lurkers-guide/synops/007

<p>   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!"
<p>
<img src="/lurk/gif/007/branding.gif" align=middle> Mayan is branded.
<p>   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.
<p>   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.
<p>   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.
<p>   Sinclair threatens G'Kar in return, warning him not to cause
any disturbances on Babylon 5.
<p>   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."
<p>   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 ...
<p>   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.
<p>   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).
<p>
<img src="/lurk/gif/007/centauri-kids.gif" align=middle> Kiron and Aria.
<p>   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.
<p>   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].  <strong>Great</strong>
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.
<p>   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.
<p>   "I don't know what's worse--damn aliens or the traitors that
suck up to them over their own kind," retaliates Roberts.
<p>   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.
<p>
<img src="/lurk/gif/007/visiting-kosh.gif" align=middle> Sinclair visits Kosh.
<p>   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.
<a name="skin-tab">
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."
</a>
<p>   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.
<p>   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."]
<p>   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.
<p>   "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.
<p>   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."
<p>   "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. 
<p>   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.
<p>   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.
<p>   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."
<p>   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.
<p>
<img src="/lurk/gif/007/subduing-gkar.gif" align=middle> G'Kar is convinced
to stop speaking.
<p>   Meanwhile, Roberts himself has become the victim of an
attack--at the hands of aliens.  He is seriously injured.
<p>   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.
<p>   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.
<p>   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.
<p>   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."
<p>   "Oh, I see," responds Londo.  "And if he dies, despite this
great power of love ..."
<p>   "If he dies, she will suffer enormous grief.  But every moment
together will make her grief a little less," Mayan answers.
<p>   "I would expect such logic from a poet," he says scornfully. 
"What can a Minbari know about Centauri feeling?"
<p>   "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."
<p>   "And she will learn to live without it," he says, forcefully.
<p>   "As you did," says Mayan, with a note of pity in her voice.
<p>   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.
<p>   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.
<p>   "'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.
<p>   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).
<p>   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."
<p>   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 ...
<p>
<img src="/lurk/gif/007/meeting.gif" align=middle> Sinclair, Ivanova, and
Malcolm meet.
<p>   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.
<p>   Meanwhile, in the Medical Lab, Kiron has awoken from his coma,
to Aria's intense joy.
<p>   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.
<p>   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.
<p>   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.
<p>   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*?"
<p>   "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.
<p>
Shawn Bayern
<em>bayern@cshl.org</em>
<hr>
Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern.  All rights reserved.  Permission is
granted to distribute this synopsis <strong>noncommercially</strong> 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.