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								<p>  Ambassador Mollari is sitting in a night club, intensely

								enjoying the show.  His pleasure is interrupted by Sinclair and

								G'Kar, who have come, quite angrily, to tell him that he can't

								evade his responsibilities any longer--that tomorrow morning, Londo

								<em>will</em> be present to negotiate with the Narn over the Euphrates

								Sector, a point of contention between the two regimes.  Londo

								suddenly interrupts them and tells them to sit down--for the moment

								in the shows that Londo has been waiting for has arrived: an erotic

								Centauri dancer.  "Of all things in life," Londo comments, "are

								females not the finest?"

								<p>

								<img src="/lurk/gif/003/adira.gif" align=middle> Adira, the Centauri dancer.

								<p>  "On that, Mollari, we can at least agree," replies G'Kar.  As

								G'Kar, Sinclair, and Londo are sitting there, Ko D'ath, the new

								head of G'Kar's diplomatic staff, arrives.  G'Kar, to put it

								mildly, doesn't look very happy.  Meanwhile, a man makes a pass at

								Ko D'ath, who rather violently throws him across the room.

								<p>  After the show, Londo returns to his quarters only to find the

								erotic Centauri dancer, whose name is Adira Tyree, lying on his

								bed.  Needless to say, he is overjoyed and goes to bed ...

								<p>  The next morning, Garibaldi finds an anomaly in the computer

								system--it seems that there has been some unauthorized use of the

								highly-official Gold Channels.  Sinclair tells Garibaldi to

								continue investigating.

								<p>  After finishing his talk with Garibaldi, Sinclair, who is at

								the negotiation table with G'Kar, becomes rather upset that Londo

								still hasn't arrived.  Talia Winters, who will be telepathically

								auditing the negotiations, excuses herself from the table for a

								moment.  Sinclair follows her.

								<p>  Talia tells Sinclair that she just had to get out of the room

								for a while--so much intense emotion in such close proximity can be

								difficult to block out.  Sinclair explains to her how important a

								peaceful settlement to these negotiations is; he wants to prove

								that Babylon 5 is doing the job it's supposed to be doing.

								Further, he knows that every side truly wants a peaceful settle-

								ment, and explains to Talia that her job is to get rid of all the

								lies, until the inescapable truth of a peaceful settlement is the

								only thing left.

								<p>  Londo, in his room, is talking with Adira.  "What is it that

								you're getting [from me]?" Londo asks.  "A washed-up, old republi-

								can, dreaming of better days."

								<p>  "These are <em>my</em> better days, Londo," Adira responds, "thanks

								to you."  Londo finally hears that Vir is paging him, so he finally

								gets up and goes to the negotiations.

								<p>  On the bridge, Ivanova, who has been informed about the

								communication anomaly, tells Garibaldi that he's overreacting.  She

								explains that it could easily be a computer error or some energy

								fluctuation.  Garibaldi protests that he has already checked for

								all of these possibilities--and he says that if someone has gained

								unauthorized access to the Gold Channels, there might be a very

								serious security breach.  Gold Channels, he explains, are priority

								channels--most people don't even know that they exist, and even if

								people did know, they couldn't be used without the express

								permission of Sinclair.  Ivanova, however, brusquely brushes him off-

								-she'll get to the problem later, she says, when she has time.

								 Londo finally arrives at the negotiation table, claiming to have

								been detained by an "important matter of state."  The

								negotiations begin.

								<p>  Adira enters her quarters, and is surprised to find a certain

								man, Trakis, there.  We quickly find out that Adira is a slave, and

								Trakis is her master.  He asks her if things are going well with

								Londo.  She evades the question, but he warns her that a slave

								should never lie to her master--and he uses some telepathic device

								to determine her thoughts.  He then orders her to hurry up and get

								the "Purple Files" from Londo.  "Do you know why a drunken fool

								like Mollari has ... power?" says Trakis.  "Because his family has

								been collecting dirt on other families for years, like all the

								noble houses of the Centauri Republic."  The Purple Files, he

								explains, can bring down any house in the republic--the Narn would

								pay well for that data, he says, and he wants it.  He orders the

								reluctant Adira to use a mind probe to get the data from Londo.

								<p>

								<img src="/lurk/gif/003/adira-and-trakis.gif" align=middle>Adira evades

								Trakis' question.

								<p>  Later, Adira is in her quarters when Londo stops by.  He brings

								her some exotic flowers ("Star Laces"?) and also gives her an

								heirloom which has been in his family for centuries--it was

								originally warn by a wise and powerful matriarch of his family.

								She refuses to take it, but he forces it on her, telling her, "You

								know how stubborn I am!"  She finally accepts it.  Londo then

								mentions that he's made reservations at the finest restaurant on

								Babylon 5.  Adira expresses concern and asks what would happen if

								people saw them together.  He explains that, although the Centauri

								are a class-driven society, "When I look beneath the mask I've been

								forced to wear, I see only emptiness.  Then I think of you, and I

								say, 'To hell with appearances.'"

								<p>  Garibaldi is reading <cite>Universe Today</cite> in his office when his

								computer alerts him of another communication anomaly.  He attempts

								to track it, and comes quite close to succeeding, only to be

								stopped at the last moment.

								<p>  Sinclair has invited Talia to dinner, ostensibly in reward for

								her services at the negotiations, at the same restaurant that Londo

								and Adira have gone to.  As Sinclair and Talia are talking, she

								explains how Londo's thoughts at the negotiations were intensely

								"erotic."  Sinclair comments that he's not surprised.

								<p>  Garibaldi is at Ivanova's console, trying to track down the

								last anomaly.  His efforts are not accomplishing very much; he has

								traced the message to somewhere in the Russian Consortium.

								<p>  Londo and Adira are back in Londo's quarters.  She tells him

								to sit down while she prepares the drinks.  She sticks some type of

								sedative in one of them, however.  When Londo drinks it, he falls

								back, unconscious.  She sets up the mind probe and gets Londo's

								access codes to the Purple Files (which are, appropriately, "wine,"

								"women," and "song.").  She uses the codes at a computer console in

								Londo's room to gain access the Purple Files and transfer the

								information that they contain into a data crystal.  She returns his

								heirloom, sadly mumbling that she's sorry; then, she leaves.

								<p>  In the morning, Londo is quite upset at Vir for waking him up.

								Further, he complains of a terrible headache.  Suddenly, he notices

								that Adira has left his ancient heirloom on his desk.

								<p>  Adira is staring at the data crystal in her quarters when

								Trakis calls her and orders her to meet him in exactly 10 minutes.

								Reluctantly, she starts on her way.

								<p>  Londo, who is extremely preoccupied by now, suddenly has what

								he thinks is a brilliant idea--to gives Vir full diplomatic status

								and tell Vir to represent to the Centauri at the negotiations.   He

								tells Vir that he is now the "voice of the mighty Centauri

								Republic."  Vir, changing from an expression of surprise and

								reluctance to one of pride, finally accepts his position at the

								negotiation, and virtually runs off, excitedly.  "Don't give away

								the homeworld," orders Londo, as Vir leaves.

								<p>  Adira, as she sees Trakis at the prearranged meeting place,

								finally realizes that she doesn't like what she's been forced to

								do.  As she sees Trakis, she runs away from him.  Trakis, in quick

								pursuit, violently pushes a few bystanders out of the way, but is

								unable to catch up with her.

								<p>  Trakis finds Londo knocking at Adira's quarters.  "She's not

								there," Trakis tells Londo.  Trakis goes on to explain that he and

								Londo are very much alike--how Adira has betrayed them both.

								Adira is meanwhile speaking with a friend of hers, frantically

								arranging safe transport away from Babylon 5.  Until the flight,

								her friend promises her a safe hiding place--in the friend's

								quarters.

								<p>  Trakis tells Londo that Adira is a Narn agent.  When Londo

								expresses disbelief, Trakis merely warns him of a danger with which

								Londo is quite familiar--that if the Purple Files get out, the

								whole Centauri Republic (not to mention Londo's career) will be

								finished.  Trakis continues to explain that Adira is Trakis's

								slave--and that the only reason that he cares about this whole

								thing is that, by the same Centauri laws which allow him to own

								Adira as a slave, Trakis is responsible for any crimes which Adira

								commits.  Trakis secretly places a audio bug on Londo.  Londo, in

								a mixture of sadness and rage, tells Trakis to leave the quarters.

								<p>  At the negotiation table, Vir walks in and proudly proclaims

								that he is the ambassador for the Centauri Republic.  G'Kar is

								enraged, and, as a countermeasure, makes Ko D'ath the Narn ambassa-

								dor (warning her not to give away the homeworld).  Sinclair, trying

								to maintain some semblance of order, leaves the negotiation

								chambers to search for Londo.

								<p>

								<img src="/lurk/gif/003/vir-at-the-table.gif" align=middle>Sinclair tries to

								restore calm.

								<p>  Londo, who has realized that Adira stole his Purple Files, is

								in no mood to return to the negotiations.  He explains the

								seriousness of the situation to Sinclair and also asks Sinclair for

								help.  The situation must not be made public, he says, and Sinclair

								is the only one to help him.  Sinclair says that he'll only help

								Londo if Londo agrees to Sinclair's compromise concerning the

								Euphrates Sector.  Londo agrees.

								<p>  Undercover, Londo and Sinclair enter the club for which Adira

								was dancing previously.  Sinclair outwits the owner of the club

								into letting him see the dancers for a while.  Once they see the

								dancers, they ask for information about Adira--where she might be

								hiding.  One of the dancers tells them the name of a good friend of

								Adira--the quarters of whom are the mostly likely place for Adira

								to be hiding.

								<p>  At the same time, Trakis, in the alien sector, is monitoring

								Sinclair's and Londo's conversation through the auditory bug which

								he attached to Londo previously.  He is speaking with one of the

								aliens, arranging to pay for men to delay (and kill, if necessary)

								Sinclair and Londo in order to give Trakis to the time to capture

								Adira (and the data crystal).

								<p>  Sinclair and Londo go heading off to find Adira but are

								intercepted by these hired men.  Londo realizes that it must have

								been Trakis who sent them.  Londo and Sinclair run off to hide; in

								the middle of the hired men's pursuit of Londo and Sinclair,

								however, they are ordered to call off their operations--Adira and

								the crystal have been captured.  Londo and Sinclair overhear this

								unfortunate bit of information.

								<p>

								<img src="/lurk/gif/003/undercover.gif" align=middle> Sinclair and Londo

								undercover.

								<p>  Ivanova, on the bridge, informs Garibaldi that there has been

								an incident of heavy shooting down in a certain section of Babylon

								5.  She tells Garibaldi to go down to investigate it; she says that

								she'll monitor the communications for any similar anomalies.

								Garibaldi, however, sends some other security offices to the area

								of the shooting and remains in his office to monitor communications

								himself.

								<p>  According to station logs, says Sinclair, no ship has left

								Babylon 5 for the past two hours.  Therefore, Adira and the crystal

								must still be on board.  Sinclair offers to arrest Trakis--there's

								enough evidence, he says; Londo, however, declines, saying that any

								arrest will hinge on his own testimony, and he cannot give it, for

								fear of making this incident official.  "Besides, he might harm

								Adira," adds Londo.  Sinclair is surprised and asks why Londo would

								like to protect her--after all, she's the one who got him into this

								situation.  "I know," replies Londo, "but there must be some other

								way."  Sinclair says that he has another idea ...

								<a name="ivanova-dad">

								<p>  Garibaldi, sure enough, has found another anomaly.  This time,

								he successfully traces it.  He catches Ivanova communicating with

								a Russian hospital--and with her dying father.  Ivanova's father

								sadly apologizes for his perceived lack of love toward his

								daughter--he explains how, after her mother's death and her

								brother's death in the war, he was too wrapped up in his own needs

								to (from his point of view) successfully cater to her needs.  He

								apologizes profusely, though his daughter finds all of it unnecessary.

								With touching words between them, he dies.  Garibaldi, who

								has been looking on sadly, sees and hears the whole conversation.

								</a>

								<p>  Sinclair, meanwhile, is speaking with G'Kar, offering him a

								"business opportunity."  He offers to arrange a meeting for G'Kar

								concerning some "merchandise" that will give G'Kar an advantage

								over Mollari.  When G'Kar asks Sinclair why he's offering this

								meeting, Sinclair says that Earth wants some concessions in the

								Euphrates Sector and knows that Narn gratitude is quite worth the

								price.  Further, Sinclair, to ensure that the merchandise is

								genuine, offers to have Talia Winters sit in on the meeting.  G'Kar

								accepts, telling Sinclair, "I never knew you could be so devious,

								commander."

								<p>  "Coming from you, ambassador, that's a real compliment."

								rejoins Sinclair.  G'Kar at first smiles, but suddenly realizes

								Sinclair's implication, and gives a perplexed, somewhat-annoyed

								frown.

								<p>  Talia, however, when asked by Sinclair and Londo, refuses to

								use her telepathic skills for any purpose that involves personal

								matters--it's against Psi Corps regulations.  However, when

								confronted with the possibility that Adira will die if she doesn't

								interfere, she agrees to scan Trakis's mind at the meeting that

								Sinclair arranged--however, she can only scan "surface thoughts,"

								though there are tricks ...

								<p>  The meeting between Trakis and G'Kar proceeds as Sinclair

								planned.  Trakis mentions that he doesn't like telepaths.  Talia

								refutes this, saying that she's only there to verify the merchan-

								dise ... he mustn't think of anything else--such as "where Adira

								Tyree might be."

								<p>

								<img src="/lurk/gif/003/tricking-trakis.gif" align=middle> Tricking Trakis.

								<p> Trakis is surprised and fooled--enough so that

								Talia can read his "surface thoughts" pertaining to Adira's

								location.  She tells this information to Sinclair, who sends a

								security team to try to find her.  Trakis, seeing that he has been

								fooled, attempts to run away--but is stopped by Londo's fist.

								"That was for Adira," says Londo, "and this"--he kicks Trakis

								rather hard--"is for me!"  Londo searches Trakis's unconscious body

								and finds the data crystal without difficulty.  Londo thanks G'Kar

								for helping to save not only Londo's career, but the entire

								Centauri Republic.

								<p>  Ivanova, meanwhile, enters Garibaldi's quarters and notices

								that he didn't go down to check out the previous shootings as she

								had asked him to.  Garibaldi comments on how there was another

								communication anomaly and how he has finally traced the problem:

								it was, he tells Ivanova, what she originally thought it was--a

								computer error.  He says that he trusts it won't happen again; she

								agrees.  <a name="drink">Garibaldi, leaving the room, invites

								Ivanova for a drink,</a>

								but she again brusquely brushes him off, saying that she's on duty.

								However, on second thought, she turns around and tells him, "Maybe

								another time."

								<p>  Londo meets with Adira right before she leaves on her ship.

								He explains to her that Sinclair has "convinced" Trakis to give

								Adira her freedom--"He [Sinclair] can be a frightening man, that

								one!" Londo comments.  Further, Londo again gives his old heirloom

								to Adira, telling her to wear it proudly--as a free woman.  He

								offers her, once again, to stay, but she refuses, telling him that

								her wounds are too fresh.  She apologizes, saying that she never

								meant to hurt him.  They wave goodbye, and she boards her ship,

								leaving Londo only with memories.

								<p>

								Shawn Bayern

								<em>bayern@cshl.org</em>

								<hr>

								Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern.  All rights reserved.  Permission is

								granted to distribute this synopsis <strong>noncommercially</strong> as long as

								the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact.  Babylon 5 is

								a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that

								copyright is intended by writing these synopses.