lurkers-guide/novels/003

<p>
<strong>Written by John Vornholt</strong><br>
Released: September 13, 1995<br>
ISBN: 0-440-22059-9 (US)<br>
ISBN: 0-7522-0654-0 (UK)<br>
Setting: Early 2259, before
<A HREF="/lurk/guide/031.html">"The Coming of Shadows"</A>


<br clear>

<blockquote><cite>
The past catches up with the powerful Narn Ambassador and Garibaldi and Ivanova
are sent to track down a killer.
</cite>
</blockquote>

<p>
Reader reviews, and online ordering, can be found at
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0440220599/thelurkersguidet">Amazon.com</a>.

<p>
<hr>

<h2><a name="BC">Back Cover</a></h2>

<H3 align=center>Running from Death</H3>
Having narrowly escaped assassination, proud, ruthless Ambassador G'Kar
knows he is marked for death.  A rival family from his Narn homeland has
taken the Shon'Kar, or Blood Oath, to kill him.  And when a fiery
explosion destroys his transport ship, it looks as if they have succeeded...

<H3 align=center>Blood Oath</H3>
Security Chief Garibaldi and Commander Susan Ivanova join an enraged
Na'Toth, G'Kar's aide, in a search for the culprits.  Journeying to the
Narn Homeworld, they find themselves enveloped by a chilling alien
environment.  And in this place of deadly traps and cruel disguises, the
Narn Blood Oath is turned against them all.  Now as strangers on the
strange Narn planet, the best and brightest members of Babylon 5 are
hunted by an enemy only a daring deception can stop!


<H2><A NAME="SY">Synopsis</A></H2>

The book opens in Ambassador G'Kar's quarters where he holds in his hand 
an untraceable data crystal -- its identity patterns had been removed.
Upon slipping it into the viewer, an attractive female Narn appears and 
begins talking:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Hello G'Kar.
Do you recognize me? I am Mi'Ra, daughter of Du'Rog.  I speak for my 
mother, Ka'Het, and my brother, T'Kog.  We are all that is left of the 
family you destroyed.  Yes, G'Kar, we are beaten, and our titles and 
lands are gone.  Our father is dead, his name disgraced, and his attempt 
to kill from the grave was a failure
(<A HREF="/lurk/guide/005.html">The Parliament of Dreams</A>.) To our shame, 
every assassin has failed.
<P>
You think you are safe within the Third Circle and the Earth space 
station. You are wrong!  The widow, the son, and the daughter of Du'Rog 
have sworn the <EM>Shon'Kar</EM> against you! No more will you face inept 
assassins -- but the very family you destroyed!  The Prophets willing, by 
my own hands you will die.  From this day forward, the purpose of our 
<EM>V'Tar</EM> is to kill you.  Let this mark show my will.
</BLOCKQUOTE>

Mi'Ra marks her forehead by cutting it with a knife and the 
viewscreen fades to black. G'Kar realizes how serious undertaking the 
Blood Oath is and that the Narn Government will be of no assistance to him
and that further the aliens would not be either.  He decides to leave the 
station for homeworld and deal with Mi'Ra himself.

<P> G'Kar's aide, Na'Toth, points out that the cruiser K'sha Na'vas is 
arriving tomorrow and could get him home in half the time of his personal 
transport.  Nonetheless he insists on leaving immediately without 
explaining why.  Ivanova and Sheridan notice the hasty 
departure but ultimately let him leave after a brief conversation.  
Shortly before the ship enters the jump point, a reactor breach begins 
and the ship explodes.
A Starfury sent to find remains or G'Kar finds <EM>absolutely</EM> no 
remains.  G'Kar is pronounced dead.

<P>
Na'Toth is surprised 
by the appearance of Earth Alliance officers informing her of G'Kar's 
sudden demise.  Na'Toth assumes that it was Londo Mollari, 
and pledges to swear a Blood Oath against the killer.  
Garibaldi confiscates the files and data crystals from G'Kar's desk as 
evidence.  Departures from the station are stopped and Garibaldi is 
assigned to track down the killer since the debris pattern is deemed to 
have been consistent with a bomb.

<P>
Na'Toth proceeds to attack Londo at knifepoint and is 
interrupted by Garibaldi who convinces her, at least for the moment, to back 
down.  Londo contacts Vir and gives him some orders.  Garibaldi warns Na'Toth
off Londo and asks her about the unlabeled data crystal.

<P>
Na'Toth is not entirely surprised by the contents, though Sheridan and 
Garibaldi are.  They decide to search the station 
for the killer.  They do however concede that they can not stop Na'Toth from 
leaving the station because of diplomatic immunity.

<P>
Sheridan decides to send Garibaldi and Ivanova as the Earth Alliance 
delegates to the memorial service on the Narn homeworld.  Ivanova points 
out that both winter coats and bathing suits will be in order on the Narn 
world because of the drastic temperature extremes on the surface.

<P>
G'Kar dreams about the past.  He is in
the Homeworld city of Ka'Pul when assassins make a first attempt on his life
(the second was on Babylon 5, in
<a href="/lurk/guide/005.html">"The Parliament of Dreams."</a>)
Both attempts were brought on by the manner in which he disgraced 
the Du'Rog family to enter the Third Circle.
When he awakes G'Kar is being asked to pipe down by Pa'Nar, G'Kar's 
operative down below.

<P>
Security, meanwhile is searching Down Below and comes to Pa'Nar's 
quarters.  Pa'Nar initially tries to claim that G'Kar is his cousin Ha'Mok,
but is forced to knock the security guard out and let 
G'Kar escape in a disguise consisting of contact lenses and a mask which 
changes his spots.  G'Kar escapes to the Narn ship K'sha Na'vas, whose
captain is an old friend.  The K'sha 
Na'vas is also the ship that will be taking the delegation from Babylon 5 
to the Narn homeworld.

<P>
Garibaldi contacts Talia Winters, the station's resident telepath, 
upon hearing the news of the downed security guard.  He requests that she 
scan the officer, Leffler, when he regains consciousness.

<P>
The captain of the K'sha Na'vas, Vin'Tok, reviews the materials 
concerning G'Kar's death and tries to explain to Sheridan that it
should be considered "justifiable homicide."  Sheridan 
disagrees, but realizes that nothing will be done to the Du'Rog family 
back on the Homeworld.  The Narn delegation leaves to attend the memorial
service.
Sheridan explains to Ivanova and Garibaldi that they are forbidden to 
take weapons with them, but that they will have diplomatic immunity.

<P>
Sheridan speaks first at the memorial.  Londo follows, expressing his
regrets in a very Centauri fashion: "They 
will send another, but he will not be G'Kar... ...will not yell or
sputter as zestfully as G'Kar."  Delenn takes the stage and expresses
the outrage and pain the people at the service feel about the 
sudden loss of a good man.  She speaks of the unity and growth of 
community that has come to be on Babylon 5. Finally, a Minbari 
candlelight procession commences.

<P>
As Ivanova is about to depart, Londo turns and asks her if
she is familiar with the Early American author Mark Twain, making the 
point that if she was she would be able to <EM>"[e]njoy this more."</EM>
Garibaldi meanwhile encounters Al Vernon, a human who was married to a 
Narn and more recently has been trading with the Centauri.  Al manages to 
insinuate himself into the diplomatic party and Sheridan agrees to his
presence.

<P>
Back on the Homeworld, Mi'Ra, living with her family in pitiful conditions,
has an encounter with a member of 
the Thenta Ma'Kur, which she has been "slandering" liberally for their two 
failures.  They take credit for the death of G'Kar and warn of the 
Earthforce delegations, suggesting that she keep an eye on them.

<P>
When Garibaldi arrives with Al Vernon, Al quickly introduces himself to 
Ivanova and the other Narns.  Vin'Tok recognizes Al's name and mentions 
that he was presumed dead.  Vernon replies, "Well, as the great 
Mark Twain said, the reports of my death were greatly exaggerated!"
Ivanova notes the repeated mention of Twain, while Garibaldi ponders the 
need for three warships to escort them to the homeworld.

<P>
When Leffler comes to, a scan by Talia reveals the name Pa'Nar.  
Pa'Nar is quickly arrested and questioned about the mysterious Ha'Mok.
They escort Ms. Winters in to scan him directly and she begins 
the scan asking Sheridan and Welch, Garibaldi's assistant, to direct the 
questioning.  The questioning leads Sheridan to realize that G'Kar is 
probably still alive.

<P>
On their trip to the homeworld, Garibaldi and Ivanova soon become aware 
of a guarded door.  Na'Toth takes 
the direct approach for them and G'Kar is discovered.  He explains the 
situation and that he plans to kill Mi'Ra to end the matter once and for 
all. He explains his plan to use a disguise and go down on the planet 
when they arrive at the homeworld.

<P>
The rest of the trip is uneventful with no more interactions with 
G'Kar.  A shuttle transports them to Hekba City, G'Kar's home,
and Na'Toth explains that when ready to 
depart she will summon another shuttle.  The heat immediately affects the 
humans in the party -- except Al, who seems to find the temperature pleasant.
At the memorial Garibaldi spots Mi'Ra and tries to warn her off visiting 
Babylon 5 since the Shon'Kar would not be recognized there.

<P>
Afterwards, G'Kar decides to visit his wife, Da'Kal.  He asks the humans to 
introduce themselves and broach the subject of G'Kar being alive with 
her.  After she dismisses a lover and a servant, Ivanova and Garibaldi introduce
themselves.   Da'Kal mentions that G'Kar spoke well of them; she seems
genuinely pleased by their arrival to honor him.  The news of G'Kar being 
alive pleases her and G'Kar is invited in.  The rest of the party goes to 
a tavern to wait for his return.

<P>
G'Kar and Da'Kal make love.  Afterwards, Da'Kal sends money to the Du'Rog 
family in an attempt to make amends.

<p>
Some time later, in the Du'Rog house, Mi'Ra finds her brother and mother
rejoicing over their newfound wealth.  Mi'Ra is disgusted and wishes that she 
had been able to kill G'Kar herself.  She resolves to ask the
Earthers some questions when they arrive.  She contemplates going 
somewhere off the Narn homeworld, perhaps to Babylon 5, where their past 
wouldn't be known and the money might go further.

<P>
After starting to freeze from the cold, Al finds Ivanova and Garibaldi
somewhere to spend the night.  First, the three visit Ra'Pak, a member of the
Second Circle of the Kha'Ri.  Na'Toth returns to
find G'Kar, just in time to prevent him from getting in trouble with the
guards for being out late at night.  (His disguise 
suggested that he was someone of a lower class who should not be in the 
main city after hours -- the workers return to the slums at night.)
They both also discover that the ship has left without them on a most 
urgent mission.

<P>
Back at the inn Garibaldi uses the netlink to contact Babylon 5.  
During the conversation -- which is listened in upon -- the suggestion 
that G'Kar isn't dead comes up.  Ra'Pak betrays G'Kar to Mi'Ra, perhaps 
out of jealousy but perhaps also for something he did to her and her 
family.  Mi'Ra begins to use the money to hire a force to take out the 
humans and G'Kar when they arrive the next day.

<P>
When the humans arrive at the Du'Rog place the next day, they admit that 
G'Kar is alive and explain what will happen if Mi'Ra
attempts to show up on the station to kill him.  Na'Toth and Mi'Ra's mother 
begin negotiating about monetary settlement to end the Shon'Kar.  When the
visitors
try to leave, Mi'Ra sets her hired guns upon them.  A desperate escape into 
the catacombs under the slums saves them -- just barely.  A small child 
who initially seemed to help them ends up poisoning their water and leaves 
doing back flips saying, "Compliments of the Thenta Ma'Kur."  The poison 
doesn't affect the humans as badly, and they manage to find an antidote 
and get it to G'Kar and Na'Toth in time.

<P>
Mi'Ra shows up again, alone.  Al Vernon volunteers a data crystal 
revealing the truth about the Du'Rog family in return for letting G'Kar 
live and disavowing the Shon'Kar.  Mi'Ra agrees and that resolves the 
matter.  During the course of the discussion it becomes apparent that 
Londo Mollari, the Centauri Ambassador, had sent Al and saved his life.

<P>
Upon returning back to the station and things settling down, G'Kar goes and 
thanks the Centauri, although he can't quite understand why.
Londo explains that it is a famous Centauri literary device and that he 
admired G'Kar's cunning, calling it "as devious as a Centauri..."


<H2><A NAME="UQ">Unanswered Questions</A></H2>
<P>
This book does not leave very many unanswered questions although it does 
suggest new dimensions to the relationship between Londo Mollari and G'Kar.

<H2><A NAME="AN">Analysis</A></H2>
<P>
This book brings the events of two episodes, Parliament of Dreams and 
Deathwalker, together nicely.  It explains the assassination attempt in light
of the Shon'Kar ritual along with the tensions in Narn society between 
more "modern" practices and ancient traditions.


<H2><A NAME="NO">Notes</A></H2>
<UL>
<LI> The data crystals used by the computers of many races are grown on 
Minbar.  This makes some sense in light of the number of crystal and 
crystalline devices we have seen the Minbari use.

<LI> Confiscating the materials from G'Kar's desk seems to be a breach of 
diplomatic immunity, although perhaps we are to understand that these were 
personal effects and not official ones.

<LI> Do Earth Alliance personnel sometimes have to submit to telepathic 
scans?  This is not made clear here and has not really been definitively 
resolved in the show either.

<LI> I have left out some of G'Kar's emotional self-examination from 
this summary since it is not central to the plot.

</UL>

<h2><a name="JS">jms speaks</a></h2>
<ul>

   <li> <em>The Narn ship had artificial gravity.</em><br>
	Urk...that must've slipped past me (which reminds me,
	I'd better get back to  finishing proofing the next novel).
	And yes, we'll see more of the Narn  homeworld as we go along.

   <li> <em>How accurate is the Narn terminology?</em><br>
	It's accurate in some places, not in others; details slip
	sometimes.

</ul>

<hr>
Written by Erik Oliver
&lt;<A HREF="mailto:oliver@dolphin.upenn.edu">oliver@dolphin.upenn.edu</A>&gt;.