his head. Sheridan tries to shy away from the machine as it edges closer to his face.

Delenn stands in her light at the Grey Council, surprised to find no other council members there. She addresses the Council in the traditional fashion, but is greeted only by Hedronn appearing out of the shadows, telling her that the rest of the Council will not come. She tells him that she was summoned, but Hedronn tells her that she was not called to serve on the Council, but rather receive judgement. She says she is allowed a hearing and entitled to defend herself, but Hedronn disagrees. "You were told to wait," he says to her, "before taking this action. Before becoming alien to us. You have been away from us for too long, Delenn. Your contact with the humans has changed more than your appearance. If you are no longer one of us, how can you be one of the Nine?" She tries to convince him that her heart has not changed, but he says that the Council no longer knows her heart. He tells her that the Council voted to remove her from their number.

"You were told to wait."

Before she leaves, she asks about her position as Ambassador to Babylon 5. He says they haven't decided on that yet, but that she has the right to make a statement to the Council. She thanks him and asks who her replacement to the Council was. Hedronn doesn't answer, and only says that she will be called when the Council is ready.

Ivanova and General Hague are unable to contact Sheridan, and are about to try something else when Ramirez's starfury comes through the jump gate. Ivanova scans the ship, learning that it has been shot up pretty badly and there are minimal life signs. She calls down to MedLab to inform Dr. Franklin.

Sheridan lies on the table, three spots on his face bleeding profusely as the alien device retracts into the ceiling. He calls out again, but there's no answer. A long metal bar falls to the floor as his restraints come off of their own accord. He sits up just in time to miss being hit by a Drazi wielding a similar metal bar. Sheridan tries to speak to the Drazi, but finds the only way he can communicate is by grabbing the metal rod and fighting. The alien doesn't respond to anything Sheridan says, but apparently is controlled by a device attached to its head. Sheridan asks who his captors are and why they are doing this, but receives no response. They continue fighting, and Sheridan eventually triumphs as the Drazi is accidentally impaled on his own weapon.

Hoping the worst is over, Sheridan is surprised to see another alien appear, this time a Narn -- the same one captured by the aliens earlier -- swinging a sword at him furiously. The Narn says nothing to Sheridan, but is also apparently controlled by a device attached to his head. Sheridan and attempts to fight off the Narn, and suffers little more than a cut to the leg, but when the Narn corners Sheridan and has the chance to kill him, the Narn says to him, "Kill me!" Sheridan realizes that their alien abductors probably kidnapped them to do battle. Sheridan defends himself, eventually knocking the Narn to the ground. Sheridan checks the Narn and discovers that, luckily, he is still alive.

"Kill me!"

Dr. Franklin does everything he can to help Ramirez, but before he can even really begin to do anything, Ramirez dies. Garibaldi tries to convince Dr. Franklin that he did everything he could, but Franklin just backs off. Ivanova arrives and reports to Garibaldi that they learned from the starfury's data record that Sheridan has been taken aboard an alien vessel of unknown origin and design.

The Grey Council has convened, and Delenn enters the Council chamber and stands in a blue light in the center of the other members. She addresses them. "For twenty cycles I have stood beside you as one of the Nine. I called many of you friends. Now you call me outcast. You know me. You know I believe in the task that is before us, the great war that is coming. I have not turned my back on you. In trying to help, I have sacrificed all that I was and all that I am. We can no longer allow ourselves to be separated by names and borders. Our two sides must unite or be destroyed. Do not make my sacrifice a vain one. Allow me to finish what I started. In the name of our friendship, the future of our people -- let me remain on Babylon 5."

"I am more than happy to have you remain with the humans," a voice from behind her says. Delenn turns around, knowing that this is her successor. She says she doesn't know him, but he says she does. He removes his hood, and she recognizes him as Neroon of the Warrior Caste, from the Starrider's clan. Delenn doesn't understand. Valen chose three Minbari from each caste -- the Worker, the Religious, and the Warrior -- to serve on the Grey Council. Her replacement should have been from the Religious caste. She cannot understand why the Warrior caste had been given such great power. Neroon tells her that the Warrior caste is the caste that has suffered the most over the ages, dying as they defended the Minbari, and that, if a great war is coming, the Warrior caste should lead against it. She doesn't think the Warrior caste should be allowed to make policy. Neroon tells her that the Warrior caste was lied to and never told the reason for the Minbari surrender against the humans; if they'd known the truth, they never would have surrendered. He says that Delenn is an affront to the Minbari race and that she doesn't belong with either the Minbari or the humans, which makes her the perfect emissary. He tells her to go to Babylon 5 -- and stay there. The lights around the other Council members blink out, leaving Delenn alone in the chamber.

All alone in the night.

Sheridan sits beside the defeated Narn, who awakes to discover that Sheridan has removed the device on his head. Sheridan tells the Narn that there is no food or water for them. Sheridan says the Narn and the other alien were the only other living beings he's seen. He asks the Narn why they've been captured, and the Narn says they were captured as specimens so that their captors can study and analyze other races, possibly in preparation for an invasion. Sheridan tells the Narn that they are probably being tested to see how they react toward other species. Sheridan tells the Narn he will get him to a doctor, but that they must escape first. Sheridan asks the Narn why he wanted him to kill him. The Narn says, "There is no escape. Better to die," just as he falls unconcious.

Delenn emerges from the Council chamber. "Satai Delenn?" Lennier asks, but she says that she is only Delenn now. She tells him that the Grey Council thinks she can best serve her people by staying on Babylon 5. Lennier says that the Council is very wise, so their decision must be correct. Delenn tries to convince Lennier to leave her and go home to his family, but he says that he will stay by her side. She remembers the first time they met; she wants them to be treated as equals now. "Very soon now, I will be going into darkness and fire. I do not know if I am fated to walk out again. If it is your choice to come with me, then I could not wish for a better, or braver, companion." They leave together.

General Hague asks Ivanova about a recent sighting of the alien ship, and Ivanova tells him that they have attacked twice more, as if they are collecting specimens. Hague says that that may be their weakness -- the longer they take collecting specimens, the more time Babylon 5 has to find them. Luckily, Ivanova enlisted the help of the alien ambassadors, and Hague put in some messages of his own. As he is telling Ivanova this, the Agamemnon, Captain Sheridan's previous command, enters through the jumpgate, ready to assist Babylon 5 as necessary.

Sheridan is lying down in his alien prison, barely able to keep from falling asleep. Soon, he succumbs, and has a dream...

...He is in his own quarters, which are very dark. He turns, looks across the room, and sees Ivanova standing there, her hair draped over her left shoulder. She puts her finger over her mouth and says, "Shh." A large black raven appears on her shoulder. "Do you know who I am?" she asks him. He turns around and looks behind...

...and finds himself somewhere else, a corridor on Babylon 5. He looks above him and sees himself standing on a platform, bathed in an eerie white light. The Sheridan on the platform shifts his gaze. He sees another figure on the platform -- Garibaldi, also bathed in the white light, and with a small white bird, a dove, sitting on his shoulder. "The man in between is searching for you," Garibaldi tells Sheridan. Sensing another figure behind him, Sheridan turns...

...and finds himself wearing a black Psi-Cop uniform, complete with badge. He is facing a tall figure in a veil, again Ivanova. "You are the hand," she tells him. He finds himself wearing his normal uniform and turns around again...

...this time seeing Ambassador Kosh standing there. "Why are you here?" Sheridan asks him.

"We were never away," Kosh intones. "For the first time, your mind is quiet enough to hear me."

"Why am I here?"

"You have always been here," Kosh says...

...and Sheridan awakes. He looks at the wall beside him and notices that it is, in fact, movable. He looks at the Narn's sword, sitting beside him, and begins developing a plan.

Delenn and Lennier make contact with Babylon 5, telling them of their impending arrival. Delenn asks if there is a problem, and C&C tells them that Sheridan is missing. Delenn tells them to send her the information. After looking at the information, Delenn informs Babylon 5 that she knows something about the ship they are searching for. "The ship which has taken Captain Sheridan is known to us. They are called the Streibs. Over the years, they have sent out ships to investigate defenses and acquire samples of any life forms they encountered. Their last expedition was into Minbari space. We tracked them back to their homeworld and made sure they understood the depth of their mistake." Delenn transmits the coordinates of the Streib homeworld.

The Narn wakes as Sheridan attempts, with great difficulty, to open a door he has discovered. The Narn helps him as the ship is rocked -- Sheridan believes it is because they jumped back into normal space, either stopping to pick up more life forms, or because they've arrived at the alien homeworld. The latter turns out to be true; the Agamemnon and several Starfuries emerge from a jump point near the Streib ship, guns blazing.

[Movie] The Streibs under attack.

Delenn contacts the Streibs and instructs them to release their prisoners. Sheridan and the Narn, surmising that the ship is under attack, use the distraction to lift the walls and finally escape beyond the room. The Narn wants Sheridan to leave him behind, but Sheridan will not do so. After taking care of a passing Streib, a survival pod opens up nearby. Sheridan grabs the Narn and drags him into one.

At the same moment, the Streibs decide to eject all of their captives into space. This incenses Ivanova, who orders the Streibs to be destroyed, which the Agamemnon is easily able to accomplish with a few blasts. Ivanova determines that Captain Sheridan is sending her a signal, and Sheridan and the Narn are rescued.

Back on Babylon 5, Sheridan asks Dr. Franklin how the Narn is, and he says that the Narn will live. When Sheridan asks Dr. Franklin if Ramirez will live, Dr. Franklin says that the radiation did him in. Sheridan feels sad that Ramirez had to die, and says he feels that such a young life being taken isn't fair. "No, it's not," Dr. Franklin tells him. "Death never is." Sheridan, still pondering the situation, leaves MedLab. In the hallway outside, he turns around and sees Ambassador Kosh.

"You have always been here," Kosh tells him, and turns away.

Sheridan is in his quarters when General Hague arrives. Hague activates a small device, which he explains is to counteract any listening devices that may be in the room. Sheridan expresses anger to the general that it has taken so long for someone to debrief him. Hague explains that this is due to the death of President Santiago, and asks what Sheridan learned. Sheridan tells him that Garibaldi, Ivanova, and the rest are all good, loyal officers, and that he doesn't like having to spy on them. Hague tells Sheridan that Santiago knew that Babylon 5 was important, and that, if he died, President Clark would appoint a "hard-nosed jarhead" to run it. Sheridan's record made him appear that way, so he was a perfect choice. Figuring that Sheridan was pliable, Clark would leave him alone, and he could perform certain actions without the President's knowledge. Hague explains that not everyone on Earth beleves President Santiago died in an accident, and he also tells Sheridan that, though many military officers probably had a part in the assassination, they weren't in charge. Sheridan guesses that the Psi Corps is to blame; Hague agrees.

Talking to the General.

Hague tells Sheridan that it is up to them to learn what is going on, and stop it, and Sheridan can use the resources of Babylon 5 to help without Clark suspecting. Sheridan asks how Hague can be so sure that he won't inform the government of Hague's plans, and Hague explains. "A soldier's record tells a lot about a person. Not just what he's done, but how he's done it, and why. You have an uncommon failing for someone in your position, Captain. You're a patriot. You believe as I do that when we put on this uniform, we took a solemn vow to protect Earth against threats from outside, and from within. It's a difficult decision. You risk losing your entire career if you say yes. Worse still, now that you've had a chance to evaluate your staff, you have to decide if you can trust them enough to bring them in on this, knowing that you're putting them in equal jeopardy." Sheridan says it isn't much of a reward, and Hague agrees. Hague tells him that they must do something immediately and that, when he leaves, he will go back to Earth and begin the operation. He says Sheridan's help is essential if they are to retake Earth's government, and asks Sheridan for his decision.

Ivanova arrives outside Sheridan's quarters, and is let in, only to find Garibaldi and Franklin there with Sheridan. Sheridan tells her to sit down, and activates a device similar to Hague's to render any listening devices useless. "Ever since the death of president Santiago, something unpleasant's been going on back home. You know it, and I know it. We've stood by too long. That's going to change. Quietly, discreetly, an inch at a time--for now, strictly within the rules. We have to do something, or risk losing everything we hold dear. Now, we'll get some help from inside Earth Dome, but the bottom line: if anything goes wrong, we're on our own." He offers each of them the chance to leave before they hear something they may have to report, but each of them declines.

"We're with you Captain," Ivanova says. "Wherever this goes, however it ends, we're with you."

And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder

Overview

The evidence of a Centauri connection to the cargo ship attacks is revealed to the Alliance. 
P5 Rating: 9.21

Production number: 517
Original air date: June 10, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Goran Gajic

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)

Before dawn, Sheridan awakes and find Delenn missing; she is in the living room, staring silently at a candle. Sheridan asks her to come in and sleep, as she will need all her strength in the morning. But she does not answer. The morning finds her still in front of the candle.

"There comes a moment in everyone's life," Sheridan tells the Alliance Council, "when you have to do something you would rather not do. When you know something you would rather not know. This is one such moment." Having promised to come forward with any conclusive evidence he finds, Sheridan is now ready to reveal to the Council the evidence that indicates the Centauri Republic is behind the attacks on Alliance shipping lines.

The Council meeting is closed; everyone is there, except for Londo and Vir. They were not invited, and when Londo tries to go in, he is stopped by Zack and armed security guards.

On his way to testify before the Council, Dr. Franklin drops off his evidence in Londo's quarters. Autopsies of bodies killed in the attacks reveal that the frequency and type of energy weapon used in the attacks are consistent with Centauri-manufactured weapons. Then comes Garibaldi, who also stops by Londo's quarters. Garibaldi confirms that the weapons were used in typical Centauri fashion. He also shows the button that he tore from one of his attackers in the Drazi homeworld ("The Ragged Edge"), a button that Londo has identified as part of the uniform of the Palace Guards in the Centauri Royal Court. He also explains that only one Centauri vessel has been attacked in the last three months: an old ship, scheduled to be scrapped for parts, and that apparently carried no cargo or crew.

Finally, G'Kar stops by Londo's quarters. Londo asks if he is there do drop off his evidence, what he saw and heard on Centauri Prime while pretending to be Londo's bodyguard ("A Tragedy of Telepaths").

"I was not pretending," G'Kar answers. "I went to Centauri Prime as your guest, your protector. Perhaps even as your conscience. But not as anyone's eyes and ears. So, no, I will not be testifying before the council." He mentions Londo's concerns over the increased war production, and the secrecy surrounding ship movements. G'Kar believes Londo knew something was happening, but that he did not know what until now.

"Don't tell me what you think I know!" Londo snaps back. "Still, I suspect I should thank you for respecting my privacy." So, why is G'Kar there? To let Londo know the Council is ready to see him.

At the Council, Londo denounces the evidence as inconclusive and circumstancial. The Centauri have sold weapons to many other worlds, including many Alliance members. He also points out that many weapons and ships were left behind on Narn. Perhaps the Narn are trying to throw blame on the Centauri?

But Sheridan has one more piece of evidence left: the recording Lennier made of the secret Centauri staging area and the attack he witnessed ("Darkness Ascending"). The alien ambassadors are outraged, and Londo is clearly shocked. He withdraws to consult with his government. Sheridan has a message for the Centauri: because of its actions, the Centauri Republic will now stand alone. The Alliance will blockade Centauri space until the Centauri Government acknowledges and apologizes for the attacks, and reparations are provided.

Hours later, Londo finally hears back from the Royal Court: the Regent has pronounced the evidence a fraud. The Minister offers two explanations: one, that the material is a deliberate fraud. But Londo dismisses this; if Lennier says he saw the attack, then he saw it, exactly as he described. This leaves option number two, says the Minister: that the incident was staged for Lennier's benefit, probably by the Narn. Londo and Vir are both very doubtful of this explanation. But the Regent has drafted a response to the Alliance:

"Item one," Londo tells the council, "the Centauri Republic categorically denies any involvement with these attacks. We are the victims, victims of an elaborate hoax. We will identify those responsible when more information is at hand. Item two: the Centauri Republic will not be threatened or intimidated by anyone, including those we might once have considered friends. As a result, effective immediately, we are withdrawing from the Alliance."

Finally, the Centuari do not recognize the legality of the blockade. Warships will accompany all Centauri transports, and anyone firing on the transports will be considered to be committing an act of war.

Londo will leave for Centauri Prime immediately, despite Sheridan's warning that he will not be allowed back on board Babylon 5 until the situation is resolved, if ever. Vir tries to stop Londo, but Londo wants to get to the bottom of this, find those who are truly responsible. He figures the Council will back down when the truth comes out, even apologize. Vir is to stay behind, a link to the Alliance.

Delenn goes to G'Kar's quarters at his request. G'Kar will again accompany Londo to Centauri Prime as his bodyguard, to protect him from those within his government who have kept this information from him. G'Kar figures Londo will find out who is behind it, and stop the attacks, of which Londo would never approve. Londo is, by G'Kar's estimation, their last chance to stop the war, and so he must be protected. Finally, G'Kar has written some new chapters for his book, trying to correct some of the things he wrote at the beginning, when he was an angrier person. If things go badly, he wants Delenn to make sure these chapters reach Narn.

"G'Kar, have I ever told you that you are one of the finest writers that I have ever met?" asks Delenn, "And that it has been an honor to work besides you in the Alliance?" "Not in words," he answers. "But the thing about losing one eye is that it makes you look deeply into the eyes of another. I found in yours all the things I will ever need in this life, or in any other."

Sheridan has been trying to reach Garibaldi for about an hour without success. He asks Zack to find Michael and have him meet Sheridan, urgently. Garibaldi has passed out in his quarters. Although he tries to hide his drunkenness when he finally opens the door, Zack easily finds him out. At first, Garibaldi lashes out at Zack, but Zack doesn't back down. If this goes on, Garibaldi will hurt himself, and take many people with him on the way down. Zack is his friend, and doesn't want Garibaldi to throw it all away, after so much hard work. But he doesn't know if he will turn him in. Garibaldi asks for some time to work a few things out, and Zack agrees... for now.

In hyperspace, a lone White Star keeps tabs on a Centauri armed convoy. Sheridan explains it to Garibaldi: the Centauri have made good on their threat, and all transports are traveling under escort. On the Alliance side, the alien worlds have stationed warships at their jumpgates. A confrontation is inevitable, since the Centauri are unlikely to hesitate to open fire on them. What Sheridan proposes is to use the White Star fleet as a buffer between the two sides. Some ships are following the Centauri, and will radio in when the Centauri are about to jump. Garibaldi will coordinate the information, and arrange to have as many White Stars as possible waiting when the Centauri jump into normal space, stationed between the opposing forces. He hopes even the Centauri will back down from firing on the White Stars. It is an important and difficult assignment, and it may be the only way to prevent an all-out war. "You can rely on me," Garibaldi promises. "I'll get it done."

On Centauri Prime, the Palace is heavily guarded and many ships fly overheard. The Minister keeps Londo away from the Regent, and later prevents Vir from Contacting Londo. The Centauri Government is preparing for war, and is isolating itself from Babylon 5.

In his quarters, Garibaldi has again passed out, and misses an incoming report. The Centauri are confronted by several Drazi ships when they jump in, and the only White Star in the vicinity is the one that was following the convoy. It is not enough: a firefight soon starts.

Vir is moved to different quarters to protect him from the other aliens, almost too late. He and Franklin have to fight off some Brakiri, who want to take out their anger on Vir.

In the Council Chambers, Garibaldi claims they just missed the convoy; in an operation this complicated, it was bound to happen. Then, the alien ambassadors break in, demanding action. Where is the support Sheridan promised? Why are the White Stars not attacking the Centauri? In the ensuing yelling match, Sheridan finally loses his patience:

"We gave you a promise, and we are bound by that promise," he yells angrily. "And damn you for asking for it! And damn me for agreeing to it! And damn us all to hell, because that is exactly where we are going! We talked about peace. You didn't want peace! We talked about cooperation. You didn't want cooperation! You want war! Is that it? You want a war? Well, you have a war!"

In the middle of the night, Londo is awakened by the Minister, who is followed by armed guards. The Alliance has issued a formal declaration of war; all communication with Babylon 5 has been severed for security reasons. And since G'Kar is still on the Advisory Board of the Alliance, he is to be arrested. Londo tries to stop it, but it is an order from the Regent. It must be obeyed on pain of death. Although G'Kar is willing to endure the Centauri cells once more, Londo will have none of it. G'Kar is his guest: where Londo goes, G'Kar goes, and where G'Kar goes, Londo goes.

"Don't worry," Londo tells G'Kar. "Even one as arrogant as this one would not take it upon himself to imprison his own Prime Minister."

Later, as the cell door closes on both Londo and G'Kar, Londo turns to G'Kar: "Shut up."

On Babylon 5, Sheridan joins Delenn in prayer...

And Now For a Word

Overview

Babylon 5 is embroiled in a deadly conflict between the Narn and Centauri; an ISN reporter covers the story and tours the station. Kim Zimmer as Cynthia Torqueman. Christopher Curry as Senator Quantrell. 
Sub-genre: Introduction/Intrigue
P5 Rating: 8.43

Production number: 214
Original air date: May 3, 1995
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mario DiLeo

Watch For

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

And Now For a Word

Transcript by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

Note: Due to the unusual format of this episode, a transcript is being used instead of a typical synopsis. The idea of a transcript has JMS' blessing.

Bold text appeared as subtitles onscreen. Emphasized text indicates a description of something. (If your browser doesn't show one or both of those styles, don't worry; it's usually obvious from the context.)

Horizontal lines separate major scenes; small shifts in location that might still be considered the same scene are noted by three asterisks (* * *).

(Brief technical note) The inline images use HTML 3.0 alignment attributes; their placement may look a little odd on HTML 2.0 browsers, but not obnoxiously so.

ISN Network
"36 Hours"
September 16, 2259

Announcer
We interrupt your evening schedule to bring you the following special program. September 16, 2259. The Interstellar Network News presents "36 Hours on Babylon 5" with your host, Cynthia Torqueman, reporting live from the ISN News Center, in Geneva.

Torqueman (at anchor desk)
Good evening, I'm Cynthia Torqueman. In the hundred or so years since humanity went to the stars, we've established outposts and colonies on over two dozen worlds in fourteen solar systems. Out of all those far-flung outposts, only the Mars Colony, plagued by scattered groups of separatists, who have used acts of terror to intimidate the Earth-loyal majority, has proven more controversial than the Earth Alliance station, Babylon 5. Located in a sector of space near Epsilon Iridani, designated neutral territory, Babylon 5 has defied the odds and continued to operate as a free port, a center for diplomacy, and a showpiece for the Earth Alliance Resources and Technologies division. From its highly publicized debut three years ago, recent polls indicate a growing dissatisfaction with the time, money, and effort consumed by this space-borne community. So, tonight, we take you to the center of the controversy. An ISN crew and I recently spent 36 hours aboard Babylon 5, asking hard questions and, on occasion, get in a little over our heads. In the process of putting this report together, it didn't take us long to learn the most important rule of survival aboard Babylon 5: expect the unexpected.

Video Footage
(The bridge of a ship. Babylon 5 is visible outside, with two much smaller ships in front of it)

Torqueman (voiceover)
This footage was shot from our position on the bridge of the Earth transport Heyerdahl, on the final approach to Babylon 5. The voices you are hearing are those of the ship's captain and B5 Command and Control.
Ivanova
Confirmed Heyerdahl. We...Narn transport N'ton, return to your holding position at once. I repeat, return to your...
Narn ship
Shadraka.
Ivanova
Centauri vessel Malios, break off.
Narn
N'tok! N'tok!

(The Narn ship fires on the Centauri ship several times, destroying it.)

Torqueman (at anchor desk)
A terrible explosion, conspiracy involving several of these individuals [pictures of Sheridan, Londo, and G'kar appear over her shoulder], lies, deception, and the deaths of hundreds of people. All this and more on "36 Hours Aboard Babylon 5," here on the Interstellar Network News. We'll be back with our story right after this break.

Announcer
"36 hours...," sponsored by Interplanetary Expeditions. Exploring the past to create a better future.

Commercial break

Torqueman (from a chaotic docking bay)
Thirty minutes ago, a Narn vessel opened fire on a Centauri transport without warning or explanation. The bodies of the dead and wounded are being brought to this central docking area for transfer to various MedLab facilities on Babylon 5, which are already working beyond maximum capacity. Behind me is Dr. Stephen Franklin, Chief of Staff. Doctor? Doctor Franklin?

Franklin (to medical assistants)
...for immediate surgery and full CAT scan. I need more regent packs over here, people.

Torqueman
Dr. Franklin, Cynthia Torqueman, ISN news. What happened here?

Franklin
I don't know. Somebody said something about an ambush. (to assistants) All right, keep his head elevated thirty degrees minimum or he'll choke on his own blood.

Torqueman
Can you say what the reason was...

Franklin
I'm sorry...

Torqueman
Captain Sheridan! Cynthia Torqueman, ISN news. Do you have any comment on what just happened here?

Sheridan
No, no comment at this time. (to Franklin) Doctor...

Torqueman
What about the Narn vessel that attacked the transport.

Sheridan
We dispatched a fighter wing to apprehend them. We won't know anything more until they're in protective custody. If you will excuse me please.

Ambassador Londo Mollari, Centauri Republic
This is exactly the kind of behavior that endangers the very purpose of Babylon 5. This place is dedicated to finding peaceful solutions to our problems. For the Narn to carry their vendetta against our people into neutral territory like this is reckless and irresponsible. And though we mourn our own losses, we have felt strongly about our friends from Earth, ever since we first encountered your world a hundred years ago. To endanger your people for no reason...

Torqueman
Then the attack on your transport was completely unprovoked?

Ambassador Mollari
Of course.

* * *

Ambassador G'kar, Narn Regime
He's lying.

Torqueman
Then can you tell us why your ship opened fire on the Centauri transport?

G'kar
I'll issue a statement after I have consulted with my government.

Torqueman
Are you saying your government sanctioned this attack?

G'kar
No.

Torqueman
Do you think attacks of this nature put everybody aboard Babylon 5 in unnecessary jeopardy?

G'kar
We are already in far greater jeopardy than you can possibly imagine.

Torqueman
For all the apparent danger in this part of space, it seems to have had little effect on travel. Nearly a quarter of a million humans and aliens are here at any given moment. While most are in transit to distant worlds, many others actually live and work here. What does it take to call a place like this home?

* * *

Eduardo Delvientos. Dock Supervisor. Guild dockworkers on B5: 1500.
Well, it's a...it's a job. I've been in a lot worse places, let me tell you. It gets crazy around here sometimes, you got fifty, sixty ships a day coming through here, loading and unloading, and every last one of them is a priority job, at least that's what they tell us. (to a worker) Hey, watch those crates over there. Get 'em over to the side. No, no, the other side. (to Torqueman) We had a couple of problems here last year, try to hit us with some budget cuts. You know, same old song. But that's the past. You gotta go along to get along, you know what I mean?

Second Lieutenant David Corwin. Earthforce personnel on B5: 6500.
Overall, I've found this to be a good working environment, and a valuable experience. I've learned a lot while I've been here.

Torqueman
And you've never felt that your safety has been compromised?

Corwin
No ma'am.

Torqueman
So this has been a positive experience for you?

(Corwin smiles and nods)

Torqueman
You enjoy working with everyone?

Corwin
(Glancing at Ivanova over left shoulder) Yes. It's a calm, pleasant environment. I don't think I've ever seen anyone get upset here.

Captain John J. Sheridan. Recipient, Earthforce Silver Star for Valor in Minbari War.
I guess it's the old joke, "You don't have to be crazy to work here, but it helps." I suppose there is a...certain attraction to being out here on the edge like this. A new frontier...

Torqueman
New frontier is right. When Babylon 5 went online in 2257, oddsmakers from New Vegas to Lloyds of London were predicting it wouldn't last six months.

Sheridan
Hmm. Well, I've never been very much on gambling. Never quite found the time for it.

Torqueman
You were originally a starship captain, correct?

Sheridan
Yeah. The Agamemnon. She was a real beauty. One of the first Omega class destroyers to come off the assembly line after the war. Our job was part military patrol, part diplomatic mission. We went around to most of the Non- Aligned Worlds, put in an appearance, kept the peace, that sort of thing.

Torqueman
Babylon 5 has been through some dramatic changes in administration since it became operational. Would you attribute these changes to...bad management, or, to quote former Senator Hidoshi, "Is this horse just to big for anybody to ride?"

Sheridan
Changes are part of the military life. Everybody goes into this knowing that tomorrow you could be someplace you hadn't even heard of 24 hours ago. I've been stationed so many places over the years I can't even remember most of them. But you're right. Some days this is one hell of a big horse.

Dr. Stephen Franklin. Chief of Staff. Medlab facility. Speciality: Xenobiology
You know what the folks back home don't understand, the ones who've never left Earth, is just how dangerous space can be. Aside from incidents like this, just the everyday reality of living your days and nights in a big tin can surrounded by a vacuum. I remember my first time on a transport, on the Moon-Mars run. I was just a kid, maybe seventeen. A buddy of mine was messing around, and zipping through the halls, and he hid in one of the airlocks. I don't know, I guess he was gonna try to scare us or something, I don't know...But just as I got close, he must have hit the wrong button because the air doors slammed shut, the space doors opened, and he just flew out into space. You know, the one thing they never tell you is that you don't die instantly in vacuum. Just hung there, against the black, like a puppet with his strings all tangled up. Or one of those old cartoons where you run off the edge of a cliff and your legs keep going. You could see that he was trying to breathe, but there was nothing. The one thing I remember, when they pulled in his body, his eyes were frozen. A lot of people make jokes about spacing somebody, about shoving somebody out an airlock. I don't think it's funny. Never will.

Torqueman
Although the airlocks on Babylon 5 are considerably safer, the last three years have shown that the station itself is anything but secure. In its first year of operation, there were half a dozen murders, three acts of sabotage including a bomb that blew out two levels, and a barely averted attack by the Vorlon Empire. Since then, there have been fifty deaths by violence. So the question remains, given its cost in lives and money, is Babylon 5 serving any useful purpose, or, as we're about to see, is the whole thing falling apart at the seams?

G'kar
I've just been briefed by my government, and I'm prepared to issue the following statement. The Centauri ship that was attacked by one of our vessels was not simply a commercial transport. It was secretly transferring weapons of mass destruction to ships bound for the front lines where they were to be used in the war against our people. They have turned Babylon 5 into a weapons supply post, and we cannot allow this to continue, even if it means shutting down Babylon 5 completely.

commercial break
Announcer
"36 Hours on Babylon 5" continues with Cynthia Torqueman.

Torqueman (at anchor desk)
According to figures released by the newly-formed office of public morale, President William Clark has risen to dramatic new levels of popularity, because of his administration's emphasis on addressing the needs of Earth. As a result, recent hearings in Earthdome have openly questioned how much time and money should be invested in a project that seems perpetually bogged down in non-human conflict. So, we took that question to Senator Ronald Quantrell.

* * *

Senator Ronald Quantrell. Chairman: Babylon 5 Senate Oversight Committee. (in his office)
Well, obviously, Babylon 5 is something President Santiago believed in very strongly and I think we owe it to his memory to try to make it work.

Torqueman
That doesn't exactly sound like a ringing endorsement.

Quantrell
Well, clearly we've taken a lot of heat, and the cost overruns have been appropriately astronomical. But let's remember that the Babylon Project was conceived right after the Earth-Minbari war. At that time, the idea of a diplomatic station designed to keep anything like that from happening again was very appealing.

Torqueman
And now?

Quantrell
Now? Well...still too early to tell. Certainly we've rebuilt our military forces to a point far in advance of where they were fourteen years ago. If the Earth-Minbari war started today, I think things might have gone a little differently. So, while I'm not sure how much...concrete benefit we really derive from Babylon 5 any longer, I suppose it still does keep us in a highly visible position with other races, and of course it's very important to interstellar commerce and trade.

* * *

Sheridan
Well, with all due respect to Senator Quantrell, speaking as someone who did his part in the front lines, I'd have to say we still haven't fully recovered from the Minbari war. And we haven't anywhere near the level of technology we would need in the event of another major conflict. And anybody who thinks that we could hold our own with the Minbari, the Centauri, and, God forbid, the Vorlons, is just plain kidding himself.

Torqueman
You sound angry about it.

Sheridan
No, I'm not. It just...it just sounds to me like...like jingoism and self-deception and armchair quarterbacking. Any time you lose a war, you just...you just wait a few years, and you'll hear from everyone who thought that we could have won if they'd have done the fighting.

Torqueman
Except, of course, Captain, we didn't lose the war. The Minbari did surrender.

Sheridan
(Pause, then smile) Of course.

Torqueman
Who are the people who run Babylon 5, and what do they do here? What are their hopes and dreams? I'm standing in what's called the Observation Dome, or C&C, short for Command and Control. When the Captain is otherwise engaged with diplomatic or business affairs, this place is under the watchful eye of its perky and energetic commander, Susan Ivanova.

Commander Susan Ivanova (to a ship)
All right, make one more sweep pulling in whatever you got, then head for the barn.

Torqueman
Commander Ivanova, would you mind telling us what it is you're doing here?

Ivanova (showing her a control panel displaying the HAZMAT team)
We're investigating Ambassador G'kar's allegations that the Centauri transport was carrying weapons, justifying his government's attack. The HAZMAT team outside is checking the debris for any unusual levels of radiation or trace elements that could indicate the presence of unauthorized weapons.

Torqueman
While we wait for the analysis, would you mind telling us a little about yourself, how you got here?

Ivanova
Well, there's really not much to tell. I was born in the Russian Consortium, but spent most of my life at school abroad. Graduated from OTC ten years ago.

Torqueman
How did you come to join Earthforce?

Ivanova
After my brother Ganya was killed in the war, I felt that I had to try and finish what he started. Of course, as my luck runs, the war was over before I saw any action.

Torqueman
Now, Commander, I'm sure there's more to your story than that.

Ivanova
Yes.

Security Chief Michael Garibaldi
What do I hope for? I hope to get through this interview without getting myself fired. How's that for a start? Hmm. I don't know, it's one of those questions I don't think about in words. Maybe because so many times it seems like, if I say what I want, it never comes.

Torqueman
There must be something.

Garibaldi
Yeah. There are...little hopes I guess. Every day I get up and I hope nothing will happen. I'd love to be just bored out of my skull for twenty-four hours. And, uh, I guess I keep hoping that someday, somewhere I'll make a difference. That at the end of the day, everything we've gone through for the past few years will, uh, mean something.

Ivanova (over communicator)
Garibaldi, we just got back the HASMAT report. We've got a problem.

Garibaldi (getting up)
See what I mean? Always something.

Torqueman
So far, we've spent most of our time here talking to the humans, but aliens make up nearly forty-two percent of Babylon 5's population. Many of them live here in the so-called "Alien Sector," which provides alternate atmospheres for fourteen different species. Ironically, the "Alien Sector" is how the aliens here refer to the human part of the station proving once again that beauty... and the beast...are in the eye of the beholder. Probably the most elusive of all the aliens is Ambassador Kosh Naranek, a representative of the Vorlon Empire, sent here roughly two years ago. Nothing is known of the Vorlons, in fact three expeditions sent into Vorlon space over the years have never returned. The Vorlon government said they had met with accidents...and suggested no further expeditions. Even their appearance is a mystery, compounded by the fact that Ambassador Kosh can only leave his quarters in an encounter suit, which contains his atmosphere and other life support equipment. A few moments ago, while we were setting up this shot, we got our first glimpse of the Vorlon as he was leaving his quarters just behind me. This is an ISN exclusive, presented here for the first time.

Video Footage
(Cynthia Torqueman, wearing an oxygen mask, is speaking with someone else also wearing a mask.)
Man's Voice
It's Ambassador Kosh, over here!
Torqueman
Maxie, quick, the camera!
(The camera pans to reveal Ambassador Kosh.)
Torqueman
Ambassador Kosh! Ambassador! Cynthia Torqueman, ISN news. Can we ask you a few questions?
(The doors in front of Kosh close.)
Torqueman
Ambassador Kosh! (to camera) Did we get that? Tell me we got that. Did we get it?

* * *

Torqueman
Second in elusiveness to the Vorlon is Ambassador Delenn of the Minbari Federation. After initially refusing several requests for an interview, she finally agreed to talk to us.

Torqueman
Since very few humans have ever been allowed on Minbar, perhaps you could start by telling us a little about your world.

Ambassador Delenn. Minbari Federation.
We are the seventh planet from our sun [a graphic of Minbar appears over her shoulder]. Almost one quarter of Minbar is covered by our north polar icecap. Because our world is rich with crystalline deposits, many of our cities are cut directly out of crystal formations. During the spring, the patterns of color caused by the light are breathtaking. Let's see, what else? We have three basic languages, Len'au, Feek, and Audronado, which is the language of the Religious Caste.

Torqueman
Can you give us an example of Audronado?

Delenn
Neech sach schnek, slem-ba. I am your friend, in peace.

Torqueman
Your appearance, though, isn't typical of your people, is it?

Delenn
No.

Torqueman
According to station records, you looked quite different a year ago. [An image of Delenn's old appearance appears over Delenn's shoulder.]

Delenn
I volunteered for this change, in the hope that it would lead to a better understanding between our peoples.

Torqueman
Over a quarter million humans were killed in the war with your people. How do you think the families of those victims will feel about your...change?

Delenn
I, uh...I don't know. I uh...I would hope...

Torqueman
I think they would feel hurt, betrayed. That by assuming a human face, you're taking a part of us you're not entitled to. What would you say to them? To all the husbands and wives and children and brothers and sisters of the people who were killed in the war with your people, and now see a Minbari...with a human face?

Delenn
I'm uh...I'm sorry, I can't...can we...can we stop this? Please?

Ivanova (over communicator)
Ambassador Delenn, you're needed in the council chambers. Ambassador? Ambassador Delenn?

Torqueman
We've just been informed that there's been a new development in the Narn attack. The Babylon 5 Advisory Council and the League of Non-Aligned Worlds have been convened to hear this update. We've been given permission to record these proceedings in the council chambers.

G'kar
And now, thanks to Commander Ivanova's investigation, we have proof of what we've been saying all along. An inspection of the destroyed Centauri has found conclusive proof that she was carrying fusion bombs and support equipment for ion cannons, mass drivers, and heavy-energy weapons!

Sheridan (banging gavel)
Now we have already filed a complaint with the Centauri government on the grounds that Babylon 5 is neutral territory, and is not to be used as a staging ground or a munitions depot.

Londo
If I may make an observation...

Sheridan
It is this kind of irresponsible activity, Ambassador, that endangers this station and everyone here. It will not be tolerated!

Londo
Classified shipments and weapons are transferred outside the station, from ship to ship. The risk to Babylon 5 is minimal.

Sheridan
Oh, we've already seen your minimal risk, Ambassador.

Londo
Caused by their attack on one of our vessels! Our ships have the right to carry any cargo they choose. We will not surrender our sovereign rights.

Delenn
The sovereign rights of any race end with the threat of innocents.

G'kar
Enough! They're doing what they always do--using details to distract us from doing what must be done! There are seven more Centauri vessels berthed outside, and I have reason to believe that they also carry weapons of mass destruction to be used against our people. My government demands that these ships be impounded and their weapons seized!

Londo
No, no, no! We will not allow this!

Sheridan (banging gavel)
This is Babylon 5's space. And here, we have sovereign rights.

Londo
Our ships will defend themselves against any who try to seize them.

Delenn
Perhaps, if the transports return to Centauri space...

G'kar
We cannot allow those ships to leave here with their weapons. They'll just turn right around and use them against us.

Sheridan
Then how do you intend to...[there is a loud sound, and the lights in the room dim suddenly] What the hell?

Ivanova (over monitor)
Captain, we need you in C&C. We've got a shooting war going on out here.

Video Footage
(Securecam 15 shows several shots being exchanged before one ship is destroyed. The blast causes debris from the ship to strike the camera, and the image fades to static.)

commercial break

Torqueman
The sounds you hear are heavy weapons on the Narn and Centauri vessels doing battle just outside Babylon 5. The station is on a priority one alert, and people are being evacuated to shelters. We're en route to C&C to try and cover the battle. As we speak, our vidsystems are being plugged into the station's external cameras and communications systems, and we should be seeing...

Video Footage
(Securecam 02 shows an image of several ships firing at each other.)
Voice of starfury pilot
Coming in. Reading five, repeat five incoming hostiles. No reply. Got the beacon targeting systems online.
(The image shifts to a camera inside a starfury cockpit.)
Voice of pilot
Delta leader to hostile vessels. You are ordered to cease fire at once. Do you copy? You are ordered to surrender or we will open fire.
(Securecam 08 shows a Centauri vessel destroyed by a Narn ship. The image shifts to Securecam 23, which captures more shooting before it is disabled by fire from a Narn ship.)

Sheridan (in C&C)
Damage report?

Ivanova
Levels brown ninety through ninety-two report damage. Hull breach in blue seventy. Dropping pressure doors.

Sheridan
Get a repair crew down there, stat.

An Officer
Aye, sir.

Sheridan
Any reply yet?

Ivanova
Negative. Hostile forces continue to fire at each other. They've started targeting our ships.

An Officer
Delta squadron requesting permission to fire.

Ivanova
Ambassadors Londo and G'kar on the link. They're saying that if we open fire on their vessels, they'll consider it an act of war.

Sheridan
Screw 'em. We have a quarter million people here to defend. If they won't stop this, we will. (to ships) All fighters, open fire. Fire at will.

Video Footage
(In the cockpit of the delta leader.)
Pilot
Roger, Babylon Control. Delta squad, open fire. Target engines and navigation if possible, but if you have to take them out, do it. (to himself) Come on. Come on. Heaters lit. Come to papa. Got it. Bombs away.
(He fires on a small Narn ship as he passes by the observation dome.)
Pilot
This is seven. Target splashed.

Ivanova
Two Narn vessels destroyed, two damaged and out of the fight. Remaining Centauri vessels are offering to surrender.

Sheridan
All right. Pick 'em up, bring 'em in, and throw them in the brig. And I want every one of those ships scanned for weapons. And tell Ambassadors G'kar and Londo that I want to see them in chambers now.

Ivanova
And what if they refuse?

Sheridan
Then you can throw them in the...

Ivanova (motioning toward camera)
Ahem.

Sheridan
Then invite them again, as firmly and politely as you can. This nonsense has gone far enough.

Torqueman
The "nonsense" Captain Sheridan referred to is the Narn-Centauri war, which, over the past several months, has grown into a conflict which threatens to spill into other systems and lead to an escalation of hostilities. Prior to the battle we just witnessed, ISN spoke with representatives from both sides, in order to better understand the history of this conflict.

G'kar
Roughly one hundred and fifty of your years ago, the Centauri came to our world. Narn was a green and fertile place then. We greeted them in peace, and spent the next hundred years in chains. But we never gave up hope. We formed a resistance, learned their secrets, turned their own machines against them, and finally drove them from our world.

Torqueman
How did you become involved with the resistance?

G'kar
My family lived in G'kamizad, one of the larger cities on Narn. My father... served in a Centauri household during the last years of the rebellion. I was barely a pouchling at the time. My mother was ill, unable to escape through the underground, so we all stayed. It was a difficult time--we were striking deep into Centauri resources. Things were tense. One day, my father spilled a cup of hot jala on the mistress of the house, and...and she had him killed. They took him out, tied his hands together, and hung him from a Jalwa tree for three days. I came to him the last night against my mother's orders, and he looked down at me. He said he was proud and to go and fight and...be all the things he never was. Then he died. The next morning I ran away and killed my first Centauri.

Torqueman
Why do you think they invaded back then?

G'kar
Why does any advanced civilization seek to destroy a less-advanced one? Because the land is strategically valuable, because there are resources that can be cultivated and exploited, but most of all, simply because they can. You have experienced much the same on your own world. There are humans for whom the words "never again" carry special meaning, as they do for us.

Torqueman
How do you respond to reports that your military has lost six out of the last seven engagements with the Centauri forces, and now the war consists mainly of holding actions and forced retreats?

G'kar
Centauri propaganda. We will never fall back. We will never surrender.

* * *

Londo
When we first met the Narn they were, what, a primitive people. We gave them technology centuries ahead of their own, took them with us to the stars, taught them laws, civilized them. They repaid us with terror and death.

Torqueman
So you're saying that the Centauri originally came to help the Narns?

Londo
Of course. And at considerable expense, I might add. Which is why we finally left. We wished them well, but the cost, you've seen.

Torqueman
Then you weren't driven off the Narn homeworld?

Londo
Please. The Narn have rewritten history enough, don't you think? If they wanted us gone, we were hardly going to force the issue. But ever since, they have grown more and more irrational, have gone out of their way to harm us, to seize Centauri territory. Finally, we had to take a stand. They were the ones who declared war. Not us. We want only peace.

Torqueman
"We want only peace." Both sides say the same thing. But as we've just seen, the reality is anything but peaceful. With the skirmish outside concluded, and the captured Centauri vessels about to undergo a complete search, things seem to have calmed down a bit.

Ivanova
What is it?

Officer
Jump point forming in sector seven.

Ivanova
Are they crazy? That's practically on top of us.

Officer
Reading one Centauri battle cruiser.

Torqueman
Maxie, do we still have a feed from the external monitors? Are they on-li...

Video Footage
(Securecam 27 shows an enormous Centauri cruiser appear through a jump point.)

Officer
We've got Ambassador Mollari on the link.

Ivanova
Put him through. Ambassador Mollari, what the hell is going on here?

Londo
I'm sorry this has come as such of a surprise, Commander, but I warned you not to interfere. You have no right to search or detain our ships. If we don't act in our own defense, we invite the same from others.

Officer
Centauri cruiser is arming weapons, opening her gun ports.

Londo
The cruiser will blockade Babylon 5 until our ships are returned to Centauri custody intact and unopened. Any ship attempting to enter or leave Babylon 5 will be fired upon, boarded, and sent back. We will use the minimum possible level of force, but if provoked, we are prepared to use deadly force. Even against Babylon 5 itself.

Announcer
ISN. The galaxy's most important network.

Commercial
(A young boy sits alone in a living room, dejected. His mother comes in.)

Mother
John, why aren't you outside playing with the other kids?

John
They hate me.

Mother
Now, John...

John
It's true. I'm just...I'm different, Mom. I can feel what they think about me, and they know I can. I called one of them a liar because I knew he wasn't telling the truth somehow. And he just kept hitting me until I said I was the liar. I just don't know what to do anymore.

(A Psi Cop appears in the far corner of the room.)

Psi Cop
Don't worry, Johnny. We'll take care of it from here.

John
Mom! Look! A Psi Cop!

Psi Cop
That's right, Johnny. You know, there a lot of other kids who feel just the same way you do. They're confused and afraid, but they don't have to be. The problem isn't that other kids don't like you, it's that they don't understand you. But we do. You're special. You're a latent telepath about to come into full bloom.

Mother
My Johnny? A telepath?

Psi Cop
Probably. But to be sure, take him down to the Psi Corps Testing Center first thing tomorrow.

Mother
How do I find one?

Psi Cop
We're everywhere...for your convenience. We have offices in schools and children's hospitals. We even have mobile testing centers that travel the country. And if he qualifies, we'll give him an education, a job, a purpose. And, we'll pay all his bills for life.

Mother
Oh my!

(A large Psi Corps symbol appears on the screen, with the words TWO WEEKS LATER below it.)

Mother
Oh, John. I can't believe it. You've come so far. Just look at you. We're all so proud.

John
And I'm proud to be part of the Psi Corps.

Psi Cop (to camera)
So remember. If you know someone who might be a telepath, or think you might be one yourself, help them get the help they need. Call the Corps!

Announcer
Call government information for more on a Psi Corps center near you. This message has been brought to you by the Ministry for Public Information and your local Psi Corps recruitment office.

(While the announcer is speaking, the words "THE PSI CORPS IS YOUR FRIEND. TRUST THE CORPS." flash across the screen for an instant.)

Other commercials
Torqueman
As we enter our thirtieth hour aboard Babylon 5, the Centauri-Narn crisis has not diminished. The various parties to the dispute have gathered in council chambers behind me, in closed session, to discuss the crisis. Meanwhile, all traffic, in or out of Babylon 5 has come to a halt, due to the Centauri blockade. [Sheridan appears from the council chambers.] Captain, any progress in the negotiations?

Sheridan
All sides are still talking. That's all I can say for now.

Torqueman
Well, is it true that some of the senate have suggested that you accomodate the Centauri by releasing their vessels without further searches?

Sheridan
As the commander of record on Babylon 5, I doubt that the senate would attempt to undermine my position in these negotiations by armchair quarterbacking. [He enters an elevator, and G'kar appears from the council chambers.]

Torqueman
Ambassador G'kar, do you have anything to say?

G'kar
Only that this should prove once and for all that the Centauri are a menace to more than just our world. This kind of thing cannot be allowed, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to make that perfectly clear to them.

Torqueman
Well, what does that mean? Ambassador G'kar!

Senator Quantrell (in his office)
Certainly the events on Babylon 5 which took place during your recent visit are emblematic of what many of us at Earthdome have been worried about for some time. By placing an Earth installation between warring factions, we risk being drawn into a conflict which has nothing to do with us, or Earth interests. If we had not been in that place at that time, the terrible loss of life might have been avoided.

Torqueman
On the other hand, senator, they are at war with one another. People die in war.

Quantrell
Yes, but it wouldn't have happened in our backyard. What happened next came with the reluctant support of Earthdome, but hundreds of deaths...I don't see how we can support that sort of thing. I'm only glad you made it out alive, Cynthia. We need all the good reporters we can get.

Torqueman
Ten minutes ago, Captain Sheridan received a coded transmission from Earthdome on the current crisis. After considerable negotiations, we've been allowed back into C&C...

Sheridan
Captain John Sheridan, Babylon 5, to Centauri cruiser. My government has rejected your demand that we release your ships. We will not consider any demand made under terrorist threat. We have activated our defense grid, and are prepared to defend all ships coming through here. Any hostile action taken by you against ships entering or leaving this station will be considered an attack on Babylon 5 itself, and we will respond accordingly. If they send back a reply, don't acknowledge it.

An Officer
Aye, captain.

Sheridan
We'll let 'em sweat for a while.

Ivanova
I hope this works. I know that our defense grid can probably hold them off, but the repurcussions...

Sheridan
Oh, they're bluffing. I can't believe they'd take on the whole station. That'd bring Earth in on the side of the Narns, and the last thing the Centauri want is a war on two fronts.

An Officer
Docking bay nine just linked in. The transport's ready to go.

Sheridan
Bring her up. Activate autopilot. We'll run the transport from here, make sure no one gets hurt. Just in case they're not bluffing.

Ivanova
Bring the maintenance bots around for a closer look.

Video Footage
(Securecam 23 shows the transport leaving Babylon 5.)
Voice
Move Securecam 23 to high overhead and Maintbot 9 through 14 at twelve-click intervals...

Ivanova
You realize that if they do attack the transport, they'll turn right around and fire on us next, figuring we'll have to retaliate.

Sheridan
I know.

Video Footage
(Maintbot 12 shows the transport making its way toward the Centauri cruiser.)

Sheridan
All tracking stations. If you see their weapons targeting us, open fire.

Video Footage
(Maintbot 17 shows the transport nearing the Centauri cruiser.)

Sheridan
Any reply from the cruiser?

An Officer
Negative, sir. No response.

Ivanova
Their weapon system is still armed. I don't like this.

Video Footage
(Maintbot 9 shows the transport begin to pass under the cruiser. The image shifts to inside the transport, where it continues under the cruiser with no problems. The image shifts back to Maintbot 9, where the transport makes its way past the cruiser.)

Ivanova (as the officers at C&C clap)
Well, the transport's through. We called their bluff.

An Officer
Getting a signal from the Centauri cruiser. They want to talk.

Sheridan
Open a channel. Let's be gracious about this.

Torqueman
Captain, any thoughts on the...

An Officer
Second jump point forming in sector ten.

Video Footage
(Maintbot 06 shows a Narn cruiser arrive through a jump point.)

Sheridan
Oh, hell. Babylon Control to Narn cruiser. We do not, repeat we do not require assistance. Do not interfere. We have the situation under control...

An Officer
Narn cruiser powering up weapon systems.

Sheridan
No! Listen to me, we do not need...

Video Footage
(Maintbot 12 shows the Narn cruiser firing on the Centauri cruiser several times, but hitting once. The image shifts to Securecam 23 where the Narn ship continues to fire, but is hit several times in return by the Centauri creature. There are explosions on both ships.)

Sheridan
All civilians to the shelters. Get me that cruiser, and I don't care how you do it.

An Officer
Aye, sir.

Video Footage
(Maintbot 02 shows the Narn ship attacking the Centauri ship, which causes a piece of debris to fly directly toward the observation dome.)

Ivanova
Close blast doors, now! [The doors close, and the Dome is rocked as the debris strikes it.]

Video Footage
(Maintbot 12 shows the two ships exchanging more fire before the Centauri cruiser is blown apart.)

An Officer
Narns have destroyed the Centauri cruiser. They're trying to open a jump point.

Ivanova
Can they make it?

An Officer
I don't think so. They're hit bad. Jump engines are malfunctioning.

Video Footage
(Maintbot 02 shows the Narn cruiser trying to generate a jump point and enter hyperspace, but the jump point looks malformed. The ship begins to explode. The view shifts to Securecam 15, which shows the remainder of the explosion of the ship.)

* * *

Torqueman (at anchor desk)
As journalists, we would be remiss in our responsibilities if we suggested that events such as those you've just witnessed were typical of the situation on Babylon 5. Like anyone else, they have good days and bad days. But there can be no question that it is a flash point that can only grow hotter as time passes. And yet, growth only comes through pain and struggle, so perhaps we should allow Babylon 5 time to realize, or one day, even exceed the dreams we have invested in it. We'll be back with some concluding thoughts right after this message.

Commercial break

Torqueman
After the crisis was over, the debris cleared, and the bodies counted, we asked each of the people involved in this story one question: Given the danger, at the end of the day, as Mr. Garibaldi said, is it worth it?

Garibaldi
Absolutely. Sure, when things get tense out here, we have to be careful. Our search of the Centauri vessels we captured proved that they were bringing in weapons of mass destruction, offloading them outside the station, and sending 'em on to the front lines. Now that we know that, we can make sure it doesn't happen anymore. We learn. That's what humans do.

* * *

Londo
Misunderstandings aside...yes, I definitely think it's worth it. We must simply work harder to make sure we communicate with each other to prevent this sort of tragic situation from ever happening again. A violent attack by Narn forces is an unacceptable response to a peaceful protest by my government. And with the intervention of Earth, perhaps we can keep them from making a similar mistake in the future.

* * *

G'kar
I don't know anymore. I used to think so, but now...

* * *

Ivanova
Yes.

* * *

Delenn
Of course it is. For the simple reason that no one else will ever build a place like this. Humans share one unique quality: they build communities. If the Narns or the Centauri or any other race built a station like this, it would be used only by their own people. But everywhere humans go, they create communities out of diverse, and sometimes hostile, populations. It is a great gift and a terrible responsibility--one that cannot be abandoned.

* * *

Quantrell
Well...I guess we'll just have to see, won't we?

* * *

Franklin (to medics)
All right, med 2. Go. Go. (to Torqueman) Look, if we weren't here right now, half the people in this room would be dead. That should be a good enough answer for anyone.

* * *

Delvientos
Sure. What, are you kidding? I have a retirement pension to make, you know?

* * *

Sheridan
Yes, but not for any of the reasons that you've probably been told. The job of Babylon 5 is not to enforce the peace, it's to create the peace. And this place was built on the assumption that we could work out our problems and build a better future. And that, to me, is the key issue. See, in the last few years, we've stumbled. We've stumbled at the death of the president, the war, and on and on. And when you stumble a lot, you...you start looking at your feet. You know, we have to make people lift their eyes back to the horizon and see the line of ancestors behind us saying, "Make my life have meaning." And to our inheritors before us saying, "Create the world we will live in." We're not just...holding jobs and having dinner. We're in the process of building the future. That's what Babylon 5 is all about. Only by making people understand that can we hope to create a better world for ourselves, and our posterity.

Torqueman
I'm Cynthia Torqueman, ISN news. Good night.

And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place

Overview

Londo uses G'Kar and Vir to gain power in the Centauri Royal Court. Sheridan is consumed by his analysis of the Shadows' strategies. Louis Turenne as Brother Theo. William Forward as Lord Refa. 
P5 Rating: 8.71

Production number: 320
Original air week: September 8, 1996 (UK)
		   October 14, 1996 (US)
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Watch For

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Jason Snell.

And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Z Minus 14 Days

The station is a flurry of activity as war preparations continue. Since they can jam the Shadows, telepaths of many races are being recruited and assigned to Army of Light patrol ships. G'Kar insists that each telepath should be given a Narn bodyguard.

Londo thinks G'Kar has been permitted to escape Centauri wrath for too long, however. Vir is appalled that Londo could care about petty revenge when the entire galaxy is suffused with war.

Appreciating Brother Theo for the stability his monks have offered in the chaos, Ivanova joins him in Docking to greet some religious "colleagues." Personal and professional rivalry aside, Brother Theo seems genuinely pleased to meet the Baptist minister, rabbi, Buddhist monk and Islamic cleric who have arrived.

Looking weary and haggard, Captain Sheridan is lost so deep in contemplation that he is oblivious to Delenn's teasing. Nothing about the Shadows' strategy makes any sense. The timing and location of the attacks seem random and illogical, but the individual engagements are tactically very logical. The Captain isn't eating properly, hasn't slept well since Kosh's death, and is suffering from nightmares. So Delenn bullies him into meeting the new arrivals for dinner that night.

Another arrival has the Centauri flustered - or at least Vir. Nothing seems to faze Londo any more, not even Lord Refa and Minister Virini. Londo outlines his plan to ensnare G'Kar by having Vir pass on the tale that G'Kar's former assistant Na'Toth is imprisoned on the Narn homeworld. G'Kar will then rush back to Narn to rescue her and be taken captive by Londo's agents. Vir refuses until Londo threatens to humiliate and destroy Vir's family in retribution.

As smarmy as ever, Lord Refa presents his case to the Minister of why his house should achieve ascendancy over that of Mollari. The ambassador has spent too much time among aliens, he claims, and is no longer loyal. The Minister wants the rivalry between the two houses ended and is apparently on the station to determine which of the two deserve his support.

Cringing pathetically, Vir takes his mission to G'Kar, while Londo informs the Minister that the division between the two houses will be ended soon through his relieving the Empire of an ongoing embarrassment. Vir can't contain his anger when he realizes that Londo intends to kill G'Kar in order to curry royal favor. His outrage does not go unnoticed by Refa's spies. Vir is captured and interrogated by Lord Refa himself. When he tries to hold out, a telepath easily rips Londo's plan from his mind.

At dinner it is revealed that the religious leaders are part of an organized resistance and intelligence gathering movement on Earth, and come bearing information for B5. Before leaving, Reverend Dexter says that he wants to hold a religious gathering on the station. The Captain agrees over Brother Theo's humorous objections.

Reverend Dexter finds Sheridan still working late in his office, and asks him who he shares his heavy responsibility with. Sheridan grows irritated with the minister's presumption, especially with the implication that Sheridan is not being a good officer and the suggestion that he should share his burden with the woman who loves him.

Z Minus 13 Days

Peering into the cold, wind-wracked desolation of the former Narn capital, G'Kar gathers his forces for a mission into the secret caverns below the city. The ruins above are being rebuilt and redecorated to look like the Centauri Imperial Palace. Refa has just arrived and requests a security detail from Lord Drego to assist him in capturing G'Kar.

Musing in the war room, Delenn and Sheridan realize that the Shadows are corralling refugees into zones where they can be annihilated with ease. This war is "as much about terror as territory," he argues. A strike against defenseless refugees would have a great demoralizing effect on the Alliance. "It's what I'd do," he crows.

"What?" Delenn gasps.

When he tries to explain that they need to think like the enemy, she grabs him by the arm and drags him out of the war room telling him he seriously needs a break.

G'Kar and his Narns proceed underground. Refa and his guards pick up the trail and follow him into an ambush. Refa gloats, "You have taken your last steps as a free Narn!"

Back on the station, Reverend Dexter begins his sermon. The enemy is not just something different. "We are all alien to one another," he argues. "The enemy is fear. The enemy is ignorance. The enemy is the one who tells you that we must hate that which is different."

As the service continues, a far eerier ritual begins deep under the surface of Narn. Refa orders his guards to attack G'Kar. His face shows the first signs of fear when they fail to move. Then G'Kar brings out a holo projector with a recording of Londo telling his nemesis his fate. In return for Mollari freeing 2000 incarcerated Narns, G'Kar has captured Refa, the Centauri who is personally responsible for the planetary bombardment of Narn and the deaths of 5 or 6 million Narns.

Holding aloft a data crystal, G'Kar admonishes his Narns only to leave this on the body and keep the face and head intact for identification later.

"No hiding place!" the gospel singer begins in the B5 chapel. As the congregation joins in joyously, Refa scrambles down a corridor into the arms of waiting Narns. "There's no hiding place down here!." He runs terrified back the way he came. "You know the sinner's gonna be runnin' at the knowledge of their fate!" Refa barrels into a crowd of eager Narns. "They'll be runnin' trying to find a hiding place when it comes their time to die!" Even the Minbari begin to catch the spirit and try to sing along. "No hiding place!" Refa's crest drowns under a sea of spotted heads, and he is brutally attacked by the Narn as G'Kar watches, then leaves.

Mollari gives the data crystal found on Lord Refa's body to Minister Virini, and explains how Refa had betrayed the Centauri to the Narn and G'Kar to the Centauri. The minister seems surprised that Londo asks for nothing in return for exposing this plot. Vir is furious again however, this time for being set up and lied to. Londo says he knew that Refa had a telepath with him, so of course he had to tell Vir what he wanted Refa to believe. But Vir is not placated.

Delenn has a final surprise for the Captain. In the long period of preparation before the war, the Minbari have completed an entire fleet of White Star class ships.

Z Minus 10 Days.

And the Sky Full of Stars

Overview

Sinclair is kidnapped and interrogated by members of a pro-Earth group, determined to find out what transpired when the commander was briefly missing in action during the final battle of the Earth/Minbari war -- something Sinclair has never been able to remember. Judson Scott as Knight One. Christopher Neame as Knight Two. Jim Youngs as Frank Benson. Justin Williams as Mitchell. 
Sub-genre: Suspense
P5 Rating: 8.90

Production number: 106
Original air date: March 16, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek

Watch For

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Matthew Ryan mattryan@pobox.com

And the Sky Full of Stars

A solemn-looking man, known to us only as "Knight Two," has arrived on Babylon 5. Shortly after his arrival, he sees another man ("Knight One") in the waiting area and moves over to him quietly.

Meanwhile, right outside the waiting area, a security officer named Benson is getting beaten up by two gamblers to whom he owes a significant sum of money. The gamblers threaten him with death if he does not pay them within 24 hours.

Knight Two has moved into his quarters. Knight One arrives, bringing a three-dimensional image projector with him. He activates it, and it shows a lifelike picture of Commander Sinclair. "I've identified the target," he says.

Sinclair and Garibaldi have summoned security officer Benson in order to question him about possible debts he's been accumulating. They inform Benson that B5 security officers are strictly limited in their gambling--if an officer becomes indebted to the "wrong people," he would become vulnerable to blackmail, resulting in a security risk to the station. Garibaldi claims to have information that Benson has been exceeding the gambling limits, but Benson insists that he's done nothing wrong. Sinclair, however, not wanting to take any chances, removes Benson from the active duty roster pending an investigation in the matter. After Benson leaves, Garibaldi comments that he believes Benson is lying.

"Everyone lies, Michael," replies Sinclair. "The innocent lie because they don't want to be blamed for something they didn't do, and the guilty lie because they don't have any other choice." Knight Two and Knight One are building a complex gadget in Knight Two's quarters. They have everything they need except for a power source; Knight One claims that it is impossible to smuggle an energy source onto the station because it would be picked up by the scanners. "So I improvised. It'll be here."

Benson, in the meantime, has stealthily made his way to a storage room ...

In the medical lab, Dr. Franklin is examining Delenn. He expresses his thanks to Delenn for allowing him to examine her; he says that he rarely gets the chance to examine Minbari--unless there's something wrong with one of them; he says that to have data on a healthy Minbari will give him a basis from which to operate. After the examination, Delenn rises and asks Franklin about a rumor she heard from one of the other doctors--that Franklin used to hitchhike aboard spaceships. Franklin confirms this rumor; he had "wanted to see it all," so he traded his services as a doctor in exchange for free passage on various ships. He explains how he did this until the Earth-Minbari war started, but then pauses. Delenn asks him if he was involved in the war. He replies that toward the end of the war, all xenobiologists were asked by Earth Force to turn over their notes on Minbari physiology so that effective genetic and biological weapons could be created. Delenn asks him if he did, indeed, hand over his notes.

"I took an oath that all life is sacred. I destroyed my notes rather than have them used for killing," he answers.

Delenn smiles and thanks him. When Franklin asks her, however, what her involvement in the war was, she only answers that the matter is "a topic for another time."

Benson, after securing an energy pod from the storage area, delivers it to Knight Two's quarters. The Knights promise to pay him promptly. After Benson leaves, the Knights connect the energy supply to the device they've been building. "I think we're ready to proceed," they agree.

Sinclair, asleep in his quarters, is having a traumatic dream about the Battle of the Line, the final battle of the Earth-Minbari war. Sinclair's squadron is fighting a Minbari cruiser. One of Sinclair's friends, Mitchell, ignores one of Sinclair's suggestions and breaks from formation, feeling that he can get a clear shot at the Minbari ship. Sinclair has a feeling, however, that Mitchell is entering a trap. Just as he realizes that his friend is about to die ... he wakes up and rises to get himself a drink. As he looks around his room, he notices that his computer is not working. He calls a maintenance team, but there is no response. Worried, he calls security; again, there is no response. He gets dressed quickly and leaves his quarters, running to the bridge.

Sinclair on his way to the bridge.

When he gets to the bridge, however, it is empty, and the computer is not activated. He tries communicating with Earth Central, but does not receive a response. Finally, he attempts to activate the computer; at length, the computer responds. Sinclair, slightly relieved, asks the computer if an evacuation of B5 has been ordered; the computer replies that there was no evacuation. Sinclair then asks the computer to scan for other life forms on B5; sure enough, the computer finds one other life form and notifies Sinclair of the life form's position. Sinclair runs to the location, but finds nothing at first. "What the hell is going on around here," he asks himself.

Suddenly, the lights in the corridor start flashing off, one by one, and a mysterious voice answers him. "Maybe you're asleep. Maybe you're insane. Maybe you're dead. Maybe you're in Hell. Not that it matters much, Commander Sinclair, because wherever you are, wherever you go, you're mine!" Sinclair turns around to find Knight Two staring at him.

"You're mine."

Delenn has arrived at Garibaldi's quarters. She appears concerned and tells Garibaldi that she was supposed to meet with Sinclair an hour before. Garibaldi calls Sinclair and receives no response; sharing now in Delenn's concern, he begins to search for Sinclair personally.

Sinclair angrily asks Knight Two what he's done to Babylon 5; Knight Two replies that he hasn't done anything. He explains to Sinclair that they are both inside a "cerebral matrix" (a "virtual-reality cybernet"). "It's shadow-play," explains Knight Two, "without form or substance. But I'm real, commander, and you're real. And the pain--the pain for you is also real." Knight Two steps back, and a "cerebral discharge" surrounds Sinclair, putting him through agonizing pain.

Garibaldi has rushed to Sinclair's quarters. When he enters the quarters, however, he finds them empty. Alarmed, he contacts Ivanova and explains the situation to her.

Knight Two, outside the matrix, orders Knight One to cut the cerebral discharge. Inside the matrix, he begins to speak with Sinclair again. He notices how important the station is to Sinclair--how his thoughts seem to be rooted in Babylon 5. He explains to Sinclair that they will "walk together across the bridge of synapses and neurons into the very heart of your memories" in order to find the truth about what happened to Sinclair at the Battle of the Line. Knight Two tells Sinclair that he doesn't believe the testimony that Sinclair gave to Earth Force Defense after the war: that, during the twenty-four hour period where he was out of contact with Earth Force Defense, he merely blacked out. "We're finally going to get to the truth," Knight Two says, "even if it kills you."

Garibaldi, Ivanova, and Dr. Franklin are discussing strategies to find Sinclair. Garibaldi has organized a search party, drawn from all nonessential B5 personnel, but that the search still might take a few days. Franklin warns that "a few days" might be too long if Sinclair were injured. Ivanova has contacted a nearby station and asked them to track any ships that have left B5 in the last eight hours. Garibaldi suggests that they also send a few maintenance "bots" to patrol the hull of B5--"If someone shoved [Sinclair's body] outside, the station's gravity won't let it get far. Just in case."

"Mr. Garibaldi," Ivanova replies, "there are days I'm very glad I don't have to think the way you do."

Meanwhile, inside Sinclair's mind, Knight Two is continuing his probing into Sinclair's mind. "Your name is Jeffrey David Sinclair. Rank: commander. Age: 39. Born on Mars Colony, May 3, 2218, 9:15 A.M., Earth Standard Time. Enlisted in Earth Force Defense, 2237; promoted to fighter pilot, 2240; promoted again to squad leader less than a year later.... Smart money said you'd make admiral one day. So what happened, commander? Why'd you fall off the merry-go-round?"

Sinclair listens to his dossier.

Sinclair merely tells him to "go to hell." He refuses to tell Knight Two anything. "I'm betting you don't have a lot of time. Security's probably tearing this place upside down, looking for me."

"Assuming you're still on Babylon 5," replies Knight Two. Proceeding with his search for information, Knight Two tries to get Sinclair to reveal "the truth" by conjuring up an image of Mitchell, Sinclair's old friend and fellow officer who died in the Battle of the Line. Knight Two's plan appears to be working, because as soon as Sinclair sees Mitchell, his old memories of the Battle of the Line spring to the forefront of his mind. Sinclair relives the battle--he sees again what he saw in his dream, except that this time, he actually sees Mitchell's ship exploding. After that part of the battle plays itself out, Mitchell begins to speak with Sinclair again. At first, Sinclair refuses to speak with Mitchell; he tells himself that Mitchell's image is just an illusion. When Mitchell, however, accuses Sinclair of being a traitor ("We fought for you. We fought beside you on the Line. We swore we would all go down together, but you're alive, and we're dead, because of you!" says Mitchell), Sinclair feels that he has to respond. He replies, "I tried! I tried!"

"Tried to do what, commander?" asks Knight Two.

Sinclair answers by reliving the part of the Battle of the Line where he tries to ram the Minbari cruiser. Knight Two urges Sinclair to continue because, as Sinclair himself said, all of the incidents which Knight Two has seen so far were in Sinclair's original report of the battle ten years ago. Sinclair, however, claims that he cannot continue--"I don't remember. I blacked out. I've never been able to remember!"

Knight Two moves closer to Sinclair. "You don't want to remember! You don't want to remember the twenty-four hours in which you betrayed your own race. The day you became a traitor. The day you sold out--"

"That's enough!" screams Sinclair. As he says this, he suddenly hits Knight Two in the stomach. Knight Two, taken by surprise, vanishes from the matrix without a trace. "Well, well. Looks like the pain is real for both of us," comments Sinclair.

Delenn is talking with Ivanova; Delenn explains how concerned she is and offers her assistance in finding Sinclair, but Ivanova says that they're already doing everything they can to find Sinclair. Delenn suggests the use of the station's telepath, Talia Winters, but Ivanova explains that Winters is only a P-5 and, consequently, needs to be in close proximity with people in order to scan them. Winter's isn't trained, according to Ivanova, for a search-and-recover mission.

Knight One, meanwhile, is concerned about Knight Two, who snapped out of the cybernet suddenly. Knight Two, however, claims that he's all right. He says that he needs to be put back into the cybernet quickly, for Sinclair was right--they don't have much time. Knight One estimates that the search parties on the station will find them on B5 in about four hours. "He's tough. Breaking him isn't going to be easy," says Knight Two. Knight Two orders Knight One to increase both the power of the cybernet and the dosage of psychotropic drugs with which Sinclair is being injected. "We're close.... The more I walk through his mind, the more I'm convinced he's hiding something," explains Knight Two.

One of the security officers is giving a report to Garibaldi. He explains how, although the search teams have covered a lot of territory, there still is no sign of Sinclair. Garibaldi orders the officer to split the search teams into even smaller units--he also orders the officer to bring in every possible available officer. The officer explains how he's already brought in everyone--"even Benson." Garibaldi is annoyed that Benson was brought back to duty, but the security officer explains that he checked Benson's record, and Benson isn't in any debts. In fact, he says, there's even a surplus in Benson's account. Garibaldi, however, is suspicious, for the other day, the account was empty. He checks the account again and finds that one very large deposit was made, followed by numerous withdrawals. Garibaldi assumes that these withdrawals were used to pay off debts--and notes that the large deposit was made only four hours before Sinclair was known to be missing. Garibaldi orders the security officer to find and bring back Benson for questioning.

Knight Two has reentered the cybernet. Again, he asks Sinclair for the truth about the Battle of the Line. Sinclair suddenly finds himself surrounded by a circle of people wearing grey cloaks. "What are you doing here?" he asks. "What do you want?" Before he receives an answer, however, one of the grey figures shoots him.

Meanwhile, Benson has arrived at Knight Two's quarters. When Knight One answers the door, Benson frantically asks for protection. "You've got to help me. The whole station's looking for me. They think I had something to do with the commander's disapp--" Suddenly, Benson hears a scream from the back of the room. He curiously enters the quarters and is surprised to find Commander Sinclair attached to the cybernet device. He's not given the chance to think about it for too long, however, for Knight One shoots Benson almost immediately.

Back in the cybernet, Knight Two confronts Sinclair about the grey figures. He asks Sinclair to reveal what he's hiding, but Sinclair insists that he's not hiding anything.

"We all hide things, commander. That's why we bounced back [to the station] again, isn't it? This is where you hide, behind duty and responsibility and obligation," says Knight Two.

"Things you'd never understand!" replies Sinclair.

Knight Two disagrees, however. "We're both patriots in our own way. If I fail, more will come after me until the job is finished." He presses Sinclair again, telling him that they're going to find out what Sinclair is hiding.

Some security officers have found a body floating outside the hull of Babylon 5. The body turns out to be Benson's.

Meanwhile, in the cybernet, Knight Two is again expressing his disbelief at Sinclair's rendition of the events at the Line. Knight Two asserts that Sinclair could not have simply blacked out, for his ship "disappeared" from the sensing screens. Sinclair, however, counters that the postwar hearings proved that the screens malfunctioned. Knight Two explains what he believes to be the sequence of events that occurred at the Line: The Minbari (Knight Two says) realized the extent and power of Earth Force defense and realized how difficult it would be to invade Earth. Therefore, they surrendered and decided to work through more covert means. At the Battle of the Line, Sinclair surrendered to the Minbari rather than give up his life. The Minbari took him aboard and asked him to work for them--to be a covert operative. "You agreed [to work for them]. You and God-knows-how-many-other people."

"You're insane. I never betrayed Earth," insists Sinclair, but Knight Two questions him--if Sinclair doesn't remember what happened, how can he be sure he wasn't a traitor?

Sinclair, however, becomes annoyed with Knight Two: "That's enough! You talk about the war. You talk about Mitchell and the rest, but you didn't know them. They were my friends. I watched them die, one by one. For years afterwards, whenever I saw a Minbari, I had to fight the urge to strangle them with my bare hands.... We never had a chance.... When I looked at those ships, I didn't just see my death. I saw the death of the whole damn human race."

"Then why did they surrender?" asks Knight Two.

"I don't know. Maybe the universe blinked. Maybe God changed his mind. All I know is that we got a second chance."

Knight Two is still skeptical. He asks Sinclair if anything has ever made him doubt his story--that he simply "blacked out." Sinclair replies that nothing ever made him question it--except for what the Minbari who tried to kill Ambassador Kosh said to him: "There is a hole in your mind." (cf: "The Gathering") At Knight Two's further prompting--and after Knight Two convinces Sinclair that Sinclair, himself, wants to know what happened-- Sinclair allows his memories to overcome him again. He again experiences the Battle of the Line. He sees what he has seen before; except, this time, the take him further. The Minbari cruiser stops his attempt to ram into it. The cruiser uses some type of energy field to pull Sinclair's ship in. Sinclair is taken aboard the cruiser and transported to a room where a bunch of grey figures stand. At first, he is hanging in the air, arms bound to the bottom of a triangular metal frame. One of the figures holds up a small metal device (cf. "Babylon Squared") that shimmers with some kind of energy.

Later, the grey figures form a circle around Sinclair, who has been freed. Suddenly, he moves over to one of the grey figures and pulls back the veil that covers the figure's face. "I know you. I know who you are. I know you," says Sinclair. Before he can say any more, however, another grey figure shoots him and knocks him out.

Outside the cybernet, however, Sinclair gathers up enough strength to break the shackles that bind him to the cybernet device. As he disconnects from the machine, the feedback knocks out Knight Two. Knight One storms into the room, but Sinclair punches him, knocking him out. He picks up a gun and escapes from the room. He is delusional, however; he mumbles to himself about how the Minbari have broken through and how he must get back to his ship.

Sinclair begins running through B5's corridors. One officer, a member of the search party, sees Sinclair and beckons to him. Sinclair, however, in his delusional state, believes she is a Minbari and shoots at her. Fortunately, he does not kill her, and she links in with Ivanova. She begins to explain that she has seen the commander; however, before she can finish, Knight One shoots her in the back.

Knight One follows Sinclair; they shoot at each other unsuccessfully. Garibaldi finally finds Sinclair, but is utterly surprised when he is shot at by his commander. Dr. Franklin, a few seconds later, links in and informs Garibaldi that he has found the room where he believes Sinclair was held. Franklin believes that Sinclair may have been given large dosages of psychotropic drugs and may consequently be delusional or even dangerous.

As Garibaldi is hiding under a table, Delenn enters the room and approaches Sinclair slowly. She ignores Garibaldi's warnings and continues her approach. When she gets close enough to Sinclair, she tells him that he's safe now and that nobody will harm him. He doesn't listen to her, however; he can only picture the unveiling of the grey figure ten years ago--the grey figure who he now knows to be Delenn, though she looked younger then and had a silver triangle on her forehead. "I know you!" he tells her.

"I'm your friend, commander. Ambassador Delenn. Your friend," she replies.

"No!" he says, as he raises his gun. For a moment, it appears as if he's going to shoot her. Instead, however, he points his gun in a slightly different direction and shoots Knight One, who had just arisen and was about to shoot at Sinclair. Knight One drops to the floor, dead.

"Welcome home," says Delenn.

One day later, Sinclair awakes in the medical lab. Dr. Franklin has finally flushed the psychotropic drugs from Sinclair's system. Sinclair asks to see Knight Two, who has been taken; Garibaldi replies, however, that Knight Two is about to leave the station. Earth Central has decided to exercise jurisdiction in this case because they believe Knight Two to be a member of an organization which wishes to implicate members of the government as being traitors to the Minbari (in fact, there are even rumors that the organization is a covert operation run from within the government itself). Franklin explains that he doesn't think the trial will reveal much, because when Sinclair disconnected himself from the cybernet device, the feedback "fried most of [Knight Two's] memory." Sinclair still, however, wishes to see his former captor. As expected, Knight Two reveals little information--in fact, he even claims that he cannot remember his own name. However, just as he's walking away from Sinclair, he turns around and says, "Commander Sinclair, there's something in my head. It says, 'Maybe you're still inside. Maybe we're both still inside.'"

Sinclair goes to visit Delenn in her quarters. He thanks her for her help in rescuing him--he notes that it's strange that seeing her was the only thing that could help him. As he is about to leave her quarters, she asks him if he remembers anything concerning the Battle of the Line? He pictures in his mind the unveiling of the mysterious grey figure; aloud, however, he says that he cannot, unfortunately, remember anything. It is not clear whether Delenn knows he's lying or not. After Sinclair leaves, a Minbari man, silver triangle on his head, arrives from another room in Delenn's quarters. "He must never know what happened. If he should find out, he must be killed. Do you understand, Delenn?" says this man. Delenn replies that she does, indeed, understand.

Sinclair, alone finally in his quarters, is making an entry in his personal log: "I remember. I was taken inside a Minbari cruiser, interrogated, tortured. Was that the Grey Council? Maybe. Maybe. Before they surrendered, they must have blanked my memory and let me go. And Delenn--what was she doing there? What is it they don't want me to remember? I have to find out. I have to!"

Shawn Bayern bayern@cshl.org

Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this synopsis noncommercially as long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact. Babylon 5 is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright is intended by writing these synopses.

Appearances and Other Deceits

Overview

As a group of propaganda specialists visits the Excalibur to try to improve its image, the crew comes across a derelict alien ship. John Vickery as Mr. Welles. 
Production number: 113
Original air date: July 28, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Stephen Furst

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Appearances and Other Deceits

Atonement

Overview

Delenn is recalled to Minbar to resolve a problem concerning her relationship with Sheridan, and must finally face up to her role in the Earth-Minbari War. Sheridan sends Marcus and Franklin to Mars on a secret mission. Brian Carpenter as Callenn. Reiner Schone as Dukhat. 
P5 Rating: 8.55

Production number: 409
Original air week: February 24, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Tony Dow

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Atonement

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

A very aggrieved Zack is being subjected to a Minbari fitting of his new uniform. His mocking of the ceremonial piping and general Minbari fashion sense earns him a pointed reminder about looking gift horses in the mouth. Zack admits to Lennier that he's really upset about taking the Chief's rightful place. He insists that it's temporary though.

Greeting a Minbari delegation at the gate, Delenn requests one more day to spend with Sheridan. She promises to tell him where she is going, but not why. She is quite unsettled when the lead delegate suggests that it would be more honest to tell the Captain that if the Dreaming does not go well, she will not be permitted to return to him.

Wearing her green Drazi leader's sash, Ivanova makes her way to a Drazi religious party.

Dr. Franklin is fitting G'Kar with a new prosthetic eye. G'Kar's initial outrage when he realizes it's not his natural color dissipates quickly when Franklin mentions that it will keep sending signals even when it is removed from the socket. G'Kar instantly pops it out and waves at himself at arm's length.

On his way to Delenn's quarters, Sheridan passes a lift just as a battered, bedraggled Commander Ivanova emerges supporting herself on a cane. "Don't - Even - Ask," she utters and hobbles painfully away.

Sheridan shakes his head, and enters Delenn's room. She greets him wearing a sleek and revealing gown. He is pleased but baffled. She reminds him of the Minbari custom of women watching men sleep for three nights to determine their true nature, and requests that this be their third night because tomorrow she must leave. He is happy to agree, but it's clear from her indisposure that she isn't telling him everything.

He has to leave it unquestioned though and head off to a meeting with Franklin and Marcus. Fed up with President Clark's lies about the station, Sheridan has decided to send them on a mission to Mars to begin their retaliation. Franklin offers to ask a few questions about the Captain's missing father while they're there, but the Captain declines. It would only endanger the resistance.

Delenn caresses John's sleeping face in farewell and departs. She fails to notice Lennier waiting for her in the corridor. "I have pledged myself to your side," he reminds her. She cannot leave him behind.

And so Delenn returns to Minbar where she is brought before her clan. The clan leader, Callenn, disapproves of her liaison with Sheridan. Taking an offworlder as mate has been forbidden since Minbari first contacted other races. He claims that he seeks to only understand her decision, not judge it hastily, and thus she must submit to the Dreaming to discover the reasons for her actions and agree to obey her clan's ruling on the subject.

Lennier volunteers as her second, to protect her in the Dreaming. They both take deep draughts from a ceremonial chalice, then enter through a guarded door into a room filled with mist. Lennier recognizes from her actions that this is not the first time Delenn has been in the Dreaming. Once as an acolyte she was second to Dukhat. She begins to relive that time when she attended the greatest of the Minbari and was terrified.

"There's nothing to fear in the Dreaming. Only that which we take with us," he told her.

Suddenly she was on a ship being attacked. Dukhat, dead in her arms. She screamed and screams, then and now.

Her eyes black with horror, Delenn is comforted by Lennier.

She plunges back into the past again. Delenn was curtly summoned by Dukhat as he strode swiftly past her down a corridor. Glancing nervously at her fellow acolytes she followed him humbly into the Grey Council Chambers. As he stalked around the circle, he began to tell her how the Grey Council had decided not to make contact with a recently discovered species known as "Humans." He called them silly cowards, drew her into the middle of their circle and asked her what she would do. After stammering a little she replied, these humans are a mystery presented by the Universe as a gift.

Dukhat crowed with delight. This foolish young acolyte, he chided the Council, carries the attribute of simple curiosity which you have lost.

Since he had thus alienated her from every member of the Council, Dukhat took charge over Delenn's education. He instructed her to look him in the eyes. "I cannot have an aide who will not look up," he said. "You will be forever running into things."

Presiding over the Council years later, Dukhat watched Delenn become a member. As she uttered the sacred oath and held her hand up to the triluminary, it suddenly glowed blue. The other Council members were visibly surprised and disturbed.

Later in her quarters, Dukhat congratulated Delenn again and began to answer her question about the triluminary. It was brought by Valen, and one story was that Valen was from far in the future. He had just started explaining why he selected Delenn as his protégé long ago when they were interrupted by a chiming.

From the Council chambers they noticed a fleet of unknown ships approaching. Delenn recognized them as humans. Suddenly they noticed with horror that circling the scene was a group of Soul Hunter ships. Dukhat ordered the gun ports closed on their ship, but the Earth ships opened fire and in the battle Dukhat was struck down. With the Council divided between taking revenge or taking stock, it was Delenn who cast the determining vote to pursue the humans without mercy.

The war became a holy war, relentless and all-consuming. Even though she regretted her moment of rage soon, it was too late.

Lennier tells Delenn that her relationship with Sheridan shows that she is still seeking absolution for her guilt in the death of so many humans. She asks him crossly, whether he truly believes that. No, but this is what the clan will say when we tell them what the Dreaming has shown, he replies. Callenn summons them forth telling them to rest until the morrow, when they will tell what they have seen and a judgment will be reached.

Delenn is distraught. Trying to sleep, she watches Dukhat die in her arms again and again, and for the first time notices his lips move, but she can't make out what he is saying. She decides to go back into the Dreaming again. The clan leader tries to prevent her, but it's too late. She and Lennier have already imbibed the potion. Handing him the vessel she demands that he follow her in this time, so he can understand. Callenn is apprehensive, but she comforts him with Dukhat's own words to her long ago. "There is nothing to fear in the Dreaming. Only that which we bring with us."

The Earth ships were attacking. Pandemonium and destruction in the corridors, and Dukhat was lying in her arms.

"Listen!" Delenn commands Callenn and Lennier.

Blood dripping from his mouth, Dukhat struggled to say, "There was a purpose in my selection of you. Your heritage. You are a child of Valen."

Hours later, Lennier appears with an ancient scroll he has sneaked from the Council archives which Delenn says proves her case. Lennier is still confused, though. Delenn explains that since Valen was really Jeffrey Sinclair, human and Minbari DNA have already merged. She herself is one of his descendants, which explains why the triluminary glowed for her. There is no purity in the Minbari race that can be saved by her casting aside her alliance with Sheridan, she argues.

Callenn begs her not to make this public, because it will disturb the society deeply, and suggests a compromise. He will tell the clan that she is fulfilling an ancient custom from the warring days of Minbar when the victor would offer a daughter as a bride to the loser, as a symbol of life.

Sheridan greets Delenn as she docks. She tells him nothing except that everything is fine now, and inquires after Marcus and Franklin.

A transport lumbers along through natural space. Locked away deep in its belly, a singing Marcus is methodically driving Franklin insane.

Babylon Squared

Overview

Babylon 4 returns as abruptly as it vanished, but its reappearance may bode ill for the future. Delenn receives a momentous offer. Kent Broadhurst as Major Krantz. Tim Choate as Zathras. Denise Gentile as Lise Hampton. 
Sub-genre: Intrigue/mystery
P5 Rating: 8.57

Production number: 118
Original air date: August 10, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jim Johnston

Watch For:

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Babylon Squared

We join Sinclair and Garibaldi in the dining hall. They are soon joined by a very tired Ivanova, who was awakened one hour early by C&C after mysterious tachyon emissions were discovered in sector 14, three hours away from Babylon 5. Though Ivanova believed the emissions were just routine, she authorized Alpha VII, a Starfury, to investigate the problem.

Alpha VII contacts Babylon 5 when it enters sector 14, and the pilot reports an increase in tachyon emissions. Though he doesn't see anything when he first arrives, the sensors register something, and he sees a large object materializing. By the time he figures out what it is, it is too late. "No! That's not possible! That can't be, it just can't be!" His last words fade into an agonizing scream as the Starfury is engulfed in blinding white light.

A startling apparition.

Ivanova calls Commander Sinclair after the pilot's last message. She is unable to contact the pilot on any open frequencies, but is still receiving the Starfury's homing beacon. According to the beacon, the ship is returning to Babylon 5 and will be there in one hour and fifteen minutes. Ivanova also reports that more bursts of tachyon emissions are occurring, and that one occurred when she lost contact with the fury's pilot. Sinclair tells Ivanova to make sure that Dr. Franklin is ready at MedLab in case there are any injuries that need to be tended to.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Delenn, in a Minbari ship, departs from Babylon 5. Though Babylon Control asks her if she wants someone to pilot the ship for her, she declines. "Some things one must do alone," she explains just before she enters the jumpgate.

Soon after, Alpha VII returns into scanner range. Alpha VII approaches the station, but does not enter the docking bay. A scan of the ship reveals that there is no structural damage and that hull integrity is okay, but there are no life signs. Soon after, Garibaldi returns to Sinclair and Ivanova with Dr. Franklin's report. "There was no damage to the body, no shock, no trauma. Everything points to death by natural causes." Though things seem ordinary at this point, when Garibaldi explains that the pilot, who just turned thirty years old, died of old age, Sinclair and Ivanova are understandably puzzled. "His internal organs are like those of a man three times his age," Garibaldi reports. Ivanova recommends that they send a team to investigate, in case there is a hazard to navigation, but Sinclair declines. "Not yet," he says. "Not until we have a better idea what we are facing. Meanwhile, I want all traffic routed clear of sector 14. Michael, I want that ship examined with a fine-tooth comb. Something fatal happened out there. I want to know what."

As Delenn reaches her destination, Sinclair, Ivanova, and Garibaldi discover another portion of the mystery. Garibaldi, after a thorough search of Alpha VII, finds the buckle off the pilot's safety harness. Scratched into the surface of the buckle is "B4." Ivanova speculates that "B4" stands for Babylon 4, the previous Babylon station that disappeared in sector 14 four years previous. Sinclair reports that the tachyon emissions from that sector were coming from the same place that Babylon 4 disappeared. The discussion is interrupted by communication from C&C, declaring that the station is receiving a distress signal from sector 14. "I thought I ordered all ships to stay clear of that area," says Sinclair. The technician from C&C affirms his orders, but then identifies the signal as coming from Babylon 4.

Delenn waits.

After the three arrive at C&C, Sinclair doesn't reply to the signal but instead orders Ivanova to retrieve the secure code of Babylon 4 from the station archives. "Ever since the war, every Earth Force command and control center was configured to broadcast its ID code on a subchannel," explains Sinclair. Garibaldi adds that the reason for it was to prevent counterfeit orders. Ivanova brings up the signal and it matches perfectly to the one being broadcast from sector 14. Sinclair orders the transmission to be patched through. "Earth station Babylon 4 requesting help. We need assistance," says the man on the other end. Sinclair responds, and the commander on the other end explains that they are caught in a flux with only 30% of their power and their escape ships damaged. They request help from Babylon 5 to evacuate their skeleton crew of 1200-1300. The commander of Babylon 4 looks nervous and begins muttering strangely. "Oh God. It's starting again. It's starting again," he says just as the communication is cut off. Ivanova notices that the date stamp on the message is four years out of date.

Though Garibaldi has a difficult time believing the station is Babylon 4, Sinclair prepares a fighter escort with an evacuation fleet to sector 14, determined to find Babylon 4. Sinclair makes a speech to the pilots of the ships warning them of the dangers and the previous death of the pilot of Alpha VII. Though he offers them a chance to withdraw because of the danger, no one does, and soon the fleet is sent off into space. Sinclair wants to learn the truth about Babylon 4, but also wants to take no chances. "If you don't hear from us in eight hours, notify Earth Central, but do not send additional ships," he tells Ivanova.

Meanwhile, Delenn reaches her destination, a gigantic ship, not unlike the one from Sinclair's memory of the Battle of the Line (cf. "And the Sky Full of Stars".) She boards the ship and is taken into a great chamber by a hooded Minbari. When she enters, she addresses the eight hooded figures around her, each of which is standing in an individual pool of light. "Summoned, I come," she intones. "In Valen's name, I take the place that has been prepared for me. I am Grey. I stand between the candle and the star. We are Grey. We stand between the darkness and the light." She is welcomed back by the council, but wonders why she has been recalled.

"It has been ten cycles," explains one member of the Grey Council, "since Dukhat has left this world to take his place with Valen and the nine who were. Ten cycles since our people have had a leader. The time of mourning is complete. We must now choose another." Another member of the council, the one who visited her on the station earlier, (cf. "And the Sky Full of Stars") explains that they have spent much time deciding who the next leader should be, and that they have decided upon Delenn as the leader because she has seen the most, and knows the most about the universe and other species. Delenn doesn't want to accept the position because she believes that her work on Babylon 5 has not been finished. She worries about a prophecy, but is assured by the council that it will take care of itself, and that an appropriate replacement will be selected for her aboard Babylon 5, and that her work there is concluded.

The fleet from Babylon 5 arrives in sector 14 to the sight they didn't really expect to see: Babylon 4. Though tachyon emissions are still present, Sinclair orders the rest of the fleet to approach the station. They encounter a distortion field near the station where tachyon emissions increase by 50%. Sinclair orders the fleet to remain back while he and Garibaldi investigate.

Approaching Babylon 4.

After docking, they are assaulted and shot at in the otherwise empty docking bay. "Monsters! I'll stop you!" shouts the assailant. "I know where you are! I see you! You think I can't? I've gotta get off this station. Come on, show yourselves!" While Sinclair diverts his fire, Garibaldi sneaks up on the assailant from behind and captures him. The commander of Babylon 4 then arrives to take custody of the assailant, who keeps insisting that he must be taken off of the station. After the three officers indentify themselves, Sinclair explains that they are from Babylon 5 and the year 2258. "We have to hurry. We have to get everyone off the station," says Major Krantz, the commander of Babylon 4. He is interrupted, however, by a flash of light that engulfs the station.

Suddenly, Sinclair finds himself elsewhere in the midst of total chaos. "Commander, they burned through levels seven and eight. Can't stop them. They're everywhere!" shouts Garibaldi, there with him, who is wielding an extremely large weapon, firing at a wall being cut through from the other side. "I rigged the fusion reactors for the time I'm done," Garibaldi says. "Get going, I'll hold them as long as I can. Jeff, it's okay. I finally understand. This is the moment I was born for!" Garibaldi pushes Sinclair into the crowd which carries him away, despite his protests, just as the wall collapses. Garibaldi and those under his command fire madly at the hole.

Garibaldi opens fire.

Another white flash occurs, and Sinclair finds himself back in his own time, aboard Babylon 4. Sinclair, very confused, asks Krantz to what happened. "It's different for everyone. A flash. Forward. Backward. All of us. The entire station. We've become unstuck in time, Commander. That's why we have to get out of here. Quickly!"

Back on the Minbari ship, Delenn is afraid of accepting the position of leader. "I cannot do it," she says. "I cannot accept the calling." She is told by another councilmember that no one has ever refused the position when offered it. Though Delenn yearns to accept the leadership of the council, her heart tells her that she must remain with Babylon 5 and that she has a part to play in the change that is coming. She wants to reconvene the Council to speak to them, something that has never been done. The other councilmember warns her that it might be a bad time, and that she must be aware of the consequences. She understands, and the council is reconvened.

As the evacuation of Babylon 4 continues, Major Krantz explains the problems they're having with Babylon 4 and the tachyon emissions and time distortions. "It started 24 hours after the station went operational. We began noticing discrepencies in the time track system. We thought it was a computer glitch. Then all hell broke loose." Sinclair asks if anything else unusual has happened, and Krantz replies by introducing him to a strange being called Zathras. "We don't know how he got aboard, where he came from, or what race he is. I've never seen an alien like him before," Krantz says, and describes how Zathras suddenly appeared with a flash in the conference room. When Sinclair enters, Zathras stands and stares intently at Sinclair, then shakes his head. "Not The One. Not The One..."

Zathras sees Sinclair.

Zathras babbles that he does as he is told. "The One is hurt. Must find. Zathras must find. Help." When asked why he is there, Zathras responds by saying that he was told the biggest of all the Babylon stations was needed. Zathras is afraid to tell for fear that he will not be able to finish his mission, but explains further after being threatened by Garibaldi:

"Great war. Terrible war. Much killings. Everyone fighting. A great darkness. It is the end of everything. Zathras warn, but no, no one listen to poor Zathras, no. Great war. But, great hope of peace. Need place. Place to gather, to fight to organize...to help save galaxy on the side of light. So they tell me. Must have. Or it is the end of all. The One leads us. The One tells us to go, we go. We live for The One. We would die for The One. We pull this place through time to save us all."

When asked where he comes from, Zathras says he came from his year of 4993, but does not know what year that is in Earth time. An officer appears and says, "Major, it's back." Zathras, Sinclair, Garibaldi, and Krantz run out of the room to see a figure in a blue space suit. The figure is having considerable trouble breathing, and is flickering, as if in and out of time. Zathras is in awe. "It is The One," he says.

The One.

The figure in the space suit is apparently in great pain, but Zathras explains that The One will sacrifice himself for others and that he stopped the taking of Babylon 4 to let its crew evacuate. Sinclair approaches The One, who reaches out his hand to him. When Sinclair touches the gloved hand, a great shock sends him flying backward. While Krantz and Garibaldi tend to Sinclair, Zathras runs to The One and hands him a small device. "Zathras fixed," says Zathras. "Take! Hurry!" The One then vanishes completely, and Zathras tries to run away, but is captured before he can escape. "You must leave now. Finished we are," Zathras warns Sinclair. "There is no more time. Leave or be trapped here forever!" Sinclair orders Garibaldi to assist in evacuation.

Aboard the Minbari ship, Delenn addresses the Grey Council. "This Council stopped the war against the humans because of prophecy, because Valen said that humans, some among them, had a destiny, which we could not interfere with. It was my place to study them...to determine if the prophecy was correct. I have not yet finished that task." Another councilmember tells her that he believes that the prophecy refers to others, but Delenn does not believe it. The councilmember does not understand Delenn's attraction toward humans, but Delenn explains that "they do not seek conformity. They do not surrender. Out of their differences comes symmetry. Their unique capacity to fight against impossible odds. Hurt them, they only come back stronger. The passions we deplore have taken them to their place in the stars, and will propel them to a great destiny. Their only weakness is that they do not recognize their own greatness. They forget they have come to this place through two million years of evolution, struggle, and blood. They are better than they think and nobler than they know. They carry within them the capacity to walk among the stars as giants. They are the future. We have much to learn from them." The council cannot understand why she should stay with the humans, but Delenn believes it is the calling of her heart. Delenn is warned that if she leaves the council, she may lose her position within it and may become outcast. She is also warned that should she leave, the council may become divided. She understands, and says that she must do what she believes is right. The council votes on whether or not to honor Delenn's request. The vote ends in Delenn's favor, and the council withdraws its decision and sends Delenn away so they may select another leader.

While Garibaldi oversees the evacuation of Babylon 4, Major Krantz and Sinclair interrogate Zathras further. They demand to know what Zathras gave to The One. He explains to them that it was a "time stablilizer. Help survive when make next time jump." Sinclair then realizes that Alpha VII was caught in the time distortion and killed by it. Zathras gave his only time stabilizer to The One. He says that when the station jumps, he will die, but that he will probably be remembered for his sacrifice. Krantz threatens to remove him from the station, but Zathras also claims that if he leaves the station, he will die as well, though he does not want to.

The station shakes again, and Garibaldi reports that tachyon emissions have increased greatly. There is another flash, and this time Garibaldi finds himself in the past, at the moment when Lise decided that she could not live with him anymore. He wants to try to change things, but is too disoriented by the experience, and events happen much as they did before. After she leaves, Garibaldi finds himself back on Babylon 4.

Lise says goodbye.

Sinclair contacts Garibaldi, who says he wants to leave the station as soon as possible. Major Krantz agrees with Garibaldi, and insists that Zathras be taken with them when they leave the station. "For the next fifteen minutes," Krantz tells Sinclair, "this is still my command. I'm going to have to answer for this station, and I want proof to go with it. Alive or dead, he's the only proof I've got. And he's going with us." Sinclair, Krantz, and Zathras, led by two security officers, attempt to leave the station, but it begins shaking again, and Zathras is caught, trapped beneath fallen debris. Krantz and the guards run away, afraid for their lives, but Sinclair stays behind, trying to help Zathras. "Leave me," Zathras cries. "You must listen to Zathras. You have a destiny. Go. Please. Go for Zathras." Though he doesn't understand, Sinclair runs away and meets up with Garibaldi, who escorts him off the station.

The station continues to break apart, and as it does so, The One returns to the station to retrieve Zathras. Sinclair and Garibaldi escape in their ship just as the distortion field goes off the scale and Babylon 4 begins to disappear again. The One walks out of a chamber into another room. "Time distortion repaired," intones a computer voice. "Present time atmosphere now breathable." The One removes his helmet, revealing an older, and somewhat injured Sinclair. "I tried," the older Sinclair says. "I tried to warn them. But it all happened...just the way I remember it." A hand in a red dress reaches up an touches him on the shoulder. "I know," says a woman's exotic voice, a voice that sounds suspiciously like Delenn's. "It's time. We have to go. They're waiting for us." Sinclair and the woman leave.

Comforting Sinclair.

Sinclair and Garibaldi from the present return to Babylon 5 and speculate along the way on what they had just experienced. "Do you think that bit was true," asks Garibaldi. "About a great war and Babylon 4 being a great base for somebody to try to bring peace to the galaxy?" Commander Sinclair doesn't know. "But if it is true," he says, "I wish them luck. The station was built to create peace. Maybe now it'll do so in a way nobody ever expected. But it's still on the same mission." They fly off back toward Babylon 5.

Not long after, Delenn prepares to leave the great Minbari ship. On her way, she meets up with a member of the Grey Council. He hopes to see her again, but Delenn believes that she will never see the inside of the Council Chamber again. The councilmember doesn't know, but before she leaves, he presents her with a gift, wrapped in a cloth. It is the Triluminary, a transparent triangle with metal edges. She doesn't want to accept it, but he assures her it will not be missed for a time because there are two others. "These are curious times," he tells her before she leaves. "I feel a great change in my bones. A new beginning, an end, I cannot say. We are surrounded by signs and portents, and I feel a darkness pressing. If ever you have need of me, I am here." She wraps the triluminary back in its cloth and returns to Babylon 5.

Delenn receives the triluminary.

On the station, Sinclair talks to Ivanova about what happened. She expresses her regret about not being able to see Babylon 4, but Sinclair counters that they don't know where, or when, it was being taken. It might pop up again some day. He recalls Garibaldi's comparison of Babylon 4 and the Flying Dutchman -- a sailing ship, he explains to Ivanova, that vanished, only to appear again and again over the ages. "Did the Flying Dutchman ever make it home?" asks Ivanova.

"No," answers Sinclair.

Synopsis written by Matthew Murray <i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu>

Believers

Overview

Dr. Franklin asks Sinclair to intermediate with an alien family who, because of their religious beliefs, refuse to allow surgery that would save their dying child. Silvana Gallardo as Dr. Maya Hernandez. Jonathon Kaplan as Shon. Tricia O'Neil as M'Ola. Stephen Lee as Tharg. 
Sub-genre: Drama
P5 Rating: 7.74

Production number: 105
Original air date: April 27, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by David Gerrold
Directed by Richard Compton

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Believers

Shon, a young alien boy, has developed a "congested blockage in his upper air passages." When Dr. Franklin explains to Shon's parents that Shon's condition can be cured by a fairly routine surgical procedure, the parents seem bewildered. "You will cut him open?" they ask, and explain that the "Chosen of God" cannot be "punctured" -- for their souls will escape.

"Food animals are punctured."

B5 has received a distress signal from the starliner Asimov, which has been immobilized because of a fire in its command and control center--unfortunately, the ship is now adrift in Raider territory. Ivanova (who pleas with Sinclair to send her instead of Garibaldi) is sent to lead a fighter wing to rescue the Asimov.

Dr. Maya Hernandez, one of the B5 doctors, tries to convince Shon's parents to allow the procedure, but they are quite determined not to allow it. Just as it becomes evident that the parents will not change their mind, Franklin suggests an alternate procedure. He admits that this procedure won't work as well, but it's better than nothing. After the parents leave to consider this new method, Dr. Franklin explains to Hernandez that, though this procedure will obviously not save Shon, it will at least give Franklin time to try to convince the parents to change their mind. Both doctors realize that there are only two options--surgery or death--but Franklin explains that it is sometimes necessary to "heal the family before you can heal the patient." Shon's parents return and say that they are willing to try Franklin's new procedure.

Franklin comforts Shon.

Franklin, who is speaking with Sinclair, explains his dilemma. Franklin requests that Sinclair order him to perform the surgery, but Sinclair declines, commenting that it's a dangerous precedent to set. Franklin explains that that precedent has already been set--by Sinclair's ordering Dr. Kyle to save Ambassador Kosh (cf. "The Gathering")--and when Franklin brings up the idea of making this issue official by petitioning Sinclair with a formal request to operate, Sinclair asks him to try to find another solution.

Meanwhile, Franklin's "procedure" is obviously not working. When the parents become angered, Franklin pleads with them again, but they still refuse to allow surgery. Finally, Franklin threatens to suspend their parental authority if they will not allow him to operate--and he makes a formal request for Commander Sinclair to decide this issue.

Shon's parents go to Sinclair and request that he decide in their favor. Sinclair explains his dilemma--he must consider Franklin's request, but he must also act as the parents' advocate because the parents' race has no ambassador on the station. The parents express their objection--they don't like the situation and believe that Sinclair will rule against them because "Earth people always stick together."

The parents visit Ambassador G'Kar and ask for the Narn to intervene on their behalf, but G'Kar claims that the parents' world doesn't have much to offer to Narn--and claims the Narns don't casually enter into other people's affairs. The parents then visit Ambassador Mollari, who says that he sympathizes with them but explains that it would be too expensive to intervene--if the Council was called on this matter, there would be a whole array of costs that would have to be justified. Ambassador Kosh proves just as unhelpful to the parents: concerning the issue of a patient's safety versus the concerns of the patient's world, he simply says, "The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote."

Shon's parents plead with Kosh.

When the parents plea with Delenn, she says that she sympathizes entirely, but she also says that the Minbari are reluctant to get involved with the religious affairs of other people--especially because they've seen what happens when other races interfere with Minbari religious affairs. Delenn explains that both Dr. Franklin and the parents believe they are doing what's "right" -- yet how can either of them prove it?

Meanwhile, Ivanova's team has found the Asimov--but they have also picked up the signal of an approaching Raider vessel.

Sinclair explains to Garibaldi how distraught he is--the buck keeps being passed back to him. Earth Central refuses to advise, and the other ambassadors refuse to take action. Later, when Sinclair visits Shon, Shon explains that, though he doesn't want to die, he doesn't want the surgery either.

When Sinclair finishes speaking with Shon, Dr. Franklin asks him what his decision on the request will be. Sinclair explains that it's a difficult decisions: both sides, according to their own beliefs, are morally "right." "Who should I believe?" asks Sinclair. "You [Dr. Franklin], because we share the same beliefs? Or do we? ... What makes a religion false? If any religion is right, then maybe they all have to be right. Maybe God doesn't care how you say your prayers, just as long as you say them ... What we hold sacred gives our lives meaning. What are we taking away from this child? ... I have to refuse to sign the order. I can't allow you to perform the operation."

When Franklin angrily confronts Sinclair, Sinclair explains that he really had no choice in the matter. According to his personal beliefs, he would sign the order right away--but as commander of B5, he wants to ensure the neutrality of the station. He explains that he can't just set other races' beliefs aside whenever it's convenient or whenever they violate human beliefs. He also says that, though he is violating the precedent set when he ordered Dr. Kyle to operate on Kosh, that particular precedent must be stopped somewhere.

Meanwhile, Shon's condition is worsening. Franklin calls Shon's parents, who say how grateful they are for Sinclair's wisdom, and who tell Shon how proud they are of him that he is dying honorably. When Shon's parents leave, however, Franklin decides to operate on Shon anyway--he can't allow a simple legal order to get in the way of what's "right," according to him. Dr. Hernandez decides to help him.

Preparing to operate.

The Raider ship that is approaching Ivanova is meanwhile getting closer. Ivanova, in defiance of general orders to the contrary, breaks formation and pursues this Raider ship--as the rest of the squadron escorts the Asimov back to B5. Ivanova successfully destroys this ship, but notes a large squadron of Raider ships approaching after her. She reverses her thrusters, trying to escape.

Franklin's operation was successful, and Shon--who is now physically fine--comments that he doesn't feel spiritually any different than he did before. When his parents arrive, however, they angrily shun Shon--they treat him as if he were some sort of evil demon and try to exorcise him.

Shon, abandoned by his parents.

Sinclair, when he hears, angrily confronts Franklin. However, they are both interrupted by Hernandez, who summons them to the Med Lab. At Med Lab, the parents have again arrived--and this time they appear a little more complacent. They say that if it were in their power to forgive Franklin, they would--because he meant no harm, and because he did what he did out of compassion. They leave, after wrapping Shon in a "travelling robe."

A little later, when Franklin and Hernandez are researching the customs of Shon's race, Franklin comes across a description of a "travelling robe." Suddenly, he rushes out of the Med Lab, runs through the corridors, and arrives at Shon's room--only to realize that he is too late, that the parents have already killed Shon. The parents, however, don't see why Franklin is so upset--they comment, "This was not our son. This was only a shell. There was nothing to do but end the pain of the shell."

"Do not grieve, Dr. Franklin."

Later, Sinclair tells Franklin that he won't ask for his resignation--this time. However, he comments that Franklin shouldn't have made the request--then, he wouldn't have had to violate it. Franklin is quite upset with himself, however, for not knowing that the parents would kill Shon. Franklin wonders if things might not be better or easier if nobody cared about life or religion.

"What makes us human is that we care--and because we care, we never stop trying," replies Sinclair.

Meanwhile, Ivanova and her squadron have returned safely. When Garibaldi asks her about the orders she violated, Ivanova explains that sometimes things work out when one takes an educated risk. Garibaldi replies that at other times, they don't--and he explains the events of the preceding days to Ivanova.

Shawn Bayern bayern@cshl.org

Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this synopsis noncommercially as long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact. Babylon 5 is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright is intended by writing these synopses.

Between the Darkness and the Light

Overview

Garibaldi is captured by the Mars Resistance. Ivanova's fleet clashes with Clark's forces. A plan to free Sheridan is launched. Marjorie Monaghan as Number One. 
P5 Rating: 8.84

Production number: 419
Original air week: October 6, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Between the Darkness and the Light

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Seated at a small, bare table in the Captain's quarters, Franklin asks Sheridan how he managed to escape. Who were his contacts in the Resistance? Sheridan peers at him suspiciously. It isn't Franklin. It's an interrogator and they are still in Sheridan's cell. Drugged and weary, Sheridan's mind keeps shifting the location and persons from the station to prison. The brainwashing hasn't succeeded though. The Captain hasn't been convinced that he is under the control of aliens.

In a busy shipping station on Mars, Garibaldi meets up with his contact. Apparently the Resistance doesn't believe that Sheridan's kidnapping wasn't Garibaldi's fault. Several men leap out of the shadows and beat him senseless. At their headquarters, Number One offers Franklin a gun and the chance for revenge. "Steven?" Garibaldi shouts when Franklin refuses. Instead Franklin rips the hood off Garibaldi's head and angrily demands an explanation.

Garibaldi stammers out how he was used by Bester, but only Lyta seems willing to believe it. Garibaldi tells them that he knows where Sheridan is being held, and they can get him out. But it's the same story he used to lure Sheridan in the first place. Garibaldi pleads, "You can't let Bester screw up my entire life and not give me the chance to fix it. I can't go out this way!" Franklin is disgusted. Seeing Lyta, Garibaldi begs her to scan him. She replies that no one trusts telepaths here. Franklin wants to try it, but Number One angrily decides just to shoot Garibaldi. Franklin grabs her gun as it goes off, and Lyta snatches a rifle, spraying the ceiling with fire. In the uneasy pause, Franklin covers Number One with the rifle while Lyta goes to work on Garibaldi's head.

She immediately finds Psi Cop blocks. Her eyes go full black as she pushes harder until she finds the memories Bester concealed. When she announces this, Number One scoffs. Furious, Lyta whips around, fixes Number One with her eerie eyes, and convinces her with a rapid braindump of Garibaldi's hellish experience.

The White Star fleet engages and disables another two destroyers. Ivanova orders the backup units to proceed with the evacuation while the main fleet heads for the next target. When Marcus questions whether they are advancing too slowly, she insists that this is the one chance these crews will receive justice for their actions, and besides, defectors will be needed when they hit Earth.

Garibaldi shows Number One where Sheridan is being held. She says that her people can get them inside, but they're on their own after that.

On B5, a rather worried Lennier finds Delenn and informs her that Mollari has called a full Council meeting without informing the Minbari. The Centauri is just calling for a vote on an intolerable situation, when Delenn arrives. It's unanimous, and with a representative from Minbar present, it's even legitimate.

"The humans have become the glue which holds us together," G'Kar explains when Delenn objects. The Council feels it is their responsibility to do everything in their power to prevent Earth from turning in upon itself, as well as to repay the debt they owe Sheridan for his defense of their planets during the Shadow War.

In Delenn's stunned silence, G'Kar, Londo and Vir explain that they have resolved to unite their forces to aid Ivanova's fleet, but they didn't want to tell her until it was fait acompli, lest people say it was based on personal interests.

The Resistance fighter leads Garibaldi, Franklin and Lyta through old access tunnels to the location where Sheridan is being held, but refuses to accompany them further.

Marcus brings the duty officer from one of the disabled ships on the bridge with the claim that he has critical intelligence. Apparently some of the "allies" they've picked up along the way are not real defectors. Ivanova's intention to rendezvous near Mars for the final assault on Earth, has been passed back to Clark, who has arranged to ambush them with a fleet of new advanced-technology destroyers. Ivanova and Marcus realize that their standard Earth Force allies would be annihilated by an advanced destroyer fleet. There's no time to change the rendezvous, so Ivanova decides that the White Stars must try to take out the force alone.

Garibaldi and Franklin jump a patrol in the tunnels. They win, but Garbaldi takes a knife in the back. Franklin stitches the wound crudely, but can't convince Garibaldi to stay behind.

Captain James of the Agamemnon tries in vain to argue Ivanova out of her decision. As soon as they set off, Marcus tries to convince Ivanova to get some rest. He only succeeds by threatening to harry her until she gives in. She agrees as long as he wakes her later and sleeps as well.

Wearing their old Earth Force uniforms, Garibaldi and crew stroll up to the prison guard booth. The guard recognizes Garibaldi and commends him for turning Sheridan in. He accepts Garibaldi's story about being there to interrogate the prisoner and lets them pass.

The two cell guards stop them. Garibaldi casually mentions the lock "code" and Lyta grabs it from a guard's mind before attacking the second guard with the thought of pain. Garibaldi takes out the other one, but blood is now showing through his uniform. They hurry into the cell and Franklin sets to work trying to revive Sheridan. Through his drugged fog, Sheridan mumbles, "Michael! I was going to kick your butt for ... something. But I don't remember."

Before waking Ivanova, Marcus looks at her soulfully and utters, "You'll never know." She curses when he tells her they're almost at the target and he didn't sleep. Before rushing to the bridge, Susan reminds him of the Minbari phrase he told her was a "greeting" the last time they were here. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known." She knows what it means now and thanks him.

Trying to get past the guard post with Sheridan, the guards notice the blood on Garibaldi's back, and demand that the rescuers step away from the prisoner. They quickly shoot all the guards. Clumsily, Sheridan picks a gun off the floor and unloads it into one of the guards, shooting until the man is pulp. He looks at Garibaldi with very cognizant fury and insists he's fine.

The White Star fleet emerges at the rendezvous point. A dozen jump points open on all sides and discharge a stream of destroyers. Ivanova is horrified when she sees them. Black skins and barbs on semi-organic hulls prove them to be based on Shadow technology. The force commands her to surrender, and when she refuses, demands to know who she is.

"Who am I?" she asks. "I am Susan Ivanova. Commander. Daughter of Andre and Sophie Ivanov. I am the right hand of vengeance and the boot that is going to kick your sorry ass all the way back to Earth, sweetheart. I am death incarnate, and the last living thing that you are ever going to see. God sent me."

With these words she opens fire and leads the fleet into the toughest battle they've faced yet. One by one White Stars drop, but they manage to outmaneuver and outgun the enemy until every one is destroyed. With her navigational controls damaged, White Star 2 is unable to avoid a huge mass of debris hurtling towards the ship. In the aftermath of the crash, Marcus picks himself up from the wreckage filling the bridge. He finds Ivanova's limp body and carries it away.

Stumbling through the wide corridors of a Minbari cruiser, Sheridan suddenly stops and stares at the sight of Delenn. They embrace and he promises to talk about what happened to him later, but now he has to see Ivanova, who is being tended by Minbari doctors and Marcus. Her head is bolted into a vice-like stabilizer, her face is a mass of cotusions, and she is rarely conscious. She rouses when John comes and begs him to tell her the truth. Is she going to live? Painfully, he tells her, no. She only has about a week. And so she makes one final request.

Sheridan steps onto the bridge of the Agamemnon. With the permission of her Captain, he announces that a friend has asked him to lead the final battle from here. At this, the multi-planet force sets out.

Born to the Purple

Overview

Londo's career is in jeopardy when a beautiful slave seduces him and steals a sensitive computer file. Garibaldi investigates an unauthorized use of a restricted communications channel. Fabiana Udenio as Adira Tyree. Clive Revill as Trakis. Robert Phalen as Andrei Ivanov. 
P5 Rating: 6.79

Production number: 104
Original air date: February 9, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by Larry DiTillio
Directed by Bruce Seth Green

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Matthew Ryan mattryan@pobox.com

Born to the Purple

Ambassador Mollari is sitting in a night club, intensely enjoying the show. His pleasure is interrupted by Sinclair and G'Kar, who have come, quite angrily, to tell him that he can't evade his responsibilities any longer--that tomorrow morning, Londo will be present to negotiate with the Narn over the Euphrates Sector, a point of contention between the two regimes. Londo suddenly interrupts them and tells them to sit down--for the moment in the shows that Londo has been waiting for has arrived: an erotic Centauri dancer. "Of all things in life," Londo comments, "are females not the finest?"

Adira, the Centauri dancer.

"On that, Mollari, we can at least agree," replies G'Kar. As G'Kar, Sinclair, and Londo are sitting there, Ko D'ath, the new head of G'Kar's diplomatic staff, arrives. G'Kar, to put it mildly, doesn't look very happy. Meanwhile, a man makes a pass at Ko D'ath, who rather violently throws him across the room.

After the show, Londo returns to his quarters only to find the erotic Centauri dancer, whose name is Adira Tyree, lying on his bed. Needless to say, he is overjoyed and goes to bed ...

The next morning, Garibaldi finds an anomaly in the computer system--it seems that there has been some unauthorized use of the highly-official Gold Channels. Sinclair tells Garibaldi to continue investigating.

After finishing his talk with Garibaldi, Sinclair, who is at the negotiation table with G'Kar, becomes rather upset that Londo still hasn't arrived. Talia Winters, who will be telepathically auditing the negotiations, excuses herself from the table for a moment. Sinclair follows her.

Talia tells Sinclair that she just had to get out of the room for a while--so much intense emotion in such close proximity can be difficult to block out. Sinclair explains to her how important a peaceful settlement to these negotiations is; he wants to prove that Babylon 5 is doing the job it's supposed to be doing. Further, he knows that every side truly wants a peaceful settle- ment, and explains to Talia that her job is to get rid of all the lies, until the inescapable truth of a peaceful settlement is the only thing left.

Londo, in his room, is talking with Adira. "What is it that you're getting [from me]?" Londo asks. "A washed-up, old republi- can, dreaming of better days."

"These are my better days, Londo," Adira responds, "thanks to you." Londo finally hears that Vir is paging him, so he finally gets up and goes to the negotiations.

On the bridge, Ivanova, who has been informed about the communication anomaly, tells Garibaldi that he's overreacting. She explains that it could easily be a computer error or some energy fluctuation. Garibaldi protests that he has already checked for all of these possibilities--and he says that if someone has gained unauthorized access to the Gold Channels, there might be a very serious security breach. Gold Channels, he explains, are priority channels--most people don't even know that they exist, and even if people did know, they couldn't be used without the express permission of Sinclair. Ivanova, however, brusquely brushes him off- -she'll get to the problem later, she says, when she has time. Londo finally arrives at the negotiation table, claiming to have been detained by an "important matter of state." The negotiations begin.

Adira enters her quarters, and is surprised to find a certain man, Trakis, there. We quickly find out that Adira is a slave, and Trakis is her master. He asks her if things are going well with Londo. She evades the question, but he warns her that a slave should never lie to her master--and he uses some telepathic device to determine her thoughts. He then orders her to hurry up and get the "Purple Files" from Londo. "Do you know why a drunken fool like Mollari has ... power?" says Trakis. "Because his family has been collecting dirt on other families for years, like all the noble houses of the Centauri Republic." The Purple Files, he explains, can bring down any house in the republic--the Narn would pay well for that data, he says, and he wants it. He orders the reluctant Adira to use a mind probe to get the data from Londo.

Adira evades Trakis' question.

Later, Adira is in her quarters when Londo stops by. He brings her some exotic flowers ("Star Laces"?) and also gives her an heirloom which has been in his family for centuries--it was originally warn by a wise and powerful matriarch of his family. She refuses to take it, but he forces it on her, telling her, "You know how stubborn I am!" She finally accepts it. Londo then mentions that he's made reservations at the finest restaurant on Babylon 5. Adira expresses concern and asks what would happen if people saw them together. He explains that, although the Centauri are a class-driven society, "When I look beneath the mask I've been forced to wear, I see only emptiness. Then I think of you, and I say, 'To hell with appearances.'"

Garibaldi is reading Universe Today in his office when his computer alerts him of another communication anomaly. He attempts to track it, and comes quite close to succeeding, only to be stopped at the last moment.

Sinclair has invited Talia to dinner, ostensibly in reward for her services at the negotiations, at the same restaurant that Londo and Adira have gone to. As Sinclair and Talia are talking, she explains how Londo's thoughts at the negotiations were intensely "erotic." Sinclair comments that he's not surprised.

Garibaldi is at Ivanova's console, trying to track down the last anomaly. His efforts are not accomplishing very much; he has traced the message to somewhere in the Russian Consortium.

Londo and Adira are back in Londo's quarters. She tells him to sit down while she prepares the drinks. She sticks some type of sedative in one of them, however. When Londo drinks it, he falls back, unconscious. She sets up the mind probe and gets Londo's access codes to the Purple Files (which are, appropriately, "wine," "women," and "song."). She uses the codes at a computer console in Londo's room to gain access the Purple Files and transfer the information that they contain into a data crystal. She returns his heirloom, sadly mumbling that she's sorry; then, she leaves.

In the morning, Londo is quite upset at Vir for waking him up. Further, he complains of a terrible headache. Suddenly, he notices that Adira has left his ancient heirloom on his desk.

Adira is staring at the data crystal in her quarters when Trakis calls her and orders her to meet him in exactly 10 minutes. Reluctantly, she starts on her way.

Londo, who is extremely preoccupied by now, suddenly has what he thinks is a brilliant idea--to gives Vir full diplomatic status and tell Vir to represent to the Centauri at the negotiations. He tells Vir that he is now the "voice of the mighty Centauri Republic." Vir, changing from an expression of surprise and reluctance to one of pride, finally accepts his position at the negotiation, and virtually runs off, excitedly. "Don't give away the homeworld," orders Londo, as Vir leaves.

Adira, as she sees Trakis at the prearranged meeting place, finally realizes that she doesn't like what she's been forced to do. As she sees Trakis, she runs away from him. Trakis, in quick pursuit, violently pushes a few bystanders out of the way, but is unable to catch up with her.

Trakis finds Londo knocking at Adira's quarters. "She's not there," Trakis tells Londo. Trakis goes on to explain that he and Londo are very much alike--how Adira has betrayed them both. Adira is meanwhile speaking with a friend of hers, frantically arranging safe transport away from Babylon 5. Until the flight, her friend promises her a safe hiding place--in the friend's quarters.

Trakis tells Londo that Adira is a Narn agent. When Londo expresses disbelief, Trakis merely warns him of a danger with which Londo is quite familiar--that if the Purple Files get out, the whole Centauri Republic (not to mention Londo's career) will be finished. Trakis continues to explain that Adira is Trakis's slave--and that the only reason that he cares about this whole thing is that, by the same Centauri laws which allow him to own Adira as a slave, Trakis is responsible for any crimes which Adira commits. Trakis secretly places a audio bug on Londo. Londo, in a mixture of sadness and rage, tells Trakis to leave the quarters.

At the negotiation table, Vir walks in and proudly proclaims that he is the ambassador for the Centauri Republic. G'Kar is enraged, and, as a countermeasure, makes Ko D'ath the Narn ambassa- dor (warning her not to give away the homeworld). Sinclair, trying to maintain some semblance of order, leaves the negotiation chambers to search for Londo.

Sinclair tries to restore calm.

Londo, who has realized that Adira stole his Purple Files, is in no mood to return to the negotiations. He explains the seriousness of the situation to Sinclair and also asks Sinclair for help. The situation must not be made public, he says, and Sinclair is the only one to help him. Sinclair says that he'll only help Londo if Londo agrees to Sinclair's compromise concerning the Euphrates Sector. Londo agrees.

Undercover, Londo and Sinclair enter the club for which Adira was dancing previously. Sinclair outwits the owner of the club into letting him see the dancers for a while. Once they see the dancers, they ask for information about Adira--where she might be hiding. One of the dancers tells them the name of a good friend of Adira--the quarters of whom are the mostly likely place for Adira to be hiding.

At the same time, Trakis, in the alien sector, is monitoring Sinclair's and Londo's conversation through the auditory bug which he attached to Londo previously. He is speaking with one of the aliens, arranging to pay for men to delay (and kill, if necessary) Sinclair and Londo in order to give Trakis to the time to capture Adira (and the data crystal).

Sinclair and Londo go heading off to find Adira but are intercepted by these hired men. Londo realizes that it must have been Trakis who sent them. Londo and Sinclair run off to hide; in the middle of the hired men's pursuit of Londo and Sinclair, however, they are ordered to call off their operations--Adira and the crystal have been captured. Londo and Sinclair overhear this unfortunate bit of information.

Sinclair and Londo undercover.

Ivanova, on the bridge, informs Garibaldi that there has been an incident of heavy shooting down in a certain section of Babylon 5. She tells Garibaldi to go down to investigate it; she says that she'll monitor the communications for any similar anomalies. Garibaldi, however, sends some other security offices to the area of the shooting and remains in his office to monitor communications himself.

According to station logs, says Sinclair, no ship has left Babylon 5 for the past two hours. Therefore, Adira and the crystal must still be on board. Sinclair offers to arrest Trakis--there's enough evidence, he says; Londo, however, declines, saying that any arrest will hinge on his own testimony, and he cannot give it, for fear of making this incident official. "Besides, he might harm Adira," adds Londo. Sinclair is surprised and asks why Londo would like to protect her--after all, she's the one who got him into this situation. "I know," replies Londo, "but there must be some other way." Sinclair says that he has another idea ...

Garibaldi, sure enough, has found another anomaly. This time, he successfully traces it. He catches Ivanova communicating with a Russian hospital--and with her dying father. Ivanova's father sadly apologizes for his perceived lack of love toward his daughter--he explains how, after her mother's death and her brother's death in the war, he was too wrapped up in his own needs to (from his point of view) successfully cater to her needs. He apologizes profusely, though his daughter finds all of it unnecessary. With touching words between them, he dies. Garibaldi, who has been looking on sadly, sees and hears the whole conversation.

Sinclair, meanwhile, is speaking with G'Kar, offering him a "business opportunity." He offers to arrange a meeting for G'Kar concerning some "merchandise" that will give G'Kar an advantage over Mollari. When G'Kar asks Sinclair why he's offering this meeting, Sinclair says that Earth wants some concessions in the Euphrates Sector and knows that Narn gratitude is quite worth the price. Further, Sinclair, to ensure that the merchandise is genuine, offers to have Talia Winters sit in on the meeting. G'Kar accepts, telling Sinclair, "I never knew you could be so devious, commander."

"Coming from you, ambassador, that's a real compliment." rejoins Sinclair. G'Kar at first smiles, but suddenly realizes Sinclair's implication, and gives a perplexed, somewhat-annoyed frown.

Talia, however, when asked by Sinclair and Londo, refuses to use her telepathic skills for any purpose that involves personal matters--it's against Psi Corps regulations. However, when confronted with the possibility that Adira will die if she doesn't interfere, she agrees to scan Trakis's mind at the meeting that Sinclair arranged--however, she can only scan "surface thoughts," though there are tricks ...

The meeting between Trakis and G'Kar proceeds as Sinclair planned. Trakis mentions that he doesn't like telepaths. Talia refutes this, saying that she's only there to verify the merchan- dise ... he mustn't think of anything else--such as "where Adira Tyree might be."

Tricking Trakis.

Trakis is surprised and fooled--enough so that Talia can read his "surface thoughts" pertaining to Adira's location. She tells this information to Sinclair, who sends a security team to try to find her. Trakis, seeing that he has been fooled, attempts to run away--but is stopped by Londo's fist. "That was for Adira," says Londo, "and this"--he kicks Trakis rather hard--"is for me!" Londo searches Trakis's unconscious body and finds the data crystal without difficulty. Londo thanks G'Kar for helping to save not only Londo's career, but the entire Centauri Republic.

Ivanova, meanwhile, enters Garibaldi's quarters and notices that he didn't go down to check out the previous shootings as she had asked him to. Garibaldi comments on how there was another communication anomaly and how he has finally traced the problem: it was, he tells Ivanova, what she originally thought it was--a computer error. He says that he trusts it won't happen again; she agrees. Garibaldi, leaving the room, invites Ivanova for a drink, but she again brusquely brushes him off, saying that she's on duty. However, on second thought, she turns around and tells him, "Maybe another time."

Londo meets with Adira right before she leaves on her ship. He explains to her that Sinclair has "convinced" Trakis to give Adira her freedom--"He [Sinclair] can be a frightening man, that one!" Londo comments. Further, Londo again gives his old heirloom to Adira, telling her to wear it proudly--as a free woman. He offers her, once again, to stay, but she refuses, telling him that her wounds are too fresh. She apologizes, saying that she never meant to hurt him. They wave goodbye, and she boards her ship, leaving Londo only with memories.

Shawn Bayern bayern@cshl.org

Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this synopsis noncommercially as long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact. Babylon 5 is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright is intended by writing these synopses.

By Any Means Necessary

Overview

An accident in the docking area kills a worker, threatening to spark an illegal strike. Londo interferes in an important Narn religious observation which leads to a confrontation between him and G'Kar. John Snyder as Orin Zento. Katy Boyer as Neeoma Connoly. Aki Aleong as Senator Hidoshi.
Originally titled "Backlash" 
Sub-genre: Drama
P5 rating: 7.84

Production number: 114
Original air date: May 11, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by Kathryn Drennan
Directed by Jim Johnston

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

By Any Means Necessary

Ivanova, on the Observation Dome, is faced with the less-than-pleasant job of scheduling half a dozen impatient ships for docking at B5. To make her life more difficult, the captain of one of the waiting ships--a Narn transport--calls in and claims to be carrying a perishable cargo that he must deliver to Ambassador G'Kar. The captain is unhappy at having to wait twenty-five minutes, and Ivanova tells him that she'll do her best to minimize the delay.

Ivanova calls one of the maintenance crews in the docking bays and asks them if there's any way they can open up a bay and let the Narn transport in. After telling Ivanova how difficult she's making things for the maintenance crew, the foreman of the crew tells Ivanova that she can send the Narn ship in.

A busy day in the docking bay.

Ivanova calls back the Narn transport and tells the captain that he may dock immediately; the captain only responds, "About time." The Narn transport begins the docking procedure, but as the ship enters the docking bay, there is a sudden accident apparently caused by the bay computers. Ivanova attempts to alter the Narn ship's docking course, and she warns the Narn captain not to try to pilot the ship himself. The captain, however, panics and starts his engines--he crashes into the side of the docking bay, and his whole cargo load is lost.

Meanwhile, two people from the maintenance crew have been trapped by the explosion caused when the Narn ship crashed into the docking bay. The two trapped people are brought out, but one of them--the foreman's younger brother--has unfortunately been killed.

In his quarters, meanwhile, G'Kar is observing the holy days of G'Quan--the particular Narn religious figure that G'Kar follows. As he's solemnly chanting, Na'Toth interrupts him, bringing the news about the Narn transport. She tells him about the accident and the destruction of the transport's entire cargo hold; she mentions that the "G'Quan Eth" (spelling correction pending) aboard the ship has been destroyed. G'Kar seems extremely distraught.

G'Kar chants a prayer.

A meeting has been called concerning the accident in the bay. Neeoma Connally, a labor leader on B5, and Ambassador G'Kar attend the meeting with the usual B5 command staff. Connally is quite adamant in her belief that the laborers should not be blamed for the accident. When Sinclair suggests that the computer malfunction in the bay could have been caused by human error, Connally disagrees--but she claims that even if the accident *were* caused by human error, nothing else could be expected from an overwork and understaffed crew. Ivanova mentions that the accident can really be considered the fault of the Narn captain, who panicked and started his engines against Ivanova's direct orders, but G'Kar claims that the Narns are the victims of this unfortunate accident -- and consequently should not be blamed. Connally, however, is angered by what G'Kar says -- though the Narn ship was damaged, and though all of the cargo was destroyed, she feels the most serious catastrophe is that one of the laborers died because the accident. G'Kar offers perfunctory condolences, but he maintains that the Narn captain cannot be blamed--the captain's ship was placed in jeopardy and he reacted. After mentioning that he wants compensation for the damage, G'Kar abruptly leaves, claiming he must attend to a "pressing matter."

As G'Kar leaves, Garibaldi arrives and reports to Sinclair that the accident was indeed caused by equipment failure--it appears that the contractors installed sub-standard parts throughout the computer system. Garibaldi explains that it was probably by using these sub-standard microchips that the contractors could make such a low bid for the installation. When Ivanova explains how they'll have to reroute traffic to the other docking bays until new microchips can be installed in the damaged bay, Connally notes, "The problems dockside run deeper than a few microchips, commander." Sinclair tells Connally that he understands and that he's been trying to get the Senate to allocate a larger budget to B5. The meeting ends, and after Connally leaves, Sinclair is notified that he has a Gold Channel transmission from Senator Hidoshi--about the new budget.

Because all of the cargo on the Narn transport has been destroyed, G'Kar is desperately trying to find someone who can sell him a new "G'Quan Eth." Unfortunately for him, nobody seems to have any. Ambassador Mollari walks over to G'Kar and mentions that he's heard about the accident in the cargo bay. "If there is anything I can do to be of assistance, you will let me know, yes?" asks Londo.

Londo taunts G'Kar.

"No," replies G'Kar--and Londo walks away, laughing. As Londo leaves, Na'Toth walks up to G'Kar and tells him that her research shows that nobody will be able to deliver a G'Quan Eth in time for G'Kar's impending religious ceremony. "However," Na'Toth continues, "according to import records, there is one being on the station who has it.... Ambassador Mollari." Londo, from the other side of the room, laughs a loud, shrill laugh at G'Kar and exits abruptly.

"Why does the universe hate me?" asks G'Kar.

Meanwhile, Sinclair is speaking with Senator Hidoshi. Sinclair is disappointed that the budget was not increased--he claims that promises were made to him.

"Political realities sometimes take precedence over good intentions," replies Hidoshi. "If President Santiago can turn things around--at that time, you may receive *some* of the money you requested." When Sinclair responds that there are certain safety concerns that won't wait for the government to turn things around, Hidoshi responds, "Our experts have assured us that your new budget is more than sufficient for safe and efficient running of Babylon 5. Commander, I have every confidence that you will make it work."

After Hidoshi closes the channel, Garibaldi tells Sinclair that the news about the budget has already become common knowledge on B5--the station's business channels are broadcasting it. Sinclair calls for a meeting with Connally; Garibaldi points out that Connally will be quite upset because the dock workers didn't get any pay raises, money for new workers, or funds for upgrading equipment. Sinclair isn't surprised, however; he knows that since the workers' contracts prohibit them from quitting or going on strike, the Senate has no incentive to give the workers anything.

Ivanova, from the other end of the Observation Dome, calls Sinclair and Garibaldi over. She explains that the dock workers are all calling in sick; when Sinclair asks how serious the problem is, Ivanova replies, "Well, as far as we can determine, none of them are actually ill. They're just calling in sick."

"In other words, we have an illegal strike on our hands," points out Sinclair.

The dock workers have gathered near the docking bay and are airing their grievances--rather loudly and vociferously. "How much more of this do they expect us to take?" asks one worker. "I say strike," says another, and the whole crowd begins chanting, "Strike! Strike! Strike!"

Connally interrupts them angrily: "Stop it.... I don't want to hear the word 'strike' any more," she tells them. She says that they'll listen to all of the complaints, but she tells the workers to "try to keep a cool head during the management negotiation." Suddenly, Garibaldi arrives and walks over to Connally--he wants to escort her to Sinclair, who has already requested twice that she see him. "I've been tied up. I got a lot of sick workers here," Connally replies.

When the workers start to pretend to cough, Garibaldi is annoyed. "You think this is funny, huh? Well, I don't."

"We're as serious as a rip in a spacesuit," replies Connally, "and we want the Senate and Commander Sinclair to know it."

"By staging an illegal strike?" asks Garibaldi. "I thought you were smarter than that."

"Sinclair and Ivanova are career military," replies Connally. "I don't expect them to understand. But I figure you for blue collar under all that Earthforce grey."

Garibaldi explains that he understands their dilemma, but he feels that they're handling the problem incorrectly. He explains to her that Sinclair wants to speak with her about other possible solutions, and she eventually allows herself to be escorted to Sinclair. As they're leaving, Garibaldi tells Connally that Sinclair wants to help, but Connally is still skeptical.

When Connally arrives, Sinclair urges her to send her people back to work--if she doesn't, Sinclair is afraid that the Senate might invoke the Rush Act, a law which might force Sinclair to use troops against the striking laborers. Connally doesn't feel that the Senate has the "guts to do that" (because it would inflame public opinion), but Sinclair notes that "things are changing" on Earth and that Connally shouldn't discount the possibility of the Rush Act being invoked. Sinclair tells Connally that by going this far, she's already made her point -- and Earth Central will be made aware of the laborers' grievances. She replies that she can't send her people back to work without guarantees from Sinclair, but Sinclair tells her that he can't give her any guarantees unless her people return to work. Sinclair asks Connally to trust him, but Connally replies that the Senate controls the money--and she refuses to trust the Senate. Garibaldi points out the possible uproar of violence that might result from a clash between the workers and the government--he mentions how angry the workers seemed when he was down near the bay, but Connally assures him that the workers won't be the first to use violence--they will only defend themselves. When Sinclair tells her that he doesn't feel she fully understands the consequences of her actions, she only replies that she's quite aware of the consequences--her father was killed during a strike on Ganymede in 2237. "I have spent my entire life defending workers' rights," she tells Sinclair, "and I'm not about to stop now." She says that her people won't return to work until they are provided with better pay, higher wages, and more people.

Sinclair appeals to Connoly.

After Connally leaves, Ivanova calls Sinclair and tells him that there is another transmission for him from Senator Hidoshi.

Meanwhile, as Londo is entering his quarters, he notices that G'Kar is already inside. "You left your door unlocked, ambassador. Careless of you. I thought it best to sit here and guard your room until you returned," says G'Kar. Londo taunts him, mentioning that the holy days of G'Quan will end very soon. G'Kar isn't in the mood for games, however: "You know why I'm here," he says.

"You know why I'm here."

"The G'Quan Eth plant, yes?" responds Londo. "Difficult to grow, expensive to transport, very expensive to own, but so very important to you at this festive time." G'Kar reluctantly tells Londo that he wants to buy the G'Quan Eth plant. Londo replies that he's been saving the plant for a "special occasion"--he explains to G'Kar that when the G'Quan Eth's seeds are dropped into a mixture of alcohol, the results can be quite ... enjoyable. G'Kar grimaces, but Londo continues, "It's a shame you Narns waste them, burning them as incense." G'Kar angrily interrupts Londo and asks how much Londo is willing to sell the plant for; Londo replies, "You are asking for quite a sacrifice from me, but in the interstellar peace and friendship, ummm, fifty thousand commercial credits, in cash, in advance." G'Kar is enraged, but when he tells Londo that that price is an outrage, Londo simply responds, "Of course it's an outrage. The question is, how important is your religious ceremony to you?" G'Kar leaves quite angrily amid Londo's loud laughing.

On the Gold Channel transmission, Hidoshi tells Sinclair that Earth has been hearing reports of an illegal strike on Babylon 5. Sinclair claims that those reports are exaggerated, though he does admit that there's a problem. Hidoshi replies that such a strike would endanger B5 and would set a bad precedent for all of Earth's off-world interests. Hidoshi tells Sinclair that the Senate has sent Orin Zento ("our best labor negotiator," according to Hidoshi, "[who] has stopped this kind of thing before on many of our stations") to B5--he will be there within twelve hours. "I expect you to give him your full cooperation, and that includes providing troops if he decides the Rush Act is necessary." Sinclair responds that it would be dangerous to invoke the Rush Act on a station with more than one thousand dock workers; Hidoshi replies that the presence of so many dock workers is another "reason to end this thing decisively before it spreads."

When Zento arrives on B5, Sinclair schedules him for a meeting with Connally. Zento tells Sinclair that he wants to speak with Garibaldi; Zento wants to be ready in case he must invoke the Rush Act.

Meanwhile, G'Kar calls Londo and tells him that he has arranged payment for the G'Quan Eth. Londo, however, tells G'Kar that he has changed his mind--the G'Quan Eth is no longer for sale. "Consider this a small--a very tiny--portion of revenge for what you did to our colony on Ragesh 3, and to my nephew. Did you think that I had forgotten that?"

G'Kar, in his quarters, is enraged at Londo. After Londo closes the communication channel, G'Kar yells, "I'll kill him with my bare hands.... Sinclair can only kick my off the station [because of diplomatic immunity]. He might even thank me!" After he calms down, he begins talking with Na'Toth. He knows she's not a follower of G'Quan; she explains that her father followed a different religious figure than G'Quan, and her mother "didn't believe in much of anything." She explains that she only believes in herself. Eventually, G'Kar explains that there's still one thing he can do to get the G'Quan Eth; though he says that he hates having to use this plan, it's the only option remaining. He tells Na'Toth that there's something she can do to help him, however, in case his plan fails. Na'Toth agrees to help.

Orin Zento arrives at a gathering of the dock workers, who don't take particularly well to Zento's assurances that he "understands" their situation. When Zento tells the workers that if they abide by their contracts and return to work, Earth Central will look into the workers' problems; Connally, however, replies that the workers' "problems" have already killed a man, and as the elected representative of the workers, she can't allow that to happen again. Zento claims that despite the recent accident, the government experts assure him that there are enough dock workers on B5 for the next few years and that the workers already have adequate equipment. The workers react badly to this line of argument, however--the foreman, whose brother was killed, replies, "... you can damn well get your 'experts' to run [the] docks." Just as tempers begin to get hot, Sinclair suggests that a recess be called and that the negotiations continue the following day. Both parties agree.

Sinclair, back in his quarters, suddenly gets a message from Zento. Zento tells him that he's heard rumors that the workers have abandoned their pretense of being "sick" and have officially declared a strike. Sinclair tells Zento that he's sure the rumors are no more than mere rumors, but Zento brusquely responds, "Don't play games with me, Sinclair. I know all about you. You've let this situation escalate out of all proportion, and you can bet the Senate's going to get a full report." Zento warns that if Connally and the workers continue to strike, Zento will invoke the Rush Act. Further, Zento warns that Sinclair's troops "had better be ready" to enforce the Act.

Just as Zento closes the channel, the communicator beeps again. This time, G'Kar is on the channel--he says that he must meet with Sinclair to discuss a very important matter. Sinclair agrees, but only after G'Kar notes that he "wouldn't want to burden" Sinclair further by raising this matter before an entire assembly of the council.

Sinclair arrives at the council chambers to meet with G'Kar. "Are you telling me this is about a flower?" asks Sinclair after G'Kar explains the situation.

"Not just a flower, commander. The very symbol of my faith," replies G'Kar. He explains that all followers of G'Quan must perform a ritual using the G'Quan Eth plant at a particular time in the year ("when our sun rises precisely behind the G'Quan Mountain," says G'Kar, who also explains that people who aren't on the Narn homeworld must observe this ritual at the same time as those who *are* on the homeworld). Each year, the people who celebrate must acquire a new G'Quan Eth plant for the ritual--and now, the only person on B5 with a G'Quan Eth is Ambassador Mollari. Because this ritual is the most important of G'Kar's beliefs, because G'Kar is the highest ranking member of his faith aboard B5 (and must therefore provide the G'Quan Eth to followers of G'Quan on B5), and because G'Kar feels that it is sacrilege for Londo to possess a G'Quan Eth (for the plant rightfully belongs to the Narn, according to G'Kar, and was stolen from the Narn homeworld during the Centauri occupation), he asks Sinclair to help him. Sinclair agrees to attempt to help G'Kar.

To try to get the G'Quan Eth plant for G'Kar, Sinclair visits Londo. Londo, however, refuses to give the plant to G'Kar: "You know I would do anything for you, my good friend, Commander Sinclair--but not this.... This isn't about ... spiritual beliefs. G'Kar is only worried about losing face. The Narns--they're a barbaric people. They're all pagans, still worshipping their sun. No, I would rather burn the plant than give it to him." Sinclair leaves, and tells G'Kar--who has been waiting outside--that he's sorry, but that Londo would not listen. Sinclair, at that moment, is called to the briefing room by Ivanova. As the commander walks away, G'Kar calls Na'Toth and tells her, "Proceed!"

At the briefing room, Zento and Connally are again arguing. The talks are obviously getting nowhere; Zento says that he refuses to accommodate illegal strikers, and when he tells Connally that he strongly recommends that she send her people back to work, she simply replies, "Stuff it!" Zento says that he refuses to "pander to these people anymore"--he says that after he receives confirmation from the Senate (which he claims he'll have within the hour), he will invoke the Rush Act.

Zento and Connally argue.

On the way to the docking bay, Sinclair urges Connally to try to end this matter peacefully by sending her people back to work. She says she's sorry that this whole thing had to happen on B5, but she also maintains that it's too late for the workers to back down--they're tired of the abuses and they will finally stand up for their rights.

On the Observation Dome, the reporter from ISN (cf: "Infection") is trying to get Sinclair to comment on the labor situation. When Londo and G'Kar suddenly arrive, screaming at one another (Londo demands that Sinclair arrest G'Kar, for he claims G'Kar has stolen a statue of a Centauri deity; G'Kar responds that he has been in the presence of witnesses for the past few hours and has not stolen anything; Londo replies that G'Kar's "attack dog, Na'Toth," must have stolen it--but on G'Kar's orders), Sinclair gets rather annoyed at the disturbances. He tells Londo, G'Kar, and the reporter to leave the observation dome immediately (and threatens that if they don't leave, he'll place them in the brig). Londo claims that he's going to file an official protest, while G'Kar says that he's going to file *two* official protests.

Just as everyone leaves, Garibaldi enters. At that moment, Senator Hidoshi calls in. Hidoshi tells Sinclair that--though Hidoshi would personally want Sinclair to handle the situation as Sinclair best sees fit--Zento has convinced a majority of the Senate to invoke the Rush Act. When Sinclair replies that the only possible result of the Rush Act can be a violent confrontation, Hidoshi says that he knows that--and he fears that a violent confrontation is exactly what some people want. Sinclair reluctantly tells Garibaldi to mobilize his troops, and asks Ivanova to bring him the full text of the Senate order.

Down in the docking bay, when the workers find out that the Senate has invoked the Rush Act, they are angered but are prepared to defend themselves. When Garibaldi arrives with a few security officers, a fight breaks out.

The workers riot.

Amid the fight, Connally is arrested and dragged away by Garibaldi. As Garibaldi leaves the docking bay, he meets Sinclair and tells him that the security forces are ready to flood the bay with a somniferous gas and arrest the dock workers while they're asleep. Both Sinclair and Connally are angered by the fight, and both claim that they wanted to avoid this confrontation. Garibaldi, however, points out that the fight was started by the foreman whose brother was killed; the foreman, according to Garibaldi, threw the first punch. Sinclair tells Garibaldi to have his men to pull out of the docking bay. When Sinclair enters the docking bay, the workers temporarily calm down and let Sinclair speak.

"Under the Rush Act," begins Sinclair, "the Senate has empowered me to end this strike. I'm authorized to use any means necessary." After confirming this fact with Zento, and after Sinclair is assured that he has Zento's full support, Sinclair explains what "necessary means" he's going to use to stop the strike: First, Sinclair will reallocate 1.3 million credits from B5's military budget in order to begin necessary upgrades of docking equipment and to start hiring more workers. Second, Sinclair will declare a complete amnesty for dock workers who have struck but who have committed no other crime. Zento angrily protests, but Sinclair comments that it was Zento who allowed Sinclair to use these means by convincing the Senate to invoke the Rush Act: "You should never hand someone a gun unless you're sure where they'll point it," says Sinclair. Sinclair adds that no charges will be pressed against the workers who were involved in the fight against the security officers; on this point, Garibaldi and the foreman shake hands. Sinclair finishes by saying that all of these actions are dependent upon the workers' returning to work immediately; Connally agrees, and the workers begin work again. As the workers get back to work, Zento angrily tells Sinclair, "You know damn well you twisted the intent of that order, and you won't get away with it."

"I think Ms. Connally said it best the other day--'stuff it!'" replies Sinclair. Connally thanks Sinclair and apologizes for underestimating him.

After Connally leaves, Garibaldi politely tells Sinclair, "You look like week-old bread. Why don't you get some sleep?"

Just then, however, Ivonova calls Sinclair and tells him that he'd better come quickly because--"G'Kar and Londo are approximately half an inch from killing each other," she says.

When Sinclair arrives, he tells G'Kar to return Londo's statue. G'Kar protests--he still claims he never stole the statue--but Sinclair isn't in the mood for games. Next, he tells Londo that dangerous chemical composition of the G'Quan Eth plant makes it illegal to possess except for legitimate medical or religious purposes. Londo laughs, saying that the plant is no more harmful than a bottle of Earth whiskey; Sinclair merely tells him to file an official protest if he wishes--but to turn over the plant anyway. Sinclair mentions that Londo will be fully compensated for the plant, of course. Londo, at length, agrees. "I have already gotten my enjoyment from it anyway," says Londo. After Londo leaves, Sinclair tells G'Kar that once Londo's statue is returned, Sinclair will turn over the G'Quan Eth plant to G'Kar--of course, G'Kar will compensate Londo for it.

"Why should I turn the statue over--assuming that I knew where it was--when it's already too late for the ceremony? Mollari knows that--that's why he gave in so easily."

Sinclair tells G'Kar that light travels through space. Therefore, although the ritual must be performed in the sunlight that has touched the G'Quan mountain at a particular time, and although that particular time has already passed this year, the light that touched the G'Quan mountain ten years ago will reach the station in a few hours. "[The light has] been on a long journey, but it's still the same sunlight. Good enough for you to conduct your ceremony--wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, it might be. Commander, you are a far more spiritual man than I gave you credit for," replies G'Kar.

"You are a far more spiritual man..."

"There are a couple of Jesuit teachers I know who might disagree with you," says Sinclair. When Sinclair reminds G'Kar to return the Centauri statue, G'Kar replies that he's sure a careful search will turn it up. As Sinclair leaves, smiling broadly, G'Kar thanks him.

Sinclair returns to his quarters and instructs his computer to hold all transmissions; however, when the computer replies that there is one transmission holding, Sinclair tells the computer to send the message through. The message is from Hidoshi, who tells Sinclair that he admires what Sinclair has done on B5 concerning the labor situation--however, the Senate doesn't. In this instance, however, the Senate has allowed Sinclair's decision to stand without comment--because public opinion is on Sinclair's side. Hidoshi tells Sinclair that he sympathizes with his decision--and is glad to see the discomfort it has caused some of his colleagues (for Hidoshi's grandfather was a dock worker himself). He is calling just to warn Sinclair that Zento has powerful friends, and that by embarrassing Zento, Sinclair has made new enemies in the government. "If I were you, commander, I would watch things very carefully. You are not the most popular person in government circles right now."

After Hidoshi closes the communication, Sinclair says to himself, "So, what else is new?" and finally goes to sleep.

Meanwhile, G'Kar is successfully carrying out his religious ceremony. "The gift of time, the gift of life, the gift of wisdom, the gift of light. For these things, were are thankful. For these things, we pray," says G'Kar, solemnly, and the ceremony continues, thanks to Commander Sinclair.

Shawn Bayern bayern@cshl.org

Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this synopsis noncommercially as long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact. Babylon 5 is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright is intended by writing these synopses.

Ceremonies of Light and Dark

Overview

The Nightwatch orders its members on Babylon 5 to target Delenn in an attempt to undermine Minbari actions during the recent crisis. Londo presents Refa with an ultimatum. William Forward as Refa. Paul Perri as The Sniper. Don Stroud as Boggs. Kim Strauss as Lenann. 
P5 Rating: 8.30

Production number: 311
Original air week: April 8, 1996
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John Flinn III

Watch For

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Ceremonies of Light and Dark

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

Ivanova, in C&C, is joined by Sheridan. She explains to him that they have succeeded in ridding the station of all the members of the Nightwatch they know about, and that Garibaldi is trying to track down the ones they might not know about. Garibaldi arrives, his arm in a sling, and explains that he fractured it during the recent attack on the station. He explains that most of the people on the station are upset about the communications channels being shut down, but Sheridan and Ivanova know they can't be reinstated until Earth can be prevented from using them to retake the station. Garibaldi asks how long Sheridan plans to be out of his uniform, and Sheridan explains that he won't put it back on until the situation is resolved. He leaves to make the rounds, which both Garibaldi and Ivanova are unsure about. Sheridan insists he can take care of himself and leaves.

Delenn is addressing some of the Minbari from the ships outside Babylon 5, telling them that she was asked by Sheridan to thank them for defending the station. They leave, and Lennier tells her that the captain of the Minbari fleet wants to come aboard for a tour, which she agrees to. Delenn asks Lennier what he thinks of the situation, but he does not respond, instead saying that "what is, is" and that the prophecy, which stated that the Minbari would unite with the other half of their soul has come true. Delenn says that the prophecies may be misleading and that, should the other parts come true, there is no guarantee that any of them will survive.

As Sheridan makes his rounds in the Zocalo, a gunman waits, enclosed in shadows high above, targeting him with his weapon. Just as he is about to fire, he is pulled away by Boggs, a former member of Garibaldi's security staff, telling him that he was told to wait. The gunman insists that he had a good shot, but Boggs is less sure, saying instead that, should Sheridan fall, others would rise to take his place and that, sooner or later, they will get their "pound of flesh."

Delenn and Lennier approach Marcus as he returns from a voyage. Delenn tells Marcus that she has called for the Nafak'cha, the rebirth ceremony, which commemorates a great change that is coming, or one that has already arrived. Marcus feels that the time may be inappropriate, given that everyone will be embroiled in ceremonies of their own for a while.

One such ceremony is taking place where the members of EarthForce commit the bodies of their comrades, fallen in battle against Earth, to the depths of space, led by Sheridan, wearing his uniform one final time.

Lord Refa arrives at a table in the Zocalo where Londo is sitting. Refa is unhappy at being dragged to Babylon 5 instead of Londo going to him. Londo tells Refa that he has been studying the reports from the frontlines, and expresses dismay at the fact that the Centauri are fighting a war on so many fronts. Refa claims the Centauri can handle it, and that their resources are greater than Londo thinks. Londo, however, knows about his alliance with Morden and the Shadows, and urges Refa to do as he did and break off his contact with them. Londo tries to convince Refa that, by fighting wars on so many smaller fronts, should the Shadows decide to conquer the Centauri, there will not be much of a fight. Refa laughs at him, saying that Morden and his associates are the greatest power he knows, and that they are the key to his ascent to the throne. Londo tells him that Refa will do as he says because he has poisoned Refa's drink. The poison works in two parts, and should Refa not do as Londo asks, the second part of the poison will be introduced to Refa as well. Londo orders Refa to bolster the lines of defense around Centauri Prime, cease attacking on the other fronts, and break off contact with Morden, unless he wants to receive the other part of the poison.

Garibaldi finishes accessing the command codes, and he, Sheridan, and Ivanova follow through the procedures necessary to change the command level passwords, which requires shutting down the security system and restarting it. Delenn arrives, and has Sheridan go with her. She asks him and the other senior officers to take part in the rebirth ceremony, along with other ambassadors, G'Kar, and most importantly to her, Londo, whom she feels is in the greatest need of rebirth. She explains that they all need to put their pain behind them so they can prepare for the greater struggles ahead.

Boggs explains to a few others that he has received orders from the Nightwatch office to no longer worry about killing Sheridan, but rather taking care of Ambassador Delenn. Once she is done with, the support of the Minbari will vanish, allowing Earth to retake Babylon 5. Though the gunman is worried, Boggs reassures him that Sheridan can be blamed no matter what. The gunman is all too glad to be back killing Minbari, as he used to do so, after extreme torture, during the Earth-Minbari war. They begin preparing the plan against Delenn.

Delenn, in disguise, arrives at a bar Marcus frequents in Downbelow. She asks him why he isn't preparing for the ceremony, but he tells her that he has decided against participating. She doesn't understand his reluctance, but their conversation is cut short when someone he has been waiting for comes in.

Garibaldi turns off the computer system and restarts it. When it comes back on-line, the codes have been changed, but something new has happened as well: the computer has taken on an attitude of its own, and is less than inclined to follow Garibaldi's orders, which is due to a faulty artificial intelligence program, originally planned to be integrated into the station, which accidentally came on-line. As the computer taunts him and Ivanova, they plan to get rid of it yet again.

Delenn and Lennier approach Londo about taking place in the rebirth ceremony, but he is less than inclined to do what is necessary, which involves giving away something that once held great importance to him, and telling someone something he had never told anyone else. Delenn explains that she feels he needs to make up for the past and prepare for the future, but Londo claims he is already doing that, and has no interest in the ceremony. He storms off.

Their meeting with G'Kar goes equally badly; he claims that he is far too busy with all of his new responsibilities to attend. Marcus appears and comments on how everyone else is as disinterested in the idea as he is. Lennier reminds Delenn that she was to meet the Fleet Captain, and she goes to the docking bay, with Marcus in tow. On the way, they stop for a few moments, and she asks why he doesn't want to perform the ceremony. He tells her he has nothing left to give up for it, and that, because he didn't listen to his brother when he was first warned about the Shadows, he has already lost everything he cared about. He joined the Rangers to help fill the gap in himself created by the Shadows. He tells her that he has nothing left to give up, but Delenn says that is exactly what he must sacrifice--his grief, loss, and painful memories. He must forgive himself for being alive.

Marcus quickly breaks off to tell security about Fleet Captain Lenann coming on board, and Delenn goes to meet the newcomer. As he arrives, however, she, Lenann, and one of his bodyguards are assaulted and kidnapped by the scheming members of the Nightwatch.

As Garibaldi puts up with the neverending ramblings of the computer, Ivanova calls him to report the kidnapping. Delenn asks her captors to let her tend to the bodyguard's injuries, incurred in the gunfire. Boggs reappears and checks on the status of another member of the Nightwatch, who is busy scrambling some circuits.

While Sheridan talks to Marcus, who blames himself for Delenn's kidnapping, Corwin reports that a call about the kidnapping is coming in. Sheridan has it traced, and it goes through. It is Boggs who explains his demands to have the Minbari cruisers leave in six hours, or all the hostages will be killed. They have scrambled the Babcom lines so the call can't be traced, and are monitoring all security channels. He warns them not to do anything stupid, or he will have no qualms about using violence, which he demonstrates by having the bodyguard killed, despite Delenn's screams of protestation. Marcus runs off to try to track Boggs down himself. Sheridan orders Garibaldi to find out all he can about Boggs' contacts, and anything else they may be able to use to find them.

Marcus arrives in Downbelow, and sits down for a poker game with a group of men he had previously had an agreement with to leave alone, a deal which he has chosen to break in order to obtain information. None of them are willing to help, though, and he promises that, if none of them do, he will take them all down, followed by everyone else in the bar. The game players rise to meet the challenge, and appear to overshadow Marcus quite severely.

Delenn and Lenann speak to each other in Minbari about a possible escape method, but the gunman understands their language, which he picked up during the war, and thwarts the plan by tightening their loosening ropes. He tells them that neither of them will survive the ordeal, but Delenn stuns him by telling him that she feels sorry for him, something he doesn't understand. She tells him that he is an unfortunate casualty of the war, and though the Earth and the Minbari have managed to come together, he has not, and he is left all alone. He starts to fire on her, but Lenann jumps up from his chair, diverting the weapon, which severely injures him. Boggs appears and stops the gunman from going any further.

Marcus, meanwhile, has kept his word, having dispatched of everyone in the bar except two of the poker players, who he soon takes care of. As he surveys the damage, realizing there is no one left awake to give him information, Lennier arrives and tells Marcus that he has come to discuss the rebirth ceremony, asking him again to come. Marcus doesn't understand why he's talking about that, and Lennier explains that it was Delenn's last request, and that, if he doesn't continue the preparations, there is nothing else to do. Lennier turns away, and Marcus grabs him on the arm, something which infuriates Lennier. Lennier rounds back on Marcus, explaining that he would like to tear apart the station looking for Delenn, but can't. As his part of the rebirth ceremony, he explains why he must do what she asks: he loves her.

Lennier explains that his love for her is not romantic love, but more higher and more noble, a "pure, perfect love," that he knows can never truly be returned, since she is fated for another. He has made a vow never to leave her side, a vow Marcus recognizes as dangerous. At that point, the last gambler Marcus downed awakes, and begins to tell Marcus, under threat of more pain, what he wants to know.

Ivanova explains that, though they still can't trace the call, they did find a background sound which Garibaldi is able to identify as the cooling system which feeds the fusion reactor in Grey sector. Sheridan knows that isn't enough, but Marcus arrives with another piece of the puzzle: the man he talked to overheard a contact in Security talk about delivering some equipment for call scrambling to level 14. They scan Grey 14 and find that it has been closed off -- supposedly under Garibaldi's orders, orders he never gave. They begin preparing their attack, which, Sheridan explains, begins with a surrender.

As the Nightwatch members prepare to kill Delenn and Lenann, the contact Marcus told about calls Boggs and reports that the Minbari ships are leaving. Boggs tells his contact to send a narrow-beam transmission to Earth. After the conversation ends, a loud sound is heard, which Boggs rushes out to investigate. Lots of people are running by, and one explains that a leak in the coolant system is forcing evacuation of the sector. As the Nightwatch members try to escape with Delenn and Lenann, they are led into an ambush led by Sheridan and Garibaldi. Boggs is shot down, and the remaining captors are pinned down, but when Sheridan makes a run to save Delenn and Lenann, the gunman, only injured by a PPG shot, throws a knife in Delenn's back and runs. Sheridan gives chase, eventually backing the gunman into a corner. Sheridan's rage takes over and, without a weapon, he beats the gunman senseless.

Lennier tells Ivanova and Sheridan that Delenn will be okay, since the knife missed her vital organs. Sheridan wants to continue with the rebirth ceremony, but Lennier says that, since the ceremony must be held within a certain amount of time after preparations begin, she will not be able to conduct the ceremony. Garibaldi, meanwhile, is still being taunted by the artificial intelligence. While he is in the elevator, he is finally pushed too far, and shoots out the speaker.

Lennier, at Delenn's side, is delighted to see that Sheridan has arrived. Lennier leaves, leaving Sheridan to tell Delenn that they have decided to bring the rebirth ceremony to her. He has chosen to give up his uniform, and confides in her that he cares about her a great deal, and that he was willing to kill the gunman with his bare hands to save her. After he has finished, he leaves, and Garibaldi comes in, carrying his uniform. He tells her that he is constantly afraid what will happen if he ever completely lets go. Ivanova is next, and, after putting her uniform on the growing pile, admits to Delenn that she believes she loved Talia. Franklin and his uniform are last, and he tells her, "I think I have a problem." After he is done, and they are all about to leave, Lennier approaches them and tells them that, as part of the ceremony, Delenn made them something, which is waiting in their quarters.

C&C is overcome with a quiet hush as Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Franklin appear, resplendent in Delenn's gifts: striking new black and grey uniforms. "What's the matter," Sheridan tells the shocked officers, "Haven't you ever seen someone who's been reborn before? The crisis, for now, is over. Tell the ships... We're open for business."

Chrysalis

Overview

First Season finale. A dying man leads Garibaldi to a discovery that could cost him his life. Londo receives help in a dispute with the Narns. Something begins to happen to Delenn. Macaulay Bruton as Garibaldi's aide. Edward Conery as Devereaux. Ed Wasser as Morden. 
Sub-genre: Intrigue
P5 Rating: 9.38

Production number: 112
Original air date: October 26, 1994 (*)
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Watch for:

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Chrysalis

It is December 30, 2258. As the episode opens, Londo and G'Kar are arguing before the council about quadrant 37. G'Kar accuses the Centauri government of sending armed ships into Narn space, but Londo is adamant in his belief that quadrant 37 is neutral territory, because of a treaty. G'Kar declares that the Narn government no longer acknowledges the treaty because it was forced upon them. Sinclair intervenes and points out that the Narns have operated a military base on the border of Centauri space, without incident, for five years, and wonders why the problems have only now begun. G'Kar claims that outposts such as those are necessary for Narn planetary security. Londo responds, "Keep this up, G'Kar, and soon you won't have a planet to protect." G'Kar storms out of the council chamber.

G'Kar makes his accusation.

Elsewhere on the station, Garibaldi is talking to some people when a dying man stumbles over to him. The man is badly injured and can barely talk, but manages to utter one message before he dies. "You've got to stop them," he says. "They're going to kill him... they're going to kill him."

Garibaldi explains to Sinclair and Ivanova that the man, named Stephen Petrov, was a lurker from Downbelow who he had picked up for petty theft and reformed. He had been an informant of Garibaldi's for six months, though Garibaldi had not heard from him in nearly two weeks. Garibaldi is upset that Petrov had died while wanting to turn his life around, but realizes that his death may not have been in vain, if what he said was true. Though they don't know whose life may be in danger, Garibaldi is determined to find the answer.

Later, Sinclair and Catherine Sakai watch the news in Sinclair's quarters. "After which, the president and his escort left the Mars colony on a goodwill tour of the outer planet colonies. Sources close to the president have hinted that he'll give a major policy speech New Year's Day from the jump point on Io. The speech is likely to concern human-alien relations over the remainder of his five-year term," says the anchorwoman.

Watching the news.

Catherine asks Sinclair if he has plans for New Year's. He says that he doesn't, unless the conflict between the Narn and Centauri is still continuing. Catherine has made plans, but wants to surprise Sinclair. Sinclair has a surprise for her as well. He talks to her about their relationship and the problems they have had in the past, and how much he loves her. "Look," he asks her, "do you want to get married or don't you?" "Yes," she replies.

Londo and Vir are in Londo's quarters discussing the problems the Centauri are having with the Narn. Londo is upset at having to tell the council that he must give quadrant 37 to the Narns, but knows that he must do it and that he has nearly no alternative. Then, there is an incoming communication which Vir answers. When the voice asks for Londo, Vir first answers that he is very busy, but Londo recognizes the voice and takes the call personally. He recognizes the man on the other end as Morden, who had rescued the Eye from the raiders. Londo wants to talk, but Morden refuses, instead setting up a meeting at the park in one hour, to discuss a problem that Morden doesn't mention. Londo agrees, and then sends Vir away, to prepare for the meeting.

"I think I'll stick my head in the station's fusion reactor."

Delenn and Lennier are in Delenn's quarters. Delenn is again working on the crystal structure that she has been constructing for a long time. "Did you see Ambassador Kosh?" she asks Lennier, and he responds affirmatively. "Did you relay my question precisely? Word for word?" Again, Lennier responds affirmatively, and when Delenn asks for his reaction, Lennier tells her. "Just one word. He said: Yes." Delenn stops working on the structure and leaves hastily, telling Lennier to wait for her.

Garibaldi, now in Downbelow, searches for information on Petrov's death. He is met with consternation from the various lurkers, but eventually finds one that has information for him. The strange man says that it is common for lurkers to accept assignments from people on the station when they need more people to work. "Last week, one of the guys hired us to load cargo for transport." Garibaldi asks what kind, but the man didn't ask. He suspected that the man who had asked them to load the cargo was trouble. Garibaldi asks for a name, and the man provides one: Devereaux, whom he claims hangs out in the casino. The lurker also provides one last startling bit of information. "The last time I saw Petrov was just before he went looking for you. Whatever he saw, whatever he knew, scared him half to death."

Garibaldi gathers information.

In the park, Londo searches for Morden and eventually finds him. Londo tells Morden that he wanted to thank him for returning the Eye, but Morden waves it off. "Unnecessary," Morden says. "I'm here to be of service, Ambassador! My associates believe that you are a person of great potential, trapped in a position where your skills are unseen and unappreciated. They'd like to change that." Londo tells Morden that nothing can be changed, and that his life is as much as it will ever be, but Morden suggests trying anyway.

Morden knows of the trouble in quadrant 37 and offers to solve the problem for the Centauri. Londo doesn't believe it, but Morden persists, telling Londo to tell his superiors that he will take care of the situation. Londo does not still completely understand. "What is the price for this...help?"

"No price, Ambassador," Morden answers simply. "But at some point in the future, if we deliver on our promises, we may come to you and ask you for a favor. That's all." Morden leaves.

"We're simply here to help."

Delenn enters Kosh's quarters. She breathes from a gas mask once, then puts it away and speaks. "I have come as I said I would. Kosh, I have great doubts. I must know if it's true. I must see with my own eyes."

Kosh says nothing in response. Suddenly, a bright light comes from the encounter suit, and slowly, the top of the suit begins to move out of place. Delenn looks at what she sees and smiles. "Yes, thank you. Now I will keep the promise. Goodbye. You will not see me again as I am now." She bows to Kosh and leaves.

In the casino, Garibaldi finds Devereaux and introduces himself. Devereaux refuses to cooperate, but relents after Garibaldi forces him to go to security to identify Petrov. "Big mistake, hot shot," Devereaux says to Garibaldi. "You shouldn't poke around in things you don't understand. This is too big for you." Garibaldi does not believe this, and escorts Devereaux out of the casino.

Meanwhile, in Londo's quarters, Vir enters and tells Londo that the Centauri government wants to know if he has relayed their message to the council. Londo tells Vir to reply that he will personally take care of the problem in quadrant 37. Though Vir believes Londo is drunk, Londo assures him it is not so, and tells him to send the message.

Sinclair goes to G'Kar's quarters, where Na'Toth tells him that G'Kar is too busy, but she changes her mind after several females emerge from his bedroom. Sinclair wants the Narn to give Centauri room to maneuver, but G'Kar refuses; he considers it a dead issue. Sinclair tries to get him reconsider. The Narn, he says, are abusing their power by threatening the Centauri much as the Centauri had done to them.

"We know what we're doing," G'Kar says. "Is there anything else?"

"Just that I've had this feeling lately that we're standing at a crossroads, and I don't like where we're going. But there's still time to choose another path. You can be part of that process, G'Kar. Choose wisely. Not just for the Centauri, but for the good of your own people as well."

"We all do what we have to," G'Kar says, and asks Sinclair to leave.

"We're standing at a crossroads."

Later, Sinclair, Catherine, Ivanova and Garibaldi are eating dinner together. Garibaldi wants to know what the occasion is, and Sinclair tells him that he and Catherine are getting married, and they want want Garibaldi and Ivanova to be the best man and maid of honor, respectively. Congratulations are exchanged, and Garibaldi tells Sinclair that he is glad to be his friend and best man. A beep comes from Garibaldi's communicator, and he receives a message that Devereaux, and the two men who were with him, is missing. Garibaldi tells Sinclair that he found something interesting about Devereaux. When he investigated Devereaux's PPG, he found no serial number stamped on the inner coil. Only special agents in Earth Force security get unnumbered PPGs, a fact which suggests to Garibaldi that something serious is going on.

In quadrant 37, a Narn perimeter guard is investigating the sector, and reports that he has found nothing. He loses contact with the base. Suddenly, something materializes directly in front of him. It is a large black ship that has many protusions resembling legs or tentacles. It fires a beam at the ship, which is instantly destroyed. A second mysterious ship appears nearby, then a third, then a fourth. Several Narn ships, fighters and large capital ships alike, attempt to intercept and return fire on the spider-like vessels, but their attempts are fruitless. All the Narn ships are destroyed, and soon the outpost on a nearby planet is destroyed as well. The mystery ships vanish, fading to invisibility as they move away from the planet.

The Narn outpost.

Ivanova, at C&C, taking an opportunity to relax since no more ships are due in for a while, watches the news. "At which time the vice president disembarked Earth Force 1. He is currently undergoing medical tests while the president continues en route to Jupiter. Reports indicate that the vice president is suffering from a viral infection and hopes to catch up with the tour as it returns from Io."

There is, however, no time for Garibaldi to relax. One of the ships that Devereaux had hired Petrov to load cargo onto was delayed by engine trouble, and he is inspecting the cargo. His aide arrives to help. Though the cargo containers are supposed to contain medical supplies, Garibaldi finds transmitters which are set to broadcast static -- a "poor man's jamming device." In another crate is a triangulation system, used to determine optimum placement for the transmitters. The device is set for a location near the transport point on Io, and the jammers are set to jam the gold channel frequency for Earth Force 1. Garibaldi links to Sinclair. "We've got a problem. Ultraviolet priority." He doesn't go into more detail, but tells Sinclair to meet him in a briefing room in twenty minutes. He rushes away. After Garibaldi leaves, his aide makes a communication of his own. "This is blue alpha," he says. "Stand by."

While Garibaldi is on his way, he comes across Devereaux and his associates. Garibaldi tries to apprehend them, but is shot in the back by his aide.

Devereaux confronts Garibaldi.

Sinclair, in his quarters, tells Ivanova that Garibaldi has still not reported in. They both agree that Garibaldi would not call for an ultraviolet alert and then not go in to follow it up, so they surmise that something must be wrong. Sinclair continues to try to contact Garibaldi, but is interrupted by the chime of his door. He is thinks it's Garibaldi, but he's wrong. It is Delenn. "Hello Commander," she says. "I believe you recognize this." She holds up the triluminary given her by a member of the Grey Council. "Yes," Sinclair answers, remembering a hooded member of the Council holding that up to his face when he was aboard the Minbari ship at the Battle of the Line. Delenn presses further. "You remember what happened at the Battle of the Line, don't you? You remember being taken aboard our ship?" Sinclair says he remembers a little of what happened, but doesn't know everything or what it means. "I suspected as much," Delenn answers. "We have a lot to discuss, Commander. By coming to you, I am putting both of our lives at risk. But there are things you should know."

Sinclair says it's a bad time because Garibaldi is missing.

"I understand," Delenn says. "Come to my quarters, and I'll tell you as much as I can. But don't wait too long, Commander. Certain things have been set in motion, and I do not have much time." She leaves.

"I believe you recognize this."

While Garibaldi slowly and painfully makes his way to the elevator, Na'Toth delivers some disheartening news to G'Kar about quadrant 37. She tells him that the outpost there is gone, and though G'Kar thinks they have just lost contact, she informs him that the homeworld sent a ship to investigate, and found everything gone, and all the records destroyed. There were no survivors. Na'Toth laments the 10,000 deaths, but G'Kar is preoccupied with even darker matters. "It wasn't the humans. The Centauri don't have the will. The Vorlon's don't care. The Minbari wouldn't do it. The other worlds aren't powerful enough for a strike like this," he says. "There's someone else out there, Na'Toth," he says grimly.

Things are a bit lighter around the rest of the station, however. It is now midnight, and the New Year's celebration has just concluded with the ringing in of the new year, 2259. When a couple of guests at the celebration attempt to leave, they find Garibaldi in the elevator. He has lost a great deal of blood and is unconscious.

In Delenn's quarters, she is completing the building of her crystal construct. "Are you sure there's no other way?" asks Lennier, who watches her sadly.

"What must happen will happen," Delenn says. "Valen said this day would come. Who are we to stand in the way of prophecy?" Lennier tries to convince her to stop what she is doing by asking her what will happen if she is wrong. "Then speak well of me when I'm gone," she answers, smiling faintly. She turns away from him and looks at the crystal structure for a moment. She then silently picks up the triluminary from the table and inserts it into a slot at the top of the device. It begins to glow with an eerie white light, and soon the entire device is glowing in a similar manner. "If he comes, it must be soon," she intones gravely, watching the corner of the room as something fills it, apparently coming from the glowing structure. "I have little time."

"What must happen will happen."

Garibaldi is rushed to MedLab, where Dr. Franklin shouts to an assistant to prepare for surgery. He diagnoses Garibaldi as having massive internal damage, and he cannot operate until his condition stabilizes.

Sinclair is worried about Garibaldi, but Garibaldi moves a little and is able to offer an important warning as Sinclair listens. "They're going to...they're going to kill the president. At the transfer point on Io. Warn him! Warn him..." Sinclair rushes out as Dr. Franklin goes to work.

Sinclair quickly arrives at C&C and asks Ivanova if she has been able to get through to Earth Force 1. She tells him that all conventional channels are being jammed. They are even unable to get through on the gold channels. The C&C staff tries to reroute through civilian channels and to get Earth Central on-line as well, but they do not succeed either way. They are, however, still getting the ISN news feed, which they display so they can monitor the situation. The anchorwoman reports that, though the president was supposed to begin his New Years speech ten minutes earlier, he had not done so. She gets an emergency signal. Suddenly, Earth Force 1 bursts into flames. "Station Io is dispatching hospital ships, but it doesn't seem possible that anyone could have survived that kind of..." Sinclair tells a tech to shut the screen off. The president is dead.

Earth Force 1.

While watching Dr. Franklin and the others in MedLab work on Garibaldi, Sinclair says that he wants guards posted around MedLab around the clock and medical personnel available 24 hours a day so that what happened before cannot happen again. He says that they only have one name to go on, Devereaux, and that they need any information available about him. Sinclair leaves, and we see that he was talking to Garibaldi's aide, who just smiles and looks through the window into MedLab.

In Delenn's quarters, Lennier cries silently as he watches and listens to Delenn. Though she cries out several times, he does nothing but watch in anguish.

G'Kar and Na'Toth solemnly board a core shuttle, in which Ivanova is already seated. G'Kar asks about Commander Sinclair and Garibaldi, and Ivanova tells them that Sinclair is in MedLab with him, and that Garibaldi's situation is still very uncertain. G'Kar wants to tell Sinclair that there is little point in further mediating the dispute over quadrant 37. Ivanova has heard about what happened, and asks if they have information, but they have none. G'Kar offers his condolences over the death of President Santiago and hopes that Earth finds whoever is responsible. Na'Toth tells Ivanova that the Narn will find and punish those responsible for the destruction of everything in quadrant 37.

Back in the park, Londo and Morden meet again. Londo is amazed and outraged at what happened to quadrant 37 and the death of the 10,000 Narns there. "I didn't know you cared," Morden replies. "Ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million, what's the difference? They're Narns, Ambassador. Your sworn enemy." Londo, however, is still shocked. He didn't think that Morden would take such drastic action. "Ambassador, your name is being spoken at the highest levels of the Centauri government. They don't know how you did it. They don't care. They credit you with saving them from another embarrassment without creating a war in the process. They've noticed you, Ambassador, which was the point of the exercise. I hear they have great plans for you." Londo still cannot grasp the scope of what happened, but Morden continues. "Ambassador, you're a hero. Enjoy it! I'll be around." He then leaves.

Sinclair tries to convince an Earth senator that the president was assassinated, but she does not believe it. She claims that their evidence has only pointed to problems with their fusion reactor, and that it was all nothing more than an accident. The senator doesn't believe that Garibaldi could know that the president might be assassinated if Earth's best agents did not. She tells him that she doesn't want a panic to be created by spreading "unsubstantiated rumors" and orders him to maintain silence on his feelings of the presidential assassination. Sinclair storms away.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi's aide calls to several other security agents who are nearby. Devereaux and his men are lying on the floor dead. Garibaldi's aide says that they tried to fire at him when they would not go in for questioning, and claims he killed them in self-defense. One of the officers says Devereaux's PPG is cold, which it wouldn't be if Devereaux had fired it. But he withdraws his comment, perhaps not wishing to contradict his superior.

Dr. Franklin begins to operate on Garibaldi.

Sinclair is at the bar, drinking. He watches the news regarding the death of President Santiago and the inauguration of vice president Morgan Clark to the presidency. "It is important that we move on to create the world that Louis Santiago would have wanted for his children, my children, and for posterity yet to come," President Clark says in an address. "We will begin by focusing more on the needs of our own people, to sustain them through this difficult time, and to prepare them for the tasks ahead."

Sinclair, sensing someone else entering the bar, turns around and sees Ambassador Kosh. "And so it begins," intones Kosh. "You have forgotten something," he continues. Suddenly realizing what Kosh meant, Sinclair rushes out of the bar and goes to Delenn's quarters.

"And so it begins."

He enters and finds Lennier still staring at the corner, and the still glowing crystal statue on the table. Lennier seems to be oblivious to Sinclair at first "You're too late," he says at last.

Sinclair follows Lennier's gaze over to the corner of the room, where he sees a large, white, faintly glowing mass. He slowly walks over to it and examines it. "What is it?"

"A chrysalis," replies Lennier. "She is changing."

"Into what?"

"I don't know," is the only reply that Lennier can give, as Sinclair looks at Delenn's eyes, just barely visible beneath the surface of the chrysalis.

Delenn's chrysalis.

Na'Toth enters G'Kar's quarters, but cannot find him. As she calls out his name, an automated message begins. "Na'Toth, by the time you get this message, I will be gone. I have certain suspicions about the attack on quadrant 37. I am taking the first transport back to homeworld. You will not be able to contact me. I will contact you. And, uh, one more thing. Tell the commander he was right. We were at a crossroads, and there is no going back. Expect me when you see me."

Londo arrives in MedLab to find Ivanova waiting there. She explains that she had relieved the commander and that he will be back on watch soon. When Londo asks about Garibaldi's condition, she says they are still operating and they still don't know what the outcome will be. Londo says that he would like to wait with her. "He is an annoying man, but I would miss him if he..." They then turn and continue to watch the operation, while Garibaldi's aide looks on silently.

Morden sits in the middle of a room, surrounded by strangely shimmering, shadowlike forms. They make a few sounds, apparently language, but not one that we can understand. "Yes, I think he's ready," Morden says to them. He continues to answer, speaking to them after they speak to him. "Perfect for our needs. No, no, he suspects nothing. When the time is right, Ambassador Mollari will do exactly as we wish. Destiny is on our side."

Catherine, with a solemn look on her face, walks over to a sofa on which Sinclair is sitting, staring intently. She puts her arms around him, but he only acknowledges her with words. "Nothing's the same any more."

Lennier maintains a candlelight vigil over Delenn as she rests, slowly changing in her chrysalis.

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

Comes the Inquisitor

Overview

G'Kar tries to rally the Narn on Babylon 5. Kosh tests Delenn's allegiance by summoning an ancient inquisitor. Wayne Alexander as Sebastian. Jack Kehler as Mr. Chase. 
P5 Rating: 8.47

Production number: 221
Original air date: August 8, 1995 (UK)
                   October 25, 1995 (US)
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Laurence Vejar

@@@837715831 Emmy nomination for cinematography

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Jason Snell.

Comes the Inquisitor

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

In the Zocalo, G'Kar tries to convince the patrons that the Narn were only the first victims at the hands of the Centauri, and that more will follow. The patrons, however, become little more than annoyed, claiming that the Centauri are only the Narn's problem. G'Kar tries to warn them otherwise, but they refuse to listen to him. Eventually, another Narn convinces G'Kar to stop his speech. Vir, standing on a walkway above, has heard it all.

Delenn walks to the end of a darkened corridor where she sees Kosh partially hidden in the shadows. "Lennier said you were calling for me," she says to him.

"Yes," he replies.

"Is there something wrong?"

"You, perhaps. We have sent for an inquisitor."

"An inquisitor? Why?"

"To be sure about you. You will submit to his authority."

"How will I know who it is?"

"You will know... if you survive."

Sheridan tells Lennier and Delenn that he isn't sure he understands Delenn's request to help the inquisitor through custody since they aren't able to say anything about him. Delenn explains that Kosh has doubts about whether she is fit to hold her position in the army of Light. She explains that Kosh must be certain the choice is correct and that she is doing the right thing for the right reasons, and that that is the inquisitor's job. Sheridan offers to help, but Delenn insists she must go through it alone.

G'Kar meets up with a man named Chase in his quarters, and tells him that he needs weapons. Chase says that he has the weapons G'Kar wants, light munitions that are easy to smuggle and use against the Centauri, and will sell them for the right price. When G'Kar sees the price, however, he says it is too high, since the Narn sold similar weapons to Earth during the Earth-Minbari war. Chase decides to take ten percent off the top of the price, which G'Kar agrees to pay. G'Kar tells Chase before he leaves that this money is all the escaped Narns have left -- the results will be fatal if Chase defrauds them.

C&C detects a Vorlon transport coming through the jumpgate.

Sheridan enters the Vorlon vessel's docking bay, which is quite messy and quite dark. A man, dressed in Victorian clothes and carrying a crystal-topped black walking stick, emerges from the shadows and approaches Sheridan. "I believe I am expected," he says.

Sheridan and the inquisitor walk on the walkways above the Zocalo, the inquisitor looking at the establishment in disgust as they proceed. The inquisitor will not say why he was on the Vorlon ship, and asks to see Delenn. Sheridan tells him that she will come when they are finished talking. "Nothing changes," the inquisitor says. "Corruption. Immorality. Chaos." Sheridan asks when the inquisitor was last on earth, and the inquisitor says it was long ago. Sheridan asks about the Vorlon homeworld and tries to get him to describe the Vorlons, but the inquisitor refuses, and merely explains that his name is Sebastian, he came from London in 1888, and that he was taken by the Vorlons to be used as an inquisitor. Sheridan expresses surprise that the Vorlons have had contact with Earth. "The Vorlons have been everywhere," Sebastian says. "The Vorlons... are." He demands to either be allowed to finish the work, or to be allowed to leave, but he plans to say nothing else. Sheridan tells Sebastian to follow him.

Garibaldi meets up with G'Kar; he has learned that G'Kar is buying weapons for use back on Narn. G'Kar, familiar with Garibaldi's methods, confesses to doing that, but Garibaldi tells him that he doesn't want the weapons coming through Babylon 5. But, because he understands and appreciates the situation, and because G'Kar was honest about his intents, Garibaldi tells G'Kar that he has a friend who runs a transfer station in sector 90, all alone by a jumpgate, and that, since the man deals mostly in illegal goods, it might be good to send the weapons through there. Garibaldi mentions it's already been arranged, thanks G'Kar for his honesty, and leaves.

Delenn walks to gray 19, where she is to meet Sebastian. She enters the area, which is very dark except for a few circles of light on the floor. When she approaches the middle of the room, Sebastian's voice tells her to stop. There are two manacles on the floor, which he instructs her to put on. She can remove them at any time, although, should she do so, she'll be deemed unworthy. Sebastian appears from the dark and says to her, "Who are you?" She responds with her name, which he says in unacceptable. She tries again, but he finds her next answer unnacceptable as well. The mancles glow with energy that causes her pain. This process continues for a while, but she will not give Sebastian any answer he will accept. He ridicules her and her beliefs that she is on a holy mission and tells her that she will not know what to believe after he is done, and that she may die during the inquisition. He tells her that, if she believes she is correct, she will hold fast in the belief that the universe will not let her die.

A Centauri follows Vir, telling him that he has a message for Londo, but Vir insists that Londo will not speak with him. He goes into an elevator where he finds G'Kar waiting. G'Kar stares at Vir intently, and Vir says to him, "I'm sorry. I wish... there was something that I could do. I tried telling them, but they wouldn't listen. They never listen... I'm sorry." The elevator door opens and G'Kar walks out.

Before he vanishes, though, G'Kar turns to Vir. He slices his hand, letting the blood drip on the floor. "Dead... dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead... How do you apologize to them?"

"I can't," Vir admits.

"Then I cannot forgive," G'Kar tells him, and walks away.

Sebastian's interrogation of Delenn continues, criticizing her belief in her destiny. He tries to shake her beliefs, and tells her to call out to the universe so it can help save her. When she refuses, a tap of his cane sends pain into her body from the manacles again. She screams out in agony, but there is no apparent response from the universe. Sebastian asks her why she is where she is -- why she was born. She says she was meant to be there, and Sebastian demands to know why she believes that. He asks her what she would think if the world believed otherwise, and she tells him she would believe the world to be wrong. He asks how she can justify her being correct, yet everyone else being incorrect. She admits that she has wondered the same thing -- an answer Sebastian doesn't expect. He gives her ten minutes to rest.

G'Kar reports to the other Narn on the station that they are developing an underground communications net, though weapons have proved to be almost beyond their means. One of the Narn questions G'Kar's ability to deliver the weapons, and tells him that it may be a good idea to consider another Narn to lead them. The Narn tells G'Kar that, because he can't communicate with the homeworld, they have no reason to believe the weapons will get through. G'Kar says that the only way to win back control of their homeworld is if they stick together and don't fight internally. He proposes that he will remain leader if he can communicate with the objector's family in twenty-four hours, and agrees that, if he cannot, he will abdicate his position.

Sebastian tells Delenn that her problem is that, even though she's only part of the army of Light, she believes she must carry the entire army. He tells her that her only destiny is to be the "nail that gets hammered down". Afraid, she tries to get away from him, but he calls her a fool, which she says is better than what he is -- merely a tormenter who is not strong enough, worthy enough, or right enough to achieve his own dreams, so he must prove others are just as bad as he is. The manacles send pain into Delenn again, and Sebastian asks her again who she is, but is again not satisfied with her response, and her belief that she has a destiny. He tells her that it would be very easy to kill her, and that he can do it any time he likes.

G'Kar tells Sheridan and Garibaldi that he needs to get word from the Narn on the station to the Narn on the homeworld. Sheridan tells him that it is a difficult request to grant, but that he will do what he can. G'Kar gives Sheridan a data crystal and leaves. Sheridan asks Garibaldi if the Rangers are capable of taking the messages to the Narn on the homeworld. Garibaldi says he doesn't think they're ready, but Sheridan insists that they be ready in case something more important comes along. Garibaldi takes the data crystal.

Lennier enters grey 19 and finds Delenn crumpled on the floor in pain. Though he begs her to leave, she tells him that she cannot and that he must leave without her. When the sound of Sebastian's cane comes closer, she tells Lennier that he must leave immediately, and that the only way to save her is to let her do this by herself. He rushes out just as Sebastian approaches, and finds Sheridan in a nearby corridor. He begs Sheridan to defy Kosh, since the inquisitor may be killing Delenn.

Sebastian continues torturing Delenn with the cane and the manacles, which are now affecting her entire body. He stands over her and tells her that her fate was dictated long ago, and that she has no control over what happens. The door to grey 19 opens and Sheridan arrives, something Sebastian indicates he has been expecting. Sheridan demands Sebastian leave Delenn alone, and Sebastian asks why he should, and what she means to him. Sheridan tells him that he doesn't have to answer any questions, to which Sebastian agrees, before he sends Sheridan flying against the wall. "Your turn now," he says.

Sheridan, now held captive by Sebastian, begins undergoing his own questioning as well. Sebastian asks Sheridan how far he is prepared to go in the fight, and how much he is willing to risk. Sebastian tells him that he may have to sacrifice everything in order to survive, including his friends and comrades. He continues the interrogation, hitting Sheridan with energy bursts from the staff repeatedly, as he forces him to realize what he may have to sacrifice. Delenn cries out, demanding that he stop. She tells him that he was sent to interrogate her, not Sheridan, and that she will give herself up to him in order to save Sheridan. Sebastian asks her if she is willing to trade her life for his, to which she responds that, if she fails, other will take her place. Sebastian asks about her cause, but Delenn insists that this is her cause -- saving lives. Sebastian asks her if she is willing to die alone and forgotten, but she tells him that she isn't afraid. Sebastian waves his staff and vanishes, along with Sheridan's bonds.

The door to grey 19 opens, and Sebastian appears. "You can go," he tells them. "You've passed. Both of you."

"Passed what?" Delenn asks.

"How do you know the chosen ones? No greater love hath a man than he lay down his life for his friend. Not for millions, not for glory, not for fame... for one person. In the dark. Where no one will ever know or see. I've been in the service of the Vorlons for centuries, looking... Diogynes with his lamp looking for a man willing to die for all the wrong reasons. At last, my job is finished. Yours is just beginning. When the darkness comes, know this: You are the right people, in the right place, at the right time."

Sheridan sits at C&C when he is approached by Ivanova who tells him that the Vorlon ship is ready to leave. He asks how extensive Earth's history files are on 19th century England, and Ivanova tells him she should be able to find whatever he needs. He tells her he needs to verify a name and address. "14... 14-B Harrisford Lane, London, around 1888." Ivanova asks for the name. "Sebastian," Sheridan replies.

G'Kar and the other Narn watch the message obtained by the Rangers. The Narn that previously questioned G'Kar's ability thanks G'Kar and tells him that they will follow his lead.

At the docking bay, Sheridan tells Sebastian that everything is ready to go, but he won't let Sebastian leave just yet. "Mr.... Sebastian, I did a little digging, based on what you told me. The records confirm you lived on Earth in the year 1888. The records also indicate that you vanished, suddenly, without a trace on November 11th, 1888. That's a very interesting date, Mr. Sebastian. The morning after the last of a string of murders in the East End."

Sebastian turns silently toward him. "The city was drowning in decay. Choas. Immorality. A message needed to be sent, etched in blood for all the world to see. A warning. In the pursuit of my holy cause, I... did things, terrible things, unspeakable things. The world condemned me, but it didn't matter because I believed I was right and the world was wrong. I believed I was the divine messenger. I believed I was..."

"Chosen?"

"I was... found by the Vorlons. They showed me the terrible depth of my mistake, my crimes, my... presumption. I have done four hundred years of penance and service, a job for which they said I was ideally suited. Now, perhaps, they will finally let me die."

"I think that might be wise."

Sebastian puts on his hat and turns away, proceeding toward the ship, and does not look at Sheridan again as he walks. "Good luck to you in your holy cause, Captain Sheridan. May your choices have better results than mine. Remembered not as a messenger, remembered not as a reformer, not as a prophet, not as a hero... not even as Sebastian. Remembered only... as Jack."

Confessions and Lamentations

Overview

The outbreak of a fatal disease among the Markab population prompts a panic on the station; Dr. Franklin races against time to find a cure. 
Sub-genre: Drama
P5 Rating: 7.85

Production number: 218
Original air date: May 24, 1995
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Kevin Cremin

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Confessions and Lamentations

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

On C&C, Ivanova tells Sheridan about a Markab cruiser that is ten hours overdue that has resisted all attempts at communication. She says she wants to send out Zeta squadron to find out what happened to the ship, and that she will do so as soon as Lieutenant Keffer returns, searching for what he once saw in hyperspace. Sheridan tells Ivanova to order Keffer back to the station and curb further expeditions.

Lazarenn, a Markab doctor, examines a dead Markab with Dr. Franklin. The death seems rather mysterious, and Lazarenn tells Franklin he would prefer to keep jurisdiction over his own species. But, since this Markab is the fourth dead Markab in three days dead of natural causes, Franklin is suspicious. He tells Lazarenn that he will continue to run further tests.

Ivanova explains to Zeta squadron that their mission is to find the Markab ship and determine the problem, if there is one. As she sends them out, she tells Keffer that Captain Sheridan has ordered him to curb his expeditions into hyperspace. Though he initially protests, after he is threatened with a four-month suspension of flight priveleges, he changes his mind, and leaves to join the squadron.

Sheridan sits down for dinner with Delenn and Lennier. Lennier has spent two days engrossed in an exhaustive cooking ritual, preparing food for Sheridan's dinner, so that he may better understand the Minbari. Sheridan is anxious to begin eating, but is informed that he must also follow certain rituals in the eating of the dinner. Delenn explains that, if they are not followed, Lennier will have to begin again. Delenn and Sheridan exchange bowls, give part of their meal to Lennier in thanks, and Sheridan places one piece of food in the place set aside for Valen's return. Sheridan is then able to take one bite before he must meditate.

Zeta squadron arrives at the Markab vessel, and attempts to open communication, to no avail. Keffer scans the vessel, but discovers no life signs, though there are over two hundred life forms on the vessel. All the Markab on the ship are dead. Meanwhile, Dr. Franklin, while examining the Markab on the station, asks to have access to the other dead Markab before they are sent back to their homeworld.

Zeta squadron returns to the station with the Markab ship in tow. Franklin tells Ivanova that they need a full medical team to investigate it, and that he thinks Sheridan should be there as well. Sheridan, who fell asleep while observing the Minbari rituals of eating, is awakened by Ivanova telling him to go to the docking bay where the Markab ship has been brought. Sheridan apologizes, though Delenn tells him that the meal was completed before he fell asleep.

Sheridan arrives in the docking bay to find Dr. Lazarenn there, not wanting Sheridan or any other non-Markab inside. Dr. Franklin explains that they aren't wanted aboard the ship because all four dead Markab died from an infectious disease. Dr. Franklin demands to know how terminal and contagious the disease is. "It is one hundred percent terminal," Lazarenn imparts. "And one hundred percent contagious."

The plague continues to spread among the Markab population as Dr. Franklin confronts Lazarenn and demands to know why he wanted to keep the plague a secret. Lazarenn explains that the plague is not something normally talked about -- it is considered a disease that only occurs to an immoral people, because the first documented case struck an immoral population isolated on the Markab homeworld, killing the entire populace. They assumed that the plague had been wiped out, and therefore was no longer a threat. Lazarenn explains that Drafa, the disease, had been used to frighten children into behaving, and was still believed to only inflict the immoral. Though the first new case had been discovered nearly a year ago, the Markab were still scared to admit that the problem had resurfaced, and since none of them wanted to be considered immoral, it was kept secret, which made the disease spread even faster. In an attempt to escape the disease, the Markab have fled to every Markab colony, including Babylon 5, spreading the plague throughout the Markab populace. Dr. Franklin doesn't understand why he wasn't consulted, but Lazarenn tells him that he was forbidden by his government, which refuses to assist in any way. Franklin's last question is whether or not the disease is infectious beyond the Markab species, but Lazarenn has no way of knowing.

A young Markab girl wanders through the corridors of Babylon 5, looking for something. She soon locates what she is looking for, her father, who is sitting against a wall. She touches him, and he falls over. She cries out and turns around, into the arms of Delenn.

Dr. Franklin talks to the command staff and his medical officers. The disease is invisible while in its incubation period of up to several weeks, but after it shows up, the patients live for about a day. Garibaldi asks how far it has spread, and Franklin explains that they have to assume the entire Markab population has been exposed. Sheridan asks if the plague is limited to the Markab, but Franklin doesn't know, and says that's what they need to find out. If the disease is airborne, the recycled air aboard the station could put everyone at risk. Sheridan asks Franklin what to do, and Franklin wants every Markab brought in for testing so they can discover how the disease works. The disease, he explains, takes over the central nervous system, keeping it from working properly. Sheridan orders Ivanova to put the station under quarantine, keeping all ships in the station, and preventing other ones from coming in. One of the medical officers suggests segregating the Markab away from everyone else, but Franklin says that will only cause the disease to spread among the Markab faster and that, if the disease is airborne, it won't make any difference. Garibaldi says that, if all the Markab are in one place, he can watch over them better when turmoil strikes the station.

Turmoil does strike the station, causing a panic when no one is able to leave the quarantined station. The Markab are continuously tested for the plague, as more continue to get sick and die. The Markab ambassador is outraged by the way the Markab are being treated, blaming Sheridan for spreading fear among his people. He tries to explain that his people are moral, and believes that Sheridan might be part of a conspiracy against the Markab, or that even the immorality of the humans had infected them. The Markab ambassador begins to leave, and tells Sheridan that he and the rest of the Markab are going into isolation to protect themselves from the immorality of others. Dr. Franklin calls Sheridan and tells him that the disease is indeed airborne, and that his people have found a dead Pak'ma'ra with no visible signs of death. He believes the disease may be spreading into the general population.

The Markab ambassador herds his people into their isolation area, reassuring them that they are pure and that they will be spared the plague if they are good. The other races aboard the station are all too happy to see them go.

Dr. Franklin orders an autopsy performed on a dead Markab before it is too late, but none of the other medical officers want to risk exposure. Franklin offers to go in, but is interrupted by Lazarenn, who offers to go in instead, since he knows much more about the plague. Since the isolation booth is sealed, no one else will be in danger should he contract the disease. Lazarenn enters the booth and appraoches the dead Markab to begin the autopsy.

Sheridan receives a call from Ivanova who tells him that the violence against the Markab is increasing aboard Babylon 5. 4,000 of the station's 5,000 Markab have entered the isolation zone, but the rest may be in considerable danger if found by other races. Sheridan wants the violence stopped as quickly as possible. Ivanova suggests he get some sleep. Sheridan agrees, but as he is about to rest, Delenn enters and tells Sheridan that she wants to be allowed into the isolation zone to help the Markab. Delenn says that she has been taught to help others when they are in need, and though Sheridan tries to convince her otherwise, he is unable to dissuade her. She says that she understands the risk, and that she and Lennier should do all they can to help the Markab, since they may all be in need of similar help very soon. She knows that she may have to remain in there if she contracts the disease, but she is willing to make the sacrifice. Sheridan relents and decides to let her enter the zone. "All life is transitory," she tells him. "A dream. We all come together in the same place at the end of time. If I don't see you again here, I will see you in a little while, in the place where no shadows fall." She starts to leave, but Sheridan stops her.

"Delenn...? When I do see you again, call me John?" She smiles, nods, and leaves.

A few humans attack a Markab, and kick him in the stomach while he is down on the ground. Garibaldi arrives and stops the torture, but the Markab is near death. He reaches a bloody hand out to Garibaldi. Hesitating only fractionally, Garibaldi takes the Markab's hand.

Delenn and Lennier approach the gate to the isolation zone and are admitted by the EarthForce officer attending it. They enter quickly, and are immediately assaulted by the great pain and death they see all around them, though they are able to keep a somewhat pleasant attitude, knowing that they may be able to help.

Dr. Franklin injects himself with stims in order to keep himself awake. Lazarenn, still inside the isolation area, tries to convince Dr. Franklin to sleep, but Franklin says that, if the plague has spread, that won't matter much. They haven't found out anymore about the Pak'ma'ra, but more and more Markab continue to die, though the violence has been brought under control. Franklin explains that he doesn't understand why humans never learn from all the diseases they face, such as the Black Death, AIDS, and Chalmer's Syndrome. Lazarenn asks about the Black Death, and Dr. Franklin explains how it hit Europe in the 14th century, and that it too was considered an immoral disease, possibly sent by the devil. Cats, the familiars of the devils, were killed by the millions, but since they were the only way to control the rat population, the true way the disease was spread, the plague spread even faster. Lazarenn finds the situation humorous, since often the strategy that makes the least sense is the one that's done the most. He then collapses against the window of the isolation booth, and explains that his suspicions are confirmed: he has contracted the plague. He tells Franklin to run tests as quickly as possible, now that he has someone in the earliest stages of infection.

Delenn and Lennier minister to the Markab in the isolation zone, trying to make them more comfortable, though it doesn't seem as if they are doing much good. Delenn sees the young Markab girl she met earlier, who is now unable to find her mother. Delenn calls to Lennier, telling him to find her mother. When Lennier asks how he should find her, Delenn responds, "Faith manages." Delenn asks the girl her mother's name, and the girl tells her that her name is Mama. "Faith manages," repeats Lennier as he begins the search.

Dr. Franklin examines some of the data from the tests, and continues to run more tests, though they only have a very short period of time. Lazarenn explains how he feels, and Franklin orders still more tests. While he is suffering, Lazarenn thinks back to how he and Franklin first met many years ago. It was when Franklin was on layover on the Markab homeworld, and Franklin was hitchhiking on starships. Franklin looked upon everything as a test in those days. "Sometimes the test is not to find the answer, it is to see how you react when you realize there is no answer." A medical officer comes up with the results of the Pak'ma'ra autopsy -- the plague is now affecting the Pak'ma'ra as well. Franklin, exasperated and irritable, orders some officers to find out what happened to the Pak'ma'ra, before time runs out.

The young Markab girl is still worried about her mother, and asks Delenn if she has been found yet. Delenn says no, but says she knows what the young girl is going through. She once became seperated from her parents on a visit to the city, and she became more and more lost until she found herself in an old temple, where she decided to wait until her parents arrived. Though her parents didn't come for hours, she felt safe there, and fell asleep. A tall figure told the young Delenn that she would be fine as long as she believed her parents would come. The figure told her that he would not allow harm to come to her. At that moment, Delenn's parents arrived in the temple. As she completes the story, Lennier too arrives with the young girl's mother. The young girl runs to her mother and hugs her, and soon turns around to thank Delenn, but is barely able to keep her balance. The smile vanishes from Delenn's face as she realizes what is happening.

Dr. Franklin continues tests on the Pak'ma'ra, but continues to find nothing. He tries to cross-reference Markab yellow cells with Pak'ma'ra green cells. Lazarenn speaks up, but is unable to say much beyond, "The yellow cells could be..." He attempts to say more, but fails, and dies while speaking to Franklin. Franklin, in his rage, overturns a cart of medical equipment, but his anger evaporates when the computer reports that a match has been found.

Franklin explains to Sheridan that the plague works by neutralizing the chemicals in the synaptic gaps of a body, which prevent the chemicals from relating messages from the brain between neurons. A few races use specialized cells to manufacture chemicals used in neural relays, but since humans don't work that way, they aren't in danger. Franklin says the disease can't be destroyed, but he can stimulate production of yellow and green cells so that they will eventually be able to fight off the disease. He's prepared enough for five hundred doses of the cure, but hasn't had time to test it, and there is nearly no time left.

Franklin, Sheridan, and Ivanova go to the isolation zone and enter, and are greeted by a grisly sight. There is nearly complete silence as they look around the isolation zone and see that every Markab has died. Delenn and Lennier appear. Franklin asks if anyone is left alive, and Lennier tells him that they are all dead.

Lennier departs, but Delenn, overcome by the situation, falls crying against Sheridan's shoulder.

Delenn tells Sheridan that he should be congratulated for finding a way to stop the plague. Sheridan tries to explain that it is because of Franklin that they were able to prevent further infection. Sheridan asks what happens next time, and Delenn says that, if they honor the memory of those who died, and remember what happened, the other races will grow, and further problems of this sort will not occur.

"Medical ships dispatched to the Markab homeworld have confirmed the death toll," an ISN reporter says. "The entire planetary population has been wiped out by the plague. Over two billion dead, in addition to another two or three million on other colonies and outposts. Although it is expected that some Markabs may have survived on isolated colonies, for all intents and purposes, the Markab civilization has been destroyed." Franklin, sitting at a bar beneath a video screen, listens painfully to the news report as other patrons of the bar joke about the deaths of the Markab and spread rumors about the dead Markab. The bartender shuts off the television set, refusing to listen anymore.

"Nothing changes," Franklin says to himself. He gets up from the bar and walks away.

Conflicts of Interest

Overview

Garibaldi takes on a new job. The resistance's counter-propaganda broadcasts begin. Sheridan proposes a plan to protect the Non-Aligned Worlds from raiders. Tim Choate as Zathras. Denise Gentile as Lise Hampton. Mark Schneider as Wade. Charles Walker as Ben. 
P5 Rating: 8.04

Production number: 412
Original air week: May 5, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Conflicts of Interest

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@cc.wwu.edu)

Garibaldi is in his "office" in helping a man reunite with his lost wife/daughter--an act observed by Wade. He leaves and goes out into the hallway, where he meets with another man. Wade tells the man that it's about time Garibaldi got his first assignment, which will be a chance to see how sincere he really is in helping them. Wade wants to know how he handles himself in a crunch, and if he gets himself killed, they will know they have the wrong guy. "At this point," Wade tells the other gentleman, "Mr. Garibaldi is eminently expendable."

Zack enters Sheridan's office to find the Captain staring, silently, at a painting hanging on his wall. Sheridan explains that he has been doing some thinking, and that there are some unpleasant things he needs to take care of, which he can do now that Delenn is gone. He tells Zack that, when Garibaldi resigned as Chief of Security, he didn't turn in his link, identicard, or PPG. Zack tells Sheridan that he doesn't think Garibaldi would take it very well, and that it doesn't make sense that Garibaldi is acting the way he is. Sheridan says that he wants this taken care of that same day. Zack agrees, but wants to know why Sheridan is in such a hurry. "I don't like the company he's been keeping," the Captain replies. Zack leaves.

Dr. Franklin enters the war room, which is being reconfigured as a broadcast newsroom. He sees Ivanova, who is helping to set things up for the first broadcast. Franklin tells her that his business on Mars is concluded, and the rest of the resistance is on the station. He asks how she is doing, and she says that everything is ready to go, except that they don't have enough power to send the broadcast everywhere it needs to go. She says that she has been trying to find a solution for days, but hasn't had any success. Franklin suggests she try Epsilon III--there must be a source of power down there, since they were able to evacuate refugees there during the Shadow War with no trouble. Ivanova tells Franklin it's the logical choice, and that "anybody could see that in about two seconds." Franklin tells her that, of course, he never would have thought of it, and that it is a great idea. Without discussing the matter further, Ivanova leaves to catch a shuttle to Epsilon III.

Zack arrives at Garibaldi's office, and asks him how he is. Garibaldi says that he's doing fine, and that he likes working in this kind of an environment--you get to see and know the people you help. Garibaldi asks Zack how he is, but his response is less than enthusiastic. Zack reluctantly tells Garibaldi that he needs his link, indenticard, and his weapon. Garibaldi doesn't mind getting rid of the indenticard and the link, but doesn't want to get rid of the gun. Zack presses him and Garibaldi does give us weapon and starts to walk away, but Zack asks him for the backup he knows he carries as well, which Garibaldi unwillingly surrenders. Zack asks Garibaldi what he should have done, and Garibaldi says he should have said no--that way, it wouldn't have had to come from Zack. Without saying another word, Garibaldi turns and walks away.

As Ivanova's shuttle leaves Babylon 5, Garibaldi is in his quarters, dressing, and watching an old Daffy Duck cartoon, in which Daffy is continually tormented by an unseen assailant, who is controlling his every move and the world around him. As the assailant is revealed to be Bugs Bunny, Garibaldi's door chimes and Wade enters. Wade tells Garibaldi that he has a job for him. He says he wants to hire Garibaldi as a bodyguard and expedite something secret. Wade explains that his contact has to perform important business on Babylon 5, which might involve security--all Garibaldi has to do is to keep the contact out of security's way while they are on board. Wade asks him if going against his own security force will be a problem, and Garibaldi tells him that--if he had asked that question the day before--he would have, but now he doesn't. Garibaldi agrees to the job.

Ivanova's shuttle lands on Epsilon III, and she begins searching the corridors. She notices a being walking through the corridor and tells him she needs to see Draal. When she finally sees who it is, it's a familiar face--that of Zathras. She asks why he's there, and Zathras explains that he works there. She says that Zathras was left 1000 years in the past, but Zathras insists they had never met before. Zathras laughs and explains that Ivanova didn't meet Zathras, but rather Zathras. This confuses Ivanova greatly, but Zathras explains that there are ten members in their family, each one named Zathras, but each one pronounced differently. Ivanova tells Zathras that she needs power to help the broadcast, and, though he laments the fact people always come to him for help, which he always provides, he does agree to help her.

Garibaldi and Wade are walking through the corridors, finding the back way through the station to get to the docking area where they will meet the contact without security interfering. Wade explains that their contact decided to send his wife in his place so that she can prepare to take things over later. They find who they are looking for, and Garibaldi recognizes her instantly--it's Lise.

Later, Garibaldi and Lise are alone in her quarters. He wants to know what happened in the meantime, and why she lost her first husband, and found another one. Lise explains that Franz was having an affair, and that he used the court system, which favors Earth-born people above those born on Mars, to file for divorce first. He got their daughter and remarried, and plans never to tell the child who her real mother is. Garibaldi is angry that she forgot all about him in her distress, but Lise insists she didn't forget--she knew he was happy here and didn't want to change that. Garibaldi tells her that she was his life at one point, but she says they're different people now. She explains that, six months earlier, she met Bill, and they got married. Garibaldi realizes she must mean William Edgars, one of the richest men on Earth. She insists that she didn't marry him because of his money, but Garibaldi no longer wants to talk about it. He says that he will, from that point on, only treat her as he would any client, and after she goes back to Mars, he is going to forget any of this happened, and now, he doesn't need to drink to do just that. Lise tells him that she's glad, but they are interrupted by Wade, telling them their shuttle is ready. The three of them leave.

Londo is in Sheridan's office talking to him when G'Kar arrives. Neither ambassador is happy to see the other, but Sheridan says he needs them both there. Sheridan explains that commercial transports are being raided along the worlds in the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. Because of this, smaller worlds and empires are trying to rise to prominence, which is causing quite a few problems. In addition, there is the added problem of the Drakh, who are now on the loose with Shadow technology. Sheridan says that the Rangers no longer need to look out for the Shadows' return, but that he wants to use them to monitor the borders of the League borders, maintain the peace, and protect civilians. G'Kar feels that this could be seen as an act of aggression, but Sheridan says they will only go where they are invited, in exchange for technical support and the authority to carry out whatever they start. Londo agrees with G'Kar--this is not a good idea. Sheridan tells them that, if Londo and G'Kar both agree on this, that might help show the League worlds that this is something important. Londo is afraid it might be interpreted as a sign of weakness, but Sheridan says it should be interpreted as their trying to build something--to work together for a common goal. Londo says it isn't fair, and Sheridan agrees, and asks Londo if he wants to blood of the dead on his hands. He asks G'Kar as well, but neither responds.

Zack enters his office and asks the computer for a status report. The computer reads off a list of fairly mundane things, except for one unauthorized entry, where 72 passengers disembarked a ship, but only 71 went through security. Only one access was recorded to the customs bay--Security Chief Michael Garibaldi. Zack asks if more than one security identicard is registered to him, and the computer answers this affirmative. Zack orders the computer to cancel all identicards and security clearances belong to Garibaldi.

Garibaldi, Wade, and Lise are waiting for their contact in Down Below. He eventually arrives, and hands over a secure cube--extremely difficult to open--containing a small vial. Garibaldi asks what it is, and though Wade initially resists, Lise explains that her husband has discovered there might be a genetic danger to some telepaths, and that this might be the cure to stop it. Wade explains that, in order to keep a panic from ensuing, they want to keep it quiet, since no one would believe that the disease can only be spread to telepaths. There are plenty of people who would want to have it for themselves, and they have invested far too much time and money to let it fall into the wrong hands. Garibaldi, looking around, finds that a group of people have noticed them. He tells the contact, Wade, and Lise that they all need to get out, but it's too late--they have been noticed. A firefight ensues, and the four of them run off, but are closely pursued. They are shot at from the front, and the contact is killed.

Garibaldi ushers them into another room, and then bars the door. They try to exit out the back way, but Garibaldi's identicard no longer works. Their assailants try to bash in the door, but Garibaldi discovers another way out--he piles several crates on top of each other and then takes everyone through a panel in the ceiling, just as the assailants manage to break down the door. In the vents, Garibaldi tells Lise and Wade to go ahead without him, while he lies in wait for the others. They discover the hole in the ceiling, but when one of them comes through, he simply looks at Garibaldi for a few moments, but doesn't fire. He then vanishes down the grate. Garibaldi realizes the implications and chases after Wade and Lise. He catches up with them, and manages to pull them away just as PPG fire erupts through the floor of the vent. The fire eventually stops, and Garibaldi tells them that they need to go to Docking Bay 3--and to not stop thinking about it the entire time. They get where they are going, but it's not Docking Bay 3, just a corridor. Garibaldi explains that they must be using telepaths to track their movements. A security officer passes, and Garibaldi tells him that the shooters from Brown sector will be in Bay 3, and to meet him there. Garibaldi tells Wade and Lise to pick up a fake identicard and to get on the next transport out of there, while he goes to Bay 3. Lise doesn't want to leave him, but Garibaldi says she has to, and has Wade take her off. Garibaldi then runs off.

It is dark in the abandoned Docking Bay 3, and the men who chased after Garibaldi, Lise, and Wade are there. Before long, Zack and his security team arrive. Zack demands to know who they are what they are doing, but only one of them has a reponse: "To the future." They both bite down on something, and fall to the floor. Zack calls MedLab, and tells them to get there quickly, but as he is doing so, Garibaldi arrives in the bay as well.

Ivanova returns from Epsilon III to find Franklin waiting for her. He asks how it went, and she explains that she thinks she has the interface figured out. She wants to tell the Captain, but Franklin says he doesn't think it would be a good time at the moment--Sheridan is in a bad mood right now. As they leave, they pass Lise, who did arrive safely.

Sheridan has both Zack and Garibaldi in his office, and demands to know what the deaths that occurred were about. Garibaldi says he doesn't know who they were, but that they just came at them, and killed the man who was supposed to meet with a client of his. Garibaldi tells Sheridan he can believe him or not, but either way, he won't say anything else. Sheridan tells Garibaldi that he jeopardized the station, but Garibaldi says that Sheridan nearly got him killed, and that it all could have been handled quietly had his identicard and gun not been taken. He didn't break any laws, though--Sheridan points out that he trespassed, violated security, and used an unauthorized identicard, but Garibaldi invites Sheridan to fine him, but that otherwise, he has nothing. Garibaldi starts to leave, but Sheridan tells him that Garibaldi is operating there because Sheridan is allowing him to, but should anything like that happen again, Sheridan will shut him down right away. Garibaldi doesn't say anything as he walks out. Garibaldi arrives back in his quarters, to find that he has a message waiting. He asks who it's from, and the computer replies that it's from Lise Hampton. Garibaldi tells the computer to delete the message, and then he goes to bed.

Later, Garibaldi receives a transmission from William Edgars himself. Edgars tells him that Lise has arrived home safe, and that he heard about what Garibaldi did and how, and that he is appreciative for what he did. Edgars says that his organization could use Garibaldi, and that he would like to hire Garibaldi on retainer, though he would have to come to Mars, but it would definitely be worth his while. Edgars thinks there wouldn't be much problem getting him past the quarantine, and Edgars is sure he can work things out if Garibaldi is interested. "Yeah," Garibaldi says. "I'm interested."

There is a brief flash of static, and then a test pattern appears on the screen, followed by Ivanova's face, in the war room.

"This is Commander Susan Ivanova of Babylon 5, and this is the first official broadcast of the new Voice of the Resistance. We're sending this signal out to every ship that wants to hear the truth, to our fallen comrades and freedom fighters on Mars and Proxima III, and to Earth, which, despite what you may have heard, is still our home, and still the one dream that we're as loyal to now as we ever have been. Over the last three years, ever since President Clark took over, after arranging the assassination of President Santiago, you have been hearing nothing but misinformation, propaganda, and outright lies. Now, we're going to tell you the truth. And we're going to keep telling it until they shut us down, or until President Clark steps down and returns Earth to the hands of its people. You can kill us. You can bomb our colonies, destroy our ships, murder innocent civilians. But you cannot kill the truth. And the truth is back in business."

Convictions

Overview

A series of bombings threatens the station, and Ivanova calls on some unusual investigators to help solve the mystery. Patrick Kilpatrick as Robert Carlson. Louis Turenne as Brother Theo. 
P5 Rating: 7.75

Production number: 302
Original air week: November 13, 1995
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Convictions

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Commander Ivanova finds Garibaldi and Zack busy mocking two Drazi missionaries seeking assistance in the docking bay; they claim to have been drawn to B5 by reports that Droshalla, a Drazi holy being has blessed the station. (In typical unfathomable Drazi fashion, their attempts to share Zack's blessing are easily transferred to a nearby plant.) With relative unconcern Ivanova asks Garibaldi to investigate a set of anonymous messages to C&C declaring a countdown to chaos. The threats become reality moments later when a lurker is blown to bits by a booby trap in Downbelow.

Still in Docking, Zack's day improves further when the arrival of a chapter of monks interrupts his attempts to respond to the explosion. In Downbelow, the heavy damage and confusion mystify the crew. Although Garibaldi determines that it was a bomb, he can't find anything worth blowing up.

Meanwhile Ivanova is unable to dissuade Brother Theo from his flock's determination to establish a mission on the station. When she points out that the aliens passing through B5 may not want to be preached at, that there is little space and that they will be in the way, he readily replies with both the words of the Bible and the fact that the monks themselves happen to be engineers and computer experts.

Lennier is afflicted with a garrulous human neighbor while waiting in reception for Delenn to disembark. He rises to greet her at the gate just as there is an explosion in the corridor behind. Lennier hauls her forward then steps past the gate to hustle Ambassador Mollari (who happens to be arriving as well) to safety just as the pressure doors close. Delenn watches in horror through the transparent frame as Lennier is licked by flames and struck by falling objects.

A staff meeting clarifies that these blasts are aimed at people, not installations, and are being effective in their apparent purpose of spreading chaos and terror. Sheridan orders martial law and the bomber watches its imposition with satisfaction. While Lennier hovers in a coma, G'Kar rails at Garibaldi about the Centauri responsibility for the explosions and Londo insists to the captain and commander that the Narn are widening the range of their terror tactics. But the truth is that there is no sense to the attacks, and no one is claiming responsibility.

Londo manages to convince a doctor to let him stay with Lennier. Though his bedside manner probably needs improvement, Londo seems to have been genuinely moved by the young Minbari saving his life.

Meanwhile security determines from a molecular trace of the bomb materials that they were stolen from an ice mine on Beta 7, and that the bomber seems to have struck before on Proxima 3. Garibaldi balks when Sheridan orders a full investigation of all traffic from there to B5 cross checked against possible gloaters filmed by security cameras after the blasts. Ivanova has the bright idea of putting the new engineering monks to use.

Londo promises the unconscious Lennier to return, and departs on an errand. Upon finding the transport tube occupied by a smoldering G'Kar, at first he refuses to enter, but an instant later he leaps inside to escape a rush of flame from a bomb blast further down the corridor. Two hours later he rouses to find himself trapped in the damaged tube under the pitiless eyes of the former Narn ambassador. Londo proposes a plan of escape before the flames outside suffocate them, but with exquisite mirth G'Kar refuses. Though he'd like to live he would be delighted to watch Mollari die.

The monks are successful, and Brother Theo points out to Garibaldi the most likely suspect. As a tac team in full armor assembles to go after the bomber, G'Kar croons and cackles to his nemesis, "Not many fishes left in the sea/Not many fishes, just Londo and me."

The team gathers near the bomber's quarters, but he's prepared for them and demands to speak to the captain alone. Sheridan stuffs his link down his pants and agrees to go in to negotiate. Garibaldi orders C&C not to let anyone beep the captain under any circumstances. The bomber wants free passage off the station, but lets slip that the deadman switch he carries will set off a bomb to make the station explode like the sun. This twigs Garibaldi to the fusion reactor. He sends a squad to check it out, and as they scramble into action the bomber attempts to terrorize the captain. All he manages is to get Sheridan thoroughly infuriated with his threats, and to send his own nerves haywire. Why is he bombing things? His only reason is that the times are chaotic.

The squad finds the bomb in the reactor, just before Sheridan sits on his link. When he hears the beep the bomber panics. In the ensuing struggle the deadman switch drops, transmitting to the bomb just as it's propelled harmlessly away from the station.

When the battered and damaged Lennier finally comes around, he explains that he saved Mollari's life at the risk of his own because "all life is sacred. But when the object of your actions does not share that belief... ahh, I fear that I have served the present by sacrificing the future."

In the "last of the debris" from the last explosion on board, a rescue team comes upon the two nearly asphyxiated enemies in the transport tube. They curse each other with familiarity.

"Bastard." Londo utters.

"Monster."

"Fanatic!"

"Murderer!"

"You are insane!"

"That is why we'll win," G'Kar gasps.

"Go be the ambassador to Babylon 5 they said. It will be an easy position. I hate my life."

"So do I."

"Shut up!"

Darkness Ascending

Overview

Lennier uncovers hard evidence about the source of the cargo ship attacks. Lise arrives to see Garibaldi. Lyta attempts to strike a deal on behalf of the rogue telepaths. Denise Gentile as Lise. Richard Ynigues as Montoya. 
P5 Rating: 8.74

Production number: 516
Original air date: June 3, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Darkness Ascending

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)

Garibaldi enters the Zocalo, which lies in ruins, fires and dead bodies everywhere. Garibaldi himself looks bloody and beaten. Among the dead is Sheridan, shot through the head. Next to him, a sign in blood reads, "You failed me." Zack Allan is also dead, next to another message in blood: "Where were you?"

Franklin is still alive, barely. "We needed you..." he gasps, before being shot. Laughter echoes through the Zocalo. Another Garibaldi, carrying a big gun, steps out from among the debris and claims responsibility. The beaten Garibaldi backs away, and something creeps out of a bar and starts engulfing him...

...and Garibaldi wakes with a start. It was a dream. Sitting on his bed is Lyta, her eyes glowing. She explains she has decided to stop hiding what the Vorlons did to her, and she is testing her limits. But Garibaldi shouldn't have woken up. "This is just a dream," she tells him, and Garibaldi wakes up again. There is no one in the room.

Then the door opens, and Lise Hampton comes in. She's come to see Garibaldi, since he had promised he would stay on Babylon 5 only for a short while (a promise he has not kept), and she misses him.

Delenn is picking up some papers from Sheridan's office when a call from Lennier comes in. Since Sheridan isn't around, she takes it there. Lennier reports three more attacks on Alliance ships, and no witnesses or evidence. However, twenty minutes before each attack, they intercepted coded Centauri signals. Given enough time, he will be able to decode them.

Lennier also asks if Sheridan knows about his mission. Delenn says he does not, but just then Sheridan starts to walk in; he stops outside, and overhears the final exchanges between Lennier and Delenn. Sheridan now knows where Lennier is and what he is doing.

Elsewhere, Lyta is trying to make a deal with a human businessman. Lyta wants a deep-range explorer ship, capable of holding two hundred telepaths. They will explore unknown planets for the man's company, using telepathy to help in cases of first contact and to make things far more efficient. In exchange, if they find a suitable, uninhabited planet, they get to form a colony.

The businessman is not interested, though. Working with rogue telepaths would invalidate their insurance, and violate their contract with the Psi Corps. They cannot afford either one. In his opinion, neither can any other company. The resources needed would be too great. Lyta thinks about it briefly after he leaves, and gets an idea: she schedules an appointment with G'Kar for later that day.

Vir is going over the day's business with Londo. The Royal Court wants the schedule of transports from Alliance worlds to Centauri Prime. A most unusual request, according to Londo, since the Royal Court has never before shown interest in this sort of thing. To Londo's surprise, this is in fact the only business for the day. An appointment with the Drazi Minister of Finance, and a photo opportunity with the Gaim Ambassador have both been cancelled. Vir thinks it has to do with the boycott of Alliance business ("The Ragged Edge"), but Londo points out that these sorts of contacts must be maintained, regardless of the situation with the Alliance. Londo is perplexed.

Lise starts to make some coffee, and discovers a bottle under the sink. She angrily confronts Garibaldi. She's seen what alcohol has done to Garibaldi before, ruining his life at least twice. Garibaldi admits to some drinking, but claims he has it under control. She demands Garibaldi not drink while she's there, if he really has it under control. It won't make her happy, but it is a start. Garibaldi agrees, and pours the contents of the bottle down the drain.

In hyperspace, aboard the Maria, Lennier is working on decoding the Centauri transmissions, when Montoya comes in to ask him about his progress. Lennier says all he has been able to decode are three words: "do not reply." He believes they are being sent to a staging base. If so, the base must have a tachyon stream to help transmissions, and if they can locate it at the moment of another transmission, they can follow it to the base. Montoya then receives a message from Babylon 5: Lennier's theory will stay a theory. The Maria has been recalled immediately, by order of Sheridan himself.

On Babylon 5, Delenn is asking Sheridan why the recall. He explains he found out about the covert mission, and since it was being done without his knowledge, he has cancelled it. It was inappropriate, Sheridan claims, to assign Lennier there without telling him. Delenn agrees, but also says it was inappropriate for Sheridan not to assign Lennier there in the first place. Although he was the best qualified for such a mission, Sheridan was trying to protect Delenn by keeping Lennier safe.

Sheridan finally admits that his was the case, just when he gets a message from the Maria: Lennier has taken a one man fighter and left the ship. They cannot find him.

Lennier is in hyperspace, following the tachyon beam as he had planned. The possible location for the base, though, is too far for his air supply to last. So he enters a meditation trance to conserve as much of his oxygen as he can ("Meditations on the Abyss").

Lyta arrives for her appointment with G'Kar. She recalls the offer G'Kar made when she came on board ("The Gathering"), when he offered to buy access to her DNA. She wants to take him up on it now. G'Kar acknowledges the Narn would like to reacquire telepaths, and her DNA would be a great help. Lyta offers him access to the DNA sequence of as many telepaths as they want, in exchange for certain considerations: a lot of money, deposited to an account on Mars; at least five deep-range starships, capable of holding a hundred telepaths each; and absolute secrecy. G'Kar expresses concerns that the last point may violate their obligations as members of the Alliance, but Lyta points out this is an internal matter for the Narn Government, and thus not subject to Alliance jurisdiction. She leaves to let him think about it.

Garibaldi and Lise arrive at the Fresh Air Cafe for dinner. Lise says she really is looking forward to Garibaldi's return to Mars: she needs him to help her deal with Edgars Industries. There is much she doesn't understand about the business, and much that frightens her. She asks what Sheridan's reaction was when Garibaldi told him he was leaving, but his evasions show he hasn't told Sheridan yet. The Maitre D' arrives and asks if they want anything to drink. Garibaldi orders coffee. When it arrives, Garibaldi claims it is the worst coffee he has ever had, stands up, cup in hand, and heads to the kitchen to complain. But once out of sight, he takes out a small vial from his jacket and pours some alcohol into the coffee before heading in again.

Sheridan and Delenn receive a report on the search for Lennier. Although three more White Stars have joined the search, they have found no trace of him. Sheridan orders them to continue. Montoya points out that the air in the fighter will be running out any time now, even if Lennier went into meditation to lower his consumption of oxygen.

Indeed, the air in Lennier's fighter is almost gone. Fortunately, a Centauri ship overtakes him, following the tachyon relay. Lennier engages full stealth, and attaches the fighter to the warship, drawing air from it. Then, the warship jumps into normal space, and Lennier's perseverance is rewarded: they have arrived at the Centauri staging base.

In bed, Sheridan is apologizing to Delenn for his earlier behavior, and acknowledges she was right to send Lennier on that mission. He is also trying to convince her it was not her fault that he is missing, probably dead. But Delenn will not accept Lennier's death until she has seen a body.

In the morning, Londo receives an urgent message from Centauri Prime. A Minister says that they have information that Sheridan and the others want to blame the Centauri for the attacks, and are even ready to fabricate evidence if that is what is needed. Londo claims Sheridan would not do that. But the Minister points out that the Narn have access to many ships and weapons that were left behind when the Centauri left Narn; and even though G'Kar would not fabricate evidence, other Narn consider him too close to the Centauri and might go ahead without his knowledge. "You must do everything you can to stop them from blaming our people for these attacks," the Minister tells Londo. "If they attempt to move against us, we will fight back." It could cause a war.

Lyta arrives at G'Kar's quarters to hear his answer. G'Kar has contacted his government, and they agree to Lyta's terms. They do have one more stipulation, however: they want Lyta and her fellow telepaths to "listen in" to the other ambassadors from time to time, and report to Narn. Lyta thinks about it briefly, but declines. Although she has discovered she can do many things she couldn't do before, she cannot do this. She still has a shred of decency left. The deal is off. She turns to leave.

G'Kar stops her before she exits. There is no such condition: he wanted to see how far she was willing to go. Had she agreed, G'Kar would have known that he couldn't trust her, and there would be no deal. Now, they can go ahead. She'll have her money, the ships, and support from the Narn.

Lennier's fighter is still attached to the Centauri ship, which is again in hyperspace, part of an attack group. Lennier starts recording when they jump back into normal space. There, they attack a convoy without warning, destroying it completely despite offers to surrender. When the Centauri depart, Lennier stays behind, floating among the debris. Once they leave, he sends out a distress call, and prays for the dead.

On Babylon 5, Sheridan receives the good news. The Maria has rescued Lennier and is heading back to Babylon 5. And he has the proof they need. Sheridan tells Delenn, and she is overcome with emotion. She leaves, and in the corridor outside she leans against a wall, crying and laughing. Londo happens to walk by, and asks if she is all right. She turns, and silently goes over and embraces him.

"What? What is this for?" Londo asks, confused. "I have never done that, in all the time you and I have been here," Delenn replies. "And I think, very soon, we will never have another chance." She walks away slowly, leaving Londo just as confused as before.

Later, Delenn and Sheridan welcome Lennier back. Lennier gives Sheridan the recordings he made, and goes off to rest. "We have worked months to get this information," Sheridan says, "and now that I have it, a part of me wants to throw it through an airlock. I was hoping we were wrong, Delenn." "So was I," replies Delenn. But now they know the truth, and they have an obligation to follow through. They will have a closed meeting tomorrow to review the evidence. Garibaldi comes in then, since Sheridan was looking for him. Sheridan says wants to meet with Garibaldi, Franklin, and G'Kar as soon as possible.

Franklin is with Londo, discussing the plans for a biological data base for the Alliance ("Strange Relations"), when Vir interrupts. He tells Londo that a meeting is in the works for tomorrow, a sure indication they have evidence to present regarding the attacks. However, everyone is invited except Londo. "I don't like this," says Londo. "I don't like this at all. This is going to be bad."

Lise is preparing dinner, and Garibaldi comes in. He wants her out and back to Mars as soon as possible. Because, barring a miracle, they will soon be at war with the Centauri.

Day of the Dead

Overview

Some of the crew are caught with the Brakiri as they celebrate their "Day of the Dead," a remembrance of the recently deceased. A pair of famous entertainers visits the station. Harlan Ellison as the voice of Zooty. Bridget Flanery as Zoe. Penn and Teller as Rebo and Zooty. Ed Wasser as Morden. 
P5 Rating: 8.44

Production number: 511
Original air date: March 11, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by Neil Gaiman
Directed by Doug Lefler

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Day of the Dead

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)

In the customs area, a man carrying a large bag has nothing to declare except his genius. Inside the bag, a small man holds up a small device, which also declares nothing but Rebo's genius. Rebo and Zooty have arrived on Babylon 5.

Lochley, Sheridan and Garibaldi are on their way to meet the comedy duo. Lochley mentions that the Brakiri have asked to buy a part of Babylon 5 for a night, for religious reasons.

Outside his quarters, Londo is accosted by a Brakiri salesman, who is offering a skull-shaped candy. On recognizing Londo as the Centauri Emperor-to-be, he offers the candy as a gift, and asks Londo whom he would like to meet from among the dead. "The first Emperor," replies Londo as he accepts the candy. He asks the salesman what sort of festival this is. "Tonight is the Day of the Dead," the Brakiri replies. "Tonight the dead return."

Delenn is alone in her quarters when Lennier arrives, dressed in a Ranger uniform. He is between training cycles, and having read once about the Brakiri Day of the Dead, which occurs only once every 200 years, he decided to visit. Since Babylon 5 is easier to get to than Brakir, he came to the station.

Sheridan is hosting a cocktail party for Rebo and Zooty, and confers upon them the Freedom of Babylon 5. Rebo gives a speech, interspersed with physical comedy. Most in attendance find it hilarious, but Lochley is not amused. She leaves for an appointment with the Brakiri ambassador. G'Kar overhears about the appointment and looks worried.

In Lochley's office, the Brakiri ambassador explains to the Captain that they must own part of the station by nightfall, so it will be part of Brakir for the celebration. He assures Lochley it will be returned in the morning. Lochley explains the usual operations of Babylon 5 do not allow this, but she is ready to make an exception. Before the transaction is over, G'Kar bursts into the office and warns Lochley that selling the station would be foolish and dangerous. But Lochley reminds him that according to the declaration of principles of the Alliance, religious beliefs are sacrosanct. Over G'Kar's objections, the transaction is completed.

Later, the Brakiri ambassador explains to Garibaldi that part of the station is now part of Brakir. Garibaldi's quarters are on the Brakiri side, and he goes in just as the Day of the Dead begins.

Sheridan arrives to his quarters with Rebo and Zooty for dinner. Delenn welcomes them, and Zooty's machine says something in Minbari: a pun, to which Delenn reacts by laughing heartily. Rebo explains they have studied Minbari and Narn humor, among other forms. When Delenn escorts Zooty to the table, Sheridan mentions to Rebo that he was hoping to talk to Zooty without the machine. Rebo explains that Zooty never breaks character. After ten years, Rebo has only heard Zooty say one word without the machine: "Why?" He doesn't undertand it either.

In her quarters, Lochley is reading some reports when night falls. The area of the station purchased by the Brakiri is surrounded by a shimmering energy field; at the same time, Lennier sits down to meditate in his quarters, and Londo drinks some Brevare.

In C&C, Corwin is trying to emulate one of Rebo and Zooty's hat tricks, when G'Kar enters, dressed for bed. His quarters are on the Brakiri zone, so he would like to sleep in C&C for the night. Corwin lets him.

In Lochley's quarters, the power suddenly goes out, replaced by emergency lights. Lochley is unable to contact anyone on the link.

Londo is in his quarters, talking to a portrait of the first Emperor, but the portrait is silent. His lights go out as well, and behind him a figure materializes: Adira Tyree ("Born to the Purple"). Londo is overjoyed. He tells her he is to become Emperor, but would give it all away just to have Adira by his side. She embraces him and they they kiss.

Garibaldi is asleep in his bed, but the shower turns itself on. He pulls a PPG from under the pillow and orders whoever is there to come out. A woman's voice answers and then steps out: Dodger, the gropo ("GROPOS"). Garibaldi is utterly confused; without lowering the gun, he wonders if it is a clone, a robot, or maybe the latest from Bester's bag of tricks. She assures him it is nobody's trick. "Happy Day of the Dead," she says with a smile.

In her quarters, Lochley is trying to communicate with the rest of the station, which the link claims is out of range. A small blond teenager materializes coughing, and says "Lizzie? Is that you?" Lochley is overcome and stands staring dumbly at the girl. "Zoe?" gulps Lochely, forcing back tears.

Lochley and Zoe sit on the bed and talk, both of them crying. They were runaways together, and did drugs. It's been 20 years since Zoe's death. Zoe asks Lochley what happened after her death. Lochley found Zoe's body, dead from a drug overdose. She got scared, called her parents, and her father arrived ten hours later. She later enrolled in OTC. Lochley asks Zoe something she's always wondered: "Did you do it on purpose?" but Zoe claims she doesn't remember.

Sheridan and Delenn's quarters are outside the Brakiri zone. Dinner is almost over when Sheridan gets a call from Corwin, to tell him that a piece of the station is missing: the part sold to the Brakiri. Sheridan walks over to investigate and finds the shimmering wall. He throws a fire extinguisher at the wall, but it bounces back. He goes to C&C to talk to Corwin.

Garibaldi finally puts the PPG back under the pillow. Although still perplexed, he is taking it all in stride now. Garibaldi and Dodger start to talk.

Lennier is meditating when a voice says: "Good evening, Ranger Lennier." It is Morden, although Lennier cannot place him immediately. He eventually does, however: "You worked for the Shadows," accuses Lennier. "I did lots of things, yes," replies Morden. "Looking back on it, though," he continues, "I just tried to make people happy. Anyway, it is all ancient history now, and I paid for all my crimes, huh?" he concludes with a smile.

Lennier asks him why he came, and Morden replies that he is dead, and thus it is his job. Then Morden asks Lennier why he came back. "I came for wisdom," answers Lennier. "You don't come to the Dead for wisdom, Lennier," replies Morden. He says his head is still rotting outside the Centauri Royal Palace, but Lennier insists he wants wisdom.

"Wisdom?" muses Morden. "Let's see: Delenn does not love you as you love her, and she never will." "I know that," replies Lennier. "No, you don't," counters Morden. "Not in your heart." Lennier tells Morden to go away, but he does not; now that Morden has been raised, Lennier must listen. Lennier tries to leave, only to find the shimmering wall outside. He starts to run, but soon collapses.

Sheridan enters C&C to find G'Kar asleep on the deck. Sheridan asks Corwin to contact the Brakiri homeworld.

Morden tosses Lennier back into his quarters. He explains that the other side of the corridor is 200 million light years away; no way to get there by foot. Morden continues to talk, and tells Lennier that he is destined to betray the Rangers; Lennier does not believe him. Morden then implies Lennier will die soon, and Lennier angrily denies him again; finally, Lennier settles down to meditate, saying "Our talk is done." "Your loss," sighs Morden, as he sits down to read the newspaper.

In Lochley's quarters, Lochley is again trying to contact the rest of the station. Zoe points out that they are now in part of the Brakiri homeworld, and although Lochley doesn't believe it, she manages to contact Garibaldi, who is talking to Dodger. Lochley orders Garibaldi to hack into Stellar Com and route a call to C&C.

In Londo's quarters, Adira and Londo are in bed. Lochley appears on the screen and says normality will be restored soon. "She is right," says Adira ruefully. "And when this night is done, so am I. And you will go on to become Emperor Mollari." "I don't want to become Emperor," replies Londo. "I want to stay here, with you." "Londo, I'm a dream," says Adira. "In the morning I'll be gone, and you will rule 40 billion Centauri. But not one of them will ever know you the way I know you." She settles down on Londo's chest as they both smile contentedly.

In his quarters, Garibaldi is hacking the communications system, much to Dodger's frustration; Garibaldi succeeds, and lets Lochley know before settling down to talk to Dodger for the remaining hours of the Day of the Dead.

In Sheridan's quarters, Rebo is expressing to Delenn his admiration for how calm and collected Delenn and Sheridan are in the face of this emergency. He confides to Delenn that they both admire the two of them a lot, and in fact that Rebo and Zooty plan to give up show business for politics. Sheridan comes back, and Delenn tells him of Rebo and Zooty's decision. Sheridan tries to talk them out of it, but Rebo says that no one takes comedians seriously, and they want to be taken seriously. Besides, he says, the real comedy all happens in the Senate.

Lochley's call comes in then, and she tells Sheridan everything is fine, and will probably go back to normal in the morning. This is also what the people in Brakir told Sheridan.

Morning finds Lennier meditating and Morden reading the paper; shortly thereafter, Morden disappears. Dodger and Garibaldi are talking and laughing together. Dodger senses that her time is up, and sobers up. She kisses Garibaldi on the forehead, stands up and disappears.

Zoe finishes telling Lochley a message she was given for Sheridan. Before leaving, she finally tells Lochley that she does remember her own death, and she did it on purpose because she couldn't stand her life any more. She disappears, and normality returns.

Later that morning, Sheridan and Lochley are talking. Lochley refuses to give details of her experience, saying that it was intensely personal; the same thing everyone else has told Sheridan. No one really knows what happened, though. She does give Sheridan the message she got for him. It is from Kosh: "When the long night comes, return to the end of the beginning."

Lochley leaves and is later joined by G'Kar. Lochley expects him to say I told you so, but instead he points out he was wrong; the people who were in the Brakiri territory seem more at peace with themselves. G'Kar wonders what he would have seen had he been there.

Then they see Londo, Rebo and Zooty walk by, followed by reporters. Londo is quite amused, and promises never to miss their show from now on. He also asks them to perform at his inauguration.

Before he leaves, Zooty calls the just arrived Sheridan aside, and whispers something in his ear, pointing at his device: "Because it tells me to."

Deathwalker

Overview

The station becomes a hotbed of galactic controversy when Sinclair is forced to protect a notorious war criminal -- a scientist who's invented an immortality serum. Ambassador Kosh hires telepath Talia Winters to oversee a very unusual negotiation. Sarah Douglas as Deathwalker/Jha'Dur. Robin Curtis as Ambassador Kalika. Cosie Costa as Abbut. Aki Aleong as Senator Hidoshi. 
Sub-genre: Intrigue
P5 Rating: 8.21

Production number: 113
Original air date: April 20, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by Larry DiTillio
Directed by Bruce Seth Green

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

jms speaks

Compiled by Dave Zimmerman and Steven Grimm.

Deathwalker

Talia Winters runs into Ambassador Kosh, who wants to use her telepathic services in an important, upcoming negotiation. She seems reluctant at first, but Kosh assures her that all arrangements--including legal clearances and payment--have already been arranged. He instructs her to meet him in Red 3 at the "Hour of Scampering."

Na'Toth, who is waiting at the docking bay for a ship to arrive, suddenly notices a certain woman come on board B5. Na'Toth is suddenly seized with rage and runs across the room, shouting, "Deathwalker." She attacks the woman who has just come aboard, hitting her viciously until the security guards can stop her.

Na'Toth attacks.

After Na'Toth is successfully detained, Sinclair is informed of the situation. He asks Garibaldi who the victim is; Garibaldi explains that the woman came from Minbari space in a Minbari ship, in Minbari clothes, and with Minbari identification--but that she certainly isn't a Minbari. When Garibaldi mentions that Na'Toth was yelling, "Deathwalker," during the attack, Sinclair's curiosity is piqued--both Sinclair and Garibaldi indicate that they are familiar with that name.

Sinclair and Garibaldi go to question Na'Toth. She explains that her family has taken a blood oath against the "Deathwalker." She took the blood oath after the Dilgar, Deathwalker's race, invaded a planet on which Na'Toth's grandfather lived. Deathwalker, explains Na'Toth, used her grandfather and the other people on the planet in her experiments. Everyone died, except Na'Toth's grandfather, who escaped--but only after having a machine--which slowly killed him--implanted in his brain. Sinclair, however, does not believe that the woman who just came on board was Deathwalker, simply because the Dilgar invasion that Na'Toth mentioned occurred thirty years ago, and Deathwalker would be an old woman by now. Na'Toth explains that her senses would never fail her when it comes to identifying someone against whom she's taken a blood oath. Sinclair, still skeptical, orders Garibaldi to examine the contents of the injured woman's ship.

When G'Kar arrives, he apologizes for the attack upon the victim and offers personally to make reparations to her. Angrily staring at Na'Toth, he requests that his attache be released into his custody. Though Sinclair refuses to release custody of Na'Toth, he does agree place her under house arrest, and allows her to be taken to G'Kar's quarters. G'Kar thanks Sinclair and leaves.

Winters, meanwhile, meets with Kosh again and agrees to work for him at the negotiations that he mentioned before--she comments that the clearances were indeed arranged and that the pay was very generous. However, she explains that there is still something she doesn't understand. Kosh interrupts her and merely says, "Understanding is a three-edged sword." Soon, a man named Abbut arrives; he greets Kosh cordially and comments, "Oh, Kosh, you old dog! You didn't tell me you were bringing a date!" Talia explains that she is only a commercial telepath, who will be sitting in on the negotiations. Kosh orders Talia to scan Abbut and to report on his thoughts. She scans the man, but comments that he has no thoughts--his mind seems completely empty. Kosh is pleased, and says that they can now proceed. Kosh and Abbut begin to utter cryptic phrases to one another.

Abbut, Winters, and Kosh meet.

In the Med Lab, one of the doctors tells Franklin that the vital signs of the victim have stabilized but that the victim's species is still unknown. Sinclair arrives, and Franklin explains to him that the victim is in surprisingly good shape, considering her injuries. Her body is healing itself quite quickly, and Franklin wishes he knew what species she was. Sinclair explains that the victim is a Dilgar, but Franklin doesn't believe him--Franklin notes that the Dilgar is a dead race, that after the invasion, the few Dilgar who were left were killed when the Dilgar sun went nova. Sinclair calls up a reference file on "Deathwalker"--the computer informs them that "Deathwalker" is a name used to refer to Warmaster Jha'dur, "the most infamous leader of the Dilgar invasion of the non-aligned sectors in 2230.... Specialist in biochemical, biogenetic, and cyber-organic weaponry." The picture that the computer displays looks like the present victim, though Franklin comments that the victim is too young to be that same Jha'dur and too old to be her daughter. He even searches for signs of cryonic freezing, but the computer scan does not turn up any relevant evidence. Franklin notes that he will have the Med Corps send him all information they have on the Dilgar. Garibaldi suddenly enters, holding a Dilgar uniform which, according to the inscription, belongs to Jha'dur. He also brings an unusual drug, which he gives to Franklin. Meanwhile, Ivanova informs Sinclair that he has a Gold Channel transmission from Senator Hidoshi. Sinclair, his curiosity piqued, leaves, but orders Garibaldi to keep quiet the situation with the victim--Sinclair says that he doesn't want any rumors concerning Jha'dur floating around the station.

In G'Kar's quarters, Na'Toth apologizes for shaming and angering G'Kar, but G'Kar tells her that no apology is necessary. He explains that he understands her need to fulfill her blood oath (and comments that he has many blood oaths himself), but tells Na'Toth that hers, in this instance, complicates matters. He explains that Jha'dur has made an important discovery that could be potentially very useful to the Narns. He tells her that, in this case, service to the Narn government is more important than her blood oath--therefore, she must not kill Deathwalker, because the Narn government has ordered them to send Deathwalker to Narn alive. Na'Toth reluctantly agrees--she will delay her vengeance, but not abandon it. G'Kar says that he's proud of Na'Toth--and promises to help her fulfill her blood oath after Jha'dur's discovery is secured.

Senator Hidoshi's message has come through to B5. The senator asks if the recently-attacked victim is still alive. When Sinclair tells him that she is, the senator orders Sinclair to send the victim to Earth immediately when she is fit to travel. Sinclair, however, protests, saying that there is evidence that the victim is Jha'dur, the infamous Deathwalker. Hidoshi, however, dismisses Sinclair's protests; he says that Deathwalker has been dead for many years. He refuses to give Sinclair any further information, and abruptly ends the conversation.

In the Med Lab, as Franklin is studying the victim's drug, the victim suddenly awakes and moves over to him angrily. "How dare you pry into my life's work?" she says to him. She asks to see Commander Sinclair immediately.

Jha'dur fends Franklin off.

Sinclair, on his way to the Med Lab, is stopped by Ambassador Mollari, who asks if the rumors he's heard about Deathwalker are true. Sinclair only tells him that he should know better than to listen to rumors.

When Sinclair arrives at the Med Lab, he dismisses Franklin from the room. She looks at him, slightly admiring him. "You know the way of command," she says, "Yes, the Wind Swords are right to fear you.... [The Wind Swords] have sheltered me for many years, in return for certain services. They speak of you often, Sinclair. They say you have a hole in your mind." She tells him that she is indeed Warmaster Jha'dur, and explains the reason for not aging: she has discovered a disease-preventing drug that also retards the aging process of all known humanoid species. "It's still unstable and difficult to produce in sufficient quantity, but it works, as you can see," she says. Sinclair immediately realizes the implications of such a drug: virtual immortality. She tells him that, with the help of Earth, she will bring it to "all the worlds of this galaxy" before the end of the year.

"Then the willows must scuttle carefully," says Ambassador Kosh at the negotiations with Abbut--and, after Abbut asks, "Does Saturn have rings?" Kosh ends the negotiations for the day. Talia, however, is still curious (for she's been scanning Abbut all day and his mind is still blank--not to mention the fact that she doesn't understand anything either Abbut or Kosh are saying), and asks Kosh to explain the negotiations. Kosh only replies, "You seek meaning? ... Then listen to the music, not the song." After Kosh leaves, Talia asks Abbut to explain the negotiations, but he refuses, replying that it's "not too good to reflect too much." At that moment, Talia suddenly sees herself in her own mind, reflected numerous times, as if she were looking into a mirror. She leaves, even more confused.

Sinclair has meanwhile sought out Lennier to ask him about Jha'dur's involvement with the Wind Swords, a branch of Minbari warriors (Delenn has temporarily left the station, so Lennier was the next logical person to ask). Sinclair explains that the woman whom Na'Toth attacked is indeed Jha'dur, and that Jha'dur claimed that the Wind Swords sheltered her. Lennier does not think that the Wind Swords--though they are the most militant of the Minbari warrior castes--would shelter such a villain as Jha'dur, but he says that he will look into the matter. Since he cannot speak directly to his rulers without permission, he says that he will contact Delenn. Sinclair asks that Lennier keep the information regarding Jha'dur's presence on the station confidential for now, and Lennier agrees.

Sinclair speaks with Lennier.

G'Kar, meanwhile, apologizes to Jha'dur on behalf of the Narn empire. He says that the Narns are willing to make reparations for Na'Toth's attack--and he, on behalf of the Narns, makes a generous offer for Jha'dur's recently discovered drug. "You're very well informed, G'Kar," she replies, "Our reports always said you were a clever one--and a good resistance leader, too. If Earth Alliance hadn't taken a hand in our invasion, we might have helped your kind wipe the Centauri out completely."

G'Kar speaks with Jha'dur.

G'Kar comments that Jha'dur is also very well informed (and adds that the Narns aren't through with the Centauri yet)--and offers to triple whatever price Earth has offered her for her discovery. She agrees to consider his offer, if he brings her Na'Toth's head within the hour. G'Kar leaves the room, bruskly and considerably annoyed. After he leaves, she laughs a loud, evil laugh.

Sinclair, Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Franklin discuss the current situation. Franklin claims that, according to the data that he received from Earth, the woman is indeed Jha'dur--her very appearance, he adds, seems to prove her claim about her drug (assuming there isn't another reason that explains why she hasn't aged). Garibaldi is skeptical, though Franklin's analysis of the serum suggests that the drug can do what Jha'dur says it can do. Sinclair says that Earth agrees with the potential of Jha'dur's drug and has ordered Sinclair to send Jha'dur to Earth immediately. Garibaldi is angered that Sinclair seems to be willing to release Jha'dur to Earth so easily: "She wiped out entire races, destroyed whole planets, experimented on living beings. Now she wants to make everybody immortal?" says Garibaldi. He suggests that they should let the League of Non-Aligned Worlds deal with her--he suggests that Earth should just take her serum and develop it themselves, but Franklin says that the serum is too complex to realistically develop without her assistance. Ivanova suggests that Earth--though she considers its moral stance dubious--is better equipped to handle an issue like this than is the B5 staff. Sinclair agrees, and prepares to send Jha'dur to Earth. After the staff leaves, Garibaldi questions Sinclair's judgment, but Sinclair replies that if the immortality serum can be developed, a galaxy without sickness or death would result. "She can save more lives than she took, and she can make the deaths she caused have meaning," says Sinclair.

"Better pray to that God of yours you're right, Jeff," responds Garibaldi, "because if any of the League ambassadors find out about this 'deal,' they'll tear Babylon 5 to pieces."

G'Kar, in his quarters, anxiously tells Na'Toth that one of his agents has just informed him that Sinclair intends to smuggle Jha'dur off B5. He quickly contacts Ambassador Kalika, a leader of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds and tells her of the situation.

Sinclair, meanwhile, is preparing to escort Jha'dur off the station. Before she leaves, however, he asks her why she wants to bring immortality to the races of the galaxy. She responds that, if she brings immortality to the people of the galaxy, it will ensure that the Dilgar are remembered honorably--it will stand as a monument to her and her race. "Delicious irony ..." she says, "that those who cursed us will have to thank us for the rest of time."

However, on the way to her ship, Jha'dur and her escort party is stopped by a group of ambassadors from the League. The ambassadors demand that a full assembly of the Council be called immediately to discuss Jha'dur's trial--they will not allow Jha'dur to pass them ("You will have to kill us all, first," says Ambassador Kalika, who leads the group of ambassadors). Sinclair has no choice but to agree.

The League confronts Sinclair.

Talia, the day after the last session of negotiations between Kosh and Abbut, tells Kosh that she doesn't believe she can continue to monitor the negotiation. "Your belief does not enter into it," replies Kosh, "We have a contract." Soon, Abbut arrives and greets Talia again. As he kisses her hand, she suddenly sees herself in her mind--it appears as if she's in some sort of computerized matrix.

Talia among the lights.

The session of the Council is about to begin. Sinclair mentions to Garibaldi that he's sort of relieved that the matter has been made public--Jha'dur will get the justice she deserves (Sinclair figures that, though the Narns and Centauri both had once collaborated with the Dilgar and would therefore probably not want a trial, the Minbari--being an honorable race--will vote for a trial. With Earth's vote--and with Kosh's usual abstention--the Council will be tied, and the League will cast the deciding vote). Garibaldi apologizes to Sinclair for saying some hot-headed things to him regarding Sinclair's decision to comply with Earth's orders, but Sinclair tells him not to worry about it--he tells Garibaldi that he had thought the same things himself. When Lennier arrives, he tells Sinclair that he has spoken with Delenn--and has been given instructions.

When the meeting opens, Kalika presents a motion to hold a war-crimes trial for Jha'dur on Babylon 5. Londo is the first to vote on this motion--he expresses his sympathy for the League, but says that he must vote "no" because Deathwalker never committed any crimes against the Centauri. G'Kar votes "yes" on condition that the trial be held on Narn--however, when Kalika does not accept this condition, G'Kar votes "no." Sinclair votes "yes," and explains that Kosh has declined to take part in this session of the Council. Lennier explains that, since the Minbari were not a part of the conflict between the Dilgar, Earth, and the League, the Minbari have no right to judge her. He therefore votes "no." Kalika, angered at the Council and disappointed with B5's ability to treat the League fairly, storms out of the Council chambers but threatens that this will not be the last time that the Council hears from the League.

Ambassador Kalika makes her case.

After everyone leaves, Lennier apologizes to Sinclair for his vote. He explains that the Wind Swords did, indeed, shelter Jha'dur. The Minbari government did not know about the involvement of the Wind Swords at first--but when the Earth-Minbari war broke out, the Wind Swords came to the Council with devastating weapons that they obtained from Deathwalker. The Minbari government, needless to say, is embarrassed about the Minbari involvement and, just as they could not admit their when they originally found out, so they cannot let that information be made public in a trial now.

Meanwhile, a ship has come through the jumpgate. It belongs to one of the members of the League, and it threatens to attack B5 if Jha'dur is not extradited to its government. As the ship draws closer, Ivanova readies B5's weaponry and threatens to defend B5 against the ship. The League ship aborts its attack but stays near B5. However, more League ships continue to come through the vortex. One by one, they begin to surround B5. Sinclair, whom Ivanova has contacted, orders Ivanova to stall these ships.

Meanwhile, Sinclair attempts to negotiate with Kalika. He tries to draw on Earth's traditional friendship with the League, but Kalika refuses to listen. Sinclair, all his other options having run out, finally decides to inform Kalika of the full situation with Jha'dur.

Ivanova informs Sinclair that she has successfully stalled the League ships--she has gotten them to debate over which of them has the most valid claim to try Jha'dur. Sinclair is pleased, but hopes that her maneuver will buy B5 enough time. Suddenly, the League ships begin to move out of firing range of B5. Ivanova is surprised, and asks what Sinclair did. He tells her that he "played a wildcard." He tells Ivanova that the situation isn't completed yet--Sinclair will be in closed session with the League. Once again, he praises Ivanova for her ingenuity.

"A herring is just a herring, but a good cigar is a Cuban," comments Abbut, at the negotiations with Kosh. "A stroke of the brush does not guarantee art from the bristles," replies Kosh. "Do you understand, Ms. Winters?" Again, Talia finds herself seeing strange visions in her head--she is walking and is suddenly attacked by a mysterious man. She screams out in pain. "Our business is completed," says Kosh. Abbut takes off his hat, removes a data crystal from his partly cybernetic head, and gives it to Kosh.

Abbut's unusual head.

"What was on that data crystal he gave you," asks Talia.

"Reflection, surprise, terror. For the future," responds Kosh.

Kalika tells Sinclair that scientists from the League have checked Dr. Franklin's data--and they agree with it. And while Kalika agrees that the discovery is "astounding," she still feels that Deathwalker must be punished. Sinclair agrees, and proposes a compromise: Jha'dur will be delivered to Earth, where she will work with Earth scientists--in addition to a group of scientists that the League can send. After the drug is developed, the League will be given custody of Jha'dur. Kalika likes the idea, but wants to make sure that it can trust Earth to honor it later. Sinclair says that once this agreement is made public, Earth will have no choice. Another of the ambassadors from the League wants to know how the Council will react to this decision, but Sinclair says that this agreement is a private matter between Earth and the League--just as it was thirty years ago, when Earth helped the League defeat the Dilgar, as Sinclair points out. Kalika agrees: "It is fair ... and wise."

Before Jha'dur leaves, Sinclair speaks with her. She feels that Sinclair is naive to believe that Earth will turn her over to the League once the drug was developed. Sinclair says that he'll see to it personally, but Jha'dur feels this will cost him his command. Jha'dur explains to Sinclair the true purpose behind her giving the serum to Earth: "You and the rest of your kind take blind confidence in the belief that we are monsters--that you could never do what we did. The key ingredient in the [serum] cannot be synthesized; it must be taken from living beings. For one to live forever, another one must die. You will fall upon one another like wolves. It'll make what we did pale by comparison. The billions who live forever will be a testimony to my work, and the billions who were murdered to buy that immortality will be the continuance of my work. Not like us? You will become us. That's my monument, Commander."

"You will become us."

The group of ambassadors have all assembled to watch the departure of Jha'dur. Surprisingly, Kosh joins them. Suddenly, there is a report from the bridge--there's another disturbance at the jumpgate. A Vorlon ship flies through and, to the elation of many of the ambassadors, quickly targets and destroys Jha'dur's vessel. "Why?" asks Sinclair.

"You are not ready for immortality," responds Kosh.

The Vorlon ship attacks.

Later, Sinclair and Garibaldi discuss the situation. "Hell of an irony, don't you think?" asks Garibaldi, "We find a reason to keep Jha'dur alive, and the Vorlons smoke her for the same reason." Sinclair wonders things will always work out similarly: little powers at the mercy of big powers; politics before morality. Garibaldi responds that this seems to work for everyone--except Sinclair. As they speak, Talia arrives and explains that she is confused by recent negotiations she attended. She tells them that nothing about the negotiations made sense; the two parties spoke in riddles, and she kept seeing images in her mind--images which she feels were deliberately provoked. She explains that, four years ago, she was assigned to scan the mind of a suspect in a murder case. The suspect was a serial killer--she had never been inside a mind like his, and it frightened her so much that she still has nightmares about it. However, at the negotiation table recently, she feels those thoughts were deliberately provoked. When Sinclair asks Talia whom Kosh was dealing with, she tells them. Garibaldi knows who Abbut is. He explains that Abbut is a "Vicar"--a slang term, derived from "VCR," referring to a type of alien that is part machine, part sentient--they act as living recorders that can record just about everything, including brain-wave patters. Garibaldi suggests that Kosh set her up--and Sinclair guesses that Kosh did this because Vorlons are usually suspicious of telepaths, and if Kosh knows what her deepest fears are, he can use them against her later on.

Garibaldi and Sinclair wonder what Kosh could be up to--the many things he's been doing recently have piqued their curiosity.

Shawn Bayern bayern@cshl.org

Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this synopsis noncommercially as long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact. Babylon 5 is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright is intended by writing these synopses.

Divided Loyalties

Overview

Lyta Alexander, the station's first telepath, returns with a warning that one of Babylon 5's officers is an operative for a top-secret government organization. A long-held secret of another Babylon 5 officer is revealed. Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander. 
Sub-genre: Mystery/Intrigue
P5 Rating: 8.50

Production number: 220
Original air date: July 25, 1995 (UK)
                   October 11, 1995 (US)
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jesus Trevino

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Divided Loyalties

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

Delenn and Sheridan meet each other at a Universe Today vending machine. Sheridan expresses surprise that Delenn reads the paper; she explains that, after her previous encounter with Earth's reporters, she thought she should be better prepared and that, on Minbar, one is told only about what one needs to know, and no more. Sheridan recycles the copy of the paper he has and orders a new one. Delenn does the same, but is informed by the machine that "Eye on Minbari" cannot be inserted into her paper. Slightly embarrassed, she explains that it is a good idea to keep track of what the humans are saying about the Minbari, and a good way to learn things about the Minbari that she isn't told about.

A wounded man rushes through the sewers of the Mars Colony, where he meets up with a Ranger. Just before the man dies, he hands the Ranger a data crystal. "Take it to Babylon 5. Tell them... tell them it's not safe." The Ranger takes the data crystal and escapes back into the sewers, just as the people pursuing them catch up.

Captain Sheridan and Garibaldi meet in the bathroom and begin a conversation. After making sure it is clear, Garibaldi activates a bug-jamming device and asks Sheridan if he gave any more thought to the idea of bringing Talia in on their conspiracy. Sheridan agrees to the idea, and they make plans to tell her in a few days.

Talia and Ivanova are eating, musing over their new friendship. Each blames the other for the difficulties in achieving the friendship, but their conversation is interrupted by a call from C&C for Ivanova telling her that a ship arrived through the jumpgate, and has done nothing since its arrival. Ivanova goes to C&C to investigate. As she leaves, Talia tells her that, due to a problem in her air recycling system, she needs to find a place to stay for a few days. Ivanova offers her quarters.

Ivanova determines that the ship was hit, and tries to contact the ship. There's no response from the one lifeform on board. She orders the ship brought aboard the station.

Dr. Franklin arrives at the ship and meets with Garibaldi, who says the ship's serial number is faked, and that he doesn't want to report anything until he finds out what's onboard. Dr. Franklin's aide tells him that they found one human female aboard, unconscious, but alive. They wheel her out, but Garibaldi recognizes her.

Garibaldi tells Sheridan that the woman, Lyta Alexander, was Babylon 5's first commercial telepath, though she lasted only a few weeks. She scanned Kosh after the assassination attempt and discovered that Kosh saw Commander Sinclair as the murderer, which nearly ruined Sinclair's career, though he was later proved innocent. Garibaldi explains that she and Dr. Benjamin Kyle, who operated on Kosh, were recalled back to Earth, and Lyta was never the same after the scan.

In medlab, Lyta wakes up, and grabs a piece of medical equipment. Holding Franklin at bay, she demands to see Captain Sheridan and the rest of the command staff, and to not be left alone with anyone. Franklin asks why, and she explains that one of the people on Babylon 5 is a traitor, and says she can prove it.

Lyta appears before Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Franklin and tells them that Babylon 5 has a great importance to a lot of people, and that she has to come back to warn them. She explains that the authorities on Earth didn't believe that she didn't see what Kosh looked like, and that their scans revealed nothing -- she retained only a feeling, an intense belief that she had to get to Vorlon space. She recently escaped from the Psi Corps. While she was on Mars, she got involved in the revolutionary movement and hired herself out as a telepath. One of the underground's agents was murdered after he found out about a secret sleeper operation, which would implant a new personality, suited to Psi-Corps' needs, into one's subconscious. When a special password is sent, via telepathy, to a person inhabited by a sleeper program, the implanted personality takes over completely. Thus, it is possible for someone to carry the program and not know it. Lyta learned that such "moles" were implanted in several government agencies, including Babylon 5, although she doesn't know who the one on the station is. The codename of the mole is Control, and the underground suspects he or she is in the command staff. Ivanova doubts this at first, but Lyta insists she has the password and can send it to activate the sleeper program. Sheridan promises they will discuss it, but Lyta warns him to not wait too long because the personality would attempt to destroy anything it perceives as a threat. She warns them to be on the lookout, and that she can't be alone, because she won't be safe. She is taken to a security cell.

Delenn and Sheridan meet, and she asks him to meet her tomorrow to talk about the food shipments to Narn. He seems distracted, and she asks him what's wrong, but he initially doesn't want to talk about it. He relents and explains that he feels bad because things had been going well, but have taken a turn for the worse. They continue their conversation, and Delenn is slowly able to cheer Sheridan up. She tells him that, when one is in a bad mood, one merely needs to wait. He finds her holding his hand when Garibaldi calls informing him that the background check has been completed. Sheridan and Delenn part hastily.

Garibaldi tells Sheridan that, as far as he can tell, Lyta is correct in all that she said. Sheridan warns Garibaldi not to trust her, but Garibaldi says it is a gut feeling of his that she is telling the truth. Sheridan suggests that Garibaldi's aide may have been the mole, but there is no proof either way. Sheridan says that he wants to think about it overnight before making a decision. Garibaldi asks if Ivanova has come around, and Sheridan tells him that she hasn't.

Ivanova is working out her anger slamming cupboards in her kitchen when Talia comes in. Ivanova fixes some tea for them and asks Talia about Lyta. Talia tells her that they spent part of their early careers in intern programs. Ivanova asks if she feels that Lyta could be trusted, and Talia says that she thinks she can. Ivanova also asks where Lyta interned, and Talia tells her that she interned with the Psi Cops before becoming a commercial telepath. Ivanova tells Talia that she doesn't know who she can trust, and Talia agrees, saying that she feels that she can only really trust Ivanova.

Zack Allen enters Garibaldi's office and Garibaldi tells him to move Lyta to a more comfortable holding area, since she may be there for a while. As Zack leaves, Garibaldi asks about the Nightwatch armband Zack still wears. Zack says he feels it's easy money.

Talia wakes up and feels around in the bed next to her. There is no one there, and she sits up with a start. Meanwhile, two officers arrive in Lyta's cell and tell her that they were sent to transfer her. They leave the cell, but on the way, they are assaulted by PPG fire, which takes down both of the security guards. Lyta grabs a PPG and returns fire at the assailant before running off. Though other guards search for her, they are unable to find her.

Sheridan can't believe that she hasn't been located, or even that the attack happened, because he had almost believed she was wrong. Sheridan doesn't understand who could have done it, since very few people knew Lyta was there, but Garibaldi reminds him that the sleeper personality was probably responsible. He orders Lyta put under protective custody, and tells Ivanova and Garibaldi that he wants to let her send the scan. Ivanova is obstinate, but Sheridan says that, under the current circumstances, if they don't know who they can trust and who they can't, they won't be able to function properly.

Delenn is in her quarters composing a letter regarding trade relations with the Lumati when she receives a call from Lyta. Lyta asks Delenn to meet her in Brown 3 in an hour.

Talia arrives at Ivanova's quarters to tell her that the air recycling system has been fixed, so she'll be returning to her own quarters. Talia asks her if everything is all right, and Ivanova says she doesn't want to talk about it. Talia asks where she went the night before, and though Talia offers help yet again, Ivanova refusts it, saying that her secrets might soon come to the surface and haunt her. "After you tell someone that you've been lying to them for years, maybe even putting them in jeopardy, how are you supposed to look them in the face again?" Talia tells Ivanova that there are people around who care, though Ivanova still has doubts. Talia reminds Ivanova that she is there for her.

Delenn meets up with Sheridan in a corridor and tells him that she received a message from Lyta. Sheridan asks where she is, but Delenn promised not to tell anyone. Lyta will return, Delenn says, but only if everyone is present. Sheridan tells Delenn to tell Lyta that he agrees to her conditions.

Sheridan returns to his quarters and finds Ivanova waiting for him. She is very troubled and tells Sheridan that she thought she was ready. She tells him that she can't allow any telepath into her mind ever. Sheridan tries to tell her that he understands, but she knows he doesn't. "I've told you that my mother was a telepath, and that since I was born she could slip into my thoughts in a way that I could never even describe to you. But what I didn't tell you was that I learned how to keep her out when I wanted to, and that once in a while, I was the one that touched her mind. I'm a latent telepath."

"Susan, why didn't you tell me this before? I thought we could trust each other."

"It's got nothing to do with trust. I've spent my entire life hiding this, Captain. It's not something you can just change overnight. It's hard enough telling you this now."

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"For as long as I can remember, my mother drilled three words into my head: 'Tell no one.' She taught me how to fool the tests given in school, transferred me from one school to another, always staying one step ahead of the Psi Corps. I'm probably not even a P1--I've never been able to read anyone except my mother. I can pick up on feelings sometimes, I can block a casual scan, and I know instantly if someone's doing it. Nothing more. But that's enough for the Psi Corps to come pull you in!"

Sheridan tries to convince her that Lyta is not involved, though she is hardly convinced. He says that he believes Garibaldi, especially since he so rarely trusts anyone. Ivanova thanks Sheridan. "It's all this nonsense lately... some days, I don't even know who I am any more," she tells him. As she says that, Sheridan remembers the dream he had a few months earlier (cf. "All Alone in the Night.") As he starts to explain, he receives a message from C&C saying that Delenn has sent him a message: "Now."

Delenn brings Lyta to Sheridan's office. Sheridan tells Lyta that he agrees to let her send the password into the command staff of Babylon 5. She sends the password to Sheridan, but nothing happens. She follows up with Franklin and Garibaldi. Garibaldi frightens everyone by pretending that the password was a success. Though Garibaldi suggests they move on to Ivanova, Sheridan tells him that they will wait for now, as they have many other people to check. One by one, they bring the command staff into Sheridan's office, where Lyta, quietly in the background, sends the password to each. None of them possess the program.

After they've scanned all the EarthForce officers aboard Babylon 5, Lyta is very discouraged that they haven't found anything and begins turning her frustration on the troubled Ivanova. Franklin tries to convince her that Lyta isn't implying anything, but Lyta isn't so sure, and demands to know what Ivanova is hiding. Sheridan breaks through the tension and tells them that this is what Psi Corps wants. Seeing no other option, Ivanova agrees to have the password sent. Lyta tries to send the password, but is unable to get through. "She's blocking me," she announces. Ivanova drops her defenses and the password is sent, but Ivanova isn't implanted with the program either. Lyta tries to apologize to Ivanova.

"Go to hell," Ivanova responds.

Talia enters and says she's been looking for Captain Sheridan. As she comes in, Lyta stares at her intently and sends the password. Talia falls back and steals Garibaldi's PPG, firing at Sheridan, though he is able to move out of the way in time. Garibaldi grabs the PPG away from her and drags her out of the room as Sheridan orders her under house arrest. But she doesn't go away quietly. "You blew my cover! You're dead! Do you hear me? You're dead! The Corps is mother, the Corps is father! You're dead, Lyta Alexander! We'll find you! The Corps will find you!"

Garibaldi can't believe that Talia could be the one. Sheridan says that it isn't her fault, and that she's been carrying the sleeper program around for years without knowing it. Their more immediate concern is how much Talia knows. She knows about the underground railroad, but they aren't sure about how much more. Franklin will be protected by the Psi Corps' desire to keep its squelching of the railroad a secret. In addition, Franklin and the others know about the sleeper program, which Psi Corps definitely wants kept secret. Garibaldi realizes that Talia knew a lot, and if Lyta hadn't come aboard, they would have told Talia about their conspiracy. Sheridan asks if there is anything they can use to defend themselves with, and Garibaldi thinks he might have an idea: When Talia mediated for Kosh and Abbut (cf. "Deathwalker,") Kosh was given a data crystal which he claimed contained "Terror. Surprise. Reflection. For the future." Garibaldi says he will have to check on it a little more before he can be sure.

Ivanova goes to "Talia" and says that she wanted to see her before she left. She doesn't blame "Talia", but hopes that some part of her will hear her. "Talia" says that the program was complete, and that the old Talia no longer exists. "Talia" explains to Ivanova the role she played inside Talia's head, whispering instructions to her while she slept. Ivanova believed everything, all the words that were meant to get Talia close to Ivanova and what she knew.

"You're right," Ivanova tells her. "The Talia I knew is dead." She leaves.

Lyta, wearing a gas mask, enters the alien sector and goes to see Kosh. "I'm back," she says to him. "I can't stay. The Captain's made sure I can get away before the Psi Cops get here, but... I had to see you again, before my ship leaves. I never told them. I never told anyone. I hid it all away in the smallest, tiniest corner of my mind. They could have killed me and they still wouldn't have found it. Only at night, alone, would I open that small door in my mind where I kept the memory of you, and listen to your voice. Listen to you sing me to sleep. I hope I can come back again, but I don't know. Until then, Kosh, I want to see you again, just one more time." The head of Kosh's encounter suit opens, there's a sound like giant wings unfurling, and a brilliant light streams over Lyta as she gazes, one more time, upon the being within.

Duck Dodgers

Overview

Dodgers undertakes a perilous journey to Planet X, where a powerful alien force awaits. Daffy Duck as Duck Dodgers. 
Sub-genre: Intrigue
G5 rating: Second-favorite thing in the universe

Original air year: 1953

   Story by Michael Maltese
Directed by Chuck Jones

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Duck Dodgers

Synopsis by Dan Wood (danwood@pobox.com)

In a futuristic city, a taxi cruiser spirals its way to the top of a very, very tall building. It lands on the 17,000th floor. Its oviparous occupant steps out and enters the office of Dr. I.Q. Hi, Secretary of the Stratosphere.

The duck meets Dr. Hi and the two immediately begin ascending on a small platform. Dr. Hi explains that the reason he has summoned his guest is that the world's supply of Alludium Phosdex (the shaving cream atom) is "alarmingly low." It seems that the only remaining source is on Planet X, in a region marked "unknown" as Dr. Hi points out on the rather large wall map.

The duck asserts his confidence in retrieving the material, because "There's no one knows his way around outer space like.... DUCK DODGERS IN THE 24-1/2TH CENTURY!" Dodgers accidentally falls from the platform, plunging several hundred feet, but miraculously survives the accident.

Dodgers uses an evaporator to get to the airport's launch platform, where his ship and his first mate, a pig that Dodgers describes as an "eager young space cadet," await. Dodgers launches the ship, after one false start in which he accidentally plunged his vessel into the ground.

On board, Dodgers explains the navigational techniques he will use to find the planet to his number one, who appears to have a better understanding of navigational techniques than his superior officer, though his stuttering demeanor gets in the way of simple communication. The pig then suggests an alternate method of navigation to Planet X (by following the trail of Planet A, Planet B, Planet C, and so on) to Dodgers, who dismisses the idea at first, but then claims the idea for his own, much to the chagrin of the space cadet.

After weaving its way past Planets R, S, T, U, V, and W, the ship finally lands on Planet X. The ship is marked by a large "X" shape across its surface (presumably a continent) but also bears the "X" mark in several monoliths, presumably the markings of a long-dead civilization of millenia past. Immediately upon landing, Dodgers pulls out a flag of the Earth Alliance and proclaims "I claim this planet in the name of the Earth!"

Unfortunately, Dodgers's plans are immediately thwarted when another ship, christened the Martian Maggot, lands nearby. Its occupant scrambles out and, within meters of Dodgers, claims the planet in the name of Mars.

Needless to say, a conflict develops between the two representatives of their governments. Dodgers claims that the planet simply isn't "big enough for the two of us." The Martian responds by pointing a disintegrator pistol at Dodgers, who believes he is immune because he is wearing a disintegrator-proof vest. Answering a dare, the Martian fires upon Dodgers. Ironically, the vest itself turns out to be disintegrator-proof; Dodgers, unfortunately, falls into a crumble on the ground. The vest follows shortly thereafter.

Fortunately, the space cadet -- and technology -- save the day, thanks to an Acme Integrating pistol. Dodgers, fully reconstituted, continues his territorial challenge upon the alien and threatens him with his own brand of disintegrating pistol. Unfortunately, the pistol itself disintegrates when he attempts to fire upon his opponent. The Martian fires upon Dodgers several times and misses, subsequently chasing Dodgers into his own ship.

In an attempt to deceive the martian, the first officer creates a ruse: pretend to give the Martian a birthday present, assuming that the extraterrestrial will be ignorant of explosives. The Martian gladly accepts the gift, a stick of dynamite with a very short fuse, and is caught in the explosion. Only his helmet saves him from certain death. The alien, visibly shortened by the effects of the blast, limps back to his own ship to attend to his injuries.

Meanwhile, Dodgers is furious at the Martian's resolve. He sends an ultimatum, using an ultimatum dispatcher which behaves much like a gun, but delivers a written message: "Surrender, or be blown into 17,670,002 micro-cells." The martian responds with an ultimatum answerer, which functions much like the dispatcher, only it releases a destructive charge, presumably refusing the terms of the ultimatum.

Not ready to give up, Dodgers decides to conduct espionage upon his counterpart by using the "Super Video Detecto Set" installed in his ship. The advanced state of technology he uses backfires on him, however, because it enables the Martian to fire upon Dodgers via the video screen. This is the last straw for the protaganist.

In a final act of desperation, Dodgers decides to completely annihilate his enemy by utilizing his secret weapon, manufactured by the Acme Destructo Company. He launches a line which casts a dangerous net over his opponent's ship. Unknown beknownst to either of the Earth ships occupants, the alien launches a similar weapon of his own immediately thereafter. The tension mounts as both aliens prepare to destroy their enemy. A tremendous blast is seen and heard; evidently, both systems were set off at the exact moment.

The effect is nothing short of devastating. The smoke clears to reveal Dodgers and the Martian, face to face, standing on the only remaining chunk of Planet X, measuring less than a meter across. Dodgers reiterates his claim that the planet is not big enough for the two of them, and unceremoniously pushes the alien over the edge.

As the camera's aperature narrows, it pans down to reveal Dodger's number one, barely hanging on to some root-like material still attached to the miniscule remains of the planet. The martian, precariously hanging onto the first mate, looks on as the pig proclaims, with a slight stutter, "Big Deal."

Dust to Dust

Overview

An addictive drug with telepathic effects is found on the station, prompting a visit by Bester. G'Kar reaches a turning point. Walter Koenig as Bester. 
P5 Rating: 8.62

Production number: 306
Original air week: February 5, 1996
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Dust to Dust

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

Sheridan approaches a store owner who is having an argument with a member of the Night Watch. The member of Night Watch says that the store owner, who has been hanging signs expressing his negative feelings about President Clark, is committing acts of sedition. Sheridan tries to calm him down, and says that the shopkeeper has a right to his opinion. He warns the Night Watch officer that, if such harassment happens again, the responsible party will be disciplined.

Ivanova arrives in Garibaldi's office to receive a message from the PsiCop Bester, who will be arriving on Babylon 5 in seven hours. He claims that there is an individual on board who may be a danger to the station, Earth, and the PsiCorps. Garibaldi tells her that he thinks this visit, like Bester's others, is merely a ploy to check up on them. It turns out that Bester's concerns may be justified, for a crazed man, shouting, "The mountain is falling on me," is attacking people elsewhere on the station.

Sheridan warns the other members of the Babylon 5 war council that Bester will soon be on the station. He tells them that, with the current state of the station and everything that has been going on, they can't afford to be scanned by Bester, who might not obey PsiCorps regulations. Garibaldi suggests killing him if he learns too much, but Sheridan won't hear of it. Delenn tells everyone that, although risky, there may be an alternative to violence.

Vir arrives off a transport to meet Londo in the docking bay. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Londo asks Vir to tell him everything about his trip.

Dr. Franklin, in MedLab, is treating the man who had the crazed fits earlier when a nurse comes in with one of his victims, who nearly died in avalanche several months earlier. Since the crazed man had been shouting about a mountain falling on him, Dr. Franklin asks him to be tested for traces of Dust.

When Bester's transport arrives at the station, Ivanova orders everyone off the command deck so that she can perform a maintenance routine, but she has other ideas in mind. "They don't know you, your kind, the way I do," she says to herself. "They don't understand, they think it's some kind of a joke. But nothing works with you people. Nothing but force. Computer, activate forward defense grid. We can't risk throwing it all away, not because of you. I've been saying it for weeks now... The defense grid's been acting funny. Defense grid, prepare to fire. Fire!"

"Belay that order," shouts Sheridan, who entered unbeknownst to Ivanova. He manages to convince her that this would be throwing away her career, and that she would become exactly what she hates most. He deactivates the defense grid and tells the computer to begin docking manuevers.

After his ship docks, Bester comes aboard the station, and is taken to Sheridan's office, where Sheridan and the others are waiting, each with a Minbari standing by them. Sheridan introduces them as Minbari telepaths, who he has brought to level the playing field. He tells Bester that he doesn't trust him, and blames him for what happened with Talia Winters. Bester tries to bait Garibaldi on that topic, but isn't successful. Ivanova explains that, while a human telepath couldn't block a PsiCop's scan, a group of Minbari telepaths can. Franklin gives him the choice of either taking the sleeper drugs to suppress his telepathic abilities, or to put up with the Minbari telepaths. Bester chooses to submit to an injection of sleepers.

Londo, Vir, Delenn, Lennier, and the Drazi ambassador and his aide are meeting together to try to solve the dispute between the Centauri and the Drazi. Londo explains that the Centauri Republic wants a buffer zone of seven planets, which is five more than he originally wanted. This angers the Drazi ambassador, but Londo is unwilling to say anymore, and tells the Drazi ambassador that, if he isn't careful, what happened to the Narn homeworld might happen to the Drazi homeworld as well. Londo and the Drazi leave, leaving Vir alone with Delenn and Lennier. He thanks them for supporting his visit to Minbar, and suggests that Londo might do well to visit as well. Delenn and Lennier are unsure that that would help, but Vir insists that he knows there is more to Londo than meets the eye.

Bester explains to the command staff that he has come aboard the station to find one of the main distributors of Dust, a drug which allows the user to activate his or her latent telepathic gene, allowing them to invade others' minds, living their life for several hours. It is highly addictive, and more is required each time to achieve the affect. When a telepath is read by someone using Dust, he almost never recovers. Bester explains that he believes that the seller wants to sell the Dust to alien governments to use as a weapon, and that that is what the Corps is worried about.

G'Kar tells Lindstrom, the Dust dealer, that their agreement called for no selling of Dust while he was delivering it to G'Kar. G'Kar promises to pay him, when he learns that it works as advertised. Lindstrom presents G'Kar with a small packet of Dust, which G'Kar explains he wants to use as a weapon. Lindstrom tells him that the drug was designed for human telepaths, and might not work on the Narn, whose telepaths and their families had been exterminated many generations earlier. G'Kar tells Lindstrom they will continue business after the Dust has been tested, but Lindstrom warns him that it could be dangerous. G'Kar doesn't care, and sends him on his way.

Garibaldi and Bester are walking together through a crowded area. Bester explains that he wishes to protect Earth just as Garibaldi wishes to protect Babylon 5. Bester says it is his job to protect the human race from threats that only the Corps can stop. He says they may be the only chance that the human race has for survival.

G'Kar sits crumpled on the floor of his quarters, the empty Dust packet sitting nearby. He croaks out the word "Mollari," and leaves his quarters. He sees and hears the world around him differently while he is under the effects of the drug, picking up the stray thoughts of those that walk by him, and he is scarcely able to control their effect on him. But, he does manage to make his way through the station slowly, toward his destination.

Garibaldi and Bester are interrogating one of the more powerful members of Babylon 5's underground about what he knows about the Dust dealer. When the man, Ashi, claims he doesn't know anything, Bester says that he's lying, explaining that strong emotions cause him to blurt out things like that sometimes, though the information can't be used officially. Ashi explains that he was approached by a man with numerous crates of Dust, but that he wouldn't help handle them. He tells Garibaldi that the man has quarters in Red Sector, that he is using the assumed name Morgenstern, and that he has a shipment coming in this afternoon. Garibaldi sends the man away with two other security officers, and then asks Bester how he was able to read the man's thoughts. Bester explains that his uniform gives him a power over others -- whether or not he can read their thoughts, they believe he can. Garibaldi accuses him of using it merely for intimidation, but Bester is quick to point out to Garibaldi that his uniform, too, can be used for that purpose.

Londo tells Vir that the report he is planning to send to the Centarum is not appropriate, and that it demonstrates great political naivete. Vir tries to explain his point of view, but Londo will not listen to anything he has to say, only allowing Vir to leave in his explanation of Minbari spirituality. Londo's door chimes, and Vir goes to answer it, but is accosted and rendered unconcious by G'Kar, who then enters Londo's quarters, a look of fire in his eyes.

Garibaldi and Bester hide behind a large crate in a storage room, hoping that they will be able to catch the dealer and the evidence all at the same time, according to due process, which Garibaldi accuses Bester of ignoring all too frequently. Several men enter the room, and begin their dealings for the Dust. Garibaldi speaks into his link quickly, and a shrill siren fills the room, dropping all of the men to their knees, while Garibaldi confiscates the Dust. Several other security officers enter and cart off the men involved in the deal.

Londo, bleeding and unable to move, finds G'Kar standing over him, and tries to make an offer to him. G'Kar, still under the effects of the Dust, takes a trip into the depths of Londo's mind...

...He finds himself seeing Londo being assigned to Babylon 5, and learns that Londo was appointed to his position of Ambassador only because there was no one else who wanted it.

G'Kar takes great pleasure, while inside Londo's head, in tormenting him about this fact. Londo begs G'Kar to leave his mind, but G'Kar refuses, demanding that Londo show him all of the secrets he has been holding in. He delves further into Londo's mind...

...This time seeing the meeting Londo had with Morden in the garden just before President Santiago's death.

G'Kar reacts very strongly to this, finally learning that it was Londo who was behind the plight of the Narn. G'Kar demands to know who he was working with, but Londo refuses to tell him. Infuriated, G'Kar rips the information he wants from his mind. The resulting montage of images is so strong that it thrusts him out of Londo's mind, and into his own...

...G'Kar finds himself back on the Narn homeworld, many years earlier, witnessing the death of his father. His father asks him to honor his name right before he dies. The image ends, and G'Kar hears a voice. He turns around...

...To find an old Narn standing before him. The old Narn tells G'Kar that both the Narn and the Centauri are a dying people, and that they cannot simply fight forever, until both races have been exterminated. Once that happens, there can be no winners or losers. G'Kar says that he made a promise to his father to honor his father's name, but the old Narn asks him to reexamine how he should go about that. He tells G'Kar that, if they are a dying race, they should die with honor, and no longer devote their life to fighting and hatred. "We are fighting to save one another. And some of us must be sacrificed," he tells G'Kar, "if all are to be saved. Because if we fail in this, then none of us will be saved, and the Narn will be only a memory." The old Narn vanishes, but G'Kar is not alone for long...

...A strange voice fills his thoughts. "You have the opportunity, here and now, to choose. To become something greater and nobler and more difficult than you have been before. The universe does not offer such chances often, G'Kar."

"Why now?" G'Kar asks. "Why not earlier? All this time... Where have you been?"

"I have always been here," the voice replies. G'Kar finally sees its source as the sound of flapping wings fills his mind. G'Kar spins around to see the white, glowing figure of G'Lan rise up and fly into the distance.

Once G'Lan has vanished, G'Kar can only sit and sob, with the unconcious Londo nearby. Neither of them notice another visitor, Kosh, who soon takes his leave.

While Vir visits Londo, who is just regaining conciousness in MedLab, G'Kar faces the ombuds who is presiding over the hearing where he is being tried for his crimes. After G'Kar pleads guilty, Sheridan tries to convince the ombuds that G'Kar's actions were caused by the Dust, and therefore, not his fault. She disagrees, saying that the fact that he went to Londo's quarters, constitutes premeditation. She sentences him to a term of no less than 60 days in the station's prison facilities. Garibaldi approaches G'Kar and offers him the Book of G'Quan, which G'Kar had loaned him, but G'Kar asks him to keep it, since he himself is now "somewhat closer to the source."

After being released from MedLab, Londo and Vir speak of the last few days' events, but Vir explains that he must leave that night. Londo tells him that he should never allow the Centauri government to make a joke of him or his work. Vir promises that he won't.

Garibaldi escorts Bester to the docking bay, and though Bester has enjoyed working with Garibaldi, the feeling isn't mutual. When another PsiCop arrives for Bester, Garibaldi makes a hasty exit. As they walk away, Bester says that he knew the original purpose of Dust, to create telepaths from those without latent skill, would never work, but that at least he has retrieved it; it's back among humans, where it belongs.

G'Kar sits alone in his prison cell, quietly thinking, and remembering the words he heard the old Narn speak to him, while under the effect of the Dust. "We are fighting to save one another. And some of us must be sacrificed, if all are to be saved."

Each Night I Dream of Home

Overview

The Excalibur is sent on a top-secret mission and faces an attack by the Drakh. 
Production number: 105
Original air date: September 1, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Stephen Furst

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Each Night I Dream of Home

Endgame

Overview

Sheridan's forces make their final strike. Marcus weighs a vital decision. J. Patrick McCormack as General Lefcourt. Marjorie Monaghan as Number One. Carolyn Seymour as Senator Crosby. 
P5 Rating: 9.27

Production number: 420
Original air week: October 13, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John Copeland

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Warning: This episode resolves several major plot threads. Think twice before reading on if you haven't seen the episode.

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Endgame

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)

The alliance fleet is in hyperspace. Aboard a Minbari heavy cruiser, Marcus keeps watch over Ivanova. Delenn walks in, and tells him the transport to take Ivanova back to Babylon 5 has arrived. Marcus argues that she would want to be at the battle, and since she is dying there is nothing else to do for her. Delenn disagrees: they can make Ivanova comfortable in her last hours, and see to her needs, but not in the fleet. Marcus holds Ivanova's hand in his, and leaves without a word. Delenn also leaves, as two Minbari prepare to take Ivanova away.

At the Mars Resistance HQ, final preparations are underway. Number One arrives with an Earth Force officer, who will help smuggle the frozen telepaths onto the destroyers orbiting Mars. It will be tricky, but she'll try to make it work. Meanwhile, Garibaldi leads a small team scouting a supply base on the surface. They are two hours away. They begin to approach as shuttles leave the base to supply dozens of Earth Alliance Destroyers.

At a bunker on the perimeter of the base, an Earth Force officer asks for a status report. With Sheridan's imminent attack, they expect the Mars Resistance to take advantage of the confusion and attack. As the officer attempts to contact another station, an NCO pulls out a breather mask. The officer is getting no reponse. "What is wrong with Bravo?" he asks. The NCO puts the breather mask on, pulls out a gun, and answers: "Same thing that is wrong here." At that moment, the door to the bunker opens; with the atmosphere thinning, the attacking forces easily overpower the Earth Force personnel. The attacking forces include Number One, Garibaldi, Franklin and Lyta. The NCO indicates there was no opportunity to warn the base: the Resistance now controls the perimeter. Franklin puts a device on Lyta's head and starts working on it.

Aboard the Agamemnon, Sheridan gives the attack fleet their final instructions. In order to attack Earth, they must take out the bases on Mars first; otherwise, they would expose their flank and end up fighting on two fronts. The Earth Destroyers and White Stars will lead the assault, and the League ships are to provide support and establish a perimeter, but they are not to engage unless fired upon first.

Aboard the Apollo, leading the Earth Force destroyer group, General Lefcourt is in command. He has been called to replace the Apollo's captain because Lefcourt is a soldier of the old school: he does not take arms against his own government, no matter how justified he may feel. And because he taught Sheridan at the Academy, and knows how Sheridan thinks. Now he has to kill him, and everyone around him. "It's a terrible day," he tells the Captain. "I wish to hell I had never lived to see it."

Lefcourt is informed the hyperspace probes have picked up something, but decides to wait in normal space for Sheridan. No engagement in hyperspace has ever been anything but a disaster for both sides, and Sheridan will come out sooner or later.

On the Mars surface, Franklin finishes adjusting the implants on Lyta's head. She has to go outside to make contact; it will be really difficult because of the distance, she says. She leaves the bunker, and Garibaldi sends a final message to the fleet. Everything is ready.

Aboard a White Star, Marcus seems thoughtful. "You are thinking about Ivanova again." says Lennier. Marcus is indeed thinking about her, and how she is probably better off on Babylon 5, where there may be something they can do for her. Lennier advises him not to get his hopes up, but Marcus ignores him. Marcus has called Dr. Hobbs on Babylon 5. In all this time, he reasons, they must have come up with something to deal with near death conditions. "No." replies Lennier. "There is nothing usable on Babylon 5." Marcus asks what he means, but before Lennier can clarify, Garibaldi's message comes through.

In the bunker, Garibaldi tells everyone to get ready. He's given the fleet information accurate to within a few feet, which will enable the White Stars to jump from hyperspace inside the atmosphere. A White Star jumps in and starts attacking the base, helped by the Resistance which is using the perimeter weapons.

Gen. Lefcourt is informed that the Resistance has attacked four bases on Mars, and Sheridan's fleet is attacking a fifth. But Lefcourt does not want to be planetbound, unable to maneuver in the gravity well, and orders the fleet to stay in formation. He is curious, though. Sheridan wouldn't go on the offensive without an ace in the hole. What is it?

Meanwhile, Lyta starts contacting the frozen telepaths, now aboard the Earth destroyers. As Franklin explains, they are aboard 30 of the destroyers. They will awaken, merge with the computer systems and render the destroyers useless. They are being used as weapons, he admits, but they are weapons. He cannot remove the implants without the resources of Earth; if the Alliance doesn't win, the telepaths are dead anyway. And each destroyer has 1000 people on board. If they do not have to destroy the ships, they are risking thirty lives to save thirty thousand.

Aboard the destroyers, the telepaths awake slowly, as Lyta concentrates.

Sheridan's fleet jumps into normal space close to Mars, as Lefcourt expected. But before he can give any orders, the Apollo's systems begin to fail. Almost all of the destroyers report similar problems. In fact, all but 10 of the destroyers are out of commission. Sheridan orders a White Star squadron to open fire on them, targetting engines and weapons. Disable them, don't destroy them, he instructs. The squadron quickly accomplishes this.

Aboard the Apollo, a security detail finds the shadow-modified telepath and opens fire. Meanwhile, Sheridan is ready to proceed. Human and Minbari forces are to jump to Earth, while the rest of the League ships stay behind to keep an eye on the disabled destroyers. Marcus rejoins the fleet, but leaves Lennier in command as he goes to his quarters. He orders a search of Babylon 5 records relating to death, terminal illness, and extreme measures.

Marcus soon receives the results, and finds a reference to the alien healing device ("The Quality of Mercy.") He orders a shuttle to be made ready.

Aboard the Apollo, they have figured out the problem and eliminated the telepath, but most systems are still down; they have no engines, and no communications with the other ships, so they cannot let them know what they found out. Gen. Lefcourt angrily orders engineering to get the ship under control ASAP.

Lennier arrives at Delenn's ship. He has been tricked by Marcus into leaving Marcus' White Star. Marcus breaks formation and leaves. Delenn contacts Sheridan to let him know. They figure he is on route to Babylon 5, but they cannot contact the station: as soon as they got inside Mars orbit they hit the jammers. They are too close to turn back, and there is nothing to do but continue ahead.

The fleet jumps to normal space, and Sheridan talks to the people of Earth. He encourages those in the government who were afraid to speak up to help place President Clark under arrest, to disband Nightwatch, and to return the government to the hands of the people. As he does so, Clark writes in his office, the planetary defense grid comes online, and a group of armed security officers escort a woman down a hallway.

Sheridan continues: "This is not the voice of treason. These are your sons, your daughters, whose loyalties have never wavered; whose belief in this Alliance has forced us to take extraordinary means. For justice, for peace, for the future... we have come home."

President Clark hears people outside his office, and he types a final command for the defense grid. He takes a gun, and shoots himself in the head. The woman and the security detail break into the office to find Clark dead and a note on his desk. The note contains the phrase "The ascension of the ordinary man" over and over, with certain letters circled. The letters spell out "Scorched Earth."

As the fleet continues its attack on the defense platforms, the woman, who is Senator Crosby, contacts Sheridan and tells him of the death of Clark and his message. He has ordered the defense grid to fire on Earth, and they cannot override the command. In ten minutes, it will fire and level 40% of the surface.

"Delenn, we need you," says Sheridan. "We are there," she replies. The combined human and Minbari forces attack the defense platforms, destroying them one by one as Minbari and human pilots give their lives in the process.

The Agamemnon is hit several times by missiles, as the race to destroy the platforms continues. The Agamemnon is hit again, and is now heavily damaged and unable to fire. The nearest platform is about to fire, and no other ship is in range. Sheridan gives the order to ram the platform in a suicide run.

But before they can hit the platform, the Apollo comes out of hyperspace. "We have monitored the situation. Hold on to your hats," says Gen. Lefcourt as he fires and destroys the last platform. The Agamemnon emerges from the fireball, still in one piece.

"You'll have to stand before a board of inquiry on this one, Sheridan," says Lefcourt. "Still, welcome home, John. Welcome home."

After the battle, Sheridan is wanted in EarthDome. Franklin is heading to Babylon 5, hoping to stop Marcus, and Delenn has some business to attend to.

In an ISN special report, the reporter last seen on the air when ISN was taken over by forces loyal to Pres. Clark ("Severed Dreams") is overcome with emotion as she welcomes back their viewers and reports on the events of the past hours, alluding as well to her imprisonment and those of other colleagues.

Meanwhile Franklin continues to try to contact Babylon 5. He reviews the logs that Marcus downloaded, in which Franklin mentions the alien healing device and indicates that to save someone from fatal illness, the other person connected to the machine must die.

Aboard Babylon 5, in MedLab, a guard lies unconscious on the floor. Marcus has connected himself and Ivanova to the healing device. As he loses consciousness next to her, Marcus whispers: "I love you."

Epiphanies

Overview

Bester arrives with news of an Earth Alliance plan to further isolate Babylon 5. Garibaldi delivers some surprising news to Sheridan. Walter Koenig as Bester. Damian London as Minister. 
P5 Rating: 8.43

Production number: 407
Original air week: February 10, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John Flinn III

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Epiphanies

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

A Starfury formation spins past the observation deck amidst fireworks and plumes of colored trails, while in the Zocolo a wild party is raging to mark the end of the Shadow War. Sheridan and Delenn observe the celebrations proudly, disregarding the uncertain future for the moment.

Trouble is brewing for them at home, though. President Clark sees the station as a clear and present danger to him now that the Shadows are gone and orders all his executive forces into action to take them out. The first salvo is a propaganda offensive counducted with assistance from the Psi Corps, and the station's favorite Psi Cop, Alfred Bester. If Clark can turn public opinion against Babylon 5, he might be able to win where a direct assault would fail.

On Centauri Prime, Mollari is preparing to return to his ambassadorial duties. The palace is not such a safe place for him after the death of the Emperor. As he departs, Londo bestows upon the fluttering Minister a delightful piece of news; the Centaurum has decided to name him Regent until a new Emperor can be selected.

While examining G'Kar, Franklin observes that he can probably fix the Narn up with a human prosthetic eye. When he asks why G'Kar didn't stay on Narn to lead his people, G'Kar replies that power corrupts.

Shaving himself quietly, Garibaldi draws a grim face in the steamy window. The com panel reports an incoming message. It is untraceable and encrypted. It displays as a rippling pattern of light, no audio. Garibaldi watches the entire message, then deletes it.

He meets Ivanova, Franklin and Sheridan in the captain's office and announces his resignation. They try to argue him out of it, but he is steadfast. Their future in Earth Force is over; their chances for going home are negligible; and if they weren't fighting the Shadows for the right to choose their own destinies then what were they fighting for?

Zack is training a mixed team of humans and Narn in Customs. Just when he tells them to flag anything unusual, he is astonished to see a remarkably buoyant Londo Mollari come strolling through the gate. Zack remarks to the trainees, "You never know who's going to walk in the--"

"Door," Mr. Bester supplies, as he strides through under guard en route to his usual quarters in the brig.

Garibaldi opens his door to find the one-eyed Narn standing silently on his threshold. He thanks G'Kar for going to look for him when he was lost and as G'Kar stalks into the room he backs up stuttering apologies that G'Kar was captured and tortured because of him. G'Kar simply picks him up and sings, "Welcome home, Mr. Garibaldi!" He isn't angry at all, because going in search of Garibaldi put him in the position to strike the deal with Londo that freed his people.

When Sheridan tells him, Zack also thinks Garibaldi's action is pretty strange. The discussion is broken up by an ISN news that all travel between Earth and B5 is prohibited.

Zack finds Lyta surrounded by new purchases in her room. When he asks her to come to the conference room to help them defend against Mr. Bester, she grows angry. People use her, but no one is nice to her. A bit bashfully, Zack explains that because of her association with the Vorlons and their current reputation, most people are leery of her. She is relieved to hear the truth. Taking another look, Zack offers to come over with pizza later to help her set up her room.

Londo's joyful bargaining in the Zocolo is quelled when he sees G'Kar. He stifles his first intention of sidling away and approaches instead. G'Kar tells him plainly that Londo no longer exists in his universe. "Pray that we never notice one another again."

Bester isn't happy seeing Lyta in the conference room and scoffs at her abilities but the Captain isn't concerned, so Bester gets down to business. He explains Clark's intentions towards the station and mentions a specific plan. Before giving the details, Bester demands a price. He wants to be taken to Z'ha'dum to look for abandoned technology that might help him heal his lover. She is still in cryogenic suspension while Dr. Franklin investigates the Shadow-made wetware in her head. When Bester attempts to scan the command staff he is blocked, and when he attempts to scan Lyta she mentally slaps him hard enough to jolt his head back. Sheridan agrees to Bester's proposition. Bester describes Clark's plan. A patrol of Star Furies blockading the last jump gate to B5 will be attacked by a wing of Black Omegas, elite pilots under the command of Psi Corps, and the wreckage will be seeded with "evidence" that the attack came from the station.

As Sheridan's White Star leaves for Z'ha'dum, Ivanova takes Alpha squadron to defend the station's blockaders.

Zack visits the Chief to get the station security codes, and to tell him he's making a mistake to quit. Garibaldi seems to satisfy Zack with a philosophical answer about mistakes and second chances, reminding him that the second chance he gave Zack by hiring him hadn't been a mistake.

Delenn and John share a rare quiet moment. When he complains that they never get a break she tells him he wouldn't have it any other way.

Ivanova's wing jumps out of hyperspace in time to save the patrol from the Omegas which have just launched their attack. When the patrol leader is confused, she tells him, "Reports of our disloyalty have been greatly exaggerated."

Lyta appears to be concentrating when Bester comes upon her on the bridge. He wants to know how she can block him. She is obligated to tell the Corps, he says. Her refusal is met by a threat to reveal something she wants kept secret.

Bester is unimpressed by his first sight of Z'ha'dum. Sensors indicate that an evacuation of the planet is underway. The evacuees, allies of the Shadows, are just leaving the local jump gate, and the planet appears to be completely dead. Sheridan orders an immediate about face. His instinct is correct as a moment later the planet explodes. No one can rob the Shadows' grave now. Bester is enraged but Lyta surreptitiously grins.

The room where the cyrogenically suspended telepaths are kept is like a morgue. Bester shares a moment with the frozen body of his lover. He tells her door about sending his best pilots to their deaths for her. Sheridan and the others might all be laughing at his failure now, but he'd do it again in a second for her. Besides, he's got a surprise for them that will hurt them more than they can possibly imagine.

Lyta is visited by the Captain, who begins speculating about how a powerful telepath in the amplified medium of hyperspace might have triggered the evacuation and destruction of Z'ha'dum without Bester being any the wiser. She explains that someone might want to hurt Bester the way he has hurt so many other people, and that the technology on Z'ha'dum should not fall into anyone's hands. Once her explanation is out he allows his carefully contained fury to show. No matter how much he might agree with her reasoning, he says that if in the future "a command level decision were made without consulting me, I would turn you over to the Psi Corps and let them turn you inside out. Am I perfectly, crystal clear."

"Yes sir," she replies. Before her dressing down has a chance to sink in, a completely different visitor arrives bearing pizza.

Ivanova mentions that news of the attempted ambush has filtered back through Earth Force and only served to raise people's opinions of Babylon 5. Sheridan is disturbed, though. He has been thinking about where the allies of the Shadows might have gone. Ivanova assures him it's nothing to worry about.

On Centauri Prime, the new Regent is worrying. Having nightmares, or so he thinks. Until he staggers out of bed to the mirror. He pulls away his nightgown and is horrified to find an evil grey Keeper snuggled up to his neck.

Exogenesis

Overview

Marcus and Dr. Franklin combat an invasion by parasitic aliens that attach themselves to humans. Ivanova investigates the possibility of bringing a new member into the conspiracy. Joshua Cox as Corwin. Aubrey Morris as Duncan. James Warwick as Matthew Duffin. 
P5 Rating: 7.34

Production number: 307
Original air week: February 12, 1996
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Kevin Cremin

Watch For

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Exogenesis

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

While a man and a woman meet a docking ship, Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Franklin are celebrating in Earheart's with many other officers Corwin's promotion from lieutenant J.G. to full lieutenant. Garibaldi asks why Marcus wasn't invited, but Ivanova explains that, since Earheart's is for Earth Alliance personnel only, it wasn't appropriate for him to be invited. Sheridan agrees with her, saying it's probably best if he keeps a low profile.

Things are not quite as celebratory, however, in Downbelow, where a lurker is screaming in pain while a strange small creature, resembling a scorpion, burrows itself into his back while the man and the woman who met the incoming ship earlier stand over him, watching expectantly. They go over to him after it has integrated itself into him, but are dismayed because their plan didn't work. Security is on its way, so they quickly take their leave.

In C&C, Sheridan speaks with Ivanova privately about Corwin, and whether or not he should be indoctrinated into their group working against the Earth government. He asks her to meet with Corwin to determine whether or not he would be a good choice.

Marcus runs into a friend of his, Duncan, who works in a bazaar. They speak for a few moments, and though Marcus tries to convince the sickly Duncan to see a physician, he refuses. Marcus promises to see him again soon.

During Dr. Franklin's medical staff meeting, one of the other doctors reports the unexplainable death of a man the previous night. Franklin, wanting to determine the cause, asks that the body be brought to MedLab 1.

Marcus is meeting with some of his informants, one of whom tells him that the Shadows are beginning to gather around sector 800, on the border of Centauri space, and that a package Marcus ordered will arrive within a week. Marcus tells him to learn whatever he can about the Shadow buildup. Marcus speaks with someone else who tells him that one of his primary liaisons is no longer interested in working with him. Marcus goes to pay the man a visit.

Dr. Franklin begins his analysis of the dead body, and while he finds evidence of drugs, he can't find any other possible cause of death. The computer, however, completes its scan, and finds one neural anomaly. Franklin asks to see it, and the computer displays it: it is the creature that entered the man earlier, and it is wrapped around his spinal column. Franklin prepares to open up the patient.

Marcus finds his contact, Samuel, who seems to be in fine health, but has no further interest in working with Marcus, or explaining why he no longer wishes to do so. Marcus is quite suspicious about this, but leaves anyway.

While Franklin completes the autopsy, finding a small, worm-like creature in the dead man, the man and the woman seen earlier, with Samuel, stand over the body of Duncan as yet another creature bores its way into his back.

Franklin finishes studying the biomass, discovering that it is 100% genetically neutral, meaning it can exist in any life form. He begins working to discover if it came from the station itself, or if it was brought there by someone else.

Marcus arrives back at the bazaar, trying to find Duncan, and is quite perplexed when he is unable to do so. He speeks to another merchant, who says that she saw Duncan earlier, but hasn't in a while.

Alone in C&C, Ivanova tells Corwin that, since he has been promoted, it might be a good idea for them to talk and get to know each other better. Though somewhat apprehensive, Corwin agrees, suggesting they meet in the mess hall, but Ivanova suggests a more private venue: her quarters. This startles him further, but he nonetheless agrees.

Marcus tries to explain to Garibaldi that the recent string of disappearances might be a sign of a problem, but since no crime has been committed, Garibaldi says there's nothing he can do. Marcus gets angry at Garibaldi, claiming that he should look beyond protocol and see what might be a serious problem, but this only angers Garibaldi further. Garibaldi tells him that, if they are acting strangely, they should speak to a doctor, but it isn't his jurisdiction. So, Marcus speaks to Dr. Franklin who, at first agitated, eventually agrees to go with him to investigate the problem.

Corwin approaches a flower vendor, and tries to explain his situation, with some difficulty, since he isn't sure himself what the situation is. Coming to the conclusion that he has a date with someone aggressive, the flower vendor gives him a large bouquet of synthetic roses, saying that no woman is ever offended by roses, except by their absence. Corwin agrees, and pays 40 credits for them.

Franklin and Marcus go to Duncan's quarters, but despite their incessant paging, he doesn't answer. Franklin reluctantly uses his medical override to open the door, and Marcus rushes in, finding something troubling inside. Franklin joins him, where they see that a strange substance has eaten through one of the walls. Marcus goes through the hole it created, and Franklin follows. It leads out into a hall, where there is another man on the ground, with another creature absorbing into his back. Franklin rushes to help him, but is stopped and held at gunpoint by a group of those previously affected.

Franklin and Marcus, in a makeshift prison cell, talk about the situation, while Franklin explains the parasitic being he examined. He warns that they could take over the whole station, but Marcus doesn't understand why the creatures would take over the lurkers rather than the crew. Franklin tries to get some of the others to help the fallen man, but they refuse to do anything. He tries to explain that the creatures are controlling them, but they say nothing. Franklin asks if they can understand him, and one of them explains that the man will stay there until they are finished, saying that Franklin's safety may be in jeopardy should he try to interfere. Franklin backs further into the cell, telling Marcus that they need to escape, which might be difficult, since two of their three captors have firearms. Marcus says that all they need to do is to get one of them to leave, which will even up the odds. Franklin doesn't understand this, but knows that, since Marcus told Garibaldi of their plan, he will be there soon. It turns out, however, that Marcus did in fact not inform him. They are on their own.

Corwin arrives in Ivanova's quarters, bearing the bouquet of roses. It's quickly clear she doesn't consider the meeting a date; desperate to not look foolish he claims to have found the flowers lying outside. She says that it is silly to spend money on high-priced synthetics, but that she finds it romantic, and confides in him that she has a weakness for roses. She thanks him for keeping them out of someone else's hands, but definitely wants to find out who brought them to her.

Duncan arrives at Franklin and Marcus's prison, and tries to explain his situation, and how he was helped. He says that he was Duncan, but is now part of another species, the Vindrizi, and warns Marcus that he will hurt Marcus if he interferes. The part of him that was Duncan doesn't want that to happen. Duncan invites them to view the process, but all Franklin understands is that the Vindrizi seem to kill everyone they inhabit. Duncan tells him that only certain humans are suitable for a merger, and that the Vindrizi want only to save lives, and that there is no other way.

Ivanova gives Corwin a cup of real coffee, which she grows in the hydroponic gardens, counter to regulations. She explains that sometimes you have to bend the rules to get what you want, and Corwin agrees saying that, if it doesn't hurt anyone, or is good for Earth, he has no complaints. She asks him what he does if his orders conflict with what is good for Earth. Corwin tells her that everything will fall apart if the chain of command isn't obeyed. He says that, if he saw someone trying to gather officers to act against EarthDome, he would report them, and asks if there is anyone she wants him to watch. She says the question is merely hypothetical, asked only to learn where everyone stands. She thanks him for coming, says good night to him, and he leaves.

Still in their prison, Marcus asks Franklin about Ivanova, and if he has done something to offend her. Franklin assures him that it just takes her time to get to know someone, and that she hasn't adjusted to him yet. Marcus says that he is looking forward to finding out more about her. Franklin finds it funny that they are talking about this in their situation. As Franklin begins to convince Marcus that he isn't her type, several of the Vindrizi-inhabited lurkers arrive and take Franklin away, saying that one of them is ill, and that they need his medical expertise. They take him to a room where a lurker is on the table, dying. Franklin tries to convince them that the only way to save him is to remove the Vindrizi from him, but they will not accept no for an answer saying that, should he not help, he will be directly responsible for the man's death.

Marcus, alone in his prison, notices that the odds are now two against one. With the odds even as he sees it, he convinces one of the guards that a small device sitting on the table is actually a vital medical device that Franklin needs. Marcus instructs him on the use the device, which turns out to be his retracting pole; the guard knocks himself out with it. Marcus is able to defeat the other guard easily, and escapes his cell. He finds Franklin's hand link, and tries to use it, but the computer won't let him, since he isn't Franklin. He grabs his pole and runs off, while Ivanova, who detected the attempted use of Franklin's link, sends security to brown 84 to find the culprit.

Marcus easily defeats a guard patrolling the hallway. He grabs the guard's weapon, and quickly finds Franklin. He grabs Franklin away from the Vindrizi. The Vindrizi try to convince Franklin to continue helping the lurker, but Marcus decides to try to talk to them in order to get away safely. When he tries to threaten the Vindrizi, he is interrupted by Duncan, who begs him not to do what he's doing. Marcus asks what sort of a life Duncan will have if he is forced to remain merged with a creature. Duncan explains that he and the others weren't taken over, but volunteered.

While Garibaldi and other security officers mobilize to search the sector, Duncan explains that the Vindrizi were created over a hundred thousand years ago to be living records of history, bearing evidence of planets, cultures, and civilizations that will exist long after the other races have died and all other knowledge has been destroyed or forgotten. The only way the Vindrizi can survive is to take over the bodies of other races. They choose those near death, so that they may have new life and a purpose, which they may not have had before. Marcus says that he doesn't trust the Duncan he sees now -- only the one he knew. As if by request, the Vindrizi inside Duncan thrusts its way out of him and scurries away. Duncan explains that his life, before the Vindrizi, was destined to be completed in Downbelow, but, when merged, he saw and knew things that he had never dreamed of before. After the explanation, Franklin agrees to help the Vindrizi, but only if he can be assured that he can approve all volunteers, and that they all agree to it beforehand. The Vindrizi agree, and Franklin calls Garibaldi, informing him of his location, and ordering a medical team. Marcus tries to apologize to Duncan, but it does no good. Duncan is sad at all he has lost, but apparently bears no ill will.

Ivanova approaches Sheridan in C&C. Sheridan indicates toward Corwin, without saying a word, as if asking what her analysis of his potential was. She shakes her head, and they both look away sadly.

Marcus catches up with Duncan in the docking bay, just as he is about to leave. Marcus tries to convince him not to, but Duncan insists he must. In the time while he was inhabited by the Vindrizi, he learned that he was special, and he wants to go out and find things that might make him feel that way again. Marcus again apologizes, but Duncan says that he realizes he did what he did only because he cared, and tells Marcus that he realizes that maybe everyone should become special before it's too late. Duncan tells Marcus that maybe, when he finds what he's looking for, he'll return. Duncan boards his ship, leaving Marcus alone.

Back in Earheart's, Franklin explains that so far, everything the Vindrizi told him is the truth. Garibaldi asks what Franklin thinks of Marcus; Franklin says Marcus did a good job, and tells Ivanova that Marcus might appreciate a second chance with her. "That's it," she says to herself. "He must have sent them!" She quickly excuses herself and rushes out.

Bearing the bouquet of synthetic roses, she marches forcefully through the station, finally arriving at a table where Marcus is eating. She thrusts the roses down on the table in front of him, haltingly ordering him to "Keep 'em," before marching away again.

"Thank you," he calls after her. "I will!" He picks up the bouquet admiringly. "Well, I guess there's hope for us after all!"

Eyes

Overview

An internal affairs investigation of Sinclair forces him to answer for his recent command decisions. Ivanova confronts a member of Psi-Corps, as well as her own fears, when she is told to submit to a scan. Gregory Martin as Col. Ari Ben Zayn. Jeffrey Combs as Harriman Gray. 
Sub-genre: Intrigue
P5 Rating: 8.16

Production number: 122
Original air date: July 13, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by Larry DiTillio
Directed by Jim Johnston

Watch For:

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Eyes

Garibaldi is trying to put together an old motorcycle when he's visited by Lennier. Shaal Mayan (cf. "The War Prayer") is about to visit the station again, and, given what happened the last time she was there, Delenn wants to arrange extra security. After delivering the message, Lennier takes an interest in Garibaldi's bike -- a 1992 Kawasaki Ninja in mint condition. Garibaldi has been trying to assemble it for years. He has all the parts and a manual, but it's in Japanese. Lennier offers to help, and Garibaldi gives him the manual.

Lennier accepts the manual.

Two men, one with a scar by his right eye, are looking at a file about Ivanova. "What do you think?" asks the scarred man.

"Most of the personnel will be no trouble. This one, however..."

"Anything you can't handle?"

"I don't have to handle it. Her record's spotless. There's no reason to include her."

"That's not your decision. And she will be included. Records don't always tell the whole story. That's one of the reasons you're here, Mr. Gray. Remember?"

"As you wish. When do we begin?"

"As always, Mr. Gray, when the time is right."

Sinclair meets with Garibaldi and Ivanova. A recent attack on Station Phobos, on one of Mars' moons, has been tied to Martian separatist groups, perhaps Free Mars, or one of the even more radical groups. Earthforce is concerned that Babylon 5 will be used as a transfer point to ship arms to the rebels. Ivanova points out that it'll be hard to stop; the station's trade agreements with many of the aliens allow them to sell arms. Sinclair tells the two of them to keep a close watch on incoming and outgoing ships, and notify Earthforce of any that are carrying weapons.

The scarred man, meanwhile, is sitting next to a security officer, Welch, and begins to ask him about the station and about Sinclair. He introduces himself as Aaron Franks, of Quartermaster Corporation, and says his company is interested in becoming one of Babylon 5's suppliers. Welch brushes him off; Franks goes to another station crewman and starts talking to him. Welch notifies the security station.

Welch tries to eat his lunch.

Lennier watches a file on the history of motorcycles on Earth, and is fascinated by what they once represented. "Sexual prowess and rebellion," he muses.

Garibaldi watches Franks talk to a bartender. When Franks leaves, Garibaldi asks the bartender what he wanted. He was asking about Sinclair -- how often he comes to the bar, who he drinks with, and so on.

Garibaldi catches up with Sinclair and tells him that Franks, and an associate, Harriman Gray, both listed as representatives of Quartermaster, have been asking all sorts of questions. Sinclair tells Garibaldi to look into it, as it might be a cover for arms shipments; Quartermaster is a major military supplier. "Walk softly," Sinclair cautions. "The last thing we need is a corporate lawsuit."

Gray is in his quarters when Garibaldi comes to the door. Gray slips on a pair of black gloves and, somewhat flustered, tries to convince Garibaldi that he and Franks are there to negotiate a deal to supply the station. Just then, Franks arrives. He offers Garibaldi a drink, and is pleasantly surprised when Garibaldi turns him down. He tells Garibaldi that his name isn't Franks at all. He's Colonel Ari Ben Zayn, of Internal Investigations, and Gray is a military specialist from Psi-Corps. They're on the station, Ben Zayn says, to conduct a special investigation of Babylon 5's command staff.

Later, Ben Zayn talks to Sinclair, Ivanova, and Garibaldi. With the recent events on Mars and elsewhere, Earthforce needs to know who's loyal and who isn't. Sinclair vouches for his crew, and objects to Ben Zayn's tactic of questioning people without his knowledge. Ben Zayn says he has ever right to do so; his authority comes directly from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He says he's not here to persecute anyone; it's a routine investigation.

Ben Zayn briefs the command staff.

Ivanova objects to the presence of Gray; regulations prohibit the use of telepaths in routine investigations. Ben Zayn tells her there are new regulations; all staff must submit to scans. Ivanova refuses, growing angry, but Sinclair stops her and says he'll check the regulations himself. Ben Zayn attaches Garibaldi to his staff over Sinclair's objections, and the two of them leave Sinclair and Ivanova alone in Sinclair's office. Ivanova reiterates her refusal to submit to a scan.

Garibaldi tells Ben Zayn he thinks the whole investigation is a sham. Ben Zayn orders Garibaldi to collect all the files -- including classified ones -- on the station's staff, and report back with them later that night.

Lennier intercepts Garibaldi in the hallway and says he's managed to translate the manual. He offers to help with the bike; Garibaldi eventually agrees.

In his office, Garibaldi instructs the computer to put together the files Ben Zayn requested. While that's going on, he tells it to find out all it can about Ben Zayn and Gray.

Gray pays a visit to C&C, where Ivanova is on duty. As she tries, without a hint of subtlety, to brush him off, he tells her that as a child, he wanted nothing more than to be a pilot. He worked for it, applied to the academy, was accepted -- and then his talents were discovered. It is against the law for psis to serve in the regular military, but Psi Corps offered him a chance to work in its military branch. It's not the same thing as Ivanova's brand of soldiering, he says, "but half a dream is better than none."

Ivanova isn't moved at all. And when Gray says he won't intrude on her privacy, just scan those thoughts pertaining to her duty, she lashes out, exclaiming that such a scan isn't only an assault on her, but on her honor. "If you enter my mind for any reason," she continues, seething, "I will twist your head off and use it for a chamberpot!"

Later, Ben Zayn is grilling Garibaldi about Sinclair's actions -- specifically, the fact that he failed to so much as file a complaint about the Vorlons' destruction of Deathwalker's ship (cf. "Deathwalker".) Garibaldi points out that it'd be useless to complain to the Vorlons anyway, and suggests Ben Zayn ask Sinclair about such things directly. Ben Zayn answers that he intends to, at 1200 hours, and tells Garibaldi to inform Sinclair, then get some sleep.

Garibaldi goes to Sinclair, who has taken over for Ivanova in C&C. He is concerned that maybe Sinclair does have something to hide: "I know you're a by-the-book kind of guy, but let's face it, we've had to rewrite the book a few times to make B5 work." Garibaldi warns Sinclair to watch out for Ben Zayn; he's dangerous, as is Gray. Sinclair promises to take care of it all, and tells Garibaldi to get to bed.

When Garibaldi returns to his quarters, he finds Lennier chanting over the motorcycle. "I am about to embark upon the mysteries of the 'fuel injection system,'" Lennier says. Garibaldi tells him to come back sometime after 1200 the next day. After Lennier leaves, Garibaldi inspects the bike. "Not bad," he says. "Not bad at all."

Ivanova has a bizarre dream, in which her mother is injected with drugs by two dark men in masks. Gray is there, warning Ivanova not to interfere. "Only one way out," says Ivanova's mother as she's injected. Then it's Ivanova, not her mother at all, who's being held by the masked men. "Only one way out," she says, dazed. Ivanova bolts awake in bed, covered in sweat.

Ivanova's mother loses consciousness.

Sinclair is in his quarters, studying regulations, when Ivanova comes in and offers her resignation, the only way to avoid the scan. Sinclair assures her it's not necessary -- he's found a way around the scans. He asks why she's so afraid of being scanned, anyway; didn't her mother make contact with her?

"Yes, she did," answers Ivanova. "You can't imagine what it's like. To share your own mother's love for you. To feel it in your thoughts. No one's ever been that close to me, Commander. And no one must ever intrude upon that memory. Especially Psi Corps."

Ben Zayn studies a file about Sinclair. When Gray asks why, Ben Zayn says he wants to know everything he can about Sinclair, part of the reason Gray is there. When Gray objects, claiming such things are against the rules, Ben Zayn tells him to stop being naive, and says that Bester (cf. "Mind War") will appreciate anything Gray can do.

Sinclair arrives and says he'll be ready to begin as soon as Gray leaves the room. He says he studied the regulations carefully, and found that a telepath can only be used to determine the truth of answers to specific charges, not for routine loyalty tests. Gray sides with Sinclair: "Even Psi Corps doesn't consider it a carte blanche rule."

"I don't remember asking for your opinion," Ben Zayn answers angrily, but he dismisses Gray.

Gray visits Ivanova in a lounge. She's surprised to see him, but he explains that Sinclair knows the regulations better than Ben Zayn. "I will long savor the look on the Colonel's face," he says. "Not many people are willing to stand up to him. It was very refreshing."

Gray talks with Ivanova.

Ivanova says Gray doesn't seem like other Psi Corps people; she finds his dislike of Ben Zayn unexpected.

Gray answers that he has no love for Ben Zayn; he's efficient, but lacks compassion. "As for Psi Corps, I doubt you really know any of our people very well. Especially Miss Winters."

"You're scanning me," Ivanova objects.

"I'm sorry. The thought of Miss Winters was very loud in your mind when I mentioned Psi Corps. I couldn't help but pick it up. Please, forgive me. I am surprised you were aware of it." He pauses. "Of course. She must have been in your mind numerous times before she was given the sleepers. Your mother."

Ivanova is furious, and demands that Gray not mention her mother again. Before she can say more, she's called to C&C.

Sinclair is defending his handling of the dockworkers' strike (cf. "By Any Means Necessary") when Ivanova calls in from C&C with a matter demanding his attention.

Ben Zayn tells her to handle it on her own. That's too much for Sinclair, who says he won't tolerate Ben Zayn disrupting the operation of the station. He gets up to leave, but Ben Zayn blocks his path. "I've seen plenty like you," he says. "Hotshots promoted through the ranks without any real leadership ability." He assumes control of Babylon 5, relieving Sinclair. Garibaldi barely stops Sinclair from slugging Ben Zayn.

Ben Zayn baits Sinclair.

Sinclair, says Ben Zayn, quoting a regulation, is working against the best interests of Earthforce, and he can prove it with Mr. Gray's help. Which, now that he is bringing up specific charges, he is within his rights to demand. He tells Garibaldi to confine Sinclair to quarters.

Walking to his quarters with Garibaldi, Sinclair says he'll go straight to the top and contact HQ. He tells Garibaldi to get to C&C, where Ben Zayn is no doubt telling Ivanova he's in charge.

And, in fact, that's exactly what's happening. Ben Zayn orders Ivanova to report along with Sinclair and Garibaldi for a scan in the morning, then retires to his quarters. Ivanova tells Garibaldi she won't submit.

"You'll be charged with insubordination," Garibaldi says.

"And I'll be replaced and dishonorably discharged. It's a very Russian ending. I should've expected it." She flees C&C. Garibaldi catches up to her.

"You once offered me a drink," Ivanova says (cf. "Born to the Purple".) "If that offer's still good, I could sure use it."

Garibaldi says he has something to take care of, but tells her he'll meet her in the casino in ten minutes.

Sinclair speaks with an Earthforce general. Though he has the power, the general won't intervene. It seems there are some powerful people in favor of the investigation, people Sinclair has made angry over the years, and with a vote on the President's new immigration policy coming up in the Senate, the President can't risk upsetting them by agreeing to stop Ben Zayn.

A drunk man bumps into Ivanova in the casino. "Hey, look at the cute commander," he says, fondling her hair.

"Cute?" Ivanova asks.

"Cute?"

Garibaldi tells Sinclair that Ben Zayn was among the top ten candidates for command of Babylon 5, while Sinclair was... somewhat lower. Ben Zayn, Garibaldi has discovered, is also associated with Bester, the Psi Cop whose partner was killed on the station. In fact, Bester assigned Gray to Ben Zayn. Sinclair speculates that the investigation might be Bester's way of getting revenge, as he promised he would. Further speculation is cut short as Garibaldi is called away; there's a big problem in the casino.

Ivanova throws punches left and right, holding her own in a huge brawl that's quickly trashing the entire casino area. Garibaldi arrives and manages to calm her down. He leads her away and tells his men to clean the place up.

Arriving a few minutes early to his interview, Sinclair finds Gray getting a feel for the room. He tells Gray that Bester assigned him to Ben Zayn, and, in fact, that Bester and Ben Zayn are good friends. "Maybe you're scanning the wrong people," he says, just before Ben Zayn walks in.

Ben Zayn calls Garibaldi and Ivanova in. Gray instructs Sinclair to remain calm; the scan won't hurt if he doesn't resist. Sinclair asks if Gray will be scanning Ben Zayn too; the regulations, after all, say that all involved parties are subject to scan, and Ben Zayn is certainly involved. Besides, Sinclair says to Ben Zayn, the intent of a question is often as important as the answer. "For instance, if I were to ask you why you turned a routine investigation into a personal hunt for my scalp..."

Sinclair baits Ben Zayn further, about Bester and the fact that he didn't get command of Babylon 5. Ben Zayn says he deserved Babylon 5, but thanks to the Minbari, Sinclair got it. He says he knows all about Sinclair and the Minbari, and soon Sinclair won't be their agent any more.

Ben Zayn loses his temper.

Gray says he can feel the hatred in Ben Zayn's mind, vile and filthy. Ben Zayn slaps Gray hard, sending him falling from his chair, then pulls a gun on Sinclair, Garibaldi, and Ivanova, daring them to try to take it away.

From the floor, Gray transmits intense pain to Ben Zayn, who stumbles long enough for Sinclair to grab the gun and knock him down with a punch. The investigation, such as it was, is over.

Later, Garibaldi goes to his quarters, and is dismayed to find Lennier there, putting the finishing touches on the motorcycle. "I've been working on it for years," he says. "It was sort of my purpose in life. But now it's... done."

Lennier apologizes profusely, but Garibaldi forgives him. The two of them inspect Lennier's handiwork. "Too bad we can't ride it," Garibaldi muses.

"It is quite ridable," says Lennier. It seems he installed a clean, efficient Minbari power source in place of the combustion engine.

Sinclair and Ivanova talk about the investigation as they walk down a corridor. "I never thought I'd be grateful to a member of Psi Corps," says Ivanova. "I hope things don't turn out too badly for Mr. Gray."

The circumstances, Sinclair assures her, will vindicate Gray. As for Bester, he'll stay in the shadows, but most likely the whole affair will have some repercussions on Bester, too.

As Sinclair and Ivanova enter a transport tube, Garibaldi and Lennier zip by on the motorcycle. "It's good to have things back to normal," quips Ivanova as the bike zooms up the curve of the corridor.

Synopsis by Steven Grimm

Falling Toward Apotheosis

Overview

The Vorlons step up their battle against the Shadows. Londo uncovers a new wrinkle in his plan to unseat Emperor Cartagia. Sheridan asks Garibaldi to remove Kosh from the station. Delenn gets a surprise from Sheridan. Ed Wasser as Morden. Wortham Krimmer as Emperor Cartagia. Wayne Alexander as Lorien. 
P5 Rating: 8.78

Production number: 404
Original air week: November 25, 1996
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Falling Toward Apotheosis

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (n9641343@cc.wwu.edu)

Please Stand By
Incoming Transmission

The face of Commander Ivanova appears on the screen. "We're pre-empting your normal BabCom service to bring you another update on the continuing crisis. Two more deep-range planetary colonies have been eliminated by Vorlon forces." The image changes to that of the Vorlon fleet. "This footage was taken as the Vorlon fleet closed in on Ventari III. The ship eclipsing the local star is presumed to be their main weapon, the planet-killer. Below is a list of nearby colonies and League worlds which are accepting refugees from Ventari III. We will continue to update this list as the situation changes. If you are from the Ventari system, you are asked not to return until authorized. The local jumpgate has been destroyed, and hyperspace traffic is creating a hazard at the jump intersection. Contact your ambassadors for information on family members who may have escaped before the colony was destroyed. We're taking in refugees and escaping ships as fast as we can, but our resources are almost maxed out. We will repeat this bulletin every twenty standard minutes until we receive new information. Once again, please remain calm. Right now, our greatest enemy is fear."

As the transmission breaks off, a woman tries to make her way through the overcrowded docking bay, but is knocked down. She begs someone to help, but no one will even stop to look at her until someone reaches his hand out toward her and helps her stand. It is Sheridan, with Lorien close behind. Sheridan leads her to Zack, who is standing nearby. Sheridan and Lorien move away. The woman asks Zack if it is true that Sheridan came back from the dead, and Zack responds that he isn't sure, but takes her off to contact her husband.

"You heard?" Lorien asks, as he and Sheridan walk through the station.

"I heard," Sheridan responds.

"They need to believe."

"Not in me."

"You can't save them all."

"I can try."

"You'll fail."

"We'll see."

As Sheridan and Lorien walk away, the face of Ivanova, on a nearby monitor, once again asks for everyone to remain calm. "Right now, our greatest enemy is fear." However, the Vorlon fleet, undaunted, continues on its way.

Garibaldi is in his office, looking through securecam stills of the docking bay. Zack comes in, and asks Garibaldi how he is. Garibaldi says he's fine, but he'll be better once he gets back to work. Zack notices what Garibaldi is doing, and asks him why, since Franklin wanted him to take it easy. Garibaldi says if he doesn't do something, he'll go crazy. He explains that he is worried about Lorien--wherever Sheridan is, Lorien is. Zack says that it is probably because Lorien saved Sheridan's life. Zack doesn't pretend to understand it, but is glad Sheridan made it back alive. He asks Garibaldi if he's sure he's okay, which annoys Garibaldi. Garibaldi asks Zack if he thinks he's lying about not remembering what happened after his disappearance, and Zack insists that nobody thinks Garibaldi is lying. Garibaldi, however, is still upset that he's being kept at arm's length while Sheridan, who went through similar circumstances, is welcomed back. Zack tells Garibaldi that Franklin wants to do one more examination, but after that, he'll be back on the job. Zack begins to leave, but as he goes, Garibaldi tells him that he feels Captain Sheridan is avoiding him, even though they were on good terms when Garibaldi left. Zack says he doesn't know why, but is sure Sheridan has his reasons. Garibaldi, taking this in, turns back to the securecam still of Lorien.

Londo enters the garden to find Emperor Cartagia waiting. He is staring up at the sky, and asks Londo what he sees. Londo replies that he only sees the stars, but a familiar voice from behind tells him he isn't looking hard enough. It is Morden, who tells Londo the Vorlons are out there, and attacking the worlds which have been subjected to Shadow influence. Londo asks Cartagia if it's true, since he's heard nothing about it, and Cartagia confirms that it is. When Morden tells Londo that, during the last war, they put ships on planets so that their fleet could never be entirely destroyed, Londo asks Morden if the ships will be leaving. Morden says they won't, since he doesn't feel that the Vorlons have the will to destroy a world as big as Centauri Prime. Londo tells Cartagia the ships must leave, but both he and Morden agree they won't. Morden says that, if the Vorlons meet up with a Centauri fleet, and can see they are willing to oppose them, they will ignore Centauri Prime and move on. Morden then bids Londo goodnight, and vanishes back the way he came. Londo is outraged that Cartagia would send Centauri ships to defend the Shadows, but Cartagia says he has no intention of doing that.

Londo and Cartagia walk back into the palace, and Londo tells Cartagia he is relieved that Cartagia won't send the Centauri ships. Cartagia says he reached Londo's conclusion as well, and that, when he realized that, he learned that he liked Londo very much, since they think the same way. Because of this, Cartagia tells him, he shows Londo something very few others have seen--his "shadow cabinet," his collection of heads. He says he was discussing the situation with them earlier, and that one of them, a previous minister, got the idea to not send out the Centauri ships. Londo asks Cartagia if that means Cartagia will ask the Shadows to leave, but no--Cartagia wants the Vorlons to come so that the planet can become an inauguration pyre to commemmorate Cartagia's ascension into godhood. Cartagia reasons that, when he becomes a god, his subjects will not be able to live without him, therefore, if he takes them all with him, no one will be sad when he dies. "Don't send the ships," Cartagia tells Londo. "Let them come! Let it all end in fire!"

Franklin continues to examine Garibaldi in MedLab, one test of which includes an examination of the back of Garibaldi's head to see if there is any evidence of his being put in a Shadow ship. Franklin tells Garibaldi he's clean, but wonders what Garibaldi thinks happened. Garibaldi says he thinks he was caught in the backwash when the Shadows left the station's area. Franklin says that Garibaldi is now clear to go back to work, but a memory stirs in Garibaldi's head, which stops him for a moment. He agrees, and leaves. Sheridan enters, and asks Franklin if there are any results on his tests, and he and Franklin both go off, as Ivanova appears again on the BabCom screen...

"This is a Command and Control update. The safe haven for refugees on Tizino Prime is no longer responding. We believe they may have fallen to the Vorlon advance, but we can't be sure for another--I guess--ten, twelve hours? Before they attack, the Vorlons blanket all frequencies so no reports can get out. There have been some changes to the list of refugee stations. We'll have that information for you shortly--we've lost three of them. All the governments in sector 57 have declared a state of interplanetary emergency..." Reports coming in from survivors indicate mass destruction on a planetary scale. We continue to need medical ships, transports, anything that can fly. We're in special need of atmosphere-capable shuttles to evacuate survivors from the ground. We'll rebroadcast this message in twenty standard minutes."

As the message ends, Delenn enters Sheridan's office where he has been watching. Sheridan says that there's something in Ivanova's voice that he hasn't heard in the ten years he's known her--fear. Ivanova is afraid of what's happening. Sheridan tells Delenn it's the first time he's seen her alone since he got back. Delenn says that's it been so busy that it's understandable, but that she felt it was her fault that he went to Z'ha'dum. She tells him she feared that, even if he came back, he would not forgive her, and she would lose him again. Sheridan tries to tell her she did what she thought was right, but Delenn knows it was no excuse. She tells him she's sorry, but Sheridan tells her that it was she that saved him when he fell at Z'ha'dum--it was the memory of her that kept him going, and that she gave him the reason he needed to come back. "Could I love that much and not forgive?" he asks her. They embrace.

In the war room, Ivanova tells Zack, Franklin, and Garibaldi that the station is up to its ears in ships of all kinds. Franklin understands, since MedLab is the same way. Garibaldi tells them, however, that they are going to have a much bigger problem on their hands soon when all the survivors come to Babylon 5 looking for someone--anyone--of their own races that survived the Vorlon onslaught. Garibaldi knows there isn't a thing that can be done to stop it, and the problem will get worse since they are already well over capacity. Franklin suggests that they shuttle as many people as they can to Epsilon III to keep the population in check and when Sheridan comes into the room, he agrees. Sheridan sits down and says they have an important problem-- Kosh. As long as he's there, they can't make a move without him knowing about it. Sheridan says that they don't know how telepathic the Vorlons are, and Sheridan has kept Garibaldi out of the loop so that, in case Kosh can read from a distance, he won't learn of their plans. Sheridan tells Garibaldi he wants the Vorlon gone. He wants to give Kosh what he expects, so that they can do what they have to do. Sheridan wants Garibaldi to take only a few people, and Garibaldi says Kosh will wipe up the floor with them, a fact which Sheridan understands only too well. Garibaldi leaves to go assemble the team, and Zack gets up to follow soon after. Lyta and Lorien come into the room and say that their part of the plan is ready. Lorien tells everyone that the Shadows could kill Kosh because they were both First Ones, but that, when a Vorlon is enraged, its power is beyond human comprehension. Franklin asks what the plan is, and Sheridan tells them all that as long as Kosh remains, billions of lives are at stake. "So we're going to take out the Vorlon... any way we can."

"This is Command and Control," Ivanova says on BabCom. "We have another update on the Vorlon attack fleet. The Dura VII outpost has fallen. I Repeat, Dura VII has fallen. All medical ships in the area are being asked to help with the evacuation..."

Garibaldi and his security team, wearing their oxygen masks, approach Kosh's quarters, and ask to come in, but there is no response. Garibaldi overrides the controls, and they all go in. Garibaldi tells Kosh that the Captain told them to ask Kosh to leave. Kosh doesn't respond. Garibaldi says that the request is now an order, and that they will escort Kosh to his ship. The Vorlon has but one reply, "No." One of the officers tries to approach Kosh with his PPG, but a blast from the Vorlon sends him against the wall. The others fire at the encounter suit, to no avail. Kosh, fighting back, creates a high-pitched noise which, after a few moments, shatters the glass on the front of the teams' oxygen masks. They run out of his quarters and the alien sector, choking and gasping for air. They know they didn't do any good, but they sent the message that they are willing to fight back. Garibaldi hopes it's enough, and hopes that Sheridan knows what he's doing.

Sheridan is in his quarters when he is informed that Londo is sending him a message. Londo asks Sheridan if the rumor about the Vorlons is true, and Sheridan confirms that it is. Londo asks how far the Vorlons are from Centauri Prime, since that information is not widely distributed on the planet. Sheridan tells Londo it will be about a week before they arrive. Londo asks if Sheridan is doing anything about it, and Sheridan says that, though they won't have anything in place for a while, they are doing their best, but there are no guarantees. Londo wishes Sheridan good luck and signs off.

Lyta enters Kosh's quarters. "I heard what happened," she tells him. "I came to warn you. Sheridan and the others are going to move against you."

"It is done," Kosh replies. "They are irrelevant."

"I know, I know they can't harm you, but I was thinking, it can't hurt to have all the information you can about what's going on. To protect yourself and the cause."

"How?"

"I told you, I wasn't here when Ambassador Kosh died... I didn't have any of his essence with me. I thought he was gone. But, for a while, I suspected that someone else here had a piece of him. I think I know who it is, but I can't draw Kosh out of him... he won't let me."

"A human?"

"Yes."

"Imprisons one of us?"

"Yes."

"Intolerable!"

"If there is still a piece of him there, you can draw it out of him. Use what it knows and take it back to Vorlon when this is all over. I cared about Kosh... I'd like to know he finally made it home."

"Show me."

"The guards..."

"They will not threaten us again. Show me!"

Lyta and Kosh leave the quarters, and make their way through the alien sector to the main part of the station. Lyta leads him down a corridor. "It's this way," she tells the Vorlon. "We have to hurry... I think he might leave soon."

"Your thoughts are troubled," Kosh says, stopping.

"I'm worried about Kosh, that's all. After everything we've been through, I'd hate to lose the last of him now, and..."

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothing."

"Open your thoughts to me!"

"We don't have time for this..."

"Open..." The eyepeiece on Kosh's encounter suit opens wide for a moment, but it is too late... The plan has already begun. Sheridan, who was hiding nearby, yells at Lyta to get out of the way, which she does.

Kosh, in the middle of the corridor, is suddenly bombarded with blasts of electricity from several junction boxes, which hit the encounter suit directly. From other hiding places in the room, many more security guards appear, each firing their PPG rifles directly at the encounter suit. Delenn appears while this is going on, and watches in stunned silence. The current continues unabated, the security officers keep firing at the encounter suit for nearly a minute. There is a small explosion as the headpiece of Kosh's encounter suit shatters, and a flurry of light emerges from within. Kosh emerges from the encounter suit, but he appears this time as an enormous, glowing, tentacled being which begins flying around the room, attacking everything it can, and firing energy bolts of its own.

As the Vorlon goes on its rampage, one of the security officers near Delenn falls, and she attempts to bring him to safety. The current, which exhausted itself shortly after Kosh was released, is no longer effective, and Sheridan calls Ivanova for more, which she tries to give him. While she does so, she receives a message from someone in the docking bay saying that the Vorlon's ship is going crazy, trying to break away from the station. She orders the ship to be cleared to leave before it tears apart the station. Meanwhile, the Vorlon sets its sights on Delenn as she tries to drag the security officer away from its wrath. Sheridan sees this and jumps between them, but is snared by a tentacle. The Vorlon ship clears the station, but Sheridan is caught.

Lorien, who has been observing, nods to Sheridan. "Now." Sheridan manages to turn around and face the Vorlon, and as he does so, an enormous golden shape, bearing much resemblance to the other one, emerges from Sheridan's chest, and locks onto the other one. The two forms begin fighting each other. Delenn understands what has happened.

"It's Kosh... Kosh was inside him."

"Yes," Lorien tells her. "The last of Kosh. And some of him, and some of me."

The two Vorlons, still fighting, flow through the ceiling of the section and move through the rest of the station, eventually emerging and coalescing onto the Vorlon ship, which is making its way away from the station. As the two forms encompass the ship, it explodes as well. Then, all is quiet.

Delenn runs over to Sheridan, who lies crumpled on the floor. Lorien tells her that his life force must be replenished, and places his hand on Sheridan's chest. Lorien's hand glows, and Delenn asks if that is how he brought him back at Z'ha'dum. Lorien tells her that he gives of himself to replenish Sheridan, for a little while. Delenn asks how long, but all Lorien tells her is, "Long enough." Sheridan regains conciousness, and Delenn holds him closely.

Londo waits nervously in Emperor Cartagia's throne room. When Cartagia arrives, annoyed at being summoned on such short notice, Londo tells Cartagia that, while he thinks that the emperor's coming godhood is a momentous event, he thinks that others should see his greatness. Cartagia asks why they should care what others think, and Londo explains that, after the fall of Centauri Prime, there will be no one left to sing Cartagia's praises. Once the Centauri are gone, there will be no one left to remember him. Londo says what he has in mind is that, if G'Kar's trial and execution were conducted on Narn instead, the whole planet would be able to see Cartagia's greatness. Londo convinces Cartagia that, if he does this, his name will be remembered long after the fall of Centauri Prime. Though Cartagia is worried about the barbarism of the Narns, Londo convinces him that gods should not be afraid. Cartagia agrees with Londo's plan, and sets it in motion. Londo tells Cartagia that he will go with him in order to personally end G'Kar's life.

Dozens of warships crowd around Babylon 5--Ivanova explains to Garibaldi that Sheridan wants the biggest fleet in history to end the war. Garibaldi asks what will happen if they win, since there is nowhere else for them to go. And, if they lose, that's the end. "God, I thought I was depressing," Ivanova says as she leaves C&C, allowing Garibaldi to ponder this on his own.

Delenn enters Sheridan's quarters to find him there with Lorien. Sheridan says he has something to tell her that he feels she has a right to know. Lorien explains that, when Sheridan was dying on Z'ha'dum, he did what he could to help. He cannot prevent death, but can extend and enhance life. Sheridan tells Delenn that Franklin's tests revealed an energy inside him, repairing and sustaining him. Lorien tells Delenn he did the best he could, but that he could only give Sheridan back a portion of his life--twenty years, barring further injury or illness. Sheridan tries to convince her that, though he'll only be living until his early 60s, it's a decent life-span, but Delenn is taken aback, upset since she believed she would have a much longer period to spend with him. Lorien says that, after twenty years, one day, Sheridan "will simply... stop." Sheridan asks Lorien to give them a moment together, which he does. Sheridan tells Delenn it's all right, and that he knew what he was getting into--his shortened life is the price he had to pay. Delenn, however, isn't so sure--she feels like she is still losing him before she should. Sheridan tries to convince her that it's a long time--twenty more years than he would have had otherwise. He pulls a small box out from a hiding place and hands it to her--he says he got it in the Zocalo, and though it isn't what he had in mind, it's merely a temporary engagement ring. She clearly doesn't understand, and he explains that the ring is given to a loved one as a down-payment for another ring--the ring exchanged during a wedding ceremony. Sheridan tells her he wanted her to have it so that she would know that, whatever time he has left, he wants to spend with her. They kiss.

Londo arrives to find Cartagia and two guards looking after G'Kar. Londo tells Cartagia that their people on Narn are ready for their trip. Cartagia pulls Londo aside and tells him that he doesn't like the way G'Kar is looking at him. He asks Londo for advice, but Londo says that he is sure Cartagia will make an appropriate decision. Londo leaves hurriedly, and Cartagia continues to ponder the problem.

"No, I don't care at all for the way he looks at me," Cartagia says to himself. He reaches his decision. "Pluck out his eye!"

"Which one?" asks one of the guards.

"I don't know," Cartagia replies. "It doesn't matter!" He moves his finger back and forth, trying to choose between the eyes, and he settles on G'Kar's left eye. "That one," Cartagia says, and he leaves, smiling. The two guards inside move closer to G'Kar, and as one of them draws a knife, the cell door slams shut.

Grail

Overview

A traveller comes to B5, seeking the Holy Grail. A series of unexplained attacks on several Lurkers may be linked to Ambassador Kosh. David Warner as Aldous Gajic. Tom Booker as Jinxo. William Sanderson as Deuce. 
Sub-genre: Mystery
P5 Rating: 7.43

Production number: 109
Original air date: July 6, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by Christy Marx
Directed by Richard Compton

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Grail

A transport ship docks with the station.

Sinclair sits down to eat with Garibaldi. Delenn and Lennier interrupt them; there is a distinguished guest coming aboard, Delenn says, and Sinclair should greet him.

Delenn and Lennier interrupt a meal.

In Downbelow, a crime boss named Deuce asks another man, Jinxo, to provide him with the locations of secret passages in the station. Jinxo replies that while he did help build Babylon 5, he was mostly involved in big structural construction and can't provide that information. Deuce insists that he can -- or else. He gestures to another part of the room, where a woman is tied down in a chair. Her name, Deuce says, is Mirriam Runningdear, and she agreed to testify against him. Now she'll pay the price. He beckons to something in the shadows. A Vorlon encounter suit comes forward. The front panel opens and a tentacle extends out, attaching to Runningdear's forehead. Deuce tells Jinxo to have the plans, or 50,000 credits, within 300 cycles, before Ambassador Kosh gets hungry again.

Deuce warns Jinxo.

In a courtroom somewhere on the station, an ombudsman listens to testimony from a man who's suing aliens for abducting his great-grandfather.

Sinclair, Garibaldi, Delenn and Lennier greet a man named Aldous Gajic. He says he didn't notify Sinclair of his arrival because his mission is not Earth-related. He reveals that he's looking for the Holy Grail, and, as his order has looked everywhere on Earth, he has come to the station to talk to the alien ambassadors about its possible whereabouts. Sinclair, incredulous, excuses himself.

Delenn catches up with Sinclair and asks why he holds Gajic in such contempt. Sinclair explains that the Grail is just a legend, but Delenn counters that that doesn't matter; Gajic is a holy man, a "true seeker," devoting his life to a search for enlightenment and the bettering of his race. "I wish him luck," Sinclair says. "He's probably the only true seeker we have."

"Then perhaps you do not know yourself as well as you believe," Delenn comments, and walks off. Sinclair gets a call from Dr. Franklin; there's another brainwipe victim.

Gajic is changing money when Jinxo walks by and picks his pocket. Garibaldi is watching and grabs Jinxo before he's gone twenty feet. Gajic wants to let Jinxo go, but Garibaldi says that Gajic is a witness and insists that he testify.

In medlab, Franklin and Sinclair look at Mirriam Runningdear, who lies unconscious. Franklin says her brain has been wiped clean, synapses fused, leaving it barely able to keep her autonomic functions going. She'll live, but she'll have to start all over again, as her life experience is gone. Garibaldi is furious that his sole witness against Deuce has been "reduced to a rutabaga" and asks Sinclair for permission to sweep through Downbelow with his men. Sinclair tells him to wait until there's proof that the brainwipe is in fact connected to Deuce.

The ombudsman sentences Jinxo (whose real name is Thomas.) He is barred from the station for five years. Jinxo objects strongly: "I can't leave the station, or it's the end of the station -- and every man, woman and alien on the station!" Gajic speaks with the ombudsman and convinces him to remand Jinxo to his custody. As Jinxo leaves, he's pulled aside by Deuce, who reminds him that he has only 240 cycles left.

Bargaining with the ombudsman.

Next, the ombudsman reads the charges against Deuce, who pleads innocence. Garibaldi tells the ombudsman about Runningdear's condition. Unfortunately, without her testimony, there isn't enough evidence; the ombudsman dismisses the case against Deuce.

Gajic takes Jinxo to his quarters and asks why he thinks he can't leave the station. Jinxo answers that it's the "Babylon curse" -- if he leaves, the station will blow up or disappear or something else will happen. When Gajic asks how he got the curse, Jinxo answers, "Don't you get it? I don't have the curse. I am the curse."

Jinxo explains that he was too young to fight in the war, so when he had the opportunity to work on the original Babylon station, he jumped at the chance. Three months into it, he went on leave, and the station's infrastructure collapsed, the result of sabotage. The same thing happened to Babylon 2. Babylon 3 blew up while he was away, and he got the nickname "Jinxo." When Babylon 4 was being built, Jinxo stayed the entire time, until it was completely finished. He thought the curse was gone. "But as I was leaving on the shuttle, I looked back, and the station just sort of wrinkled. Twisted like putty. And then it just... disappeared."

Gajic suggests that Jinxo should have been nicknamed Lucky -- he managed to escape death four times.

Franklin and Ivanova suggest a possible cause of the brainwipes: a creature from an off-limits world in Centauri space called a na'ka'leen feeder.

Describing the feeder.

Sinclair asks Londo about the feeders; Londo says they're very dangerous creatures. The Centauri lost an entire colony to them. When Sinclair lets slip that there may be one on the station, Londo makes a beeline for his quarters, and suggests Sinclair does the same.

Gajic and Jinxo visit Delenn, who says the Minbari don't have the Grail, nor had they heard of it before Gajic asked them. Lennier says they searched their files very thoroughly. Delenn tells Gajic that she will have word sent to all Minbari outposts, and if one of them hears about the Grail, they will find Gajic and tell him. Jinxo is amazed; after the war, he figured, the Minbari wouldn't be eager to help a human. Lennier explains that there are two castes of Minbari: the warrior caste and the religious caste. "The warrior caste... would not understand," he says.

"So we will not tell them, and spare them the confusion," Delenn says.

"These two parts of your society. Do they ever agree on anything?" asks Gajic.

"Yes," says Delenn. "And when they do, it is a terrible thing. A terrible force, as recent events have shown. Let us hope that it never happens again in our lifetime."

Gajic and Jinxo visit Delenn.

In Downbelow, Kosh (or is it a feeder?) pleads with Deuce to bring him more food, older minds. The voice is high and tinny, not the usual melodic rumble of a Vorlon voice. Deuce orders a henchman to fetch Jinxo and the ombudsman.

Dr. Franklin tells Sinclair that using the file provided by Londo, he can confirm that Runningdear was indeed attacked by a na'ka'leen feeder. Sinclair tells Ivanova to run a check on every ship entering the station in the last ninety days. Garibaldi says he's going to track Jinxo down, as he saw Deuce and Jinxo talking at the trial.

Londo speaks with a Centauri government representative, trying to get the government to reinstate the quarantine on the feeders' world. Gajic and Jinxo are waiting to talk to him. Gajic asks about the Grail. Londo says he can search the Centauri-Earth trade files, but it will be very time-consuming and expensive. Vir interrupts and says he's already done it, in the interest of efficiency, prompting Londo to scold him. Gajic and Jinxo leave in a hurry.

Gajic tells Jinxo that if he finds it, he will use the Grail to heal. "Perhaps it has enough power to heal the entire human race," he says. Jinxo asks how he got started looking for the Grail.

Gajic did the accounts for a large Earth corporation, he says. He lived in a world of numbers, logical and clean. He and his family took a vacation on the Mars colony. An accident killed his family but left him alive. He mourned for a long time, and when he returned to work he found that the numbers didn't make sense. He began to wonder why he was spared. And then he met a man, the last of his kind, who told him he was a man of infinite promise and goodness. When the man died, he entrusted his legacy to Gajic. Now Gajic is the last of his kind. "The numbers add up again, Thomas," Gajic concludes. "The numbers do add up."

Deuce's men kidnap the ombudsman.

Two thugs try to capture Jinxo, but Gajic fights them off. Jinxo, panicing as he thinks of what Deuce will do now, asks if he can learn to fight like that. "You can learn whatever you like," Gajic says, "because you are a man of infinite promise and goodness." When Jinxo scoffs, Gajic points out that Jinxo is willing to stay on the station to protect its people, even at the risk of his own life.

Fighting off the thugs.

The two of them go to visit Kosh. When Jinxo sees Kosh, he runs away, terrified, warning Gajic to stay away or Kosh will eat his mind.

Gajic catches up with Jinxo in Downbelow and convinces him to talk to Sinclair if he has information about the Vorlons. Deuce's men attack; Gajic fends them off long enough for Jinxo to escape, but is captured himself.

Ivanova reports to Sinclair that she hasn't had much luck figuring out which ship might have brought the feeder onboard. Garibaldi links in and tells Sinclair the ombudsman has been kidnapped. Sinclair leaves to see the scene of the crime for himself.

The ombudsman, strapped to the same chair Runningdear was, watches in horror as the feeder approaches in the Vorlon encounter suit. Deuce reassures him that if there's any pain, it won't last long. Deuce's men bring Gajic in.

Jinxo finds Sinclair in the hallway and tells him that Deuce is going to feed Gajic to the Vorlon. Sinclair goes with him and tells Garibaldi to follow his signal.

Gajic steps between the ombudsman and the feeder. The feeder moves to attack Gajic, but stops short, then withdraws its tentacle. Gajic speaks softly. "There is nothing in the dark. No fear, no pain. Only the light. Show yourself."

The feeder, resembling a cross between a squid and a jellyfish, steps out of the suit.

Garibaldi's men blast the door in and a firefight ensues. The feeder leaps up into the pipes crisscrossing the ceiling. As the firefight continues, it drops behind one of Garibaldi's people and strikes, then, more confident, approaches the ombudsman. Jinxo leaps out from his hiding place and unties the ombudsman's hands, but he doesn't notice Deuce taking aim at his back. Gajic does, and takes the shot. The feeder is blown to pieces by Garibaldi, Sinclair, and the security team.

Sinclair consults Garibaldi.

Before Gajic dies, Jinxo promises to continue the search.

Sinclair visits Kosh and tells him Deuce was using an excellent replica of a Vorlon encounter suit so people would think he had the Vorlons on his side, making him appear more fearsome. "Why?" asks Kosh.

"No one knows exactly what you look like," Sinclair answers. "And that makes some people a little nervous."

"Good," Kosh replies.

Sinclair and Delenn see Gajic's body off. "It's hard," Sinclair says, "to spend your whole life looking for something and never find it."

"Are you speaking of Aldous, or someone else?" asks Delenn.

Sinclair looks at her for a moment. "Aldous," he finally answers.

"There you are wrong. He found what he was looking for. What we are all looking for. A reason."

"For what?"

"Everything, Commander. Everything."

Jinxo arrives just as the coffin is about to be loaded aboard the ship. Delenn gives him a crystal. "Put this on his grave, and crush it," she says. "It will glow every night for a hundred years. It is our way with all true seekers," she continues, with a meaningful glance at Sinclair.

Delenn gives Jinxo a crystal.

"Good luck, Jinxo," says Garibaldi.

"Thomas," he answers. "My name is Thomas."

Sinclair, Ivanova, and Garibaldi are back in C&C, discussing the Babylon Curse, when Thomas' ship leaves the station. It enters the jumpgate. "No boom?" asks Sinclair. "No boom," answers Garibaldi.

"No boom today," Ivanova corrects them. "Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow." Sinclair and Garibaldi shake their heads and leave.

"What?" Ivanova asks. "Look, someone's got to keep some damned perspective around here. One of these days... boom!"

Synopsis by Steven Grimm

Grey 17 Is Missing

Overview

Delenn agrees to lead the Rangers, but Marcus must protect her from a deadly threat. Garibaldi investigates a secret level of the station. Robert Englund as Jeremiah. John Vickery as Neroon. Time Winters as Rathenn. 
P5 Rating: 6.93

Production number: 319
Original air week: September 10, 1996 (UK)
                   October 7, 1996 (US)
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John Flinn III

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Jason Snell.

Grey 17 Is Missing

B5 is openly recruiting telepaths, but it is slow going. Sheridan recalls Franklin's underground network for helping telepaths escape Psi Corps, and Ivanova goes looking for the doctor, who is still on Walkabout.

A maintenance worker is checking a power failure in Grey 16 and links with Central to inform them he can't find the cause of the malfunction. As soon as he finishes communication, something pulls him down the shaft he was working in, and he vanishes, screaming.

On Minbar, Rathenn tells Delenn of his last moments with Ranger One, and how his loss is being felt by everyone. Lennier arrives with a box containing Sinclair's personnal belongings - surprisingly few, which leads Rathenn to comment he lived his life as only passing by, not wanting to carry any burden. Delenn assures Rathenn she will send the box to Sinclair's family and prepares to leave. Before that, however, Rathenn tells her that Ranger One's position must be taken without delay, and he thinks Delenn would be perfect for the job. She objects, but Rathenn is adamant.

Garibaldi is cleaning an antique Smith & Wesson .38 that was his Grandmother's when she was on an Earth police force when Zack arrives with the report of the disappearance of the maintenance worker in Grey sector. Garibaldi decides to investigate himself.

Ivanova finds Franklin in Downbelow, starting to suffer from Stim withdrawal. She asks him for data on the telepaths. He says that he wiped it from the main computer, but he has a backup on his personal system. He trades the data in return for being left alone, "no matter what."

Garibaldi and a tech supervisor visit the site of the tech's disappearance, but find nothing. They argue about the number of Grey levels, which are mostly industrial areas. He says 30, but she says 29 -- a mix-up on the blueprints that was never picked up due to the speed of the construction of the station.


Sheridan congratulates Delenn and tells her she is the perfect choice for Ranger One. She points out that while she may be the logical choice, she's not necessarily the popular choice. She decides to have her initiation ceremony on Babylon 5. Sheridan is worried about how public such an event would be, given that the Rangers have been a secret organization up to now. That is about to change, Delenn assures him.

After he leaves, she is confronted by Neroon, who says he underestimated her: he didn't think she had such ambition: Calling the Rangers together after 1000 years of silence, and having the Religious Caste building Warships without the knowledge or consent of the Warrior Caste. Valen's law, he says, was quite clear: "Three Castes, Worker, Religious, Warrior. They build, you pray. WE fight!" Delenn points out that he broke that law when the Warrior Caste assumed a majority voice in the Grey Council.

Neroon demands that she renounce the leadership of the Rangers, and accuses her of creating a vaccum of power on Minbar so that she could occupy it. A religious zealot, guided by prophecy, taking command of a military structure. He tells her he is sworn to stop her - no matter the means. Lennier arrives and Delenn is distracted by seconds - time enough for Neroon to vanish.


Garibaldi takes the elevator down through each Grey level, counting the time taken between floors. Between 16 and 17 the gap is twice as long, so he takes the elevator back up and stops it between floors. Opening the doors, he finds a previously unknown level, strangely designed and strewn with garbage. He is then shot with a tranquilizer dart by a ventriloquist's dummy.


Lennier is outraged that Neroon, a former Grey Council member, would threaten Delenn with death. After all, no Minbari has killed another Minbari in over a thousand years. Lennier wants Delenn to tell the captain about this, but Delenn refuses, and makes Lennier promise not to tell Sheridan. They leave to prepare the ceremony.

Garibaldi comes to and is confronted by a ragtag group of people, led by a man named Jeremiah. The group believes that the universe is sentient and is striving for perfection. It hasn't got it right yet. After the next big bang, they say, everything will be perfect.

Lennier arrives at Marcus' quarters and tells him he has come to break a promise, by not breaking a promise. He promised Delenn he would not tell Sheridan a thing. He cannot tell anyone in the chain of command, because Sheridan would find out, but by telling Marcus, who is outside the chain of command, he will not have broken his promise.

Lennier informs Marcus of Neroon's intentions. Lennier can't stop Neroon without causing a civil war between the Castes, but Marcus, a non-Minbari, could. He would only need to delay Neroon -- once the cerimony is done, it cannot be undone. Marcus, without hesitation, agrees, but Lennier informs him that Neroon is one of the greatest warriors of the Minbari, specially trained in killing humans, and very good at what he does. Marcus only asks Lennier to inform him of Neroon's whereabouts, as soon as he discovers them.

Jeremiah explains to Garibaldi that the universe is alive, and each individual is a part of the greater whole. The universe is trying to understand itself -- something, he says, that the Minbari understand perfectly. Garibaldi, however, is only really concerned about escaping. That proves difficult, however - all pressure doors are locked and the tube sabotaged.

Preparations are being made for the leadership ceremony. Rangers arrive by the dozens on the station. Sheridan and Delenn talk about her past. After her birth, Delenn's mother entered a religious order, the Sisters of Valeria, has seen her only twice since. Delenn's father passed beyond the veil 10 years before. The war between the Minbari and Humans broke his heart.


Neroon and Marcus meet in a corridor. Neroon tells Marcus to step aside, that Neroon's argument is with Delenn. Then it is also with me, Marcus says. Marcus invokes a Minbari fight-to-the-death ritual. They go at each other with Minbari staffs.

In Grey 17, Jeremiah - while Garibaldi checks every corner for an exit - muses on how a new Big Bang will occur, this time conciously directed, each part of the whole concious of its larger role, and solving "a serious design flaw": that the Universe kills everything it creates. Simulating pain due to the dart, Garibaldi manages to get rid of one of the guards, and then hits another one, "persuading" Jeremiah to show him the exit.

The Ceremony is in progress, with Delenn being offered Ranger One's vest and with virtually everyone present, except Marcus, whose absence is noted by Sheridan and Ivanova.


Garibaldi and Jeremiah find the worker's bloodied vest, and Michael asks him if they killed him. Jeremiah says no. However, in search for perfection, the cultists have imported a Zarg, one of the most perfect forms in the Universe, moved by instinct only. "You have a Zarg here? Are you nuts? They're the most dangerous aliens in the sector!" A noise approaches them...

Marcus is losing badly. Neroon says that he cannot back away from Denn-Shar, but Marcus, as a human, can. Marcus refuses. Neroon asks him why. For Delenn, Marcus replies: We live for the One and we would die for the One.

Garibaldi, using a steam tube, manges to scare the Zarg a first time, but he knows that is only temporary. He them discovers the bullets of his Smith & Wesson in his back pocket.

The ceremony is almost complete when Neroon walks in, carrying a bloody staff which he throws as Delenn's feet. There is blood now between the Humans and the Warrior Caste, he says. He does not believe that they would die for him, but they would die for Delenn.

Lennier finds Marcus and gets him to Medlab, where he will recover.

Jeremiah can't understand why Garibaldi is fighting, since the death at the hands of the Zarg is a perfect death. Garibaldi points out that Jeremiah isn't out there with the Zarg either. Jeremiah hesitates, and concludes he is not yet perfect enough. Garibaldi, using a local heat souce, detonates the bullets inside the tube and they hit the Zarg, killing it. They run.

Neroon arrives and orders Delenn and Lennier out of the room so he can speak to Marcus, one worrior to another. Neroon says that the death that took place in their battle was his own. Marcus was willing to die for someone of another race, when Neroon was going to kill one of his own kind. He muttered something about Marcus being more Minbari than himself.

As he turns to leave Marcus gasps: "Next time you want a revelation, could you possibly find a way that's not quite so uncomfortable?" Neroon laughs.

Garibaldi meets Sheridan at his office and tells him, "You wouldn't believe the day I had." Sheridan won't have any of it, though: where the hell was he while Marcus was being beaten up, someone was trying to kill Delenn and someone was invading the ceremony? Garibaldi starts telling him about the missing Grey level, the cult, the quest for perfection, the killer predator...

"Am I going too fast for you?" he asks.

GROPOS

Overview

Dr. Franklin's father arrives, leading 25,000 ground pounding soldiers on the station. The troops' arrival elicits fear from both humans and non-humans that the troops may be going on a secret mission that will involve the station becoming an armed camp. Paul Winfield as Gen. Richard Franklin. 
Sub-genre: Drama
P5 Rating: 7.49

Production number: 210
Original air date: February 8, 1995
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by Larry DiTillio
Directed by Jim Johnston

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

GROPOS

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

It is a quiet evening on the station, and Commander Ivanova is enjoying the peace when she receives word that the jump gate is activating and six EarthForce ships are coming through.

A shuttle from the main ship docks, and Sheridan is there to meet the commanding officer, who introduces himself as General Richard Franklin, of the 356th infantry division. Sheridan apologizes for the delay, but since they didn't know he was coming, there was little they could do. General Franklin tells him that the mission is classified, but that Sheridan will be briefed in the morning. General Franklin also tells him that he needs lodging for all 25,000 of his troops. Sheridan protests, saying that there isn't enough space, but General Franklin orders him to find it, because he doesn't want his troops aboard transports the whole time. Sheridan asks the general if he is any relation to the station's head doctor, Dr. Stephen Franklin, and the general answers that he is Dr. Franklin's father. Sheridan offers to tell Dr. Franklin, but General Franklin says he will do so himself as soon as his people are settled.

The troops arrive on the station, are identified, and then herded into groups to be taken to their billets. Commander Ivanova is trying to organize everyone together, but is having a difficult time of this. Garibaldi is also not too pleased with the sight of so many ground pounders on the station, but realizes there is little that can be done. She orders him to seal off the area and only allow military personnel inside the docking bay.

The troops come aboard.

Sheridan asks Ivanova what the status of the station is, and she tells him that, even though they have put the ground pounders in quarters with several other people, they are still very short on places to put them. In addition, she is afraid their docking schedule will have to be done away with. Garibaldi tells Sheridan that looking after the recreational areas might be a good idea as well, and Sheridan tells Garibaldi to seal off the more "colorful" areas of the station. Garibaldi tells him he already did this, but is afraid it won't do much good. The three arrive at the briefing.

General Franklin explains to them that the planet Akdor, in the Shilassen Triumvirate, is currently engaged in a civil war, and the Shilassen government has asked for aid, which the Earth Alliance wants to provide. Sheridan is confused as, just a few days earlier, he was told to refuse the request, and the general tells him that, until the senate announces their decision to the public, Sheridan's orders are the official story. Ivanova asks what the objective is, and General Franklin says it is an attack against the rebel stronghold at Matok. As soon as the senate announces their intention, General Franklin's troops will go in and take the fort. Sheridan tells him that he knows, from previous experienece, that Matok is a death-trap, to which Franklin replies that Sheridan's knowledge was one reason Babylon 5 was chosen as a staging area. Garibaldi asks how they can keep the operation a secret, and Franklin tells him that the soldiers believe they are going to Io. General Franklin also tells them that his people are going to leave new weapons for Babylon 5, so that they will have the capacity to take on a warship. Franklin explains that, with the Narn and Centauri at war, the other aliens may become more aggressive, in which case Babylon 5 needs to be prepared. Franklin orders them to return in the morning to discuss the battle plan, and for no one else to be told of the situation. Sheridan, Ivanova, and Garibaldi leave, unhappy about the situation before them.

Lieutenant Warren Keffer returns to his quarters to find two ground pounders, Yang and "Large" there. Though they are cordial to him, Keffer is upset about having to share his quarters. He tells them that they should leave, but when "Large," threatens him, Keffer stands up to him, which endears him to "Large" immediately.

Unexpected roommates.

Dr. Franklin is in his quarters, meeting with his father, catching up on current events in their family. While they are talking, General Franklin offers to have his son transferred to Bethesda Dome so that he can be of more use to Earth Force during the Narn-Centauri war. This outrages Stephen, who says his job as a doctor is to heal people. His father tells him that he should heal humans instead, but Stephen doesn't agree. "Life is life, whether it's wrapped in skin, scales, or feathers. Now, if you respected these beings instead of constantly trying to murder them, you'd appreciate that!" As soon as he says it, Stephen realizes it was a mistake, but the general leaves too quickly for him to say anything else.

"Life is life!"

In MedLab, Dr. Franklin is unhappy to see Ivanova arrive with a large group of soldiers she wants to billet in the infirmary. He initially objects, but after Ivanova quotes to him information from his medical log, saying that the patients in the infirmary can be moved, he reluctantly agrees. She can tell he's upset about something, and he explains to her what he's feeling. "He always brings out this anger in me I can't control. Now matter how I try, I always seem to want to hurt him. You know, the funny thing is, I do love him, I just can't...talk to him." Ivanova explains that she had similar feelings toward her father. She receives a call from C&C saying that she has to leave, but she offers to meet him later to talk. He agrees to do what he can about the infirmary space.

At dinner, Dr. Franklin explains to Ivanova how difficult it was growing up with his father, who always ran things as if the family were in the military. He tells her that it was difficult living with not knowing whether or not his father would come home, and that it became difficult to bear the pain, so he left for the stars. His father wasn't happy, but when Dr. Franklin joined Earth Force, the general turned around. He says that they talk very little, and only end up fighting when they do talk. He says he thinks he should give up altogether, but Ivanova doesn't agree. "Talk to him, Stephen," she says. "Tell him what you feel no matter how hard it is. I didn't and I lost the chance. Don't make the same mistake." He doesn't understand, and asks her if the troops are really bound for Io. She doesn't answer him and leaves to go back on duty.

Garibaldi and Delenn walk through a corridor talking about the Narn-Centauri war, Delenn expressing her wish that Babylon 5 remain devoted to peace during the difficult times ahead. Garibaldi becomes distracted and leaves her for a moment to check on some ground pounders, when she meets up with several. They ask her what she is. Though she tells them she is a Minbari, they persist, taunting her, and advancing upon her forcefully. She tells them she did nothing to them, but they say she needs to be taught a lesson because of what the Minbari did to them on the Line. They are about to teach her that lesson when a woman ground pounder jumps in between them and stands up for Delenn, who rushes off while the woman fights her fellow soldiers. Delenn finds Garibaldi and takes him to the conflict. The fight is soon broken up by the Sergeant-Major in charge of the ground pounders, who is about to take all them to the brig. Garibaldi intervenes, convincing him not to do so. The woman calls after Garibaldi, and she introduces herself to him as Dodger. He tells her that Ambassador Delenn wanted him to maintain peace as much as possible, and that he saved her because of that. He has a call, and has to leave. She tells him that she might see him around.

Delenn is threatened.

General Franklin explains to Sheridan the tactics he plans to use on the attack. He asks Sheridan about several options, but Sheridan tells him that there is no way to get through without heavy casualities. Sheridan suggests that they call the whole thing off, but General Franklin disagrees, saying an important reason for the invasion is to install their presence in Shilassen space, which is very close to the Narn and Centauri. Dr. Franklin comes into the room and tells his father he wants to talk, but his father wants no part of it. Dr. Franklin says that he didn't mean the things he said, but this angers his father even more. He tells him that he will talk to him later, but Dr. Franklin is not pleased with this, either. General Franklin orders his son to leave, which he does.

Discussing strategies.

After Dr. Franklin leaves, the general asks Sheridan if he feels like being a soldier is being a murderer. Sheridan says that the only truth about war is that people die. "Killing is part of a soldier's job. We can't deny it--we can only live with it and hope the reasons for doing it are justified." General Franklin says that he wishes his son could understand that, and Sheridan tells him that he feels Dr. Franklin is an excellent doctor, and that he will stand up for his principles if they are challenged. General Franklin feels that is an admirable trait, and Sheridan agrees, saying that, even though he and his father had similar disagreements, and they never stopped arguing, they never stopped loving each other either. General Franklin thanks Sheridan for the talk, and concludes the briefing.

Garibaldi and Lou Welch keep an eye on all of the ground pounders when Dodger walks up and asks Garibaldi for a tour. Welch offers to take over for Garibaldi while he is gone. Garibaldi asks Dodger what she wants to see. "A nice restaurant," she replies. "And your quarters."

Garibaldi takes Dodger to his quarters, where they are barely able to keep their hands off of each other. They sit down on the bed, and prepare to continue, but before they go any further, Garibaldi explains the troubles he has had recently, with Lise and his near-death after being shot by his aide. He tells her that, if she is the one for him, he doesn't want to ruin it by going too fast. She gets up and explains her situation to him. "You know, I didn't come here expecting to set up housekeeping. I'm a ground pounder. I'm cleaning latrines one day, the next I might be up to my hips in blood, hoping that I don't hear the round that takes me out. You got it? In between, I like to try to see what I can get, to remind myself that I'm alive. Right, it's not romance, but it's all I got time for. I'm so sorry it's not enough for you." He tries to call after her as she leaves, but she won't speak to him.

The heat of the moment.

Ivanova and Sheridan go back to C&C, finally back on-shcedule at the docking bays. Sheridan tells her to try to arrange a paid vacation for the workers, to compensate for their recent troubles. Sheridan asks about the new defense system they have, and Ivanova explains that their new arsenal really is enough to take on a warship, complete with pulse cannons, interceptors, mine launchers, and a much improved tracking system. Sheridan tells her that he hopes they will never have to use it.

Dr. Franklin is in his quarters when his father comes in. The general apologizes for dismissing him the previous day, but also says that he had every right to be angry about the way his son acted. He tells Stephen that he has no right to call him a murderer, and he can't believe that he would have so little respect. Stephen says that it isn't about respect, but rather about the way they don't communicate very well. Stephen explains to his father that it really hurts him to have such a relationship with him when he isn't sure that he will ever see him again. General Franklin apologizes, saying that he never really meant to shut him out. Stephen says it might just be their relationship, but he has always respected his father, and thanks him for the things he taught him. He also says that he regrets the things he did say to his father over the years, and takes the opportunity to tell his father the one thing he never had a chance to -- that he loves him. He says that he always has and that nothing could ever change that. The two of them hug.

Reconciliation.

In a bar, Large is telling Yang and Keffer a war story. He leaves for a moment, and Keffer asks Yang if Large ever tells anything besides war stories. Keffer asks if Yang has seen any fighting, and Yang tells him that he hasn't, but he says he's ready. Yang asks Keffer if he has, and if he was scared. Keffer says that no matter what happens, you're always scared. Large returns, and the three toast together to their health.

Garibaldi approaches the bar, where Dodger is sitting. He starts to talk to her, but she apologizes for her behavior, and says that, sometimes, she wants things too much, and pushes unnecessarily for them. She expresses her disbelief at the official talk that the ground pounders are going to Io, since she doesn't think that General Franklin would lead such a minor mission. She offers to buy him a drink, and he selects water.

Keffer tells Large and Yang a war story of his own, and accidentally nudges a soldier while gesturing. It turns out to be Private Kleist, the ground pounder who earlier assaulted Delenn, and though Keffer attempts to apologize, Kleist won't listen. Keffer suggests they settle it outside, but Kleist doesn't want to wait. The two of them begin to fight, and the skirmish escalates into a full-scale barroom brawl, with nearly everyone in the bar getting in on the action. After several minutes of fighting, the Sergeant-Major and General Franklin appear and tell them that they are moving out right away, so they all need to get their gear and leave immediately.

The bar brawl erupts.

Garibaldi and Dodger, who cooperated in the fight, say their goodbyes, and Keffer, Large, and Yang do the same thing. Keffer wishes them both luck, and comments that he hopes he'll see them again. General Franklin, meanwhile, offers to punish the ground pounders involved in the fight and make reparations. Sheridan accepts the reparations, and says that he would rather have the ground pounders with General Franklin. "Besides," he says, "I don't think we have the room."

As the 25,000 ground pounders prepare to leave, Sheridan tells General Franklin that he hopes he was wrong about Matok's defenses. General Franklin says his goodbyes to Garibaldi and Ivanova as well, and finally sees his son. Before he leaves, General Franklin tells Stephen that he is very proud of him, and will talk to him more when he gets back. They hug again, and General Franklin ships out.

Garibaldi searches through the line of ground pounders for Dodger, whom he eventually finds. He makes a date to see her when she returns, and, despite the Sergeant-Major's urging, the two share a long, passionate goodbye kiss. "You'll never know what you missed," she tells him as she boards the ship, which soon departs and enters the jump gate.

A large group of officers stands, watching a large monitor, which is displaying an ISN news broadcast about the assault on Matok at Akdor. The gruesome visuals show pictures of intense fighting and blasting from many different kinds of units. A reporter talks to General Franklin, whom Dr. Franklin is overjoyed to see. General Franklin explains the situation. "Our troops have taken control of the fortress at Matok. Most of the leaders of the rebellion have either been killed or captured, and we expect a complete surrender of all the rebel forces very shortly." The group watching the broadcast cheers, but General Franklin is pulled away by another officer, for some other reason. Lou Welch appears and hands Garibaldi the initial list of casualities. Garibaldi looks over it for a moment, and silently hands it to Keffer. Keffer looks at the report and learns that Large, Yang, Dodger--and even the ground pounder who assaulted Delenn and began the bar fight all were killed. He stands, alone, reflecting upon the situation, and the reality of war.

Hunter, Prey

Overview

A fugitive with sensitive information about the Earth government flees to Babylon 5. Tony Steedman as Dr. Everett Jacobs. Bernie Casey as Derek Cranston. Richard Moll as Max. Wanda De Jesus as Sarah. 
Sub-genre: Intrigue
P5 Rating: 8.20

Production number: 213
Original air date: March 1, 1995
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Menachem Binetski

Watch For

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Compiled by Dave Zimmerman and Steven Grimm.

Hunter, Prey

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

Garibaldi arrives at C&C, and asks an officer on duty where Captain Sheridan and Commander Ivanova are. The officer tells him that they are in bay 13. Garibaldi goes down there, more than a little puzzled by their reasons for being there.

Sheridan and Ivanova stand in awe of the sight before them in the bay: Ambassador Kosh's ship. Sheridan finds its construction amazing and unbelievable and asks Ivanova about it. She tells him that for the past two years, they haven't been able to determine much about it; their scans barely penetrate the ship's skin. Sheridan reaches out to touch the ship when part of the ship pulls away and a strange-looking device fires a beam straight at Sheridan's chest. Ivanova tells him to back away slowly, which he does. The device melts back into the ship. After Ivanova tells Sheridan a story about a maintenance crew that was frightened away by the ship, Sheridan's interest is piqued. Sheridan tells her that it is time they learned something about the Vorlons, and that he intends to begin doing just that. Garibaldi arrives and tells them that he needs to talk to them, but would rather not do it in front of Kosh's ship. The three of them leave. Kosh steps out from behind a corner and "speaks" to his ship. It replies with a few lines of strange symbols, to which Kosh nods, and then leaves.

Visiting Kosh's ship.

When Sheridan, Ivanova, and Garibaldi arrive in Sheridan's office, Garibaldi explains that he just received a message from EarthForce that there is a fugitive alert out for Dr. Everett Jacobs, President Clark's former physician. Garibaldi tells them that Jacobs has enough stolen information to bring down the entire Earth Alliance, unless he is stopped. They think that he is already aboard Babylon 5, and want him taken dead or alive. Sheridan asks what Jacobs knows that makes him such a threat. Garibaldi wasn't told that, but says that, if Jacobs resists, they are ordered to shoot to kill.

Later, Agent Derek Cranston, from Earth Special Intelligence, arrives on the station. Sheridan asks him why Dr. Jacobs is such a threat. Cranston explains that Dr. Jacobs misused his security clearance to get information about covert missions and extremely important data, which could throw the government into chaos and ruin their alliance with many of the non-aligned worlds. Cranston says that Jacobs is on Babylon 5 to either sell the information or to find travel out of Earth-controlled space. Sheridan agrees to have security help, and orders Ivanova to carefully investigate all outgoing ships. Cranston thanks Sheridan for his cooperation and leaves. Garibaldi tells Sheridan that he doesn't think Cranston is telling them everything. Sheridan agrees, but says that Cranston is worried about something, which makes him want to go along with the manhunt. Garibaldi says he thinks he knows where to begin.

Sheridan agrees to help.

Dr. Franklin resents the line of questioning altogether, saying that Dr. Jacobs was a professor of his at Harvard and helped him a lot while learning about xenobiogenics. He tells Garibaldi that Jacobs was a humanitarian and could not be responsible, but Garibaldi reminds him of a time when he vouched for another doctor and the station was almost destroyed by a biological weapon. Dr. Franklin insists that there has been a mistake and that Jacobs would never have sold out Earth. "Maybe he's not the same Dr. Jacobs you knew any more," Garibaldi suggests.

An old man wanders through a marketplace on Babylon 5, stopping at one kiosk. The old man tells the merchant that he heard he could obtain "special" things from him. The old man says he needs an identicard, but when he tells the merchant that price is not an issue, the merchant refuses to sell him one; the only reasons someone would be so desperate are that they're working for security, or are being chased by some very powerful people. The merchant closes his shop, and the man wanders away, but he has already been noticed by a tall figure, watching from the shadows.

Sheridan is walking through the corridor to an elevator, when he hears an unusual sound behind him. He turns to see Ambassador Kosh walking away. He catches up to him, and reminds Kosh of a council meeting. He also tells Kosh that he was in bay 13, and because of how much everyone still doesn't know about the Vorlons, he and Kosh should try to understand each other.

Kosh looks at him. "Why?"

"You tell me. You're the one who popped into my dream when I was in that alien ship a few weeks ago. It felt like...I don't know, like you called to me."

"I sought understanding. I listened to the song. Your thoughts became the song."

"Has this ever happened before?"

"Once," Kosh intones, and walks away.

Agent Cranston is briefing the security troops on how to best search for Dr. Jacobs. Though his plan is efficient, because of the size of Babylon 5, as Zack Allen points out, it could take a long time. Dr. Cranston explains that, as an anti-kidnapping measure, all EarthDome personnel are injected with an identification crystal, which can be scanned for easily.

Sheridan asks Garibaldi if he is having any problems with the security crew. Garibaldi tells him that he isn't, and that, because of their efficiency, he would not like having to go up against them. As they walk, Sheridan notices a red ribbon tied to a nearby wall. Sheridan tells Garibaldi to continue to check up on them, and that he will check in with him later to check his progress. Sheridan exits hastily.

Sheridan, in a dark corridor, shines a strange patterns of lights into the area ahead. He walks forward and meets with a woman. "The general sent me," she tells him. "I have a message. You're in great danger, Captain. We know what you've been told. But Dr. Jacobs is not a traitor." As she sets up a device to prevent their conversation being eavesdropped upon, Sheridan asks why there is such an intensive search out for him, and the woman explains that Earth Special Intelligence is directly under President Clark's control, and that Jacobs represents a threat Clark wants stopped at any cost. Sheridan asks what the situation is, and the woman explains what happened at the beginning of the year.

"Before President Santiago was killed aboard EarthForce One, Clark got off the ship, claiming he had some kind of virus. Twenty-four hours later, EarthForce One is destroyed in an...accident, and Clark assumes the presidency. As Clark's personal physician, Jacobs knew it wasn't true. If he would ever testify to that effect, it would help prove that Clark knew what was going to happen. But, they couldn't allow that. If they killed him right away, it would look suspicious, so they kept an eye on him until they figured it was safe for the good doctor to have an accident. We heard about it, and we helped him escape."

The secret meeting.

She tells him that their plans were changed because Jacobs wasn't able to meet with his contact elsewhere, so he came to Babylon 5. Sheridan tells her that he can't pull his security officers off because it would mean revealing himself, destroying everything they've tried to build. She says he needs to do whatever he can, because it must be done. They need to accumulate as much evidence as possible, and Jacobs' testimony would be a good place to start. She tells him to make sure he gets the statement and gets Jacobs off the station alive. He tells her that he is angry things have gotten so far out of hand, and that he will have to circumvent his own security officers. She advises him to work quickly, and leaves. Sheridan calls Garibaldi, telling him to meet with him in ten minutes.

Dr. Franklin is instructing a small group of physicians in MedLab when he gets a call from Garibaldi. "Hi Doc. Just wanted to say, 'Happy birthday,' that's all. Catch you later." Franklin tries to protest, and doesn't understand the message, since it isn't his birthday, but gets the point when he sees security officers scanning nearby. Franklin orders the message to replayed frame by frame, looking for anything unusual. Several frames in, he sees two voice balloons sketched on top of the image which read, "Meet me at my place ASAP. Come alone. Wear something comfortable."

Garibaldi's message.

Jacobs, the old man, now in a deserted area of Downbelow, prepares an injection which he gives to himself. He speaks into a small recording device, and says, "I'm...uh, I'm nearly out of stims. I have to keep moving. If I fall asleep, they'll get me. And, uh, if they get me, I uh...I don't know if this will get to you Mary, but I'm tired. I'm just desperately tired. I don't know who to turn to, who I can trust." He is interrupted when several security officers appear nearby, searching some drunken lurkers. Jacobs quickly fumbles at opening a nearby cargo elevator, and when he does, he steps inside closes the door. The security offciers notice something on the scanners for just a minute, and then it vanishes. They decide to report it anyway.

Jacobs makes his recording.

Garibaldi prepares to search for Jacobs by taking two PPG weapons and dressing in extremely casual clothes. He says that his security crew is good, but that he has one advantage: Dr. Franklin, who knows a lot about Dr. Jacobs, and is someone whom Dr. Jacobs knows as well. Franklin is afraid Garibaldi will be recognized, but Garibaldi says that, because of his position, they rarely look at his face. He also puts on his disguise, a hat, and the two of them leave to begin their mission.

Jacobs steps out of the elevator, and is immediately met by the tall man who saw him talking to the merchant earlier. He tries to move away, but is met by another gentleman. The tall man tells him that he looks as if he doesn't belong in Downbelow, and asks him what he is buying or selling, or if he is running away. Jacobs says he doesn't want any trouble and will pay whatever he wants. "Yeah, you will," the tall man tells him.

Jacobs is taken to another section of Downbelow, and has his belongings taken by the two lurkers. They search through them, searching for something they might be able to sell. Jacobs tries to convince them he has nothing of value, but they soon discover otherwise when they rip open his jacket to find a data crystal and an antique pocketwatch, which attracts the large lurker immediately. Its inscription reads, "Office of the President of the Earth Alliance." The large lurker leaves to examine the data crystal, leaving the other behind to guard Jacobs.

Taken hostage.

Cranston explains to Sheridan and Ivanova that they have searched most of the station and have deduced that Jacobs must be hiding in Downbelow. Sheridan says that the sooner they get him off of Babylon 5, the better, and that Cranston is right about him being in Downbelow. When Ivanova protests, Sheridan tells her that it is the only logical choice, unless she seriously believes he might also be Downtown. Cranston asks where this place is, and Sheridan tells him it is the unofficial name for the area between the hull and the water reclamation system, one of the most unpleasant parts of the station, full of heavy machinery, pipes, and lead. Cranston decides that Jacobs would use lead to defeat the scanners, and calls security to have them search Downtown instead. Cranston leaves, and Ivanova asks him what he was talking about, telling him that the entire area was sealed off after Babylon 5 was made operational. Sheridan says that he hopes trying to burn through the walls and doors in that area will buy Garibaldi a few hours. He then receives a call saying that one of the ambassadors wants to see him. He begins to say no, but decides otherwise when he learns it is Ambassador Kosh. He goes off to the meeting.

Garibaldi and Franklin are questioning some of the people in a bazaar in Downbelow, but can't find any information. They comment on how there are no guards down there, but Garibaldi decides it must be Captain Sheridan's doing. They stop to rest and to have something to eat. While they are chatting about Dr. Jacobs and the past, when they notice a merchant trying to sell Jacobs' pocketwatch, which Franklin recognizes. Garibaldi strongarms the merchant into revealing where he got the watch.

Garibaldi and Franklin downbelow.

An officer goes to Cranston and tells him that they have someone on the line who has seen Jacobs. Cranston answers the call and talks to the man on the other end, the same one who kidnapped Jacobs from Downbelow. The man says he will turn over Jacobs for 10,000 credits, to which Cranston agrees. The man says he will call again when he is ready to exchange.

Sheridan arrives in Ambassador Kosh's quarters, and asks the purpose of the meeting. "You wanted to see me?" he asks Kosh.

"You wanted to see me."

"Well, I guess everybody does. To see what you really are inside that encounter suit."

"They are not ready. They would not understand."

"Am I ready?"

"No. You do not even understand yourself."

"Could you help me to understand you?"

"Can you help me to understand you?"

"Well, I can try. Is that what you want? An exchange of information? I tell you something about me, and you tell me something about you?"

"No. You do not understand. Go." Kosh turns away.

"Damn it, what do you want? What do you want from me? You know, ever since I got here, I've had the feeling that...that you've been watching me. The record shows you hardly ever went to council meetings until I showed up. When I was captured, it was you who reached out and touched my mind. And now you call me here? Why? Just to throw me out? Are we just toys to you? Huh? What do you want?"

Kosh spins around and intones angrily, "Never ask that question."

"At least I got a response out of you. So, what'll it be, Ambassador?"

"I will teach you."

"About yourself?"

"About you. Until you are ready."

"For what?"

"To fight legends."

The lurker guarding Dr. Jacobs hears a pounding at the door which he thinks is his companion, Max, returning. He opens the door, but finds Garibaldi instead. Garibaldi knocks the lurker out, but not before he is stabbed in the arm. Franklin tries to help Garibaldi up, and then unties Dr. Jacobs. Though they try to usher him out of there, Dr. Jacobs insists that they have to have the data crystal, which Max took. Garibaldi tells Franklin and Dr. Jacobs to wait for him nearby.

Max arrives back in the room to find the other lurker tied up. He removes the gag from his mouth, but before the other can warn Max, Garibaldi steps from the shadows, PPG drawn, and demands the data crystal. He begins shooting at Max, missing deliberately, but coming closer and closer each time. By the time Garibaldi shoots only an inch away from his head, Max agrees and hands over the data crystal.

"I'm in a bad mood."

Cranston talks to Sheridan, reminding him that, in the past, internal scanners have been used to locate radiation sources inside Babylon 5. Sheridan tells him it required a lot of difficult rewiring, but Cranston only wants to know why he was not informed about it. Ivanova comes in and tells Sheridan that Dr. Franklin needs to seem him immediately. Sheridan leaves, and Cranston turns to Ivanova. He asks her about the internal scanners and how long it will take him to wire his scanners up to Babylon 5's. She replies coldly, obviously resenting his attitude toward her. She tells him that he didn't ask for the information and that there is no way to know if the systems are compatible or if it will work.

Dr. Jacobs gives the data crystal to Sheridan and explains that it contains the information obtained from his scans of Clark which proved he did not suffer from a viral infection and that he has given Garibaldi the necessary codes to unlock the data. Garibaldi, while being treated for his arm injury by Franklin, reminds them that they will need a statement as well. Sheridan says that they have another problem now that Cranston knows they can patch their scanners into the station's internal sensors, which would make it very easy to find Dr. Jacobs. Franklin asks if it is possible to get him off the station, but Garibaldi says it isn't likely, considering they have all the docking bays covered. "Not entirely correct, Mr. Garibaldi," Sheridan says.

The configuration between the sensors and the scanners is complete. Ambassador Kosh asks for permission to depart, but Sheridan won't allow him to leave until after they scan the station. The station is scanned, but they don't find Dr. Jacobs. Sheridan tells Cranston that he is angry his station has been torn apart for no reason. Kosh asks permission to depart again, which Ivanova grants. Cranston says he doesn't understand since someone (Max) told him Jacobs was on the station. Sheridan tells Cransgon that he can't be too sure of any information he obtains aboard the station. Ivanova begins to tell Kosh that he can open the jump gate, but Cranston protests, saying that he wants the ship scanned. Sheridan tells him that it is an ambassadorial vessel, but Cranston isn't satisfied. Sheridan reluctantly agrees to scan the ship, and the scan find one life form, but it isn't human. Sheridan offers sarcastically to return the ship to the station to search it thoroughly, but warns Cranston that, if they find nothing, it could cause a major diplomatic incident. Cranston gives his permission for the ship to enter the jumpgate, which it does. Sheridan orders Ivanova to help Cranston find out where Dr. Jacobs really went, and help him in any way possible. He also tells Cranston that, as soon as Ivanova is finished, he hopes Cranston will leave. Cranston says nothing, but leaves C&C.

"Give him your full cooperation."

Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Franklin arrive in bay 13, where the Vorlon ship has redocked. Sheridan tells them that they are supposed to wait until the ship recognizes them, which it soon does. Sheridan explains that it knows them because it is alive. Kosh wasn't on the ship when they scanned it from C&C, and since the scan only registered one life form, it must be the ship. The ship opens up, and tentacle-like protusions extract a large pod from it. When the pod touches the ground, it opens to reveal Dr. Jacobs inside. Dr. Franklin quickly revives him from an artificial coma, which Kosh insisted on as a condition for the use of the ship. Dr. Jacobs revives. "While I was asleep," he says, "the uh...the ship...It sang to me."

The ship gives Dr. Jacobs back.

Sheridan returns to the woman sent by General Hague and hands her a data crystal, which he says contains all of Dr. Jacobs' information. She accepts it willingly. "Good. It's not enough to go public with yet, but it's a start. We'll get Jacobs onto one of our ships as soon as possible. Thank you again for your help. You've just scored a major victory for the good guys. You should be proud. Until next time, Captain."

"There's always a next time, isn't there?" Captain Sheridan asks.

"You'd better pray it stays that way, Captain. Because as long as there is a next time, at least there's a chance we'll win." She turns to leave, but offers him one final thought before she goes. "Because in this war, Captain, we need all the chances we can get."

In the Beginning

Overview

Two-hour TV movie. Covers the Earth-Minbari War in more detail, including Delenn's involvement and the death of Dukhat. 
P5 Rating: 8.94

Production number: TNT MoW 2
Original air date: January 4, 1998
DVD release date: December 4, 2001 (barebones)
                  August 17, 2004 (full-featured)

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar
Novelization by Peter David
Music by Christopher Franke

Note: This guide page assumes prior knowledge of the first four seasons of the show, since the movie originally aired after season four was complete. There are spoilers here for the series.

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

In the Beginning

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)

In the year 2278, a boy and a girl are playing in the Centauri Royal Palace, and come upon an open window. Through it, they can see the city burning outside. Their nurse finds them and warns that they should not be playing there and should not look outside. All the windows in the palace except for this one are covered up, and this one is for the Emperor. As they are about to leave, they are interrupted by Emperor Londo Mollari.

"It's all right," he says. "It's been a long time since I've heard the sound of laughter in this room." The Emperor asks them to come closer, and the boy identifies himself as Luc Jaddo ("Knives") and his sister Lyssa.

Londo offers Luc the opportunity to give one order. "Make it a good one," he says. As the boy thinks, Londo prompts him again: "What do you want?" "Tell me a story!" Luc replies -- a better answer to that question, Londo reflects, than his own.

"A story about great deeds," Londo eventually begins. "About armies of light and soldiers of darkness. About the places where they lived, and fought, and loved, and died. About great empires, and terrible mistakes. A true story. You see, I was there, at the dawn of the Third Age...

In the year 2243, in Earth Dome, a young Londo Mollari, liasion to the Centauri delegation, arrives at General Lefcourt's ("Endgame") office, where the general and a presidential aide are waiting. Following Earth's victory in the Dilgar war ("Deathwalker"), the Earth government has been extending their sphere of influence, making deals and treaties with the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. Some aliens have been receptive, some hostile, and some are a mystery. Among the latter are the Minbari. The General has asked Londo to his office to see if he has any information about the Minbari. Londo says the Centauri have had some dealings with them in the past, but nothing recently. The aide explains that Earth is preparing to send an expedition to Minbari space, to see if they pose a threat to Earth's expansion, and they need all the information they can get.

Londo advises them to send only one ship. He explains that the Minbari are one of the oldest space faring races, and even at the height of Centauri expansion they never dared oppose them. The Minbari won't bother Earth if they are left alone, he says. But the aide and the General are not listening, and are confident that Earth can handle whatever comes its way. Londo promises to give them the information they requested, but nothing more. "I only hope," says Londo, "that in your stumbling around you do not wake the dragon."

Meanwhile on the Minbari homeworld, Lenonn, leader of the Anla'shok (the Rangers) is meeting with Callier, a warrior caste member. Lenonn has requested more support and men for the Anla'shok, who are not well regarded by the warriors. The prophecies of Valen indicate that this is the time when the Anla'shok will be needed most, but the warrior caste elders have denied his request. Lenonn demands to see the Grey Council and make his case personally, as is his right. Callier warns that going over the heads of the caste elders will offend them, but Lenonn does not care.

That night, Lenonn is awakened by silent attendants who escort him before Dukhat, leader of the Minbari, and the Grey Council. Lenonn recalls Valen's prophecy that the Shadows would return in a thousand years, a time almost upon them now, and says the Rangers are not ready; they are few, most of them old and tired, mocked by some even in the Grey Council, and by the Warrior caste who consider them an embarrassment, who do not believe in the prophecy of Valen.

Dukhat replies that the prophecy also says the Anla'shok will arise, so why not wait until there is proof? Besides, prophecy only concerns the religious caste; what does Lenonn have for the Workers and the Warriors? "All I can say is that I believe," replies Lenonn. "What more is there to say?" The rangers need money, resources, and people; and Lenonn also suggests contacting the Vorlons.

Coplann, a member of the Grey Council and the Warrior caste scoffs at the idea. In the last hundred years no ship sent to contact the Vorlons has returned. "Let them appear," says Coplann, "to give us something to believe in." He takes their absence as further proof that no danger exists.

Delenn, not yet officially a member of the Council but in attendance nonetheless, suggests instead an expedition to Z'ha'dum, homeworld of the Shadows, to verify whether the Shadows have returned. Coplann argues that such an expedition would cause panic if it were generally known, and Dukhat agrees with him. Therefore, Dukhat announces, the Grey Council itself will go to see the truth of the prophecy, travelling in secret and via an indirect route. The Council is dismissed, and Dukhat returns to his sanctum to meditate. In his sanctum, and clearly known to him, are two Vorlons in their encounter suits.

On Earth, Lt. Cmdr. John Sheridan arrives at Gen. Lefcourt's office. Gen. Lefcourt offers Sheridan the first officer position aboard the Prometheus, which is leading the expedition to the border of Minbari space. Sheridan feels an obligation to Captain Sterns, his current captain aboard the Lexington, and he does not feel comfortable leaving the ship, or joining Capt. Jankowski aboard the Prometheus. Capt. Jankowski is considered a loose cannon by people who have served under him, and he doesn't handle first contact situations "as well as others." Although Jankowski was completely cleared of responsibility for something called "the Omega incident," Sheridan would rather avoid the situation. Gen. Lefcourt considers this a bad move for Sheridan, but if Sheridan wants to shoot his own career in the foot, that is his problem. Sheridan is dismissed.

Aboard the Grey Council ship, just prior to the ceremony to officially make her a member of the Council, Delenn notices secret supplies arriving. She discovers they are brought every week on Dukhat's personal orders, and have to do with life support and alternate atmospheres. Dukhat overhears her investigations and reminds her of the coming ceremony. Delenn confides to him her suspicions, that the supplies have to do with Vorlons who may be among them secretely, obviously known to Dukhat, but Dukhat neither confirms nor denies this. However, he tells her "If you ever have doubt about your actions, all you need do is look upon the face of a Vorlon. Once you see that all doubt is erased forever." (See Dr. Kyle's comments in "The Gathering"; also "Chrysalis.")

The Prometheus arrives at the given coordinates as the ceremony to induct Delenn is taking place. The Prometheus picks up the silhouette of the Grey Council cruiser. They were not expecting any ships in this area, and Capt. Jankowski does not understand her presence. "Unless they are waiting for us," he muses out loud. He does not want to jump back out unless thay are detected, however, to avoid putting the jump engines under strain, and thinking about the likely medals he will receive for bringing information on the Minbari warships back with him.

The first officer reminds the Captain that their orders are to avoid a first contact situation, but Capt. Jankowski ignores him and orders his ships to approach. Their scanners are having a hard time locking on, and they cannot pick up anything more than a silhouette, so Capt. Jankowski orders them to get even closer, trying to obtain as much information as they can before being detected. Over the objections of this first officer, he adds, "We handled the Dilgar, we can handle a few stray ships."

Aboard the Minbari ship, they have picked up the echo of the Earth ships. To confirm whether it is aliens, a member of the Grey Council has ordered the scanners on maximum but does not think they should bother Dukhat until they have more information.

The powerful scanners are so strong that they interfere with the Earth ship's jump engines, so the Prometheus cannot jump out. Capt. Jankowski gets more and more agitated, conjecturing that this is being done deliberately. He calls a Red Alert, and tries telling the Minbari that they mean no harm.

Dukhat is informed of the ships, and that they are talking but cannot be understood. The Grey Council member who ordered the scan says they are approaching with gunports open, as per Warrior caste custom: a sign of respect. Capt. Jankowski misinterprets the gesture and unable to tell whether the Minbari have locked their weapons on them because of the interference from the scanners, he grows ever more agitated and finally orders the ships to open fire. They manage to damage the Grey Council ship, mortally injuring Dukhat and shutting down the scanners. As Dukhat dies in Delenn's arms, the Prometheus and her escort turn around and flee.

A Council member approaches Delenn as she holds the dead body of Dukhat. The Council is divided: should they follow the humans to their base and take revenge, or wait and try to understand what happened? Delenn's vote will break the tie. Delenn, distraught over the death of the Minbari leader and mad with grief, votes for revenge: "They struck without provocation... there was no reason... Animals! Brutal... They deserve no mercy... Strike them down! Follow them to their bases and kill all of them! All of them! No mercy!"

"With the death of their leader Dukhat," continues Londo, "the Minbari went mad. They swore revenge, and began a holy war which could only end with the complete extermination of Mankind..."

Gen. Lefcourt and Gen. Fontaine host a massive briefing for Earth Force personnel, where they shows images of dozens of Minbari heavy cruisers destroying an orbitting station and Earth cruisers. The Minbari are attacking and destroying everything, even ships which are not capable of fighting any more. They are not responding to communications, and ignoring offers of surrender. Since the first engagement, Earth Force has not won a single battle, as the Minbari ships are immensely superior and Earth Force cannot even break the Minbari stealth technology. The briefing is to make sure everyone understands, and relays to their ships, two things. One, that Earth Force needs a victory, any victory, to boost morale. "And two," concludes Gen. Lefcourt, "that unless we find a way to defeat the Minbari, the human race ends with the current generation."

At the briefing are Sheridan and Capt. Sterns of the Lexington. Although the Lexington is an old ship that was not expected to see action again, it is being made ready. Also there is Ganya Ivanov, a fighter pilot who is visited by his younger sister Susan. Susan promises to join Earth Force when she turns eighteen in a few months, despite her father's likely objections, and she gives Ganya one of her earrings "for luck."

In Geneva, Londo is talking again to the presidential aide. Earth knows the Centauri will not intervene militarily, but they would like strategic and tactical support from them. And, as Londo points out, weapons. Centauri are more advanced, and the weapons may give Earth a fighting chance. But although Earth offers to pay any price, the Centauri are worried about possible retaliation by the Minbari should they find out, and consider the humans a dying race anyway because of the war. Centauri Prime will not help.

The aide returns to his office, where G'Kar of the Narn regime waits. G'Kar predicted the Centauri would react this way, but the Narn are willing to help. When the Narn drove the Centauri away from their home, they seized many weapons they have since learned how to replicate. They will sell them to Earth, but for a high price. Asked if he is worried about Minbari retaliation, he reasons that if the Minbari capture any weapons, they will blame the Centauri, which is an excellent outcome for the Narn. The aide agrees to the terms, having little choice.

The massive Minbari fleet continues its advance. But Delenn has lost her taste for the war. "Dukhat would have never approved of this slaughter," she argues to another member of the Council. Lenonn agrees with her, accusing the Warriors of being afraid of losing against stronger opponents, the Shadows, and therefore embracing genocidal war against the humans, who have no chance of victory.

Later, when Delenn and Lenonn are alone, Lenonn informs her that he has recreated Dukhat's sanctum in this new ship. Only the two of them have access to it for now, and he advises her to go there very soon.

When Delenn goes, she finds two Vorlons in their encounter suits. One of them identifies himself as Kosh, and shows Delenn a projection made by Dukhat before his death. The Vorlons have told Dukhat that the Minbari will need allies in the coming war, and have specifically mentioned the humans. Dukhat hopes that the person hearing the message will help bring them to the war against the Shadows on the Minbari side. Kosh further tells Delenn that the humans "are the key." Lenonn emerges from the shadows in the sanctum and says the war against the humans must be stopped.

Back on Earth, Dr. Stephen Franklin, recently re-enlisted, is confronted by Gen. Fontaine. Franklin spent some time hitchhicking through space, exchanging medical service for free passage. During this time, he came into contact with some Minbari who had been seriously injured. He was unable to save them, but performed autopsies and took detailed medical notes. He has not provided Earth Force with these notes, since he knows they will be used by the BioGenetic Division to attempt to create a biogenic weapon to wipe out the Minbari. As a doctor, he cannot allow that. Under the Military Code of Justice, the General cannot order him to turn in the notes, but Gen. Fontaine does not care. He has Franklin arrested and his office and home searched. He will be held under arrest until he turns in the notes the General "requested." "And God help you, son," Gen. Fontaine tells Franklin. "From now on, the blood of every soldier who dies in this war is on your hands."

In space, the Lexington and her group have been under hit and run attacks for the past few days. They are all tired and under pressure. They pick up a lone Minbari short range transport and follow it to an asteroid belt, where the transport engines apparently fail, leaving the transport adrift. Sheridan realizes it is a trap, but before the group can break formation a Minbari heavy cruiser jumps in the middle of the group. The hyperspace distortion and the cuirser make quick work of the group, destroying most of the ships in a matter of seconds. The Lexington is hit and loses engines and weapons. Capt. Sterns' chair is hit by flying debris, crushing him to death. The Lexington is left adrift in the asteroid belt, the Minbari thinking it dead already.

In Delenn's quarters, Lenonn and Delenn are trying to figure out what to do. Until now, the Minbari have only hit outer colonies, sparsely populated, but soon they will start approaching the inner colonies closer to Earth. Every day they delay will make stopping the war that much harder. Delenn suggests opening negotiations with the humans, but no member of the Grey Council can go by himself; and the humans will probably think it is a trap anyway. But, she suggests, Lenonn is respected, and has a history of service and unchallenged loyalty, making him a perfect choice. The Minbari know of the deal between humans and Narns, and Delenn suggests using the Narn as intermediaries to arrange a meeting in neutral territory. Despite the dangers, Lenonn agrees, happy to be able to serve his people again. With luck, a meeting can take place in three or four weeks.

Adrift on the Lexington, Sheridan comes up with a desperate plan. He orders three tactical nukes put on asteroids as mines. When they are ready, he sends a distress signal. The Minbari cruiser intercepts the transmission and turns back to destroy the Lexington. Before they can fire, Sheridan detonates the nukes, destroying the cruiser.

The cruiser turns out to be the Black Star, the Minbari flagship. Upon the Lexington's return to Earth, the news of the destruction, the only victory Earth Force has managed so far, is the morale boost Gen. Lefcourt was hoping for.

Gen. Lefcourt congratulates Sheridan. "You were right to stay where you are," the General says. "Thank you for arguing with me." While the Lexington is undergoing repairs, Gen. Lefcourt sends Sheridan to the rendezvous with the Minbari, now arranged through the Narn. It is to take place in an abandonded Earth listening post in the Epsilon system, and G'Kar will go as a mediator and translator if needed. Dr. Franklin, who has agreed to help as his only way out of the stockade, will also go to verify that the other party are indeed Minbari. If it is safe and the Minbari are serious, negotiators will follow, to surrender if necessary.

"We all have our orders..." muses Londo. "My orders were to prevent the Narns from using the war to establish closer ties with the humans. We learned of their mission, and we assumed it was an arms shipment. We didn't know. We couldn't know that it was an attempt to end the war. And so, I gave the order to intercept it."

A Narn heavy cruiser delivers G'Kar, Sheridan and Franklin to the listening post on the surface of a desolate planet, where they meet Lenonn. Lenonn knew Sheridan was coming, and knows what he did to the Black Star. He also knows, he says, that it was necessary. "I also know many of my people will not forget," adds Lenonn. "I speak for them. We must find a way to resolve this, so that many more of your people not get killed. We..." but before he can finish, G'Kar is contacted by his ship; someone is coming through the jumpgate. Before the ship can say anything more, they are destroyed. A Centauri cruiser has opened fire on them, and then fires several missiles at the surface. In the explosion, Lenonn is mortally wounded. Before he dies, he explains that his people will blames his death on Sheridan, so he tells Sheridan what to tell them.

"They never knew who had attacked them," explains Londo. "Each side assumed it was a renegade arm of their own government. But it was us, and it was my order that destroyed their last chance for peace..."

The Minbari soon arrive to find Lenonn dead. Sheridan, Franklin and G'Kar are brought before a hooded Delenn. G'Kar is to be sent away and the two humans questioned prior to their execution. But before they are taken away, Sheridan starts yelling. "I have a message! I know what is in Dukhat's sacred place!" When asked by Delenn what is there, he replies "Insil'zha". Delenn realizes they are not to blame for Lenonn's death and orders them released. Although stunned, the Minbari obey her. When Franklin asks G'Kar what the word means, G'Kar replies "The future."

"With their one chance for peace ruined, and Lenonn dead, the war escalated..." Londo pauses in his story and looks out the window. He explains he had all windows blocked, afraid that if he saw the burning city unprepared he would break down and cry. "But there is hope," he says. "But it will be hard. It will be so very hard..."

Londo returns to his seat and continues the story. "Where was I? Yes, the war. The humans, I think, knew they were doomed. But where another race would surrender to despair, the humans fought back with even greater strength. They made the Minbari fight for every inch of space. In my life I have never seen anything like it. They would weep, they would pray, they would say goodbye to their loved ones... and they would throw themselves, without any fear or hesitation, on the very face of Death itself, never surrendering. No one who saw them fighting against the inevitable could help but be moved to tears by their courage, their stubborn nobility. When they ran out of ships, they used guns. When they ran out of guns, they used knives, and sticks, and bare hands. They were magnificent. I only hope that when it is my time, I may die with half as much dignity as I saw in their eyes, at the end.

"They did this for two years. They never ran out of courage, but in the end, they ran out of time..."

On Earth, the Earth Alliance President addresses the military forces that are left, and tells them of the fall of Proxima and Beta Durani. Earth has also lost contact with Io, and they believe the Minbari will bypass Mars and strike Earth directly at any moment. Despite broadcasting a surrender and a plea for mercy, the Minbari have not responded. To buy more time for the evacuation of Earth, every ship capable of fighting is being asked to join the final defense of Earth. "We will not lie to you," the President says in broken tones. "We do not believe that survival is a possibility. We believe that everyone who joins this battle will never come home. But for every ten minutes we can delay the military advance, several hundred more civilians may have a chance to escape to neutral territory. Though Earth may fall, the human race must have a chance to continue elsewhere. No greater sacrifice has ever been asked of a people, but I ask you now, to step forward one last time, one last battle to hold the line against the night. May God go with you all."

Hundreds of ships of all sizes hold position around Earth as the Minbari approach in hyperspace. The Grey Council assembles to oversee the end of the campaign. On her way to the Council, Delenn stops at Dukhat's sanctum and talks to the Vorlons. She says she has failed, and the war has taken a life of its own, despite the fact that even the Warrior caste has lost its taste for it. She believes that even now they would agree to stop if there were a reason to do so, but there is none. Running out of time, unsure of what to do, she begs the Vorlons to tell her what to do. But they remain silent. As she is about to leave, Kosh says "The truth points to itself." Delenn doesn't understand, but Kosh tells her to leave before it is too late.

Alpha group, led by Jeffrey Sinclair, is first to encounter the enemy, a scouting party. "Hold the line," orders Sinclair. "No one gets through, no matter what."

The Grey Council oversees as hundreds of Minbari ships jump into normal space and start firing. They quickly destroy all of Alpha group except for Sinclair himself. Without any weapons left, his ship about to explode, he turns on a cruiser intent on ramming it. The Cruiser is the Grey Council ship.

Delenn suggests they capture a human to interrogate him about the defenses on Earth. When asked to choose a pilot, she recalls Kosh's words and chooses Sinclair's ship. The cruiser uses an energy beam to stop and tractor in Sinclair's ship, as the battle continues around him. Coplann, a Grey Council member of the Warrior caste, leaves to conduct the interrogation. Later, Delenn, unable to watch more death, leaves the room, and is intercepted by a troubled Coplann. They were using the triluminary to probe Sinclair's mind, and something happened. Coplann thinks Delenn and the rest of the Council should see this immediately.

The triluminary glows when close to the beaten Sinclair, an indication that he has a Minbari soul. Moreover, as Delenn points out, it is not any Minbari soul, but the sould of Valen himself. Coplann cannot believe it, but the trilumniary is the holiest Minbari relic and cannot be questioned. Delenn reasons that Valen was reborn as a human, a sign that humanity is important to the coming Shadow War. Since Minbari do not kill Minbari, "we cannot kill them," concludes Delenn. "In the name of Valen, and he who is Valen's shadow in this life, we cannot kill them."

The ships are to be ordered to stop immediately. As Coplann leaves to see to it, another Council member points out that the rest of the Minbari people are not ready to know this, it would cause panic. It is suggested that Sinclair's mind be wiped of this memory, to ensure secrecy, and that a close watch is to be kept on him to make sure he does not remember. "Leave that to me," says Delenn. "We will keep him close to us, one way or another."

"For the next ten years," continues Londo, "one question would obsess a hundred worlds: Why did the Minbari surrender at the Battle of the Line, on the very eve of victory? The answer to that question would change the Galaxy forever..." concludes Londo, as he finishes his tale.

Londo orders the children out, as he has things to do. Before they leave, Luc asks about Sheridan and Delenn and the end of the story. Londo tells them that Sheridan became president of a great Alliance, Delenn ever at his side. "The story..." Londo says, "is not over yet. The story is never over." "Did they live happily ever after?" asks Lyssa, the first words she has spoken out loud in the presence of the Emperor.

"That remains to be seen..." replies Londo, and the children leave. Londo orders several bottles of alcohol and asks that "the prisoners" be brought to him in an hour. When the guard leaves to execute the order, Londo turns on a projector, where she sees Delenn and Sheridan in a cell in Centauri Prime ("War Without End, Part Two.") Londo takes his cup, and in a mock toast to the screen, he says "To the future, my old friends," as he settles back on his throne to drink.

In the Kingdom of the Blind

Overview

Byron's telepaths present the Interstellar Alliance with an ultimatum. Londo and his bodyguard visit Centauri Prime. Robin Atkin Downes as Byron. Damian London as Regent. Ian Ogilvy as Lord Jano. 
P5 Rating: 8.54

Production number: 509
Original air date: March 18, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

In the Kingdom of the Blind

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Whoever has been attacking Alliance cargo transports possesses daunting resources. The strikes have been carried out against far flung shipping lines with military precision and overwhelming force while leaving no survivors and no incriminating wreckage and--unlike raiders--taking no cargo. The Alliance leadership has 24 hours before it must inform the member worlds of these findings. Sheridan orders the Rangers to patrol the major routes, but without knowing the purpose of the attacks, he can guess the disruption this is going to cause in the Alliance as the member races all blame each other.

Minister Vitelli professes joy at Prime Minister Mollari's homecoming, but in reality can't keep his eyes off the fearsome Narn at Mollari's side. The court is even more unnerved when Mollari announces that G'Kar is his bodyguard.

Byron calls his telepaths together for a meeting and announces Lyta's revelation about how the Vorlons created telepaths in order to use them as weapons in the Shadow War. Since their purpose was to serve the others, they deserve recompense in the form of a homeworld, he concludes, and that's what he intends to demand from the Alliance.

Londo receives an old friend, Lord Jano, and their conversation quickly turns to the Regent. He has been in seclusion for months, although he is occasionally found doddering around the palace at night talking to himself and always seeming to be on the verge of warning people about something that he forgets before he can divulge. Londo is surprised to hear that the Regent is usually drunk at these times since the Regent had always flouted convention by his sobriety.

Jano is worried by other oddities. Recently the Regent has made many innocuous-seeming matters top secret, such as fleet status and production figures for raw materials.

When Lord Jano returns to his rooms he finds the Regent sitting there in the dark. The Regent reminisces about Jano's boyhood and then fondly says, "If it were my decision, I would never let anyone hurt you." Jano smiles condescendingly as the Regent says woefully, "But it's not my decision, you see." A look of horror crosses Jano's face before he is flung across the room.

As the Alliance ambassadors depart the council for their quarters and offices, each one of them is tailed closely by a telepath. Then Byron goes to visit Garibaldi.

The next day in court, Lord Vitelli informs Londo that the Regent is not well enough to meet with him. Londo then sends Vitelli to investigate Lord Jano's absence before being confronted by Lord Vole who criticizes Londo for bringing G'Kar. To prove the Narn's barbarian nature, Lord Vole introduces the guard who electrowhipped G'Kar for Cartagia's pleasure. Handing G'Kar the whip, Vole grants him permission to do as he likes to the guard. A flash of anger flares in G'Kar's eyes, but Cartagia is dead and the guard was not responsible. Dropping the whip at Lord Vole's feet G'Kar reminds him that more pain is caused by the mouth than by the hand or the heart.

Lord Vitelli rushes Londo to Lord Jano's chamber where Jano's body hangs by the neck. Both Londo and G'Kar are certain that it was not suicide.

Byron asks Garibaldi's permission to address the full Alliance Council, but declines to explain why, so Garibaldi refuses. Byron plucks the shipping reports from Garibaldi's mind and says that his information about the crisis effects all the member worlds and therefore should be delivered to them all at once lest they doubt its accuracy.

Byron gets his chance, and as Lyta hands out reports detailing how the Vorlons created telepaths, he explains his real purpose in coming before the Council. Angry at being deceived, Sheridan calls Byron out of order, causing Byron to play his trump card. He announces that the telepaths who have been trailing the ambassadors have discovered all of their secrets, and if his demands are not met, he will reveal everything that has been discovered.

Sheridan's fury is nothing next to Garibaldi's. Only Delenn is open minded enough to wonder if the telepaths haven't been abused and mistreated enough to deserve what they are asking for and points out the similarities between the telepaths' case and the one which caused Sheridan to launch a civil war.

Lord Vitelli invites the Prime Minister to a meeting with the Regent. As Londo and G'Kar tread uneasily through the midnight corridors, they hear footsteps and the snick of a sword being bared. G'Kar turns to grapple with two assassins and a dropgate falls, separating him from Mollari.

Lord Vole is waiting in the next room. He throws a dagger which halts inches from Mollari's breast and hovers an instant before flying back and sinking into his own heart. Too stunned to react, Londo peers around and sees an alien in the shadows with great glowing red eyes. The dropgate rises again just as G'Kar squeezes the life out of the second Centauri assassin. Leaving the bodies littering the floor they hurry back to their chambers.

One of the telepaths has broken Byron's orders to stay put by venturing out to find supplies. He is set upon by Drazi. When the others feel it, some can't help but rush to defend him. Byron is distraught. He knows that the violence is ruining their chances of success.

Sheridan's exhaustion is palpable as he sits in the empty council room. Zack enters on behalf of Captain Lochley to request Sheridan's permission to arrest the telepaths. Although he is half inclined to agree with Delenn, Sheridan feels that he can't do anything for the telepaths until they are in custody, and so he removes his protection of them.

Byron knows the attack will begin soon. When he announces that they will close off the access points and remain peacefully under siege until they are too weak to prevent their own arrest, there is a rebellion by some of the others who find this approach too passive. They would rather fight with the secrets and weapons they have stolen. "Is there not one of you who understands?" Byron shouts in exasperation, and vows to stay despite what any of his followers do.

Lord Vitelli professes his gladness that Mollari has survived and stammers his innocence in the attack. Londo sees a hand beckoning from behind a drape and follows to find the Regent giggling madly in the throne room. He tells Mollari that he's glad they got there in time to save him, although it wasn't really him who saved Mollari, it was them. They are Cartagia's legacy, he continues, and they like Mollari. When Molari asks who "they" are, the Regent shushes him worriedly. "You will be Emperor soon," he says. When Mollari agrees, a terribly mournful look transfixes the Regent's face. "I'm so sorry."

They have a message for Mollari, he continues. He must stop making inquiries about supplies and ships. "You will understand it all soon," the Regent says.

When Mollari says he wants to understand it now, the Regent exclaims "No! No you don't! If you have ever believed me before, Londo, believe me now. You still have time. Enjoy it! Run in the sunlight! Eat! Laugh!" Suddenly spooked he whispers, "Like a fool. You have so little time." Another mercurial change descends upon him and he violently shoos Londo from the room promising him one more conversation before the end.

Londo leaves more bewildered than he arrived. The poor Regent turns to face a bug-eyed monster and is instantly punished for his loose tongue. His protests are ignored as his keeper strangles him.

Sleepless, Londo tells G'Kar that they must leave as soon as possible. The palace frightens him, and he wonders aloud "what could they be doing with our ships."

Somewhere in space an unarmed transport is destroyed by a Centauri battleship.

Zack's voice on the PA interrupts a tender moment between Lyta and Byron. He orders them to remove the barriers they have erected and surrender, and begs Lyta to come out. Lyta won't leave, but Byron tells her that he will ask her later to leave him and makes her promise to do it.

In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum

Overview

Sheridan discovers a connection between Morden and the death of his wife. The station is inundated by Narn refugees. A new Earth Alliance agency tries to recruit station personnel. Ed Wasser as Morden. 
Sub-genre: Drama
P5 Rating: 9.30

Production number: 217
Original air date: May 10, 1995
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle
Note: this episode is more momentous than most. Think twice before proceeding to the spoilers; it's worth seeing unawares.

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Bruce Boxleitner speaks

In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

Garibaldi and Zack Allen are supervising the recent influx of Narn refugees. The station is running out of space and resources to treat the many injured refugees from the Narn-Centauri war before they are fit to return to the Narn homeworld. Zack suggests trying to move them out sooner, but Garibaldi tells him that is against Captain Sheridan's orders. Because Medlab is swamped, Zack asks Garibaldi to speak to Sheridan about the matter.

Vir, outside the Zocalo, finds Morden sitting at a table. Morden says that he was expecting Londo instead, but Vir explains that Londo was recalled to Centauri Prime for a consultation about the war effort. Morden tells Vir he doesn't understand why Vir doesn't like him, since he is doing so much to help out the Centauri. Vir asks why Morden sent for him.

"I sent for Ambassador Mollari," Morden tells him. "But you're here, he's not, and it can wait. If restoring the Centauri Republic means nothing to you, what does? What do you want?"

"I'd like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike, as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price," Vir answers. "I want to look up into your lifeless eyes and wave like this. Can you and your associates arrange that for me, Mr. Morden?"

Morden doesn't reply, but hands Vir a data crystal with information for Londo. As Vir is leaving, he waves to Morden, as he hopes to do after Morden is dead.

Garibaldi enters Sheridan's office and asks him for some discretionary power over the Narn refugees. Sheridan tells him that he assumed the station could handle the problem, and that it is hard to turn any of them away. He instructs Garibaldi to have Dr. Franklin sort through everyone, give them only as much treatment as they need, and then send them off as soon as possible. Garibaldi agrees, saying that it will not make Earth Central happy. Garibaldi notices a monitor on the wall, which contains a diagram of the Icarus, the ship Anna Sheridan was on when she died. Sheridan explains that he is trying to sort through the rest of his wife's possession, and was going over the mission information she sent him. Garibaldi expresses his regret, and asks to look at the information. While filing through the crew manifest, he sees a face he recognizes. Sheridan at first protests, saying that everyone on the ship died with Anna, but Garibaldi insists he knows better. "Captain, I know what I'm talking about. I've seen him before. He's alive." He shows the Captain the picture he recognizes. It's Morden.

Garibaldi insists that he knows Morden, which makes Sheridan extremely upset, since Morden should be dead. Sheridan asks why the security net didn't catch him, and Garibaldi explains that, since they don't get death certificates on everyone, Morden would not be found out unless he broke station rules, which he hasn't done. Sheridan orders Garibaldi to find Morden.

Talia is in her quarters when her door chimes. A man enters and introduces himself as Pierce MacAfee. She greets him and asks what she can do for him. He explains that he is from the Ministry of Peace on Earth and would like her support for a series of new programs. He explains that the objective of the Ministry of Peace is to help humans find peace with themselves, so it will be easier to attain peace with other planets. He tells her that he will be giving a series of presentations about the programs, and that, because she was recommended to him by her superiors, he would like her to attend. She agrees.

Dr. Franklin is in his office listening to medical reports, and barely able to keep his eyes open when Ivanova enters and notes that he hasn't slept in 36 hours. He tells her that he has to keep working, but she suggests he have someone else take over. When he tries to protest, she orders him to get some sleep and then join her in the mess hall for breakfast afterwards. Though he initially protests, he eventually agrees, and leaves to get some sleep.

A line of people are having their identicards checked by Zack Allen. Morden gives his card to Zack, and is instructed to step out of line and wait for a moment. Morden tries to avoid doing so, but when he tries to leave, he is surrounded by several security guards.

Sheridan sits across a table from Morden, saying nothing. Morden says that it is traditional to charge someone if they are being held. Sheridan says nothing, but produces a picture of his wife and gives it to Morden. Morden asks what the picture is supposed to mean, and Sheridan's only reply is to show a news report on the Icarus. Morden finally understands the matter, and he explains that he was on board the Icarus, but doesn't remember what happened. He was in an EVA suit, unconscious, when a transport came to investigate the Icarus' disappearance. The shock and trauma of whatever happened erased his memory. Sheridan asks why Morden didn't check in with Earth Central, and Morden says that it took him a long time to remember his name, let alone file a report. He claims he sent a message, but that it must never have been recieved. Sheridan calls him a liar, and Morden tries to leave, but Sheridan won't let him.

"You're not going anywhere."

Morden reminds Sheridan that he can't be held without charges. Sheridan explains that, since Morden is officially "dead," he has no rights and no legal recourse. "You're playing a very dangerous game, Captain," Morden tells him. "It could cost you your command." Sheridan insists that Morden won't be leaving until he tells the truth.

Ivanova and Franklin sit together in the mess hall, finishing their breakfast. Franklin mentions that he had bad dreams, dreams of the patients he's lost. Ivanova agrees that it is difficult to think about all of the Narn refugees since, by the time they arrive, they are behind help. Franklin asks her if she believes in God, and she tells him that most of the time, she does. Franklin tells her that he is a foundationist, and believes that "God is too big to be defined by words" and that "the closer you get to defining God, the further away it gets." She asks what this has to do with his dreams, and Franklin tells her that, just before patients die, he can see God reflected in their eyes. "I've seen a lot of reflected Gods today, Susan, and I'm wondering how we can keep believing in them when they've stopped believing in us."

Sheridan continues his interrogation of Morden, finding discrepancies in his story as they continue. As it continues, Sheridan becomes more angry and more tyrannical. Sheridan asks what happened to the Icarus, but Morden claims he doesn't know. Sheridan tells Morden that, by the time he is through, Morden will wish he had died with the others.

Pierce MacAfee addresses a group of people in a conference room, explaining about the Ministry of Peace. He explains that its objective is to help people find peace with themselves. Looking at Babylon 5 as a microcosm of Earth, MacAfee explains they have developed a system called the Night Watch, the purpose of which is to detect possible problems. He says it is a volunteer organization, and that it pays fifty credits a week. All they need to do is wear a black armband, so that people know the Night Watch is around. The Ministry of Peace wants to raise public awareness and help people think about peace. Zack Allen, sitting near Talia in the audience, asks what else is entailed by being in the Night Watch. MacAfee says that those that work against peace simply don't know any better, and they need to be taught and rehabilitated; it's up to the Night Watch to spot such people and report them. By doing this, they can protect society from harmful ideas and misinformation. "We're less interested in actions than we are in attitudes," MacAfee tells them. "We must help protect society against its own worst instincts." He says he is proud to be a part of the organization, and hopes that the others will join him.

Sheridan goes to Garibaldi's office. He tells Garibaldi that he's close to getting the truth out of Morden -- all he needs is to find one provable lie in Morden's story. Garibaldi points out that Sheridan has had Morden locked up for ten hours without charges, which is blatantly illegal. He offers to have Morden followed, but Sheridan refuses. The two argue about regulations. Finally, Garibaldi says he can't be present as chief of security while something like this is going on, and threatens to resign if Sheridan persists. Sheridan says nothing. Garibaldi lays down his PPG, security card, and link, and leaves the room.

Sheridan is still sitting in Garibaldi's office when Zack Allen enters. Sheridan tells Zack that Garibaldi has taken a leave of absence, and that he wants him in charge of Morden until Garibaldi's return. Zack agrees, and Sheridan receives a call from C&C saying that Vir Cotto wants to meet with him. Sheridan says he will meet with Vir in ten minutes. Before he leaves, Sheridan asks Zack to bring Talia to the office so that he may speak with her.

Sheridan meets with Vir. Vir says he's come to ask that Morden be released; this stuns Sheridan, who asks how Vir knows Morden. Vir is vague on the subject. Sheridan asks why Vir thinks the station personnel have Morden. Vir replies that Morden didn't show up for a meeting, and since the records show he's still on the station, he deduced that Sheridan's people had Morden. Morden is a guest of the Centauri Republic, Vir continues, and is thus eligible for diplomatic immunity. This stuns Sheridan, and he asks why Morden is so important to the Centauri Republic. Vir says that it is an internal matter, and once again asks for Morden's release, but Sheridan refuses, on the grounds that diplomatic immunity only applies once charges are filed. Morden, Sheridan says, is in protective custody. "Protecting him from what?" asks Vir. "I haven't decided yet," Sheridan says, and leaves.

As Sheridan walks down a corridor, Ivanova catches up with him. She tells him that she was briefed by Garibaldi, and is worried about Sheridan's behavior. Sheridan tells her that he knows he may be acting inappropriately, but that Anna meant a lot to him, and that he can simply not let that part of his life vanish away so easily now that he has proof her death may have been something more than an accident -- if she even is dead. He says that he has to know, and that nothing else matters to him.

Talia apologizes, but tells Sheridan that she can't help him. She says that Psi Corps rules do not permit unauthorized scans in these circumstances. Sheridan tries to get around the regulations by pointing out that Morden is "officially" dead, but Talia still doesn't agree to his wishes. She says that she can do nothing unless he agrees to a scan. Sheridan asks her to wait outside, then tells Zack Allen to move Morden to a holding cell and escort Talia back to her quarters through a section of the station that will cause the two of them to pass each other.

Morden moves down the hall slowly, accompanied by a full security escort. When he and Talia meet, their gazes lock, and she sees his face become hidden in shadows. She holds her hands to her head and screams, and tries to avert her gaze, but not before she sees the vague outlines of two strangely-shaped beings next to Morden. She falls back into Zack's arms.

Dr. Franklin examines Talia, who insists she's all right, but says that, when she looked at Morden, she felt as if she were falling into a bottomless well, and that she felt a great coldness. She also says she thought she saw a shape with him. Sheridan enters and begins to apologize, but cannot finish before she slaps him full across the face and storms out. Sheridan tells Franklin he had it coming, and Franklin agrees. Franklin gives Sheridan some advice. He knows very well how people act when someone they love dies, but it's not always possible to do anything about it, even if Sheridan sometimes thinks he can fix everything. He says Sheridan has to face that fact, but he doesn't have to do it alone. Sheridan smiles in understanding and leaves.

He is barely outside of MedLab when Delenn and Kosh appear. Delenn tells Sheridan that Morden must be released at once. Sheridan can't believe that they are interested in Morden as well, and wants to know why everyone is so interested in him. Delenn says that Babylon 5 could be in terrible danger, and that Sheridan will have to trust them, but that isn't enough for Sheridan. He demands answers. Delenn and Kosh look at each other, and Kosh nods to her. She agrees to give Sheridan the answers he wants, but warns him that, when he learns what they know, he will never be able to sleep well again. "Come, Captain," she says. "The greatest nightmare of our time is waiting for you." She hurries off, followed by Kosh, and Sheridan is close behind.

"There are beings in the universe billions of years older than either of our races," Delenn begins. "Once, long ago, they walked among the stars like giants... vast and timeless. They taught the younger races, explored beyond the rim, created great empires... But to all things there is an end. Slowly, over a million years, the First Ones went away. Some passed beyond the stars, never to return. Some simply disappeared."

Sheridan, impatient, interrupts. "Delenn, I'm sure this is all very interesting, but what does any of this have to do with Morden?"

"Not all of the First Ones have gone away. A few stayed behind, hidden or asleep, waiting for the day when they may be needed...when the Shadows come again."

"Shadows?"

"We have no other name for them. The Shadows were old when even the Ancients were young. They battled one another over and over across a million years. The last great war against the Shadows was ten thousand years ago. It was the last time the Ancients walked openly among us. The Shadows were only defeated, not destroyed. A thousand years ago, the Shadows returned to their places of power, rebuilt them, and began to stretch forth their hand. Before they could strike, they were defeated by an alliance of worlds, including the Minbari... and the few remaining First Ones who had not yet passed beyond the Veil. When they had finished, the First Ones went away... all but one."

"There's still one of them left. Where?"

Delenn, saying nothing, slowly focuses her gaze upon Kosh. "That is why Kosh cannot leave his encounter suit. He would be recognized."

"Recognized? By who?"

"Everyone," Kosh intones.

"For centuries, the Vorlons stood alone, the last remaining Guardians, watching and waiting. Then, last year, I sent Kosh a message." Delenn tells Sheridan of the time, before she began her transformation, that she sent Lennier to Kosh with a question, to which Kosh answered yes.

"If yes was the answer, what was the question?" Sheridan asks.

"'Have the Shadows returned to Z'ha'dum?'" She tells him.

"Z'ha'dum?" Sheridan says. "That's the world G'kar's been warning us about all year."

"Sheridan," intones Kosh, as the small circular opening in his headpiece opens. "Learn."

Sheridan looks into the hole, and his face is covered by a strange green light. He sees a spaceship approaching a world.

"The Icarus," Delenn says, "your wife's ship, sent to investigate the ruins of an ancient race no one has ever heard of before."

"Z'ha'dum," Kosh says.

Sheridan, still mesmerized by a strange light from the encounter suit, sees the crew of the Icarus, on the surface of Z'ha'dum, exploring the planet. He sees inside a great crevice, where a strange and terrifying creature stirs, eventually opening its fiery eyes.

As the Shadow awakens, the opening in the headpiece of the encounter suit closes, and Sheridan returns his focus to Delenn. "Anna...The Icarus," he says weakly, "They found something. They woke something up."

"Yes," Delenn says. "Once awakened, the Shadows could not allow them to leave in case they would warn others. Those who would not serve were killed."

"But were they all killed? Delenn, maybe... maybe some of them were kept alive as prisoners. Anna might still be alive! Morden..."

"...must be released!"

"After what you just showed me, how can you ask me to let him go?"

"Because right now, they do not know how much we know. The last time, the Shadows lost because they moved too quickly. Now, they are being careful, gathering their forces slowly. If you push Morden, sooner or later, he will tell you what happened. Then he will be killed. And you will be killed. The Shadows will move now, before we're ready for them."

"How are they going to know?"

"Because Morden is never alone! Listen to me. Aside from the Vorlons, we do not have the First Ones to help us this time. We are on our own! We will have only one chance to stop them, and if we fail, billions will die. There comes a moment when each of us must pledge himself to something greater than himself. You told G'kar he had to decide between revenge and the good of his own people. Now you must make the same decision, Captain. It will be the most important decision of your life."

Zack tells Sheridan, who is watching Morden in his cell, that he should get some sleep. Sheridan asks Zack how much he knows about World War II, but Zack admits he doesn't know much. Sheridan tells him how the British government knew, throughout most of the war, the code that the Germans used for all their secret messages. The British discovered that the Germans were planning to bomb Coventry, but if they evacuated, the Germans would change the code. If the city weren't evacuated, hundreds would die. The British decided not to evacuate, and the city was destroyed. Sheridan says he saw an old newsreel of Churchill visiting Coventry, and is still haunted by the look in Churchill's eyes as he realized what he had done. Zack says he's glad he doesn't have to make that decision, because he doesn't think he could handle it. "How many lives is a secret worth?" he asks. A strange sound comes from the monitor on which Sheridan is watching Morden. Zack explains they had been picking up the sound for a while, but that they believe it is due to faulty microphones in the cell. Sheridan asks Zack to change the view on the monitor to scan for different wavelengths of light. Zack does so, and while he's doing it, Sheridan sees three spider-like black creatures in the room for a brief moment.

"What did you see?" asks Zack.

"Nothing," Sheridan replies. "Shadows." He tells Zack to free Morden, and tell him it was all a mistake, and that he is free to leave if he chooses. Zack leaves as Sheridan continues to study Morden's face.

Garibaldi is eating when Sheridan approaches and returns all his security equipment. Sheridan explains that he freed Morden, and that Garibaldi was correct. Garibaldi asks why Sheridan changed his mind, but Sheridan won't say. Garibaldi says that makes him uncomfortable, but hopes that, the next time something similar happens, Sheridan will listen to him. Sheridan assures him there won't be a next time. Garibaldi asks if Sheridan is okay as he leaves, and Sheridan claims he is. Zack Allen approaches Garibaldi and asks if Sheridan is all right. Garibaldi says he doesn't know, and then asks Zack about the arm band he is wearing, which displays the colors of the Ministry of Peace. Zack says that fifty credits more per week, for doing what he does anyway, is a good deal.

Sheridan, wearing an oxygen mask, enters Kosh's quarters. "I let him go," he tells the Ambassador. "But there is a price tag attached. You've been trying to help me so we can understand each other. That's not what I want any more. I want you to teach me how to fight them, how to beat them. Because sooner or later, I'm going to Z'ha'dum, and I'm going to stop them."

"If you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die," Kosh warns.

"Then I die," Sheridan tells him. "But I will not go down easily, and I will not go down alone. You will teach me?"

Kosh has but one answer for this question. "Yes."

Infection

Overview

An archaeologist smuggles ancient artifacts onto the station, unleashing a living weapon. David McCallum as Dr. Vance Hendricks. Marshall Teague as Nelson Drake. 
Sub-genre: Action
P5 Rating: 6.33

Production number: 101
Original air date: February 18, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Richard Compton

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Matthew Ryan mattryan@pobox.com

Infection

A reporter from Interstellar Network News has arrived on Babylon 5, to cover the second anniversary of the opening of Babylon 5 (an event which was extremely unlikely, considering the fate of the previous Babylon stations, according to the reporter). Unfortunately for her, Sinclair is on a mission to check out a damaged transport and is therefore unavailable for an interview.

At the medical lab, Dr. Franklin is greeted by an old professor of his, Dr. Vance Hendricks. Hendricks offers Franklin an "adventure, very possibly the biggest adventure you've ever had." Hendricks, however, does not explain anything to Franklin yet--he explains that Franklin will find out in due time.

At the customs center on B5, material entering the station is checked for security reasons--any organic matter or other, possibly dangerous substances must be quarantined. At this particular time, a seemingly uneventful search is being carried out. However, the attendant carrying out the search notices a possible security violation in the cargo of a certain individual, Nelson Drake--it appears that one of his suitcases is arranged so as to hide something. "If I didn't know any better, I might think you were trying to smuggle something in," comments the attendant on duty. Nelson waits for the appropriate moment, then kills the attendant-- and brings his contraband material aboard the station.

Inspecting the cargo.

Dr. Franklin is called to examine the attendant that was killed. He finds that the attendant was almost certainly died of natural causes--a heart attack. However, at the insistence of Garibaldi and Sinclair (who has arrived back at the station), Franklin agrees to perform a thorough autopsy.

Franklin returns to the medical lab in order to meet with Dr. Hendricks to find out what this "adventure" was that Hendricks spoke about. Hendricks explains that he needs Franklin's help to study some artifacts found at a recent dig on an alien planet. First, he introduces Franklin to his assistant--none other than Nelson Drake. Nelson opens the container that holds the artifacts--

--and a sudden energy spike is detected on the bridge.

Meanwhile, at the medical lab, Hendricks explains that he was on a dig at Ikarra VII, sponsored by a corporation known as "Interplanetary Expeditions." He found some thousand-year-old Ikarran artifacts sealed deeply in a vault. He asks Franklin to run these artifacts through his medical scanners. Franklin complies and (as Hendricks apparently expected) finds that the artifacts are composed of living tissue--they are an example of organic technology--"the one trick that Earth hasn't been able to crack," according to Hendricks. Franklin is amazed, but suddenly asks Hendricks why he wasn't informed of these artifacts as soon as Hendricks arrived on the station--since organic material must be quarantined before it is allowed on the station. Hendricks simply replies that the quarantine was undergone at their previous location. When Franklin comments that there are surely better facilities back on Earth, Hendricks only insists that he needs someone he can trust. Hendricks entices Franklin, saying that Franklin will achieve his dream of "going down in the history books" if he goes along with Hendricks. Franklin, at length, agrees.

Later, Nelson is in his quarters when one of the artifacts seems to come alive. It releases a powerful energy surge toward Nelson, which propels him across the room. This energy surge apparently has had some physiological effect on Nelson, who notices (a short time after) that his skin is undergoing some type of metamorphosis.

On the bridge, Sinclair is questioning Garibaldi about the dead customs attendant--he wonders if the autopsy has shown anything yet. The death, according to Garibaldi, still seems to have been a natural one--nothing abnormal has been found yet, although the autopsy is not yet complete. Ivanova reports that some unusual energy readings have been detected--she is presently investigating them. Further, she reminds Sinclair of his interview with the ISN reporter. Sinclair acknowledges this, but it is clear the is not looking forward to it. Garibaldi asks him why he is so adverse to this interview; Sinclair replies that the last time he was called for an interview (in which he was instructed to "relax and say what I really felt"), he was shortly transferred to a far-away outpost as a result.

Franklin and Hendricks have meanwhile, for the last fifteen hours, been studying the organic artifacts. Franklin suddenly asks Hendricks what will happen when and if they finally figure out how the organic technology works. Hendricks replies that they will sell it to an Earth corporation, but Franklin expresses a certain resentment at this--Franklin says how he always thought Hendricks was the kind of man who made his own discoveries, rather than stole them from old alien civilizations. "Granted, this may be important," says Franklin, "but ... it's a shortcut.... Feels a little like grave-robbing." Hendricks replies that the only way to really explore the galaxy is through corporation grants--he explains the wondrous things he's seen on corporation-financed missions. Franklin then confronts Hendricks with the fact that he cannot find any information on the corporation that supposedly financed the expedition on which these artifacts were discovered. Hendricks avoids the question and promises to explain everything the following day.

Garibaldi is meeting with the reporter, trying to explain to her about his background with Sinclair and B5. She interrupts him, and confronts him with that background: "I've come across several rumors surrounding your record prior to Babylon 5," she says. "That you were fired five times for unspecified personal problems and that this is your last chance to make good." Garibaldi vehemently denies comment.

The organic artifacts, in Nelson's quarters, are strengthening their hold over Nelson. He is falling more and more under their control.

When Dr. Franklin next enters the medical lab, he is surprised to find Nelson standing there. Nelson has undergone some strange metamorphosis; he shoots Franklin, saying only one word: "Protect."

Later, Garibaldi is informing Sinclair about the incident that just happened to Franklin. They both go to visit Franklin in the infirmary. Franklin explains to them that the weapon Nelson used to shoot him had a similar design to the organic artifacts. Garibaldi is surprised to hear that the artifacts are organic; he asks Franklin if they were checked at customs. Franklin can only reply that Hendricks told him that they were checked--he can't offer any guarantee.

Nelson is meanwhile walking around some obscure level of B5. He has undergone an extreme metamorphosis; he is no longer recognizable as Nelson.

Sinclair goes to confront Dr. Hendricks. Sinclair tells him that, according to Franklin, the armor that Nelson was wearing was very similar to the organic artifacts that Hendricks brought aboard. Garibaldi adds that the artifacts were brought on to the station illegally--somehow, they were not put through the required quarantine, either on B5 or at Hendricks's previous location. Hendricks says that he knows as little as Sinclair and Garibaldi know--he says that Nelson told him that they were, indeed, quarantined. However, Sinclair explains that, whether or not Nelson was under Hendricks's orders, Hendricks will be held personally responsible for the incident. Hendricks, when asked, says that the organic artifacts have limited energy and might attach themselves to another organism to achieve mobility; he cannot, however, explain why they may have attached themselves to Nelson but to no one else who has been exposed to them. He guesses that the artifacts are now controlling Nelson; he cannot, however, explain =why= the artifacts might take him over. He says that he will need to study the artifacts further in order to figure out their purpose and methods. Sinclair allows him to assist Franklin in further research.

Nelson, under the control of the artifacts, shoots and kills a group of people who walk by him (on the obscure level where he was walking before). Again, he says, "Protect!"

"Protect!"

Simultaneously, on the bridge, another energy surge is detected. They pinpoint the location of the surge and determine that it is 20% more powerful than the previous surge.

Garibaldi reports that there are two deaths on the level known as "Grey-13." Garibaldi leads a security team to that area. Sinclair calls a "Level 2 Alert." Just then, the reporter from ISN enters the bridge, claiming to be interested in whatever problem is occurring--"the people have a right to know"; Sinclair orders her to leave.

Garibaldi's security team has found Nelson. The team fires at Nelson, but Nelson is unharmed. Nelson continues toward the place that he was originally heading.

Franklin, while studying the artifacts with Hendricks, discovers a certain device in Nelson's belongings. He hides the device from Hendricks's view. Meanwhile, the study of the artifacts continues.

Sinclair, meanwhile, guesses that Nelson is heading toward the Central Corridor, the area with the greatest population and, consequently, the area where Nelson can do the most damage. Ivanova reports that, although Nelson must rest after every time he attacks, his periods of rest are becoming shorter--and his power is increasing each time. Sinclair realizes that their next chance to stop Nelson may be their last chance.

Franklin has finally accesses the memory banks of the artifacts; he reports to Sinclair what he has found: In the course of Ikarran history, the Ikarrans were invaded many times. Because of these repeated attacks, they created organic weapons to use against their enemies. Because it would take too long to create an artificially-intelligent weapon, they incorporated the personality matrix and brain patterns of one of their researchers, known as Tumar. Because of the possibility, however, that their enemies might "fool" the weapons (for the weapons have personalities), the Ikarrans programmed their weapons not to accept commands from anyone but "pure Ikarrans." However, as Franklin points out (with a bit of disgust), there is no clear way to define a "pure" Ikarran--"no one is pure," he says. Franklin continues to explain that a coalition of religious fanatics and military extremists defined what it meant to be a "pure" Ikarran-- their standards were based on ideology rather than science. (Sinclair points out the similarities to Hitler's "perfect Aryan" idea in WWII). Unfortunately for everyone involved, after the weapons killed the enemies of the Ikarrans, they turned on the Ikarrans themselves, killing anyone who didn't =perfectly= match the standards of what a "pure Ikarran" was. They kept killing everyone until the last Ikarran was dead. Then, through centuries of disuse and neglect, the weapons failed. However, the artifacts that Hendricks discovered contained one of these weapons--and it has activated itself by attaching itself onto Nelson. Sinclair has an idea how to stop it: if the weapon has a personality, he will try to contact that personality and reason with it, thereby attempting to bypass the programming.

First, however, Garibaldi and Sinclair set up an extremely powerful attack against Nelson. The attack fails completely; it doesn't even slow Nelson down.

Nelson under attack.

Sinclair, therefore, feels he has no other choice but to try to speak with the personality--with Tumar. "I'm going to try to make it mad," says Sinclair; he explains that, by speaking with the personality of the weapon, he will try to lure Nelson to the docking area, which they can detach and eject--"armored or not, nothing can live in a vacuum." Garibaldi objects, but Sinclair goes anyway.

Sinclair speaks to the weapon. He attempts to anger it by saying (truthfully) that the Ikarran race is dead. Sinclair's plan works--Nelson follows him to the airlock. Sinclair explains the whole situation to Nelson--how the weapons failed in their mission, and how Ikarra was destroyed by their own hand. "Your own people-- how pure were they? They didn't feed you facts; they fed you propaganda. They programmed you with standards of genetic purity no one could match--not even your own people." Then, at the last minute, Sinclair tells the weapon to search Nelson's memory (for Nelson has seen the dead Ikarra). The weapon does this, and realizes that what Sinclair has said is true. He is suddenly overwhelmed with guilt; he drops to his knees, asking his long dead race to forgive him. Then, he destroys the organic artifact that has taken over Nelson--Nelson's metamorphosis is thereby undone, and Nelson falls to the grounds, rid of the artifact.

Later, after the whole incident has passed, Franklin confronts Hendricks. He explains that he found a cardiac stimulator in Nelson's belongings--the device, if used on a healthy person, can precipitate a heart attack. Further, Franklin explains that he has found two small marks in the skin of the dead customs attendant-- marks which were so small that they were overlooked; the marks perfectly match the cardiac stimulator's prongs. Franklin tells Hendricks that he has spoken with Nelson, and that Nelson confirms Franklin's suspicions: Nelson was acting under Hendricks's orders the whole time. Hendricks admits that this is true; he explains that "Interplanetary Expeditions," the corporation that financed the Ikarran dig, is a front for a bio-weapons supplier. Hendricks says that he suspected that the artifacts were organic weapons, so, instead of turning in the artifacts right away for standard commission, he came to Franklin in order to study them. If the artifacts were indeed bio-weapons, he felt, they would be worth millions--or more.

"You deliberately endangered a quarter of a million humans and aliens just to raise your profit margin?" asks Franklin.

Hendricks explains that he was sure he could control the artifacts--he never expected any harmful incident. He also says that he didn't know the customs guard was murdered--Nelson said that he would handle it, so Hendricks didn't question him. Franklin realizes that this was why the weapon attached itself to Nelson, not to anyone else--the program needed someone willing to kill. Hendricks makes one final appeal to Franklin--he asks Franklin not to turn him in. If Franklin doesn't turn him in, says Hendricks, then they will share the profits of the sale of the artifacts. However, just at that moment, two security guards arrive. "It's too late," says Franklin, almost sadly.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi confronts Sinclair on another matter. To do justice to this scene, I feel I must include Garibaldi's dialogue verbatim: "The whole stations talking about how you were willing to risk your life to stop that thing.... This is the third time in the last year you've put yourself on the line like this.... Jeff, you're my friend. You've been my friend a lot longer than you've been my commanding officer so I think I'm entitled to say this. We were both in Earth Force during the war; I wasn't on the line but I did my share. I know a lot of guys who came out of the war--changed. Some came out better; some came out worse. A lot of them have this problem: the war gave them definition, direction, purpose. Without it, they don't know how to fit in anymore, so they keep looking for ways to go in a blaze of glory. Some people call that being a hero--maybe so. I don't know; I've never been one. Me? I think they're looking for something worth dying for because it's easier than finding something worth living for."

Sinclair sadly, thoughtfully admits that he doesn't have an answer to this--although he also admits that he should.

Franklin and Ivanova are speaking in the war. He expresses his disgust at fundamental ideals of "purity" and "perfection"--he wonders if what just happened is a preview of what's to come, mentioning that there are many hate groups on Earth targeted against aliens. Ivanova replies that she doesn't think that humanity would be so foolish--that, hopefully, they could learn from the past. Just at the moment, however, two officials walk up to Franklin, demanding that he turn over the artifacts to them, on authority of Earth Force Defense, Bio-Weapons Division, in order that they can study them for purposes of planetary security.

The reporter has finally caught up with Sinclair, and the interview has been carried out. The reporter asks Sinclair if, after what he's been through, he feels that it's worth it for humanity to continue their presence in space. "We have to stay here," he replies. "Eventually our sun will grow cold, and go out." When this happens, he explains, the entire culture of Earth will be destroyed--a culture and history that he feels are worth preserving. Therefore, humanity must go to the stars.

Shawn Bayern bayern@cshl.org

Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this synopsis noncommercially as long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact. Babylon 5 is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright is intended by writing these synopses.

Interludes and Examinations

Overview

Sheridan tries to rally support for his cause as direct confrontations with the Shadows begin in earnest. Friction increases between Londo and Morden. Jennifer Balgobin as Dr. Hobbs. Jonathan Chapman as Brakiri. Rance Howard as David Sheridan. Ed Wasser as Morden. 
P5 Rating: 9.31

Production number: 315
Original air week: May 6, 1996
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jesus Trevino

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Note: this episode is more momentous than most. Think twice before proceeding to the spoilers; it's worth seeing unawares.

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Interludes and Examinations

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

"August 3, 2260. Personal diary. Ten days ago, for the first time, the Shadows began attacking openly." As Ivanova records her diary entry, the Shadows attack Brakiri space. "So far, they've been hitting targets close to the Rim--the minor powers, a few in the League of Non-Aligned worlds. The attacks seem totally random, almost senseless. If we thought it was nuts around here before, this has only made things worse." Morden waits in line in the arrivals area. "We've had to hire more security personnel to keep things calm, make sure the wrong type of people don't get on board. But without our resources back home for background checks, we have to assume there will be lapses." Morden passes effortlessly through security. "Everyone's been handling the stress pretty well, but sooner or later, something's got to give somewhere." Dr. Franklin, alone in a room, injects himself with stims, knocking over a lamp in the process. "Nobody's seen Kosh in almost a week. When the Vorlon goes to ground, I worry." Kosh waits in his quarters. "What's going through his... its mind, I can't even guess. And Londo... Londo is Londo. You never know which way he'll jump next..." Londo is making preparations with Vir for the largest suite on Babylon 5 to be filled with flowers and reserved for Adira, who is returning to the station. "So far, we've got everything more or less under control, as long as nothing else goes wrong." Morden enters his quarters, and at his side appears a group of Shadows.

The Brakiri ambassador tells Sheridan and Ivanova that they cannot fight the Shadows themselves, and asks for help. Sheridan says that he can't help, since they no longer have Earth's support. Sheridan explains that the Brakiri were wrong to have trusted the Shadows, but the ambassador says he felt they were working for, instead of against, the Brakiri. Sheridan tells the Brakiri ambassador that he asked the Gaim ambassador to help the Brakiri, since the worlds near Gaim space would only help if they were involved. The Gaim ambassador refuses, saying that, if they join in the fight, the Shadows will notice them and come after them. Sheridan tries to convince the Gaim ambassador that the Shadows will come after them soon, but the only way the Gaim ambassador will be swayed is if Sheridan can prove that he has power equal to that of the Shadows.

It is another hectic time in MedLab where Dr. Franklin and another doctor, Dr. Hobbs, argue about a patient's condition as he lies in the isolab, victim of a respiratory failure. As they are about to help him, Garibaldi brings in another patient in desperate need of help of his own. The techs in the isolab report that Dr. Franklin's treatment didn't work, yet Franklin insists that they didn't follow his orders correctly. Dr. Hobbs tries to convince him that he may be endangering the patient's life, but her badgering and Garibaldi's persistence get on his nerves, causing Franklin to shout at everyone. The new treatment works on the respiratory patient, and Franklin mumbles out apologies.

Londo is by himself, recalling the time he spent with Adira a couple of years earlier, and the happiness that she brought him. His memories are interrupted by Vir, who has prepared the suite at Londo's behest. Londo tells Vir he will be right there, and departs to inspect it.

As Londo is on his way, however, the corridor suddenly glows with a red light, and his path is blocked by Morden, who tells Londo that they have something to settle. Morden tells Londo that he is disappointed in him, that Lord Refa will no longer respond to Morden's calls, and that the Centauri have pulled back their border campaigns. Morden asks about the deal they made, and insists that the Centauri government must continue their campaign. Londo believes Morden has no interest in the Centauri Republic, and only wants to use them as a distraction. Morden threatens Londo, saying that his associates may turn their eye to the Centauri if Londo stands in the way. "Then we will pluck it out," says Londo. He pushes past Morden and makes his way down the corridor. A Shadow appears and speaks with Morden. Morden insists that they need Londo alive, and that he will find other ways to get what they want.

Garibaldi arrives at Franklin's quarters. Franklin is getting ready to put in more overtime in MedLab. He says he can handle it, but Garibaldi doesn't agree. Franklin insists that his outburst was a one-time thing, but Garibaldi knows it isn't. He tells Franklin that, if he is still having problems with the stims, he can help, but Franklin will not even tolerate the suggestion that he might have a problem. Though Garibaldi tries to help further, Franklin will not listen. Garibaldi tells Franklin that he will leave him alone, but wants him to remember that he gave him a chance, and went to him first. Garibaldi leaves.

Delenn enters the war room to find Sheridan sitting at the table, poring over reports of Shadow attacks. Sheridan says he can't understand the methods the Shadows are using. Delenn tells him that their tactics are the ones they used a thousand years previous to keep the major powers at bay. Sheridan says that their only hope is to organize all the other races into one force, something that has never been done before, and might not even be possible, since they all have their rivalries and agendas, which seem incompatible. Sheridan tells Delenn that they can't score one victory against the Shadow ships, and that, if they could, it might convince the others to join in the fight. Delenn says that that is exactly what they should do, and Sheridan asks how they do that. "I'm sure you'll think of something," she says, and leaves.

"Every day, people around here start talking more and more like Kosh," he says to himself, smiling. Soon, the smile vanishes, and he begins formulating an idea.

Garibaldi searches through the Zocalo until he finds Dr. Hobbs sitting by herself, filling out forms. Garibaldi tells Hobbs that she was right, and that Franklin gave the wrong information to the techs. Garibaldi tells her that he knows everyone in MedLab needs to have blood samples taken regularly and tested, but Dr. Hobbs tells him that the only one with the access needed to see the results is Dr. Franklin. Garibaldi asks her to pull Franklin's files, but she refuses to do so, though she will tell him where the information is. She tells him that she doesn't want to see Franklin hurt. Garibaldi agrees, and hopes it isn't too late. He gets up and leaves, but Dr. Franklin has witnessed their transaction.

Vir is speaking with a vendor in the Zocalo about the various effects needed to complete the welcome for Adira. After he concludes the business, he starts off, but sees that Morden is nearby. Trying to avoid him, he heads off in another direction, only to run into Morden in a corridor outside. Morden asks how he can help, but Vir refuses the offer, hurrying away instead. Morden returns to the Zocalo, and speaks to the vendor, who he convinces to talk about what Vir ordered.

Garibaldi makes his way into Franklin's office, and begins using the computer, but refrains at the last moment from opening the file. Franklin sees him, but Garibaldi aborts at the last minute. Garibaldi tells Franklin that if, on some level, Franklin doesn't know the truth, Garibaldi can't help him. Franklin admits that he ran a test on himself to prove that Garibaldi was wrong, but found enough stims in his blood stream to prove that he was, indeed, addicted to them. He tells Garibaldi how easy it was for him to lose track, but he knows the numbers don't lie. Franklin asks Garibaldi what he intends to do about it. Garibaldi leaves it up to Franklin, who then quietly leaves MedLab.

Sheridan and Kosh walk together down a corridor, with Sheridan explaining his plan. "Nobody wants to fight a war unless they know there's at least a chance of winning. You can give them that hope. As one of the older races, your technology has to be at least as good as the Shadows'. Now, if we can convince your government to send out an expedition to engage one or two of their ships..."

"No," Kosh replies.

"All right, I know you can't take the entire Shadow fleet by yourselves, but if you could beat them at just one fight, it could be the break we'd need to get everyone organized. Then we'd have a real chance. You could do it, couldn't you?"

"Perhaps, but there are still few of us. It is not our time. It is yours. We are not prepared yet." Kosh then begins to move down the corridor, away from Sheridan.

This incenses Sheridan. "Don't turn your back on me! Don't you even try to walk away from me! Just who the hell do you think you are?! Oh wait, I know what you think you are, what you want us to believe. But I don't buy it. For three years now, you've been pulling everyone's strings, getting us to do all the work and you haven't done a damn thing but stand there and look cryptic! Well, it's about time you started pulling your own weight around here!" Kosh turns around toward Sheridan, his eyepiece opening and closing slowly, almost menacingly.

In C&C, a tech reports to Ivanova that there is an energy surge showing up on the sensors. Ivanova asks where it is, but the tech can't tell--it is a non-localized phenomenon.

"I hear you've got a saying," Sheridan continues, "'Understanding is a three-edged sword.' Well, we've got a saying, too, 'Put your money where your mouth is!'"

"Impudent," Kosh says righteously, before turning away again.

"Yeah? Well maybe that's the only way to get through to you. You said you wanted to teach me to fight legends. Well you're a legend, too, and I am not going away until you agree!"

"Incorrect," Kosh intones. His eyepiece glows brightly, and a force throws Sheridan against the wall. "Leave now!" he orders.

"No!"

"Disobedient!"

"Up yours!" Sheridan is thrown against the wall by another blast from Kosh, which gives Sheridan a cut on his face.

"So, the real Kosh shows his colors at last, huh? You angry now? Angry enough to kill me? Because that's the only way I'm leaving. Unless your people get off their encounter-suited butts and do something, I've got nothing to lose! God, my own government wants to kill me, and if we lose this war, I'm just as dead! Our only chance is to get the other races on board for this fight and right now you're the key to doing that."

"It is not yet time," Kosh tells him.

Sheridan is even more upset now. "And who decides that time? You? You put me in this position. You asked me to fight this damn war! Well, it's about time you let me fight it my way!" Kosh tries to get away again, but Sheridan won't let him go. "How many people have already died fighting this war of yours, huh? How many more will die before you come down off that mountain and get involved? Ships, colonies, whole worlds are being destroyed out there, and you do nothing! How many more? How many more, Kosh? How many more dead before you're satisfied? Huh?"

Kosh hits Sheridan with a very powerful force that throws Sheridan against the wall, but this time he does not let go. "Go ahead," Sheridan invites. "Maybe one more death will help balance out the books. Go on. Get it over with. Save us both the trouble later." Kosh does not agree, and instead lets Sheridan go.

"I will do as you ask," Kosh says, and begins walking away. After a few steps, he turns back to Sheridan. "But there is a price to pay. I will not be there to help you when you go to Z'ha'dum."

"You already said if I go to Z'ha'dum, I'll die."

"Yes, now."

"All right. If that's the trade-off. If you want to withhold your help when the time comes, that's fine. I'll go it alone."

"You do not understand," Kosh tells him. "But you will." Kosh turns away from Sheridan and silently heads down the corridor.

Ivanova reports to Sheridan that the Shadows have been attacking the Brakiri again as Delenn leads the ambassadors from the group of potential allies into the war room. As the Shadows attack the Brakiri, a new jump point opens, through which pass many Vorlon ships, which begin attacking the Shadow vessels, destroying several. Though the Vorlons are not immune to the attacks of the Shadows, they emerge with far fewer casualties as the battle rages on.

Londo and Vir are awaiting Adira's arrival in the cargo bay, yet after the last passenger has left the ship, Adira still is nowhere to be found. A group of medical officers appear from the ship with a body on a stretcher. It's Adira. Dr. Hobbs, leading the team, doesn't know how she died, but Londo suspects he knows--he remembers a recent conversation with Lord Refa, on the topic of poison. Londo instructs Dr. Hobbs to inspect her for poison, and as the body is carried away, Londo begins crying.

The battle concluded, the victorious Vorlon ships enter their jump point and return from whence they came. Meanwhile, Morden receives word from one of his contacts, and seems troubled by what he hears.

Ivanova informs Sheridan that the news of the victory has spread and that every ambassador aboard the station is ready to sign on. Sheridan wants to go to Kosh and thank him, but Ivanova convinces him to go to bed instead, and thank him the next day. However, someone does go to visit Kosh without delay--Morden, who brings his Shadow associates with him.

As Sheridan sleeps, he dreams of his father. "John... Johnny..."

"Dad?" Sheridan says, turning around.

"I don't have much time, son," his father tells him as a great struggle begins in Kosh's quarters. "I want you to know, you were right. I didn't want to admit that. Just pride, I guess. You get--at my age, you get kind of set in your ways. But it had to be done. Don't blame yourself for what happened later." The struggle in Kosh's quarters continues as Morden watches on emotionlessly. Sheridan's father stumbles, apparently very weak.

"Dad, are you... Are you all right?"

"It's too late for me. I'm sorry for what I did before. I knew what was ahead. I guess... I guess I was afraid. When you've lived as long as I have, you... you kind of get used to it. I wish I could have done more for you. There's so much I should have said... And now it's too late. You're right. It's time you begin this war your way." He wrenches in pain again. "I've got to go now, John."

"No, no... don't... Don't leave," Sheridan pleads.

"It's all right, son. See... As long as you're here, I'll always be here."

As the skirmish in Kosh's quarters ends, a pulse of white energy flashes along the station's axis. Sheridan awakes, screaming Kosh's name. Morden leaves the quarters of the Vorlon quietly, leaving nothing behind but the charred, twisted remains of Ambassador Kosh's encounter suit.

Garibaldi explains that, although he searched the quarters with great care, they found no sign of forced entry, and no sign of a body. Garibaldi suggests Kosh might not be dead, but Sheridan and Delenn know better. She says that the Vorlons asked that no one be told of Kosh's death, since such news could destroy the newly-formed alliance. Since Kosh is often not seen for weeks, it will give them time to send a replacement. Sheridan says that Kosh knew what lay ahead, hence the warning he gave. Sheridan feels guilty, believing earlier that Kosh's warning about Z'ha'dum was punishment, rather than what it was--fear. Delenn says that Kosh's encounter suit, and all his other personal effects should be placed in his ship.

Londo tells Morden that Adira's death was caused by poison, and he suspects Morden knows the cause. Morden tells him that the last he heard from Lord Refa, he was very upset with Londo, which would be understandable given the fact that Londo poisoned him. Morden says that Refa said something about "evening the score," but couldn't find out more because Refa stopped talking to him after that. Morden offers that he could have stopped him, had he known about it earlier, but he expresses his most sincere apologies. Londo picks up a piece of jewelry, which he gave to Adira, and muses about it sentimentally. Londo laments that all those die around him, except those who most deserve it. "That is about to change," Londo tells him. "You said that you would go away for as long as I wanted. I no longer want that. All I want now... is revenge. They took from me... the one thing that I have ever truly loved. And you will help me, Mr. Morden, to strike them down. Give me this... and the safety of my people, and let the rest of the galaxy burn. I don't care any more. Will you help me, Mr. Morden?"

"Of course, Ambassador," Morden says, his face displaying concern. "As ever, I am always in your service."

Sheridan arrives in Medlab to meet with Franklin. Franklin says that he feels he hasn't been doing a good job lately, and that he he can't see anything else in the mirror but his job. He says he hasn't lived very much in a long time. He admits to Sheridan that he has been taking too many stims, hiding from the truth about himself. He says that he no longer has the luxury to hide from his own problems, and that he needs to stop lying to himself before someone else pays the price. He informs Sheridan that he is resigning as Chief of Staff of the MedLab facility. Sheridan tries to stop him, but Franklin won't hear of it. The two shake hands, and Franklin leaves quietly, leaving Sheridan alone.

"And then what?" Garibaldi asks.

"And then," Delenn explains, "once Kosh's belongings are loaded into his ship, it will activate itself. The ship was made for him. It was a part of him. In a curious way, it is alive. It cannot live without him." Kosh's ship leaves the station and begins flying away. The ship slowly makes its way toward a nearby star, which quickly envelops it. "So it will grieve, as we do, in its own way," Delenn concludes. "And perform its last duty, in memory of Kosh."

Intersections in Real Time

Overview

Sheridan faces an inquisitor from Earthdome. Wayne Alexander as Drazi. Raye Birk as William. Bruce Gray as Interrogator. 
P5 Rating: 8.08

Production number: 418
Original air week: June 16, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John LaFia

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Intersections in Real Time

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@cc.wwu.edu)

In the dark of an empty room, Sheridan is lying on the floor, asleep, voices floating through his dreams, reminding him of how he got there. Sheridan is rousted from his sleep when the single door to the room flies open, and from the light outside steps a man with a briefcase. He studies Sheridan as several of his associates bring in and set up a chair and a desk. "Do you have any allergies or illnesses I should be aware of? Are you currently taking any medication? Have you had any trouble with your heart?" Sheridan doesn't respond. "When I ask a question, you will respond at once. You will not hesitate, you will not consider, you will not lie. Cooperation will be rewarded, resistance will be punished. Do you understand?"

Sheridan doesn't respond, but gets up and moves toward the man. When he gets fairly close, a device around Sheridan's neck causes him great pain, and he crumples to the floor. The man explains they are Narn paingivers, purchased during the war. The man explains that there is no reason to harm him, since he is not the enemy--he has no personal stake in what goes on. He is there only to do his job. He further explains that, though he has no desire to inflict pain, he will do so if it is required. He is not there to negotiate or assist him, but is there to ensure Sheridan's cooperation, and will use whatever means he feels are appropriate. He asks Sheridan if he understands, but Sheridan doesn't respond. The man pushes a button on his table, the door opens again, and two guards come in, force Sheridan into the chair, and shackle him down. The man asks Sheridan again if he understands, and Sheridan nods. "Do you any allergies or ilnesses I should be aware of? Are you currently taking any medication? Have you had any problems with your heart?"

"No," Sheridan answers.

"Good," the man replies. "Then we can begin."

Sheridan is sitting in the chair, a bright light shining on his face, when the Interrogator returns, this time, with the outside shrouded in darkness. "Good morning," he tells Sheridan, but Sheridan believes that, since it is dark outside, it can't be morning, as it was before. The Interrogator walks to the door and demonstrates that it is he who controls the lighting, not the time of day. The Interrogator opens his briefcase and begins removing his effects when he appears to have forgotten something, and retrieves his glasses from the outside. He pushes a button on the table, causing Sheridan great pain. "Never contradict me," he says. The Interrogator begins looking over Sheridan's file, when he looks at his watch. He opens a small package in front of him, and removes a sandwich, which he begins to eat. As he eats, the Interrogator explains that he finds it interesting that Sheridan had never previously shown interest in politics, and Sheridan agrees--the Interrogator explains that, in that case, it is unlikely he would try to overthrow his own government without outside influence. Sheridan insists it's not true, but the Interrogator doesn't believe him, and asks if he is that far removed from other people. He says he will write that down as Sheridan's "first fabrication."

The Interrogator asks Sheridan if he would like some of his sandwich; since they haven't fed Sheridan, and it is lunchtime, he would probably like some. Sheridan says that, a few moments ago, the Interrogator said it was morning, but the Interrogator insists that you can't have cornbeef sandwiches for breakfast. Sheridan concedes that it must be lunchtime somewhere, and takes the sandwich. The Interrogator promises Sheridan that the sandwich will not kill him, and Sheridan begins consuming the sandwich. The Interrogator explains that this proves that everything is a matter of perspective, the truth is fluid and subjective. "Out there, it doesn't matter what time it is. In here, it's lunchtime if you and I decide that it is. The truth is sometimes is what you believe it to be and sometimes what you decide it to be. My task... is to make you... decide to believe... differently. And when that happens, the world will remake itself before your very eyes." Sheridan insists it's not true, but, the Interrogator disagrees, explaining how the truth changed for Sheridan whenever there was a new enemy for him to fight. Sheridan denies this, but the Interrogator knows that a solider must accept what is ordered to believe, unless he is rejecting everything he claimed to stand for.

Sheridan finishes the sandwich, and begins commenting on it, but the Interrogator claims he's being evasive. Sheridan says it's better than being dishonest. The Interrogator points out that, while Sheridan has changed the truth to suit himself, he has never lied to Sheridan. The Interrogator says that it's for supper, and he begins to pack up his things. As he does, he explains that, if you eat a little poison every day, you will gradually become used to it. The contents of the sandwich won't kill Sheridan, but the toxins will have their desired effects in a few minutes. "I'll be back when they've had a chance to clean up the place," the Interrogator tells him as he leaves.

Sheridan is lying on the floor when the Interrogator returns, the next "morning." The Interrogator asks how is feeling, but Sheridan is too sick to respond. The Interrogator apologizes for poisoning him, but it is part of the process. "We have to break you physically before we can get to your mind." The Interrogator explains that the room is monitored throughout the day, and if Sheridan won't cooperate, he cannot be held responsible for what might happen. If Sheridan cooperates, the Interrogator promises, they will let him go. He removes a small flask and pours a drink for Sheridan, to help him out of his dehydration. Sheridan is apprehensive, but the Interrogator insists the drink is safe, and that, as Sheridan's only ally, he will tell him only the absolute truth. Sheridan begins to drink the liquid.

The Interrogator explains that he needs to correct some ommissions in Sheridan's files, and begins asking if Susan Ivanova is still his second in command. They just want to confirm her name for the records, but Sheridan won't tell him, because the Interrogator wants it. The Interrogator insists he doesn't care, but his superiors want complete information. He asks Sheridan to sit in the chair, now that his strength has returned, which he does. As he sits, though, he finds himself automatically shackled in again. The Interrogator explains it's for Sheridan's own good. "Oh, by the way, I should mention your father... He sends his regards." The Interrogator says he's being held at another facility, and that he is alive and well. He suggests that Sheridan should thank him, which Sheridan does. He explains that he believes Sheridan's father will only be held as long as Sheridan is, but that they won't let him go if Sheridan continues to resist. The Interrogator asks if Sheridan has been interrogated before, but Sheridan says he would be surprised. The Interrogator finds this odd, as he seems to have forgotten the rules. He holds up a piece of paper. "This is your confession. It goes on at some length. So, uh, allow me to summarize. You plead guilty to charges of treason, mutiny, conspiracy to commit mutiny, sedition, terrorism..."

"That's a lie!" Sheridan insists.

"...conspiracy to overthrow the government, illegal seizure of Earth property, assault on fellow officers, sabotage..."

"Now just a minute!"

"...willful destruction of public property, disobeying direct orders of superior officers, and the murder of 547 officers and crew onboard the E.A.S. Roanoke!"

"I won't sign it!"

"You will sign it! You will sign it and you will read it aloud in full view of the public so they'll know we haven't forged your image or your signature. You will name your accomplices. You will apologize to the families and friends of those who have died fighting you. And in the end, you will beg for mercy on the grounds that you're under the influence of aliens who are trying subvert the government and undermine the authority of the President."

"I demand to see an attorney! I demand the presence of a full military tribunal. You have no right..."

"No, YOU have no rights! There's no courtroom here, Captain, no tribunals, no attorneys, no justice, no mercy, no fairness, no hope, no last-minute escape. You will walk through that door when you confess and not one second before!" With that, the Interrogator leaves the room.

The door flings open and the Interrogator returns. "Good morning." After a few moments, two guards bring in a Drazi and strap him to the Interrogator's chair. The guards leave the three of them alone. The Interrogator places a recording device in front of the Drazi, and asks the Drazi to repeat what he previously told another interrogator. "I was one of those who was reponsible for manipulating Captain Sheridan into turning against his own government." Sheridan begs him not to continue, but the Drazi keeps talking. "I confess to taking part in the conspiracy to overturn your government." Sheridan tells the Drazi he's giving them exactly what they want, and the Interrogator agrees--when he's finished, they will let him go. The Drazi continues. "Those who worked with me in this conspiracy were Commander Susan Ivanova, Minbari Ambassador Delenn, Senator Ross Fowler..." The Interrogator explains that, while the Senator isn't involved, he has become a source of annoyance for the President. "I can personally verify all of the charges against him. However, Captain Sheridan was not responsible for his actions. He was not, uh, mentally competent..."

Sheridan tries to convince the Drazi that however much they tortued him, he doesn't have to let them win, and begs him again not to confess. The Interrogator says he's Sheridan's alibi--the one chance he has of avoiding the death penalty, but Sheridan thinks that the Drazi are strong, and he shouldn't let them win. The Drazi insists there is nothing he can do, but Sheridan says that, if he resists, he will eventually win. The Drazi says he is afraid, and never has been before, but Sheridan pleads with the Drazi not to give them what they want. The Drazi looks at Sheridan for a few moments, and then tells the Interrogator he will not cooperate any further. Sheridan smiles smugly at the Interrogator.

"Are you sure? You understand that this is your last chance?"

"What are you doing," Sheridan asks.

"Do you understand that this is your very... last... chance?"

"Yes," the Drazi replies.

The Interrogator touches a key on the table, and four guards enter with a gurney, which they strap the Drazi to. Sheridan protests, but they will not let him go. "Room 17," the Interrogator tells them as they wheel the Drazi out. The Interrogator returns to the subject of Ivanova, and will not tell Sheridan what they will do with the Drazi, despite Sheridan's demands that he do so. The Interrogator explains that, while the Drazi was expendable, Sheridan is not--his superiors want Sheridan honestly and sincerely broken if someone scans him. The apology must be sincere, and that would save them all time and trouble. As he is speaking, there is a scream in the background, and the lights of the room dim for a moment. The Interrogator begins packing up his things, and touches a button on the table. A recording of his own voice begins playing. "You will cooperate with the State for the good of the State and your own survival. You will confess to the crimes of which you have been accused. You will be released and returned to society a productive citizen if you cooperate. Resistance will be punished, cooperation will be rewarded." The Interrogator leaves for the "night," but his voice remains behind. "You will cooperate with the State for the good of the State and your own survival. You will confess to the crimes of which you have been accused. You will be released and returned to society a productive citizen if you cooperate..."

The light of "day" streams in as the Interrogator returns. "...You will confess to the crimes of which you have been accused. You will be released and returned to society a productive citizen if you cooperate. Resistance will be punished, cooperation will be rewarded." The Interrogator shuts off the recording, and bids Sheridan "good morning." He tells Sheridan that, unless he starts cooperating, he won't be receiving any more of the intervenous nutrition he had been receiving since being taken off solid foods. The Interrogator puts Sheridan's "confession" down in front of him, telling him that that, and a few recorded words, are all that prevent him from leaving the cell. The Interrogator asks Sheridan if he wants to leave, if he wants to be free, and Sheridan admits he does. All he has to do is sign the confession. The Interrogator says they don't want him dead, but rather as a symbol. They will not kill him, though, at least not right away--they will wait until Sheridan has been forgotten. But, until that time, Sheridan will have his freedom--they will encourage him to travel, to spread the message that "you cannot beat the system." "Sign and speak," the Interrogator says, "and you can leave here." As Sheridan looks at the Interrogator, he sees Delenn standing behind him. He smiles at her, as the Interrogator releases his arms from the shackles. Sheridan looks at Delenn for the answer, but she says nothing to him--she then vanishes as quickly as she appeared. Sheridan stares at the confession for a few moments, then spits on it. He turns to the Interrogator and utters his response.

"No."

"I... I really wish you hadn't done that, Captain. I really... sincerely wish... you hadn't done that." The Interrogator picks up the confession and his briefcase, but cannot find words. "I... I... I have no control over what will happen next," he explains to Sheridan. "It's out of my hands." He walks out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

The Interrogator bursts in and wakes Sheridan up. He tells Sheridan that they are doing this to him because he is a war hero, and he was made such in the public eye. People know him and recognize him, but when war heroes start believing certain things, the public listens, which threatens their credibility. And Sheridan's credibility needs to go--he says that the best way out for everyone is for Sheridan to confess and lay the blame on the alien governments. Whether it is really true or not, they can make the public believe it. They will let him live. But, it isn't the only way--they can forge Sheridan's image and his voice, after he has died. There will always be doubt that way, but the Interrogator explains that it is now an acceptable option. "I can save your life," the Interrogator says. "Right now. If you'll let me."

Sheridan explains that he has considered the Interrogator's words, that you can't fight the system, but, if the truth is fluid and subjective, maybe you can, as long as one person refuses to break, or bow down.

"But, can you win?" asks the Interrogator.

"Every time I say no," responds Sheridan.

The Interrogator moves away, back to his table. "Captain John Sheridan, will you, or will you not, sign a confession and endorse it before a public hearing?"

"No."

The Interrogator hits a key on the table, and four guards enter with a gurney, which they force Sheridan onto. He struggles, but can't escape. "You understand that this is your last chance?" the Interrogator asks as he bends over him. "Do you understand this is your very last chance?" Sheridan doesn't respond. "Room seventeen," the Interrogator tells him. The gurney is wheeled down the hall.

As Sheridan moves down the hall, a priest following him, reading him his Last Rites, he looks toward his goal--the door at the end of the hallway, through which light is streaming. In the middle of the light, Delenn is standing. Sheridan is wheeled closer, and closer...

The gurney is placed in one half of the room, the other half obscured in shadows. Sheridan is unstrapped, and the guards leave. Sheridan sits up weakly, and looks into the other half of the room, where a figure in a black mask, black robe, and black gloves is standing before a large device, covered in a black cloth. The figure adjusts his glove and walks out. Sheridan is alone for a brief moment when four guards enter the room and remove him from the gurney. One of the guards removes the the cloth from the device in the corner, revealing it to be... a chair. An interrogation chair much like the one in the room he was in a few moments ago. He is forced into the chair and shackled down. The guards move the gurney closer to Sheridan, adjust it in a few ways, and it becomes a table exactly like the one in the other interrogation room. The guards leave the room, with only Sheridan and the shadowy figure remaining behind.

Someone else comes in the room. "Good morning," the man says, placing his briefcase on the table. "Now, before we begin your interrogation, I'll need some information." Sheridan turns his gaze to the figure standing behind the new interrogator. "Do you have any allergies or illnesses that I should know about? Are you currently taking any medication?" The figure in black steps forward and removes his hood, revealing the Drazi that Sheridan had met in the other cell. "Any trouble with your heart?" The Drazi bows his head, but Sheridan is too stunned to respond to the interrogator's questions. "You will answer my questions when they are asked. Resistance will be punished, cooperation will be rewarded. Do you have any illnesses or allergies that I should know about? Are you currently taking any medication? Have you had any trouble with your heart?" Sheridan doesn't respond, but lowers his head and continues to listen. "You will answer my questions when they are asked. Resistance will be punished, cooperation will be rewarded. Do you have any allergies or illnesses that I should know about? Are you currently taking any medication? Have you had any trouble with your heart? You will answer my questions when they are asked. Resistance will be punished. Cooperation will be rewarded."

Into the Fire

Overview

The Army of Light mounts its final assault. Londo learns some surprising information about Morden. Ed Wasser as Morden. 
P5 Rating: 9.30

Production number: 406
Original air week: February 3, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Kevin Dobson

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Into the Fire

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (n9641343@cc.wwu.edu)

"Commander's Personal Log. We're still searching for First Ones to use in our war with the Vorlons and the Shadows. There's less than twenty-four hours left before everything hits the fan. We can't afford to waste any more time. We have to get back to Babylon 5 and catch up with the fleet."

Ivanova tells Lorien that they need to move on--the five First Ones they have found are enough, and she doesn't believe there are any others. Lorien disagrees, saying that they need to have all six, and that all they have to do is wait for a response to their signal. Ivanova says she'll give him ten more minutes, but then they'll have to go back. She says she hopes Sheridan's plan of attacking Vorlon targets to force out their troops is working. Lorien admits it is an interesting tactic--possibly futile, but very human. Suddenly, a large ship appears outside, one Lorien apparently recognizes. He tells Ivanova that this race is nearly as old as the Vorlons, and hasn't spoken to any outside their race for centuries. Ivanova asks if they'll remember him, but he knows they will.

Sheridan and Delenn, in command of the White Star fleet, manage to destroy a Vorlon observation post without too much trouble, and head off to the rendevous point. After they enter hyperspace, Sheridan looks at the fleet he has assembled--thousands of ships, dozens of races, working together for the first time. "We've put together a hell of a team, Delenn," he tells her. "You should be proud. Win or lose, we'll go down fighting. Pour it on, Mr. Lennier. Take us into the fire."

As the fleet travels to Coriana 6, Lyta tells Marcus that she heard the Vorlons are planning to move against Centauri Prime about the same time they will arrive at Coriana, and she wonders why the fleet isn't making its stand there. Marcus explains that Coriana was the logical choice for the fleet to defend, since its population is twice as large. Marcus hopes, though, that they pulled enough of the Vorlon ships away to give the Centauri enough time to remove all Shadow influence.

Londo and Vir make their way to the throne room, followed by the Regent, who begs for further instructions. Londo tells him that, with the Vorlons less than 12 hours away, he wants the Shadows off the planet. He tells the Regent to bring the ministers of War, Intelligence, Transportation, and Security, and to clear the palace of everyone who worked for Emperor Cartagia. The Regent leaves to follow Londo's orders, and after he's gone, Londo tells Vir that they have very little time left, but that they need to find Morden to tell him the news.

Delenn arrives on the bridge of the fleet's flagship, where Sheridan is waiting, and tells him that Ivanova and Lorien have found all the remaining First Ones. She tries to convince Sheridan that Ivanova's ship won't help turn the tide of battle, but Sheridan explains that he promised Ivanova she would be there at the end, no matter what. He tells Delenn to radio Ivanova to arrive at the rendezvous point as quickly as possible.

Ivanova, after arriving back on the station, is preparing to leave for the battle when Lorien comes in. He says that he was told she was ready to leave, but she isn't quite--she says he seems quite impatient for an immortal. He explains that he isn't immortal, and could die if he fell ill or was injured. He was the first of the First Ones and the last of his race. Ivanova doesn't believe he can be as old as he claims, since no one could discover the technology necessary to develop an immortality serum in one lifetime. Lorien explains, however, that all of his kind were born naturally immortal. Ivanova can't accept this; she is positive that everything dies. Lorien explains that things are that way--now--but they weren't always. The generations of beings that followed his own were mortal, and could eventually die, but those of his time were immortal. He explains that his race discovered the Vorlons and Shadows as infant races and guided them, and the other First Ones, along the evolutionary path. Most of the others eventually died or passed beyond the Rim to what lay beyond. He explains that to live forever means to give up everything else--love, companionship, friendship--since those will come and go. Only races with a much shorter life span can truly appreciate these things and experience them for all they are worth. "You should embrace that remarkable illusion," he tells her. "It may be the greatest gift your race has ever received."

As the Vorlon fleet makes its way through hyperspace, the minister of Intelligence arrives in Londo's quarters and asks to speak with him. The minister tells him that the death of Lady Adira was preceded by rumors that Londo had attempted to poison Lord Refa, and the minister was asked, by Cartagia, to look into the matter. The minister discovered these two matters were connected, and continued his investigation even after Refa's death. The report he presented to Cartagia was to be kept secret until after Cartagia's death. Londo says that Refa was responsible for her death: the liner Adira was on when she died came from Centauri Prime, and the poison that killed her was of Centauri origin. The minister explains that it was not Refa who ordered Adira's murder, but Morden. He says he suspects Morden wanted to secure his position by making it appear as if Refa had killed Adira. Londo dismisses the minister. Londo, alone, finally realizing what he has done, loses control and starts tearing the room apart in rage. Crying, finally understanding how Morden manipulated him, he falls to the floor in tears.

Ivanova and Lorien are trying to get the rendezvous as fast as they can. Lorien tells her to be patient--patience and logic will win the war, not weapons and firepower. He says that Sheridan knows this, but he doesn't know if Sheridan knows he knows it.

Sheridan looks out the window of the flagship, commenting that the fleet, while not bad, is still not big enough to win. Marcus asks why they are there, and Sheridan says, "Hoping the truth will set us free... Before it kills us." He asks if the nuclear weapons are ready, and Marcus says they are camouflaged by asteroids. Sheridan tells Lyta to keep her mind open, and be ready for anything from the Shadows or the Vorlons. They need her--she is their only advantage.

Two guards bring Morden into the throne room, where Londo is waiting. Morden demands to know what is going on, and Londo tells him about the Vorlon fleet that is now headed to Centauri Prime. Londo tells him that, now that Cartagia is dead, he wants the Shadow fleet removed from the island of Selini. Morden declines, believing that the Vorlons would never attack a world with 3 billion people. Londo realizes that Morden and the Shadows are afraid. He says he must make sure that he and Morden may speak privately. Two of Londo's guards fire their weapons to the left and right of Morden, killing two Shadows, who flicker into sight only briefly as they die. Morden tells Londo he's insane, and Londo admits that--today--that's true. He gives Morden one more chance to move the ships, but Morden refuses again. Londo says that while the ships are impressive flying, at the moment, they are on the ground. Morden notes that they can sense an approaching ship miles away, so Londo doesn't have much choice. "What are you going to do, Mollari? Blow up the island?"

"Actually," Londo says, producing a small device from his pocket, "now that you mention it..." As the island explodes, Morden reels as if in pain. Londo tells him that most of the Centauri were evacuated from Selini during the night, but that some stayed to maintain the illusion. Londo orders Morden to be imprisoned, and the guards drag him away. But, as he goes, Morden promises that, even if the Shadows lose, their allies will make sure Centauri Prime pays for destroying the Shadow fleet.

Ivanova meets up with the rest of the fleet and tells Sheridan that Lorien wants to come over to Sheridan's ship right away. Almost as soon as Sheridan approves, though, Lyta realizes that both of the fleets have just arrived in the Coriana system. As soon as they appear, they begin moving toward each other. To get their attention, Sheridan detonates some of the nuclear devices, which do damage to both sides. This substantially angers both the Vorlons and the Shadows, and the battle begins.

Sheridan opens up communication with the Vorlon fleet, and implores them to not destroy Coriana 6--its residents were forced by the Shadows to allow a fleet to be based on their world, and don't deserve to be destroyed for that reason. The Vorlons, however, don't respond, and Lennier suggests they might not even be listening. Delenn asks Lyta to send the Vorlons a telepathic signal to get their attention.

As the battle rages on, Vir arrives in the throne room, where Londo is waiting. Londo tells him that, despite the Vorlon fleet on its way to Centauri Prime, they are no longer a threat, as he has removed the last Shadow influence from the planet. Londo tells Vir to go into the garden, where "a gift" is waiting. Vir does so. The gift is Morden's head on a pike. Recalling the promise he made long ago, Vir looks into Morden's eyes and waves.

Sheridan asks Lyta if she's had any luck, but she hasn't been able to open communication. Lennier informs Sheridan that the Vorlon planetkiller is almost in range of Coriana 6. Delenn is reluctant to call in the First Ones so soon, but Sheridan is not willing to let the planet die. Sheridan orders Lennier to send the signal. Lennier does, and the First Ones' ships instantly appear. Wasting no time, they concentrate their fire on the Vorlon planetkiller, which is destroyed easily. They turn their fire on the other Vorlon ships and on the Shadows.

Londo arrives in the Garden and joyfully explains to Vir that he has sent a message to the Vorlons informing them that all Shadow influence has been removed from Centauri Prime. Londo is sure they will turn back, but Vir does not share his enthusiasm. Vir tells Londo that he's wrong, that there is still one thing left that has been touched by the Shadows. He points to the sky, where the sun is being eclipsed by another Vorlon planetkiller. Londo realizes that they have come for him, and since he sent the message, they knew exactly where he can be found.

The Vorlons still refuse to communicate with Sheridan and his army, but Lennier does detect that they are sending a message to their other ships, for reinforcements.

Londo pleads with Vir to kill him so that Centauri Prime will be safe, but Vir refuses. Londo's pleas are interrupted by the planetkiller moving away to join the Vorlon fleet at Coriana.

Lorien arrives on the bridge of the flagship of Sheridan's fleet. Delenn begs him to talk to the Vorlons and the Shadows. She is interrupted, however, by the voice of Lyta, now distant and ghostly. "There is nothing to tell," she says as she turns around, her eyes glowing bright blue. "You thought we could not touch you," she tells him. "You were wrong." She focuses on him and Sheridan is paralyzed in an energy field. Delenn moves to help him, but is warned by Lorien not to do so, as it will kill him instead. "And you they have left..." Lyta says, her eyes now glazed over with black, "...for us." She glares at Delenn, who is paralyzed as well.

Lennier runs to help Delenn, but Lorien warns him that, should he interfere, they will lose the one chance they have to end the war. Lorien explains that Sheridan hoped both sides could be provoked into doing this. Lorien says that Sheridan wants everyone to know the truth, what they may be asked to die for. Lorien puts one hand in the air next to Delenn and Sheridan, and Lennier and everyone else can see what Sheridan and Delenn see...

Sheridan is wandering around in darkness, shouting, "Where are you? Show yourselves!"

Suddenly, a large block of ice is highlighted, with a woman frozen inside, a glowing amulet around her neck. Without moving her mouth, she speaks to him. "We are here. We do not understand you. We have wished only the best for you. We only want to help you."

"You're destroying whole worlds!"

"The others are a disease. You have given us the opportunity to eliminate it. We are grateful. Why do you oppose us?"

"Because I don't like being used... or lied to."

"We have not lied. Our goal is the same as yours--to destroy the darkness."

Sheridan asks why, in that case, they haven't struck at the Shadows directly, since they had the technology to destroy Z'ha'dum all along. The response he receives is, "You do not understand." But Sheridan does understand, and he says that's what has the Vorlons worried. "The Vorlons have a saying: understanding is a three-edged sword. Your side, their side, and the truth." Sheridan believes the truth is that the younger races no longer need either race to guide them.

Delenn, too, stands in the darkness, when Ivanova's voice begins speaking. Ivanova appears and walks toward her. "The Vorlons stand for Order above anything else. No passion, no dreams... just discipline. Obedience. They're frozen in place, an evolutionary dead end! Why side with the old? Embrace the new. Growth through pain and struggle, conflict and war. You of all people should understand this."

"Your race came out of the last war stronger, better." Franklin says, appearing from the darkness as Ivanova vanishes. "How much better, how much stronger will they be after this war? You will rise from the ashes with a strength and power beyond your imagination!"

"Until you do it to us again!" Delenn tells him.

"It is the cycle," Lennier explains to her. "It is the force of history itself. You cannot win against that. We have embraced it. We've helped it along, by creating conflict. Weak races die. Strong races are made even stronger. Evolution must be served. There is no other way."

"No, that's what you want us to believe," Delenn says.

Sheridan tells the Vorlon figure that he knows why they are doing it the way they are--they don't want to destroy the Shadows, they just want to destroy their message, their way of doing things, so everyone will have to follow the Vorlons. Delenn knows the Shadows feel the same way, wanting to leave the Vorlons alive so they can see the Shadows were right. "It's about ideology," Delenn says.

"Of course," Marcus says to her. "What isn't? Order versus Chaos. Choose one."

But Delenn says they shouldn't have to choose, because they aren't given all the choices available. They are only given two. The battle between the Vorlons and the Shadows is no longer about guiding or helping the younger races, it's just about whether the Vorlon or Shadow philosophy is the correct one. Sheridan knows this, too, saying they are acting like arguing parents, manipulating their children, getting them to take sides. "But what if the right choice is not to choose at all," he asks.

"What if we reject the idea that we must decide which of you is right?" Delenn asks. "What if we simply walk away?"

"You cannot do that," says another Delenn, coming of the shadows and facing the first.

"Then the war will never end!"

"That is correct."

"Then there is no hope."

"There is only Chaos and evolution."

"There is only Order and obedience," the figure in the ice says. "You will do as you are told."

"You will fight because we tell you to fight," the other Delenn says.

"You will die for us when we tell you to die for us," the woman in the ice says, "because the others know no other way."

"That's where you're wrong," Sheridan tells her.

A stray asteroid hits the flagship, and Lorien stumbles, accidentally touching Delenn.

"You've let them see," the other Delenn says. "You've let them know..."

But she cannot finish. Lorien removes both Delenn and Sheridan from their paralyzed state, and that world shatters around them. The image, and the illusion, is broken, but it is too late--the Shadow planetkiller has engulfed the fleet. Ivanova calls to confirm that she saw what Sheridan and Delenn saw, but the cloud is making the ships so cold, it is affecting the engines and preventing them from escaping. The temperature is dropping so low, it will kill them all in ten minutes. Sheridan can't believe the Vorlons and the Shadows would let the younger races die instead of ending their war, but Lorien knows they aren't finished yet. Two figures appear on the bridge--one Shadow and one Vorlon. Lorien explains they are giving Sheridan a second chance to change his mind and ask forgiveness, to choose. Lorien says that Sheridan's next words will decide the outcome.

"The Vorlons ask only one question, over and over," Sheridan tells the two figures. 'Who are you?'" He turns to the Shadow. "You... for you, the question is, 'What do you want?' I have never heard you answer that question. Who are you? What do you want?"

"You don't know, do you?" asks Delenn. "You've been fighting each other so long, you've forgotten. You've lost your way. So how can you guide us? How can we learn who we are and what we want if you don't even know it any more?"

Sheridan tells them that, no matter who wins, in a thousand years, the battle will start again. They are all a part of the cycle, but Sheridan doesn't want to be a part of it. The younger races have learned to stand on their own, and are prepared to make the mistakes they will make as they find their own way. Delenn tells the Vorlon and the Shadow that their secret is out, and asks them what they plan to do next.

"You do not speak for the rest," the Vorlon figure intones.

"They will not follow you if you are dead," says the Shadow figure.

Lennier detects a missile from the Shadow planetkiller being launched at the flagship. With only ten seconds until impact, one of the Drazi cruisers moves in front of the ship, and is destroyed by the missile's impact. The other ships in the fleet follow suit, and another missile strikes a Minbari ship, which moves in front just in time.

Delenn tells the figures that the other races as well have begun to reject them, and demands to know how they can have a war with no one to fight it. Sheridan tells them they refuse to take sides in the war, and refuse to let either race turn them against one another--they will find their own way.

"You can kill us one by one," Delenn continues, "and those who follow us, and those who follow them, on and on, every race, every planet. Until there's no one left to kill. You will have failed as guardians. And you will be alone."

"It's over because we've decided it's over," Sheridan says angrily. "Now get the hell out of our galaxy! Both of you!"

When neither the Vorlon nor the Shadow move, Lorien steps in. "As I taught you and stepped aside, now you must do the same. Our age is past. This... belongs to the younger races now. They have learned to stand on their own. They have learned... to understand. Time to let them go."

"Will you... come... with us?" asks the Shadow figure meekly.

"I have been here since the beginning. I will not leave you now. I will go with you beyond the Rim, and we will see again all those who went ahead of us, all those who we have missed for so long."

"Then... we will not be alone?" asks the Vorlon figure.

"No," Lorien tells them. "Never alone."

The two figures vanish, and the Vorlon and Shadow fleets quickly leave the system. As the power returns to the White Star flagship, the other First Ones leave as well, all at the same time, leaving only Lorien behind. "I waited a long time for someone to find me," he says. "Now, like the others, I find I hate to leave. But none of us can stay behind this time. That was why it was necessary to find all the remaining First Ones. This... is yours now. And you have an obligation... to do as we have done. To teach the races that will follow you and, when your time comes, as ours has, to step aside and allow them to grow into their own destiny. If your races survive, if you do not kill yourselves, I look forward to the day when your people join us beyond the Rim." Lorien begins dissolving, changing into a tiny ball of light. "We will wait for you..." And then he too is gone.

Londo tells Vir that he can't quite accept that the war is over, that he doesn't know what to feel. Vir says that, given all they accomplished, happy would be appropriate. Londo says that, every time he has felt happy, something bad has happened to him. Vir says that he thinks Londo should enjoy one single night of happiness while he can get it. Vir is planning to return to Babylon 5, but Londo needs to stay behind for a while and tidy up political matters, perhaps returning to Babylon 5 himself, away from whatever repurcussions he may have to face. Vir leaves, and Londo begins to enjoy his evening.

The fleet comes through the Babylon 5 jumpgate, and as the flagship approaches Babylon 5, Delenn and Sheridan sit, looking out a window as the station grows nearer. He tells her the younger races have entered a third age. First, they were too primitive to make their own decisions. Then, they were helped along by the Vorlons and the Shadows. Now, finally, they stand on their own. Sheridan says that Lorien was right, that it is a great responsibility. Delenn says that the galaxy seems smaller with the First Ones gone.

"Feels like the magic's gone," Sheridan comments.

"No," Delenn tells him. "Not gone. Now we make our own magic. Now we create our own legends. Now we build the future. Now we stop..."

"...being afraid of shadows," Sheridan finishes. Delenn smiles, and the two of them hold each other, looking out the window at Babylon 5, and the future they must begin to build.

Knives

Overview

An old acquaintance requests Londo's help. Sheridan is plagued by visions nobody else can see. Carmen Argenziano as Urza Jaddo. William Forward as Refa. 
Sub-genre: Drama/Intrigue
P5 Rating: 7.21

Production number: 216
Original air date: May 17, 1995
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by Larry DiTillio
Directed by Stephen Posey

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Knives

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

Sheridan is on a baseball field, practicing his swing, when Garibaldi arrives. Sheridan explains that, because of difficult negotiations between the Narn and the Centauri, he needed to take time to get away from it all. Garibaldi says that, despite his problems, Sheridan should be glad that he didn't have to spend his day in the Triangle. Sheridan asks about it, and Garibaldi explains it is a section of Grey Sector nicknamed by maintenance where there are strange lights, sounds, and disappearances. That piques Sheridan's interest, and despite Garibaldi's objection, he insists on going and taking a look.

Londo and Vir step out of an elevator, discussing the authors and songs of some of the finest Centauri operas. They lose themselves in the music, and continue reminiscing when a black robed figure appears, arms wrapped around Londo's neck. "How fitting you should die with a song on your lips, Mollari," the figure tells him. The figure calls him "passo liati," and Londo knows who it is -- an old friend of his, Urza Jaddo. Londo asks Urza not play such a trick again, and introduces Vir and Urza to each other. Londo suggests they return to his quarters, drink brevare and talk, but Urza has to decline, promising they will do so later.

Sheridan, flashlight in hand, walks down one of the corridors in the Triangle. After searching around for a few moments, he sees a body lying on the floor. He tries to wake the figure, but sees that the being, a Markab, is dead. Sheridan tries to call Garibaldi, but interference makes maintaining a clear channel very difficult. Sheridan looks at the body again, and its hand suddenly reaches up and grabs his face. Sheridan is able to wrench the hand away, and the body falls down dead again. Sheridan finally contacts Garibaldi and tells him to get to Gray 10 right away.

Dr. Franklin examines Sheridan and tells him that there is nothing physically wrong with him, except for the common effects of a sudden fright. He also explains that the body's movements were due to gas buildups inside the body. Sheridan asks what killed the Markab, and Franklin hypothesizes head trauma, but will not know for certain without an autopsy. Garibaldi finds the Markab's identicard and identifies him. Sheridan tries to explain how they should proceed next, but his vision becomes very distorted. Sheridan tells Garibaldi that he feels dizzy, and Garibaldi recommends that Sheridan rest and hear a report later.

Londo begins preparing drinks, and Vir asks about Urza. Londo explains that they had been friends since childhood, though their families had been allied almost since the beginning of the Republic. Londo begins reminiscing about his youth, even though Vir doesn't understand why Londo's ties to the past are so strong. Urza enters, and Londo greets him. They drink together.

In his quarters, Sheridan is awakened by some strange sounds. He turns on the lights, looks around the room a little, and is confronted by a large flying creature, which flies at him. He manages to duck and grab a PPG; he fires at the creature, but the shots go through it and destroy a statue behind it. Garibaldi, alerted by the gunfire, enters with another security officer. Garibaldi asks what happened, and Sheridan explains that the creature was a grylor, from Janos VII, which once stalked him. Garibaldi suggests that it may have been a nightmare, but Sheridan knows, or at least believes, it was real. Sheridan asks what happened to the Markab, and Garibaldi says it looks like suicide, though they don't know why he would have killed himself. Sheridan suggests it may have been a religious ritual, but Garibaldi disagrees. Sheridan tells Garibaldi to keep searching for answers, and says he'll be in C&C if needed.

Urza and Londo, still drinking, are getting reacquainted, talking about life and love. When they stop to get another drink, Urza tells Londo that his name is much spoken of on Centauri Prime, and that they believe that both his star, and that of the Republic, is in ascension again. This pleases Londo, though he is still quite angry at the Narns. Urza says that the previous Emperor wanted peace, but Londo claims that the Emperor was wrong about the Narns. Urza explains that the Narns were lured into the war by the same faction that murdered the previous Prime Minister, which Londo says he heard was an accident. Urza tells him that was the "official story," but not really true. Urza tells Londo that a resolution is about to be brought before the Centaurum, claiming that Urza's family is traitorous to the Republic. Londo believes they couldn't prove it, but Urza says proof isn't necessary, only the accusation, and that he will be disgraced if the "villains" have their way. Urza asks Londo to stand with him to save his family, and Londo says he will do what he can. This pleases Urza, who leaves, promising a banquet to celebrate their reunion.

Sheridan enters C&C as a jump gate comes online and a ship comes through. While looking at a control panel, Sheridan begins seeing strange patterns again. He tries to clear his eyes, but when he looks out the viewport, he sees the Icarus, his wife's ship, appear and then explode. Sheridan orders the area outside scanned, but no one else has seen anything. Ivanova asks if anything is wrong, and Sheridan says that he has to see to something.

Sheridan explains what just happened to Dr. Franklin, who tells him that there is nothing physically wrong with him, but that there may be a new virus that can't be detected. He offers to put Sheridan in touch with a Markab doctor who may be able to help him, but suggests that his hallucinations are more likely stress-related. Dr. Franklin puts Sheridan on medical leave, and, despite Sheridan's protests, Franklin orders him to relax and enjoy himself.

Londo finally makes contact with Refa. Londo asks Refa if what he heard about Urza was true, and Refa says it is. Londo offers to vouch for Urza personally, but Refa won't go along, despite Londo's claims of being Urza's friend. Refa says he cannot stop the resolution, because it has already gone through. Refa says that Urza's house is already crumbling, and anyone that tries to help will go along with it. Londo becomes outraged at Refa's impudence, claiming that Refa's plans would have been no use without his help. Refa says there is little he can do, but promises he will try. Londo tells Vir to get him a drink, and then communicate with his contacts on Centauri Prime, as he will need more help.

Sheridan is back on the baseball field practicing when Garibaldi enters. Sheridan asks if they found out anything else about the Markab, and Garibaldi tells him that the Markab passed through sector 14 on his voyage here. Sheridan says he thought that sector was restricted, and Garibaldi explains it is, ever since the incident the previous year when Babylon 4 returned. Garibaldi explains that it was kept out of the station logs because EarthForce wanted to perform their own investigation. Garibaldi explains what happened to Sheridan, saying that, even though the station is gone, an anonmaly is still believed to remain. Garibaldi presents Sheridan with a copy of the information, made before it was turned over to EarthForce, and leaves Sheridan to his batting practice.

Londo and Vir enter the exquisitely decorated and catered banquet, where they meet up with Urza. The three of them sit down at a table, and Urza toasts to their friendship and to the Republic. Londo comments on the calibre of the guests at the party, and Urza tells him that, with Londo's help, they will spread the word. Londo tells him that this isn't necessary, since he helped, but Urza says that the resolution was already presented, and will almost certainly pass. Londo begins saying that Refa promised to help, but this angers Urza, who says that Refa is responsible for the resolution in the first place, and wants him out of the way because of how much he knows. Urza seems insulted that Londo would help Refa, but Londo says that he has a destiny to fulfill, and only if he does, will the Centauri return to their rightful place in the galaxy. Urza says he doesn't want to return to that kind of glory, and Londo offers to help, but Urza tells him that the way they are proceeding will never do any good.

Londo offers to leave, but Urza will not let him go. He snaps his fingers, and a large case is brought to the table, from which Londo draws a finely-crafted sword. Londo says he cannot accept the gift, but Urza takes the sword from him and embeds it in the table, challenging him to a duel to the death. Londo asks why he would do this, and Urza tells him he would do it to save himself and his family from dishonor. Londo accepts the challenge, and Urza tells him to return in two hours for the duel. Londo and Vir leave.

Sheridan is watching some images of Babylon 4's return when he is suddenly gripped by a powerful headache. He looks around the room in agony, his vision again blurred, and he sees his parents standing there. He approaches them, but they are enveloped in a bright flash of light. Sheridan looks over at the frozen picture of Babylon 4 on the viewscreen, and believes he knows what to do. He quickly leaves, leaving his commlink behind while Dr. Franklin tries to contact him.

Vir tries to talk Londo out of the duel, but Londo will not hear of it, saying that to deny the challenge would be disgraceful.

Garibaldi receives a communication from Dr. Franklin, who asks him where the captain is. A device Franklin gave Sheridan to measure his stress monitored a strange neural surge just a few minutes earlier, which caused the link to go dead, and Sheridan would not answer communication requests. Garibaldi calls his security officers, telling them to look out for the captain.

At C&C, a Starfury is detected to be about ready to launch from the station, and the pilot is identified as Captain Sheridan. He tells Ivanova not to worry, and that he will be back soon. Sheridan overrides the Starfury's controls, opens the bay doors, and launches the ship. Ivanova calls Garibaldi.

Urza's assistants prepare him for the duel when Londo and Vir enter. Londo tries to convince Urza to not fight, but Urza refuses. Urza tells Londo that he has often beaten him with such weapons, but Londo says that his life was never on the line before. Londo begins removing his jacket.

Garibaldi, in a Starfury of his own, contacts Sheridan asking him what he is doing. Sheridan says he is giving someone a lift, and that he thinks the answer lies in sector 14. Ivanova, who has been listening, realizes the significance, and Sheridan confirms her suspicions. The two Starfuries continue their voyage.

A referee tells Londo and Urza to begin the duel. They hold their swords before them, bow to each other, and begin the fight. During the course of the fight, they both manage to inflict some damage to each other.

Sheridan arrives in sector 14 and tells the computer to scan the area. The computer replies, saying it cannot scan the area because of increased levels of tachyon particles. A large glowing area appears immediately in front of Sheridan's Starfury. Sheridan begins to scream, and a long stream of light shoots out from his mouth and into the glowing disturbance. After a few moments, the stream of light completely vanishes into the disturbance, and it closes. Garibaldi, right behind, grapples Sheridan's ship. He tows Sheridan back to Babylon 5.

The fight between Urza and Londo continues, both of them very tired, and somewhat injured. After a few moments, Urza disarms Londo and sends him carreening to the ground, and prepares to deal the death blow, but Londo grabs his sword and thrusts upward. Urza falls to the ground, but Londo catches him. Londo asks Urza why he did this, and Urza tells him that he did it for his family, because he didn't want them to share in his disgrace. This way, Urza dies alone, and Urza makes Londo promise to look after them, which Londo promises to do. Urza tells Londo that he will miss him, and dies in Londo's arms.

Sheridan explains to Franklin, Garibaldi, and Ivanova that the lifeform that inhabited him was sentient, but alien, adn was trying to survive and return to its home. Sheridan explains that the alien entered the Markab's body and drove him mad. He explains that he deduced what it wanted by the images it created in his mind, using his emotions for communication. The prospect of such a new and different alien life form very much excites Franklin.

Londo pours some more bravare when Vir enters, telling Londo that the arrangements he asked for regarding Urza's family were made. Vir tries to tell Londo that he didn't have a choice and had to kill Urza, but Londo isn't sure -- he tells Vir that Urza was more skilled with the blade, and that, by the rules of the conflict, Urza's family must be taken in by him, which makes them immune to the effect of the resolution; that was the reason for the challenge in the first place. Londo tells Vir that, for the first time, he questions the choices he has made. Vir tries to convince Londo that he should make new choices, but Londo replies that he has started down the path and must continue on it until it ends. He sends Vir away, saying that he wants to try to get some sleep, if he is able.

Learning Curve

Overview

Two Minbari Rangers-in-training come to the station and learn a difficult lesson. A new underworld boss tries to take control of DownBelow. Nathan Anderson as Rastenn. Turhan Bey as Turval. Brendan Ford as Tannier. Trevor Goddard as Trace. Brian McDermott as Durhan. 
P5 Rating: 7.65

Production number: 506
Original air date: February 18, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Learning Curve

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

As Master Turval's voice drones, a class of Ranger recruits meditate, or at least attempt to. One young Minbari, fresh from the warrior caste, is too busy daydreaming about dying gloriously, while another religious caste recruit can't stop smiling as he listens to conversations around him. Another old Ranger enters to inform the teacher that Delenn has asked them to come to Babylon 5. When Turval selects the two restless recruits to accompany him as an escort, the happy one exclaims, "Babylon 5, the home of peace."

A very unpeaceful man has made his new home on Babylon 5, however. In order to emphasize that there's a new law in Downbelow, he orders a debtor executed.

The four Rangers, two old (Durhan and Turval) and two young (Rastenn and Tannier) are honored to be greeted by Entil'zha personally at the docking bay.

Garibaldi invites Zack to join him for breakfast. When Captain Lochley enters he waves her over too. To Zack's discomfort, Michael suggests that Lochley was on the "other side" during the war. This immediately heats her up, but she tries to sidestep it. Calling her on her avoidance, Michael says loudly, "I want to know, just for me, who's side were you on." The commons goes silent.

She finally declares that she did not take up arms against her own government. She is a soldier who only knows three words, she says angrily, "Loyalty, Duty, Honor." She gets up and as she strides out there is scattered clapping from station personnel in the room.

She is still steamed up when she gets to the lift. Sheridan is there and she comments acerbically that she has just had a frank discussion with Garibaldi. Sheridan grins wryly and says, "He doesn't trust you." Neither Sheridan nor Lochley is having second thoughts about her assignment, though, and Sheridan advises that Garibaldi will come around when he's ready. She grumbles about meeting "a second man as strong-willed, stubborn and annoying" as she is.

Zack is shown the dead man's body on the deck. As this is the third such execution in two weeks, he tries to convince someone in the crowd of gawkers to help his investigation by warning that it might be them next.

The gangster, Trace, is watching the crowd too. He doesn't like Zack's perceptiveness and orders him "taken out." A little later he is visited by another gangster who's been around for some time and warns against gaining too high a profile, but Trace thinks he can just keep killing security chiefs until he gets one who he can get along with.

In their report to Delenn, Durhan and Turval mention that they have no idea what to do with a Pak'ma'ra who has joined the Rangers. It's stupid, lazy, greedy and a carrion eater, Durhan complains. Delenn points out that Pak'ma'ra are found everywhere, but they are shunned everywhere too, so they would make ideal couriers. In a subsequent private conversation Turval commiserates with Delenn over the death of Marcus and warns her that Lennier is pushing himself too hard in training.

Garibaldi wraps up interviewing the two telepaths assigned to assist with intelligence gathering for the Alliance, then asks Zack to pull the Captain's personnel file. Zack objects strongly while Garibaldi argues that his suspicions are just common sense. Then Zack is called away on a tip about the murders.

The two young Rangers stroll nervously through Downbelow. They pass Trace who is giving the young woman who sent the tip to Zack a voucher for a ticket back to Earth. When she protests the plan to kill Zack, a man grabs her. Her scream reaches the Rangers and they have a quick debate over whether to assist her. Tannier, the happy religious caste one goes to her aid, while Rastenn holds back. Tannier saves the woman but is overpowered and beaten to a pulp by Trace's men.

Delenn and the other Rangers watch Tannier in Medlab. As long as Franklin can get him standing, they'll take care of the rest, Durhan says. It's time for Mora'Dum. Franklin is shocked when Delenn tells him that this is a Ranger training exercise called the "application of terror."

Delenn meets with Lochley about the matter. When Lochley suggests that letting the Rangers deal with this would amount to vigilantism, Delenn reminds the Captain sternly that all members of the Alliance have recognized the Rangers' autonomy. Lochley is annoyed that she has been overridden by both Delenn and the President, and comments, "that's not like him." She brushes aside Delenn's query about this and argues that the Rangers shouldn't be used for revenge. It's not about revenge, Delenn replies. It's about terror.

Turval finds Rastenn at Tannier's bedside. Rastenn admits that he abandoned Tannier because he was afraid of dying pointlessly. Turval leads him to see that we imbue our lives and deaths with meaning ourselves. That by living each moment like it was the last, and acting with the correct motives we can never die pointlessly, because "death will have meaning if it comes when you are in fullest pursuit of your heart."

Delenn explains to Lochley that the terror that must be conquered is Tannier's, lest it cripple him from within. As soon as Tannier can stand he will be sent back Downbelow to find the man who hurt him and confront him alone. Zack is ordered to have the sector where the attack took place cleared of all security personnel.

To Trace, the removal of security seems like a victory -- until the power goes out. In the dim glow of the emergency backup lights, Trace's men begin to drop one by one to a terrifying dance of Rangers in the dark. Running frantically to escape, Trace is finally corralled by a ring of Rangers and faced off against Tannier. He is given a fighting staff and assured that if he can defeat Tannier he will be free to leave the circle. Turval narrates the fight, managing to turn Trace's failure with both staff and fists into a lesson to the others on the nature of a bully: quick to tell others to do what he's afraid of himself.

As they leave the station, Turval asks Delenn to come back to Minbar soon. Delenn explains that her work is still on the station for now.

Watching this farewell on a station securecam, Garibaldi comments admiringly to Zack that when the Minbari start something they don't stop until they finish it. Snooping at Zack's desk, Garibaldi thinks he spies the Captain's file, causing Zack to shout at him to give it a rest.

As they prepare for bed Delenn asks John about Lochley's chance phrase. A guilty look creeps onto his face. Later, as they lie in bed rigidly, John swears that he was waiting for the right opportunity to explain. "Ten seconds after you thought of it would have been good," remarks Delenn dryly.

Legacies

Overview

A girl entering puberty exhibits telepathic abilities, and the crew must decide whether to turn her over to the Psi Corps. The corpse of the Minbari military leader who oversaw the Battle of the Line is the focus of a diplomatic incident. John Vickery as Neroon. Grace Una as Alisa Beldon. 
Sub-genre: Intrigue
P5 Rating: 7.87

Production number: 115
Original air date: July 20, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by D. C. Fontana
Directed by Bruce Seth Green

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Legacies

Sinclair and Garibaldi await the arrival of a ship bearing the body of Branmer, the Minbari general who led the attack on the Line. Branmer died on a diplomatic mission and his ship is enroute home, stopping along the way to let people pay their respects. The ship -- a Minbari cruiser, the same kind that Sinclair fought on the Line -- arrives through the jumpgate.

On the zocalo, Ivanova is taking a break. Talia Winters arrives and sits across the bar from her. Meanwhile, a girl in scruffy clothing steals a piece of jewelry from a vendor. She's spotted, and runs away, then collapses on the floor, unconscious. Talia and Ivanova rush to her side. "She's a telepath," Talia says.

The Minbari ship approaches the station. Scans indicate that it's flying with gun ports open -- armed for a fight. The captain refuses to explain, but Delenn arrives at the command center in time to explain that it's simply a way of honoring a great military leader.

In medlab, Dr. Franklin reports that the girl appears normal except for unusually high EEG readings. Talia explains that she was a latent telepath whose powers suddenly activated -- probably due to the onset of puberty -- and her mind was unable to cope with the sudden inrush of foreign thoughts. Talia offers to notify the Psi-Corps so they can send a representative, but Ivanova objects.

Franklin examines the girl.

A procession bearing Branmer's casket comes aboard. Neroon, Branmer's second in command, greets Sinclair and Delenn. Ivanova and Garibaldi lead him away to the area they've prepared for the viewing of Branmer's body. Delenn comments to Sinclair that such a viewing is very unusual, but that the Star Riders, Branmer's clan, insisted on it. She seems disturbed.

The funeral procession.

Ivanova arrives in medlab just as the girl awakens. As she gains consciousness, she's nearly overwhelmed by the thoughts of the other people nearby, but Talia teaches her how to block them out. According to Talia, who couldn't help picking up the girl's thoughts, her name is Alisa Belden, and both of her parents are dead. Ivanova and Talia argue about who has jurisdiction over Alisa; Ivanova vows that Alisa won't leave the station if she can help it.

Neroon won't allow Garibaldi's men to guard Branmer's body until the viewing ceremony. He insists on Minbari guards. He baits Sinclair about the Line, but Delenn defuses the conversation.

Neroon makes his demand.

The ceremony proceeds normally until the casket is opened. Branmer's body is nowhere to be seen.

Sinclair orders Garibaldi to begin an investigation. Neroon threatens to go to war over the issue, claiming that the last incident involving a Minbari leader, the death of Dukhat (which Garibaldi counters was a tragic accident) was the cause of the last war. He's rebuffed by Delenn, who says that no one clan has the right to dictate Minbari policy.

After Neroon and Delenn leave, Ivanova tells Sinclair about Alisa. Sinclair says he'll stand behind whatever decision Ivanova makes.

Later, Sinclair visits Delenn in her quarters. As she adds pieces to her crystal sculpture, Delenn tells Sinclair that Branmer was originally a high priest of the religious caste. When the holy war against Earth began, Branmer felt an obligation to go to battle. He felt the Minbari cause was just, but obeyed the surrender order when it came. Another warleader, Sineval, committed suicide rather than obey the order, and many among the military caste greatly resent the surrender. Sinclair notes that Neroon is one of them; he seems to be spoiling for a rematch.

Discussing Neroon.

In medlab, Alisa is trying on new clothes, courtesy of the Psi Corps, while Talia tells her that the Corps will take good care of her once she joins. Ivanova arrives and counters with the story of the Corps' treatment of her mother.

Neroon intercepts Garibaldi in a corridor. The investigation is meeting with no success so far. An aide rushes up, clutching a piece of Branmer's burial robe. He says it was found outside the quarters of the pak'ma'ra -- carrion eaters.

Garibaldi and Neroon interrogate one of the pak'ma'ra, who claims ignorance about the disappearance of Branmer's body. Convinced that the alien is hiding something, Garibaldi orders all the pak'ma'ra to have their stomachs pumped.

The pak'ma'ra denies knowledge.

Na'Toth offers a deal to Alisa: a pampered life on the Narn homeworld in exchange for periodic tissue samples. Trying to get a glimpse of life on Narn, Alisa peers into Na'Toth's mind, and is repulsed; it's cold, alien. Franklin suggests that she take that into account while she considers the offer.

Na'Toth makes her offer.

Dr. Franklin reports to Garibaldi that analysis of the pak'ma'ras' stomach contents was negative; they hadn't dined on Minbari lately.

Neroon, furious that Garibaldi is wasting his time pumping alien stomachs, threatens to have his ship tear the station apart if Garibaldi can't solve the mystery.

Tests reveal that Alisa is at least a P10, which she jokes will probably make her worth more to the Narn. Ivanova warns Alisa against accepting the Narn offer, citing evidence that the Narn keep aliens as slaves and are likely to do so to Alisa once she's in their clutches. Talia once again suggests the Psi-Corps, provoking a heated argument with Ivanova; Alisa breaks in and says she wants to know all her options.

Ivanova takes Alisa to visit Delenn, who describes Minbari telepaths. Psi ability among the Minbari is considered a rare gift, and those who have it lead lives of public service, helping people who need their talents. In return, the Minbari people provide for all the psis' needs. While Delenn speaks, Alisa peers into her mind, and to her shock sees a vision of white-robed Minbari stunning the guards in front of Branmer's coffin, then opening the lid. Alisa flees Delenn's quarters; Delenn can clearly feel that she was being scanned. Alisa tells Ivanova that Delenn knows what happened to the body.

Discussing Minbari telepaths.

Sinclair enters his quarters to find them a shambles. He's attacked from behind by Neroon. The two of them scuffle; Neroon claims that he wanted to search the one place that would be strictly off-limits. But Garibaldi, arriving with Alisa in tow, claims he searched Sinclair's quarters with Delenn observing, and ushers Neroon away. Alisa tells Sinclair what she saw in Delenn's mind.

Delenn and an aide are packing something into a cargo container when Sinclair bursts into the cargo area. It's an urn, containing Branmer's ashes.

Delenn claims that she's honoring Branmer's wishes; he asked for a simple ceremony, and wouldn't want his body paraded around as a symbol of war. She had planned to pass the disappearance off as a miracle, a transformation of Branmer's body so that he could take his place among the gods. Now Sinclair and Garibaldi are in a difficult position, since they've promised to tell Neroon the results of their investigation. Delenn offers a compromise: Neroon will be told the truth, but she will tell him.

Neroon is furious when he learns what happened. He vows to lead a protest personally. Delenn stops him cold, claiming that if he contradicts her claim of transformation, the Star Riders will be destroyed, dishonored, by the Grey Council, whose opinion she claims to represent. She orders him to obey her, "just as you obeyed the order to end the war," and further to apologize to Sinclair.

Neroon does so, and is surprised when Sinclair offers to pay tribute to Branmer's courage and skill in a personal message to the Minbari people. "Perhaps there was some small wisdom in letting your people live," Neroon says. "We like to think so," replies Sinclair.

Neroon and Sinclair reconcile.

Sinclair and Delenn are talking in the stone garden when Alisa arrives and announces that she's going to live with the Minbari. Delenn claims that Alisa will help increase the understanding and communication between humans and Minbari. Sinclair agrees.

Alisa bids Ivanova and Talia an emotional farewell. Talia doesn't agree with her decision, but admits that Sinclair is right; Alisa's presence among the Minbari will benefit both peoples.

Sinclair meets up with Alisa on her way aboard the Minbari ship, and asks her if she saw anything else in Delenn's mind. Alisa responds that there was one other thing, a word, "chrysalis." "She shut down real fast when I touched that," Alisa says. She boards the cruiser, leaving Sinclair to ponder the significance of the word.

Synopsis by Steven Grimm

Lines of Communication

Overview

Franklin and Marcus try to convince the leaders of the resistance to go along with Sheridan's plan to unseat Clark. Delenn investigates a series of attacks on Minbari allies. Minbar begins to slide toward civil war. Marjorie Monaghan as Number One. Paolo Seganti as Phillipe. G.W. Stevens as Forell. 
P5 Rating: 8.30

Production number: 411
Original air week: April 28, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John Flinn III

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Lines of Communication

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Commander Ivanova finds the Captain scowling at another ISN broadcast "reporting on" the mistreatment of humans aboard Babylon 5. From the tone they figure it is only a matter of time before Earth attacks the station again, but this time as part of a "rescue mission." Just then a more welcome message is logged from Franklin on Mars.

The meeting with the leaders of the resistance is ready to begin as soon as everyone arrives. Franklin and Marcus' mission to Mars is well-timed. Number One of the Mars Resistance estimates that Earth Force will have captured and subdued all of Mars within a few months. But she warns that some of her allies are more dangerous than she is. No sooner are the words spoken than Marcus rushes in exclaiming that their hotel has just been bombed and 10 civilians killed. Number One departs in a fury.

These are not the only unprovoked attacks baffling the Army of Light. A visiting Minbari, Forell, tells Delenn of raiders destroying transports and ships along the borders of various peoples dependent on the Minbari for their protection. Even more disturbing is the news that the warrior caste refuses to protect these allies now that the Grey Council has been broken.

Delenn finds Sheridan in C&C and explains that she needs to take a flight of White Stars out to determine who is attacking their allies. He balks at her personal involvement until she reminds him not to forget who she was, and who she is and what she can do.

Number One angrily accosts Philippe, an Earth resistance leader, for bombing the hotel without her authorization. What he does on Earth is his business. What he does on Mars is her responsibility, and she will gut him if he forgets that again.

ISN is still replaying the story of Sheridan suffering from Minbari War Syndrome, when a new idea strikes the Captain. He can't wait for morning, and instead runs off to roust Ivanova from her bed and drag her into the War Room. "I've been here before," she reminds him, bleary eyed and unkempt. So he begins to explain.

"You have a face people trust," he says. When she was giving status reports during the war, she provided everyone with solid, reliable information. Now it's time to do it again, he says, but on a larger scale. This time, the War Room will become the Voice of the Resistance, broadcasting live to ships, to colonies, and to Earth, competing directly with ISN for ownership of the truth.

As he exits with brisk enthusiasm, he tells her to go back to bed, leaving her muttering more empty threats against his safety.

The White Stars speed through hyperspace. Delenn asks Forell how bad things are back home. The Grey Council held their society together. Now the castes are at odds again. He tells her how the warrior caste forced all members of the religious caste out of a certain city in the midst of polar wastelands. Most of them died of exposure and starvation. His family was among them. Although the warrior caste stopped short of actually killing Minbari with their own hands, there are few who wouldn't call them murderers for this action.

With the resistance leaders all assembled, Franklin begins his appeal. Sheridan is offering an alliance. He will support their cause actively if they will fight with him to overturn President Clark. If they will carry out any order coming from Babylon 5 no matter how strange, then when it is all done, he promises that Mars will have its freedom. But, Franklin adds angrily, this means no more terrorist attacks against civilians.

The White Stars pop out of hyperspace and find a distress signal being send out by a dying Pak'ma'ra. They reach the site only to find a fleet of unknown ships. Delenn is ready for first contact this time and opens a channel. When ships identify themselves as Drakh, Lennier is alarmed to discover that they speak Minbari. This could only occur if this were not true first contact.

It is instantly apparent who has talked to the Drakh before when Forell pulls a weapon on Delenn and tells her that he has brought her here to listen to their message.

Number One grants the B5 duo her grudging approval, before catching Franklin out as a liar. There is no way Sheridan could have sent the message to stop terrorist bombing because news of these attacks isn't getting off of Mars. Sheepishly Franklin admits that he just threw that in to help her.

As soon as she leaves, Marcus starts pestering the Doctor about his new love. Franklin denies it until she walks back in and invites him to dinner. (Marcus she assigns to guard duty.) "Touch passion, Stephen," Marcus advises. "Don't walk away when it calls you by name."

The White Stars follow the Drakh to their mother ship and Delenn allows an emissary on board. Dark and deadly, the Drakh hisses, shudders and trembles its way to the bridge.

Forell explains that the religious caste needs allies in order to defend themselves against the warrior caste. In exchange for some deserted worlds along their border, these Drakh will help the religious caste in the looming civil war. The Drakh want peace, he argues. They only want a home.

"Because they have just lost their home," Lennier finishes, mouthing "Z'ha'dum" to Delenn.

Forell admits that he couldn't have hurt Delenn, but he needed to show her that here they had a way to be the "salvation of their people."

Delenn tells the creature that she will return in a week with an answer. "You will not regret this, Delenn," Forell says. The Drakh stops and hisses with recognition, "Delenn!" before departing.

She realizes her mortal danger at that instant. Now that these Drakh know her, she tells Forell, they will take revenge for her part in the Shadow war. The White Star fleet is surrounded and stationary. There is no time to escape by jump point or by fleeing. So instead, she orders Lennier to fly straight at the mother ship, "skin dancing" along its hull until they have built up enough speed to escape through jump points. In the process, White Star 16 is destroyed.

Forell has been struck by a falling beam and is fatally wounded. With his final words he begs Delenn's forgiveness. "No. I am sorry, Forell. I should never have been away this long," she utters as his body is carried away.

Safe in hyperspace, Lennier begins to set a course for Babylon 5, but now with blood in her eye Delenn overrides him and orders the White Stars to attack. The angry, attacking White Stars make short work of most of the Drakh fighters, and as the mother ship races for the local jump gate, Delenn's flagship beats her there and fires through her hull from stem to stern.

Upon her return Delenn finds Sheridan in the revamped War Room. Apparently there have been more sightings of the Drakh in other areas. But that isn't the only bad news she brings him. "The caste system is falling apart," she says. She must go to try and save her people from the ravages of civil war, and attempt to rebuild the Grey Council. Sheridan is unhappy to hear these words. But she comforts him, arguing that humans form communities which are more powerful than the individuals were before. This is humanity's strength, and also what makes them dangerous. Since his return from Z'ha'dum, the Captain has been trying to pretend that he hasn't changed. But he has. And now in order to fight the battles ahead and rebuild what has been destroyed he needs to be dangerous. With her gone, she knows that he will be able to do that.

Far away on Mars, a lonely Ranger sits on guard duty, listening to a woman's voice gasping Stephen's name.

Matters of Honor

Overview

While an Earth official investigates the mystery ship encountered by Lt. Keffer in hyperspace, Londo attempts to sever his ties with Morden. Sheridan receives a new tool in the fight against the Shadows. Tucker Smallwood as David Endawi. Ed Wasser as Morden. 
P5 Rating: 8.60

Production number: 301
Original air week: November 6, 1995
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Kevin Cremin

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Matters of Honor

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

While the station is being repaired, both inside and out, Sheridan goes to the rock garden, where he meets Ambassador Kosh. He tells Kosh that, ever since Kosh had saved his life the previous week, he hadn't thanked him properly, and that Kosh hadn't returned his calls. Sheridan asks Kosh if everything is all right.

"Being seen by so many at once was a great strain. I returned to my ship to rest. You have a question?" Kosh asks.

"Nobody knows it was you. Everyone saw something different, something from the legends of their own world. But it was still a terrible risk. After taking such...such care to hide what you really are, why take that chance?"

"It was...necessary."

"Well, as answers go: Short to the point, utterly useless, and totally consistent. What I've come to expect from a Vorlon."

"Good."

"You know... I just had a thought. You've been back and forth to your homeworld so many times since you got here, how do I know you're the same Vorlon? Inside that encounter suit, you could be anyone."

"I have always been here."

"Oh yeah? You said that about me too."

"Yes."

"I really hate it when you do that."

"Good," Kosh tells Sheridan as he leaves him alone in the garden.

A large ship, piloted by a Drazi, blasts off from a planet, under constant fire from two orbiting stations. The ship flies toward the barrier around the planet, and manages to get through it, being slightly damaged in the process. After the ship breaks through the barrier, the pilot launches a smaller ship from it, which flies away, escaping just as the larger ship is destroyed. The smaller ship is fired upon and hit, but still able to make the jump to its pilot's destination: Babylon 5. In order to speed up the trip, the pilot orders all non-necessary life support power to the engines.

Sheridan tells Ivanova, who is with him in the docking bay, that he is tired of the unannounced visits of V.I.P's from Earth, since they are never given enough information. The man they are waiting for arrives and introduces himself as David Endawi, who asks that they go somewhere private, and that Ambassador Delenn join them.

Garibaldi brings the pilot of the small ship into the new Medlab facilities, and Franklin tells Garibaldi that he will have Dr. Sanchez do an examination, and inform him of the results. Garibaldi leaves, and Franklin examines the man, dressed in the uniform of a Ranger. He calls Sanchez to inform her he needs her help, but upon turning around, the Ranger is gone.

Londo is sitting at a bar drinking when Morden arrives, per Londo's request. Londo tells Morden that he has been doing a great deal of thinking and now, that the Narn War is over, they should reconsider their relationship. He feels that the Centauri no longer need the help of Morden's associates. Morden asks Londo if he is being premature in his desire for them to disappear, since they might not know what lies ahead, but Londo tells him he is sure, and wants Morden and his associates to "go away." Morden agrees, telling him that he will meet Londo in his quarters later, after meeting with his associates, to discuss the dissolving of their partnership.

Sheridan, Ivanova, Delenn, and Endawi are in Sheridan's office when Endawi asks Delenn if, as a member of the older races, she has any information about the mysterious ship that Lt. Keffer recorded shortly before his death. Endawi asks what Keffer knew about the ship, and Sheridan and Ivanova insist they didn't know what he knew about it. Endawi explains that the ship is obviously from a highly advanced civilization, and that they are worried about the threat the ship might represent, and it is his job to gather information about it. Delenn apologizes to Endawi, but tells him she has never seen a ship of this type before. Endawi asks her if she's sure, but she insists she is. Endawi asks if a ship like this had entered Babylon 5 space, and Sheridan says no. Endawi asks for quarters to stay in until he has been able to talk to the other ambassadors, and Ivanova escorts him out. After they leave, Sheridan asks if the ship belongs to the Shadows, who Delenn had told him about several months earlier. Delenn acknowledges this, saying that it is important to convince the Shadows that they are unaware of the Shadow's but that she didn't lie: she had never actually seen on of their ships before. She says that Shadow ships are relentless and nigh invincible, but Sheridan doesn't believe it. She tells him that he will only feel that way until he sees what they can do. "Take a good look, John. That is the face of our enemy."

Lennier meets Delenn and tells her that someone is looking for her. When she tries to brush him off, Lennier changes her mind by presenting the badge of the man brought into Medlab, which Delenn recognizes immediately.

Endawi meets with Londo, and asks him what he knows about the ship from Keffer's recording. Londo tells Endawi that this is the ship he has seen in a dream where he is standing on Centauri Prime, with similar ships passing overhead, until their numbers grow so great, they blot out the sun. But, Londo says that's all he knows about the ship, and apologizes that he couldn't be of more help. Endawi thanks Londo, and leaves.

Delenn and Lennier, in disguise, venture into Downbelow and enter a tavern, where they sit down. The ranger comes up to them and gives them drinks, which they initially do not accept, but soon do in order to avoid drawing attention. Lennier tastes the drink and discovers it has no alcohol in it. The Ranger, who identifies himself as Marcus, says it proves he was waiting for them, since very few know of alcohol's effects on Minbari. Marcus tells Delenn he needs her help, but would prefer to discuss it in private. They leave the tavern, but are followed. They soon run into a group of thugs, who insist they give over their possessions. Marcus pulls out a Mimbari staff, and begins fighting the thugs. Delenn and Lennier join in, and the thieves are soon defeated. The three of them quickly run away.

Ivanova enters Sheridan's office, where he, Garibaldi, Delenn, Lennier, and Marcus are already waiting for them. Sheridan tries to explain the Rangers to her, but she has already known about them for a long time. Marcus tells all of them that the he came from Zagros VII, a Drazi world, where there is a Ranger training camp, created partly for safety, and partly because certain Minbari are uncomfortable with the Rangers. Marcus explains that the planet was blockaded two weeks earlier by the Centauri and that he believes the Ranger camp is the target. He pleads for Sheridan to help the Rangers evacuate. Garibaldi says that they don't have the means for such an attack, since it would require a powerful warship and crew, but Marcus tells him they have the means, if Sheridan and the others have the will. Ivanova reminds Sheridan of Endawi, and Sheridan tells Garibaldi to take charge of him while the others prepare to go to Zagros VII. They soon board a shuttle, file a fake destination in the station's log, and they, and an accompanying Minbari flyer, head out.

Morden tells Londo that he wants to make sure that the Centauri are clear on the details of their separation. He brings up a map of the galaxy and draws a line on it, showing the quarter of it which the Centauri may conquer at will. As long as they don't trespass into the territory of Morden's associates, there won't be any problems. Londo asks how he can be sure that Morden's associates won't attack him, and Morden says he can't, but that they have what they want, and aren't concerned with the rest. Londo quickly agrees to Morden's conditions, but Morden tells him there is one more condition. There is one world, on the edge of the Centauri boundaries, that his associates want custody of, and he has already convinced Lord Refa to secure it until his associates can arrive. When Londo asks if he might be able to see the ships of Morden's associates one day, Morden tells Londo ominously to ensure no Centauri remain near Zagros VII when his associates get there.

The shuttle and the flyer pull out of hyperspace and arrive near a beautiful, strange, magnificent ship. "Her name," Marcus tells them, "is the White Star. And she's yours, Captain."

Endawi protests to Garibaldi that he was assured Sheridan and Ivanova were available, but with some quick double-talk, Garibaldi convinces Endawi that he isn't allowed to let himself know where they went. He suggests that Endawi talk to G'Kar unofficially, since the Centauri-Earth treaty prohibits official contact with the Narn.

As they explore the ship, Delenn explains that the White Star is a new type of Minbari warship--smaller and faster than normal, an amalgam of Minbari and Vorlon technology. It looks just different enough so that it cannot be identified. She takes them to the bridge, where the crew, consisting of members of the religious caste, busily prepares the ship for its mission. Sheridan tries to order them to Zagros VII, but Lennier says he must act as interpreter, since most of the crew isn't familiar with English. The ship blasts off toward Zagros VII.

Endawi asks G'Kar if he knows anything about the mysterious ship. With an exclamation of relief G'Kar turns an opened Book of G'Quan toward Endawi, where there is a picture which bears a striking resemblance to the Shadow ship. "They came to our world over a thousand of your years ago, long before we went to the stars ourselves. They set up a base on one of our southern continents. They took little interest in us. G'Quan believed they were engaged in a war, far outside our own world."

"G'Quan?" Endawi asks.

"One of our greatest spiritual leaders. The Book of G'Quan is copied by hand from the original with every note and line precisely drawn. This ship and your ship are the same. I tried to warn the others that the ancient enemy was returning. But no one listened... Perhaps now they will."

"But if this is correct, why would they just disappear for a thousand years?"

"To all things, there is a time, Mr. Endawi. Perhaps this is theirs."

While on their way to Zagros VII, Ivanova asks how Marcus became a Ranger, and he explains it was because of his brother, who died trying to warn him about a Shadow attack on the mining colony where he was working. Marcus promised his brother he would carry on the mission. The White Star comes out of hyperspace, near Zagros VII, and approaches the planet. They call the Rangers and tell them to be ready to escape. The White Star destroys the mines and stations around the planet, but too easily. Sheridan can't believe there wouldn't be a Centauri warship guarding it, and asks Lennier if the scanners are working properly. To prove they are, Lennier shows him, displaying more of the White Star's unique abilities. Ivanova detects a disturbance, and they put it up on the screen. It is the ship they all saw from Lt. Keffer's flight recorder: A Shadow ship.

Sheridan declares that the Shadows must have come for the Rangers who he promises not to abandon. Delenn insists they aren't yet ready to fight, but they aren't given much of a choice when the Shadow ship attacks. The White Star manage to maneuver out of the way of its attack, which shocks Delenn, since the Shadows never miss. After they clear the last mine blockading the Rangers, they tell the Rangers to clear out. Sheridan tells Lennier to proceed to the jumpgate since the Shadows won't suspect that the White Star can open a jump point because of its small size, and he wants to keep every advantage he can. Delenn says the ship will follow them wherever they go, and Sheridan says he's counting on it. The White Star enters the jumpgate, with the Shadow ship following close behind.

Delenn pleads with Sheridan to call for help. They don't have any chance of destroying the ship alone, since it is so much bigger than they are. Alluding to the Black Star Sheridan tells her that he has heard that before. As they continue through hyperspace, Sheridan asks Ivanova what would happen if they were to open a jump point while inside a jumpgate, and Ivanova explains that it would be suicide: the energy released would be too great to escape from. Sheridan asks Lennier if the White Star is quick enough to escape, and Lennier says he doesn't know. Sheridan says that they are probably near sector 45, and that they should use that gate to try the maneuver. It is the jumpgate near the Markab homeworld, which other races have been using the strip the planet bare. The White Star opens the jumpgate, while activating her jump engines. Just as the point forms, the White Star escapes the jumpgate which explodes in a fierce burst of energy, which damages the White Star, but destroys the tailing Shadow ship.

The original shuttle and Minbari flyer arrive back on Babylon 5 to be met by Mr. Endawi, who demands to know why they lied about where they were going and what they were doing. Sheridan and Delenn say that they had to tow a Minbari diplomatic shuttle to a nearby jumpgate. They apologize, but Endawi is on his way back to Earth. He tells them he has all the information he needs, and that he will send a copy of the report.

Back on Earth, Endawi presents his information to a senator in Earth Dome, telling her what he found, though he reached nothing conclusive. She tells him that she will inform him of what they find. Soon after he leaves, two other men come into her office. One of them is Morden, and the other is a Psi Cop. She tells them that there is little information, and that the ship is a complete mystery to everyone on Babylon 5 except legends. Morden suggests that the Earth government dismiss it as an isolated incident, but the telepath disagrees, saying that a threat to planetary security could be useful in speeding up the program at home. Intrigued, Morden asks him to explain.

Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, Franklin, Delenn, and Marcus sit around a large table while Sheridan outlines his plan for a War Council: Whatever anyone learns they will share every two weeks, in hopes that together they can achieve more than they can working separately. Sheridan tells them that they can say anything they like during these meetings.

Franklin says, "Well, then, I have a question. Granted, I am stuck in Medlab most of the time, and granted, I'm usually the last to know anything around here, and granted, we've all been pretty busy lately, but could someone please tell me what the hell these Shadows are?"

Sheridan indicates to Delenn that she should explain, which she does. "There are beings in the universe billions of years older than any of our races. They walked among the stars like giants, vast and timeless. They created great empires, taught the new races, explored beyond the Rim... The oldest of the Ancients are the Shadows. We have no other name for them..."

Meditations on the Abyss

Overview

Without Sheridan's knowledge, Delenn sends Lennier on a mission to try to figure out the source of the raids. Martin Cast as Findell. Richard Ynigues as Montoya. 
P5 Rating: 8.21

Production number: 515
Original air date: May 27, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Meditations on the Abyss

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)

In the middle of the night, Delenn lies in bed, awake. She receives a muted signal, stands up, and leaves. Half asleep, Sheridan asks her where she is going. She claims she only wants to get some documents from her quarters; reassured, Sheridan falls back to sleep.

But Delenn is not going to her quarters. Instead, she goes to a bar in Downbelow. She is accosted by a human, who hits on her. First she asks him to leave politely. When he refuses, she breaks one of his fingers. When he goes after her again, he is stopped by a hooded Ranger, who beats him unconscious. The Ranger is Lennier.

Lennier joins Delenn in a deserted corridor. He has a fresh scar on his cheek, given to him by a Drazi during hand-to-hand combat training. She explains that they have compelling reasons to believe the Centauri are behind the attacks on the Alliance shipping lines ("The Ragged Edge"), but no evidence. She will assign him to a White Star on a training mission near Centauri space. She hopes his experience with the Centauri, unmatched by anyone else within the Rangers thanks to his tenure as her aide, will help him find the solid evidence they need.

Lennier asks why the secrecy. Delenn explains that they need to keep the information away from the other worlds until they have evidence, and more importantly, she does not want Sheridan to know. If Sheridan finds out, he will try to stop Lennier, to protect him and to protect Delenn from hurt, should anything happen to Lennier. So she wants nobody, especially Sheridan, to know. Not even the captain of the ship he is assigned to knows his true mission.

Before he leaves, Lennier tells Delenn about Morden's visit during the "Day of the Dead", and his prophecy that Lennier would, one day, betray the Rangers.

Londo, meanwhile, is in his quarters when Vir arrives, loaded with supplies. While Londo was away, Vir was eating out, so there is nothing fresh. Londo chastises him: someone in Vir's position should not eat like that. Vir asks what he means, but before Londo can explain, an alarm goes off on his desk: a listening device was hidden in one of the bags of groceries Vir just bought from a Drazi merchant. Londo makes some disparaging remarks about Drazi in general and the Drazi Ambassador's wife in particular, loud and clear in front of the microphone, before he destroys the device.

Then he continues: although he thinks Vir is not quite ready yet, Londo has decided that Vir will be the Centauri Ambassador to Babylon 5 once Londo becomes Emperor.

Lennier arrives on board White Star 27, which has unofficially been christened the Maria by her Captain, Enrique Montoya. The Captain is impressed with Lennier's experience, but warns that since Lennier is officially a trainee, he will be treated the same as the others. When Lennier asks about the name, Montoya replies that the ship needed a proper name, so he named it after his sister. "And where is your sister?" asks Lennier. "With God," replies Montoya, curtly. Lennier tells Findell, a fellow trainee, that he has asked an indiscreet question. But Findell reassures him: "The Captain does not believe in indiscreet questions. He believes the only way to get pertinent information is by asking impertinent questions." "Then," says Lennier with a faint smile, "I believe I may have finally found a home."

G'Kar enters Sheridan's office, where Sheridan, Delenn, and the Drazi ambassador wait. The Drazi informs them of new attacks on Drazi ships, and tells Sheridan he believes the Council knows who is behind the attacks. Sheridan says they have nothing but leads, and Delenn asks the Drazi to have some patience. The Drazi Ambassador promises they will be patient, because she requests it. However, he strongly implies he knows that Centauri are behind the attacks, and thinks Sheridan and the others are just covering up because they need the Centauri for the alliance. Londo comes in then, and after inquiring about the health of the Drazi Ambassador's wife, tells them about the bug he found in his quarters. He is also perplexed at not being invited to this meeting, but leaves. The Drazi soon follows. G'Kar also leaves: Dr. Franklin has informed him that he has finally obtained a Narn artificial eye for G'Kar, and G'Kar is eager to have it fitted in.

Aboard the Maria, Findell tells Lennier the Captain wants both of them to scout the area after the ship comes out of hyperspace. But he didn't ask them to look for anything in particular. Findell points out that Montoya often leaves out important information, a habit he finds frustrating. But Lennier says Montoya is trying to teach them the human way of doing things, and to have them react with initiative to new situations, a new concept for the rigid and tradition-bound Minbari. Lennier offers to help Findell adjust, but Findell haughtily denies he needs any help.

Franklin fits G'Kar with the Narn eye, and G'Kar is overjoyed. During the procedure, Franklin mentions he has been reading G'Kar's book, and would like to sit in on his weekly talks on the Book of G'Kar. G'Kar agrees.

The Maria drops into normal space, and Lennier and Findell launch soon after. Lennier notes an anomaly: although their systems checked fine before launching, they now only have one hour's supply of air. But before they can contact the ship, the Maria jumps out, leaving them behind. Lennier suggest staying put, and going into a meditation trance to conserve air. Findell is clearly agitated, and doesn't know if he can enter the trance. But he agrees to try. However, an hour later Findell has almost exhausted his air supply. Desperate, he starts flying away looking for some air. Just then, the Maria jumps back in: it was all a training exercise. As Captain Montoya explains in the debriefing, it is possible that they may be left behind during a mission, since the ship and the mission it is carrying out is more important than any individual. He also praises Lennier's analysis and actions.

In the Zocalo, Vir confronts the Drazi vendor and demands an explanation for the bugging. But the Drazi laughs at him: "We all know you, Vir Cotto. We know what you are. You are weak! You are foolish! And now you will go away or I will swat you!" He shoves Vir, who silently turns away and retreats.

But Vir is not done. He goes to Londo's quarters and takes a sword off the wall. Londo, intrigued, follows him out. Vir returns to the Zocalo, and while yelling he smashes the Drazi's fruit stand. The Drazi trembles and drops to the ground, imploring. Vir puts the tip of the sword to the Drazi's neck, and challenges him: "Now... want to finish our little conversation, spoo for brains?" "It.. it was a misunderstanding!" stammers the Drazi; "It was a terribel mistake!" Londo is watching from a distance, smiling. Vir gets restrained by a couple of security guards, and Zack Allen arrives: "What happened to Vir?" he asks Londo. "I promoted him," replies a satisfied Londo. "Now, now he is ready to be the Ambassador for the Centauri."

Aboard the Maria, Captain Montoya describes the next training mission to Lennier, Findell, and two other cadets. They will engage in an Easter Egg Hunt: in a dangerous asteroid field, Montoya has hidden 39 short range homing devices. Each ranger should destroy at least ten. This means someone will fail, of course, and Findell is convinced the Captain means him. Lennier asks Findell why he joined the Rangers, and Findell explains he lost two members of his family, both Rangers, during the Shadow War; it has fallen on him to carry on their work. Lennier points out that his purpose may be flawed, and if so he shouldn't be a Ranger.

In the field, Lennier is off to an early lead, and Findell is dead last. Findell cuts his communications to the Maria, and heads toward a large asteroid. Lennier follows him, and through a private channel confronts Findell. Findell knows he will fail, and cannot bear the shame of failure. Lennier targets Findell's engines, and then rams the ship to knock him off collision course; the maneuver almost destroys Lennier's own ship.

Back on board the Maria, Montoya is furious. He demands an explanation, and Lennier claims his computer malfunctioned and fired on Findell before he could override it. He also claims it was Findell's maneuver that knocked him off course and prevented him from crashing on the asteroid. Montoya fails Lennier on the exercise, but gives Findell a neutral grade. Finally, he has chosen a new assignment for Findell: Findell will return to Minbar, and join the recruitment office. There, he will ask each candidate why they want to join the Rangers. And if their purpose is not clear, if they are joining for the wrong reasons, Findell will not let them through. It is a very important, and honorable, task, Montoya says. One Findell is uniquely qualified for. Glad of having an honorable way out, Findell thanks the Captain and leaves.

Captain Montoya then tells Lennier, off the record, that Lennier did a good job. "And I know," adds Montoya. "And you should learn a very important lesson: Never, ever assume that no one can listen in on a private channel."

At the end of the day, Zack is recounting the incident with Vir to Franklin, Delenn, and Sheridan over dinner. Since nobody got hurt, and the Drazi didn't want to admit to bugging Londo's quarters, he didn't press charges. So Zack just took Vir aside and talked to him. On more sober matters, Sheridan points out that they have a month at most before the other worlds lose their patience and start attacking on their own: they need some proof, and they need it soon.

There is an empty chair at the table: Delenn sent a note inviting Garibaldi, but he hasn't shown up. In Garibaldi's quarters, the message board is flashing, unattended. Garibaldi is on the floor, singing and drinking...

Messages from Earth

Overview

As the Senate continues to investigate President Clark, an archaeologist brings news of a development back home that forces Sheridan to act against the Earth government. The Nightwatch tightens its grip on the civilian population. Nancy Stafford as Dr. Kirkish. 
P5 Rating: 9.06

Production number: 308
Original air week: February 19, 1996
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Messages from Earth

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Garibaldi is griping about having to eat the same breakfast every day for three years when an attractive covered plate arrives for Ivanova with a little note attached. To everyone's astonishment it turns out to be fresh eggs and bacon which Marcus has miraculously managed to smuggle aboard as a surprise thank you gift. As he and Sheridan drool, Susan swears to get even for this when she can find Marcus.

At the moment however, Marcus is trying very hard not to be found, or to be beaten up. He is busily fending off five or six men attacking him and a woman in DownBelow. He succeeds, but just barely and the woman is knocked out.

The daily routine continues but in the background ISN reports new evidence regarding President Clark and the assassination of his predecessor ("Hunter, Prey,") and that a newly discovered alien race is a threat to planetary security ("Matters of Honor.") Marcus' charge appears to be safe in Medlab, but Marcus warns Dr. Franklin that she is the target of assassins.

Garibaldi checks up on G'Kar in his cell ("Dust to Dust,") and finds him in fine spirits. The former ambassador is using his incarceration to reflect and write about the recent experiences of the Narn so that past mistakes might be corrected. He is pleased to hear that Garibaldi has begun to read The Book of G'Quan and says he will let Garibaldi read his book when it is done. The meeting is cut short when Garibaldi is called away to a War Council where his "package" has arrived.

The package turns out to be the woman Marcus has been protecting, Dr. Mary Kirkish of Interplanetary Expeditions (whose slogan is "Exploring the past to create a better future.") She tells the Council that she had been working at a Syria Planum site on Mars seven years ago where her team had discovered an alien ship like the one shown recently on ISN. They dug most of it up and then were ordered to leave. From the secondary base camp they watched unmarked shuttles fly to the site.

Then one night another alien ship flew to the site and finished digging up the buried ship, then descended into the dig site, from which a nerve-wrenching screech was soon heard. Both the ships rose into the air and flew away. Since then, one by one, the other workers at the site have died or disappeared. It turns out that Garibaldi also saw this alien ship when he was a shuttle pilot on Mars. He also found a Psi Corps badge at the site. Kirkish continues, saying that another such ship has been discovered in the crust of Ganymede. This time EarthGov wants to try to keep the ship, possibly to use it to control Earth. They must not have a chance to keep it, Kirkish warns. Her story told, Lennier ushers her to a Minbari ship that will bear her to safety.

Franklin asks, "If Earth and the Psi Corps really are working with the Shadows, this is too big. How can we fight something like that?" Obviously shaken, Sheridan dismisses the Council, but asks Delenn to stay.

Zack is sitting in Garibaldi's office when the B5 Nightwatch liaison comes in to remind him of the meeting tomorrow. Zack is uneasy with the man's gung-ho attitude and isn't encouraged when he mentions that watching unsuspecting people on security cameras makes him feel like God.

Standing deep in contemplation on an empty observation deck, Sheridan removes the Earth Alliance insignia from his lapel. He goes with Delenn to inform the others of his decision. They are aghast when he tells them that he plans to take the White Star to Ganymede to knock out the Shadow vessel before President Clark can gain control of it. What if he is attacked by Earth ships? Will he fire on them? What if he is captured?

He tells them he will not be captured and charges them to cover for him while he is gone for a minimum of 4 days. He also arranges for a simulation of his own death if he should not be able to return.

The Nightwatch liaison is happy to tell the meeting that their efforts to expose disloyalty on B5 and on Earth have been a terrific success, but that Earth has been sold out by traitors throughout EarthGov, Earth Force, and the media, as part of an alien-instigated conspiracy to weaken and overthrow the government. Thus, Nightwatch has been given greater powers to investigate anyone who might be suspicious. One officer speaks up, "In that case, does anyone know where the Captain is?"

He is falling asleep in his command chair halfway to Jupiter. Lennier convinces him to retire to the sleeping quarters where he finds Delenn. Utterly exhausted, he begins to talk about missing home and his father. More than anything else right now, he says, he misses the sound of rain because it can always put him to sleep. So to his great relief, with a phrase Delenn summons the patter of rain on the roof.

Marcus is briefing Ivanova in Sheridan's office about a force building up on the border of Centauri space when she erupts at him. She claims she doesn't understand how to relate to him, and she tells Marcus she holds him personally responsible for the Captain's "suicide mission" because, "Damn it! I don't have anyone else to blame!"

Jumping out of hyperspace, the White Star picks up transmissions from the Ganymede site.

"Subject is approaching target. Repeat. Subject is approaching target."

Delenn explains that the Shadow ships need a sentient being to merge with them before they can become fully functional, and this must be happening right now. If a subject isn't prepared for the event the resulting ship will be murderously insane. The crew listen and watch in horror as the Shadow ship comes alive and begins attacking the facilities around it.

Knowing that any Earth cruiser wouldn't stand a chance against it Sheridan quickly rides in to attack the Shadow vessel. Disoriented though it is, nevertheless the alien ship is still capable of destroying them. They damage it insignificantly but anger it enough to chase them into the atmosphere of Jupiter. The Shadow ship fires but only manages to ignite the hydrogen atmosphere. Both ships fly deeper and deeper into the gas giant until the White Star's hull begins to buckle under the pressure. At the last moment, Sheridan orders the White Star to pull out. The Shadow is unable to stop falling and implodes as the White Star soars towards space.

Just as they begin to congratulate themselves the White Star is struck again. This time the enemy is the Agamemnon, the Captain's old ship, attacking and ordering them to surrender or be destroyed. Sheridan won't fire on the Agamemnon and can't surrender. As he sits in his chair indecisive, Delenn suggests opening a jump point while still inside Jupiter's atmosphere. By opening it just at the edge of space the explosive effects of the hydrogen are minimized and they are able to scuttle to safety.

ISN reports that an unidentified alien vessel has attacked and destroyed an outpost on Ganymede before being destroyed in Jupiter by the Agamemnon. In response to heightened concerns about planetary security the president is said to be considering a new plan to increase security.

As Garibaldi says, they got away with it, but only for now. The Nightwatch liaison has noticed that the Captain was missing for four days. He deduces that Garibaldi must be covering for Sheridan and suggests that Zack use his relation with the Chief to find out what's going on. Zack vehemently refuses saying he won't betray a friendship. "If he could trust me he would have brought me in this thing weeks ago," he mutters, giving away the fact that he knows something fishy is going on. The Nightwatch man angrily tells Zack he has to decide between friendship and his job.

Marcus dares to breach Ivanova's spare time in order to show her a chart he has drawn up to explain his position on B5 and the hierarchy within the station. As they share a laugh at his whimsy, Sheridan pages Ivanova to turn on ISN immediately. Citing threats to planetary security, President Clark has decreed Earth to be under martial law.

Midnight on the Firing Line

Overview

When the Narn attack a Centauri colony, Londo and G'Kar nearly come to blows. Meanwhile, raiders are attacking transport ships near the station. Paul Hampton as The Senator. Peter Trencher as Carn Mollari. 
Sub-genre: Action/intrigue
P5 Rating: 6.99

Production number: 103
Original air date: January 26, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Richard Compton

Watch For

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Matthew Ryan mattryan@pobox.com

Midnight on the Firing Line

Midnight on the Firing Line, as well as the Babylon 5 series, starts out at the Ragesh 3 colony, a Centauri agricultural colony. The colony finds itself suddenly under attack. As the station in orbit around the colony is about to contact its home world, Centauri Prime, the station is destroyed.

The attack on Ragesh 3.

Meanwhile, on the Babylon 5 station. Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova, the new officer who is second in command of the station, interrupts the only quiet, restful part of Commander Jeffrey Sinclair's day--a time when he shuts off his comm-link and "escapes" from the rigor of his life. "There's a problem," she tells him.

Elsewhere on the station, Centauri Ambassador Londo Mollari is having a pleasant conversation with Security Chief Michael Garibaldi when Londo receives word that the Ragesh 3 colony has been attacked. He's informed, however, that nobody knows who the attackers are.

Londo and Sinclair meet concerning the incident. Sinclair tells Londo that Earth doesn't know anything more about the incident--the identity of the attackers is still a great mystery. Ambassadors Delenn (of the Minbari) and G'Kar (of the Narn), offer their condolences and also claim to know very little about the attack. Sinclair suggests that an emergency meeting of the Council be called to discuss the matter and lend aid to the Centauri colony.

Shortly after, on the bridge, Ivanova informs Garibaldi that they've received a distress signal from a trading ship near the station. She says that at first, she thought the incident might have had something to do with the Ragesh 3 incident, but that, instead, the ship claims to have been attacked by "raiders." Garibaldi takes a fighter out to try to come to the aid of the ship that was attacked. Right after Garibaldi leaves the bridge, Talia Winters--the commercial telepath on the station--enters the bridge and wants to speak with Ivanova. She says that because of Psi Corps regulations, she must report with the second in command, but that she hasn't been able to find Ivanova for quite a while. Ivanova rudely dismisses Talia, saying that she's rather busy right now.

Meanwhile, Sinclair is in his office, watching on "television" the latest news about the upcoming presidential election. Ivanova enters, and Sinclair informs her that there is not yet any further information on the Ragesh 3 incident. Ivanova notices the telecast and finds out from Sinclair that the presidential race is very close at the moment.

Londo is in his room when Vir, his gawky assistant, rushes in and tells him that a coded broadcast has just been received. As Vir shows the broadcast to Londo, Londo sees the incident that we saw at the beginning of the episode. He freezes the image of the broadcast and enhances the image of one of the attacking ships. He immediately recognizes it as a Narn warship, and heads out to confront his enemy G'Kar with this newly-found evidence.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi has found the ship that was attacked by the raiders. He finds it very badly damaged--and realizes that the weapons that were used to attack this ship must have been much stronger than the weapons the raiders have previously had.

Londo finds G'Kar and accuses him of deceit--since G'Kar said he previously knew nothing of the attack. G'Kar, somewhat surprisingly, tells Londo that he has just found out about the attack--but he confirms that it was indeed Narn forces that attacked Ragesh 3. "I'm sure there's some reasonable explanation," he adds. Londo asks what reasonable explanation there could be for attacking a defenseless, agricultural colony. G'Kar refers Londo to a similar attack that the Centauri made years ago against Narn holdings--and expresses his indignity at the former Centauri subjugation of the Narn. One insult leads to the next, and a fight breaks out between the two ambassadors. The fight is eventually broken up by security personnel, but not before G'Kar threatens Londo that the Narn will eventually rise and destroy the Centauri.

"The wheel turns, does it not, Ambassador?"

After the fight, Londo meets with Sinclair. He apologizes for his actions and says that he won't repeat the incident--but that he will eventually kill G'Kar. He explains that Centauri have strange premonitions of how, and even when, they will die--and that Londo has had a dream in which he will eventually die 20 years from now, with his hands wrapped around G'Kar's throat and vice-versa. Londo also explains that he had a nephew on Ragesh--a nephew for whom he deeply cares and is deeply concerned about. He vows that if his nephew has been harmed, there will be war--at any cost. He dismisses Sinclair's "galactic peace" arguments as nothing but silly paperwork and "games." "Only one thing matters: blood," says Londo.

Ivanova and Garibaldi are discussing the raiders' methods. Garibaldi says that trade routes are normally kept secret--to prevent the kind of attacks that recently happened--and Ivanova and Garibaldi come to the conclusion that there must be some leak of information from the trading companies.

Meanwhile, Sinclair goes to meet with Ambassador Kosh, the mysterious Vorlon representative who must wear an environmental suit at all times because of extreme differences between the Vorlons and the other races. Sinclair wants to know Kosh's position on the Ragesh incident, and asks Kosh if he will support sanctions against the Narn. "They are alone. They are a dying people; we should let them pass," enigmatically responds Kosh. "Who?" asks Sinclair. "The Narn or the Centauri?" Kosh's simple and almost humorous answer is merely "Yes."

Sinclair visits Kosh

Garibaldi is meanwhile sitting at Ivanova's station on the bridge, researching the flight paths of the trading vessels. All incoming ships are tracked through Ivanova's console.

Londo is lying down in his quarters, rather drunk. He is rather depressed, and tells Vir, his assistant, that he has received word from the Centauri government saying that they will do "nothing" about the attack on Ragesh. Londo is enraged--he feels that the Centauri government is made up of cowards, and he nostalgically pictures the former grandeur of his people--a grandeur that has all but evaporated. He suddenly gets the idea to ignore his government's message, and he forces Vir to comply with this. He tells Vir not to mention that the message was ever received--that if they can get the other powers to force sanctions against Narn, they can force their own government into cooperation. He says that he will go ahead with the emergency session of the Council--a session that will be used to decide on the actions to be taken against the Narn regime.

Talia Winters, in the meantime, finds herself in the elevator with Garibaldi. She tells him that she's upset that Ivanova is basically ignoring her, and she wants to know what she's done wrong. Garibaldi says that Ivanova takes a while to get to know people--especially while at work--and advises Talia to catch Ivanova in the casino after hours.

G'Kar and Sinclair meet in the station's arboretum. They have a sharp conversation where G'Kar tries to gain support for his people by telling Sinclair that the Narn race and humans are very much alike--and that, in fact, the Narn were one of the only people that were willing to supply weapons to the Earth in the Earth-Minbari war. Sinclair dismisses G'Kar's claim by saying that the Narn will simply supply weapons to anyone who can afford them--not out of any sense of brotherhood or similarity between cultures. Sinclair further criticizes the Narn cowardice because of their "sneak attack" on Ragesh. G'Kar is enraged.

Garibaldi presently finds that one trading company--which sold access to the "jump gates" that provide interstellar travel--seems to have had its information concerning the trade routes stolen from it. He informs Sinclair about these findings, and tells him that there's one ship which had bought routes from the company that was broken into and which still hasn't been attacked. Garibaldi says that they have only a few hours to come to the rescue of this ship.

Sinclair is meanwhile speaking with a representative of the government of the Earth Alliance--a superior of his. The representative is advising Sinclair to either delay the emergency session of the Council or to abstain from the vote; Earth cannot get involved in any type of war so soon before an election. Sinclair protests that this will hurt the Centauri case--that if Earth doesn't lend aid, others might not either. The representative doesn't seem to care, and closes the communications channel. During the conversation between Sinclair and the Earth official, Ivanova has arrived at Sinclair's room and has been standing outside of the door, waiting for Sinclair to finish. She has come to inform him that Garibaldi is going to leave on his mission to rescue the ship that was supposedly about to be attacked by the raiders. Suddenly, Sinclair seems to realize something about the allegedly-powerful raider weapons. He says that he will be replacing Garibaldi on the mission to rescue the ship. He orders Ivanova to continue the meeting; further, he tells her that she "never" heard the conversation that he had with the Earth official--and that as far as she last heard, Earth was voting for the sanctions, rather than abstaining.

As Sinclair leaves, the session of the Council is begun. G'Kar stands up and announces that the Narn regime has a valid claim to Ragesh 3 because the planet was originally Narn territory before it was invaded by the Centauri. Delenn succinctly rebuts this argument, saying that if the Narn hold a grudge for so long, peace will never come, and an endless cycle of wars will result. G'Kar claims that he doesn't want a war--he's only exercising a valid claim to the planet. Further, he claims that the Ragesh colony invited the Narn there--that the Narn never invaded the colony. To support this claim, he opens up a live link with Ragesh. Carn Mollari, Londo's nephew, appears on the screen and recites a message--clearly forced--saying that the Ragesh colony did indeed invite the Narn regime in to restore order in the colony. After the message is completed, Londo says that the message was clearly forced at gunpoint and is of no validity. However, G'Kar silences Londo by revealing that he knows that the Centauri government has taken the position that they will not intervene--he asks Londo why he is using the Council to enact a personal vendetta. G'Kar proceeds to call a vote to dismiss all charges against the Narn regime.

Sinclair is meanwhile pursuing the raiders. After successfully saving the trading ship, he outwits the raiders and finds their command base.

The battle at the trading ship

If Londo was desperate before, he's certainly desperate now. He is entirely outraged at the preceding events in Council, and has decided to take matters into his own hands. He assembles a gun from parts that he's hidden around his quarters and proceeds to attempt to kill G'Kar. As he's walking toward G'Kar's quarters, however, he bumps into Talia, who, despite her training, accidentally senses Londo's intense, emotional thoughts. She quickly informs Garibaldi, who intervenes and stops Londo from committing the murder of G'Kar.

Sinclair has returned to Babylon 5 and carries evidence with which he immediately confronts G'Kar. Sinclair has found a Narn agent on the raiders' base; it seems that the Narn were supplying weapons to these raiders, and when Narn supply weapons, they always include a Narn agent to instruct their customers on how to use the weapons and to make sure that the weapons are not resold to a third party. Further, this Narn agent had been found with logs of the communication between the attacking force on Ragesh 3 and the Narn homeworld. The logs of this communication confirm that the attack was, indeed, uninvited and unprovoked. Faced with this evidence, G'Kar is forced to tell Narn to withdraw the forces from Ragesh.

Talia meanwhile has found Ivanova in the casino, just as Garibaldi advised. Talia asks Ivanova if she had done anything to offend her. Ivanova apologizes to Talia and admits that the acted rude. Ivanova explains that her mother was a telepath--however, she had kept this as a secret to herself and had never joined the Psi Corps. On her mother's 35th birthday, the Psi Corps caught up with her and gave her three alternatives: to either join the Corps, go to prison, or take telepathy-inhibiting drugs. She chose the latter; however, as Ivanova explains, the drugs were very strong and destroyed her mother's will and personality. After 10 years, after her family thought her mother could no longer survive, her mother took her own life. Ivanova explains that she doesn't blame Talia as an individual for what happened to her mother, but says how these types of events are part of every member of the Psi Corps. However, Ivanova explains to Talia that Talia is just as much of a victim as Ivanova's mother was. When Talia responds that she does not feel like a victim, Ivanova rejoins that she hasn't yet figured out if that feeling is good or bad. When Talia suggests that they might start off on better terms the next day, Ivanova says that she very much doubts it.

In the meantime, Garibaldi is sitting in his quarters, showing Delenn his "second favorite thing in the universe"--old "Duck Dodgers in the 23rd-and-a-half century" cartoons.

Sinclair is resting in his quarters, watching with what appears to be disappointment that Santiago, the incumbent president, has been declared the victor of the election. As he is about to retire for the night, he receives a call from Ivanova: "Commander, there's a problem." It seems that a commander's job is never done ... in fact, it has just started.

Shawn Bayern bayern@minerva@cis.yale.edu

Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this synopsis noncommercially as long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact. Babylon 5 is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright is intended by writing these synopses.

Mind War

Overview

Talia's old Psi Corps instructor, the victim of a secret experiment, is the target of a manhunt involving the Psi-Cops. Catherine wants to survey a promising planet for possible mining, but G'Kar warns her to stay away. Walter Koenig as Bester. Felicity Waterman as Kelsey. William Allen Young as Jason Ironheart. 
P5 Rating: 8.44

Production number: 110
Original air date: March 2, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Bruce Seth Green

Watch For:

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Matthew Ryan mattryan@pobox.com

Mind War

Jason Ironheart, Psi-Corps Level 10, has stolen a transport vessel but is being pursued. His pursuers order him to stop, but he ignores them. Suddenly, there is a strong explosion, and only one ship emerges: Ironheart's ship, headed toward Babylon 5.

Pursuing Ironheart.

On Babylon 5, Sinclair and Catherine Sakai, his girlfriend, have just woken up. Catherine explains that she's working on finalizing a contract with Universal Terraform, an important corporation from Earth.

Meanwhile, Ironheart has arrived on Babylon 5.

Talia Winters is having a conversation with a businessman from Universal Terraform who wants to use her services in an upcoming negotiation. They enter an elevator (turbolift?) which Garibaldi is also currently using. The businessman asks what it's like to be a telepath; Winters responds that it's often difficult to block out the thoughts around her--while casual thoughts are simple to ignore, strong emotions can somehow break through whatever mental barriers she can set up. Suddenly, she turns around at Garibaldi (who has been experiencing his own "strong emotions" while staring at Winters) and elbows him in the stomach.

Elsewhere on the station, Bester and Kelsey, two Level-12 "Psi-Cops," have just come aboard Babylon 5. They telepathically "ask" a minor official to bring them to Sinclair.

Catherine Sakai is meeting with the businessman from Universal Terraform--the businessman who has brought Winters along. The businessman is concerned with the confidentiality of the planet which Catherine wishes to survey (because the planet, known as Sigma-957, may have some deposits of Quantium-40, a material important to the construction of jumpgates)--and so, following orders from his superiors, he asks Sakai to promise not to mention the planet to anyone--not even Sinclair. He has brought Winters along to verify that Sakai is telling the truth when she says she will not tell anyone about the planet--and, indeed, Winters does confirm this. The businessman also notes that, since the planet in question is in a contested region of space, they need the consent of one other major party--in this case, G'Kar, representing the Narn, will give that consent and will collaborate concerning Sigma-957.

Bester and Kelsey arrive at Sinclair's office, and begin to have a telepathic conversation with him. Sinclair gets quite annoyed, telling them that he doesn't like people "rummaging around in my head." He questions them, asking about the rules governing such use of telepathic abilities. They tell him that they are psi-cops, and because of their important responsibilities, they are given a wider latitude than other telepaths. They tell Sinclair that they are on a mission to track down a rogue telepath--one who may be putting the Earth Alliance's military structure at tremendous risk. Sinclair is hesitant to offer assistance, but they insist that he hold a meeting with the station's resident telepath (Winters), as well as security and command personnel.

Bester and Kelsey consult Sinclair.

Ironheart is standing in his newly-rented quarters when he suddenly appears to get a terrible headache. He clutches his head, but is apparently unable to make the pain go away. Suddenly, the entire room starts shaking, almost as if to reflect his pain.

The meeting that Bester and Kelsey requested has begun. Winters, Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Sinclair are present. Bester asks Winters if she knows (or ever knew) Ironheart; she replies that Ironheart was her instructor in the Psi-Corps Training Academy. Kelsey explains that one year before, Ironheart had been reassigned to work on a covert operation with Earth Force Military Intelligence. Bester and Kelsey refuse, however, to explain the nature of his covert operation. They only say that what is in Ironheart's brain would compromise Earth Force's position and possibly lead to the deaths of covert operatives on other worlds; they believe that Ironheart wishes to sell this information to alien governments. They refuse to give any other information (particularly, they refuse to tell Sinclair what type of danger Ironheart poses to the station); they only Sinclair to find and bring back Ironheart ("Alive if possible; dead if necessary")--"We'll do the rest." The Psi-Cops asks Winters if she has had any contact with Ironheart; she replies that, since she left the academy, they have corresponded only through letters. The Psi-Cops, however, do not believe her--they order her to submit to a mental scan so that they can be sure of what she's saying. She cringes at the possibility, for mental scans can be quite painful--nonetheless, she is forced to comply. The scan is performed, and the Psi-Cops are surprised to find that Winters has been speaking the truth. "Surprising," says Kelsey, "given their prior involvement." The Psi-Cops then leave, ordering everyone (but especially Winters) not to speak with or approach Ironheart if he is found on the station.

A short time after Winters has left the meeting, Ironheart approaches her in dark corridor. She attempts to leave quickly, explaining that she was ordered not to see him. He says that he is aware of the Psi-Cops (and also that he was aware of their scan of her mind--which is why he waited until after the scan to contact her), and promises to simply explain the whole situation to Winters if she'll give him the chance.

Sakai, meanwhile, is quite annoyed at G'Kar's involvement with the mission at Sigma-957. He explains that he has involved himself only in order to protect Sakai--"Sigma-957 is not a healthy place. Strange things happen there." Sakai, however, doesn't believe him, and explains that she thinks he and the Narn just want Sigma-957 for themselves. He denies her suspicions, telling her that she shouldn't believe everything she's heard about G'Kar--"No one here is exactly what he appears," says G'Kar. "Not Mollari, Delenn, not Sinclair, and not me. My warning is sincere; ignore it at your own peril." She still, however, doesn't believe him, saying that she will, if necessary, "go over his head" and communicate with her own contacts in the Narn regime.

Ironheart, in Winters's quarters, explains that one year before, he volunteered for an ambitious Psi-Corps experiment--an experiment that, if successful, would greatly increase the powers of telepaths. He volunteered because he was told that the experiment was necessary for Earth Force Defense--each race wants to make sure that its telepaths are powerful enough. After months of the experiment, his telepathic abilities expanded beyond his belief--he could "cut through any block without even trying--all I had to do was to look at them." However, such development was a mixed blessing, because he finally realized the true purpose of the experiment: to develop "stable" telekinesis. Winters recalls the telekinesis tests she took at the academy--"I tried for days to make [a penny] move with my thoughts; I couldn't do it." He explains that only one in every thousand humans is telepathic; and only one out of every ten-thousand telepaths is telekinetic--but that half of these telekinetics are clinically insane. But the experiment was successful, says Ironheart, "It worked beyond anyone's wildest dreams."

Ironheart and Winters.

Garibaldi tells Sinclair that he has found something which might help him track down Ironheart: one of the ships which recently arrived at Babylon 5 was a stolen transport that came from Ironheart's previous location. Garibaldi says that he is checking the guest quarters on the station. He comments that he's working as quickly as possible--he doesn't like the idea of rogue telepaths or Psi-Cops on the station. "There's just something creepy about [Psi-Cops]," explains Garibaldi, "The way they look at you like you're some kind of bug." Just then, Bester arrives on the bridge, and Garibaldi leaves relatively quickly. Bester stares at Garibaldi as he's walking away and "replies," somewhat annoyed, "Anatomically impossible, Mr. Garibaldi, but you're welcome to try, any time, anywhere."

Meanwhile, Sakai is on her way to Sigma-957.

G'Kar is in his quarters, speaking on a secure channel with Narn Military Headquarters. He says he requires a well-armed heavy fighter for a mission to Sigma-957.

Ironheart, still in Winters's quarters, explains to Winters that at first, he thought that the Psi-Corps wanted telekinesis for "big jobs"--heavy construction in 0-G, telekinetic shields on ships. He explains that the Psi-Corps, however, wanted increased control of smaller objects--the smaller the better. If precise control over small objects were perfected, telekinetics could become the ideal assassins: "Murder without a trace. No fingerprints, no poisons." Suddenly, as he speaks, the room begins to shake again. He tells Winters to run--to leave the room quickly -- for he cannot control this side-effect of his new telekinetic powers. This time, however, it's not just his room that starts to shake--it's an entire section of Babylon 5.

Sinclair is walking with Bester and Kelsey when the vibrations reach him. The Psi-Cops immediately recognize the situation as a "mind-quake." When Sinclair finds Garibaldi, Garibaldi comments that he has pinpointed the source of the disturbance, but that the entire level of the station where the disturbance is coming from is blocked by some type of energy shield. Sinclair angrily mentions that, when he asked Bester what type of danger Ironheart represented, Bester replied that Sinclair didn't need to know. He calls a meeting with Bester and Kelsey.

Sinclair accuses the Psi-Cops of placing the station in danger by withholding information from Sinclair. They merely reply that they were following orders, but Sinclair dismisses that excuse. He confronts the Psi-Cops, ordering them to explain the precise danger that Ironheart poses. Bester only replies that Ironheart is no longer entirely "human"--other than that, the Psi-Corps doesn't know exactly what he is.

Ironheart is meanwhile sitting in the middle of the rubble caused by his telekinesis. He is trying, with some success, to calm his thoughts down and stop the accidental destruction.

At the meeting between Sinclair, Ivanova, Bester, and Kelsey, Bester explains the basics of Ironheart's experiment to Sinclair. Bester says that, toward the end of the experiment, Ironheart began to show signs of paranoia, stress, and psychosis. One night, Ironheart left his room, killed the head researcher of the experiment, and escaped. Kelsey comments that Ironheart's telekinetic abilities grew stronger and more violent as time progressed. Bester tells Sinclair that Ironheart, in his present state, is a valuable commodity--and the Psi-Corps cannot allow him to fall into the hands of any alien government. He adds that the Psi-Corps wanted to keep the whole incident quiet in order that alien governments not find out about Ironheart's abilities--this reason is why they withheld the information about Ironheart's condition. "It was a calculated risk," comments Bester. (Ivanova expresses her disgust with the way the Psi-Corps have no ethical problem with taking inhumane, calculated risks). Sinclair asks how the Psi-Cops plan to stop Ironheart if he is so powerful. They explain that, during the experiment, Ironheart was programmed with a "fail-safe code," which, when sent into his brain by a powerful telepath, has the ability to shut down Ironheart--to "put him to sleep"--but not kill him. Bester and Kelsey believe that, between the two of them, they will be able to overcome any defenses that Ironheart has set up--but they can only send the fail-safe code if Ironheart is in their line of sight.

Winters walks up to one of the shields that Ironheart has set up around the level of B5 which was shaken by his thoughts. She tries to speak with him--to shout to him through the shields. When he hears (or senses) her, he drops the shields for a moment so that she can pass through. When she finally arrives to where Jason is standing, he is glad to see her. He explains that he came to Babylon 5 in order to see her--that he felt that being with her would be enough to calm his thoughts, "shut out the voices," and rest "for a little while ... before the end." He admits that he shouldn't have come to the station--he has inadvertently put people at risk, though he didn't want to hurt anyone. He tells Winters what he has learned of the Psi-Corps--that, although people believe that the government controls the Corps, the reverse is coming to be true. "[The Psi-Corps is] more powerful than you can begin to imagine. Telepaths make the ultimate blackmailers, Talia. I've seen it all." He tells Winters that he is currently undergoing a tremendous change--and that he is no longer Jason Ironheart.

Sakai has finally arrived at Sigma-957. She enters into an orbit above the planet and beings to conduct environmental research. She laughs to herself about G'Kar's warnings concerning Sigma-957.

The Skydancer launches a probe.

Winters, after leaving Ironheart, finds Sinclair and tells him that she has seen Ironheart. She requests to speak with Sinclair privately; he agrees. When they are in private, she explains the situation to Sinclair. She tells Sinclair that Ironheart wants to see him. Sinclair asks what exactly was between Ironheart and her--why he came to this station. She explains that they had been lovers--and that Ironheart came to B5 to see Winters. "He was everything to me--the perfect model of what it meant to be in the Corps. Do you know what it's like when telepaths make love, commander? You drop every defense, and it's all mirrors.... It's a feeling so profound it makes you hurt. It's the only moment in a telepath's life when you no longer hear the voices. He came to say goodbye, commander."

Meanwhile, Sakai, at Sigma-957, suddenly sees something near Sigma-957. Neither she nor her computer can identify it, but her computer's power level is reduced drastically. Her orbit is decaying, and she will crash into the planet in less than two hours. She tries to open an emergency channel with Babylon 5, but there is not enough power to establish a link.

Sinclair and Winters arrive to where Ironheart is sitting. He greets Sinclair politely, but gets rights into the purpose of his discussion. "The Psi-Corps is dedicated to one thing, commander: control." He explains to Sinclair what he had previously explained to Winters. "But there is something even more powerful--something they didn't even know existed until I crossed the line. Not mind over matter, mind over energy.... I look at you, commander, and I see not a man, but a galaxy of subatomic particles which I can ... rearrange with a casual thought." Ironheart explains that he feels humans aren't ready for these types of powers; but if the Psi-Corps find him and bring him back, they will study him to try to figure out the combination of drugs which caused this phenomenon.

Sinclair, however, asks why he should trust Ironheart over the Psi-Cops. Ironheart explains that if he meant any harm, he could vaporize Sinclair instantly. When Sinclair mentions that Ironheart has already caused harm and destruction on the station, Ironheart explains that the "mind-quake" was an accident. Ironheart claims he never wanted to hurt anyone; however, as his telekinetic powers expand, it takes him a while to learn how to control them. Sinclair mentions the head researcher that Bester said Ironheart killed; Ironheart claims that he didn't want to kill the researcher--but since that researcher was the only one who could duplicate the experiment, he had no choice. "There must never be any more like me," he says earnestly. Ironheart explains that he only wants Sinclair's trust--and a little bit of help. He says that he needs to leave the station so that he can be free to become whatever it is that he's becoming. At length, Sinclair agrees, and arranges with Ivanova and Garibaldi to escort Ironheart off the station to the stolen transport which is docked outside.

Meanwhile, very soon before Sakai's ship would have burned up in the atmosphere of Sigma-957, Sakai's computer detects the arrival of two ships. The ships open a communication channel with her--they explain to her they are Narn vessels dispatched on the order of G'Kar to rescue her in the event that anything strange should happen in Sigma-957. They grapple Sakai's ship and escort it back to Babylon 5.

Bester and Kelsey have meanwhile discovered that Sinclair is attempting to escort Ironheart off of the station. They meet up with Ironheart as he is trying to escape; they attempt to send the fail-safe code, but Ironheart's defenses are too powerful. Ironheart is, however, forced to kill Kelsey in the struggle. He successfully escapes from Bester, then enters his ship and leaves the station.

Bester takes a shot at Ironheart.

Sinclair and Winters, along with Garibaldi and Ivanova, watch Ironheart's ship leave Babylon 5. Shortly after, the station's sensors detect a strong energy surge; suddenly, Ironheart's ship is no longer there, and in its place is a strange configuration of floating energy. The energy entity--the new Jason Ironheart-- speaks with Winters on the bridge. As a parting gesture, he gives her "the only gift I have to give"--suddenly, a bright flow of energy enters Winters's head, knocking her unconscious.

"Goodbye, commander," says Ironheart, "I will see you again in a million years."

Afterwards, Sinclair is speaking with a somewhat-depressed Bester, who complains that his superiors will believe none of what just happened. Sinclair agrees, "Especially since in about an hour, we'll have a small accident in data storage that'll erase the file you just saw." Garibaldi suggests an alternative report: "That Ironheart's ship escaped Babylon 5 but exploded before it could enter the jumpgate." If Bester refuses to use this suggestion in his report, Sinclair threatens that he will make it known how Bester withheld information, put the station in danger, and, through his interference, cause the death of his fellow Psi-Cop. Sinclair also makes Bester promise to have his report indicate that Winters was under Ironheart's control during the incident--and that she was not responsible for her actions during the incident. Bester agrees reluctantly and leaves quietly.

After Bester leaves, Garibaldi asks Sinclair if Sinclair will report to "the senator" (probably the senator with whom Sinclair communicates periodically) what Ironheart accused the Psi-Corps of. Sinclair says that he doesn't think it will do any good--Ironheart was feverish and paranoid, so what he said might not be true. Even if it is true, without Ironheart available to testify, it would just be his word versus that of the Corps. However, they agree to keep their eyes open for anything threatening. Garibaldi then wonders out loud what Ironheart's gift to Winters was. Sinclair comments that he doesn't think she would tell Garibaldi even if he were to ask.

Meanwhile, Winters is in her quarters. She has placed a penny on the table, and when she focuses on it, she finds that he can make it move using only her thoughts....

Catherine Sakai has arrived safely with the help of the Narn ships. She finds G'Kar and thanks him for his help. She asks him, however, why he went to the trouble of rescuing her. "Why not?" he replies. When she comments that that isn't an answer, G'Kar replies, "Oh, yes it is. It's simply not an answer you like or the answer your expected. There's a difference. Narns, humans, Centauri--we all do what we do for the same reason: because it seemed like a good idea at the time. There was no profit--no advantage--in letting you fall to an untimely and most uncomfortable death. It would distress the commander to no good end." She seems to accept this reason, then asks if G'Kar knew what it was that she saw near Sigma-957. He explains that it is a phenomenon which they cannot explain: "There are things in the universe billions of years older than either of our races. They are vast, timeless ... They are a mystery, and I am both terrified and reassured to know that there are still wonders in the universe-- that we have not yet explained everything. Whatever they are, Ms. Sakai, they walk near Sigma-957. They must walk there alone." Catherine only stares in wonder.

Shawn Bayern bayern@cshl.org

Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this synopsis noncommercially as long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact. Babylon 5 is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright is intended by writing these synopses.

Moments of Transition

Overview

The warrior caste demands Delenn's surrender. Bester makes an offer to an increasingly desperate Lyta. Sheridan is compelled to act after receiving horrible news from Ivanova. Scott Adams as Mr. Adams. Bart McCarthy as Shakiri. Walter Koenig as Bester. John Vickery as Neroon. 
P5 Rating: 8.73

Production number: 414
Original air week: May 19, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Tony Dow

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Moments of Transition

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@cc.wwu.edu)

Garibaldi is asleep in his quarters when he receives a call from William Edgars. Edgars tells Garibaldi he has a new assignment: to make sure a new delivery coming through Babylon 5 gets through customs without incident and makes its way safely to Io. Edgars explains that he doesn't trust the government, the couriers, or his competitors to leave the packages--containing compounds for his pharmaceutical research department--alone. Garibaldi tells Edgars he will do the job, but asks when Edgars might want him to come to Mars. "In the fullness of time, Mr. Garibaldi," Edgars replies before signing off.

Sheridan is in his quarters, unable to sleep. He calls C&C, asking if they have been able to contact Delenn on Minbar. They haven't, due to fighting in the capital city. Sheridan hasn't heard anything from her since she left, but asks to be informed if they learn anything new. He resumes trying to sleep.

On Minbar, the capital city is in flames and most of the buildings are in ruins. Delenn arrives in the hallway of one of the buildings, where Lennier is treating some of the many wounded. Lennier tells her that they have received word from the leader of the Warrior Caste. "His forces have surrounded the city. He says, if we don't surrender by tomorrow, for the good of our people, he will end the war by destroying the city and everyone in it."

Lyta is in the Zocalo with a woman who wants to hire her for freelance telepathy work. Though all of Lyta's qualifications are in order, the woman will not hire her when she learns that she is no longer affiliated with Psi Corps. Lyta protests, but the woman will not change her mind--her company needs to be protected from possible lawsuits and other problems. She says that, until Lyta rejoins Psi Corps, there is nothing she can do.

Neroon arrives on one of the Warrior Caste ships and meets with the Caste's leader, Shakiri. Shakiri says that the actions of the Religious Caste--in trying to get Neroon to turn against the Warrior Caste--prove they are unfit to lead the Minbari. Neroon asks what the cost of the war will be. Shakiri tells him that the cities can be rebuilt, and that the Minbari who die in the city will be reborn into the next generation, but that those deaths will prevent a greater loss of life in the future. Shakiri says that war should be only be entered into for practical gains, and that the sooner the Religious Caste learns that--due to their actions in the Earth-Minbari war--the better. He thinks that, when Delenn sees the rest of her caste dying, she will surrender in order to end the loss of life. Neroon asks if it is wrong to value life in that manner, but Shakiri says that life and death are only two consequences, both equal, and that Warriors look upon death as a release of obligation. Shakiri tells Neroon to go rest.

Zack is in the docking bay, trying to organize things, when he notices Garibaldi, off discreetly in the corner, dealing with another gentleman. He starts to investigate, but is interrupted by another security officer, asking what he should do about a new arrival--Bester. Zack asks why Bester is coming to the station this time. Bester insists he has not come to the station for any business with the Command Staff, but is there for personal reasons. He promises he will stay out of trouble, and though Zack tries to protest, Bester points out it is a free port, and that he has a right to be there. Zack tells Bester he has to check with the captain, and Bester promises to wait. Zack goes to do so, but on the way, investigates the corner where, a few moments earlier, he saw Garibaldi and the strange man, who are now gone. Zack runs after him and tries to find out where the package went, but Garibaldi insists he knows nothing about it. Zack asks if Garibaldi is working for William Edgars, bringing packages through illegally, but Garibaldi won't confirm or deny it. Zack asks why Edgars, an extremely wealthy and reclusive industrialist, would want to work with Garibaldi, which Garibaldi finds offensive--he is honest, and minding his own business. Zack asks how honest Garibaldi's work is, but Garibaldi finds it just as honest as breaking away from Earth, taking over military equipment, and starting their own independent state. Garibaldi tells Zack not to bother him, and leaves.

Delenn is waiting for Lennier in one of the rooms in the capital building. When he arrives, Delenn tells him they have reached a decision, and she wants him to relay a message to the Warrior Caste--the Religious Caste is prepared to surrender, when and where the Warrior Caste wishes them to do so.

"...And news has reached us that a squadron of Starfury pilots, sent to conduct raids against Proxima 3 in hopes of forcing them to accept President Clark's martial law decree, have defected, joining the Proxima resistance. This makes the fourth major defection in the last two weeks. Refugees from sectors 400 through 600 are being taken in by the medical colonies at Beta Iridani and the MacArthur midrange colony..."

Lyta is interrupted watching the Voice of the Resistance in the Zocalo when Bester arrives. She is not very happy to see him, and tells him to say what he has to say and leave. Bester tells her he knows she is looking for work, since the corporations she wanted to work for called Psi Corps to check on her. Lyta tries to deny what he's saying, but he knows better--the command staff is getting along fine, but since Lyta has no support mechanism, her life of being a freelance freedom fighter isn't paying well enough for her to subsist much longer. Bester says he wants to make a deal with her--he will add her name to a list of deep undercover agents, allowing her to work and make a living. She will have to wear the symbol, the gloves, and give ten percent of her fees to the corps, and, after she dies, she will have to give her body to Bester. He knows that the Vorlons altered it, and that he feels that what they have done for her could be done for many more telepaths later, allowing them to be more than what they are. He shows her a contract, which he explains will be null and void if she doesn't die from natural causes, since Sheridan would never turn her body over otherwise. Lyta, however, is not impressed, and turns down his offer. She walks away, but is noticed by Garibaldi on her way out.

Neroon tells Shakiri that the Religious Caste has agreed to surrender. In order to prove that the Warrior Caste intends to lead differently than the Grey Council, Neroon suggests that Shakiri accept the surrender on the planet, in the Temple of Varenni, where disputes were settled before Valen, and where new leaders were selected in times of war. In addition, the temple will distribute a record of the surrender throughout Minbar. Shakiri agrees. Neroon has one question: he wants to know what will happen to Delenn after the surrender. Shakiri says that, in order to prevent her working against them in the future, they will make sure the ship on which she travels to Babylon 5 after the surrender never reaches its destination.

Lyta is making dinner in her quarters when Zack arrives. He tells her that Station Resources wants her to move to smaller quarters. Lyta is very upset, but Zack explains that, with the Vorlon government gone, she no longer has any source of income, and needs to leave. She is very upset, but says she will try to find some way of working it out. Zack is about ready to leave when he tells her that he needs to hire her for a job--he wants her to scan Garibaldi without his permission. Lyta is unwilling to do that, even for Zack. She might consider it if it were someone else, but the two of them go back a long way. No matter how much she needs the money, she isn't willing to violate everything she's been taught. Zack apologizes and leaves.

Garibaldi is at his table, just finishing up with someone who wants Garibaldi to find his dog and cat, who are attempting to take over the galaxy. Lyta arrives and tells him that she needs a job, and that, because of her breaking with the Psi Corps, she can't get work with anyone she trusts. Garibaldi explains to her that he doesn't use telepaths, and doesn't trust them, but notes that, should he hire her, he can also annoy Bester. He asks how wide her range is, and she explains that it is much further than official records indicate. Garibaldi says that he needs someone who can watch out for him in his dealings with Edgars. Garibaldi agrees to give her a portion of his own salary, but is interrupted when Bester arrives. They exchange a few words, but Bester claims that Garibaldi is no longer worth his attention, and begins walking away. As he walks by, Lyta tells Garibaldi that Bester scanned him. This outrages Garibaldi who chases after him and backs him against a wall. He demands to know why Bester scanned him, but his anger is noticed by some security guards, who restrain him and drag him away. As Lyta chases after him, Bester finds that Zack, too, saw the whole thing.

Delenn, Lennier, and some other members of the Religious Caste, are walking toward the temple. Lennier laments that they are surrendering, but Delenn says that the day is not yet over. She gives him a small tube, and says all the instructions are inside. They enter the temple. The rite of surrender begins, and Shakiri tells Delenn that this day is the beginning of a new age for their people, and that the hostilities can finally stop. She says that she speaks for the Religious Caste, and that they surrender. This overjoys Shakiri, who starts talking about rebuilding their cities and the Grey Council. Delenn, however, is not finished. She says that the Religious Caste does not give up their sovereign right to form a new government. She says that Dukhat found no dishonor in surrender, and the she recognizes the superior forces of the Warrior Caste, that the Religious Caste helped to arm and train. Though the Warrior Caste may be stronger, they aren't necessarily wiser. She says that she doesn't want to throw away all they have done for the past thousand years, and that the Temple of Varenni was used to bring the reality of war to its leaders, and not just those who fight and die on the front lines. She makes a gesture, and a hole in the ceiling opens, casting a bright white light into the circle on the floor. She explains that, if they are ignoring the wisdom of Valen, they must completely return to the ways of the Ancients. The leader of each of the warring castes would step into the circle on the floor, and the Starfire Wheel would open, and its fire begin to destroy the leaders. Those who were afraid would send others to enter the fire, or escape, and whoever reamined in the fire to sacrifice their life would be representative of the true Caste that should lead the Minbari people. Shakiri vehemently objects, but Delenn insists it's tradition, and that she is willing to endure the Starfire Wheel for the good of the Minbari people. If the Warrior Caste will not do likewise, they don't deserve to lead. She steps into the circle of light on the floor. "Valen said, 'Will you follow me into fire?'" she says. "Will you?"

Lennier protests, but Delenn will not move, and instead begs Lennier to carry out her instructions should she die. Shakiri doesn't move, so Delenn asks if he concedes leadership, if it is too easy to send others to die for him, but that he isn't willing to die for his Caste. The Starfire Wheel opens further, and the light around Delenn grows stronger. Shakiri insists that the entire thing is madness and refuses, but Neroon points out that Shakiri said that a Warrior does not fear death, and asks why he is afraid. Shakiri asks if he speaks for the Religious Caste, but Neroon says he speaks for their people, and wants to know who he speaks for, and what he is willing to do--the other Minbari people, all watching, want to know as well. Shakiri steps forward and enters the light, as the Starfire wheel opens further. Shakiri tries to convince Delenn to walk out with him, but she refuses--he insists there are other ways, but Delenn says he should have thought of that before he tore the Minbari people apart. Shakiri jumps from the light, but Delenn does not leave, as Neroon tells Lennier she promised to do. Lennier says she is making a point, for all Minbari. The Starfire Wheel opens further, nearly all the way, and Delenn is no longer able to withstand its force.

"No!" cries Neroon as he runs forth. He forces himself into the light, picks up Delenn, and hands her through the light to Lennier. Standing in the flame, he cries out, "I was born Warrior Caste, but I see now... The calling of my heart... is Religious! The war is over! Listen to her! Listen!" The Starfire Wheel opens completely, and the light utterly engulfs him. In mere seconds, he is gone, and only the smoking circle, where he once stood, remains.

Garibaldi is again asleep in his quarters when another message from Edgars wakes him up. Though he is very upset, he manages to contain his anger long enough to listen to Edgars. He has found out that Garibaldi has hired Lyta, and doesn't want her to work for Garibaldi if Garibaldi is working for him. Garibaldi asks why Edgars wants to help telepaths, but not to employ them. Edgars says he doesn't trust telepaths. He says that, if Garibaldi wants to keep his job, Lyta must not work for him.

Bester is in the Zocalo watching Lyta and Garibaldi have a heated discussion. Lyta becomes very angry and storms away from the table, as Bester simply sits and smiles. "Personal log: Bester, Al. August 3rd, 2261. By provoking Mr. Garibaldi, I have put him even further at odds with his former associates, and further on the path I need him to folow. What I came here to get, I got--even her." We now see Lyta inside her quarters, wearing long black gloves, and the PsiCorps symbol on her chest. Bester's contract is lying nearby, as she sadly looks at what she has once again become in the mirror. "Guess you could call it a bank shot," Bester continues. "Yes... I've had a nice day."

On the Grey Council ship, Lennier tries to convince Delenn that she should wait before doing what she is planning, but she won't postpone it a moment longer. Lennier says that, when she enters the Council Chamber, what transpires will be broadcast all over Minbar.

She enters the chamber where the nine circles of light surround one in the middle. None of them are occupied. She steps into the center light, and proclaims that she is about to restore the Grey Council. She calls forth the members of the new Grey Council--two Religious, and two Warrior. There are still five spaces vacant, but the tradition must be broken-- there can no longer be three of each Caste. She calls forth five other Minbari, all from the Worker Caste. She explains that, when the Religious Caste and the Warrior Caste fight, the Workers are caught in the middle--they build the ships for fighting and the temples for praying, and they look to the other Castes to guide their hands. The Workers want to do only what is best, and, from now on, the Religious and Warrior Castes will be in the service of the people, not the other way around. She steps from the center circle of light, and explains that it is reserved in memory of Neroon, until the time it will be filled by the one who is to come. She advises the Council to judge wisely and well, as the leader of the Minbari, then leaves so that the Council may begin.

Ivanova comes into Sheridan's quarters, in a fury. She holds up a data crystal and explains that it was taken by a transport bringing relief supplies to Proxima 3. The crystal contains footage of an Earth Force destroyer decimating a convoy of unarmed transports. She says that the transports indentified themselves as only carrying wounded refugees, over 10,000 civilians in all. She says she's going to put the video on Voice of the Resistance as soon as she calms down.

Sheridan, likewise, is outraged. "This madness has gone on long enough. I don't care if we're not ready, I don't care if we're outnumbered or outgunned, I don't care what ISN says about us. This stops, and it stops now! Now, if earth wants to declare war on us, then it is time that we took the war to Clark. You tell the others... Starting right now, we fight back and we fight back hard!"

"I thought you were looking for some other way than firing at our own ships," Ivanova asks. "They were following orders."

"Any crew that executes an order like that is guilty of war crimes, and they deserve whatever they get," Sheridan continues. "No, we're riding in, Susan. Anybody who wants to defect and join us, fine. If they get in our way, we will knock them down. If they kill one of our ships, we'll kill three of theirs. And we keep going. We never slow down, and we won't stop... We're going after the colonies, then Mars... and then Earth. And God help anybody who gets in our way."

Movements of Fire and Shadow

Overview

The Centauri situation escalates. Lyta and Franklin visit the Drazi homeworld on a mission of mercy at Vir's request. Wayne Alexander as Drakh. 
P5 Rating: 9.43

Production number: 518
Original air date: June 17, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John Flinn III

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Movements of Fire and Shadow

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)

Near a Drazi colony on the border of Drazi space, the Centauri and Drazi fight one another.

Lochley's personal journal: "The Centauri War continues to spiral out of control. The threat of retaliation has already reached Babylon 5. Over half a dozen Centauri have been murdered in just the last three days. In an attempt to reduce the number of casualties, I've doubled security on every level. It hasn't helped."

Sheridan stops by Lochley's quarters late at night. He wants to tell her about the latest information. According to reliable, but still unconfirmed reports, the Centauri are targeting enemy jumpgates. Lochley is aghast. This is a violation of every rule of civilized warfare. And if the hyperspace beacon system fails, it will hurt the Centauri as much as anyone else. It makes no sense.

Sheridan agrees. This means, he says, that the Centauri are out of control, and may even strike at Babylon 5 itself. Moreover, he has just authorized the White Star fleet to fire on any Centauri vessel engaged in hostilities against Alliance ships. Babylon 5 is no longer neutral in this conflict.

Over breakfast, Sheridan is trying to ask Delenn for something he doesn't really want to ask. Since the Alliance has been using White Stars against pretty much every size of ship. Since the Shadow War, through the battle for Earth, and now the Centauri War, they've lost a lot of them. Sooner or later they will run out of ships. They need more ships, and they need bigger ships as well.

Delenn agrees in principle, but thinks it will not be easy to arrange. The Grey Council authorized the construction of the White Star ships for use in the Shadow War. To develop similar vessels, but of entirely new classes, would imply an enormous expense. But Sheridan points out that the expense can be spread around now. He has suggested to President Luchenko of the Earth Alliance a joint Earth-Minbari project. Minbar will provide the specs and material for a destroyer class ship, and Earth will handle the construction and expenses. Since they will also benefit from the technology involved, Luchenko is willing to go ahead... if the Minbari agree to it first. So Sheridan needs Delenn to contact the Grey Council and propose it.

The problem is that she needs to do it in person. The project must be kept secret until the first prototypes start rolling out of the assembly lines. And the hyperspace routes from Babylon 5 to Minbar are no longer safe, with the war going on. Nonetheless, Delenn agrees to do it. After all, it is impossible to live without risks.

Franklin and Lyta arrive at Vir's temporary quarters. He has been moved to help protect him, and he has asked both of them to come because he needs their help. The biggest losses the Centauri have had have been against the Drazi. According to the Declaration of Principles of the Alliance, opposing sides should exchange bodies of those killed, returning them to their own people. The Centauri have been honoring this, but the Drazi have refused to return any bodies of Centauri dead. Vir thinks something is going on.

Vir wants Franklin to put pressure on the Drazi, as head Medical Officer of the Alliance, and Lyta to tell if they are hiding something. Franklin can also tell if the bodies were killed in space or elsewhere, find out if there is a reason they refuse to return them in the first place. Franklin points out he would have to go to the Drazi homeworld, but Vir has made all the arrangements for this. Franklin agrees, provided Sheridan approves.

But Lyta will not do it for free. Her fee will be five hundred thousand credits, to be deposited in an account to help rogue telepaths escape the Psi Corps. Vir is taken aback, as it is more than he can afford. And Londo is, as Vir puts it, "otherwise engaged."

In fact, Londo is in a cell with G'Kar ("And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder"). G'Kar tries to get him to leave, but Londo will not. For one, it is a question of principle: he said he would go wherever G'Kar did. Besides, he figures he can be of more help in there. The people will be outraged when they find out he is being held in prison without being charged, and the popular outcry will force the Centarum to take a stand. They may even have to issue a cease fire over the Regent's objections. He'll wait until morning. It has been three days since he has been in the cell, more than enough time for the people to get organized.

G'Kar and Londo start getting ready to go to sleep when a bright light flashes; they both fall to the ground unconscious, and robed figures grab Londo and drag him out of the cell, leaving G'Kar behind.

The figures are aliens. Londo is put on a table, taken through dark corridors to a dark room, where he is examined. A device is stuck through his throat, and the aliens continue their preparations. When they are done, Londo awakes briefly, and sees the aliens over him. "Who are you?" he asks, "What do you want with me?" Another shadowy alien comes by ("In the Kingdom of the Blind") "Yes," the new arrival whispers. "He will be sufficient." A mask descends on Londo's face, as his vision blurs. Then, he awakes with a start.

It is morning. He is back in the cell with G'Kar. It appears it was only a nightmare. Londo says he has to get out. He has the feeling something is terribly wrong, and he needs to be out to deal with it. But he needs to save face. G'Kar obliges, by vomiting, creating a horrible smell. Londo is "rescued" by a guard, who gags and coughs at the stench.

On Babylon 5, Sheridan, Garibaldi, and Lochley arrive for a meeting with the Narn, Brakiri, and Drazi generals. According to them, with the help of the White Stars, they are holding their own against the Centauri. But the Narns have taken heavy losses on their already depleted forces. Lochley suggests they consolidate their defenses: the Drazi could send some ships to help the Narns, and so on. But the Brakiri ships will not take orders from Drazi, according to the Brakiri general. And the Drazi, claims the Narn, will not take orders from them. The Drazi general, on the other hand, claims they can win by themselves and do not need help from others. Clearly, no cooperation is possible.

Sheridan also wants to get a sense for the Centauri strategy. According to Garibaldi, the Centauri fleet has divided in two; one wing is defending their bases, and the other wing is attacking others, with little to no exchange between the two wings. Which, according to the Narn, is atypical of Centauri tactics. Furthermore, no overall strategy is apparent. Very strange indeed.

Lochley is called to C&C. After she leaves, the Narn suggest pooling their forces and launching an offensive. The Drazi agrees; they want to hit Centauri Prime. But Sheridan will not allow it, as it would mean hitting civilians. The Brakiri points out that such considerations have not stopped the Centauri. Nonetheless, Sheridan does not yield, and he forbids any attacks on civilians.

In C&C, Corwin explains that a lone Centauri cruiser is approaching through hyperspace. Their weapons are off, but the jump engine shows unusual readings, and there are no life signs. Lochley realizes the ship is going to blow the jumpgate, and orders Alpha Squadron to destroy the cruiser. They manage it, barely, although the explosion causes some minor damage to the gate. It was far too close.

Now alone, the Drazi and Narn generals take the near miss as an indication that the humans cannot fight this war properly. The Drazi suggests they join forces and attack Centauri Prime. The Narn general agrees. On this, at least, they can work together.

Sheridan contacts Delenn and Lennier, who are already en route to Minbar. The gate at Babylon 5 will be out for a couple of days. Delenn is relieved everyone on the station is fine. She is two days away from Minbar, and has already scheduled a meeting with the Grey Council.

On Centauri Prime, Londo is talking with several ministers, trying to muster support to move against the Regent. But the Defense Minister disagrees. According to him, Centauri ships have been engaged only in defensive actions. The rest is propaganda. The other ministers agree. The Ministry of Defense will not back Londo in a move against the Regent.

On Babylon 5, Garibaldi runs to Sheridan's quarters. He just found out that thirty percent of the Narn and Drazi fleets have disappeared. Garibaldi thinks they are on their way to Centauri Prime, but there is no time to get proof. Sheridan needs to get between them and the planet, or several million civilians will die.

On the Drazi Homeworld, Franklin and Lyta meet with a Drazi doctor. The doctor claims they have not returned Centauri bodies because they have none; the dead were in such disarray in space that it was impossible to put them together. But Lyta knows he is lying, and accuses him of it. Then, two Drazi climb down onto the balcony and start firing. Franklin gets one of them with a PPG, and Lyta stands up and uses her mind to force the second Drazi to shoot himself in the head. The Drazi doctor is horrified and tries to leave, but is stopped by Franklin. Lyta scans him, and then yells "Take me there! Now!" Franklin and Lyta lead the Drazi out at gun point.

On Babylon 5, Sheridan has assembled a White Star strike team, and they head out to Centauri Prime. Elsewhere in hyperspace, Delenn's ship detects four Centauri warships. Too many to fight. And before they can notify Babylon 5, the Centauri fire and damage the White Star. The ship starts spinning out of control, and fires break out inside.

On the Drazi Homeworld, Franklin and Lyta arrive at a research facility, and discover why they were almost killed: the Centauri ships had no crew, only some black pods attached to the controls. Lyta recognizes them, just as more shots are fired at them from inside the facility. Lyta grabs a pod, and they both run out.

On Centauri Prime, Londo enters his quarters and finds the Regent there. The Regent rambles a bit, and later acknowledges that he gave the attack orders, "after a fashion." He also says his time is almost over; he will die soon, and he is glad of it.

In hyperspace, Sheridan receives Franklin's report. Lyta explains that the pods are leftover Shadow technology. The Vorlons left the information behind in her. The pods are organic devices, used to control ships from a distance. This is why the Centauri military leaders did not know about the attacks, and why the defensive and offensive wings of the fleet did not mix. All attacking ships are being controlled through the pods. Sheridan wonders how the Centauri got their hands on them, but Franklin points out many Shadow servants were left behind when Z'ha'dum exploded ("Epiphanies"). It is possible one of these races sold them to the Centauri. Or, as Lyta points out, a third party may be using them to frame the Centauri. The Drazi kept the pods secret so they wouldn't have to turn them over to the Alliance, and because they have always competed with the Centauri for trade; a war is in their best interest.

Sheridan realizes now why they couldn't figure out the Centauri strategy: there was none. The objective was to turn everyone against the Centauri so they would attack them.

Delenn's ship is adrift in hyperspace, half destroyed. Delenn and Lennier are still alive, the only ones left on the bridge. The jump engines are off line, and most of the crew is dead. The few other survivors are trapped in lower decks, unable to get through the debris. They have enough fuel left in the thrusters to keep from drifting too far off the beacon for now ("A Distant Star"). Lennier can't even tell if the distress signal is working, and his leg is broken. "This is bad, then," says Delenn. "Very bad," confirms Lennier.

In his cell on Centauri Prime, G'Kar writes as the Narn and Drazi fleets approach. Elsewhere in the Royal Palace, Londo and the Regent are still talking. Londo asks the Regent to recall the ships, make peace. "There will be peace," says the Regent. "But it will not last. It never does. They said so. They also said I would be dead by morning, and that tomorrow you would be Emperor." Londo wants to know who they are, but the Regent does not answer. Instead, he continues: "They asked me to send away all the ships guarding Centauri Prime on a false emergency, and turn off the planetary defense network." The Regent did so, just before coming to see Londo. "No!" Londo says horrified, and runs out to a courtyard. In the sky, he can see jump points opening in outer space.

High above Centauri Prime, the jump points open and Drazi and Narn ships jump back into normal space. They open fire...

No Compromises

Overview

As the station adjusts to the arrival of a new command officer and prepares for Sheridan's inauguration, a group of telepaths arrives looking for sanctuary. Robin Atkin Downes as Byron. 
P5 Rating: 7.45

Production number: 502
Original air date: January 21, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

No Compromises

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

The EA Destroyer Acheron jumps into Babylon 5 space bearing Captain Lochley, the station's new CO. With everyone else busy preparing for Sheridan's inauguration ceremony, Lt. Corwin is the sole member of her welcoming committee. To his dismay, she seems intent on reforming the station immediately.

In an empty tube station on Mars, a man holding a music box and a PPG has a battered Ranger bound to a chair. "We live for the One, we die for the One," the Ranger utters before being shot. The man hangs a placard around the Ranger's neck and walks away. "Special Delivery For Babylon 5," it reads.

Both up early, the newlyweds are adjusting to their new routine. Delenn's dismay at finding wet socks in the shower is allayed when John explains that washing his own socks keeps death at bay. His old drill sergeant always said that the person who has nothing left to do is going to get killed. Only he would live forever, because he always had socks to wash.

Before leaving for their separate duties they agree to meet at Delenn's place tonight. They will continue alternating quarters until they can leave B5 when their permanent headquarters are completed on Minbar.

Outside the station spins a cargo bubble. A seated corpse is visible inside.

Greeting Lochley in his office, Sheridan officially acknowledges that the Captain is now in command of station operations. However, as an independent state that the Interstellar Alliance intends to purchase from Earth, B5 is politically under Pres. Sheridan's jurisdiction. He explains that he specifically requested her to run the station because she is strong yet has a history of resolving tricky conflicts without resorting to force. Lochley is pleased, but firm in stating that he'd better let her do her job without interference. Their conversation is cut short when Lochley is called away by Lt. Corwin. The question of which side she fought on in the civil war is left open between them. As she leaves his office, she is observed by a tall, blond man waiting in the corridor.

Zack's job is being interfered with plenty, but only because Garibaldi is determined that nothing go wrong with the inauguration. While discussing security procedures, they pass the killer from Mars in the Zocalo.

Lt. Corwin shows the Captain the corpse and placard, but it means nothing to them. Meanwhile, someone accesses Sheridan's Babcom and leaves him a death threat.

Lochley's working lunch is interrupted by the blond man. All sounds in the restaurant suddenly fade as he walks over, introduces himself as Byron and requests her to meet "his people" in Brown 3 in two hours. The noise quickly reestablishes itself and Byron has apparently vanished.

G'Kar's struggles with his manuscript are interrupted by the President. In recognition of the Narn's eloquence, Sheridan asks him to write the inauguration oath and a declaration of principles for the Alliance. G'Kar is overcome with honor and swears himself to the task night and day until it is done.

Dr. Franklin confirms that the Ranger was killed a week ago at close range by an expert with a PPG, but was adrift in space only a few hours.

Captain Lochley finds Byron in Brown 3 with a half a dozen people. The security team she has arranged in ambush quickly frisks and clears them all. Introducing himself as the leader of a much larger community, Byron explains that they are rogue telepaths who disavow violence and technology, and having no place else to call home, he requests permission for them to form a colony on the station. Byron introduces his wan and raggedy troupe, including Simon, a traumatized boy who communicates by transmitting visions. Lochley wants Simon in Medlab and she'll think about the rest.

The killer stalks the Gaim ambassador to his quarters and murders him there.

Sheridan returns to his quarters to find two death threats. Like Presidents Lincoln, Roosevelt and Kiyoshi, the message warns, he will pay the price for the death and destruction his war cost.

Upon examination, Franklin finds nothing physically wrong with Simon's vocal cords. Byron confirms that the boy chooses not to speak. The doctor turns away an instant and when he turns back, all the telepaths are gone, and the boy is looking down on the lab from a ventilation shaft.

Among the command staff, IA Council and Garibaldi, only Lochley agrees with Sheridan that he should continue the inauguration in the face of the threats. It's important that as President he shouldn't cut himself off from the world behind security.

Garibaldi furiously runs Lochley down in the corridor and tells her that they need to protect Sheridan from himself. She reminds him that he is a civilian without authority, and so his words mean nothing to her.

Attracted by the sound of a music box, Simon crawls to a grate where he can spy a man assembling a Gaim encounter suit. Startled by the man's thoughts of himself shooting Sheridan, Simon bangs against the shaft wall. The man shoots the ceiling, grabs his gear and runs off, leaving Simon wounded up in the shaft.

The inauguration ceremonies begin as Garibaldi's investigation homes in on the killer. Major Clemens, a former member of Earth Force, wanted for torture on Beta 9 and a trained infiltrator. Meanwhile the "Gaim Ambassador" arrives for the ceremony.

Bleeding and frantic, Simon manages to get into the gathering to get to Franklin. "No!" he shouts, and broadcasts the killer's intended assassination to everyone in the room.

The killer strikes, but misses the President before escaping. Sheridan insists on going ahead with the ceremony, even as Simon dies on the floor. The killer is able to get to a Starfury however, and launches as G'Kar begins to read the Oath of Office. Garibaldi figures out the man's intent and launches just behind him. At the moment of Sheridan's oath, a Star Fury looms outside the Observation Deck. Ordering everyone else out of the room, the killer bids Sheridan farewell. Before he can fire, Garibaldi sneaks up behind him and grapples the back of his fighter, releasing him into fire from the station's defense system.

Sheridan and Delenn hold each other in relief. To their surprise G'Kar is still on the deck. "You want to be President?" G'Kar demands.

"Yes," Sheridan replies.

"Put your hand on the book and say 'I do.'"

"I do."

"Fine. Done. Let's eat." G'Kar says and strides away.

The President receives Byron in his office. Lochley has refused the telepaths' request, but Sheridan declares it his jurisdiction and grants them rights to start a colony. Franklin is a little perplexed, but Sheridan argues that when the telepath war begins, it would do them some good to have some telepathic allies on board.

The Captain is busy decorating her own office when Garibaldi stops by. He introduces himself to her as the new head of covert intelligence for the IA, and warns her to expect him at meetings. He has a bit more snooping to do. It turns out that she once served with the attempted assassin. Garibaldi finds this curious and then asks which side she was on in the recent war.

The side of Earth, is all she'll say.

No Surrender, No Retreat

Overview

Sheridan's forces attempt to liberate Proxima 3. Londo tries to enlist G'Kar's aid in backing Sheridan against Earth. Marcia Mitzman Gaven as Commander Levitt. Richard Gant as Captain MacDougan. Ken Jenkins as Captain Hall. 
P5 Rating: 9.16

Production number: 415
Original air week: May 26, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

No Surrender, No Retreat

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Once again the station mobilizes for war. The murder of 10,000 refugees fleeing Proxima 3 has forced Sheridan to decide that it's time to retaliate against Clark.

Sheridan calls a full Council meeting first thing in the morning. In return for the safety his White Star patrols have brought to uneasy borders, he declares all League World military treaties with Earth null and void. As Starfuries run drills outside, Ivanova requests that each government contribute a military vessel to the defense of the station. Other than that, they must take no part in the war.

"We're going to take back our home. Or die trying," Captain Sheridan concludes.

Marcus races through the station to the War Room with a data crystal that holds intelligence detailing the Earth Force blockade of Proxima 3. Of six destroyers, two were responsible for shooting down the transport.

Meanwhile, even though Franklin admits little progress on freeing the Shadow-implanted telepaths, Sheridan demands that he get them mobile as quickly as possible for an imminent mission.

To Ivanova he explains his plan for attacking Proxima 3. By offering the combatants a chance to surrender or defect, he will attempt to minimize the Earth Force losses; nevertheless he will destroy any ship that fights back.

Vir is roused from a nightmare by Garibaldi at the door. When Garibaldi asks for Londo, Vir lets it slip out that the Ambassador has gone to speak with G'Kar, then divulges the plan to attack Earth. Vir is surprised that Garibaldi is disgusted with Sheridan's move. Even though he doesn't always agree with Londo, Vir says he continues to follow, because sometimes Londo's right.

Close quarters maneuvers continue outside under Lt. Corwin's supervision. Ivanova orders the fighters to only accept commands that are encrypted with the code of the day. Corwin remarks that they should trust no one.

"No," Ivanova remarks acerbically. "Trust Ivanova. Trust yourself. Anybody else? Shoot 'em."

The destroyer Starfuries patrolling hyperspace near the Proxima 3 jump gate are oblivious to the fleet of White Stars gathering in the murky redness there. Marcus learns that the resistance on the planet's surface is being demolished by Clark's ground forces.

G'Kar's writing is interrupted by Mollari's entrance. They take a couple of shots across each other 's bows until Mollari admits that he didn't come to fight but to talk. The past years have been very hard on both of them. G'Kar snorts in derision, but Mollari continues humbly, thanking G'Kar for his actions and endurance that set both of their worlds free, telling G'Kar that he has come to respect him deeply.

G'Kar scorns both the thanks and the respect.

Mollari forges ahead angrily. He is a patriot, he shouts, and yet, through ill judgment he himself became his own enemy. So can he possibly "understand who the enemy is?" Perhaps not. But he can understand friendship, and the humans of Babylon 5 have been friends. Thus he has convinced his government to put their full support behind Sheridan, and requests that G'Kar do the same. Pouring out two drinks, he proposes a toast "to the humans, and to the bridge that they created between us, in the hope for a better future, for both our worlds."

As Mollari waits with glass raised, G'Kar pours his drink back in the bottle. With heavy disappointment, Mollari departs.

Sheridan and Ivanova have the difficult task of prepping the Starfury crews for battle. They are told to defend themselves with deadly fire and come home alive, yet show mercy to any non-combatant.

Sheridan departs for the front leaving Ivanova to command the station. His flagship White Star 2 sports newly painted Army of Light logos on the wings.

The commander of the fleet blockading Proxima 3 orders two destroyers to attack the White Stars that jump out of hyperspace on the opposite side of the planet. When he recognizes the ships as Sheridan's he orders his destroyers to attack. Macdougan, the captain of the Vesta, engages John in a conversation about the legality of Clark's orders. When Macdougan refuses to enter the fray, fleet commander Hall grants a field promotion to Macdougan's second, a rank he enjoys for about 60 seconds until the Vesta's crew ends it.

The Pollux is destroyed, two vessels stand down, and another withdraws. Fearing a tribunal more than death, Captain Hall orders his crew to continue the fight until his own second relieves him of command and surrenders.

Sheridan calls the captains of the surviving destroyers together and offers them the choice of going home or joining up. When they object to his methods he argues that they swore to protect Earth, that they work for all humans, not for Clark in particular. In the final analysis one ship withdraws, one joins the defense of Proxima 3, and two join Sheridan.

As he drinks alone again in morose contemplation, Londo notices a shot raised to the lips of another nearby. Sternly G'Kar orders Londo to issue the joint statement of their worlds' support of Sheridan. He refuses to sign it on the same page though. G'Kar departs just as rapidly leaving the Ambassador choked with emotion.

As the Voice of Resistance announces the victory and encourages other Earth Force vessels to defect, Garibaldi leaves the station for Mars vowing never to return.

Objects at Rest

Overview

The Interstellar Alliance headquarters moves to Minbar. Lennier faces the consequences of a terrible mistake. 
P5 Rating: 8.91

Production number: 522
Original air date: November 18, 1998 (US)
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John Copeland

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Objects at Rest

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)

Sheridan is pacing in Command and Control, and finds Lochley; neither of them could sleep. Sheridan is about ready to leave. He asks that no ceremonies or speeches be made when he leaves. He wants to leave quietly. Lochley agrees. Sheridan also thanks her for having taken the job. Knowing Babylon 5 is in good hands makes the leaving easier.

Ta'Lon is trying to find G'Kar, and runs into Vir. Vir explains G'Kar has left, and does not plan to return; nobody knows where he went. Ta'Lon inquires whether a message was left for him: G'Kar sent for him on Narn, after all. But Vir doesn't know. After he leaves, Ta'Lon breaks into G'Kar's quarters, and his voice activates the recording G'Kar made for him ("Objects in Motion").

G'Kar couldn't wait for him to get there. The reason he called him is that he wants Ta'Lon to represent Narn in his place. Anticipating Ta'Lon's question, he explains he offered him the job for several reasons. Narn needs to get things done, and G'Kar is a distraction to this. They need someone who is warrior and priest in equal measures to speak for them, but G'Kar has become much more priest than warrior; perhaps Ta'lon, more warrior than priest, can do better. Certainly he can do as well as G'Kar did at the beginning, and can help rebuild and strengthen the ties with the Alliance.

A copy of the message will be sent to Sheridan and the others. "Serve our people reasonably, fairly, and with honor," G'Kar says. "The rest will attend to itself."

Elsewhere on Babylon 5, Franklin is also choosing his replacement to head MedLab: Dr. Hobbes ("Interludes and Examinations"). Although not the most knowledgable in certain areas, she is the one with the most experience and is not too specialized, a must for Chief of Staff in a place like Babylon 5. She happily accepts, and asks when Franklin will leave. Tonight, he says. Even Delenn's pregnancy is out of his hands; her doctors on Minbar will take care of her now. Sheridan walks by, and Franklin gets up, ready to say goodbye to him as well.

Delenn is almost done packing when Lennier arrives as a surprise. There was a break in training for personal time, and he took it to come here, despite the fact that his training is reaching a critical point now.

Number One is conducting a briefing with Sheridan, Lochley and Zack. Nothing major, only minor altercations between Drazi and Brakiri. All in all, everything is quiet, and Sheridan can leave for Minbar whenver he wants. Number One leaves, and Sheridan expresses his satisfaction at her perfomance. Lochley agrees, but wonders why she is staying on Babylon 5 rather than joining him on Minbar. Sheridan explains that Babylon 5 is still a hotbed of information: she'll have more resources on the station than on Minbar, so it makes sense for her to stay.

On Mars, Garibaldi is meeting with disgruntled middle managers. He has called the most vocal troublemakers to meet with him: those who complain when they don't like something, have a bad attitude, thinking they can do everything better than their superiors. But not to fire them: he wants them to be the new Board of Directors of Edgars Industries. Part of the job will be to tell him when he screws up and stand their ground. If they are right, they get a bonus; otherwise, "I will eat you for lunch," says Garibaldi.

Unfortunately for Sheridan and Delenn's plans to leave quietly, the news of their imminent departure has been leaked to the media. When Lennier arrives to let them know everything is ready, they leave but run into a crowd, led by Lochley. So Delenn says a few words:

"One of the most difficult words for me [to learn] was 'goodbye.' There is no corresponding word for 'goodbye' in Minbari. All of our partings contain within them the possibility of meeting again, in other places, in other times, in other lives. So you will excuse me if I do not say goodbye. Our souls are a part of this place, our hopes the foundation of our future, and we will pass this way again."

The crowd slowly parts as they make their way to their shuttle. In the shuttle bay, they meet Zack, the only one of the old gang still on board. "I'll probably still be here when they turn off the lights," jokes Zack as he says goodbye to them.

The White Star that will take them to Minbar has no captain, though: Lennier has arranged for him to remain on Babylon 5, so Sheridan and Delenn can command the ship for the trip to Minbar. After one final pass by the observation dome, where Number One, Lochley, Corwin, Ta'Lon, Zack, and Dr. Hobbes are watching them leave, the White Star heads for the jumpgate, as Sheridan and Delenn finally leave Babylon 5.

On board, Sheridan is restless and goes for a walk. He runs into a ranger, who has found a leak in the weapon coolant system. The dangerous gas is forcing an evacuation of that part of the ship, and pressure doors seal off the area just as Sheridan attempts to carry the ranger to safety. On the other side of the door is Lennier, and Sheridan yells at him to hit the access panel so he can leave. But Lennier hesitates, looks around, and seeing nobody else, runs away, leaving an astounded Sheridan behind.

A few seconds later, Lennier says to himself, "I can't," and rushes back. But Sheridan has managed to use the Ranger's fighting pike to break the door, and is dragging him out. By the time Lennier arrives, many more are already there. Delenn arrives and asks what happened. Ashamed, he runs away, takes a one man fighter, and leaves the ship. When Delenn tries to call him, he cuts off the communication.

Later, Delenn has his quarters in the training facility searched. Apparently, his diary betrays strong feelings for her, stronger than she throught he had. Lennier considers Sheridan and Delenn's union a mistake, but there is no indication he meant any harm. What happened, then? "There are moments," explains Delenn, "when we all become someone else. Something other than what we are. It takes only a moment. But we spend the rest of our lives looking back at that moment in shame. For one instant, out of a lifetime of service, he became his own worst instincts."

Although Lennier was on his way back, no one knows if it was to correct his mistake, or make sure Sheridan was dead. However, Sheridan will not let anyone know about it. "What happened with Lennier," he says," is staying on this ship." There will be a price to pay, however.

The ship arrives on Minbar, and is greeted by fireworks. Sheridan and Delenn walk into the Alliance HQ, and Sheridan is distracted by the view. Delenn walks ahead, and eventually Sheridan is lifted from his reverie by a familiar voice: "Still walking with your head in the clouds, eh Sheridan?" Emperor Londo Mollari is standing behind him. "On a joyous day like this," Londo continues, "how could I not be here?"

Later, Sheridan, Delenn, and Londo sit down for dinner. Delenn is surprised Londo is so friendly, given what he said at the last meeting ("The Fall of Centauri Prime"). Londo claims he was only playing to the audience, getting them fired up for the rebuilding. When he heard Delenn was pregnant and going back to Minbar, he couldn't fail to come and give his personal good wishes. He would raise a toast, but no alcohol is apparent. Sheridan explains he decided to leave it all behind, since it is such a danger to Minbari ("The Quality of Mercy"). Londo becomes more insistent, and Delenn senses something strange; for a second, she can see the ghostly shape of Londo's keeper on his shoulder, but the impression soon vanishes.

Londo has also brought a gift for Delenn's child. An urn, which in Centauri tradition is given to the heir to the throne when he or she comes of age. Londo has no heirs, and expects the office of Emperor to be removed once he dies. He insists that they take it, however. A Minbari whispers something to Delenn, who excuses herself. Sheridan then accepts the urn, which according to Londo should be given to his child when he or she turns 16. Sheridan notes the bottom is sealed, and Londo says he is told it contains water from the river which flowed in front of the first Imperial Palace, two thousand years ago.

In her quarters, Delenn receives a transmission from Lennier. Delenn asks him to come back, but he refuses. "I only wanted to to call you and tell you," he explains, "that I am so sorry for what happened. I never meant him any harm. I never intended for this to happen. It just happened. And, I cannot even ask you to forgive me, because I know I will never forgive myself. I only wanted to tell you one last time I'm sorry... and that I am going away. I must consider who and what I am. I need to be somewhere else until I can find a way to redeem myself in your eyes, however long that may take."

She begs him not to go, but he assures her they will meet again, and he will earn her forgiveness then. Until then, he wants her to be happy for her sake and Sheridan's. With that, he cuts the transmission and is gone.

Londo has to leave as well. But before then, there is something he wants Delenn and Sheridan to know and remember in the years to come: "I want you to know that you are my friends... That you'll always be my friends, no matter what happens. And I want you to know that this day, with you, means more to me than you will ever know." He is escorted to the Imperial Liner, where the Drakh whispers to him: "You have done well. As a reward you may have an hour free from us." A servant gives Londo a glass to drink. "Now what?" Londo asks tiredly. "Now we wait the passage of years," the Drakh replies. Inside the urn, a Keeper lies, sleeping and waiting.

In the middle of the night, Sheridan gets up and goes to another room to make a recording; a message to his unborn child. The child will come of age at 21, but if Lorien's prediction holds ("Falling Toward Apotheosis") Sheridan has at most 19 years left. So he wants to leave something behind for that day, some of what he has learned.

"Delenn is the greatest ally you will have. Her depths of courage and compassion are unmatched in my experience. Look to her for wisdom and fire in equal measure. And if you ever have doubt, talk to her. She will never judge you, she will only love you." He also shares more advice on life, and finally adds:

"Fight for what you believe in. Which brings me to the first piece of advice my dad ever gave me, and now I'm giving to you: Never..."

"Never start a fight," Delenn interrupts, finishing for him. "But always finish it."

"Always finish it," echoes Sheridan. He turns off the recorder. "Did I tell you today how much I love you?" he asks Delenn. "Yes," she answers with a smile. "But you may continue to repeat it for as long as you like." "Oh, I plan to. Every day that I can."

They embrace, and go back to bed together.

Objects in Motion

Overview

As some longtime residents prepare to leave the station, the crew races to stop an assassin. Denise Gentile as Lise. Marjorie Monaghan as Number One. 
P5 Rating: 8.62
Production number: 521
Original air date: November 11, 1998 (US)
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Story by J. Michael Straczynski and Harlan Ellison
Directed by Jesus Treviño

Watch For

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Objects in Motion

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)

Number One, formerly of the Mars Resistance ("Racing Mars") is trying to enter Babylon 5, but the computer does not recognize her passport. When Zack arrives, she explains her name is Tessa Halloran, a member of the Mars Provisional Government; under the terms of the new treaty ("Rising Star"), Mars is authorized to issue its own passports and money, but Earth is dragging their feet in terms of updating they systems, in an effort to harass them; forcing Mars citizens to use Earth documents. But Number One will not put up with the blackmail. Fortunately, Franklin happens by and vouches for her to Zack, so she is allowed in.

Number One is looking for Garibaldi. Garibaldi is in his quarters with Lise. He is vomiting, going through detox, when Franklin and Number One arrive, just in time to hear more retching. Number One explains that in the next few days, someone will try to kill Garibaldi and Lise.

Once Mars declared independence, the corporations with ties to Earth ran for cover; they had been exploiting and strip mining Mars, so they were scared. The Provisional Government went for their records, and offered immunity to those who would help. They now have sources inside all major corporations still on Mars; among them, Edgars Industries, which Lise now owns. The company ran several black projects for Clarke, but Lise didn't know about them.

Garibaldi puts it all together now: someone is afraid she'll find out something she shouldn't, so they want her out of the way. Number One confirms it, and adds that since Garibaldi can help her, they want him out too. She doesn't know who is behind it, or who will do the killing, but she does know it will happen before Lise and Garibaldi leave for Mars. Franklin is surprised to hear Garibaldi is leaving, but happy for him that he is getting together with Lise.

G'Kar is on his way to see Lyta; armed security protects him, and keeps his admiring Narn at bay, including one holding a stattuette of G'Kar, who yells more insistently than the rest. G'Kar enters the cell alone. Lyta has been told about G'Kar's offer; it makes sense, she admits, but isn't too happy. She also suspects G'Kar has an ulterior motive: he wants to keep his access to telepath DNA. G'Kar is saddened by her attitude: "That's why you think I'm doing this? Just that, my own personal interest?" "Well, yeah," replies Lyta. G'Kar looks pityingly at her, and says: "Then my decision was even more correct than I imagined." He will make sure all the arrangements are made for her.

Franklin and Zack brief Sheridan on the situation, and Sheridan tells Garibaldi their plan: Garibaldi and Lise will stay out of sight and under guard. Then, an elaborate going away ceremony will be staged for G'Kar, Garibaldi, and Lise. Since this will be his only shot, the assassin will have to act then. Zack will have the place crawling with security, and will take the assassin down when he moves. Garibaldi is somewhat surprised to find out this is Zack's idea. "You taught him well," says Sheridan.

Sheridan now also knows Garibaldi is leaving for Mars. Garibaldi explains he and Lise are getting married, and he knows he is not getting his job as Head of Intelligence back. Sheridan does not contradict him, but congratulates him on the wedding.

A lone security guard is joined on a lift by a man. The man efficiently and silently stabs him, and takes his link, replacing it with another one. The body is found later, and the switch goes unnoticed. Zack doesn't understand why the security guard was killed, but he knows it was a professional. In his quarters, the assassin tries to modify the link to gain access to security channels. After some work, he succeeds.

Sheridan is seeing Number One, who reports Earth still treats Mars as a colony, making everything go through Earth. Also, dissention among the Resistance is coming to the surface. As Sheridan poins out, independence wars are often followed by civil wars. Number One agrees, and thinks Earth is increasing the pressure on the Provisional Government to cause a civil war; then they can come back and rescue everyone, and take over for the "general good." As far as she can tell, her best options are to expand her contacts. Sheridan offers to set up a diplomatic office on Minbar and an account outside of Earth jurisdiction. Number One is very happy to hear it and is very thankful. In exchange, Sheridan wants her to stick around a bit. He would rather not say why, but he has just had an idea he wants to kick around for a while. Number One, intrigued, agrees.

The preparations for G'Kar's going-away are under way in the Zocalo. G'Kar observes from a distance, and sighs sadly. Suddenly, behind him stands the Narn who was trying to talk to him earlier. He has heard G'Kar is leaving. He claims G'Kar has an obligation to either stay and teach, or go to Narn and lead. G'Kar tries to explain that his only obligation is to his own principles, but the Narn isn't listening. He spent all his money to come to Babylon 5. "We put you in this position, G'Kar," the Narn says. "Our reverence is our gift to you. And you are responsible to us. You owe us. Without us... you are nothing." "Then I am nothing," says G'Kar, and tries to leave. The Narn doesn't let him go, and shows him the statuette which he has made and is selling, his way to honor G'Kar. G'Kar takes the stattuette he is holding, and snaps it in half. "Go home," he tells him, and leaves.

"Don't; don't tell me to go home," the Narn pleads to no effect. "Don't turn your back on me, G'Kar!"

Zack arrives in MedLab to take the guard's personal effects home. He discovers that the link has some sort of adhesive on the back. This is very unusual; links are matched to their owners, and adhere using a special molecular binding material, tailor made to them. He now has a lead: the guard was killed for his link, which means it was the professional assassin after Garibaldi.

In his quarters, the assassin prepares to leave for G'Kar's going away bash, now under way. The Zocalo is full of Narn, and a few others, cheering G'Kar. The assassin blends in as G'Kar, Lise, Garibaldi, and Sheridan make their way to the podium.

Sheridan announces that Garibaldi is leaving, as is G'Kar. He praises both for their work on Babylon 5, and expresses his admiration for G'Kar. G'Kar stands up to speak. Zack orders a piercing noise to be sent to the assassin's link. The assassin lurches in pain, betraying himself, and is quickly taken down by security. The threat to Lise and Garibaldi is over.

But not the threat to G'Kar. The disgruntled stattuette maker steps forward, a PPG in his hand. "You are not worthy of us!" he yells and prepares to fire. Zack notices, and pushes G'Kar out of the way... and the shot hits Lise in the shoulder instead. She falls unconscious.

In MedLab, Franklin works on her wound, as Garibaldi looks on. G'Kar arrives to inquire on Lise's condition, but Garibaldi says they won't know anything for a while. Franklin comes out and says they've done everything they can for Lise; the rest is up to her.

Garibaldi leaves and runs into Zack, who wants to talk to him about pressing charges on the Narn. But Garibaldi wants five minutes with the assassin. Zack tells him he can't do that, but Garibaldi insists. Either Zack lets him in, or he will have to shoot Garibaldi to stop him. Garibaldi takes the assassin to Lyta, so she can find out who hired him. Lyta doesn't want to help, but Garibaldi makes it a deal-breaker: either she does, or his whole deal with her ("Wheel of Fire") is off.

Lyta begins scanning. The assassin is well trained, and blocks her for a while, but is no match for her enhanced powers. She slips in and knocks him out so he won't remember anything. She also gets the information. He was hired by the Board of Directors of Edgars Industries. Not one of the directors, but the entire board. They promised to back each other up if things went badly. And there is no proof, so Garibaldi can't do anything about it. At least not legally.

In his quarters, G'Kar is packing when Sheridan arrives. Sheridan was hoping G'Kar would stay until Delenn returned from Minbar, but the events of the last hours have convinced G'Kar that he must leave as soon as possible, or put everyone at risk. G'Kar has purchased a long range survey ship, and is ready to leave.

"I've always had the greatest respect for you," says Sheridan. "I'll miss you."

"Unnecessary," answers G'Kar. "You see, I believe that when we leave a place, part of it goes with us and part of us remains. Go anywhere in the station, when it is quiet, and just listen. After a while, you will hear the echoes of all our conversations. Every thought and word we've exchanged. Long after we're gone, our voices will linger in these walls for as long as this place remains. But I will admit that the part of me that is going will very much miss the part of you that is staying."

After Sheridan leaves, G'Kar dictates a message for later delivery.

In MedLab, Garibaldi has fallen asleep by Lise's side by the time she wakes up. Garibaldi is relieved: according to Franklin, if she woke up she would be all right. And Garibaldi has a surprise: a minister waiting outside. He wants to get married as soon as possible, before the Universe throws anything else at them. Lise happily agrees.

In the embarkation bay, G'Kar is looking over his ship when Lyta arrives, escorted and handcuffed. He asks that the handcuffs be removed, but Lyta easily takes them off herself; she only kept them on because it made everyone feel safe. The guards leave them alone. On the way to the ship, she looks around, but nobody is there to see her off. As they approach the ship, Zack steps from behind some crates and watches her leave.

On Mars, the Board of Edgars Industries has convened, and receives a call from Garibaldi. The Board claims their investigation has established that the head of security hired the assassin, and later committed suicide, leaving a note taking all responsibility. Nothing else can be proven.

Garibaldi, however, has information about the members of the board: adultery, children out of wedlock, even some questionable "accidents" that caused deaths. And he is fully ready to use this information. How did he get it? Although not the Head of Intelligence anymore, he knows who the new person on the job is, and introduces her: Number One.

According to her information, the Board is actually responsible for many of the problems Mars has been facing since independence. If she makes half of that information public, they will be skinned alive by the mobs.

Garibaldi asks her to leave the room, and continues to talk to the board. He wants all of them to resign. And he will deposit a substantial sum of money in the bank. If anything should happen to him or Lise, anything at all, it will be paid out to certain individuals who will take out every former member of the board. Enough money, in fact, to have every bounty hunter in the system after them. The former members of the Board have little choice.

Franklin and Number One are having a drink. She figures her new position will let her help Mars even more than when she was there. She certainly didn't expect the new job when she got to Babylon 5, but is happy with it. Since Franklin is leaving for Earth, their relationship ("Lines of Communication") wouldn't work out anyway. They can, however, "celebrate" one more time before he goes back on duty.

Delenn arrives back from Minbar, and is greeted by Sheridan. The Alliance Headquarters are almost ready, a week more at the most, and they can move in any time. They run into Garibaldi and Lise, who are about to leave for Mars. They say goodbye, and Garibaldi, the last of the original command crew, leaves.

"Of all the recent partings, I think this will be the hardest," Delenn tells Sheridan; "You think he'll be all right?" "Yeah, oh yeah," answers Sheridan. "But you're right. The place won't be the same without him."

"We're next, you know," says Delenn. "It occurs to me I have never walked the length of this place end to end." "It's five miles long," says Sheridan. "I know," she replies. "Coming?"

He smiles, takes her hand, and they start walking.

Passing Through Gethsemane

Overview

Lyta Alexander returns to the station at Kosh's behest. One of Theo's brothers discovers that he may have a hidden past. Brad Dourif as Brother Edward. Louis Turenne as Brother Theo. Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander. 
P5 Rating: 8.38

Production number: 305
Original air week: November 27, 1995
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Adam Nimoy

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Passing Through Gethsemane

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

As Ivanova and Brother Edward banter over the outcome, Brother Theo and Captain Sheridan are engaged in a match of wits over chess and faith. Just as Brother Theo wins at both, Ivanova is called away to meet Ambassador Kosh's arriving ship. She has been invited to witness his ship deliver Lyta Alexander, the mysterious telepath who had helped the B5 crew find the Psi Corps plant in their midst ("Divided Loyalties").

Later, in Sheridan's office, Lyta explains how she had felt drawn to Kosh since she touched his mind years before ("The Gathering"). In a final desperate attempt to find the Vorlons, she had herself abandoned in a life pod at the edge of Vorlon space. Although she agrees to submit to a medical exam by Franklin, she refuses to tell anything about her experiences after the Vorlons rescued her. As Garibaldi sums up for them all, "Nobody's ever been to the Vorlon homeworld, and back again; and yet she goes and comes back like she just took a trip to the corner store. And now she's working for Kosh. Is anyone else as creeped out about this as I am?"

In wrapping up business negotiations, Brother Edward explains that the data transfer service his order provides is like the manuscript illumination of the Middle Ages, namely a means to earn the money they need to continue their work of "learning all the names of God from our non-human brothers." As she is about to depart, the woman asks about the black rose that falls from the monk's bag, but he is more bewildered by it than she.

Garibaldi and Delenn watch an ISN anchor report the sentence of Death of Personality for a serial killer. The Chief explains that this type of mindwipe is considered more humane than the death penalty, and that after a criminal's memory has been erased, they are programmed to serve the community they harmed.

In MedLab, Dr. Franklin is intrigued to find that not only is Lyta in excellent health, but all her prior chronic and congenital ailments are also inexplicably gone. She manages to get away just as the gleam of fanatic inquisitiveness appears in his eyes.

Returning to his quarters, Brother Edward is terrified to see "DEATH WALKS AMONG YOU" scrawled in blood across the bulkhead. When he returns with a dubious Garibaldi moments later, all signs have vanished.

Londo catches Lyta exiting a transport tube. He is extremely curious to hear what she has seen among the Vorlons. When bribery fails as an enticement, he threatens to apprise the Psi Corps of her presence on B5. Her promise to bury a never-ending nightmare in the psyche of anyone who turns her in seems to cool his ardor.

In an interview with Ambassador Delenn and Lennier, Brother Edward asks about the Minbari faith. In return she asks him what the defining moment of Christianity is to him personally. He replies by telling the story of Jesus waiting all night in the garden of Gethsemene for the Roman soldiers to seize him. Though he knew what was going to happen and he could have escaped, Jesus chose to stay, to sacrifice himself "to atone for the sins of others."

"A very fragile human moment," Brother Edward tells Delenn. "And I've often thought about that night, and I honestly don't know if I would have had the courage to have stayed."

Returning home Downbelow, Brother Edward bumps into an odd Centauri. A moment later the corridor is pierced by a woman's scream of terror and pain -- and the hideous whine of an electric saw. Confronted with the same bloody message as before, the monk tries to run away, only to watch his panicked steps begin splashing through filthy water. With accusations and foreign sirens ringing in his ears, he collapses nearly on top of the corpse of a mutilated woman -- one who has a black rose stuffed in her mouth.

Brother Theo finds Brother Edward sitting deeply disturbed in his quarters. The older monk realizes the futility of his counsel, even as he asks Brother Edward to refrain from digging after the source of these waking nightmares. His fears are well founded, for the instant Theo is gone, Edward queries the computer about the things he has seen, cross-referenced against criminal records.

Quickly assessing the situation, Theo goes directly to Sheridan to enlist his aid in tracking down the information before Edward can. Sheridan is astonished to think that the kind, generous man they are all fond of could have been an irredeemable serial murderer. Garibaldi's search turns up that the troubled monk was once Charles Dexter, a.k.a. the Black Rose Killer, but not before Brother Edward discovers the same. Security also finds that Brother Edward's visions were not just hallucinations, but planted by somebody trying to rattle loose the memories of the past. This suggests to Sheridan that the strange Centauri was a telepath.

Edward waits for Brother Theo to bid him goodbye. "I am a murderer," he says. "The sins of my former life must be atoned for." Theo begs him to come back into the fold, "If you ask God to forgive your sins, He knows what they are even if you've forgotten. Leave it in His hands!" But it is to no avail. Edward goes to await his victims' avenger, who has deliberately awakened the evil memories.

Sheridan and Garibaldi attempt to interrogate the Centauri telepath about who hired him. When he smugly refuses to divulge anything, they toss a bag over his head, and usher in Lyta, who easily wrenches the location of the avenger from his mind.

Once again they are just a little too late though. By the time they find Brother Edward's battered body strung up spread-eagle on a rack, his life is nearly dissipated. Yet he forgives his tormentor. Finally, he has found the answer to his question. He did have the courage to wait in the garden of Gethsemene. As Edward draws his last breath, Brother Theo administers the final sacrament of Extreme Unction, the remission of sins.

The monk's torturer is easily caught and proudly admits to the crime, and two weeks later is sentenced to the death of personality. In the course of a conversation about the meaning of revenge and the difficulty of forgiveness, Brother Theo asks the Captain to meet the latest addition to his order, who is about to be shipped back to the monastery for training. It is the young psychopath, looking like sweet, untrammeled innocence. Under Brother Theo's reprimand, Sheridan struggles to overcome the bitter taste of forgiveness, and gives the newest monk his blessing.

After completing an errand for Kosh, Lyta joins him in his chambers. As she faces him, a stream of energy leaps from her eyes and mouth into the glowing orifice of his open encounter suit. It becomes eerily apparent why she has no need of a breather in the methane environment. Puffing and fluttering gently on her neck are a set of gills.

Patterns of the Soul

Overview

A group of refugees from Earth may be spreading the Drakh plague offworld. 
Production number: 110
Original air date: July 7, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by Fiona Avery
Directed by Tony Dow

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Patterns of the Soul

Phoenix Rising

Overview

The telepath situation becomes critical and Bester attempts to take control, triggering a strong reaction by Garibaldi. Robin Atkin Downes as Byron. Walter Koenig as Bester. Leigh J. McCloskey as Thomas. 
P5 Rating: 8.25

Production number: 512
Original air date: April 1, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Phoenix Rising

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

As soon as the transport of Psi Cops arrives, Bester debriefs them on their mission to root out and capture Byron's telepaths. He explains that the telepaths who have left Byron are more dangerous than the others holed up in Brown sector. Meanwhile, somewhere in the station, one of his bloodhound Psi Cops is led by a telepath into an ambush. Bester gives the Psi Cops their assignments and orders them to resolve the situation by the next day.

Lochley enters to catch the end of his speech. She accuses him of enjoying the hunt, and he replies that if they weren't protecting normals from rogue telepaths, another worse method of controlling telepaths would be employed. He adds that his mission is to help rogue telepaths understand they are all on the same side. The transport tube doors open to reveal the body of the ambushed bloodhound nailed to the wall under the words "Free Byron!"

Byron contacts President Sheridan. He can convince his followers to back off if the Psi Cops leave the station. Sheridan is trying to negotiate when Bester walks in and sneers that Byron never keeps his promises. "It's over," he says.

"No, there are other ways," Byron replies and breaks off. He brushes off Lyta's question about what Bester meant.

Bester ignores Sheridan's anger and delivers a progress report. Once he's gone Sheridan wonders to Lochley why Garibaldi hasn't been heard from.

Bester is greeted in his quarters by Garibaldi and a charged ppg. Garibaldi demands that Bester dictate a full confession to the Babcom unit. Bester casually admits everything but declines to record it. Garibaldi threatens again with utter sincerity. Bester tells him to go ahead and shoot. Garibaldi's face shows a struggle, but he just stands there with his gun. Bester nonchalantly walks past him and sits down. "On a scale of one to ten," he questions, "How stupid do you think I am, anyway?" He procedes to explain that he has installed an "asimov" in Garibaldi's mind. Garibaldi cannot harm Bester, nor through inaction allow him to come to harm. The block is in his neural system so that he can want to kill Bester and experience his rage, but he is "blocked at the point of action." Bester mocks Garibaldi's futility some more and then leaves. Garibaldi raises his ppg again at Bester's retreating back, then destroys the Babcom unit in frustration.

Byron complains again to Lyta how he had hoped that his followers could be nobler and less violent than they are. She changes the subject to why Bester hates him. Byron admits that he used to be Bester's Psi Cop protege, until one day they intercepted a transport smuggling rogues. Once the rogues were captured, Bester ordered the squadron to destroy the transport. "They're just mundanes," he reasoned. Byron did as he was told, but ran away once he returned to Earth and vowed to find a better way for telepaths to live.

The telepaths outside the Byron's stronghold are in a losing firefight. One of them thinks of a place they can get hostages.

Garibaldi asks Dr. Franklin if there is any medical way to break a telepathic neural block. Before Franklin can answer the telepaths rush in shooting or subduing everyone in Medlab. Moments later on Babcom, the telepaths threaten to kill their hostages, starting with Garibaldi, unless they get safe passage and a homeworld. Byron watches this broadcast and begs Lyta to find him a way to Medlab so he can stop the killing.

The telepaths lift the teek Peter from his sickbed to help them guard an access route. Franklin tries to intervene for his patient and almost gets killed.

Zack leads a sally against Peter's position, but is confused into retreating when confronted by a barrage of bedpans.

Bester gloats to the President about his error in trusting rogue telepaths. Even though Garibaldi's life is in danger, Bester still has jurisdiction over the handling of the crisis, so there's nothing Lochley or Sheridan can do, short of negotiating with terrorists.

Lyta and Byron walk around their sealed-in domain. She pauses at every air shaft and sends her mind down each one, searching for a free path out.

Garibaldi's time is almost up. Bloodied and frightened, he and Franklin eye the terrorists. Byron and Lyta appear at Peter's checkpoint. Garibaldi starts trying to talk the terrorists into working with him, but no one responds. Just then Sheridan's face comes on the console. He declares that they will not negotiate for the lives of hostages. There is the sound of a ppg charging and the telepaths point their guns at Garibaldi who makes a last ditch effort to stop them. A ppg is fired, and the lead terrorist drops. Byron has shot him.

Sheridan paces agitatedly. He tells Lochley he's probably condemned his friend to death. Byron pages them from Medlab. He offers to surrender with everyone responsible for committing crimes, if in exchange he is allowed to gather all his people together and speak with them, and then the innocent ones are allowed to leave the station peacefully. Lochley agrees.

Bester is pissed. Lochley tells him that he no longer has jurisdiction. If he wants Byron, he needs to go through channels back on Earth. Just then Zack comes in with the identicards and signed confessions of telepaths who committed violence.

While the telepaths quietly commune, Bester approaches their sealed off entrances and puts out a mental call to Byron. He offers Byron forgiveness in exchange for coming back to the family, but Byron refuses.

Bester gathers his bloodhounds for a final attempt to grab Byron at docking. As the violent telepaths begin to surrender to Lochley and armed guards, Bester rushes up and demands the prisoners. One of the telepaths panics and fires at Bester. In the ensuing fight, telepaths and guards are shot and a fuel conduit is ruptured.

Byron and Lochley shout a ceasefire. Byron picks up a ppg and looks at the chemicals pouring out on the floor. Byron demands that Lyta leave him now, and thereby save his soul by saving the other telepaths who will be leaving the station soon. She must be strong for him, he says. She walks away, and as the remaining surrendering telepaths draw close, he charges the ppg and aims at the fuel. Sheridan grabs Lyta and everyone runs out before Byron and his telepaths explode.

Watching the grisly cleanup, Sheridan asks Bester if he's satisfied now. Bester seems lost. He never believed Byron hated him and the Corps so much. Franklin finds Sheridan and asks where Garibaldi is. He's worried because Garibaldi appeared so distraught and beaten earlier.

The remaining telepaths file off station under Bester's futile eye. Lyta rushes up, calling "Wait!" One-by-one, she touches each of the telepaths and gives them individual contact information for finding safe houses and rescuers set up for them wherever they go. It is Byron's last gift to them to keep them free. "Remember Byron," she tells each.

Garibaldi enters his quarters with a bottle of liquor. He pours it in a tumbler, hesitates a moment and drains it.

Point of No Return

Overview

As the Earth Alliance plunges toward civil war, internal strife threatens to shatter the command structure of B5. Zack's loyalties are put to the test when the Nightwatch is ordered to take over station security. Londo receives another glimpse of his destiny. Majel Barrett as Lady Morella. Marshall Teague as Ta'Lon. 
P5 Rating: 9.31

Production number: 309
Original air week: February 26, 1996
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jim Johnston
Note: this episode is more momentous than most. Think twice before proceeding to the spoilers; it's worth seeing unawares.

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Point of No Return

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Londo insists on giving Vir unwelcome advice on how to phrase his intelligence report regarding Minbar. Just as Vir finally loses his temper, Londo receives a call from Centauri Prime telling him that Lady Morella, the late Emperor Turhan's third wife, will be arriving soon. Delighted, Londo exclaims that everything must go smoothly for this important visit. As he goes to prepare he finds his exit blocked by a corridor full of people in a panic because the Earth Alliance has just declared martial law.

The latest word for Sheridan and Ivanova from Earth is that President Clark has just dissolved the Senate and the Elite Guard is moving in on defiant members in their chambers. Joint Chief of Staff General Hague is missing, but he left a message for Sheridan: "Everything's gone to hell, John. You're on your own." They head to command and control to try to steady the crew, ordering them to stay at their posts and keep a squadron of fighters on patrol at all times. Garibaldi catches Sheridan and Ivanova a moment later in the hall and relays that an alert has been posted for General Hague, who is trying to organize a counter strike. Hague is outnumbered, and the conspirators realize that if the general is captured, they will be arrested next. If he comes toward B5 they can help him, but in the meantime, they and everyone else will keep watching ISN.

Zack's viewing is interrupted by the Nightwatch liaison telling him to come to a critical meeting in a couple of hours--and to bring extra caps for his PPG just in case.

G'Kar's singing is interrupted by Garibaldi setting him free from prison. He is quite pleased and obliquely promises some assistance.

Londo curses the crisis in Docking as he explains how much effort it took to arrange Lady Morella's visit. Her importance is due as much to her status as the ex-consort as because she is a prophetess, and Londo hopes for some much needed advice.

The four senior officers receive a briefing from General Smits informing them that the Political Office has assigned all off-world security responsibility to Nightwatch personnel, and over Sheridan's protests orders them to obey the chain of command. This is the same order that the Nightwatch liaison is relaying to security members in their meeting. It is now their responsibility to root out the traitors who have sold out Earth throughout the station.

Returning to his quarters, G'Kar is astonished to find that Ta'lon has been guarding the door throughout his incarceration.

One by one, the security personnel approach the liaison and Zack to decide whether to accept the Nightwatch armband or quit duty and hand in their weapon and ID. Garibaldi knows what's going on and is infuriated by it. It is a matter of personal honor to him that the people he has carefully gathered and nurtured are not sold down the river by what he considers the squabbles of Earth politicians. Even though Sheridan begs him to reconsider, Garibaldi storms down to security to confront the Nightwatch armed with only the force of his character and his fierce sense of personal loyalty.

As Londo attends Lady Morella, she speaks about the late emperor's efforts to keep the present madness at bay and then asks why Londo really asked her to come to the station. With rare candor Londo replies that he needs a prophecy to discover whether in the great future he envisions for himself, he has any hope of redemption. She agrees to give him a reading before she leaves.

Zack is unable to get the furious Chief to wear an armband or stop him from crashing the Nightwatch enrollment procedures. Although they are shamed, not a single Nightwatch guard wavers. Just as the Captain predicted, Garibaldi is ousted and Zack is placed in command of security.

Alternately musing and inspired, G'Kar tries to explain his revelation to Ta'lon. In order to save themselves the Narn must be willing to give up pride and vengeance, be willing to die by the millions for others and for the Universe itself. The humans are the key, he says, and a key that they must turn to find salvation for all.

The Captain shows Commander Ivanova the official order of martial law on B5 which he must impose, but he refuses her offer of assistance in order to shield her from association with this despicable command.

Nightwatch officers move through the Zocalo, breaking up groups of tense humans clustered around the news, while Londo tries to present the atmosphere in a brighter mood for his tour with Lady Morella. She is not taken in by the Ambassador, but is almost swept up in a riot that erupts between civilians cheering word of General Hague's escape and the Nightwatch. All monitors switch to Sheridan reading the declaration of martial law as pandemonium reigns the marketplace.

Franklin finds Sheridan filled with revulsion for the entire situation, and the Nightwatch in particular. Suggesting caution and faith in Hague, Franklin reminds the Captain that he can't disobey the chain of command. This echo of General Smits prompts Sheridan to realize that there was a hidden message in the General's briefing.

Resplendent in full battle garb, G'Kar stalks into C and C to whisper in Ivanova's ear that he has had an idea.

A stressed and weary Zack comes home to find his living room staked out by Garibaldi, Ivanova and G'Kar, with Sheridan ordering him inside from the corridor behind.

Lady Morella is disturbed when an incidental touch passes her Londo's vision of himself on the Centauri throne.

When Zack discloses to the Nightwatch liaison that the Captain intends to replace the Nightwatch security personnel with a shipload of Narn arriving soon in Bay 9, the man glows with excitement at the prospect of catching them and arresting the entire command staff for sedition.

G'Kar asks a packed meeting of Narn for their assistance, while Sheridan broods in the darkness of his quarters. When the hour arrives, the four senior officers stride towards a momentous encounter and the end of their careers as they know them, and the Nightwatch gear up to make a stand at Bay 9. When they are all in place, Zack speaks, "Now!" into his link and dives out as the bay doors fall. Sheridan addresses the trapped officers. He explains that any order by the Political Office to Earth Force personnel is an illegal order, and thus they are under arrest for conspiracy to mutiny until the order is confirmed through the proper military hierarchy in a few hours or days. In the meantime, the security lack will be made up by G'Kar's Narn on the station.

Lady Morella gives Londo his reading, but as prophecy tends to be, it is obscure and not what he wants to hear. She tells him he will have three opportunities to sidestep the fiery future awaiting him at the end of his journey, and has already missed two others. He must save the eye that cannot see. He must not kill the one who is already dead. And if all else fails, he must surrender himself to his greatest fear, knowing that it will destroy him. In addition she tells him that he will be emperor someday. As an aside she informs Vir that he will be emperor also, which amuses him enormously-until he realizes that she isn't joking. "One of you will become emperor after the other is dead."

In single file and under the watchful eyes of Narn and loyal security guards, the Nightwatch are permitted to surrender their weapons and IDs and submit to house arrest.

Sheridan expresses his gratitude to G'Kar but is disturbed and suspicious when the former ambassador demands in return to be admitted into the secret alliance he knows Sheridan has been gathering.

Seated on far sides of their chamber, Londo and Vir eye each other edgily while the Lady Morella's parting line hangs in the long silences between them.

"I never thought it would end like this," Ivanova remarks to the Captain as they gaze out his office window at the station core. General Hague is likely to be captured soon, and the other defectors have already been shot down. They understand that they are next on the list.

"Me either," he replies.

Points of Departure

Overview

Second season premiere. As a new commander assumes control of the station, a renegade Minbari warship arrives, threatening trouble. Robert Foxworth as General Hague.
(Originally titled "Chrysalis, Part II") 
Sub-genre: Intrigue
P5 Rating: 7.92

Production number: 201
Original air date: November 2, 1994
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Points of Departure

It is January 8, 2259. The Earth Alliance ship Agamemnon jumps into hyperspace. Its commanding officer, Captain John Sheridan, receives a gold channel message from General Hague of the joint chiefs of staff. General Hague tells Captain Sheridan that a Minbari warship has appeared several times in Earth-controlled space, only a short distance from Babylon 5. Hague believes that the ship may have hostile intent. Sheridan doesn't understand until Hague tells him that the ship is a renegade warship, which Sheridan correctly guesses is called the Trigati. The Earth Alliance is awaiting the arrival of a ship sent by the Minbari government to assist should the warship decide to attack. Sheridan is ordered to make personal contact with that ship to help with the search. Sheridan questions the wisdom of that action, remembering his previous encounter with the Minbari, when he destroyed one of their warships. Hague understands Sheridan's reservations, but tells Sheridan to proceed to Babylon 5 to perform one additional duty.

The Agamemnon.

On Babylon 5, Ivanova, currently in command of the station, walks through the halls and is bothered by several aliens, whom she sets in their place during an elevator ride. The action of the scene continues under her voice, a status report for the station: "It is now eight days since the death of Earth Alliance president Louis Santiago, and five days since Commander Sinclair was recalled to Earth without explanation--and the whole place has gone straight to Hell. I can only conclude that I'm paying off karma at a vastly accelerated rate. Security Chief Michael Garibaldi remains in critical condition in Medlab. Dr. Franklin's done all he can, but we still don't know if he'll recover. As for Ambassador Delenn, well, something's going on in her quarters. That's for sure."

General Hague contacts Ivanova and tells her that Commander Sinclair will not be returning to Babylon 5 and that he has been permanently reassigned to the Minbari homeworld as the first human ambassador to the planet. Hague informs her that Captain Sheridan is the new choice for the commander of Babylon 5, but Ivanova is unsure of the decision, claiming that it is "bound to be a controversial choice." Hague understands, but tells her that the decision has already been made. He ends the communication.

In Delenn's quarters, Lennier continues to maintain a vigil over the chrysalis in which Delenn is changing. Another Minbari, Hedronn, enters and addresses Lennier directly. "So...she's done it, hasn't she? She's in there. We told her to wait. `The prophecy will attend to itself,' we told her. Now we are committed to the path. I've spoken with the other members of the council. The Trigati has been seen in this sector. If it should appear, you must go to the humans and tell them what we told you. It's time they knew the truth."

An officer approaches Ivanova, and wants to talk to her about Sheridan's arrival. She orders him to have a full honor guard in place when he arrives, but he tells her that Sheridan's transport has already docked; there was a miscommunication about the time. She rushes off and meets Sheridan just as he comes aboard, and he officially takes command of the station. While his luggage is delivered to his quarters, Ivanova takes him on a tour of the station. He asks her what the status of the station is, and she recounts it for him. After hearing about Garibaldi, G'Kar, Delenn, and the ever-mysterious Kosh, the only reply he can come up with is "Interesting place you have here..."

Elsewhere on the station, there is another arrival -- a Minbari who asks the computer to show him the station, but walks away after hearing the description of the green sector -- the ambassadorial quarters.

Ivanova and Sheridan complete their tour and arrive in the new commander's quarters. She takes the opportunity to ask him about his appointment as head of the station. He tells her that he was President Santiago's second choice to head the station, probably because he had worked with many races, including the Minbari. This worries Ivanova, who reminds him that the Minbari still refer to him as "Starkiller," and guesses they won't be happy to learn he is in command of Babylon 5. He hopes they have forgotten, but doesn't believe they have. He asks her to help bring him up to speed. They talk about the crew's reaction to the President's death. Many of them are having a difficult time accepting the loss. Ivanova and Sheridan are no exceptions. Because of the recent turmoil around the station, Ivanova is especially glad to see Sheridan again; they had served together at the transport point near Io. They make plans to go to C&C so that he can deliver a "good luck speech" to the crew.

Sheridan describes his speech.

Elsewhere on the station, Hedronn notices someone he recognizes -- the Minbari who was on his way to the ambassadorial sector of Babylon 5 -- as Kalain. Hedronn runs after Kalain, who grabs and threatens him, claiming that the Grey Council betrayed the Minbari. Kalain explains that he has intercepted a message saying that Sheridan had been chosen to lead Babylon 5. When Hedronn protests that the wishes of the Grey Council were ignored, Kalain asks if Delenn also ignored the Council. Kalain says his people have supporters in the Grey Council, who have told them that Sinclair is on Minbar, though Kalain does not believe that Sinclair being an ambassador is the whole story. Kalain lets Hedronn go, warning him to leave while he still can.

"Minbari do not kill other Minbari!"

After she goes to check on Garibaldi's condition, Ivanova finds Sheridan and tells him that the officers on C&C are ready for him. He enters and begins his speech, talking about the visit he made when he was twenty-one to Tibet and the Dalai Lama. After eating a very simple dinner, the Dalai Lama asked if he understood. Sheridan didn't. "Good beginning," the Dalai Lama said to him. "It will be even better when you begin to understand what you do not understand."

During Sheridan's speech, a call from security says that a Minbari is demanding to speak to Sheridan. Sheridan and Ivanova leave. While they are on their way, Kalain attempts to enter the green sector, but is stopped by a security officer, whom he attacks. Kalain steals the officer's weapon and proceeds into the green sector.

It turns out that the Minbari who wanted to speak with Sheridan was Hedronn, who has some important information regarding Kalain. Hedronn tells Sheridan and Ivanova that Kalain was second in command of one of their flagships during the Earth-Minbari war and that he vanished when the war ended. Ivanova asks why Hedronn believes Kalain is here to cause trouble, but Hedronn just answers that he has his reasons.

Sheridan suspects the ship Kalain was second in command of was the Trigati. Ivanova has never heard of the ship, but Hedronn explains that at the end of the war, Sineval, one of their warship commanders, committed suicide rather than obey the Grey Council's order to surrender. When that happened, Kalain took command of the ship, and it vanished. Sheridan says that, while the ship had been seen over the years, it had never attacked. Hedronn suspects that its recent reappearance suggests it might be "out of retirement."

Sheridan doesn't understand, however, why Hedronn, who claimed that he was from the Ministry of Culture, knew Kalain, a high-ranking member of the warrior caste after twelve years. Hedronn doesn't respond, saying only that he would answer if he recognized Sheridan's authority, but he doesn't because the Minbari government was not consulted on Sheridan's appointment. Sheridan tells Hedronn that the president decided on him because the Minbari had too much influence over an Earth outpost.

"And the day that a man such as yourself is given a position of this importance is a dark day indeed," Hedronn says. "We lost many of our best warriors because of you. And we do not soon forget such things. If there is a doom on this station, it is because you brought it here." Hedronn then leaves abruptly.

Because of Hedronn's attitude, Sheridan believes that he is a member of the Grey Council, because no one else would know someone so high in the warrior caste so well. Sheridan then admits that Ivanova was correct, that the Minbari don't want him in command of Babylon 5. She points out that they are a prideful people, and that he did destroy their flagship, the Black Star. She asks how he destroyed it. Sheridan explains that, because their weapons could not lock on to the ship, due to some sort of stealth technology, he mined the asteroid field between Jupiter and Mars with fusion bombs, which don't need direct targets. It destroyed the Black Star and three other heavy cruisers. "It was the only real victory we had in the whole damn war, and I am not about to apologize for it!"

Sheridan suddenly remembers Hedronn's statement that Kalain felt betrayed by the Minbari homeworld, and deduces that, in such a situation, it would be natural to attack the representative of that world. Realizing they might not have much time, Sheridan and Ivanova rush to Delenn's quarters to find Kalain pointing a gun at Lennier. They are able to easily apprehend Kalain, but when Sheridan attempts to get a close look at the chrysalis, Lennier stops him. Ambassador Delenn is indisposed, he says, and Sheridan should come back later...much later.

Lennier defends Delenn.

Sheridan and Ivanova interrogate Kalain, asking him about the Trigati and why he has suddenly appeared on Babylon 5. Sheridan can't believe that Kalain's goal was to murder Lennier and Delenn; he had ample time to kill both of them.

"Everyone knows Minbari do not kill Minbari," Kalain says. Sheridan doesn't accept that as an answer and again asks Kalain about his presence. "Perhaps everyone is wrong."

Sheridan concludes that Kalain never intended to kill them, but that something else was going on. "Perhaps you are the problem," Kalain replies.

Ivanova tries to intervene, claiming that they are getting nowhere, but Sheridan has one more question for Kalain. "I'm told that after the death of your commanding officer, you took command of a Minbari war cruiser. But if you're here, where's your ship?"

Sheridan and Ivanova leave. Lennier catches up to the two of them outside and apologizes for his earlier behavior. He says that he needs to speak to both of them. "It concerns," he explains, "the reason you were sent here, the relocation of commander Sinclair, and the reason we surrendered at the Battle of the Line." When they reach Sheridan's office, Lennier begins his story:

"After three years, the Holy War that began when our leader was killed by an Earth explorer division was almost over. To avenge Dukhat's death, we had pursued your forces all the way back to your homeworld. The few surviving Earth ships that were ordered to defend your world at any cost... were not an obstacle. The Grey Council had come to oversee the final victory of our forces."

The scene shifts, back to the inside of the Grey Council ship, where the Grey Council is in session surrounded by a display showing the battle raging outside.

"They fight bravely. They cannot harm our ships, but they continue to try," says Delenn.

Hedronn dismisses her comment. "Whether they fight or not, they know they will die anyway. So really, is this bravery or simple desperation?"

"Perhaps they are the same thing. We should bring one of them aboard for questioning. If our next step is the final assault on their world, we must know their defenses."

"Very well, Delenn. Choose, but quickly. We are fast running out of candidates."

Delenn sees a Starfury making a suicide run at their ship. "That one," she says. A beam immobilizes the Starfury, and it is brought aboard.

Lennier continues his story. "This was the first time the Grey Council would have direct contact with a human, in this case Sinclair. He was tortured, interrogated, scanned. During the course of the scan, the Council discovered something terrible. At first, they refused to believe it, so they took in other humans and had them scanned as well. But it was true."

"What was true?" asks Ivanova.

"It is our belief that every generation of Minbari is reborn in each following generation. Remove those souls, and the whole suffers. We are diminished. Over the last two thousand years, there have been fewer Minbari born into each generation. And those who are born do not seem equal to those who came before. It almost as if our greater souls have been disappearing. At the Battle of the Line, we discovered where our souls were going. They were going to you. Minbari souls are being reborn, in part or in full, in human bodies."

"So you stopped the war to avoid harming your own souls?"

Lennier confirms that, and continues. "But the Council knew that our people, and yours, were not ready for this information. It could unravel our entire society. So we could not tell our generals the reason for the surrender. We had all memory of the examination erased from Sinclair's mind, and we let him go. It has been our secret. Now it is yours. It must be kept."

"I don't understand. If this is such a secret, why tell us?"

"Because changes are coming. Commander Sinclair was the first. There will be more."

The meeting is interrupted by a call from C&C--a Minbari cruiser, on an attack vector, is coming through the jumpgate. Warren Keffer, the leader of Zeta Squadron, watches with the other people in his squad, but can't believe what he is seeing. Sheridan arrives at C&C and orders a red alert. He activates the defense grid and puts all squadrons on standby. While this happens, Kalain, in his detention cell, removes a tooth from his mouth. He opens it, revealing a blue liquid. He puts the tooth in his mouth and swallows.

Kalain practices poor dental hygeine.

Captain Sheridan communicates with the warship, which the commander identifies as the Trigati. She demands that Kalain be returned, since he did not kill or harm anyone aboard Babylon 5. When Sheridan refuses, she launches her fighters. Sheridan counters, launching the fighters aboard Babylon 5. He informs her that an attack could be considered an act of war.

"The war has already begun, Captain. All that remains now is honor and death."

This remark puzzles Sheridan, since no one has yet been killed. He suddenly realizes what's going on: they are attempting to start a war, but since Kalain hasn't killed anyone and the Trigati hasn't attacked, they must be trying to frame Babylon 5. This is confirmed when security reports that Kalain has killed himself. Ivanova can't believe that Minbari would attack after learning they were sharing Minbari souls, but Sheridan reminds her that the Trigati was not informed of that. The Minbari fighters close in on the station, and Sheridan orders his fighters to intercept and engage.

While the Babylon 5 fighters move to intercept, Sheridan looks at a display of both groups of fighters; somehow Babylon 5 is able to track the Minbari fighters, even though it's using the same kind of tracking system Earthforce used during the war.

Sheridan orders his fighters not to attack. He gives a message to Ivanova, telling her to transmit it through the jumpgate without the Trigati intercepting it. She does so, but doesn't think it will work if it is a distress signal, as no one could arrive in time.

[Movie] A tight-beam transmission using the station laser.

The Trigati's fighters continue to advance, but Sheridan orders his fighters to maintain position. When the Trigati's fighters reach the Earth ships, they do not attack -- they fly past and return to the Trigati. Another Minbari ship suddenly comes through the jumpgate. Ivanova is afraid that the Trigati fighters were waiting for reinforcements, but Sheridan tells her that, since he knew another Minbari ship was looking for the Trigati, he figured they must be waiting in hyperspace.

[Movie] The Minbari fighters fly past.

The other cruiser orders the Trigati to surrender. Sheridan continues to explain to Ivanova that, because they could track the Minbari fighters, that probably meant the Minbari wanted to be destroyed. The Trigati was in exile for twelve years, and could not go home, fight without causing a war, or surrender without being dishonored. If Babylon 5 was forced to attack, they would die at human hands, thereby becoming martyrs.

The Trigati attempts to back off and open up a jump point, but the war cruiser cuts off their engines with a beam. They order the Trigati to surrender and be boarded, but the Trigati refuses, and replies with only one word: "honor." The Trigati self-destructs in a ball of flame, apparently from their fusion reactors. A signal comes in from the war cruiser; Sheridan greets the Minbari commander.

[Movie] The Trigati is attacked.

"Perhaps to you," the Minbari on the other end says to Sheridan, "this was a tactical problem to be solved. For us, this has been a great sorrow. The crew of the Trigati were heroes to many of our people. Their death will be mourned, and your name will be remembered." The Minbari war cruiser cuts off the communication and vanishes into the jump gate.

Later, Sheridan is in his quarters, looking through his belongings, which have recently been delivered. Ivanova arrives and asks Sheridan if something is wrong. "When I got my orders," Sheridan explains, "I figured this place was a great opportunity. And now I wonder if coming here was irresponsible. This whole mess with the Trigati might not have happened if I hadn't been here. I mean, my presence, my...actions in the war...I'm to blame for bringing all this trouble to Babylon 5. What was it our friend in the Grey Council said? 'If there is a doom on this station, it is because you brought it here.' Well maybe he was right. I spoke with the president. He is the only other human who knows why the Minbari surrendered, and he doesn't believe this stuff about us sharing Minbari souls, and I can't say that I do either. But they believe it. That's why they chose Sinclair to run this place... that's why they've picked him to live on their world. He was their first human contact. Him they trust. But me? I don't know. If Sinclair had been here instead, maybe they might not have attacked."

Ivanova tells Sheridan to give himself the benefit of the doubt. Before she leaves, she tells him that he can talk to her any time, if he needs to.

Lennier is busy preparing candles in Delenn's quarters, and setting them around her chrysalis. "I told them, Delenn, as I was ordered. I only wish I could have told them the rest -- about the great enemy that is returning and the prophecy that the two sides of our spirit must unite against the darkness or be destroyed. They say it will take both of our races to stop the darkness. I am told that the Earthers will discover all this, soon enough, on their own. I hope they are right. Because if we are wrong, no one will survive our mistake." He says good night, and leaves right before the chrysalis begins moving, and Delenn begins to emerge.

"I only wish I could have told them the rest."

Ivanova, Dr. Franklin, and Keffer discuss the recent events in a nightclub on the station. Keffer asks what they think of the new captain, and Dr. Franklin and Ivanova both believe that he will be okay. He was supposed to meet them there for drinks, but Franklin says that when he last saw Sheridan, he was going to the C&C to deliver his good luck speech.

"It was an early earth president, Abraham Lincoln, who best described our situation. 'The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise to the occasion. We cannot escape history. We will be remembered in spite of ourselves. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor, to the last generation. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, or last best hope of Earth.'" Though there is no one else on C&C, he has still delivered his speech in time. He leaves C&C to begin the second day of his new command.

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

Racing Mars

Overview

Franklin and Marcus arrive on Mars to begin their undercover mission. Sheridan confronts Garibaldi about his behavior. Mark Schneider as Wade. Donovan Scott as Captain Jack. Clayton Landey as Number Two. Marjorie Monaghan as Number One. 
P5 Rating: 7.73

Production number: 410
Original air week: April 21, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jesus Trevino

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Racing Mars

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@cc.wwu.edu)

Sheridan is in his office when Ivanova arrives. He tells her that he has been looking over his records and isn't sure how they will survive when they begin running out of supplies, since even the black market is unreliable. Ivanova tells him she will take care of the situation for him, then says she is relieving him of command, since he has taken no personal time in the previous nine months. He attempts to argue with her, but she won't hear it, nor will she hear his attempts at retaining command. Resigned, he leaves her alone with her work.

Franklin and Marcus, on the transport to Mars, are trying to pass the time by playing I Spy which, since there are very few things of note in the cargo hold, isn't going very well. Marcus disappears and reappears a few moments later, carrying a man in a neck-lock. "It would appear we have a spy on our hands, Stephen."

Franklin wants to know where the man came from, and he tells him and Marcus that he got in through an access panel, which Marcus knew to locked. The man says the Captain of the ship is his brother, and that he helped him get through. Franklin wants to know why the Captain didn't tell them, but the man says the Captain must have forgotten-- he gets forgotten a lot. When Marcus releases him, the man introduces himself as John Demeter, commonly called Captain Jack. Marcus and Franklin won't tell him who they are, but tell him that if he goes too far into their section of the cargo bay, he'll pay the price. Captain Jack says he won't push himself on them, and says that he was going to offer to share his dinner with them, but Marcus won't have it-- they have their own dinner: meal bars. Captain Jack, however, has something much more appetizing: Insta-Eats. Franklin is attracted to the smell of meat and potatoes coming from the small packet, but Marcus keeps him from partaking, reminding him that they are to speak with no one other than their contact.

Sheridan is in his office/quarters trying to enjoy his vacation, but finds it difficult since every channel and station coming onto Babylon 5 has been blocked due to jamming, except ISN. Sheridan reluctantly listens to it, only to find a replay of Garibaldi's interview with Dan Randall. After rewatching it, Sheridan turns it off.

Sheridan approahces Garibaldi in Downbelow, and tries to talk to him about the interview. Garibaldi no longer works for Sheridan, though, so he isn't willing to talk-- he thinks Sheridan is upset because he's challenging the Captain's authority. Sheridan considers it undermining instead, but Garibaldi insists he is entitled to his opinion, and thought free speech was something Sheridan was fighting for. Sheridan wants to know where Garibaldi's anger is coming from-- he thought they were friends, but Garibaldi tells him, "Yeah, well, maybe we both thought wrong." Sheridan doesn't want Garibaldi to give Clark's propaganda weight, and tells Garibaldi he's hurting the station and the cause when he speaks out. Garibaldi starts to leave to meet with a client, and tells Sheridan to go back to playing God. Sheridan follows and reminds Garibaldi that his former job gives him credibility, which he is using to undermine Sheridan's effort, and that, if Garibaldi doesn't stop, he will make things very difficult for Garibaldi. Sheridan tells Garibaldi to make a legitimate complaint if he has one, but, if it's a personal attack, to stop. Garibaldi says he didn't make it personal-- it was Sheridan who did so, as the focal point of a cult of personality. The people are following Sheridan, not the cause. Garibaldi feels Sheridan is starting to buy into his own publicity, and Garibaldi says it's time someone started poking holes in that. Sheridan tells Garibaldi that he doesn't want Garibaldi misusing his authority, and hurting everyone else just to get at him. He storms away, leaving Garibaldi behind. Among the many people in Downbelow who witnessed this heated exchange, there is one particular group of three men, near the back of the crowd, who seem particularly interested.

Franklin and Marcus are eating their meal bars, while Captain Jack continues to enjoy his own fine cuisine, which Franklin is not too happy about. Marcus reminds him that they aren't supposed to talk with anyone until they hear their contact's passphrase, which Captain Jack begins speaking to himself. Captain Jack explains that he wanted to check them out first, and then offers them some of his food. He hands Marcus and Franklin their new identicards, and explains that, since they get very few passengers, their access to the transit bureau is limited to what they could steal--in this case, Jim Fennermen and Daniel Lane, on their way to Mars--for their honeymoon. Neither Marcus nor Franklin is thrilled by this, but they resolve to make the best of it as the transport approaches Mars.

Garibaldi is approached in the corridor by the three men who watched his exchange in Downblow. One of them, the older of the three, tells him they wanted to talk to him about his "former friend, Captain Sheridan." The man explains that there are other people who share Garibaldi's feelings about Sheridan, who aren't thrilled with Sheridan turning against Earth. The man says he wanted to see what else they had in common. He explains that he has extensive information on Garibaldi, and wants to know if his objections are only half-hearted. Garibaldi tells him he can wonder whatever he wants, and begins to walk away, but the man stops him, saying that someone can become a threat to a cause he believes in when other things, his ego or sense of destiny, for instance, get in the way. If this applies to Sheridan, he asks Garibaldi if he would feel obligated to intervene. Garibaldi says he won't sell Sheridan out, but the man asks if Garibaldi really can just stand by and watch the cause die, if he could have done something to stop it. Without answering, Garibaldi walks away.

While riding in a transport tube, Captain Jack explains that they have been hearing some interesting stories about Babylon 5 on Mars recently--such as the Babylon 5 crew using aliens to take everything over, or that they had written off Mars entirely. Marcus assures him that Captain Sheridan hadn't had time to deal with it while dealing with the Shadow War--something Captain Jack knew nothing about. They don't get much information on Mars, he explains, but Marcus is not thrilled about having fought in a war about which the very people they wanted to help knew nothing. Captain Jack doesn't even know who won the war. Marcus jokes that the worst part of it all is being married to Franklin, are married, and though Franklin objects, he is subjected to several more well-spirited jabs as the transport tube pulls into the station.

Ivanova is in Sheridan's office, talking to four smugglers, each of whom had, at one time or another, been caught on Babylon 5. She says they were doing their job, and that, with the new conflict with Earth, they hardly seen any of them anymore. One of the smugglers explains it's becuase the penalties have become so much stiffer now--they are in serious trouble with the EarthAlliance, and no one is buying new weapons. Ivanova informs them that, in such a case, they should start thinking about the future. She wants them to help bring in needed supplies--food, medicines, spare parts--to Babylon 5. The smugglers protest--there is no profit in bringing in those things. Ivanova tells them, that, as long as they work for Babylon 5, they will get all the equipment, repairs, and service they require to stay in operation, but, if they don't, they might fall victim to unfortunate accidents. They will all still make a profit, but, beyond that, Babylon 5 will be willing to overlook their crimes against EarthGov, since everyone is entitled to a fresh start. She asks them, with all they'll gain, what more they could ask for. One of them, as he leaves, asks her, "You seeing anybody, Ivanova?"

Franklin, Marcus, and Captain Jack are making their ways through some underground tunnels, to find the leaders of the Resistance. After a short walk, they get where they are going, but find a welcome they didn't expect--three armed men with weapons aimed right at them. The leader tells tell them get up against the wall, but Franklin wants to know what's going on--he thought they were expected. The leader explains that they're expecting lots of people. He thanks Captain Jack for bringing Franklin and Marcus to them. One of the men searches Marcus and finds his Minbari pike. Marcus tries to explain that he's a Ranger, which doesn't mean anything to the leader. The three men with guns and Captain Jack lead Franklin and Marcus away. Franklin demands to talk to someone in charge, and the leader says he's Number 2. Marcus asks to speak to Number One, but the leader tells them they have word that a hit squad was coming into kill the leader of the Mars Resistance, from one of the outer sectors, and he has no reason to believe Franklin and Marcus aren't that hit squad. The leader says he only trusts the people he knows, and since he doesn't know Marcus and Franklin, and they weren't specifically cleared through by Babylon 5, he wants to test them first. He wants their identicards so they can check Marcus and Franklin's story. If they are who they say they are, they will talk. If not, they will be leaving "feet first." Marcus and Franklin surrender their identicards, which Number Two takes. Captain Jack asks to pay his regards to Number One, but Number Two wants him to stay behind to comfort them, and to take blood samples so they can match it against their DNA samples. Captain Jack and the two gunmen stand behind to watch over Franklin and Marcus.

Delenn enters the garden to find Sheridan there, obviously distracted. He explains that he's mad at himself over the way his talk with Garibaldi turned out. He says Garibaldi is like a complete stranger, and that he feels like he's better at fighting wars than relationships. Sheridan says he wishes he could find a way to turn things around, but Delenn explains that Garibaldi has to find his own way, as does Sheridan--their paths may simply not cross anymore. "It is the way of things." Sheridan tells her it doesn't make it any easier, but he asks her what she wanted. Delenn tells him that Ivanova told her that he had some time off, and she begins to tell him of another ritual they must perform in their relationship. He tells her he's almost "ritualed out" and asks how many more there are. She says there are as many as 50 more, and explains that this one--the shan'fall--is about preparation and mutal understanding. She tells him that they will spend the night together, discovering each other's centers of pleasure, though it is done respectfully, with prayer and meditation, since they should know all about each other if they are to continue with their relationship. She tells him to meet her in her quarters, and leaves. Sheridan is obviously quite taken with the idea.

As Marcus and Franklin wait for word from Number Two, Captain Jack tries to apologize to Franklin for what happened, but Franklin isn't interested in listening. Cpatain Jack pulls a picture out of his pocket and shows it to Franklin--it's his daughter, who just turned eighteen. He hasn't talked to her in a while, but thinks about her all the time, and is doing what he's doing to help her. Franklin notices her address on the back, which Captain Jack claims he wrote down so he couldn't forget it. Marcus asks Captain Jack if he's ever met Number One, and Captain Jack says he's met her many times, and that they're very close--Captain Jack says he wanted to bring her back something, but couldn't find anything. They are interrupted by Number Two who has done his check--and the numbers and DNA don't match. He wants to know where their contacts are, and then threatens to kill them both. He is stopped, though, by a woman who comes in from the corridor, telling Number Two to wait a little longer. She explains she wanted to see them for herself, and she wants to know what they're up to. Franklin and Marcus notice something on Captain Jack's back, and fight away their guards as Captain Jack attempts to fire on the woman, Number One. Franklin tackles her to the ground, moving her out of the line of fire just as Captain Jack fires. Marcus fires himself, and hits the creature on Captain Jack's back. The dead creature is still there, but Captain Jack is nowhere to be found.

As Franklin studies the creature, Number Two comes in, explaining that he found their real identicards--Captain Jack must have replaced them with the fake ones. Franklin might have an explanation--Captain Jack might not have had a choice. The creature was controlling Captain Jack by overriding neural impulses. It was controlling him the whole time, but Franklin realizes that Captain Jack had been giving him hints, such as the photograph with his daughter's address, so that they knew where to find her if he didn't survive. One of the scouts comes back--they didn't find Captain Jack, but they did find out he broke into a weapons case and stole a thermal grenade.

In the transport tube, Captain Jack's communicator beeps. He answers it, and Number One tells him that what happened wasn't his fault. She wants him to come back, but he won't do it. He tells her they found him in the middle of the night and attached that thing to him. He tried to warn them, but the creature wouldn't let him. She tells him that they killed it, but Jack knows you can't kill it all--it always grows back. Number One tries to convince him not to do anything stupid. Captain Jack tells her he always wondered whether or not the transport tubes on Mars could withstand anything, and just as the creature begins to regrow, Captain Jack pushes a button on the grenade, and the transport car explodes, taking Captain Jack with it, not destroying the tube in the process.

Garibaldi is just finishing up with a client when Sheridan returns. Sheridan says he wants to apologize for what happened, and asks if they could try again. As he is speaking, though, a Brakiri woman comes up to him and recognizes him as the one who went to Z'ha'dum, died, and returned with the knowledge of good and evil. Sheridan tries to stop her, but she insists on a blessing, which Sheridan doesn't want to provide. Garibaldi grabs her away from him. "Come on! He's not the Pope! He doesn't look anything like her," Garibaldi tells her. Sheridan asks Garibaldi to leave her alone, and Garibaldi asks Sheridan if it's because he likes what she's saying. Sheridan insists it's because Garibaldi is hurting her, but Garibaldi won't let go. Sheridan forces Garibaldi to let go of her, but for his attempt receives a punch directly to the jaw, courtesy of Garibaldi. Security comes to the rescue, but Sheridan won't let them do anything. He tells Garibaldi that, because of all they've been through, he gets one punch for free, but, should Garibaldi try it again, Sheridan will fight back. Sheridan turns and walks away, as does Garibaldi soon after.

Sheridan goes to Delenn's quarters, still rubbing his jaw, and rings the bell. Delenn lets him in, but when he enters, he is surprised to find Delenn isn't alone--Lennier and several other religious caste Minbari are there with him. She explains that they are there for the ritual--they will pray and meditate, but wait outside her bedroom, to make sure that things don't go too far. Sheridan whispers to her that he can't do it, but she tells him that it is important to her that he do it properly. The engagement means a lot to him, and the Minbari ceremonies mean a lot to her. Delenn leads Sheridan into her bedroom and closes the door.

Sheridan, apparently just after having woken up, enters an elevator to find Lennier there. Sheridan doesn't say anything, but he doesn't need to. Lennier, apparently somewhat distrought, turns to him and has only one thing to say. "Whoo-hoo?"

Number One tells Franklin and Marcus that the other leaders of the Resistance are on their way, but it will take a couple of days. Marcus isn't too happy about this, but Number One is willing to put them up in a hotel where she has some control. She asks them to go out to dinner with her, but Marcus declines, allowing Franklin to go alone with her. Before they leave, Marcus asks her where they are staying. She tells him it's the Red Planet Hotel, and mentions that, for some reason, they were given the honeymoon suite. "Right. Fine," Marcus says as they leave. "I'll remind you of this when we decide on custody of the children."

Garibaldi is sitting alone when he is approached by Wade and his cohorts. Wade tells Garibaldi that he heard about the fight with Sheridan. "I, uh... I think he's lost it," Garibaldi tells them. "He's starting to believe the things everybody's been saying about him, and buying into this hero worship stuff. It's become about him. Not what we've been saying, not what we've been fighting for. And if he could see straight, he'd agree with me, but uh... In the end... We're going to lose everything we've been working for because of one man."

"That's what happens," Wade tells him. "That's exactly what happens when one man begins to matter more than the cause. Are you with us?"

"I won't hurt him," Garibaldi insists.

"No one's asking you to," Wade says. "You give him to us when we tell you to. We'll see to it that he gets the help that he needs. Are you with us?"

Garibaldi does have to think for a moment, but does come to a decision. "I'm with you."

Racing the Night

Overview

The crew discovers a planet that was devastated by a plague similar to the one threatening Earth. 
Production number: 103
Original air date: August 4, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Racing the Night

Revelations

Overview

G'Kar brings news of a terrible new enemy. The arrival of Sheridan's sister opens up old wounds for the new commander. Dr. Franklin employs an unorthodox procedure to try to bring Garibaldi out of his coma. Delenn's mysterious change is completed. Beverly Leech as Elizabeth Sheridan. Macaulay Bruton as Garibaldi's aide. 
Sub-genre: Drama
P5 Rating: 8.40

Production number: 202
Original air date: November 9, 1994
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jim Johnston

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Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Revelations

During a meeting of the council, Londo complains about the absence of Ambassadors Delenn and G'kar. This upsets him greatly, and he moves that they reprimand both ambassadors and ask the Narn and Minbari governments to assign new representatives to the council. When no one seconds the motion, Captain Sheridan adjourns the meeting and suggests they all meet the following morning. As the ambassadors leave, Londo confronts Na'toth and asks her about G'kar. She tells him only that he went to investigate the attack on the outpost in quadrant 37, and that he is able to take care of himself.

Meanwhile, G'kar is fleeing from several pursuing Shadow ships, smaller than the spiderlike vessels that destroyed the outpost in quadrant 37. Though there are other one-man ships with him, they are losing the battle against the Shadows, and retreat to the jump gate. Two of the ships are destroyed by the Shadows on the way, and the final remaining Narn pilot radios G'kar, "Tell the others. Warn them. In death we salute you. Honor our names. Goodbye." The ship makes a run directly into one of the Shadow vessels, which writhes in pain. G'kar makes a pledge to remember the pilot who gave his life, as the Shadow ship explodes. G'kar is able to get to the jumpgate, which he uses to travel to Babylon 5.

The Shadow fighters in pursuit.

Dr. Franklin enters the officer's lounge, where he encounters Sheridan. Sheridan says he has some time before his sister arrives to visit. Dr. Franklin tells Sheridan that Garibaldi's situation is very bad and that there is little chance of his coming out of a coma by conventional means. He mentions that there might be one solution: using the alien machine he obtained from Laura Rosen (cf. "The Quality of Mercy.") He tells Sheridan about it, and asks for his permission. Sheridan is somewhat apprehensive, but gives Franklin his permission. He asks who Franklin had intended to transfer the life energy from, and Franklin answers that he had planned to take it from himself. Franklin leaves.

Later, Sheridan meets up with his sister, Elizabeth, when she arrives on her transport. After some small talk, they go off to have dinner together.

Meanwhile, Londo receives a visitor: Morden. Morden asks Londo how he can be of service, and Londo wants to be reassured that the attack on the Narn base in quadrant 37 cannot be traced back to him. "The Narns will never be able to prove it was done at your instigation," Morden tells him, "and, based on your promise to take care of it, your government accepts your responsibility without question or hesitation. Perfect symmetry. I believe that this little demonstration will bring you some very interesting propositions." When Londo asks what should happen if he is asked to provide another demonstration, Morden tells him that they will provide it, if only he names the target. "A colony? An outpost?" Morden suggests.

Londo laughs at that. "Why don't you eliminate the entire Narn homeworld while you're at it?"

"One thing at a time, Ambassador. One thing at a time." Before he leaves, Morden asks Londo for another small favor. "If you should hear about anything strange happening out on the rim, I'd appreciate being informed, even if it seems unimportant."

"One thing at a time."

As Captain Sheridan and his sister eat dinner together, they talk about the two years they have been apart, though Elizabeth is a bit upset that Sheridan only wants to talk about work. Sheridan explains that her being around only "brings it all back." Elizabeth realizes that things have not been the same between them since his wife's death. Sheridan says he needs more time -- that two years isn't enough. He still has to remind himself that she is gone, and he has to force himself to remember that she is not alive. Elizabeth understands, but wants Sheridan to honor her memory instead of burying himself in his work. He says it isn't about work, but doesn't want to discuss the subject further. They agree to put off the discussion until later.

Sheridan talks about running the station.

Lennier still tends to Delenn's chrysalis while Sheridan finishes dinner and goes down to MedLab, where Dr. Franklin is about to begin using the healing machine to bring Garibaldi out of the coma. Sheridan says that it is his responsibility to make sure that Garibaldi is safe, and he also doesn't want Franklin using the machine alone, in case a mishap takes his life as well. They agree that both of them will split the time on the healing machine: one will operate it while the other one is giving their life energy to Garibaldi.

Na'toth returns to G'kar's quarters, and begins studying some information she is carrying. While she is doing so, a voice tells her to close the door. She investigates the voice, finding it to be G'kar, sitting cross-legged on his bed. "Weep for the future, Na'toth," he says to her. "Weep for us all." She asks if he is all right, and he replies, "I have looked into the darkness, Na'toth. You cannot do that and ever be quite the same again. When you told me about the destruction of our base in quadrant 37, I knew that only a major power could attempt an assault of that magnitude, but none of the governments here could have done it, which left only two possibilities: a new race, or an old race--a very old race.

"G'Quan spoke of a great war long ago against an enemy so terrible, it nearly overwhelmed the stars themselves. G'Quan said that before that enemy was thrown down, it dwelled in a system at the rim of known space.

"I searched for days, going from one system to another. Then, on dark deserted worlds, where there should be no life, where no living thing has walked in over a thousand years, something is moving, gathering its forces, quietly, quietly...hoping to go unnoticed. We must warn the others, Na'toth. After a thousand years, the darkness has come again."

Dr. Franklin is in MedLab, exhausted from the time spent on the healing machine, when Garibaldi wakes up. He radios to C&C, telling Ivanova and Sheridan to get to MedLab. Garibaldi's aide is listening in; he leaves his office in a hurry.

When Sheridan and Ivanova arrive, Garibaldi asks is if they were able to save President Santiago's life. Ivanova tells him that they were not. Garibaldi asks to see Sinclair, but learns about his reassignment. Sheridan introduces himself. Ivanova asks if Garibaldi remembers who shot him, and while his aide, who has entered MedLeb, keeps a firm grip on his weapon, Garibaldi confesses that he never saw his assailant because he was shot from behind. At this news, Garibaldi's aide removes his hand from his weapon and walks away.

Londo and G'kar meet up in the hallway. Londo asks if G'kar has found anything interesting. G'kar answers affirmatively, but tells Londo that he is going to tell the council about his findings. He tells Londo that the only way to resolve the problems between the Narn and Centauri is with Centauri blood, but that what he has found may threaten all their races, except possibly the Vorlons, a race he doesn't believe could be threatened by anything. G'kar is on his way to see Delenn, but Londo tells him that something happened to her right after he left. When G'Kar asks if she is still alive, Londo says, "That is a very good question."

That question is soon answered as Lennier reenters Delenn's quarters to find the chrysalis open. Though he doesn't see her at first, a quick search of the room leads him to find her in a dark corner, wrapped in a dark cloak. She speaks, her voice frail and weak, and asks him to help her. Lennier calls Dr. Franklin, asking him to come to her quarters. Lennier warns him before he enters that anything he learns must be kept confidential. Delenn tells Franklin that she isn't ill. "What I have become, what I suffer, requires you," she tells him, giving him her hand, which is now dry and scaly.

The empty chrysalis.

Sheridan and Elizabeth discuss life aboard Babylon 5, and Sheridan continues to lament the loss of Anna, his wife. Elizabeth notices that he seems to be acting more detached than ever, and asks him what is wrong. He claims it was his fault that she died. She tries to convince him that he had nothing to do with the explosion of the deep space vessel that killed her, but he tells her that he is responsible for her being there. "We were gonna get together on our anniversary. She'd arranged to meet me when we pulled into spacedock, off of Centauri Prime. Well, we hadn't seen much of each other the year before--you know what the military life is like. Well, I'd gotten real busy--I was up to my ears in inspections, drills...I had to call her and tell her I couldn't make it. I was too busy--too damn busy. Well, right after I cancelled, she took that science officer's job on the Icarus. Just a two week survey. Said she'd back before I even noticed she was gone. Well, she didn't come back, and I've been noticing she's is gone every minute of every day." Elizabeth tells Sheridan not to blame himself. He refuses to believe it isn't his fault, but he tells her the real reason he is so upset. "When we used to talk to each other over long distance, we would say 'I love you' at the end. The last time I talked to her...I don't know, I was rushed...I didn't say it. I didn't even realize it. And I figured I'd make it up to her later on. I never even got to say good-bye to her. Oh, Lizzy, I miss her. I just didn't want her to go without telling her I loved her one last time."

Dr. Franklin makes a new discovery while treating Delenn--he pushes on part of her blue, scaly arm and it cracks away, revealing something underneath that is flesh-colored. Neither he, Lennier, or Delenn know if that is something that should happen or not, so he quickly scans her with a medical device. He lifts up her head to get a look at her face. "What am I?" she asks weakly. "What am I?" As he looks into her face, which is covered with the blue substance, he has no answer to give her.

"What am I?"

G'kar address the council about what he encountered at the rim. "...which leads me to believe that the ancient race described in our holy books may have returned. If true, this holds grave danger for all of us." Sheridan suggests that the dead worlds where he found life may have been colonized by another race, but G'kar will not accept this, as he says that the ships that fired upon him looked very much like the drawings made by G'Quan. But, because the rulers of the Narn homeworld have reservations about what he has found, no official confirmation of his findings have been given. G'kar tells the council that he has convinced the rulers of his planet to send a ship "to the heart of the enemy's own domain, located at the rim of known space...a dark and terrible place known as Z'ha'dum. It has been dead for a thousand years. No one goes there...no one. Our ship will arrive in twelve hours, coming out of hyperspace as close to the enemy's homeworld as possible. They will scan the planet for signs of life and return to hyperspace before anyone can attack." Sheridan asks what will happen if someone is living there. G'kar replies, "Then all our races stand on the end of extinction."

Londo meets with Morden yet again. He tells Morden about the information he got from G'kar. Though Morden says little about it, he does ask when the ship is scheduled to arrive.

Talia Winters enters MedLab and begins talking to Garibaldi. She understands what he wants her to do, but warns him that even if she does find anything, it is not admissible in court. She tells him that the scan she performs will have to be a deep scan. He understands, so she removes one of her gloves, takes his hand, and begins the scan. She sees what happened when Garibaldi encountered Devereaux, and sees him raise his weapon...Right before Garibaldi is shot, however, she also sees the face of Garibaldi's aide, Jack, in a reflective surface at the very edge of his vision.

Talia agrees to help Garibaldi.

A security officer enters the office of Garibaldi's aide, and tells him that Delenn is emerged from the cocoon, and has wings like a butterfly. He urges Jack to go and see, which he reluctantly does. As soon as he leaves the office, he is assaulted by a group of security officers and held at bay until Sheridan arrives and orders them to take him to the lockup and put him under maximum security, with checks on him every fifteen minutes.

Garibaldi's aide gets his just desserts.

Despite Dr. Franklin's objections, Garibaldi convinces him to let him go talk to his aide and find out why he attacked him.

"I trusted you," Garibaldi tells Jack during the ensuing interrogation. "I taught you everything I know. I gave you every break. I even treated you like my own brother." He bangs his cane on the table and demands to know why Jack did it, to which his aide only responds that he had his instructions. Garibaldi asks him who gave the orders.

"There's a new order coming back home, Garibaldi. You can either be part of it, or you can be stepped on. A winner or a loser. I'm with the side that's gonna win." Garibaldi asks if it is Homeguard, but Jack tells him that he is wrong; the Homeguard are a bunch of amateurs. Garibaldi tells Jack that he is in big trouble. Jack scoffs. "You don't even know what trouble is... but you're gonna find out, real soon."

Garibaldi tells Jack that the shooting of a senior officer is treason and mutiny and that the penalty is spacing. "They put you in an airlock, seal it, and then open the space door. You spend the next five minutes chewing vaccuum until your lungs turn inside-out, your eyeballs freeze, and your heart explodes. It's the worse kind of death you can imagine. And when that day comes, I'll be there to push the button."

Garibaldi begins to leave, but on the way out, Jack calls to him and performs a salute with his hand, the same that Bester once gave. "Be seeing you," he says, smiling.

"Be seeing you."

Sheridan is working in his office when Ivanova calls in, telling him that he has a call from President Clark. The president tells him that he read the report on the arrest of Garibaldi's aide. He asks if Sheridan actually believes the aide was in on the conspiracy to kill President Santiago. Sheridan has no evidence of that, but does say that he is guilty of shooting a senior officer. Clark tells him that they need to investigate the matter fully and orders the prisoner transferred to Earth so that Clark can assist in the investigation. "We can't risk this being mishandled, Captain," Clark tells Sheridan. "During the time I served as vice-president under Santiago, I grew to admire and appreciate the man. I owe it to his memory to personally oversee any inquiry." He orders that all other information regarding the matter be sent as well. He compliments Sheridan on his good work.

As the Narn warship exits hyperspace into the system of Z'ha'dum, a Shadow ship, that had apparently been waiting for it, appears and swiftly attacks, completely destroying it before it has the opportunity to reenter the jump point.

The Narn warship is destroyed.

At the council meeting, Na'toth reports to G'kar and the council about the ship's destruction. She says the Narn government believes it was an accident with the jump engines because it occurred right after they left hyperspace. She also tells them that the government cannot afford to send another ship. But G'kar doesn't believe it was an accident. "When a warship jumps to normal space, it's briefly out of contact because of the energy drain. It might have been attacked during that period. But that couldn't happen unless...unless they knew the ship was coming and were waiting for it. But no one knew, except..." His voice falls dead as the meaning of his words hit him. He looks quickly at both Londo and Sheridan, both of whom return his glance steadily.

Lennier enters the council chamber and addresses the council, telling them that Ambassador Delenn has returned and would like to reclaim her seat on the council. Sheridan tells Lennier that it is all right, and tells Lennier to let her come in. She does so, dressed in a long white cloak with a hood that covers her head. She slowly removes the hood, revealing what she has changed into. Her skin no longer is pale like that of a Minbari--it is now flesh-colored, that of a human. She has long, brown hair which spills down over her ears, which have the same size and position of human ears, and what looks like part of the Minbari headbone, though it is only about a third of the size it once was. While the council observes her, awestruck, she explains her change. "Ambassador Sinclair has been allowed to live on my world as an act of good faith, to create a greater understanding between Minbari and humans. In return, I have undergone this change with the blessings of my government, so that I may become a bridge between our worlds, in the hope that we will never know war between us again."

Sheridan tells his sister of Delenn's change. She asks if it is just her outward appearance that has changed, or if it was her genetic structure as well. Sheridan doesn't know, but tells her that Delenn wasn't eager to discuss it. Elizabeth tells Sheridan that she has something he should watch, and that she decided after their talk to let him see it. It is a message that Anna sent her before she left on the Icarus. Sheridan plays it and watches silently.

"Oh well," Anna's image says happily, "maybe we'll have the chance to try again later. I am really excited about serving signing on board the Icarus next week. John and I were supposed to spend some time together, but Dr. Chang thinks he's found the ruins to an ancient civilization nobody's ever heard of before. The chance to be there when the discovery is confirmed is just too good an opportunity to pass up. I had already decided to put off our vacation and go when John called to tell me that he had to cancel, so it worked out just great. Though the poor dear looked so upset about breaking the news, I wanted to tell him I was going away anyway, but I...we had so much else to cover, and there's never enough time... I'll just have to fill him in when I get back. You've got quite a brother there, Liz. I can't tell you how...how lucky I feel sometimes, even when he's not here. I just... Someone said that love knows no borders, and ours certainly proves the point. Well, I'll check in with you when I get back, though with any luck, you'll hear about it on the news first. My love to Danny and the kids. Bye."

Sheridan says good-bye to her as well. "I love you, Anna," he tells the image on the screen.

Saying goodbye.

Garibaldi thanks Talia for helping out, and she tells him that it wasn't a problem, but it still isn't admissable in court. Garibaldi tells her that, thanks to her help, he can take it the rest of the way. He asks her to leave, and speaks to Dr. Franklin and Ivanova. "I trust her as much as I trust any telepath, but she's still PsiCorps." When Dr. Franklin asks what PsiCorps has to do with the attack, Garibaldi explains. "I've been thinking about this little salute Jack gave me back in his cell -- same as that PsiCop Bester gave? It's like he was rubbing my nose in something he knew I could never prove. Remember the last election, there was a big scandal about the Corps endorsing Vice President Clark?"

"Sure. It was big news. Made all the nets," Ivanova says. "Their charter prohibits them recommending candidates to their members."

Garibaldi continues. "Exactly. Now Jack didn't admit anything, but he did say that the Homeguard wasn't behind President Santiago's assassination. But what if it was the PsiCorps? What if they wanted someone in office who was sympathetic to the Corps? Right before Earth Force 1 exploded, the Vice-President got off at Mars, saying he had the flu. Pretty convenient, isn't it?"

Sherdian and Elizabeth say good-bye to each other, but he promises to write to her, letting her know how he is. He thanks her for coming, and thanks her for everything she did. "You're my brother," she tells him. She waves to him and leaves. Right after she does, Sheridan receives a call from Ivanova, telling him to come to C&C.

G'kar and Na'toth are in G'kar's quarters. "Things have changed, Na'toth, and they will never be the same. But we are Narns. We have learned to cope with change--to triumph in the face of adversity. We will overcome this as well. We have no other choice." Na'toth asks about something G'kar is holding, and he tells her that it is a human book. He tells her that he has been studying their literature, and that he came across that book, and that he believes humans may be wiser than the Narns thought. He reads from it, and while he is doing so, we see Lennier with Delenn in her quarters, as she puzzles over, and examines, her new form:

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere,
The ceremony of innocence is drowned.
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?

G'Kar reads the poetry.

Sheridan arrives at C&C and asks Ivanova why she called him there. "On a hunch," she explains, "I just checked on the ship taking the prisoner back to Earth. He was transferred to another ship a half an hour ago. It had EarthForce security markings, it knew all the right access and identification codes, had papers authorizing the transfer... But I just backtracked with Earth Central. The ID codes don't match any ship registered to Earth Force."

"Great," Sheridan says. "So he's gone, and all the evidence with him." Sheridan asks if she notified President Clark, but she tells him that he isn't taking any calls. "It gets cold up here sometimes, doesn't it, Lieutenant Commander?"

"Yes sir," she replies, as they both contemplate the situation. "It does indeed."

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

Rising Star

Overview

Earthgov decides Sheridan's fate. Delenn makes a remarkable proposition to the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. Garibaldi searches for Lise. Denise Gentile as Lise. Rance Howard as David Sheridan. Beata Pozniak as President Luchenko. Walter Koenig as Bester. 
P5 Rating: 8.90

Production number: 421
Original air week: October 20, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Tony Dow

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Rising Star

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

An ISN Special Report.

Franklin is oblivious to the thrill of captaining a White Star, wishing only that the journey to B5 were already over, and afraid what he'll find when he catches up with Marcus.

But it's already too late. Two medics enter the infirmary and discover Marcus' still form slumped over Ivanova's braced and bandaged body, both of them plugged into the alien healing/execution device. When Franklin arrives, he is immediately escorted to Ivanova, the medic explaining on the way that Ivanova seems to be "cured" but Marcus was dead when they found him.

Ivanova is anything but happy to be alive though. She is curled up in a medical gown on the floor next to a window where a sheet-covered body can be seen inside. She hears someone approach and shouts at him to go away.

"Susan, it's me," Franklin says quietly, and sits down next to her.

Rocking herself and weeping, Susan rails at Marcus for doing this, for hacking through codes to find out about the device, for breaking all the rules, and for never asking for anything. For sacrificing himself for her, for taking himself from her, and for taking away the chance that she could love him back. When she was resigning herself to her death she heard someone say, "I love you," and wondered, "Is that God?" Instead of drifting away however, she was dragged back into her body, and then realized that Marcus was dying beside her, even as her life began to beat more strongly. Incapacitated, she couldn't do a thing to prevent it.

After so many bad relationships, she was afraid of loving and being hurt again, but she should have done it anyway, or at least "boffed him once." When Stephen remarks that "that's one way to deal with unrequited love," she replies, "All love is unrequited, Stephen. All of it," and buries her head in his shoulder.

Striding impatiently in a docking bay, G'Kar chides Londo for being late.

"You're early," Londo returns.

When G'Kar objects that he is "never premature," Londo retaliates, "That's not what I hear," allowing however that two minutes may well be prodigious for a Narn. At this moment, Vir hustles up nervously with something urgent and secret to tell the Ambassador. Londo magnanimously offers to give G'Kar pointers on his problem, and as G'Kar strides off in a huff, Londo comments that they are "developing a strange relationship. At times I find I rather enjoy it."

It appears that the Regent is ill and not expected to live much longer. The Centauri government has requested Londo to return home to lead them. When Mollari's expression remains annoyed, Vir explains, "You're going to be Emperor, Londo! Isn't that wonderful?" Vir has no way of knowing that Londo has dreaded this day more than anticipated it.

Awaiting his fate in Earth Dome, Sheridan has an unwelcome visitor. Bester begins by denying everything about using Garibaldi, William Edgars and a telepath virus, but admits that the wise course of action would be to destroy such a virus while keeping the antidote--just in case. Of course, he gloats, for a mental scan confirming Garibaldi's story to be valid in court, the telepath would have to be a member of Psi Corps.

Sheridan smiles and replies, "You really think you've got it all covered, don't you."

Bester can't contain his real reason for coming any longer. He wants to know whether his lover, Carolyn, was one of the telepaths used to disable the destroyers in the final battle at Mars. If she was, Bester threatens, Sheridan won't leave the room alive.

The captain scoffs, "Death. Been there, done that." Using the telepaths as weapons was the hardest decision he ever made, he claims. Only thirty, single telepaths without families were chosen out of a hundred. Making the Psi Cop agonize just a little bit longer, because Carolyn was single and had no family, Sheridan shouts, "I know what it's like to lose someone, just to find her and lose her again," and he wouldn't even wish it on Bester. Carolyn is still on the station and can be transferred to Earth as soon as it's safe.

Bester's bluster drops and he sits weakly. "Thank you," he says.

Sheridan's disgust doesn't waver. He continues that he knows that with Clark out of power, Bester will have to regroup, but he won't stop trying to take over the government. But Sheridan will be watching. And when Bester starts a war between the telepaths and the normals someday, he'll lose.

Stung, Bester replies, "We'll see."

Before he leaves, Sheridan reminds him not to rest too easy because Garibaldi will be coming after him. Bester dismisses this, but Sheridan assures him that whatever Garibaldi does, "it will be creative, colorful, and extremely unpleasant."

Garibaldi smashes a fat little man's face into a wall. "Where is she?" he asks, meaning Lise. The man denies all knowledge. Garibaldi flings him into another wall and explains the situation more clearly.

Londo and G'Kar find Delenn musing silently. She congratulates Londo on his promotion and he barks, "You've heard that already?"

"There is little that does not reach me these days."

Before the representatives from the non-aligned worlds arrive, she wants them to read a proposal, because their support will be critical. After a glance, G'Kar asks if she is sure she wants to do this. Londo reads it and begins laughing. Nonplussed, Delenn says it isn't funny. Londo chortles that being in the "presence of living history...makes you giddy." When the others arrive, he tells them that he hopes they "have all brought a change of underwear. You will need it after you read this."

Sheridan's patience with being cooped up is exhausted about the same time it is decided what to do with him. President Luchenko explains that the debate was between whether to give him the Medal of Honor or shoot him, or both. She criticizes his "inconvenient" military action and political naivete, but offers that in exchange for amnesty for his crew and allies, he must resign from Earth Force. If he refuses, he will be court martialed. Sheridan asks for the amnesty in writing and agrees to resign.

A man enters a warehouse on Mars. A big guy asks him, "How much do they want for her alive?" They jump at a knock at the door. There's a colorful package outside. They open it; it explodes and Rangers drop down from the rafters as Garibaldi and more Rangers break in the door. Running through building, Garibaldi calls, "Lise!" until there is a muffled reply from behind a door. He breaks her out and they fall into each other's arms.

Approaching Earth, Delenn is in a reverie because the Council has approved her proposal. "They will talk about this day for a hundred years." Lennier says he wishes Marcus were here, and then asks with emotion in his voice if Delenn heard Ivanova's comment about love being unrequited. Delenn looks deeply at Lennier, touches his face and tells him, "She's wrong, of course."

ISN carries the news conference live. The President graciously introduces Sheridan and declares that all sides in the recent war fought for Earth. Explaining it as a conflict between love of Earth and love of duty, Sheridan announces his resignation in the hopes that the wounds can heal quickly.

Then G'Kar rises to announce that the League of Nonaligned Worlds is now dissolved, and there is a new Alliance instead. Delenn in turn explains that Earth is being offered a chance to join in an economic and political pact. She describes the common authority that all members have agreed to recognize. The mission of the Rangers, she explains, is to protect borders but not participate in wars, to create the peace, but not enforce it. As she speaks, the room shakes as dozens of White Stars jump into the sky above. From now on, all member races may contribute to the Ranger ranks, she adds.

In a private meeting, President Luchenko asks for something more concrete than "peace" to convince realists to enter the pact. Delenn casually offers artificial gravity. Luchenko takes the bait and asks who will be in authority over the new alliance. Delenn explains that they have a board, indicating herself, Londo and G'Kar, but they also have an elected President as well.

The President has his feet on the table when an Earth Force General bursts in demanding to know where the letter of amnesty is. Copies have already been given to the reporters, Sheridan replies smugly. As they leave the room, Delenn appears at the end of the corridor with someone to see him. It's his father, free and healthy. They embrace and then Sheridan Sr. reaches out to Delenn, delighted to welcome her into the family.

ISN reports that Earth has agreed to enter the Interstellar Alliance. At the press gathering, President Sheridan states that as part of the agreement all member states must recognize the sovereign rights of colony worlds, and thus, Mars will be granted independence.

Watching this in bed, Garibaldi and Lise try to put off figuring out what they are going to do next, but marriage seems to be in the plans.

Ivanova has been promoted to Captain and has accepted command of a new Warlock class warship for a yearlong shake-down cruise, ISN continues.

Sheridan and Delenn were married in a private ceremony on board White Star 2 while heading back to Babylon 5, the report concludes.

Londo shuts the news off. As G'Kar picks rice off his jacket and pops it in his mouth, Londo tells him to cut it out. If it were any good would they be throwing it at people? He muses that he'd sure like to see the newlyweds now. G'Kar looks distracted, and peering at him Londo demands to know where his artificial eye is. It's sitting innocuously on a table, aimed at the honeymoon bed.

Ruling from the Tomb

Overview

Gideon and Lochley clash on Mars as a group of religious zealots threatens a conference on the plague. 
Production number: 111
Original air date: July 14, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by Peter David
Directed by John Copeland

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Ruling from the Tomb

Rumors, Bargains and Lies

Overview

Sheridan tricks the League of Non-Aligned Worlds into accepting his proposed defense pact. Delenn tries to work with an old rival to defuse a brewing Minbari civil war. John Vickery as Neroon. 
P5 Rating: 8.33

Production number: 413
Original air week: May 12, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Rumors, Bargains and Lies

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

The command staff arrives for breakfast to find Sheridan leaned up against the wall carrying on a conversation with himself. Their attempts to engage him don't get through, but his occasional outbursts of laughter disturb their conversation. Trying to form the non-aligned worlds into a union again is a daunting task, they agree, but one that must be done.

With an exultant shout, the Captain stands up and comes over to their table. "There has got to be an easier way to do this!" he enthuses, with his characteristic "I've got an idea" gleam in his eye. He orders Marcus to take three White Stars to a sector of Centauri border space and wait there for orders.

As he leaves in a hurry, Ivanova gets up and sniffs his empty coffee mug. "Just checking..." she remarks only half in jest. Franklin laughs that this is after Delenn has only been gone three days.

There is no laughter for Delenn, however. Lennier reports fighting in the capital, the opening salvo of civil war. In the next days she passes time in a chamber watching scenes of the capital city in all its splendor, and she weeps to think of it in flames. "Did I do this, when I broke the Grey Council?" she asks. Valen predicted that she would, but since he was Sinclair, he could not have known what would pass after the breaking. There is no prophecy to steer her course now.

What she does know is that the fighting must be stopped immediately, or they will all face a millenium of war. And so she goes to rendezvous with the leaders of the religious caste. She has also invited her old enemy Neroon of the warrior caste to meet her there.

Ambassador Mollari is baffled that the Captain is asking him to deny that the White Stars are patrolling the borders of Centauri space, especially since their presence there was for the sole purpose of inspiring the League worlds to allow White Stars on their own borders. As Londo launches into a tirade about human psychology, Sheridan reaches out comfortingly and smiling broadly says, "Trust me."

Delenn strides purposefully on board the waiting Minbari war cruiser into palpable tension, as she finds Neroon and a small party of warriors lined up opposite a welcoming party from the religious caste. Apparently Neroon's presence aboard the religious caste vessel has been met with a hostility just shy of violence. Delenn states that he is under her personal protection and demands to speak with him at once. She stares his adjutants down until they make way for her passage.

Lennier turns toward the religious caste leaders, and as he passes by they hiss their anger at the honor with which she treats Neroon. Loyal as ever, Lennier simply states that they must wait for Delenn to speak for herself.

Alone with Neroon at last, Delenn asks for his help. When he reminds her that the last time they met he intended to kill her to keep her from taking control of the Rangers, she states that despite their differences he has always acted honorably and to serve their people. She explains that neither the warrior caste nor the religious caste can win the war because it will unbalance their society.

With a fragile trust they sit to discuss. He argues that their "world gone mad" cannot be stopped easily, but she has a plan. Even though it will expose them both to the mistrust of their respective castes, he offers her his temporary support. Meanwhile, panicked civilians flee through the burning capital.

The Drazi Ambassador pounces on Sheridan in the Zocalo to ask about the White Stars which have been sighted on the borders of Centauri space. At first amiably and then curtly the Captain refuses to comment, leaving the Drazi more frustrated than ever.

After standing by waiting with his three White Stars for the Captain's orders, Marcus is not pleased to hear that he's gone all that way to destroy asteroids.

"I see," he says, mystified. "Shoot a bunch of rocks, and then leave."

Sheridan appears almost annoyed at being questioned, and tells Marcus to follow orders. Ivanova tries to question him too, but he blithely agrees that it was an unusual command and departs to find Franklin.

The Drazi Ambassador calls upon Londo for an explanation as well, but only meets with a categorical denial and a heap of insults thrown in for good measure. He is now deeply worried and quickly huddles with the other League ambassadors in the corridor. At that moment Franklin finds them and asks them each to ask their governments to send extra blood supplies for their species, just in case of an attack.

The religious leaders are also busy trying to figure out what Delenn is up to. She must intend to surrender, some say. One of them even eavesdropped on her conversation with Neroon enough to hear her say that the religious caste should not win the war. Another argues that killing someone so revered would split their caste deeply. So the first replies that they must martyr themselves and the entire ship to prevent her from reaching homeworld. They place a small time-release cask of toxic material in an air duct and prepare their hearts for death, unaware that Lennier has observed their scheming.

The Voice of the Resistance is about to begin broadcasting when Sheridan casually steps into the War Room. Just as casually he asks Ivanova to report that nothing happened today in sector 83x9x12. It won't be a lie, he argues, because it's true. Keeping bewilderment just barely at bay, the Commander goes on the air the next moment with this announcement, and advises everyone to please remain calm. This message and the intelligence that three White Stars engaged an apparently invisible enemy in an asteroid field drives the perturbed League ambassadors deeper into the arms of paranoia.

Standing in contemplation in the cruiser's battle command center, Neroon is suddenly attacked by one of his retainers. Delenn is furious. After Neroon is taken away for care and the attacker thrown in the brig, she asks the religious leaders to watch over him because his caste believes he will surrender to her, and thus will do anything to stop him. The religious caste members exchange a quick look, and one asks if they really don't intend to surrender.

"Don't be foolish," she retorts, and explains again that neither side can surrender to the other or there will be chaos. She shakes her head in dismay at the warrior caste who are so full of extremism that they would attack one of their own. Her compatriots' remorse only grows as she says gratefully, "But you. You are the steady rock beneath my feet." They realize that it is now too late to prevent their own pointless suicide.

But they did not count on Lennier, who is able to reach the cask in time to shut off the valve just as the poison begins to escape. "Have we fallen so far that we cannot even trust ourselves?" he asks them as he collapses from the effects of the fumes.

Neroon reports that Lennier is being tended by his personal physician, but until he recovers there is no explanation for how he was exposed to the toxin. When pressed, Delenn admits how deeply she cares for Lennier, that she is training him the way she was trained by Dukhat, and that she utterly relies on him.

Neroon tells Delenn that if their people are ever to understand why she treated him with honor, it will be because she taught them, and ruefully admits that he is finally coming to see why Dukhat chose her to succeed him. "I do not know what lies ahead, Delenn. But I do know that it is right that we are here."

The League ambassadors call a hasty council meeting. When Sheridan arrives, they present him with their demands. He must supply them with the same defense he is providing the Centauri. He balks, but they insist. He is only able to obtain the concession that they will give his ships the authority to intercept ships on their borders, and they will support his fleet in the event of a greater danger. Then they dismiss him. He is only able to contain his glee until he reaches the first lift.

Lennier regains consciousness only to tell Delenn that he smelled a leaking valve, but he denies the suggestion of warrior caste sabotage. As soon as she leaves, the religious leaders cluster around to ask him why he didn't tell her the truth. He explains that she lives in a world where everyone is better than they really are. When they thank him, he replies angrily, "I did it for her; I did not do it for you." Her faith in their goodness was more valuable to him than her knowledge of their weakness. And so they depart, deeply chastened.

The Voice of the Resistance announces the League's new border patrol initiative, and asks for news of the events on Minbar. Meanwhile, Neroon leaves the war cruiser stealthily. In his first message to his caste leader he announces with satisfaction that he possesses the religious caste's plans and victory is at hand.

Secrets of the Soul

Overview

Franklin discovers one race's centuries-old secret. Byron and Lyta reach an understanding. Robin Atkin Downes as Byron. Fiona Dwyer as Kirrin. Jana Robbins as Ambassador Tal. 
P5 Rating: 7.62

Production number: 508
Original air date: March 4, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Tony Dow

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Secrets of the Soul

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Franklin is approaching his new job of developing complete medical profiles of all the Alliance member races with his usual enthusiasm. He convinces the Pak'ma'ra he is examining today to drink a barium solution so that he can track its upper digestive tract, and gets treated to an impressive demonstration of projectile vomiting an instant later.

Three rogue telepaths arrive on the station without money or papers. Zack is reluctant to let them in, but Byron and Lyta are there to force the issue. Zack accedes, but asks Lyta if he can talk to her alone.

In the transport tube, Peter, one of the new arrivals, demonstrates how much stronger his telekinesis ability has become by lofting a steel ball.

Zack demands to know why Lyta is hanging out with "those people" and orders her to stop seeing Byron. Lyta responds that Byron is trying to create a better world and accuses Zack of jealousy. Without letting him interrupt she tells him that she has been used by everyone, risked her life for everyone and received nothing in return, even from him. Finally someone cares about her and others like her. She would follow Byron gladly into hell, she says and asks Zack what he could possibly say to change that. He is speechless and she leaves.

Byron is leading the new telepaths through DownBelow towards their quarters when their way is blocked by a surly lurker and his mates. To the man's surprise, three times Byron asks him to hit him. After this Byron asks if the third strike was any better than the first or second, or if he expects anything more satisfying from the fourth, fifth or sixth. He leans forward and tells the man quietly that no amount of hitting others will satisfy or solve his anger, then walks on by leaving the man stupefied. When his mates ask what Byron said, the man angrily calls it a teep trick.

Doctor Franklin formally requests a complete medical and genetic history from the Hyach ambassador. She replies that for the first time, the Elders of their geritocracy have decided to make this available to an outsider. Her young assistant, Kirin, demands to know if Franklin would die to protect the confidentiality of the information they will provide him. He explains the security precautions he is taking with the files. She asks him even more fiercely if he would put his life ahead of theirs, and he snaps "You aren't asking anything that I haven't already considered, and the answer is yes, I would die before I allow my work to be used in biogenetic warfare." Kirin's concerns are quelled for the moment.

When the doctor leaves however, Kirin says this is a mistake. "What if he finds out?" The Ambassador counsels acceptance of the will of her elders. Kirin says that if he betrays them, then she'll kill him.

Lyta gets angry when she sees the state Byron's in. Ignoring his hint to be left alone, she begins washing his wounds, and demands to know why he didn't fight back. He explains that violence is not their way. Violence is the way of the mundanes and the Psi Corps, and it always fails. If they wish to form a system that can last, it must be built on nonviolence. Lyta begins sputtering, don't bullies make him want to strike back? Byron begins to laugh, and calls her a BCMFO (brightly colored fast moving object) a comet who blazes into every room she enters. "There's so much more to you than meets the eye," he marvels. "If you only knew," she replies dryly. She kisses him tenderly, and bashfully moves to leave. He asks her why she never stays the night and when she explains that she doesn't feel like part of the group yet, he takes her out of his room and asks the others what they feel about Lyta being one of them. The other telepaths surround and embrace her.

Kirin delivers the final data crystals Franklin requested. He asks her why the records only date back 800 years when the Hyach civilization has been around for 7000. She tells him to make do. Her attitude only exacerbates his feeling that the Hyach are hiding something, and his formidable curiosity is roused.

Peter gets separated from his fellows in DownBelow. Suddenly he is set upon by the men who hassled them earlier. When he uses his talent to fight back they beat him senseless. He is rushed to Medlab where Byron makes a special appeal to Dr. Franklin to save him. As Byron looks at Peter's broken body, the rest of his people watch through his eyes. When they set out to punish the perpetrators, Byron rushes off to stop them. He finds them in a corridor torturing one of the bullies with a vision of immolation. He calms them down and steps over to the man who has passed out from shock, just as Zack comes along and arrests him.

Franklin's search for ancient Hyach records is fruitless so he initiates a search for Hyach in other species' records.

Byron frantically tries to get released from his cell. He can feel his people assaulting Peter's attacker somewhere.

Franklin is roused from his observation of Peter by a return on his search. A Drazi pilot reports a rare sighting of a Hyach-doh coming into their camp and begging for transportation, but says in accordance with his contract he refused, and reported the Hyach-doh for "collection." Intrigued, Franklin starts a search for references to Hyach-doh.

The results are stunning. Walking slowly back to his quarters, Franklin keeps reading the material he has uncovered. Kirin is waiting for him and orders him at gunpoint into a deserted storage room. He shows her what he's found. The Hyach-doh were a species that developed through parallel evolution alongside and cross-fertile with the Hyach. The Hyach Ambassador enters and confirms that about a millenium ago the Hyach began a religious-based program of exterminating the Hyach-doh, Now the Hyach are regretting their "success" as their birthrate has been dropping ever since. Something in the Hyach-doh DNA was necessary for the Hyach race to survive.

The ambassador asks Franklin to help them find what it is that they are missing. He refuses. Even though did not kill the Hyach-doh themselves, their complicity in the cover-up makes them accomplices, he says. Besides, it would take far greater resources than he has to find the answer. If they want help, they must reveal their past. The Ambassador orders Kirin to free Franklin. Now that one outsider has discovered the truth, the Elders are prepared to acknowledge it more widely. The ambassador asks Franklin's forgiveness, but he replies, only the Hyach-doh can give that, and they're all dead.

As Zack releases Byron he asks about the murder. Byron asks, how should he know, he's been locked up all day, but if he'd been allowed out the man might not be dead.

Byron steps dejectedly over sleeping bodies to his curtained corner with Lyta in tow. He is depressed and ashamed that his people won't follow his creed. Lyta offers him to take comfort in her for awhile. She nervously explains that she hasn't been with anyone since she was altered by the Vorlons and warns him that he might get burned. "Then let it burn." he says. As they make love he begins to see her memories of her time with the Vorlons. Her rescue, her carrying duties, her punishment by Kosh II, her ability to feel the Shadows, and then her alteration. She envisions floating in a tank.

Byron is horrified to see Lyta's eyes go full black. The other telepaths in the room wake up to the intensity of Byron's thoughts.

Floating Lyta sees another tank nearby. It contains a nonhuman fetus.

The telepaths are weeping.

There are more tanks with fetuses, and many, many more tanks with adult forms floating in them.

Byron embraces Lyta tightly as the telepaths stand in a circle outside his curtains watching them.

Afterwards Byron questions her about what she has revealed. The Vorlons were responsible for creating telepaths as foot soldiers in the war with the Shadows. Now that the Vorlons are gone there is no one to give an accounting for this genetic violation of the human species. So since they were created to save everyone else, Byron argues, everyone else owes them a homeland. If the Alliance refuses to grant them this, "Then we'll make sure they have no other choice," Byron says ominously.

Severed Dreams

Overview

When President Clark tries to seize control of Babylon 5 by force, Sheridan is faced with the prospect of severing the station's ties with Earth. Delenn receives disturbing news from a Ranger. Bruce McGill as Major Ryan. Kim Miyori as Captain Hiroshi. James Parks as Drakhen. 
P5 Rating: 9.81

Production number: 310
Original air week: April 1, 1996
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Winner of the 1997 Hugo award for Best Dramatic Presentation.

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Note: this episode is more momentous than most. Think twice before proceeding to the spoilers if you haven't seen it.

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Severed Dreams

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

In customs, Londo waits impatiently, complaining bitterly about the inefficiency of the Narn security personnel and the stupidity of the fighting between Earthers. Meanwhile that fighting continues as General Hague's destroyer, the EAS Alexander, is under attack by another Earth Alliance warship, the EAS Clarkstown. When there seems to be no other choice, the Alexander destroys her pursuer and jumps toward Babylon 5. As soon as news of this impending arrival reaches the station's officers, they realize their dilemma. The Alexander is being hunted down on charges of treason, but General Hague has been their strongest ally in the fight against the growing darkness at home. In the background, ISN reports that Mars has refused to implement martial law in defiance of President Clark's orders. Trying to protect the crew from the consequences of his action, Sheridan announces in C & C that the arriving Alexander will be given humanitarian assistance, but he has Garibaldi cut all transmissions from the station just in case some of his crew want to report her arrival.

Delenn has received chilling news as well. A Minbari Ranger traveling among the nonaligned worlds has discovered that the various races have all been goaded by the Shadows into fighting their neighbors, first for defense and then for conquest. The races believe that alliance with the Shadows is the only way to be safe from Centauri conquest. The Grey Council's only reaction is to comment that "The problems of others are not ours."

The commanding officer of the Alexander, Major Ryan, arrives on B5 bearing bad tidings. General Hague was killed during their last fight, the attempted coup against Clark is only having marginal success, ISN is on the verge of being shut down, and the majority of Earth Force is either loyal to Clark or intimidated by him. As the crew discusses his report, the news comes that Earth Gov has begun bombing civilian targets on Mars.

Delenn leaves to find the Grey Council just as the EAS Churchill arrives with her captain demanding an immediate meeting with Sheridan.

Gunfire punctuates the scene of terrified anchors at ISN reporting that Orion and Proxima 3 colonies have declared independence in protest over the bombing of Mars. Apparently ISN has been forced to conceal information about activities in Earth Gov for the past year, but before they can spill the story their final broadcast is cut off abruptly amid falling debris. The Churchill's captain comes aboard to inform Sheridan that transmissions were intercepted ordering elite Earth Gov forces to Babylon 5 to both capture the Alexander, and take control of the station, arresting the command staff and placing the station under the direct authority of President Clark and the Nightwatch.

There is no more room to maneuver. Sheridan puts the question to his officers: Fight or Surrender? If they fight and lose, more than a quarter of a million lives might be at stake, and they will be executed. If they surrender, they will be court martialed at the least. Their decision is unanimous. It is time to make their stand now against Earth and the darkness. They spring into last minute preparations. Fighters are scrambled, Medlab is cleared, and ground troops are geared up.

An acolyte attempting to bar Delenn from the Grey Council chambers is withered by the force of her purpose. Her words are even more powerful before the Council as she accuses them of abandoning the very prophecy they were created to meet, to stand against the Shadows "between the candle and the star, between the darkness and the light." Berating them for pride and presumption she breaks the leader's staff of office before breaking the Council itself by calling on the Worker and Religious castes to abandon the Warrior caste's indifference and follow her into immediate action.

Sheridan takes a moment in the midst of the crisis to call home for what might be the last time. His father urges him not to worry about his parents, and to remember the first lesson he ever taught him. Never start a fight, but always finish it.

Ivanova configures Draal's holographic system so the that captain can transmit a speech throughout B5. He announces that warships are enroute to seize the station and that in response Babylon 5 is seceding from the Earth Alliance until President Clark is removed from office.

Knowing that one of the officers must be personally present to lead the Star Fury squadrons into battle, Sheridan grants Commander Ivanova permission to drop just in time to meet four heavy warships and assembled fighters jumping out of hyperspace. His final effort to talk the approaching captain out of a fight is ignored, and full scale battle erupts. Joined by Star Furies from the Alexander and the Churchill, the station's squadrons are mostly successful in defending the station. Nevertheless, a breeching pod is able to penetrate their defenses. It latches on to the station's hull, bores a hole, and troops begin to jump through, where they are quickly engaged in bloody, close quarters resistance from Garibaldi leading Narn and human security personnel.

The Churchill puts up an excellent fight, until with fire on all decks, she sacrifices herself by ramming an enemy destroyer. Distracted by the sight, Ivanova reacts too slowly to a collision warning and is knocked spinning by another Fury. Sheridan immediately orders her to eject, which she does, an instant before her fighter slams against the hull of a cruiser. The Alexander and the station are able to destroy the other attacking warships, but suffer such heavy damage in the meantime that Lt. Corwin informs the captain that they could not have lasted much longer.

Relief is short lived. Three more destroyers arrive through the jump gate and order Sheridan to surrender. Before he has a chance to consider, four more jump points form. Instead of Earth Force ships however, they expel Delenn commanding the White Star and three Minbari war cruisers. She orders the attacking Earth Forces to withdraw. When they refuse, she replies coldly, "Only one human captain has ever survived battle with the Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else."

They beat a hasty retreat. But they leave a bloody wake of dead and dying both on the station and littered through space where the Minbari take up sentry duty. Sheridan accepts responsibility for some of the Churchill's lost Star Furies. Although he is proud of his crew, his faith in Earth Force is shattered, and he vows not to wear his uniform again until this civil war is over. To the Alexander, he extends a standing offer of assistance, before she departs in search of other allies.

In Docking, the known Nightwatch are being deported along with prisoners from the breeching pod, when Delenn comes aboard. John greets her with gratitude, awe, respect and love. Although less personal, most of the station feels the same way about him-as an enormous crowd expresses enthusiastically in the Zocolo. Even so, the respite is uneasy, and surely temporary.

Shadow Dancing

Overview

Sheridan launches a preemptive strike against the Shadows. Franklin jeopardizes his life while trying to do a good deed. Shirley Prestia as Barbara. Melissa Gilbert as Anna. 
P5 Rating: 9.25

Production number: 321
Original air week: September 15, 1996 (UK)
                   October 21, 1996 (US)
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Kim Friedman

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Shadow Dancing

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (n9641343@cc.wwu.edu)

Z Minus 7 Days

Delenn appeals to the League of Non-Aligned Worlds to assist the Army of Light in the war against the Shadows. The League, however, is not inclined to join them, without knowing what they are getting into. Lennier urges them to trust Delenn, but they aren't sure, and even though Delenn believes many of her previous actions should have earned their trust, none of them are sure they want to weaken their own defenses. Delenn promises that she will work to keep the other ships as safe as possible, using as many ships as she can spare. She reminds them that their time is short.

Sheridan, addressing the War Council, explains that he believes the Shadows are trying to lure everyone into one place, sector 83, in order to attack them all at once. One ship, the White Star, will be sent there to inform the fleet when the Shadows arrive. Sheridan orders Ivanova and Marcus not to engage the Shadows without further orders. He warns them both that, even if everything goes as planned, they can hope for little more than a fifty percent chance of success.

Delenn returns to the council chamber to find the entire League of Non-Aligned worlds gone, except for the Drazi ambassador. He explains that the others went to speak with their governments, and that the other ambassadors have agreed to commit their ships. He hopes she's right about her plan, as it will cost them all greatly otherwise.

Ivanova and Marcus prepare to leave in the White Star, and the only further advice Sheridan has for them is an old Egyptian blessing. As the White Star begins the journey to sector 83, Marcus asks Ivanova what the captain meant by the blessing. "May God stand between you and harm in all the empty places you must walk," explains Ivanova.

As Garibaldi walks down the corridor, he is met up by Zack on his way to lunch. Garibaldi doesn't care to join him, since he is still more than a little concerned about Dr. Franklin, who is still on Walkabout. Zack doubts Franklin's choice, and Garibaldi agrees that it may be an immature course. Zack tries to convince Garibaldi that he did everything he could to help, but Garibaldi is not so sure; perhaps he tried to help Franklin in the wrong way. Even though he knows it's too late to help further, he hopes Dr. Franklin will find what he's looking for--himself.

In a crowded marketplace in Downbelow, a family of visitors to Babylon 5 tentatively makes their way, the mother not able to understand its appeal. She insists she heard the sqalid conditions are due to Babylon 5's secession from Earth, though her husband disagrees. While they argue, their daughter loses her ball, which is caught by Dr. Franklin, lurking amongst the crowd. Though all he does is return it to her and try to make her smile, the mother is vary wary and pulls her away.

Z Minus 6 Days

Ivanova enters the White Star's sleeping chambers and awakens Marcus, who is quick to run a check on the weapon systems. Ivanova observes that Marcus is fluent in Minbari, and Marcus explains that part of his training as a Ranger was to learn to be able to speak and think in a Minbari tongue, and that, to the Minbari, it is as important as fighting prowess. He offers to teach Ivanova, who politely refuses. Though she does relent a little, she is intrigued by some words he speeks to her: "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met," though she can't understand the Minbari tongue he speaks them in. He tells her it is a greeting that means, "My words are inadequate to the burden of my heart." She finds the saying unusual, but is anxious to get to bed, though sleeping on the diagonal bed proves less than easy for her. Marcus pesters her a little more but eventually leaves, leaving Ivanova to attempt to rest. However, she has very little success.

Sheridan is in his quarters charging up his PPG when Delenn enters with a progress report on the fleet. She explains that, as difficult as forming the fleet was, keeping it at full strength will be even harder. Sheridan tells Delenn he wishes she would stay behind during the battle, what with everyone else being tied up, but she insists it is important for her to go and that, when she returns, they will spend the night together. Delenn explains to Sheridan, who misinterprets her remark, that "when Minbari become close as we have become close, it is tradition that they spend three nights together. The male sleeps, the female watches." This confuses Sheridan until Delenn explains that Minbari believe one's true face is only revealed during their sleep, when they have no need to put on a different one for the people they meet during the day. If the female likes what she sees, the ritual continues. Delenn insists to Sheridan that she already does, and he needn't worry about the lofty consequences, should that not happen. "History awaits," she tells him as she leaves.

As Franklin is exploring some of the dark environs of Downbelow, he witnesses two thugs savagely beating up on a man. Franklin tries to come to the man's assistance, but a vicious battle between Franklin and the assailants ensues, leaving Franklin bleeding profusely. The man he tried to save was dealing drugs and refuses to help for fear of being caught. Some time later, Franklin is still alone, despite his frantic shouting and attempts making progress out of the secluded alcove in which he's trapped.

Ivanova discovers the solution to sleeping on the White Star -- removing the pillows from each of the beds, and making a bed from them -- just as Marcus calls her to tell her that she's needed on the bridge. When she arrives, he shows her that a small ship, made of the same material as Shadow vessels, has appeared. It seems to be some sort of a scout ship, but the White Star has little time to spare -- they can't move without their energy signature being picked up, and since the planet they are hiding behind is about to come out of eclipse, they are going to be seen very soon. The sun appears, and the White Star is revealed to the scout ship. It sees them and begins to send out a warning signal, but Ivanova orders Marcus to jam it before it can warn the Shadows.

Delenn, Sheridan, and Lennier, aboard the command ship of the fleet, prepare for the battle. The telepaths are safe, and the other White Star ships are on their way. Delenn is very worried about Ivanova, but Sheridan insists she will be fine. Delenn leads Sheridan to the place where he will lead the battle--a chamber much like that in which the Grey Council met. Delenn tells him that he will be able to keep track of the battle. Sheridan doesn't understand how, but Delenn promises him he will when the time comes.

Franklin, still bleeding and weaker than before, continues to cry out for help, but to no avail. He mutters to himself about how stupid what he's done is, and another voice from nearby agrees with him. He looks up to see a healthy, clean-cut version of himself standing nearby, agreeing. "You said you had to keep walking until you met yourself. Well, here I am. So, if we're gonna talk, let's talk. Only, I don't think you have enough time."

The Shadow scout ship fires upon the White Star, but does no damage. Ivanova is determined to prevent the Shadow vessel from getting out of jamming range, and she prepares to fire. She returns fire on the vessel, and does some damage, but angers it greatly -- the ship moves to ram them, delivering a glancing blow that takes the White Star's jump engines offline. Marcus detects an energy surge several thousand kilometers away, and he puts it up on the view screen. Dozens of full-sized Shadow vessels begin appearing. Without the jump engines on-line, the White Star is in trouble. They know that they have no chance of escape, so they signal their fleet.

As the Minbari fleet moves to assist the White Star, and the Shadow vessels continue to move closer, Dr. Franklin continues his conversation with himself, who tells him that he has spent his whole life running away from his father, his future, his life, and his work. The other Franklin is upset at the wounded Franklin, who, when he finally had everything he needed including a good job and people that cared about him, just gave it up and ran away. He is also less than happy that Franklin won't stop dying long enough to answer his charges. He tells Franklin he doesn't care if he dies, as the two of them parted ways a long time ago.

As the White Star's jump engines begin to come back on-line, Marcus determines that a Shadow vessel has detected the White Star, and is moving to intercept. As it comes closer, a jump point opens, and numerous ships emerge -- including the White Star fleet, Minbari heavy cruisers, and the ships of the League of Non-Aligned worlds. As Sheridan watches in the command room of the lead Minbari ship, a circular viewscreen descends around him and Delenn, and he dispenses his orders to the fleet. The battle begins.

"Blood pressure's dropping fast," Franklin says, taunting his wounded alter ego. He asks Franklin what he has to live for, and what he could possibly want, since he threw it all away the first time. Franklin insists he wants to do it all over again, and begins to regain his determination. He begins to move, and pull himself up the ladder that leads out of his prison. With his healthy self taunting him all the way, and despite his wounded condition, Franklin is eventually able to get out. With great difficulty, he makes his way through the station, until he finally arrives in a Downbelow market area, where he is dragged away by security personnel.

The battle rages on, with all of the ships, Shadow and non-Shadow alike, taking heavy damage. However, despite the Shadows' superior numbers, Sheridan's battle expertise and the large number of telepaths at his disposal manage to help keep the Shadow ships at bay, if only a little. The battle comes to its conclusion, and despite heavy losses on all sides, the Shadows, realizing what they are up against, eventually retreat, leaving a massive graveyard of ships behind. As they stand amidst the remains of their fleet, Sheridan and Delenn embrace, knowing they have, for now at least, triumphed.

Franklin, on a gurney, is taken back to Medlab as the remants of the fleet and the numerous casualties therefrom are returned to the station. Garibaldi asks Sheridan, once he is back in the docking bay, how the battle went, to which Sheridan replies that it went okay, but not great. Two of their ships were destroyed for every one of the Shadow ships that were taken out, and Marcus reminds them that this time they had the advantage -- they knew where the Shadows were going to strike. Next time they won't be so lucky. But Ivanova is still impressed -- they were able to unite with the League of Non-Aligned Worlds against the Shadows.

"So here's the big question," Garibaldi says. "Now that we've shown them we can hurt them, how long until they come knocking at our front door?"

"That's what worries me," Sheridan says as he and Delenn leave.

Z Minus 4 Days

Garibaldi goes to visit Franklin, being treated for his wounds in Medlab. Franklin finally regains consciousness, and Garibaldi tells him that he is disappointed -- he lost 30 credits in a bet because of it. Franklin, though still in great pain, is willing to admit that he found what he needed -- a short, sharp kick to the head, which Garibaldi says he would have been only too happy to provide. Franklin also says that, when he found himself, he didn't like the person he met too much. Garibaldi gets ready to leave, but reminds Franklin before he goes never to do something like this again -- he can't afford to lose another 30 credits.

In Hyperspace, a Shadow vessel is travelling, but it stops for a moment, and something emerges from it -- a ship. It flies off quickly in an opposite direction from the Shadow vessel.

Sheridan tells everyone that, though they did everything they could, they took a big loss, and that it is only a matter of time until the Shadows come looking for them. Sheridan wants to know how and when, but Delenn suggests that they may be reluctant to do so, and with the weapon on Epsilon 3 at their disposal, they may be foolish to try. Ivanova doesn't understand why, when the Shadows could have attacked at any time during the past year, they waited so long to attack now? As Sheridan ponders this, he remembers part of his dream from long ago -- something he's been doing ever since Kosh died.

Ivanova, with a large raven on her shoulder, asks Sheridan, "Do you know who I am?"

Sheridan explains that, not too long after he had the dream, Ivanova revealed that she was a latent telepath, and that she said she sometimes didn't know who she was. Ivanova doesn't know how Kosh knew that, but that the image does fit. He explains further that the dream showed him wearing the uniform of a PsiCop, and Ivanova realizes that that foreshadowed their siding with Bester. Sheridan further explains he had an image of Garibaldi, with a dove on his shoulder.

"The man in between is searching for you."

Ivanova surmises that that could refer to Sinclair, but Sheridan is unsure, feeling that there must be another explanation. He moves on to the next part of his dream -- Ivanova, dressed in a black veil.

"You are the hand."

Ivanova doesn't understand why she would say anything that sounded so strange, but Delenn explains that Sheridan has two hands, both equal, but opposite, and that it is possible that is the "man in between" to which Sheridan's dream was referring -- Sheridan's equal and opposite. The final part of Sheridan's dream -- his looking up and seeing himself -- seems to support that theory as well. Sheridan orders that all of Babylon 5's squadrons be on flybys, since sooner or later, trouble will find them. And he expects it to be sooner.

Before long, Franklin is back up and around, advising those beneath him in Medlab. Though he is confined to a wheelchair, he can still do what he does best: give orders. Sheridan comes into Medlab and tells Franklin that his job is waiting for him, should he still want it. Franklin doesn't have to hesitate very long before saying yes. Sheridan asks him if he is sure, but Franklin knows he is. Franklin tells Sheridan that he used the stims to do more, when what he needed was to do better, and he knows that he ran away when he quit to avoid being fired. He explains that he has, for his entire life, looked at himself in terms of what he wasn't, but never what he was, and that he missed a lot of important things because of it. He knows he can't go back and undo his past mistakes, but can appreciate what he has now, and he can define himself by what he is and not what he isn't. Sheridan asks what that is. "I'm alive," Franklin tells him. "Everything else is negotiable." Sheridan's commlink beeps, and he answers it. It is an officer telling Sheridan that Delenn is awaiting him. Sheridan leaves, and as he goes, Franklin continues his advising.

Later that evening, as another visitor arrives on the station, Sheridan is in his quarters, asleep, while Delenn watches him silently. Ivanova, however, is having trouble sleeping. Zack interrupts her, telling her there is someone new onboard the station, that he considers very important, and that concerns the captain. As Sheridan sleeps, Delenn gets up from his beside and moves out to the front room, where she finds a snow globe. She picks it up, turns it over, and watches the falling flakes silently. The door to Sheridan's quarters burst open, and a shadow appears in the doorway. What she sees is enough to cause her to lose her hold on the snow globe, which falls to the ground and shatters.

"Hello," the figure, a woman, says as she appears in the doorway. "You must be Delenn. I'm Anna Sheridan. John's wife."

Z Minus 2 Days

Ship of Tears

Overview

Bester finds himself at odds with others within the Psi Corps and seeks Sheridan's help, offering information about the Shadows in return. G'Kar presses for admission to the conspiracy of light. Walter Koenig as Bester. Joan McMurtrey as Carolyn. 
P5 Rating: 8.70

Production number: 314
Original air week: April 29, 1996
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Ship of Tears

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

A hopeful crowd has gathered in the Zocalo, eager to see the first ISN broadcast since transmissions broke off violently after the imposition of martial law a few weeks earlier. However, even Ivanova is disheartened by the anchor's bold-faced lie that the final broadcast had been made by alien-backed saboteurs attempting to overthrow Earth Gov.

Captain Sheridan is busy checking out one of the new fighters from the Churchill when a distress call is logged. It is from a lone black Star Fury, painted with an enormous Omega, and bearing the station's favorite Psi Cop, Mr. Bester. Keeping carefully out of telepathic scanning range the Captain asks Bester why he shouldn't just kill him on the spot. Curiousity? Bester suggests. When there's no reply he prompts impatiently, "Captain?" but finds the response: "I'm thinking it over," rather unsettling.

A frustrated G'Kar catches Ivanova in a corridor. He has fulfilled his part of the bargain he made with Sheridan by having his Narns assist with station security and even defense, and he demands that he now be allowed to join the alliance Sheridan and the rest have formed.

Stepping onboard the station, Bester is amused to find himself greeted by a team of armed guards. Meanwhile the command staff watch him suspiciously on a closed circuit TV and debate whether to drug him up, lock him up or give him a chance to explain. Privately, Sheridan manages to convince a reluctant Ivanova to be the first to meet him since her latent ability will allow her to detect a scan. She greets the Psi Cop in his cell with icy demeanor. Bester's idle needling about her hatred for the Corps brings her to flash point faster than he could have estimated, and earns him a resounding slap when he mentions her mother.

But it brings him to his point. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," he remarks. He has found out about the Shadows and their influence over President Clark and the Psi Corps, and he doesn't like it. They interfere with his plans for a future when humans are ruled by telepaths. He has come to Babylon 5 to find someone who hates Shadows as much as he, because he thinks he knows a way to damage them.

Sheridan and Delenn discuss G'Kar's demand. They both realize that bringing G'Kar into their circle means they must own up to the fact that they knew that he was right about the ancient enemy's return and let his world be conquered by this enemy and the Centauri rather than reveal their knowledge. Over Sheridan's objections the Minbari Ambassador insists that it is her responsibility to tell G'Kar the truth now since it was she who insisted that the secret be kept.

Bester tells the gathered officers that a ship bearing weapons components for the Shadows is en route to the Rim and needs to be seized. He explains that he can pinpoint the ship's location in hyperspace by homing in on the thought waves of the occupants.

"Try not to drool on the controls," Sheridan mutters as Bester admires the White Star's bridge. The instant the Captain leaves his seat, Bester hops on, only to be booted out an instant later and ignored by Lennier when he tries to give an order.

Her head bowed, Delenn admits to the Grey Council's knowledge of the Shadows and their alliance with the Centauri. If they had spoken out, she explains, the Shadows would have acted openly and would have annihilated the Narns rather than simply allowing the Centauri to seize their homeworld. Instead of millions dying, billions would have died -- whole planets, she gasps, horrified.

"If I had learned this as my world was being bombed by the Centauri, I would have killed you instantly," G'Kar hisses. "You understand that, do you not?" Then he repeats the line from his Vorlon-inspired vision, "'Some must be sacrificed if all are to be saved.'...Now I understand that is as much about how we got here, as where we are going. I think that one sentence is the greatest burden I have ever known." He admits that if it were not for the Grey Council's inaction, his people would be a dead race.

As tears slide down her face Delenn says, "You have come a long way, G'Kar. Further than I could have guessed," and she welcomes him into the War Council, only hoping that he can forgive her someday.

"Perhaps, but not today," he utters.

The White Star knocks out the last of the Shadow fighters protecting the transport and grabs it as an enormous Shadow ship looms out of hyperspace. Lennier announces its presence, but the ship breaks off, and Bester has a strange look on his face.

The transport is carrying a cargo of human telepaths in cryogenic suspension. The pilots are an unknown alien species who have committed suicide rather than be captured. When Sheridan demands to know why Bester didn't tell them about the cargo, Bester admits that he knew Babylon 5 probably wouldn't expend any effort to save telepaths.

When Franklin unfreezes one, he notices that she seems to have cyberweb implants. He takes her ID bracelet to Bester, who condescendingly begins to explain that she is a "blip" who refused to join the Psi Corps. Suddenly his face grows numb. He must see her immediately.

She has other plans, however. By the time Garibaldi, Franklin and Bester arrive at medlab, she has wrapped herself into an intricate cocoon of wiring and is interfacing with the station electronics. She wants to be free of the pain she's in, but the commands in her head which tell her to attack the Psi Corps, are too powerful. As the doctor knocks her out, she asks Bester, "Al, what have they done to me?" and sends him images of her ordeal: alien brain surgery and Shadow vessels.

She knows him because she is the love of Bester's life, and carrying their child. The Shadows were intending to plug these telepaths into their newborn ships. If Bester hated the Shadows before, now he wants to destroy them. For saving her life, he pledges his support to B5's war before leaving the station.

The recent events have reminded Garibaldi of something. Turning to the Book of G'Quan, he finds it, and calls an immediate meeting of the War Council in their new command center. It appears that all of the Narn telepaths were killed by the Shadows a thousand years ago, because the Shadows using the planet as a base in their last war feared them. The Council members instantly realize that this might be why the Shadow ship didn't attack the White Star with Bester aboard, because maybe telepaths constitute a threat, and are therefore perhaps a weapon against the Shadows. It's just in time, Ivanova reports, because the Shadows have just begun attacking Rim worlds openly.

Sic Transit Vir

Overview

Londo introduces Vir to a surprising new acquaintance. A heavy influx of Narns to the station raises suspicions. Carmen Thomas as Lyndisty. 
P5 Rating: 7.53

Production number: 313
Original air week: April 15, 1996
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jesus Trevino

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Sic Transit Vir

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Although the staff of Command and Control have survived attacks by raiders, saboteurs, Centauri and their own fleet, they are staggered by the sight of their very own Commander Ivanova-in the flesh, and nothing else. She, however, is the soul of decorum, at least until she looks down. Her horrified scream wakes her bolt upright. "God I hate dreams like that!"

Vir is enjoying a little dream of his own, stroking the imperial trappings as he waits in the throne room for a meeting with a royal councilor. The minister congratulates him on his excellent reports from Minbar, while chiding him for relying on Ambassador Molari's misleading advice in creating them. He then shares a delightful little joke. "What's more dangerous than a locked room full of angry Narns? One angry Narn with a key!" Vir hurries back to his quarters where he steps into a room full of angry Narns.

Susan shares some of her nightmares with the Captain at breakfast, stopping short of describing this morning's. He suggests that her subconscious is lagging behind her intellect in coming to terms with the whopping changes in her status and prospects. But not to worry, it will all pass. Besides, it could be worse, she could be dreaming she was showing up to work naked, he teases her innocently.

Alone in his rooms, Londo is planning a vicious sneak attack. He lashes out again and again, but alas, too short, too slow. Finally, the kitchenette in disarray, he vanquishes his insect tormentor, and lofts its wrecked little body high in the air on the end of a noble ceremonial sword. Before his instant of triumph dissolves into dismay at the realization that one bug indicates more, he is interrupted by the arrival of a ravishing young Centauri lady.

Sheridan flirts with Delenn in the corridor, inviting her to dinner that night in the lull before another crisis flattens them all.

Londo barely manages to keep his puckishness in check as he greets Vir with casual inquiries about the court. Then he launches the surprise. The lovely damsel is Vir's arranged bride, Lyndisty. Vir isn't sure what to make of it. The whole arranged-marriage business is as daunting as her stunning figure. She however seems certain that her destiny lies with him.

Zack apprises Ivanova of an increase in the number of Narns passing through the station with false documentation supplied by Vir. When questioned by her later, Vir stammers that it's for the Narns' own protection, that he's helping them by moving as many as he can to camps on Centauri Prime, where conditions are much better than on the wrecked Narn homeworld.

John's excuses are flying just as fast when he presents his attempt at flarn to Delenn. She forges though the meal stoically with subterfuge and salt. Just as she gamely fills her plate, John dashes off to respond to an emergency report of an assault in progress near Londo's quarters, where an angry Narn is on a shankar rampage after Vir and his wife.

Ivanova calls Vir in again to find out why a Narn has declared this blood oath against him, and to warn him of a second Narn out for vengeance on the station. Vir claims to be completely in the dark about that, among other things. Ivanova assures him that she is no one to be giving advice on matters of sexual intimacy but he insists that he knows no other women to ask. She uncomfortably counsels enthusiasm, to Vir's enlightenment.

It is advice that two others scarcely need as their passion for one another is quite overpowering. Susan only makes her day even more awkward by interrupting them in a clinch in John's room. But she must summon the Captain to Londo's quarters immediately. According to records from the Centauri government, Vir's refugees are all dead. Londo swells with pride for his protege until Vir bursts out with the truth that the Narn have all been saved, smuggled off Centauri Prime through Babylon 5 and other places, and the records falsified so no Centauri will come after them.

In a day full of surprises, it is his bride who gives Vir the greatest of them all when she presents him with the second Narn bound and gagged on his chamber floor and ready for him to dispatch. She giggles at his discomfort, explaining that when she lived on Narn after the war she grew used to killing them. He grows more aghast at her callous attitude.

Mollari declares that Vir's embassy on Minbar has been terminated, and all records of his actions have been expunged. But what truly cuts Vir to the quick is Mollari's disappointment in him personally, and the fact that Lyndisty is being sent back to Centauri Prime, where her family will reevaluate the planned union.

Sheridan becomes somewhat testy to find Ivanova using his office in C & C. But she claims to have found a purpose now, namely, using Vir's false authorization to continue the work of whisking a few Narn to safety.

Vir sees Lyndisty to her ship. Each thinks the other is sick, but believes such odd notions about the Narn will pass with time. Vir kisses Lyndisty goodbye, and they both vow to stay true to each other.

Signs and Portents

Overview

A sharp increase in raider activity has the station on the defensive. Londo obtains a priceless Centauri artifact. A mysterious stranger visits the station's alien ambassadors. Gerrit Graham as Lord Kiro. Fredi Olster as Lady Ladira. Ed Wasser as Morden.
(Originally titled "Raiding Party") 
Sub-genre: Action/intrigue
P5 rating: 9.01

Production number: 116
Original air date: May 18, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Signs and Portents

Ivanova, after awakening with difficulty from a sound sleep, reports to C&C just in time to find Sinclair listening to a distress call from a lone Starfury pilot who's being attacked by raiders not far from the station. Sinclair launches a wing of fighters to aid the pilot, but it's too late; the raiders overwhelm and destroy the Starfury.

A well-dressed man comes aboard the station on his own. When the customs officer comments that his identicard hasn't been updated in a while, the man replies that he's been out of touch, out exploring on the Rim. "Find anything interesting?" asks the officer. "Yes," replies the man with an enigmatic smile.

Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Sinclair meet. Ivanova reports that by the time the station's fighters got there, there was nothing left of the Starfury they were supposed to rescue. Garibaldi comments that the raiders have been hitting closer and closer to Babylon 5 lately, prompting Ivanova to wonder how they're getting in and out so quickly. The raider ships are much too small to make their own jump points, and the nearest jumpgate in this latest incident was hours away. Sinclair puts Delta Wing on alert and asks Garibaldi to go over the cargo manifests of ships due to arrive shortly in the hopes of identifying the raiders' next target.

After Ivanova leaves, Sinclair tells Garibaldi what he's discovered about the events during his 24 hours out of action at the Battle of the Line (cf. "And the Sky Full of Stars") and asks Garibaldi to help him find out more.

Londo, waiting at a bar table, is visited by a somewhat sleazy-looking man who hands him a black box. The box contains the Eye, "the oldest symbol of Centauri nobility, property of the first Emperor, lost over a hundred years ago at the Battle of Nashok." The Centauri government, says Londo, paid very generously for the Eye. "But I would very much like to know how you got your hands on this," Londo says. "No, you wouldn't," says the man, and leaves. Londo walks off with the Eye, unaware that he's being watched by someone at the bar -- the newcomer who'd been out exploring.

G'Kar and Londo find themselves waiting for the same transport tube. Londo mentions a famine on the southern frontier of the Narn homeworld; the conversation quickly degenerates into a barrage of insults and threats, causing both of them to miss the lift.

"So now it is all our fault, eh?"

Later, G'Kar is visited in his quarters by Morden, the man who arrived on the station earlier. Morden claims his visit was authorized by the correct officials in the Narn government. He has come to ask G'Kar a question: "What do you want?" Morden persists, asking the question again and again, until G'Kar nearly kicks him out of his quarters. Finally, as if sensing the intent of the question, G'Kar tells Morden that what he really wants is to decimate the Centauri -- "to completely, utterly erase them." "And then what?" asks Morden. G'Kar, taken aback, answers, "I don't know. As long as my homeworld's safety is guaranteed, I don't know that it matters." Morden thanks G'Kar and leaves; it appears that wasn't quite the answer he was looking for.

"What do you want?"

Meanwhile, Londo greets a Centauri noble, Lord Kiro, and Kiro's aunt, Lady Ladira, who is also the seer and prophetess of Kiro's house. Ladira looks rather ill, initially ascribing it to the rigors of space travel. But it's soon clear that Babylon 5 itself is causing her distress; she pushes herself into a corner and begins ranting. "Babylon will fall. This place will be destroyed! Fire... death... pain..." She faints.

Londo greets Kiro and Ladira.

Later, Kiro and Londo are with Ladira in Kiro's quarters. She's feeling better now, but the vision is still there: Babylon 5 will be destroyed. The ordeal has left her tired, and she excuses herself. As she leaves, Londo questions her accuracy. Kiro recalls with a derisive chuckle that when he was young, she predicted he would someday be killed by shadows.

He asks Londo if he can see the Eye, which originally belonged to his family, before he plays lowly messenger and brings it back to the Emperor. Londo agrees. As they leave Kiro's quarters, they're followed by a shady character, who reports into a small device: "Six to one. Have located target. Commencing surveillance."

Morden visits Delenn in her quarters and asks her the same question he asked G'Kar. With her back to Morden, she questions the purpose of his visit. In midsentence, she stops as if she suddenly feels faint. Her hand shoots to her forehead, covering it, and then away, to reveal a hollow silver triangle glowing in her skin. (cf. "And the Sky Full of Stars")

Morden visits Delenn.

She covers her forehead again and spins around to face Morden. He becomes darker and darker until he appears nothing more than a silhouette -- a shadow. Delenn demands that he leave immediately; he does so, apparently unaware that she sensed anything odd about him. After he's gone, Delenn's triangle fades away as she looks on, shocked. "They're here," she says, a hint of fear in her voice.

"They're here."

Kiro and Londo look at the Eye in Londo's quarters. Kiro paces and speaks of conditions back home. The people grow unhappy, disillusioned with the government; the Emperor has not been seen in public for over a year. Finally, he comes out with what's on his mind: why should he give the Eye back to the Emperor when his family is its rightful owner? Londo calms him down, reminding him that he could try to use the Eye to usurp the Emperor's power, but he would quickly be dead. "These are not the good old days," Londo says wistfully. "Yes," answers Kiro, "more's the pity." Kiro leaves the Eye in Londo's care, wondering out loud where everything went wrong for the Centauri.

Kiro examines the Eye.

Ladira, asleep, dreams of her vision, or the sounds of it. Voices shouting: "Evacuate!" "They're heading for the docking bay!" "Hit 'em with everything we've got!" "Destruct! Destruct!" Then the sound of an explosion. She awakens.

In space, the freighter Achilles is enroute to a jumpgate when its scanners pick up raider ships approaching. They call for help; Sinclair, in C&C, orders Delta Wing to launch. Ivanova, the wing commander, heads for the station's jumpgate at top speed.

Six, the man who watched Londo and Kiro earlier reports in again. "They've taken the bait. You keep them busy. We'll take care of Babylon 5 from this end."

Kosh returns to the station in his ship. As he disembarks and walks down the hall, Morden ducks behind a corner to avoid being seen.

Delta Wing arrives through the jumpgate nearest the Achilles. Ivanova orders two ships to stay behind at the gate in case the raiders try to flee through it; the rest follow her at maximum burn toward the Achilles.

Kiro calls Londo and says he's ready to leave with the Eye. Londo assures him that the Centauri military will have ships to ready protect Kiro every step of the way once he enters Babylon 5's gate. Londo gathers up the Eye and leaves his quarters.

As he reaches the transport tube, he's intercepted by Morden, who asks his usual question and claims he's not allowed to leave until he gets an answer. Londo is irritated and says he just wants to be left alone. "Is that it, Ambassador?" asks Morden. "Is that all you want?"

Irritated, Londo answers that no, that's not all he wants. He wants the Centauri Republic to stretch forth across the galaxy, to regain its days of glory. "I want to stop running around like a man late for an appointment, afraid to look forward or look back ... I want it all back, the way that it was." He calms down. "Does that answer your question?"

"Yes," Morden says to himself after Londo leaves. "Yes, it does."

"Do you really want to know what I want?"

Sinclair, troubled that the latest raider attack is taking place much farther from the station than other recent raids, asks for a cargo manifest for the Achilles.

Six and an accomplice intercept Londo, Kiro, and Ladira as they head for Kiro's ship. He has his accomplice take the Eye ahead, while he takes the three Centauri hostage and orders them to continue to the ship.

Taken hostage.

Sinclair learns that the Achilles is carrying farming equipment, hardly valuable enough to be worth raiding. Deducing that it may be a diversion, he orders Ivanova to return to base. He checks the list of arriving and departing ships and notices that Kiro's personal liner is scheduled to leave shortly. He heads for the docking bay.

Sinclair arrives in the bay just as Six and his hostages do. Kiro tries to fight Six off, but ends up with his arm twisted behind his back and a gun to his head. Six warns Sinclair against trying to stop him from leaving, threatening to burn a hole through the station's hull. Sinclair stands aside and says Six is free to go.

Once Six and Kiro have left, Sinclair tells Garibaldi to stand by with Alpha Wing and disable the liner as soon as it leaves the station. Londo escorts Ladira out of the docking bay. She is preoccupied. "The shadows are coming for him."

As Garibaldi and the rest of Alpha Wing chase after the liner, a jump point forms near the station. A carrier flies through and releases a swarm of raider ships. "So that's how they're doing it," says Sinclair. "A ship that big would have to be capable of solo jumps."

The raider ships occupy Garibaldi's attention as the situation develops into a full-blown firefight. While he and his men (with the help of the station's defensive grid) fight the raiders, the Centauri liner enters a small docking bay in the raider mothership and is sealed inside.

The battle is joined.

Meanwhile, amid sirens and a mob of people heading for safer parts of the station, Londo finds Ladira standing in the middle of a corridor. He tries to get her to leave, but she is paying more attention to her vision. "Fire. Death and destruction. The shadows have come for Lord Kiro. The shadows have come for us all!"

Elsewhere on the station, Morden hurries down an empty corridor as if late for an appointment. Kosh emerges from a doorway, blocking Morden's path. "Leave this place," Kosh says. "They are not for you. Go. Leave. Now." Morden doesn't appear ready to obey.

"Go. Leave. Now."

The battle grows more intense. Sinclair tells Garibaldi to drive the raiders toward the back of the station, and tells one of the C&C techs to recalibrate the defense grid accordingly. As the raiders are driven back, Ivanova and her team emerge from the jumpgate. "Surprise."

Chasing down the raiders.

Between Ivanova, the station's guns, and Garibaldi at their tails, the raiders don't last long. Unfortunately, the mothership creates a jump point while its fighters are keeping everyone busy. Ivanova tries to follow it into hyperspace, but Sinclair orders her not to. The raider mothership gets away.

Garibaldi tells Sinclair that the station sustained minor damage, with a few injuries. Ambassador Kosh has asked for tools to repair his encounter suit, but won't say what happened to it. The station lost two ships in the battle; one pilot managed to eject in time. Garibaldi speculates that they've hurt the raiders badly enough that they won't be back for a long time, if ever -- the mothership, after all, is just a big target without its fighters.

Ladira and Londo come into Sinclair's office. Sinclair demands to know what was on the ship that was so valuable, and why it wasn't on the manifest. Ladira has another vision, this time of the raider mothership emerging from a jump point elsewhere in space.

"My time is your time."

Inside the ship, Six has his men grab Kiro from behind. He laughs at Kiro's objection that the two of them had a deal; the raiders intend to ransom the Eye to the Centauri, and then ransom Kiro as well.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a huge alien ship, black with spines and dark blue mottling, appears just next to the raider mothership. Without warning or provocation, it slices into the mothership with an intense beam weapon, cutting the raider ship to ribbons within seconds.

The mystery ship.

Later, Londo and Ladira say farewell. Londo is despondent; he feels he will be held responsible for the loss of the Eye. "It would seem my career is finished," he says. When Ladira offers to help, he replies, "I'm afraid I'm beyond anything short of a miracle." She leaves.

Seconds after, Londo's door chimes. It's Morden, and he's carrying a charred box. "A gift," he says, "from friends you don't know you have." Londo opens the box. It's the Eye. He turns to thank Morden, but the man seems to have vanished. "Let me buy you a drink!" shouts Londo. "Let me buy you a whole fleet of drinks! How can I ever find you to thank you?"

"We will find you, Ambassador," a disembodied voice answers. "We will find you."

"A gift, from friends you don't know you have."

In the lavatory, Garibaldi and Sinclair talk about the successful resolution of the situation. On the way out, Garibaldi says he did some checking and found that Sinclair wasn't first on the list to run Babylon 5. In fact, he was very far down the list. The Minbari, it seems, made their support of the station contingent on being able to approve the commander, and rejected everyone right down the line until Sinclair. "They wanted you, Jeff."

Sinclair meets Ladira in a departure lounge. When she tells him of her vision, he replies that it didn't happen; the station came through the attack just fine. Ladira replies that the station is safe for now -- but the vision is still there. She offers to let him see her vision, not an easy thing, but possible. He agrees. He sees Babylon 5 from space. A shuttle flies from the docking bay as the station erupts in explosions, the hull rupturing as Babylon 5 is eaten from the inside by a firestorm. Finally it detonates, blown into thousands of fiery fragments.

Sinclair is hoarse. "This... is it a vision of what will be, or what might be?"

"The future is always changing. We create the future, with our words, with our deeds, and with our beliefs. This is a possible future, Commander. And it is my hope that you may yet avoid it."

Ladira bows and leaves Sinclair to ponder what he's just seen.

Synopsis by Steven Grimm

Sleeping in Light

Overview

In Sheridan's final days, old friends gather to celebrate. Takes place in 2281, approximately twenty years after the end of the rest of the series. 
P5 Rating: 9.34

Production number: 523 (see Notes)
Original air date: November 25, 1998 (US)
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by J. Michael Straczynski

Nominated for 1999 Hugo Award for best dramatic presentation.

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Sleeping in Light

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)

Garibaldi: "The Interstellar Alliance, based on the homeworld of the Minbari Federation, was founded in the Earth year 2261, shortly after the end of the Shadow War, twenty years ago. Twenty years of history. Those of us who have survived have seen it all. And those of us who understand, have been waiting, and dreading, the arrival of this day..."

Sheridan is dreaming: he dreams about Lorien reviving him on Z'ha'dum ("Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?"); and Lorien explaining that he will live for at most twenty years after his fall in Z'ha'dum ("Falling Toward Apotheosis"). He wakes with a start, and begins to get up. Delenn wakes up and asks him where he is going, and he replies he only wants to get some air.

He dresses in the robes of Ranger One, and walks to a balcony, to await the comng of the day. Delenn joins him; she didn't go back to sleep, and wanted to see what Sheridan was up to. They sit together, and Sheridan explains he wanted to see the sun come up; he has never done it since he got to Minbar, and wants to carry the picture of it in his head.

"You had the dream again," says Delenn, more observation than question. It is the third night in a row, and both of them know what it means. It's been twenty years since Sheridan died on Z'ha'dum, and he is almost out of time. "Do you want me to send the messages?" Delenn asks. "Yes. Send them," he replies. The sun starts coming up, and they both watch the sunrise, embracing in silence.

On Earth, General Susan Ivanova's secretary is letting her know her schedule: nothing important, really... Ivanova is clearly tired of the whole thing. "I feel like an old war horse," she says, "trotted out after a parade so all the kids can point at it."

Suddenly, a Ranger bursts into the office. A security guard is thrown to the floor, and the captain of the guard follows apologizing for the intrusion. The Ranger insisted, but the captain didn't think it appropriate (even though Ivanova had given orders that any Ranger was to be shown in immediately). "I have a message", the Ranger says simply as way of explanation. "Who from?" asks Ivanova, and he replies: "I think you know." He hands her the message. She reads it silently, and then orders a shuttle readied so she can go to Minbar. She'll leave within the next fifteen minutes.

In Centauri Prime, a Ranger is escorted into Emperor Vir Cotto's bedroom, where he is "entertaining" two ladies. Vir's mood sobers when he sees the Ranger, and takes the message. He orders all his appointments cancelled for the next few days. He doesn't need to read the note; he already knows what it says.

On Mars, Garibaldi reads a newspaper, when Stephen Franklin comes in with Garibaldi's daughter. They've just been playing tennis. Garibaldi is still married to Lise and running Edgars Industries. Lise is out shopping, and Garibaldi promises his daughter he'll come out to play her soon. She leaves, and Garibaldi asks Franklin when he is due back on Earth. By tomorrow, says Franklin; as head of Xeno-Biological research, he has a lot of work that needs to be done.

Garibaldi's daughter silently escorts a Ranger in. The Ranger gives Garibaldi a card, which he opens and reads. "Is that what I think it is?" asks Franklin. "Yeah," Garibaldi replies, "Sheridan's dying. He wants us to come to Minbar for one last get-together before... well, before." Franklin's office can wait; he'll book a flight out. Should he book one for Garibaldi as well, he asks? "John and I may have had our differences in the past," Garibaldi says, "but he is a good man, and he is my friend." He is indeed going.

In Tuzanor, on Minbar, Sheridan again watches the sunrise.

Later, Franklin is checking Sheridan over. He never really understood what Lorien did, or how he kept Sheridan alive. He can't really tell much, but his best guess is that Sheridan has 4 or 5 days left, a week at most. Delenn comes in as Franklin heads out. But Sheridan doesn't want to talk about it: he wants laughts, a celebration, not a wake.

At dinner, Garibaldi is telling a story involving a Pak'ma'ra, a dead cat, and a data crystal; Franklin, Delenn, and Sheridan are laughing, while Vir listens intently. Ivanova sits silently, absorbed in her own thoughts.

When the story is over, Vir recalls another incident. Once, on Babylon 5, he and Londo happened to hear a group of Pak'ma'ra singing; a very rare occassion, done for religious reasons but a couple of times a year. It was, Vir says, the most beautiful sound he had ever heard, full of sadness, and hope, wonder, and a terrible sense of loss. Even Londo was moved, a year running down his face at the sound. "When it was over," Vir continues, "Londo turned to me and said 'There are forty-nine gods in our pantheon, Vir; to tell you the truth I never believed in any of them. But if only one of them exists, then God sings with that voice.' It's funny. After everything we have been through, all he did... I miss him."

Sheridan proposes a toast: "To absent friends, in memory still bright."

They raise their glasses. Garibaldi: "G'Kar."

Vir: "Londo."

Delenn: "Lennier."

Franklin: "Ma..." but Ivanova interrupts: "Marcus."

Later that night, Vir is fast asleep on the balcony, as Franklin, Sheridan, and Garibaldi talk. Ivanova looks at them, still silent, and moves away. Delenn follows her, and asks if she is all right. But Ivanova claims she is. Ivanova asks Delenn how she handles it; Delenn has had twenty years to prepare. As much as anybody can be ready, she is ready. "But I'm going to miss him terribly, Susan."

"So will I," Ivanova says. "I've buried so many friends, Delenn. I'm beginning to resent it, and I don't want to. It seems like, some days, there's no one left to play with. There's no joy any more."

Ivanova tries to change the subject, asks where David is. Sheridan and Delenn's son is away on a Ranger training mission, and they made it clear when he joined that he would not receive special treatment. Besides, Sheridan wanted to see his old friends, and wants David to remember his father the way he was.

There is something else Delenn wants to talk with Ivanova about. When Sheridan refused to accept re-election as the President of the Interstellar Alliance two years ago, Delenn was elected. Unable to devote her attention to the Rangers, she passed the mantle of Ranger One to Sheridan. When he leaves, she will have to choose a new leader for the Rangers, and she would like a human to maintain the sense of balance she and Sheridan have achieved. In fact, she would like Ivanova to take the job. Delenn knows Ivanova is not happy with her responsibilities at home, and here there will be no politics or bureaucracy in her way. She can create something new, answering only to Delenn. Ivanova thanks Delenn for the offer, but she'll have to think about it for a while. She thanks Delenn for everything, and goes off to bed.

Sheridan joins Delenn, who tells him the others are putting Vir to bed. They head to bed themselves, but Sheridan is not sleepy. Tomorrow, he says, is Sunday. As a kid, his father used to take them out for a drive every Sunday. And he is going to go for a drive tomorrow. He'll go early, before the others are up. They've had their time together, said what they wanted to say. And Sheridan wants to feel space again, for he belongs in space.

Besides, he adds, the Alliance, Sheridan and Delenn... it has all become half legend, half mythology. If it ends on Minbar, prosaically... But if it ends in space, he can add to the mythology, make it easier for Delenn to hang on to everyone after he's gone. There will be more legend to remember.

In the morning, Sheridan dresses in his old Army of Light uniform, and prepares to leave before sunrise. Delenn, dressed up in white, greets him in the corridor. After all, it's Sunday, and one dresses up on Sundays. It's a perfect day for a drive. But if he really wants to go, he must leave now; the others will awake soon.

"Good night, my love," Sheridan tells her as they embrace for the last time, "the brightest star in my sky." "Good night," answers Delenn, a tear running down her cheek. "You were my sky, and my sun, and my moon." Tears in his eyes, Sheridan lets go, and slowly leaves, not looking back.

Sheridan makes his way to Babylon 5 on a ship by himself. The place seems empty, a single bored guard at the entrance. The commander rushes in, apologizing for being elsewhere, unaware Sheridan was coming. "I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by," says Sheridan, and asks where everyone is.

Well, the commander explains, nobody really goes there anyomore. The station has been superseded by the Alliance, has become redundant. Only the shutdown crew and a few others are still on board. Babylon 5 was returned to Earth a few years ago, but budgetary concerns will force it to close; they are getting ready to shut it down, and they'll have to scuttle her then, to prevent the station from becoming a hazard to navigation.

"Looks like we are still tied together," Sheridan tells the station, "even now." He goes for a quick look around, showing signs of fatigue. In an empty Zocalo, he finds Zack Allan, back in EarthForce security uniform, and limping.

Zack went back to Earth for a while, but got bored and came back; which explains why Sheridan's message didn't find him on Earth. Zack wanted to be on the station till they turned the lights off. He asks if Sheridan is staying for the decommissioning ceremony, but Sheridan simply says he can't stay, not even to grab a quick bite with Zack; he doesn't have time.

"I just wanted to come and have one last look around," Sheridan explains. He is on his way to the Coriana system, where they won the Shadow War ("Into the Fire").

Sheridan arrives at Corianna six, his life running out. Delenn, alone in bed back on Minbar, starts crying, as his ship floats, hanging in space. Sheridan turns all the systems off, and looks at the stars as he starts to fade out.

A bright light brings him back to consciousness, as Lorien's voice rings our, asking the questions that defined the sides in the Shadow War:

"Who are you? What do you want? Why are you here?"

And suddenly, Lorien is besides him, and continues: "Where are you going?"

Did you think we had forgotten you?" he adds with a faint smile. "We have been waiting for you." "Beyond the rim," Sheridan finishes for him, and Lorien nods.

"Can I come back?" Sheridan asks. "No," replies Lorien. "This journey is ended. Another begins. Time to rest now." Sheridan smiles, and light engulfes the inside of the ship. "Well, look at that," Sheridan says, looking into the light. "The sun's coming up." The light fades out, leaving the ship dark.

Ivanova: "An expedition to Coriana space found Sheridan's ship a few days later, but they never found him. All the airlocks were sealed, but there was no trace of him inside. Some of the Minbari believe he'll come back some day, but I never saw him again in my lifetime."

Ivanova joins Vir, Zack, Garibaldi, Delenn, and Franklin at the decommissioning ceremony of Babylon 5. They leave the station in a shuttle, passing between two rows of ships from all the races. The lights in the station are turned off, and it stops spinning. As the ships depart, the station is blown up, level by level, section by section.

"Babylon 5 was the last of the Babylon stations. There would never be another. It changed the future, and it changed us. It taught us that we had to create the future, or others will do it for us.

Garibaldi returns to his wife and family on Mars.

"It showed us that we have to care for each other, because if we don't, who will?

Franklin returns to his job on Earth, helping heal both aliens and humans.

"And that strength sometimes comes from the most unlikely of places.

Zack goes to Centauri Prime and works for Emperor Vir Cotto.

"Mostly, though, I think it gave us hope that there can always be new beginnings, even for people like us.

Ivanova accepts the position of leader of the Rangers.

"As for Delenn, every morning for as long as she lived, Delenn got up before dawn and watched the sun come up..."

Soul Hunter

Overview

Delenn is in danger when a soul hunter, an alien who captures the souls of the dying, arrives at the station. W. Morgan Sheppard as Soul Hunter #1. John Snyder as Soul Hunter #2. 
Sub-genre: Suspense
P5 Rating: 7.05

Production number: 102
Original air date: February 2, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jim Johnston

Watch For

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Matthew Ryan mattryan@pobox.com

Soul Hunter

Sinclair is waiting at a docking bay for the arrival of Dr. Stephen Franklin, the new medical chief of staff--and evidently an old friend of Sinclair. Right after the new doctor arrives, Sinclair gets a message from the bridge that there's a disturbance at the jump gate.

On the bridge, Sinclair finds out that a very damaged ship has come spinning out of the jump gate. The ship is out of control and is on a collision course with the station. The ship cannot be identified--its configuration doesn't match anything they've seen before. Sinclair decides to go outside the station and try to grapple the unknown ship with a ship of his own in order to prevent the ship from crashing into Babylon 5. He gives the order to destroy the unknown ship only if he fails to stop it. After a number of failed attempts, he is successful in grappling the ship and preventing it from hitting the station.

Matching rotation with the alien ship.

As Sinclair is on his way to the Medical Lab to check with the injured pilot of the unknown ship, Delenn meets up with him and offers her help in identifying the unknown pilot. When they arrive, they find that Dr. Franklin is unsure of the condition of the alien pilot, simply because he knows too little about the unknown alien's physiology. Upon seeing the patient, however, Delenn immediately recognizes him and has a surprising reaction: she attempts to kill him. Sinclair stops this attempt only with difficulty. Delenn warns Sinclair to kill the patient immediately, because the patient is a "Soul Hunter" who steals people's souls. She warns Sinclair to get rid of the patient, "before someone dies!"

Later, Delenn apologizes to Sinclair for her actions in the Medical Lab. Sinclair comments on her unusual behavior; he has never before seen such a violent reaction from Delenn. "You don't know these things as I do," replies Delenn, who explains that all Minbari are taught to be afraid of the soul hunters. Soul hunters, she explains, are immortal beings who are drawn toward death and who steal people's souls at the moment of death. They don't steal every soul, only ones which they deem to be worthy enough. Delenn also explains that the soul hunters have previously shown an interest in "certain classes of Minbari." She again warns Sinclair to send the soul hunter away.

Meanwhile, in the alien sector of Babylon 5, a gambler is running a seemingly-innocuous, familiar game where he hides a ball under one of three cups and has a player choose which cup they think the ball is under. In the Med Lab, the voice of this gambler is echoed and heard in the mind of the soul hunter, who awakes suddenly.

Garibaldi, in the meantime, warns Sinclair that many people in the alien sector seem to be "hiding"--that the alien sector is basically deserted. Ships which were not scheduled to leave for months are suddenly requesting departure. It seems that the aliens are afraid of the soul hunter.

The voice of the gambler continues to echo in the mind of the soul hunter. The gambler meanwhile has won a game, but is violently confronted by the loser, who proves that the gambler was cheating. The loser starts to chase the gambler, while the gambler runs away.

Fleeing the scene.

When Dr. Franklin next walks into the Med Lab, he is surprised to find that his patient is awake and standing. "I have been to your world," says the newly-awoken soul hunter. "Can you feel it?" he asks, but Dr. Franklin just gives him a perplexed look. Meanwhile, the gamble is still running away from his pursuer. "It comes," says the soul hunter. Meanwhile, in the alien sector, the gambler's pursuer finally catches up with him and stabs him. "It comes!" repeats the soul hunter.

The gambler is brought to the Med Lab, where it becomes nearly certain that the soul hunter realizes that the gambler's dying. As the gambler finally dies, the soul hunter says, in a contemplative voice, "Quick flash. The deep blue of pain. Dull, muffled. Slower, now. Closer, now. Gone, now! Gone! If you could only see."

Sinclair comes to visit the soul hunter in the Med Lab, where the soul hunter is chanting to himself and is refusing to speak with Sinclair, who wants to know how the soul hunter knew that the gambler was dying. Trying to get his attention, Sinclair confronts him: "Did you come here for his soul? Oh, we've heard, if you're wondering." Sinclair expresses his disbelief that the idea of "soul hunting," and, further trying to pique the soul hunter's attention, accuses him of being a thief--a stealer of souls.

"We are not thieves," replies the soul hunter. "We are preservers. We act only for the greater good."

"The Minbari don't seem to think so," contests Sinclair.

"The Minbari: pale; bloodless; look into their eyes and see nothing but mirrors; infinities of reflection. Will not let us help them." The soul hunter then explains that his kind are drawn toward death--toward the moment of death--in order to save and preserve certain souls. Not every soul; only outstanding ones-- those of "leaders, thinkers, poets, dreamers, blessed lunatics." Sinclair asks what the soul hunters actually =do= with the souls once they have them. The soul hunter replies that they talk, listen, and learn from them. Dr. Franklin, who has been standing by Sinclair, comments to Sinclair that what the soul hunter is saying is truly impossible--that, with enough technology, a person's thoughts could be saved, but that the idea of taking someone's "soul" is not possible.

Sinclair, meanwhile, still wants to know what is precisely going on between the soul hunter and the Minbari. The soul hunter explains that years ago, when one of the great Minbari leaders was dying, the Minbari made a "wall of bodies" to stop him--they defended their leader's soul at all costs. The leader, according to the soul hunter, therefore died a wasted death--a death due to which his thoughts and dreams were forever lost. Sinclair, ending the discussion, responds that he still doesn't believe that the soul hunter can do what he says he can do. However, because the aliens on the station seem to fear the soul hunter (and because Sinclair says that he has no reason to doubt the judgment of the aliens), Sinclair orders the soul hunter off the station as soon as the soul hunter has recuperated from his injuries.

On the bridge, Ivanova is meanwhile conducting the gambler's funeral from the bridge. The body is launched out to space while Ivanova says, "From the stars we came, and to the stars we return ..." Dr. Franklin contemplates the shortness of life--that, as soon as humans have nearly figured out life, they die. Ivanova dryly comments that, even if humans lived 200 years, they would still make the same human mistakes. "I'm a Russian; we know these things," she adds.

Delenn is meanwhile visiting with the soul hunter in the Med Lab. She confronts him, saying that soul hunters never travel without their collection of souls and asking him where his is. "My children are safe," he replies. Delenn vows that, before the soul hunter leaves the station, she will find and release the souls in his collection--to free them once are for all. The soul hunter dismisses this vow, commenting that by "freeing" the souls, she is actually killing them. Delenn expresses her belief that, if the souls of the Minbari leaders and thinkers are "stolen" from them, the Minbari are diminished with each generation because the stolen souls cannot rejoin the Minbari and be reborn. The soul hunter dismisses this as superstitious nonsense, saying that the soul dies at death (unless, of course, a soul hunter saves them). "We will help you, in spite of yourselves," he promises. Suddenly, he recognizes Delenn: she was among the group of Minbari that stopped him from "rescuing" the soul of the great Minbari leader that he discussed with Sinclair before. "That was where it began to go wrong," he says, mostly to himself. The lost souls. ... one after another. I failed because you stopped me! A pattern began." Suddenly, changing the tone of his voice, he adds, "They called you Satai Delenn of the Grey Council. Curious, curious." He goes on to ask her why a great leader of the Minbari would be "playing ambassador" here. Somewhat taken aback, Delenn leaves the room quickly.

Right after Delenn leaves, the soul hunter feigns injury and falls to the floor. The guard who was stationed outside the Med Lab rushes in, only to be knocked unconscious by the soul hunter. The soul hunter escapes, gun in hand. He arrives at his ship, where he begins to talk with his collection of souls. He tells them that he finally knows why he was drawn to Babylon 5.

Shortly after, Garibaldi tells Sinclair that he scanned the soul hunter's ship. The soul hunter is no longer aboard; further, Garibaldi says that there's a cabinet of some sort on the ship--but it's empty, meaning that whatever was in there, the soul hunter now has with him. However, Garibaldi can't understand what the soul hunter could possibly be up to, because Garibaldi has guards all around and because the soul hunter couldn't possibly get back to his ship or (even if he did) pilot the ship away from the station. Ivanova suggests that if the soul hunters are drawn to death, the way to catch this soul hunter would be simply to figure out who's about to die.

The soul hunter has meanwhile entered the alien sector and has bought a map of the that section of B5--a map that includes all of the secret corridors, hiding places, entrances, and exits.

Negotiating with a shady character.

Meanwhile, the bridge crew is made aware of another unsched- uled arrival through the jump gate. Another ship arrives, carrying another soul hunter. "Someone's about to die," he warns, and goes on to warn that more will die if he's not allowed to come aboard and speak with Sinclair.

The soul hunter on the station has meanwhile entered the ambassadorial wing and knocked out another of the guards.

As Sinclair is heading to a reception room to speak with the arriving soul hunter, Garibaldi warns him against meeting with him- -he mentions that the soul hunter's warning sounded very much like a threat. Sinclair thinks about this for a moment, and then decides that the tone of the arriving soul hunter was not aggres- sive, but nervous. Sinclair meets with the soul hunter, who describes how the soul hunter who has been on board the station is a deeply disturbed person and because of this, the station is in great danger--someone is about to die, but at the soul hunter's own hands.

Delenn is in her quarters, negotiating a trade route with some alien race through her communication screen, when her "doorbell" rings. "Come," she says; she doesn't even look around until she realizes that it's the soul hunter, who tells her that he has come to save her soul.

Meanwhile, the soul hunter who just arrived tells Sinclair why his "brother" is deeply disturbed: When he was ordered to save the soul of the Minbari leader (and others), he either arrived too late to save the souls or was prevented by others from his mission. His order was disgraced. Because of this, he had found the ultimate solution: to stop waiting for death--to take the lives himself. "Our order does not support this," claims the newly-arrived soul hunter. The soul hunter explained how he chased his "brother" and how it was they who had damaged his ship before it had come through the jump gate. They had almost caught him at his last stop, but he escaped. This time, however, there will be no escape--after he kills whomever he's about to kill (for they feel it's too late to stop him), they are determined to apprehend him. Sinclair doesn't accept this--he vows that there will be no death this time.

Meanwhile, the soul hunter explains to Delenn that her death will avenge his previous failures. "I give you a great gift--to life forever." He starts the process of killing her slowly and warns her not to resist, because it will trouble her soul if she does.

Sinclair, searching for Delenn, confronts the newly-arrived brother of the murderous soul hunter: "You're drawn to death," he says, indicating a map. "Show me!" The soul hunter complies.

The slow process of killing Delenn is continuing; her blood is being drained slowly. The soul hunter feels that the time is getting closer--close enough for a glimpse into her soul. He takes that glimpse, and after seeing what he sees, he shows great surprise. "You would plan such a thing? You would do such a thing? Incredible!"

Sinclair runs up to the ambassadorial wing, whence he goes to Delenn's quarters. As he's running up, the soul hunter tries to stop him. "Why do you fight for her," he asks Sinclair. He goes on to explain: "She's Satai. I have seen her soul. They are using you!" After a brief fight with the soul hunter, Sinclair runs over to Delenn. Right next to Delenn, there is a bag of some sort containing the soul hunter's "collection." Sinclair opens the bag and allows the souls to swarm about the soul hunter, presumably confronting him about what he's about to do to Delenn. Suddenly, the soul hunter's "soul-draining" machine begins to activate. He swirls it around on its platform and aims it at the soul hunter himself. The soul hunter's soul is captured into one of the little soul vessels like those the other souls occupied, amid cries of "No!" from the soul hunter. Sinclair kneels down next to Delenn.

Sinclair watches a soul globe.

Later, in the Med Lab, Sinclair finds that Delenn will be all right; Dr. Franklin explains that she has a remarkable constitution (and extrapolates that this was the reason that they did so well in the Earth-Minbari war--because they kept going despite severe injuries). "So, I hear you saw something," says Dr. Franklin to Sinclair.

"I'm not sure--I don't know if I'll ever be sure," replies Sinclair.

Dr. Franklin replies that that type of talk could get Sinclair sent on a "very long vacation." The doctor further goes on to say that he still doesn't believe that the soul hunter can do what he says he can do.

Meanwhile, Delenn, who has just awoken, sees Sinclair and smiles. "I knew you would come," she says. "We were right about you ..."

"Who was right?" asks Sinclair, but Delenn has already fallen back to sleep. Sinclair jokes with Dr. Franklin that he's almost completely sure that Delenn won't finish the sentence once she wakes up.

Later, in his quarters, Sinclair asks the computer to do a key-word search. He struggles to remember the word that the soul hunter used to refer to Delenn, and finally successfully remembers it. The computer tells him that the title "Satai" is used as an honorific applied to the members of the grey council. Sinclair expresses basically the same question that the soul hunter had asked: why a member of the ruling body was assigned to diplomatic service. The computer asks Sinclair if he wishes to make another enquiry. "No, it can wait. There's always time," he says.

Sinclair finds out that Delenn will certainly live. Mean- while, as Sinclair is escorting the soul hunters off the station, he warns them that they will no longer be allowed on Babylon 5. The soul hunter seems already to expect this--he admits that his kind are usually not welcome wherever they go. The soul hunter asks Sinclair what happened to his "brother"'s collection of souls. Sinclair harshly brushes this question off: "Life's full of mysteries. Consider this one of them!"

Delenn, in her quarters, is crushing the vessels that contained the souls in the soul hunter's collection, thereby freeing them. She studies each of them for a moment, listens intently to them, and finally destroys their containers, allowing them to fly about the room freely, eventually to fade into nothingness.

Shawn Bayern bayern@minerva.cis.yale.edu

Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this synopsis noncommercially as long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact. Babylon 5 is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright is intended by writing these synopses.

Soul Mates

Overview

Londo summons his three wives to Babylon 5. A mysterious man from Talia's past reappears. Jane Carr as Timov. Lois Nettleton as Daggair. Blair Valk as Mariel. Keith Szarabajka as Matthew Stoner.
(Originally titled "Pestilence, Famine and Death.") 
Sub-genre: Comedy
P5 Rating: 7.68

Production number: 208
Original air date: December 14, 1994
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by Peter David
Directed by John C. Flinn, III

Watch For:

Backplot

Centauri culture is built largely on family stature, and virtually all of an individual's position and influence derive from the relative standing of the family. Links between families can be very important, and marriages are the primary way of forging these links. Marriages are almost always arranged by the families for the benefit of the families, regardless of the wishes (if any) of the Centauri being married. Londo's marriages are notoriously bad. Indeed, he calls his three wives Pestilence, Famine and Death, and it's been hinted that he took a post to Babylon 5, a post where he knew he'd be forced to concede defeat after defeat to the hated Narn, simply to escape the three of them.

The control Psi-Corps maintains over its members is quite pervasive, extending to all levels of their personal lives. In one respect they are similar to the Centauri -- they arrange marriages between their members. This, coupled with the fact that all persons showing any psi talent at all are pressed into the Corps or nullified, makes them a budding closed society. Most importantly, once in Psi-Corps you are theirs forever, and they can do anything with you they want.

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

Peter David speaks

jms speaks

Compiled by Steven Grimm and Dave Zimmerman

Soul Mates

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

Garibaldi finds Vir awaiting the arrival of Londo's three wives in the customs area. A female Centauri approaches the two, and introduces herself to Vir as Timov, one of Londo's wives. She tells him to take her to Londo, and they leave together. As they leave, in another portion of the arrivals area, Garibaldi witnesses an interchange between two people, who seem to be on the brink of fighting. At the height of the tension, one of them suddenly backs down and walks away.

Garibaldi reports the incident to Sheridan, saying that the man who didn't back away from the fight was named Stoner, and that he was little more than a typical freelance navigator and part-time trader. Sheridan asks what the problem is, but Garibaldi can't explain it, saying that he had a negative "gut feeling" about Stoner when he first saw him. Talia enters Sheridan's office, and remarks that Sheridan has settled nicely into his new position. Sheridan asks her to confirm some rumors they picked up from the PsiCorps net. Sheridan tells Garibaldi that they will talk about Stoner later, but Talia recognizes the name. They ask whether she knows him. "Only in the most unpleasant sense," she says. "I was married to him."

While Londo is in a bar celebrating with a large number of his friends, Vir tells Timov, waiting in Londo's quarters, that Londo will be there soon. Timov asks Vir what Londo is hiding, and why she had been called there. She asks Vir what Londo said about her to him when another of Londo's wives, Daggair, enters. Vir apologizes to Daggair for missing her arrival. Timov tells Vir that, if he knew Daggair as well as she did, he wouldn't miss her. The two of them continue squabbling.

Waiting for Londo.

Talia, at the Earth History Exhibition, examining some artifacts from Earth, is approached by Sheridan. He asks her why she was in such a hurry; she didn't say much before she left his office. She tells him that she wasn't in the mood to talk. Sheridan asks if she is now. She tells him that, as the station commander, it isn't his concern. He agrees with this, but says that he considers her a friend, or at least an ally, and will be there to talk if she so chooses.

Ivanova rings the bell at Delenn's quarters, and the chime is answered by the frustrated voice of Delenn from inside. She asks if Ivanova is alone, and admits her. Ivanova is surprised to see Delenn there, having considerable trouble with her hair. Delenn says that her transformation is supposed to be a bridging between the humans and the Minbari and that her transformation should be looked upon as a great honor, but comments that she cannot get her hair to do what she wants. Ivanova notices that Delenn's hair is brittle, and Delenn explains that she has been washing it with the same chemical compound all Minbari use to strip away the outermost layer of their skin once a day, to symbolize rebirth. Ivanova says she should try bathing instead, but Delenn only asks Ivanova to help. Ivanova protests, saying that she has duties to which she must attend, but eventually decides to assist Delenn. She calls to C&C telling them that she will be preoccupied for a while.

Bad hair day.

Talia tells Sheridan that, during a telepath's first year in the PsiCorps academy, they are assigned an advanced trainee to assist them, and that Matthew Stoner was hers. She liked him, and he helped her learn the difficult tasks that telepaths must perform. But, the PsiCorps learned that Talia and Stoner were genetically compatible and could produce children with equally good or better telepathic skills than their parents'. They were soon married, though only for a short time -- the marriage was annulled by PsiCorps soon after Stoner left PsiCorps. Sheridan asks how he managed to leave, but Talia doesn't know. "He had connections. He had... something. No one in authority wanted to talk about it."

G'Kar and Sheridan are walking together, and G'Kar asks if Sheridan has settled into his duties. Sheridan asks why everyone keeps asking him that, and G'Kar explains that, because strange things happened to Sinclair, Sheridan should be on his guard. G'Kar tells Sheridan that bizarre happenings give him headaches, and that he has had them many times recently, due to the strange events of recent weeks on Babylon 5. Londo appears, and seems to be quite cheerful indeed. He too asks Sheridan if he has settled in, and asks G'Kar how he is. Londo says that the day is "glorious" and he leaves, after commenting on G'Kar's health. G'Kar walks away, rubbing his head.

"I get these headaches."

Timov and Daggair are still in Londo's quarters with Vir, quarreling over Londo and their relative positions in Londo's life. Londo soon enters and greets the two wives. Timov asks where he was, and why she has been summoned to Babylon 5. Londo begins to explain, but stops when he doesn't see his third wife. Timov asks again why they have been called to the station, and Londo tells her that the following day is the thirtieth anniversary of his ascension date. Both wives had forgotten, but the Emperor hadn't, and, for the occasion, granted Londo any wish he desired. Londo tells Timov and Daggair that he asked for a divorce, but that the Emperor wanted him to keep one wife, so that he would look good at affairs of state. He tells them that, the next day, he will choose the one wife he wants to keep, leaving the others without the wealth and privileges that they had accrued during their marriage. The two wives begin to fight again when Londo's third wife, Mariel, arrives in the quarters.

Stoner consults with a merchant about various objects in his possession. The merchant claims that most of Stoner's objects have little value, but one in particular, a strange Centauri carving, is interesting to him. Garibaldi appears and asks Stoner where he obtained that statuette. Though Stoner provides ample documentation to support his claim that he found it on an archeological dig, Garibaldi escorts Stoner away, to talk in private.

Garibaldi harasses Stoner.

Meanwhile, Lennier arrives in Delenn's quarters to find Delenn's hair in curlers, with Ivanova standing nearby. The sight puzzles Lennier, but he tells Delenn that they were invited to the party celebrating Londo's anniversary. Delenn tells him to accept. As he leaves, he asks Delenn if the curlers hurt her, but she tells him they do not. Wondering about what she is doing, he leaves.

Garibaldi confronts Stoner in his office, asking him about his recent activities, wondering if, perhaps, he is running from something or someone. Stoner asks why Garibaldi is picking on him so much, and Garibaldi tells Stoner that he and Talia are friends. Stoner pretends that he didn't know she was there, and asks Garibaldi if she told Garibaldi about him. When Garibaldi says no, Stoner asks if Garibaldi wants to know any of Talia's most personal secrets. He persists until Garibaldi finally grabs him and orders him to be quiet. Stoner asks Garibaldi if he really wanted to talk to him, and after thinking for a moment, Garibaldi lets him go. Garibaldi tells Stoner that, if he harrasses Talia to any extent, Garibaldi will find some way to get back at him, and that he plans to keep an eye on Stoner. "Use both eyes," Stoner says as he leaves. "You'll need them."

Mariel approaches Sheridan telling him that she got separated from Londo while touring the station. She introduces herself, and is about to have him kiss her hand when Londo and his wives appear. Londo takes Sheridan aside while the three wives continue to fight amongst themselves. Londo warns Sheridan that Mariel is very much attracted to men of power, like a moth to a flame, but it is the men, and not her, that end up being burned.

Sheridan meets Londo's wives.

Talia is in the Eclipse Cafe, trying to decide what she wants to eat, when Stoner sits down next to her. She tries to move away, but he won't let her. He asks her if she has nothing to say to him, and she asks him why he came there. He tells her that he feels they had something together once, though she disagrees with that, saying that she doesn't want to be with him. He reminds her that she doesn't want to be involved in PsiCorps, but that, once you are in, you are in for life. She tells him that he is the one exception, and he explains to her that all anyone needs to do is lose their telepathic abilities. He tells her that anyone can do it, including her. He says he can arrange to have the same thing happen to her, and that, if she agrees, the two of them can be together. After Talia leaves, Garibaldi catches up to her by the elevator. He tries to explain to her that he talked to Stoner, but she doesn't want him to be involved. He claims that her safety is an important priority of his, but she wants him to forget about it.

Londo, in his quarters, answers his door when it chimes. Mariel is there, and she tells him that she thinks that she is the wife he should keep, because she loves him so much. Daggair appears and tells her that it is Londo's decision. Londo says that he would like all his wives to be present, but when Timov appears, she tells him that she doesn't want to be part of his "sexual olympics." He tells her that Daggair and Mariel were merely expressing their feelings for him, and Timov does the same by slapping him across the face. He tells her that she hasn't changed, and she says that he has -- he's devolved.

Garibaldi is in his quarters when Talia enters, to apologize for her behavior toward him earlier. He accepts her apology, and she tells him that she is planning to leave Babylon 5 with Stoner. Garibaldi asks why, and Talia explains that, while she and Matt were at the academy, the PsiCorps began performing experiments on telepaths to increase their abilities. Matt volunteered, but instead of having his powers enhanced, they were taken away. She tells her that he offered to do that for her, and she tells Garibaldi that she wants to have it done. Garibaldi tries to change her mind, but Talia is adamant. "I'm tired of being part of an organization that scares the hell out of me."

Talia apologizes.

As Mariel approaches the vendor Stoner was earlier negotiating with and purchases the strange Centauri statuette, Sheridan and Ivanova consult with each other about matters aboard the station. Ivanova tells Sheridan that Londo's party, celebrating his anniversary, is that evening, and that all attendees must be barefoot.

That evening, at a ceremony set in a large room with a large painting of Londo in the background, Londo goes over to G'Kar, whom Londo's wives notice is wearing a full uniform, including boots. They ask if he knows what an insult that is, and G'Kar claims that he does. Londo says he doesn't mind, and that "nothing is too good for my esteemed Narn colleague." After subtly tossing something to Mariel, G'Kar walks away with another headache.

"Nothing's too good for my dear friend G'Kar."

Elsewhere in the room, Delenn, now with her long hair straightened and curled, approaches Garibaldi. He says that she looks nice, but she tells him that he looks distressed, or soul sick, as the Minbari would say. "You know, it's funny. I met this woman, and I took to her immediately. Then, I met this guy who had hurt her, and instantly, I hated him."

"We Minbari believe, as do some humans," Delenn tells him, "that souls travel together. Some groups of souls are drawn onto the other in life to relive good relationships from the past, and, if possible, to make right the bad ones."

Garibaldi's attention is drawn away by Londo's voice; he is now opening the presents that the guests have brought. He graciously accepts Lennier's gift of a deck of cards, and opens another gift. Mariel says it is from her, but Daggair says that, in a way, it is from all three of his wives. He opens it, and finds the strange statuette inside. He admires it for a few seconds, but two small darts fire from its eyes and hit Londo in the head. He falls over in pain. Sheridan calls for an emergency medical team.

While Londo is in MedLab, unconcious, Dr. Franklin tells Sheridan that, because they don't have any Centauri blood that matches Londo's blood type, and synthesizing Centauri's blood has never been successfully done, creating an antitoxin will be very difficult. Mariel tries to tell the other wives, all of whom are at Londo's side, that she didn't know what the statue would do. Daggair tells her to be quiet, and she leaves. Daggair mentions to Timov that Londo has not made his divorce decree yet and, if he dies, they would be secure for life. Timov has a difficult time believing Daggair's callousness, but she claims that she is only looking out for herself, as she has been taught through life.

Garibaldi interrogates Stoner, who says that he handled the artifact many times without incident, and that it probably wouldn't do anything until it was held by a Centauri. Sheridan enters, and tells Garibaldi and Stoner that Londo is near death. He asks Stoner if he knows anything about the artifact, but all Stoner can tell him is that he found it on an abandoned Centauri planet. Sheridan explains the colony had been abandoned because they were forced out by the Narns. Garibaldi also tells him that the Narns probably rigged up the statuette as a trap for the Centauri. Garibaldi tells Stoner that he won't let him go until he speaks with G'Kar about the statue. He also warns Stoner that he will find some way to convict him. Garibaldi and Sheridan both leave.

Stoner in hot water.

Londo is still unconcious when, much later, Timov enters MedLab and approaches Dr. Franklin. She tells him that she and Londo have the same blood type, but that she didn't tell him before, because she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She tells him that, although she might like to see him die, she does have principles, and that she would prefer to win her battle against Londo in some other, more satisfying way. She offers her blood to Franklin, on the condition that Londo never learn she gave it to him. Franklin accepts this, and escorts her away.

Lou Welch, a security officer, enters Garibaldi's office, with the information he could find on Stoner. It all fits in with Stoner's story. Garibaldi tells Welch he wants to talk to Stoner again, but Welch tells him that Stoner is eating. Garibaldi asks why he is eating so soon; dinner shouldn't be served for another hour. "He just... asked," Welch says. "I don't know. There's something about this guy that just makes you want to like him."

Londo finally awakes, again surrounded by his three wives and Dr. Franklin. Daggair and Mariel tell Dr. Franklin that they are happy that Londo is back, but Timov says nothing but that she is feeling fatigued and wants to go to back to quarters. Mariel and Daggair both follow her out. Londo tells Franklin that he considers all his wives nightmares, and that Timov is the worst of them. Dr. Franklin asks him if he can make a personal observation. Londo agrees. "Stick it," Dr. Franklin says, before walking away.

Stoner tells Talia that he doesn't understand why she wouldn't want to leave PsiCorps. She tells him that she is a telepath, and could never accept having that piece of her taken away. He tries to convince her that he wanted them to be happy, and that he thought if he told her about the cure, she would go happily. She tells him that her powers are a part of her, and she could never give them up. Stoner claims he can understand, and tells Talia she's coming with him. Her attitude suddenly changes, and she says that she will. The two of them leave the room, but Stoner is assaulted by Garibaldi when they exit. "Thanks, Talia, for your help. I love being right."

G'Kar is in his quarters, talking to Mariel. "You know," he says, "the problem with mysteries is that in order to get rid of the headaches, I have to figure them out. Here, we're faced with a staggering set of coincidences. A Centauri artifact, an ancient booby trap, it seems, happens to show up on Babylon 5 just in time to be purchased as a gift for Londo. And rather hide or deny responsibility, the gift giver makes it a point of saying she gave it to him, which neatly avoids any accusation of malicious intent because, usually, when you're trying to kill someone, you hide the attack. And there, you see, my head no longer throbs."

Mariel asks him who he will tell his theory to. G'Kar says he won't reveal it, but that Londo will figure it out eventually. As she leaves, he warns her to not be overconfident -- if he were married to Londo, he'd be concerned right now. "G'Kar," Mariel says as she leaves, "if you were married to Londo, we'd all be concerned."

"Do I look like a rumormonger?"

Sheridan confronts Stoner one last time, telling him that, although they thought that he and PsiCorps were no longer related, PsiCorps communicated with them, telling them to turn Stoner over as soon as possible. Stoner tells Sheridan that he left under agreeable circumstances, but Sheridan tells him that he doesn't believe he left PsiCorps' employment at all and that, instead of his telepathic abilities being removed, they were changed, and that Stoner became an empath instead, a fact Sheridan believes is substantiated by recent events on the station. Garibaldi suggests that he was released because PsiCorps knew that other telepaths would learn what happened to Stoner. Stoner tries to deny the allegations, but Garibaldi says he believes that Stoner was sent there to convince his genetically perfect mate, Talia, to undergo the procedure, so other empaths could be created. Stoner tries to use his abilities to force Garibaldi to let him go, but Garibaldi tells him that security guards are watching the room's proceedings outside and that, if Stoner tries to get away with anything, he will not succeed. Stoner tries to tell Talia that he thought they were perfect together, and that he only wanted what was best for Talia, to make up for past mistakes. He claims that he does know the cure, and asks her to look into his mind, but she refuses. "See you in some other lifetime," Garibaldi tells Stoner as he leaves.

As Londo's wives prepare to leave the station, Vir presents Timov with Londo's itinerary, so that she will know which ones she should attend, and to which she should accompany him. Daggair and Mariel are upset at Londo's choice, but Londo tells him that they should be grateful, because he did provide them with a sum of money as a going-away present. After they leave, Timov asks why Londo chose her as his remaining wife, because she does not, and will not, love him, and they will not get along. "Because, with you, I will always know where I stand," he tells her. He kisses her hand, and leaves as she departs.

Delenn runs into Ivanova and thanks her for helping her with her hair trouble, and the other help she has provided. Ivanova tells Delenn that, if she has any other questions or problems, she will be glad to help. As the two board an elevator, Delenn does ask something else. "Do you have any idea why I suddenly started getting these... odd cramps?"

Strange Relations

Overview

Bester arrives to try to retrieve the refugee telepaths. Garibaldi confronts Lochley. Delenn chooses a bodyguard for Londo. Robin Atkin Downes as Byron. Walter Koenig as Bester. 
P5 Rating: 7.84

Production number: 507
Original air date: February 25, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John C. Flinn III

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Strange Relations

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)

Lochley is walking down a corridor when she is joined by Delenn. Delenn tells her that she has spoken to Sheridan and is now aware of the full reason Sheridan chose Lochley to command Babylon 5. Delenn also wants to tell the Captain that she approves of the decision. Lochley is glad to hear it, but asks Delenn to keep quiet about it; others may not be so understanding. But unbeknownst to either of them, Garibaldi has overheard the conversation.

Meanwhile, Londo is in the observation deck, looking at a recently arrived Centauri liner. Zack comes in to inform him of its arrival: it is to take Londo to Centauri Prime. Londo explains that with the Regent's health failing, Londo must spend as much time as possible at his side. And once the Regent dies, the Centarum will make him Emperor, and he will never again be able to come to Babylon 5, save for the occasional state visit. He is not happy about this prospect, much to his surprise.

In the docking bay, a transport malfunctions and smashes against the pressure doors and explodes. The explosion closes down the docking bay for 11 hours. This does not stop a Psi Corps shuttle, which is in a priority mission and is allowed to dock through the emergency air doors.

In MedLab, Lyta is ransacking through some containers when she is surprised by Dr. Franklin. She is taking medicines and vitamins to the telepaths downbelow; not because they asked her, she explains, but out of her own initiative. Franklin says they should come themselves, but Lyta explains that some have been subjected to medical experiments by the Psi Corps and do not trust doctors. Franklin lets her take what she needs. "Next time you need something, just ask!" he tells her as she leaves. Later, when Lyta is giving the supplies to Byron, they all sense the arrival of the Psi Cops: Bloodhound units led by Bester.

Garibaldi is hanging out in Zack's office when a security guard comes in to inform Zack of Bester's arrival. Garibaldi rushes out and runs to Lochley's office, where he finds Bester and the Captain chatting over a cup of coffee. When he tries to get at Bester, Lochley stops him, first interposing herself, then slugging him, and finally having Garibaldi taken to the brig; Bester watches bemused.

In MedLab, Delenn and G'Kar ask Franklin to put together the definitive work on cross-species infections. The field is still in its infancy, but it is very important to the Alliance and its goal of interspecies relations. He is to go to member worlds, who are obligated under the terms of the Alliance to share medical data, and do first hand research. Although it means spending less time in MedLab and delegating some responsibility, Franklin is delighted and agrees.

Lochley arrives at Sheridan's office. Sheridan heard about the incident with Garibaldi and he reminds Lochley that Bester reprogrammed Garibaldi and almost got him and Sheridan killed ("The Face of the Enemy"). Lochley is well aware of this, having read the reports from both sides, but explains that the telepaths are wanted by the Psi Corps on numerous charges. Since the Interstellar Alliance grants sovereignty to member worlds, and the Psi Corps is part of the Earth Government, they have a right to take the telepaths under custody. Since Bester has not broken any rules, she must oblige him. If Bester breaks the rules, she promises, she will throw him out; but until then, she has to deal with it her own way. Sheridan reluctantly backs down, but orders Lochley to find a way to prevent the telepaths from being taken away, without compromising the policies of the Alliance.

The Centauri liner cannot wait for the repairs to the docking bay to be completed, and gets ready to depart without Londo. When they set their navigational beacon to Centauri Prime, the liner explodes. Later, Zack explains to Lochley that they found traces of explosives in the debris. The liner was sabotaged and set to explode when it returned to Centauri Prime; all the evidence points to an attempt to assassinate Londo. He then gives his security reports to Lochley, who discovers that Garibaldi accessed her classified personnel file; she angrily goes to see Garibaldi.

Meanwhile, Bester and the Bloodhound teeps are walking through Brown sector when they are met by Lyta. She is jamming them, and uses her Vorlon-augmented powers to stop them. Rather than force the issue now, Bester retreats; he will come back later with a dozen security guards, too much for Lyta to handle by herself. And if the rogue telepaths scatter, she won't be able to shield them from the Bloodhounds. Lyta goes back to Byron and advises him to scatter and hide.

Lochley enters the brig and confronts Garibaldi. She wants to know why he has been riding her so hard. "I don't know you," he answers, "so I don't trust you." "The world is full of people you don't know!" she counters, to which he replies, "I worry about that all the time." He wants to know why she was so friendly with Bester, and why she was chosen to command Babylon 5. The first question she answers readily: she was once stationed at an Earth Force Base where a rogue telepath killed some of her people; Bester tracked him down and saved two others. Although she neither likes him nor trusts him, he has played by the rules with her and she is obligated to reciprocate.

The second question is more difficult, and she asks Garibaldi to keep it between them. Sheridan wanted a symbol, someone who was on the other side during the Civil War; but also someone he could trust, someone who wouldn't stab him in the back. Someone who would argue with him, but back him up when he was right. Lochley was the perfect choice: She and Sheridan were married for three months after Officer Training School. The marriage fell apart because they both wanted to be in control all the time. Although it was over a long time ago, they trust each other.

Garibaldi is highly amused at the situation, and figures he can go now; but Lochley won't let him go until Bester leaves. "It's not that I don't trust you," she explains, "but I don't... trust you." She then receives a call from Zack: Bester got EarthDome to request security guards to help him track the rogue telepaths, and they can't refuse him. Lochley leaves, with Garibaldi still in the brig.

Security guards and Bloodhound teeps run down Byron's telepaths one by one. Finally, Byron realizes all is lost, and lets himself be found. He hopes Lyta will carry on his dream for telepaths. Byron is taken and beaten by the Bloodhounds.

At the staff meeting, Corwin informs Lochley that the docking bay is clear; Zack says Bester will be done rounding up the telepaths within a day at most, and that he has not broken any regulations. Lochley has no reason to stop Bester, or to prevent him from taking the telepaths. When the meeting adjourns, Franklin approaches her to let her know of Delenn's offer. Since it means he will be taking time off MedLab, he wanted to let Lochley know. Lochley is happy for him and assures him it won't be a problem, but she is struck by the idea of cross-species infections. She asks Franklin to give her everything in writing within half an hour.

Delenn and G'Kar are talking in Delenn's quarters. G'Kar had expressed a desire to do even more for the Alliance. Delenn is worried about losing the Centauri from the Alliance, so she needs to make sure nothing happens to Londo. She suggests that G'Kar should go as his bodyguard. At first, G'Kar is horrified at the idea; but Delenn points out first, how strong a symbol of the ideals of the Alliance this would be, and second, that it would mean G'Kar would be at the Royal Court in Centauri Prime and in all important occasions, guarding Londo. It is this last argument that wins G'Kar over: "A Narn in the Centauri Royal Court?" he laughs. "I accept, if only to see their faces!"

When Bester is preparing to leave with his prisoners, Lochley comes in and informs him there is a problem: according to Earth Alliance regulations, since the telepaths have been traveling so much in alien space, they must be put under quarantine for sixty days, to make sure they are not carrying any unidentified viruses. Those are the rules. Bester can't take Byron's people... yet. Although annoyed, Bester realizes there is little to be done, and he hopes his cooperation will cement a good working relationship with Lochley. He does, however, extract a promise from Lochley that the telepaths are to stay on Babylon 5 until he comes back for them. Bester issues a warning: "Just keep an eye on them, Captain. Don't trust them for a second, because sooner or later they will turn on you." He addresses Byron. "You know all about that, don't you, Byron?" With that, he leaves.

Lochley then lets Byron and his people out of custody; however, they are not to leave Babylon 5, and she has only postponed the showdown. Byron thanks her nonetheless.

As Londo is leaving for Centauri Prime, he is joined by Delenn who informs him of the arrangements she has made for his security. Londo is not pleased, but agrees. He is then joined by G'Kar, and the two leave for the transport, bickering about who will get the aisle seat on the flight.

Corwin joins Lochley as she is finishing dinner. He wants to congratulate her on her handling of the telepath situation. She is worried, though; "I get this nagging suspicion that maybe Bester was right, this thing will blow up in our face. It worries me," she confides. "I also have this nagging feeling that I'm forgetting something..." After Corwin leaves, she realizes what she has forgotten: she calls security to tell them to let Garibaldi, who can be heard yelling in the background, out of the brig.

The telepaths are singing together in a candlelit room. When Lyta comes in, she takes off the Psi Corps shield, and Byron joins her smiling and welcomes her to the middle of the singing group.

Survivors

Overview

Garibaldi's past catches up to him, with some disastrous consequences. He's blamed by some for an accident aboard B5, which leads to hitting the bottle again after a prolonged abstinence. Elaine Thomas as Lianna Kemmer. Tom Donaldson as Cutter.
Originally titled "A Knife in the Shadows" 
Sub-genre: Intrigue
P5 Rating: 7.65

Production number: 111
Original air date: May 4, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by Mark Scott Zicree
Directed by Jim Johnston

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Survivors

President Santiago has decided to visit Babylon 5, ostensibly in order to present a new fighter wing to the station (though some people believe his real purpose is to drum up popular support for his new alien trade and immigration policies, which have met with opposition in the Senate).

The Presidential cruiser.

Ivanova and Garibaldi are en route to the president's arrival site on B5, and they are discussing the president's arrival. Ivanova tells Garibaldi that the president and his staff have not informed B5 command of their travel plans because the president feels it's safe if nobody is aware of these plans till the last minute (though Garibaldi jokes that, if B5 is unaware of the president's plans, the president's staff can blame B5 if anything goes wrong). Garibaldi feels that the president's visit is simply a waste of time and money; Ivanova responds that at least they're getting a new fighter wing out of the visit. Garibaldi is not grateful--he explains that B5 should have had those fighters a long time ago. Ivanova shares in the cynicism--now, B5 will have to renovate bays that haven't been maintained for years, using untrained crews rushed for time--and all of this at B5's expense. When Garibaldi claims he's no longer surprised by anything the government does (he's come to expect it), Ivanova compliments him on his very "Russian" outlook.

Suddenly, there is an explosion in the bay. Garibaldi and Ivanova are almost injured, and Sinclair, from the observation dome, sees a body in a spacesuit fly away from the station.

Down in the Med Lab, Franklin has diagnosed the person who flew out of the station--he flew out of the bay before the pressurization doors were activated. When Sinclair asks if the patient can say anything, Franklin replies that any procedure that could be used to rouse the patient would kill him. Garibaldi, meanwhile, has finished his evaluation of the damage ("You can put what's left of [the bay] in a shot glass," he tells Sinclair). Garibaldi still doesn't know what the cause of the explosion was, but he feels it was probably caused by negligence or fatigue on the part of the overworked crew. Sinclair asks about the possibility of sabotage, and though Garibaldi claims he never rules that possibility out, he feels that the inexperience and possible exhaustion of the crew was "inviting an accident."

Ivanova reports that Major Lianna Kemmer, an official on the president's security staff, has arrived. Kemmer requests an immediate briefing on the explosion. Garibaldi, when he hears Lianna's name, becomes lost in thought--he explains to Sinclair that he knew Lianna seventeen years ago (her father was his friend). "She's a real sweet kid," comments Garibaldi.

Lianna Kemmer.

The meeting between Garibaldi and Lianna is somewhat cold, however. Lianna largely ignores Garibaldi and introduces herself to Sinclair. Sinclair comments that Garibaldi will brief her on the situation, but she requests that her own team handle the investigation. Sinclair is reluctant, but because Lianna, as chief of presidential security, has the legal authority to take over the investigation ("with or without your permission," she comments. "I would much rather my report reflected full cooperation on your part). Sinclair hesitantly agrees (after Garibaldi bitterly tells him to let Lianna take over the investigation), and Garibaldi moves away bruskly, commenting that he has "better things to do."

Sinclair follows Garibaldi out and asks what the problem is between Garibaldi and Lianna. Garibaldi is hesitant to answer, but Sinclair feels that if their relationship affects B5, Sinclair has a right to know. Abruptly, Ambassador G'Kar interrupts them--he has a problem with the seating arrangements for the president's banquet ("The entire Narn delegation has been seated next to the Vree," says G'Kar. "An intolerable situation! Have you ever seen them eat? That's horror for you.... This is a deliberate slap in the face to the entire Narn Regime.")

Meanwhile, Garibaldi, who had walked away slightly after G'Kar interrupted his conversation with Sinclair, has caught a thief trying to steal something. He begins angrily yelling at the thief (whom he has caught several times before in the past month), and when he treats the thief somewhat violently, a fight erupts between the two. Sinclair interrupts G'Kar in order to break up the fight.

Garibaldi accosts the thief.

Later, Sinclair and Garibaldi are eating together, and Sinclair asks Garibaldi what is wrong. Garibaldi finally comments that seventeen years ago, he was working as a security officer on Europa ("a real cesspool," he claims). "Ever try and uphold the law when nobody cares? After a few weeks, I started drinking hard just to get through the night." Eventually, Garibaldi met Frank Kemmer, Lianna's father. Kemmer was a shuttle pilot--"a real decent guy." Garibaldi explains that when his job got tough, he spent some time with Kemmer and his family--this is when he first met Lianna, who used to call him "Uncle Mike." "With all the madness, [staying with Kemmer] kept me sane and sober for a while," Garibaldi explains. However, as Garibaldi was beginning to have a certain amount of success upholding the law, he ended up making a few enemies. Garibaldi knew that some people were trying to kill him, but he also felt that he could handle it. Unfortunately, his enemies worked indirectly: they exploded one of Kemmer's shuttles, thereby killing Kemmer. They blamed the explosion on Garibaldi's negligence. Since the government didn't want a scandal, they kept the situation quiet and "blackballed" Garibaldi throughout the system. "But none of that was as bad as telling Frank's family what had happened. Lianna didn't even cry; she just died inside... I crawled back into the bottle, and didn't come out again for a long, long time." Suddenly, Dr. Franklin calls Sinclair into the Med Lab.

At the Med Lab, Lianna and her staff have violated Franklin's wishes and are trying to rouse the explosion victim in order to try to get information from him. When Sinclair arrives, the victim has already been roused, and he claims that the explosion was no accident--it was caused by a bomb. Sinclair orders Kemmer to leave the patient alone--for Franklin feels that any procedure to rouse the patient will kill him--but Lianna refuses. Just as the victim dies, he names the person who planted the bomb: "It was Garibaldi."

Major Kemmer has called a hearing in response to the allegation against Garibaldi. Garibaldi, however, cannot believe that Kemmer and the rest of the president's staff are placing so much importance in the accusations of a dying man. Garibaldi claims that the victim "had it in for me" -- that is, he resented Garibaldi because Garibaldi had arrested him a few months ago for "trashing an alien shop." Further, Garibaldi argues that the initial damage reports showed no trace of a bomb, but Kemmer contends that the explosion may have destroyed any traces of it. Lieutenant Cutter, a member of Kemmer's staff, adds that perhaps no bomb was found because Garibaldi didn't *want* to find one. This accusation angers Garibaldi, but Kemmer doesn't seem to care--she asks Sinclair to suspend Garibaldi from duty because of Garibaldi's possible criminal involvement. Though Sinclair doesn't want to suspend Garibaldi, Kemmer -- as head of presidential security -- effectively *orders* Sinclair to carry out the suspension. Sinclair, who has little choice but to submit to Kemmer's legal authority, is forced to remove Garibaldi from active duty. Major Kemmer, now that Garibaldi has been removed from duty, temporarily assumes the position of B5 security chief.

Garibaldi, upon returning to his quarters, is confronted by a security officer who refuses to allow Garibaldi entry. Major Kemmer and Lieutenant Cutter arrive, and Garibaldi pleads with Kemmer to allow him to speak with her. When he moves to grab Kemmer in order to speak with her, however, the security guard roughly forces him to withdraw his grasp. Kemmer orders Cutter to leave and see what the scanning team has discovered concerning the explosion in the bay; she then dismisses the other security guard so that she and Garibaldi can be alone.

Once they are alone, Garibaldi explains to Lianna that he "loved Frank like he was my own brother." Lianna angrily tells him that Frank died because Garibaldi was concerned only with protecting himself, but Garibaldi denies this. He admits that he "made a mistake," but he claims that he would never have let Frank die to save himself. When he pleads with her and asks her to believe him, she replies that it's too late for Garibaldi to ask to be trusted: "I might [believe you], if you had told me then, but you just got drunk and ran, like you always do," she says. Cutter has meanwhile returned, and he informs Kemmer that the explosion was indeed caused by a bomb, for the burns of the victim (the one who originally implicated Garibaldi) showed traces of certain explosives. Cutter also informs Kemmer that schematics of the bay, as well as substantial amounts of Centauri currency, has been found in Garibaldi's quarters. Garibaldi again tries to reason with Kemmer: "Come on, Lianna, this is a frame. If I were guilty, why would I leave the evidence in my own quarters?" he asks.

"Maybe you just made another mistake, just like you did seventeen years ago," replies Kemmer, who orders Cutter to take Garibaldi into custody. Garibaldi, however, who is angered by the whole situation, runs away and attempts to escape Cutter. Kemmer orders her security officers after Garibaldi and posts a stationwide security alert for Garibaldi.

Garibaldi makes his escape.

On the observation dome, Ivanova and Sinclair are surprised to see an alert against Garibaldi. Sinclair orders Ivanova to cancel the alert, but Kemmer--who has just arrived at the observation dome--tells Sinclair that he can't cancel the alert because there is now hard evidence that Garibaldi is a saboteur. Sinclair responds angrily to Kemmer and tells her that "Garibaldi is many things but he's no saboteur"; further, Sinclair tells Kemmer that he is quite annoyed with her personal vendetta against Garibaldi. Sinclair again orders Ivanova to cancel the alert, and Ivanova gladly complies with the order. Kemmer responds that if Sinclair keeps "obstructing" her, she will have no choice but to invoke presidential authority; however, Sinclair tells Kemmer that he's tired of "presidential authority" excuse. "This is my station, and it's time you realized that," says Sinclair. Sinclair proceeds to order Ivanova to escort Kemmer off the observation dome. Ivanova gladly complies with this order as well ("You are going to resist, I hope," she tells Kemmer). After Kemmer leaves, Ivanova warns Sinclair that Kemmer will probably contact Earth Central; Sinclair says he's aware of that, but at least the delay will buy him enough time to find Garibaldi before Kemmer's staff does. Ivanova suddenly has an idea: she smugly orders the B5 staff to begin a "Level 6 maintenance check" on all off-station communication channels--a move which will tie up the communication channels for hours.

Garibaldi has discreetly moved down to the Zocalo, where he seeks out Londo. He tells Londo that he is looking for information about the explosion in the bay. He explains that someone tried to frame him by planting substantial amounts of currency in his quarters; he then explains that the currency was Centauri. Londo picks up the implication, and stares with feigned disbelief at Garibaldi; "Oh, Mr. Garibaldi, do you really think that I would do such a thing to you, my good and dear friend?"

"In a minute," responds Garibaldi.

"You're right," answers Londo, "but I didn't, though I may have an idea who did...."

"Don't turn around."

Meanwhile, Kemmer angrily contacts Ivanova and asks why all communications channels are offline. Ivanova replies that a communications check is being conducted, for they don't want the president to be "out of touch" when he arrives at B5. Kemmer demands that Ivanova open a channel, but Ivanova brushes her off ("I'm a lieutenant commander in Earth Force, major. I do not take 'demands.' If you have a request, I'll consider it," Ivanova says. When Kemmer 'requests' that Ivanova open a channel to Earthdome, Ivanova simply denies her request.).

Kemmer comments to Cutter that Ivanova and Sinclair are "doing everything they can to protect Garibaldi," but Cutter isn't surprised--their files show that Ivanova and Sinclair are Garibaldi's only real friends, aside from Londo Mollari. Kemmer sends Cutter to question Londo; she sends another officer to return to their ship and open a communication channel with Earth Force One (President Santiago's ship)--specifically, with General Netter on Earth Force One. Kemmer explains that Earth Force One should be close enough to pick up the signal from Kemmer's ship, which is docked at B5.

Londo, meanwhile, has explained to Garibaldi why he feels that G'Kar is the one who's trying to frame Garibaldi. Londo says that during the Narn occupation of Ragesh 3, some important scientific material was "lost," but the Narns claimed they could find it again--for the right price. Thus, G'Kar could possibly have had access to large amounts of Centauri currency, which he could have planted in Garibaldi's quarters. Garibaldi says that he wants to visit G'Kar. Without his usual security clearance, however, Garibaldi knows that he might have a hard time gaining access to the ambassadorial wing, where G'Kar's quarters are located. Garibaldi therefore asks Londo for a loan; Garibaldi claims that, with enough money, he can gain access to the ambassadorial wing. Londo appreciates the irony in the situation--he has switched roles with Garibaldi for the time being--but he eventually extends a fairly generous loan to his "good, dear friend." Londo explains that he sees certain parallels between himself and Garibaldi (Londo feels that, like Londo himself, Garibaldi is sometimes "the odd man out"); it therefore gives him a certain comfort to be able to help Garibaldi in a time of need (however, the more practical side of Londo claims that the Centauri goddess of luck, with whom Londo has had a "long and rather dubious relationship," has been smiling on him lately--he can therefore afford the loan). "If they catch you," warns Londo, "I will deny ever seeing you. Good luck!"

Garibaldi successfully gains access to the ambassadorial wing; when he arrives at G'Kar's quarters, he's surprised to find that G'Kar has been expecting him ("... you've been talking to Mollari. It was inevitable he would send you to me.... My people watch him; his people watch me; we all watch one another here, Mr. Garibaldi.") G'Kar also explains that the security monitors are "malfunctioning" at the moment, so Garibaldi need not worry about the security officers finding him here (especially since G'Kar took the liberty of telling a security guard that he had seen Garibaldi on the next level). G'Kar says that he's sure Londo blamed Garibaldi's present situation on the Narns; however, he denies any part in the incident (though he admits he doesn't think it's a bad idea). G'Kar offers Garibaldi a chance to escape B5; G'Kar says that Garibaldi's talents and services could be useful on Narn. Once on Narn, if Garibaldi were to ever become "homesick," G'Kar says he's sure the Narns could arrange for Garibaldi to return--as a genetically altered spy. Garibaldi immediately declines G'Kar's offer, however; he refuses to even think about betraying Earth. G'Kar advises Garibaldi to stop seeing things in "such absolute terms" ("The universe is run by the complex interweaving of three elements: energy, matter, and enlightened self-interest. Unless you comprehend that fact--and soon--you will be cornered and caged," warns G'Kar), but Garibaldi still refuses G'Kar's offer. G'Kar makes one last plea: "Without your position, this station is not safe for you. You have made many enemies."

"Call it a lifestyle," replies Garibaldi, as he leaves.

From the observation dome, meanwhile, Ivanova is giving instructions to the new fighter wing, which has just arrived.

Down in the alien sector, Garibaldi is trying to purchase a high-level security card from N'grath, but N'grath refuses because Garibaldi is "still police," even though he's a fugitive. N'grath abruptly forces Garibaldi to leave, and when Garibaldi is thrown outside N'grath's doors, he is almost caught by some of Kemmer's guards.

Garibaldi and n'grath.

He narrowly escapes and eventually returns to the human sector of B5, only to be attacked by a group of angry aliens. Just when it appears that Garibaldi has no hope left, Sinclair (who has been monitoring security reports concerning Garibaldi's whereabouts) suddenly finds him and helps to fight off the aliens. Sinclair suggests that Garibaldi go to Med Lab, but Garibaldi refuses to go anywhere before he figures out who framed him. Ivanova contacts Sinclair and tells him that he has a Gold Channel message from General Netter; meanwhile, when Sinclair turned his head to speak with Ivanova through his comm link, Garibaldi ran off. By the time Sinclair turns around again, Garibaldi is gone.

General Netter's message has come through, and Netter orders Sinclair and his staff to fully cooperate with Kemmar. After Netter ends communication, Sinclair explains to Kemmer that he wants to find Garibaldi as much as she does--"the only difference is," says Sinclair, "I haven't already judged him.... But the fact is, Garibaldi is as loyal as you are, and if you weren't so twisted up inside about what happened to your father you'd realize that. It's not justice you're after, major, it's blood." Just then, Cutter contacts Kemmer and says that the guards have sighted Garibaldi and have discovered that Garibaldi has been paying for things with Centauri currency. Kemmer believes that the currency found in Garibaldi's quarters was only part of the payoff; she orders the guards to move in on Garibaldi. After Kemmer leaves, Sinclair contacts the security guard who had been stationed outside Garibaldi's quarters when Garibaldi first found that his quarters were being guarded.

Garibaldi, meanwhile, has entered a club. He sits down and suddenly notices that a security guard has moved into the same club. He borrows an alien's hat and tries to avoid notice--and he succeeds, at least for the moment. The guard leaves, and when Garibaldi gives the alien back his hat, the alien replies, "Don't want hat? Take bottle.... I go casino." As the alien gets up, he pushes a bottle of some alcoholic drink toward Garibaldi. Garibaldi fights with himself for a long moment--will he give up the sobriety that he has worked toward for so long? The past few hours have been excruciatingly difficult for Garibaldi--how appealing the drink must seem--how easy it is to simply forget about all of his problems.

Temptation.

At last, Garibaldi decides to drink -- and he drinks heavily. Quite soon, he's experiencing quite a hangover--despite his trouble standing up, he is sharing jokes with the aliens, and, in general, parading around the room making a fool of himself. ("You got a real nice place here! Great ambiance, terrific decor, friendly people. Yeah, this place should be on all the chartered tours--'see and experience the real Babylon 5.' Hell, in a couple month, I could see a few of you people topside," he mumbles, as he stumbles out the door).

Meanwhile, one of the people in the restaurant has notified the security guards of Garibaldi's whereabouts, and when Garibaldi wanders out of the restaurant, Kemmer, Cutter, and their guards are waiting for him. "Drunk again, Uncle Mike?" asks Lianna. The confused Garibaldi remembers how the young Lianna, seventeen years ago, often said the same thing. Kemmer's guards take Garibaldi into custody; Cutter, meanwhile, comments that the new fighter wing are getting ready to be launched, and he feels he should check the bays one more time.

Lianna is questioning Garibaldi; she's trying to get him to confess. At one point, she confronts him and asks, "You never change, do you, Michael?" He replies that he thought he had--until she showed up.

Garibaldi tries to reason with her again. He asks her if she really wants to destroy his life, just as she feels he destroyed hers years ago. "If I could have gone in Frank's place, I would have," says Garibaldi. "I didn't know, Lianna. I didn't know."

Just then, the security officer whom Sinclair contacted earlier arrives at the room where Garibaldi is being interrogated. He explains that Sinclair ordered him to search the explosion victim's quarters--and when he carried out that search, he found a detonator and a few Homeguard pamphlets (the security officer also explains how there had been some trouble with the Homeguard a while ago, and he mentions that Garibaldi cleared it up). Garibaldi says that security had suspected the victim of being a Homeguard member for a long time--but they never could prove it. Garibaldi says that he feels that the victim was killed by a bomb that the victim planted in the bay--but the victim was unaware of the use of a plasma driver in the bay. Such a plasma unit would have created enough vibration to trigger the bomb prematurely. When Lianna asks about a possible motive, Garibaldi explains that the president was planning to announce new alien trade and immigration policies -- policies that the Homeguard would strongly oppose.

Cutter calls in and informs Kemmer that the president is about to arrive for the fighter wing presentation ceremony. Kemmer orders Cutter to make sure the bays are secure.

Kemmer admits that she'd like to believe Garibaldi, but she still sees no explanation for how the Centauri currency and the bay schematics got into Garibaldi's quarters. She explains that nobody knew that the victim had named Garibaldi except her, Garibaldi, Franklin, and Sinclair.

"And Cutter," remembers Garibaldi. "He was there just when the evidence against me was found." Lianna is skeptical, however; she claims that Cutter is one of their best agents. Garibaldi just comments that perhaps the Homeguard was counting on that--though the first bomb didn't work, Cutter can finish the job, so to speak. He advises Kemmer to check the bays herself--just to be sure.

As Earth Force One approaches the B5 docking bay, Kemmer and Garibaldi walk down to the bay themselves. Kemmer tells Cutter that she wants to scan the bay herself; however, as she moves to do so, Cutter knocks her out with the weapon he is carrying. He points a gun at Garibaldi, but when he bends down to recover the weapon that he used against Kemmer, Garibaldi kicks the gun out of his hand. A struggle ensues, but Garibaldi gains the upper hand long enough to grab hold of a comm link and warn Ivanova to abort the docking procedure.

Later, in the Med Lab, Franklin tells Garibaldi that he'll be all right (though Garibaldi feels like he "just made love to a meteor shower")--and so will Lianna. Sinclair tells Garibaldi that explosives were found on the bay doors--if the doors had opened, the new fighter wing, as well as half of the station, would have been lost. Sinclair also ran a check on Cutter and found that someone on Earth deposited a large sum of money in Cutter's account an hour after the explosion victim named Garibaldi. Cutter then withdrew it on B5 in Centauri currency, which he planted in Garibaldi's quarters. Sinclair congratulates Garibaldi on his actions, and places Garibaldi back on active duty, but Garibaldi feels that he lost a personal battle: "I blew it, Jeff ... just like I always do. When things get too rough, I crawl right back into the damn bottle. What really scares me is how much I enjoyed it." Sinclair still feels that Garibaldi shouldn't be upset with himself--he crawled back out of the bottle and saved the station. Garibaldi, however, feels that he just got lucky--this time; what will happen next time, he asks? Sinclair says he hopes there won't be a "next time," but if there is, he wants Garibaldi to promise not to try to fight the battle alone. "You're more trouble than a toilet full of snakes," says Sinclair, "but I couldn't run this station without you."

President Santiago successfully completed his address and reception. In his address, he called for alien governments to work more closely with earth--"a position certain to cause much controversy in the weeks to come," according to a news broadcast.

Garibaldi finds Lianna just as she's about to leave. Lianna thanks Garibaldi for his favorable report of the situation; Garibaldi replies, "I figured if you could nab me on my own turf, you might just have a career in this game." Lianna admits that she messed up--she apologizes for what she put Garibaldi through (and she says that Sinclair was right--she was out for blood, not justice), but he tells her there's no need to apologize. He explains that people are not machines, and when they're angry, they lash out. "Seventeen years ago," he says, "we both died inside. But somehow, we survived. For better or worse, that's all we can do--survive. And, maybe one day, forget how much it can hurt to be human."

As she leaves, Lianna tells Garibaldi that President Santiago is "fond of Babylon 5." Garibaldi half-humorously tells her to make sure to keep the president safe, for B5 needs all the allies it can get. They hug, and Lianna leaves quietly. Garibaldi stares after her, afraid that he really hasn't changed at all in seventeen years. If it's so easy to crawl back into the bottle, how can he ever be sure that he won't do it again?

Shawn Bayern bayern@cshl.org

Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this synopsis noncommercially as long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact. Babylon 5 is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright is intended by writing these synopses.

The Babylon Project: Crusade

Overview

This spinoff series deals with the exploits of a Ranger ship, the Excalibur, and its search for the cure to a plague that threatens humanity. David Allen Brooks as Max Eilerson. Gary Cole as (Captain) Matthew Gideon. Jeff Conaway as Zack Allan (rumored). Carrie Dobro as Dureena Nafeel. Marjean Holden as Dr. Susan Chambers. Daniel Dae Kim as Lt. Matheson. Tracy Scoggins as Capt. Elizabeth Lochley. Peter Woodward as Galen. 
Start date: June 9, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
           Fiona Avery
	   and others
Directed by many people

Episodes

Only 13 episodes (of a planned five years) were produced due to creative differences between TNT and JMS.

Chronological episode order (ignoring the uniform change in favor of maintaining as much storyline continuity as possible):

  1. War Zone
  2. Racing the Night
  3. The Memory of War
  4. The Needs of Earth
  5. Visitors from Down the Street
  6. Each Night I Dream of Home
  7. The Long Road
  8. The Well of Forever
  9. The Path of Sorrows
  10. Patterns of the Soul
  11. Ruling from the Tomb
  12. The Rules of the Game
  13. Appearances and Other Deceits

Notes

jms speaks

About the cancellation and events leading up to it

About the series in general

See Also

A translation of this page in Belorussian is available.

The Babylon Project: Crusade

The Coming of Shadows

Overview

When the Centauri emperor visits the station, Sheridan tries to keep G'Kar from going after him. Londo and Refa plot to expand their power. A mysterious man seeks out Garibaldi. Turhan Bey as the Centauri Emperor. Malachi Throne as the Centauri Prime Minister. William Forward as Refa. 
P5 Rating: 9.59

Production number: 209
Original air date: February 1, 1995
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek

Winner of the 1996 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.

The shooting script for this episode is included in JMS' "The Complete Book of Scriptwriting."

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Note: this episode is more momentous than most. Think twice before proceeding to the spoilers; it's worth seeing unawares.

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Coming of Shadows

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

On Centauri Prime, the Centauri emperor prepares for his voyage off the homeworld. His prime minister plans to go with him -- citing the emperor's poor health -- but the emperor declines; the prime minister is next in line of authority and needs to remain behind in case of a crisis. "What I must do," the emperor explains, "cannot wait any longer." Before the emperor leaves, he tells the prime minister how much he appreciates him, and that he seldom shows the gratitude he should. Followed by four veiled Centauri women, the emperor leaves the throne room.

Ambassador G'Kar attempts to convince Captain Sheridan that inviting the Centauri emperor to Babylon 5 is unacceptable to the Narns, because of what his family did to them. Sheridan tries to tell G'Kar that this emperor has gone out of his way to be nice to the Narns, but G'kar dismisses it as a technicality. Sheridan tells G'Kar that the resentment the Narn have against the Centauri is not his problem, and that everyone is welcome aboard the station, including the emperor. Sheridan tells G'Kar that he should use the opportunity to open a dialogue with the emperor, but G'Kar refuses to listen. As he leaves, Sheridan tells him not to do something he will regret. "It's too late for that, Captain. Too late by far."

A group of Centauri ships come through the jump gate as a frequent visitor to Babylon 5 over the last several months arrives on the station. The guard asks him if there is anything he can do to assist, but as soon as the man sees Garibaldi, he replies that he's found what he's looking for, and leaves.

Londo meets with Refa, who details what Londo is to do when he meets with the Centauri emperor. Londo is to deliver a carefully planned speech, which discusses the decline of the Centauri government and the need for change, and contains several predictions about the economy and the military that Refa has already arranged to come to pass. Refa's plan is to make the emperor look weak and short-sighted. Though Londo realizes this will not endear him to the emperor and his court, Refa explains that the emperor's health is very poor, and he is not expected to live much longer. Refa tells Londo that, if they don't take the opportunity that now presents itself, they may not be in the proper position when the time comes. Refa leaves Londo to study the speech. Vir, who had been watching the proceedings, is made uncomfortable by the situation, and tells Londo so when he asks. "Then, for once," says Londo, "we have something in common."

The emperor's ship arrives and docks. The command crew of Babylon 5, in full dress, is in the docking bay to meet him. The emperor offers Sheridan the hands of friendship, which Sheridan accepts. After introductions are complete, the emperor tells him that he is very impressed with their choice to risk great dangers in order to achieve peace. Sheridan offers to begin the tour, but the emperor interrupts, asking Dr. Franklin about Ambassador Kosh, as he has never seen a Vorlon before. He is curious because the Centauri have sent many expeditions into Vorlon space, but none have returned, and he wants to know more about the stories he has heard.

The Emperor arrives.

G'Kar is communicating with Karmok, a Narn government official, who tells him that the Ka-Ri endorsed G'Kar's plans. G'Kar asks when the best time would be to perform the act, and Karmok tells him that he should do it at the reception. Karmok asks if G'Kar is sure he wants to do it, but G'Kar insists he is. "It is a strange feeling, Karmok, to know suddenly that all the decisions in your life have brought you to this place. There is no longer doubt or uncertainty. The future now consists of only three probablities." He opens a box sitting nearby, and removes a shiny dagger from within. "In the moment that I strike, the emperor and I will both die. Or, he will die and I will spend my life in prison. Or, I will fail and be killed. For the first time in my life, the path is clear."

Sheridan joins the emperor in an observation dome. The emperor asks why Sheridan decided to join EarthForce. Sheridan says that it was his choice, that he joined before war, when a draft was instated. Sheridan says that he wanted to make a difference, and asks why the emperor is so interested. The emperor responds by saying he never made a choice in his life because all of his actions had been predetermined, and that he never thought he had to choose otherwise. He wonders what may have happened had he done so.

Sheridan offers his perspective. "That's why my father taught me to live each second as though it were the last moment of my life. If you love, love without reservation. If you fight, fight without fear. He called it the way of the warrior." Sheridan admits that he has only a few regrets, but the emperor says he has many more, and that he has lost and forgotten most of his life. The emperor says, even though most of his life has slipped away, and most of his options are gone, there still is the opportunity to do something that can make a difference, and he will not let it slip by. Meanwhile, the man who arrived aboard Babylon 5 earlier is standing in the corridor, watching and listening as Garibaldi makes security plans for the emperor's reception.

As the reception for the emperor begins, G'Kar is in his quarters, preparing for the task which lies before him. "I take this action," he dictates into a machine, "without the knowledge or permission of my government. Neither should my aide, Na'Toth, be held accountable for my actions. The responsibility is mine alone. I ask that my remains and my personal property be sent back to Narn--to my family. My copy of the Book of G'Quan I leave to Na'Toth, with the hope of her eventual enlightenment."

G'Kar makes out his will.

At the reception, Sheridan asks Ivanova about the veiled Centauri women who follow the emperor around. Ivanova explains that they are telepaths, always linked to the emperor. Two go with him at all times, and two remain at home at all times. Since all four can see and hear what the others see and hear, the emperor can be kept apprised of what is going on at home, while his court can learn what he is doing abroad. Ivanova asks Sheridan if he knows what the emperor's important speech is about. Sheridan tells her that he doesn't know, and that he hoped it would bring Ambassador Kosh to the reception, but Kosh is not present. One visitor they did not expect to see, however, G'Kar, arrives and promises Sheridan that he will listen to the emperor.

Nearby, the man following Garibaldi is finally captured. Garibaldi demands to know why he has been following him. He says he needs to talk to Garibaldi, but before he has a chance to explain, several other security guards arrive. Though pressed to say something, the man remains silent and is taken away by the guards.

"I need to talk to you."

The emperor and his train proceed to the reception, and G'Kar prepares the dagger he has brought along. Delenn sees this, but G'Kar moves away as she walks toward him. In a corridor, as the emperor walks, his face suddenly contorts and he clutches his chest as he falls. The Centauri with him, including the telepaths, turn in alarm. Dr. Franklin rushes out of the reception to help. On the Centauri homeworld, the remaining two telepaths enter the throne room and approach the prime minister, who is talking with two Minbari, and another gentleman who appears to be human. The prime minister rises in alarm, as if he knows what has happened aboard Babylon 5.

In MedLab, Dr. Franklin is alone with the bedridden emperor, who gives him an important message to deliver, something that can't be entrusted to another Centauri.

Londo and Vir meet with Refa again. Refa tells Londo that their competitors are preparing to take power as soon as the emperor dies. But Refa wants to prevent that. He tells Londo that they need to do something extraordinary, something to assure their side gains power. Londo remembers something Morden told him long ago. "He said, 'Just pick a target...'" Refa asks Londo what he means, and Londo explains. "I believe there is a Narn colony on the border of Centauri space, quadrant 14." The very mention of this makes Vir uneasy, but Londo and Refa brush it off. Refa tells Londo that the colony is a listening post the Narns have used for many years to spy on them, but that the planet should be ours. "Well then," Londo says, "let us take it back!" Refa claims it would require a major assault, costing many lives, but Londo says that he will take care of it, and tells Refa to send some Centauri military vessels to quadrant 14. Refa doesn't see how that will help, but Londo says it will be enough. Refa, though still unconvinced, tells Londo that he will see to it, and leaves. Londo turns to Vir. "Find Mr. Morden. Bring him here." Vir begs Londo to reconsider his actions, and to just listen to him this once. He tries to tell Londo that once he does this, he cannot turn back. Londo claims that he has no choice, and then tells Vir that, if he does not find Morden, he will do so himself.

"Let us take it back!"

"No. No, I'll go," says Vir. "I'll go, and I'll bring him back. And some day I'm going to remind you of this conversation. And maybe then...then you'll understand."

"I understand... just fine," Londo says. "By this time tomorrow, we will be at war with the Narns. May the Great Maker forgive me."

G'Kar is in his quarters, again speaking with Karmok, telling him how upset he is that he didn't get a chance to assassinate the emperor. His door chimes; it's Dr. Franklin. G'Kar tells Karmok that he may soon have another opportunity, and quickly cuts off the communication. He lets Dr. Franklin in. Franklin tells him that he just saw the emperor. G'Kar asks how the emperor is, and tells Franklin he was anxious to meet him. Franklin tells him that the emperor had a message for him. At first, G'Kar doesn't want to hear the message, but he changes his mind when Franklin says, "He wanted to say he's sorry." Franklin continues. "He came all the way out here, risked his health, and endangered his life, so that he could stand beside a Narn in neutral territory and apologize for all the things the Centauri have done to your people. For all the things his family did. He said, 'We were wrong. The hatred between our people can never end until someone is willing to say, I'm sorry, and try to find a way to make things right again, to atone for our actions.' He said it was the only choice he ever made in his life, and now that seems to have been taken away from him." This news strikes G'Kar deeply, and he says he had no idea that the emperor had come for that reason. "No, I'm sure you didn't," answers Franklin. "Maybe that's the biggest tragedy of the whole damn story."

Londo is asleep. As he is dreaming, he hears himself say, "Keep this up, G'Kar, and soon you won't have a planet to protect!" He sees a contigent of Narn fighters destroying the space station at Ragesh 3. Within seconds, that dissolves, and...

...He sees a great, fiery star with a hand emerging from it, reaching toward something...

...He sees Centauri Prime from orbit...

...He finds himself standing on the dusty or sandy surface of a planet, shielding his eyes from the sun as a group of Shadow ships fly overhead...

...He stands, dressed in ceremonial clothing, his head bowed, as a crown is placed upon his head...

...He sits on a large throne, dressed in elaborate white clothes. He is aged, decrepit, and ill. Surveying his surroundings, he sees a Narn, his face aged and wrinkled, wrapped in a dark cloth. It is G'Kar...

...Londo once again sees the great hand, stretching further and further from the star, grasping at something...

...He is back in the throne room, in a struggle with G'Kar. They are both trying to strangle each other. Londo begins losing the struggle, and he begins to fall back, as...

...he wakes up. He is quite disoriented, and picks up a small clock nearby, to check the time. "It has begun," he says.

At the Narn colony in quadrant 14, all is quiet as several Narn ships patrol the area. Without warning, three Shadow ships appear and begin firing at the Narn ships. The Narns put up a valiant fight, but can seemingly not even scratch the defenses of the enemy. The Shadow ships move toward the planet, destroying everything, and anything, in their way. The smaller Narn ships are all destroyed attempting to protect the planet. As the three Shadow ships arrive near the planet, a fourth appears and helps the others attack the colony on the planet, and the station orbiting it. After all has been destroyed, the four ships leave the vicinity, vanishing as they do so.

[Movie]

Refa and Londo are walking through Babylon 5. Londo tells Refa that the Narn will be learning of what happened soon enough, and that Centauri forces can move in at any time. Refa says that he will have to move quickly as well, as he has something to take care of at home. He tells Londo it is an obstacle that must be removed, but he refuses to elaborate when Londo asks what it is. Refa leaves as G'Kar appears and addresses Londo in a threatening tone. Londo tries to explain, but before he has a chance to explain or escape, G'Kar drops the gruff facade and pulls Londo over to a nearby bar, where he buys him a drink. "I've heard something that makes me think there is still hope for us after all," G'Kar tells him. "I believed your people capable of only murder and pain. But, apparently, there is still a spark of decency in your genetic code. It's not much of a foundation, I'll grant you that, but it's a start!" The drinks arrive and they toast. "I never thought I would be saying this Mollari, but, to the health of your emperor. And, perhaps, to your health as well." Londo painfully accepts the toast, and thanks G'Kar, visibly shaken. They both drink.

Several large Centauri warships create a jump point and emerge near the destroyed colony just as several smaller Narn ships arrive and see the damage that has been done. They do not know what happened, but they quickly see the Centauri ships there. The Narn communicate this to the homeworld and prepare to attack the Centauri warships. The fighting begins, and several of the Narn ships are destroyed.

The battle is joined.

The Centauri prime minister stands quietly near the throne on Centauri Prime, thinking. He begins to walk away, but is stopped by four Centauri as he attempts to leave. They say nothing. The prime minister tries to call his guards, but before he can, one of the four thrusts a dagger deep into him, and he falls to the floor, dead.

Garibaldi is in his office, exhausted, when another security officer enters, telling him that the prisoner wants to speak with him. Garibaldi refuses at first, but the officer says the prisoner claims it's important. The prisoner enters. Garibaldi tells him that he has five minutes, and the man explains. "I was sent to find you. I have a message for you." He puts a data crystal on Garibaldi's desk. "I believe it will explain everything." Garibaldi is reluctant at first, but he puts the crystal into his player and starts it.

The screens light up, showing the face of Ambassador Jeffrey Sinclair. "Hello, old friend," Sinclair says. "It's been a while. I'm trusting this message to an associate of mine who is sworn to bring it to you at any cost--including his own life. My job on the Minbari homeworld is more than just representing Earth. The President doesn't know about that part yet, and...I don't think it would be wise of you to tell him. There's a great darkness coming, Michael. Some of the Minbari have been waiting for it a long time."

In C&C, Ivanova reports to Sheridan that they intercepted an open message sent from the Narn homeworld to G'Kar, reporting about the assault on the Narn colony in quadrant 14. This upsets and angers Sheridan greatly.

"The bearer of this message," Sinclair continues, "is one of my rangers. Some are Minbari. Most are humans. They have been drawn here to learn to work together and prepare for the fight ahead." Garibaldi pauses the message, and the ranger explains that they have been on Babylon 5 for nearly two months. He says they are an army, and that they are growing. Garibaldi asks if this army's weapons are coming through the station, and the ranger says no, but that they do have friends, and that he can say no more. Garibaldi continues the message. "Their job, for now, is to patrol the frontier, to listen, to watch, and to return with reports too sensitive to trust to regular channels. They are my eyes and ears. Where you see them, you see me."

The ranger watches the message.

Karmok reports to G'Kar that the Narn ships they sent saw the Centauri warships lead the assault. G'Kar asks what happened to the inhabitants of the colony. Karmok tells him that most died within the first few minutes of the attack, but that, if there are survivors, they are probably going to be enslaved by the Centauri forever, now that they are in control. Karmok quickly breaks off the communication, wondering how the Centauri were able to so easily break through their defenses. G'Kar turns away slowly from the monitor, shaking his fist in rage. "I reached out my hand, and he betrayed me. He knew! And he betrayed me!" He flings his arm across a nearby table, throwing everything on the table onto the floor. His rage growing, he wrenches the table from its legs and the throws it to the ground, where it breaks in two.

"In the name of our friendship," Sinclair concludes, "I ask that you give them every courtesy and cooperation. I wish I could tell you more...I wish I could warn you. But the others don't think it's time yet. Stay close to the Vorlon, and watch out for shadows. They move when you're not looking." The message ends, and as Garibaldi turns to the ranger, he receives a call on his commlink telling him that help is needed in the ambassadorial wing. The communication suddenly breaks off.

G'Kar bursts down the hall, his eyes burning. He knocks to the ground everyone who gets in his way. His voice filled with anger, he shouts, "Mollari! Mollari!" Sheridan and several security guards intercept him. Sheridan tells him that, if he returns to his quarters, they will not press charges. G'Kar pleads. "They're doing it to us again. Step aside, Sheridan. I won't let this happen. Not again!"

"They're doing it to us again."

Sheridan offers to help G'Kar, but warns him that, should he attempt to attack Londo, he will either be killed or sent off the station, and that he can't help the other Narns either way. G'Kar shouts that the Centauri will kill everyone unless he does something. Sheridan tells him to decide what is more important: getting revenge against Londo, or saving the lives of many Narns. Making his decision, G'Kar gathers up all his energy for one final strike. The security guards prepare to fire if necessary, but G'Kar slams into a wall and falls down beside it. Sheridan and the other security guards leave him alone, in pain, to think.

Defeat.

In MedLab, the Centauri emperor tries to speak to Franklin, but Franklin tells him to take it easy and save his strength. Franklin asks if there is anything he can do to help, and the emperor tells him that he very much wanted to see a Vorlon. Dr. Franklin smiles and steps aside. The emperor turns his head, but seconds later, his face is covered by a shadow. He looks up to see Ambassador Kosh standing over his bed. "How will this end?" the emperor asks.

"In fire," Kosh intones.

Garibaldi tells Sheridan and Ivanova what he learned, but does not reveal the source. Ivanova asks him why he believes he can trust whoever told him this, and Garibaldi says that the source comes "highly recommended." Sheridan asks Garibaldi why he is holding something back, and Garibaldi tells him that he made a promise. Sheridan has a hard time accepting the information Garibaldi presents, and threatens to order Garibaldi to talk, but Garibaldi refuses, knowing that, if he did so, Sheridan would not be able to trust him again, because someone higher in the chain of command than Sheridan could order him to talk as well. Sheridan accepts this, and Garibaldi continues. "Ever since New Years, we've been hearing about some other major race on the prowl. My source tells me the rumors are true, and there may be some link to the Centauri government. Now, who or what that link is, I don't know, but they're definitely getting support."

"And you think this other race was behind the assault on quadrant 14?" asks Ivanova.

"It's possible," replies Garibaldi.

Sheridan tells them that, if that is true, their enemy wouldn't want anyone else to know. Ivanova tells him that all they have is supposition, but Sheridan says it is a good idea to make your opponent think you know more than you actually do. "Now, if your source is right, we may be able to play a bluff," Sheridan tells Garibaldi.

In MedLab, Refa, Londo, and the emperor's entourage stand around the emperor's bed. Refa tells the emperor that they retook the Narn colony and that not one Centauri was hurt or killed in doing so. Their homeworld is rejoicing, and the Centauri are powerful again, but he wants the emperor's blessing. He leans in close, but the emperor tells him nothing. The emperor points to Londo, who leans in. The emperor whispers something to him, then dies. Refa asks what the emperor said, and Londo tells him, "He said, 'Continue. Take my people back...to the stars.'" The two Centauri telepaths, who had been watching, look at each other and then walk away. Londo and Refa follow, but Refa stops Londo in the hall, asking him what the emperor really said. "He said," Londo answers, with great difficulty, "that we are both damned."

The Emperor lies dying.

"Well," Refa tells him, "it's a small enough price to pay for immortality." Laughing, he walks away, leaving Londo alone in the hall.

G'Kar is back in his quarters, facing the wall, when the door opens and Sheridan enters. He tells G'Kar that he thinks he knows how Earth may be able to help, and that he has called a council meeting to discuss recent events. As Sheridan leaves, G'Kar tells him that he will attend the meeting. "Thank you... for stopping me."

"Thank you..."

At the council meeting, Sheridan addresses Londo, asking what will happen to the Narn civilians on the colony. Londo says the Centauri can't allow them to return to the Narn homeworld, but says that he is sure his government will find them something productive to do. Delenn tells him she thinks he means forced slavery, but Londo claims they have no desire to misuse anyone. G'Kar enters, and takes his seat at the council table. Sheridan tells Londo that he has received permission from Earth to send observers to the colony to check on the civilians, to make sure they aren't mistreated. Londo tells Sheridan the observers are not welcome, but Sheridan doesn't care. He tells Londo he shouldn't try shooting down an EarthForce ship; though Earth isn't looking for another war, it will shoot back if fired upon. Sheridan tells Londo that the observers will check on the survivors and put together a full report, including as much as they can learn about how the colony was so easily defeated. This disturbs Londo, who tells the council that he thinks he can convince the Centauri government to allow the civilians to return to the Narn homeworld, as long as no observers are sent to the colony. Sheridan agrees, and tells him, "I'm sure your gesture of goodwill will be appreciated for what it is...Ambassador." Delenn asks G'Kar to speak.

"Before coming here," G'Kar says, "I received a communique from my government. For a hundred years, the Centauri occupied our world. Devestated it. We swore we would never let that happen again. This attack on our largest civilian colony has inflicted terrible damage and loss of life. They've crossed a line we cannot allow them to cross. As a result, two hours ago my government officially declared war against the Centauri Republic. Our hope for peace is over. We are now at war...we are now at war."

Refa tells Londo and Vir that the death of the Centauri prime minister changed the balance of power on the Centauri homeworld, neutralizing the other powerful families, and leaving the emperor's nephew, who is on the side of Londo and Refa, the successor to the throne. Refa tries to give his cup to Vir, who just glares at him. Refa continues. "For the first time in a hundred years, Ambassador, our people are on the right track again, and we have you to thank for it. You will find the emperor's gratitude...most rewarding." Refa bids them farewell and leaves.

"Our people are on the right track again."

"I'm surprised," Vir tells Londo after Refa leaves. "You could have asked to be named to the royal court. It would have put you in a position to become emperor yourself one day. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Londo thinks back, recalling his recent dream of being crowned and then, many years later, being strangled by G'Kar. "No. I have no desire to be emperor," he tells Vir. "I prefer to work behind the scenes. The reward is nearly as great, and the risk far, far less."

Garibaldi thanks the ranger for his help in saving the lives of so many Narns. When the ranger asks if Garibaldi will give the cooperation he needs, Garibaldi agrees, as long as the ranger keeps him informed of what the rangers learn, both here and abroad. The ranger says he will, as long as their presence is kept a secret. Garibaldi agrees to that, but asks one last question. "Aside from me, does anybody else know you're here?"

"Just one other," the ranger says as he walks away.

Delenn, in her quarters, examines a message crystal in her hands closely. She puts it into her player, and is greeted with a voice she, too, hasn't heard in a long time. "Hello, old friend..."

The Corps is Mother, The Corps is Father

Overview

Bester pursues a murderous telepath, using the pursuit to train two rookie Psi Cops in the finer points of their new jobs. Walter Koenig as Bester. 
P5 Rating: 8.42

Production number: 514
Original air date: April 15, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Stephen Furst

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Corps is Mother, The Corps is Father

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Bester enters his superior's office. He is introduced to two young Psi Cop recruits, Lauren and Chen, who he will be expected to take under his wing for a few weeks. The recruits are nervous being anywhere near their great hero, Bester.

A young man sits at a cluttered desk in a small room at the Psi Corps. He is arguing with himself, saying, "It's my mind, not yours." He sees an advertising brochure for Babylon 5, grabs it, and leaves the room. There is a bloody corpse on the floor.

Bester takes his charges into a Psi Cop scanning-countering training session. Two people are seated at a table sparring with each other. From the outside, they seem to be in a staring contest, but the mental image of them shows a complex attack and defense exercise going on. Bester says that field agents must be able to withstand this for an hour. Telepathic strength is not enough to be a Psi Cop, he explains, it also requires intense training, and a dedication to caring for rogue telepaths as if they are family members gone astray. Blips are happier when they are brought back home, he tells them and ushers them into a room where they can watch a propaganda film about this. The film is interrupted when a woman comes in and whispers something to Bester.

They go to the murder scene where Bester is informed that he must track down the victim's roommate and presumed murderer.

Later that evening, Bester is visited in his apartment by Lauren. She wants to talk about the murder. Bester explains that a dead mundane means nothing, but a telepath is rare and special, and so it is never easy when one dies. She worshipfully asks him about his history, and he tells her about being an orphan raised by the Corps, and his loveless marriage. When he suggests that she go home. she offers to stay, and he kindly ushers her to the door saying he appreciates it, but his heart is taken.

After she leaves his superior arrives to inform him that the suspect has booked passage to Babylon 5. Bester grimaces.

In the briefing the next day, the superior explains their mission. Since the suspect, Harris, is a P10, there is no way a mundane security force could catch him. And as Bester points out, this is an internal Psi Corps matter anyway. They don't want mundanes turning their eye on the Corps for any reason. Privately the superior tells Bester that the suspect is a trained "mind-shredder" who could even destroy him.

Later in his quarters, Bester prepares himself before departure by envisioning an interview with Harris, using his own image in a mirror. "Why did you do it?" he asks. Harris's image responds, "Because I could," and taunts him by saying, "You'll never understand what [went wrong]."

In the Babylon 5 casino, Harris sits down to a blackjack table and innocently asks the dealer to explain the rules.

Bester, Chen and Lauren depart from the Psi Corps mothership in a shuttle. Bester explains that just like all the other ships, the mothership never leaves hyperspace, lest outsiders discover the extent of the Psi Corps' resources.

After cleaning up in the blackjack game, Harris laughs and leaves the casino under the watchful scrutiny of a shady-looking man.

The Psi Corps trio arrives in Customs and are greeted by Zack. Bester suffers Zack's sarcasm for a moment, and then explains his mission and sends a dirty joke to Lauren who giggles, leaving Zack wondering what they know about him.

One of the losers in blackjack confronts Harris in a corridor and demands his money back. After getting knocked to the ground, a change comes over Harris, and he shouts "You shouldn't get him upset!" The loser begins to scream. His eyes turn bloody and he collapses.

Bester determines Harris's room from a Drazi lowlife. He goes to get B5 security and leaves Chen and Lauren to watch the room. He tells them explicitly not to approach the suspect.

Chen of course immediately decides to enter and attempt an arrest. He scares himself silly by stumbling over a corpse with his first step.

The corpse turns out to be that of a 5-day-dead gambler. Zack tells the Psi Cops that the man's identicard has been used in the casino several times since his death. The loser's corpse has just shown up in medlab, and Zack implies strongly that Bester has had something to do with the deaths.

When Franklin describes the way the man's brain cells exploded, with the worshipful recruits in tow, Bester explains with extreme condescension that the suspect couldn't have been the perpetrator since P10s can't do that kind of damage. Franklin bristles at the telepaths' mockery.

Bester is deeply worried now. He sends Lauren off to get more evidence from the investigators back at Psi Corps HQ, and sends Chen to Downbelow to find more gambling dens. Bester goes to check customs, in case Harris has booked passage elsewhere.

Chen discovers Harris, and places a call to Bester. As he does, he is stabbed to death by the man who has been shadowing Harris.

Chen's killer has partnered up with Harris, taking ten percent of Harris's winnings for the service. They only need one more session to have enough for Harris to get away. Harris claims that he doesn't even know why he's running away.

Lauren's work has turned up a recording of Harris's last training session. The session ends abruptly when Harris jumps in pain or anger and then shouts when his roommate apologizes, "He said let it go!"

Bester realizes that Harris is a multiple personality. The deadly personality must be a P12 who killed the roommate in order to avoid detection, since, as Lauren says in a happily brainwashed manner, "Unstable telepaths are put away for the good of everyone."

As Harris and his new pal amble towards their next gambling session, they are ambushed by security. Bester begs Harris to trust him, saying that they will take him back. Both men are overwhelmed and Bester is shot in the shoulder.

Franklin tells Bester he shouldn't leave before he has healed. Bester scoffs and the doctor's concern and Franklin says that he treats all his patients equally, "Even the annoying self righteous arrogant ones with self-important delusions of godhood." Bester smirks, hops off the table and collapses. When Franklin quickly catches him, Bester remarks that if Franklin had thought about it he would have let him fall. Franklin contends that he wouldn't and authorizes a scan if Bester wants to see the truth.

Just then Lauren comes up announcing that Zack is releasing both prisoners to their care so they can depart immediately.

Back in their shuttle in hyperspace, Lauren offers Bester a back rub when they get home and then tells him what a hero he is to her because he never gives up fighting for their people. Then she begs Bester to allow her to deal with the mundane captive on board. He grants permission and within a few minutes the man is spaced.

Bester asks if it's her first and she swallows and says yes. Then she beams proudly when he comments that she "might just be Psi Corps material after all."

The Deconstruction of Falling Stars

Overview

Fourth season finale. A look back at the impact of Babylon 5 from 100, 500, 1000, and 1000000 years in the future. 
P5 Rating: 8.50

Production number: 422 (but see Notes)
Original air week: October 27, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Stephen Furst
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for future episodes, as it's mostly in the form of retrospectives from future viewpoints.

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Deconstruction of Falling Stars

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@cc.wwu.edu)

President Sheridan and Delenn's shuttle is just returning to Babylon 5 after their honeymoon, and they are welcomed aboard by a party in the docking bay, something Garibaldi knew Sheridan would want to avoid. Sheridan promises to pay him back, but thanks the crowd, and takes Delenn off into an adjoining hallway. Londo appears with G'Kar and asks why there is a party for human weddings, instead of the Centauri method of celebrating with a somber ceremony--he insists it is a bad sign for the future. Franklin and Garibaldi have no interest in discussing this with him.

Sheridan and Delenn consult with each other about the attention--Delenn wishes people wouldn't give the two of them all the credit for what all of them did collectively, but Sheridan insists that, in a hundred years, no one will know the difference-- probably no one will even remember them. Delenn agrees, and they move down the hallway, joined by Franklin, Garibaldi, Londo, and G'Kar.

"And here's our first shot of the First Couple of the Interstellar Alliance, President John Sheridan and Delenn, live on ISN," an announcer's voice explains. "Their triumphant return to Babylon 5 after the liberation of Earth..." Then, the audio begins to break down. "...generated good...messages from the Senate and the... former League of Non-Aligned Worlds..." The screen erupts into static, and is then replaced with a computer display screen.

"Continuity error caused by high energy," a voice explains. "Correcting for error. Resetting. Do you wish to continue?"

Someone selects "Yes."

"Reloading Sequence: Sheridan and Delenn. Please select a time period, or select Auto Play for chronological display of records."

"Auto Play" is selected.

As the records load, the voice continues, "Loading records for period covering one year through one thousand years from events shown. Please stand by to receive."

The voice resumes. "Accessing records from initial scanning date. Standby."

"ISN Night Side," an announcer says, "a no-holds-barred look at the events of today that will shape the world of tomorrow. And now your host, Derek Mitchell."

Derek Mitchell appears in the ISN studio. He explains that the previous few weeks-- with the end of the civil war and the creation of the Interstellar Alliance-- have been quite overwhelming, and that the purpose of this broadcast is to reflect on recent events. The broadcast begins with a report from an investigative reporter, who describes the important events in Sheridan's life and predicts it'll be a struggle to hold together the newborn Interstellar Alliance.

Mitchell then introduces a panel of experts to discuss the issue, and each member of the panel is sharply divided. Henry Ellis, a political speech-writer, feels Sheridan is underqualified to run the Interstellar Alliance, and that he has no business being President of anything. He thinks the Alliance is doomed from the beginning. Senator Elizabeth Materie and journalist Leif Tanner disagree--they want Sheridan to be given the chance to prove himself. They don't know if the Alliance will work, but they feel he deserves the right to try. Senator Materie accuses Ellis of trying to discredit Sheridan, someone who might prevent his party from achieving a majority in the senate.

Coming up on a commercial break, Mitchell asks them, assuming Sheridan can make the Alliance work, if it will make a difference, and what the most difficult problem to overcome will be. Tanner feels that Sheridan has already made a difference, and Senator Materie feels that it's too early to tell, as the most important developments will happen in the next year, with many problems still needing to be solved. However, she feels he can handle it. Ellis disagrees--he says that the only way the Alliance will work is with the use of military force, which will cause the Alliance to fall apart.

"Thank you, thank you very much," Mitchell tells them, as he turns to the camera. "We'll be back in just a moment to consider the political implications of this new Interstellar Alliance, and the recent calls for the formation of independent political parties on Mars..." The audio and video cuts out, the screen filling with static.

"Record ends," the computer voice resumes. "Auto play feature engaged. Loading next sequence. Date: One hundred years from first time period. Stand by."

"...with another in our series of educational stellarcasts on the 100th anniversary of the Interstellar Alliance. Taking part in today's discussion from Earthdome, historian Dr. Jim Latimere from the University of York, Political Science professor Dr. Barbara Tashaki, University of Japan at Tokyo, and psychologist Dr. William Exeter from NYU."

Latimere introduces those watching to the broadcast, and passes along the first question to the others: What role did Babylon 5 play in the creation of the hundred year peace? Both doctors agree that it didn't play a role at all--Dr. Tashaki explains that individuals cannot effect change themselves, they enable others to do the work for them. Exeter feels they didn't do anything, and that the record of their accomplishments is overrated. Tashaki claims the force of history was all that saved them, after so many people died during the first year of the Alliance's operation. As she begins to talk about Delenn and Sheridan's son, she is interrupted by Latimere.

His next question for them is where Sheridan and Delenn went wrong. Though Latimere tries to defend them, Exeter says that one of their problems was the establishment of a telepath colony on Babylon 5. Tashaki agrees, saying that she felt it helped bring about the Telepath War. Latimere tries to prevent her from associating events too much, but she won't be swayed. Latimere then shows them a video clip of Garibaldi, in a room, surrounded by people, begging them to work with him. They refuse, but are soon confronted with a message from Sheridan on a screen nearby refusing to bargain with terrorists for the lives of hostages. Sheridan gives them the choice to surrender or to die, with ten minutes to decide. One of the people raises a gun, and the sound of gunfire is heard as Latimere ends the clip. Exeter feels that Sheridan was pathological, and that he was power-hungry, never letting anything get in his way. Tashaki thinks it was, instead, a sophisticated PR campaign.

"And then there's that bit about the way his death was handled," Exter says.

"Exactly," Tashaki agrees. "Everyone knows Sheridan died on Minbar. The cover story they put out was designed to perpetuate the myth of his character. And I guess it worked, 'cause a lot of people still believe it, eighty years later."

Latimere then asks them about Delenn--Exeter feels it's ridiculous to believe that Delenn is still alive, living in seclusion, and that the Alliance is using that for their own purposes. Tashaki also agrees, wondering why, if the Alliance is truly that strong, they need the lies and myths.

Latimere asks if they feel the Alliance has been a force for good. Exter basically thinks so, but also believes that the Alliance's original motives may not have been as pure as believed. Tashaki thinks that it is unfair to give Sheridan and Delenn undue credit. As she is about to continue, an alarm sounds, and Latimere informs them that there has been a security breach in the building.

Three Minbari walk in, and the one in the lead is very recognizable. It is a much older Delenn. "John Sheridan was a good, kind, and decent man," she says. Latimere asks her if she came so far to say that, to which she responds, "You came just as far to say less." She tells them that they don't truly wish to know anything--they ignore that which they truly know because it is inconvenient, and they invent that which they do not know. Delenn insists that Sheridan was a good and kind man that cared about Earth, even when everyone turned their backs to him. She starts to walk away, but is interrupted by Exeter, mentioning that they would expect her to say that. She tells them good-bye, and looks around at their faces, finding nothing to give her reason to stay. She turns and leaves.

"Record ends," the computer voice intones. "Auto play feature engaged. Loading next sequence. Date: Five hundred years from first time period. Stand by."

In room with a conference table, the rear wall glowing blue, a man, Daniel, steps forward from the wall. He hits a few keys on the control he is carrying, and the blue wall changes into a Babylon 5 background. He explains, for the benefit of posterity, the "virtual environment" is identical to that of Babylon 5 in 2262, and is as accurate as possible, given the age of the records available, and the destruction of the station 480 years earlier. He turns to the camera. "The purpose of this simulation is to provide reverse-correct infospeak as support for current changes in Earth policy. That is, the new policy that the Interstellar Alliance is restrictive, against the best interests of Earth. Intent is to deconstruct historical figures revered by Prole Sector, thereby legitimizing current government policies."

He activates the control holograms--one of Sheridan, one of Delenn, one of Dr. Franklin, and one of Garibaldi. He explains that, to determine if research has been thorough enough, the holograms will be imbued with the psychological makeups of the people in question, and will therefore behave "in a fashion consistent with realfact." The holograms do believe that they are Babylon 5 in the year 2262, and as the next step in the process, Daniel updates the holograms with information gathered during the ensuing 500 years they cannot recall. Sheridan realizes what Daniel is trying to do--use the vids as propaganda (or, as Daniel calls them, "goodfacts") to justify a break from the Alliance, because Earth needs room to expand that the Alliance doesn't allow them. Garibaldi realizes they have been recreated to provide false records. The people who created the Alliance are now being used to undermine it. As the memories of the last 500 years become loaded into their memories, the holograms realize they are on the verge of another civil war, with the Daniel's group wanting to invade worlds still loyal to the Alliance--their legacy is a hindrance, and they must be deconstructed.

As the four holograms begin to finally understand what's going on, Daniel beings phase 3 of his project--a goodfact scenario. The area around them changes to a corridor in Babylon 5, with Sheridan's personality reprogrammed. He explains to a holographic group of aliens-- who surrendered in hopes of finding mercy--that he shows no mercy to the weak. He promises to "blaze a path across the galaxy" using their blood. Sheridan orders his officers to fire at the aliens, which they do. Delenn, Garibaldi, and Franklin begin to formulate a plan, but they are stopped by Daniel when he begins a new simulation, this time using Franklin, who explains--in a holographic medlab--his method of using alien organs in human bodies to create a genetic cross-breed for use by the Alliance.

Daniel pauses the program to make some notes, and Garibaldi begins speaking to him. Daniel has little desire to talk to him and tries to deactivate the program, but Garibaldi suggests he not do that--he might have some useful information. After all, Garibaldi claims, he did most of the strategic planning during the war, and that kind of information could make Daniel look very good to his superiors, but he will need just a few questions answered. Daniel admits that he does know what his superiors are planning--they are going to attack the outer colonies, and the enemy nations on Earth simultaneously. He also reveals that, to demoralize the enemy, they will attack civilian population centers. Daniel asks what Garibaldi would suggest they do. "I suggest," Garibaldi replies, "that you put your head between your legs and you kiss your ass goodbye."

Daniel attempts to deactivate Garibaldi, but it won't work--while all of the new information was being downloaded into the Garibaldi hologram, he learned how to use the system to transmit their entire conversation to the "enemy" forces. Garibaldi predicts that, since they are more humanitarian, they will probably only target military facilities. Daniel doesn't believe him, but the red alert klaxons sounding change his mind, and he still can't deactivate the simulation. Garibaldi asks if, by any chance, they are currently on military base, and, without replying, Daniel lets out an urgent scream and leaves the room, running through the blue field as quickly as he can. Garibaldi's hologram walks over to his comrades, and says to them, "Rest easy friends. Rest easy," just as the base is engulfed in a blinding flash of white light.

"Record ends," continues the computer voice. "Auto play feature engaged. Loading next sequence. Date: One thousand years from first time period. Stand by."

In an old library or study, with a man, in monk's robes, adjusts the camera, amazed the mechanism still works after so long. He says he needs to begin his report, but is interrupted by a knock at the door. He answers it, and admits another, younger monk, bearing a large book, into the room. Brother Michael, the younger monk, says he's having a crisis of faith.

Brother Alwyn asks what the problem is this time, and Michael replies that he doesn't know why he's there, or what his purpose is, or to what end he is pursuing God's work. Brother Michael explains that he heard a rumor that their request for recognition has been turned down by Rome again, and asks if it's true. Alwyn says they don't understand the wisdom of their mission to keep alive knowledge of the past that would otherwise have been lost after the Great Burn 500 years earlier. Alwyn says that science isn't Rome's calling, but Michael wants to know how they can be sure it is theirs. Since most of the records were lost during the Great Burn, they only have word of mouth to go on. Alwyn says they still have the holy books written after the Great Burn that tell of the battles that burned the air and the sea, accounts which can be verified by looking outside.

Michael says it's all too clean and too thought out, and opens the book he brought. He shows a picture of a being named Lorien, the Last of the First. Michael says the others claim he was a fable created to match scripture, but that no proof exists. Alwyn insists there is proof, in space--a place they can unfortunately not reach. Michael feels great sorrow at what has happened to Earth, and Alwyn reminds him that is why they are there, to preserve the ancient knowledge that still does exist. But Michael needs to know how they will ever create the flying machines mentioned in the books, or if they will ever find the truth that lies in the stars. He wants to know about Blessed Sheridan, who lived and died, taken "bodily into heaven" and the other people mentioned.

The one element that gives Brother Michael the most pause, however, is that of the prophesies of Delenn III, who predicted the An'la'shok--the Rangers--would come to Earth in its greatest hour of need and rebuild it. He says they have waited so long, and they have never come, that he is beginning to doubt that, as well as all the others. He is afraid that, because of that, his life might prove to have all been a lie. Alwyn tells Michael he cannot help him--only his faith can do that. Faith and reason must work together to look for the reason to continue. Alwyn tells Michael that if the Rangers did come back, they would never know about it. Their secret would be feared by those who blame science for the Great Burn. Michael asks Alwyn if he believes the Rangers are on Earth now, to which Alwyn responds that he believes they could be. That's enough for him, and for faith. Alwyn believes that should be enough for Michael as well. He closes the book, and tells Michael to finish illuminating upon it, that he has come too far to lose his faith. He ushers Michael to the door, but before Michael goes, he says that he hopes that, if the truth lies in the stars, he can one day walk among them. Alwyn tells him that he prays his wish will someday come true. After Brother Michael has left, Alwyn turns once again to the camera.

"Alwyn Macomber reporting in. Nothing of substance to report since my last. We think we may have gathered enough information from the time pre-Burn to assemble a working gasoline engine. Obviously, there is no gasoline in this part of the country, therefore, we ask the supply department if they could... arrange to have a suitable supply of gasoline found in the vicinity near the Abbey in a few days. Only this time, for Valen's sake, please make it look like an old container! The last one could have been produced a hundred years ago!" He moves to his closet and opens the door, and pulls out a black uniform with a green pin over the right breast. "We will rebuild the Earth, though it take us another two thousand years. But this time... We will build it better. I'm attaching a conversation I just had with Brother Michael, who, I still think, would be a worthy recruit, after he's grown a little. Give him another twenty years, and he'll be fine. Alwyn, An'la'shok, first sector, end report. We live for The One, we die for The One."

"Record ends. Autoplay feature complete," says the voice.

"Stand by," says a man.

"System has finished processing and archiving records for period of one million years from initial scanning date. Instructions?"

"Our job is finished," the man continues. "Convey records to New Earth."

"Confirmed," the computer voice says.

"Use enhanced tachyon sequence to ensure arrival in time for the celebrations."

"Confirmed. Note: Atypical solar emissions increasing in intensity. Estimate Sol will hit nova in less than 5 standard hours. Recommend immediate evacuation."

"Tell the others not to worry," the man tells the computer. "I wouldn't miss this for anything. Now go on." The computer display compacts itself into a small point of light, which then floats off. "This is how the world ends," the man says. "Swallowed in fire, but not in darkness. You will live on, the voice of all our ancestors, the voice of our fathers and our mothers to the last generation. We created the world we think you would have wished for us, and now we leave the cradle for the last time." The man turns and walks away, and after a few steps, changes into a ball of brilliant blue-white light. The ball of light floats over to the corner, where it merges with a tall device standing there. The device activates, and a small unit--closely resembling a head--emerges and the eyes glow.

A lone green ship begins flying away from a yellow star. The symbol of the Rangers is emblazoned on its side. As it creates and enters a jump point, the star explodes...

...and becomes the flame of a candle.

Delenn turns to Sheridan as they lie in bed. "You should sleep. We both have early meetings."

"Yeah, I know... I was just thinking about it all, everything we've done... And what I said earlier... And I was wondering if they will remember us a hundred years from now, or a thousand. And I figure, probably not."

"But it doesn't matter. We did what we did because it was right, not to be remembered. And history will attend to itself. It always does." They kiss each other, and then hug and smile.

Dedicated to all the people who predicted that the Babylon Project would fail in its mission.

Faith manages.

The Exercise of Vital Powers

Overview

Garibaldi arrives on Mars and meets William Edgars. Lyta helps Franklin in an attempt to make contact with the frozen telepaths. Denise Gentile as Lise. Mark Schneider as Wade. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as William Edgars. 
P5 Rating: 8.62

Production number: 416
Original air week: June 2, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John LaFia

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Exercise of Vital Powers

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@cc.wwu.edu)

"This is Commander Susan Ivanova brining you the Voice of the Resistance. The liberation fleet continues to retake territory held in violation of the Earth Alliance constitution. More ships on the other side continue to defect carrying stories of atrocities carried out under the direct orders of President Clark. In addition to the liberation of Proxima III, the colony at Beta Durani and the mid-range military base have also been freed. The long march toward Earth continues."

"Personal Log, Michael Garibaldi. It's started. They're really doing it. This is what I was afraid would happen. But it's been coming for a long time--ever since Sheridan got back. Before he went to Z'ha'dum, he never would have gone up against his own--our own-- government like this. I don't know--maybe he thinks he's Alexander the Great. And maybe he thinks he's John the Baptist. And maybe he wants to take over the whole operation for himself." The transport tubes on Mars appear. "That's the part that worries me. That's the part that made me come back here. Mars... I can't believe I'm back on Mars. Three times before, this place almost killed me. I swore I'd never give it another chance to finish the job. Humans got no business being here. No business at all."

Wade, who is sitting across from Garibaldi, tells him that they are almost there, and that he needs to put on a blindfold to meet with William Edgars. Garibaldi is reluctant at first, and Wade understand that Garibaldi doesn't like to give up control, but if Garibaldi doesn't play along, he will have to leave. Wade says that Edgars has gone through a lot of trouble to get Garibaldi to Mars, and that the average guy would be grateful. Garibaldi says he isn't the average guy, and Wade notes that he wouldn't be there if he were, since Edgars doesn't like average guys. Wade again tells Garibaldi to put on the blindfold, but says he doesn't need to worry--they are going to Edgars' private dock, so no one will think it strange. Wade informs Garibaldi that, in olden days, the rising of Mars always precipitated climactic events. "It was a bad sign. Now, there are two million people living here," he says.

"It still is a bad sign," says Garibaldi, now wearing the blindfold.

"Mars," Garibaldi says, continuing his log. "Can't believe I'm back on Mars. I've got to be out of my mind."

Dr. Franklin is in MedLab running experiments on the Shadow-implanted telepaths when Zack arrives. Franklin explains his troubles to Zack--nothing he has tried to remove the implants has worked, and pressure from Sheridan to do it hasn't made things any easier, especially since he doesn't know what the rush is. Dr. Franklin leaves for a moment, and Lyta, whom Zack had been looking for, enters MedLab. He tells her he needs her to scan the victim of a mugging to confirm the assailant's identity. She agrees to do so, and Zack leaves. She goes over to look at one of the telepaths lying on the examination table in the isolation lab, and the telepath's eyes open suddenly. Franklin sees what's going on--the telepath sitting up, touching Lyta's hand through the window of the lab, and calls out to her, causing her to lose her concentration. The telepath returns to his comatose state.

Garibaldi arrives at William Edgar's compound, only to run into Lise. She tells him it wasn't a good time for him to come, and that things are too busy, but Edgars insists it is alright that Garibaldi is there. Lise leaves to go assist the cook with dinner, and Edgars and Garibaldi begin talking. Edgars asks Garibaldi why he insisted on coming now, and Garibaldi explains that he was tired of not seeing Edgars' face, wanted to know what he was helping Edgars do, and to stop Sheridan if at all possible. Edgars insists he is just a businessman, but Garibaldi knows better, since Edgars has some strong political connections. Garibaldi tells Edgars that he doesn't trust Clark, and Edgars agrees, though he shouldn't be stopped by a military action, but from inside the system. Garibaldi admits that he feels Sheridan wants to take over himself, but, while he can't let Sheridan do that, he can't turn him over to Clark either. Garibaldi wants Edgars to speak on Sheridan's behalf, which would increase his political power, and possibly even put him in the Presidency himself. Edgars finds Garibaldi's words intriguing, but informs him he won't do anything further until he knows he can trust Garibaldi.

Wade shows Garibaldi the room he will be staying, and then leaves him for the night. The room is on the small side, containing little more than a bed and a few light fixtures. Garibaldi settles in for the night.

Franklin chases after Lyta, who insists she's late for an appointment. She apologizes for messing up his experiment, but he says that he's glad she did what she did--it's the only reaction he had managed to achieved. He asks her how she did it, and she tells him that she looked at him, and heard a sound--the sound a Shadow vessel makes--in her head, acted instinctively to make it go away, and he woke up. Franklin asks her to come back after her other job, and convinces her to try to help him.

Garibaldi is asleep in his room when the door bursts open and several figures in mask rush in. They grab him and force him out of the room, and into another chamber, where only one figure, a woman, sits at a table. The voice of Edgars, coming from unseen speakers, assures him he is in no danger. Edgars explains that the woman is a telepath, and she will only inform him if he is telling the truth when he answers Edgars' questions.

Edgars begins by asking Garibaldi what he thinks about telepaths, and Garibaldi responds that he doesn't trust them--he doesn't like someone being able to get inside his head, or being able to tell if he's lying if he doesn't know when they are, or to be able to conduct business with no records. He says the tension between telepaths and mundanes will turn ugly someday, but hopes he won't be alive to see it. Edgars asks if this means he feels they are a menace to society, and Garibaldi answers, "The biggest one we've got."

Edgars asks Garibaldi if he was sincere when he said he wanted to locate and secure someone, and Garibaldi answers yes to both questions. The telepath turns and nods.

Edgars asks Garibaldi why the reason given for his employment--to keep in-development pharmaceuticals safe from competitors isn't enough. Garibaldi explains that Edgars could pay off anyone to keep the secret, but that he feels he's being used as a scapegoat in case they catch him in the act. Edgars asks Garibaldi if he's assuming he's lying. Garibaldi says everyone lies, and though it's a sad view of the universe, it's the only one he has.

Edgars asks Garibaldi if he can remember anything about his disappearance from Babylon 5 earlier that year. Garibaldi says he can't remember anything. The telepath turns again, and nods.

Edgars tells Garibaldi that he is finished, and can go. As he walks toward the door, however, Edgars asks one more question: Is Garibaldi still in love with Lise? Garibaldi answers no, Edgars thanks him, and lets him return to his room. The telepath turns and shakes her head. Edgars thanks the telepath and tells her that Wade will see to her payment.

Edgars enters his own room, to find Lise waiting up. She asks him how it went, and he tells her it went fine, but he also tells her that she was never mentioned. He says he thinks Garibaldi put it all behind him, and that he thinks Garibaldi would be a fine addition. He tells Lise not to worry, and that everything will be just fine.

As the telepath gathers her coat and prepares to leave, Wade appears in the doorway. As she turns to face him, he pulls a PPG and fires several shots directly at her.

In MedLab, Lyta and Franklin are standing over the same telepath from before. He tells her to do what she did the last time, only slower--he wants to learn to stimulate the same brainwaves artificially, but they can worry about getting the implants out later. Franklin is ready, and begins the computer recording. Lyta concentrates on the telepath, and one of the monitor displays of the telepath changes. Franklin surmises that the Shadow implants speed up brain functions--useful for running a Shadow vessel--and that that causes trouble when there is nothing around to control. The telepath's eyes open, and he sits up suddenly, remembering his implant procedure. He grabs Franklin by the throat and asks if the machines are gone. Franklin tells him they are, but the telepath is still not calmed. "What am I? Why am I?" asks the telepath, as he throws Franklin to the floor. The telepath turns to Lyta. "I can't live like this," and picks up a medical device and holds it to his own throat. Lyta stops him from going any further, apologizes to him, and then puts him back to sleep. Franklin is able to take over from there, but Lyta, disturbed and shaken, just turns and leaves MedLab.

Garibaldi arrives in Edgars' office the next morning, and asks to be told the whole story about his involvement with Edgars, since he apparently passed the test. Edgars begins by telling him that, in a world run by telepaths, mundanes would be severely limited in what they could pursue, and how they could behave--a world with no privacy. It's a world neither Edgars nor Garibaldi want to live in. Garibaldi feels that, despite certain members of the PsiCorps feeling they should be in control, telepaths don't have enough power to take over. Edgars says they don't, yet, but they are beginning to fight their own battle of secrets and intimidation. He points out that, without the PsiCorps badge, no one can really tell a telepath from a normal human, and that they can inspire fear whether they show their true colors or not. Edgars explains to Garibaldi that Clark has power given him by the voters who were afraid of aliens and wanted to do something about it. Clark has begun to pass that power on to the PsiCorps. He wants complete and total loyalty, and he can only prove loyalty with the use of telepaths. When President Santiago objected to this, Clark eliminated him, with outside help, including the help of aliens, who promised him all the power he could want. The aliens were interested in the PsiCorps, which became Clark's "insurance policy" against them, and he used them to gain more power still. He created the Nightwatch and selected his own people to fill important positions, with telepaths watching over everything. Edgars is sure that, no matter what happens to Clark, the PsiCorps will not want to give up its newfound power.

Garibaldi asks what Sheridan has to do with this, and Edgars explains that, should Sheridan go too far, Clark will remove the last restrictions from the PsiCorps, giving them all the power they need, turning it into a military and police force under his direct control, which Garibaldi recognizes as thought police. When that happens, Edgars believes, they will never let go of their power. Edgars tells Garibaldi that Clark is not really in charge--that his own megacorporation, as well as the others on Earth, have really been running things behind the scenes for years. Now that the PsiCorps threatens their bussinesses, they have to take action. Edgars wants Sheridan out of the way so that they have enough time to perfect their solution, and to keep him from putting too much power in the PsiCorps too soon. Garibaldi asks Edgars how they can stop the PsiCorps when Lise interrupts, telling them that breakfast is ready. Edgars asks Garibaldi if he'd like to join them, but Garibaldi declines, instead saying that he has some thinking to do. Edgars starts to leave, but Garibaldi stops him and asks him if the story he was just told was really the truth. Edgars tells him it's as close to the truth as he--or anyone else--will ever get, but that it should be enough for Garibaldi to decide if he wants to continue working with Edgars. Edgars tells Garibaldi he hopes that he will, and then leaves for breakfast.

As the fleet continues on its way, Sheridan is talking to Ivanova, who is still on Babylon 5. She tells him that they have turned two more Earth Alliance ships over to the Resistance, a fact which pleases and worries Sheridan--he always becomes suspicious when things start going too well. He asks her about Delenn, and Ivanova tells him that she is done with her work on Minbar, and will be back on Babylon 5 soon. There is nothing else that she has to report, but he tells her that he wants to talk to Dr. Franklin.

Ivanova calls down to Medlab and tells him that Sheridan wants to talk to him. Franklin explains that he thinks he found a way to neutralize the implants. Sheridan asks Franklin how long it will take him to get the telepaths up and running, but Franklin refuses to do anything more until Sherdian tells him exactly what he wants to do with the telepaths. Franklin gets rid of everyone else in MedLab, and Sheridan begins explaining his plan.

Franklin leaves Medlab, visibly shaken. While standing in the corridor, Lyta arrives. She asks him if he's alright, and he says he isn't. He says that, when Sheridan came back from Z'ha'dum, he never understood why everyone thought he was acting so different. But, he explains that the Sheridan he knew never would have asked him to do what this Sheridan just did. Franklin admits that it is the only way, but really wishes he were wrong about it. He asks Lyta if she is available for a long-term job. She is, and he tells her to start packing--they leave for Mars in a few days.

Garibaldi is sitting on his bed when there's a knock on the door. It's Lise, who has brought him his dinner. As she is about to leave, he says he doesn't know what she sees in Edgars, besides his money. He asks her what Edgars has that he doesn't. She insists it's not the money, and that he's a good man, and that she does love him. She is, however, very concerned about Garibaldi, and doesn't want anything to happen to him, or to Edgars. Garibaldi tells her that she should have tried to get things back the way they were, but that wasn't enough for her--she didn't want to hold up the relationship herself. She wanted him to care about something else, other than his job, and that he never said that he loved her until she said it to him. She starts to leave again, but can't force herself through the door. In a broken voice, she explains that, after Franz left her, Garibaldi was too far away, and that she needed someone in her life to be there for her, and that Edgars was that person. She asks him if he would have left and gone to her when she needed him, and he says he doesn't know. Crying, she says that she is too old for that, and that Bill does care for her and he does love her. Garibaldi apologizes for what happened, and tells her that he did he did love her. She says she's sorry, too, tells him to eat his dinner, and then leaves him alone.

Edgars is standing over three beds when Wade comes in. Edgars tells him that they are at a critical stage, and can't afford any mistakes. Edgars sits down next to one of the beds, which contains a man with white skin and lesions all over his face. He reaches under the plastic covering the man's face, and touches his skin. Wade says Edgars shouldn't touch him, but Edgars says the man can use some compassion, and that he can't be infected anyway. Wade asks how long he's been off the drug, and Edgars says five days--the drug is working faster than before. The man moans, and Edgars tells him that, though it's part of the process, it will be over soon. He gets up and tells Wade to put the man down. He knows the drug works, but doesn't want to add to the pain in the universe unless it's absolutely necessary. He leaves Wade alone in the room with the three people.

Garibaldi arrives in Edgars' office, and tells him that he's been thinking about a lot of things. Garibaldi says that he has made his decision--he is in all the way. Edgars is pleased, but Garibaldi wants to know the rest of the story. That's not good enough for Edgars, though--he wants Garibaldi to prove himself. The way to do that is to give him Sheridan. If he does that, Edgars will tell him the rest. Edgars wants Clark to feel secure in his position, and with Sheridan, that will give Edgars the time he needs to do what he must. Garibaldi doesn't want Clark to get Sheridan, since he is sure he'll kill him. Edgars knows that Clark is an amateur, and will go through the motions, but won't kill him, at least right away. Edgars says that they need to take Sheridan out of the picture, and that it is time to do so. Garibaldi tells Edgars that the easiest way to get to Sheridan is through his father. Edgars says that Earth was torn apart looking for him, but no one knows how to find him. Garibaldi, however, does--he knows Sheridan's father has a rare blood disease which requires the use of a certain Centauri drug, which is rare and expensive, and easy to track. Edgars says that they still need someone to set Sheridan up, and Garibaldi volunteers. Edgars tells Garibaldi that he's doing the right thing, and hopes he understands it.

"Mars. Three times before, this place almost killed me. And now... I've finally finished the job. I can't feel anything anymore. I don't know what I care about anymore. Except Lise. I screwed up both our lives pretty good. Now I get to make up for it, assuming any of us can ever make up for anything we've done in the past. Maybe we can't. Maybe we just have to live with it, and get on with it, and do what we have to--never what we want to. It has to be done. I hope he can see that someday..."

The Face of the Enemy

Overview

Sheridan's search for his father leads him into danger on Mars. Lyta warns Franklin of an impending clash between telepaths and mundanes. Garibaldi chooses between loyalty to Sheridan and to Edgars. Richard Gant as Captain MacDougan. Denise Gentile as Lise. Walter Koenig as Bester. Marjorie Monaghan as Number One. Mark Schneider as Wade. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as William Edgars. 
P5 Rating: 9.26

Production number: 417
Original air week: June 9, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Warning: This episode reveals a lot of information, and there are spoilers below. Think twice before reading on if you haven't seen the episode.

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Face of the Enemy

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

As Sheridan's forces approach Earth, the fighting grows more fierce. Outgunned and unable to flee, Clark's remaining ships still refuse to surrender.

Meanwhile, Dr. Franklin and Lyta find themselves on Mars again with their disturbing cargo.

Garibaldi matter of factly informs Edgars that John Sheridan's trap has been baited with his father. Pleased, Edgars again promises Garibaldi the elusive reward of the whole truth. "I think the last guy got thirty pieces of silver for the same job," Garibaldi remarks with distaste as he leaves.

Sheridan orders the opposing vessels to stand down again. One captain finally breaks silence saying that Sheridan is only going to execute them if they surrender. Sheridan's new ally Macdougan convinces the young captain that its safe to stand down just as a new ship jumps into the melee. To Sheridan's relief it's his old ship, the Agamemnon, come to join his fleet.

Number One is livid to discover that Franklin has brought a teep into her facility without even thinking of consulting her. The dozens of frozen telepaths he brings are equally unwelcome.

Sheridan and the Agamemnon's crew share a fond reunion when he goes on board. He's still there when Garibaldi's transmission catches up with him. Garibaldi explains that Clark's people have captured Sheridan's dad, and says he has a rescue plan which requires Sheridan's presence. Against everyone's advice Sheridan decides to go to Mars alone, and the Agamemnon agrees to transport him there.

The hostility towards Lyta is not limited to Number One. Franklin is baffled, until Lyta explains the Bloodhound program. Anyone suspected of being in the Resistance is simply picked up and scanned. No due process. Quietly Lyta begins to explain the other things Psi Cops have done. One serial killer of telepaths now lives in an institution, screaming all the time at the "things [we] planted in his mind." When that happened she left Psi Cops for Commercial work, but from then she became afraid of what telepaths could do. "Someday there's going to be a war between telepaths and mundanes, Stephen," she predicts direly.

Ivanova leaves the station to take command of the fleet in Sheridan's absence, and Delenn agrees to keep watch over B5 until she returns.

John pilots a fighter down to the surface of Mars. Garibaldi is waiting in a smoky bar. As soon as the Captain sits, Garibaldi slaps a tranquilizer patch on his hand. Furiously Sheridan stands and attempts to escape, but like a lion brought down by jackals, the men who have come for him are too many and too strong. Garibaldi just sits in his place and watches impassively as his former friend and CO gets beaten to a pulp.

ISN's gloating begins immediately. Ivanova and Marcus watch in stunned silence.

Garibaldi returns to his boss, furiously demanding to be finally told the truth. Edgars and Wade reveal that they have genetically engineered a virus that attacks only telepaths. They have also developed an "antidote" that needs to be administered to infected telepaths every two weeks. Turning telepaths into a virtual slave race is the only way they see to counter the threat of the "death of human liberty and human thought." As a side-effect, by removing Clark's power base in the Psi Corps, they will be free to overturn his government easily. Garibaldi affirms that he is still on board and Edgars informs him that now that Clark is distracted by the capture of Sheridan, he can begin the process of releasing the virus.

"The telepath prob--" he utters and stops. Hearing the holocaustic parallel in his own words, he continues in a broken voice, "The telepath problem...will finally be over."

Unbeknownst to them all, a horrified Lise has heard everything from her hiding place behind a column.

When they have left the room Garibaldi sits quietly and pops a cap off his tooth revealing a miniscule transmitter. Lise finds him later waiting stony faced in a tube. She begs him to help stop her husband. With eerily muted urgency Garibaldi only tells her to go home.

Moments later a new passenger joins him and the car leaves the station. Without hesitation, Bester jumps straight into Garibaldi's mind and extracts Edgars' nefarious plan. Even the imperturbable Psi Cop is stunned by the extent of this "final solution." Having finished what he came for, Bester muses about what to do with Garibaldi next. "I can feel you, you know...the real you, beating at the inside of your skull, screaming to get out." Should he let Garibaldi free? Should he keep him penned up forever? He explains to Garbaldi what happened when he was captured by the Shadows.

Bester got control of Garibaldi during the Shadows' attempt to "adjust" him and managed to handle the procedure on his own terms. That way he could thwart his enemies the Shadows (the virus of Edgars' was surely Shadow technology after all), take revenge on the officers of Babylon 5, and use Garibaldi as a weapon against his other enemies, all in one move. Accentuating his naturally rebellious and suspicious instincts turned Garibaldi into the perfect tool for digging to the bottom of anti-telepath conspiracies. The odd messages Garibaldi received from time to time tuned his conditioning until his real personality was completely buried under the new one.

And now Bester wonders what to do. Toying for an instant with a gun in Garibaldi's face, Bester comments that now that Garibaldi's friends know he betrayed Sheridan, he "can't go home again." Deciding to let the real Garibaldi free, Bester exits the car and the train leaves the station.

Garibaldi sits impassively on the bench. A flash of reality slams his mind. He shakes his head. Then another. And then again. He screams in rage and whacks his head into the wall of the train.

When Marcus informs Ivanova that Garibaldi has attempted to contact them, she orders that if he shows up on the station he be shot on sight. In the interim, with Sheridan captured and the fleet in limbo, she vows to finish the job her Captain began.

Garibaldi frantically searches Edgars' home for Lise but only finds Edgars dead, the virus removed and Wade mortally injured on the floor. Wade manages to whisper that Lise hadn't been there when they were attacked.

The ISN anchor reports the assassination of William Edgars apparently by Free Mars terrorists. She also proudly congratulates former Chief Warrant Officer Michael Garibaldi for rescuing the renegade Earth Force Captain John Sheridan. While Sheridan continues to be pummeled by his captors, she reports that now that he has been freed of alien influences, Sheridan is expressing regret for his actions against his home world.

The Fall of Centauri Prime

Overview

As Sheridan races to stop the Alliance ships from attacking Centauri Prime, Londo's fate, and that of his people, is decided. 
P5 Rating: 9.22

Production number: 519
Original air date: October 28, 1998 (US)
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Douglas Wise

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Fall of Centauri Prime

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)

The Narn and Drazi fleets bombard the defenseless Centauri Prime from space, hitting even the Royal Palace. The ceiling in G'Kar's cell partly collapses over him just before Londo arrives. Londo helps him stand up, and takes him elsewhere in the Palace.

As the capital burns, G'Kar is left alone in a room, somewhat worse for wear, while Londo goes looking for the Regent. In hyperspace, Sheridan races to Centauri Prime. He is informed that the Narn and Drazi have begun the bombardment, and that Delenn's White Star has been missing for almost 12 hours ("Movements of Fire and Shadow").

The bombardment moves away from the capital, and Londo finds the Regent. He discovers who the mysterious "they" the Regent has been obeying are: the alien from his 'dream' ("Movements of Fire and Shadow").

The alien is a Drakh ("Lines of Communication"). The Drakh are looking for a home, now that Z'ha'dum has been destroyed. They remembered Centauri Prime, and they remembered Londo. They remembered him blowing up the island with the Shadow vessels ("Into the Fire"). Centauri Prime is the perfect place for their work. They have isolated the Centauri from the rest of the Alliance.

"You are now what we need you to be," explains the Drakh. "A beaten, resentful people, who will have to rebuild. Who will have to rely on our good graces. Who can be used, and... guided, as we wish to guide you. Perfect ground for us to do our work. Quietly."

The Drakh claims to have planted many fusion bombs around the main continent, just as Londo did on the island. Unless Londo cooperates, as the Regent did before him, he will detonate the bombs and kill millions of Centauri.

The Regent outlines what the Drakh have in mind: he will die to give Londo the perfect alibi. Londo can claim the Regent was mad, and ordered the attack on the Alliance without knowledge or approval from the Centarum. Then Londo can call an end to the war, once he becomes Emperor. He will have no choice but to obey the Drakh then, the Regent explains, as he reveals the Keeper on his neck. The Keeper will control him when its interests are at stake, but mostly will leave him to be himself. Once the Keeper is removed from the Regent, the Regent will die.

The Keeper disentangles itself, and the Regent collapses.

Sheridan's White Star squadron finally arrives at Centauri Prime, and he orders the Narn and Drazi to cease fire. They agree... provided he supports them in the oncoming fight against the returning Centauri ships. When the ships get back, says a Narn commander, they will attack all Alliance ships, regardless of whether the attack was authorized or not. Sheridan can either join them and live, or hold back and be destroyed.

Sheridan tries to contact Centauri Prime, and orders all ships near Delenn's last known location to look for her.

Adrift in hyperspace, Delenn's battered ship tries to stay close to the beacon. But the navigational thrusters will be out of fuel soon, and then they will drift away and be caught in the currents of hyperspace. They will never be found then.

On Centauri Prime, Londo returns to see G'Kar, who is feeling better. "I would be dead, if not for you," says G'Kar. "You risked your life to save mine." "Yes," replies Londo. "You would have done the same." "Yes," quips G'Kar, "but I am a better person." Londo fights back a laugh. He promised he would get G'Kar out of that cell, and he keeps his promises. But G'Kar cannot remain his bodyguard. It is no longer appropriate, since Londo will become Emperor. But before then he wanted to say goodbye to G'Kar.

"In the months and the years to come," hints Londo, "you may hear many strange things about me, my behavior. Well, they say the position changes you. And I just wanted to..." "I understand," interrupts G'Kar. Londo isn't so sure.

As Londo turns to leave, G'Kar adds: "Mollari. Understand that I can never forgive your people for what you did to my world. My people can never forgive your people. But I can forgive you." They clasp hands awkwardly, and Londo leaves in silence.

He returns to the throne room, where the Drakh implants him with a Keeper.

Shortly thereafter, the returning Centauri ships receive coded transmissions and halt: Londo has issued the surrender order. He contacts Sheridan. Londo accepts the explanation that the Narn and Drazi attack was unsanctioned, since he finds himself in a similar position. He blames the Regent for the attacks. Sheridan is relieved, and asks to see Londo personally. Although the risk is great, with the Centauri people so angry at the Alliance, Londo agrees when he finds out about Delenn's ship missing.

When the transmission ends, Londo turns to the Drakh and asks what happened to Delenn. The Drakh explains without words, and Londo asks and begs him not to kill her.

Once Sheridan arrives, Londo is standoffish, but agrees to help... in exchange for a future favor. He reacts angrily when reminded that Delenn is his friend too, and blames the Alliance for what happened. Sheridan tries to smooth things over and offers to help, but Lonod refuses. The Centauri will have nothing more to do with the Alliance. "If I give you back Delenn's life, it will be an act of charity, nothing more." Annoyed, Sheridan demands reparations for the war. Part of those reparations will be information about the shadow pods that were used to control the Centauri ships ("Movements of Fire and Shadow"). Londo claims the pods were bought on the black market, and he is well aware of them.

In hyperspace, Delenn's ship finally runs out of fuel. In a last desperate attempt, they fire the weapons, hoping it will attract the ships that must be looking for them by now. Unfortunately, it attracts several Centauri warships.

The warships lock on and begin to approach. Lennier and Delenn realize they are about to die. "Delenn, I love you," Lennier says, just before he expects the warships to fire. "I know," replies Delenn. But the shot never comes. Instead, tractor beams are fired, and their ship is towed.

Delenn pretends she did not hear what Lennier said, and Lennier pretends he didn't say anything. "Nothing happened," says Delenn, "except that for a moment I found myself feeling extremely complimented, and deeply honored, by your presence, and by your friendship."

The next day, Vir arrives on the Royal Palace, and bursts in on Londo. "Never burst in on me without knocking!" says Londo, who was about to take off his jacket. Londo mentions the surrender terms: the reparations will severely cripple the economy, and there will be nothing left to rebuild with.

Outside, Sheridan, Delenn, and G'Kar still hipe they can help out, and plan to attend Londo's inaguration. But outside, a projection of Londo, now in full imperial garb, addresses the citizens of the Republic. He blames the Alliance for the attacks, and for the severe strain the reparations will put on the economy. But he promises to rebuild their cities and to reclaim their place in the Galaxy. The Centauri will not be broken, he promises.

"This punishment is unfair," he says. "A violation of our sovereign rights. But we will bear this burden. We are no longer part of the Alliance. We are alone. We fought alone, and we will rebuild alone." In the shadows, the Drakh nods approvingly.

Vir joins Delenn, Sheridan, and G'Kar, as surprised and confused as they are over Londo's speech. Londo then arrives, and advises them all not to attend the inaguration. He also officially appoints Vir as ambassador to Babylon 5. Reluctantly everyone agrees to leave. Delenn thanks Londo on Lennier's behalf, for saving their lives. "I fear," she adds, "I can no longer see the road you are on, Londo. There is only darkness around you. I can only pray that in time, you may find your way out of it."

G'Kar respectfully salutes Londo, and the four of them of leave. Londo walks among fallen statutes and debris to the Centaurum, to be officially named Emperor of the Centauri Republic.

Back on Babylon 5, Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Franklin, and Lyta are going over the latest on the shadow pods. Sheridan points out that they cannot follow up on the matter: whether or not Londo's claim that the pods were obtained in the black market is true, the investigation is now dead ended.

Franklin says that the pods are what scares him most: having Shadow technology loose among those who cannot understand it but are willing to use it. He likens it to the nuclear bomb, a remnant of the old Soviet Union, that devastated San Diego. Weapon technologies left over from great wars are dangerous, he says. "Weapons like us," points out Lyta, referring to telepaths.

Garibaldi wonders if any useful technology has been left behind on the Vorlon homeworld, technology they can use. But Delenn points out that dozens of ships have already been sent there, and were destroyed by the automatic defense systems before they even got close.

"The Vorlon homeworld is off limits until we're ready," says Lyta. "Until we've earned the right to go there, a million years from now." She doesn't know how she knows, but she does.

Zack arrives and lets Sheridan know the fighting on the station is almost over. He wonders why everyone looks so worried, though.

"We won the war," says Delenn by way of explanation, "but what did we lose?"

In the Centauri royal palace, Londo sits on the imperial throne, alone and in silence.

The Fall of Night

Overview

As the Centauri war escalates, a Narn warcruiser seeks help from Babylon 5. Earth takes a position in the war. Keffer makes a terrifying discovery. Kosh takes a drastic step to save a life. Roy Dotrice as Frederick Lantze. John Vickery as Mr. Welles. Rick Hamilton as Mitch. Robin Sachs as Na'Kal. 
P5 Rating: 9.40

Production number: 222
Original air date: August 15, 1995 (UK)
                   November 1, 1995 (US)
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Think twice before reading what's below if you haven't seen the episode -- major spoilers follow!

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Jason Snell.

The Fall of Night

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

Captain Sheridan is out helping to train Zeta Squadron against the Centauri, should the need to fight them ever arise. One of the other pilots is able to shoot Lt. Keffer quite easily, and is about ready to start again when Sheridan receives a call from Ivanova saying there's an emergency on Babylon 5. Sheridan orders Zeta Squadron to continue practicing the maneuvers and returns to the station.

Lennier enters the Zocalo where he finds Vir sitting there, nursing a drink. Lennier sits down next to him and says to Vir, "Sometimes I get so close, and yet it seems I'm shut out of the important things."

"It's a useless feeling," Vir replies. "The ambassador is definitely going through some changes. He even looks different."

"Indeed, and now with the military starting to stampede over everyone and everything..."

"The coming and going and secret meetings..."

"You never know what it's all about, until later, when it's too late."

"They never listen to us."

"It makes me nervous," they both say at once.

"Same time tomorrow?" Vir asks.

"Sure," Lennier replies as he leaves.

Sheridan meets up with Ivanova who tells him that the Drazi and Pak'ma'ra ambassadors are waiting for him in his office with an urgent matter to discuss. Sheridan orders that all the fighter squads be put through extensive training so they will be ready to fight if necessary.

Ivanova asks the Pak'ma'ra ambassador if he is certain that he is correct, and he assures her that he is. The Drazi ambasador explains that the Centauri have invaded both of their territories, taken command of listening posts, and are preparing to attack other races and other worlds. "War is spreading," the Drazi says. "Perhaps soon they even attack you."

Sheridan paces back and forth in his office as Ivanova arrives with Londo. The conversation is very tense as they discuss the movement of the Centauri forces. Sheridan asks why what the Centauri did to the Narn wasn't enough, but Londo insists that they are merely trying to stabalize the region, using the conquered worlds as a buffer zone, though the Drazi and Pak'ma'ra don't agree. Londo says his people merely want to establish a presence, and Sheridan demands to know where it will end. He tries to convince Londo that the Centauri are at the center of the trouble, but Londo refuses to listen. He warns Sheridan not to overstep his authority, which ends at Babylon 5.

Garibaldi tells Sheridan that Londo has been acting very differently, and that he can no longer be talked to or reasoned with. Sheridan asks Garibaldi how to get through to Londo, but Garibaldi says it can't be done as long as Londo is afraid, and that he isn't able to keep up with the climactic changes occurring all around him. Sheridan says that he made a full report to Earthdome, and with the new races involved, Earth can no longer ignore the problem. Ivanova calls Sheridan and tells him that Frederick Lantz, from the Ministry of Peace, has just arrived on the station, and Sheridan leaves to see him.

As Keffer and a fellow officer finish their training, they both admit that they are very tired and wish they knew what was going on with Sheridan. The officer suggests it might be the "ghost"--something several other officers say in hyperspace while returning from sector 14. She explains that they said it looked like a cross between "a spider and your worst nightmare."

Sheridan meets up with Lantz, who introduces him to Mr. Welles, the man in charge of the Nightwatch. Sheridan introduces them to Ivanova, and Lantz tells Sheridan that he wants to interview Londo and the ambassadors of the worlds affected by the Centauri expansion. Mr. Welles says that he wants to speak with the members of the Nightwatch aboard Babylon 5. Ivanova tells them that she can't believe they came to Babylon 5 -- she never thought they would. Lantz explains that Earth can't sit still forever, but it is good to know firsthand whether they're about to make the right choice.

Keffer meets up with another pilot in the Zocalo and asks him about the ghost he saw. The officer, Mitch, tries to avoid the subject, but Keffer is able to provide a flawless description of the ship, telling him that he saw it as well, but that he wasn't able to record it or get any other information about it. Mitch tries to convince Keffer that he shouldn't try to search for it again.

While discussing the situation with the Drazi and the Pak'ma'ra and other tidbits of information about Earth with Ivanova, Lantz explains that he wants to leave his grandchildren a good legacy, and that is what he hopes to accomplish by working for the Ministry of Peace.

On C&C, a jump point is detected opening up on the other side of Epsilon 3, where it can only be detected by Babylon 5. It turns out to be a Narn war cruiser, which hails them. The captain tells Sheridan that, when the Centauri attacked the homeworld, his ship was on a deep-space assignment, but that he hopes that they can help liberate the homeworld again, and to do that, they need the help and sanctuary of Babylon 5.

Ivanova is just about to eat when Mr. Welles enters and asks to speak with her. He asks her if she is happy, and she tells him that she supposes she is. He says he likes to know as much as possible about the people he works with, and that her record is exemplary, and asks what her plans for the future are. She says she's happy on Babylon 5 for now, but isn't sure what the future holds for her; she may like to captain a starship. Welles tells her that, with the help of the Nightwatch, she can get her ship years earlier than she otherwise might, and he offers to pull some strings for her if she will help them discover disloyal people and potentially dangerous problems forming on Babylon 5. She tells him that she has learned all about the Nightwatch, and was worried about what she learned, and that she has no intention of violating her personal beliefs to advance her career.

Sheridan informs G'Kar about the Narn war ship, and says that it is safe for the time being. G'Kar is happy about the news, and glad that Sheridan plans to give them sanctuary. Sheridan tells G'Kar about Lantz's visit; G'Kar is delighted to hear that Earth is prepared to take sides, and rushes off to try to meet with Lantz.

Mr. Welles addresses the Nightwatch members aboard Babylon 5 and is pleased with their progress, except that of Zack Allan, who hasn't been reporting much, such as a shopkeeper's vocal complaints about new import regulations. Zack tries to defend himself saying that he didn't see anything wrong with such talk, but Welles disagrees, saying that this is precisely the kind of thing they should be informed of. He tells Zack to be extremely careful about anything suspicious, no matter how innocent it may seem. Zack is still very uncomfortable about the situation, but admits that the reports about the shopkeeper are true. Welles is pleased by this, and tells Zack that he shows great promise.

Mitch goes to Keffer and gives him a data crystal containing information about sensor readings of the Shadow ship that may help Keffer locate it. Mitch warns him that he may be risking his own life by searching for the ship, and that he no longer wants any part of the mysterious vessel.

Lantz finishes meeting with the last ambassador of the League of Non-Aligned worlds and prepares to meet with Londo when G'Kar arrives, asking for five minutes of his time. Lantz refuses, though G'Kar does his best to convince him otherwise.

The captain of the Narn ship tells Sheridan that the repairs are going slowly due to lack of power. Sheridan suggests shutting down the jump engines so they can use the extra energy to assist in repairs, and Sheridan assures the captain that Babylon 5 will protect them. Lantz arrives at C&C and asks Sheridan about conducting fighter exercises against Centauri combat models. Sheridan tells him that it is true, and Lantz orders him to stop with the drills. Lantz also informs them that he has been authorized by Earth to sign a non-aggression treaty with the Centauri, forming an Earth-Centauri alliance to keep Earth safe. "We will, at last, know peace in our time," Lantz says.

As Welles walks down the corridor, he is approached by a technician from C&C who was unable to attend the meeting. She does, however, have other information for him.

Sheridan can't believe the idea of the non-aggression treaty, and Ivanova agrees; it protects Earth and leaves the Centauri free to attack other worlds. Sheridan tells Ivanova that he no longer feels as proud to be in Earth Force as he once did, and Ivanova tells him that, as 2260 is nearly upon them, it may be a year to make the uniform mean something again. She presents him with a small wrapped present, for Christmas or Hannukah. He opens it up and finds a piece of metal inside that he doesn't recognize. She tells him that she located a piece of the Black Star and wanted to give it to him as a reminder that sometimes it is possible to achieve something others believe can't be done. Londo calls Sheridan and tells him that he has learned that Babylon 5 is hiding a Narn warship and orders the ship and crew turned over to the Centauri. Sheridan ends the transmission and wants to know how Londo found out about it, and Ivanova suggests it was the Nightwatch that was responsible. The two of them rush back to C&C.

Sheridan orders a channel opened up to the Narn ship and tells the captain that the Centauri know they are there. A jump point opens and a Centauri battle cruiser arrives, blocking the Narn ship from fleeing through Babylon 5's jump gate. Sheridan, who promised G'Kar he'd do whatever he could, sends out Zeta Squadron to escort the Narn ship. Lantz arrives at C&C and asks Sheridan to explain his actions. Sheridan tells him that he promised Sanctuary to the Narn ship and will do whatever he can to keep that promise. Lantz tries to protest Sheridan's actions, but Sheridan has him taken out of C&C as Zeta Squadron launches. He opens up a line with Londo and tells him that the Narn ship will be granted free passage. Sheridan tells Londo that, if the Centauri opens fire on the Starfuries, Babylon 5 will respond with deadly force. He sends a copy of the transmission to the Centauri cruiser and orders the defense grid activated.

With the Starfuries in position, the Narn ship begins to move toward the jumpgate. The Centauri cruiser changes its position, opens its gun ports, and targets the Narn ship, Zeta Squadron, and Babylon 5 itself. Sheridan targets the Centauri warship and tells Keffer to fire if fired upon. The Centauri lock onto Babylon 5, but Sheridan refuses to fire until the Centauri do, which happens after only a few seconds. Sheridan fires interceptor shots and continues to defend Babylon 5 and the Narn ship as it is escorted toward the jump point. Babylon 5 is hit a couple of times, and Sheridan orders all weapons fired on the Centauri ship. The Narn ship makes it through the jump point; the Centauri ship, severely damaged by the station's attack, explodes.

Lantz tells Sheridan that the Centauri are extremely upset over Sheridan's actions, and despite the fact that morally and legally Sheridan made the correct choice, Lantz refuses to accept Sheridan's actions. Lantz tells Sheridan that the Centauri have accused them of moving out of neutrality and into a pro-Narn position. Welles tells Lantz and Sheridan that the joint chiefs agreed with Sheridan's actions, which were in accordance with Earth Force regulations, though, had Sheridan informed them of the Narn warship earlier, things may have turned out differently. Lantz tells Sheridan that the Centauri are willing to drop the entire thing if Sheridan apologizes. Sheridan is outraged at this, though Welles tells him that he has been ordered by the president himself, and that, should Sheridan go against those orders, he would be removed from command of Babylon 5. Welles explains that a meeting among all the ambassadors has been set up in the Zen Garden.

Zeta Squadron sticks with the Narn warship until Keffer's ship's computer informs him that there is an elevation in neutrino levels -- one of the signals from Mitch's data crystal. Sending the rest of the squadron and the Narn ship on ahead, Keffer breaks off to investigate.

Sheridan, in his dress uniform, practices his apology. "I apologize. I'm sorry. I'm sorry we had to defend ourselves against an unwarranted attack. I'm sorry that your crew was stupid enough to fire on a station filled with a quarter million civilians, including your own people. And I'm sorry I waited as long as I did before I blew them all straight to hell. As with everything else," he muses, "it's the thought that counts." He leaves to go make the speech.

Keffer, following the computer signals, finally spies the Shadow ship and orders the computer to begin recording.

All the ambassadors and their assistants have gathered in the Zen garden, waiting for Sheridan's speech as Sheridan makes his way there. As he approaches the transport tube, he is noticed by two young Centauri. In the garden, Ivanova notices that G'Kar has arrived. She tells him that he shouldn't be there, and he tells her that he has come to speak on Sheridan's behalf, and that the League of Non-Aligned Worlds may listen to him. Delenn and Kosh move off together to talk in private.

Keffer is scanned by the Shadow ship. He orders the computer to attach a homing beacon and eject the system record. The beacon has barely had time to leave the ship when the Shadow vessel turns toward Keffer, and he is enveloped, screaming, in a blinding white light.

Sheridan enters the transport tube and finds a place to sit down for the trip. When the car arrives at the second transport station, everyone except Sheridan leaves the car. When the car recommences its motion, Sheridan hears a strange noise and notices that an explosive device has been placed on a seat nearby and is nearly ready to explode. Sheridan orders the computer to override and open the shuttle doors. He springs out the door and the car explodes behind him.

The explosion -- and the rapidly falling Sheridan -- capture the attention of those in the Garden below, but there is very little time. "In Valen's name!" Delenn says.

"Oh my God!" Ivanova exclaims. "Emergency alert. We've got an explosion in the core shuttle. We need rescue jetpacks and we need 'em now."

"What are you trying to do?" G'Kar asks.

"He's more or less weightless," Ivanova explains. "But the ground is rotating at sixty miles an hour. If we can't catch him, he'll be killed by the impact."

"You won't have time!" G'Kar offers.

Delenn turns to Kosh, standing by her in a deserted section of the garden. "Kosh, you know what's at stake. If you are going to do anything, you must do it now!" The headpiece of Kosh's encounter suit opens up, a brilliant blue light shining from within.

Sheridan continues to fall as Ivanova receives another communication, saying that the rescue team can't get there for two minutes. Ivanova tries to get them to hurry, since they have only thirty seconds.

Delenn looks up at Kosh as he emerges from his encounter suit. As Kosh soars into the air, she recognizes him as a tall, winged Minbari, the bone on his head carved into the shape of a crown. He is glowing with white and yellow light as he flies toward Sheridan.

Lennier also recognizes him instantly. "Valeria!" he exclaims.

The Drazi ambassador sees Kosh as well, but sees him differently. "Droshalla," he shouts out as he sees a light ensconced Drazi rise into the air on her wings.

"G'Lan," G'Kar says breathlessly, referring to the Narn clad in pure white who is flying up to Sheridan to rescue him.

Londo looks up as well, puzzled.

As Sheridan falls, he too sees something different. A human male, clad all in white, and outlined by a warm yellow glow against his wings, holds his hands out to Sheridan, who grasps them. The figure, appearing as an angel to Sheridan, helps him to the ground, again in the secluded part of the garden. When he arrives, Sheridan is astounded. "Kosh?" he asks. The figure nods.

Delenn enters Sheridan's quarters. She was worried about him, but Sheridan says he is fine. "The whole station's talking about what happened. Every race that was in the garden saw something different... yet the same. A being of light."

"Yes," Delenn affirms. "Each according to his or her type."

"But it was Kosh, wasn't it?" Sheridan asks Delenn, and she nods. "That's what he meant when he said that if he left his encounter suit, he'd be recognized by... everybody," Sheridan concludes.

"For millions of years, the Vorlons have visited other worlds, guided them and..."

"Manipulated us? Programmed us so that... when we saw them, we would react the right way?"

"It is, as you say, a matter of perspective," Delenn tells Sheridan solemnly. "What matters is that he has revealed himself to those who understand--you, me... and those who have been watching. The Shadows will know what Kosh has done. They will worry, afraid that he would not reveal himself unless the Vorlons were prepared to stand against them."

"Are they?"

"I do not think so. But as long as the Shadows believe the rest of us are unaware of their existence, we have time to prepare."

"Well, let's just hope that nobody find out about them until..." Sheridan is interrupted by a call from Ivanova saying that Zeta Squadron has returned, but Keffer has not.

In the Zocalo, a Narn and Drazi both describe what they saw in the garden. The Narn leaves, but the Drazi asks Londo, sitting nearby, what he saw. "Nothing," Londo replies. "I saw... nothing." He turns and leaves.

Londo shouts angrily in the council chamber as Ivanova, in voiceover, explains. "It was the end of the Earth year 2259, and the war was upon us. As anticipated, a few days after the Earth-Centauri treaty was announced, the Centauri widened their war to include many of the Non-Aligned Worlds. And there was another war brewing closer to home, a personal one whose cost would be higher than any of us could imagine." The shopkeeper Zack informed on is forced out of his shop, closed by the Ministry of Peace "pending allegations of sedition." Ivanova, in her quarters, silently and solemnly lights her menorah. "We came to this place because Babylon 5 was our last, best hope for peace. By the end of 2259, we knew that it had failed. But in so doing, it became something greater. As the war expanded, it became our last best hope... for victory. Because sometimes, peace is another word for surrender. And because secrets have a way of getting out."

The image of the Shadow ship, seen from the beacon Keffer sent out appears as an announcer explains. "When our ship encountered a distress beacon attached to an EarthForce recording device, these images, released exclusively to ISN, were found on that recording. Strategic analysts in EarthDome have indicated they don't know who this new race might be... but promised to find out." The Shadow vessel turns toward the camera and fires, reducing the image to static.

The Gathering

Overview

The Vorlon ambassador is nearly killed by an assassin shortly after arriving at the station, and Commander Sinclair is the prime suspect. Tamlyn Tomita as Lt. Cmdr. Laurel Takashima(*). Blaire Baron as Carolyn Sykes(*). Johnny Sekka as Dr. Benjamin Kyle(*). Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander(*). John Fleck as Del Varner. Paul Hampton as the Senator.

(*) These characters were originally planned as recurring characters throughout the series, but were replaced for various reasons. 

P5 Rating: 6.00

Production number: 0 (Pilot)
Original air date: Feb 22, 1993
DVD release date: December 4, 2001 (barebones)
                  August 17, 2004 (full-featured)

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Richard Compton

Note: There are two versions of "The Gathering," the original one as initially aired in 1993 and a reedited special edition first aired in 1998. Items that only apply to one version are so marked.

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

The Station

The Minbari Assassin

Takashima

Lyta Alexander

Sinclair

Del Varner

The Vorlons

The Minbari

The Centauri

Miscellaneous

Analysis

The Plan

Takashima was somehow involved

Lyta may have been involved

The Minbari assassin

Sinclair is inexplicably trusting and friendly with Delenn

Delenn

Londo

G'Kar

Takashima

Garibaldi

Notes

jms speaks

Special Edition (spoilers for future episodes)

Originally compiled by Matthew Ryan mattryan@pobox.com

The Gathering

Londo's voice over (note differences with series, cf MotFL).

I was there at the dawn of the third age of mankind. It began in the Earth year 2257 with the founding of the last of the Babylon stations, located deep in neutral space. It was a port of call for refugees, smugglers, businessmen, diplomats, and travelers from a hundred worlds. Could be a dangerous place. But we accepted the risk, because Babylon 5 was our last, best hope for peace. Under the leadership of its final commander, Babylon 5 was a dream given form: a dream of a galaxy without war, when species from different worlds could live side by side in mutual respect. A dream that was in danger as never before, by the arrival of one man on a mission of destruction. Babylon 5 was the last of the Babylon stations. This is its story.

We join LtCdr Takashima at Ops, guiding a transport ship in to dock. Station security chief Garibaldi calls in (most contacts within the station are both audio and video). He's looking for Cdr Sinclair, who needs to meet one of its passengers personally. Takashima reports he's on his way already.

Del Varner (one man on a mission of destruction), is in the docking bay passing through security. Sinclair arrives to meet Lyta Alexander, the telepath newly assigned to B5. While Varner is watching, Sinclair welcomes her aboard and explains the rules of the station. As they head off to her quarters, Lyta looks back; she and Varner appear to have exchanged glances.

Ambassador G'Kar storms into Ops, shouting objections to the requirement that his supply ship from Narn submit to a weapons search. Takashima deflects him coolly and there is no resolution. "As far as I'm concerned, they can sit out there for the next solar year. If it makes you feel any better, I could send them a fruit basket..."

Sinclair and Lyta cut through the alien sector on the way to her quarters. Sinclair uses the otherworldliness of it to underscore his point about B5's purpose - it's a hub for exchange of all kinds between people of all kinds, and must be able to cater to any of them. "Sooner or later, everyone comes to Babylon 5." At Lyta's question, Sinclair explains what happened to the other four stations: three were sabotaged, one more simply disappeared 24 hours after coming on-line. She does not take this to be a good sign.

Later, the senior officers are gathered in Sinclair's office. Kosh, the last of four foreign ambassadors to B5, will be arriving in 48 hours. From the input of the officers it is clear that the Vorlons are very secretive. Takashima has been in contact with Kosh but with audio only - the Vorlon claimed his monitors were malfunctioning. Garibaldi says the Earth Alliance knows almost nothing about them - no-one's even seen a Vorlon. Dr. Kyle (medical chief) says they've only given him enough info to generate the right atmosphere - "Pretty thick stuff."

Outside, a tiny clawed ship deploys from an undocked transport, zips down to the station, grabs onto it, and carves a hole in the hull under its belly.

Minbari Ambassador Delenn invites Sinclair to meet in the Garden, an open air environment in the center of the station (the view down the great cylinder is breathtaking). He is starting to ask why he sees her there almost every other day, but she interrupts him. 

  D: Notice the waves, each moving in its own order, predictable,
     unchanging.  But drop in a single stone, and see how the
     pattern changes.  Everything around it is altered.  
     [turning to Sinclair] This is from your world?
  S: It's a Japanese stone garden.  Setting it aside was tough.
     [...]
  D: I am glad it is here.  On my world there are books -
     thousands of pages - about the power of one mind to change
     the universe.  But none say it as clearly as this.
     [Delenn changes the topic to the Vorlons, and gives Sinclair
     a copy of all the information she has about them]
  D: If anyone asks, say it fell from the sky.
  S: Why?  I mean the war between us has been over for almost ten
     years but there are still a lot of people on either side
     who'd hang both of us for this kind of...
  D: [standing] Commander - you know everything about your stone
     garden, but clearly you have not spent enough time looking
     at it.  Good day.
The Garden's artificial night descends on Sinclair as he stares off down the station's axis.

At Ops, a ship is reported to be coming through the jump point. Takashima is distressed - "Damn, that's a Vorlon ship all right. Ambassador Kosh two days early. I was afraid he'd pull something like this."

In a dark corridor, a poorly glimpsed figure scans its hand at a door, which opens to reveal Varner inside. As the figure enters, Varner says, "About time." But, when the door swings shut, there is a bright flash of light and the thud of a falling body from within.

Sinclair, Garibaldi, and Takashima are strapped into a rail-car moving down the axis to the other end of the station. Kosh will be arriving in only two hours. Sinclair sends Garibaldi to ensure that Ambassador Londo will be at the early reception, "We don't want a repeat of what happened when G'Kar arrived." A private message then comes in for Sinclair, which he says he'll take in his quarters.

The message is from Sinclair's SO, Carolyn Sykes, who is returning a week early from a trading expedition (ETA 1 hour, 40 minutes). "Just in time for the reception," says Sinclair, already starting to look haggard as he changes outfits.

G'Kar stops Takashima in an upward-curving corridor to happily announce that he's ordered his transport to submit to the weapons search. 

  G: Since you doubtless have your hands full, our captain will
     wait until after the Ambassador's ship has docked.  Is that
     satisfactory?
  T: Yes, yes it is.  Are you feeling all right Ambassador?
  G: Couldn't be better!  See you at the reception then...  
     [he walks off, humming and bouncing]
Londo is gambling at the station's casino. Garibaldi arrives, for whose monetary support Londo soon appeals. Del Varner is listening in from a table very near by as Londo touts his own gambling system. When he suddenly starts reminiscing about the days of Centauri wartime greatness, Garibaldi interrupts him - "Be a good Ambassador and promise you'll be at Docking Bay 9 in two hours." "I'll be there," Londo agrees, "what else have I got to do - I'm broke!" However, when Garibaldi leaves, Varner approaches Londo, "This system of yours - it's a sure thing...?"

Lyta Alexander is telepathically overseeing a business deal, to the marked (but honest) advantage of the fellow employing her. When that concludes, G'Kar invites her to talk, invoking "privacy" (a feature of the room that can shield transactions at any table). G'Kar proceeds to offer her money for sex, the major purpose (but clearly not the only one) being to acquire telepathy for the Narn Regime through her genetic resources. Lyta is not interested. "I've heard about the Narn obsession with buying new technology, but you can't just buy someone's genetic makeup. It's... immoral." G'Kar persists, even to the point of bringing up details of the coupling. We can only assume, from her expression, that she doesn't take him up on it.

Varner steps into a corridor where a security guard is shining a flashlight in peoples' faces. Varner passes this scrutiny and smiles confidently.

The Vorlon ship is closing up its scintillating fins and entering the station under Takashima's control. She routes it to docking bay 9 and directs Sinclair there.

Sinclair steps onto a turbolift and takes it down, but it stops almost immediately. The computer reports a momentary power loss - there will be a 2.3 minute delay for secondary power to become available.

The Vorlon ship opens and Kosh emerges, wearing a great big encounter suit with a cape hanging from the back. He glides slowly down the ramp into the bay.

Sinclair jogs up to the closed docking bay, arriving at the same time as Garibaldi and Takashima. Garibaldi begins to complain about Londo's absence, but an alarm suddenly goes off. Sinclair sends Takashima off to notify security and opens the bay door, finding Kosh on the floor. They can't open his suit because the atmosphere would kill him, so Sinclair sends Garibaldi off to have Kyle ready the medlab immediately.

Later, Sinclair is in the medlab, where Kyle is mixing up the atmosphere for Kosh. Takashima comes in and reports that the Vorlon government has forbidden them to open the encounter suit at all. "We haven't come this far to watch it all fall apart," Sinclair growls. "Jeff, I'm warning you," she objects, "they're deadly serious about security." "Then we'll give them security," - he orders all monitors and data logging to be turned off, reminds Kyle of his oath of confidentiality, and sends him in to do what he can. He acquiesces, and as he prepares for the unknown, Takashima says, "Good luck, and I hope you're wrong..."

Looking through the glass into the environment room, Takashima tells Sinclair what she and Kyle had been talking about earlier - legend has it that the only human being ever to have seen a Vorlon had been turned to stone. Soon ready, Kyle touches the outside of the suit in a couple places, and it opens, light streaming out. He looks in... and sees what he sees.

Later, in his office, Sinclair is reporting to Earth that Kosh could well die. The Senator warns that the Vorlon government is very suspicious of what happened - if there is any sign of foul play there could be serious repercussions. On hearing that Garibaldi is in charge of the investigation, he's skeptical. "Is that wise? I was opposed to you bringing him on in the first place. He's been bounced from one station to another for years, I don't know if he's up to an investigation on this scale." (Garibaldi has come in meanwhile and has been listening out of sight.) Sinclair proclaims complete confidence in his security chief, and they sign off. "Old news," Garibaldi says. Sinclair charges him with finding out where everyone was during the five minutes between Kosh's arrival and the alarm, and grants him "full diplomatic access."

Stumbling into his quarters, Sinclair finds Carolyn in his bed. "You really should change your access code more often," she says. He kisses her and collapses in exhaustion.

We find Dr. Kyle in the outer room of the medlab, staring blankly off into space. The computer analysis completes; an unidentified foreign compound is present in Kosh's body. His condition is very poor, the prognosis terminal.

Kyle, un-rattled as usual, wakes up Sinclair to report that Kosh was poisoned, and he needs know what kind of poison it was in order to counteract it. If he knew where it got in through the environment suit, he could probably find enough of it there for an identification. Failing that, Kosh will die in 24 hours. Sinclair immediately calls security and seals off the station: no ships may come or go until further notice.

Meanwhile, G'Kar and Delenn are in her quarters talking about the situation. 

  G: Why won't you accept the facts?  Who was the only one of us
     missing from the welcome party when Kosh arrived?  Londo
     Mollari!
  D: And why would the Centauri Republic want to kill Ambassador
     Kosh?
  G: What better way to prop up a fading empire than to start a
     war? They've been trying to join forces with the Earth
     Alliance for years!  A mutual enemy would serve that purpose
     very well.
  D: And if your assumption is correct and he is the assassin,
     what would you suggest?
  G: An alliance between our governments.  Yours is the oldest of
     the five federations, ours is the youngest.
     Technologically, you're centuries ahead of everyone else.
     We have unlimited manpower and the will to use it!  Can
     you imagine what we could achieve together?
  D: I can, which is why it must never be allowed to happen.
     Your perceptions are colored by your history with the
     Centauri.  As former slaves of their government, you would
     seize any opportunity to raise a force against them.
  G: We were never slaves!  Our world was invaded, our people...
  D: The word - was ill chosen.  My apologies.  But my decision
     stands. Thank you for coming, Ambassador.
  G: HAH!  I should have known better than to waste my time.
     You're even worse than the Centauri; they're beyond the
     dream of conquest.  But you, you had the Earth Alliance on
     its knees - one more stroke and you would have defeated
     them!  Yet you surrendered - why?
  D: We had our reasons.
     [While G'Kar talks into space, Delenn opens a hidden
     compartment and puts on one of 20 or so simple rings
     ceremoniously displayed there]
  G: On Narn we heard that the decision to surrender came from
     your holy men.  A secret group called the "Grey Council" -
     weak frightened old fools with no vision or the will to
     fight.  But we -
Delenn interrupts him with the palm of her now-ring-bearing hand; G'Kar is suddenly transfixed by artificial gravity. Delenn doesn't release G'Kar from the worsening force until she extracts from him the promise that he never mention the Grey Council in her presence again. (While completely over-matched, G'Kar does remain standing.) Once released, he pants, "Oh Delenn, I gave you a chance for greatness and you threw it away. Whatever happens now, let it be on your own head."

Garibaldi finds Londo at the bar by the casino. "It's a pity," Londo says, "I suppose there'll be war now, mm? All that running around shooting at one another? I would have thought sooner or later it would go out of fashion." When Garibaldi begins questioning him, Londo blows him off, but then acquiesces to "full diplomatic access." He was still gambling at the time, he claims - Varner had promised to back his bets but then pulled out after Londo suffered heavy losses. 

  L: He's here, if you want to talk to him.
     [he points out Varner across the room, but Garibaldi
     continues to question]
  G: Can anyone confirm your story?
  L: Yes - the new telepath, Lyta Alexander.  I saw her talking
     to Varner shortly after you left.
  G: Who would want to kill the ambassador?
  L: Mr. Garibaldi - it's a big universe!  If I knew who did it I
     would tell you.  I'm not here to make trouble.  You know why
     I am here?  I'm here to grovel before your wonderful Earth
     Alliance, in hopes of attaching ourselves to your destiny,
     like... what are those fish called on your planet that
     attach themselves to sharks?
  G: Ramoras.
  L: Yes.  You make very good sharks Mr. Garibaldi.  We were
     pretty good sharks ourselves, once - but somehow, along the
     way, we forgot how to bite.  There was a time, when this
     whole quadrant belonged to us!  What are we now?  Twelve
     worlds and a thousand monuments to past glories, living off
     memories, stories, selling trinkets.  My god man, we've
     become a tourist attraction!  "See the great Centauri
     Republic, open 9 to 5, Earth time."  [he sighs] Anything
     else?
  G: No. Thank-you, Ambassador.
Finally walking over to question Varner, Garibaldi discovers the man is nowhere to be found.

Takashima and Kyle are in private quarters, discussing the Kosh dilemma. At the Vorlons' request, all the monitors had been off in the docking bay, so no-one but Kosh himself knows how he was poisoned. Kyle suggests that they enlist the telepath's aid to find out, and Takashima agrees it's the best thing to do (but only after a quite contrary story from her own life about the importance of sticking by the rules). The Vorlons would never allow it, of course, so they plan to proceed behind Sinclair's back.

When they confront Lyta with the idea in the medlab, she objects - quite rightly - that she could be thrown out of the Psi Corps for the crime of unauthorized mind scanning. Takashima urges the gravity of the situation, "Lyta, if the ambassador dies, the Vorlons will retaliate. This station is the first logical target. If I were in their position, I'd have a cruiser standing by in hyperspace right now just waiting to attack us. Thousands would die, and after us who knows how many more..."

Meanwhile, air is leaking out from one of the holes caused by the grabber ship still attached to the hull. The techs begin to notice the pressure loss and send a maintenance pod to investigate.

Vast forces weighing upon her shoulders, Lyta agrees to scan Kosh. Preparing herself, she explains, "When I get inside, it's subjective - I'll feel what he felt, but I'll see my body, not his. This could get rough." Initially she can't make mental contact with him, but succeeds when she takes off one of her gloves and puts her hand inside the encounter suit.

With Lyta, we see Sinclair walking forward through a warped image of the docking bay. "Welcome to Babylon 5," he says, smiling. A glance at his left hand shows it is slightly cupped away from sight. Sinclair offers his right, and we see a woman's arm reach forward to shake it (PoV, remember). He quickly grabs the proffered hand and slaps a big red circle onto the back of it. Soon the image of the bay distorts and tumbles, leaving us looking up from the floor at a grim Sinclair, then blackness.

In the medlab, Lyta is screaming blindly. Once the staff extricate her from the environment room, Kyle and Takashima talk her back to reality. She reports where the poison hit, and Sinclair jogs in just in time for Lyta to viciously accuse him of the deed.

Later, we momentarily see Varner in the marketplace pointing a little gadget at Lyta, who apparently doesn't see him.

The maintenance pod comes upon the grabber ship, which produces a cannon and demolishes it.

Varner follows a yellow-suited man into a turbolift and gets recognized by Eric, a yellow-suited tech. There is a flash of light as the door closes, and Eric emerges grimly - and alone.

In another senior staff meeting, Takashima reports that word has gotten out that a witness has identified Sinclair as the assassin. The senator calls and, given conflict of interest, orders Sinclair to temporarily surrender command of the station to Takashima, who will also represent the EA at the upcoming emergency council. "Jeff, once the council gets into this, there's nothing we can do without compromising the neutrality of Babylon 5 - we can't let that happen." After the senator signs off, the officers voice strong objections, but Sinclair demands that they do this one by the book.

The Babylon 5 advisory council is in session. G'Kar is making the case against Sinclair: he was suspiciously missing when Kosh debarked, and there is no record of the lift malfunction Sinclair claims delayed him. G'Kar opens the floor to questions, and Delenn asks Dr. Kyle who it was that identified Sinclair. Kyle replies that the witness has requested anonymity, which would of course change if this went to trial. When asked about the poison, Kyle reports that it was Florizine, a rare poison found only in the Damocles sector [a chilling name]. G'Kar immediately announces that "Sinclair's woman" had arrived from the that very sector less than an hour before the assassination attempt!

During a recess, Londo is at the bar again, staring at his drink. G'Kar walks merrily up to him and says, "Ambassador Mollari, I would like to discuss your vote with you."

Garibaldi is updating Sinclair on his investigation as they walk through the corridors. Garibaldi doesn't trust what Lyta has to say - "I've seen her a lot with Del Varner, the guy who kept Londo from attending the reception." Turns out Varner has many EA indictments for smuggling illegal technology. Garibaldi can't fathom that man's actions; why would he put himself at risk stepping into EA jurisdiction? Why would he deliberately anger Londo by offering monetary support and then backing out, when many of his own underworld clients are Centauri? Furthermore, Varner was too much in debt to cover Londo's bets anyway. Sinclair sends Garibaldi off to talk to have a chat with Mr. Varner.

Council resumes - Sinclair is now on the stand. G'Kar opens with a motion to extradite Sinclair to the Vorlon home-world for trial and quickly opens the vote with a yes. Takashima votes no for EA. Delenn, with unknown difficulty, abstains. Londo, with deep regret, votes yes. The council is deadlocked: two for, two against or abstaining. G'Kar then announces that he'd suggested his idea to the Vorlon government just recently: they requested that he vote yes on their behalf. The motion passes, deportation to take place in 12 hours.

Garibaldi arrives at Varner's quarters to find the access system out of commission. Gaining entry with a gadget, he puzzles at a small puddle of orangish liquid on the floor. Then he puzzles at Del Varner's body in a big fish tank.

In the medlab, Kyle confirms that the body is indeed Varner's, dead for at least X hours. Also, he will be able to counteract the poison in 6-7 hours, which is not much less than the time Kosh has got left.

Garibaldi has lost the only lead he'd found. "Dammit, maybe they were right - maybe you got the wrong man for this job after all," he says to Sinclair in the corridors. "Michael, I picked you because you're right for the job. You're not politick, you're not subtle, and sometimes you're a pain in the ass - and I wouldn't have it any other way."

At Ops, a tech reports to Takashima that the maintenance pod was lost. She sends a repair crew to check out what's going on.

G'Kar and Lyta meet in the alien sector. She notes his lack of a breathing mask, and he points out his gill implants. "Come," he says, "there's been a complication."

In the casino, Londo apologizes to Garibaldi for his vote - G'Kar had blackmailed him with scandalous information about Londo's father. Of such secrets is Centauri power made and broken. Londo didn't know his vote would matter, but he admits, at Garibaldi's questioning, that knowing wouldn't have changed anything. "This is my weakness, my failure. I am sorry, truly sorry."

In Sinclair's quarters, Carolyn is looking in awe at a medal of honor. 

  C: Jeff, this medal, you were on the Line, and you never told
     me?
  S: I didn't want to talk about it. 
  C: Why?
     [Sinclair broods over a star globe, looking old]
  S: I was a squad team leader when the call came in.  We all
     knew it was a suicide mission, the Minbari had broken
     through, closing in.  Every ship we had left was ordered to
     circle Earth.  We had to stop them, no matter what it cost.
     They came at us out of nowhere, we never had a chance.  The
     sky was full of stars, every star an exploding ship.  One of
     ours.  My team was blown out of the sky in less than a
     minute.  Twelve ships.  I managed to take out a fighter
     before they hit my stabilizers.  I was losing power, I'd
     lost my team, and I figured if I was going to die I'd take
     someone out with me, so I targeted one of their heavy
     cruisers, hit my afterburners.  I was going to ram them head
     on.  The last thing I remember is hurtling toward that
     cruiser, filling my screen.  Big... my god so big.  Then,
     something passed in front of my eyes - I guess I blacked out
     from the acceleration.  When I came to 24 hours later, the
     cruiser was gone.  I checked in.  They told me the war was
     over.  The Minbari had surrendered.
  C: [appealing] Because of the Line.
  S: No.  We were beaten.  We didn't stop them, they stopped
     themselves, and I wish to hell I knew why.
Meanwhile, Lyta enters the medlab and engages Kyle in conversation about Kosh's condition. While Kyle walks around examining readings, Lyta surreptitiously shuts down medical equipment behind him. Kyle starts to ask her how it is that she was seen talking to a man who'd already been dead, but is interrupted by alarms going off. He tries to stop Lyta, and they exchange blows. Kyle is painfully tossed around, but stumbles into a floor-mounted laser, with which he manages to shoot her in the arm. She stumbles through the exit, drawing a weapon. In the hallway outside, she encounters the real Lyta Alexander running to investigate. The fake points her gun at Lyta for a full heartbeat, screeching but not shooting, then whirls and fires at Sinclair instead as he comes in from the other direction. Sinclair dives aside and she escapes. Inside the medlab, Kyle has been doing damage-control, and reports that Kosh will still pull through.

The false Lyta is careening down the corridor, cradling her arm. Falling against a wall, her whole face is malformed momentarily by a scream of pain. She stumbles on.

In a cargo bay, Garibaldi shows the now-disabled grabber ship to Sinclair, reporting how it was found. Only one individual could have come aboard in it. "Short range," Sinclair muses - some other ship must have brought it here. Garibaldi also reports that the body of Eric the tech has turned up dead, yet friends have reported seeing him recently. Just then Takashima links in to call them all over to Varner's quarters - she has something to show them.

Takashima has cracked open Varner's files and discovered that Varner was on the station to sell a changeling net: illegal technology that can make a person's appearance and voice that of someone else, at the risk of death from prolonged exposure. "So that's what Kosh saw in the docking bay," Takashima realizes. The net puts out a huge amount of energy, enough to detect with the station's sensors. Sinclair orders Takashima to reconfigure them to scan inwards, and then heads off to security.

Sinclair and Garibaldi arrive at Ops in body armor, carrying big guns. Filtering out known sources, Takashima finds the expected energy spike. Sinclair orders that area sealed off and heads for the door. Takashima suggests they take a hovering recorder along, "The way things are going, you may need a witness." Indeed, moments after they've left, a tech reports that something is coming through the jump gate. "It must be the transport ship - damn!" she says. The tech looks up in fear - "That's not a transport!" "Looks like the commander's ride is here," she replies. But it's not just a ride - no less than three Vorlon cruisers emerge from the gate amid a swarm of fighters.

In the corridors, Sinclair has Garibaldi set his weapon to a non-killing level so that they can take the assassin alive. The move in with Takashima's assistance from Ops, pinpointing the energy source. There is a brief exchange of fire, and Garibaldi is thrown backward by a hit in the chest. He tears off his super-heated jacket, which took most of the blast. Sinclair forges ahead alone.

At Ops, the Vorlons have demanded the immediate transport of Sinclair. Takashima orders a tech to link the Vorlons in to the recorder following him. While the tech gets to work on that, the Vorlons threaten attack in 5 minutes.

Sinclair exchanges fire with the assassin, but neither is hit. He stalks slowly forward to where the figure disappeared, looking back once. When he turns his attention forward again the assassin (disguised now as Eric) tackles him from behind. Both apparently having lost their guns now, they start fist-fighting. Sinclair is quickly in severe trouble. However, the chameleon net starts changing images as they grapple - first Varner appears, then Lyta, and finally Sinclair himself in body armor! The assassin is forced to pause each time, and at the last change Sinclair throws him against a high-voltage barrier in a room across the corridor. Gouts of electricity pour through the figure, and the disguise finally gives out, revealing him to be... Minbari!

The Vorlon fighters are powering up their already awesome-looking weapons as they close on the station. The tech finally gets the signal from the recorder finally connected to the outgoing link.

There is an explosion (possibly the chameleon net), and the assassin is thrown back into the corridor. "Why," Sinclair asks in wonder, "Why did you do it?" Looking up at him, the Minbari has only this to say: "There is a hole in your mind." With that, he reaches up and breaks his own wrist, activating some kind of device in his arm. Through the link, Takashima shouts, "Oh my god, he's wired!" Sinclair orders the area sealed off and sprints down the corridor. He's quickly blown through a closing bulkhead by a great explosion behind him.

B5 is thrown off kilter by the blast, and Vorlon fighters veer off to avoid colliding with it. It takes quite some effort on Takashima's part to pull it back into position without ripping apart the spinning station.

Garibaldi and Delenn find Sinclair returning from the destroyed section. "This little breach of security isn't gonna affect my Christmas bonus, is it?" Garibaldi quips. Delenn asks him, "Do you need anything?" "Coffee," Sinclair chuckles, "two sugars, cream - and aspirin."

A shower and change later, Sinclair sees Carolyn off the station - trading has called her away again. On a whim, she invites him to quit Babylon 5 and go off with her. "I'll think about it," he says. "Well don't take too long," she replies, "I'll wait, but not forever."

Later, the officers gather in the medlab. The station will be fully operational again in a few days, and Kosh is recovering and out of critical. Then Delenn enters and invites Sinclair aside, "I regret that a Minbari was responsible for all this sadness," she says. Sinclair is forgiving - "You can't be responsible for the actions of every member of your race, Delenn." "No. But there is something I can do." So saying, she gives him a file of information about the assassin, whose clan she recognized when she watched the recording broadcast to the Vorlons. "I think you'll find it... most interesting."

Still later, Sinclair is in his quarters, proposing a toast with G'Kar "To a fully operational Babylon 5!" "To the future!", G'Kar returns, and they drink. G'Kar expresses his pleasure at how it all turned out, and reaffirms their mutual goal of peace. However, Sinclair has his own agenda. 

  S: I'm surprised you didn't ask about Del Varner.
  G: I assumed he was simply another innocent victim.
  S: Not quite.  His last entry spoke of a big payoff for
     bringing a changeling net across the border.  He was
     supposed to meet with his buyer in the Tigris sector but was
     running behind - didn't your supply ship also pass through
     the Tigris sector on its way here?
  G: If you have a point to make, Commander, pleeease make it.
  S: I believe the assassin was brought here on your supply ship.
     [G'Kar is carefully examining Sinclair's bric-a-brac]
     That's why they needed the changeling net before they
     arrived - a Minbari warrior walking off a Narn ship would
     draw a lot of attention.  With the net, he could appear to
     be one of your crew and infiltrate the station.  When Varner
     missed connecting with your ship he came here, so you had to
     find another way to get the assassin on board.  They used
     the transport we found on the station's hull to get him
     inside, he then killed Del Varner and grabbed the changeling
     net.
  G: Sheer speculation, Commander.  With the death of Del Varner,
     and of the assassin, you have no proof.
G'Kar goes to leave, but Sinclair has one last thing to tell him. It seems with his drink G'Kar has swallowed some nanotechnology, which has by now made itself at home in his intestines. It is shielded from outside detection, and it can be used to pinpoint G'Kar's location at any time. Sinclair points something at him by way of demonstration, and G'Kar jumps when it beeps. "This is an outrage!" he cries. "This is insurance," Sinclair replies, "What you do here is your own business. You can scheme and plan and play all the games you want. But get this straight - if you ever endanger this station again, my people will find you, and the results will be most unpleasant."

Storming out of Sinclair's quarters, G'Kar is blocked for a moment by Garibaldi and Londo coming out of a lift. Garibaldi mimes a gadget at G'Kar with a "beep-beep" as he walks by. "Beep Beep?" Londo asks, "It must be Earth humor. Who can figure a species like that - Beep Beep." G'Kar is quite beside himself.

Londo walks on to the reception, but Garibaldi and Sinclair stop and talk in the corridor. 

  G: Do you think they'll find that transmitter you slipped him?
  S: No.  Because there isn't one.
  G: There isn't?  Wait...
  S: I lied.  I figured if there was a transmitter sooner or
     later they'd find it and remove it.  But if I just told him
     there was, they'd keep looking, indefinitely.
  G: Commander, do you have any idea of the tests they'll put him
     through, the things they'll do to him, tryin' to find a
     transmitter that's not there?
  S: Yes.  Come on...
All are present at Kosh's long-delayed reception except G'Kar (possibly off having his stomach pumped). Sinclair welcomes Kosh to the station, there is applause, and Kosh bows. Delenn steps forward and nods in respect, and Londo raises his glass to him.

Later, Delenn finds Sinclair alone in the night-darkened Garden. 

  S: Delenn, just before he died, the Minbari assassin looked at
     me and said, "There is a hole in your mind."
  D: An old Minbari insult, nothing you need worry about.
  S: Maybe... it's just - there's a 24-hour period in my life
     that I can't account for.  It happened during the war with
     your people.  You wouldn't be holding anything out on me
     would you, old friend?
  D: Commander, I would never tell you anything that was not in
     your best interest.
  S: Well, we'll talk about this again, one of these days.  Come
     on, we should get back to the reception.
  D: By the way, there's something I've been wondering - why
     "Babylon 5?"  After prior four stations were lost, or
     destroyed, why build another?
  S: Plain old human stubbornness, I guess.  When something we
     value is destroyed, we rebuild it.  If it's destroyed again
     we rebuild it again.  And again, and again, and... [looking
     down the vast Garden] again.  Until it stays.  That, as our
     poet Tennyson once said, is the goal: "To strive, to seek,
     to find, and not to yield."
Lastly, from a beautiful point of view outside the station, we see Takashima at Ops. "This is Lieutenant Commander Takashima. Our docking bays stand ready to receive you. Babylon 5 is open for business."

Matthew Ryan mattryan@pobox.com

Copyright 1994, Matthew Ryan. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this synopsis noncommercially as long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact. Babylon 5 is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright is intended by writing these synopses.

Anthony Taylor (FNATT@elmer.alaska.edu) wrote a preliminary version of the files on the pilot, and I am grateful to him for many of the points listed on the above page (included with his permission).

The Geometry of Shadows

Overview

Ivanova is promoted and given a diplomatic assignment. Londo seeks affirmation from an unusual source. Michael Ansara as Elric. William Forward as Refa. 
Sub-genre: Comedy/intrigue
P5 Rating: 7.68

Production number: 203
Original air date: November 16, 1994
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Geometry of Shadows

Garibaldi is in MedLab, having the wounds incurred from his former aide's attack on him examined. Garibaldi tries lying to Franklin about his condition, claiming that he is suffering less pain than he actually is. Franklin doesn't like this, but tells Garibaldi that he is improving and should be able to return to work soon. Garibaldi isn't sure he wants to return to work, though, since he doesn't seem very sure about Sheridan's appointment and isn't sure Sheridan can be trusted.

As Garibaldi leaves, Franklin offers to talk to him about his problems, but Garibaldi is less than eager. "I got shot in the back by my own guy, my own second-in-command. He was right there all the time, a snake in the garden, and I didn't even see it. What the hell kind of a security chief am I supposed to be if I can't see something like that?" He says that he should have known about Jack's deception, and that he may not be qualified to be in charge. "I keep asking myself what qualifies me to take back my job, and I haven't got an answer. I wish to hell I did." He leaves.

Londo and Vir are in Londo's quarters, talking to an acquaintance of Londo's, a noble named Refa. Refa tells Londo that monitoring stations had been set up in quadrant 37 to watch the Narn buildup, and when they heard that Londo would take care of the problem, they thought he was crazy. But they were very surprised when the stations reported that the outpost had been destroyed. Refa asks how it happened, but Londo won't tell him. Refa accepts this and says that Londo has saved the Centauri from another one of their emperor's mistakes.

Londo and Vir listen to Refa.

Refa says that Londo was very clever in the way he took care of the outpost, and that the Centauri need more people like Londo. Refa says that, with the recent death of the emperor's son, there is no clear line of succession, but that he and his associates plan to take over the job of ruling when the emperor dies. Refa says that there will be resistance to this, and that force will be required. He asks Londo if he will be willing to help when the time comes. Londo has reservations, but eventually agrees to do so.

Elsewhere on the station, two groups of Drazi, one wearing purple sashes, and the other wearing green sashes meet. As they walk past each other, one Drazi "accidentally" bumps into another one wearing a different color, and a brawl between the two groups begins.

As Refa prepares to leave Babylon 5, Londo says goodbye to him. Refa thanks Londo for his help, and tells him that he will attempt to convince his associates and followers that Londo is the sign that his group of the Centauri may rise to great power again. As Refa leaves, Londo notices someone else standing nearby, a tall human in a long black cloak. "Great Maker!" Londo says to Vir. "A Technomage!" Vir doesn't know what a Technomage is, so Londo tells him that "they use science to achieve the affect of magic." Londo says that he hasn't seen one in a long time, and it is unusual to see them outside of their places of power. It is even more unusual, and a bad omen, to see more than one at a time. The Technomage, followed by two others, walks by Londo and leaves the area.

Sheridan and Ivanova are in Sheridan's office, talking about the incident between the two groups of Drazi. Sheridan asks about the conflict, so Ivanova explains what she knows to him. "It's a cultural thing. Once every five years, all the Drazi, here and at home, divide up into two camps, and fight it out." But it isn't a fight to the death-- the battles are used to determine what the dominant group for the next five years will be. Sheridan says that he believes this conflict came at a good time, because he thinks that Ivanova should learn more about diplomacy, so that she can settle the more minor conflicts, while Sheridan deals with the station's major problems. "Besides, added responsibility comes with any promotion. Don't you agree... Commander?"

Ivanova is promoted.

As they share a toast of orange juice, Sheridan tells her that he arranged her promotion after his first day on the station. He tells her that her first responsibility is to solve the Drazi problem. As he leaves, Commander Ivanova watches the Drazi over the monitor, in their detention cell, fighting, and sighs as she realizes the job before her will not be easy.

Vir finds Londo drinking at a bar. He informs Londo that the Abai delegation have an appointment and are waiting to see him. Ignoring this, Londo asks Vir if he believes in fate, to which Vir responds that he sees fate as a series of currents, eddies and tides, that pull one in certain directions. Londo tells Vir that, before their first emperor took the throne, he met with three Technomages. Londo says that this is a powerful image to those that follow the old ways. Londo explains that, if he had the endorsement of the Technomages, it would have considerable influence on those back on the Centauri homeworld. He tells Vir to arrange it with the Technomages, a task which Vir doesn't want to perform. Vir tries some of Londo's drink, hoping it will prepare him for the task, but it only makes him faint.

Garibaldi is in his quarters, utterly dejected, playing with his PPG while staring at the floor. Sheridan enters, and asks why Garibaldi hadn't been around to talk to him. He says that Dr. Franklin diagnosed him fit to return to work, and wants to know what Garibaldi thinks. Garibaldi says it might be easier for everyone if he moved on. Sheridan puts Garibaldi's weapon in its holster and replies, "The universe doesn't give you any points for doing things that are easy." Sheridan tries to convince Garibaldi to stay, saying that he is a valuable resource he would like to have at his disposal. Sheridan wants Garibaldi in the position, but leaves the decision up to Garibaldi. Sheridan leaves.

Ivanova is in the council chamber, addressing the green and purple Drazi. She tells them that, although most of the species on Babylon 5 don't care about the conflict, they would prefer it were settled quietly. She wants to help them find a peaceful solution to their problem. She asks them what the nature of the conflict is, and they respond by saying that it is the colors of the sashes they wear. She doesn't understand, and they again respond by saying it is the colors of the sashes. She still doesn't understand the situation, especially regarding the distribution of the sashes, so the leader of the green Drazi explains further. "We put green and purple in great barrel, equal to numbers of Drazi. Then we reach in, we take. Where there was one Drazi people, now there are two. The two fight until there are one."

The Drazi leaders.

They further explain that leadership is determined by who takes the leader's cloth. Ivanova finds it outrageous that so much fighting could come from something so arbitrary, so she removes the purple sash from one of the Drazi wanting to be certain it is only the color of the cloth, and nothing else, that determines alignment. She places it on another Drazi, who is already wearing a green sash. Upon doing this, the Drazi suddenly erupt into violent conflict, with Ivanova trapped in the middle. During the battle, several Drazi fall on her, and she screams in pain.

Vir arrives at the area on Babylon 5 where the Technomages are staying. He introduces himself, but there is no response. He says that he needs to speak with someone in charge. As if in reply, a large beast with fiery eyes and long fangs appears before him, growling menacingly. Vir stands his ground, though, and after a moment, a voice rings out, "Stop program," and the beast disappears.

The beast threatens Vir.

A Technomage appears from the shadows and comments on how difficult it was to frighten him, but Vir says that's a requirement if you work with Londo. The Technomage asks why Vir is there, and Vir responds that Londo wants an audience. The Technomage declines, saying that the Technomages don't do that sort of thing. Vir tells the Technomage that Londo is willing to pay, but the Technomage is not swayed. Vir tries to appeal to the Technomage by saying that if he returns without completing the task, his personal situation will become unfortunate, but the Technomage counters, saying that if he does not leave, Vir's situation will become even more unfortunate. Not wishing to return empty-handed, Vir asks the Technomage his name. "Elric," the Technomage answers, and warns Vir not to return.

Dr. Franklin examines Ivanova, telling her that her foot is broken in three places. He also tells her that, though he can help her, it will take three weeks to heal, if he speeds up the process, in addition to her having to wear a cast. He offers her something for the pain, but she declines. Sheridan enters and asks to speak with Ivanova privately. He asks her what her next move is, but she isn't sure. He offers to postpone the assignment, but she again refuses. She says that this is particularly difficult because the Drazi have no differences that must be resolved. She believes she needs to come at the problem from another angle, possibly finding a less-violent way to structure the conflicts. Sheridan says he thinks that's a good idea, and leaves. Ivanova calls security, telling the Drazi to meet in chambers, so they can try the resolution again.

Vir reports to Londo the experience he had with the Technomage, but Londo finds the situation unacceptable, telling Vir he must return. Vir tells him that it won't work, and that the Technomages aren't interested in money or power. Londo tells Vir that it is very important that he be seen with them, as it would act as a powerful symbol. Londo surmises that if he, as an ambassador, has failed, he needs to find someone more powerful, someone to whom they will listen. Londo leaves abruptly.

Garibaldi is walking around outside the Zocalo when he meets up with Lou Welch, the security officer. After some small talk, Lou asks how Garibaldi is. Garibaldi says he's all right, and Lou asks when he will be returning to duty. Garibaldi doesn't say anything, but Lou asks again. Garibaldi still isn't sure, but does say that he will be returning soon. Lou receives a call from security, saying that there are more difficulties with the Drazi. He has to leave, but tells Garibaldi he will see him later.

Garibaldi and Lou Welch.

Londo is talking to Sheridan about the Technomages. Sheridan tells Londo that he was doubtful about their existence. Londo says that the Centauri have had many experiences with them, and that they can be troublemakers unless one knows how to deal with them. Londo says that he does know how to deal with them, and he offers his assistance to Sheridan with the Technomages. Sheridan explains to Londo that the Technomages are emigrating, and that Earth wants information about their situation. Sheridan asks for Londo's help, and Londo eagerly agrees.

Meanwhile, Ivanova receives news from security that, on the Drazi homeworld, the violence has escalated from beating to killing. She asks if the local Drazi know about it, and asks for a full tactical squad to back her up. When she arrives at the council chambers, she finds the room littered with the bodies of purple Drazi.

Elric is upset that Sheridan doesn't believe that the Technomages are there peacefully. Sheridan tries to explain that, because of the great numbers of Technomages present -- over a hundred -- and the secrecy behind their activities, he needs some information to ensure the safety of the station. Elric says the Technomages have the right to do whatever they want. Sheridan says he just wants answers. Londo enters, claiming he was detained. He sets down the glass he was holding, and sets something else down behind it. Elric is upset that Londo is involved, and tells Sheridan that Londo had been asking for an audience ever since he arrived. Londo denies this, but Elric responds by showing Londo and Sheridan a recording he made of Vir, requesting an audience. Londo comments that recording a conversation is a very low thing to do, but offers forgiveness to Elric. Elric says he doesn't want Londo to misrepresent the gesture of friendship as some sort of endorsement. When Londo answers negatively, Elric glances at the small recording device Londo had placed behind the glass; it explodes. Elric tells Londo he wants respect. Sheridan threatens Londo with expulsion from the station for this action. Londo apologizes, and leaves quickly.

Elric plays back Vir's message.

Sheridan accompanies Elric back to his quarters, but says that there are still questions he needs answered. Elric asks Sheridan if he believes in magic. "When I was twelve, I used to sit in my dad's garden, the air full of the smell of orange blossoms, watching the sky, dreaming of far away places... Back then, I think I believed in just about everything." Sheridan says that he thinks there are some things people don't understand, and that things which people do not understand might be considered magic; for example, Babylon 5 would be considered magic by humans of a thousand years earlier.

Elric says that, in a way, it is magic. "Magic of the human heart, focused and made manifest by technology. Every day you here create greater miracles than the burning bush."

"But God was there first," says Sheridan, "and He didn't need plasma coils or solar collectors."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. It is within that ambiguity that we exist. We are dreamers, shapers, singers, and makers. We study the mysteries of laser and circuit, crystal and scanner, holographic demons and invocations of equations. These are the tools we employ, and we know many things." Sheridan asks what, and Elric answers that they know the important things -- the answers to some questions that people have asked since time began. "Fourteen words to make someone fall in love with you forever, seven words to make them go without pain, how to say goodbye to a friend who is dying, how to be poor, how to be rich, how to rediscover dreams when the world has stolen them from you. That is why we are going away -- to preserve that knowledge." Sheridan asks what the knowledge must be preserved from, and Elric answers. "There is a storm coming, a black and terrible storm. We would not have our knowledge lost, or used to ill purpose. From this place, we will launch ourselves into the stars. With luck, you will never see our kind again in your lifetime. I know you have your orders, Captain. Detain us if you wish, but I cannot tell you where we're going. I can only ask you to trust us." Elric takes Sheridan's hand, and closes it. He walks away, leaving Sheridan holding an orange blossom.

Ivanova, on crutches, goes to the quarters of the green Drazi, asking to see their leader regarding the death of the purples. At first, the Drazi outside is reluctant to let her in, but, after some further coaxing from Ivanova, he relents and lets her inside. She goes to the leader, who asks for her help. He tells her that he has a way to solve the problem without any fighting, but it will require her help.

Ivanova listens to the plan.

He asks her to tell the purple Drazi to gather at brown 29, an isolated section of the station where they won't disturb anyone else. Once the purple Drazi are all there, they will be ejected into space, thereby causing the greens to win. Ivanova tries to get him to reconsider, claiming that they are still Drazi, but the green leader will not listen, saying only that they are purple, and therefore not important. She refuses to go along, but he tells her that they already sent a message, in her name, to the purples, to move the plan forward. She tries to use her link to call for help, but she is prevented from this when it is taken from her.

Garibaldi is wandering through the corridors of Babylon 5, when he runs into Lou, who tells him that they received an uplink from Ivanova, saying that all the purple Drazi should meet in brown 29. Garibaldi accepts this for a moment, but quickly changes his mind. He asks Lou if it was really an uplink, and not a personal message. Lou answers affirmatively, saying that the message said she would be offline for a while. Garibaldi asks the source of the uplink, and runs off.

Ivanova tries to get the greens to relent, but they are admant in their refusal to listen to her attempts at helping them. There is a pounding outside, and the Drazi at the door opens it, admitting Garibaldi, who is holding a small black box. Garibaldi claims he is a salesman, who wants to sell the Drazi an Acme Handy-Dandy Micro Helper. He offers to demonstrate, but is met with resistance. He says that it is just his way of helping, but the Drazi continue to refuse. "If there's anybody in here who needs a little help," he announces to the room, "just say the word, and I'm here." Ivanova elbows a nearby Drazi and shouts out, "Garibaldi!" The two of them begin to fight the green Drazi.

Londo is in his quarters, having considerable difficulty, when Vir enters. Londo explains that a holodemon has possessed his data system. It is eating up files, records, and buying stocks he would never purchase for himself, in addition to playing painful Narn opera continually.

Narn opera.

Vir suggests that Londo apologize. Londo refuses at first, but when his computer suddenly reports that he is the new owner of 500,000 shares of Fireflies Incorporated, then blacks out the entire room, Londo agrees.

Garibaldi meets up with a large delegation of green Drazi, who have been marching through the halls, going to brown 29. Garibaldi says that the purple drazi accepted their story, and are waiting in there, but he refuses to let them go in. Garibaldi says that he plans to leave the purples in there until the end of the Drazi week. The green leader laughs, saying that the Drazi cycle, the length of the conflict, is not a week, but a year. A Drazi year is equal to 1.2 Earth years.

Ivanova and Garibaldi realize they can't keep them in there that long. She again tries to convince them that their conflict is absurd, as they are fighting over nothing more than pieces of cloth. The green Drazi leader asks why it is different than fighting over a flag. She says it is different because flags represent the country of origin, and stand for something important about the countries over which they fly.

Ivanova rips the green sash from the leader of the green Drazi, who, with the rest of his troops, immediately stands at attention. He says that whoever takes the cloth of the green leader becomes the green leader, and the greens must follow whoever that is. She doesn't believe that could possibly to her, but the former green leader explains that the rules of battle go back long before contact with other races, and the proposed rule change was lost in bureaucracy.

Using her new position, Ivanova orders the green Drazi to follow her to the quartermaster's office, where she will either lock them in the brig for assaulting her, or change the colors of their sashes from green to purple.

Londo cautiously approaches the section of the station where the Technomages are residing. He tries to avoid apologizing for as long as he can, but the strange lights and gutteral noises, as though coming from a large animal, prompt him to continue. When the noise reaches its climax, he finally apologizes for any way in which he might have offended them. He offers to help them, should they ever return. He walks steadily out of the area without noticing the three small gremlins hanging onto the back of his coat.

At a party celebrating Garibaldi's return to duty, Ivanova asks what made Garibaldi return. He explains that, as Sheridan pointed out, he does know the station and the people on it better than anyone else. He explains that it was because of this he knew Ivanova was in danger--he knew she would never communicate via an uplink, but would always use her own link. He also says that he is perfect for the job because he doesn't trust anyone, or anything. Sheridan receives a message saying that the Technomages are leaving. Before he leaves, however, he tells Garibaldi that he is glad he is remaining on the station.

Londo approaches Elric, thanking him sarcastically for the gift, which caused considerable damage to his quarters. Londo asks Elric if the torment ends after he leaves, or if he will have to pay for it for the rest of his life. "I'm afraid you're going to have to spend the rest of your life paying for your mistakes. Not this one, of course. It's trivial -- I have withdrawn the spell. But there will be others."

Londo catches up with Elric.

Londo asks Elric to explain, which he does. "You are touched by darkness, Ambassador. I see it as a blemish that will grow with time. I could warn you, of course, but you would not listen. I could kill you, but someone would take your place. So, I do the only thing I can. I go. Oh, I believe it was an endorsement you wanted. A word or two, a picture, to send to the folks back home, confirming that you have a destiny before you." Elric provides this. "Well, take this, for what little it will profit you. As I look at you, Ambassador Mollari, I see a great hand reaching out of the stars. The hand is your hand. And I hear sounds--the sounds of billions of people calling your name."

"My followers?"

"Your victims." With that, Elric leaves.

When told that the Technomage ship is ready to leave, Sheridan authorizes it to do so. Looking at the orange blossom given him by Elric, he ponders its meaning, and the destinies of the Technomages who just left through the jumpgate to begin their journey. "What was it he said? 'Dreamers, shapers, singers, makers...' Part of me says we'll not see their like again. But the part of me that still believes in magic says, 'Don't be so sure.'"

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

The Hour of the Wolf

Overview

Sheridan's disappearance begins to unravel the alliance. Londo discovers that Emperor Cartagia has struck a disturbing deal. G'Kar decides to search for Garibaldi. Ivanova, Delenn, and Lyta head toward Z'ha'dum to search for Sheridan. Ed Wasser as Morden. Wortham Krimmer as Emperor Cartagia. Wayne Alexander as Lorien. Damian London as Minister. 
P5 Rating: 8.89

Production number: 401
Original air week: November 4, 1996
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Watch For

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Hour of the Wolf

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

A week has passed since Captain Sheridan's ill-fated mission to Z'ha'dum and Garibaldi's disappearance. No one on Babylon 5 is taking this turn of events harder than Commander Ivanova, who stalks the station lost in another world and spends sleepless nights regretting the circumstances that have brought her to command. Meanwhile, Londo has returned to Centauri Prime at the request of Emperor Cartagia, Delenn fasts in prayer, and G'Kar transcribes it all with his hard won equanimity.

Ivanova's progress in the art of diplomacy vanishes as she tries to browbeat the remaining League worlds into an attack on Z'ha'dum in the Shadows' hour of weakness, or at the very least, to convince them not to abandon the defense of Babylon 5. The Gaim representative is most succinct in stating that the War Council members only "wish to find your captain," who must certainly be dead. They perceive this alliance to be useful in fighting a war for survival, not victory, which makes a mission against Z'ha'dum simply suicide. The meeting breaks up bitterly. In her anger with the selfish League worlds, Delenn has not ignored the fact that again the new Kosh has not deigned to attend, and she vows to find out why.

With great excitement, the Emperor's Minister leads Londo to a private royal audience. They find the Emperor a vapid young man preening at himself in a mirror, proud of his ability to set trends in the court, and amused to be able to toy with the powerful head of House Mollari. He orders Londo to "handle the arrangements" (without explaining the purpose) and mentions a mysterious personage who has specifically requested Londo's expertise on Centauri Prime.

In Londo's absence, Vir is receiving the Ambassador's intelligence reports, one of which he passes on to Ivanova. To her distress it is a description of Sheridan's actions on Z'ha'dum and his final, presumably fatal, plunge. "With any luck we won't see Mr. Morden's face around here any more," Vir laughs, trying to cheer her up.

Londo doesn't have that kind of luck, however. He returns to his chambers to find the horribly disfigured form of his enemy waiting. Morden somehow escaped death from the White Star's bombs, but at a high cost. Londo asks about Sheridan. "Which one?" Morden responds. As Londo watches and listens with growing revulsion, Morden explains that the Shadows are moving some of their forces off Z'ha'dum in case their enemies decide to attack. They did it before, a thousand years ago, planting their ships like seeds all around the galaxy. Now they've convinced Cartagia to let them set up a base on Centauri Prime. Londo refuses to assist the Shadows, but Mr. Morden just laughs, "You're afraid of what someone else might do in your place."

Lyta and the Vorlon meet Delenn in the garden. Speaking for her master, Lyta expresses impatience and closedness. The Vorlon refuses to assist in keeping the Alliance together, in sharing his intentions, or in mounting an investigative mission to Z'ha'dum. Sheridan's life or death is "irrelevant. He has opened an unexpected door. We do now what must be done now. His purpose has been fulfilled." As Kosh leaves, Lyta apologizes and follows.

Zack finds an intruder in the Chief's quarters. His quick hopes are dashed when it turns out to be G'Kar paying his respects to Garibaldi's spirit (including "household god" Daffy Duck.) Recalling Garibaldi's acceptance and support of his own spiritual transformation, G'Kar vows to repay the debt by finding the Chief and bringing him home.

The Minister eagerly beckons Londo out to the royal Sand Garden. To the Ambassador's horror he recognizes a scene from his worst nightmare. Hundreds of Shadow ships are passing overhead. Inside, the Emperor is beside himself with glee. When Mollari attempts to pull him away from the window, he instantly finds a guard's knife at his throat. "What did they give you?" Londo demands. If the Shadows hide behind the Centauri, "when the war comes here, our people will die first!" Such a sacrifice is perfectly acceptable to the Emperor, for the Shadows have promised to give him godhead.

Londo stumbles from the throne room in horror. "He is insane!" he utters to the Minister. With great trepidation, the Minister warns him about the ones who have said this in the past, and how their severed heads now grace the Emperor's private chambers where he talks to them late at night.

A long stream of energy pours out of Lyta Alexander into the Vorlon's encounter suit. It is clearly not the joyful burden it used to be, and Lyta looks weary and haggard. She mentions that it feels "darker" to carry the new ambassador, and asks if anything is wrong. The Vorlon only dismisses her and orders her not to interfere with his plans.

Late that night, Mollari wakes Vir up to demand his immediate presence on Centauri Prime. He is not the only restless man in the palace that night. The Emperor is paying a visit to his heads to tell them about the day's success.

On the station, a refreshed looking Lyta goes to Ivanova's quarters with a proposition. She finds the commander brooding over her vodka. Ivanova explains the meaning of the "hour of the wolf." It's that 3-4 o'clock in the morning time when fears and regrets and worries seize your mind so you can't sleep. It's where Ivanova has been living for the past seven days. Lyta brings her a new hope, or at least a plan for action. If they take the new White Star to Z'ha'dum, Ivanova can scan for Sheridan's signal while Lyta blocks the Shadows and scans for the piece of Kosh still alive in him. Ivanova is only too happy to try, but knows there will be no rescue mission for them if they fail.

With Delenn and Lennier aboard they hop out of hyperspace near Z'ha'dum. As soon as she begins blocking, Lyta's eyes turn oil black, not a hint of white left. Ivanova sends a message to Sheridan's link, Lyta searches for Kosh, and Delenn uses Lyta's scan to project a call to John. The captain does not respond, but something else does. The Eye which had almost trapped Ivanova when she used Draal's machine ("Voices of Authority") appears and mesmerizes them all. Ivanova orders the ship down to the planet, but the White Star flips around instead and jumps into hyperspace. Lennier had set a failsafe to escape in case he was unable to hit a trigger once every two minutes. They snap out of it, but they are all deeply moved. The Eye spoke to them in the voices of their fathers.

Their mission failed. They cannot reach Sheridan. But deep inside Z'ha'dum, a shapeless form shuffles down a tunnel. A gold command bar drops to the dust.

As soon as Vir arrives, Londo tells him about the Emperor's madness, and the intrigues of court. "And yet, in all of this, you have somehow managed to walk through the corridors of power and not be touched. I can only assume you have not been paying attention!" Mollari continues, "I need a friend, Vir, and I need a patriot. You are both. Will you help me?" Agreeing, Vir beams beatifically -- until Mollari informs him that they must now assassinate Emperor Cartagia.

Commander Ivanova makes a personal log. Biting back her tears she admits that the captain is dead and now she must continue his work. She still needs some help, but she knows where to find it.

Deep within Z'ha'dum, John Sheridan shivers in front of a tiny fire. A tall, bearded figure approaches. He only answers John's questions with questions. Nevertheless, he seems pleased and intrigued by what he has found.

The Illusion of Truth

Overview

ISN sends a team to do a second story about Babylon 5. Jeff Griggs as Dan Randall. 
P5 Rating: 7.56

Production number: 408
Original air week: February 17, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Stephen Furst

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Illusion of Truth

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (n9641343@cc.wwu.edu)

Sheridan is sitting alone at the conference table in the War Room when Ivanova comes in. Sheridan tells her it's strange to have the place so empty, and though Ivanova insists the war is over, Sheridan isn't so sure that it is, with all the trouble back on Earth. The quarantine has pretty much shut down Babylon 5, but Sheridan is sure they will find a way back from this setback as well. Ivanova asks him why he's worried, and though Sheridan insists he isn't, she knows better. Sheridan explains that he hasn't spoken to his father much since they broke away from Earth, and that his last letter mentioned strangers hanging around town, asking questions about his family. Sheridan told his parents to get out while they could, but he hasn't gotten any word since the embargo. Ivanova says that, being a former diplomat, his father couldn't just disappear, but Sheridan is still worried. He asks if everything else is okay, and Ivanova tells him that, despite a few problems in customs since Zack took over for Garibaldi, they haven't had a major incident.

Zack enters the docking bay to find an incident in progress--a minor fight, which one of the security guards says was started when several new arrivals to the station wouldn't allow their cargo to be inspected. They couldn't detect anything from the scans, so Zack moves to open a crate, but the owner insists it's private property. Zack orders the man to move, but he doesn't. As a last recourse, Zack fires his PPG at the crates, which angers the man even further. Zack moves to the crates, but before he can open one, it opens itself, and a small levitating device floats out. Zack recognizes the device. "It's a camera."

"That's right," the man tells him as the camera films Zack and the other security officers with their weapons drawn. "A camera. It goes with the territory. I'm a reporter and this is my crew. And you just made the evening news."

Franklin meets up with Sheridan and tells him that he pulled some of his doctors off duty in two other MedLabs to help move the cryogenically frozen telepaths in some of the freezing units, which are malfunctioning due to overuse, to other working units. Sheridan tells him to do what he has to, but wishes he didn't have to keep the telepaths frozen. Franklin is worried, though, that they could prove dangerous to themselves or others with the leftover Shadow technology still in their heads. Sheridan agrees and knows that even though the Shadows are gone, they will need to deal with what they left behind for a long time. Sheridan's commlink beeps, and a voice informs Sheridan of someone's arrival. Sheridan tells him he's on his way. "I thought we saw the worst of it with the Shadows, the Vorlons, the war..." Sheridan tells Franklin. "But there's something far worse than the Shadows: reporters."

Sheridan arrives in his office, and the reporter is only too happy to see him. He introduces himself as Dan Randall from ISN, and is quite upset since Ivanova threatened to throw him out an airlock unless he provided a full manifest of his equipment. Randall says they changed the manifest so they would be allowed on the station. Sheridan insists they would have let them on, but not their equipment since ISN is only a source of propaganda for President Clark, and Randall would never do an objective story. Randall insists that there is no such thing as a completely objective journalist, but that he, and others still on ISN, want to try to slip the truth through in small pieces, the best they can do under the circumstances. Randall asks Sheridan to work with him so that Sheridan's point of view will be represented and that, otherwise, there's no guarantee.

Garibaldi is in Downbelow, speaking with someone about retrieving a priceless family artifact, which Garibaldi recognizes as a Drazi religious statue the man is using to hide stolen valuables in. He makes a deal for its retrieval and a percentage of what's inside. Lennier appears and asks Garibaldi why he resigned. Garibaldi says he's done his duty, and served his time, and just wants some time to make his own life. Lennier tells him that, for the Minbari, it is an honor serve one's people, but Garibaldi has had quite enough honor for the time being. He asks about Delenn, whom Lennier says is doing well, but Garibaldi quickly changes the subject when Lennier starts mentioning Sheridan. It's too late, though. "Speak the Devil's name," Garibaldi says, "and he shall appear." Sheridan introduces Randall to Lennier, whom he wants to escort Randall around the station so that he can be assured of getting the most unbiased opinion possible. Lennier starts Randall on his tour, and while no words are exchanged between Sheridan and Garibaldi, there is clearly tension in the glances the two exchange. Garibaldi picks up the photograph of the Drazi statue, and remembers...

He is alone in his prison cell, sitting in a chair, while a ghostly voice repeats over and over, "You work for no one but us. You work for no one but us." Garibaldi's memory fades and he gets up from his table and leaves.

Randall, Lennier, and the news crew are in one of the lifts. Randall asks Lennier about the ship he noticed being repaired outside Babylon 5 when he arrived. Lennier explains that those ships, belonging to the League of Non-Aligned of Worlds, were damaged during the war, and are being repaired so they will be able to get back home safely. Lennier says that the station charges only for the material needed for the repairs, which Randall finds very generous.

After making sure the cameras are recording, Randall asks Lennier where they are. Lennier explains they are in Downbelow, where those who come to Babylon 5 and can't afford to live on the station stay. Lennier says that Sheridan is trying to put a stop to the exploitation the Lurkers often face by instituting work programs. Just then, Franklin and several other medical officers run by, carrying someone who just had a heart attack. Franklin explains this, and accepts Randall's offer to speak with him later. Just as Franklin is about to leave, he receives a call on his commlink from someone in MedLab, saying the cryo units are ready for restart. Franklin says he'll be right there, and though he tries to keep the conversation discreet, the camera, still recording, catches it all on tape.

Lennier leads the reporters through a corridor, where Sheridan and Londo are in the midst of a heated discussion, with Londo complaining about the lack of heat in his quarters. The camera captures all of this as well.

Sheridan and Delenn are sitting together in his office while a young woman finishes applying makeup to Delenn's face. Randall is interviewing them, and begins by asking them if it was ever their intention to break away from Earth. Sheridan insists it wasn't--he seceded to protest bombing of civilian targets, and they will rejoin once President Clark is out of office. Randall asks if Sheridan still believes Clark was responsible for President Santiago's death, and Sheridan says that he does, that Clark doesn't let anyhting stand in his way. Randall asks Delenn how she feels about all this, and she says that she is used to it--this sort of thing happens everywhere. Randall comments on how close Sheridan and Delenn have become, and asks if it is true that they might marry eventually, which Sheridan won't comment on. Randall says that there must be other forces pulling against them, but Delenn says that, despite all that, the heart does not recognize boundaries on a map, hatred, or wars. She says if others don't understand that, she will make them understand. Randall asks if they are concerned about the repurcussions, but Sheridan says there is no force in the galaxy that can stop all they have accomplished.

Randall arrives at Garibaldi's table in Downbelow, and tells him that they are getting ready to leave. He asks Garibaldi if he would like to talk about his resignation, but Garibaldi is less than enthused to do so. Randall appeals to him, saying that he is the only command staff member who was with Babylon 5 from the start. He promises to allow Garibaldi to say whatever he likes. Garibaldi remains silent for a moment, as he decides what he wants to do.

Ivanova is in Sheridan's office with a tray of food when Sheridan comes in with a tray of his own. Planning to eat while they watch the ISN broadcast, Ivanova asks if Sheridan is worried, since there will no doubt be some bias on the broadcast. Sheridan says that they did the best they could, and that they wanted to get it out into the open as soon as possible, and since they managed to avoid major crises and chose their words very carefully, he feels there is very little ISN can do to them. Delenn arrives, and Sheridan turns on his monitor.

"This is an Interstellar Network News special report. Reporting live from the ISN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, your host, Alison Higgins."

Higgins begins by explaining that, two weeks earlier, they sent Dan Randall to Babylon 5 to do a report, which will be shown later in the broadcast. She runs through the daily headlines: President Clark announced that his troops have reclaimed 75% of the Mars Colony which broke away 259 days earlier, and the day has been declared a holiday. Hearings also began on anti-Earth activity with testimony given by members of the entertainment industry. Lee Parks, a Tri-Vid writer and producer, testified, admitting that he used his Tri-Vids to spread anti-Earth messages to outside forces to use against Earth. He also names three others who helped him--Tri-Vid writer Carleton Jerrico, and actors Beth Trumbo and Adrian Mostel. Higgins says Parks was sent to a mental hospital where he will receive treatment to one day be reaccepted into society.

After a brief interlude with a segment of "This Year in History," the Babylon 5 story begins...

"Good evening, I'm Dan Randall. When we first approached the Ministry of Information with the idea of travelling to Babylon 5 for this story, they advised against. They believed it would put the safety of myself and my news crew in jeopardy. But the first rule of journalism is, 'You go where the story is.' Still, nothing could have prepared us for what we found."

Randall explains that, outside Babylon 5, everything seems to be normal, but inside, most human residents are living in filthy and dangerous areas of the station, while the best quarters in the station are reserved for aliens and those running the station with taxes collected from its inhabitants. Randall finds it ironic that the Minbari were appointed the keepers of these humans, and runs a clip without audio showing Lennier leading him through Downbelow. He explains how any attempt at protest by these humans is put down, with the humans sedated, as is demonstrated by one of them, on a gurney, being escorted away by several medical personnel, including the Chief of MedLab.

Randall explains that, as they toured Babylon 5, they learned the alien races were in control. Showing film of Captain Sheridan and Ambassador Mollari, he asks why Sheridan, a decorated war hero, would tolerate this from others.

Randall explains that, to answer these questions, they talked to experts. He introduces Dr. William Indiri, Dean of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and an expert on xenopsychology and Minbari War Syndrome. Indiri explains that many Earth-Minbari War Veterans suffer from an inferiority complex, feeling that other races are better than humans. Indiri explains that, during the war, under that administration, the Minbari were a vastly superior force, which could lead those who fought against them to consider them morally superior. Randall asks if the disease could cause someone to turn against their own race, and Indiri agrees that it is possible, since most people in such a situation could feel that an advanced species is closer to God than they are, eventually forcing them to turn against everything they believe in.

"The second rule of journalism is," Randall explains, "'No one does anything without a reason.' They may not admit it, even to themselves, but the reason is there. To understand what's been happening on Babylon 5 since their break from Earth, you first have to understand why." He plays the segment of video taken in Downbelow when Franklin responded to a colleague's call about cryo units. "A small piece of conversation, overheard by chance. We'll find out what those few words really mean when we come back."

After a commercial break, the broadcast resumes, with Randall calling attention to one of the ships docked outside Babylon 5 upon his arrival. He explains that the warship is one of a fleet used by Sheridan and Delenn in their recent military campaign, being fixed at the taxpayers' expense. Randall explains that new weapons were added to Babylon 5's defense system just prior to their secession from Earth, and were used against Earth during the war. Randall shows this as another piece of the puzzle, but wants to find the answer to it all.

The video taken of Delenn and Sheridan in Sheridan's office is shown. On the tape, we hear Randall's voice ask Delenn of possible repurcussions. "It will be a struggle," she tells him.

"A struggle against Earth?" Randall asks her.

"Of course. If they don't understand," she says, "we will make them understand."

"Anything that gets in the way disappears," Sheridan interjects.

"There's a lot of people back home who might be concerned about what you're saying. It sounds as if you're putting the mingling of Human and Minbari above the safety of your own world."

"There's no force in the galaxy that can stop what we've done here together," Sheridan responds. "Nothing will be able to stop us."

The tape ends, and Randall says that, if it sounds troubling, there is good reason. He says that he managed to speak with Garibaldi, the former security chief who explained it. More video airs, and Garibaldi explains that he feels Sheridan is suffering from a "God complex" and is acting like he's the Second Coming, as if he knows what's good for everyone else. Garibaldi says he thinks he's gone over the top. Garibaldi is sure he'll get in trouble for saying this, but says someone had to say it.

Randall continues by saying that, using information obtained aboard Babylon 5, they were able to slip into a restricted area. The video airs, with Randall, on the tape, explaining what he's seeing: A large number of cryogenic freezing units in use. Babylon 5 should only be operating four or five at a time, and in a limited capacity. None of the names on the units match those in the station's logs. He wants to know where the people came from, and why they are there.

Randall explains that this is their Rosetta Stone. The humans come from Downbelow, captured and sedated by Franklin's staff. Meanwhile, alien ships are being built and repaired outside the station. Randall says that you never build a fleet unless you're prepared to use it, and he and others at ISN believe they know why.

After another commercial break, the broadcast resumes, and Randall introduces one last interview, which is significant for all that is denied in it. The video shows Franklin, in MedLab, explaining his job. Randall asks how long patients stay on the station, and Franklin says they don't stay long, since Medlab aren't equipped to handle long-term stays. Randall asks if he ever uses cryogenic freezers, and Franklin says he does it very rarely, and that they aren't using any at all at the moment.

"Rule number three," Randall says, as the camera returns to the ISN news desk. "People only lie when they have something to hide. We know there are humans in cryo on Babylon 5. We saw them, as did you. So what are they hiding?" Prodded by Randall, Dr. Indiri speculates that Sheridan's Minbari War syndrome is causing him to want to change humans to be more like Minbari.

Randall explains that, with all they've shown, the truth is self-evident, once you find they key. The key, he feels, is Delenn, around whom all of what they uncovered revolves. Randall suggests that the Minbari surrendered at the Battle of the Line so they could destroy humanity from within instead. Though he says the idea of mixing human and Minbari DNA may sound absurd, it has already happened, with Delenn, when she became half-human. Randall concludes that it must be Sheridan's plan to show others how good it can be to be half alien and, should they disagree, or not want to go along with the experiments, he will use the alien fleet he is assembling against them, to "make them understand." Randall says that the fault is not Sheridan's, since Earthforce should have discovered his disease earlier and tried to cure it. This problem was only made worse by his Minbari War Syndrome, coupled with the loss of his family's home in a fire the week before resulting in his father's disappearance, and the pressures of command.

"Our job," Randall concludes, "is to report the news. Not to make it, or guide it. But from this reporter's perspective, the situation on Babylon 5 is deteriorating quickly, and must be dealt with. The quarantine order will help prevent more humans from falling prey to this genetics program, but it's only a short-term solution. As for Sheridan, he does not deserve our scorn, our anger, or our contempt. He is a war veteran, and that should at least earn him our sympathy. We here at ISN hope he receives the best care possible so he can someday come back to us. This is Dan Randall at ISN. Goodnight."

The broadcast ends. Ivanova, directly in front of the monitor, with a great amount of anger on her face, can do nothing but storm out of the room. Delenn, initially seated, goes to Sheridan who stands, silently, facing the wall. He will not speak to her, and he will not turn to look at her. She goes after Ivanova. After a moment, Sheridan turns the monitor off.

The Legend of the Rangers

Overview

The crew of a Ranger ship encounters an ancient, deadly foe. Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar. 
Production number: ???
Original air date: January 19, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Legend of the Rangers

Synopsis by Jon Acheson (jonacheson@fast.net)

A Ranger ship of a previously unseen Minbari design, the Enfalli, is chasing a group of 6 much smaller raider ships. Inside the Ranger ship, they are taking heavy damage: engines are down to 20%, and automatic weapons tracking is disabled. The captain of the ship insists on continuing the pursuit, but they run into a larger group of raider ships that inflicts heavy damage. The captain is knocked out of action, and the ships' weapons are taken off-line. The second in command, David Martel, orders the ship to stand down amid protests from his crew: "We live for the one, we die for the one. But we don't die stupidly."

Note: the ship has a conventional weapons console, not the VR tank the Liandra has.

On Minbar, homeworld of the Minbari Federation and seat of the Interstellar Alliance, in a room similar to the Gray Council's council chambers, a Minbari councilor, Sindell, is viewing images of starfish-shaped ships via a hologram projected all around him.

G'Kar enters, commenting on the ominous appearance of the ships. But Sindell prefers "unknown."

"We have been a spacefaring race for over a thousand years, yet we know nothing about this race. It's as if they came out of nowhere."

They discuss the matter, and Sindell asks him to look into the matter, as G'Kar is the most well-traveled person at his level within the Alliance. Then he excuses himself, as other business has some up. "One of the Anla'Shok has acted inappropriately and must be punished, perhaps ever expelled."

"What was his crime?" G'Kar asks.

"Staying alive."

Elsewhere on Minbar, the Ranger in question, David Martel is serving a group of other Rangers in a dojo-like environment. Dulann, a Minbari who also served on the Enfalli enters and kneels next to Martel. "I have heard that the Council has made its decision about you."

"Yeah?" Martel responds. "It's been at least two weeks and I sure as hell haven't heard anything."

"Minbari ears are substantially more sensitive than human ears."

"Well at least ours are bigger and better placed."

"Size is not everything," Dulann notes.

"Yeah, well I've heard that before." Martel responds.

"So I am informed" Dulann says with a smile.

Tannier, the Ranger conducting the pike training calls brusquely for water. "More quickly this time." Martel brings him a bowl of water and advises Tannier that he is leaving his right side open. Tannier responds poorly to criticism, and they get into an argument. Dulann stops Tannier from taking a swipe at the unarmed Martel with his pike. Sarah and Malcolm, two other crewmembers of his previous ship begin get involved, but Martel tells them to calm down. As they walk away, Tannier taunts Martel one last time: "And again he runs from a fight."

Martel stops short, his jaw set. "And we're not supposed to do that, are we, Tannier?" he says, grabbing a pike. They fight, and Martel defeats Tannier by exploiting the weakness on his right side he had warned him about. On his way out of the dojo, Martel comments to Dulann "You know, you're right. This job has completely calmed my mind."

Later, on a balcony outside the training area, overlooking a large landing field, Martel is watching a big ugly ship land. Sarah walks up and asks, "So what do you think of the Valen? They say it's faster than anything else in the fleet."

Martel responds "Yeah, sure I suppose. You know, things in space don't have to be aerodynamic. You could put a really big engine on a brick, which pretty much looks like what they've done here, and it would be fast..."

Martel is disappointed that he didn't get assigned to command the Valen. He comments that he joined the Rangers to be part of something bigger than himself. It had been his dream ever since his parents died. He had grown up reading mythology, and when he heard about the Rangers, he had wanted to be part of a myth himself.

Martel breaks himself out of his reverie with a start, looking at a new ship on the landing field: "Is that the Liandra? I can't believe she's still flying."

"Word is, her last crew died on board. And nobody knows who or what killed them. They couldn't even find the ship for a week afterwards, she just fell off the charts. She's been through hell, that's for sure. Some folks think she's cursed."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Martel quips.

Martel walks into the Council chamber. Dulann is there, and he stands with Martel in the central circle. He informs the council "With great respect for the honored Council, if David Martel is expelled from the Anla'Shok, I will go with him, as will Sarah Cantrell and Malcolm Bridges."

Dulann further remarks, "His concern was for us, not for himself. I know: I saw it in his soul."

Sindell, the leader of the Council, acknowledges that Dulann is blessed by being sensitive to such things, but Martel's motivation is not under judgement. He is about to pronounce sentence when G'Kar interrupts.

G'Kar points out that the Ranger oath reads "we live for the one, we die for the one." He points out that they are overlooking the first half of that sentence, that sometimes it is easier to die and be relieved of an obligation than to keep on living. He compares Martel with Sheridan, and adds that he has just spoken with Sheridan on a matter relating to their previous conversation. Sindell announces that the Council will recess to hear this new information.

Later, Martel is back on the balcony, when G'Kar finds him. G'Kar has convinced them to allow Martel to remain with the Anla'Shok and to give him a ship. He accomplished this by telling them "four true things." He refuses to elaborate: "Accept the miracle and move on."

The council has assigned Martel to the Liandra.

Later, Martel is grousing about the woeful state of his new ship. She's "had the crap kicked out of her at least a dozen times."

The Liandra is about 20 human years old. "Her lines and colors are representative of the Shunali sense of design," Dulann observes.

While Martel wanders around the bridge, Dulann is working on the lower deck, when suddenly he begins seeing visions of the previous crew, dying. They suffocated trying to make their way back home after the ship was damaged beyond their capacity to repair it.

Later, Martel is doing pike katas in the dojo when Tannier comes in. He announces that he has been given command of the Valen, and has asked for the Liandra to be his escort ship. Because of his history with him, Martel is not able to take this as a compliment. Tannier is offended and orders him to be ready to depart with his crew in three days.

Martel picks a crew containing a Narn and a Drazi, both because they have been waiting for a ship almost as long as he has, and because they are "intemperate" like him.

On the bridge, the crew take part in the ceremony of the Naming of Names. Taking hold of a star-shaped emblem, the crew members each recite their name, their place, and their truth:

Sarah Cantrell of Mars. Weapons and Tactical Combat Specialist. I live to serve, I serve to live.

Tafeek of Minbar. Political and First Contact Specialist. I come to the stars by a difficult road.

Kitaro Sasaki of Earth. Navigation, Communications and Translations Specialist. I'm... just really glad to be here, sir.

Firell of Minbar. Healer. My heart speaks quietly, and infrequently.

Malcolm Bridges of Beta Colony. Infiltration and Covert Operations Specialist. In dreams, I never see my face.

Na'Feel of Narn. Engines, Environment and Weapons support. I understand nobody else would have me.

Tirk, Drazi. I... carry very large things. I, uh... Tirk, Drazi.

Dulann, of Minbar. Shok'Nali. First Officer. My life for the Shok'na.

David Martel, no place in particular. Shok'Na. Captain. I'm looking for something.

"We are Rangers. We walk in the dark places no others will enter. We stand on the bridge, and no one may pass. We live for the one, we die for the one."

Martel's crew is still scrambling trying to get the ship operational when the time comes to depart, and Na'Feel in particular is somewhat put out, but he tells Tannier that everything is fine. The ship lifts off, creakily, winning Martel a 30-credit bet from Sarah. They precede the Valen into the jumpgate. In hyperspace, the mystery aliens follow them.

In hyperspace, Tannier informs the crew of the Liandra that they have nearly reached their secret destination, which had been kept secret even from the diplomats: Beta Durani 7.

Bridges wonders aloud why they came all this way to have a meeting. Martel points out that they might have wanted the diplomats to see something they couldn't transport. Beta Durani 7 is a domed colony of roughly 600 people. It's an archeological dig.

Immediately after the Liandra and Valen jump to normal space, Sasaki picks up an energy spike and a jump point forming at 6:00. Three of the alien ships come through the jumpgate and open fire on the Valen.

Martel orders "Evasive maneuvers, prepare to fire." Sarah jumps into her weapons targeting tank and opens fire on the enemy.

One of the enemy ships gets off a shot at the colony dome, destroying it. Others fire on the Valen's engines.

On the Valen, Tannier exclaims that it's too late for the Valen to get away.

Martel orders the crew to put the Liandra between the Valen and the enemy. Sarah damages one of the alien ships, but the other two open up on her and the Liandra takes damage. On the bridge, Dulann is thrown from his station and injured.

Two of the three remaining enemies leave, leaving one to finish them off.

The Valen is crippled: it's only a matter of time. Tannier asks if the Liandra can engage the remaining enemy ship. Martel answers no: their weapons are at 10% and the engines are barely functional. Tannier has sent the diplomats into the escape pods, and orders Martel to pick them up in the Liandra.

Sarah manages to cripple the remaining enemy ship by firing "straight up her engines."

The Valen rams the enemy ship, absorbing terrible damage. "We live for the one," Tannier says, "We die for the one." The Valen and the enemy ship are both destroyed in the collision.

Martel orders Sasaki to recover the escape pods using the engine repair bay "since it has a big enough airlock."

The Liandra's tachyon communications are down, leaving only short-range ship to ship radio, and Sasaki isn't holding out much hope at getting them online again. The jump engines are offline, and the ship can only maneuver at half speed in normal space. Worse yet, the enemy is sure to come looking once their ship fails to report in.

Martel orders Tafeek to go with Na'Feel and deal with the hysterical diplomats. There are no first-class accommodations, only "some long hallways and a number of very nice closets." The diplomats protest unhappily.

Dulann is badly injured: concussion, injury to internal organs, and internal bleeding. He needs more extensive care than Firell can provide on the Liandra. As they talk, Dulann wakes up suddenly. He has had a dream of the last crew of the ship. "They are not at peace here, David. Something here is disturbing them... Something is wrong."

Two enemy ships jump into the system and begin scanning the wreckage.

In Medbay, Dulann sees a vision of one of the last crew, wearing the older B5-style Ranger costume. The crewman stretches his mouth open grotesquely, and we can hear the unhappy voices of the last crew. Prominent among them is the phrase "The bastard sold us out!"

"I couldn't get out to where the air was." the specter says grimly, "I never saw his face."

Minister Kafta is insisting that G'Kar tell the captain to drop off the ambassadors on a planet with a breathable atmosphere then go for help. G'Kar responds that the ship is in no condition to land on a planet: it would be unable to take off again, and the enemy would find them all. Tirk tells him the captain would like to see him. G'Kar turns to the ambassadors: "Love to stay. Can't, have to go. Kiss kiss, love love, bye!"

The Drazi ambassador talks to Tirk. "That isn't a Drazi name." he points out.

"My mother created it. It means 'Don't touch me, I'm not having another child after this ever.'"

G'Kar arrives at Martel's quarters. He asks G'Kar for his input as a former military tactician. When the enemy jumped out of hyperspace, they targeted the Valen's engines first, then blew up Beta Durani 7, hit their weapons, then hesitated. This is odd: normally you go for the biggest ship first, and target the weapons systems: they're fairly volatile, whereas engines are heavily shielded to protect the crew from radiation, and thus a target of last resort. It's almost as if they were trying to capture the diplomats alive and find out how much they know.

"How much they know about what, G'Kar?" Martel asks. "...If we're going to survive, we need to know what we're up against."

"That's what we were trying to find out ourselves. Until recently, all we knew was that ships identical to the ones that attacked us have been trying to destabilize the Alliance by attacking its weaker members. Then we learned that some information that was relevant to this new race had been found at Beta Durani 7... They found a city, eight miles below the surface of the planet, a city billions of year old, older than anything found before. According to the hieroglyphs, this city was built by an ancient race that drove off the forces of darkness a billion years ago. They indicate that the enemy was driven from normal space to a place of eternal darkness."

They theorize that this is a parallel dimension. The translators weren't sure what to believe, then they found a doorway to another place, another space, set into the side of a pyramid. [Illuminati, anyone?] They sent a probe through the door, but it came back distorted beyond recognition. "The hieroglyphs warned of a time when the enemy would return. We have reason to believe that there is a connection between this and the ships that attacked us."

Exiting his quarters, G'Kar runs into: himself! It's a sheepish Malcolm Bridges, who was using a "holosuit" [changeling net!] to impersonate G'Kar and put down utter panic among the diplomats.

With the enemy ships out looking for them, and weapons only up to 25%, Martel decides that the ship should hide inside the tail of a nearby comet. Sarah is dispatched to run weapons in case a big rock comes flying at them, though if she fires, the enemy will probably detect it.

In Medbay, Dulann once again sees the spectral crewman, and rolls himself off his couch to follow him.

The Liandra goes inside the comet tail, but takes too much of a beating from the ice boulders floating around and has to leave again. Sarah is sorely tempted to fire, but doesn't.

Dulann follows the spectral crew member into a damaged area of the ship. Collapsing to the deck, he asks "What do you want?"

In Medbay, Martel is talking to Firell. "Look , I've known Dulann for over three years. I know he's slightly telepathic, but I just don't buy this whole bit about sensing the dead."

"Minbari are sensitive to such things." Firell points out. "Telepaths, even a minor one like Dulann are more sensitive still. And when one of our kind is close to death, the veil becomes very thin indeed."

Malcolm interrupts: he wonders why the enemy is bothering to chase them: after all the news of the colony will get out fairly quickly regardless, and since the meeting was about the enemy, they will be suspected anyway. Malcolm wonders if they have something on board that the enemy wants, something they don't know they have.

Dulann has been found, and is holding off the other crewmen with a fire extinguisher. Martel arrives, and talks to him. Dulann is hearing the crew in his head, and says that the flight record log was not on the main system. No one would know to erase it. Dulann manages to speak the codeword, "Entil'Zha" before collapsing again.

On the bridge, Martel tells the computer to look for the codeword and play the record. It is the crewman Dulann has seen. He is running out of air. He asks them to avenge them. "The one who survives is the traitor." Martel surmises that they may have a traitor on board. One of the ambassadors could have been a mole, signaling the enemy to attack them.

Tirk enters a cargo bay and sees Minister Kafta there. He informs him that he should not be there, because all the power relays route through the room. Kafta shoots Tirk with a hideout energy weapon and inserts a card into a piece of equipment.

Sasaki has found a signal that was coming from the Valen when she was attacked. Just then they pick up the same signal coming from Cargo Bay 4. Martel, Sarah and Malcolm run to surround him, and Martel gets into a fight with Kafta as Kafta tries to get away in an escape pod. Martel beats the crap out of him.

Malcolm disconnects the card, but an enemy ship is already rushing towards them. It is at 10,000 kilometers and closing, just outside maximum effective range for high-energy weapons fire. The Liandra's weapons are only at 30%, and engines are at 80% of maximum, and the Liandra is 2-3 hours from the jumpgate. They prepare to run for the jumpgate. The enemy ship opens fire on them and launches a cluster of mines in their path, which Sarah plows a path through in a wild flurry of shooting. The enemy ship is continuing to gain on them, though, and their weapons are hitting harder and harder as the range shortens.

Martel orders Malcolm to put the card he discovered into an escape pod, along with a remotely detonated bomb, and eject the pod. The enemy ship brings the pod inside it, and is blown up by the bomb.

Unfortunately, the last hit overloaded the Liandra's weapons system, and the ship is now completely disarmed until she can be refitted in a naval yard.

Martel questions Kafta and beats some information out of him. "They do not have a name as you understand the concept. They are called the Hand. The hand of God, the hand of death, the hand that reaches forth and blots out whole suns. They have left a thousand worlds in their wake, blackened cinders that were once thriving planets. For millions of years they have been outcast, hungrily staring out across the darkness between the stars, searching for a way back. And now they have found it."

"The ships that are after us, are they the Hand?"

"Those? Ha. Those are only toys given to races that serve the Hand, as I serve the Hand. Together, we will prepare the way for their return."

"And part of their return involves selling out the Alliance, is that it? Because we could oppose them?"

"If you had seen what I had seen, you would have done the same. Compared to the Hand, the Shadows who straddled the galaxy on wings of fire during the Shadow War were nothing more than insects."

"If they're so powerful, then why are they interested in you? You must be small change as far as they're concerned."

"The Hand rewards loyalty. It is their only virtue. And, they do not know what I know of their plans, so they cannot allow my return to Minbar, where I might be questioned further. They are coming, Captain. You cannot stop them. You cannot fight them. You cannot defeat them. You can only join them, or be ground into dust before them."

Sasaki sights the jumpgate, but it is guarded by the remaining enemy ship. Martel points out that the enemy might as well sit there, since they know the Liandra can't jump, and there isn't another jump gate for two light-months in any direction.

The enemy orders them to turn over their prisoner or be destroyed.

Martel visits Dulann, who has been told of the ship's situation by her former crew. Martel confesses that he has used up all his tricks, but Dulann gives him an idea.

They agree to release the prisoner. The enemy will scan the pod for remote-controlled bombs, and Kafta, and open a comm. channel with Kafta to make sure he is inside. The Liandra releases the pod, keeping it between themselves and the enemy. Kafta comes on the comm. channel, and the enemy takes the pod on board. When they open the pod, we see Kafta, gagged with silver tape on which the word "Boom!" has been written, just before the rising pod canopy pulls the pin on a grenade.

The enemy ship is destroyed. It is revealed that Malcolm was impersonating Kafta using his holonet, and they kept the pod between them so the enemy wouldn't detect that the transmission was coming from the Liandra. They tried the same trick twice, figuring it was the last thing the enemy would suspect.

Later, back on Minbar, Martel is congratulated by the Council. Afterwards, Martel and Sarah talk about Dulann and Tirk's recoveries, and the fact that they are going to be taking the Liandra out again after she is properly refitted.

Afterwards, the Liandra takes G'Kar back to Babylon 5 for a security council meeting. As he leaves, G'Kar says that they should try to visit B5 if they can. But he warns them "No one there is exactly what they seem."

The Long Dark

Overview

When a cryonic sleeper is awakened, a deadly, evil force is unleashed on the station. Anne-Marie Johnson as Mariah Cirrus. Dwight Schultz as Amis. 
Sub-genre: Horror
P5 Rating: 7.64

Production number: 205
Original air date: November 30, 1994
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by Scott Frost
Directed by Mario DiLeo

Watch For:

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Long Dark

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)

Sheridan arrives at C&C after Ivanova's call. Babylon 5 has picked up a weak signal which Ivanova doesn't recognize coming out of deep space, from something that didn't use a jump gate. Sheridan asks if it is an alien craft, but it isn't. Ivanova plays the message for Sheridan: "This is the Copernicus. We come in peace."

In Downbelow, a man named Amis jumps out of a dumpster screaming, "Through the walls! It's coming through the wa..." He says he needs some ozones, but he doesn't have any with him. He is suddenly seized by pain. "No!" he screams. "I'm stuck! Get out of my head! Where are you?" He looks at the floor. "There you are!" He pushes some garbage aside and looks out a porthole, seeing the approaching craft. "There you are! I see you..." He begins to recite the Lord's Prayer, but can barely remember the words. He runs away screaming as the vessel approaches the station.

Amis goes to the plaza, where he stands atop a table, delivering a doomsday speech to all the people there, warning them that Judgement Day is coming. He says that they are all in great danger. He sees G'kar and tries to warn him, but G'kar does his best to ignore him, and walks away. Garibaldi arrives and grabs Amis, taking him off to the brig.

"Judgement Day is coming!"

Sheridan, Ivanova, and Garibaldi attempt to identify the ship and determine why it didn't use the jumpgate. A maintenance craft, sent to examine the ship, approaches it and shines its light on the ship's name. There are some letters, difficult to make out, before the ship's name, but Sheridan says he thinks they say U.S.S. Ivanova doesn't recognize the ship's design. Sheridan explains to her that ships like these were "used in early deep-range exploration, back before we got jumpgate technology from the Centauri." None of them, however, know what happened to the ship in the more than 100 years since it was launched. Ivanova detects a life form aboard the vessel, and Sheridan orders the ship to be brought aboard the station. Sheridan calls down to Dr. Franklin to inform him that they may be bringing a patient aboard.

The Copernicus.

Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, Franklin, and several other officers enter the ship and examine the contents. Inside, they find two cryogenic freezers. The occupant of one of the freezers is dead, but the other contains a young woman, whose life signs are deteriorating quickly. Franklin says that they must get her to MedLab quickly. They open up the freezer and take her to MedLab. As they begin to treat her vanishing pulse enroute, the transport tube's lights go wild for a moment. She suffers a heart attack, but Franklin and his assistants are able to treat her for it.

Garibaldi enters the brig, where Amis is resting. He is asleep, but thrashing about and shouting loudly about incoming weapons. "Damn lurkers," the guard says. "We oughtta space the whole bunch of 'em."

"Were you in the war?" asks Garibaldi.

"No, I missed it."

"Yeah, well he didn't."

"How can you tell?"

"I've had that same dream." Garibaldi leaves.

Ivanova is aboard the Copernicus, attempting to restore full power. As soon as she does so, strange noises seem to come from all around her. She looks around, but sees nothing, and goes back to work.

On the Copernicus' bridge.

Amis wakes up, with Garibaldi at his side. Amis says that he is in perfect health, but doesn't know what he said or what he did. Garibaldi tells him what happened, and that they had to sedate him to get him to sleep. Garibaldi asks Amis if he had done this before, and Amis says that he has done everything before. Garibaldi asks where Amis was stationed during the war, and Amis admits that he was a, "gropo," a ground pounder. Garibaldi says that he was one, too. Garibaldi asks him about his dreams, but Amis says that he doesn't dream. Garibaldi tells him about the things he said in his sleep, and decides to let him leave the brig, though he recommends the man see a counselor.

Meanwhile, in MedLab, the woman from the cryogenic capsule, Mariah Cirrus, has passed from her unconciousness into a dreaming state. After a few moments, she awakens with a start, and looks at her surroundings, frightened. Dr. Franklin assures her that she will be all right.

Mariah wakes up.

In Sheridan's office, Ivanova tells Sheridan that the man from the other cryogenic freezer should be alive, because the freezer didn't malfunction. "Something," she says, "or someone murdered him."

Dr. Franklin examines the corpse from the other cryogenic capsule in MedLab. "At the time of death," he tells Sheridan and Garibaldi, "the victim's weight appears to have been about 90 pounds. Given his height and bone structure, his normal weight should have been about 180. But malnutrition wasn't what killed him. He died as a result of organ failure."

Garibaldi asks why, and Franklin says that the man's organs are missing, as if something had pulled them out from the inside. But a thorough scan of the ship revealed that the organs were not on board. Garibaldi wants to interrogate the woman that was with him, though Franklin insists she couldn't be responsible, because she was in stasis the whole time. Sheridan and Garibaldi can't accept this as an explanation. Franklin then goes to check on her, though Sheridan tells him that he wants to talk to her when it is possible.

Mariah thanks Dr. Franklin for helping her. Franklin introduces himself. He asks her how she got on the ship. She explains that she and her husband were part of a commerical research group, which needed volunteers for a long-term deep space mission. They volunteered and were put on the Copernicus, which would awaken them from their cryogenic sleep when they came in contact with an intelligent signal. She asks how long they were asleep. Franklin tells her that she was in the ship for over a hundred years. She asks to see her husband, and Dr. Franklin tells her that he died during the voyage, and that they didn't know the cause. She says that it seems as though they just said good-night to each other, and when she tries to cry, she can't, which Dr. Franklin explains is due to long-term stasis drying her tear ducts. "God, what have I done?" she asks herself.

Amis runs through the station, as if searching for the presence he believes is putting the station in danger. He goes to the cargo bay, where he finds the Copernicus. "Holy mother!" he shouts, before he is chased away by a guard.

Dr. Franklin and Mariah are visiting various parts of the station. They go to the plaza, where Dr. Franklin explains the things she missed while cryogenically frozen. "A few years after your ship left Earth," he tells her, "we finally made contact with another species -- the Centauri. We opened up trade relations and they gave us jumpgate technology. Before that, we'd been pretty much limited to our own solar system. After that, we were out among the stars, first leasing time on alien jumpgates, and then building our own."

Mariah laments at how she and her husband didn't wait, and how things might be different had they not gone on the Copernicus. Dr. Franklin tries to tell her that what she did took courage, but she brushes it off, wondering about what else she missed. He tells her about some of the general things that have happened, and about the Dilgar and Minbari wars. She feels bad that the humans hadn't outgrown violence while she was in suspension. "It's gonna take a lot more than a hundred years to evole a better human," Franklin tells her.

Ambassador G'Kar appears by their table, and Dr. Franklin introduces him to Mariah. "Take my advice and go back to the time you came from," G'Kar tells her. "The future isn't what it used to be."

As she ponders his words, she remembers, subconciously, something that happened to her during the voyage. She is in her cryogenic capsule aboard the Copernicus, asleep, when something appears in the capsule with her. She wakes up in the capsule and screams.

She wakes up for real, with Dr. Franklin, who tells her that she passed out and was taken to his quarters. She thanks him again. He asks her what her dream was about, but she doesn't remember anything about it. She asks Dr. Franklin why he is interested in her dreams, and Franklin explains to her that her husband didn't die of a hardware malfunction, but was instead murdered. She assumes that he means that she killed him, and he tries to tell her that he knows she didn't but wants to find out who -- or what -- did. She begins crying that she is alone, feeling lost and distraught. He tries to convince her otherwise, but stops and almost kisses her. After they pull apart, he says that it is inappropriate, something to which she agrees. Dr. Franklin suggests that she try to rest, even though she is very scared, which she does.

Garibaldi is eating in the Zocalo when Amis enters, again telling the patrons that they are all going to die. Garibaldi escorts Amis out, telling him that he doesn't want Amis causing trouble on the station. Amis insists that he isn't crazy, and that something is on the station. Garibaldi asks him what is on the station. "Death," Amis replies. "It came off that ship from the past. I found it." Garibaldi asks Amis if he is sure. "Yes. I saw it do the same thing during the war." As the two leave the Zocalo, in another part of the station, an alien, in an otherwise empty room, becomes the creature's next victim, his final word a scream as it attacks.

Garibaldi escorts Amis away.

Garibaldi and Sheridan are in MedLab, listening to Dr. Franklin's findings about the latest victim. Dr. Franklin explains that the alien's internal organs disappeared, with no visible entry or exit points, just like Mariah's husband. Garibaldi expresses doubt that Mariah may be who she claims. "I arrested a lurker named Amis," he says, "who was stationed on a deep-space listening post during the war. Forty-seven men landed on that moon -- all of them were slaughtered, except for one."

Franklin tells Sheridan that whatever killed them couldn't have come aboard the Copernicus because the scan revealed nothing, but Garibaldi says that it could be something they had never before encountered. "I traced the ship's path. It passed within the gravitational pull of the same moon that Amis was stationed on. This Mariah Cirrus may not be what she appears."

Franklin tells them that, since Mariah was with him the previous evening, she couldn't be responsible for the alien's death. Sheridan orders that a watch, someone other than Franklin, be put upon Mariah around the clock. Dr. Franklin is upset, taking this to mean that he isn't doing his job. Sheridan says he wants to protect the station; Dr. Franklin says he can't believe that this is happening on the word of a lurker. But Garibaldi tells Franklin that Amis won many medals during the war, making him fairly trustworthy. Sheridan says that the League of Non-Aligned Worlds has asked for a council meeting to discuss the problem, and orders Franklin to go over her medical scans again. "For what it's worth," Garibaldi tells Franklin after Sheridan leaves, "I hope you're right. But if you're not, be careful."

At the council meeting, a delegate says that the League insists that Mariah be removed from the station. "She has brought something evil from the past...a soldier of darkness," he says to the council. Though Londo finds the situation laughable, G'kar takes it quite seriously, telling the delegate to continue, which he does. "The forces of darkness do not move openly. They work through others. Use others. When the darkness was defeated long ago, they scattered, hid themselves away in secret places, and waited. Now, the dark hand is reaching out and recalling them from their sleep." Sheridan can't believe that Mariah is responsible, but the alien says, "Evil sometimes wears a pleasant face."

G'kar thinks they should consider the delegate's word, but Londo doesn't. Sheridan says that they shouldn't ignore what is going on. Londo laughs and this, and leaves, saying they should kill the presence, if they find it. The alien delegate says that the League will take action if Sheridan doesn't. This angers Sheridan, who warns the League that Mariah will be protected at all costs. He adjourns the meeting. He talks to Ivanova, also present at the meeting, about the situation, and she asks him what he would do if a "soldier of darkness" did board the station via the Copernicus. Sheridan scoffs at this, saying he will believe it when he sees it, though Ivanova hopes it will not come to that.

Garibaldi springs up in bed, apparently due to a bad dream, and goes to talk to Amis. Garibaldi confronts Amis about the creature, telling him to take him where he found it. Amis has a difficult time believing Garibaldi really believes him. They go to the place where Amis had seen the creature earlier, though there is nothing there now. Garibaldi draws his weapon, and searches for the creature, but only finds a lurker in hiding. He grabs Amis, but Amis breaks away, and then shouts into midair for the creature to finish what it started. He collapses near the wall, sobbing. Finally understanding, Garibaldi tells Amis why he believes him. "During the war there was a guy in my unit. Kept telling everybody our perimeter was weak. We laughed 'cause we checked it over and over. It was secure. We all figured he was nuts. Until then, we'd never seen any action. And then, one night, we stopped laughing. They came through that perimeter like it was paper. He was the first to die. Saved our butts. He was a nut, but he was right. I believe you."

Garibaldi asks Amis to tell him about the listening post, and Amis explains what happened to him. "We were an intelligence-gathering unit, not set up for heavy combat. We'd heard the Minbari were setting up a command and control post, so we slipped onto a small moon before they finished the perimeter scans. We set up camp in old ruins of some kind. As far as we knew, it was a dead world. It came in the night, during a storm. We heard nothing, saw nothing...It came right through the walls, like a hot wind. The first man died, just meters from me -- never even screamed. We ran... we ran. For a second, I thought I lost it, and then I saw it. Standing in the middle of a ball of lightning. It looked like it had come straight from hell."

"How did you survive?" Garibaldi asks.

"I didn't! It kept me alive. As a snack. It becomes part of you, feeding on you. The lucky ones were the men who died on the moon. What it took from me I can never get back. When the rescue party showed up, I weighed 85 pounds. That's how I knew it was on this station. A part of me's still inside that thing. I can feel it. But nobody ever believed me...until now."

"This feeling...can it lead you to it?"

"I think... I think maybe that's what it's been doing. All this time... Calling me. I think maybe we have some unfinished business between us." Without warning, Amis runs off.

Dr. Franklin enters the Copernicus and finds Mariah there. He asks why she is there, and she says that it is all she has...other than him, if that's even true. He tells her he doesn't want to move too fast, and she understands. She misses her husband, and wants to find the creature responsible, but she also says that she had marital problems, and that all she and her husband had left when they began their journey were the stars and their dreams. Franklin understands, saying that he has devoted most of his life to his work, and that he has had little time for anything else, and that Babylon 5 isn't an appropriate place to raise a family. Mariah says that she believes her husband wouldn't have liked the world in which she woke up. Franklin tells her that what killed her husband is on the station, and he wants to know anything she knows that might help. She tells him that, in her dreams, she is not alone in the cryogenic tube, and that she believes it used her to stay alive until it could find more food, which Franklin believes it has found on Babylon 5. "I've put everybody here in great danger," she says.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi walks through the corridors of Babylon 5, looking for Amis or other clues when he hears a scream coming from nearby, which he quickly runs to investigate.

Later, Sheridan tells Garibaldi and Ivanova that official accounts blame the attack on the listening post on the Minbari. Garibaldi says that Amis is certain the Minbari didn't attack the post, and that the alien took a part of him when it left his body, and that he could feel it on the station. "If the same thing happened to Mariah," he suggests, "she might be able to help us find it." Ivanova says it is too risky, and since they don't know the nature of the creature, they don't know what to do about it, since it may have control over her, causing her to scout for it without her knowledge. Sheridan tells Ivanova and Garibaldi that whatever happened to the listening post is happening again, and that they need to be ready for whatever it is.

Mariah is in asleep in MedLab when Garibaldi wakes her. He tells her that he needs her help to find Amis. He asks her if she can feel where the alien is, and she says that she believes she can. Dr. Franklin says he will allow it, but only if he can come along to make sure she is in no danger.

Ivanova reports to Sheridan on C&C that they received reports of weapon fire and part of a signal from Garibaldi. Sheridan orders that section of the station to be sealed off. He tries to contact Dr. Franklin, but can't, which Ivanova assumes is because Dr. Franklin went to search for the creature. Sheridan agrees, and then tells Ivanova to bring out the heavy artillery, with which to fight the creature. Ivanova and Sheridan, and several other officers, all heavily armed, go down to the section and find Franklin and Mariah outside tending to two injured officers. Franklin tells Sheridan that Garibaldi is still in there, trying to find Amis and the creature. Sheridan and Ivanova enter.

Off to fight the creature.

Weapons at the ready, they search the area, but can see nothing. Soon, they come to an open area, where Garibaldi is searching for Amis, whom he soon finds, being held in midair by some invisible force. Amis shouts at Garibaldi to shoot the creature, which is apparently attacking him. Garibaldi fires at the air behind Amis, who drops to the ground.

The creature drops Amis.

Garibaldi tries to get him up as Sheridan and Ivanova move closer. They all fire blindly into the area where the creature was last seen, though they don't do much damage to it. Amis says that he believes the creature is waiting for him. Sheridan then orders Ivanova to triangulate their fire, so that they set up a "kill zone, point blank." Amis claims it won't work, that the creature is too smart. "You've got to give it what it wants!" He runs out into the open area, shouting at the creature to come and get him. The creature complies, and begins attacking Amis. But, it walks directly into the kill zone. Garibaldi, Ivanova, Sheridan, and all the others fire madly at the creature, which looks very tall, humanoid, with horn-shaped protrusions coming from its head. The creature falls to the ground and evaporates, apparently dead.

Dr. Franklin and Mariah are in MedLab, checking on Amis, who will be okay. Franklin asks how Mariah will fare, and offers to let Mariah stay on the station. She declines, saying that she wants to mourn for the loss of her husband, bury him, and visit Earth. She says that she wants to come back, if he is still interested, which he claims he will be. "Don't make promises life won't let you keep," she tells him. They kiss, and then she leaves MedLab.

Ivanova reports to Sheridan, saying that they finished analyzing the database from the Copernicus. She found that Mariah was telling the truth. But, Ivanova has something else to report. She says that the ship lost about one tenth of its oxygen when it passed by a moon in sector 18x70x59, which would have happened when the creature came aboard, but when the ship left that sector, it was set on a new course. They were lucky that the creature didn't know the ship would make contact with any signal it came across, or it would have passed right by without anyone noticing.

Sheridan asks what course the ship had been programmed on, and Ivanova tells him that the ship was heading to the rim, "toward the exact place where Ambassador G'kar told us an ancient enemy was gathering its forces." She asks if it was a coincidence that it was going to Z'ha'dum, and Sheridan says he didn't believe it was.

"Something's going on, Commander," Sheridan tells Ivanova. Ivanova agrees, saying that the sitatuation worries her a great deal as well. As they ponder the meaning of recent events, G'kar is in his quarters, reading the book of G'Quan, in which he sees a drawing of a tall creature, which bears a distinct resemblence to the one killed by Garibaldi, Sheridan, and Ivanova.

The Book of G'Quan.

The Long Night

Overview

As the Army of Light prepares to strike, Londo and Vir continue to plot Cartagia's downfall. Ivanova and Lorien look for more First Ones. The Shadows unleash a terrible new weapon. Wortham Krimmer as Emperor Cartagia. 
P5 Rating: 8.82

Production number: 405
Original air week: January 27, 1997
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John LaFia

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Long Night

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

The station spins amidst a growing cloud of warships and tension as the coalition prepares to defend itself against the Vorlons and Shadows. Ivanova finds the Captain brooding in C&C. It seems that the Shadows have finally reacted to the Vorlon "planet killer" attacks against worlds where they have influence with an equally destructive offensive against Vorlon supporters. They watch with horror as a report shows an evil cloud suffusing a world, rippling the surface and killing all sentient life on it.

"Giants in the playground," Sheridan remarks with disgust.

On Narn, Londo has convened a secret meeting of Centauri leaders. In no uncertain terms he and Vir explain that if Emperor Cartagia is not killed today and the Shadows driven off homeworld, Centauri Prime will be destroyed by the Vorlons.

Ivanova tracks down the Captain again in his office. She tells Sheridan he must be proud. Even if they die in the coming battle, it will be at the head of what must be the greatest fleet the galaxy has ever seen. When he tells her that he needs her to track down the remaining First Ones for him and this will prevent her from accompanying the fleet, she grows angry.

When she was a child, her mother told her to wait at the neighbor's house one day. She waited and waited and her mother never came. It was the day her mother killed herself. Ivanova refuses to be left behind again. She makes Sheridan promise, as one soldier to another, not to protect her, but to let her be there when the final battle comes.

The throne room rings with laughter as a jester entertains the court. Emperor Cartagia enthusiastically explains his latest idea to Mollari. When he attains godhood, Londo shall be his high priest. They will go back to watch the Vorlons destroy Centauri Prime as soon as G'Kar is executed. The emperor turns to find himself the object of the jester's mimicry. The room stills and the courtiers quake until Cartagia laughs, and everyone laughs with relief. Londo leaves to "check on some arrangements."

He is shocked to see the "arrangements" sitting in a dark cell, drawn, bloodied, with only a single eye. But "an empty eye can see through to an empty heart," G'Kar says. Londo tells G'Kar that his chains have been weakened enough that he can break them at the moment before his execution to create a diversion the Centauri can use to kill the emperor. "Your heart is empty, Mollari. Did you know that?" Londo's sympathy dries up at that remark and he leaves the Narn with the injunction not to touch the emperor's person. "Leave him to us."

Mollari returns to the throne room in time to see a body dragged from the room and a jester's cap on the floor. "Humor is such a subjective thing," Cartagia comments.

Later that night Vir appears bearing a secret package. He is surprised no one followed him. "Everyone knows that you are incapable of doing anything really dangerous or subversive," Mollari smiles. The package turns out to be anything but innocuous however. It is a needlelike dagger with a button on the handle that when plunged deep into the breast of the victim will release a toxin that can kill a Centauri "almost instantaneously." They joke around about whether that might be long enough for the emperor to say "Londo killed Aaaaagh!"

As G'Kar is paraded through the corridors as a lesson to the Narn, Cartagia idly mentions that he had G'Kar's chains replaced because they looked weak. The emperor passes judgment, death by vivisection, and asks for the Narn's plea. G'Kar only grabs his chains. With a mighty pull he breaks them and attacks the emperor's guards. Londo hurries Cartagia into an antechamber behind the throne.

Nervously fumbling for his dagger and peering around for guards, Londo distractedly tells the enraged emperor to be quiet. Cartagia turns on him instead, punching Mollari in the face and knocking the weapon out of his hand before getting him in a headlock. "You will burn with the rest of Centauri," he says, then turns away to find a dagger in his chest, in the hands of a horrified Vir.

Within the hour Londo announces Cartagia's death to the court. In the same moment he declares that this is a sign that they must leave Narn forever. They must also return to Centauri Prime immediately to remove the Shadow presence there. Since there is no clear line of succession, he is named Prime Minister by a member of the Centaurum to lead until a new emperor can be chosen.

Back on Babylon 5, Lennier hurries into the war room with an intelligence report. It shows that the Shadows, like the Vorlons, are destroying planets hit-and-run style. He is interrupted by an incoming report from a White Star scout, whose probes are able to show how the Shadows operate. They surround the victim planet with a cloud of black missiles. These missiles assault the planet en masse, burrowing through the crust to the planet's molten core where they detonate together. The resultant tectonic upheaval effectively destroys all life on the planet within hours.

Garibaldi is upset. "We are outclassed, boys and girls."

But Lennier knows where the Vorlons might be heading next, Coriana 6, a planet with over 6 billion people on it. They convene the League worlds to discuss their next strategy.

The Centauri must leave Narn immediately but Vir is no where to be found. Londo's impatience with his assistant turns into distaste when he finds Vir thoroughly drunk. But he softens in the face of Vir's anguish. No matter how good the cause, Vir has just killed someone in cold blood. Londo tells him what he did was necessary, that he may have saved their people. "But you still have your heart. And your heart is a good one. You would not be in such great pain otherwise." Their conversation is interrupted by the fireworks of celebrating Narns. Londo may regret the loss of his own heart, he says as he leaves Vir, but in keeping his promise to G'Kar, at least he retains his honor.

The League representatives are appalled by their first vision of the Shadow planet killing cloud. In this mood of despair Sheridan announces they will stand against the Vorlons at Coriana 6. In addition, it's time the Shadows and Vorlons fought each other directly instead of attacking through the destruction of innocent worlds. The Shadows will have to be tricked into joining them however. While the League watches, Sheridan calls up the White Star scout ship again and instructs her captain to attack a Shadow base near one of their main staging areas. The Shadow response will be instant--and deadly. Sheridan asks this crew to leak news of a nonexistant coalition base near Coriana 6 to the Shadows, and to die in apparent defense of this false intelligence.

The Narn throne room is the scene of revelry once again, this time as the Narn tear it to pieces. G'Kar is outraged when he sees this, and even more infuriated when the Narns try to make him their new leader to strike back against the Centauri once and for all. He will lead only as a member of the Kha'Ri, not as a dictator. Angry at being told off, one Narn asks him, while we've been down here suffering under Centauri rule, "What have you endured?" G'Kar's answer begins in rage and ends in ineffable mirth.

The scout ship's final message is received at the station. The Shadows have taken the bait. And so the greatest fleet anyone has ever known sets off for Coriana 6.

The Long Road

Overview

A renegade technomage stands in the way of a mining operation that could save lives on Earth. Scott Paetty as Lt. Meyers. Mik Scriba as Barkeep. Marshall Teague as Capt. Daniels. Edward Woodward as Alwyn. 
Production number: 107
Original air date: June 16, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Long Road

The Long, Twilight Struggle

Overview

The Narn-Centauri War reaches a turning point. Sheridan is contacted by a powerful ally, who offers assistance. John Schuck. W. Morgan Sheppard as Warleader G'Sten. William Forward as Refa. 
Sub-genre: Action/Intrigue
P5 Rating: 9.49

Production number: 219
Original air date: August 1, 1995 (UK)
                   October 18, 1995 (US)
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John Flinn

Note: this episode is more momentous than most. Think twice before proceeding to the spoilers; it's worth seeing unawares.

Watch For

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Long, Twilight Struggle

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

On Centauri Prime, Londo meets with Lord Refa in the Emperor's throne room. Refa explains to Londo that the war with the Narn is about to end, much sooner than originally expected, and that Londo himself will be the "architect" of the victory.

Aboard Babylon 5, Delenn meditates in her quarters. While she is doing so, she senses a presence. "Hello dear friend," she says, and a voice chuckles all around her. C&C detects an energy surge coming from Epsilon 3, and informs Ivanova, who in turn informs Sheridan, just out of the shower. Ivanova's message is interrupted by a voice coming from behind Sheridan. He turns around and sees Draal standing there. Draal tells Sheridan that he has been watching, and introduces himself. Sheridan tells Draal that he knows Draal took custody of Epsilon 3, although Draal corrects him saying that the planet took custody of him instead, returning to him his youth both in appearance and health. Draal wants to invite Sheridan, and one other, down to the surface for a visit at Sheridan's earliest convenience.

G'Sten, G'Kar's uncle, tells G'Kar that the war with the Centauri is not going well, and that Narn defenses have been severely weakened, rolling back thirty years of territorial gains. G'Sten explains that the Kha'Ri is trying to make the Narn believe that they are holding their own against the Centauri, though that is far from the truth. G'Sten says that their one chance is to attack the Centauri supply depot at Gorash 7, which will require the entire Narn fleet. G'Kar points out that, if the forces are taken away from the homeworld, it will make it vulnerable. G'Sten realizes the risk, but insists that there will only be a very short period when the homeworld won't be defended. G'Kar offers to go along, but G'Sten declines, saying that G'Kar's work on Babylon 5 may be even more important, and that, were G'Kar's father alive, he would be proud.

Delenn steps off the elevator and meets Sheridan to tell him that Draal appeared to her as well. The two continue on together.

Refa tells Londo that he strongly believes that the Narn are planning an attack on Gorash 7. Londo asks if Refa's forces will be waiting for the Narn there, and Refa tells him that he needs Londo's forces there instead, because the Centauri forces will be carrying out an all-out attack on the Narn homeworld. This idea troubles Londo, who tries to convince Refa to pursue another course of action, but Refa says it isn't necessary -- they will be using mass drivers, powerful weapons outlawed by every species, which will decimate the cities, and allow nearly effortless takeover of the planet. Londo tells Refa that he is troubled by his allies and their strength, but Refa doesn't understand his reluctance. Londo tries to warn Refa that moving too quickly might cause things to spin out of control, but Refa won't listen, telling him that numerous Centauri battleships are waiting hyperspace for Londo's go-ahead, and that this action will save thousands of Centauri lives. With only a little more convincing, Londo agrees to use his allies, as long as it is for the last time. Refa assures Londo that this is the last time their assistance will be needed, as the Narn will be defeated, and this time, the Centauri will not allow the Narn to be free again.

Garibaldi expresses great doubt about the message received from Draal, but Delenn insists that Draal is who he claims. Even Sheridan is somewhat troubled by his altered appearance, though Delenn assures them that he looked that way when he was younger. Garibaldi suggests it may be a trick, and that the message might be faked, but Delenn refuses to believe him. Ivanova reports that tests run on the message determined it was sent from below the planet's surface, verifying that Draal did indeed send it. Despite this, Garibaldi still wants to send a security team, but Sheridan says he is only allowed to bring one other, namely Delenn.

Londo meets up with Refa again, and Refa tells him that it is time to leave for the Narn homeworld--they will be on the first ship so they can oversee the victory personally. "Come Londo," Refa tells him. "Destiny awaits." Meanwhile, Sheridan and Delenn board a shuttle and head down to Epsilon 3.

G'Kar goes to MedLab, where Dr. Franklin is waiting for him. Franklin tells him that one of the Narn refugees he treated was captured and interrogated by the Centauri, and that the questions involved the Narn homeworld's defense systems, and were particularly urgent. The refugee transport got away easily because the Centauri warships guarding the planet pulled out with little explanation. This puzzles G'Kar, as he knows the Centauri to be very thorough. Franklin explains to G'Kar that, during the Earth-Minbari War, the Minbari did something very similar just before they attacked Earth.

Sheridan and Delenn arrive on Epsilon 3 and begin searching the tunnels of the planet. They arrive at a large walkway across a huge chasm, which strikes Sheridan speechless.

G'Kar urgently tries to convince G'Sten that the Centauri are planning to attack the Narn homeworld, but G'Sten won't listen, saying the mission is too far along to stop it without proof.

Sheridan and Delenn arrive in Draal's chamber and see his body in the depression, running the planet. An image of Draal appears and addreses them, commending Sheridan for his work aboard Babylon 5. Draal explains that he has explored the many secrets of Epsilon 3 and has learned much about the galaxy, and Sheridan himself. He also knows about Sheridan's conspiracy of light. Sheridan tries to deny it, but Draal knows better, and assures him the information is safe. Draal explains that he said a year earlier that Epsilon 3 would remain dormant until such a time as it was needed, and that this is such a time -- he's prepared to place the planet at Sheridan's disposal, one of the first alliances of the coming war. Draal tells Sheridan that he is not alone in the struggle, and that, should they succeed, there is a great possibility of hope.

As G'Kar prays fervently, the Narn ships come out of hyperspace above Gorash 7 and prepare for the attack. They don't detect any ships at first, but several Shadow ships soon appear and begin moving toward them, ready for the attack. G'Sten tries to activate the jump engines, but they must recharge first. G'Sten orders an attack against the ships, and though the Narn score several hits with their energy mines, the weapons of the Shadows are much more powerful, easily able to cut through the Narn ships. The Narn warships are destroyed one by one. Several warships combine their firepower and manage to sever a spine from one of the Shadow ships, but it's a futile victory. Defeat imminent, G'Sten orders the remaining ships to open jump points and flee, but the Shadows fire something into the vortices, disrupting them and causing the remaining Narn cruisers to be destroyed mid-jump. An undamaged Shadow ship connects to the injured one, revitalizing it; then all the Shadow ships vanish. G'Kar, sensing the outcome somehow, grimly ceases his prayer.

Draal tells Sheridan that it probably isn't a good idea to tell the Earth government of the new alliance. Delenn asks Draal if he is able to handle living alone on the planet. Draal explains that he has the stars to keep him company, in addition to the others who live on the planet and help maintain the machine. "There is one, in particular, who..." He touches his head. He tells Sheridan that he is hearing distress calls and that Sheridan needs to leave immediately. Sheridan rushes on ahead, and Delenn tells Draal that she hopes to see him more often. They exchange a quick goodbye and she leaves. "So much to do," he says, "so little time. We must get to work. Zathras! Zathras!" he calls, but no one arrives. "Never around when you need him."

Ivanova tells Garibaldi about the Centauri attack on the Narn homeworld, and that she is worried what will happen when word about the attack hits the station. He prepares for the coming riots, and says she should send out a general alert as soon as possible.

"We interrupt this program with this late-breaking story," says an ISN reporter, as the patrons of the Zocalo watch. "Officials in EarthDome confirm that the Centauri Republic has begun a devestating frontal assault on the Narn homeworld. Reports continue to come in, alleging that the main Narn fleet has been neutralized and that Narn is completely encircled by its enemies. Neither government has yet confirmed nor denied these reports, though some messages relayed from Narn seem to corroborate the stories of massive destruction and death...." The tension becomes too much and a fight between the Narn and Centauri patrons of the Zocalo breaks out.

The general alert is sent out as Sheridan and Delenn arrive back on the station. Sheridan asks Ivanova what the situation is, and she tells him that Garibaldi is doing the best he can. Sheridan has a security officer escort Delenn to her quarters. Ivanova explains to Sheridan that she has heard little more than rumors, though she does know that the Centauri have used mass drivers in their assault.

The war is not going well for Narn as the Centauri ships use mass drivers to pummel Narn's cities with asteroids. As the destruction continues, Londo watches, helplessly, at a window in the lead ship of the fleet.

"With the planetary bombardment in its fourth day," the ISN reporter reports as the C&C staff watches, "the Narn government continues in its refusal to surrender. Minbari, Vorlon, Earth, and other governments have filed official protests with the Centauri Republic for their use of mass drivers against the civilian population. But, so far, the protests have had no effect. Although communication with the Narn homeworld is difficult at best due to the continued attacks, word has reached ISN of cities utterly destroyed, hundreds of thousands of casualties, the total elimination of power and water over most of the Narn planetary surface. Most of their major cities have fallen, food shipments have stopped, the planetary economy has collapsed, and medical treatment is virtually non-existent. Government analysists predict that, unless the Narn government surrenders soon, their entire infrastructure will be totally destroyed. To quote Senator Ronald Quantrell, 'They're being bombed back into the stone age.'" Sheridan can take no more and orders the feed shut off.

G'Kar is barely able to maintain contact with the homeworld. The Narn on the other end says that the only way to survive is to surrender. G'Kar asks what will happen to the Narn on Babylon 5, but there is no way to know what the terms of the surrender will be. G'Kar offers to return, but as the only member of the Kha'Ri not on the homeworld, his contact says, G'Kar should stay alive as long as possible. The Narn delivers one last message to G'Kar from the Kha'Ri, which he says is the hardest thing he's ever had to ask of G'Kar.

G'Kar slowly enters Sheridan's office. "Captain Sheridan, I... I've been instructed by government to come to you and ask for... sanctuary."

Londo arrives at his quarters to find Garibaldi and a contingent of security guards, placed for his protection, there. Londo tells Garibaldi to inform Sheridan that he wishes to convene a meeting of the advisory council and the League of Non-Aligned Worlds.

"A little over five standard hours ago," Londo tells the Council and the League, "the conflict which began with the Narn declaration of war came to an end. The Narn Regime has offered complete and unconditional surrender. The terms imposed by the Centauri Republic are as follows. One, the ruling body, known as the Kha'Ri will be disbanded and its members subject to arrest and trial for the commission of war crimes against the Centauri."

"Earth requests the right to send observers to these hearings," Sheridan says.

"That request is denied," Londo tells him. "Two. To prevent further acts of terror by the Narn against our people, from this day on, the penalty for the murder of any Centauri by any Narn will be the execution of five hundred Narns, beginning with the perpetrator's own family. Three. A provisional ruling council appointed by my government will take up the responsibility of rebuilding a more civilized Narn government as a colony of the greater Centauri Republic."

"Is there anything else?" Sheridan asks.

"Yes," Londo replies. "Just one thing. Because the Narn homeworld is now a protectorate of the Centauri Republic, we reserve the right to determine who can speak for Narn. As a result, Ambassador G'Kar may no longer represent the Narn in any official capacity whatsoever. His appointment as ambassador to Babylon 5 is hereby withdrawn. As the only member of the Kha'Ri still at large, Citizen G'Kar will return to Narn for trial."

Sheridan tells Londo that G'Kar has been granted sanctuary. Londo tries to protest, saying that the agreement between the Narn and Centauri had important stipulations about the Kha'Ri, but Sheridan tells him that neither he nor Earth signed that agreement, so they are not bound by it. Delenn stands up, informing Londo that the Minbari government also stands behind Sheridan's decision, and that G'Kar may remain for as long as he likes. Londo gives in, but demands that G'Kar be removed from the Council chambers immediately. G'Kar painfully complies, but he has a few final words for Londo. "No dictator... no invader... can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever. There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom. Against that power, governments and tyrants and armies cannot stand. The Centauri learned this lesson once. We will teach it to them again. Though it take a thousand years, we will be free."

Londo watches ISN as the reporter tells of the post-surrender events. "And dancing in the streets as Centauri Emperor Cartargia declared a week-long public celebration to commemorate the recapture of the Narn homeworld. In related news, the Centauri Republic today announced plans to annex several smaller worlds adjacent to Narn space, declaring them protectorates of the Republic. While government spokesmen insist that the Centauri do not have any expansionist plans beyond retaking the Narn homeworld, others in Earthdome are less sure."

Sheridan tells G'Kar that he will miss G'Kar's imposing presence in the Council chambers, and that he wants to help G'Kar in any way he can to win back his planet. He offers his hand to G'Kar, who hesitates at first: "The last time I offered someone my hand, we were at war twenty-four hours later." As Sheridan leaves, he is contacted by Ivanova; Delenn wants to see him in the conference center. He goes to meet her.

When he arrives, he finds that she and Garibaldi, and a large number of other humans and Minbari, are in the room, waiting for him. Delenn tells him that the people in the room have come to meet him and pledge themselves to him -- they are the Rangers, Garibaldi explains, who have been coming through the station to help fight the coming darkness. Sheridan asks why Garibaldi didn't tell him; Garibaldi says that he made a promise not to. Delenn explains to Sheridan that Babylon 5 must be the fortress of Light to stand against the darkness, and the Rangers are to help with that. The Rangers were under her direct command, but she gives equal authority to Sheridan.

Sheridan addresses them all. "I don't quite know what to say... For the last year, things haven't exactly been going our way. I was starting to wonder if it would ever get better. I think it just did. Tell the other Rangers, the ambassadors, everyone in this army of Light that Babylon 5 stands with you. Tell them... tell them that from this place, we will deliver notice to the parliaments of conquerers that a line has been drawn against the darkness, and we will hold that line, no matter the cost."

The Memory of Shadows

Overview

Galen joins an Earthforce intelligence officer investigating an unknown force that is unleashing Shadow technology on the galaxy. This B5 theatrical movie was underway for filming in 2005, but the financing couldn't be worked out and the production was halted. 
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Steven Beck

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Memory of Shadows

The Memory of War

Overview

While exploring the ruins of a long-dead planet, the crew discovers the remains of a terrible weapon. 
Production number: 102
Original air date: August 11, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Tony Dow

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Memory of War

The Needs of Earth

Overview

An alien refugee may hold useful secrets about the Drakh plague, but isn't willing to give up its information easily. 
Production number: 101
Original air date: August 18, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Needs of Earth

The Paragon of Animals

Overview

Sheridan clashes with the League ambassadors over G'Kar's declaration of principles. Garibaldi attempts to enlist the aid of the refugee telepaths. Robin Atkin Downes as Byron. 
P5 Rating: 8.16

Production number: 504
Original air date: Feburary 4, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

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Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Paragon of Animals

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

The scene in the Council Chambers is chaotic and the nascent Interstellar Alliance appears on the verge of cribdeath. Member species are demanding the promised technological advances while refusing to sign the Declaration of Principles on the grounds that it is an attempt to legislate morality and thereby violates the very spirit of the Alliance. The Drazi Ambassador is loudly in the forefront as usual, claiming that his species has never conquered another, making the Declaration both irrelevant and insulting to them.

The President is taking a breather on the Observation Deck when he is joined by the head of Covert Intelligence. Garibaldi agrees with Londo that the Declaration should be dropped and a show of force would be more effective persuasion instead, but Sheridan insists that without the Declaration, the Alliance is meaningless.

At dusk on a beautiful verdant planet, a community of aliens huddles in shelters under an aerial bombardment. A Ranger appears at the door and is ushered to their leader. The hope that the Alliance might save them from their attackers illuminates their faces.

While G'Kar struggles to write a more interspecially palatable Declaration, Sheridan, Delenn and Londo scheme of ways to convince more worlds to become members. Garibaldi proposes an idea that he has been brooding on for quite awhile. In order to be on an equal footing with other intelligence operations, he suggests that the Alliance use telepaths in addition to Rangers for intelligence gathering. The new telepath colony has offered to work for their lodgings, and this would be a good way for them to do it.

Once Sheridan grants him permission to discuss this with the telepaths, Garibaldi sets off immediately. He finds Byron hanging out with his overtly hostile coven in DownBelow. Without listening to a word, Byron abruptly refuses Garibaldi's mission. Mocking Garibaldi's attempts at manipulation and his tendency to rehearse his conversations, Byron describes how difficult it is for a telepath to avoid overhearing the thoughts of others.

A battered White Star flies sideways through the jump gate. The Ranger on board is rushed to Medlab, but the prognosis is bad. Delenn decides to bring in Lyta to discover his message before it's too late. Lyta sees the embattled Enphili through the Ranger's eyes. Even though it may kill them, the Enphili have finally refused to pay tribute to the raiders who periodically hound them. If the Alliance will save them within the next twelve days they will join the Alliance and freely give their planet's resources to the cause. Otherwise they are prepared to perish.

"I'm dying, aren't I," the Ranger suddenly asks Lyta. He appears to be standing across the bed from her. His final anguished thought is that she not let the Enphili die because of his failure. Then a white tunnel of light appears and draws him in, leaving Lyta gravely disturbed.

When Delenn tells Sheridan about the Enphili decision, he grumbles that Garibaldi is right again. it's time for a show of force. She suggests that instead of a token force, they should send every White Star they have to the planet so that the message is clear to anyone paying attention. And perhaps as a result, they won't have to fight at all. "Terror is also a form of communication," she quotes Dukhat. Since the Enphili planet is on the edge of Drazi space, Sheridan informs the Drazi ambassador of their intent and invites the Drazi to participate. The Ambassador immediately rushes off on a furtive mission as soon as the meeting is finished. Byron happens to be lurking pensively in the corridor.

Lyta is sitting bleakly over an untouched plate of food when Garibaldi bustles up and offers her a job. When she sarcastically thanks him for his polite concern, he apologizes. Before he can get going on his intention, she tells him what it's like being inside the mind of a person when they die. A piece of yourself follows them into death, she says. Permanently. When you look into the eyes of a telepath who's done this too many times, "there's nothing there anymore," she nearly sobs. Psi Corps rumor is that Bester has tasted this too often, and at least once, too deeply. In a manner both forlorn and bitter, Lyta asks what Garibaldi wants her to do now.

He tells her about his object in approaching the telepath colony. "Did they tell you they were tired of working for mundanes?" she asks. "Did they tell you do go to hell?" When he confirms both, she says that there isn't a problem then, and stalks off.

Michael never gives up easily though. He chases after her and asks it as a personal favor to him, to Sheridan and to Delenn. Lyta is affronted, but he continues saying that even if he thinks Sheridan and Delenn are too pie-in-the-sky idealistic, he's still going to do everything he can to help them succeed, including this. He promises this is the last request of Lyta he'll make--until the next time, and she reluctantly agrees to help.

In a dark, empty council chamber, G'Kar stands, gathers his paper wearily, and walks away.

Unable to sleep, Sheridan hears the door chime. The latest Declaration of Principles is lying on the floor outside. Delenn rouses and asks him to read it.

"The Universe speaks in many languages but only one voice...," he begins. G'Kar striding down the corridor takes up the speech. "...It is the language of the heart." A fleet of White Stars speeds through hyperspace. "The language of the soul." The Enphili shiver in their shelters. "It is the voice of our ancestors speaking through us. And the voice of our inheiritors waiting to be born..." Dr. Franklin is writing a letter to the parents of the Ranger telling them who he died for. "...No matter the cost..."

"We agree to recognize this singular truth and this singular rule...We are one."

When Lyta finds Byron, he reproaches her for blocking him out. But she's in no mood to let down her guard. When she brings up Garibaldi's request, Byron berates her for running other people's errands. "Sit!" he orders, and then kicks away the chair as she approaches. When she angrily starts to walk away he asks if she doesn't deserve to be asked and understood rather than commanded and used by inferior humans. "What a piece of work is man," Byron recites from Hamlet, "...the paragon of animals." Worse than animals, he argues, which is why he has established this place for telepaths to make a new, better way. He agrees for her sake to help Garibaldi and passes on what he learned from the Drazi Ambassador in the hall. The Drazi intend to ambush the White Star fleet.

Apparently the Drazi are behind the raiders attacking the Enphili, but not directly involved, Lyta reports. Sheridan is incensed at the Drazi hypocrisy and orders the White Star fleet to head directly to Enphilia as quickly as possible. He sternly thanks Lyta for her help and departs.

Once the White Stars have wiped out the raiders, Sheridan calls a council meeting where he describes the situation. The Drazi Ambassador is upset when he discovers that his government's ships are flying toward certain annihilation. As he stammers that he needs to contact his government, the advisory council confronts him with the truth about Drazi exploitation of the Enphili. As the Ambassador runs to stop his fleet, Sheridan gives each Ambassador a Declaration of Principles which he now has the moral authority to demand that they sign. Lyta is outside, and seeing the Alliance leaders all proudly grinning at their success reminds Lyta once again that she is an outsider.

Afterwards Sheridan reflects that telepaths saved the day twice. His musings are interrupted by G'Kar bustling in to grab all the Declarations and insist that they be signed again. When Sheridan objects, G'Kar replies, "but it's better now" and runs off. To Sheridan and Delenn's amazement G'Kar is right. Returning to the telepath question, Sheridan expresses his concern that it will be difficult to make use of the telepaths wisely and yet ethically.

Lyta finds herself drawn back to Byron, anxious to hear more of his ideas and plans for the future.

The Parliament of Dreams

Overview

Sinclair's old flame, Catherine Sakai, arrives during a weeklong festival when humans and aliens demonstrate their religious beliefs. An old enemy sends an assassin to kill G'Kar. Thomas Kopache as Tu'Pari. Julia Nickson as Catherine Sakai.
Originally titled "Carnival!" 
Sub-genre: Intrigue
P5 Rating: 7.88

Production number: 108
Original air date: February 23, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jim Johnston

Emmy Award for Makeup Design

Watch For

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Matthew Ryan mattryan@pobox.com

The Parliament of Dreams

Earth Central has planned a cultural exchange where all alien societies on B5 will have the opportunity to demonstrate their dominant religious beliefs. Needless to say, this idea has caused nightmares for the security officers; at the moment, Garibaldi is trying to stop an alien from bringing a ceremonial knife aboard the station. Suddenly, he sees Sinclair's old girlfriend, Catherine Sakai, arrive on the station. He immediately leaves to warn Sinclair.

G'Kar is in his quarters, trying to have a quiet dinner when he is interrupted by a Narn courier, Tu'Pari, who is carrying a message that he claims to be important. After Tu'Pari leaves G'Kar's quarters, G'Kar plays the message. The message turns out to be from an old enemy of G'Kar, named D'Rog [spelling correction pending]. "I bring what you doubtless will consider good news: I am dying." G'Kar smiles in appreciation. The message continues, "In fact, by the time you get this recording, I will already be dead. Ah, but then, very shortly, so will you."

D'Rog explains that G'Kar should not be surprised--vengeance was inevitable after G'Kar humiliated D'Rog before the Narn Council and ruined D'Rog's family's name. "You will be dead within 48 hours of receiving this message. Already, my agent is close to you. You will not know who, or how, or where, until it is too late." Just then, Na'Toth--G'Kar's new diplomatic attache--arrives and reports for duty. G'Kar can do nothing but stare at her, suspiciously.

Sinclair, in his quarters, is getting ready for the Centauri religious demonstration when Garibaldi arrives. Garibaldi warns Sinclair that Catherine is on the station. Sinclair thanks him, saying that he's happy to know that she's on board, so he can avoid her. Then, suddenly, he asks if she came to the station alone or with another man. Garibaldi replies that she was alone.

The Centauri religious demonstration has begun. It is quite a festival, with dancing, drinks, and pretty much everything else you'd expect at a Centauri party. "It's a celebration of life," says Vir. Londo is immensely enjoying himself--drinking, crawling up on the table, explaining Centauri household "gods," telling Delenn that she's "very cute for a Minbari" and that Garibaldi is "cute, too, in an annoying sort of way."

"You're cute, too, in an annoying sort of way."

Finally, Londo falls to the table, unconscious. Vir stands up and says, triumphantly, "Ahh! He has become one with his inner self!"

"He's passed out," comments Garibaldi, smugly.

"That too," responds Vir.

Meanwhile, Commander Sinclair--having had enough of the Centauri demonstration and having left quietly in the middle--has decided, after all, to see Catherine. After he finds her, they speak for a while. She says that she hadn't known that Sinclair was in command of the station--otherwise she wouldn't have come. "I keep my promises.... I'll leave now if you want me to." Sinclair won't hear of it, though. Instead, he invites her for dinner. At length, she accepts: "This is how we get into trouble every three years.... All right, just dinner."

Later, G'Kar and Na'Toth are speaking in their quarters. G'Kar is suspiciously pondering recent events--he mentions, his assistant's, Ko D'ath's, recent death in an unlikely airlock accident. He asks Na'Toth who sponsored her to be his attache; when she answers, he notices that her sponsor's sponsor was none other than D'Rog. He explains to her that D'Rog has hired someone to kill him, and evidently this assassin is someone close to G'Kar. Na'Toth only replies, "With all due respect, if it were me, you wouldn't be here for us to have this conversation." G'Kar is unsatisfied--according to D'Rog's message, G'Kar would be kept in fear for a while before actually being killed--"the last thing he wants is a quick death." He can still not discount Na'Toth as a suspect.

Na'Toth tries to reason with him: "How can you be sure there is as assassin on board? What if he only told you this to frighten you?" G'Kar replies that this is very unlikely.

She thinks again, then explains that if D'Rog wanted to make sure the assassination were carried through, he would have gone to the "Assassins' Guild" to get a killer. She explains that killers from the Assassins' Guide traditionally leave a black flower--a "death blossom"--as a warning to their victims so that the victims can tie up their affairs. She asks G'Kar if he's received one of these flowers; he replies that he hasn't. "Then I wouldn't worry," she concludes, and adds, "I'm sure the question will resolve itself soon enough."

Later, G'Kar is sleeping in his bed when he is awoken by a strange smell. He calls Na'Toth to his quarters to show her what was left in his bed: a black flower. "You have no idea how that got into my bed?" he asks.

G'Kar, about to have a rude awakening.

"Ambassador," comments Na'Toth, "it is not my place to speculate on how anything gets into your bed. Your reputed fascination with Earth women, for instance..." She goes on to suggest that G'Kar see Commander Sinclair if he's worried. G'Kar declines, saying that he prefers to fight his own battles--further, his going to Sinclair might raise questions that he'd rather not answer--questions concerning his years on the Council. "Personally," he says, "I don't care if the information comes out--my only concern is that it might compromise our standing in the negotiations. So we have to handle this quietly, for the sake of planetary security." Na'Toth asks G'Kar why he is telling her all of this, considering that she's currently under his suspicion. "Earthers have a phrase: 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.' I think they stole it from us." He adds that he also would like to strengthen the relationship between them. He then tells Na'Toth to find Tu'Pari, the courier who originally brought the message--G'Kar wants to find out who gave the message to Tu'Pari. Tu'Pari must still be on the station, according to G'Kar, because no Narn ships have left B5 since the day before. "Finding him will be your first test," he commands.

Elsewhere on the station, Lennier--Delenn's new assistant--has arrived on the station. He greets her as "Satai Delenn," addressing her as a member of the Grey Council deserves to be addressed. He further refuses to look straight at her; he only looks down; "It is forbidden!" he says.

"You can look up...." says Delenn, "I cannot have an aid who will not look up. You will be forever walking into things." At length, Lennier agrees.

Lennier comments that he feels that he's in an awkward position. He has been, he feels, greatly and suddenly promoted; after all, he's now an assistant to a member of the Grey Council. Delenn only comments that he received a high recommendation from his teachers and that he will soon adjust. "You can begin by promising not to mention the Grey Council again during your stay. No one here knows of my connection; no one must find out."

"But, to deny the Council--!" blurts Lennier.

"I'm denying nothing. But it would lead to certain questions that I don't want to answer just now. You will not use my title, 'Satai.' You will address me only as 'Delenn.' Do you understand?"

He says that he does not--but that it doesn't matter: "Understanding is not required--only obedience."

G'Kar, in the meantime, has gone to N'Grath (the insect-like vendor in the alien sector) to seek a bodyguard. In a few hours, he will attend the Minbari religious ceremony, and he doesn't want to be unprotected in public.

Sinclair and Catherine Sakai are having dinner. They talk about how they meet every few years, talk briefly, end up in bed together, then go their separate ways. They both agree that their relationship should not go on like this--it isn't worth it.

The Minbari religious ceremony has begun. It is, needless to say, quite the opposite of the Centauri celebration: It is orderly and ceremonial. Delenn starts out by reading a story that deals with death and renewal. Orderly music is played at certain points in the story. Red pieces of fruit are then handed out; Delenn tells everyone to eat them. She shows a slight interest in Sinclair's eating the fruit, then moves on with the ceremony. "So, it begins!" she says.

"Taste of it."

G'Kar, during the whole ceremony, has been extremely agitated, because his bodyguard did not arrive. He storms into his quarters, screaming and complaining; but Na'Toth only directs him into an adjoining room. In that room, he sees the bodyguard sitting down, quietly. He yells at him for a moment, then hits him in annoyance. The bodyguard falls over stiffly, and it is evident that he has been killed. Further, a black flower--the warning sign--is hanging from the bodyguard's clothing.

G'Kar has called Garibaldi into his quarters. Garibaldi investigates the murder: "You just came in and found this guy dead in your bedroom?" G'Kar explains that he has never seen the person before and has no idea who he is or why he was in G'Kar's bedroom. G'Kar claims, as an alibi, that he was at the Minbari ceremony when this person was killed. Garibaldi agrees, but comments that G'Kar seemed rather nervous and preoccupied at the ceremony. Garibaldi continues his search of G'Kar's quarters, only to find a hot-pink piece of woman's underwear behind the bed. G'Kar is, needless to say, annoyed--he also doesn't like that Garibaldi continues to question =him=. He orders Garibaldi out of his quarters, invoking diplomatic immunity. "I brought you here as a courtesy," says G'Kar. He tells Garibaldi that he should be spending more time trying to find out who the murderer was, rather than questioning G'Kar.

Garibaldi humbly apologizes, but doesn't leave before commenting, "And just let me say, ambassador, from the bottom of my heart, hot pink is definitely your color."

"Hot pink is definitely your color."

Na'Toth, after considerable searching, finally finds Tu'Pari and brings him back--under slight protest--to G'Kar.

Catherine is meanwhile in the middle of a business negotiation. She is giving information to her associates about a planetoid which she has located and which she believes would be a good candidate for mining. Her associates are satisfied, and also offer her their congratulations--a valuable mineral was discovered on a previous planet which she scouted, and, under the contract, she is entitled to a percentage of the profits. When they show her the amount of credits to which she is entitled, she is almost speechless and quite surprised at her good fortune.

Na'Toth has brought back Courier Tu'Pari to G'Kar's quarters. He thanks her and sends her out, saying that he wants to speak with Tu'Pari alone. She leaves. He grabs Tu'Pari by the neck and asks who gave Tu'Pari the message to deliver. When Tu'Pari replies that the message in from D'Rog, G'Kar merely tightens his grip and says that D'Rog is dead. Tu'Pari then admits that the message is from Councillor Sha'Toth, Na'Toth's father. "The danger is much closer to you thank you think, ambassador," says Tu'Pari.

Sinclair is in his quarters listening to Tennyson's Ulysses when Catherine enters. She brings some expensive wine and comments that she has terrific news and is "tired of not having anyone to share it with." She comments on his liking of old poetry: "What's it take to drive you into the 23rd century?" She quotes some of it to him; he is surprised to find that she has memorized it. She responds, "I lived with you for a year--I didn't have much choice." Sinclair comments that what she's doing right now may not be such a good idea; however, she pleads with him not to send her out. Although they have superficially agreed that their relationship is over and that they have no feelings for each other any longer, she says that "you don't just turn it off like a switch." She admits that, even though they have been separated for a while, and even though she has tried relationships with other men, she never stopped thinking about him. After a bit of tension, they agree to spend the night with one another.

G'Kar is in his quarters, communicating with the Narn homeworld. He is requesting that Na'Toth be reassigned immediately. They confirm his request; further, they apologize for the delays in communication. "What delays?" asks G'Kar.

G'Kar's correspondent explains that the appointed courier met with an unfortunate accident right before he was going to leave for Babylon 5. They have not yet been able to find a replacement.

"What are you talking about?" G'Kar asks. "The courier is right here. I--" Suddenly, he realizes, and turns around to find Tu'Pari staring at him, pointing a gun at him, and smiling evilly.

The next morning, Catherine, in bed with Sinclair, is talking with him. They reflect on their relationship, its longevity, and its resilience--how it started at the academy, lasted through the war, and somehow showed itself every three years since then. They also speak of how things might be different this time ...

Meanwhile, the assassin Tu'Pari has been waiting for Ambassador G'Kar to awake. When G'Kar does awake, Tu'Pari gloats a bit about how G'Kar's being awake will "make this far more interesting." G'Kar, needless to say, is anger and runs toward Tu'Pari in order to attack him. However, the devices (known as "pain-givers") around G'Kar's neck and arms propel him back--in pain--before he gets close enough to Tu'Pari to be threatening. "My orders are quite specific," says Tu'Pari. "You are to know pain. You are to know fear. And then, you are to die." However, he admits that it will be a pleasure when the assignment is finished--"Allaying the target's suspicions can be so time-consuming. Do you have any idea how long I sat in the customs area waiting for Na'Toth to 'find' me?"

"You are to know pain..."

G'Kar tries to reason with Tu'Pari; he offers to double the assassin's current payment if he will abort his mission.

Tu'Pari notes how, though G'Kar could probably make him very wealthy, to betray a commission would be a violation of the rules and the spirit of the Assassins' Guild. Indeed, if Tu'Pari were to violate those rules, the Assassins' Guild would then have to kill =him=. To accentuate his point, he increases the intensity of the pain-givers.

Na'Toth enters G'Kar's quarters and, when she cannot find G'Kar, orders the computer to replay the last transmission in which G'Kar participated. The computer shows her ...

Tu'Pari is continuing to use the pain-givers against G'Kar. "The pain must be overwhelming. Why hold it in? Cry out, ambassador!"

"I would die," retorts G'Kar, "before giving you that satisfaction." However, it is evident that he is, indeed, in great pain. However, just to be sure, Tu'Pari continues to raise the intensity of the pain-givers. G'Kar does, eventually, indeed, cry out.

At that moment, Na'Toth finally enters. She explains how she found Tu'Pari and G'Kar--she knew that Tu'Pari would want "complete privacy," so she searched for and found which transport tube had "suddenly broken down," as Na'Toth comments. Tu'Pari orders her away, but Na'Toth refuses to leave. She claims to be Tu'Pari's backup: "I have to finish the job in case you fail."

Tu'Pari skeptically replies that he was not informed about any backup.

"No, the primary never is--standard practice in the Assassins' Guild, as you well know," says Na'Toth.

Still, Tu'Pari refuses to believe her. Na'Toth ignores him-- she comments on the "crude, unimaginative" pain-givers that are being used on G'Kar, saying that they are much too quick--that their orders were to prolong G'Kar's pain and discomfort as much as possible until "the deadline."

"And what would you recommend?" asks Tu'Pari, still skeptical.

She answers with action: she brutally kicks him a few times, picks him up, and repeatedly hits him, sending him falling out of the room.

But Tu'Pari is still unmoved. "And this is the part," he says, "where I'm supposed to decide I trust you, drop my guard, and let you shoot me in the back? Sorry, but I can't take the chance that you're lying." However, just by saying this, his guard was lowered enough. G'Kar, whose pain-givers are no longer activated, quickly rushes up to Tu'Pari and knocks him unconscious.

"That hurt!" he says to Na'Toth, in a friendly way.

"Ambassador," she answers, "it was the only way to disable the pain-givers. I had to hit them as hard as possible, as often as possible, and still make it appear as though I were beating you into another incarnation."

"And you didn't enjoy it in the least?" he asks.

"I didn't say that!" she jokingly responds. She asks what G'Kar will do with Tu'Pari....

Three days later, when Tu'Pari awakes, he is annoyed to find that he has been unconscious for so long. G'Kar explains that to make up for any inconvenience, he has deposited a large sum of money in Tu'Pari's personal account at home. Tu'Pari realizes what this means--the Assassins' Guild will think he betrayed his commission, and it will not take kindly to what it believes to be a violation of its rules.

G'Kar smiles and is glad to realize that he has nothing to fear from the Guild any longer--the commission was Tu'Pari's alone, and because the Assassins' Guild will be so embarrassed by this incident, they'd prefer to forget it all never happened--except for killing Tu'Pari if they find him. Happily, G'Kar and Na'Toth send Tu'Pari on his way, both saying, "You will know pain, and you will know fear, and then you will die. Have a pleasant flight."

"Have a pleasant flight."

Sinclair and Catherine are saying goodbye to one another. However, they both agree that this time will be different--"I'm not leaving, this time," says Sinclair.

"This should be interesting," responds Catherine. She then asks him what he's planning for Earth's religious demonstration. He replies that he has no idea--and that he also has no idea how he'll top the Minbari demonstration, with all its "Bells, drums, robes, and little pieces of fruit."

"Red fruit?" she asks, her interested piqued. "And was there a serious exchange of looks?" He says that there were--it's part of the rebirth ceremony, he says. She laughs and says that that type of ceremony can also double as a marriage ceremony--"depending on how seriously anyone took it, somebody got married the other day."

"Maybe that's why G'Kar's smiling. Funny, I didn't think Londo was his type," Sinclair jokes.

Catherine leaves, but says she'll return soon. They both wonder if they'll "get it right this time."

Sinclair has finally arranged Earth's religious demonstration. He brings the alien ambassadors into a room which contains hundreds of people, all of different religions. Sinclair moves along a line formed by them, introducing them one-by-one to the aliens. There were, as the aliens commented, no drums, no bells, no chants--only a showcase of Earth's proud diversity.

Shawn Bayern bayern@cshl.org

Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this synopsis noncommercially as long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact. Babylon 5 is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright is intended by writing these synopses.

The Path of Sorrows

Overview

The discovery of a mysterious alien causes the crew to reflect on significant events in their lives. 
Production number: 109
Original air date: June 30, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Path of Sorrows

The Quality of Mercy

Overview

Talia is involved in carrying out the sentence of a convicted murderer. Dr. Franklin investigates a possible medical scam in Downbelow. Londo takes Lennier for a look at the less savory sections of the station. June Lockhart as Dr. Laura Rosen. Kate McNeil as Janice Rosen. Mark Rolston as Karl Mueller. Damian London as the Centauri Senator. Jim Norton as Ombuds Wellington.
(Originally titled "The Resurrectionist") 
Sub-genre: Suspense/drama
P5 Rating: 7.29

Production number: 117
Original air date: August 17, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Lorraine Senna Ferrara

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Quality of Mercy

Londo is talking to a Centauri senator on his screen. The senator tells him that it's vital he promote good relations with the other species on Babylon 5, some of whom may be potential allies. Londo protests that he's doing the best he can, but the senator tells him to try harder.

Londo states his case.

Shortly thereafter, Londo encounters Lennier in the hallway. When Lennier admits that most of his knowledge about the other races comes from reading, Londo offers to spend two days showing him "the Babylon 5 I know."

Meanwhile, in one of the station courtrooms, Ombuds Wellington announces the verdict against a man named Karl Edward Mueller, who has been found guilty of murdering two station residents and one member of the security staff. Sentence will be handed down tomorrow, Wellington says.

In Downbelow, Ivanova finds Dr. Franklin running an unauthorized free clinic for people who can't afford the services of Medlab. She upbraids him for not telling her -- she won't shut the clinic down, "but if I'm going to share in the blame, I'd at least like to share in some of the fun."

Garibaldi, Wellington, Commander Sinclair, and Talia Winters discuss the fate of Mueller. Garibaldi suggests spacing him. "A couple hours of hard vacuum would do him and the gene pool a world of good." He's upset not only because of the crime, but because he believes that Mueller has killed many times before.

Wellington replies that there are only three legal punishments. Mueller can be returned to Earth. Sinclair counters that Earth doesn't want Mueller and won't pay to have him shipped back. The second option is life imprisonment, but Garibaldi says there's not enough room in the brig for the prisoners who're already there, let alone to keep someone for life. The third option involves Talia, who reluctantly agrees to help. Garibaldi suggests that while she's in Mueller's mind, she can see if he's killed before; Wellington reminds Garibaldi that any such evidence would be inadmissable.

Franklin searches Downbelow for a woman named Laura Rosen, who he's heard is running a bogus medical practice. He enters her office to find that she and a man are both hooked up to an alien device of some kind. The man says he feels much better now, and asks what he owes; Laura tells him that's up to him, and that he can leave his donation in the box outside the door.

Laura Rosen and patient.

She and Franklin talk about the device. She claims it cures anything from the common cold to Stafford's disease. Franklin starts to confront her, calling her a con artist and a fraud, when Laura's daughter Janice arrives and tells him to leave. He does, but promises to return.

Ombuds Wellington sentences Mueller to personality death. He'll be telepathically scanned and brainwiped, then programmed with new memories, to spend the rest of his natural life serving the community he harmed. Mueller is livid, and struggles against his guards, but they lead him away.

Franklin tells Garibaldi he'll need to check over the brainwipe machine to make sure the procedure is painless, something Garibaldi isn't too concerned about. Franklin asks Garibaldi to see what information he can find on Laura Rosen.

Londo takes Lennier to Dark Star, a club with erotic dancers. "Here, my friend," he says, ushering Lennier to a seat at the stage and ordering drinks. "Here you will see the heart and soul of Babylon 5. Also its spleen, its kidneys... a veritable parade of internal organs." Claiming he left his credit chit in his quarters, Londo tells Lennier to pay for their drinks. Lennier asks whether his drink contains alcohol -- even small amounts, he says, can cause Minbari to experience violent, homicidal rages. Londo quickly grabs Lennier's drink and orders water for him.

Londo and Lennier arrive at the club.

Franklin stops by the stall where Janice Rosen sells jewelry for a living. He talks to her about her mother. Janice says that all her mother ever wanted was to be a doctor. And she was, originally, but she could never do as much as she liked -- she started taking stimulants to stay awake longer, became addicted to them, and finally slipped up, causing the death of a patient. After her license was revoked, she wandered the stars, thinking that if she could find some new alien healing technology, she could return to Earth, vindicated.

"And now she thinks she's found it," says Franklin. "What do you think?"

"I think... I think that for the first time in years, I see my mother smiling. For the first time, I see hope in her eyes."

Franklin counters that it's a sham; the machine doesn't work. Janice says he doesn't know that for sure. If it works, asks Franklin, why are Janice and her mother still on Babylon 5? They could return to Earth and show her mother's fantastic discovery to the world. Janice starts to claim she can't afford it, but Franklin says she can; she just doesn't want her mother to know it.

"I see hope in her eyes."

Janice leaves, warning Franklin not to try to take away what her mother has; if he does, she'll fight him, and win.

Lennier relates the story of his education to a bored, bleary-eyed Londo. He studied the ninety-seven Minbari dialects and subtongues, then moved on to mathematics, specializing in probability. That perks Londo up, and when Lennier says he achieved the rank of master adept, Londo drags him away from the stage to introduce him to something the Earthers call "poker."

After preparing, Talia goes to Mueller's cell to scan him. He's not very cooperative, and when she threatens him, he scoffs. "It's not like I'm going to remember any of this. That's the plan, isn't it? Take away my thoughts, my memories, everything that makes me me, so they can put me to work for the rest of my life, mopping floors, scrubbing toilets..." But he eventually sits down, allowing Talia to enter his mind.

Talia arrives to scan Mueller.

She finds herself facing the security guard Mueller killed, watching him die from Mueller's point of view. And it's not just the guard, Mueller says to her, as face after face drifts by, humans and aliens alike. He is building a choir, and has to keep adding to it until there are enough voices to sing him into heaven. "The overture is just beginning," he says. Talia breaks contact with him, stumbling back, overwhelmed by what she's just seen and felt.

Franklin's clinic assistant brings him a file full of followup reports on Laura Rosen's patients. If he can show Janice that her mother isn't helping people, he says, maybe she'll listen... but apparently that's not what the reports show. He rushes away.

Londo and Lennier play poker in another part of Dark Star. Lennier looks at his hand and announces cheerfully that the probability of this combination of cards is approximately five thousand to one against. The other players fold, and as Lennier adds the chips to his already substantial mound, Londo tells him to stop doing that -- Lennier could be winning ten times more if he'd just keep quiet.

Franklin enters Laura's office as she heals a woman. While she and the woman are hooked up to the alien machine, Franklin pulls out a portable scanner and points it at Laura. The alien treatment only lasts a moment, and the woman leaves, claiming she feels much better.

After offering his apologies to Laura, Franklin notes that her lifesigns dropped 15 percent while she was hooked up to the machine. She says she knows, that that's how the machine works -- it takes life energy from one person and transfers it to another. It was designed as a form of capital punishment for criminals; they gave up their lives to heal terminally ill people. But it can be used at partial strength so it doesn't immediately kill the donor.

Franklin complains that it's still killing her, if only gradually. Laura says it doesn't matter. She has Lake's syndrome, and has maybe three years left to life. Time enough to figure out how the machine works, possibly figure out how to modify it such that it doesn't hurt the donor. Franklin deduces that Janice doesn't know how the device works, or even if it works. Laura confirms that; if Janice knew the machine was killing her, she'd force her to stop. She promises to give the machine to Franklin if something happens to her, but asks him for his word that he won't tell Janice about it.

Janice arrives as Franklin leaves. He offers to treat her to dinner if she wants to take a break sometime.

Garibaldi finds Talia in the Garden. She tells him she scanned Mueller well enough to do a comparison scan after the brainwipe. She says Mueller's mind is inhuman, more so than any of the aliens she's had contact with. As Garibaldi leaves, she adds, "You once said you'd bet good money he'd killed before. You would not have lost."

Talia in the Garden.

Back at the gaming table, Londo clears his throat loudly and adjusts his clothing. Something underneath the fabric begins to move. As people examine their cards, a tentacle reaches up from beneath the table and snatches the top card from the deck. Seconds later, Londo switches it for a card from his hand, and the tentacle puts that card on the deck.

Londo's helping tentacle.

Garibaldi and a few guards lead Mueller away. As they reach the transport tube, Mueller overpowers the security guard in the car, grabs a gun, and is inside before anyone can stop him. Garibaldi manages to shoot him in the arm as the doors close, then orders C&C to stop the elevator car immediately. Mueller pries the doors open and stumbles onto a different floor; nobody is around, and he runs off, clutching his injured arm.

Londo tries to snatch another card, but one of the other players inadvertently puts a pitcher of icewater down on the tentacle as it lifts a card from the deck. "Is it cold in here all of a sudden, or is it just me?" Londo asks. The tentacle struggles to pull itself out from under the pitcher as Londo looks increasingly uncomfortable. One of the other players notices what's going on and lifts the water; the tentacle snaps under the table, hitting Londo. Several of the other players stand up and accuse Londo of cheating. They knock over the table and advance. Lennier lays two of them out cold with an expert punch and a flying kick, but by now the other people in the club are closing in. "This... is not good," Lennier says, taking a defensive stance.

In medlab, Franklin patches up the security guard who Mueller attacked. He calls his clinic, warning them to be on the lookout for a man with a PPG wound, then heads to Laura's office to warn her.

When he arrives, he finds that Mueller is already there, and has a gun to Janice's head. Laura is in the middle of treating him. Franklin tries to intervene, but Mueller shoots at him, warning him to stay back or the next shot won't miss.

Mueller holds Janice hostage.

Convinced that he'll kill Janice anyway when the treatment is finished, Laura hits a control on the machine. Suddenly, Mueller writhes in pain, drops the gun and collapses to the floor. "That's Lake's syndrome," she tells him, describing its agonizing symptoms in detail. "You'll never hurt anyone again." Mueller stops moving, and Franklin, after a quick examination, says he's dead.

Later, Laura is cleared of any wrongdoing by Ombuds Wellington; she acted in self-defense. But she must turn the alien device over to station personnel for study. As the courtroom clears out, Garibaldi tells Laura she did the right thing. Janice agrees, but Laura is still haunted by the fact that she has taken a life, in violation of her oath as a doctor. "I did the necessary thing," she tells Janice. "That is not always the same as the right thing."

Ivanova catches up with Garibaldi as he leaves the courtroom and tells him they've identified the two suspects who started the fight in Dark Star.

Sinclair tries to get Londo and Lennier to tell him what happened at the club. Lennier takes full responsibility, claiming that the argument started because he misunderstood the rules. Sinclair doesn't believe a word of that, but can't press further thanks to diplomatic privilege.

After Sinclair leaves, Londo thanks Lennier. Lennier asks what the part of Londo that reached for the cards was. Londo whispers the answer to him, and, when Lennier stares at him in disbelief, picks up a nearby statuette, a figurine with six long tentacles protruding from her midriff. "It's true," Londo says. "Yes! Here: Li, goddess of passion. A synthesis of male and female Centauri. Did you think these were just decorations?" Lennier leaves in a hurry.

Laura and Janice drop the alien machine off in medlab. Franklin says he'll study it. Perhaps it can still be used to heal; volunteers could donate a little of their life energy the way people once donated blood. Laura tells him she's leaving, going out to the stars to redeem herself, to try to find a way to make up for what she's done.

"Is that dinner invitation still open?" Janice asks as she leaves.

"Yeah. Yeah! It's still open," Franklin says, happily surprised. "7, zocalo?" Janice nods and leaves Franklin with a smile on his face.

Synopsis by Steven Grimm

The Ragged Edge

Overview

Another attack on an Alliance ship brings Garibaldi to the Drazi homeworld to search for a witness. G'Kar finds himself the object of unwanted attention. 
P5 Rating: 8.57

Production number: 513
Original air date: April 8, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John Copeland

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Ragged Edge

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)

Sheridan is signing copies of a treaty, getting ready for a meeting of the Interstellar Alliance. He arrives late in the council chamber, but his apology dies on his lips; only Delenn is present. The other ambassadors voted to boycott the council until the Alliance can guarantee the safety of their shipping lines, or at least find out who is responsible for the attacks ("In the Kingdom of the Blind", "A Tragedy of Telepaths"). They need a break, and they need it soon.

Meanwhile, a break is in the making. A human transport, protected by Drazi fighters, is under attack. A single human manages to slip out in a lifepod as the attacking forces destroy the convoy.

Later, G'Kar and Londo arrive back from Centauri Prime. Narns are looking at G'Kar, and bowing before him, which puzzles G'Kar. Londo takes the opportunity to tease him about it.

In his quarters, Garibaldi has overslept and missed a meeting with Zack. The bottle he drank the night before "Phoenix Rising") lies empty next to his bed.

Half an hour later, he joins Sheridan, Delenn, Franklin and Zack for a meeting. The Rangers have found the debris from the last attack and know a lifepod is missing. This could mean a potential witness, and a way to head off the crisis building up in the Alliance.

Unfortunately, since it was a human transport in Drazi space, it is likely that they were smugglers, contracted by the Drazi Government. The Alliance members use this sort of arrangement to bypass Alliance regulations on dangerous substances and equipment. If so, the Drazi Government is unlikely to help them.

Fortunately, however, Garibaldi has an old friend from his days on the mining colony on Europa ("Survivors"), who now works as a security consultant on the Drazi homeworld. He can help them locate the pilot and get him out. Sheridan wants the pilot to testify before the council as soon as possible. He asks Franklin to go with Garibaldi and help him out, but Garibaldi objects. He claims his contact will not trust Franklin, and the mission may be dangerous. Despite his misgivings about sending Garibaldi by himself, Sheridan agrees.

A large number of Narns seem to be camped out near G'Kar's quarters, and murmur in awe as he walks by. Outside his door is Ta'lon ("All Alone in the Night", "A Day in the Strife"). G'Kar greets him warmly, but when he walks into his quarters, he discovers that the book he has been writing is missing. According to Ta'lon, the Kha'ri was worried that G'Kar had been taken prisoner and was to be executed in Centauri Prime. Afraid that if something happened to him, the "Book of G'Kar" might never see the light of day, Ta'lon helped "liberate it", and took it back to Narn. There, copies were made, and eventually it was published. In only a month, over half a million copies have been made. It has achieved great popularity, and the Book of G'Kar is on its way to outselling the Book of G'Quan.

"Congratulations, Citizen G'Kar," quips Ta'lon. "You are now a religious icon."

On his way out, Garibaldi is stopped by Franklin. Franklin is afraid there may be something wrong between them on a personal level, a feeling he got because of Garibaldi's refusal to take him along on the mission. Garibaldi assures him it is nothing personal, but rather he is worried the mission will be very dangerous and Franklin will be unable to help. Franklin is not completely convinced, but has no arguments to give. Before Garibaldi leaves, Franklin says: "If you ever got a problem, anything at all you want to talk about... you know where to find me."

Garibaldi arrives at the Drazi Homeworld and is promptly contacted by his friend, Tafiq Azir. Tafiq knows the pilot is hiding, and why: the pilot's employers are not happy he lost the ship, and the Drazi agents that awaited the cargo want to take their losses out on him. They would all rather he was dead, including the Government, who would have to explain its involvement with smuggling. The pilot, in short, wants to get off planet. Tafiq has made arrangements: the pilot will signal Garibaldi's balcony from a near-by park, and Tafiq will arrange for a shuttle. A knock on the door announces the arrival of room service: Tafiq has ordered a bottle of some alcoholic drink. At first, Garibaldi refuses the drink, but he quickly changes his mind and starts drinking.

As night falls, Garibaldi is asleep on his chair, drunk. Tafiq leaves to finalize the arrangements, but he is assaulted in the hallway outside the room, and shot in the chest. Garibaldi, however, is too far gone to hear it.

Some time later, Garibaldi awakes. As he stands on the balcony, he notices the signal from the pilot flashing. Garibaldi runs out, but he comes upon a Drazi going through Tafiq's clothing. In the ensuing fistfight, the Drazi is tossed out the balcony, but a large flying vehicle flashes a spotlight on Garibaldi. Garibaldi runs to Tafiq, but it is too late to save him. With his dying breath, Tafiq tells Garibaldi to go and save the pilot. In the park, three robed figures, their heads obscured by hoods, are beating a man. Garibaldi tries to intervene, but they are too much for him, and he gets a beating instead. As the Drazi authorities approach, the hooded figures leave. Before the Drazi arrive, Garibaldi confirms that the pilot is dead, and he escapes through the narrow streets of the Drazi capital.

In Sheridan's office, Delenn receives an emergency transmission from Garibaldi. The mission has failed catastrophically, and everyone is after him. She arranges for a White Star to pick him up and take him back to Babylon 5.

Outside G'Kar's quarters, Narns are waiting, reading the Book of G'Kar. Ta'lon knocks on the door, only to receive a curt "Go away!" from G'Kar. But after he identifies himself, G'Kar lets him, and only him, inside.

G'Kar doesn't want to be a leader, religious or secular. He is overwhelmed by the attention. "I have nothing to teach them," he tells Ta'lon. But Ta'lon disagrees. For a hundred years, the Narns have only taught each other to hate and to fight. But in this New Age, the Narn need new lessons.

"I have not personally read your book," Ta'lon admits, "but I have seen the light of understanding come into their eyes. It is not about teaching, it is about unlearning hate and fear."

G'Kar does not want to lead others, afraid they may be forced to pay the price of his mistakes. What if he leads them the wrong way, teaches them the wrong lesson? Even worse, what if they come, not because of the lesson but because of the teacher? G'Kar fears his own shadow may become larger than his the message.

"If that happens," answers Ta'lon, "I give you my word that I will personally kill you." Not much comfort, perhaps, but the only comfort Ta'lon, as a warrior, is capable of giving. Mollified, G'Kar comes out, faces his admirers, and invites them in.

In Sheridan's office, Delenn, Sheridan, Garibaldi and G'Kar are going over Garibaldi's mission. The only thing Garibaldi has is a button from one of the cloaked figures; he also knows, from the way they felt when he hit them, that they were not Drazi. Garibaldi figures the ones behind the attacks are the ones who killed the pilot. The fact that they knew about him indicates that there is a leak somewhere.

Londo arrives late to the meeting and notices the button Garibaldi found. It is, he says, the button of a uniform of the Palace Guard; they are not found anywhere else. The others are taken aback by the revelation, and quickly move on to the next topic. After Londo leaves, however, they stay and talk. They agree the Centauri are almost certainly behind the attacks, but that Londo probably does not know about them. On the other hand, it was probably through him that those responsible found out about Garibaldi's mission.

G'Kar advises that Londo be told nothing. If Londo is told about their findings, he will be outraged and try to trace the attacks to their source. And shortly thereafter, he will be killed. He recounts the assassination attempt on Londo in Centauri Prime ("In the Kingdom of the Blind"), and explains that two factions are at work in the Centauri Royal Court. Londo is alive because one of the factions wants him alive, and if he starts to ask the wrong questions he will become a liability and be killed. Until they find out which faction is behind it, Londo must be kept out of the loop. The rest agree.

Delenn is puzzled, however. There is no reason for the Centauri to do this: they need the Alliance as much as everyone else. "There is something here we are missing," she muses out loud.

Franklin later goes to see Sheridan. Dr. Benjamin Kyle ("The Gathering") will retire as head of Xenobiological Research in Earthdome at the end of the year, and has asked Franklin to take over for him. After careful thought, Franklin has decided to accept. He points out this will even help in putting the information on cross-species infection together for the Alliance ("Strange Relations"). It also means, however, that he has to leave Babylon 5 by the end of the year. Sheridan is not happy on a personal level, since he values both Franklin's work and his friendship. But he agrees it is a great promotion and great opportunity.

Franklin promises to tell everyone himself, especially Garibaldi. He goes to put a call to the latter right away, but Garibaldi doesn't hear the incoming message. He is passed out on his bed, an empty bottle of whiskey on his night stand.

The River of Souls

Overview

A group of Soul Hunters come to the station demanding the return of something that was stolen from them. Ian McShane. Martin Sheen as Soul Hunter. 
P5 Rating: 7.77

Production number: TNT MoW3
Original air date: November 8, 1998
DVD release date: August 17, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek
Novelization by Yvonne Navarro

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The River of Souls

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)

On a desolate planet, amidst old ruins, a group of human archaeologists work carefully in a deep tunnel. The leader, Dr. Bryson, is sure they are about to get to "the main vault," although according to another archaeologist, he has been saying that for two days. But soon Dr. Bryson finds a metal disc on the wall; on one side is the symbol for death, and on the other side the symbol for eternal life. The wall is broken down, and they find themselves in a large gallery full of small, glowing globes, thousands of them. But as they enter, a beacon is activated outside.

According to Bryson, the globes hold personalities, souls. He believes they will lead him to the secret of immortality. As Bryson's hand nears a globe, whispers are heard throughout the room. The whispers die away when he withdraws his hand.

Just then, they hear a ship flying outside. The second in command, Klaus, orders everyone out. "If whoever built this place has come back," he says, "they might let us leave alive if we touch nothing." Klaus and the others leave, but Bryson takes some sort of device, and a globe which is larger than the rest. Then he follows the others, and arrives at the entrance to the tunnel just in time to see the others running towards their ship. But they don't make it: a craft fires on them and they are caught in an explosion. Bryson hides inside the tunnel, avoiding detection. As he hugs the globe he has taken, he seems to hear something. "Hmmm? No, don't... don't worry," he tells the globe. "We'll find a way. I'll never let you go. Never." Outside, the alien ship is gone, and Bryson makes his way back to his ship.

A few days later, Lt. Corwin runs into a relaxed Capt. Lochley in the Zocalo on Babylon 5. Lochley notes that things have been quiet since Sheridan and Garibaldi left the station for Minbar and Mars, respectively ("Objects at Rest", "Objects in Motion"). No big crises. She likens it to the "Pauli effect," named after Wolfgang Pauli, a 20th century physicist whose mere presence in the lab would, according to folklore, ruin experiments, and make equipment malfunction or even blow up. "So now there is the Sheridan/Garibaldi effect," she jokes as she buys a glass vase. She misses Sheridan on a personal level, but the problems also seem to be gone. The station is quiet, pleasant, almost manageable.

Lt. Corwin was looking for Lochley, though, to tell her Garibaldi has just come on board. Just then, a fistfight erupts behind them. "Suddenly," says Lochley, "I have this great blinding pain behind my left eye..."

An unassuming man makes his way to Brown Sector, and knocks a prearranged rhythm on a door. The door slides open, and he steps into a room adorned with neon lights reading "Virtual Excitment" and "Pleasure for men and women."

"Is she ready?" he asks the owner. It is a holobrothel. The image of a scantily clad woman appears, taken from a photograph he supplied. The proprietor asks him if he knows how to use the VR suits, offering assistance, but the customer assures him he can figure it out. He goes into a room, following the hologram. A few seconds later, the lights dim briefly and a yell of pain is heard. "I said he didn't know how to use it," the proprietor says angrily. "Idiot. If he shorts that thing out, I'm going to charge him double."

Mr. Garibaldi is in Lochley's office, explaining why he is there. Ever since taking over Edgars Industries ("Objects in Motion") he has been tracking down black projects the company ran under Clark's administration. Programs Edgars never told anyone about. He keeps the good ones, and closes the not so good ones. He is on the station because it was a convenient place to meet the man in charge of one such project; he'll leave once the meeting is dones. Lochley is called on the link: Mr. Garibaldi's appointment has arrived. "You told him to meet you here?" Lochely asks, clearly annoyed. Garibaldi figured it would be a good place in case they missed each other. Before the man comes in, though, Lochley asks, "Still sober?" "As a judge," Garibaldi answers. "I'm glad," says Lochley sincerely.

The man comes in: Dr. Robert Bryson. Dr. Bryson and Garibaldi leave to talk. In Dr. Bryson's quarters, the globe he found on the planet glows.

Garibaldi wants to know what the project Bryson is working on is. He's received over 2 million credits a year, but the project is only identified in the records as "L.E." Bryson explains it might refer to his pet name for the project: "Life Eternal." Bryson wants to discover the secret to immortality. Bryson points out humans can live to 110, 115 years, but other, more advanced races, can live for double, triple that; some sustain life one way or another for thousands of years, and others have eliminated death entirely.

Garibaldi is not convinced. Even assuming immortality exists, it would probably be available only to the very rich. Dr. Bryson agrees; in fact, the probable profit is what made William Edgars invest in the project in the first place. And after three years, Bryson believes a recent discovery may unlock the secret to eternal life. But he doesn't want to share more until he is more certain.

Garibaldi is not impressed, and is unwilling to grant even the few days Brson wants to finish his preliminary analysis. He insists that Bryson turn over the notes from his last three years of work, in the morning at the latest, so Garibaldi can decide whether to continue funding. Bryson has no choice: he promises the notes will be ready in the morning.

Lochley is working in her office when Corwin escorts a man inside. He is Mr. Clute, the customer from the holobrothel. Mr. Clute wants to complain about the equipment there, claiming it was dangerously faulty. Lochley doesn't understand: as far as she is aware, there are no holobrothels on Babylon 5. But Mr. Clute claims the business is sanctioned by Babylon 5. Lochley asks Corwin to have Mr. Clute give a full report to security, and then let Zack take care of the problem.

In his quarters, Dr. Bryson has rigged an interface with the station's power lines, which he uses to activate the device he took from the gallery. The device seems to act as a viewer or communicator, allowing him to peer inside the globe. There he sees a face, but it appears the face does not hear or see him. Bryson records in his log, "I've made contact."

In Brown 11, Zack Allan reaches the holobrothel. The door opens after he knocks the required rhythm. He asks to see the owner, who arrives and identifies himself as Jacob Mayhew. Zack tells him to pack up and leave the station as soon as possible, but Mayhew refuses: he has a six month lease, paid for in advance, and an entertainment license. The license does not exclude holobrothels specifically, and according to Mayhew may be interpreted as covering them. The permit allows him to run an entertainment business, after all. And it is all illusions: holograms and sensual telemetry body suits. "You can do anything you want to anybody you want. You just bring me a picture, I'll supply the fantasy," he offers Zack. But Zack clearly is not interested. Mayhew refuses again to leave, and is willing to go to court over it. "You got it," says Zack. "Meanwhile, I suggest you tell these other folk here about how this equipment of yours is dangerous and faulty. Hell, I'm suprised nobody has been electrocuted by now." Zack leaves, and Mayhew tells his secretary to call 'Riley.'

Meanwhile, Bryson continues his experiments using more power to try to communicate better. And he succeeds: a tendril of light connects the globe and the device, and a shape forms, hanging in mid-air. Bryson finally manages to communicate, and asks the figure its name. But the figure doesn't seem to understand, and screams in agony. "What's wrong?" Bryson asks.

"They came for us," the figure says. "They took us away. They had no right. Let me go back to sleep. Let me die." "Then you're not dead!" says Bryson, elated and curious. "You don't understand," the figure continues. "Leave us alone..." "Don't understand... what?" asks Bryson. "Leave us alone!" yells the figure before exploding into tiny shards of light, which then coalesce back to the tendril of light and return to the globe.

"Must write this down," Bryson mutters to himself. But he is too tired, and soon falls asleep. His pen knocks the globe into the device, and a surge travels from the globe all the way to Babylon 5's power grid.

Zack is patrolling in Blue Sector when he hears whimpering and crying. A woman draped in dark veils sits on some stairs crying for her children. When Zack flashes his flashlight in her direction, he can see through her as if she were a projection. "Where are my children?" continues the figure, and then jumps straight through Zack before disappearing.

In the morning, while Lochley is having breakfast, she is approached by a man who identifies himself as James Riley. He is Mayhew's attorney, and has a restraining order. He also serves Lochley, who is bein sued (as is Babylon 5 as a corporation) for harassment, violation to Mayhew's rights, obstruction of trade, and slander. The last refers to Zack's parting comments about the equipment. Lochley thinks it is some kind of joke, but Riley points out that the fines, for which Lochley would be liable, could amount to millions of credits. "See you in court," he adds cheerfully on his way out of the Zocalo.

Garibaldi arrives in Bryson's quarters, and finds him very excited. Bryson has clearly not slept much. The room is a mess. When Garibaldi asks for the notes, Bryson tells him he has burned them: they've become irrelevant in light of his new find. He doesn't even need the money anymore. "I have everything that I need," says Bryons. "I just need to go deeper, look more deeply, listen to them more closely." Bryson then kicks Garibaldi out.

Zack is astounded when he hears that Mayhew is suing them. He can't win, after all. But Lochley points out that the objective is really intimidation, harassment, and perhaps a settlement. In any case, they can certainly tie things up until the lease expires. They need to be more discreet dealing with Mayhew. But Zack is very unhappy. He even claims Mayhew sent a hologram to try to scare him. He recounts his experience with the crying woman. But Lochley points out the amount of energy needed to do that is too big. Mayhew can only create holograms within the confines of his establishment.

Just then, Garibaldi comes in. He's done, and will be leaving as soon as he can. They are interrupted by the Captain's link: something unusual is coming through the jumpgate. She turns on the screen to see it, and Garibaldi recognizes the ship: a Soul Hunter ship ("Soul Hunter"). The globe in Bryson's office shines more brightly; he approaches it, and listens to sounds only he can hear. "They're here," Bryson mutters, and packs the globe away.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi is telling Lochley what he knows: Soul Hunters show up when someone is about to die. Lochley asks him to help out with the Soul Hunters, since he has had some dealings with them before. Lochely, Garibaldi, and Zack arrive at the docking bay, with an armed security detail, just as the Soul Hunter emerges from his ship.

"Who are you here for?" asks Garibaldi. "Not you," answers the Soul Hunter. "None of you, not today. Something was stolen from us. Taken here." When asked how he knows, the Soul Hunter says the thief's companions told him; he then produces a small shining globe. The lights dim, and inside the globe they can see faces screaming in agony. "How do we know?" answers the Soul Hunter. "We know." The lights go back up. He even knows the name of the thief: Bryson.

"What did he take?" asks Garibaldi. "More than you can possibly imagine," replies the Soul Hunter. The globe contains the entire civilization from Ralga, an advanced race that chose not to fare among the stars. They were all going to die, so the order of Soul Hunters arrived to save the entire world. It was one of three times the Soul Hunters captured an entire planet at the moment of death. Then the vessel was put in a whisper gallery, where Bryson found it.

Lochley agrees with the Soul Hunter that the globe should be returned, but Zack isn't so sure. Who gave the Hunters permission? Were the peole of Ralga consulted, and did they choose to be locked up forever? The Soul Hunter points out the alternative is death, and "nothing is beyond" death, according to their beliefs.

Bryson's quarters are searched, but he is gone. The Soul Hunter says that the longer you have the vessel, the more you can hear the voices of the souls inside. The vessel should be returned: only the Soul Hunters can attend to it safely. When Lochley asks him what he means, the Soul Hunter replies: "There is strength enough in one mind, one soul, to change the universe. Can you imagine how much strength there is in one billion souls, all focused on escape?" "Or worse," Lochley points out. "Revenge." Given someone they can influence and enough time, the souls could do anything.

Somewhere on the station, the souls speak to Bryson. "Yes, I understand," Bryson tells the globe. "I won't let them have you. No matter what. Better to destroy the station, embrace the darkness, than go back there."

Lochley orders a full search of the entire station, and wants to hear reports on anything strange. Meanwhile, Bryson again powers up the device and touches it to the soul vessel, allowing more souls to travel through the power grid. Two of them make their way to the holobrothel, where they inhabit the holograms of two of Mayhew's 'creations,' and start kissing. Another makes it to a Babcom screen, and then appears carrying a long blade, with which he attacks someone.

Lochley enters her quarters and finds the Soul Hunter inside; he made the guards 'sleep' and came inside because his spirit wanted him to be there. He is curious: Soul Hunters have little to do with others. When Lochley asks, he describes what they do with the souls. They are placed in great halls, where they can talk to one another or to the Soul Hunters, but can do nothing else. Lochley says that sounds like hell to her, but the Soul Hunter insists she does not understand: her desires and needs are a product of her flesh, not her soul.

Their conversation is interrupted as the lights dim inside. Some souls have been following the sound of the Hunter's voice, and are pushing against the walls. A power surge forms on a console. The Soul Hunter tells Lochley to leave, but as she is doing so, she sees the souls about to strike the Hunter from behind. He pushes him out of the way, and is hit in the chest instead, thrown to the far wall. She slowly slips to the ground and falls unconscious.

She is taken to MedLab, where her heart stops. She can then feel herself outside her body, plummeting down through the decks, and then keeps falling. Finally she arrives in a place she does not know: Ralga, inside the soul vessel.

There she is met by what appears to be Dr. Franklin. But that's only because that is who she wants it to be. According to Franklin, inside the globe one sees only the familiar. He is really a Ralgan. He explains she got caught in a power struggle. The "Mad Ones" were trying to kill the Soul Hunter, but the rest managed to change the surge so it wouldn't kill her; instead, it stopped her heart for a second, so they could bring her in to talk. He continues to explain: the "Mad Ones" are those driven insane by the 10000 years of captivity, and there are more of them every year.

Lochley wonders why they don't just get Bryson to destroy the globe so they can die, but Franklin explain they were not dying in the first place. They were about to undergo an evolutionary change, leave their bodies behind, become energy, when the Soul Hunters came and imprisoned them. The Soul Hunters made a mistake, and he hopes Lochley can make them understand that. But she is leaving the vessel already, as her heart begin to beat again.

Outside the station, dozens more Soul Hunter ships are arriving.

The Soul Hunter comes to see Lochley and to thank her for saving him: she is the first one ever to save a Soul Hunter; in so doing, she has helped change his view of others, and for that he wants to thank her. He also tells her the other Soul Hunters have arrived, impatient with his lack of progress. Unless the soul vessel is returned soon, they will come aboard and attend to it themselves. Their ships can burn through the hull if necessary. He will speak on behalf of Babylon 5, but he also warns Lochley they are less patient with other races than he is. "Our order is disciplined and directed. We do not make mistakes."

"Yes, you do," replies Lochley, getting up. She tells him she was taken inside the vessel, but the doesn't believe her at first: it's impossible. She describes the planet, and he is less sure, but still cannot understand: ordinarily, souls shouldn't be that strong yet. Lochley points out they aren't ordinary souls, and explains the Ralgans were evolving into beings of pure energy, not dying; but the Soul Hunters came and imprisoned them. They made a mistake, trapped living souls in their prime. The Soul Hunter cannot believe it, but must. He wants to know what to do. For now, Lochley asks him to help keep the others out, buy her more time. He agrees to try, and leaves. She follows him out, still in pain and groggy. She makes her way to Brown 11, where Zack has concentrated his investigation. While en route, she is told the Soul Hunters are holding position, and that some atypical readings from the reactor have been detected.

Zack and Garibaldi find the man who was attacked by the ghost with the blade. He is dead, but not from any injuries: he was literally scared to death.

Mayhew makes his way to Zack, complaining all the way. He accuses Zack of harassment, and of interfering with his programs. Then he notices the dead body. "You mean this isn't a routine just to get rid of us?" he asks, and takes them to the holobrothel, where hundreds of luminous shapes are moving around, leaving the room. Zack thinks it makes sense: they are trying to get into bodies, even if they are only projections. According to Mayhew, they have access to all his files. Just then, a projection of Lochley, scantily clad, walks by the doorway.

The real Lochley arrives and is extremely angered by the image. But she has better things to do. She points out the souls must be pumping in a lot of energy in order to be taking the images out of the brothel. Then, humanoid shapes move past the Lochley image, and the latter joins them. In a large bay, the holographic Lochley joins hundreds of glowing humanoids, and addresses them:

"For 10000 years we have been prisoners. For ten thousand years we have had one need, one dream, one ambition. To strike back at those who imprisoned us. Though we will enter the great dark with them, the sacrifice is a worthy one. To end our suffering and our pain. To end it all... We are on the path. Now all we have to do is wait here, and let our vengeance come to us."

The lights dim for a second, but the holograms do not. Lochley realizes this, and is suddenly very worried. She leaves to 'test a theory.' She joins the now still images, but they don't react. "I was right," she says to herself. They are meant as a distraction: nobody is really there. But before continuing, she wants to get rid of the holograms anyway: the Mad Ones could use them to see and hear. So over Mayhew's vocal protests, she throws a thermal grenade into the holobrothel, blowing up the holographic projectors.

Lochley points out they must have access to the enhanced fusion reactor in Babylon 5. They will probably blow up the station, so they can destroy the Soul Hunters outside, even if it means dying themselves.

Indeed, the reactor will go critical in 15 minutes, and Bryson has locked up the controls. But now they know where he is. Zack goes to gather a strike team, and Garibaldi and Lochley make their own way there.

On the way, they find the Soul Hunter. Unfortunately, the other Soul Hunters did not believe him. Since he is only 4000 years old, they think he is too naive. The others think it is all an elaborate ruse to keep the soul vessel. After all, if the story about the souls were true, a routine investigation would have detected it. But since the order couldn't have made a mistake in the first place, such an investigation was never made. If the vessel is not returned within 20 minutes, the Soul Hunters will attack the station.

Bryson is sitting alone, surrounded by a shimmering column of energy, the vessel floating just above his hands. He seems oblivious to everything. The assault team gathers around him, as Garibaldi tries to talk to Bryson. But he cannot get through, and the souls attack him instead. The assault team fires, but the PPG charges can't get through the column of energy.

The Soul Hunter blames his order, their arrogance, for the current crisis. He now sees their many mistakes: storing the souls in dark places where they would go mad; taking them in the first place was a mistake. "We actually thought we were doing them a service, an honor," says the Soul Hunter. "Can you imagine... Instead, we were monsters, a terror worse than death."

In time, he is sure, the others would understand... and he gets an idea. He goes towards Bryson, and says: "Listen to me, please. What we did to you was wrong. I see that now... And there may be a way to correct our mistake. But this destruction is not it. We can return you to our world and find a way to release you from your bondage. At first, for brief times of course, as you have achieved here through the holograms. And then, later, we can invite others to come and allow you to express yourselves through them. Allow you to... see an open sky again, allow you to feel the ground under your feet again. Until that day when we will release you permanently. I know that my order will set this mistake right, once they undertand that they have made a mistake. Once we make them understand."

Until then, the Soul Hunter offers himself as a symbol of his sincerity. If the souls take him inside the globe, it will prove they are really highly developed living souls, cut off at the wrong time. And once he is inside, they will know he is telling the truth. "Let my soul be a bridge between us, and let my soul be doorway to hope."

He touches the column of energy, and is engulfed in light. The light then retreats into the globe, and the Soul Hunter's body slumps to the grond, dead. The column disappears, the globe falls back to Bryson's hands, and Bryson collapses.

A lone Soul Hunter arrives later to claim the vessel. Lochley tells him: "I never knew the name of the other one from your order who came here. He never told me. I don't even know if you have names. All I know is that he gave his promise and his life to protect you and this place, and the billion minds trapped inside this thing. Make sure that the promises he made on your behalf are kept, or I promise you, the Hunters will become the hunted. I will do whatever it takes to make sure his sacrifice was not in vain."

The Soul Hunter nods and takes the globe. Inside, the first Soul Hunter sees Lochley walking towards him, saying "The mind sees what it needs to see. The soul sees what the soul sees." The Soul Hunter smiles, content.

Outside, the Soul Hunters leave, the crisis safely over. Garibaldi is also leaving soon; but unfortunately for Lochley, he has plans to come back in a month. As he leaves the office, a vase falls to the ground and shatters, another manifestation of the Garibaldi-effect.

Riley comes in. Since Lochley blew up his client's establishment, they will press criminal charges as well. But, according to Lochley, the lease specifies that there is no liability for damages due to military action. In fact, she already has the depositions of all security personnel involved, supporting her conduct and decision. Also, since the establishment is gone, the other charges are moot. If they contest this, she will sue them for unauthorized use of her image in the holobrothel, a case they will surely lose. They will get nothing. Riley is nonplussed, but leaves empty handed. Another crisis is over as well.

Babylon 5 can get back to normal... for now.

The Road Home

Overview

John Sheridan unexpectedly finds himself transported through multiple timelines and alternate realities in a quest to find his way back home. Along the way he reunites with some familiar faces, while discovering cosmic new revelations about the history, purpose, and meaning of the Universe. 
Production number: ???
Original air date: July 22, 2023 (San Diego Comic-Con screening)
Original air date: August 15, 2023 (Blu-Ray and streaming release)

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Matt Peters

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Road Home

The Rules of the Game

Overview

Gideon attempts to negotiate for the right to land on an alien planet, but the aliens have other ideas. Jamie Rose as Cynthia. Tim Choate as Polix. 
Production number: 112
Original air date: July 21, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jesus Treviño

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Rules of the Game

The Summoning

Overview

Zack makes a discovery in the search for Garibaldi. Delenn's plan to attack the Shadows runs into trouble. Ivanova and Marcus attempt to solicit aid from more First Ones. Wayne Alexander as Lorien. Wortham Krimmer as Emperor Cartagia. Eric Zivot as Verano. Jonathan Chapman as Ambassador Lethke. 
P5 Rating: 8.66

Production number: 403
Original air week: November 18, 1996
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by John McPherson

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Summoning

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Ivanova requests a favor from Delenn. She wants to borrow a White Star ship to go in search of First Ones like the ones found at Sigma 957 ("Voices of Authority") who might assist them in their desperate mission next week against Z'ha'dum.

Vir and Londo hear a party in the throne room. Draped in chains and garbed in a punishing jester's costume which is thrusting spikes into his head and body, G'Kar silently suffers the merry abuse of Cartagia's courtiers.

Ivanova and Marcus are having no success in their search, which is no wonder considering that they are relying on wild stories that travelers have told of godlike beings or ancient civilizations. So far, they all lead only to dead ends.

Zack has located the transport which is supposed to have found Garibaldi's Starfury, and he takes a wing out to investigate.

Alone with Londo in the imperial pleasure gardens, Vir finally erupts in outrage against G'Kar's humiliation and agony and Londo's seeming unconcern. Once again Londo counsels biding their time. The entire business of plotting against the Emperor is too disturbing for poor Vir. That is, until the Emperor chances upon them, waving bloody hands and complaining strenuously at G'Kar's refusal to scream under torture. Without a bit more action, Cartagia regrets that he will just have to kill the Narn. It's really no fun any other way. After Cartagia departs, Vir decides regicide isn't so objectionable after all.

Delenn pays a visit to Lyta Alexander. There is nothing in the telepath's quarters but a mattress and the standard communications console. A bit embarrassed, Lyta explains that the new Vorlon ambassador has required her to remove everything else because they are distractions, and since he can force her to obey, she has. Delenn wants Lyta to find out why the Vorlons are not assisting in the mission against Z'ha'dum. Lyta replies that the Vorlons appear to have plans of their own and they don't seem to be interested in what happens to others any more. Although terrified of the ambassador, Lyta vows to try to help Delenn.

Zack and his team find the transport they are looking for and order it to surrender. When it maintains radio silence they fire to disable it. It ejects a life pod and explodes. Inside the pod is Garibaldi, meshed down to a table, unconscious, and wearing a week-old beard. A computer voice says, "Activating program," and Garibaldi awakens for a moment. Zack rushes him to the station, where Dr. Franklin is disappointed that Zack can't tell him anything about who was holding Garibaldi; but the prognosis is good and Garibaldi is expected to recover.

The Vorlon streams out of Lyta to her great discomfort. She angrily shouts that she deserves some respect for her sacrifices to the Vorlons, and some answers. "Respect? From whom?" the Ambassador replies. As she dejectedly turns to go she decides to chance it and mentally probes the Vorlon. He slaps her across the room with a blast of energy. Then, leaning forward, he says chillingly, "You would know my thoughts? Would you?" The disk on the head of his suit dilates and her screams begin.

"A little scream. Is that so much to ask for?" Londo begs. If G'Kar will just put aside his pride and give the emperor the reaction he craves, he can live to fulfill his bargain with Mollari. G'Kar refuses, arguing that he would no longer be a Narn if he gave in, and that of course Londo can't possibly understand.

"Yes I do," Londo retorts savagely, as he leaves G'Kar's cell. "Yes I do!"

Ivanova broods in the captains chair. With a couple of hours to kill, Marcus asks her about her plans if they live through this war. She wants to return home, travel some, pay her respects to her dead father, but there's no one special waiting. Marcus has someone special, he says, but she doesn't know it yet. He's never actually had relations with a woman, it turns out.

"I thought First Ones were rare," Ivanova mutters.

Just then, the ship's controls pick up some odd signals which appear to indicate a pocket in hyperspace hidden by a distortion field. They switch course to investigate. As they enter the pocket, they can see from the forward windows a vast fleet including some absolutely enormous ships. The smaller vessels shooting around the edges reveal that this is a Vorlon fleet on the move.

Garibaldi comes to in Medlab. He tells Zack that he's having bad dreams, but doesn't elaborate on the visions of Shadow ships and incarceration that are hounding him. He seems surprised that two weeks have passed since Sheridan left for Z'ha'dum, but not very surprised that Sheridan died there.

An enormous bird-shaped ship travels though hyperspace on an unknown trajectory.

Delenn thanks the Brakiri ambassador for bringing information regarding what the other races are planning. Those who oppose the decision to attack Z'ha'dum intend to hold a rally in the Zocalo to gather support for stopping the assault. Delenn insists that the Shadows will attack in any case so it's better to strike now when they are weak. As he departs, the Ambassador asks if she knows anything about the large vessel that seems to be approaching Babylon 5. She does not.

Vir and Londo are roused in the middle of the night and led by a taciturn guard to a secret alcove. Vir is terrified. And well he should be, for they are guests in Cartagia's personal torture chamber. They are not the entertainment however... G'Kar is. The Emperor has decreed that there and now, G'Kar will either cry out under the stroke of the electro-whip, or die on the 40th beat. G'Kar suffers mightily, as Londo surreptitiously mouths "scream" at him. At the 39th stroke, the Narn finally gives a mighty wail and sinks to the floor.

Jumping into B5 space, Ivanova orders an immediate meeting with Lyta Alexander and a thorough scan of sector 70x10x53.

Lennier sees an unusual level of activity in the Zocalo and notifies Delenn.

The huge birdlike ship exits the jump gate and initiates docking procedures without the station's approval. Ivanova orders a security red alert. Garibaldi struggles off his bed to go investigate.

From a catwalk above the Zocolo, the Drazi leader begins to stir up the crowd with anti-Minbari rhetoric.

Zack isn't happy to see the Chief out of Medlab but can't stop to send him back. Security forces square off against the personnel transport as it approaches the floor of the docking bay. Two forms are visible inside. But when the door opens, all Garibaldi can say is, "Well, I'll be damned."

The crowd in the Zocalo begins to grow more rowdy as the Drazi continues. He claims that they will all be destroyed if anyone attacks Z'ha'dum, just as Sheridan was. To the astonishment of them all, the dead man himself steps up onto their platform.

"Captain. We're sorry. We thought you were dead."

"I was. I'm better now," Sheridan says ironically, sharing a look with Lorien standing in the shadows.

The Captain begins to address the crowd. No more hesitation. They must now assemble the greatest fleet in the history of the galaxy. The only man to have survived Z'ha'dum calls on them and their governments to end this war once and forever, not just until next time. The crowd cheers their support.

Delenn rushes to his side, and as they embrace, John promises never to leave her again.

Ivanova finds Lyta collapsed in her quarters. "You know, don't you," Lyta says. "It's started."

The war council gathers in Sheridan's office for a briefing. He explains what he has learned about the Vorlon and Shadow objectives, and how the balance between them has been lost. "Something, Mr. Garibaldi?" Sheridan snaps at the Chief who is glaring at Lorien suspiciously.

"I just want to know who our new best friend is," Garibaldi growls. He isn't satisfied with just a name, or Sheridan's assurances, or the rest of the secrecy surrounding the Captain's return.

Ivanova and Marcus enter with Lyta. The joy of reunion is quickly overshadowed by the report of the vast Vorlon fleet followed by the telepath's news. To everyone's horror it appears that that fleet has just destroyed an inhabited planet because it had harbored a Shadow force. The Vorlons have decided that it's time to destroy everything that has been touched by the Shadows. Now the Army of Light must stop both the Shadows and the Vorlons if anyone hopes to survive this struggle.

Meanwhile, the Vorlon planet-killer ship cruises towards its next target.

The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari

Overview

Londo suffers a serious heart attack and must face his greatest fear to survive. Lennier decides to start training as a Ranger. 
P5 Rating: 8.52

Production number: 503
Original air date: January 28, 1998
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by David Eagle

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)

Sheridan and Delenn are sleeping in her quarters when she is awakened by a call. The caller, Ruell, has received a message, ostensibly from Delenn, indicating that Lennier will return to Minbar permanently. Ruell is calling to arrange for a replacement, or as many replacements as Delenn may desire. But this is the first Delenn has heard about it.

Meanwhile, Londo, Vir and Zack Allan are in Impound Area 31. Londo is protesting the impounding of his very fine brevare; Babylon 5 has had a problem with infestations recently, and Zack's orders are that all foods are to be impounded for three days. Londo grows ever more annoyed and abusive, and Vir takes Zack aside to talk to him. Londo seizes the opportunity to open a bottle and take a drink. A few seconds later, he drops the bottle and falls convulsing on the floor. Londo is taken to Medlab, where Dr. Franklin takes over.

Lennier enters Delenn's quarters and begins discussing her schedule for the day. But Delenn tells him of Ruell's call and asks for an explanation. Lennier, who was planning on telling her later that day, is surprised that Ruell moved so fast. He awkwardly explains he does not feel needed anymore, now that Sheridan has become Delenn's "other half." He feels in the way and uncomfortable, but he does not blame either Delenn or Sheridan.

"I know why," whispers Delenn, which only makes the surprised Lennier even more uncomfortable. He assures her he will keep his vow of being ever at her side should she need him, but he has decided to join the Rangers and has been accepted. Despite the dangers involved in being a Ranger, he will leave the following morning. Ever since Marcus' death, explains Lennier, he has felt a loss of a part of himself, a part he hopes to find again this way. He also hopes to earn Delenn's respect. "You always had my respect," says Delenn. "Yes, in most ways," replies Lennier. "But I only wish to add a few more, to become more of what you may want me to be; more of what you may find... My decision is made," he concludes. He promises to visit between training cycles, but he assures Delenn that this is the calling of his heart and he must follow it.

Garibaldi finds Vir in the Zocalo, and explains that Londo was not poisoned. He has suffered a serious heart attack to the left heart. As Franklin explains to Sheridan in MedLab, because of Centauri physiology, there isn't much he can do to help Londo. Londo's diet and stress have seriously affected his health, and he is not responding well to therapy. Centauri Prime is sending an artificial heart system, but it will take at least three days to get to Babylon 5. The best Franklin can promise is to keep Londo alive 24 hours on life support.

Late in the evening, Delenn is standing watch over the unconscious Londo. Sheridan joins her, and they agree that, despite everything, they will miss Londo if he dies. Sheridan also brings up Lennier's recent decision, and Delenn confirms Sheridan's fear that Sheridan is at least part of the reason Lennier has decided to leave.

Before they leave, Sheridan explains that if Londo makes it through the night, he has a chance. But at this point it is no longer up to medical science or Dr. Franklin. Londo himself must fight to make it through. "Good luck, Mollari. Good luck," says Delenn softly, and they both leave MedLab.

Meanwhile, Londo is dreaming. He is somewhere in Down Below, and he hears Delenn's disembodied voice wishing him luck. He wanders a bit looking for her, and eventually enters a dark room, where a figure is veiled and shrouded in black. It is Delenn, who invites him to sit. She tells Londo that he is dying. "I know," he replies.

"Do you want to live?" asks Delenn. "What difference does it make?" replies Londo. Besides, he says, it is better to die this way than at G'Kar's hands, which he has dreamt for twenty years now. Perhaps he should die now, to spite fate if nothing else.

"Do you want to live?" asks Delenn again. "What difference does it make?" replies Londo yet again. Nobody in Centauri Prime cares one way or another. Delenn lifts her veil, revealing her face, and asks yet again. "Do you want to live?" Londo does not respond, and Delenn tells him she is not allowed to ask again. "Yes. Yes, I want to live," whispers Londo.

But that isn't enough, says Delenn. A word is also required, she adds, but she will not explain what she means. "I do not understand," says Londo to himself. "Yes you do," replies the disembodied voice of Delenn. Londo finds himself alone in darkness, and as he turns and walks into it, the silhouette of G'Kar appears next to him.

Vir is sitting at the bar in the Zocalo, nursing a drink, when he is joined by Lennier. They start to talk, each having heard about the situation the other is going through. Eventually, they stand up to leave. Vir promises to catch up with Lennier on the latter's next visit, and says goodbye using the traditional Minbari farewell. But overcome, he then hugs the clearly uncomfortable Lennier before they each go their separate ways.

In his dream, Londo is walking towards the bar in the Zocalo. The Zocalo is empty, as is the bar and all the bottles in it. But suddenly, Sheridan is sitting next to him. Londo asks him if one ever gets used to being dead, and Sheridan replies that he was only dead long enough to know he didn't like it. As they walk away from the bar, Sheridan asks Londo about the latter's prophetic dream of his own death. Londo tells him he has always felt Sheridan would be there, but has never been able to understand that part. Finally, Londo tells Sheridan he does not want to die. "Then turn around," answers Sheridan. Londo is startled, but doesn't turn. "Turn around," repeats Sheridan, more sternly. "I cannot! Don't you understand?" whispers Londo, who can sense that standing behind him is G'Kar. "Then you'll die," says Sheridan simply, and turns into a ball of light and disappears.

Meanwhile, Londo's body continues to deteriorate. In a desperate bid to keep him alive, Franklin injects a drug directly into the left heart, causing Londo to clutch at his chest in agony inside his dream. Franklin stabilizes Londo, but the latter's body is under too much strain and will not be able to take this much longer. With only a few hours left until morning, Franklin decides to stay at Londo's bedside should anything occur. "A deathwatch?" asks Vir, who has just walked into MedLab. "Maybe," answers Franklin. "We'll just have to wait and see."

Londo is lying on the floor in the darkness of his dream. "I don't want to die," he pleads sobbing. "Please, Great Maker, I don't want to die! Not like this, please!"

"You are afraid," says Vir inside the dream. "Yes," answers Londo. "Then don't die," replies Vir, echoing his words at Londo's bedside. Londo doesn't think he has a choice, but in the dream Vir disagrees. There is a choice to make, but it must be made quickly.

"What is wrong with me?" asks Londo. "Your heart can no longer bear the weight of your conscience," replies Vir. Londo claims there is nothing wrong with his conscience, but refuses to turn around at Vir's urging, again sensing G'Kar behind him. He invokes the prophetic dream of his death as proof that he will survive this, but Vir disagrees. "Prophecy is a guess that comes true. When it doesn't, it becomes a metaphor," says Vir, adding, "You are out of time, Londo. Turn around!" "I can't. I don't know what he wants of me!" complains Londo. "Yes you do!" replies Vir. Londo answers that perhaps his death would be for the best, but Vir disagrees. "No, not for the best. Because I will miss you." "And I suppose," replies Londo, touched by Vir's sentiment, "that I will miss you." Londo turns and walks into the darkness.

His body goes into shock, as Franklin calls for a trauma team. G'Kar enters MedLab silently, and watches as Londo starts convulsing. "Now, Mollari," says G'Kar in Londo's dream. "Now we end this."

Then G'Kar and Londo are in the Throne Room of the Imperial Palace in Centauri Prime, where Londo claims he does not want the throne. G'Kar tells him it is because he knows he does not deserve it. He reminds Londo that he stayed silent and said nothing when the Centauri used asteroids and mass drivers on the Narn homeworld ("The Long, Twilight Struggle.") Then they find themselves in Emperor Cartagia's Shadow Cabinet room, where G'Kar was whipped ("The Summoning.") G'Kar reminds him of the torture he endured at Cartagia's orders, and again accuses Londo of saying nothing while he witnessed it. "It would not have mattered!" counters Londo. "It wouldn't have changed anything, it wouldn't have stopped." "You are wrong, Mollari," says G'Kar. "Whether it was me or my world, whether it was a total stranger or your worst enemy, you were a witness! It doesn't matter if they stopped, it doesn't matter if they listened. You had an obligation to speak out!" "I couldn't!" "And that is why," concludes G'Kar, "you don't deserve to be Emperor."

Londo clutches at his left heart, and G'Kar tells him he is only moments away from dying. "There must be something I can do," pleads Londo. "Only one word was required of you the first time we stood here, and only one word is required now," replies G'Kar. Londo reaches out to grab at G'Kar, but finds himself chained to a column, dressed in rags. G'Kar, sitting in Cartagia's place, demands a word, a single word, as Londo is whipped with the electro-whip. At the same time, Franklin is delivering electric shocks to Londo's body, trying to get his hearts beating again. At the 39th stroke of the whip, Londo screams in his dream, and his hearts begin to beat weakly but steadily.

Londo, again standing in the darkness, pleads for his life, sobbing. G'Kar, towering above him, explains that Londo is not sorry for what he did, but only for getting caught, for almost destroying his homeworld. Despite his denials at these accusations, Londo does not say the word; he has never apologized for anything in his life. "It's your life, Mollari," says G'Kar. "Make of it what you will." He leaves Londo, now crying openly, alone.

"I'm sorry!" yells Londo finally, as his condition stabilizes and his left heart begins to operate normally. Londo wakes up and sees G'Kar standing silently close to his bed. With growing strength, he says: "Sorry... Sorry... I'm sorry, G'Kar... I'm sorry." G'Kar is deeply affected and walks out of MedLab, leaving the flabbergasted Vir behind. Londo falls back asleep.

Londo, much recovered, is complaining to Vir about the food in Medlab, and how he will not be able to cut down on the stress, either on Babylon 5 or on Centauri Prime, should he return. "The Universe is an evil place," says Londo. "But at least it has a sense of humor."

In Docking Bay 4, Lennier waits for his transport to come. Just as Rangers walk in and go into formation, Delenn enters and complains that Lennier didn't even say goodbye. "No, never goodbye," replies Lennier. "I'm yours forever, Delenn, heart, body and soul. I will see you again in a little while, and with luck, I will perhaps be a better person." "That is not possible, Lennier," says Delenn, "but you are welcome to try. Be well, my good and dear friend." "And you," replies Lennier, then joins the Rangers and leaves. Sheridan enters the bay and silently embraces Delenn, as they walk back to the station.

The War Prayer

Overview

A violent attack on a Minbari poet rocks B5 and leaves Sinclair scrambling to flush out a vicious pro-Earth group. Two star-crossed young Centauri lovers seek Londo's protection. Ivanova is shaken when a man from her past arrives at the outpost. Nancy Lee Grahn as Shaal Mayan. Danica McKellar as Aria Tensus. Rodney Eastman as Kiron Maray. Tristan Rogers as Malcolm Biggs. Michael Paul Chan as Roberts. 
Sub-genre: Suspense
P5 Rating: 6.82

Production number: 107
Original air date: March 9, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by D. C. Fontana
Directed by Richard Compton

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Matthew Ryan mattryan@pobox.com

The War Prayer

Shaal Mayan, a famed Minbari poet and an old friend of Delenn, has arrived on Babylon 5 to give a public performance of her poetry. She and Delenn are sitting in Delenn's quarters, discussing poetry--and life in general. Mayan, however, must wake up early the following morning (for she must prepare for her upcoming journey to Earth), so, at length, she says farewell to Delenn and heads toward her own quarters. On her way, she is brutally stabbed and branded on the forehead by a assailant who yells at her, "Stay away from Earth, freak!"

Mayan is branded.

Mayan, fortunately, will survive; she was found and treated in time. However, Delenn angrily confronts Sinclair and Garibaldi, upset at them for allowing such an attack to happen on Babylon 5--a ruthless attack against a peaceful poet whom nobody would have any reason to injure.

Later, Garibaldi is discussing Mayan's attack with Sinclair. As it turns out, the assault on Mayan was the sixth recent attack on a prominent alien on B5. Evidently, an organization known as the Home Guard, a militant "Pro-Earth" (anti-alien) group, is responsible for the incidents (the symbol with which Mayan was branded was identified as the Home Guard's logo). Further, explains Garibaldi, the attacks have not only occurred on B5--there have been a wave of similar incidents on both Earth and Mars. Apparently, the Home Guard--and similar groups--have been growing in popular support recently. "The problem is, there [are many] who agree with them and even more who just don't give a damn," comments Garibaldi.

Just as Garibaldi walks away, G'Kar approaches Sinclair and expresses his disgust with the recent incident. "I have no special love for the Minbari or their poets, but ... if any *Narn* is harmed in this manner, there will be bloody retribution," G'Kar threatens.

Sinclair threatens G'Kar in return, warning him not to cause any disturbances on Babylon 5.

Garibaldi is questioning the injured Mayan in the Medical Lab. She cannot, however, identify her attacker or give Garibaldi any clue as to who might wish to injure her. Dr. Franklin approaches her shortly thereafter and offers to remove the brand on her forehead, but she declines his offer: "It is a lesson--one that should not be forgotten."

Meanwhile, the authorities on an approaching Centauri vessel are informing Ivanova that they wish to deliver some apparently-harmless detainees to any B5 official of command rank. Though neither Garibaldi nor Ivanova wishes to waste time greeting these detainees and taking them into custody, Garibaldi eventually wins out, and Ivanova heads on her way ...

She finds two young Centauri detainees--one male, one female, both complaining of having been taking into custody. They demand to see "Ambassador [Vir] Cotto." Ivanova tells the officers escorting the detainees to inform the Centauri representatives on the station. Just then, as she turns around, she sees Malcolm Biggs, her old lover whom she hasn't seen for eight years, approaching her. She doesn't appear to be very happy to see him, and virtually pretends to ignore him--she is on duty, she says, and she has no time to talk.

Meanwhile, the detainees have been brought to see Sinclair, Londo, and Vir. Vir introduces the male detainee as Kiron Maray -- Vir's cousin -- and the female detainee as Aria Tensus -- Kiron's lover. Kiron questions Vir, mentioning that Vir said in his letters that he was the Centauri ambassador on B5; Vir refuses to answer, telling Kiron that it is too difficult to explain. Meanwhile, Sinclair explains to Garibaldi that the two young Centauri had stolen credit chits and were taken into custody upon arrival at B5; however, Sinclair is willing to turn over the matter to Londo because the offenders are Centauri. (Of course, Londo neither wants to deal with the youths nor has any idea what to do with them--but he is given little choice).

Kiron and Aria.

Ivanova's shift has just ended, and, while she is getting a drink, Malcolm meets up with her. They speak for a while; Malcolm clearly wishes to start their relationship again, but Ivanova is hesitant. She takes her leave of him again--but politely, this time.

Vir, Londo, and the two lovers are in Londo's quarters. Vir is explaining the situation to Londo: when the lovers' families arranged marriages for them (to *other* people), Kiron and Aria fled to Babylon 5. They do not want to marry anyone else but each other. Londo, however, is slow to understand--he does not see what love has to do with marriage, nor does he respect the lovers for running away from their families. He lectures them on Centauri traditions, telling them how, for a thousand years, marriages have been arranged for Centauri children. These marriages help to merge noble families and "keep the fabric of the Republic strong." "Sometimes," says Londo, "these marriages call for sacrifice [he looks at the pictures of his own wives on his desk]. Great sacrifice. But we make this sacrifice because this is what it means to be Centauri! If you deny this tradition, you lose the very thing which makes you what you are." The lovers listen to him, but are not moved--they claim that these traditions are simply unfair.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi has arrested a human who has been found with a knife in his possession. The arrested man, Roberts, is defiant--he maintains that he has a right to defend himself against "the *things* that walk around this place." Garibaldi gets to the point: there are fresh traces of blood on Roberts's knife, and Garibaldi suspects him of committing the assault on Mayan the previous night. Roberts claims that the blood on his knife is his own blood--he cut himself opening a crate. Though he unreservedly admits that he agrees with the Home Guard--"if you ask me, they got the right idea.... Damn aliens are ruining everything for us"--he insists that he was not Mayan's attacker. Garibaldi, without any further evidence at the moment, writes up Roberts on the charge of carrying an illegal weapon. Garibaldi also orders his officers to check the blood on the knife. "If the blood ... matches Mayan's, I'll give you over to the Minbari and let them play dice with your eyeballs," he says to Roberts.

"I don't know what's worse--damn aliens or the traitors that suck up to them over their own kind," retaliates Roberts.

In view of the worsening situation on Babylon 5, Sinclair goes to see Ambassador Kosh in order to inform him of the recent incidents. Kosh, however, doesn't seem to care; when Sinclair asks him if he will speak with the other ambassadors about the matter, Kosh replies, "We take no interest in the affairs of others." Sinclair then notices the television-like display which Kosh has been watching since Sinclair entered the room--the display is showing historic pictures of Earth. When Sinclair asks Kosh what he's doing with the viewer, Kosh tells him that he is "studying." When Sinclair asks Kosh *what* he's studying, however, Kosh ends the discussion quickly and abruptly. Sinclair politely leaves, realizing that any further questioning will be futile.

Sinclair visits Kosh.

After his discussion with Kosh, Sinclair returns to the bridge. There, he finds Ivanova and begins talking with her. He asks her if she was familiar with the incident that occurred right after Kosh arrived on Babylon 5. She replied that she received only a cursory briefing. He explains what happened: specifically, he explains that the assassination attempt against Kosh was attempted with poison, administered through the hand. He tells her that he finally figured something out that had been bothering him for a while: "Kosh wears an encounter suit to protect him from our atmosphere," he says, "so how did the poison get into his system? His hand should have been completely covered."

Ivanova explains that the Vorlons are very secretive, and that, perhaps, the encounter suit may be more useful as a camouflage than as a necessary protection from the environment.

Sinclair understands, but expresses his curiosity at the reassignment of the only human who has seen a Vorlon--Dr. Benjamin Kyle. Kyle was brought back to Earth shortly after the incident in order to work directly with the president. (Sinclair tells Ivanova that Kyle, who was bound by the standard doctor's oath of confidentiality, never told Sinclair what he saw). Further, explains Sinclair, the only member of the Psi Corps to have scanned a Vorlon--Lyta Alexander--was also reassigned. [See also "The Gathering."]

Londo is quite annoyed with Vir for getting him involved with the case of the lovers. Kiron and Aria's families have sent several messages to Sinclair--"[they] are outraged, and it's *my* head they're after." Londo explains that he has only one choice -- to send Kiron and Aria back home. Vir objects, however, saying that they love one another and ought not to be forced into marriages that they won't enjoy.

"Love, pah! Overrated!" Londo cries out. "[He points to the pictures of his wives.] These are my three wives--pestilence, famine, and death. Do you think I married them for their personalities? Their personalities could shatter worlds! Arranged marriages, every one. But they worked out; they inspired me. Knowing that they were waiting at home for me is what keeps me here, 75 light-years away." Londo is therefore firm in his decision to send the lovers back to Centauri Prime.

Sinclair, who has heard that Garibaldi found a suspect for Mayan's attack, calls Garibaldi into his office. However, Garibaldi brings bad news for the investigation: the blood on Roberts's knife was indeed Roberts's own blood. Garibaldi explains that he has set Roberts free, but has placed him under "red level surveillance."

"I think he'll be more useful to us running loose," says Garibaldi. "He's a logical recruit for the Home Guard." Garibaldi tells Sinclair that the general unrest that has resulted from these incidents on the station is continuously becoming worse. Fights are breaking out everywhere; the alien population of the station is growing angrier. Sinclair comments that this is probably the Home Guard's intended result--if they can provoke enough tension between humans and aliens, they might grow in power and eventually cause Earth to withdraw from galactic affairs (or so they would hope). One thing is clear to Sinclair: if the Home Guard isn't stopped soon, everything that B5 stands for will be destroyed.

Ivanova has agreed to have dinner with Malcolm, and she seems to actually be enjoying it. They reminisce about old times, when they were together happily. Malcolm longs for these times; in fact, he tells Ivanova that he is planning to set up a business for himself on B5--this way, they can be together without interfering with their respective careers. Needless to say, Ivanova is quite surprised.

Kiron and Aria are sitting in the garden, enjoying the view and enjoying one another's company, when they are suddenly attacked by the Home Guard. A few human individuals viciously attack the Centauri youths--they shoot Kiron at close range with a PPG and stun Aria with a shock stick; after the brief attack, they leave as suddenly and as quickly as they came.

Luckily, Vir finds them shortly after they were attacked. Aria will be fine (but does not remember anything about her attackers), but Kiron has been injured seriously. Garibaldi, who is with Dr. Franklin, is suddenly called away because of some "major disturbance."

The disturbance is being caused by G'Kar, who is attempting to incite a riot. "We can no longer stand idly by," G'Kar says, "as our peoples are slaughtered by these cowardly humans. We must fight back with every means at our disposal." Garibaldi, who has brought Sinclair, approach G'Kar--but G'Kar relentlessly accuses Sinclair of unfair treatment of the attackers ("You have yet to make a single arrest.... You know very well why these crimes remain unsolved. It is because the perpetrators are human," says G'Kar). Garibaldi convinces Sinclair to leave the scene of the riot; he then threatens to arrest G'Kar if G'Kar refuses to stop inciting the riot. At length, G'Kar leaves.

G'Kar is convinced to stop speaking.

Meanwhile, Roberts himself has become the victim of an attack--at the hands of aliens. He is seriously injured.

Ivanova and Malcolm have had an enjoyable evening, and they have returned to her quarters. Just as they are beginning to kiss, Ivanova is called by Sinclair and ordered to report to the briefing room as a result of G'Kar's riot. Malcolm (who showed an interest in the fact that there had been a riot) leaves, unhappily.

Garibaldi is briefing Sinclair--the riots have "cooled down" according to Garibaldi, but there have been a few related incidents. He mentions that Roberts, who is still under red surveillance, has been attacked and injured.

In the Med Lab, Londo and Vir are trying to console Aria, but she remains dismayed that Dr. Franklin won't let Aria get too close to Kiron. Londo explains that this is standard medical procedure, but Aria insists that her if she were allowed near him, he would sense it and begin to recover. Aria appeals to Londo, asking him if he can't get Franklin to allow her to get closer to Kiron, but Londo tells her to go back to her quarters--"there's nothing you can do here," he says. Aria leaves.

However, Shaal Mayan, who has overheard this conversation, disagrees with what Londo has said. She asks him to listen to Aria: "We should listen to the girl. We Minbari consider love a most potent force for healing. She cares deeply for him. Such feelings can turn the tide when all else fails."

"Oh, I see," responds Londo. "And if he dies, despite this great power of love ..."

"If he dies, she will suffer enormous grief. But every moment together will make her grief a little less," Mayan answers.

"I would expect such logic from a poet," he says scornfully. "What can a Minbari know about Centauri feeling?"

"Ambassador," she replies, "I have travelled far and seen much. And what I have seen tells me that all sentient beings are best defined by their capacity and their need for love."

"And she will learn to live without it," he says, forcefully.

"As you did," says Mayan, with a note of pity in her voice.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi is showing Sinclair something that he found via the surveillance of Roberts. Roberts, who was injured and who was lying in a bed at the Medical Lab, was visited by none other than a man whom Sinclair recognizes as Malcolm Biggs (Sinclair was able to identify Malcolm because he had seen her in Ivanova's quarters when he summoned Ivanova to the briefing room earlier). Malcolm had a brief talk with Roberts--a talk about the Home Guard and about how Malcolm felt that the they could benefit from Roberts's membership. Malcolm says that he--and the Home Guard to which he belongs--need to gain the support of people like Roberts--people who have been attacked or otherwise harmed by aliens. Garibaldi and Sinclair show the recording to Ivanova, who is entirely astonished at her former lover's involvement. Sinclair asks Ivanova to introduce him to Malcolm--he tells Ivanova that he wants to infiltrate the organization. "Groups like this always like to recruit friends in high places," he says. "If they accept me, it could give me a chance to nail them all before they do any more damage." Ivanova agrees, but on one condition: she wants to be there herself when he takes the organization down. He agrees, and they plan to get started at the diplomatic reception which will be held that night.

Vir is talking with Londo; he frankly tells Londo that Londo is wrong in his decision to send Aria and Kiron home. "My cousin and Aria wanted to be together because they love each other.... Would that have destroyed the 'great Centauri Republic'?" Londo replies that they cannot turn their back on tradition, but Vir disagrees and says he feels that the wealth and power should not be placed before love.

"'My shoes are too tight,'" says Londo, sadly, in response. "Something my father said. He was old, very old at the time. I went into his room, and he was sitting alone in the dark, crying. So I asked him what was wrong, and he said, 'My shoes are too tight, but it doesn't matter, because I have forgotten how to dance.' I never understood what that meant until now. *My* shoes are too tight, and I have forgotten how to dance." Vir admits that he doesn't understand Londo, but Londo says that Vir shouldn't--at least, not yet.

At the diplomatic reception that evening, Delenn introduces the head of an agricultural delegation from Ava IV [spelling correction pending] who is at B5 to study the hydroponics in the garden. Sinclair greets the delegate more bruskly than usual, praising Earth technicians for their construction of the hydroponic garden and abruptly dismissing the delegate's concerns about the security of the station (in view of the recent attacks).

Sinclair then moves over to meet Ivanova and Malcolm. He speaks briefly with Malcolm, elaborating on his background in the Earth-Minbari war and on his "belief" that "the only good alien is a dead alien." He tells Malcolm that, though his job requires him to play the role of diplomat, "[I don't] have to like it."

Sinclair, Ivanova, and Malcolm leave the reception. Sinclair continues his explanation of his "hatred" of aliens: though he fought and his best friends died in the Earth-Minbari war, he is upset because "the Minbari let us win. You know what that victory tasted like? Ashes." Malcolm explains that he has heard this sentiment many times from Earth-Minbari war veterans. He continues, explaining that he is part of a movement on Earth that is attempting to get rid of Earth's involvement with aliens. Malcolm reveals that he has some friends he'd like Sinclair to meet--but first, to prove Sinclair's loyalty, he requires Sinclair to do him a favor ...

Sinclair, Ivanova, and Malcolm meet.

At the Council, Sinclair explains to all of the alien governments that there is no longer any danger from pro-Earth groups on the station. Garibaldi explains that they have good reason to believe that the attackers have fled back to Earth. However, Sinclair refuses to give the aliens any further information, saying that the information is classified. This classification greatly angers the alien governments, but Sinclair gives the appearance of not caring.

Meanwhile, in the Medical Lab, Kiron has awoken from his coma, to Aria's intense joy.

On the bridge, Ivanova informs Sinclair that Malcolm has set the next meeting--she says that he won't reveal the precise location, but that they will meet Malcolm on the Zocalo in thirty minutes. Sinclair and Ivanova are required to arrive unarmed; they will, however, maintain a link with Garibaldi.

In the Medical Lab, Londo is speaking with Kiron and Aria. He says that they must fulfill their duties and return to Centauri Prime. When they arrive there, however, they will be greeted by Londo's second cousin, who will escort them to his family estate. There, they will serve a period of fosterage whereby they will be instructed in--among other things--proper decorum and tradition of Centauri. At the end of the fosterage period--when they are adults--they will be free to make their own decisions regarding marriage. Londo feels that their parents will be happy with this course of action because the practice of fosterage is a time-honored tradition, which, although not practiced too often any more, was fairly common in the old days of the public. "To object would be to defy all tradition!" says Londo. Kiron, though happy, asks Londo why he went out of his way to arrange the fosterage. "Because you are still children, and children should be allowed to dance," says Londo, happily.

Meanwhile, the arranged meeting is taking place between Sinclair, Ivanova, and Malcolm. As they're standing there, many other members of the Home Guard seem to appear from nowhere -- Malcolm explains that they were using prototypes for a "black light camouflage" device. Malcolm orders one of his men to set up a communications-jamming field, which prevents Garibaldi from continuing the communication link. Garibaldi mobilizes his men; they start running toward Sinclair's position. Meanwhile, Malcolm explains that in two days, there will be a mass assassination of the ambassadors on B5--in one fell swoop, the leading alien figures will all be killed. Malcolm needs Sinclair to help the Home Guard gain access to the diplomatic wing (and, after the attack, to gain safe transport back to Earth). Sinclair says that it's no problem. As another test of Sinclair's loyalty, however, an alien is brought before Sinclair--the same agricultural delegate from Ava IV--and Sinclair is ordered to kill her. He, of course, hesitates--and during the resulting delay, Garibaldi and his forces break into the room. Malcolm is captured with the aid of Ivanova.

Malcolm and the other members of the Home Guard are being escorted off of the station. As Malcolm is leaving, he sees Ivanova, and angrily yells at her, "I can't believe you did this to me, Susan. What kind of a human are you, to side with *them*?"

"I find many of these people," answers Ivanova, "to be more human that you and your kind." She stares at her old lover, in silence. They both realize that they never truly knew each other.

Shawn Bayern bayern@cshl.org

Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to distribute this synopsis noncommercially as long as the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact. Babylon 5 is a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that copyright is intended by writing these synopses.

The Well of Forever

Overview

Galen convinces Gideon to take the Excalibur deep into hyperspace to find a mythical place of power. 
Production number: 106
Original air date: June 23, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by Fiona Avery
Directed by Janet Greek

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Well of Forever

The Wheel of Fire

Overview

Lochley and Garibaldi discover they have some shared history. A confrontation with Lyta leads to a startling revelation. Denise Gentile as Lise. 
P5 Rating: 8.58

Production number: 520
Original air date: November 4, 1998 (US)
DVD release date: April 13, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

The Wheel of Fire

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)

G'Kar arrives back on Babylon 5 and is greeted by Capt. Lochley before he goes through customs. She tells him that that "a few" people are waiting for him. G'Kar is relieved to know the cult that has been growing around him has cooled down. Lochley laughs to herself as she escorts him out, where he finds many Narn blocking his way, holding signs, little statuettes of him, and photographs. They start chanting his name when they see him. As he starts to speak, they fall silently to one knee, awaiting his wisdom.

In his quarters, Garibaldi is nursing a drink. A call from Franklin comes in. Garibaldi is late for a meeting of the Advisory Board. He thought it was scheduled for four, but it is really about to start. Garibaldi rushes in to find everyone there. He starts giving his report, hesitant, confusing 'minbari' with 'centauri' and acting flustered. He is interrupted by Sheridan: "Mr. Garibaldi, you are drunk." He dismisses everyone except Garibaldi, and goes to talk to Delenn outside.

Delenn calms him down. Sheridan comes back in, and asks Garibaldi when he started drinking again. A couple of months ago, says Garibaldi. Sheridan suspected as much, but didn't know for sure until now. He isn't angry anymore, after talking to Delenn, but he is disappointed. Not on Garibaldi for failing, but on himself for failing to notice that something was amiss, and because Garibaldi didn't trust him enough to come for help. He doesn't want to fire Garibaldi, but cannot let his behavior go either. He suspends Garibaldi until the latter works out his problems. "That could take a very long time," says Garibaldi. "It will take what it takes," Sheridan replies. When he works it out, Sheridan and the rest will be there for him.

Franklin makes his way to G'Kar's quarters, weaving his way through many Narn holding statuettes of G'Kar. Once inside, G'Kar explains that more and more of his people arrive every hour. Franklin explains that he is there with a message from the Kha'ri, who have been trying to contact G'Kar. Narn is up in arms. Half the Kha'ri wants G'Kar to come back and take charge. But G'Kar turned down leadership before ("The Long Night"), and will not take it now. That brings Franklin to what the other half wants: they want him to go back long enough to give them his blessings and let them rule in his name.

G'Kar's popularity has grown. Many believe it was his presence on Centauri Prime that allowed them to attack without retribution, and they consider his survival another miracle. "And," Franklin continues, "you don't want power. And people love giving power to those they believe don't want it."

According to Lochley, more ships arrive by the hour, full of pilgrims intent on learning from G'Kar. If he stays they will flood the station. "And if I go home," he adds, "they will make me into... this!" he says pointing disgustedly at a statuette of himself. He has little to no options.

Zack arrives in Lochley's office. A transmission from Earth Security HQ is standing by: dozens of terrorist attacks on Psi Corps property have been perpetrated over the last month. At each scene, the legend "Remember Byron" ("Phoenix Rising") has been found spraypainted on the walls. And they have tracked the money used to buy the equipment used by the terrorists, who are described as extremely well-armed amateurs, to Babylon 5; specifically, to Lyta Alexander. Lochley and Zack are ordered to detain Lyta for questioning, arrest her if necessary, and ship her to Earth.

Lochley stops by to talk to Garibaldi and check on him. She offers to help, claiming she understands. Garibaldi is angry and lashes out at her, disbelieving her claim of understanding. Lochley expands: her father was an alcoholic, angry at himself for giving up painting in order to join the military as was expected of him. Garibaldi is still angry, and when he fails to kick her out of his quarters, he storms out himself. But Lochley won't leave him until he is done. She follows him into a lift and stops it, to finish her story. She tells him how she herself become a drug and alcohol addict ("Day of the Dead"), ran away, and became that which she hated most, until someone close to her died. After that, she tried to get better, but every day is a struggle. "Maybe that's why we didn't get along from day one," she says. "Maybe we recognized too much of ourselves in the other person."

Shortly thereafter, Zack and Lochley are ready to take Lyta, who is in the Zocalo negotiating with someone, apparently unworried. A full squad approaches, and she is told she doesn't have a choice but to come with them. She replies, "Are you sure about that?" and starts tapping at the table. All the customers around her also start tapping, the same rhythm as she taps.

"I'm tired of being pushed around, Captain," Lyta says. "I do not choose to be arrested." Patrons start converging on Lochley's squad. "Lyta, don't force us to..." starts the Captain. "To what?" Lyta interrupts. Now even the security squad is frozen in place. "You cannot harm me," Lyta says. "You cannot stop one who has been touched by Vorlons."

But then a PPG warms up, and is put to her temple. It's Sheridan: "You are not the only one that's been touched by the Vorlons. Let them go. Let them go or I will blow the back of your skull off!" Lyta releases everyone, and is handcuffed. "You can't be everywhere, Mr. President," Lyta says defiantly. "Good point," says Lochley, and slugs Lyta, knocking her unconscious. Lyta is dragged to level one lockup.

Later, Garibaldi finds Lochley. He's been trying to find her to apologize for his earlier behavior, and has found out about Lyta. Lochley has something to show him, though: Lise Hampton arriving on Babylon 5. Lochley sent a message in his name, asking for her help, so Lise came. Garibaldi and Lise embrace, and Lochley leaves.

Franklin arrives in Sheridan's office. Sheridan is monitoring Lyta, who has been placed isolated from other humans, and with the system on full automatic. Just then, Delenn enters, swearing and pacing furiously. The Narn government will boycott all shipments to and from Babylon 5 until G'Kar returns. They believe he is staying there out of a sense of obligation, and that if he is told to go home, he will. But before she can continue, she faints.

Garibaldi tells Lise his full story in his quarters. Lise reminds him that he was going to leave at the end of the year anyway. Garibaldi wants to sober up, but doesn't know how long it will take; and he doesn't want to go back to her until he can get everything right, give her a normal life. But Lise suggests that he come back to Mars anyway, pointing out that nobody ever gets everything right, and that there is no such thing as a normal life. And she needs him, to help run Edgars Industries among other things. And she still wants to marry him, more than anything. Garibaldi agrees to go back, but he is suddenly struck by an idea. He gets up to leave: "I am going to kill two teeps with one stone," he says.

In MedLab, Franklin tells Sheridan that Delenn is now stable, but only time will tell if her system can adjust to the change and stress: she is pregnant. Sheridan is surprised, as he didn't know for sure whether or not she could get pregnant. The pregnancy is putting a lot of strain on her system, and since it is a unique situation, Franklin doesn't know if she can carry the baby to full term and survive, although he figures the odds are good. Sheridan hopes she can, but if he has to choose between the baby and his wife, he will choose Delenn.

In the brig, Garibaldi comes to see Lyta with a proposal. Lyta disables the monitoring equipment with a thought, and hears him out. In exchange for having her remove the neural block against harming Bester ("Phoenix Rising"), he will use Edgars Industries' influence with EarthGov to have the charges against her dropped, although Lyta will probably have to leave Babylon 5. But it isn't enough of an inducement for Lyta, so she has a counter-proposal...

G'Kar is outside of Lochley's office, and overhears her talking with Garibaldi. Garibaldi blames the mess with Lyta and her telepaths on the Narns paying Lyta for telepath DNA ("Darkness Ascending"). But as Lochley points out, even if this is so they can't do anything about it: Narn internal affairs are outside of Alliance jurisdiction. Garibaldi says that Lyta has agreed to transfer all the money from the secret account she has it in now, to a fund to be used to help telepaths, no more terrorism. The accounts will be kept, and books made available for review by anyone at any time. Garibaldi will pick an administrator for the fund, and will use Edgars Industries to have a Senator (who receives substantial campaign contributions from the company) intercede on Lyta's behalf and have the charges dropped.

But Lochley doesn't want Lyta free to wander around the station; she considers her too powerful, too dangerous, and unstable. G'Kar interrupts then, coming in, and offers a solution: he will not return to Narn, since then they will turn him into what they expect of him. And he cannot stay. Both he and Lyta are in the same position: unable to go home, unable to stay. So G'Kar intends to go "out there," visit places all around the Galaxy in a quest to learn and understand more, that his knowledge may one day help his people. He will return when he can find a way to destroy the icon he has become, without having to destroy his message as well. And he could use a traveling companion: Lyta.

"I have learned a great deal about healing wounds and curing anger," G'Kar explains. "Perhaps, in my own way, I can help her deal with her own anger, as I dealt with mine." He will leave as soon as his affairs are in order, perhaps never to return, whether Lyta goes with him or not.

Back in his quarters, Garibaldi tells Lise that Lochley agreed to the proposal. He then points out that everyone is either leaving, or has left already: Londo to Centauri Prime, Lyta and G'Kar will leave together. Franklin will go to Earth at the end of the year, and Sheridan and Delenn will go to Minbar when the headquarters for the Alliance are finished. And Garibaldi will leave soon as well. It isn't going to be the same place again. But Lise is happy that Garibaldi has taken the first step in getting his life back together. "You made a good deal," she tells him, and goes off to bed.

"I made a good deal," repeats Garibaldi to himself, as he recalls the details of the arrangement:

Lyta realizes she doesn't have the background to keep the money secret, but Garibaldi does. He can use Edgars Industries as cover, to launder the money, and for contacts and resources to do the work secretly. She wants two accounts: the public one Garibaldi told Lochley about, and a secret one to continue the attacks on the Psi Corps. The latter will have most of the money, and Garibaldi is to use it to hurt the Corps and help telepaths. "You can't hurt Bester directly because of the block," Lyta adds. "But you can help me bring down everything he cares about." He can help destroy the Psi Corps. But she will not remove the neural block, not yet anyway. That's her bargaining chip. She will check back in two years, and if Garibaldi has created a force she can use, she'll remove the block. Not before. "Then you can deal with Bester," she says, "and I'll deal with the Corps."

"Aren't you taking an awful chance?" Garibaldi asks. "I could just take the money and run." "I don't believe you would do that," answers Lyta. "If I thought otherwise, I would kill you where you stand." Garibaldi has one more demand, however. He wants to know what's going on with her, what the Vorlons did. The way she figures it, the Vorlons created her as a superweapon, a telepathic equivalent of a thermonuclear bomb, a doomsday device, to use against the Shadows when all other weapons failed or ran out. A very serious prospect.

In her quarters, Sheridan and Delenn are in bed. But Sheridan can't help staring at her. "One would think," she jokes, "that you've never seen a pregnant half-human, half-Minbari before." They laugh, and Sheridan asks her why she wasn't sleeping either. She says she misses Londo; they haven't heard from him since they left Centauri Prime. Sheridan blames it on Londo's ascension to the throne, pointing out that it will require a big adjustment on Londo's part.

"Hell, he's probably still celebrating his coronation," Sheridan adds. "Partying all night." "I hope so," answers Delenn.

In the Centauri Royal Palace, Londo sits on the imperial throne, alone and in silence.

There All the Honor Lies

Overview

Sheridan is in hot water when he kills a Minbari warrior in self-defense. Caitlin Brown as Guinevere Corey. Sean Gregory Sullivan as Ashan. 
Sub-genre: Mystery
P5 Rating: 7.75

Production number: 215
Original air date: April 26, 1995
DVD release date: April 29, 2003

Written by Peter David
Directed by Mike Vejar

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

There All the Honor Lies

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

Ivanova is furious at news Sheridan brings: in order to help Babylon 5 become more self-sufficient, Babylon 5 is going to be merchandised. Sheridan explains that the Zocalo is opening a gift shop so that anyone who wants a present for someone, or themselves, can buy it and help out the station. Ivanova is quite angry at this. "This is demeaning. I mean, we're not some...some deep space franchise! This station is about something!" Sheridan explains that her anger will make her the ideal person to oversee the efforts of the gift shop to make sure that no one on the station is demeaned. Sheridan explains that he has to meet with Ambassador Kosh for another lesson in understanding. He doesn't understand what he will be taught, but realizes that he probably won't after he has been taught either. Before he goes, he requests Ivanova pick up a Babylon 5 baseball cap... for his sister.

"Me?"

On his way to the Zocalo, Sheridan runs into someone walking down the corridor. Though everything seems fine at first, Sheridan soon realizes that his link has been stolen. He sees the man running on a catwalk above him, and he gives chase. While doing so, he is intercepted by a Minbari who attacks him and throws him to the ground, just near a PPG. He picks up the PPG and warns the Minbari to stay away. "Death first!" is the Minbari's response as he reaches for something. Sheridan fires. The force of the blast knocks the Minbari down some stairs. Sheridan gets to his feet and, as he surveys the situation, he sees another Minbari standing there, watching the proceedings. The Minbari quickly leaves.

Sheridan is attacked.

Sheridan explains to Ambassador Delenn and Garibaldi what happened, though they both find the situation strange, as no weapon was found on the body. Garibaldi explains that it was only self-defense, but Delenn tells them that the Minbari, Levell, comes from a very esteemed family, and that her government wants answers. Sheridan apologizes, but Delenn is not satisfied. "These are perilous times. We must do all we can to avoid another conflict between our people over a misunderstanding." Garibaldi tells Delenn that he has begun an investigation in order to discover what happened, but Delenn tells him that she has been ordered to begin an investigation of her own. Garibaldi protests, but Delenn will not listen, claiming it is the only way to decide whether or not Sheridan should be charged with murder. Sheridan orders Garibaldi to find the Minbari, which will prove to be a difficult task, given that Sheridan cannot give a detailed description.

Vir receives a transmission from Centauri Prime on Londo's behalf.

Garibaldi is talking to one of the Minbari on the station, who says that he was not present at the attack, which Garibaldi believes, since, as the Minbari explains, Minbari do not lie. Garibaldi asks if the Minbari knew who did it, and the Minbari accuses him of being threatening. Before it can go any further, Lennier arrives and asks to speak to the Minbari privately, which Garibaldi reluctantly allows.

"If you're finished, Mr. Garibaldi?"

Garibaldi and Sheridan walk down the hall, talking about the situation. Garibaldi explains that Lennier always seems to be a step ahead of his investigation, though they both hope that Lennier is not orchestrating a cover-up. Sheridan asks about his link, but Garibaldi says that it hadn't been used, and had probably been destroyed. Sheridan asks why someone would take his link, and Garibaldi explained that it was definitely something that Sheridan would want back, which would make sense if the man wanted to be chased.

They go into MedLab, where Dr. Franklin explains the result of the autopsy. He says that it was indeed a PPG that killed the Minbari, but that there is nothing that proves Sheridan innocent of an unprovoked attack. Garibaldi asks Sheridan where he found the PPG, and Sheridan tells him, though Garibaldi finds this suspicious as well. Garibaldi suggests that the PPG was planted, because no member of the Minbari warrior caste would carry one, and that the whole plot was merely to set Sheridan up.

Walking through the corridor near the newly established Babylon Emporium, Talia literally runs into Vir. He is holding a drink and seems quite shaken up. Talia asks him if he is okay, but Vir cannot come up with an answer. He says that he can't stay, and seems to find a great deal of humor in that remark. He vanishes into the crowd before she can say anything else.

Delenn and Lennier are talking to the Minbari, Ashan, who witnessed Sheridan's killing of Levell. Despite his being in the same clan as Lennier, he is being quite uncooperative, and will not answer any of Delenn's questions. "I answer to other Minbari," he tells her. "Not freaks." Hurt by this, she quickly exits, leaving Lennier to deal with Ashan. "You have insulted her," Lennier says. "Her presence insulted me," replies Ashan. Despite his feelings, he does offer to answer any questions Lennier might have.

"Not freaks."

Sheridan tells Delenn and Lennier that, despite whatever the feelings of the Minbari government are, he wants to see Ashan immediately. After they leave, Garibaldi suggests that, because of the Minbari's feelings, that might not be a good idea. Sheridan tells Garibaldi that he has to try to reason with Ashan, so that he can figure out why Ashan is lying about the incident, and that he doesn't want to disrupt life on the station any more than necessary.

Ivanova is looking around the Babylon 5 Emporium, inspecting the wide variety of T-shirts, dolls, models, and even teddy bears. She is also surprised by a human wearing a mask which makes him look exactly like an alien. She turns around, only to find an alien wearing a human mask. Somewhat startled and surprised, she makes a hasty exit.

Ivanova inspects the merchandise.

A well-dressed woman, with a brief case, enters the docking bay, and meets up with Zack Allan. She tells him that she wants to meet with Captain Sheridan. Allan asks her if she is expected. "No," she says. "Dreaded."

Sheridan asks Ashan why he would attack Levell, who merely answers Sheridan by calling him Starkiller. Sheridan tries to explain to him that what happened should remain in the past, but Ashan does not agree. "Was it not an Earth man who said that those who do not listen to history will repeat it? The Minbari listen. Very carefully." Delenn and Lennier ask Ashan if it is possible that he could be making a mistake in what he claims he say, but Ashan insists that he did not, and asks on what side their loyalties lie. Lennier responds that they want only to reveal the truth. Zack Allan and the woman enter, and the woman introduces herself as Guinevere Corey, Sheridan's lawyer. When she asks what they are discussing, Sheridan responds that they are discussing the truth, which she calls "the favorite song of the legally ignorant." Delenn asks if they are finished with their discussion, but Guinevere answers affirmatively for Sheridan. Delenn, Lennier, and Ashan leave.

As they leave the office, Lennier and Ashan bid each other goodbye, and Lennier comments that the situation does not look good for Captain Sheridan. Delenn says that the situation should not exist at all, and that Sheridan's personality isn't consistent with Ashan's statement, which she labels "dubious."

Sheridan tells Guinevere that he doesn't appreciate her calling him ignorant in front of other people, and she changes her choice of words to "naive." He claims that he doesn't need a lawyer, but she tells him that she was rerouted here because EarthDome has decided to proceed with an indictment against him. Sheridan is taken aback, and doesn't understand why they decided to do that. She says that the only solution that is good for Earth is if they go to trial and take the judgment he is given, but that she doesn't believe they can convict beyond a reasonable doubt. Sheridan thinks she is hiding something, and she is. She explains that, because of the trouble this will cause, Sheridan will have to step down as the Commander of Babylon 5 in any event.

Sheridan confronts Guinevere Corey.

Sheridan returns to his quarters and expresses his frustration and his doubts to Ivanova, who offers her support and leaves him to rest. Sheridan is about to relax when the door chimes. This time, it is Ambassador Kosh, who has come for the lesson. Sheridan says that he isn't in the correct frame of mind for the lesson, which was interrupted earlier. "Precisely the correct time," Kosh tells him. "Come." Sheridan tries to protest, but ends up going with Ambassador Kosh to the lesson.

Zack Allan enters Garibaldi's office, and Garibaldi gives Allan the file on Ashan, telling him to keep an eye on him, but not provoke him, just so they can find out what he is up to, and if he is hiding anything.

Sheridan and Kosh appear together, walking through one of the most inhospitable parts of Downbelow. Sheridan tells Kosh that he doesn't understand why he is there. "Good," responds Kosh. After a brief walk, they reach their destination, an access panel in a dead end. Kosh instructs Sheridan to go inside. Sheridan asks why, and asks what is inside. "One moment of perfect beauty," explains Kosh. Sheridan goes through the access panel.

"You want me to go in there?"

The area is very cluttered, and the ceiling low, but he eventually finds what Kosh sent him to look for: a strange, hunched-over figure wearing a robe. Sheridan explains that he was sent to find this place, but the being only pushes forward a small dish. Sheridan explains that he doesn't carry money, but cannot convince the figure. He removes his stat bar, which shows his position in Earth Force, and places it in the dish, which the being quickly removes. The area is then filled with many strange and beautiful patterns of orange light playing off the cloaks of other figures who Sheridan hadn't noticed. The area comes alive with the sound of a Gregorian chant, which Sheridan drinks in.

Beauty in the dark.

Vir is sitting alone with a drink at the bar, when Londo comes up to him. Though it is only Vir's second drink, it is obvious he is upset, and Londo asks why he is acting that way. Vir doesn't understand how Londo can criticize, after all the things he has done. Vir explains that he is having a difficult time doing his job, which consists mostly of keeping Londo's secrets. Londo offers to send Vir home, but Vir knows he can't return to his family. "Do you think that if they wanted me around that I'd even be here? They just wanted be anywhere--anywhere away. They had me sent here two years ago because, frankly, there wasn't much competition for the job. This was a joke to them. Before I left, my uncle said to me, 'You and I deserve each other.'" Londo tells him that is no longer true, which Vir knows only too well. He tells Londo that Centauri Prime is sending someone new for his position, which has become "too important," and that they are sending someone better prepared for the task. Vir says that he doesn't know what to do, because he feels as if he isn't wanted anywhere, and that he has no way to escape from his problems. He apologizes to Londo for getting him involved, and quickly stands up and walks away. Londo begins after him, but is distracted by a group of women, mostly Centauri, at a table nearby, laughing at a doll of Londo. Intrigued, he snatches it away.

Londo comforts Vir.

Sheridan and Kosh are in the elevator, returning from the lesson. Sheridan thanks Kosh for the lesson, and Kosh exits the elevator. Ivanova enters, and Sheridan explains what he learned. "Beauty...in the dark." Ivanova comments that the lessons must be working, because he is beginning to talk just like a Vorlon.

Delenn enters her chambers and finds Lennier there. She tells him that she was arranging to have Levell's body prepared due to the customs of his clan, and that she thinks there is some information that Lennier needs to see. She plays it on a monitor, and Lennier reads it.

Meanwhile, Sheridan and Ivanova are walking down one of the station's corridors when an elevator door opens, and Londo steps out, angrily brandishing the doll in his likeness. "Captain! Commander! Can we talk?"

Ashan is running through some corridors on the station, as if looking for something. He vanishes behind a corner, and Zack Allan, who had been following him, steps out. He tries to find out which way Ashan went, but before he can give chase, two hands come down on him and knock him out. Lennier has been following Ashan as well.

Lennier runs after Ashan, and comes across him, talking to the cloaked man who stole Sheridan's link. Ashan and Lennier prepare to attack each other, and Lennier says that he wanted to prove Ashan's innocence, but now sees that, since he was talking to the man who stole Sheridan's link, his story was false after all, and that he would have been discovered by station security had Lennier not intervened. Ashan doesn't understand why Lennier would believe the word of sation personnel over his word, and Lennier explains it is because Delenn believes it, and she is honorable, and he honors her words. "What do you honor, Ashan? The truth, or the obligations of our clan?" Before he can say another word, Ashan escapes.

Lennier and Ashan face off.

Londo says that the Centauri Government will not allow insults such as the doll. Ivanova says that it is just a doll, and that it wasn't even constructed by station personnel. Londo calls the doll a mockery, since it doesn't have any...attributes. It takes Ivanova and Sheridan a minute, but they finally realize. "You feel like you're being symbolically cas...t in a bad light," Ivanova tells him. Sheridan ordrs Ivanova to go and have all the dolls removed from the Imporium, which she does.

"I do not lie when I say this could have been a major embarassment to all concerned," Londo says.

"Oh, I'm sure, Ambassador," Sheridan says. "You don't lie, the Minbari don't lie, no one around here..."

"Who said the Minbari don't lie?" Londo suddenly realizes his mistake, but it is too late, for Sheridan has noticed it as well and asks Londo what he knows. Londo explains. "A certain Minbari once lied to save a certain Centauri Ambassador from embarrassment. Apparently, there is honor in helping another save face." Sheridan then realizes that they would lie to protect someone's honor, but that he doesn't know who, or what, is being protected. Londo leaves, and Sheridan receives a message from C&C, saying that a Minbari Embassy representative from Earth wants to speak to him. Sheridan has them put it through.

Delenn is sitting alone at the rock garden when Sheridan enters and sits with her. He explains to her that her government wants Ashan taken from the station, and sent back to the Minbari homeworld. With that important witness gone, there can be no trial, which will be a relief to Earth, though there will be much doubt left behind. Sheridan's credibility will be destroyed, which he believes some may have wanted from the beginning. Delenn moves away and doesn't face him. He tells her that he knows how it feels to be all alone, but she tells him that she is truly alone, as she is completely isolated from her world and her government. He asks her why she said the Minbari don't lie, if they will to save another's honor. "You must understand, Captain, that there is no greater honor among my people than to serve. They work for generations to create a legacy, a tradition. In the service of their clan, they are ready to sacrifice everything. Their individuality, their blood, their life." Sheridan tells her that this is a common occurrence and that larger ideals can't be preserved if small ones are sacrificed. Delenn gets up and tells Sheridan to follow her.

"Come with me."

Ashan up with Lennier, who gives him parting instructions. Lennier says that he will go to the Captain and explain his involvement with Levell's death. Ashan says Lennier had nothing to do with it, but Lennier tells him that, as a member of Ashan's clan, he is equally responsible. Ashan tells him that, if he does that, he will dishonor himself and their clan, but Lennier says that he will retain honor, by protecting Ashan, though their clan will dishonored. Ashan explains that it was their clan's leaders who decided to go ahead with the plan without the blessing of the Minbari government, because they were angered at the appointment of Sheridan as commander of Babylon 5. He explains that Sheridan destroyed the Black Star by mining an asteriod field, sending a fake distress signal, thus luring the ships in there. He doesn't believe Sheridan has any honor. Lennier explains that he lost family on the Black Star as well, but asks if there is any more honor in this betrayal. Lennier asks why Ashan was talking to the human who stole Sheridan's link, and Ashan explains that Levell paid him to lure Sheridan away, and provided a weapon for Sheridan's use. He says that Levell, as a member of their clan, must be protected. Delenn, Sheridan, Garibaldi, and Guinevere Corey appear from behind a door and confront Ashan.

Protecting the clan's honor.

Sheridan explains that Delenn received Levell's burial instructions, and that saving the honor of their clan was the one thing that could cause Ashan to lie. Lennier reveals a small recording device he used during the conversation. The door to the room opens, and Zack Allan leds Ashan away. Guinevere asks Delenn if the Minbari government will contest their action, but Delenn says that whomever is responsible will never take responsibility for what happened. Sheridan asks if a public confession is really what they want; he tells Delenn that he is willing to turn over all the information as long as Ashan promises to make a statement about what he saw, with no attention at all paid to the clan loyalty, or any other background, and that they will leave Levell's motive as one more mystery. "And around here, who'll notice one more?"

Vir is in Londo's quarters, still drinking, and with a considerable hangover. Londo asks Vir how quickly he can pack, since his replacement arrived a few hours earlier. Vir begins to leave, but Londo stops him, saying that he should pack Londo's things first. Vir asks why Londo wants him to pack his belongings, and Londo explains that he explained to the Centauri homeworld that if Vir goes, he goes as well. Londo told them he considers Vir a good worker, and that he needed Vir to work with him, which astonished Vir's family. Londo tells Vir that he hasn't treated him very well, but that he can change the way he acts. He asks Vir to stay, and says that if Vir leaves, he will have to as well, and, should that happen, he will have to kill Vir. "What are friends for?" Londo leaves, but not before Vir thanks him. Londo also explains to Vir that he invited Vir's entire family to stay with him for a once, knowing he wouldn't mind. Vir tries to protest, but Londo is already gone. Vir goes back to his drinking.

Sheridan and Ivanova meet together, and he asks her how the Babylon 5 store is going; he now believes it's a good idea to help defray operating expenses. She presents him with a teddy bear, dressed in a baseball jersey and cap, which he admires, including the motto on the back: Ba-bear-lon 5. He notices the bear's monogram, which reads J. S., which Ivanova tells him stands for John Sheridan. When this hits Sheridan, his cheery mood changes, and he orders Ivanova to have the store removed and everything gone by the next morning. She leaves to follow his orders, but not before he takes the bear from her.

Warren Keffer, in one of the Zeta Squadron starfuries, flies away from Babylon 5. A communication comes in from the station. "Have you traced that unidentified object?" Keffer is in the midst of responding, when the starfury collides with a teddy bear. "Have you encountered unidentified object? Can you describe it?"

"Negative, Babylon Control. I don't think so. Not on a bet. Heading back to the barn." Keffer pilots the starfury back to the station, as the teddy bear floats, suspended in space.

Thirdspace

Overview

Two-hour TV movie. The crew discovers a mysterious, ancient artifact in hyperspace. Shari Belafonte as Dr. Trent. 
P5 Rating: 8.05

Production number: TNTCF1
Original air date: July 19, 1998
DVD release date: August 17, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jesus Treviño
Novelization by Peter David

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Thirdspace

Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)

"It was the middle of the Earth year 2260," recalls Sheridan. "The Year Between Wars, and the beginning of a new age. The Shadow War was over, but there was still a darkness waiting for us back home. President Santiago had been assassinated, and his successor, president Clark, was turning Earth into a prison camp. We'd broken away from Earth, and in retaliation they had quarantined us, trying to strangle our supply lines. We were desperate, and we couldn't afford to lose even a single supply ship. In the midst of all of this, we made contact with Thirdspace, and we almost didn't survive it... I only hope we never come across it again. Because the next time, no one is going to survive it."

A supply ship is under attack by raiders, and the raiders are under attack by Starfuries, led by Ivanova. Ivanova tells the raider leader that their forces are too evenly matched, and it will be at best a stalemate. But the ship carries Quantium 40, too rich a prize for the raiders to ignore. So they call in their heavy cruiser, which functions as their base. And then, Ivanova springs her mouse trap: Sheridan, in command of several White Star ships, arrives and takes care of the cruiser. Hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned, the raiders surrender. Sheridan takes the prisoners to a Drazi freeport, and Ivanova takes the wing of Starfuries back to B5. She'll spread the news; hopefully, if raiders believe any shipment could be a trap, they will think twice before attacking.

Back on B5, Lyta Alexander is mediating a private dispute, but she keeps getting flashes of a ship or artifact in hyperspace. It discomforts her greatly, and quickly excuses herself. Meanwhile, in hyperspace, Ivanova's wing detects something lost there, adrift. They make a lifeline of Starfuries to reach it before it drifts away and is lost ("A Distant Star"). It is a huge construct, of unknown origin. Ivanova requests Babylon 5 send White Stars and all available starfuries to tow the enormous find back to the station.

As the artifact passes through the gate, Lyta has a vision: the Zocalo in ruins, bodies everywhere, herself hurt and bleeding, and a strange shadow stalking her...

Later, Vir talks with Sheridan and Delenn. Londo is away on Centauri Prime, and the League has asked him to talk on their behalf. The League want access to the artifact, and the possible advanced technologies it represents. But Sheridan is wary of having everyone poking at the artifact, pulling in all directions at once. He promises they will share anything they find with the League. Vir does not think the League will be satisfied with promises, but agrees to relay Sheridan's answer to them.

But as Delenn points out, Babylon 5 is not equipped to handle research of such proportions. "So it will take us a little longer," answers Sheridan possessively.

A maintenance bot is sent to take a surface sample from the artifact, but its energy is drained, and strange markings of some kind shine briefly on the artifact's surface. And in her quarters, Lyta is furiously scribbling on the walls "There is danger. Remember." over and over again...

Soon after, a ship from InterPlanetary Expeditions (IPX) arrives and requests a meeting with Sheridan. The leader of the expedition is Dr. Elizabeth Trent. Despite the Earth embargo on B5, IPX would like access to the artifact. Because of its line of work, IPX maintains contacts with other worlds and outside of Earth-controlled space, and Earthgov turns a blind eye towards them for business' sake. Dr. Trent points out that B5 is not set up to investigate the find, and it could even be dangerous to be poking around blindly. Sheridan agrees to given them access, provided IPX meets some conditions: they are to keep him and the station informed at all times, and give them full access to their finds; he also wants first shot at any new technologies found; and anything that could be used by Earth against the other races will not leave B5; Sheridan is willing to destroy the artifact if necessary to prevent such information from leaving. Finally, since IPX can come and go as they please, they will bring needed supplies and foodstuffs to the station. "If you're going to work here," explains Sheridan, "you are going to have to bring lunch. I just want to make sure you bring enough for everybody."

Dr. Trent wants to think about it, but just then Ivanova links in: their tests suggest the artifact is at least a million years old. This is more than enough for Trent, who agrees to the deal Sheridan proposed.

In her quarters, Lyta is dreaming of the artifact. In her dream, it is covered in some sort of writing. She wakes up and leaves. As she is going up on a lift, she is joined by Zack. She, however, is still lost in her visions, mouthing the words "there is danger, remember" over and over. The lift stops suddenly: the station has been experiencing power fluctuations for the past couple of hours. Zack, meanwhile, uses the pause to ask Lyta out; he is taken aback by her silence and detachment, thinking it is rejection. He eventually backs off, and requests that the whole conversation be forgotten.

Later, as more work continues around the artifact, dozens of maintbots accelerate towards it on a collision course. They are destroyed by starfuries before they impact, and when security breaks into Maintenance, they find Lyta standing over the unconscious bodies of the personnel. "We have to stop it, we have to stop it," she says, and falls to the ground unconscious. Later, she tells Dr. Franklin she cannot remember anything since the previous evening. Although Dr. Trent wants her in custody, Sheridan refuses. He will treat this as an isolated incident.

The preparations around the artifact are complete, and the IPX team begins deep magnetic scans on the artifact. They figure it is not a ship, but rather some sort of mechanism. Dr. Trent even has some ideas about what it is...

In the Zocalo, a man starts dreaming of a city in space, with a spire in the middle, and dark tentacles reaching for him. He awakes screaming. All over the station, similar events are occurring: fights are breaking out, people are locking themselves up in their rooms, screaming...

In Downbelow, Deuce ("Grail") is looking up; he is seeing the same city, and mutters to himself "It is beautiful." Ivanova also dreams of the city, and even sees Vir there. A dark tentacle reaches over from behind her, and she wakes up screaming.

In the morning, Bill Marishi, the second in command of the IPX group, is working over breakfast. Suddenly, he is surrounded by silent people who are staring at him intently. Among them is Deuce, who tells him IPX isn't moving fast enough. "You have to move faster," he tells Marishi. "You have to make it work."

Despite her progress, Dr. Trent has not shared her findings with Sheridan, and he is getting suspicious. Although he is not a xenoarchaelogist, from his years with Anna he knows they should be further along than Dr. Trent is letting on. But Dr. Trent claims the situation is unique and calls for slow progress. Sheridan then notices some of her notes, and recognizes that the writing on the surface of the artifact is Vorlon. Dr. Trent should know that, and moreover should have shared the information. Sheridan gives her 48 hours to get a report to him, otherwise he'll pull the plug.

Faced with the deadline, Trent tries to push up the schedule. She wants to crack the artifact's technology before anyone else takes it away from her. But Marishi disagrees, and since he is second in command his agreement is needed. So she reveals what she knows: the way Dr. Trent figures it, the artifact will open a gateway to another space, different from both normal and hyper; she calls it "thirdspace." As far as she can tell, it operates under a whole different set of rules: a ship traveling through thirdspace would be able to travel almost instantanously between points that would take days or weeks through hyperspace; the technological, and more importantly the military, potential is enormous. Although cautious, Marishi agrees to go ahead and try to turn the artifact on, and open a gateway to thirdspace.

In a lift, Ivanova meets Vir. Since it is considered good luck among Centauri, Vir mentions he saw her in his dreams last night. Soon, Ivanova realizes it was the same dream she had, and that this is connected to the strange happenings all around the station, and to the artifact itself. She rushes to tell Sheridan about it.

But Trent has put her plans in action. The work crew plugs in a power cell to the artifact, which springs to life.

People start converging on the observation dome, the Zocalo, and the cobra bays, entranced by the artifact. Some are trying to stop the starfuries from launching. When Zack tries to clear them out, fights erupt. The artifact is now draining power from the whole station. Zack links in to Sheridan: fights are breaking out everywhere, and people seem to be under some kind of telepathic influence or trance; he won't fire on them, which makes things that much harder. Some starfuries launch and start firing at the artifact from a distance, but the artifact seems to be protected by an energy shield now. Slowly, the artifact begins to open...

Sheridan goes to see Lyta, and is met by Delenn. They find Lyta taken over by a presence, an "echo of what was." The presence explains what the artifact is: thousands of years ago, the Vorlons, believing themselves to be just short of godhood, constructed the artifact as a gate to heaven. In their arrogance they didn't stop to consider the consequences and dangers. On the other side, they found a powerful race bent on the destruction of all other life in that universe. With the gate open, they came into our universe to do the same. Strong telepaths, they even managed to take over some Vorlons. The Vorlons managed to fight them back and close the gate, but before the artifact could be destroyed, those who had been taken over flung it into hyperspace. Now the door is opening again, and the artifact must be destroyed. For the aliens to come through, the door must be open on both sides, so this will suffice. The presence imparts to Sheridan the knowledge needed to destroy the artifact.

Outside, the gate is opening and small ships are coming through. They easily take care of the few starfuries that have launched...

Inside, Sheridan is ready to go ahead. Delenn will get some Minbari heavy cruisers, and Sheridan has a mission of his own. Ivanova goes to see Trent, and finds Bill Marishi dead, shot from the back: Dr. Trent has been taken over as well. Before she can strike again, Ivanova disarms her and knocks her unconscious. She then leaves to lead the arriving White Stars, as more alien fighters come through the gate.

The alien fighters are very powerful and tough, and even the White Stars and the Minbari cruisers are having trouble holding their own. Meanwhile, Sheridan goes to the armory and takes a tactical nuke, before going out on a powered spacesuit. The defending fleet concentrates its fire on the front of the artifact, opening up a hole in the defensive shield on the back. Sheridan slips through it to the inside of the artifact.

As the fights rage on outside and inside the station, Sheridan places the tactical nuke in the center of the artifact. He arms it, and on his way out he finds his way blocked by creatures which look like those in Ivanova's and Lyta's visions. He manages to escape them barely, as a giant alien ship starts coming through the gate. Before it can emerge, however, the bomb goes off, destroying the artifact and the alien ship.

The combined defenders slowly and painfully destroy the remaining alien fighters, as the people inside Babylon 5 slowly awaken from their telepathic takeover. The station, and the universe, have survived.

Later, Dr. Trent is apologizing for her behavior, not all of which was telepathically induced. She acknowledges she was wrong and will take a leave of absence to take stock of her life. "I didn't like the part of me that thing brought out," she tells Sheridan. She also gives him all the information she found about the artifact. It may prove useful, some day.

"I was sure she didn't give me all the information," remembers Sheridan. "She just wanted out of there. And if a little lie got her out the door, that was fine with her. Fine with both of us, really. Because as Mr. Garibaldi has been known to say from time to time, `we all lie.' When the dust settled and people wanted explanations, we gave them one. We said that the device was a weapon, a mouse trap, which was true. We told them that it used a telepathic trigger and caused an outbreak of fighting, and we told them that it was finally destroyed. It's all true.

"And of course, it's all a lie. Because there are times we don't need the whole truth. The Vorlons made an error thousands of years ago, and we paid the price for it today. Why encourage any one else to do the same? No, we have more than enough troubles of our own, we don't need to inherit anyone else's mistakes. We got through it alive, and everyone's okay, and that's the important thing. And this isn't the kind of problem that's likely to ever happen again."

In the Observation Deck, Lyta is staring sadly at the stars, saying to herself: "One mistake. One mistake out of so many, so many others..."

TKO

Overview

An old friend of Garibaldi's arrives and tries to take part in a dangerous alien combat sport. A rabbi helps Ivanova come to terms with her father's death. Theodore Bikel as Rabbi Koslov. Greg McKinney as Walker Smith. Soon-Tek Oh as The Muta-Do. Don Stroud as Caliban. 
Sub-genre: Drama
P5 rating: 6.41

Production number: 119
Original air date: May 25, 1994
DVD release date: November 5, 2002

Written by Larry DiTillio
Directed by John Flynn

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

TKO

A rabbi and a young man, Walker Smith, arrive on the station.

Nearby, one alien is selling stolen "slappers" from Medlab to another alien. Garibaldi interrupts them, decking one when it tries to run. As he arrests the other, the first one comes at him from behind with a knife. Before it can reach Garibaldi, Walker Smith knocks it out with one punch. "One of these days, Garibaldi," Smith says, "you're gonna learn to watch your back."

Smith saves Garibaldi's bacon.

Garibaldi and Smith knew each other years before. Smith, it seems, dropped out of circulation, earning enough money for a boxing license. Later, he was involved in a scandal. He promises to tell Garibaldi the real story later, after he settles in.

They meet at a bar later that day and reminisce about the past. Smith is surprised that Garibaldi has taken to drinking water instead of alcohol.

Ivanova is reading when she receives a visit from the rabbi. It is Rabbi Koslov, or "Uncle Yossel" as Ivanova used to call him. He has come to deliver her father's legacy, entrusted to him shortly before Ivanova's father died (cf. "Born to the Purple".) He had intended to give it to her at the funeral, but she didn't show up. "The station was in a crisis at the time," she explains. "I couldn't get away."

Koslov says he understands -- as her father would have. He asks Ivanova if she has sat shiva for her father. She says no. He offers to sit with her, but she refuses. She has duties, and besides, it's been so long that there's hardly any point.

Garibaldi and Smith talk about the scandal. Smith was a rising star in the boxing world. He was scheduled to fight the champ, and wouldn't agree to lose when pressed by some of the monied interests in the boxing federation. So they set him up, planting evidence that made him look like he was using drugs, creating a media circus that eliminated any chance of his career continuing. Now he has come to Babylon 5 to regain his fame by fighting in the Mutai -- an alien blood match that has never been entered by a human. Garibaldi tries to dissuade him, citing the deaths and numerous injuries of aliens in the Mutai, but Smith is adamant.

Rabbi Koslov visits Sinclair and tells him of Ivanova's father's death, seeking to get Sinclair to grant leave so she can sit shiva. Ivanova, apparently, had kept her father's death to herself. That doesn't surprise Koslov, who says that after Ivanova's mother and brother died, Ivanova and her father had a falling-out. Sinclair says Ivanova can have as much time as she needs.

Koslov visits Sinclair.

That evening, Ivanova and Koslov dine in the Garden. They reminisce about old times. Ivanova says she had invited her father to visit Babylon 5, but he wouldn't come; he believed humans had no right to be in space until they learned to live in peace at home. When Koslov mentions that he saw Sinclair, Ivanova is furious. "My father always tried to control my life," she says, in tears. "I don't need anyone to take his place now that he's gone." She storms away.

Smith and Garibaldi visit a training area where several aliens are practicing for the Mutai. Smith announces that he's looking for the Muta-Do, who is in charge of the contest. An alien tells Smith to leave, then knocks him flat on his back when he protests. The alien, it turns out, was the Muta-Do himself, and he tells Smith that humans are not allowed to fight in the Mutai.

Smith and Garibaldi chat about the Mutai. "They may be snakeheads to you," Garibaldi says, "but the Mutai means something to them." Smith leaves, disgusted.

In the corridor, an alien named Caliban tells Smith that there is another way to get into the Mutai. "But it will require respect, and great courage." Smith is very interested.

Sinclair calls Ivanova into his office and offers her leave. She refuses, claiming that her emotions are her own to deal with as she sees fit. As she returns to her post, Sinclair cautions her to make sure she knows what she's really feeling.

Smith tells Garibaldi that he's giving up and going home, maybe even hanging up his gloves for good. But before he leaves, he wants to see what he missed. He has two passes ("ducks") to the evening's match, featuring the Sho-Rin, the champion of the Mutai.

They attend the fight. The Sho-Rin, Gyor, makes short work of his challenger. When the fight is over, the Muta-Do faces the crowd. "Who will challenge such a one?" he asks. Smith steps forward and makes his challenge; Gyor accepts, and the fight is set for three cycles hence. As Smith leaves the room, an alien warns him to stay out of the Mutai; humans have stuck their noses into enough alien business already.

The Mutai.

Ivanova apologizes to Koslov. He gives her her father's legacy: an antique samovar, owned by the Ivanov family since the time of the tsars. Koslov tries once more to get Ivanova to sit shiva, but she refuses. It's not that she's stopped being a Jew, she says, but that her father was never there for her, not even after her mother and brother died and she needed him the most. And she can't forgive him for that.

Ivanova and her legacy.

Smith trains with the help of Garibaldi and Caliban.

Later, Koslov is on his way off the station when Ivanova comes to say goodbye. As he's about to board his ship, she remembers her father's last words and calls out to Koslov. She has decided to sit shiva.

In the training area, Smith continues to prepare for the fight. "Has he got a chance?" Garibaldi asks Caliban. Caliban considers for a moment. "He will fight bravely."

Smith expresses his confidence.

Later, Garibaldi and Smith eat dinner. Garibaldi tells Smith there's still time to back out of it. Smith says that Gyor's skill isn't a reason to back away: "To be the best, you have to fight the best."

Ivanova asks Sinclair for leave, which he grants. He offers to sit shiva with her as her friend.

In front of a small gathering, Koslov speaks of Andrei Ivanov. He was a scholar, and above all a man of peace. Ivanova recalls a time when she was a child. Kasharev, a neo-Communist author and a childhood idol of Ivanova's, was reading from one of his books in St. Petersburg. She convinced her father to take her to the reading. Afterward, she asked Kasharev a question she'd been formulating for weeks. Kasharev dismissed it out of hand, prompting her father to give him a creative verbal lashing. Later, he told her it had been a good question.

Sitting shiva.

The Mutai begins. Smith and Gyor pummel each other. At first it looks like Gyor will win easily, but Smith comes back with a vengeance. When it seems he might have a chance, the alien who complained about Smith's participation earlier takes out a small blowgun and readies a dart. Garibaldi grabs it just as the alien is about to shoot.

Ivanova reads a Jewish prayer in English for Sinclair's benefit. Tears flow as she releases her pent-up grief over her father's death.

The Mutai continues. Both Gyor and Smith are just about worn out, but they keep at each other until both collapse to the floor, exhausted. The Muta-Do declares the match a draw.

After saying farewell to Ivanova and Sinclair, Koslov leaves the station. Smith departs, but not before Gyor and the Muta-Do catch up with him in the departure lounge. Humans, the Muta-Do says, are now free to fight in the Mutai. With a parting compliment from Garibaldi, Smith boards his ship home.

Synopsis by Steven Grimm

Visitors from Down the Street

Overview

The Excalibur encounters a pair of aliens who are convinced that humans have visited their world and their government has conspired to cover the contact up. 
Production number: 104
Original air date: August 25, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Jerry Apoian

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Visitors from Down the Street

Voices in the Dark

Overview

While travelling from Minbar to Babylon 5 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Interstellar Alliance, Sheridan picks up an unexpected guest with a dire warning. Meanwhile, Lochley summons a priest to the station to help with a problem that may have supernatural implications. 
Production number: 235024
 DVD release date: July 31, 2007

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by J. Michael Straczynski

Administrative Note

The Lurker's Guide's maintainer will be on vacation when this movie hits the stores. Please send in your comments, but don't be alarmed if this page stays sparse a little longer than you might expect.

Watch For

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Voices in the Dark

Voices of Authority

Overview

Draal helps the crew attempt to contact more of the First Ones. Sheridan works to hide his conspiracy from the Nightwatch. Shari Shattuck as Julie Musante. John Schuck as Draal. 
P5 Rating: 8.20

Production number: 304
Original air week: January 29, 1996
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Menachem Binitsky

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Voices of Authority

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

While Garibaldi and Zack Allen are walking down the corridor, Ivanova calls Garibaldi, telling him there is a code 7-R, and Garibaldi says he will be right there. Zack asks about the code, which he is unfamiliar with, but Garibaldi skirts the issue and leaves.

He arrives at the meeting of the Babylon 5 war council where Delenn is talking about her ideas for the necessary gathering of new allies for the coming war. "Many times over the last million years," she explains, "the Shadows were fought to a standstill by the First Ones, races immeasurably older than our own. After the last war, a thousand years ago, we believe the First Ones went away forever, passing beyond the galactic rim where no human or Minbari has ever ventured. But the Vorlons remained. It is possible that some of the others may still be around." She explains that some had gone to rest where they would not be bothered, while still others walk among the stars on unknown errands. Marcus warns that the First Ones are very old, and possibly very dangerous, but Delenn says that they need all the help they can get. Since they must be found and contacted in person, Delenn has invited someone else to help: Draal. He approves of the idea, warning them that, though it may be extremely dangerous, it will definitely be "fun."

Draal explains that Epsilon 3 contains stores of information that may be helpful in locating the First Ones, though the information about the First Ones suggests no one approach their dwelling places. Sheridan agrees to go down to Epsilon 3, sort through the information, and discover how they can best proceed next.

Zack Allen meets Julie Musante, from the Ministry of Peace, in the docking bay. She explains that she will be on the station for a while, and would like her bags taken to appropriate quarters.

G'Kar approaches Delenn while she shops at a kiosk, and asks how she and Minbar are doing. He expresses concern at the many closed meetings with Captain Sheridan she has been attending lately. She tries to explain it away, but when he asks what she knows about Rangers, she claims she knows nothing. G'Kar explains that his contacts speak of both human and Minbari Rangers, and she acknowledges that this does seem extremely unlikely. She leaves, but G'Kar promises to figure out this puzzle.

Sheridan arrives in his office, where Musante is waiting for him. She explains that she was assigned as a political officer for Babylon 5, since some of Sheridan's recent actions haven't been very politically astute, and that her position is to help Sheridan make decisions that reflect more favorably on the Earth government. Sheridan says that she isn't required on a military outpost, but Musante says that the station must answer to the demands of the Earth government. Sheridan refuses to share his authority with her, but she insists her job is merely to advise, and that the final decision has already been made. She sets up a dinner date with him to learn more about the station and recent events, and he tells her that, though he has a previous engagement, he will attend. He calls Ivanova at C&C and tells her that she will have to go to Epsilon 3 in his place.

Zack shows Musante to her quarters, and she explains that it will be his job to tell her everything she needs to know that Sheridan deigns not to tell her. Since he is a member of the Night Watch, he has priorities as well that must be fulfilled.

When Ivanova arrives on Epsilon 3, Draal is at first angered by the surprise, but she manages to convince him that surprises can be good things. He laughs, deciding he likes her, and ushers her further into the complex.

At dinner with Musante, Sheridan tries to convince her that the Centauri will continue to move in on the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, but Musante insists that Earth would never align with a hostile government. She tells Sheridan he should find ways to express these concerns without causing problems on Earth. She tells him that Earth has managed to solve most of its problems, since all of the trouble on Earth with poverty, the homeless, criminals, and prejudice are caused by those who refuse to work and those who are mentally unstable. She explains that, sometimes, the only way to deal with problems is to redefine them. Sheridan accuses her of ignoring the problems, but she says it isn't necessary to point out society's flaws to their leaders, and that anyone that does so is a troublemaker and unpatriotic. She says that these are examples of the things she wants to help Sheridan with, and that she only wants to help Earth and protect Babylon 5. She says that she doesn't want to see him hurt and that she could come to like him... quite a lot.

Draal and Ivanova approach the matrix, where Draal's physical body rests within. The image of Draal vanishes, and he removes his body from the matrix. Ivanova puts hers in. He tells her to relax and open her mind. "But whatever you do, do not stray from the Path."

Ivanova finds herself travelling through the depths of space. "I can't breathe."

"It's all right," Draal tells her. "Try to calm your mind. Focus. All life forms are connected. Look for the Path. Look for the Path."

"I see it," she says as a strange ribbon of blue begins to form before her eyes.

"It is the power that binds us, one to another, across the darkness of space. Focus on the First Ones, on the most ancient of ancients. Let the Path take you to them."

As Draal speaks, the Path becomes more and more solid and visible, and Ivanova begins her journey upon it. After a few moments, she arrives at a familiar planet. "I know this place... I've seen it on the star charts. Sigma 957. They were here. I can feel their footprints in the sand. Hear their words... whispered on the wind." She travels around the planet, seeing it from all sides, and it seems to change, some of it nearly vanishing into surrounding space, while other, more mysterious forms come to its surface. "It's beautiful. They're coming back again... soon. I can... Draal? Draal, something's wrong. Draal, I'm not alone." She looks away from the planet. It sees me. It knows I'm here. It... It's pulling me in. Can't stop it." In the fabric of space, four points of light, which look very much like eyes, begin to form and approach her.

"It is the enemy," Draal warns. Pull away! Go back to the Path!"

"I can't. It... It knows I'm here. It knows my name!"

"Break off! I can't pull you off without killing you. Pull away! Don't look at it!" Ivanova succeeds in looking away just as the fingers of light are about to reach her, while still others appear, as if they were reinforcements.

"That's it," Draal tells her as the image ends. "Come back now..."

"Wait... there's something else," Ivanova says as she finds herself in a new new place, orbiting Jupiter, over a year ago. "That's EarthForce 1 before it exploded! I can warn them! I can save the President!"

"No, it's too late. You're seeing the shadow of things long gone."

The image freezes, and a new one appears, drenched in static. It is the form of Vice-President Clark, sitting at a desk. "I have wanted Santiago dead for so long," he says. "I wasn't sure we could really pull it off. You're sure it's done?"

Another voice, a deep male voice, that of Morden, responds. "EarthForce 1 will never return from Io. The power is now yours, Clark. Mr.... President."

This image vanishes in a sea of static, and Ivanova once again sees herself above Jupiter watching EarthForce 1 explode. She turns her head away, and the image ends. Draal helps her out of the machine.

"I do not understand! A normal human mind should not have been able to do that!"

"I saw it... I saw it all," she tells him. "The image I saw... the message. Can you record it?"

"Yes, but how..."

"Do it, please. It's the proof we've needed that President Santiago was assassinated, that Clark was behind everything. We've got it. We've got it."

Sheridan takes Musante into his quarters, where he fixes her a drink. While he is busy, she takes the opportunity to undress, and comes over to him. He tries to refuse her advances, but changes his mind and lunges into a deep kiss with her when an image of Ivanova appears. She soon vanishes when she sees what she interrupted, and Sheridan breaks out of the embrace. He quickly enters another room, where Ivanova is waiting. She tells him that she knows where the First Ones are, but they will have to hurry. He says he is occupied, but tells her to contact Garibaldi. She begins to tell him about Clark's message, but doesn't have time. Musante calls out to him, and Ivanova knows she has to leave. "Good luck, Captain. I think you're about to go where everyone has gone before." She vanishes just as Musante enters. Musante is quite perplexed when he hurries out again.

G'Kar approaches Garibaldi, asking where Ivanova is, and Garibaldi tells him that she was called away on urgent business. G'Kar prods Garibaldi further, but he won't say anything, which incenses G'Kar. He asks Garibaldi if what the Centauri have done has removed from him the respect he has earned, since he can't get a straight answer from anyone. G'Kar says that, though the two of them had never been friends, they had also never been strangers. Garibaldi says that he doesn't know anything that could help out him or the Narns. G'Kar tells him that perhaps he can help Garibaldi instead, and rushes off.

Zack approaches Musante, who is eating her breakfast. He asks how her meeting with Sheridan went. "When it comes to your union situation here," she tells Zack, "he must be a very good negotiator. I've never seen anyone come up with so many creative ways of saying 'no' to a simple proposition." Zack says that he prefers saying yes, but doesn't get much further. She tells him that she has called a meeting to go over political protocol, and that she expects him to be there. He leaves, but Garibaldi, sitting nearby, has seen the entire exchange.

Ivanova arrives on the bridge of the White Star, expecting to see Lennier, but finding Marcus instead. He explains that he speaks Minbari, and she tells him to set course for Sigma 957.

Musante addresses the members of the Night Watch, telling them that, from this point on, it is no longer appropriate for EarthForce personnel to publically criticize the government or its decisions, and that Night Watch investigations have been expanded to include past associations. Several members of the Night Watch, including Zack, seem distressed by this, but she explains that, in the future, certain individuals in the government will be expelled under charges of sedition, spying for alien governments, and immoral conduct. "With our basic freedoms at stake, no response can be too extreme." She says that the "abridgements" of traditional rights are only temporary and that everyone will have to do their part to keep Earth "safe and ideologically pure."

The White Star arrives at Sigma 957, finding nothing. Marcus tells Ivanova that there is nothing to do but wait, and that she should take time out for herself occasionally. Ivanova gets angry at him talking about her personal life, but is interrupted with a sensor beep. The space near Sigma 957 fills with a web of energy, from the center of which springs an enormous black vessel, with many strangely-shaped protusions, and covered in dancing lights of all colors. As the ship approaches, the White Star's energy begins to drain, and as they move away, a small stream of energy extends toward them. On the bridge, an image of one of the First Ones appears, and Ivanova tells it of their situation. Though it registers no comprehension of what she is saying, when she mentions that they have sided with the Vorlons, the figure is not happy. She asks for their help fighting the Shadows, but the image vanishes as the First Ones consider their decision.

Sheridan and Garibaldi watch the recording of Clark's transmission with Morden. Sheridan is excited that they finally have the proof they need, but Garibaldi asks what they can do with it, without raising too many questions. Sheridan says he will send it to General Hague, and with built-in security measures assuring the recording's validity, the evidence will finally put them where they need to be.

The waiting continues, and eventually the First Ones reach their verdict: "Zog." When the ship begins to move away, Ivanvoa and Marcus interpret it to mean no. Ivanova insists that she will not let them leave until they agree to help, and a sarcastic comment from Marcus gives her an idea. She opens a comm channel and tells the First Ones that the Vorlons said that they wouldn't be up for a fight, and that they are not needed to help. "Come to think of it, we've got the Vorlons. We really don't need much more help, do we?" As she continues to praise the Vorlons, the First Ones become more and more angry. She promises to move away and let them know when the fighting is over. The First Ones seem to get more and more angry, but eventually the previous image of the First Ones reappears. "When it is time, come to this place. Call our name. We will be here." The ship vanishes, leaving the White Star alone.

Garibaldi and the rest of his security team watch an ISN broadcast about the release of evidence linking Clark to Santiago's death; the Senate is opening investigations. Garibaldi tells the team to try to keep everything under control, and says that Musante has been recalled to Earth. Zack especially is unable to grasp the idea of an assassination, but Garibaldi is in no mood to hear it, since he knows that Zack told her more than he should. He says that, after what happened earlier, it was a long time before he could trust anyone. Zack says that Garibaldi doesn't trust him, since code 7-R doesn't exist. Zack asks him what is really going on. "Night Watch says the only people who have to worry are the ones with something to hide," Zack says. Garibaldi asks him if he has a charge to make, but Zack says he doesn't, and that he's walking a tightrope, and that he doesn't know what to do. Zack leaves, telling Garibaldi not to talk to him for the rest of the day.

Ivanova reports the events of the mission to Sheridan, who tells her that they will need all the First Ones they can find. She asks about the situation with President Clark, and Sheridan tells her that everything is a mess, but the truth has been released.

Zack escorts Musante to the docking bay. She tells him that she doesn't expect to be gone very long and that this situation is exactly what she hoped to avoid. Zack asks her about code 7-R, but she tells him she never heard of it. She hears the boarding call for her ship, and says she needs to go, promising that they will find who is responsible and punish them.

Late at night, Garibaldi is asleep when he is awakened by his door chime. He groggily turns the lights up low, gets up, and answers the door, to find G'Kar there. "I told you I could help," he says, thrusting a large tome into Garibaldi's hands. "The Book of G'Quan. Read it. We'll talk afterward."

"I... I don't read Narn," Garibaldi protests.

"Learn!" G'kar says as he leaves hastily.

"He hates me," Garibaldi says to himself as he makes his way back to bed. "They all hate me. That's why they're doing this. To make... me... crazy." He flops onto his bed, issuing one last command before he goes to sleep. "Lights."

Walkabout

Overview

Lyta tests the limits of the Shadows' newly-discovered weakness. Dr. Franklin goes on a journey to discover his place in life, and meets a singer in Downbelow. The new Ambassador Kosh arrives on the station. Erica Gimpel as Cailyn. Jennifer Balgobin as Dr. Hobbs. Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander. Robin Sachs as Na'Kal. 
P5 Rating: 7.89

Production number: 318
Original air week: August 18, 1996 (UK)
                   September 30, 1996 (US)
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Kevin Cremin

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Jason Snell.

Walkabout

Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Londo is outraged that Babylon 5 has accepted the sole surviving Narn heavy cruiser, the G'Tok, into the station's mutual protection alliance. Garibaldi is unimpressed.

A visibly upset Lyta Alexander visits Medlab searching for answers about the death of Kosh but none are available.

Garibaldi steps into C & C just as a red Vorlon personal transport jumps in. He enigmatically warns Ivanova against paging the Captain immediately. When Ivanova bites, he mentions that Sheridan has taken a walk...outside. As Ivanova peers aghast out the window, the Vorlon ship pauses to write a greeting on its hull to the spacewalking captain.

G'Kar treats a very appreciative Na'Kal to dinner in his quarters. The conversation quickly sobers when Na'Kal reports that aside from the G'Tok only about ten Narn vessels survived the war. He is further disappointed when G'Kar says they cannot retaliate against the Centauri, but must defend Babylon 5 instead.

Waiting for the new ambassador to arrive, Ivanova tells Sheridan that Garibaldi has gone to find Dr. Franklin, who has avoided his quarters for several days. Sheridan is still astonished by Franklin's revelation about his stim addiction. It is a day for surprises. The new ambassador is considerably darker than the old Kosh. They agree to refer to him as Kosh in public in order not to endanger the fragile new alliance. But when Sheridan asks what he should call him in private the Vorlon says, "Kosh."

"We are all Kosh," he adds without elaboration.

Garibaldi tracks Stephen down in the Zocalo. When Michael questions him about his recent wanderings, Stephen explains that he is engaged in a "walkabout." It is the Australian aborigine rite of soul searching, and he hopes to find himself somewhere if he walks far enough.

The new Kosh examines his predecessor's quarters, Staring at a wall, he perceives an afterimage, apparently of some Shadows and a human.

Lyta isn't sure what she is looking for, but upon nearing the new ambassador's quarters she finds a very angry Vorlon. He tries to throttle a piece of the old Kosh out of her but she insists that Kosh wasn't with her at all when she left the last time. Her profuse apologies seem to satisfy him marginally and she is permitted to stay.

Later in Sheridan's office she almost admits that the new Kosh is blaming her for the old ambassador's death. She drifts into her own regrets as Sheridan muses about the Vorlons. "Is there a problem?" Kosh's old voice asks. Lyta jolts alert.

"I said, 'Is there a problem?'" Sheridan repeats.

Lyta quickly replies, "No." Before she can leave the Captain has a request for her.

Franklin finds a nightclub where a beautiful woman is singing a love song. "I understand you completely, it's over for you," she croons as he stares at her smitten and begins to unwind.

Sheridan explains his proposition to engage a Shadow vessel with a telepath aboard the White Star in order to test the theory that they are vulnerable to telepathic jamming. When he asks for volunteers the aliens present are remarkably quiet with the exception of G'Kar, who offers the G'Tok, and Delenn. Sheridan refuses to take Minbari telepaths along as backup, but the council overrules him unanimously.

To Stephen's delight, the singer, Cailyn, joins him while the club closes up around them.

Na'Kal refuses G'Kar's request to support the White Star, claiming that Sheridan is on a fool's mission. The White Star leaves anyway with only a single Minbari war cruiser as escort. They will jump out of hyperspace as soon as a Shadow attack is reported and attempt to engage the enemy alone.

Holding her cut glass tumbler at eye level Cailyn peers at Franklin. She believes that if she catches the refracted image just right she can see someone's soul. But all she sees of him is pieces.

G'Kar is awakened by a furious Garibaldi hurling back the book of G'Quon. When the Narn protests his impotence in the face of Na'Kal's refusal, Garibaldi reminds him that human pilots protected the G'Tok during the last days of the war not because they wanted to and not because they weren't afraid of dying, but because their commander had the moral authority to order them to do it. As the leader of the Narn in exile it is G'Kar's responsibility to lead, not Na'Kal's, Garibaldi hisses, and then storms out.

Franklin strokes Cailyn's shoulder in bed and tries to offer his assistance. When she asks for a prescription painkiller Metazine to help her sleep, he grows very upset and tells her she should drink less instead. She is annoyed at his rebuke and reminds him that he offered to help. He just refuses crossly and turns away.

Waiting on the White Star, Sheridan tries to comfort Lyta. She asks him about Kosh's death, and is intrigued when he tells her how Kosh had touched his mind on that and another occasion. Just then a Shadow attack is located. They jump in leaving the Minbari ship poised in hyperspace behind them.

Lyta prods the Shadow and collapses when it retaliates. As the Shadow ship homes in on the White Star Sheridan shakes Lyta. In a flash the telepath sees Kosh's death. Her fury steadies her and she halts the Shadow ship in space. While it's paralyzed, Sheridan orders Lennier to pour all power into the forward batteries, even to the extent of taking the jump engines off line. The Shadow is destroyed.

Cailyn filches Stephen's identicard while he lies sleeping and leaves the room.

Lyta announces that the Shadow got off a distress call before they destroyed it. The jump engines still need ten minutes to recuperate when four more Shadow ships arrive. The White Star flees as the Minbari cruiser jumps in, but there are only three telepaths on board and Lyta is exhausted. Evasive action isn't enough and soon the Shadow locks on. In the instant before they are destroyed a jump point opens for the G'Tok and other alien ships coming to the rescue. They destroy the attacking Shadow and the remaining three enemies flee.

Sheridan cackles with glee and rushes to the window. "And so it begins," the old Kosh says to Lyta.

Franklin wakes up and finds Cailyn lying on the floor with his card and a vial of Metazine. He rushes her to Medlab only to discover that she is suffering from terminal neural paralysis. Instead of the overdose he assumed, she had collapsed from excruciating pain. She has only six months to live. She begs him not to send her away, explaining that singing in DownBelow makes her last days worthwhile because she gives the people there hope.

After docking Lyta rushes to tell the new ambassador that a piece of Kosh Naranek may still be alive in someone else.

Stephen enjoys one last song by Cailyn, then resumes walking.

War Without End, Part One

Overview

Ambassador Sinclair returns to pull Babylon 4 through time ("Babylon Squared.") Part 1 of 2. Michael O'Hare as Ambassador Sinclair. Tim Choate as Zathras. 
P5 Rating: 9.28

Production number: 316
Original air week: May 13, 1996
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Note: this episode is more momentous than most. Think twice before proceeding to the spoilers if you haven't seen it.

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

War Without End, Part One

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

In a large building on Minbar, a Minbari, Rathenn, holding a large box, chases after a robed figure. He tells the figure, who he calls Entil'za, that the ancient books told the Minbari to enter the sanctuary and open the box, which has remained sealed for over 900 years. The robed figure opens the box to see an envelope inside, with the words "Jeffrey David Sinclair" written on it. The figure removes his hood to reveal he is indeed Ambassador Sinclair. "How did he know that you would be here?" Rathenn asks. "How did he know your name?"

Back on Babylon 5, C&C detects a distress call coming from sector 14, which surprises Ivanova since it has been quarantined for nearly 3 years after Babylon 4 disappeared there. Lt. Corwin plays the message, and it is Ivanova's own voice, which a computer voice scan confirms. "They're coming through," Ivanova's voice cries out desperately, "repeat, they're coming through. This is Earth Alliance Station Babylon 5. They're all over the place! They're killing us. Can anyone hear me? They're killing us!"

On Minbar, Sinclair sits by himself, contemplating what he has read. Rathenn returns, saying that Sinclair's ship has been prepared. Rathenn offers to listen to whatever Sinclair might have to say, but Sinclair says the message was meant for him alone. He tells Rathenn to have the others continue the work in his absence, and that he appreciates Rathenn's trusting him when he first arrived -- something no one else did. Rathenn merely says that it is because of Delenn, and that he has done nothing extraordinary. Sinclair tells him that his help has been invaluable, and that the Rangers will finish the work ahead. He walks away, and Rathenn knows he will not see Sinclair again. A Vorlon comes up behind him and offers, "He is the closed circle. He is returning to the beginning." Rathenn asks what the Vorlon means, but it walks away instead of responding.

Ivanova plays back the distress signal for Sheridan and Garibaldi, but denies ever having sent the message. Garibaldi corrects her, saying that she hasn't yet, but since it comes from sector 14 -- a place where time doesn't work right -- anything is possible. Garibaldi relates to the others that, when he visited Babylon 4 two years earlier, he had a flash-forward in which he experienced the fall of Babylon 5, which could very well be the same thing to which this message refers. Garibaldi tells Sheridan he wants to check it out, and Sheridan agrees.

Zack Allen is having quite a time trying to process the identicards of those in the station's docking bay, but while he is processing them, he comes across a very interesting one -- that of Ambassador Sinclair. Zack welcomes Sinclair back to the station, and asks him if he plans to be staying long. Sinclair says that is a more interesting question than Zack probably knows, and disappears into the crowd.

While Garibaldi begins the long trip to sector 14, Lennier enters Delenn's quarters. She asks him if "he" is here, and Lennier tells her yes. Lighting, a candle, she recites, "We are Grey. We stand between the candle and the star." She tells Lennier that "he" is her friend. Lennier tells her that he knows, but that "it must be done, or the dream will die, and countless others will die with it." She says she wishes she had more time, but that time is all they have. They both walk away, leaving a letter, hand-addressed to Delenn, behind.

Marcus and Sheridan are in the war room talking when Delenn arrives, telling them that they must both accompany her to the White Star, with Ivanova, and one other. The other is Sinclair, who enters the war room. He tells Sheridan that he appreciates the work he has done looking after the station. Garibaldi calls in, reporting that the temporal rift in sector 14 is twice as large as it was before, and that it is being created by a tachyon beam emanating from Epsilon 3.

On Epsilon 3, Zathras and another caretaker watch what is happening to the Great Machine, which Zathras describes as "not good." The other caretaker suggests they tell Draal, but Zathras knows that it is taking all of Draal's power to control the machine. Zahtras knows what he must do, and he will do it, or else there might be great death.

Sheridan asks Delenn why they are going to the White Star instead of to Epsilon 3, but Delenn simply insists that they must go to sector 14. Sheridan doesn't understand, but Delenn promises to explain everything when the time is right. Meanwhile, Garibaldi finally arrives at sector 14, and performs a scan on the temporal rift formed there.

Two ships depart from Babylon 5, carrying those going to the White Star. Sheridan tells Sinclair that he was very surprised to see him in the war room, but Sinclair says that he was just as surprised to be there. Sheridan mentions that Sinclair's timing seems to be more than a coincidence, to which Sinclair replies that there are no coincidences. Marcus tells Sheridan to quit while he's ahead, since Sinclair has a reputation, back on Minbar, for seldom giving straight answers to questions.

Garibaldi, after increasing power to the scanners, picks up the distress message from Ivanova, which he records. Ivanova reports that the captain is dead, and their defenses are down. She says that the enemy is boarding from all over, and that Garibaldi is rigging the fusion reactors. She switches to external cameras, and the enemies attacking the station are indeed Shadows. It is not long before they deliver their final blow, and Ivanova's message is terminated.

Everyone arrives in a conference room in the White Star. Delenn asks Sheridan if he trusts her, and he admits that he would trust her with his life. She invites them all to sit down. She begins by telling them that she was aware of the transmissions from Epsilon 3 several hours before they left, the same time that other information came into her possession. "As you know," she explains, "our last great war against the Shadows was a thousand years ago. With the help of the Vorlons and a few others, we were able to defeat them, driving them from their homeworld, Z'ha'dum. But... there is something you do not know. What you are about to see has never been shown to anyone outside the Grey Council."

She touches a small device, and on the wall behind her, an image appears showing a great space station, with many ships around it, fighting. "This is one of the few surviving records from that war. Toward the end, the tide of battle had turned against us. Our greatest starbase, the center of our efforts in the war, had been destroyed by the Shadows. Without a long-range base of operations from which to launch our forces, we were doomed to lose the war. Then, as if in answer to our prayers, a replacement arrived." She touches the device again, and something very familiar appears on the screen.

"Babylon 4!" Sheridan says in amazement.

"Oh my God," Ivanova says. "We always knew that Babylon 4 had been taken to somewhere in time, but we assumed it was into the future."

"No," Delenn says, "it was taken into the distant past, where it helped us defeat the Shadows. Without Babylon 4, we would have lost the war, or it would have ended in a stalemate."

"So you're saying the Minbari... that you stole Babylon 4...?" Sheridan says.

"Not quite," Delenn tells them. "Before coming to you, I received two additional records from Draal. Remember, the Great Machine on Epsilon 3 has been there for over 500 years. During that time, it recorded much of what happened in this area of space." She changes the image to Babylon 4 again. "After Babylon 4 vanished six years ago, it reappeared again, two years ago. Ambassador Sinclair and Mr. Garibaldi traveled there at great personal risk to help evacuate her crew before it vanished again."

"It was a close call," Sinclair tells them, "we almost didn't get out. We never did find out who was behind it."

"And that is about to change," Delenn replies, changing the image again. "This was recorded shortly before the station first disappeared six years ago. As Babylon 4 neared completion, the allies of the Shadows recognized it for what it was, and sent these ships to destroy it. Striking without warning, they would have succeeded in their attack, but something stopped them." A ship appears on the screen, firing at the Shadow fighters.

"The White Star?" Sheridan asks.

"Delenn, are you saying we stole Babylon 4?" Marcus asks.

"But that was years ago!" Ivanova says.

"Yes!" Delenn says. "And that is exactly where we must go. At this moment, the Great Machine is using all its power to enlarge the temporal rift in sector 14. We will use it to go back six years into the past. Once there, we must prevent the destruction of Babylon 4, and take the station with us through time. Because, if we fail to save Babylon 4, Babylon 5 will also be destroyed."

Sheridan can't believe that he is responsible for the disappearance of Babylon 4, but Delenn says that it has already happened, and all they must do is establish the past. No one knew where the replacement station had come from until she came to Babylon 5, and she was afraid to say anything, for fear of changing the future. Marcus says he isn't sure how moving Babylon 4 through time will save Babylon 5. Delenn answers that, without Babylon 4, the Shadows would come out of the last war much too strong -- something with which Sinclair agrees. Sheridan asks where the information came from, but Sinclair just says a reliable source. Marcus says that, if Sinclair believes it, he believes it. Delenn says that, if they do not proceed, in the next major attack by the Shadows, Babylon 5 will be destroyed. Sheridan calls Garibaldi, who says that he has been recording everything he can, and that the time stamp on the distress messages is eight days in the future. Based on this, Sheridan reluctantly agrees to go along with the plan. He calls Garibaldi and says they will investigate further, and that he should return to Babylon 5.

Lennier appears on the screen, and tells them that they are being followed by something he believes comes from Epsilon 3. Delenn explains that only the Great Machine can control such an unstable time field, and that the ship that is following them will assist them in helping control the time field. The ship docks, and Delenn, Sheridan, and Sinclair go to meet it. Delenn explains that a homing device must be placed in Babylon 4's central power core so that the Great Machine will find a clearly defined target, and that Draal has sent one of his aides to assist. That aide turns out to be Zathras, who clumsily crashes into another Minbari. As Zathras approaches and tries to introduce himself, Sinclair remembers having met him before. Zathras is confused, but Sinclair explains it is in his own past. He warns Zathras not to say anything to him that might change the past. Zathras is very confused, but agrees. Zathras tells both Sinclair and Sheridan that he is honored to meet them, but for different reasons. Sheridan asks what the reasons are, but Zathras will not say, since Draal advised him not to mention that, as well as other things, which he doesn't remember. Delenn arrives and tells them that Zathras' equipment is being unloaded, and that they are ready to proceed. Delenn leads Zathras away, leaving Sinclair and Sheridan alone. Sinclair tells Sheridan he needs a favor.

As the White Star meets Garibaldi's Starfury, Sheridan tells Garibaldi it is important to go back to Babylon 5, even though Garibaldi very much wants to go with them back to Babylon 4. Garibaldi doesn't understand, but complies. After Garibaldi has gone, Sheridan asks Sinclair if he didn't want to talk to Garibaldi himself, and Sinclair tells him he did. He walks away to a viewscreen, where he watches Garibaldi's ship fly off. He remembers the flashforward he experienced on Babylon 4, as well as the destruction of Babylon 5 he saw a couple years earlier in Ladira's vision. He promises himself that he won't let it happen.

The White Star arrives in sector 14, and Zathras hands out small devices to everyone, saying that without them, they may become unstuck in time. These devices, time stabilizers, will protect them and keep them from drifting. After everyone has put on their time stabilizers, the White Star moves into the temporal rift.

As the White Star makes its journey into the past, Garibaldi arrives back at the station, where he meets Zack, who tells him that Sinclair was there. Garibaldi is shocked, unable to believe Sinclair would leave without saying anything.

The White Star emerges from the temporal rift, and before long, detects the ships sent to destroy Babylon 4, which are escorting very powerful fusion bomb. The White Star moves to intercept the ships. The ships fire on the White Star, but there is neglible damage due to, Lennier explains, the ability the ship has to learn from previous encounters.

Garibaldi arrives in his quarters to find a message from Ambassador Sinclair, but it requires a password. It isn't long, though, until Garibaldi is able to guess the password, "Hello, old friend." The message from Sinclair apologizes for not saying goodbye. Sinclair says that, if he had met with Garibaldi, neither of them would be returning from Babylon 4, and that Sinclair had to do whatever he could to protect his friend.

Though the weapons are outside optimum firing range, Ivanova is able to fire at the ships manually, destroying the fusion bomb. A huge blast is created, and the White Star is caught in it. Sheridan's time stablizer is hit by a blast of energy, and he vanishes. Zathras runs up to the damaged stabilizer, and explains that Sheridan has become unstuck in time, and could be in either the past or the future. Though everyone is very concerned and wants to find Sheridan, Sinclair knows that the mission is what is truly important, and if they wait too long, they may lose their one chance to move in under Babylon 4's damaged scanners.

Sheridan is thrown down onto the floor and kicked. He is picked up by several guards, who say that he is awake again. Sheridan looks at the figure on the throne, and recognizes it as Londo, who looks quite a bit older than Sheridan is used to him.

The White Star moves to grapple onto a stable area of Babylon 4. Delenn has been deeply disturbed by Sheridan's disappearance. Sinclair insists that he will be all right, and, to her stunned surprise, tells her in Minbari that he knows what is coming. He asks if she is all right, and she says she isn't. She says she is sorry, but he doesn't want her to be. Sinclair tells her that he never knew before now where he belonged in life, but that now, his path is clear.

Sheridan asks Londo why he is there, and Londo tells him that he is finally going to put Sheridan out of Londo's own misery, finally punishing him for his crimes of neglect and convenience. Londo tells him that, during the war, he drove away the Shadows, but that the Shadows' servants came to Centauri Prime, and Sheridan allowed it to happen. Sheridan is taken to a window, where he looks out upon the burning, smoking city around him. "There's the legacy of your war," Londo tells him.

The White Star connects to Babylon 4, and the crew exits the ship. Though the configuration of the station is different, Ivanova believes she can find her way around. Ivanova needs to secure the primary corridors while they place the homing device, and Marcus goes off with her to help. Sinclair asks Zathras if he will be able to unload and prepare the equipment by himself, and Zathras indicates he can.

"Ready?" Sinclair asks Delenn.

"Why do your people always ask if someone is ready before you're going to do something massively unwise?" she asks him.

Smiling, he answers her. "Tradition." The two of them move off down the corridor, to set the plan into motion.

War Without End, Part Two

Overview

Ambassador Sinclair returns to pull Babylon 4 through time ("Babylon Squared.") Part 2 of 2. Michael O'Hare as Ambassador Sinclair. Tim Choate as Zathras. Kent Broadhurst as Major Krantz. 
P5 Rating: 9.40

Production number: 317
Original air week: May 20, 1996
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Mike Vejar

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Note: this episode resolves several mysteries from past episodes. Think twice before proceeding to the spoilers if you haven't seen it.

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

War Without End, Part Two

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)

Sheridan is brought around to face Londo, and Sheridan insists that what he sees on Centauri Prime couldn't happen. He demands to know what year it is, and Londo tells him it is the last year, day, and hour of Sheridan's life -- seventeen years after he began the war against the Shadows. Londo tells the guards that he is tired, and wants Sheridan taken back to his cell. Londo promises Sheridan he will meet whatever God he worships when next they meet, and Sheridan is taken away.

On Babylon 4, Major Krantz arrives on C&C to find that there is still another hour or hour and a half until the sensors are back online following the explosion. He says that he wants search teams increased so that they are prepared in case anyone tries to breach the hull.

Ivanova and Marcus are searching through the station for an access panel, and though Ivanova thinks it will take a bit of luck to find one, Marcus insists he doesn't believe in it. Ivanova, however, keeps walking and doesn't notice that Marcus has disappeared until she is trapped in the corridor between two security guards. Marcus, however, drops down on them from above, and they are able to easily dispatch the guards. After Marcus accidentally dislodges the cover from an access panel with his staff, Ivanova is able to get right to work.

Even though Sheridan is alone in his cell back on Centauri Prime, without his time stabilizer, he is still unstuck in time, and reappears briefly upon Babylon 4, noticed only by Zathras, as he reaches, in pain, for a time stabilizer. Meanwhile, Sinclair and Delenn prepare to set up their equipment, but the room in question is currently occupied by a group of officers. Delenn is then overtaken by a strange feeling, which she describes as someone walking over her grave.

Sheridan reappears back in the future just in time to have a visitor -- an older Delenn. He asks why she is there, and she insists that she didn't tell them anything, and that there is nothing they can do to her. She was allowed one last moment with him, and she tells him that she isn't afraid, that their son is safe. She tells him that she loves him, and kisses him.

Ivanova finishes her tampering, and the computer announces a hull breach in the area. The pressure doors fall down behind the evacuating crewmembers, leaving Sinclair, Ivanova, Delenn, and Marcus to do what they need to until the station personnel manage to burn through the door.

Sheridan tells Delenn in the future that he isn't really there, and that he isn't supposed to be -- he tells her that the last thing he remembers was his time stabilizer being hit. She believes him, and remembers that he had told her, a long time ago, that he had seen this moment in their future. She tells him that there is much pain and grief ahead of him, and that she sees in his eyes an innocence he lost long ago. Delenn tells him that the war against the darkness can never truly be won, but that they've created something that will endure for a thousand years, that they succeeded at everything they set out to do, but at a terrible price. Sheridan asks if there is anything he can do, but Delenn knows the only way to change this future is to surrender to the Shadows -- a price too high to pay. The guards arrive again, and it is time for them to leave.

Sheridan and Delenn are once again brought before Londo, who has apparently been drinking quite a bit. Londo says he has to drink, since it is the only way they can be alone -- he has no desire to wake "it" -- his keeper. It doesn't care why he does what he does, as long as he does it, and as long as Sheridan ends up dead. Londo sits forward, painfully, showing the keeper attached to his neck. The alcohol is the only way Londo can control himself for any period of time, though he has very little time left. Londo tells them that his world and all he hoped for is gone. He tells them that they are his last chance for the Centauri, and his own redemption. He tells them he has a ship hidden behind the palace, but that, in exchange for their lives, they must help to free the Centauri. Londo tells them to leave quickly, since his keeper is beginning to wake. They leave the throne room quickly, and are taken away by a guard. After they have gone, another visitor comes to Londo -- G'Kar, whom Londo refers to as "old friend." Londo says they have no hope if the keeper wakes up and sees what he has done. They have unfinished business, and Londo wants it to end before the keeper stops him. He says he is as tired of his life as G'Kar is, and G'Kar knows what to do. He places his hands around Londo's throat, but after G'Kar begins to choke Londo, the keeper wakes up, and Londo puts his hands around G'Kar's neck as well.

As Sheridan and Delenn move toward the ship, Sheridan lurches suddenly, and knows he's being pulled back again. But, before he goes, Delenn gives him words to take with him back to the past. "Treasure the moments you have. Savor them for as long as you can, for they will never come back again. John, listen to me. Do not go to Z'ha'dum. Do you understand? Do not go to Z'ha'dum!" Upon hearing these last words, he falls to the floor, and is pulled away in time.

In the throne room, both Londo and G'Kar lie on the floor, dead. Another figure, however, arrives and picks up the imperial medallion Londo wore around his neck. It is Vir.

While the others move to set up the equipment, Zathras tells them that he believes that the power supply in a spare blue space suit may be able to make the time stabilizer work long enough for Sheridan to be rescued. Though Marcus isn't convinced that Sheridan will reappear in the suit, Zathras' plan succeeds, and that is indeed where he reappears. Sheridan comments, however, that he feels like he could drift away again at any moment. Marcus tells Sheridan that they have secured a path to the central power core, and Sheridan plans to go with Sinclair, until Delenn arrives, glad to see that Sheridan has returned. He doesn't, however, tell her what he learned in the future.

Sinclair and Sheridan are nearly done placing the homing device in the power core, while Ivanova reports to them that she has rigged the scanners to make it look like the station is about to explode. C&C discovers this, but Major Krantz insists that they increase the output to the power core, despite its not having been tested. The sudden increase throws Sinclair and Sheridan away from the station just as the surge of tachyon particles increases, and Babylon 4 begins its journey through time.

Zathras understands the problem, but insists it isn't his fault. He is able to stop the station's movement through time, but not before Sheridan becomes unstuck in time yet again. Zathras tells them that the time device placed in the core activated prematurely, sending them four years into the future, to when Babylon 4 reappeared before. Zathras says they can't do anything else until they adjust the time system. Ivanova tries to contact Sheridan, but Sinclair reports that he has gone again, and that they have a slight problem.

On C&C, the first officer convinces Major Krantz that, despite all their work, it is necessary to evacuate to protect the lives of those on the station. Krantz reluctantly agrees and orders a distress signal to be sent out. Just as they are sending it, though, another increase of tachyon particles hits the station, and Delenn...

...is standing against a wall in Sheridan's quarters, watching him sleep peacefully. She walks over to a nearby table, and picks up a snow globe, which she turns over, and admires. Without warning, the door to the quarters opens, and a woman's voice says, "Hello." Delenn, in shock, drops the snow globe, which shatters at her feet...

...just as she finds herself again aboard Babylon 4. Zathras explains what she experienced was a timeflash, where one sees oneself forward or backward in time, due to the instability of the system. Sinclair arrives, but he isn't quite the Sinclair they knew -- he now appears much older. He explains that, when he and Garibaldi went to Babylon 4 previously, they were exposed to the time field without any protection. He didn't want Garibaldi along because he knew that Garibaldi, too, would have something similar happen to him if they should be exposed to it again. Sinclair says they need to finish their job, and that they need to get Sheridan back. Zathras says he can fix the time stabilizer, but needs equipment. Ivanova and Zathras leave to try to find the equipment elsewhere on the station. Sinclair says he is going back to the core to readjust the equipment, and tells Marcus and the rest to stay with the White Star and monitor the readings.

While Zathras searches through some equipment to find the tools he needs to repair the the time stabilizer, Lennier reports to Sinclair that seven ships are approaching the station -- one of which contains Garibaldi and another Sinclair. Zathras finally finds what he needs to repair the time stabilizer, and finishes just as he is discovered by several security guards who level their PPGs at him.

Zathras tries to explain to the security guards that he means no harm as he takes them away, and Ivanova sees this and reports back to the White Star. Marcus tells her that it will take them another two hours to finish the repairs, but Ivanova knows they don't have that much time. She says she will find a way to get to C&C to adjust the power there.

While Major Krantz brings the other Sinclair and Garibaldi onto the station, explaining to them what happened aboard the station before it was brought forward in time, Delenn arrives back in the station from the White Star and sees Sheridan, still in his space suit, reappear.

Krantz introduces the other Sinclair and Garibaldi to Zathras, who looks up at Sinclair, and says, "Not the One." This confuses Sinclair, but Zathras won't say anything else to him, and claims merely that he does what he is told.

Everyone on C&C evacuates, leaving Ivanova free to sneak in and begin readjusting the power to the fusion reactors.

Zathras tells Sinclair and Garibaldi that they need Babylon 4 for a great war, as a place to gather to fight and organize, to help save the galaxy "on the side of Light." Zathras explains further, saying that, without the station, it is the end of everything. "The One leads us. The One tells us to go, we go."

Two security guards arrive in the corridor to find a figure in a blue space suit, appearing and disappearing. The guards run and tell Major Krantz, and everyone leaves the room where Zathras was being questioned, including Zathras. They find the figure in the space suit, which Zathras identifies as being the One. The figure in the space suit apparently is having difficulty standing, and Sinclair begins approaching it.

Ivanova finishes what she is doing, and warns Sinclair, who has finished readjusting the homing device in the core, to back off, as it will soon become operational.

The other Sinclair approaches the blue-suited figure and touches its outstretched hand, but is thrown back by a large blast. In the resulting commotion, Zathras runs to the figure and gives it the repaired time stabilizer, warning the figure to take it and leave quickly. The figure vanishes.

Ivanova activates the station, and it begins moving. Zathras warns the others to leave quickly, or else be trapped there forever. As Sinclair moves away from the power core, Marcus discovers Sheridan, once again on Babylon 4, with a new time stabilizer. Sheridan says that someone must have put it on him and switched places. This confuses Marcus, who doesn't know who has been running around Babylon 4 in the blue suit.

The other Sinclair and Garibaldi, while trying to escape with Zathras, lose him as he becomes trapped under a fallen pipe. Though Sinclair tries to save Zathras, Zathras insists that he leave, telling him that he has a destiny. Sinclair, though clearly confused, does as he is told, leaving Zathras behind.

As the ships carrying the Babylon 4 crew and the other Sinclair and Garibaldi leave the station, Sinclair, just leaving the station's core, stands on the outside of the station and activates his communicator, to try to deliver one last message. "Babylon 4 to Garibaldi, Babylon 4 to shuttle one. Garibaldi, do you read me? Watch your back, Michael. Watch your back." But the target is outside of communication range. Sinclair moves toward the airlock, just as Babylon 4 begins to vanish one final time.

Zathras, still trapped under the pipe, is approached by the figure in the blue space suit. He looks up, and smiles. "Zathras knew... you would not leave him. Zathras trusts... the One." The figure removes its helmet; it's Delenn. The station vanishes again.

Sinclair, inside the airlock, removes the headpiece from his own space suit. "I tried," he says. "I tried to warn them. But it all happened... just the way I remember it."

"I know," Delenn tells him. "It's time. We have to go. They're waiting for us." Delenn, and a morose Sinclair, leave to join the others.

Sinclair and Delenn arrive on C&C, and Ivanova says that the time-shifting controls can now be controlled from C&C. Sinclair says he will set them off by himself and then return to the White Star, but Marcus doesn't believe it. He knows that the system isn't fully automatic, and that someone has to ride Babylon 4 back into the past. Though he offers to do so, Sinclair won't allow it. "I'll take it back because I've always taken it, and I always will. It's already happened."

"You don't know that," Ivanova protests.

"Yes I do," Sinclair tells her. "You asked what brought me here. Before I left Minbar, I was given a letter... from nine hundred years ago." He hands the letter to Sheridan.

"Whose handwriting is this?" he asks.

"Mine," Sinclair explains. "I wrote this from the past... nine hundred years ago. I went. It's as simple as that."

"He's telling the truth," Delenn says. "I received one as well."

"No," Ivanova insists, "I can't accept this."

"If I go back to our time, the aging effect will probably kill me. Isn't it better to choose life?"

"Damn it, Jeff, I..."

"Susan, it's all right. My whole life has been leading to this," Sinclair tells her. He asks her and Marcus to leave them for a moment, so they can discuss something alone. After they have gone, Sinclair asks Zathras why he pointed to Delenn when he said he followed the One.

Zathras explains that he is the oldest living caretaker of the Great Machine, and knows things about it that even Draal doesn't. He tells them that he knows all three of them. "All Minbari belief is around three. Three castes -- worker, warrior, religious. Three languages. Light, Dark, and Grey. The Nine of the Grey Council -- three times three. All is three... As you are three. As you are one... As you are the One." He turns to Sinclair. "You are the One Who Was." He turns to Delenn. "You are the One Who Is." He indicates Sheridan. "You are the One Who Will Be." He again refers to them in turn. "You are the beginning of the story, and the middle of the story, and the end of the story that creates the next great story. In your heart, you know what Zathras says is true. Go now. Zathras' place is with the One Who Was. We have... a destiny." Sheridan and Delenn both say their silent goodbyes to Sinclair, and return to the White Star.

Sheridan sits down in the captain's chair, and though it is clear that everyone will miss Sinclair, Sheridan says they need to leave and respect Sinclair's wishes. They break the docking seal, set the engines to maximum, and head back home.

The White Star emerges from the temporal rift, which closes behind it, Sheridan assumes, to make sure no one else is trapped there. "That door is closed forever," Delenn tells him. "And it is not the only one. Lennier told you that a thousand years ago, human and Minbari souls began to merge -- Minbari souls were being born in human bodies. Something happened that opened that door between us. My change was, in part, to even the scales and restore balance between our races, using a device my people discovered a thousand years ago. You see... if my people had found Babylon 4 with a human aboard, they would never have accepted it."

Marcus instantly knows what this means. "Dear God... 'A Minbari not born of Minbari.'"

As Babylon 4 continues its journey through time, Sinclair places a Triluminary in the top of a machine -- the same one Delenn used to begin her change. The machine glows a bright light, and a new chrysalis begins to form, as Sinclair remembers his year aboard Babylon 5, and how his whole life had, indeed, led up to where he is now. As time passes, he finds himself inside the chrysalis, beginning a change of his own.

War Zone

Overview

As Earth reacts to the Drakh plague, the Excalibur sets out on its mission to find a cure. 
Production number: 108
Original air date: June 9, 1999
DVD release date: December 7, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Janet Greek

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

War Zone

Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?

Overview

G'Kar tries to avoid capture by the Centauri while continuing his search. Delenn urges the Rangers to strike against the Shadows. Wayne Alexander as Lorien. Wortham Krimmer as Emperor Cartagia. Lenny Citrano as Isaac. Anthony DeLongis as Harry. 
P5 Rating: 8.98

Production number: 402
Original air week: November 11, 1996
DVD release date: January 6, 2004

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Kevin Dobson

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Plot Points

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@cc.wwu.edu)

"Personal Log, January 8, 2261, Doctor Stephen Franklin reporting. It's been fourteen days since Captain Sheridan was presumed killed on Z'ha'dum--nine days since Mr. Garibaldi disappeared on patrol outside the station. MedLab's quiet these days. The League of Non-Aligned Worlds has broken up and everyone's going back to their homeworlds to prepare for the next stage of war. We know the enemy's gonna strike back. Rumor has it that this time's gonna be the last time. This time, they're gonna end it. All we can do now is wait for the other shoe to drop, or try and find something useful to do before the end. And right now, short of hand-holding or a sympathetic ear, I can't think of one damn thing..."

Lennier enters MedLab as Franklin is recording and tells him that he is committing a breach of protocol, but that there is a problem with Delenn.

Sheridan is floating deep in blackness, facing a creature glowing with an inner light--its two tentacles hold him firm, and a voice resonates two questions "Who are you?" and "What do you want?" over and over again. Sheridan wakes up, and the figure standing over him asks him what he was dreaming about. The man already knows he's thinking about escape, and tells Sheridan he should give up the attempt. The man knows Sheridan still wants to know his name; he says it's Lorien, and asks a series of questions, eventually ending in the conundrum of which came first--the word that created the universe, or the thought behind it? Lorien knows Sheridan is still involved in the question he wants to ask--Who are you? Sheridan is surprised Lorien knows the significance of that question, and Lorien tells him the point of the question is that there is never a good answer. He tells Sheridan further that the question of what Sheridan is is easy--he's dead. Sheridan doesn't believe him, but can find no proof, even in the form of a pulse, that he is actually alive.

Sheridan refuses to believe that he's dead, and insists it's a trick. Lorien asks him what the last thing he remembers is. Sheridan only remembers falling, seemingly forever. Lorien tells him that nothing goes on forever, and that everyone hits bottom sooner or later. Lorien asks Sheridan if he hit the bottom of the abyss, but Sheridan doesn't know. Either Sheridan did, and he is dead, or he didn't, and is still falling. Lorien also suggests he could be in-between, and Sheridan asks what he could be in between.

"Between moments," Lorien tells him. "When we are born, we are allocated a finite number of seconds. Each tick of the clock slices off a piece of us. Tick. A possibility for joy is gone. Tock. A careless word ends one path, opens another. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Always running out of time. Yours is almost used up. You're between seconds--lost in the infinite possibilities between tick and tock. Tick. You're alive. Tock.... Well, it was a good life, but a short one. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick..."

Sheridan grabs Lorien and demands to know what's going on, if he's behind it all. "Who are you?" he asks, and remembers part of his dream.

"You're closer now, aren't you? Yes, I see you are. But closer to tick or closer to tock? I don't know. Only time will tell. And here, between the moments, we have all the time in the world..."

G'Kar walks into a tavern filled with people and the strains of loud futuristic rock music. He steps over to a table and speaks to a man, telling him he heard he could find information about a piece of Starfury the man sold to a trader elsewhere. The man says it was salvage, and therefore legal, but G'Kar wants to know where it came from, since it belongs to the Starfury Garibaldi was in when he disappeared. The man doesn't want to talk, but G'Kar demands to know how he knew where to find it. When things begin to turn violent, the bartender intervenes, and tries to kick G'Kar out, something G'Kar doesn't like. Before the bartender can do anything else, a man nearby raises up his hood, revealing himself as Marcus, and a short fight ensues, during which both he and G'Kar escape. The bartender sends two Centauri guards after them, while he speaks to another one about another matter.

The chime on Delenn's quarters rings several times before she answers it and Dr. Franklin steps in. She asks if there is a problem, and he asks her if she is having a problem, since she hasn't had anything to eat or drink in a week, which, although commonplace for normal Minbari, may not be healthy for her. Delenn says that justice is served by her fast, and everything that has happened has been her fault, and she tells Franklin she is very upset that she broke the bond and the trust between she and Sheridan. She admits that she loved him and wanted to protect him, but thinks she should have trusted him more than she did. She tells Franklin that her fast will continue, and that should Sheridan be dead, her soul will join his, and she will see him again, in "the place where no shadows fall." Franklin leaves her alone with her grief.

Marcus comes in from the outside, and reports to G'Kar that the Centauri guards are still chasing them. G'Kar doesn't know why, and Marcus explains that he is worried for exactly that reason. G'Kar says he thinks Marcus worries too much, but wants to know why he's there. Marcus says he came to look after him in case he got into trouble. G'Kar tells Marcus that he is planning to go back later and find out more about Garibaldi's Starfury, but Marcus offers to do it instead, since the guards are all too eager to find G'Kar. Marcus asks G'Kar why he is risking so much for Garibaldi, and G'Kar tells him that he is doing it because Garibaldi was his friend, and he never had a friend who wasn't a Narn. Marcus says he's doing it because he never had a friend who was a Narn--when he had them at all. G'Kar picks up Marcus' pike and looks at it, accidentally extending it while doing so. G'Kar says he likes the weapon very much.

The Centauri guards are with the bartender, looking through several photos of Narns that may have been involved in the altercation in the bar, and he eventually finds a photo of G'Kar and is able to identify him. The guards tell him there is a reward on G'Kar--dead or alive. Meanwhile, the man from the bar awakens--due to Marcus dripping water in his face. Marcus threatens him, and demands to know where he got the piece of the Starfury.

Delenn arrives in Captain Sheridan's quarters, where Franklin is going through Sheridan's personal effects on Ivanova's orders. While looking through Sheridan's files, he found something he felt Delenn should see. He hands her a data crystal which she plays as soon as Franklin leaves.

"Personal log," says Sheridan on the screen, "May 14, 2260. We actually had a quiet day today--it's hard to believe with so much going on lately. Now that we've broken away from Earth, everything has hit the fan. It's not what I wanted. Frankly, it scares the hell out of me, but it had to be done. The job now is to turn this around and make it into something positive. My dad always told me that's the only way you deal with pain. You don't surrender, you don't fight it--you turn it into something positive. He used to say, 'If you're falling off a cliff, you may as well try to fly. You've got nothing to lose.' And in a way, I feel the same way about Delenn. During the war, I fought Minbari, I killed Minbari, saw many of my friends die at Minbari hands. Here I am, in love with one of them. For a long time, I thought about not saying anything, but... The moment my heart crossed that line, there wasn't much I could do but see it through. Yeah, I've fallen off one hell of a cliff, but when I look in her eyes, I let myself think, maybe I really can fly."

Marcus explains to G'Kar that the man got the location of the Starfury from Interplanetary Expeditions, and that person would get one tenth of the purchase price. G'Kar says he plans to go to the place where the ship was found to search out for more information. G'Kar says that Marcus should go back to Babylon 5 and search for the person from Interplanetary Expeditions, and that Marcus should leave before he gets offended. G'Kar says he needs Babylon 5's resources more than he needs Marcus' help. Marcus leaves as G'Kar lays down to sleep.

G'Kar awakens to the sound of footsteps, and sees shadows outside. As they come closer, he grips his firearm tightly, but when they enter the room, even though he gets off a few shots, he is taken down and knocked unconscious.

Delenn and Lennier stand before the gathering of Rangers, and Delenn tells them that, even though most of their work has, until this time, gone unnoticed, they must strike a blow that will serve as an example to all the others. Lennier explains to them that the League of Non-Aligned Worlds has dissolved, and that they must find those who still believe in their cause. He says they need a single rallying cry, and Delenn wants it to be the Rangers. She says their plan is to wait seven days, for any other ships, and then attack Z'ha'dum. They have a small chance of success, but they must try anyway. She tells the Rangers that, with this attack, she is offering them the same chance to fly that she heard in Sheridan's log.

There is a knocking at Londo's door, and after taking up a weapon in case of danger, he answers the door to find the Emperor's advisor, who says the Emperor wants Londo to come immediately. Londo changes out of his night clothes and goes to the Emperor's throne room. Though Emperor Cartagia is initially upset at the delay, he tells Londo that he wishes to present him with a gift. Londo attempts to refuse, but Cartagia won't let him, and knows it's something Londo has been waiting for for a long time. Cartagia activates a signal, and two Centauri guards enter flanking G'Kar, who is wearing a yoke. Cartagia says G'Kar is there for their amusement and that, should the amusement cease, G'Kar will die. Londo, not knowing what to say, decides only to thank Cartagia for the gift. Cartagia asks G'Kar if he has anything to say, and G'Kar asks him only if he knows where Garibaldi is. "Who?" asks Cartagia.

Garibaldi is, in fact, in a solidly built, round room, as if an observation room, with no windows and a well-sealed door. Garibaldi pounds against it, but to no avail. A voice coming from unseen speakers tells him to refrain, as he might hurt himself. Garibaldi asks why they can't allow that, and the voice says merely that they have their orders. Garibaldi asks who the orders came from, but the voice won't tell him. The voice wants only to know what happened after he left Babylon 5, and Garibaldi insists he doesn't remember, but the voice says his vital signs indicate he isn't being honest. This outrages Garibaldi, but the voice only wants to hear the truth. It asks him time and again what happens, but Garibaldi insists he doesn't remember. Garibaldi loses control and begins smashing everything in sight, including his chair and the lights in the room. His rampage is soon stopped, however, when a gas pours from vents in the floor, knocking him unconscious. The door to the room opens and someone wearing a gas mask--atop their PsiCorps uniform-- steps into the room.

Londo enters G'Kar's cell, where the Narn is sitting in the corner. Londo says it was foolish for G'Kar to leave Babylon 5, and that he was followed as soon as he left. Londo tells G'Kar that, if he wanted to die, he could have attended to it, but that, on Centauri Prime, he will be afforded no such courtesy, and he will be tortured by Cartagia--treated as a toy. G'Kar will suffer for days, weeks, or months, but when they are done, G'Kar will die a very time-consuming and painful death, each of his organs being removed one at a time. G'Kar asks if the idea pleases Londo, and Londo admits that it doesn't, and that it never would have. Londo says he would not wish G'Kar's fate on anyone. Londo tells G'Kar that Cartagia is a monster, and that he must be removed. G'Kar may be the means by which it can be accomplished, but he will suffer greatly--something Londo can't prevent. Londo tells G'Kar he must endure until the time is right, at which point Londo will act. Londo asks if G'Kar will help, but he doesn't answer. Londo begins to leave, and G'Kar tells him the price for his assistance--he will help remove Cartagia only if Londo will free Narn. Londo promises this to G'Kar, and then leaves the room, casting a bright light onto G'Kar as he exits.

Sheridan, still trekking through the tunnels in Z'ha'dum, finds the fire he set when he first woke up. He realizes he has come full circle, and Lorien says everyone does eventually. Sheridan knows there must be some way out, but Lorien says that the only way out is to surrender to Tock. Sheridan says he can't die, since he must aid the Army of Light in the war, to prevent billions of deaths.

"It's a terrible thing when your children fight," Lorien tells him. "I warned the others, but they didn't listen. They never listen."

"Your... children?" Sheridan asks.

"Metaphorically speaking. Those who came after me. Children. Younger siblings."

"How long have you been here?"

"A long time. So long... I was old when the molecules of your world joined and called themselves land and sea and fish and man."

"You're one of the First Ones."

"No, not one of the First Ones. I am The First One."

Sheridan knows Lorien knows a way out of Z'ha'dum, but wants to know why he has stayed for so long. Lorien says he's waiting for someone, and that Sheridan is the first to make it as far as he has. Sheridan asks if the Shadows know, and Lorien says they do-- that's why they come back to Z'ha'dum. They believe they're showing respect, but they don't understand. "They used to," Lorien says, "but that was a long time ago. A million years." Sheridan says Lorien doesn't look as old as he is, and Lorien says he doesn't at the moment. Sheridan finally realizes his dream was of Lorien.

"Did you know you have a Vorlon inside you?" Lorien asks. "Well, a piece of one."

"If you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die," Sheridan remembers Kosh saying. "Jump... Jump now..."

"Kosh..." Sheridan realizes.

"Is that its name? I think I met it once, long ago."

"He told me to jump. Did he know..."

"That I was here? Almost certainly."

"How..."

"They can break off pieces of their conciousness and put it into other organisms. It allows them to travel hidden through the galaxy, using others as their eyes and ears. Kosh is in you, and he's part of the problem. You're the other part. You're both still clinging to life, both afraid to let go. You must lay down the burden of life, both of you, and surrender yourself to Tock."

"No, I can't," Sheridan says. "The others need me..."

"You can't turn away from death simply because you're afraid of what might happen without you. That's not enough. You're not embracing life, you're fleeing death. So you're caught in-between, unable to go forward or backward. Your friends need what you can be when you are no longer afraid--when you know who you are, and why you are, and what you want. When you are no longer looking for reasons to live, but can simply be."

"I can't... I don't know how to do that."

"Then I cannot help you, and you will be caught forever in-between. You must let go. Surrender yourself to death. The death of flesh. The death of fear. Step into the abyss... and let go."

"It's getting darker," Sheridan says, and the light around him starts to vanish.

"I know. You're close, friend. Very close. It's easy to find something worth dying for. Do you have anything worth living for?"

"I can't see you anymore..."

"As it should be."

"What if I fall? How will I know if you'll catch me?"

"I caught you before."

"What if I die?"

"I cannot create life, but I can breathe on the remaining embers. It may not work."

"But I can hope..."

As the world around him disappears completely, the words of Lorien continue to echo. "Hope is all we have."

Sheridan then begins to reexperience his emergence onto the balcony above the abyss, and his leap into it, as Lorien's voice echoes, asking him again, "Do you have anything worth living for?"

While he falls, he remembers the voice of someone, a long time ago, on the original White Star. "Sleep now. I will watch, and catch you if you should fall."

Lorien stands over the body of Sheridan, outstretched at the bottom of the abyss, after Sheridan delivers his answer, in the form of a single word.

"Delenn!"

Z'ha'dum

Overview

Third season finale. A face from Sheridan's past takes him on a dangerous mission to meet his Shadow counterpart. Londo receives important news about his political future. The Shadows mass a fleet against Babylon 5. Melissa Gilbert as Anna. Ed Wasser as Morden. Jeff Corey as Justin. 
P5 Rating: 9.73

Production number: 322
Original air week: September 22, 1996 (UK)
		   October 28, 1996 (US)
DVD release date: August 12, 2003

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by Adam Nimoy

An episodic soundtrack is available.

Warning: This episode reveals a lot of information, and there are spoilers below. Think twice before reading on if you haven't seen the episode.

Backplot

Unanswered Questions

Analysis

Notes

jms speaks

Originally compiled by Jason Snell.

Z'ha'dum

Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@cc.wwu.edu)

"Humans have a phrase," Delenn narrates, as we see a recap of events leading up to the present, while she watches over Sheridan as he sleeps. "'What is past is prologue.' Minbari also have a phrase. 'What is past is also sometimes future.'"

The door to Sheridan's room bursts open, and he emerges, mouth agape, staring at Anna. He can't believe what he is seeing, and asks her what she's doing there. She asks him if that's the best she can do, but, indicating Delenn, says she can understand under the circumstances. Delenn rushes out, and Sheridan tries to stop her, but Anna lets her leave. He tells Anna that he thought she was dead, and she expresses surprise that Delenn didn't tell him. She says she's sorry she couldn't tell him herself, and that she had to leave him alone for so long with no word. But that's behind them now, and they're together again. He pulls away, and she tells him she understands his doubts, based on what Delenn told him. She tells him she will take any tests and answer any questions to prove she is his wife. She says she's here to explain everything to him to help him understand what it's really all about. She says all he needs to do is come with her.

"Where?" Sheridan asks.

"Where else?" Anna replies. "To Z'ha'dum."

As G'Kar and Ivanova walk through a storage bay, G'Kar explains that the devices around them were delivered by the Gaim ambassador, and that each of the weapons can deliver a blast of between five and six hundred megatons, and they are very difficult to detect. Ivanova plans to use them as mines to destroy Shadow vessels when they come out of hyperspace.

Sheridan watches in MedLab as a group of medical personnel examine Anna. Dr. Franklin emerges and tells Sheridan that Anna is human, and that all of her old medical records match up perfectly: It is his wife. Sheridan protests that she died at Z'ha'dum, and Franklin asks why he isn't glad she's back. Sheridan explains that he had to move beyond her death, and now, with Delenn, things are even more complicated. He asks Franklin if there is anything else, and Franklin mentions that he found some epidermal scarring above the nape of her neck, and that he doesn't yet know what caused it. Franklin promises to run some tests, and Sheridan tells him that he has to know whether or not it's really Anna.

Sheridan, in his office, demands to know from Delenn if it really is Anna. Delenn says she doesn't know, but Sheridan doesn't accept that answer--the pictures she and Kosh showed him led him to believe she was dead, but he wants to know why they did that if they didn't know for sure. Delenn said she was sure Anna would not serve the Shadows, but she admits she might have been wrong. Sheridan is adamant in believing Anna would never go along, and Delenn says she has no other explanation, but Sheridan can't accept that. He demands to know why she didn't tell him if there was even the slightest chance she was still alive. She says, that if she had, he would have gone to Z'ha'dum after her, and they couldn't allow that.

"You and Kosh... You couldn't allow it," Sheridan says. "I trusted you, Delenn, I cared for you. I let myself start to love you. Do you know what that means? Do you know how hard that was for me? All along a little part of me was still in love with Anna, even though she was gone--I had to fight that part off. Everytime I thought about you... about holding you, about building a life for the two of us..."

"John, you must believe me, I didn't know she was alive. We assumed that she had died with the rest of the crew of the Icarus, that only Morden had survived."

"And had you known, would you have told me?"

"That would depend. It would depend on what she had become. Z'ha'dum is the homeworld of the Shadows. No one leaves there the same as they arrived."

"You... you would have denied me the right to make that choice. How can you say that and expect me to ever trust you again?" He starts to walk out, but Delenn stops him.

"John, I do love you. If you believe nothing else I ever say, please... please believe that." Sheridan, without responding, walks out of the office.

Londo and Vir are in the Zocalo, and Vir asks Londo why he has been drinking so much since a diplomatic pouch arrived. Londo explains that he has been promoted, to the position of advisor to the emperor in matters of planetary security. Vir thinks that's great news, and doesn't know why Londo is upset. Londo tells him that it's because it didn't come twenty years ago, when he could appreciate it, but now, since they are afraid of him, they want to put a leash on him so they know what he's doing at all times. He knows that, if they see him doing anything suspicious, he will soon be killed. A man, who identifies himself only as "a friend" approaches the table. He says he was sent by their "mutual associates" and tells Londo to leave the station at once. Londo says he doesn't want to, and the man says that, if he won't go, he won't be responsible, but that Londo must leave quickly if he values his life. Londo and Vir know that it was more than likely a friend of Morden's, and Londo doesn't like the sound of the warning at all.

As Dr. Franklin looks over the medical records, searching for an explanation for the epidermal scarring, Anna tells Sheridan, in his quarters, that she has never been examined in such deatil--by anyone other than him. She tells him that the medical reports have confirmed that she is Anna, but Sheridan doesn't understand what she has been doing on Z'ha'dum for so long, and why she picked now to come back. She can't tell him that, but says that he needs to come back with her, and that they are eager to meet him. Sheridan asks what will happen if he doesn't go, and Anna says she will leave without him, and he'll never know the truth. She promises no threats and no ultimatums--merely an opportunity to hear their side of the story. Sheridan asks why she wants to go back, and Anna tells him it's her home now, and she's doing important work, and that he'll understand when he goes there. Sheridan still refuses until he gets some answers--he wants to know what happened to the Icarus and its crew when they landed there. Anna asks him if, when she tells him, he promises to go back with her. Sheridan agrees.

"Interplanetary Expeditions said that one of their probes out on the Rim had found the ruins of an ancient civilization," begins Anna. "Dr. Chang was putting together a follow-up expedition and he wanted me on his team. It was the find of a lifetime. What he didn't tell me, or most of the crew, was where he really got the information.

"A few years earlier, IPX had found an alien ship buried beneath the surface of Mars. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before. As soon as it was exposed to daylight, an automatic beacon on board sent out a coded message. They knew whoever the ship belonged to would be coming in fast to pick it up, so they moved quickly. They analyzed the ship, took pieces of it for study later, and planted a homing device inside. Three days later another ship turned up and was digging it out of the ground. When it left, IPX was able to track it through hyperspace to a world out on the Rim."

"Z'ha'dum," Sheridan realizes.

"We didn't have a name for it at the time," Anna continues. "And Chang was under strict orders from EarthForce New Technologies Division to keep this top secret. As soon as we landed, we picked up an energy source. We were told to check it out. And that's where we found them."

"The Shadows."

Anna tells him that that is not a descriptive name, nor their true name, which is very long and nearly unpronouncable. She says they were quite approachable, but Sheridan tells her to tell that to the rest of the crew. Anna says that there was an accident, the crew was killed, and the comm system was destroyed. They had no way to contact anyone else. She says that, since the Shadows had just come out of hibernation, they made a deal with the crew: If the humans would stay silent, the Shadows would let them study their technology, which would solve nearly all of Earth's problems and let them leap forward 10,000 years. Anna says she didn't want Sheridan to think she was dead, but that he knows he always said his first duty was to Earth. In addition, time doesn't work quite the same on Z'ha'dum as it does everywhere else. She tells him that, now that she's back, she'll take him to Z'ha'dum, so the Shadows can tell him what it's really all about. She says that Delenn, Kosh, and the others have misled him, and it's time to learn the truth. He agrees and embraces her, but while he does so, his gaze falls on Franklin's medical report on a table across the room.

Garibaldi enters Sheridan's office and asks if there's anything he can do to help. Sheridan tells him that, since the Minbari crew of the White Star has never been logged into the security net, he wants Garibaldi to begin that right away. The White Star can orbit the station on autopilot. Garibaldi reluctantly agrees. Sheridan says he also as a few other things for him to do, and hands him a list. Garibaldi agrees to do it, but is more than surprised by what he sees.

Sheridan, in his quarters, prepares for his trip to Z'ha'dum, by making sure he is armed with a PPG at his side. He pulls another one out from a drawer and looks at it critically in the mirror. As he gazes into its surface, he realizes he is not alone.

"If you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die," says the old Kosh, whose image is also in the mirror. But when Sheridan turns around, there is no one else there. Sheridan turns back around, and looks at himself in the mirror for a moment, before walking to his comm screen. He tells the computer he wants to record a time-delayed message for Delenn.

Aboard the White Star, Anna asks if Sheridan is sure he can run the ship by himself. Sheridan thinks he probably can, as the design is pretty intuitive, and Anna assures him he is guaranteed safe passage. "Next stop," Sheridan says, "Z'ha'dum."

On the journey through hyperspace, Anna examines the White Star, and says she wishes they could have taken a different ship. As it is based partly on Vorlon technology, it could be dangerous; the Shadows believe they will die if anything even remotely Vorlon were to touch the surface of Z'ha'dum. Sheridan says he won't take any chances, and they'll take the shuttle down to the surface.

Back on Babylon 5, Franklin catches up with Ivanova as she walks down the corridor. Franklin asks why Sheridan left, and tells her that he knows Sheridan read the report he gave him. Ivanova doesn't know what he's talking about, and Franklin tells her it's about Anna.

The shuttle lands on the surface of the planet, and Sheridan and Anna, wearing oxygen masks, make their way through the harsh atmosphere to the entrance of the structure. The air inside is breathable, and Anna explains, for security reasons, the structure was moved underground many centuries ago. They are about to go further, but Anna takes Sheridan's PPG before she will let him go further. She explains this part of the complex was designed specifically for them. She takes him down a corridor, and to a door. She knocks, and a voice inside tells her to enter. She does so, and inside are two humans. One is an older gentleman, and the other is a very familiar face: Morden.

Sheridan asks the older man who he is. The man insists it isn't important, but Sheridan demands to know. "Who decides that the work day is from 9 to 5 instead of 11 to 4? Who decides that the hemlines will be below the knee this year, and short again next year? Who draws up the borders, controls the currency, handles all the decisions that happen transparently around us?" Sheridan admits he doesn't know. "Ah," says the old man. "I'm with them. Same group, different department. Think of me as a sort of middleman. And the name is Justin."

Delenn receives a time-delayed message from Sheridan. "Delenn," the message says, "by the time you get this message, I will be at Z'ha'dum... with Anna. I can pretty much guess your reaction when you hear this, but I think it's the only way. When you and I were in the time rift with Babylon 4, for a moment, I jumped forward in time. We'd won the war, but Centauri Prime had been devastated. You said that this future couldn't be changed. You also told me, 'Do not go to Z'ha'dum. Do you understand? Do not go to Z'ha'dum!' I began to wonder... What if that future happened because I listened to your warning and didn't go to Z'ha'dum? What if... what if I could prevent the fall of Centauri Prime and end the Shadow War by going there? What I want... is to stay alive, to be with you. But you were right before. This is about more than what I want. So I'm going, even though I know it's almost certainly a trap."

"You see, John," Justin explains, as he pours tea, "back, a million years ago, there were forces prowling around the galaxy beyond anything that we could understand. And, like anything else, most of them outgrew this little corner of the universe, and headed off toward greener pastures. Now, two of them stayed behind, shepherds, you might call them. They wanted to look after the younger races, bring them around, help them evolve into something better."

"One of these was the Vorlons," Morden tells Sheridan. "The other was what you call the Shadows."

"The Vorlons are like your parents, I suppose," Justin continues. "They want you to play nice, clean your room, do it by the rules. I guess you could call them lords of order."

"The others," Anna says, "the ones who live here, believe that strength only comes from conflict. They want to release our potential, not bottle it up."

"It's really simple," Justin explains. "You bring two sides together, they fight, a lot of them die. But those who survive are stronger, smarter, and better."

"It's like knocking over an anthill," Morden says. "Every new generation gets stronger. The anthill gets redesigned, made better."

"So that's what the Shadows do," Sheridan says. "Come out every few thousand years, and kick over all the anthills, start wars, destroy entire races."

"A few get lost along the way, yes," Justin admits, "and that's unfortunate. I don't think it was ever easy, but you can't let that get in the way of the dream."

On Babylon 5, Corwin reports to Ivanova that he is picking up a disturbance coming from all around them. Many Shadow ships are appearing outside, encircling the entire station. Ivanova orders a red alert, and all the fighters are scrambled. None of the Shadow vessels are attacking, but Ivanova still orders the fighters to launch, but not to approach until she authorizes it.

"Think about it, Captain," Morden says. "Look at the long history of human struggle. Six thousand years of recorded wars, bloodshed, atrocities beyond all description. But look at what came out of all of that! We've gone to the stars, split the atom, written sonnets... We never would have come this far, if we hadn't been at each others' throats evolving our way up, inch by inch."

"It was supposed to be an equal balance between our side and the Vorlons," Anna says. "But the Vorlons decided that their way was the right way. They enlisted the support of the other worlds, like the Minbari. They even started interfering with the development of younger races."

"When you look at a Vorlon," Morden says, "you see what they want you to see. They've manipulated us so we respond favorably to them. They've even at a genetic level, taking humans and adjusting them. Why do you think certifiable telepaths came out of nowhere a hundred years ago?"

"They created telepaths on a hundred worlds to use as cannon fodder for the next war," Justin explains. "But fortunately, our friends got there first and with the help of the Psi Corps, made sure that they came out on our side. John, they think that the human race shows great potential. When all this is over, we can be riding high, the first to rebuild, making things our own way. But the only thing that's standing in our way now is you. So, we can either work together now, or we can remove your support mechanism."

The fighters begin to mobilize around the Shadow vessels, and Garibaldi is among them. Ivanova tries to get through to Draal, but communications are being jammed. Ivanova knows the ships' appearance has something to do with Sheridan, but has no idea what it is, or why they are waiting.

"Everything depends on getting the other races to fight each other," Anna says, "to create conflict in order to promote growth and evolution. By getting them to cooperate, you are working against that goal."

"Whenever this starts," Morden says, "there's always someone who tries to organize the other races. You've done it. That's a commendable achievement, but as far as our goals are concerned, unproductive."

"So why don't you just kill me?" Sheridan asks.

"It doesn't work," Justin says. "Somebody'd just come around and replace you. That's always been the trouble with creating martyrs. We brought you here hoping you'd understand us, work with us, not against us. You're important. You're what they call a nexus. You turn one way, and the whole world has a tendency to go the same way. Let go of those other races. You can't hold them together. Evolution will be served one way or another. You can work with us, or..."

"Or you'll do to me what you did to Anna," Sheridan says.

Justin, Anna, and Morden all look at each other. "I don't know what you're..." Anna begins.

"The memories are there, the voice is there, the DNA is there... But the personality, the look in her eyes... The woman I loved, the woman I married isn't there. She would never go along with this."

"You're right," Justin tells him. "Just so. You see, when she came here five years ago, she was given a choice. The same choice that we're giving you. She made the mistake of choosing badly." As Justin is talking, Sheridan's hand creeps down toward his leg.

"You stuck her in one of those ships, didn't you?" Sheridan asks. He uncovers a PPG strapped to his leg, beneath their field of view.

"How did you know?" Morden asks.

"A few months ago," Sheridan tells them, "we intercepted a ship full of people who were going to be merged with the Shadow vessels. They had implants in the brain stem, right back here. The scars in the back of her head are in exactly the same place."

"Our associates needed fresh bodies for the central processing units in their ships," Justin explains. "But we pulled her out as soon as we found out who she was and who you are. But once you've been inside of one of those ships for a while, you're never... quite whole... again. But you do as you're told!" Behind Sheridan a door opens, and a Shadow begins entering the room, and Sheridan sees it out of the corner of his eye. "And so will you!" As soon as Justin finishes, Sheridan jumps up and begins firing the PPG at the Shadow.

G'Kar runs into C&C. Ivanova asks if they can get the bombs outside, but G'Kar says it would be too dangerous -- the blasts would take out Babylon 5 as well. Ivanova is willing to risk it, and asks how many they have. G'Kar explains that's why he's there -- two of the devices are gone.

A bleeding Sheridan makes his way through a rocky corridor, and eventually comes to a balcony overlooking a Shadow city. Directly beneath him is an enormous black abyss, and above him, a glittering ceiling, seperating this place from the outside atmosphere. Sheridan types in some commands on his commlink, and the White Star begins to come alive. Inside, a voice from the bombs says, "Thermal fusion system armed for detonation," and the White Star begins moving toward the planet.

"John," Anna says, as she arrives. "There's nowhere to run. Come back inside. We can work this out." As the White Star hurtles toward the surface, Anna continues. "I know this isn't the Anna that you knew. What I am is what was made in her. A new personality. She can never come back. But I can love you as well as she did."

"Finally," Sheridan's message concludes, "I heard what you said when I left. I want you to know, I love you Delenn. Goodbye." Delenn touches the screen, and as the message ends, she collapses against the wall, crying.

Sheridan looks through the semi-transparent ceiling, and sees the White Star on its way. He looks down into the abyss, and hears a familiar voice--that of Kosh in his mind. "Jump... Jump now!" the voice urges. As Anna and a group of Shadows begin to move closer, Sheridan climbs over the edge of the balcony and leaps into the abyss below. Anna watches, stunned, but has little time to contemplate what's happening. The White Star crashes through the ceiling, and she lets out a blood curdling scream as a white light floods the balcony. The White Star impacts in an enormous exlosion.

The Shadow vessels, without warning, all vanish immediately, and while Garibaldi watches, a shadow comes over his viewport. No one on C&C understands the sudden departure, unless it is because they are no longer a threat, as G'Kar suggests. Ivanova believes she knows why, though. "He's gone."

As Delenn and Lennier pray over candles, we hear G'Kar's voice. "It was the end of the Earth year 2260, and the war had paused, suddenly and unexpectedly. All around us, it was as if the universe were holding its breath. Waiting... All of life can be broken down into moments of transition or moments of revelation. This had the feeling of both..."

Corwin reports to Ivanova that there has been no further word on the Captain, but that they can't communicate with the White Star--he thinks it's been destroyed. In addition, one of the fighters sent out didn't return. Ivanova asks who the pilot was, and Corwin tells her, "Mr. Garibaldi."

G'Kar continues speaking. "G'Quon wrote, 'There is a greater darkness than the one we fight. It is the darkness of the soul that has lost its way. The war we fight is not against powers and principalities, it is against chaos and despair. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender. The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.'"