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186 lines
8.8 KiB
186 lines
8.8 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/073/party.jpeg">
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A Starfury formation spins past the observation deck amidst fireworks and
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plumes of colored trails, while in the Zocolo a wild party is raging to
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mark the end of the Shadow War. Sheridan and Delenn observe the celebrations
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proudly, disregarding the uncertain future for the moment.
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<p>
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Trouble is brewing for them at home, though. President Clark sees the
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station as a clear and present danger to him now that the Shadows are gone
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and orders all his executive forces into action to take them out. The
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first salvo is a propaganda offensive counducted with assistance from the
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Psi Corps, and the station's favorite Psi Cop, Alfred Bester. If Clark can
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turn public opinion against Babylon 5, he might be able to win where a
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direct assault would fail.
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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/073/minister.jpeg">
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On Centauri Prime, Mollari is preparing to return to his ambassadorial
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duties. The palace is not such a safe place for him after the death of the
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Emperor. As he departs, Londo bestows upon the fluttering Minister a
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delightful piece of news; the Centaurum has decided to name him Regent
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until a new Emperor can be selected.
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<p>
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While examining G'Kar, Franklin observes that he can probably fix the Narn
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up with a human prosthetic eye. When he asks why G'Kar didn't stay on Narn
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to lead his people, G'Kar replies that power corrupts.
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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/073/face.jpeg">
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Shaving himself quietly, Garibaldi draws a grim face in the steamy window.
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The com panel reports an incoming message. It is untraceable and
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encrypted. It displays as a rippling pattern of light, no audio. Garibaldi
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watches the entire message, then deletes it.
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<p>
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He meets Ivanova, Franklin and Sheridan in the captain's office and
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announces his resignation. They try to argue him out of it, but he is
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steadfast. Their future in Earth Force is over; their chances for going
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home are negligible; and if they weren't fighting the Shadows for the right
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to choose their own destinies then what were they fighting for?
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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/073/elvis.jpeg">
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Zack is training a mixed team of humans and Narn in Customs. Just when he
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tells them to flag anything unusual, he is astonished to see a remarkably
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buoyant Londo Mollari come strolling through the gate. Zack remarks to the
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trainees, "You never know who's going to walk in the--"
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<p>
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"Door," Mr. Bester supplies, as he strides through under guard en route to
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his usual quarters in the brig.
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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/073/welcome.jpeg">
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Garibaldi opens his door to find the one-eyed Narn standing silently on his
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threshold. He thanks G'Kar for going to look for him when he was lost and
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as G'Kar stalks into the room he backs up stuttering apologies that G'Kar
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was captured and tortured because of him. G'Kar simply picks him up and
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sings, "Welcome home, Mr. Garibaldi!" He isn't angry at all, because going
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in search of Garibaldi put him in the position to strike the deal with
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Londo that freed his people.
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<p>
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When Sheridan tells him, Zack also thinks Garibaldi's action is pretty
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strange. The discussion is broken up by an ISN news that all travel
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between Earth and B5 is prohibited.
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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/073/lyta.jpeg">
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Zack finds Lyta surrounded by new purchases in her room. When he asks her
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to come to the conference room to help them defend against Mr. Bester, she
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grows angry. People use her, but no one is nice to her. A bit bashfully,
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Zack explains that because of her association with the Vorlons and their
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current reputation, most people are leery of her. She is relieved to hear
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the truth. Taking another look, Zack offers to come over with pizza later
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to help her set up her room.
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<p>
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Londo's joyful bargaining in the Zocolo is quelled when he sees G'Kar. He
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stifles his first intention of sidling away and approaches instead. G'Kar
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tells him plainly that Londo no longer exists in his universe. "Pray that
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we never notice one another again."
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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/073/bester-conf.jpeg">
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Bester isn't happy seeing Lyta in the conference room and scoffs at her
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abilities but the Captain isn't concerned, so Bester gets down to business.
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He explains Clark's intentions towards the station and mentions a specific
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plan. Before giving the details, Bester demands a price. He wants to be
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taken to Z'ha'dum to look for abandoned technology that might help him heal
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his lover. She is still in cryogenic suspension while Dr. Franklin
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investigates the Shadow-made wetware in her head. When Bester attempts to
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scan the command staff he is blocked, and when he attempts to scan Lyta she
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mentally slaps him hard enough to jolt his head back. Sheridan agrees to
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Bester's proposition. Bester describes Clark's plan. A patrol of Star
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Furies blockading the last jump gate to B5 will be attacked by a wing of
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Black Omegas, elite pilots under the command of Psi Corps, and the wreckage
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will be seeded with "evidence" that the attack came from the station.
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<p>
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As Sheridan's White Star leaves for Z'ha'dum, Ivanova takes Alpha squadron
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to defend the station's blockaders.
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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/073/lockdown.jpeg">
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Zack visits the Chief to get the station security codes, and to tell him
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he's making a mistake to quit. Garibaldi seems to satisfy Zack with a
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philosophical answer about mistakes and second chances, reminding him that
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the second chance he gave Zack by hiring him hadn't been a mistake.
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<p>
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Delenn and John share a rare quiet moment. When he complains that they
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never get a break she tells him he wouldn't have it any other way.
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<p>
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Ivanova's wing jumps out of hyperspace in time to save the patrol from the
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Omegas which have just launched their attack. When the patrol leader is
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confused, she tells him, "Reports of our disloyalty have been greatly
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exaggerated."
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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/073/how.jpeg">
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Lyta appears to be concentrating when Bester comes upon her on the bridge.
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He wants to know how she can block him. She is obligated to tell the
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Corps, he says. Her refusal is met by a threat to reveal something she
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wants kept secret.
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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/073/blowup.jpeg">
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Bester is unimpressed by his first sight of Z'ha'dum. Sensors indicate
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that an evacuation of the planet is underway. The evacuees, allies
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of the Shadows, are just leaving the local jump gate, and the planet
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appears to be completely dead. Sheridan orders an immediate about face.
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His instinct is correct as a moment later the planet explodes. No one can
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rob the Shadows' grave now. Bester is enraged but Lyta surreptitiously grins.
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<p>
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The room where the cyrogenically suspended telepaths are kept is like a
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morgue. Bester shares a moment with the frozen body of his lover. He
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tells her door about sending his best pilots to their deaths for her.
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Sheridan and the others might all be laughing at his failure now, but he'd
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do it again in a second for her. Besides, he's got a surprise for them
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that will hurt them more than they can possibly imagine.
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<p>
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Lyta is visited by the Captain, who begins speculating about how a powerful
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telepath in the amplified medium of hyperspace might have triggered the
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evacuation and destruction of Z'ha'dum without Bester being any the wiser.
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She explains that someone might want to hurt Bester
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the way he has hurt so many other people, and that the technology on Z'ha'dum
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should not fall into anyone's hands. Once her explanation is out he allows
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his carefully contained fury to show. No matter how much he might agree
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with her reasoning, he says that if in the future "a command level decision
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were made without consulting me, I would turn you over to the Psi Corps and
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let them turn you inside out. Am I perfectly, crystal clear."
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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/073/pizza.jpeg">
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"Yes sir," she replies. Before her dressing down has a chance to sink in,
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a completely different visitor arrives bearing pizza.
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<p>
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Ivanova mentions that news of the attempted ambush has filtered back
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through Earth Force and only served to raise people's opinions of Babylon
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5. Sheridan is disturbed, though. He has been thinking about where the
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allies of the Shadows might have gone. Ivanova assures him it's nothing to
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worry about.
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<p>
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On Centauri Prime, the new Regent is worrying. Having nightmares, or so he
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thinks. Until he staggers out of bed to the mirror. He pulls away his
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nightgown and is horrified to find an evil grey Keeper snuggled up to his neck.
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