lurkers-guide/synops/062

<h2>Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)</h2>

<p>
Londo is outraged that Babylon 5 has accepted the sole surviving
Narn heavy cruiser, the G'Tok, into the station's mutual protection
alliance.  Garibaldi is unimpressed.

<p>
A visibly upset Lyta Alexander visits Medlab searching for answers
about the death of Kosh but none are available.

<p>
<img src="/lurk/gif/062/suitship.gif" width=160 height=120 hspace=2 border=1
align=right>
Garibaldi steps into C & C just as a red Vorlon personal transport
jumps in.  He enigmatically warns Ivanova against paging the Captain
immediately.  When Ivanova bites, he mentions that Sheridan has taken a
walk...outside.  As Ivanova peers aghast out the window, the Vorlon
ship pauses to write a greeting on its hull to the spacewalking
captain.

<p>
G'Kar treats a very appreciative Na'Kal to dinner in his quarters.
The conversation quickly sobers when Na'Kal reports that aside from the
G'Tok only about ten Narn vessels survived the war.  He is further
disappointed when G'Kar says they cannot retaliate against the
Centauri, but must defend Babylon 5 instead.

<br clear=all>
<p>
<img src="/lurk/gif/062/ambassador.gif" width=160 height=120 hspace=2 border=1
align=right>
Waiting for the new ambassador to arrive, Ivanova tells Sheridan
that Garibaldi has gone to find Dr. Franklin, who has avoided his
quarters for several days.  Sheridan is still astonished by Franklin's
revelation about his stim addiction.  It is a day for surprises.  The
new ambassador is considerably darker than the old Kosh.  They agree to
refer to him as Kosh in public in order not to endanger the fragile new
alliance.  But when Sheridan asks what he should call him in private
the Vorlon says, "Kosh."

<p>
"We are all Kosh," he adds without elaboration.

<p>
Garibaldi tracks Stephen down in the Zocalo.  When Michael
questions him about his recent wanderings, Stephen explains that he is
engaged in a "walkabout."  It is the Australian aborigine rite of soul
searching, and he hopes to find himself somewhere if he walks far
enough.

<br clear=all>
<p>
<img src="/lurk/gif/062/koshqtrs.gif" width=160 height=120 hspace=2 border=1
align=right>
The new Kosh examines his predecessor's quarters,  Staring at a wall,
he perceives an afterimage, apparently of some Shadows and a human.

<p>
Lyta isn't sure what she is looking for, but upon nearing the new
ambassador's quarters she finds a very angry Vorlon.  He tries to
throttle a piece of the old Kosh out of her but she insists that Kosh
wasn't with her at all when she left the last time.  Her profuse
apologies seem to satisfy him marginally and she is permitted to stay.

<p>
Later in Sheridan's office she almost admits that the new Kosh is
blaming her for the old ambassador's death.  She drifts into her own
regrets as Sheridan muses about the Vorlons.  "Is there a problem?"
Kosh's old voice asks.  Lyta jolts alert.

<p>
"I said, 'Is there a problem?'" Sheridan repeats.

<p>
Lyta quickly replies, "No."  Before she can leave the Captain has a
request for her.

<br clear=all>
<p>
<img src="/lurk/gif/062/kaitsing.gif" width=160 height=120 hspace=2 border=1
align=right>
Franklin finds a nightclub where a beautiful woman is singing a
love song.  "I understand you completely, it's over for you," she
croons as he stares at her smitten and begins to unwind.

<p>
Sheridan explains his proposition to engage a Shadow vessel with a
telepath aboard the White Star in order to test the theory that they
are vulnerable to telepathic jamming.  When he asks for volunteers the
aliens present are remarkably quiet with the exception of G'Kar,
who offers the G'Tok, and Delenn.  Sheridan refuses to take Minbari
telepaths along as backup, but the council overrules him unanimously.

<p>
To Stephen's delight, the singer, Cailyn, joins him while the club
closes up around them.

<p>
Na'Kal refuses G'Kar's request to support the White Star, claiming
that Sheridan is on a fool's mission.  The White Star leaves anyway
with only a single Minbari war cruiser as escort.  They will jump out
of hyperspace as soon as a Shadow attack is reported and attempt to
engage the enemy alone.

<p>
Holding her cut glass tumbler at eye level Cailyn peers at
Franklin.  She believes that if she catches the refracted image just
right she can see someone's soul.  But all she sees of him is pieces.

<p>
G'Kar is awakened by a furious Garibaldi hurling back the book of
G'Quon.  When the Narn protests his impotence in the face of Na'Kal's
refusal, Garibaldi reminds him that human pilots protected the G'Tok
during the last days of the war not because they wanted to and not
because they weren't afraid of dying, but because their commander had
the moral authority to order them to do it.  As the leader of the Narn
in exile it is G'Kar's responsibility to lead, not Na'Kal's, Garibaldi
hisses, and then storms out.

<p>
Franklin strokes Cailyn's shoulder in bed and tries to offer his
assistance.  When she asks for a prescription painkiller Metazine to
help her sleep, he grows very upset and tells her she should drink less
instead.  She is annoyed at his rebuke and reminds him that he offered
to help.  He just refuses crossly and turns away.

<p>
Waiting on the White Star, Sheridan tries to comfort Lyta.  She
asks him about Kosh's death, and is intrigued when he tells her how
Kosh had touched his mind on that and another occasion.  Just then a
Shadow attack is located.  They jump in leaving the Minbari ship poised
in hyperspace behind them.

<p>
Lyta prods the Shadow and collapses when it retaliates.  As the
Shadow ship homes in on the White Star Sheridan shakes Lyta.  In a
flash the telepath sees Kosh's death.  Her fury steadies her and she
halts the Shadow ship in space.  While it's paralyzed, Sheridan orders
Lennier to pour all power into the forward batteries, even to the
extent of taking the jump engines off line.  The Shadow is destroyed.

<p>
Cailyn filches Stephen's identicard while he lies sleeping and
leaves the room.

<br clear=all>
<p>
<img src="/lurk/gif/062/shad2.gif" width=160 height=120 hspace=2 border=1
align=right>
Lyta announces that the Shadow got off a distress call before they
destroyed it.  The jump engines still need ten minutes to recuperate
when four more Shadow ships arrive.  The White Star flees as the
Minbari cruiser jumps in, but there are only three telepaths on board
and Lyta is exhausted.  Evasive action isn't enough and soon the Shadow
locks on.  In the instant before they are destroyed a jump point opens
for the G'Tok and other alien ships coming to the rescue.  They destroy
the attacking Shadow and the remaining three enemies flee.

<p>
Sheridan cackles with glee and rushes to the window.  "And so it
begins," the old Kosh says to Lyta.

<p>
Franklin wakes up and finds Cailyn lying on the floor with his card
and a vial of Metazine.  He rushes her to Medlab only to discover that
she is suffering from terminal neural paralysis.  Instead of the
overdose he assumed, she had collapsed from excruciating pain.  She has
only six months to live.  She begs him not to send her away, explaining
that singing in DownBelow makes her last days worthwhile because she
gives the people there hope.

<p>
After docking Lyta rushes to tell the new ambassador that a piece
of Kosh Naranek may still be alive in someone else.

<p>
Stephen enjoys one last song by Cailyn, then resumes walking.