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  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.

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      [15]Last update: November 9, 1997

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