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  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.

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      [15]Last update: November 9, 1997

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