lurkers-guide/synops/024

<p>
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.

<p>
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.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/024/shadows.gif"> The Shadow fighters in
pursuit.

<p>
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.
<a href="/lurk/guide/021.html">"The Quality of Mercy."</a>)
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.

<p>
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.

<p>
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.

<p>
Londo laughs at that. "Why don't you eliminate the entire
Narn homeworld while you're at it?"

<p>
"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."

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/024/morden-garden.gif"> "One thing at a time."

<p>
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.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/024/dinner.gif"> Sheridan talks about
running the station.

<p>
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.

<p>
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.

<p>
"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.

<p>
"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."

<p>
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.

<p>
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.

<p>
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."

<p>
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.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/024/chrysalis.gif"> The empty chrysalis.

<p>
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."

<p>
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.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/024/whatami.gif"> "What am I?"

<p>
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."

<p>
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.

<p>
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.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/024/talia.gif"> Talia agrees to help Garibaldi.

<p>
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.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/024/welch-aide.gif"> Garibaldi's aide gets
his just desserts.

<p>
Despite Dr. Franklin's objections, Garibaldi convinces him to let him go
talk to his aide and find out why he attacked him.

<p>
"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.

<p>
"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."

<p>
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."

<p>
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.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/024/seeing.gif"> "Be seeing you."

<p>
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.

<p>
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.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/024/blast.gif"> The Narn warship is
destroyed.

<p>
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.

<p>
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."

<p>
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.

<p>
"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."

<p>
Sheridan says good-bye to her as well.
"I love you, Anna," he tells the image on the screen.

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/024/goodbye.gif"> Saying goodbye.

<p>
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?"

<p>
"Sure.  It was big news.  Made all
the nets," Ivanova says.  "Their charter prohibits them recommending
candidates to their members."

<p>
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?"

<p>
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.

<p>
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:

<blockquote>
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.<br>
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.<br>
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere,<br>
The ceremony of innocence is drowned.<br>
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,<br>
Slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?
</blockquote>

<p>
<img align=middle src="/lurk/gif/024/poetry.gif"> G'Kar reads the poetry.

<p>
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."

<p>
"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?"

<p>
"Yes sir," she replies, as
they both contemplate the situation.  "It does indeed."

<h3>Synopsis by Matthew Murray (i9717029@unicorn.it.wsu.edu)</h3>