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lurkers-guide



								<p>   Shaal Mayan, a famed Minbari poet and an old friend of Delenn,

								has arrived on Babylon 5 to give a public performance of her

								poetry.  She and Delenn are sitting in Delenn's quarters, discussing

								poetry--and life in general.  Mayan, however, must wake up

								early the following morning (for she must prepare for her upcoming

								journey to Earth), so, at length, she says farewell to Delenn and

								heads toward her own quarters.  On her way, she is brutally stabbed

								and branded on the forehead by a assailant who yells at her, "Stay

								away from Earth, freak!"

								<p>

								<img src="/lurk/gif/007/branding.gif" align=middle> Mayan is branded.

								<p>   Mayan, fortunately, will survive; she was found and treated in

								time.  However, Delenn angrily confronts Sinclair and Garibaldi,

								upset at them for allowing such an attack to happen on Babylon 5--a

								ruthless attack against a peaceful poet whom nobody would have any

								reason to injure.

								<p>   Later, Garibaldi is discussing Mayan's attack with Sinclair.

								As it turns out, the assault on Mayan was the sixth recent attack

								on a prominent alien on B5.  Evidently, an organization known as

								the Home Guard, a militant "Pro-Earth" (anti-alien) group, is

								responsible for the incidents (the symbol with which Mayan was

								branded was identified as the Home Guard's logo).  Further,

								explains Garibaldi, the attacks have not only occurred on B5--there

								have been a wave of similar incidents on both Earth and Mars.

								Apparently, the Home Guard--and similar groups--have been growing

								in popular support recently.  "The problem is, there [are many] who

								agree with them and even more who just don't give a damn," comments

								Garibaldi.

								<p>   Just as Garibaldi walks away, G'Kar approaches Sinclair and

								expresses his disgust with the recent incident.  "I have no special

								love for the Minbari or their poets, but ... if any *Narn* is

								harmed in this manner, there will be bloody retribution," G'Kar

								threatens.

								<p>   Sinclair threatens G'Kar in return, warning him not to cause

								any disturbances on Babylon 5.

								<p>   Garibaldi is questioning the injured Mayan in the Medical Lab.

								She cannot, however, identify her attacker or give Garibaldi any

								clue as to who might wish to injure her.  Dr. Franklin approaches

								her shortly thereafter and offers to remove the brand on her

								forehead, but she declines his offer:  "It is a lesson--one that

								should not be forgotten."

								<p>   Meanwhile, the authorities on an approaching Centauri vessel

								are informing Ivanova that they wish to deliver some apparently-harmless

								detainees to any B5 official of command rank.  Though

								neither Garibaldi nor Ivanova wishes to waste time greeting these

								detainees and taking them into custody, Garibaldi eventually wins

								out, and Ivanova heads on her way ...

								<p>   She finds two young Centauri detainees--one male, one female,

								both complaining of having been taking into custody.  They demand

								to see "Ambassador [Vir] Cotto."  Ivanova tells the officers

								escorting the detainees to inform the Centauri representatives on

								the station.  Just then, as she turns around, she sees Malcolm

								Biggs, her old lover whom she hasn't seen for eight years,

								approaching her.  She doesn't appear to be very happy to see him,

								and virtually pretends to ignore him--she is on duty, she says, and

								she has no time to talk.

								<p>   Meanwhile, the detainees have been brought to see Sinclair,

								Londo, and Vir.  Vir introduces the male detainee as Kiron Maray --

								Vir's cousin -- and the female detainee as Aria Tensus -- Kiron's

								lover.  Kiron questions Vir, mentioning that Vir said in his

								letters that he was the Centauri ambassador on B5; Vir refuses to

								answer, telling Kiron that it is too difficult to explain.

								Meanwhile, Sinclair explains to Garibaldi that the two young

								Centauri had stolen credit chits and were taken into custody upon

								arrival at B5; however, Sinclair is willing to turn over the matter

								to Londo because the offenders are Centauri.  (Of course, Londo

								neither wants to deal with the youths nor has any idea what to do

								with them--but he is given little choice).

								<p>

								<img src="/lurk/gif/007/centauri-kids.gif" align=middle> Kiron and Aria.

								<p>   Ivanova's shift has just ended, and, while she is getting a

								drink, Malcolm meets up with her.  They speak for a while; Malcolm

								clearly wishes to start their relationship again, but Ivanova is

								hesitant.  She takes her leave of him again--but politely, this

								time.

								<p>   Vir, Londo, and the two lovers are in Londo's quarters.  Vir

								is explaining the situation to Londo:  when the lovers' families

								arranged marriages for them (to *other* people), Kiron and Aria

								fled to Babylon 5.  They do not want to marry anyone else but each

								other.  Londo, however, is slow to understand--he does not see what

								love has to do with marriage, nor does he respect the lovers for

								running away from their families.  He lectures them on Centauri

								traditions, telling them how, for a thousand years, marriages have

								been arranged for Centauri children.  These marriages help to merge

								noble families and "keep the fabric of the Republic strong."

								"Sometimes," says Londo, "these marriages call for sacrifice [he

								looks at the pictures of his own wives on his desk].  <strong>Great</strong>

								sacrifice.

								But we make this sacrifice because this is what it means to

								be Centauri! If you deny this tradition, you lose the very thing

								which makes you what you are."  The lovers listen to him, but are

								not moved--they claim that these traditions are simply unfair.

								<p>   Meanwhile, Garibaldi has arrested a human who has been found

								with a knife in his possession.  The arrested man, Roberts, is

								defiant--he maintains that he has a right to defend himself against

								"the *things* that walk around this place."  Garibaldi gets to the

								point:  there are fresh traces of blood on Roberts's knife, and

								Garibaldi suspects him of committing the assault on Mayan the

								previous night.  Roberts claims that the blood on his knife is his

								own blood--he cut himself opening a crate.  Though he unreservedly

								admits that he agrees with the Home Guard--"if you ask me, they got

								the right idea.... Damn aliens are ruining everything for us"--he

								insists that he was not Mayan's attacker.  Garibaldi, without any

								further evidence at the moment, writes up Roberts on the charge of

								carrying an illegal weapon. Garibaldi also orders his officers to

								check the blood on the knife.  "If the blood ... matches Mayan's,

								I'll give you over to the Minbari and let them play dice with your

								eyeballs," he says to Roberts.

								<p>   "I don't know what's worse--damn aliens or the traitors that

								suck up to them over their own kind," retaliates Roberts.

								<p>   In view of the worsening situation on Babylon 5, Sinclair goes

								to see Ambassador Kosh in order to inform him of the recent

								incidents.  Kosh, however, doesn't seem to care; when Sinclair asks

								him if he will speak with the other ambassadors about the matter,

								Kosh replies, "We take no interest in the affairs of others."

								Sinclair then notices the television-like display which Kosh has

								been watching since Sinclair entered the room--the display is

								showing historic pictures of Earth.  When Sinclair asks Kosh what

								he's doing with the viewer, Kosh tells him that he is "studying."

								When Sinclair asks Kosh *what* he's studying, however, Kosh ends

								the discussion quickly and abruptly.  Sinclair politely leaves,

								realizing that any further questioning will be futile.

								<p>

								<img src="/lurk/gif/007/visiting-kosh.gif" align=middle> Sinclair visits Kosh.

								<p>   After his discussion with Kosh, Sinclair returns to the

								bridge.  There, he finds Ivanova and begins talking with her.  He

								asks her if she was familiar with the incident that occurred right

								after Kosh arrived on Babylon 5.  She replied that she received

								only a cursory briefing.

								<a name="skin-tab">

								He explains what happened:  specifically,

								he explains that the assassination attempt against Kosh was

								attempted with poison, administered through the hand.  He tells her

								that he finally figured something out that had been bothering him

								for a while:  "Kosh wears an encounter suit to protect him from our

								atmosphere," he says, "so how did the poison get into his system?

								His hand should have been completely covered."

								</a>

								<p>   Ivanova explains that the Vorlons are very secretive, and

								that, perhaps, the encounter suit may be more useful as a camouflage

								than as a necessary protection from the environment.

								<p>   Sinclair understands, but expresses his curiosity at the

								reassignment of the only human who has seen a Vorlon--Dr. Benjamin

								Kyle.  Kyle was brought back to Earth shortly after the incident in

								order to work directly with the president.  (Sinclair tells Ivanova

								that Kyle, who was bound by the standard doctor's oath of confidentiality,

								never told Sinclair what he saw).  Further, explains

								Sinclair, the only member of the Psi Corps to have scanned a

								Vorlon--Lyta Alexander--was also reassigned.  [See also "The

								Gathering."]

								<p>   Londo is quite annoyed with Vir for getting him involved with

								the case of the lovers.  Kiron and Aria's families have sent

								several messages to Sinclair--"[they] are outraged, and it's *my*

								head they're after."  Londo explains that he has only one choice --

								to send Kiron and Aria back home.  Vir objects, however, saying

								that they love one another and ought not to be forced into

								marriages that they won't enjoy.

								<p>   "Love, pah!  Overrated!" Londo cries out.  "[He points to the

								pictures of his wives.]  These are my three wives--pestilence,

								famine, and death.  Do you think I married them for their personalities?

								Their personalities could shatter worlds!  Arranged

								marriages, every one.  But they worked out; they inspired me.

								Knowing that they were waiting at home for me is what keeps me

								here, 75 light-years away."  Londo is therefore firm in his

								decision to send the lovers back to Centauri Prime.

								<p>   Sinclair, who has heard that Garibaldi found a suspect for

								Mayan's attack, calls Garibaldi into his office.  However,

								Garibaldi brings bad news for the investigation:  the blood on

								Roberts's knife was indeed Roberts's own blood.  Garibaldi explains

								that he has set Roberts free, but has placed him under "red level

								surveillance."

								<p>   "I think he'll be more useful to us running loose," says

								Garibaldi.  "He's a logical recruit for the Home Guard."  Garibaldi

								tells Sinclair that the general unrest that has resulted from these

								incidents on the station is continuously becoming worse.  Fights

								are breaking out everywhere; the alien population of the station is

								growing angrier.  Sinclair comments that this is probably the Home

								Guard's intended result--if they can provoke enough tension between

								humans and aliens, they might grow in power and eventually cause

								Earth to withdraw from galactic affairs (or so they would hope).

								One thing is clear to Sinclair:  if the Home Guard isn't stopped

								soon, everything that B5 stands for will be destroyed.

								<p>   Ivanova has agreed to have dinner with Malcolm, and she seems

								to actually be enjoying it.  They reminisce about old times, when

								they were together happily.  Malcolm longs for these times; in

								fact, he tells Ivanova that he is planning to set up a business for

								himself on B5--this way, they can be together without interfering

								with their respective careers.  Needless to say, Ivanova is quite

								surprised.

								<p>   Kiron and Aria are sitting in the garden, enjoying the view

								and enjoying one another's company, when they are suddenly attacked

								by the Home Guard.  A few human individuals viciously attack the

								Centauri youths--they shoot Kiron at close range with a PPG and

								stun Aria with a shock stick; after the brief attack, they leave as

								suddenly and as quickly as they came.

								<p>   Luckily, Vir finds them shortly after they were attacked.

								Aria will be fine (but does not remember anything about her

								attackers), but Kiron has been injured seriously.  Garibaldi, who

								is with Dr. Franklin, is suddenly called away because of some

								"major disturbance."

								<p>   The disturbance is being caused by G'Kar, who is attempting to

								incite a riot.  "We can no longer stand idly by," G'Kar says, "as

								our peoples are slaughtered by these cowardly humans.  We must

								fight back with every means at our disposal."  Garibaldi, who has

								brought Sinclair, approach G'Kar--but G'Kar relentlessly accuses

								Sinclair of unfair treatment of the attackers ("You have yet to

								make a single arrest.... You know very well why these crimes remain

								unsolved.  It is because the perpetrators are human," says G'Kar).

								Garibaldi convinces Sinclair to leave the scene of the riot; he

								then threatens to arrest G'Kar if G'Kar refuses to stop inciting

								the riot.  At length, G'Kar leaves.

								<p>

								<img src="/lurk/gif/007/subduing-gkar.gif" align=middle> G'Kar is convinced

								to stop speaking.

								<p>   Meanwhile, Roberts himself has become the victim of an

								attack--at the hands of aliens.  He is seriously injured.

								<p>   Ivanova and Malcolm have had an enjoyable evening, and they

								have returned to her quarters.  Just as they are beginning to kiss,

								Ivanova is called by Sinclair and ordered to report to the briefing

								room as a result of G'Kar's riot.  Malcolm (who showed an interest

								in the fact that there had been a riot) leaves, unhappily.

								<p>   Garibaldi is briefing Sinclair--the riots have "cooled down"

								according to Garibaldi, but there have been a few related incidents.

								He mentions that Roberts, who is still under red surveillance, has

								been attacked and injured.

								<p>   In the Med Lab, Londo and Vir are trying to console Aria, but

								she remains dismayed that Dr. Franklin won't let Aria get too close

								to Kiron.  Londo explains that this is standard medical procedure,

								but Aria insists that her if she were allowed near him, he would

								sense it and begin to recover.  Aria appeals to Londo, asking him

								if he can't get Franklin to allow her to get closer to Kiron, but

								Londo tells her to go back to her quarters--"there's nothing you

								can do here," he says.  Aria leaves.

								<p>   However, Shaal Mayan, who has overheard this conversation,

								disagrees with what Londo has said.  She asks him to listen to

								Aria:  "We should listen to the girl.  We Minbari consider love a

								most potent force for healing.  She cares deeply for him.  Such

								feelings can turn the tide when all else fails."

								<p>   "Oh, I see," responds Londo.  "And if he dies, despite this

								great power of love ..."

								<p>   "If he dies, she will suffer enormous grief.  But every moment

								together will make her grief a little less," Mayan answers.

								<p>   "I would expect such logic from a poet," he says scornfully.

								"What can a Minbari know about Centauri feeling?"

								<p>   "Ambassador," she replies, "I have travelled far and seen

								much.  And what I have seen tells me that all sentient beings are

								best defined by their capacity and their need for love."

								<p>   "And she will learn to live without it," he says, forcefully.

								<p>   "As you did," says Mayan, with a note of pity in her voice.

								<p>   Meanwhile, Garibaldi is showing Sinclair something that he

								found via the surveillance of Roberts.  Roberts, who was injured

								and who was lying in a bed at the Medical Lab, was visited by none

								other than a man whom Sinclair recognizes as Malcolm Biggs

								(Sinclair was able to identify Malcolm because he had seen her in

								Ivanova's quarters when he summoned Ivanova to the briefing room

								earlier).  Malcolm had a brief talk with Roberts--a talk about the

								Home Guard and about how Malcolm felt that the they could benefit

								from Roberts's membership.  Malcolm says that he--and the Home

								Guard to which he belongs--need to gain the support of people like

								Roberts--people who have been attacked or otherwise harmed by

								aliens.  Garibaldi and Sinclair show the recording to Ivanova, who

								is entirely astonished at her former lover's involvement.  Sinclair

								asks Ivanova to introduce him to Malcolm--he tells Ivanova that he

								wants to infiltrate the organization.  "Groups like this always

								like to recruit friends in high places," he says.  "If they accept

								me, it could give me a chance to nail them all before they do any

								more damage."  Ivanova agrees, but on one condition:  she wants to

								be there herself when he takes the organization down.  He agrees,

								and they plan to get started at the diplomatic reception which will

								be held that night.

								<p>   Vir is talking with Londo; he frankly tells Londo that Londo

								is wrong in his decision to send Aria and Kiron home.  "My cousin

								and Aria wanted to be together because they love each other....

								Would that have destroyed the 'great Centauri Republic'?"  Londo

								replies that they cannot turn their back on tradition, but Vir

								disagrees and says he feels that the wealth and power should not be

								placed before love.

								<p>   "'My shoes are too tight,'" says Londo, sadly, in response.

								"Something my father said.  He was old, very old at the time.  I

								went into his room, and he was sitting alone in the dark, crying.

								So I asked him what was wrong, and he said, 'My shoes are too

								tight, but it doesn't matter, because I have forgotten how to

								dance.'  I never understood what that meant until now.  *My* shoes

								are too tight, and I have forgotten how to dance."  Vir admits that

								he doesn't understand Londo, but Londo says that Vir shouldn't--at

								least, not yet.

								<p>   At the diplomatic reception that evening, Delenn introduces

								the head of an agricultural delegation from Ava IV [spelling

								correction pending] who is at B5 to study the hydroponics in the

								garden.  Sinclair greets the delegate more bruskly than usual,

								praising Earth technicians for their construction of the hydroponic

								garden and abruptly dismissing the delegate's concerns about the

								security of the station (in view of the recent attacks).

								<p>   Sinclair then moves over to meet Ivanova and Malcolm.  He

								speaks briefly with Malcolm, elaborating on his background in the

								Earth-Minbari war and on his "belief" that "the only good alien is

								a dead alien."  He tells Malcolm that, though his job requires him

								to play the role of diplomat, "[I don't] have to like it."

								<p>   Sinclair, Ivanova, and Malcolm leave the reception.  Sinclair

								continues his explanation of his "hatred" of aliens:  though he

								fought and his best friends died in the Earth-Minbari war, he is

								upset because "the Minbari let us win.  You know what that victory

								tasted like?  Ashes."  Malcolm explains that he has heard this

								sentiment many times from Earth-Minbari war veterans.  He continues,

								explaining that he is part of a movement on Earth that is

								attempting to get rid of Earth's involvement with aliens.  Malcolm

								reveals that he has some friends he'd like Sinclair to meet--but

								first, to prove Sinclair's loyalty, he requires Sinclair to do him

								a favor ...

								<p>

								<img src="/lurk/gif/007/meeting.gif" align=middle> Sinclair, Ivanova, and

								Malcolm meet.

								<p>   At the Council, Sinclair explains to all of the alien

								governments that there is no longer any danger from pro-Earth

								groups on the station.  Garibaldi explains that they have good

								reason to believe that the attackers have fled back to Earth.

								However, Sinclair refuses to give the aliens any further information,

								saying that the information is classified.  This classification

								greatly angers the alien governments, but Sinclair gives the

								appearance of not caring.

								<p>   Meanwhile, in the Medical Lab, Kiron has awoken from his coma,

								to Aria's intense joy.

								<p>   On the bridge, Ivanova informs Sinclair that Malcolm has set

								the next meeting--she says that he won't reveal the precise

								location, but that they will meet Malcolm on the Zocalo in thirty

								minutes.  Sinclair and Ivanova are required to arrive unarmed; they

								will, however, maintain a link with Garibaldi.

								<p>   In the Medical Lab, Londo is speaking with Kiron and Aria.  He

								says that they must fulfill their duties and return to Centauri

								Prime.  When they arrive there, however, they will be greeted by

								Londo's second cousin, who will escort them to his family estate.

								There, they will serve a period of fosterage whereby they will be

								instructed in--among other things--proper decorum and tradition of

								Centauri.  At the end of the fosterage period--when they are

								adults--they will be free to make their own decisions regarding

								marriage.  Londo feels that their parents will be happy with this

								course of action because the practice of fosterage is a time-honored

								tradition, which, although not practiced too often any

								more, was fairly common in the old days of the public.  "To object

								would be to defy all tradition!" says Londo.  Kiron, though happy,

								asks Londo why he went out of his way to arrange the fosterage.

								"Because you are still children, and children should be allowed to

								dance," says Londo, happily.

								<p>   Meanwhile, the arranged meeting is taking place between

								Sinclair, Ivanova, and Malcolm.  As they're standing there, many

								other members of the Home Guard seem to appear from nowhere --

								Malcolm explains that they were using prototypes for a "black light

								camouflage" device.  Malcolm orders one of his men to set up a

								communications-jamming field, which prevents Garibaldi from

								continuing the communication link.  Garibaldi mobilizes his men;

								they start running toward Sinclair's position.  Meanwhile, Malcolm

								explains that in two days, there will be a mass assassination of

								the ambassadors on B5--in one fell swoop, the leading alien figures

								will all be killed.  Malcolm needs Sinclair to help the Home Guard

								gain access to the diplomatic wing (and, after the attack, to gain

								safe transport back to Earth).  Sinclair says that it's no problem.

								As another test of Sinclair's loyalty, however, an alien is brought

								before Sinclair--the same agricultural delegate from Ava IV--and

								Sinclair is ordered to kill her.  He, of course, hesitates--and

								during the resulting delay, Garibaldi and his forces break into the

								room.  Malcolm is captured with the aid of Ivanova.

								<p>   Malcolm and the other members of the Home Guard are being

								escorted off of the station.  As Malcolm is leaving, he sees

								Ivanova, and angrily yells at her, "I can't believe you did this to

								me, Susan.  What kind of a human are you, to side with *them*?"

								<p>   "I find many of these people," answers Ivanova, "to be more

								human that you and your kind."  She stares at her old lover, in

								silence.  They both realize that they never truly knew each other.

								<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.