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lurkers-guide



								<h3>Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)</h3>


								<P>

								Lochley is walking down a corridor when she is joined by

								Delenn. Delenn tells her that she has spoken to Sheridan and is now

								aware of the full reason Sheridan chose Lochley to command Babylon

								5. Delenn also wants to tell the Captain that she approves of the

								decision. Lochley is glad to hear it, but asks Delenn to keep quiet

								about it; others may not be so understanding. But unbeknownst to

								either of them, Garibaldi has overheard the conversation.


								<P>


								Meanwhile, Londo is in the observation deck, looking at a recently

								arrived Centauri liner. Zack comes in to inform him of its arrival: it

								is to take Londo to Centauri Prime. Londo explains that with the

								Regent's health failing, Londo must spend as much time as possible at

								his side. And once the Regent dies, the Centarum will make him

								Emperor, and he will never again be able to come to Babylon 5, save

								for the occasional state visit. He is not happy about this prospect,

								much to his surprise.


								<P>


								In the docking bay, a transport malfunctions and smashes against the

								pressure doors and explodes. The explosion closes down the docking bay

								for 11 hours. This does not stop a Psi Corps shuttle, which is in a

								priority mission and is allowed to dock through the emergency air

								doors.


								<P>


								In MedLab, Lyta is ransacking through some containers when she is

								surprised by Dr. Franklin. She is taking medicines and vitamins to the

								telepaths downbelow; not because they asked her, she explains, but out

								of her own initiative. Franklin says they should come themselves, but

								Lyta explains that some have been subjected to medical experiments by

								the Psi Corps and do not trust doctors. Franklin lets her take what she

								needs. "Next time you need something, just ask!" he tells her as she

								leaves. Later, when Lyta is giving the supplies to Byron, they all

								sense the arrival of the Psi Cops: Bloodhound units led by Bester.


								<P>


								Garibaldi is hanging out in Zack's office when a security guard comes

								in to inform Zack of Bester's arrival. Garibaldi rushes out and runs

								to Lochley's office, where he finds Bester and the Captain chatting

								over a cup of coffee. When he tries to get at Bester, Lochley stops

								him, first interposing herself, then slugging him, and finally having

								Garibaldi taken to the brig; Bester watches bemused.


								<P>


								In MedLab, Delenn and G'Kar ask Franklin to put together the

								definitive work on cross-species infections. The field is still in its

								infancy, but it is very important to the Alliance and its goal of

								interspecies relations. He is to go to member worlds, who are

								obligated under the terms of the Alliance to share medical data, and

								do first hand research. Although it means spending less time in MedLab

								and delegating some responsibility, Franklin is delighted and agrees.


								<P>


								Lochley arrives at Sheridan's office. Sheridan heard about the

								incident with Garibaldi and he reminds Lochley that Bester

								reprogrammed Garibaldi and almost got him and Sheridan killed (<a

								href="../guide/083.html">"The Face of the Enemy"</a>). Lochley is well

								aware of this, having read the reports from both sides, but explains

								that the telepaths are wanted by the Psi Corps on numerous

								charges. Since the Interstellar Alliance grants sovereignty to member

								worlds, and the Psi Corps is part of the Earth Government, they have a

								right to take the telepaths under custody. Since Bester has not broken

								any rules, she must oblige him. If Bester breaks the rules, she

								promises, she will throw him out; but until then, she has to deal with

								it her own way. Sheridan reluctantly backs down, but orders Lochley to

								find a way to prevent the telepaths from being taken away, without

								compromising the policies of the Alliance.


								<P>


								The Centauri liner cannot wait for the repairs to the docking bay to

								be completed, and gets ready to depart without Londo. When they set

								their navigational beacon to Centauri Prime, the liner

								explodes. Later, Zack explains to Lochley that they found traces of

								explosives in the debris. The liner was sabotaged and set to explode

								when it returned to Centauri Prime; all the evidence points to an

								attempt to assassinate Londo. He then gives his security reports to

								Lochley, who discovers that Garibaldi accessed her classified

								personnel file; she angrily goes to see Garibaldi.


								<P>


								Meanwhile, Bester and the Bloodhound teeps are walking through Brown

								sector when they are met by Lyta. She is jamming them, and uses her

								Vorlon-augmented powers to stop them. Rather than force the issue now,

								Bester retreats; he will come back later with a dozen security guards,

								too much for Lyta to handle by herself. And if the rogue telepaths

								scatter, she won't be able to shield them from the Bloodhounds. Lyta

								goes back to Byron and advises him to scatter and hide.


								<P>


								Lochley enters the brig and confronts Garibaldi. She wants to know why

								he has been riding her so hard. "I don't know you," he answers, "so I

								don't trust you." "The world is full of people you don't know!" she

								counters, to which he replies, "I worry about that all the time." He wants to

								know why she

								was so friendly with Bester, and why she was chosen to command Babylon

								5. The first question she answers readily: she was once stationed at

								an Earth Force Base where a rogue telepath killed some of her people;

								Bester tracked him down and saved two others. Although she neither

								likes him nor trusts him, he has played by the rules with her and she

								is obligated to reciprocate.


								<P>


								The second question is more difficult, and she asks Garibaldi to keep

								it between them. Sheridan wanted a symbol, someone who was on the

								other side during the Civil War; but also someone he could trust,

								someone who wouldn't stab him in the back. Someone who would argue

								with him, but back him up when he was right.

								Lochley was the perfect choice: She and Sheridan were married for

								three months after Officer Training School. The marriage fell apart

								because they both wanted to be in control all the time. Although it

								was over a long time ago, they trust each other.


								<P>


								Garibaldi is highly amused at the situation, and figures he can go

								now; but Lochley won't let him go until Bester leaves. "It's not that

								I don't trust you," she explains, "but I don't... trust you." She then

								receives a call from Zack: Bester got EarthDome to request security

								guards to help him track the rogue telepaths, and they can't refuse

								him. Lochley leaves, with Garibaldi still in the brig.


								<P>


								Security guards and Bloodhound teeps run down Byron's telepaths one by

								one. Finally, Byron realizes all is lost, and lets himself be

								found. He hopes Lyta will carry on his dream for telepaths. Byron is

								taken and beaten by the Bloodhounds.


								<P>


								At the staff meeting, Corwin informs Lochley that the docking bay is

								clear; Zack says Bester will be done rounding up the telepaths within

								a day at most, and that he has not broken any regulations. Lochley has no

								reason to stop Bester, or to prevent him from taking the

								telepaths. When the meeting adjourns, Franklin approaches her to let

								her know of Delenn's offer. Since it means he will be taking time off

								MedLab, he wanted to let Lochley know. Lochley is happy for him and

								assures him it won't be a problem, but she is struck by the idea of

								cross-species infections. She asks Franklin to give her everything in

								writing within half an hour.


								<P>


								Delenn and G'Kar are talking in Delenn's quarters. G'Kar had expressed

								a desire to do even more for the Alliance. Delenn is worried about

								losing the Centauri from the Alliance, so she needs to make sure

								nothing happens to Londo. She suggests that G'Kar should go as his

								bodyguard. At first, G'Kar is horrified at the idea; but Delenn points

								out first, how strong a symbol of the ideals of the Alliance this

								would be, and second, that it would mean G'Kar would be at the Royal

								Court in Centauri Prime and in all important occasions, guarding

								Londo. It is this last argument that wins G'Kar over: "A Narn in the

								Centauri Royal Court?" he laughs. "I accept, if only to see their

								faces!"


								<P>


								When Bester is preparing to leave with his prisoners, Lochley comes in

								and informs him there is a problem: according to Earth Alliance

								regulations, since the telepaths have been traveling so much in alien

								space, they must be put under quarantine for sixty days, to make sure

								they are not carrying any unidentified viruses. Those are the

								rules. Bester can't take Byron's people... yet. Although annoyed,

								Bester realizes there is little to be done, and he hopes his cooperation

								will cement a good working relationship with Lochley. He does,

								however, extract a promise from Lochley that the telepaths are to stay

								on Babylon 5 until he comes back for them. Bester issues a warning:

								"Just keep an eye on them, Captain. Don't trust them for a second,

								because sooner or later they will turn on you." He addresses Byron.

								"You know all about <em>that,</em> don't you, Byron?"  With that, he leaves.


								<P>


								Lochley then lets Byron and his people out of custody; however, they

								are not to leave Babylon 5, and she has only postponed the

								showdown. Byron thanks her nonetheless.


								<P>


								As Londo is leaving for Centauri Prime, he is joined by Delenn who

								informs him of the arrangements she has made for his security. Londo is

								not pleased, but agrees. He is then joined by G'Kar, and the two leave

								for the transport, bickering about who will get the aisle seat on the

								flight.


								<P>


								Corwin joins Lochley as she is finishing dinner. He wants to

								congratulate her on her handling of the telepath situation. She is

								worried, though; "I get this nagging suspicion that maybe Bester was

								right, this thing will blow up in our face. It worries me," she

								confides. "I also have this nagging feeling that I'm forgetting

								something..." After Corwin leaves, she realizes what she has

								forgotten: she calls security to tell them to let Garibaldi, who can

								be heard yelling in the background, out of the brig.


								<P>


								The telepaths are singing together in a candlelit room. When Lyta

								comes in, she takes off the Psi Corps shield, and Byron joins her

								smiling and welcomes her to the middle of the singing group.