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303 lines
14 KiB
303 lines
14 KiB
<h3>Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)</h3>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/tirade.gif" alt="">
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In the Zocalo, G'Kar tries to convince the patrons that the Narn were
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only the first victims at the hands of the Centauri, and that more will
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follow. The patrons, however, become
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little more than annoyed, claiming that the Centauri are only the
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Narn's problem. G'Kar tries to warn them otherwise, but they refuse to
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listen to him. Eventually, another Narn convinces G'Kar to stop
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his speech. Vir, standing on a walkway above, has heard it all.
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<p>
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Delenn walks to the end of a darkened corridor where she sees Kosh
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partially hidden in the shadows. "Lennier said you were calling for
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me," she says to him.
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<p>
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"Yes," he replies.
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<p>
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"Is there something wrong?"
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<p>
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"You, perhaps. We have sent for an inquisitor."
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<p>
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"An inquisitor? Why?"
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<p>
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"To be sure about you. You will submit to his authority."
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<p>
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"How will I know who it is?"
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<p>
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"You will know... if you survive."
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<p>
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<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/doubt.gif" alt="">
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Sheridan tells Lennier and Delenn that he isn't sure he understands
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Delenn's request to help the inquisitor through custody since they
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aren't able to say anything about him. Delenn explains that Kosh
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has doubts about whether she is fit to hold her position in the army
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of Light. She explains that Kosh must be certain the choice is
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correct and that she is doing the right thing for the right reasons,
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and that that is the inquisitor's job. Sheridan offers to help, but
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Delenn insists she must go through it alone.
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<p>
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G'Kar meets up with a man named Chase in his quarters, and tells him
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that he needs weapons. Chase says that he has the weapons G'Kar
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wants, light munitions that are easy to smuggle and use against the
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Centauri, and will sell them for the right price. When G'Kar sees the
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price, however, he says it is too high, since the Narn sold similar
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weapons to Earth during the Earth-Minbari war. Chase decides to take
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ten percent off the top of the price, which G'Kar agrees to pay. G'Kar
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tells Chase before he leaves that this money is all the escaped Narns
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have left -- the results will be fatal if Chase defrauds them.<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/ship.gif" alt="">
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C&C detects a Vorlon transport coming through the jumpgate.
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<p>
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Sheridan enters the Vorlon vessel's docking bay, which is quite messy
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and quite dark. A man, dressed in Victorian clothes and carrying a
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crystal-topped black walking stick, emerges from the shadows and
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approaches Sheridan. "I believe I am expected," he says.<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/catwalk.gif" alt="">
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Sheridan and the inquisitor walk on the walkways above the Zocalo, the
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inquisitor looking at the establishment in disgust as they proceed.
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The inquisitor will not say why he was on the Vorlon ship, and asks to
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see Delenn. Sheridan tells him that she will come when they are
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finished talking. "Nothing changes," the inquisitor says.
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"Corruption. Immorality. Chaos." Sheridan asks when the inquisitor
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was last on earth, and the inquisitor says it was long ago. Sheridan
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asks about the Vorlon homeworld and tries to get him to describe the
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Vorlons, but the inquisitor refuses, and merely explains that his name
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is Sebastian, he came from London in 1888, and that he was taken by the
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Vorlons to be used as an inquisitor. Sheridan expresses surprise that
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the Vorlons have had contact with Earth. "The Vorlons have been everywhere,"
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Sebastian says. "The Vorlons... are." He demands to either be allowed
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to finish the work, or to be allowed to leave, but he plans to say
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nothing else. Sheridan tells Sebastian to follow him.<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/weapons.gif" alt="">
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Garibaldi meets up with G'Kar; he has learned that G'Kar is buying
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weapons for use back on Narn. G'Kar, familiar with Garibaldi's
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methods, confesses to doing that, but Garibaldi tells him that he
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doesn't want the weapons coming through Babylon 5. But, because he
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understands and appreciates the situation, and because G'Kar was honest
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about his intents, Garibaldi tells G'Kar that he has a friend who runs
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a transfer station in sector 90, all alone by a jumpgate, and that,
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since the man deals mostly in illegal goods, it might be good to send the
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weapons through there. Garibaldi mentions it's already been arranged,
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thanks G'Kar for his honesty, and leaves.<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/spotlit.gif" alt="">
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Delenn walks to gray 19, where she is to meet Sebastian. She enters
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the area, which is very dark except for a few circles of light on the
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floor. When she approaches the middle of the room, Sebastian's voice
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tells her to stop. There are two manacles on the floor, which
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he instructs her to put on. She can remove them at any time, although,
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should she do so, she'll be deemed unworthy. Sebastian appears from
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the dark and says to her, "Who are you?" She responds with her name,
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which he says in unacceptable. She tries again, but he finds her next
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answer unnacceptable as well. The mancles glow with energy that causes
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her pain. This process continues for a while, but she will not give
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Sebastian any answer he will accept. He ridicules her and her beliefs
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that she is on a holy mission and tells her that she will not know what
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to believe after he is done, and that she may die during the
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inquisition. He tells her that, if she believes she is correct, she
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will hold fast in the belief that the universe will not let her die.<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/sorry.gif" alt="">
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A Centauri follows Vir, telling him that he has a message for Londo,
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but Vir insists that Londo will not speak with him. He goes into an
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elevator where he finds G'Kar waiting. G'Kar stares at Vir intently,
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and Vir says to him, "I'm sorry. I wish... there was something that I
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could do. I tried telling them, but they wouldn't listen. They never
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listen... I'm sorry." The elevator door opens and G'Kar walks out.
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<p>
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Before he vanishes, though, G'Kar turns to Vir. He slices his hand,
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letting the blood drip on the floor. "Dead... dead, dead,
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dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead... How do you apologize to
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them?"
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<p>
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"I can't," Vir admits.
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<p>
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"Then I cannot forgive," G'Kar tells him, and walks away.
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<p>
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Sebastian's interrogation of Delenn continues, criticizing her belief
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in her destiny. He tries to shake her beliefs, and tells her to call
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out to the universe so it can help save her. When she refuses, a tap
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of his cane sends pain into her body from the manacles again. She
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screams out in agony, but there is no apparent response from the
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universe. Sebastian asks her why she is where she is -- why she was
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born. She says she was meant to be there, and Sebastian demands to
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know why she believes that. He asks her what she would think if the
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world believed otherwise, and she tells him she would believe the world
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to be wrong. He asks how she can justify her being correct, yet
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everyone else being incorrect. She admits that she has wondered the
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same thing -- an answer Sebastian doesn't expect. He gives her ten
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minutes to rest.
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<p>
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G'Kar reports to the other Narn on the station that they are developing
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an underground communications net, though weapons have proved to be
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almost beyond their means. One of the Narn questions G'Kar's ability
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to deliver the weapons, and tells him that it may be a good idea to
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consider another Narn to lead them. The Narn tells G'Kar that, because
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he can't communicate with the homeworld, they have no reason to believe
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the weapons will get through. G'Kar says that the only way to win
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back control of their homeworld is if they stick together and don't
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fight internally. He proposes that he will remain leader if he can
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communicate with the objector's family in twenty-four hours, and agrees
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that, if he cannot, he will abdicate his position.
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<p>
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<img align=right width=160 height=120 src="/lurk/gif/043/043-05.gif" alt="">
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Sebastian tells Delenn that her problem is that, even though she's only
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part of the army of Light, she believes she must carry the entire
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army. He tells her that her only destiny is to be the "nail that gets
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hammered down". Afraid, she tries to get away from him, but he calls
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her a fool, which she says is better than what he is -- merely a
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tormenter who is not strong enough, worthy enough, or right enough to
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achieve his own dreams, so he must prove others are just as bad as he
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is. The manacles send pain into Delenn again, and Sebastian asks her again
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who she is, but is again not satisfied with her response, and her
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belief that she has a destiny. He tells her that it would be very easy
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to kill her, and that he can do it any time he likes.
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<p>
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G'Kar tells Sheridan and Garibaldi that he needs to get word from the
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Narn on the station to the Narn on the homeworld. Sheridan tells him
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that it is a difficult request to grant, but that he will do what he
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can. G'Kar gives Sheridan a data crystal and leaves. Sheridan asks
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Garibaldi if the Rangers are capable of taking the messages to the Narn
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on the homeworld. Garibaldi says he doesn't think they're ready,
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but Sheridan insists that they <em>be</em> ready in case something more
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important comes along. Garibaldi takes the data crystal.<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/lennier.gif" alt="">
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Lennier enters grey 19 and finds Delenn crumpled on the floor in pain.
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Though he begs her to leave, she tells him that she cannot and that he
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must leave without her. When the sound of Sebastian's cane comes
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closer, she tells Lennier that he must leave immediately, and that the
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only way to save her is to let her do this by herself. He rushes out
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just as Sebastian approaches, and finds Sheridan in a nearby corridor.
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He begs Sheridan to defy Kosh, since the inquisitor may be killing
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Delenn.
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<p>
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Sebastian continues torturing Delenn with the cane and the manacles,
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which are now affecting her entire body. He stands over her and tells
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her that her fate was dictated long ago, and that she has no control
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over what happens. The door to grey 19 opens and Sheridan arrives,
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something Sebastian indicates he has been expecting.
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Sheridan demands Sebastian leave Delenn alone, and Sebastian asks
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why he should, and what she means to him. Sheridan tells him that he
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doesn't have to answer any questions, to which Sebastian agrees, before
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he sends Sheridan flying against the wall. "Your turn now," he says.<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/stop.gif" alt="">
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Sheridan, now held captive by Sebastian, begins undergoing his own
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questioning as well. Sebastian
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asks Sheridan how far he is prepared to go in the fight,
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and how much he is willing to risk. Sebastian tells him that he may
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have to sacrifice everything in order to survive, including his friends
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and comrades. He continues the interrogation, hitting Sheridan with
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energy bursts from the staff repeatedly, as he forces him to realize
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what he may have to sacrifice. Delenn cries out,
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demanding that he stop. She tells him that he
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was sent to interrogate her, not Sheridan, and that she will give
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herself up to him in order to save Sheridan. Sebastian asks her if she
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is willing to trade her life for his, to which she responds that, if
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she fails, other will take her place. Sebastian asks about her cause,
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but Delenn insists that this is her cause -- saving lives. Sebastian asks
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her if she is willing to die alone and forgotten, but she tells him
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that she isn't afraid. Sebastian waves his staff and vanishes, along
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with Sheridan's bonds.
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<p>
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The door to grey 19 opens, and Sebastian appears. "You can go," he
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tells them. "You've passed. Both of you."
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<p>
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"Passed what?" Delenn asks.
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<p>
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"How do you know the chosen ones? No greater love hath a man than he
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lay down his life for his friend. Not for millions, not for glory, not
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for fame... for one person. In the dark. Where no one will ever know
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or see. I've been in the service of the Vorlons for centuries,
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looking... Diogynes with his lamp looking for a man willing to die for
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all the wrong reasons. At last, my job is finished. Yours is just
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beginning. When the darkness comes, know this: You are the right
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people, in the right place, at the right time."
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<p>
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Sheridan sits at C&C when he is approached by Ivanova who tells him
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that the Vorlon ship is ready to leave. He asks how extensive Earth's
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history files are on 19th century England, and Ivanova tells him she
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should be able to find whatever he needs. He tells her he needs to
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verify a name and address. "14... 14-B Harrisford Lane, London, around
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1888." Ivanova asks for the name. "Sebastian," Sheridan replies.<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=120 height=90 src="/lurk/gif/043/message.gif" alt="">
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G'Kar and the other Narn watch the message obtained by the Rangers.
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The Narn that previously questioned G'Kar's ability thanks G'Kar and
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tells him that they will follow his lead.
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<p>
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At the docking bay, Sheridan tells Sebastian that everything is ready
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to go, but he won't let Sebastian leave just yet. "Mr.... Sebastian, I
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did a little digging, based on what you told me. The records confirm
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you lived on Earth in the year 1888. The records also indicate that
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you vanished, suddenly, without a trace on November 11th, 1888. That's
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a very interesting date, Mr. Sebastian. The morning after the last of
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a string of murders in the East End."
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<p>
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Sebastian turns silently toward him. "The city was drowning in decay.
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Choas. Immorality. A message needed to be sent, etched in blood for
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all the world to see. A warning. In the pursuit of my holy cause,
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I... did things, terrible things, unspeakable things. The world
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condemned me, but it didn't matter because I believed I was right and
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the world was wrong. I believed I was the divine messenger. I
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believed I was..."
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<p>
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"Chosen?"
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<p>
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"I was... found by the Vorlons. They showed me the terrible depth of
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my mistake, my crimes, my... presumption. I have done four hundred
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years of penance and service, a job for which
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they said I was ideally suited. Now, perhaps, they will finally let me
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die."
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<p>
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"I think that might be wise."
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<p>
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Sebastian puts on his hat and turns away, proceeding toward the ship,
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and does not look at Sheridan again as he walks. "Good luck to you in
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your holy cause, Captain Sheridan. May your choices have better
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results than mine. Remembered not as a messenger, remembered not as a
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reformer, not as a prophet, not as a hero... not even as Sebastian.
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Remembered only... as Jack."
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