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								  Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)


								   The command staff arrives for breakfast to find Sheridan leaned up

								   against the wall carrying on a conversation with himself. Their

								   attempts to engage him don't get through, but his occasional outbursts

								   of laughter disturb their conversation. Trying to form the non-aligned

								   worlds into a union again is a daunting task, they agree, but one that

								   must be done.


								   With an exultant shout, the Captain stands up and comes over to their

								   table. "There has got to be an easier way to do this!" he enthuses,

								   with his characteristic "I've got an idea" gleam in his eye. He orders

								   Marcus to take three White Stars to a sector of Centauri border space

								   and wait there for orders.


								   As he leaves in a hurry, Ivanova gets up and sniffs his empty coffee

								   mug. "Just checking..." she remarks only half in jest. Franklin laughs

								   that this is after Delenn has only been gone three days.


								   There is no laughter for Delenn, however. Lennier reports fighting in

								   the capital, the opening salvo of civil war. In the next days she

								   passes time in a chamber watching scenes of the capital city in all

								   its splendor, and she weeps to think of it in flames. "Did I do this,

								   when I broke the Grey Council?" she asks. Valen predicted that she

								   would, but since he was Sinclair, he could not have known what would

								   pass after the breaking. There is no prophecy to steer her course now.


								   What she does know is that the fighting must be stopped immediately,

								   or they will all face a millenium of war. And so she goes to

								   rendezvous with the leaders of the religious caste. She has also

								   invited her old enemy Neroon of the warrior caste to meet her there.


								   Ambassador Mollari is baffled that the Captain is asking him to deny

								   that the White Stars are patrolling the borders of Centauri space,

								   especially since their presence there was for the sole purpose of

								   inspiring the League worlds to allow White Stars on their own borders.

								   As Londo launches into a tirade about human psychology, Sheridan

								   reaches out comfortingly and smiling broadly says, "Trust me."


								   Delenn strides purposefully on board the waiting Minbari war cruiser

								   into palpable tension, as she finds Neroon and a small party of

								   warriors lined up opposite a welcoming party from the religious caste.

								   Apparently Neroon's presence aboard the religious caste vessel has

								   been met with a hostility just shy of violence. Delenn states that he

								   is under her personal protection and demands to speak with him at

								   once. She stares his adjutants down until they make way for her

								   passage.


								   Lennier turns toward the religious caste leaders, and as he passes by

								   they hiss their anger at the honor with which she treats Neroon. Loyal

								   as ever, Lennier simply states that they must wait for Delenn to speak

								   for herself.


								   Alone with Neroon at last, Delenn asks for his help. When he reminds

								   her that the last time they met he intended to kill her to keep her

								   from taking control of the Rangers, she states that despite their

								   differences he has always acted honorably and to serve their people.

								   She explains that neither the warrior caste nor the religious caste

								   can win the war because it will unbalance their society.


								   With a fragile trust they sit to discuss. He argues that their "world

								   gone mad" cannot be stopped easily, but she has a plan. Even though it

								   will expose them both to the mistrust of their respective castes, he

								   offers her his temporary support. Meanwhile, panicked civilians flee

								   through the burning capital.


								   The Drazi Ambassador pounces on Sheridan in the Zocalo to ask about

								   the White Stars which have been sighted on the borders of Centauri

								   space. At first amiably and then curtly the Captain refuses to

								   comment, leaving the Drazi more frustrated than ever.


								   After standing by waiting with his three White Stars for the Captain's

								   orders, Marcus is not pleased to hear that he's gone all that way to

								   destroy asteroids.


								   "I see," he says, mystified. "Shoot a bunch of rocks, and then leave."


								   Sheridan appears almost annoyed at being questioned, and tells Marcus

								   to follow orders. Ivanova tries to question him too, but he blithely

								   agrees that it was an unusual command and departs to find Franklin.


								   The Drazi Ambassador calls upon Londo for an explanation as well, but

								   only meets with a categorical denial and a heap of insults thrown in

								   for good measure. He is now deeply worried and quickly huddles with

								   the other League ambassadors in the corridor. At that moment Franklin

								   finds them and asks them each to ask their governments to send extra

								   blood supplies for their species, just in case of an attack.


								   The religious leaders are also busy trying to figure out what Delenn

								   is up to. She must intend to surrender, some say. One of them even

								   eavesdropped on her conversation with Neroon enough to hear her say

								   that the religious caste should not win the war. Another argues that

								   killing someone so revered would split their caste deeply. So the

								   first replies that they must martyr themselves and the entire ship to

								   prevent her from reaching homeworld. They place a small time-release

								   cask of toxic material in an air duct and prepare their hearts for

								   death, unaware that Lennier has observed their scheming.


								   The Voice of the Resistance is about to begin broadcasting when

								   Sheridan casually steps into the War Room. Just as casually he asks

								   Ivanova to report that nothing happened today in sector 83x9x12. It

								   won't be a lie, he argues, because it's true. Keeping bewilderment

								   just barely at bay, the Commander goes on the air the next moment with

								   this announcement, and advises everyone to please remain calm. This

								   message and the intelligence that three White Stars engaged an

								   apparently invisible enemy in an asteroid field drives the perturbed

								   League ambassadors deeper into the arms of paranoia.


								   Standing in contemplation in the cruiser's battle command center,

								   Neroon is suddenly attacked by one of his retainers. Delenn is

								   furious. After Neroon is taken away for care and the attacker thrown

								   in the brig, she asks the religious leaders to watch over him because

								   his caste believes he will surrender to her, and thus will do anything

								   to stop him. The religious caste members exchange a quick look, and

								   one asks if they really don't intend to surrender.


								   "Don't be foolish," she retorts, and explains again that neither side

								   can surrender to the other or there will be chaos. She shakes her head

								   in dismay at the warrior caste who are so full of extremism that they

								   would attack one of their own. Her compatriots' remorse only grows as

								   she says gratefully, "But you. You are the steady rock beneath my

								   feet." They realize that it is now too late to prevent their own

								   pointless suicide.


								   But they did not count on Lennier, who is able to reach the cask in

								   time to shut off the valve just as the poison begins to escape. "Have

								   we fallen so far that we cannot even trust ourselves?" he asks them as

								   he collapses from the effects of the fumes.


								   Neroon reports that Lennier is being tended by his personal physician,

								   but until he recovers there is no explanation for how he was exposed

								   to the toxin. When pressed, Delenn admits how deeply she cares for

								   Lennier, that she is training him the way she was trained by Dukhat,

								   and that she utterly relies on him.


								   Neroon tells Delenn that if their people are ever to understand why

								   she treated him with honor, it will be because she taught them, and

								   ruefully admits that he is finally coming to see why Dukhat chose her

								   to succeed him. "I do not know what lies ahead, Delenn. But I do know

								   that it is right that we are here."


								   The League ambassadors call a hasty council meeting. When Sheridan

								   arrives, they present him with their demands. He must supply them with

								   the same defense he is providing the Centauri. He balks, but they

								   insist. He is only able to obtain the concession that they will give

								   his ships the authority to intercept ships on their borders, and they

								   will support his fleet in the event of a greater danger. Then they

								   dismiss him. He is only able to contain his glee until he reaches the

								   first lift.


								   Lennier regains consciousness only to tell Delenn that he smelled a

								   leaking valve, but he denies the suggestion of warrior caste sabotage.

								   As soon as she leaves, the religious leaders cluster around to ask him

								   why he didn't tell her the truth. He explains that she lives in a

								   world where everyone is better than they really are. When they thank

								   him, he replies angrily, "I did it for her; I did not do it for you."

								   Her faith in their goodness was more valuable to him than her

								   knowledge of their weakness. And so they depart, deeply chastened.


								   The Voice of the Resistance announces the League's new border patrol

								   initiative, and asks for news of the events on Minbar. Meanwhile,

								   Neroon leaves the war cruiser stealthily. In his first message to his

								   caste leader he announces with satisfaction that he possesses the

								   religious caste's plans and victory is at hand.


								   [14][Next]


								      [15]Last update: November 9, 1997


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