lurkers-guide/synops/111

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

<P>
<i>In the year 2278, a boy and a girl are playing in the Centauri
Royal Palace, and come upon an open window. Through it, they can see
the city burning outside. Their nurse finds them and warns that they
should not be playing there and should not look outside. All the
windows in the palace except for this one are covered up, and this one
is for the Emperor. As they are about to leave, they are interrupted
by Emperor Londo Mollari.</i>

<P>
<i>"It's all right," he says. "It's been a long time since I've heard
the sound of laughter in this room." The Emperor asks them to come
closer, and the boy identifies himself as Luc Jaddo
(<a href="../guide/039.html">"Knives"</a>) and
his sister Lyssa.</i>

<P>
<i>Londo offers Luc the opportunity to give one order. "Make it a good
one," he says. As the boy thinks, Londo prompts him again: "What do
you want?" "Tell me a story!" Luc replies -- a better answer to that
question, Londo reflects, than his own.</i>

<P>
<i>"A story about great deeds," Londo eventually begins. "About
armies of light and soldiers of darkness. About the places where they
lived, and fought, and loved, and died. About great empires, and
terrible mistakes. A true story. You see, I was there, at the dawn of
the Third Age...</i>

<P>
In the year 2243, in Earth Dome, a young Londo Mollari, liasion to the
Centauri delegation, arrives at General Lefcourt's
(<a href="../guide/086.html">"Endgame"</a>)
office, where the general and a presidential aide are
waiting. Following Earth's victory in the Dilgar war
(<a href="../guide/009.html">"Deathwalker"</a>),
the Earth government has been extending their sphere of influence,
making deals and treaties with the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. Some aliens
have been receptive, some hostile, and some are a mystery. Among the
latter are the Minbari. The General has asked Londo to his office to
see if he has any information about the Minbari. Londo says the
Centauri have had some dealings with them in the past, but nothing
recently. The aide explains that Earth is preparing to send an
expedition to Minbari space, to see if they pose a threat to Earth's
expansion, and they need all the information they can get.

<P>
Londo advises them to send only one ship. He explains that the Minbari
are one of the oldest space faring races, and even at the height of
Centauri expansion they never dared oppose them. The Minbari won't bother
Earth if they are left alone, he says. But the aide and the General
are not listening, and are confident that Earth can handle whatever
comes its way. Londo promises to give them the information they
requested, but nothing more. "I only hope," says Londo, "that in your
stumbling around you do not wake the dragon."

<P>
Meanwhile on the Minbari homeworld, Lenonn, leader of the
<i>Anla'shok</i> (the Rangers) is meeting with Callier, a warrior caste
member. Lenonn has requested more support and men for the
<i>Anla'shok</i>, who are not well regarded by the warriors. The
prophecies of Valen indicate that this is the time when the
<i>Anla'shok</i> will be needed most, but the warrior caste elders
have denied his request. Lenonn demands to see the Grey Council and
make his case personally, as is his right. Callier warns that going
over the heads of the caste elders will offend them, but Lenonn does
not care.

<P>
That night, Lenonn is awakened by silent attendants who escort him
before Dukhat, leader of the Minbari,  and the Grey Council. Lenonn
recalls Valen's prophecy that the Shadows would return in a thousand
years, a time almost upon them now, and says the Rangers are not
ready; they are few, most of them old and tired, mocked by some even
in the Grey Council, and by the Warrior caste who consider them an
embarrassment, who do not believe in the prophecy of Valen.

<P>
Dukhat replies that the prophecy also says the <i>Anla'shok</i> will
arise, so why not wait until there is proof? Besides, prophecy only
concerns the religious caste; what does Lenonn have for the Workers
and the Warriors? "All I can say is that I believe," replies
Lenonn. "What more is there to say?" The rangers need money,
resources, and people; and Lenonn also suggests contacting the
Vorlons.

<P>
Coplann, a member of the Grey Council and the Warrior caste scoffs at
the idea. In the last hundred years no ship sent to contact the
Vorlons has returned. "Let them appear," says Coplann, "to give us
something to believe in." He takes their absence as further proof that
no danger exists.

<P>
Delenn, not yet officially a member of the Council but in attendance
nonetheless, suggests instead an expedition to Z'ha'dum, homeworld of
the Shadows, to verify whether the Shadows have returned. Coplann
argues that such an expedition would cause panic if it were generally
known, and Dukhat agrees with him. Therefore, Dukhat announces, the
Grey Council itself will go to see the truth of the prophecy,
travelling in secret and via an indirect route. The Council is
dismissed, and Dukhat returns to his sanctum to meditate. In his
sanctum, and clearly known to him, are two Vorlons in their encounter suits.

<P>
On Earth, Lt. Cmdr. John Sheridan arrives at Gen. Lefcourt's
office. Gen. Lefcourt offers Sheridan the first officer position
aboard the Prometheus, which is leading the expedition to the border
of Minbari space. Sheridan feels an obligation to Captain Sterns, his
current captain aboard the Lexington, and he does not feel
comfortable leaving the ship, or joining Capt. Jankowski aboard the
Prometheus. Capt. Jankowski is considered a loose cannon by people who
have served under him, and he doesn't handle first contact situations
"as well as others." Although Jankowski was completely cleared of
responsibility for something called "the Omega incident," Sheridan
would rather avoid the situation. Gen. Lefcourt considers this a bad
move for Sheridan, but if Sheridan wants to shoot his own career in
the foot, that is his problem. Sheridan is dismissed.

<P>
Aboard the Grey Council ship, just prior to the ceremony to officially
make her a member of the Council, Delenn notices secret supplies
arriving. She discovers they are brought every week on Dukhat's
personal orders, and have to do with life support and alternate
atmospheres. Dukhat overhears her investigations and reminds her of
the coming ceremony. Delenn confides to him her suspicions, that the
supplies have to do with Vorlons who may be among them secretely,
obviously known to Dukhat, but Dukhat neither confirms nor denies
this. However, he tells her "If you ever have doubt about your
actions, all you need do is look upon the face of a Vorlon. Once you
see that all doubt is erased forever." (See Dr. Kyle's comments in
<a href="../guide/000.html">"The Gathering"</a>;
also
<a href="../guide/022.html">"Chrysalis."</a>)

<P>
The Prometheus arrives at the given coordinates as the ceremony to
induct Delenn is taking place. The Prometheus picks up the silhouette
of the Grey Council cruiser. They were not expecting any ships in this
area, and Capt. Jankowski does not understand her presence. "Unless
they are waiting for us," he muses out loud. He does not want to jump
back out unless thay are detected, however, to avoid putting the jump
engines under strain, and thinking about the likely medals he will
receive for bringing information on the Minbari warships back with
him.

<P>
The first officer reminds the Captain that their orders are to avoid a
first contact situation, but Capt. Jankowski ignores him and orders
his ships to approach. Their scanners are having a hard time locking on,
and they cannot pick up anything more than a silhouette, so
Capt. Jankowski orders them to get even closer, trying to obtain as much
information as they can before being detected. Over the objections of
this first officer, he adds, "We handled the Dilgar, we can handle a
few stray ships."

<P>
Aboard the Minbari ship, they have picked up the echo of the Earth
ships. To confirm whether it is aliens, a member of the Grey Council
has ordered the scanners on maximum but does not think they should
bother Dukhat until they have more information.

<P>
The powerful scanners are so strong that they interfere with the Earth
ship's jump engines, so the Prometheus cannot jump
out. Capt. Jankowski gets more and more agitated, conjecturing that
this is being done deliberately. He calls a Red Alert, and tries
telling the Minbari that they mean no harm.

<P>
Dukhat is informed of the ships, and that they are talking but cannot
be understood. The Grey Council member who ordered the scan says they
are approaching with gunports open, as per Warrior caste custom: a
sign of respect. Capt. Jankowski misinterprets the gesture and unable
to tell whether the Minbari have locked their weapons on them because
of the interference from the scanners, he grows ever more agitated and
finally orders the ships to open fire. They manage to damage the Grey
Council ship, mortally injuring Dukhat and shutting down the
scanners. As Dukhat dies in Delenn's arms, the Prometheus and her
escort turn around and flee.

<P>
A Council member approaches Delenn as she holds the dead body of
Dukhat. The Council is divided: should they follow the humans to their
base and take revenge, or wait and try to understand what happened?
Delenn's vote will break the tie. Delenn, distraught over the death of
the Minbari leader and mad with grief, votes for revenge: "They struck
without provocation... there was no reason... Animals! Brutal... They
deserve no mercy... Strike them down! Follow them to their bases and
kill all of them! All of them! No mercy!"

<P>
<i>"With the death of their leader Dukhat," continues Londo, "the
Minbari went mad. They swore revenge, and began a holy war which could
only end with the complete extermination of Mankind..."</i>

<P>
Gen. Lefcourt and Gen. Fontaine host a massive briefing for Earth
Force personnel, where they shows images of dozens of Minbari heavy
cruisers destroying an orbitting station and Earth cruisers. The
Minbari are attacking and destroying everything, even ships which are
not capable of fighting any more. They are not responding to
communications, and ignoring offers of surrender. Since the first
engagement, Earth Force has not won a single battle, as the Minbari
ships are immensely superior and Earth Force cannot even break the
Minbari stealth technology. The briefing is to make sure everyone
understands, and relays to their ships, two things. One, that Earth
Force needs a victory, any victory, to boost morale. "And two,"
concludes Gen. Lefcourt, "that unless we find a way to defeat the
Minbari, the human race ends with the current generation."

<P>
At the briefing are Sheridan and Capt. Sterns of the
Lexington. Although the Lexington is an old ship that was not expected
to see action again, it is being made ready. Also there is Ganya
Ivanov, a fighter pilot who is visited by his younger sister
Susan. Susan promises to join Earth Force when she turns eighteen in a
few months, despite her father's likely objections, and she gives
Ganya one of her earrings "for luck."

<P>
In Geneva, Londo is talking again to the presidential aide. Earth
knows the Centauri will not intervene militarily, but they would like
strategic and tactical support from them. And, as Londo points out,
weapons. Centauri are more advanced, and the weapons may give Earth a
fighting chance. But although Earth offers to pay any price, the
Centauri are worried about possible retaliation by the Minbari should
they find out, and consider the humans a dying race anyway because of
the war. Centauri Prime will not help.

<P>
The aide returns to his office, where G'Kar of the Narn regime
waits. G'Kar predicted the Centauri would react this way, but the Narn
are willing to help. When the Narn drove the Centauri away from their
home, they seized many weapons they have since learned how to
replicate. They will sell them to Earth, but for a high price. Asked
if he is worried about Minbari retaliation, he reasons that if the
Minbari capture any weapons, they will blame the Centauri, which is an
excellent outcome for the Narn. The aide agrees to the terms, having
little choice.

<P>
The massive Minbari fleet continues its advance. But Delenn has lost
her taste for the war. "Dukhat would have never approved of this
slaughter," she argues to another member of the Council. Lenonn agrees
with her, accusing the Warriors of being afraid of losing against
stronger opponents, the Shadows, and therefore embracing genocidal war
against the humans, who have no chance of victory.

<P>
Later, when Delenn and Lenonn are alone, Lenonn informs her that he
has recreated Dukhat's sanctum in this new ship. Only the two of them
have access to it for now, and he advises her to go there very soon.

<P>
When Delenn goes, she finds two Vorlons in their encounter
suits. One of them identifies himself as Kosh, and shows Delenn a
projection made by Dukhat before his death. The Vorlons have told
Dukhat that the Minbari will need allies in the coming war, and
have specifically mentioned the humans. Dukhat hopes that the person
hearing the message will help bring them to the war against the
Shadows on the Minbari side. Kosh further tells Delenn that the humans
"are the key." Lenonn emerges from the shadows in the sanctum and says
the war against the humans must be stopped.

<P>
Back on Earth, Dr. Stephen Franklin, recently re-enlisted, is
confronted by Gen. Fontaine. Franklin spent some time hitchhicking
through space, exchanging medical service for free passage. During
this time, he came into contact with some Minbari who had been
seriously injured. He was unable to save them, but performed autopsies
and took detailed medical notes. He has not provided Earth Force with
these notes, since he knows they will be used by the BioGenetic
Division to attempt to create a biogenic weapon to wipe out the
Minbari. As a doctor, he cannot allow that. Under the Military Code of
Justice, the General cannot order him to turn in the notes, but
Gen. Fontaine does not care. He has Franklin arrested and his office
and home searched. He will be held under arrest until he turns in the
notes the General "requested." "And God help you, son," Gen. Fontaine
tells Franklin. "From now on, the blood of every soldier who dies in
this war is on your hands."

<P>
In space, the Lexington and her group have been under hit and run
attacks for the past few days. They are all tired and under
pressure. They pick up a lone Minbari short range transport and follow
it to an asteroid belt, where the transport engines apparently fail,
leaving the transport adrift. Sheridan realizes it is a trap, but
before the group can break formation a Minbari heavy cruiser jumps in
the middle of the group. The hyperspace distortion and the cuirser
make quick work of the group, destroying most of the ships in a matter
of seconds. The Lexington is hit and loses engines and
weapons. Capt. Sterns' chair is hit by flying debris, crushing him to
death. The Lexington is left adrift in the asteroid belt, the Minbari
thinking it dead already.

<P> In Delenn's quarters, Lenonn and Delenn are trying to figure out
what to do. Until now, the Minbari have only hit outer colonies,
sparsely populated, but soon they will start approaching the inner
colonies closer to Earth. Every day they delay will make stopping the
war that much harder. Delenn suggests opening negotiations with the
humans, but no member of the Grey Council can go by himself; and the
humans will probably think it is a trap anyway. But, she suggests,
Lenonn is respected, and has a history of service and unchallenged
loyalty, making him a perfect choice. The Minbari know of the deal
between humans and Narns, and Delenn suggests using the Narn as
intermediaries to arrange a meeting in neutral territory. Despite the
dangers, Lenonn agrees, happy to be able to serve his people
again. With luck, a meeting can take place in three or four weeks.

<P>
Adrift on the Lexington, Sheridan comes up with a desperate plan. He
orders three tactical nukes put on asteroids as mines. When they are
ready, he sends a distress signal. The Minbari cruiser intercepts the
transmission and turns back to destroy the Lexington. Before they can
fire, Sheridan detonates the nukes, destroying the cruiser.

<p>
The cruiser turns out to be the Black Star, the Minbari flagship. Upon
the Lexington's return to Earth, the news of the destruction, the only
victory Earth Force has managed so far, is the morale boost
Gen. Lefcourt was hoping for.

<P>
Gen. Lefcourt congratulates Sheridan. "You were right to stay where
you are," the General says. "Thank you for arguing with me." While the
Lexington is undergoing repairs, Gen. Lefcourt sends Sheridan to the
rendezvous with the Minbari, now arranged through the Narn. It is to
take place in an abandonded Earth listening post in the Epsilon system,
and G'Kar will go as
a mediator and translator if needed. Dr. Franklin, who has agreed to
help as his only way out of the stockade, will also go to verify that
the other party are indeed Minbari. If it is safe and the Minbari are
serious, negotiators will follow, to surrender if necessary.

<P> <i>"We all have our orders..." muses Londo. "My orders were to
prevent the Narns from using the war to establish closer ties with the
humans. We learned of their mission, and we assumed it was an arms
shipment. We didn't know. We couldn't know that it was an attempt to
end the war. And so, I gave the order to intercept it."</i>

<P> A Narn heavy cruiser delivers G'Kar, Sheridan and Franklin to the
listening post on the surface of a desolate planet, where they meet
Lenonn. Lenonn knew Sheridan was coming, and knows what he did to the
Black Star. He also knows, he says, that it was necessary. "I also
know many of my people will not forget," adds Lenonn. "I speak for
them. We must find a way to resolve this, so that many more of your
people not get killed. We..." but before he can finish, G'Kar is
contacted by his ship; someone is coming through the jumpgate. Before
the ship can say anything more, they are destroyed. A Centauri cruiser
has opened fire on them, and then fires several missiles at the
surface. In the explosion, Lenonn is mortally wounded. Before he dies,
he explains that his people will blames his death on Sheridan, so he
tells Sheridan what to tell them.

<P> <i>"They never knew who had attacked them," explains Londo. "Each
side assumed it was a renegade arm of their own government. But it was
us, and it was my order that destroyed their last chance for
peace..."</i>

<P> The Minbari soon arrive to find Lenonn dead. Sheridan, Franklin
and G'Kar are brought before a hooded Delenn. G'Kar is to be sent away
and the two humans questioned prior to their execution. But before
they are taken away, Sheridan starts yelling. "I have a message! I
know what is in Dukhat's sacred place!" When asked by Delenn what is
there, he replies <i>"Insil'zha"</i>. Delenn realizes they are not to
blame for Lenonn's death and orders them released. Although stunned,
the Minbari obey her. When Franklin asks G'Kar what the word means,
G'Kar replies "The future."

<P> <i>"With their one chance for peace ruined, and Lenonn dead, the
war escalated..." Londo pauses in his story and looks out the
window. He explains he had all windows blocked, afraid that if he saw
the burning city unprepared he would break down and cry. "But there is
hope," he says. "But it will be hard. It will be so very hard..."</i>

<P> <i>Londo returns to his seat and continues the story. "Where was
I?  Yes, the war. The humans, I think, knew they were doomed. But
where another race would surrender to despair, the humans fought back
with even greater strength. They made the Minbari fight for every inch
of space. In my life I have never seen anything like it. They would
weep, they would pray, they would say goodbye to their loved
ones... and they would throw themselves, without any fear or
hesitation, on the very face of Death itself, never surrendering. No
one who saw them fighting against the inevitable could help but be
moved to tears by their courage, their stubborn nobility. When they
ran out of ships, they used guns. When they ran out of guns, they used
knives, and sticks, and bare hands. They were magnificent. I only hope
that when it is my time, I may die with half as much dignity as I saw
in their eyes, at the end.</i>

<P> <i>"They did this for <b>two years</b>. They never ran out of
courage, but in the end, they ran out of time..."</i>

<P> On Earth, the Earth Alliance President addresses the military
forces that are left, and tells them of the fall of Proxima and Beta
Durani. Earth has also lost contact with Io, and they believe the
Minbari will bypass Mars and strike Earth directly at any
moment. Despite broadcasting a surrender and a plea for mercy, the
Minbari have not responded. To buy more time for the evacuation of
Earth, every ship capable of fighting is being asked to join the final
defense of Earth. "We will not lie to you," the President says in
broken tones. "We do not believe that survival is a possibility. We
believe that everyone who joins this battle will never come home. But
for every ten minutes we can delay the military advance, several
hundred more civilians may have a chance to escape to neutral
territory. Though Earth may fall, the human race must have a chance to
continue elsewhere. No greater sacrifice has ever been asked of a
people, but I ask you now, to step forward one last time, one last
battle to hold the line against the night. May God go with you all."

<P>
Hundreds of ships of all sizes hold position around Earth as the
Minbari approach in hyperspace. The Grey Council assembles to oversee
the end of the campaign. On her way to the Council, Delenn stops at
Dukhat's sanctum and talks to the Vorlons. She says she has failed,
and the war has taken a life of its own, despite the fact that even
the Warrior caste has lost its taste for it. She believes that even
now they would agree to stop if there were a reason to do so, but
there is none. Running out of time, unsure of what to do, she begs the
Vorlons to tell her what to do. But they remain silent. As she is
about to leave, Kosh says "The truth points to itself." Delenn doesn't
understand, but Kosh tells her to leave before it is too late.

<P> Alpha group, led by Jeffrey Sinclair, is first to encounter the
enemy, a scouting party. "Hold the line," orders Sinclair. "No one
gets through, no matter what."

<P> The Grey Council oversees as hundreds of Minbari ships jump into
normal space and start firing. They quickly destroy all of Alpha group
except for Sinclair himself. Without any weapons left, his ship about
to explode, he turns on a cruiser intent on ramming it. The Cruiser is
the Grey Council ship.

<P> Delenn suggests they capture a human to interrogate him about the
defenses on Earth. When asked to choose a pilot, she recalls Kosh's
words and chooses Sinclair's ship. The cruiser uses an energy beam to
stop and tractor in Sinclair's ship, as the battle continues around
him. Coplann, a Grey Council member of the Warrior caste, leaves to
conduct the interrogation. Later, Delenn, unable to watch more death, leaves
the room, and is intercepted by a troubled Coplann. They were using the
triluminary to probe Sinclair's mind, and something happened. Coplann
thinks Delenn and the rest of the Council should see this immediately.

<P>
The triluminary glows when close to the beaten Sinclair, an
indication that he has a Minbari soul. Moreover, as Delenn points out,
it is not any Minbari soul, but the sould of Valen himself. Coplann
cannot believe it, but the trilumniary is the holiest Minbari relic
and cannot be questioned. Delenn reasons that Valen was reborn as a
human, a sign that humanity is important to the coming Shadow
War. Since Minbari do not kill Minbari, "we cannot kill them,"
concludes Delenn. "In the name of Valen, and he who is Valen's shadow
in this life, we cannot kill them."

<P>
The ships are to be ordered to stop immediately. As Coplann leaves to
see to it, another Council member points out that the rest of the
Minbari people are not ready to know this, it would cause panic. It is
suggested that Sinclair's mind be wiped of this memory, to ensure
secrecy, and that a close watch is to be kept on him to make sure he
does not remember. "Leave that to me," says Delenn. "We will keep him
close to us, one way or another."

<P>
<i>"For the next ten years," continues Londo, "one question would
obsess a hundred worlds: Why did the Minbari surrender at the Battle
of the Line, on the very eve of victory? The answer to that question
would change the Galaxy forever..." concludes Londo, as he finishes
his tale.</i>
<P>

<i> Londo orders the children out, as he has things to do. Before
they leave, Luc asks about Sheridan and Delenn and the end of the
story. Londo tells them that Sheridan became president of a great
Alliance, Delenn ever at his side. "The story..." Londo says, "is not
over yet. The story is never over." "Did they live happily ever
after?" asks Lyssa, the first words she has spoken out loud in the
presence of the Emperor.</i>

<P>
<i>"That remains to be seen..." replies Londo, and the children
leave. Londo orders several bottles of alcohol and asks that "the
prisoners" be brought to him in an hour. When the guard leaves to
execute the order, Londo turns on a projector, where she sees Delenn
and Sheridan in a cell in Centauri Prime
(<a href="../guide/061.html">"War Without End, Part Two."</a>)
Londo takes his cup, and in a mock toast to the
screen, he says "To the future, my old friends," as he settles back on
his throne to drink.</i>