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167 lines
8.3 KiB
167 lines
8.3 KiB
<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 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/071/cloud.jpeg">
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The station spins amidst a growing cloud of warships and tension as the
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coalition prepares to defend itself against the Vorlons and Shadows.
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Ivanova finds the Captain brooding in C&C. It seems that the Shadows have
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finally reacted to the Vorlon "planet killer" attacks against worlds where
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they have influence with an equally destructive offensive against Vorlon
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supporters. They watch with horror as a report shows an evil cloud
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suffusing a world, rippling the surface and killing all sentient life on it.
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<p>
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"Giants in the playground," Sheridan remarks with disgust.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/071/meeting.jpeg">
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On Narn, Londo has convened a secret meeting of Centauri leaders. In no
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uncertain terms he and Vir explain that if Emperor Cartagia is not killed
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today and the Shadows driven off homeworld, Centauri Prime will be
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destroyed by the Vorlons.
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<p>
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Ivanova tracks down the Captain again in his office. She tells Sheridan he
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must be proud. Even if they die in the coming battle, it will be at the
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head of what must be the greatest fleet the galaxy has ever seen. When he
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tells her that he needs her to track down the remaining First Ones for him
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and this will prevent her from accompanying the fleet, she grows angry.
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<p>
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When she was a child, her mother told her to wait at the neighbor's house
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one day. She waited and waited and her mother never came. It was the day
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her mother killed herself. Ivanova refuses to be left behind again. She makes
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Sheridan promise, as one soldier to another, not to protect her, but to let
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her be there when the final battle comes.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/071/cartagia.jpeg">
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The throne room rings with laughter as a jester entertains the court.
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Emperor Cartagia enthusiastically explains his latest idea to Mollari.
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When he attains godhood, Londo shall be his high priest. They will go back
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to watch the Vorlons destroy Centauri Prime as soon as G'Kar is executed.
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The emperor turns to find himself the object of the jester's mimicry. The
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room stills and the courtiers quake until Cartagia laughs, and everyone
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laughs with relief. Londo leaves to "check on some arrangements."
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/071/cell.jpeg">
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He is shocked to see the "arrangements" sitting in a dark cell, drawn,
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bloodied, with only a single eye. But "an empty eye can see through to an
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empty heart," G'Kar says. Londo tells G'Kar that his chains have been
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weakened enough that he can break them at the moment before his execution
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to create a diversion the Centauri can use to kill the emperor. "Your
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heart is empty, Mollari. Did you know that?" Londo's sympathy dries up at
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that remark and he leaves the Narn with the injunction not to touch the
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emperor's person. "Leave him to us."
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<p>
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Mollari returns to the throne room in time to see a body dragged from the
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room and a jester's cap on the floor. "Humor is such a subjective thing,"
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Cartagia comments.
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<p>
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Later that night Vir appears bearing a secret package. He is surprised
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no one followed him. "Everyone knows that you are incapable of doing
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anything really dangerous or subversive," Mollari smiles. The package
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turns out to be anything but innocuous however. It is a needlelike dagger
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with a button on the handle that when plunged deep into the breast of the
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victim will release a toxin that can kill a Centauri "almost
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instantaneously." They joke around about whether that might be long enough
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for the emperor to say "Londo killed Aaaaagh!"
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/071/free.jpeg">
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As G'Kar is paraded through the corridors as a lesson to the Narn, Cartagia
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idly mentions that he had G'Kar's chains replaced because they looked weak.
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The emperor passes judgment, death by vivisection, and asks for the Narn's
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plea. G'Kar only grabs his chains. With a mighty pull he breaks them and
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attacks the emperor's guards. Londo hurries Cartagia into an antechamber
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behind the throne.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/071/assassin2.jpeg">
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Nervously fumbling for his dagger and peering around for guards, Londo
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distractedly tells the enraged emperor to be quiet. Cartagia turns on him
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instead, punching Mollari in the face and knocking the weapon out of his
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hand before getting him in a headlock. "You will burn with the rest of
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Centauri," he says, then turns away to find a dagger in his chest, in the
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hands of a horrified Vir.
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<p>
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Within the hour Londo announces Cartagia's death to the court. In the same
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moment he declares that this is a sign that they must leave Narn forever.
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They must also return to Centauri Prime immediately to remove the Shadow
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presence there. Since there is no clear line of succession, he is named
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Prime Minister by a member of the Centaurum to lead until a new emperor can
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be chosen.
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<p>
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Back on Babylon 5, Lennier hurries into the war room with an intelligence
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report. It shows that the Shadows, like the Vorlons, are destroying planets
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hit-and-run style. He is interrupted by an incoming report from a White
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Star scout, whose probes are able to show how the Shadows operate. They
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surround the victim planet with a cloud of black missiles. These missiles
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assault the planet en masse, burrowing through the crust to the planet's
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molten core where they detonate together. The resultant tectonic upheaval
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effectively destroys all life on the planet within hours.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/071/garibaldi.jpeg">
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Garibaldi is upset. "We are outclassed, boys and girls."
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<p>
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But Lennier knows where the Vorlons might be heading next, Coriana 6, a
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planet with over 6 billion people on it. They convene the League worlds to
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discuss their next strategy.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/071/drunk.jpeg">
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The Centauri must leave Narn immediately but Vir is no where to be found.
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Londo's impatience with his assistant turns into distaste when he finds Vir
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thoroughly drunk. But he softens in the face of Vir's anguish. No matter
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how good the cause, Vir has just killed someone in cold blood. Londo tells
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him what he did was necessary, that he may have saved their people. "But
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you still have your heart. And your heart is a good one. You would not be
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in such great pain otherwise." Their conversation is interrupted by
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the fireworks of celebrating Narns. Londo may regret the loss of his own
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heart, he says as he leaves Vir, but in keeping his promise to G'Kar, at
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least he retains his honor.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/071/suicide.jpeg">
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The League representatives are appalled by their first vision of the Shadow
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planet killing cloud. In this mood of despair Sheridan announces they will
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stand against the Vorlons at Coriana 6. In addition, it's time the
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Shadows and Vorlons fought each other directly instead of attacking through
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the destruction of innocent worlds. The Shadows will have to be tricked
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into joining them however. While the League watches, Sheridan calls up the
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White Star scout ship again and instructs her captain to attack a Shadow
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base near one of their main staging areas. The Shadow response will be
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instant--and deadly. Sheridan asks this crew to leak news of a
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nonexistant coalition base near Coriana 6 to the Shadows, and to die in
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apparent defense of this false intelligence.
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<br clear=all>
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<p>
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<img align=right width=128 height=96 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/071/gkar.jpeg">
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The Narn throne room is the scene of revelry once again, this time as the
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Narn tear it to pieces. G'Kar is outraged when he sees this, and even more
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infuriated when the Narns try to make him their new leader to strike back
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against the Centauri once and for all. He will lead only as a member of
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the Kha'Ri, not as a dictator. Angry at being told off, one Narn asks
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him, while we've been down here suffering under Centauri rule, "What have
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you endured?" G'Kar's answer begins in rage and ends in ineffable mirth.
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<p>
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The scout ship's final message is received at the station. The Shadows
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have taken the bait. And so the greatest fleet anyone has ever known sets
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off for Coriana 6.
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