brennen
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lurkers-guide



								<h3>Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)</h3>


								<p>

								The EA Destroyer Acheron jumps into Babylon 5 space bearing Captain

								Lochley, the station's new CO.  With everyone else busy preparing for

								Sheridan's inauguration ceremony, Lt. Corwin is the sole member of her

								welcoming committee.  To his dismay, she seems intent on reforming the

								station immediately.


								<p>

								In an empty tube station on Mars, a man holding a music box and a PPG has a

								battered Ranger bound to a chair.  "We live for the One, we die for the

								One," the Ranger utters before being shot.  The man hangs a placard around

								the Ranger's neck and walks away.  "Special Delivery For Babylon 5," it

								reads.


								<p>

								Both up early, the newlyweds are adjusting to their new routine.  Delenn's

								dismay at finding wet socks in the shower is allayed when John explains

								that washing his own socks keeps death at bay.  His old drill sergeant

								always said that the person who has nothing left to do is going to get

								killed.  Only he would live forever, because he always had socks to wash.


								<p>

								Before leaving for their separate duties they agree to meet at Delenn's

								place tonight.  They will continue alternating quarters until they can

								leave B5 when their permanent headquarters are completed on Minbar.


								<p>

								Outside the station spins a cargo bubble.  A seated corpse is visible

								inside.


								<p>

								Greeting Lochley in his office, Sheridan officially acknowledges that the

								Captain is now in command of station operations.  However, as an

								independent state that the Interstellar Alliance intends to purchase from

								Earth, B5 is politically under Pres. Sheridan's jurisdiction.  He explains

								that he specifically requested her to run the station because she is strong

								yet has a history of resolving tricky conflicts without resorting to force.

								 Lochley is pleased, but firm in stating that he'd better let her do her

								job without interference.  Their conversation is cut short when Lochley is

								called away by Lt. Corwin.  The question of which side she fought on in the

								civil war is left open between them.  As she leaves his office, she is

								observed by a tall, blond man waiting in the corridor.


								<p>

								Zack's job is being interfered with plenty, but only because Garibaldi is

								determined that nothing go wrong with the inauguration.  While discussing

								security procedures, they pass the killer from Mars in the Zocalo.


								<p>

								Lt. Corwin shows the Captain the corpse and placard, but it means nothing

								to them.  Meanwhile, someone accesses Sheridan's Babcom and leaves him a

								death threat.


								<p>

								Lochley's working lunch is interrupted by the blond man.  All sounds in the

								restaurant suddenly fade as he walks over, introduces himself as Byron and

								requests her to meet "his people" in Brown 3 in two hours.  The noise

								quickly reestablishes itself and Byron has apparently vanished.


								<p>

								G'Kar's struggles with his manuscript are interrupted by the President.  In

								recognition of the Narn's eloquence, Sheridan asks him to write the

								inauguration oath and a declaration of principles for the Alliance.  G'Kar

								is overcome with honor and swears himself to the task night and day until

								it is done.


								<p>

								Dr. Franklin confirms that the Ranger was killed a week ago at close range

								by an expert with a PPG, but was adrift in space only a few hours.


								<p>

								Captain Lochley finds Byron in Brown 3 with a half a dozen people.  The

								security team she has arranged in ambush quickly frisks and clears them

								all.  Introducing himself as the leader of a much larger community, Byron

								explains that they are rogue telepaths who disavow violence and technology,

								and having no place else to call home, he requests permission for them to

								form a colony on the station.  Byron introduces his wan and raggedy troupe,

								including Simon, a traumatized boy who communicates by transmitting

								visions.  Lochley wants Simon in Medlab and she'll think about the rest.


								<p>

								The killer stalks the Gaim ambassador to his quarters and murders him there.


								<p>

								Sheridan returns to his quarters to find two death threats.  Like

								Presidents Lincoln, Roosevelt and Kiyoshi, the message warns, he will pay

								the price for the death and destruction his war cost.


								<p>

								Upon examination, Franklin finds nothing physically wrong with Simon's

								vocal cords.  Byron confirms that the boy chooses not to speak.  The

								doctor turns away an instant and when he turns back, all the telepaths are

								gone, and the boy is looking down on the lab from a ventilation shaft.


								<p>

								Among the command staff, IA Council and Garibaldi, only Lochley agrees

								with Sheridan that he should continue the inauguration in the face of the

								threats.  It's important that as President he shouldn't cut himself off

								from the world behind security.


								<p>

								Garibaldi furiously runs Lochley down in the corridor and tells her that

								they need to protect Sheridan from himself.  She reminds him that he is a

								civilian without authority, and so his words mean nothing to her.


								<p>

								Attracted by the sound of a music box, Simon crawls to a grate where he can

								spy a man assembling a Gaim encounter suit.  Startled by the man's thoughts

								of himself shooting Sheridan, Simon bangs against the shaft wall.  The man

								shoots the ceiling, grabs his gear and runs off, leaving Simon wounded up

								in the shaft.


								<p>

								The inauguration ceremonies begin as Garibaldi's investigation homes in on

								the killer.  Major Clemens, a former member of Earth Force, wanted for

								torture on Beta 9 and a trained infiltrator.  Meanwhile the "Gaim Ambassador"

								arrives for the ceremony.


								<p>

								Bleeding and frantic, Simon manages to get into the gathering to get to

								Franklin. "No!" he shouts, and broadcasts the killer's intended

								assassination to everyone in the room.


								<p>

								The killer strikes, but misses the President before escaping.  Sheridan

								insists on going ahead with the ceremony, even as Simon dies on the floor.

								The killer is able to get to a Starfury however, and launches as G'Kar

								begins to read the Oath of Office.  Garibaldi figures out the man's intent

								and launches just behind him.  At the moment of Sheridan's oath, a Star

								Fury looms outside the Observation Deck.  Ordering everyone else out of the

								room, the killer bids Sheridan farewell.  Before he can fire, Garibaldi

								sneaks up behind him and grapples the back of his fighter, releasing him

								into fire from the station's defense system.


								<p>

								Sheridan and Delenn hold each other in relief.  To their surprise G'Kar is

								still on the deck.  "You want to be President?" G'Kar demands.


								<p>

								"Yes," Sheridan replies.


								<p>

								"Put your hand on the book and say 'I do.'"


								<p>

								"I do."


								<p>

								"Fine.  Done.  Let's eat."  G'Kar says and strides away.


								<p>

								The President receives Byron in his office.  Lochley has refused the

								telepaths' request, but Sheridan declares it his jurisdiction and grants

								them rights to start a colony. Franklin is a little perplexed, but Sheridan

								argues that when the telepath war begins, it would do them some good to

								have some telepathic allies on board.


								<p>

								The Captain is busy decorating her own office when Garibaldi stops by.  He

								introduces himself to her as the new head of covert intelligence for the

								IA, and warns her to expect him at meetings.  He has a bit more snooping to

								do.  It turns out that she once served with the attempted assassin.

								Garibaldi finds this curious and then asks which side she was on in the

								recent war.


								<p>

								The side of Earth, is all she'll say.