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163 lines
8.2 KiB
163 lines
8.2 KiB
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<h3>Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)</h3>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/054/londo.jpeg" alt="">
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In customs, Londo waits impatiently, complaining bitterly about the
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inefficiency of the Narn security personnel and the stupidity of the
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fighting between Earthers. Meanwhile that fighting continues as
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General Hague's destroyer, the EAS Alexander, is under attack by another
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Earth Alliance warship, the EAS Clarkstown. When there seems to be no
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other choice, the Alexander destroys her pursuer and jumps toward
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Babylon 5. As soon as news of this impending arrival reaches the
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station's officers, they realize their dilemma. The Alexander is being
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hunted down on charges of treason, but General Hague has been their
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strongest ally in the fight against the growing darkness at home. In
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the background, ISN reports that Mars has refused to implement martial
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law in defiance of President Clark's orders. Trying to protect the
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crew from the consequences of his action, Sheridan announces in C & C
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that the arriving Alexander will be given humanitarian assistance, but
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he has Garibaldi cut all transmissions from the station just in
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case some of his crew want to report her arrival.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/054/medlab.jpeg" alt="">
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Delenn has received chilling news as well. A Minbari Ranger traveling
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among the nonaligned worlds has discovered that the various races have
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all been goaded by the Shadows into fighting their neighbors, first for
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defense and then for conquest. The races believe that alliance with the
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Shadows is the only way to be safe from Centauri conquest. The Grey
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Council's only reaction is to comment that "The problems of others are
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not ours."
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/054/hague.jpeg" alt="">
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The commanding officer of the Alexander, Major Ryan, arrives on B5 bearing bad
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tidings. General Hague was killed during their last fight, the
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attempted coup against Clark is only having marginal success, ISN is on
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the verge of being shut down, and the majority of Earth Force is either
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loyal to Clark or intimidated by him. As the crew discusses his report,
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the news comes that Earth Gov has begun bombing civilian targets on Mars.
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<p>
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Delenn leaves to find the Grey Council just as the EAS Churchill
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arrives with her captain demanding an immediate meeting with Sheridan.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/054/isn.jpeg" alt="">
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Gunfire punctuates the scene of terrified anchors at ISN reporting that
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Orion and Proxima 3 colonies have declared independence in protest over
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the bombing of Mars. Apparently ISN has been forced to conceal
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information about activities in Earth Gov for the past year, but before
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they can spill the story their final broadcast is cut off abruptly
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amid falling debris. The Churchill's captain comes aboard to inform
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Sheridan that transmissions were intercepted ordering elite Earth Gov
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forces to Babylon 5 to both capture the Alexander, and take control of
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the station, arresting the command staff and placing the station under the
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direct authority of President Clark and the Nightwatch.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/054/furies1.jpeg" alt="">
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There is no more room to maneuver. Sheridan puts the question to his
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officers: Fight or Surrender? If they fight and lose, more than a
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quarter of a million lives might be at stake, and they will be
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executed. If they surrender, they will be court martialed at the
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least. Their decision is unanimous. It is time to make their stand
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now against Earth and the darkness. They spring into last minute
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preparations. Fighters are scrambled, Medlab is cleared, and ground
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troops are geared up.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/054/staff.jpeg" alt="">
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An acolyte attempting to bar Delenn from the Grey Council chambers is
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withered by the force of her purpose. Her words are even more powerful
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before the Council as she accuses them of abandoning the very prophecy
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they were created to meet, to stand against the Shadows "between
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the candle and the star, between the darkness and the light." Berating
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them for pride and presumption she breaks the leader's staff of office
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before breaking the Council itself by calling on the Worker and
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Religious castes to abandon the Warrior caste's indifference and follow
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her into immediate action.
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<p>
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Sheridan takes a moment in the midst of the crisis to call home for
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what might be the last time. His father urges him not to worry about
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his parents, and to remember the first lesson he ever taught him. Never start
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a fight, but always finish it.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/054/holo.jpeg" alt="">
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Ivanova configures Draal's holographic system so the that captain can
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transmit a speech throughout B5. He announces that warships are
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enroute to seize the station and that in response Babylon 5 is seceding
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from the Earth Alliance until President Clark is removed from office.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/054/fight1.jpeg" alt="">
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Knowing that one of the officers must be personally present to lead the
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Star Fury squadrons into battle, Sheridan grants Commander Ivanova
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permission to drop just in time to meet four heavy warships and
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assembled fighters jumping out of hyperspace. His final effort to talk
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the approaching captain out of a fight is ignored, and full scale
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battle erupts. Joined by Star Furies from the Alexander and the
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Churchill, the station's squadrons are mostly successful in defending
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the station. Nevertheless, a breeching pod is able to penetrate their
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defenses. It latches on to the station's hull, bores a hole, and
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troops begin to jump through, where they are quickly engaged in bloody,
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close quarters resistance from Garibaldi leading Narn and human
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security personnel.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/054/collide.jpeg" alt="">
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The Churchill puts up an excellent fight, until with fire on all decks,
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she sacrifices herself by ramming an enemy destroyer. Distracted by the
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sight, Ivanova reacts too slowly to a collision warning and is knocked
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spinning by another Fury. Sheridan immediately orders her to eject,
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which she does, an instant before her fighter slams against the hull of
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a cruiser. The Alexander and the station are able to destroy the
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other attacking warships, but suffer such heavy damage in the
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meantime that Lt. Corwin informs the captain that they could not have
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lasted much longer.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/054/minbari.jpeg" alt="">
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Relief is short lived. Three more destroyers arrive through the
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jump gate and order Sheridan to surrender. Before he has a chance to
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consider, four more jump points form. Instead of Earth Force ships
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however, they expel Delenn commanding the White Star and three Minbari
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war cruisers. She orders the attacking Earth Forces to withdraw. When
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they refuse, she replies coldly, "Only one human captain has ever
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survived battle with the Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in
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front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else."
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/054/garibald.jpeg" alt="">
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They beat a hasty retreat. But they leave a bloody wake of dead and
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dying both on the station and littered through space where the Minbari
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take up sentry duty. Sheridan accepts responsibility for some of the
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Churchill's lost Star Furies. Although he is proud of his crew, his
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faith in Earth Force is shattered, and he vows not to wear his uniform
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again until this civil war is over. To the Alexander, he extends a
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standing offer of assistance, before she departs in search of other
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allies.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 src="/lurk/gif/054/traitors.jpeg" alt="">
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In Docking, the known Nightwatch are being deported along with
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prisoners from the breeching pod, when Delenn comes aboard. John
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greets her with gratitude, awe, respect and love. Although less
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personal, most of the station feels the same way about him-as an
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enormous crowd expresses enthusiastically in the Zocolo. Even so, the
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respite is uneasy, and surely temporary.
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