lurkers-guide/synops/043

<h3>Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)</h3>

<p>
<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/tirade.gif" alt="">
In the Zocalo, G'Kar tries to convince the patrons that the Narn were
only the first victims at the hands of the Centauri, and that more will
follow.  The patrons, however, become
little more than annoyed, claiming that the Centauri are only the
Narn's problem.  G'Kar tries to warn them otherwise, but they refuse to
listen to him.  Eventually, another Narn convinces G'Kar to stop
his speech.  Vir, standing on a walkway above, has heard it all.

<p>
Delenn walks to the end of a darkened corridor where she sees Kosh
partially hidden in the shadows.  "Lennier said you were calling for
me," she says to him.

<p>
"Yes," he replies.

<p>
"Is there something wrong?"

<p>
"You, perhaps.  We have sent for an inquisitor."

<p>
"An inquisitor?  Why?"

<p>
"To be sure about you.  You will submit to his authority."

<p>
"How will I know who it is?"

<p>
"You will know... if you survive."

<p>
<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/doubt.gif" alt="">
Sheridan tells Lennier and Delenn that he isn't sure he understands
Delenn's request to help the inquisitor through custody since they
aren't able to say anything about him.  Delenn explains that Kosh
has doubts about whether she is fit to hold her position in the army
of Light.  She explains that Kosh must be certain the choice is
correct and that she is doing the right thing for the right reasons,
and that that is the inquisitor's job.  Sheridan offers to help, but
Delenn insists she must go through it alone.

<p>
G'Kar meets up with a man named Chase in his quarters, and tells him
that he needs weapons.  Chase says that he has the weapons G'Kar
wants, light munitions that are easy to smuggle and use against the
Centauri, and will sell them for the right price.  When G'Kar sees the
price, however, he says it is too high, since the Narn sold similar
weapons to Earth during the Earth-Minbari war.  Chase decides to take
ten percent off the top of the price, which G'Kar agrees to pay.  G'Kar
tells Chase before he leaves that this money is all the escaped Narns
have left -- the results will be fatal if Chase defrauds them.<br clear=all>

<p>
<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/ship.gif" alt="">
C&C detects a Vorlon transport coming through the jumpgate.

<p>
Sheridan enters the Vorlon vessel's docking bay, which is quite messy
and quite dark.  A man, dressed in Victorian clothes and carrying a
crystal-topped black walking stick, emerges from the shadows and
approaches Sheridan.  "I believe I am expected," he says.<br clear=all>

<p>
<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/catwalk.gif" alt="">
Sheridan and the inquisitor walk on the walkways above the Zocalo, the
inquisitor looking at the establishment in disgust as they proceed.
The inquisitor will not say why he was on the Vorlon ship, and asks to
see Delenn.  Sheridan tells him that she will come when they are
finished talking.  "Nothing changes," the inquisitor says.
"Corruption.  Immorality.  Chaos."  Sheridan asks when the inquisitor
was last on earth, and the inquisitor says it was long ago.  Sheridan
asks about the Vorlon homeworld and tries to get him to describe the
Vorlons, but the inquisitor refuses, and merely explains that his name
is Sebastian, he came from London in 1888, and that he was taken by the
Vorlons to be used as an inquisitor.  Sheridan expresses surprise that
the Vorlons have had contact with Earth.  "The Vorlons have been everywhere,"
Sebastian says.  "The Vorlons... are."  He demands to either be allowed
to finish the work, or to be allowed to leave, but he plans to say
nothing else.  Sheridan tells Sebastian to follow him.<br clear=all>

<p>
<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/weapons.gif" alt="">
Garibaldi meets up with G'Kar; he has learned that G'Kar is buying
weapons for use back on Narn.  G'Kar, familiar with Garibaldi's
methods, confesses to doing that, but Garibaldi tells him that he
doesn't want the weapons coming through Babylon 5.  But, because he
understands and appreciates the situation, and because G'Kar was honest
about his intents, Garibaldi tells G'Kar that he has a friend who runs
a transfer station in sector 90, all alone by a jumpgate, and that,
since the man deals mostly in illegal goods, it might be good to send the
weapons through there.  Garibaldi mentions it's already been arranged,
thanks G'Kar for his honesty, and leaves.<br clear=all>

<p>
<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/spotlit.gif" alt="">
Delenn walks to gray 19, where she is to meet Sebastian.  She enters
the area, which is very dark except for a few circles of light on the
floor.  When she approaches the middle of the room, Sebastian's voice
tells her to stop.  There are two manacles on the floor, which
he instructs her to put on.  She can remove them at any time, although,
should she do so, she'll be deemed unworthy.  Sebastian appears from
the dark and says to her, "Who are you?"  She responds with her name,
which he says in unacceptable.  She tries again, but he finds her next
answer unnacceptable as well.  The mancles glow with energy that causes
her pain.  This process continues for a while, but she will not give
Sebastian any answer he will accept.  He ridicules her and her beliefs
that she is on a holy mission and tells her that she will not know what
to believe after he is done, and that she may die during the
inquisition.  He tells her that, if she believes she is correct, she
will hold fast in the belief that the universe will not let her die.<br clear=all>

<p>
<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/sorry.gif" alt="">
A Centauri follows Vir, telling him that he has a message for Londo,
but Vir insists that Londo will not speak with him.  He goes into an
elevator where he finds G'Kar waiting.  G'Kar stares at Vir intently,
and Vir says to him, "I'm sorry.  I wish... there was something that I
could do.  I tried telling them, but they wouldn't listen.  They never
listen...  I'm sorry."  The elevator door opens and G'Kar walks out.

<p>
Before he vanishes, though, G'Kar turns to Vir.  He slices his hand,
letting the blood drip on the floor.  "Dead... dead, dead,
dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead... How do you apologize to
them?"

<p>
"I can't," Vir admits.

<p>
"Then I cannot forgive," G'Kar tells him, and walks away.

<p>
Sebastian's interrogation of Delenn continues, criticizing her belief
in her destiny.  He tries to shake her beliefs, and tells her to call
out to the universe so it can help save her.  When she refuses, a tap
of his cane sends pain into her body from the manacles again.  She
screams out in agony, but there is no apparent response from the
universe.  Sebastian asks her why she is where she is -- why she was
born.  She says she was meant to be there, and Sebastian demands to
know why she believes that.  He asks her what she would think if the
world believed otherwise, and she tells him she would believe the world
to be wrong.  He asks how she can justify her being correct, yet
everyone else being incorrect.  She admits that she has wondered the
same thing -- an answer Sebastian doesn't expect.  He gives her ten
minutes to rest.

<p>
G'Kar reports to the other Narn on the station that they are developing
an underground communications net, though weapons have proved to be
almost beyond their means.  One of the Narn questions G'Kar's ability
to deliver the weapons, and tells him that it may be a good idea to
consider another Narn to lead them.  The Narn tells G'Kar that, because
he can't communicate with the homeworld, they have no reason to believe
the weapons will get through.  G'Kar says that the only way to win
back control of their homeworld is if they stick together and don't
fight internally.  He proposes that he will remain leader if he can
communicate with the objector's family in twenty-four hours, and agrees
that, if he cannot, he will abdicate his position.

<p>
<img align=right width=160 height=120 src="/lurk/gif/043/043-05.gif" alt="">
Sebastian tells Delenn that her problem is that, even though she's only
part of the army of Light, she believes she must carry the entire
army.  He tells her that her only destiny is to be the "nail that gets
hammered down".  Afraid, she tries to get away from him, but he calls
her a fool, which she says is better than what he is -- merely a
tormenter who is not strong enough, worthy enough, or right enough to
achieve his own dreams, so he must prove others are just as bad as he
is.  The manacles send pain into Delenn again, and Sebastian asks her again
who she is, but is again not satisfied with her response, and her
belief that she has a destiny.  He tells her that it would be very easy
to kill her, and that he can do it any time he likes.

<p>
G'Kar tells Sheridan and Garibaldi that he needs to get word from the
Narn on the station to the Narn on the homeworld.  Sheridan tells him
that it is a difficult request to grant, but that he will do what he
can.  G'Kar gives Sheridan a data crystal and leaves.  Sheridan asks
Garibaldi if the Rangers are capable of taking the messages to the Narn
on the homeworld.  Garibaldi says he doesn't think they're ready,
but Sheridan insists that they <em>be</em> ready in case something more
important comes along.  Garibaldi takes the data crystal.<br clear=all>

<p>
<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/lennier.gif" alt="">
Lennier enters grey 19 and finds Delenn crumpled on the floor in pain.
Though he begs her to leave, she tells him that she cannot and that he
must leave without her.  When the sound of Sebastian's cane comes
closer, she tells Lennier that he must leave immediately, and that the
only way to save her is to let her do this by herself.  He rushes out
just as Sebastian approaches, and finds Sheridan in a nearby corridor.
He begs Sheridan to defy Kosh, since the inquisitor may be killing
Delenn.

<p>
Sebastian continues torturing Delenn with the cane and the manacles,
which are now affecting her entire body.  He stands over her and tells
her that her fate was dictated long ago, and that she has no control
over what happens.  The door to grey 19 opens and Sheridan arrives,
something Sebastian indicates he has been expecting.
Sheridan demands Sebastian leave Delenn alone, and Sebastian asks
why he should, and what she means to him.  Sheridan tells him that he
doesn't have to answer any questions, to which Sebastian agrees, before
he sends Sheridan flying against the wall.  "Your turn now," he says.<br clear=all>

<p>
<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/stop.gif" alt="">
Sheridan, now held captive by Sebastian, begins undergoing his own
questioning as well.  Sebastian
asks Sheridan how far he is prepared to go in the fight,
and how much he is willing to risk.  Sebastian tells him that he may
have to sacrifice everything in order to survive, including his friends
and comrades.  He continues the interrogation, hitting Sheridan with
energy bursts from the staff repeatedly, as he forces him to realize
what he may have to sacrifice.  Delenn cries out,
demanding that he stop.  She tells him that he
was sent to interrogate her, not Sheridan, and that she will give
herself up to him in order to save Sheridan.  Sebastian asks her if she
is willing to trade her life for his, to which she responds that, if
she fails, other will take her place.  Sebastian asks about her cause,
but Delenn insists that this is her cause -- saving lives.  Sebastian asks
her if she is willing to die alone and forgotten, but she tells him
that she isn't afraid.  Sebastian waves his staff and vanishes, along
with Sheridan's bonds.

<p>
The door to grey 19 opens, and Sebastian appears.  "You can go," he
tells them.  "You've passed.  Both of you."

<p>
"Passed what?" Delenn asks.

<p>
"How do you know the chosen ones?  No greater love hath a man than he
lay down his life for his friend.  Not for millions, not for glory, not
for fame... for one person.  In the dark.  Where no one will ever know
or see.  I've been in the service of the Vorlons for centuries,
looking... Diogynes with his lamp looking for a man willing to die for
all the wrong reasons.  At last, my job is finished.  Yours is just
beginning.  When the darkness comes, know this: You are the right
people, in the right place, at the right time."

<p>
Sheridan sits at C&C when he is approached by Ivanova who tells him
that the Vorlon ship is ready to leave.  He asks how extensive Earth's
history files are on 19th century England, and Ivanova tells him she
should be able to find whatever he needs.  He tells her he needs to
verify a name and address.  "14... 14-B Harrisford Lane, London, around
1888."  Ivanova asks for the name.  "Sebastian," Sheridan replies.<br clear=all>

<p>
<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/message.gif" alt="">
G'Kar and the other Narn watch the message obtained by the Rangers.
The Narn that previously questioned G'Kar's ability thanks G'Kar and
tells him that they will follow his lead.

<p>
At the docking bay, Sheridan tells Sebastian that everything is ready
to go, but he won't let Sebastian leave just yet.  "Mr.... Sebastian, I
did a little digging, based on what you told me.  The records confirm
you lived on Earth in the year 1888.  The records also indicate that
you vanished, suddenly, without a trace on November 11th, 1888.  That's
a very interesting date, Mr.  Sebastian.  The morning after the last of
a string of murders in the East End."

<p>
Sebastian turns silently toward him.  "The city was drowning in decay.
Choas.  Immorality.  A message needed to be sent, etched in blood for
all the world to see.  A warning.  In the pursuit of my holy cause,
I... did things, terrible things, unspeakable things.  The world
condemned me, but it didn't matter because I believed I was right and
the world was wrong.  I believed I was the divine messenger.  I
believed I was..."

<p>
"Chosen?"

<p>
"I was... found by the Vorlons.  They showed me the terrible depth of
my mistake, my crimes, my... presumption.  I have done four hundred
years of penance and service, a job for which
they said I was ideally suited.  Now, perhaps, they will finally let me
die."

<p>
"I think that might be wise."

<p>
Sebastian puts on his hat and turns away, proceeding toward the ship,
and does not look at Sheridan again as he walks.  "Good luck to you in
your holy cause, Captain Sheridan.  May your choices have better
results than mine.  Remembered not as a messenger, remembered not as a
reformer, not as a prophet, not as a hero... not even as Sebastian.
Remembered only... as Jack."