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lurkers-guide


								<h3>Synopsis by Arturo Magidin (magidin@matem.unam.mx)</h3>


								<p>

								The Narn and Drazi fleets bombard the defenseless Centauri Prime from

								space, hitting even the Royal Palace. The ceiling in G'Kar's cell

								partly collapses over him just before Londo arrives. Londo helps him

								stand up, and takes him elsewhere in the Palace.


								<P>

								As the capital burns, G'Kar is left alone in a room, somewhat worse for

								wear,

								while Londo goes looking for the Regent. In hyperspace, Sheridan races

								to Centauri Prime. He is informed that the Narn and Drazi have begun

								the bombardment, and that Delenn's White Star has been missing for

								almost 12 hours (<a href="../guide/105.html">"Movements of Fire

								and Shadow"</a>).


								<P>

								The bombardment moves away from the capital, and Londo finds the

								Regent. He discovers who the mysterious "they" the Regent has been

								obeying are: the alien from his 'dream' (<a

								href="../guide/105.html">"Movements of Fire and Shadow"</a>).

								<P>


								The alien is a Drakh (<a href="../guide/077.html">"Lines of

								Communication"</a>). The Drakh are looking for a home, now that

								Z'ha'dum has been destroyed. They remembered Centauri Prime, and they

								remembered Londo. They remembered him blowing up the island with the

								Shadow vessels (<a href="../guide/072.html">"Into the

								Fire"</a>). Centauri Prime is the perfect place for their work. They

								have isolated the Centauri from the rest of the Alliance.

								<P>


								"You are now what we need you to be," explains the Drakh. "A beaten,

								resentful people, who will have to rebuild. Who will have to rely on

								our good graces. Who can be used, and... guided, as we wish to guide

								you. Perfect ground for us to do our work. Quietly."

								<P>


								The Drakh claims to have planted many fusion bombs around the main continent,

								just as Londo did on the island. Unless Londo cooperates, as the Regent

								did before him, he will detonate the bombs and kill millions of Centauri.

								<P>


								The Regent outlines what the Drakh have in mind:

								he will die to give Londo the perfect alibi. Londo can claim

								the Regent was mad, and ordered the attack on the Alliance without

								knowledge or approval from the Centarum. Then Londo can call an end to

								the war, once he becomes Emperor. He will have no choice but to obey

								the Drakh then, the Regent explains, as he reveals the Keeper on his

								neck. The Keeper will control him when its interests are at stake, but

								mostly will leave him to be himself. Once the Keeper is removed from

								the Regent, the Regent will die.

								<P>


								The Keeper disentangles itself, and the Regent collapses.

								<P>


								Sheridan's White Star squadron finally arrives at Centauri Prime, and

								he orders the Narn and Drazi to cease fire. They agree... provided he

								supports them in the oncoming fight against the returning Centauri

								ships. When the ships get back, says a Narn commander, they will attack

								<b>all</b> Alliance ships,

								regardless of whether the attack was authorized or not. Sheridan can

								either join them and live, or hold back and be destroyed.


								<p>

								Sheridan

								tries to contact Centauri Prime, and orders all ships near Delenn's last

								known location to look for her.

								<P>


								Adrift in hyperspace, Delenn's battered ship tries to stay close to

								the beacon. But the navigational thrusters will be out of fuel soon,

								and then they will drift away and be caught in the currents of

								hyperspace. They will never be found then.

								<P>


								On Centauri Prime, Londo returns to see G'Kar, who is feeling

								better. "I would be dead, if not for you," says G'Kar. "You risked

								your life to save mine." "Yes," replies Londo. "You would have done

								the same." "Yes," quips G'Kar, "but I am a better person." Londo

								fights back a laugh. He promised he would get G'Kar out of that cell,

								and he keeps his promises. But G'Kar cannot remain his bodyguard. It

								is no longer appropriate, since Londo will become Emperor. But before

								then he wanted to say goodbye to G'Kar.

								<P>


								"In the months and the years to come," hints Londo, "you may hear many

								strange things about me, my behavior. Well, they say the position

								changes you. And I just wanted to..." "I understand," interrupts

								G'Kar.  Londo isn't so sure.

								<P>


								As Londo turns to leave, G'Kar adds: "Mollari. Understand that I can

								never forgive your people for what you did to my world. My people can

								never forgive your people. But I can forgive you." They clasp hands

								awkwardly, and Londo leaves in silence.

								<P>


								He returns to the throne room, where the Drakh implants him with a

								Keeper.

								<P>


								Shortly thereafter, the returning Centauri ships receive coded

								transmissions and halt: Londo has issued the surrender order.

								He contacts Sheridan.  Londo accepts the explanation that the Narn and

								Drazi attack was unsanctioned, since he finds himself in a similar

								position. He blames the Regent for the attacks. Sheridan is

								relieved, and asks to see Londo personally.  Although the risk is great,

								with the Centauri people so angry at the Alliance, Londo agrees when

								he finds out about Delenn's ship missing.

								<P>


								When the transmission ends, Londo turns to the Drakh and asks what

								happened to Delenn. The Drakh explains without words, and Londo asks

								and begs him not to kill her.

								<P>


								Once Sheridan arrives, Londo is standoffish, but agrees to help... in

								exchange for a future favor. He reacts angrily when reminded that

								Delenn is his friend too, and blames the Alliance for what

								happened. Sheridan tries to smooth things over and offers to help, but

								Lonod refuses. The Centauri will have nothing more to do with the

								Alliance. "If I give you back Delenn's life, it will be an act of

								charity, nothing more." Annoyed, Sheridan demands reparations for the

								war. Part of those reparations will be information about

								the shadow pods that were used to control the Centauri ships (<a

								href="../guide/105.html">"Movements of Fire and

								Shadow"</a>). Londo claims the pods were bought on the black market,

								and he is well aware of them.

								<P>


								In hyperspace, Delenn's ship finally runs out of fuel. In a last

								desperate attempt, they fire the weapons, hoping it will attract the

								ships that must be looking for them by now. Unfortunately, it attracts

								several Centauri warships.

								<P>


								The warships lock on and begin to approach. Lennier and Delenn realize

								they are about to die. "Delenn, I love you," Lennier says, just before

								he expects the warships to fire. "I know," replies Delenn. But the

								shot never comes. Instead, tractor beams are fired, and their ship is

								towed.

								<P>


								Delenn pretends she did not hear what Lennier said, and Lennier

								pretends he didn't say anything. "Nothing happened," says Delenn,

								"except that for a moment I found myself feeling extremely

								complimented, and deeply honored, by your presence, and by your

								friendship."

								<P>


								The next day, Vir arrives on the Royal Palace, and bursts in on

								Londo. "Never burst in on me without knocking!" says Londo, who was

								about to take off his jacket. Londo mentions the surrender terms: the

								reparations will severely cripple the economy, and there will be

								nothing left to rebuild with.

								<P>


								Outside, Sheridan, Delenn, and G'Kar still hipe they can help out, and

								plan to attend Londo's inaguration. But outside, a projection of

								Londo, now in full imperial garb, addresses the citizens of the

								Republic. He blames the Alliance for the attacks, and for the severe

								strain the reparations will put on the economy. But he promises to

								rebuild their cities and to reclaim their place in the Galaxy. The

								Centauri will not be broken, he promises.


								<P>

								"This punishment is unfair," he says. "A violation of our sovereign

								rights. But we will bear this burden. We are no longer part of the

								Alliance. We are alone. We fought alone, and we will rebuild alone."

								In the shadows, the Drakh nods approvingly.

								<P>


								Vir joins Delenn, Sheridan, and G'Kar, as surprised and confused as

								they are over Londo's speech. Londo then arrives, and advises them all

								not to attend the inaguration. He also officially appoints Vir as

								ambassador to Babylon 5. Reluctantly everyone agrees to leave. Delenn

								thanks Londo on Lennier's behalf, for saving their lives. "I

								fear," she adds, "I can no longer see the road you are on,

								Londo. There is only darkness around you. I can only pray that in

								time, you may find your way out of it."

								<P>


								G'Kar respectfully salutes Londo, and the four of them of leave. Londo

								walks among fallen statutes and debris to the Centaurum, to be

								officially named Emperor of the Centauri Republic.

								<P>


								Back on Babylon 5, Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi, Franklin, and Lyta are

								going over the latest on the shadow pods. Sheridan points out that

								they cannot follow up on the matter: whether or not Londo's claim that the

								pods were obtained in the black market is true, the investigation is now dead

								ended.

								<P>


								Franklin says that the pods are what scares him most: having Shadow

								technology loose among those who cannot understand it but are willing

								to use it.  He likens it to the nuclear bomb, a remnant of the old Soviet

								Union, that devastated San Diego. Weapon technologies left

								over from great wars are dangerous, he says. "Weapons like us," points

								out Lyta, referring to telepaths.

								<P>


								Garibaldi wonders if any useful technology has been left behind on the

								Vorlon homeworld, technology they can use. But Delenn points out that

								dozens of ships have already been sent there, and were destroyed by

								the automatic defense systems before they even got close.

								<P>


								"The Vorlon homeworld is off limits until we're ready," says

								Lyta. "Until we've earned the right to go there, a million years from

								now." She doesn't know how she knows, but she does.


								<P>

								Zack arrives and lets Sheridan know the fighting on the station is

								almost over. He wonders why everyone looks so worried, though.

								<P>


								"We won the war," says Delenn by way of explanation, "but what did we

								lose?"

								<P>


								In the Centauri royal palace, Londo sits on the imperial throne, alone and

								in silence.