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182 lines
9.6 KiB
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[1][ISMAP]-[2][Home]
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[3][Guide] [4][Background] ### SYNOPSIS ### [5][Credits] [6][Episode
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List] [7][Previous] [8][Next]
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Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)
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Londo insists on giving Vir unwelcome advice on how to phrase his
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intelligence report regarding Minbar. Just as Vir finally loses his
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temper, Londo receives a call from Centauri Prime telling him that
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Lady Morella, the late Emperor Turhan's third wife, will be arriving
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soon. Delighted, Londo exclaims that everything must go smoothly for
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this important visit. As he goes to prepare he finds his exit blocked
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by a corridor full of people in a panic because the Earth Alliance has
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just declared martial law.
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The latest word for Sheridan and Ivanova from Earth is that President
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Clark has just dissolved the Senate and the Elite Guard is moving in
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on defiant members in their chambers. Joint Chief of Staff General
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Hague is missing, but he left a message for Sheridan: "Everything's
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gone to hell, John. You're on your own." They head to command and
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control to try to steady the crew, ordering them to stay at their
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posts and keep a squadron of fighters on patrol at all times.
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Garibaldi catches Sheridan and Ivanova a moment later in the hall and
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relays that an alert has been posted for General Hague, who is trying
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to organize a counter strike. Hague is outnumbered, and the
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conspirators realize that if the general is captured, they will be
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arrested next. If he comes toward B5 they can help him, but in the
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meantime, they and everyone else will keep watching ISN.
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Zack's viewing is interrupted by the Nightwatch liaison telling him to
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come to a critical meeting in a couple of hours--and to bring extra
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caps for his PPG just in case.
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G'Kar's singing is interrupted by Garibaldi setting him free from
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prison. He is quite pleased and obliquely promises some assistance.
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Londo curses the crisis in Docking as he explains how much effort it
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took to arrange Lady Morella's visit. Her importance is due as much to
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her status as the ex-consort as because she is a prophetess, and Londo
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hopes for some much needed advice.
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The four senior officers receive a briefing from General Smits
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informing them that the Political Office has assigned all off-world
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security responsibility to Nightwatch personnel, and over Sheridan's
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protests orders them to obey the chain of command. This is the same
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order that the Nightwatch liaison is relaying to security members in
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their meeting. It is now their responsibility to root out the traitors
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who have sold out Earth throughout the station.
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Returning to his quarters, G'Kar is astonished to find that Ta'lon has
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been guarding the door throughout his incarceration.
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One by one, the security personnel approach the liaison and Zack to
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decide whether to accept the Nightwatch armband or quit duty and hand
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in their weapon and ID. Garibaldi knows what's going on and is
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infuriated by it. It is a matter of personal honor to him that the
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people he has carefully gathered and nurtured are not sold down the
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river by what he considers the squabbles of Earth politicians. Even
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though Sheridan begs him to reconsider, Garibaldi storms down to
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security to confront the Nightwatch armed with only the force of his
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character and his fierce sense of personal loyalty.
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As Londo attends Lady Morella, she speaks about the late emperor's
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efforts to keep the present madness at bay and then asks why Londo
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really asked her to come to the station. With rare candor Londo
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replies that he needs a prophecy to discover whether in the great
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future he envisions for himself, he has any hope of redemption. She
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agrees to give him a reading before she leaves.
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Zack is unable to get the furious Chief to wear an armband or stop him
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from crashing the Nightwatch enrollment procedures. Although they are
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shamed, not a single Nightwatch guard wavers. Just as the Captain
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predicted, Garibaldi is ousted and Zack is placed in command of
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security.
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Alternately musing and inspired, G'Kar tries to explain his revelation
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to Ta'lon. In order to save themselves the Narn must be willing to
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give up pride and vengeance, be willing to die by the millions for
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others and for the Universe itself. The humans are the key, he says,
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and a key that they must turn to find salvation for all.
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The Captain shows Commander Ivanova the official order of martial law
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on B5 which he must impose, but he refuses her offer of assistance in
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order to shield her from association with this despicable command.
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Nightwatch officers move through the Zocalo, breaking up groups of
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tense humans clustered around the news, while Londo tries to present
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the atmosphere in a brighter mood for his tour with Lady Morella. She
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is not taken in by the Ambassador, but is almost swept up in a riot
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that erupts between civilians cheering word of General Hague's escape
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and the Nightwatch. All monitors switch to Sheridan reading the
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declaration of martial law as pandemonium reigns the marketplace.
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Franklin finds Sheridan filled with revulsion for the entire
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situation, and the Nightwatch in particular. Suggesting caution and
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faith in Hague, Franklin reminds the Captain that he can't disobey the
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chain of command. This echo of General Smits prompts Sheridan to
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realize that there was a hidden message in the General's briefing.
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Resplendent in full battle garb, G'Kar stalks into C and C to whisper
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in Ivanova's ear that he has had an idea.
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A stressed and weary Zack comes home to find his living room staked
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out by Garibaldi, Ivanova and G'Kar, with Sheridan ordering him inside
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from the corridor behind.
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Lady Morella is disturbed when an incidental touch passes her Londo's
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vision of himself on the Centauri throne.
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When Zack discloses to the Nightwatch liaison that the Captain intends
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to replace the Nightwatch security personnel with a shipload of Narn
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arriving soon in Bay 9, the man glows with excitement at the prospect
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of catching them and arresting the entire command staff for sedition.
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G'Kar asks a packed meeting of Narn for their assistance, while
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Sheridan broods in the darkness of his quarters. When the hour
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arrives, the four senior officers stride towards a momentous encounter
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and the end of their careers as they know them, and the Nightwatch
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gear up to make a stand at Bay 9. When they are all in place, Zack
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speaks, "Now!" into his link and dives out as the bay doors fall.
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Sheridan addresses the trapped officers. He explains that any order by
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the Political Office to Earth Force personnel is an illegal order, and
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thus they are under arrest for conspiracy to mutiny until the order is
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confirmed through the proper military hierarchy in a few hours or
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days. In the meantime, the security lack will be made up by G'Kar's
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Narn on the station.
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Lady Morella gives Londo his reading, but as prophecy tends to be, it
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is obscure and not what he wants to hear. She tells him he will have
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three opportunities to sidestep the fiery future awaiting him at the
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end of his journey, and has already missed two others. He must save
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the eye that cannot see. He must not kill the one who is already dead.
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And if all else fails, he must surrender himself to his greatest fear,
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knowing that it will destroy him. In addition she tells him that he
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will be emperor someday. As an aside she informs Vir that he will be
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emperor also, which amuses him enormously-until he realizes that she
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isn't joking. "One of you will become emperor after the other is
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dead."
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In single file and under the watchful eyes of Narn and loyal security
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guards, the Nightwatch are permitted to surrender their weapons and
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IDs and submit to house arrest.
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Sheridan expresses his gratitude to G'Kar but is disturbed and
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suspicious when the former ambassador demands in return to be admitted
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into the secret alliance he knows Sheridan has been gathering.
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Seated on far sides of their chamber, Londo and Vir eye each other
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edgily while the Lady Morella's parting line hangs in the long
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silences between them.
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"I never thought it would end like this," Ivanova remarks to the
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Captain as they gaze out his office window at the station core.
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General Hague is likely to be captured soon, and the other defectors
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have already been shot down. They understand that they are next on the
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list.
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"Me either," he replies.
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[14][Next]
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[15]Last update: November 9, 1997
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References
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1. file://localhost/cgi-bin/imagemap/titlebar
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2. LYNXIMGMAP:file://localhost/lurk/maps/maps.html#titlebar
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3. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/guide/053.html
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4. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/background/053.shtml
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5. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/credits/053.html
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6. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/episodes.php
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7. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/052.html
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8. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/054.html
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9. file://localhost/lurk/lurker.html
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10. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/053.html#TOP
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11. file://localhost/cgi-bin/uncgi/lgmail
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12. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/episodes.php
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13. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/052.html
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14. file://localhost/home/woodstock/hyperion/docs/lurk/synops/054.html
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15. file://localhost/lurk/lastmod.html
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