lurkers-guide/synops/103

<h3>Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)</h3>

<p>
Garibaldi enters the Zocalo, which lies in ruins, fires and dead
bodies everywhere. Garibaldi himself looks bloody and beaten. Among
the dead is Sheridan, shot through the head. Next to him, a sign in
blood reads, "You failed me." Zack Allan is also dead, next to another
message in blood: "Where were you?"

<P>
Franklin is still alive, barely. "We needed you..." he gasps, before
being shot. Laughter echoes through the Zocalo. Another Garibaldi,
carrying a big gun, steps out from among the debris and claims
responsibility. The beaten Garibaldi backs away, and something creeps
out of a bar and starts engulfing him...

<P>
...and Garibaldi wakes with a start. It was a dream. Sitting on his
bed is Lyta, her eyes glowing. She explains she has decided to stop
hiding what the Vorlons did to her, and she is testing her limits. But
Garibaldi shouldn't have woken up. "This is just a dream," she tells
him, and Garibaldi wakes up again. There is no one in the room.

<P>
Then the door opens, and Lise Hampton comes in. She's come to see
Garibaldi, since he had promised he would stay on Babylon 5 only for a
short while (a promise he has not kept), and she misses him.

<P>
Delenn is picking up some papers from Sheridan's office when a call
from Lennier comes in. Since Sheridan isn't around, she takes it
there. Lennier reports three more attacks on Alliance ships, and no
witnesses or evidence. However, twenty minutes before each attack,
they intercepted coded Centauri signals. Given enough time, he will
be able to decode them.

<P>
Lennier also asks if Sheridan knows about his mission. Delenn says he
does not, but just then Sheridan starts to walk in; he stops outside,
and overhears the final exchanges between Lennier and Delenn. Sheridan
now knows where Lennier is and what he is doing.

<P>
Elsewhere, Lyta is trying to make a deal with a human
businessman. Lyta wants a deep-range explorer ship, capable of
holding two hundred telepaths. They will explore unknown planets for
the man's company, using telepathy to help in cases of first contact
and to make things far more efficient. In exchange, if they find a
suitable, uninhabited planet, they get to form a colony.

<P>
The businessman is not interested, though. Working with rogue
telepaths would invalidate their insurance, and violate their contract
with the Psi Corps. They cannot afford either one. In his opinion,
neither can any other company. The resources needed would be too
great. Lyta thinks about it briefly after he leaves, and gets an idea:
she schedules an appointment with G'Kar for later that day.

<P>
Vir is going over the day's business with Londo. The Royal Court
wants the schedule of transports from Alliance worlds to Centauri
Prime. A most unusual request, according to Londo, since the Royal
Court has never before shown interest in this sort of thing. To
Londo's surprise, this is in fact the only business for the day. An
appointment with the Drazi Minister of Finance, and a photo
opportunity with the Gaim Ambassador have both been cancelled. Vir
thinks it has to do with the boycott of Alliance business (<a
href="../guide/100.html">"The Ragged Edge"</a>), but Londo points
out that these sorts of contacts must be maintained, regardless of the
situation with the Alliance. Londo is perplexed.

<P>
Lise starts to make some coffee, and discovers a bottle under the
sink. She angrily confronts Garibaldi. She's seen
what alcohol has done to Garibaldi before, ruining his life at least
twice. Garibaldi admits to some drinking, but claims he has it under
control. She demands Garibaldi not drink while she's there, if he
really has it under control. It won't make her happy, but it is a
start. Garibaldi agrees, and pours the contents of the bottle down the
drain.

<P>
In hyperspace, aboard the <i>Maria,</i> Lennier is working on decoding
the Centauri transmissions, when Montoya comes in to ask him about his
progress. Lennier says all he has been able to decode are three words:
"do not reply." He believes they are being sent to a staging base. If
so, the base must have a tachyon stream to help transmissions, and if
they can locate it at the moment of another transmission, they can
follow it to the base. Montoya then receives a message from Babylon 5:
Lennier's theory will stay a theory. The <i>Maria</i> has been
recalled immediately, by order of Sheridan himself.

<P>
On Babylon 5, Delenn is asking Sheridan why the recall. He explains he
found out about the covert mission, and since it was being done
without his knowledge, he has cancelled it. It was inappropriate,
Sheridan claims, to assign Lennier there without telling him. Delenn
agrees, but also says it was inappropriate for Sheridan not to assign
Lennier there in the first place. Although he was the best qualified for
such a mission, Sheridan was trying to protect Delenn by keeping
Lennier safe.

<P>
Sheridan finally admits that his was the case, just when he gets a
message from the <i>Maria</i>: Lennier has taken a one man fighter and
left the ship. They cannot find him.

<P>
Lennier is in hyperspace, following the tachyon beam as he had
planned. The possible location for the base, though, is too far for
his air supply to last. So he enters a meditation trance to conserve
as much of his oxygen as he can (<a
href="../guide/102.html">"Meditations on the Abyss"</a>).

<P>
Lyta arrives for her appointment with G'Kar. She recalls the offer
G'Kar made when she came on board (<a href="../guide/000.html">"The
Gathering"</a>), when he offered to buy access to her DNA. She wants
to take him up on it now. G'Kar acknowledges the Narn would like to
reacquire telepaths, and her DNA would be a great help. Lyta offers
him access to the DNA sequence of as many telepaths as they want, in
exchange for certain considerations: a lot of money, deposited to an
account on Mars; at least five deep-range starships, capable of
holding a hundred telepaths each; and absolute secrecy. G'Kar
expresses concerns that the last point may violate their obligations
as members of the Alliance, but Lyta points out this is an internal
matter for the Narn Government, and thus not subject to Alliance
jurisdiction. She leaves to let him think about it.

<P>
Garibaldi and Lise arrive at the Fresh Air Cafe for dinner. Lise says
she really is looking forward to Garibaldi's return to Mars: she needs
him to help her deal with Edgars Industries. There is much she doesn't
understand about the business, and much that frightens her. She asks what
Sheridan's reaction was when Garibaldi told him he was leaving, but
his evasions show he hasn't told Sheridan yet. The Maitre D' arrives and
asks if they want anything to drink. Garibaldi orders coffee. When it
arrives, Garibaldi claims it is the worst coffee he has ever had,
stands up, cup in hand, and heads to the kitchen to complain. But once
out of sight, he takes out a small vial from his jacket and pours
some alcohol into the coffee before heading in again.

<P>
Sheridan and Delenn receive a report on the search for
Lennier. Although three more White Stars have joined the search, they
have found no trace of him. Sheridan orders them to continue. Montoya
points out that the air in the fighter will be running out any time
now, even if Lennier went into meditation to lower his consumption of
oxygen.

<P>
Indeed, the air in Lennier's fighter is almost gone. Fortunately, a
Centauri ship overtakes him, following the tachyon relay. Lennier
engages full stealth, and attaches the fighter to the warship, drawing
air from it. Then, the warship jumps into normal space, and Lennier's
perseverance is rewarded: they have arrived at the Centauri staging
base.

<P>
In bed, Sheridan is apologizing to Delenn for his earlier behavior,
and acknowledges she was right to send Lennier on that mission. He is
also trying to convince her it was not her fault that he is missing,
probably dead. But Delenn will not accept Lennier's death until she
has seen a body.

<P>
In the morning, Londo receives an urgent message from Centauri
Prime. A Minister says that they have information that Sheridan and
the others want to blame the Centauri for the attacks, and are even
ready to fabricate evidence if that is what is needed. Londo claims
Sheridan would not do that. But the Minister points out that the Narn
have access to many ships and weapons that were left behind when the
Centauri left Narn; and even though G'Kar would not fabricate
evidence, other Narn consider him too close to the Centauri and might go
ahead without his knowledge. "You must do everything you can to stop
them from blaming our people for these attacks," the Minister tells
Londo. "If they attempt to move against us, we will fight back." It
could cause a war.

<P>
Lyta arrives at G'Kar's quarters to hear his answer. G'Kar has
contacted his government, and they agree to Lyta's terms. They do have
one more stipulation, however: they want Lyta and her fellow telepaths
to "listen in" to the other ambassadors from time to time, and report
to Narn. Lyta thinks about it briefly, but declines. Although she has
discovered she can do many things she couldn't do before, she cannot
do this. She still has a shred of decency left. The deal is off. She
turns to leave.

<P>
G'Kar stops her before she exits. There is no such condition: he
wanted to see how far she was willing to go. Had she agreed, G'Kar
would have known that he couldn't trust her, and there would be no
deal. Now, they can go ahead. She'll have her money, the ships, and
support from the Narn.

<P>
Lennier's fighter is still attached to the Centauri ship, which is
again in hyperspace, part of an attack group. Lennier starts recording
when they jump back into normal space. There, they attack a convoy
without warning, destroying it completely despite offers to
surrender. When the Centauri depart, Lennier stays behind, floating
among the debris. Once they leave, he sends out a distress call, and
prays for the dead.

<P>
On Babylon 5, Sheridan receives the good news. The <i>Maria</i> has
rescued Lennier and is heading back to Babylon 5. And he has the proof
they need. Sheridan tells Delenn, and she is overcome with
emotion. She leaves, and in the corridor outside she leans against a
wall, crying and laughing. Londo happens to walk by, and asks if she
is all right. She turns, and silently goes over and embraces him.

<P>
"What? What is this for?" Londo asks, confused. "I have never done
that, in all the time you and I have been here," Delenn replies. "And
I think, very soon, we will never have another chance." She walks away
slowly, leaving Londo just as confused as before.

<P>
Later, Delenn and Sheridan welcome Lennier back. Lennier gives
Sheridan the recordings he made, and goes off to rest. "We have worked
months to get this information," Sheridan says, "and now that I have
it, a part of me wants to throw it through an airlock. I was hoping we
were wrong, Delenn." "So was I," replies Delenn. But now they know the
truth, and they have an obligation to follow through. They will have a
closed meeting tomorrow to review the evidence. Garibaldi comes in
then, since Sheridan was looking for him. Sheridan says wants to meet with
Garibaldi, Franklin, and G'Kar as soon as possible.

<P>
Franklin is with Londo, discussing the plans for a biological data
base for the Alliance (<a href="../guide/094.html">"Strange
Relations"</a>), when Vir
interrupts. He tells Londo that a meeting is in the works for
tomorrow, a sure indication they have evidence to present regarding
the attacks. However, everyone is invited except Londo. "I don't like
this," says Londo. "I don't like this at all. This is going to be
bad."

<P>
Lise is preparing dinner, and Garibaldi comes in. He wants her out and
back to Mars as soon as possible. Because, barring a miracle, they
will soon be at war with the Centauri.