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235 lines
11 KiB
235 lines
11 KiB
<h3>Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@math.berkeley.edu)</h3>
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<P>
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In the middle of the night, Delenn lies in bed, awake. She receives a
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muted signal, stands up, and leaves. Half asleep, Sheridan asks her
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where she is going. She claims she only wants to get some documents
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from her quarters; reassured, Sheridan falls back to sleep.
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<P>
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<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/102/mota02.jpeg">
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But Delenn is not going to her quarters. Instead, she goes to a bar in
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Downbelow. She is accosted by a human, who hits on her. First she asks
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him to leave politely. When he refuses, she breaks one of his
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fingers. When he goes after her again, he is stopped by a hooded
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Ranger, who beats him unconscious. The Ranger is Lennier.
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<P>
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Lennier joins Delenn in a deserted corridor. He has a fresh scar on
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his cheek, given to him by a Drazi during hand-to-hand combat
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training. She explains that they have compelling reasons to believe
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the Centauri are behind the attacks on the Alliance shipping lines (<a
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href="../guide/100.html">"The Ragged Edge"</a>), but no evidence. She
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will assign him to a White Star on a training mission near Centauri
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space. She hopes his experience with the Centauri, unmatched by anyone
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else within the Rangers thanks to his tenure as her aide, will help
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him find the solid evidence they need.
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<P>
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Lennier asks why the secrecy. Delenn explains that they need to keep
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the information away from the other worlds until they have evidence,
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and more importantly, she does not want Sheridan to know. If Sheridan
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finds out, he will try to stop Lennier, to protect him and to protect
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Delenn from hurt, should anything happen to Lennier. So she wants
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nobody, especially Sheridan, to know. Not even the captain of the ship
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he is assigned to knows his true mission.
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<P>
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Before he leaves, Lennier tells Delenn about Morden's visit during the
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<a href="../guide/096.html">"Day of the Dead"</a>, and his
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prophecy that Lennier would, one day, betray the Rangers.
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<br clear=all>
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<P>
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<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/102/mota05.jpeg">
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Londo, meanwhile, is in his quarters when Vir arrives, loaded with
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supplies. While Londo was away, Vir was eating out, so there is
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nothing fresh. Londo chastises him: someone in Vir's position should
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not eat like that. Vir asks what he means, but before Londo can
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explain, an alarm goes off on his desk: a listening device was hidden
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in one of the bags of groceries Vir just bought from
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a Drazi merchant. Londo makes some disparaging remarks about Drazi in
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general and the Drazi Ambassador's wife in particular, loud and clear
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in front of the microphone, before he destroys the device.
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<P>
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Then he continues: although he thinks Vir is not quite ready yet,
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Londo has decided that Vir will be the Centauri Ambassador to Babylon
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5 once Londo becomes Emperor.
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<br clear=all>
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<P>
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<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/102/mota09.jpeg">
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Lennier arrives on board White Star 27, which has unofficially been
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christened the <i>Maria</i> by her Captain, Enrique Montoya. The
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Captain is impressed with Lennier's experience, but warns that since
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Lennier is officially a trainee, he will be treated the same as the
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others. When Lennier asks about the name, Montoya replies that the
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ship needed a proper name, so he named it after his sister. "And where
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is your sister?" asks Lennier. "With God," replies Montoya,
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curtly. Lennier tells Findell, a fellow trainee, that he has asked an
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indiscreet question. But Findell reassures him: "The Captain does not
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believe in indiscreet questions. He believes the only way to get
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pertinent information is by asking impertinent questions." "Then,"
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says Lennier with a faint smile, "I believe I may have finally found a
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home."
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<P>
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G'Kar enters Sheridan's office, where Sheridan, Delenn, and the Drazi
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ambassador wait. The Drazi informs them of new attacks on Drazi ships,
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and tells Sheridan he believes the Council knows who is behind the
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attacks. Sheridan says they have nothing but leads, and Delenn asks
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the Drazi to have some patience. The Drazi Ambassador promises they
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will be patient, because <i>she</i> requests it. However, he strongly
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implies he knows that Centauri are behind the attacks, and thinks
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Sheridan and the others are just covering up because they need the
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Centauri for the alliance. Londo comes in then, and after inquiring
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about the health of the Drazi Ambassador's wife, tells them about the
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bug he found in his quarters. He is also perplexed at not being
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invited to this meeting, but leaves. The Drazi soon follows. G'Kar
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also leaves: Dr. Franklin has informed him that he has finally
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obtained a Narn artificial eye for G'Kar, and G'Kar is eager to have
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it fitted in.
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<P>
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Aboard the <i>Maria</i>, Findell tells Lennier the Captain wants both
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of them to scout the area after the ship comes out of hyperspace. But
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he didn't ask them to look for anything in particular. Findell points
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out that Montoya often leaves out important information, a habit he
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finds frustrating. But Lennier says Montoya is trying to teach them
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the human way of doing things, and to have them react with initiative
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to new situations, a new concept for the rigid and tradition-bound
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Minbari. Lennier offers to help Findell adjust, but Findell haughtily
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denies he needs any help.
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<br clear=all>
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<P>
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<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/102/mota15.jpeg">
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Franklin fits G'Kar with the Narn eye, and G'Kar is overjoyed. During
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the procedure, Franklin mentions he has been reading G'Kar's book, and
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would like to sit in on his weekly talks on the Book of G'Kar. G'Kar
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agrees.
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<br clear=all>
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<P>
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<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/102/mota21.jpeg">
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The <i>Maria</i> drops into normal space, and Lennier and Findell
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launch soon after. Lennier notes an anomaly: although their systems
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checked fine before launching, they now only have one hour's supply of
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air. But before they can contact the ship, the <i>Maria</i> jumps out,
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leaving them behind. Lennier suggest staying put, and going into a
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meditation trance to conserve air. Findell is clearly agitated, and
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doesn't know if he can enter the trance. But he agrees to
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try. However, an hour later Findell has almost exhausted his air
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supply. Desperate, he starts flying away looking for some air. Just
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then, the <i>Maria</i> jumps back in: it was all a training
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exercise. As Captain Montoya explains in the debriefing, it is
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possible that they may be left behind during a mission, since the ship
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and the mission it is carrying out is more important than any
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individual. He also praises Lennier's analysis and actions.
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<P>
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In the Zocalo, Vir confronts the Drazi vendor and demands an
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explanation for the bugging. But the Drazi laughs at him: "We all know
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you, Vir Cotto. We know what you are. You are weak! You are foolish!
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And now you will go away or I will swat you!" He shoves Vir, who
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silently turns away and retreats.
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<br clear=all>
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<P>
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<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/102/mota35.jpeg">
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But Vir is not done. He goes to Londo's quarters and takes a sword off
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the wall. Londo, intrigued, follows him out. Vir returns to the
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Zocalo, and while yelling he smashes the Drazi's fruit stand. The
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Drazi trembles and drops to the ground, imploring. Vir puts the tip of
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the sword to the Drazi's neck, and challenges him: "Now... want to
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finish our little conversation, spoo for brains?" "It.. it was a
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misunderstanding!" stammers the Drazi; "It was a terribel mistake!"
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Londo is watching from a distance, smiling. Vir gets restrained by a
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couple of security guards, and Zack Allen arrives: "What happened to
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Vir?" he asks Londo. "I promoted him," replies a satisfied
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Londo. "Now, <i>now</i> he is ready to be the Ambassador for the
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Centauri."
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<P>
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Aboard the <i>Maria</i>, Captain Montoya describes the next training
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mission to Lennier, Findell, and two other cadets. They will engage in
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an Easter Egg Hunt: in a dangerous asteroid field, Montoya has hidden
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39 short range homing devices. Each ranger should destroy at least
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ten. This means someone will fail, of course, and Findell is convinced
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the Captain means him. Lennier asks Findell why he joined the Rangers,
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and Findell explains he lost two members of his family, both Rangers,
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during the Shadow War; it has fallen on him to carry on their
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work. Lennier points out that his purpose may be flawed, and if so he
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shouldn't be a Ranger.
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<br clear=all>
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<P>
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<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/102/mota42.jpeg">
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In the field, Lennier is off to an early lead, and Findell is dead
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last. Findell cuts his communications to the <i>Maria</i>, and heads
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toward a large asteroid. Lennier follows him, and through a private
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channel confronts Findell. Findell knows he will fail, and cannot bear
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the shame of failure. Lennier targets Findell's engines, and then rams
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the ship to knock him off collision course; the maneuver almost
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destroys Lennier's own ship.
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<br clear=all>
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<P>
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<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/102/mota50.jpeg">
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Back on board the <i>Maria</i>, Montoya is furious. He demands an
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explanation, and Lennier claims his computer malfunctioned and fired
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on Findell before he could override it. He also claims it was
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Findell's maneuver that knocked him off course and prevented him from
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crashing on the asteroid. Montoya fails Lennier on the exercise, but
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gives Findell a neutral grade. Finally, he has chosen a new assignment
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for Findell: Findell will return to Minbar, and join the recruitment
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office. There, he will ask each candidate why they want to join the
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Rangers. And if their purpose is not clear, if they are joining for
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the wrong reasons, Findell will not let them through. It is a very
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important, and honorable, task, Montoya says. One Findell is uniquely
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qualified for. Glad of having an honorable way out, Findell thanks the
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Captain and leaves.
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<P>
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Captain Montoya then tells Lennier, off the record, that Lennier did a
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good job. "And I know," adds Montoya. "And you should learn a very
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important lesson: Never, ever assume that no one can listen in on a
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private channel."
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<br clear=all>
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<P>
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<img align=right width=160 height=120 alt="" src="/lurk/gif/102/mota55.jpeg">
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At the end of the day, Zack is recounting the incident with Vir to
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Franklin, Delenn, and Sheridan over dinner. Since nobody got hurt, and
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the Drazi didn't want to admit to bugging Londo's quarters, he didn't
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press charges. So Zack just took Vir aside and talked to him. On more
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sober matters, Sheridan points out that they have a month at most
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before the other worlds lose their patience and start attacking on
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their own: they need some proof, and they need it soon.
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<P>
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There is an empty chair at the table: Delenn sent a note inviting
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Garibaldi, but he hasn't shown up. In Garibaldi's quarters, the
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message board is flashing, unattended. Garibaldi is on the floor,
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singing and drinking...
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