lurkers-guide/synops/100

<h3>Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)</h3>

<P>

Sheridan is signing copies of a treaty, getting ready for a meeting of
the Interstellar Alliance. He arrives late in the council chamber,
but his apology dies on his lips; only Delenn is present. The other
ambassadors voted to boycott the council until the Alliance can
guarantee the safety of their shipping lines, or at least find out who
is responsible for the attacks (<a href="../guide/097.html">"In the
Kingdom of the Blind"</a>, <a href="../guide/098.html">"A Tragedy of
Telepaths"</a>). They need a break, and they need it soon.

<P>
<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/100/tre02.jpeg">
Meanwhile, a break is in the making. A human transport, protected by
Drazi fighters, is under attack. A single human manages to slip out in
a lifepod as the attacking forces destroy the convoy.

<P>

Later, G'Kar and Londo arrive back from Centauri Prime. Narns are
looking at G'Kar, and bowing before him, which puzzles G'Kar. Londo
takes the opportunity to tease him about it.

<br clear=all>
<P>
<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/100/tre05.jpeg">

In his quarters, Garibaldi has overslept and missed a meeting with
Zack. The bottle he drank the night before <a
href="../guide/099.html">"Phoenix Rising"</a>) lies empty next to his
bed.

<P>

Half an hour later, he joins Sheridan, Delenn, Franklin and Zack for a
meeting. The Rangers have found the debris from the last attack and
know a lifepod is missing. This could mean a potential witness, and a
way to head off the crisis building up in the Alliance.

<P>

Unfortunately, since it was a human transport in Drazi space, it is
likely that they were smugglers, contracted by the Drazi
Government. The Alliance members use this sort of arrangement to
bypass Alliance regulations on dangerous substances and equipment. If
so, the Drazi Government is unlikely to help them.

<P>

Fortunately, however, Garibaldi has an old friend from his days on the
mining colony on Europa (<a href="../guide/011.html">"Survivors"</a>),
who now works as a security consultant on the Drazi homeworld. He can
help them locate the pilot and get him out. Sheridan wants the pilot
to testify before the council as soon as possible. He asks Franklin to
go with Garibaldi and help him out, but Garibaldi objects. He claims
his contact will not trust Franklin, and the mission may be
dangerous. Despite his misgivings about sending Garibaldi by himself,
Sheridan agrees.

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<P>
<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/100/tre09.jpeg">

A large number of Narns seem to be camped out near G'Kar's quarters,
and murmur in awe as he walks by. Outside his door is Ta'lon (<a
href="../guide/033.html">"All Alone in the Night"</a>, <a
href="../guide/047.html">"A Day in the Strife"</a>). G'Kar greets him
warmly, but when he walks into his quarters, he discovers that the
book he has been writing is missing. According to Ta'lon, the Kha'ri
was worried that G'Kar had been taken prisoner and was to be executed
in Centauri Prime. Afraid that if something happened to him, the "Book
of G'Kar" might never see the light of day, Ta'lon helped <i>"liberate
it"</i>, and took it back to Narn. There, copies were made, and
eventually it was published. In only a month, over half a million
copies have been made. It has achieved great popularity, and the Book
of G'Kar is on its way to outselling the Book of G'Quan.

<P>

"Congratulations, Citizen G'Kar," quips Ta'lon. "You are now a
religious icon."

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<P>
<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/100/tre10.jpeg">

On his way out, Garibaldi is stopped by Franklin. Franklin is afraid
there may be something wrong between them on a personal level, a
feeling he got because of Garibaldi's refusal to take him along on the
mission. Garibaldi assures him it is nothing personal, but rather he
is worried the mission will be very dangerous and Franklin will be
unable to help. Franklin is not completely convinced, but has no
arguments to give. Before Garibaldi leaves, Franklin says: "If you
ever got a problem, anything at all you want to talk about... you know
where to find me."

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<P>
<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/100/tre13.jpeg">

Garibaldi arrives at the Drazi Homeworld and is promptly contacted by
his friend, Tafiq Azir. Tafiq knows the pilot is hiding, and why: the
pilot's employers are not happy he lost the ship, and the Drazi agents
that awaited the cargo want to take their losses out on him. They
would all rather he was dead, including the Government, who would have
to explain its involvement with smuggling. The pilot, in short, wants
to get off planet. Tafiq has made arrangements: the pilot will signal
Garibaldi's balcony from a near-by park, and Tafiq will arrange for a
shuttle. A knock on the door announces the arrival of room service:
Tafiq has ordered a bottle of some alcoholic drink. At first,
Garibaldi refuses the drink, but he quickly changes his mind and
starts drinking.

<P>

As night falls, Garibaldi is asleep on his chair, drunk. Tafiq leaves
to finalize the arrangements, but he is assaulted in the hallway
outside the room, and shot in the chest. Garibaldi, however, is too
far gone to hear it.

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<P>
<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/100/tre19.jpeg">

Some time later, Garibaldi awakes. As he stands on the balcony, he
notices the signal from the pilot flashing. Garibaldi runs out, but he
comes upon a Drazi going through Tafiq's clothing. In the ensuing
fistfight, the Drazi is tossed out the balcony, but a large flying
vehicle flashes a spotlight on Garibaldi. Garibaldi runs to Tafiq, but
it is too late to save him. With his dying breath, Tafiq tells
Garibaldi to go and save the pilot. In the park, three robed figures,
their heads obscured by hoods, are beating a man. Garibaldi tries to
intervene, but they are too much for him, and he gets a beating
instead. As the Drazi authorities approach, the hooded figures
leave. Before the Drazi arrive, Garibaldi confirms that the pilot is
dead, and he escapes through the narrow streets of the Drazi capital.

<P>

In Sheridan's office, Delenn receives an emergency transmission from
Garibaldi. The mission has failed catastrophically, and everyone is
after him. She arranges for a White Star to pick him up and take him
back to Babylon 5.

<P>

Outside G'Kar's quarters, Narns are waiting, reading the Book of
G'Kar. Ta'lon knocks on the door, only to receive a curt "Go away!"
from G'Kar. But after he identifies himself, G'Kar lets him, and only
him, inside.

<P>

G'Kar doesn't want to be a leader, religious or secular. He is
overwhelmed by the attention. "I have nothing to teach them," he tells
Ta'lon.  But Ta'lon disagrees. For a hundred years, the Narns have
only taught each other to hate and to fight. But in this New Age, the
Narn need new lessons.

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<P>
<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/100/tre26.jpeg">

"I have not personally read your book," Ta'lon admits, "but I have
seen the light of understanding come into their eyes. It is not about
teaching, it is about unlearning hate and fear."

<P>

G'Kar does not want to lead others, afraid they may be forced
to pay the price of his mistakes. What if he leads them the wrong way,
teaches them the wrong lesson? Even worse, what if they come, not
because of the lesson but because of the teacher? G'Kar fears his own
shadow may become larger than his the message.

<P>

"If that happens," answers Ta'lon, "I give you my word that I will
personally kill you." Not much comfort, perhaps, but the only comfort
Ta'lon, as a warrior, is capable of giving. Mollified, G'Kar comes
out, faces his admirers, and invites them in.

<P>

In Sheridan's office, Delenn, Sheridan, Garibaldi and G'Kar are going
over Garibaldi's mission. The only thing Garibaldi has is a button
from one of the cloaked figures; he also knows, from the way they felt
when he hit them, that they were not Drazi. Garibaldi figures the ones
behind the attacks are the ones who killed the pilot. The fact that
they knew about him indicates that there is a leak somewhere.

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<P>
<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/100/tre29.jpeg">

Londo arrives late to the meeting and notices the button Garibaldi
found. It is, he says, the button of a uniform of the Palace Guard;
they are not found anywhere else. The others are taken aback by the
revelation, and quickly move on to the next topic. After Londo leaves,
however, they stay and talk. They agree the Centauri are almost
certainly behind the attacks, but that Londo probably does not know
about them. On the other hand, it was probably through him that those
responsible found out about Garibaldi's mission.

<P>

G'Kar advises that Londo be told nothing.  If Londo is told about
their findings, he will be outraged and try to trace the attacks to
their source. And shortly thereafter, he will be killed. He recounts
the assassination attempt on Londo in Centauri Prime (<a
href="../guide/097.html">"In the Kingdom of the Blind"</a>), and
explains that two factions are at work in the Centauri Royal
Court. Londo is alive because one of the factions wants him alive, and
if he starts to ask the wrong questions he will become a liability and
be killed. Until they find out which faction is behind it, Londo must
be kept out of the loop. The rest agree.

<P>

Delenn is puzzled, however. There is no reason for the Centauri to do
this: they need the Alliance as much as everyone else. "There is
something here we are missing," she muses out loud.

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<P>
<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/100/tre33.jpeg">

Franklin later goes to see Sheridan. Dr. Benjamin Kyle (<a
href="../guide/000.html">"The Gathering"</a>) will retire as head of
Xenobiological Research in Earthdome at the end of the year, and has
asked Franklin to take over for him. After careful thought, Franklin
has decided to accept. He points out this will even help in putting
the information on cross-species infection together for the Alliance
(<a href="../guide/094.html">"Strange Relations"</a>). It also means,
however, that he has to leave Babylon 5 by the end of the
year. Sheridan is not happy on a personal level, since he values both
Franklin's work and his friendship. But he agrees it is a great promotion and
great opportunity.

<P>

Franklin promises to tell everyone himself, especially Garibaldi. He
goes to put a call to the latter right away, but Garibaldi doesn't
hear the incoming message. He is passed out on his bed, an empty
bottle of whiskey on his night stand.