brennen
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lurkers-guide


								<!-- TITLE "Voices of Authority" -->


								<h3>Synopsis by Matthew Murray (mmurray@wsu.edu)</h3>


								<p>

								While Garibaldi and Zack Allen are walking down the corridor, Ivanova

								calls Garibaldi, telling him there is a code 7-R, and Garibaldi says he

								will be right there.  Zack asks about the code, which he is unfamiliar

								with, but Garibaldi skirts the issue and leaves.


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/049/meeting.gif" alt="">

								He arrives at the meeting of the Babylon 5 war council where Delenn is

								talking about her ideas for the necessary gathering of new allies for

								the coming war.  "Many times over the last million years," she

								explains, "the Shadows were fought to a standstill by the First Ones,

								races immeasurably older than our own.  After the last war, a thousand

								years ago, we believe the First Ones went away forever, passing beyond

								the galactic rim where no human or Minbari has ever ventured.  But the

								Vorlons remained.  It is possible that some of the others may still be

								around." She explains that some had gone to rest where they would not

								be bothered, while still others walk among the stars on unknown

								errands.  Marcus warns that the First Ones are very old, and possibly

								very dangerous, but Delenn says that they need all the help they can

								get.  Since they must be found and contacted in person, Delenn has invited

								someone else to help: Draal.  He approves of the idea, warning them

								that, though it may be extremely dangerous, it will definitely be

								"fun."


								<p>

								Draal explains that Epsilon 3 contains stores of information that may

								be helpful in locating the First Ones, though the information about the

								First Ones suggests no one approach their dwelling places.  Sheridan

								agrees to go down to Epsilon 3, sort through the information, and

								discover how they can best proceed next.


								<p>

								Zack Allen meets Julie Musante, from the Ministry of Peace, in the

								docking bay.  She explains that she will be on the station for a while,

								and would like her bags taken to appropriate quarters.


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/049/newword.gif" alt="">

								G'Kar approaches Delenn while she shops at a kiosk, and asks how she

								and Minbar are doing.  He expresses concern at the many closed meetings

								with Captain Sheridan she has been attending lately.  She tries to

								explain it away, but when he asks what she knows about Rangers, she

								claims she knows nothing.  G'Kar explains that his contacts speak of

								both human and Minbari Rangers, and she acknowledges that this does

								seem extremely unlikely.  She leaves, but G'Kar promises to figure out

								this puzzle.<br clear=all>


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/049/musante.gif" alt="">

								Sheridan arrives in his office, where Musante is waiting for him.  She

								explains that she was assigned as a political officer for Babylon 5,

								since some of Sheridan's recent actions haven't been very politically

								astute, and that her position is to help Sheridan make decisions that

								reflect more favorably on the Earth government.  Sheridan says that

								she isn't required on a military outpost, but Musante says that the

								station must answer to the demands of the Earth government.  Sheridan

								refuses to share his authority with her, but she insists her job is

								merely to advise, and that the final decision has already been made.

								She sets up a dinner date with him to learn more about the station and

								recent events, and he tells her that, though he has a previous

								engagement, he will attend.  He calls Ivanova at C&C and tells her that

								she will have to go to Epsilon 3 in his place.


								<p>

								Zack shows Musante to her quarters, and she explains that it will be

								his job to tell her everything she needs to know that Sheridan deigns

								not to tell her.  Since he is a member of the Night Watch, he has

								priorities as well that must be fulfilled.


								<p>

								When Ivanova arrives on Epsilon 3, Draal is at first angered by the

								surprise, but she manages to convince him that surprises can be good

								things.  He laughs, deciding he likes her, and ushers her further into

								the complex.


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/049/dinner.gif" alt="">

								At dinner with Musante, Sheridan tries to convince her that the

								Centauri will continue to move in on the League of Non-Aligned Worlds,

								but Musante insists that Earth would never align with a hostile

								government.  She tells Sheridan he should find ways to express these

								concerns without causing problems on Earth.  She tells him that Earth

								has managed to solve most of its problems, since all of the trouble on

								Earth with poverty, the homeless, criminals, and prejudice are caused

								by those who refuse to work and those who are mentally unstable.  She

								explains that, sometimes, the only way to deal with problems is to

								redefine them.  Sheridan accuses her of ignoring the problems, but she

								says it isn't necessary to point out society's flaws to their leaders,

								and that anyone that does so is a troublemaker and unpatriotic.  She

								says that these are examples of the things she wants to help Sheridan

								with, and that she only wants to help Earth and protect Babylon 5.  She

								says that she doesn't want to see him hurt and that she could come to

								like him...  quite a lot.<br clear=all>


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/049/ivanmach.gif" alt="">

								Draal and Ivanova approach the matrix, where Draal's physical body

								rests within.  The image of Draal vanishes, and he removes his body

								from the matrix.  Ivanova puts hers in.  He tells her to relax and open

								her mind.  "But whatever you do, do not stray from the Path."


								<p>

								Ivanova finds herself travelling through the depths of space.  "I can't

								breathe."


								<p>

								"It's all right," Draal tells her.  "Try to calm your mind.  Focus.

								All life forms are connected.  Look for the Path.  Look for the Path."

								<br clear=all>


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/049/path.gif" alt="">

								"I see it," she says as a strange ribbon of blue begins to form before

								her eyes.


								<p>

								"It is the power that binds us, one to another, across the darkness of

								space.  Focus on the First Ones, on the most ancient of ancients.  Let

								the Path take you to them."


								<p>

								As Draal speaks, the Path becomes more and more solid and visible, and

								Ivanova begins her journey upon it.  After a few moments, she arrives

								at a familiar planet.  "I know this place... I've seen it on the star

								charts.  Sigma 957.  They were here.  I can feel their footprints in

								the sand.  Hear their words... whispered on the wind."  She travels

								around the planet, seeing it from all sides, and it seems to change,

								some of it nearly vanishing into surrounding space, while other, more

								mysterious forms come to its surface.  "It's beautiful.  They're coming

								back again... soon.  I can... Draal? Draal, something's wrong.  Draal,

								I'm not alone."  She looks away from the planet.  It sees me.  It knows

								I'm here.  It... It's pulling me in.  Can't stop it."  In the fabric of

								space, four points of light, which look very much like eyes, begin to

								form and approach her.


								<p>

								"It is the enemy," Draal warns.  Pull away!  Go back to the Path!"


								<p>

								"I can't.  It... It knows I'm here.  It knows my name!"


								<p>

								"Break off!  I can't pull you off without killing you.  Pull away!

								Don't look at it!"  Ivanova succeeds in looking away just as the

								fingers of light are about to reach her, while still others appear, as

								if they were reinforcements.


								<p>

								"That's it," Draal tells her as the image ends.  "Come back now..."


								<p>

								"Wait... there's something else," Ivanova says as she finds herself in

								a new new place, orbiting Jupiter, over a year ago.  "That's EarthForce

								1 before it exploded!  I can warn them!  I can save the President!"


								<p>

								"No, it's too late.  You're seeing the shadow of things long gone."


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/049/clark.gif" alt="">

								The image freezes, and a new one appears, drenched in static.  It is

								the form of Vice-President Clark, sitting at a desk.  "I have wanted

								Santiago dead for so long," he says.  "I wasn't sure we could really

								pull it off.  You're sure it's done?"


								<p>

								Another voice, a deep male voice, that of Morden, responds.

								"EarthForce 1 will never return from Io.  The power is now yours,

								Clark.  Mr.... President."


								<p>

								This image vanishes in a sea of static, and Ivanova once again sees

								herself above Jupiter watching EarthForce 1 explode.  She turns her

								head away, and the image ends.  Draal helps her out of the machine.


								<p>

								"I do not understand!  A normal human mind should not have been able to

								do that!"


								<p>

								"I saw it... I saw it all," she tells him.  "The image I saw... the

								message.  Can you record it?"


								<p>

								"Yes, but how..."


								<p>

								"Do it, please.  It's the proof we've needed that President Santiago

								was assassinated, that Clark was behind everything.  We've got it.

								We've got it."


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/049/seduce.gif" alt="">

								Sheridan takes Musante into his quarters, where he fixes her a drink.

								While he is busy, she takes the opportunity to undress, and comes over

								to him.  He tries to refuse her advances, but changes his mind and

								lunges into a deep kiss with her when an image of Ivanova appears.  She

								soon vanishes when she sees what she interrupted, and Sheridan breaks

								out of the embrace.  He quickly enters another room, where Ivanova is

								waiting.  She tells him that she knows where the First Ones are, but

								they will have to hurry.  He says he is occupied, but tells her to

								contact Garibaldi.  She begins to tell him about Clark's message, but

								doesn't have time.  Musante calls out to him, and Ivanova knows she has

								to leave.  "Good luck, Captain.  I think you're about to go where

								everyone has gone before."  She vanishes just as Musante enters.  Musante

								is quite perplexed when he hurries out again.


								<p>

								G'Kar approaches Garibaldi, asking where Ivanova is, and Garibaldi tells

								him that she was called away on urgent business.  G'Kar prods Garibaldi

								further, but he won't say anything, which incenses G'Kar.  He asks

								Garibaldi if what the Centauri have done has removed from him the

								respect he has earned, since he can't get a straight answer from

								anyone.  G'Kar says that, though the two of them had never been

								friends, they had also never been strangers.  Garibaldi says that he

								doesn't know anything that could help out him or the Narns.  G'Kar

								tells him that perhaps he can help Garibaldi instead, and rushes off.


								<p>

								Zack approaches Musante, who is eating her breakfast.  He asks how her

								meeting with Sheridan went.  "When it comes to your union situation

								here," she tells Zack, "he must be a very good negotiator.  I've never

								seen anyone come up with so many creative ways of saying 'no' to a

								simple proposition."  Zack says that he prefers saying yes, but doesn't

								get much further.  She tells him that she has called a meeting to go

								over political protocol, and that she expects him to be there.  He

								leaves, but Garibaldi, sitting nearby, has seen the entire exchange.


								<p>

								Ivanova arrives on the bridge of the White Star, expecting to see

								Lennier, but finding Marcus instead.  He explains that he speaks

								Minbari, and she tells him to set course for Sigma 957.


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/049/nightwch.gif" alt="">

								Musante addresses the members of the Night Watch, telling them that,

								from this point on, it is no longer appropriate for EarthForce

								personnel to publically criticize the government or its decisions, and

								that Night Watch investigations have been expanded to include past

								associations.  Several members of the Night Watch, including Zack, seem

								distressed by this, but she explains that, in the future, certain

								individuals in the government will be expelled under charges of

								sedition, spying for alien governments, and immoral conduct.  "With our

								basic freedoms at stake, no response can be too extreme."  She says

								that the "abridgements" of traditional rights are only temporary and that

								everyone will have to do their part to keep Earth "safe and

								ideologically pure."


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/049/ships.gif" alt="">

								The White Star arrives at Sigma 957, finding nothing.  Marcus tells Ivanova

								that there is nothing to do but wait, and that she should take time out

								for herself occasionally.  Ivanova gets angry at him talking about her

								personal life, but is interrupted with a sensor beep.  The space near

								Sigma 957 fills with a web of energy, from the center of which

								springs an enormous black vessel, with many strangely-shaped

								protusions, and covered in dancing lights of all colors.  As the ship

								approaches, the White Star's energy begins to drain, and as they move

								away, a small stream of energy extends toward them.  On the bridge, an

								image of one of the First Ones appears, and Ivanova tells it of their

								situation.  Though it registers no comprehension of what she is saying,

								when she mentions that they have sided with the Vorlons, the figure is

								not happy.  She asks for their help fighting the Shadows, but the image

								vanishes as the First Ones consider their decision.


								<p>

								Sheridan and Garibaldi watch the recording of Clark's transmission with

								Morden.  Sheridan is excited that they finally have the proof they

								need, but Garibaldi asks what they can do with it, without raising too

								many questions.  Sheridan says he will send it to General Hague, and

								with built-in security measures assuring the recording's validity, the

								evidence will finally put them where they need to be.


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/049/zog.gif" alt="">

								The waiting continues, and eventually the First Ones reach their

								verdict: "Zog."  When the ship begins to move away, Ivanvoa and Marcus

								interpret it to mean no.  Ivanova insists that she will not let them

								leave until they agree to help, and a sarcastic comment from Marcus

								gives her an idea.  She opens a comm channel and tells the First Ones

								that the Vorlons said that they wouldn't be up for a fight, and that they are

								not needed to help.  "Come to think of it, we've got the Vorlons.  We

								really don't need much more help, do we?"  As she continues to praise

								the Vorlons, the First Ones become more and more angry.  She promises

								to move away and let them know when the fighting is over.  The First

								Ones seem to get more and more angry, but eventually the previous image

								of the First Ones reappears.  "When it is time, come to this place.

								Call our name.  We will be here."  The ship vanishes, leaving the

								White Star alone.


								<p>

								Garibaldi and the rest of his security team watch an ISN broadcast

								about the release of evidence linking Clark to Santiago's death; the

								Senate is opening investigations.  Garibaldi tells the team to try to keep

								everything under control, and says that Musante has been recalled to Earth.

								Zack especially is unable to grasp the idea of an assassination, but

								Garibaldi is in no mood to hear it, since he knows that Zack told her

								more than he should.  He says that, after what happened earlier, it was

								a long time before he could trust anyone.  Zack says that Garibaldi

								doesn't trust him, since code 7-R doesn't exist.  Zack asks him what is

								really going on.  "Night Watch says the only people who have to worry

								are the ones with something to hide," Zack says.  Garibaldi asks

								him if he has a charge to make, but Zack says he doesn't, and that he's

								walking a tightrope, and that he doesn't know what to do.  Zack

								leaves, telling Garibaldi not to talk to him for the rest of the day.


								<p>

								Ivanova reports the events of the mission to Sheridan, who tells her

								that they will need all the First Ones they can find.  She asks about

								the situation with President Clark, and Sheridan tells her that

								everything is a mess, but the truth has been released.


								<p>

								Zack escorts Musante to the docking bay.  She tells him that she

								doesn't expect to be gone very long and that this situation is exactly

								what she hoped to avoid.  Zack asks her about code 7-R, but she tells

								him she never heard of it.  She hears the boarding call for her ship,

								and says she needs to go, promising that they will find who is

								responsible and punish them.


								<p>

								<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/049/book.gif" alt="">

								Late at night, Garibaldi is asleep when he is awakened by his door

								chime.  He groggily turns the lights up low, gets up, and answers the

								door, to find G'Kar there.  "I told you I could help," he says,

								thrusting a large tome into Garibaldi's hands.  "The Book of G'Quan.

								Read it.  We'll talk afterward."


								<p>

								"I... I don't read Narn," Garibaldi protests.


								<p>

								"Learn!"  G'kar says as he leaves hastily.


								<p>

								"He hates me," Garibaldi says to himself as he makes his way back to

								bed.  "They all hate me.  That's why they're doing this.  To make...

								me... crazy." He flops onto his bed, issuing one last command before he

								goes to sleep.  "Lights."