####Overview

A sharp increase in raider activity has the station on the defensive. Londo obtains a priceless Centauri artifact. A mysterious stranger visits the station’s alien ambassadors.
####Guest Stars

Gerrit Graham as Lord Kiro. Fredi Olster as Lady Ladira. Ed Wasser as Morden.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/013.html
####Backplot

The Minbari refused to support Babylon 5 until Commander Sinclair was named as the Earth Alliance representative.

The emperor of the Centauri hasn’t been seen in public for some time, contributing to an erosion of the government’s credibility in the eyes of the Centauri populace.
####Unanswered Questions

Who or what is Morden, and who does he represent?

What do Delenn and Kosh know about him?

Why did the Minbari want Sinclair in charge of the station?

How big and organized are the raiders?

What impact will the Eye have on Londo’s career? Will he even return it to the Emperor, or will he try to use it for his own gain?

How did Mr. Reno get his hands on the Eye?

How did Morden’s associates locate the raiders and recover the Eye?

Who will escape on the shuttle in Ladira’s vision? When will the vision come true, if ever, and what will the circumstances be?
####Analysis

Delenn and Kosh clearly have some sort of perception beyond normal senses, be it telepathy or something else. Kosh’s seems to be much more advanced.

Delenn’s perception seems to be connected to the appearance of the triangle on her forehead. Note that this triangle was also present when Sinclair was interrogated by the Grey Council at the Battle of the Line (cf. “And the Sky Full of Stars.”)

Kosh recognized what Morden was immediately. That suggests previous contact between the Vorlons and Morden’s people.

Kosh said, “They are not for you,” referring to humans, though that’s not completely clear from the episode itself. (See jms speaks)

Morden and Kosh appeared to have fought, resulting in the damage to Kosh’s encounter suit. Since Morden continued to go about his business, perhaps Kosh capitulated or lost the fight, or perhaps he was only interested in stopping Morden from seeing Sinclair. One interesting thing about this alleged fight is the light that shatters behind Morden as the scene ends — just a power surge from the attack, or something else at work?

Babylon 5 may be destined for destruction, apparently with only a single shuttle escaping in time. (cf. [[Babylon Squared]])

Where did Morden’s disembodied voice come from at the end?
####Notes

This episode has the most complex battle sequence to date, spanning nearly an act and a half.

The raider on Babylon 5 is “Six,” a tip of the hat to “The Prisoner.”

Ed Wasser, the actor who played Morden, also appeared as the main C&C technician in the pilot movie, “The Gathering.” The same character? JMS won’t say.

As Sinclair and Garibaldi left the lavatory, another person entered. From the person’s appearance, it seemed to be a woman, even though they were leaving the men’s room (the “Male” symbol was clearly visible on the wall outside.)

Date glitch: When Ivanova is awakened by the computer, it claims the date is Wednesday, August 3, 2258. But August 3, 2258 is a Tuesday, not a Wednesday. The error is probably due to a miscalculation of leap years.

This episode’s title may be a nod to Norman Corwin, one of JMS’ favorite writers. Corwin’s radio drama “On a Note of Triumph,” broadcast at the end of World War II, examined how the war started and what lessons it carried, and contemplated what would happen once it was over. The quote in question:

Signs and portents!

It was no furtive tapping on the window sill at night,

But clamorous pounding in the public square.

####Overview

An accident in the docking area kills a worker, threatening to spark an illegal strike. Londo interferes in an important Narn religious observation which leads to a confrontation between him and G’Kar.
####Guest Stars

John Snyder as Orin Zento. Katy Boyer as Neeoma Connoly. Aki Aleong as Senator Hidoshi.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/012.html
####Backplot

The Narn homeworld is 10 Narn light years away, about 12 Earth light years.

Narn ranks seem to connote some kind of religious authority; the highest-ranked Narn is expected to lead religious services.

The Rush Act, put in place during the Earth-Minbari War, allows the Earth government to break up labor strikes using any means necessary.
####Unanswered Questions

How much trouble did Londo go through to get the G’Quan Eth plant, and did he do it solely to upset G’Kar?
####Analysis

The Earth government has a very low tolerance for troublemakers, it seems — at least, troublemakers who operate in the open.
####Notes

The G’Quan Eth plant, used in Narn religious rituals, is prized by the Centauri for use as a pleasure drug, a use the Narn consider sacrilige.

The Rush Act was named after conservative American television and radio commentator Rush Limbaugh.

####Overview

Garibaldi’s past catches up to him, with some disastrous consequences. He’s blamed by some for an accident aboard B5, which leads to hitting the bottle again after a prolonged abstinence.
####Guest Stars

Elaine Thomas as Lianna Kemmer. Tom Donaldson as Cutter.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/011.html
####Backplot

Garibaldi was a shuttle pilot on Mars before coming to Babylon 5.
####Unanswered Questions

Who was the assassin working for? Who wants Santiago dead?
####Analysis

Ivanova’s reluctance to stop the countdown is suspicious. Perhaps she had some reason to want the launch to take place; perhaps she even knew what was going to happen if it did.

Everyone from his past considers Garibaldi a no-good drunk. Why did Sinclair give him a second chance? (Addressed in comic series, “Shadows Past and Present.”)

####Overview

Dr. Franklin asks Sinclair to intermediate with an alien family who, because of their religious beliefs, refuse to allow surgery that would save their dying child.
####Guest Stars

Silvana Gallardo as Dr. Maya Hernandez. Jonathon Kaplan as Shon. Tricia O’Neil as M’Ola. Stephen Lee as Tharg.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/010.html
####Backplot

Some outside influence has interfered with the Minbari religion in the past.

The Children of Time, a minor race with strong religious beliefs, would rather let one of their number die than allow invasive surgery, which they believe destroys the soul.

Unanswered Questions

How did Ivanova defeat or escape all those raiders? There is some slight evidence she’s working with them (cf. [[Midnight on the Firing Line]].)
####Analysis

Franklin’s willingness to break the rules for a cause he believes in, though indicative of a strong moral character, seems likely to get him into hot water at some point.

On the other hand, Sinclair doesn’t want to be placed in a position in which he has to stop Franklin from doing what he believes in; Sinclair would rather sidestep the issue than have his hand forced. This is consistent with his handling of the Senator’s instructions in “Midnight on the Firing Line.”

The parents’ reaction when Delenn refused to help could be viewed as hypocritical; they were perfectly willing to ask Delenn to violate her beliefs so they wouldn’t have to violate their own.
####Notes

Kosh is aware that he was examined by Dr. Kyle (cf. [[The Gathering]].) When he’s asked how he would feel if a doctor performed an operation on him, he says, “The avalanche has already begun. It is too late for the pebbles to vote.”

The Shakespeare corporation and the pfingle eggs are references to David Gerrold’s novels “Under the Eye of God” and “Covenant of Justice.”

####Overview

The station becomes a hotbed of galactic controversy when Sinclair is forced to protect a notorious war criminal — a scientist who’s invented an immortality serum. Ambassador Kosh hires telepath Talia Winters to oversee a very unusual negotiation.
####Guest Stars

Sarah Douglas as Deathwalker/Jha’Dur. Robin Curtis as Ambassador Kalika. Cosie Costa as Abbut. Aki Aleong as Senator Hidoshi.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/009.html
####Backplot

The League of Non-Aligned Worlds and the Earth Alliance are allies, thanks in large part to Earth’s intervention while the League was being devastated by the Dilgar thirty years earlier. JMS says, “The Dilgar War was one of the first conflicts that the EA got into, soon after establishing a presence in space. We mainly entered it to try and make a ‘rep’ for ourselves, then got more morally involved when we saw what was going on. That and the Minbari War are the only real major conflicts Earth has been involved with, and Earth was not directly at risk in the Dilgar war, though if they hadn’t been stopped, that might have changed eventually.”

The Vorlons have a strong distrust of telepaths.

The Minbari warrior castes know about the hole in Sinclair’s mind.
####Unanswered Questions

What do the Vorlons know about immortality?

Why don’t they like (non-Vorlon) telepaths?

Is this the last we’ll hear about the immortality serum, or did Dr. Franklin keep the sample he was testing? (JMS has hinted that it’s not a simple plot device which’ll never be mentioned again.)

Why do the Wind Swords speak often of Sinclair? What do they know about what happened to him?
####Analysis

Na’Toth’s grandfather had the misfortune to be on a planet that Jha’dur took, and her misuse of him is the source of Na’Toth’s feud, yet the Narn seem to give the incident no particular weight. What world this was is not disclosed, but either it wasn’t a Narn colony, and Na’Toth’s grandfather was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, or it was a Narn colony and the incident was smoothed over at the time. Evidence seems to point to the former, but it’s unclear.

Jha’dur is a specialist in, “biochemical, biogenetic, and cyber-organic weaponry.” During the Dilgar invasion of the “non-aligned sectors” she decimated whole planets to further her own research. Presumably the other Dilgar were equally vicious and callous. She seems to be especially notorious though, known by name 30 years after the event, perhaps because her biological experiments seem especially horrible.

At the time of the Dilgar war humanity was fresh on the interstellar political scene, having been discovered and given jumpgate/hyperspace technology by the Centauri. The non-aligned worlds seem to be relatively low-tech, and they were being overrun by the Dilgar in a particularly ruthless bid for an empire. Earth’s entry into the conflict turned the tide against the Dilgar, leading to the race’s confinement to their own system and their ultimate destruction when their sun went nova.

Jha’dur was shielded and hidden by the Minbari Wind Swords, members of their warrior caste, at the close of the Dilgar war 30 years ago. The Minbari didn’t encounter humans until about 20 years later, at which time the first contact went bad and initiated the Earth-Minbari war. Up until now it seemed that neither side knew of the other, but how could the Minbari have aided and supported Jha-dur for 20 years without learning of Earth? Moreover, when the Minbari are debating their response to the loss of their leader the Wind Swords arrive on the scene with new, very powerful weapons. Presumably much of the Minbari arsenal of weapons and ships derives from designs given them by Jha’dur. The circumstances of the first contact problem between the Minbari and the Humans may also indicate that it was the result of a plot by Jha’dur for revenge on those who (at least indirectly) destroyed her race.

The serum designed by Jha’dur is insidious, requiring something critical from living beings to make. It’s unclear whether this same process would be applicable to every species, or whether the same serum could be used across species. But in any case it was designed, perhaps intentionally, to cause a great deal of harm when used.

Just what benefit the Wind Swords derived from her research is unstated. Note, however, that she has (a) been permitted by the Wind Swords to use up enough living entities to pursue her research, and (b) used at least one dose on herself with some amount left over. She has also been permitted to leave to negotiate with the Narn, her first entry into public view since the war.

Senator Hidoshi calls Sinclair while Jha’dur is still in medlab. He insists that Jha’dur cannot be Deathwalker, but also insists that she be sent to Earth immediately. Still, he clearly knows all about the situation, which implies that he has sources of information both on B5 and perhaps among the Minbari or the Narn.

Talia Winters has an interesting time with Kosh during this episode. Here we see the first of a known class of people called “vicars,” short for “VCRs.” These people are human recorders, capable of recording sensory and environmental information for later playback through devices directly implanted in their brains. This demonstrates a very high degree of possible integration between people and computers at the time of B5. How common this is and how sophisticated it can be has yet to be seen.

Is Kosh a telepath? During the interviews between Kosh and Abbut (the vicar) Talia is occasionally goaded with an image dredged up from her mind. Clearly these are not her own thoughts, and clearly Abbut cannot be the source since human telepaths are regulated. That only leaves Kosh him(it?)self. Yet Talia doesn’t seem to have any hint that Kosh is doing this to her. If Kosh is a telepath, what other abilities does he have? And if he is a telepath, and the cause of Talia’s distress, what did he need the vicar for? It seems clear that the byplay between Kosh and Abbut was intended as misdirection, to divert, bore and confuse her leaving her open for Kosh to penetrate her shields and stimulate the images he collected.

Kosh collects from Talia, in his words, “Reflection. Surprise. Terror. For the future.” He may intend the data as a lever or weapon against her.

####Overview

Sinclair is kidnapped and interrogated by members of a pro-Earth group, determined to find out what transpired when the commander was briefly missing in action during the final battle of the Earth/Minbari war — something Sinclair has never been able to remember.
####Guest Stars

Judson Scott as Knight One. Christopher Neame as Knight Two. Jim Youngs as Frank Benson. Justin Williams as Mitchell.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/008.html
####Backplot

In the days before the Earth/Minbari war, Dr. Franklin used to hitchhike starships, trading his services as ship’s doctor in exchange for free passage to places he’d never been before.

Franklin: “Towards the end, when things got bad for our side, those of us involved in xenobiology were told to hand over our notes to be used in genetic and biological warfare. […] I took an oath that all life was sacred. I destroyed my notes, rather than have them used for killing.”

After his squad was shot down at the Line, Sinclair’s ship was disabled and taken aboard a Minbari cruiser. He was tortured and examined, and at one point stood unfettered within the circle of the grey council itself. When they didn’t respond to his questions, Sinclair suddenly walked up to one of them and pulled back the hood, revealing the face of Delenn. He was then knocked out again, and some time later returned to his ship with no memory of the experience.

(A synopsis of the events at the Line as Sinclair re-experiences them is available. There is also a separate Guide page devoted to those events.)

Knight Two: “Your ship was off the screens for 24 hours. You didn’t just black out, your ship disappeared!”

Sinclair: “The screens malfunctioned, the hearing proved that.”

This would explain why Sinclair “fell off the merry-go-round” promotion-wise. Officers who’ve inexplicably disappeared in the presence of the enemy tend to hit a glass ceiling even if their loyalty is officially accepted.

The Knights may be part of a covert operation within Earth Force that’s trying to find collusion between Earth officials and the Minbari.
####Unanswered Questions

Franklin asks Delenn, “How were you involved in the war?” She declines to answer, even though he had just answered the same question from her. Toward the end of the episode it’s revealed that Delenn did indeed play a significant role in the war, but little is yet known about what that was. (cf: [[Babylon Squared]])

Sinclair’s absence was first realized when Delenn reported that he didn’t show up for a meeting with her in the Council room. What was that meeting to have been about?

Delenn said she checked with Ivanova before asked Garibaldi about Sinclair’s absence. Ivanova is willing to page Sinclair about everyday problems – why wouldn’t she call his link when he’s mysteriously long overdue for a diplomatic appointment?

Later, Delenn asks Ivanova if there’s anything she can do to help, and Ivanova replies that the crew is doing everything possible. Yet why is she strolling down a corridor with Delenn, rather than following leads and scouring for new ways to find Sinclair?

How was Sinclair flawlessly abducted from his quarters?

How did Knight One get Benson’s body off the station? (see jms Speaks)

Who were the Knights working for?

Why wasn’t telepathy used for the interrogation? It would have been no less legal than what the Knights did, and a telepath would probably have had better skills at dredging up old memories. The whole power source problem (which ultimately sunk the Knights’ plan) could have been avoided – only the stimulation technology need have been brought on board.

Is Sinclair really a Minbari plant?

Why was Delenn’s superior on the station?

What is it that the Minbari don’t want Sinclair to remember about his experience on the Line???
####Analysis

Sinclair: “Everyone lies, Michael. The innocent lie because they don’t want to be blamed for something they didn’t do, and the guilty lie because they don’t have any other choice.”

This is extra reason to think twice before taking anything said in this episode at face value. Nor should one assume that a lie covers up wrongdoing.

Earth Force was researching the use of genetic and biological warfare against the Minbari. These are offensive, not defensive methods, effective only on planets. They must have been planning a desperation ground strike of some kind. (cf: [[Soul Hunter]])

After he punches Knight Two in VR, Sinclair looks at his hand, making a fist and releasing it. Scenes of him in the cybernet chair after that show him clenching his fist in real life as well, in unison with continued fist-clenching in VR. Sinclair is rediscovering, slowly, how to get his brain to control his body. The pain of the remembered zap in the council chambers is later enough to propel him all the way back, if groggily.

While looking for Sinclair’s body outside, station forces discover the body of Benson floating outside Red Sector. Garibaldi visually identifies him (other Security folks had not been able to), and says, “Whoever killed him couldn’t have carried the body very far without being noticed.” He may be wrong in this conclusion – Knight One could have dumped it into a nondescript cart and gone a long way, for example.

Garibaldi: “If they dumped the body out of an airlock, the station’s gravity wouldn’t let it get far.” This is true only if the body was dumped out of a no- or low-velocity airlock. Perhaps Garibaldi’s assertion is correct because there aren’t any high-velocity airlocks on the station other than the Cobra Bays.

Knight Two: “Look at Earth: Alien civilization. Alien migration. Aliens buying up real estate by the square mile. What they couldn’t take by force, they corrupted! Inch by inch!”

This sounds very much like Homeguard propaganda – perhaps there is a connection. (cf: “War Prayer”)

Delenn exhibits ignorance of the powers of Earth telepaths – Ivanova had to explain to her that Talia, a P5, was not capable of a search-and-recover mission.

Ivanova’s only contribution to the search effort was to track all ships that left Babylon 5 in the previous 8 hours, which turned out to be wasted effort. This and several Unanswered Questions suggest she may have been working with the Knights.

Delenn: “It’s me, commander.”

Sinclair: “I know – I know you. I know who you are.”

Delenn: “I’m your friend, commander. Ambassador Delenn. Your friend.”

Sinclair: “NO! I know you. I know you.” [Knight One prepares to fire, Sinclair shoots him down]

Delenn: “Welcome home.”

[Sinclair collapses]

By his emphatic denial above, it should be clear to Delenn that Sinclair is remembering something about his discovery of her at the Line. He later denies remembering anything, but she must wonder if he’s lying. (If the Analysis in the Line Guide page is correct, however, she should be certain he is lying.)

Knight Two apparently remembered nothing about himself after Sinclair’s destructive escape fried his memory. However, the word “Commander” brings him up short, and he remembers Sinclair’s name, saying “There’s something in my head. It says: ‘Maybe you’re still inside. Maybe we’re both still inside.'” His phrasing there indicates that this is not his own current thought, but a thought that survived his brain damage. So, what did Knight Two, in full possession of his faculties, mean by that suspicion? The most obvious answer is “inside the simulation,” but this is a very weak explanation, and goes nowhere.

Knight Two’s last experience would have been watching Sinclair’s recollection of his Grey Council experience, including his discovery of Delenn (whom Knight Two may not have recognized).

See also the Guide page devoted to Sinclair’s recollection of the events on the Line.

####Overview

A violent attack on a Minbari poet rocks B5 and leaves Sinclair scrambling to flush out a vicious pro-Earth group. Two star-crossed young Centauri lovers seek Londo’s protection. Ivanova is shaken when a man from her past arrives at the outpost.
####Guest Stars

Nancy Lee Grahn as Shaal Mayan. Danica McKellar as Aria Tensus. Rodney Eastman as Kiron Maray. Tristan Rogers as Malcolm Biggs. Michael Paul Chan as Roberts.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/007.html
####Backplot

The Homeguard, a radical pro-Earth group, has wide support among humans, and is growing in popularity back on Earth.

Shaal Mayan is a renowned Minbari poet. “I create and perform Tee’la,” she says: “poem songs that attempt to recall old memories and prompt new ideas.”

The only two human beings ever to have direct contact with a Vorlon have since been transferred to Earth – Dr. Kyle to work closely with the president (cf [[Infection]]), and the telepath Lyta Alexander just a week later. Neither of them shared their experiences with anyone on the station. (cf [[The Gathering]])

Londo has three wives, all of them arranged marriages, all of them “great sacrifices.” “They inspire me! Knowing that they are waiting at home for me is what keeps me here, 75 light years away.”

Ivanova used to be involved with a fellow named Malcolm Biggs, but left him when she enlisted in Earth Force 8 years ago.

More insight into Londo’s personality and Minbari beliefs:

Mayan: Ambassador, you should listen to the girl. We Minbari consider love to be a most potent force for healing. She cares deeply for him. Such feelings can turn the tide when all else fails.

Londo: Oh I see. And if he dies, despite this great power of lo-

Mayan: If he dies, she will suffer enormous grief, but every moment together will make her grief a little less.

Londo: I would expect such logic from a poet. What can a Minbari know about Centauri feeling?

Mayan: Ambassador, I have traveled far and seen much. And what I have seen tells me that all sentient beings are defined by their capacity and need for love.

Londo: And she will learn to live without it!

Mayan: As you did?

later…

Vir: Kiron may die because our “glorious” tradition values wealth and power over love.

Londo: My shoes are too tight.

Vir: Excuse me?

Londo: Something my father said. He was old, very old at the time. I went into his room, and he was sitting alone in the dark, crying. So I asked him what was wrong, and he said, “My shoes are too tight, but it doesn’t matter, because I have forgotten how to dance.” I never understood what that meant until now. My shoes are too tight, and I have forgotten how to dance.

Unanswered Questions

The black light camouflage suits worn by the Homeguard henchmen were developed by Earth Force; friends of Malcolm’s procured some prototypes for them. Is a faction of Earth Force actually backing the Homeguard for its own reasons?

Londo seems to have had a troubled childhood (see Backplot). What happened that he’s so aggressive and melancholy? None of the other Centauri seem particularly so.

Why is Kosh studying human history, as Sinclair’s conversation with him appears to reveal, especially when he says “We have no interest in the affairs of others?” Perhaps for some reason Kosh does not consider humans “others.” Or perhaps by “affairs” he meant the passing events of the day, as compared to the millennia of a civilization.
####Analysis

The Homeguard sign branded onto Shaal Mayan’s forehead is a combination of male and female symbols from ancient Greek mythos. Perhaps it’s a contemporary symbol for humankind.

Vir passed himself off as the Centauri ambassador in letters to his cousins, and later rebukes Londo to his face about his decision on the matter. This is quite bold compared to the quavering fop he’s been before.

Londo’s nicknames for his wives are “Pestilence, Famine, and Death” – three of the four horsemen of the apocalypse from ancient Christian mythos. Who is the fourth horseman War? Perhaps Londo himself.

Talking to Kosh about the attacks on non-humans, Sinclair breaks off right after asking him to “lend a hand.” Not long later Sinclair wonders aloud to Ivanova how an assassin had managed to poison Kosh on the “hand,” through his encounter suit. (cf [[The Gathering]])

Sinclair was brusque and callous to Delenn and the Abbai agricultural representative at the diplomatic reception. He also declared to the assembled Council that the hate-crime investigation was closed, offering neither arrests nor evidence of safety. This was part of his ruse to win the Homeguard’s trust, but he may still have injured his reputation with other races.

The Homeguard plot on the station was, according to its leader Malcolm Biggs, part of a much bigger plot to kill prominent aliens all over the Earth Alliance.

Black light camouflage is a similar technology to the chameleon net the assassin used in “The Gathering.” However, it requires an entire body-suit and only works while the user is motionless. No mention was made of what was done with the four suits captured with the Homeguard henchmen – Garibaldi may have stashed them away somewhere. And it’s unlikely that those were the only four suits in existence; perhaps the technology will be seen again (cf. [[Babylon Squared]].)
####Notes

Mayan, a childhood friend of Delenn’s, arrived on the station on a tour of other worlds. Earth was to have been her next stop.

Mayan (of her attacker): “All I could see was a shadow. It was a shadow, that is all I know.”

(cf [[Signs and Portents]], perhaps?)

Ivanova is illegally growing coffee in the station hydroponics area.

Kosh speaks.

…

Sinclair: Meanwhile it might be helpful if you spoke with the other ambassadors.

Kosh: We take no interest in the affairs of others.

Sinclair: Well I hope you’ll reconsider. If you could give us a hand, we –

Kosh: Yes?

Sinclair: Nothing. We’ll respect your wishes. pause

That’s quite a viewer. I’ve never seen anything like it before. What is it?

Kosh: Efficient.

Sinclair: Those are images from my world. If I may ask, what are you –

Kosh: I am studying.

Sinclair: Studying what?

Kosh: shuts down

The images on Kosh’s levitating viewer were zoom-ins on pictorial records from Earth history throughout the span of its civilization.

####Overview

Talia’s old Psi Corps instructor, the victim of a secret experiment, is the target of a manhunt involving the Psi-Cops. Catherine wants to survey a promising planet for possible mining, but G’Kar warns her to stay away.
####Guest Stars

Walter Koenig as Bester. Felicity Waterman as Kelsey. William Allen Young as Jason Ironheart.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/006.html
####Backplot

Jason Ironheart was Talia’s instructor and lover at the Psi Corps Training Academy. After she graduated and went into commercial telepathy, they kept in touch by letter – until a year ago when his letters stopped. As Ironheart recounts, he volunteered to undergo genetic and biochemical modification he thought was intended to make him a stronger telepath. The experiment turned out to be an attempt to make him a stable telekinetic, and it after many months and hundreds of injections it worked – stunningly! Ironheart became able to see through any mind like glass, and manipulate matter and energy both. He discovered then that those in charge were after offensive military applications for TK, like secret assassination. So, he killed the head researcher (the only person who could duplicate the work) and fled to Babylon 5, still undergoing changes to his mind and body.

What is it like to be a telepath?

Talia: “It’s like staying in a hotel room where you can just hear the people talking next door. You can try and shut it out, but it’s always there. The key is not to eavesdrop unless you’re invited… casual thoughts are very easy to block, but strong emotions have a way of slipping through.”

“Do you know what it’s like when telepaths make love, commander? You drop every defense, and it’s all mirrors, reflecting each others’ feelings, deeper and deeper, until somewhere along the line your souls mix, and it’s a feeling so profound it makes you hurt. It’s the only moment in a telepath’s life when you no longer hear the voices.”

Ironheart: “We all thought Psi Corps was controlled by the government, but that’s changing. The Corps is starting to pull the strings behind the scenes; they’re more powerful than you could begin to imagine. Telepaths make the ultimate blackmailers…”

“The Psi Corps is dedicated to one thing: control. Control over telepaths, the economy, the courts, over matter, over thought itself.”

A transcript of Ironheart’s meeting with Sinclair is available.
####Unanswered Questions

How much of what Ironheart said was true? He was mentally unstable, to say the least. He was also very motivated to gather fast allies.

G’Kar (to Catherine): “Let me pass on to you the one thing I’ve learned about this place. No-one here is exactly what he appears. Not Mollari, not Delenn, not Sinclair. And not me.” What does G’Kar know that we don’t? (cf [[And The Sky Full Of Stars]] [Delenn, Sinclair], [[By Any Means Necessary]] [G’Kar])

Just before he departs, Ironheart says to Talia: “In memory of love, I give you a gift, the only gift I have left to give.” The gift, as she soon discovers, was at least the beginnings of telekinesis. What manner of telepath has she become?

What did Ironheart mean by his final words to Sinclair? “Good-bye commander. I will see you again, in a million years.”
####Analysis

If Ironheart’s figures are true, and if there are 20 billion human beings in existence, then there should be a thousand people who are (or will become) stable telekinetics. If the Psi Corps’ pursuit of a stable TK justified the extreme measures they attempted with Ironheart, then something about naturally occurring TK’s must make them unusable. It could be that use of TK invariably drives one insane, or perhaps natural TK is insufficiently fine-controlled enough for their purposes.

Whatever it was that the Psi Corps scientists did to Ironheart, it wasn’t more than physical alterations to his brain and body. Yet those alterations started a process that led to his essentially becoming a demigod. This could represent a latent potential in humanity as a whole, of which iceberg telepathy is merely the tip. Or perhaps not – “This is a power that we were never meant to have,” Ironheart tells Sinclair, “we’re not ready for it.”

Ivanova hates the Psi Corps with a passion (understandably – cf [[Midnight on the Firing Line]]) “Good ol’ Psi Corps. You never cease to amaze me – all the moral fiber of Jack the Ripper. What do you do in your spare time, juggle babies over a fire pit? Oops, there goes another calculated risk!”

In spite of this, Ivanova gives Talia a glass of water after she comes through the ordeal of being scanned by Bester and Kelsey. Ivanova’s hatred is tempered with compassion for individuals. (see “jms speaks”)

By threatening to hold him accountable for endangering the station and causing the death of his partner, Sinclair strong-arms Bester into omitting from his report mention of Ironheart’s real fate and Talia’s willful collaboration. However, this can only be an agreement about what gets made official. Just as folks on Babylon 5 know full well that Something happened to Ironheart (with the willing help of both Talia and Sinclair) the right folks in the Psi Corps should know the same through Bester’s unofficial report.
####Notes

Sinclair mentions to Catherine in the morning that he’s got a budget meeting with the construction guild that day, in which he’ll have to make some cuts to which he’s not looking forward. ([[By Any Means Necessary]])

Universal Terraform: a mega-corporation that explores and prepares new worlds for colonization or exploitation.

The procedure for evaluating a newly discovered planet: first, an unmanned sensor probe launched by the exploring ship assesses gross features and composition. If that’s promising, a manned survey is undertaken to determine its value for various purposes. Finally, if the corporation wants to continue, a life sciences probe is sent out to determine the legality of exploitation. (If there are sentient species present then the planet is off-limits.) (see “jms speaks”)

Due to an EA shortage of the material “Quantium-40,” jumpgate construction is backed up 6 months. Catherine’s survey mission to Sigma 957 is largely to determine whether this material is present on the planet.

The being that appeared at Sigma 957 appeared to enter and leave through its own jumpgate. It may have been there for the Q-40.

Just as the Narn fighters match up with Catherine’s ship, part of it sloughs off as it burns up in the atmosphere. The fighters are unaffected; presumably they are atmosphere-capable ships.

Rent for a spartan studio on Babylon 5 is 500 credits per week.

Psi corps ratings:

P5 – level of commercial telepaths. Can easily detect deception and other surface thoughts at close range. Deeper probing is possible but difficult.

P10 – level of Psi Corps trainers. Can observe the mental actions of other telepaths, block some scans, cut through some blocks, perform long-range scans, and may have some fringe skills.

P12 – level of Psi Cops. Can communicate smoothly with normals via telepathy. Two Psi Cops can invasively probe a P5.

Stronger telepaths have a harder time shutting out “the voices”.

Upon graduation from the Academy all telepaths take a telekinesis test – it’s a much sought-after skill. .1% of human beings have some level of telepathic ability, and only .01% of them have TK, half of whom are clinically insane. (see Analysis)

Most telepaths have fewer human rights than normals. They’re forbidden to possess psi abilities unless they’re in the Psi Corps or in prison ([[Midnight on the Firing Line]]). They’re required to submit to scans by Psi Cops, and aren’t even allowed to have fleeting bodily contact with normals, since that would raise the chance in inadvertent scans. (see “jms speaks”)

Psi Cops are afforded greater latitude than other telepaths, “in the interest of efficiency.” For example, they can perform at least surface scans on normals without permission.

As he leaves, Bester gives Sinclair an odd salute – a circle of thumb and forefinger at the forehead – and says, “Be seeing you, commander.” This is tribute paid to one of jms’s favorite shows, “The Prisoner,” in which the line was identical but the hand-motion framed the eye instead. An appropriate twist for a telepath salute!

Continuity glitch: After Ironheart arrives in his quarters, he pours some water into a cup. When the cup is knocked over by his mindquake a few seconds later, it’s empty.

####Overview

Sinclair’s old flame, Catherine Sakai, arrives during a weeklong festival when humans and aliens demonstrate their religious beliefs. An old enemy sends an assassin to kill G’Kar.
####Guest Stars

Thomas Kopache as Tu’Pari. Julia Nickson as Catherine Sakai.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/005.html
####Backplot

“Never fails,” says Garibaldi when Catherine comes aboard. Apparently he’s known her and Sinclair for a very long time. They seem to run into one another every three years, though this is the first time in a while that they’ve both been available.

Sinclair and Carolyn have drifted apart – he wasn’t willing to quit and go into business with her as a trader. (cf: [[The Gathering]])

After he delivers G’Kar’s death pronouncement, councillor Du’Rog says, “This should come as no surprise to you G’Kar. You’ve ruined my family’s name and humiliated me before the council. Retribution was inevitable.”

Later G’Kar explains to Na’Toth why he can’t ask for help: “…this would lead to some unfortunate revelations about my years on the council, revelations that could affect my position. Personally, I don’t care if the information comes out. My only concern is that it might compromise our standing in the negotiations.”

The best assassins among the Narn are the “Thenta Makur.” They are well-organized and respectable in their own way. They leave a “death blossom” to give their mark time to get their affairs in order, and offer a solid guarantee: they will personally kill any assassin who betrays a commission.

G’Kar has survived two prior assassination attempts, but did not appear to have experience with the Thenta Makur.

Vir explains the vivacious Centauri festival:

It’s a celebration of life. It comes from a time in our world’s history when two dominant species were fighting for supremacy: our people, and a species we called “Xon”. At year’s end, we count how many of our people survived, and celebrate our good fortune!
####Unanswered Questions

Why is G’Kar, after serving 5 years on the Narn council, now serving as the Narn diplomat to Babylon 5? Is this a move up, or down?

What [[revelations]] about his years on the council does G’Kar want hidden?

Did Sinclair play a greater role in the Minbari ceremony than was apparent? (see Analysis)

When Catherine first enters Sinclair’s quarters, he’s listening to part of Tennyson’s “Ulysses.” “Which are you,” she asks, quoting from elsewhere in the poem, ” an idle king, doling unequal laws unto a savage race, that hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not you, or a gray spirit, yearning in desire, to follow knowledge like a sinking star?” He leaves the question unanswered.
####Analysis

The cross-species religious festival was Earth Central’s idea, and is consistent with Babylon 5’s raison d’etre. The Minbari and Centauri participated willingly, but nothing was seen of Narn religion (cf: [[By Any Means Necessary]]). No-one made note of this omission – perhaps it’s taken for granted that Narn religion is not for outsiders.

The Narn employ couriers on a weekly basis. They also have FTL communications. Hence, they must not consider FTL secure.

Na’Toth is cool-headed, with a sarcastic sense of humor – for G’Kar a great improvement over the literal and over-enthusiastic Ko’Dath.

When Lennier greets Delenn as “Satai,” she rebukes him: “No-one here knows of my connection. No-one must find out […] it would lead to certain questions I don’t want to answer just now.” Apparently, it is well-known among the Minbari who are the members of the grey council. They are also greatly revered, judging by Lennier’s reluctance to raise his eyes in her presence.

Vir’s speech is quite remarkable. What endured after the Centauri conflict with the Xon was a celebration of survival, rather than a mourning for those lost. This is notable both for what they chose to focus on (the joyous rather than the sad), and for its suggestion that the Centauri may have been nearly destroyed by the Xon (everyone was lucky to have survived each year).

A theme of real Babylonian history: a stronger race oppresses a weaker one, and generations of the weaker one grow up fighting for their lives. Eventually the once-weaker race becomes so hardened and energized in their own self-protection that they rise up and conquer their oppressors (cf: History.Babylonia).

This theme may be the very story of the Xon and the Centauri, for the Centauri eventually destroyed them and didn’t lose momentum until they were an empire spanning an entire quadrant of the galaxy (cf: [[The Gathering]] ). This may also become the story of the Centauri the Narn: the Centauri invaded their homeworld and held sway for a hundred years, but now the Narn are free and bent on destruction, while the Centauri are on the decline.

Among the many Centauri household gods on the banquet table are Ben-Zan, god of food, Mo-Goth, god of the underworld and protector of front doors, and Li, goddess of passion. The golden statue of Li portrays her with both arms and one leg raised. Visible on her body are breasts, a very large male hair-crest, and three tentacles emerging from her hips on both sides. (cf. [[The Quality of Mercy]])

A transcript of Delenn’s recital during the Minbari ceremony is available.
####This recital is very important, especially if Sinclair is the incarnation of a figure in Minbari prophecy, for which there are indications:

Minbari assassin: “There is a hole in your mind.” ([[The Gathering]])

The coincidence of the Minbari surrender with their initial discovery of Sinclair. ([[The Gathering]])

Delenn: “I knew you would come – we were right about you.” ([[Soul Hunter]])

Delenn’s possible covert marriage to him in this episode.

(see also: [[And the Sky Full of Stars]], [[Deathwalker]], [[Signs and Portents]])

The giving of fruit to each of the main characters coincided with particular parts of Delenn’s recital. This could be literary foreshadowing, but it’s unlikely that Delenn herself intended the juxtaposition.

From birth {Londo},

Through death and renewal {Vir},

You must put aside old things {Garibaldi},

Old fears {Sinclair},

Old lives {Ivanova}.

This is your death {G’Kar},

The death of flesh…

For the record, Londo and Vir eat their fruits, Garibaldi declines, Ivanova puts hers down, G’Kar exchanges his with hers, Ivanova (unawares) then eats hers, and G’Kar gives his new fruit a distrustful sniff. Sinclair, under Delenn’s compelling gaze, eats his as well.

When Catherine hears about “red fruit” being part of the Minbari ceremony, she asks if there was a serious exchange of looks. When Sinclair confirms this, she chuckles, “Oh it’s a rebirth ceremony all right. It also doubles as a marriage ceremony. Depending on how seriously anyone took it, somebody got married the other day.” Sinclair did not mention who was seriously looking at whom – he may in some sense now be married to Delenn.

“You must put aside… old lives” reaffirms the Minbari belief in reincarnation revealed in [[Soul Hunter]], and suggests that the Minbari may have conscious access to their own past lives. Else what would they have to put aside? (cf: [[The War Prayer]])
####Notes

####G’Kar’s song (presumably translated from Narn):

I’m thinking of thinking of calling her right/after my afternoon nap./I’m thinking of thinking of sending her flowers,/right after Bonnie gets back./ So many fishies left in the sea,/ so many fishies – but no-one for me… / I’m thinking of thinking of hooking a love,/ soon after supper is done.

Ko’Dath, G’Kar’s previous aide (with whom he was none too happy) died in an unexplained airlock accident a week before.
####Londo’s joke:

Garibaldi: And what happened to the Xon?

Londo: Dead, all of them, and good riddance. Do you know what the last Xon said, just before he died? “AAAAARGH!”

Garibaldi (to Sinclair): Can I kill him now?
####Londo’s toast (and reprise):

“Valtoooo!”

Ivanova was the only non-Centauri who seemed to be enjoying herself at their festival.

G’Kar’s “reputed fascination with Earth women” (cf: [[Born to the Purple]]) is well-known among the Narn ruling class.

Delenn’s new assistant is Lennier of the Third Fane of Chu’Domo, which has served with honor for 500 years. He has just gone from being a “simple novitiate” to serving one of the Grey Council – apparently quite a big jump.

There is consistency in the shape of Minbari head-bones. The top edge of the female head-bone is a smooth curve back to a raised point in back, while the top edge of the male head-bone rises to several points on its way back.

There were nine participants in the Minbari rebirth ceremony. All of the instruments visible were triangular, as was the table around which they stood.

In the lingo of the Free Traders, Earth (or thereabouts) is “The Hub”.

Sinclair has a brother, about whom he has not yet spoken.

Sinclair has been caught on Tennyson since his academy years – “we find meaning where we can,” he says.

G’Kar and Na’Toth both imply she enjoyed beating him up.

When this episode was broadcast in Malaysia in July 1995, the Centauri celebration was cut, probably because of its depiction of drunken behavior.
####A sign in the arrivals area:

Welcome to Babylon 5

Customer Section

Atmosphere Caution

Six different atmospheres are currently available on B5. Others may be created by prior arrangement. Uncommon atmospheric makeups may be synthesized for encounter suits. For specific atmochemical breakdowns see monitor below.

####Overview

An archaeologist smuggles ancient artifacts onto the station, unleashing a living weapon.
####Guest Stars

David McCallum as Dr. Vance Hendricks. Marshall Teague as Nelson Drake.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/004.html
####Backplot

Ikarra 7, now a dead world, was a thousand years ago home to a highly advanced space-faring society. Their technology was organic: tools and artifacts made of living tissue yet immune to decay. Invaded over a dozen times, they finally built 12 devastating organic warriors to protect them. Programmed to destroy any but “pure Ikarrans”, those warriors repelled the last invasion and went on to kill any Ikarran who deviated from the ideal (ie all of them). A transcript of the scene in which this is discussed is available.

Organic technology is, according to archaeologist Vance Hendricks, “The one trick Earth hasn’t been able to crack. The ability to create living ships that thrive in the vacuum of space, to create weapons that produce their own power through internal generation, like a firefly lights up at night.”

The Vorlons have organic technology, and it’s suspected that the Minbari do as well.

Sinclair: “The last time I gave an interview they told me just to relax and say what I really felt – ten minutes after the broadcast I got transferred to an outpost so far off the star maps you couldn’t find it with a hunting dog and a Ouija board.” It’s not clear whether or not this was a joke.

Garibaldi: (to the reporter) “…and after walking 50 miles, we finally made it out of the desert. Later when he was put in charge of Babylon 5, Commander Sinclair asked if I’d come work security. I said yes – it’s been a great time…”

Garibaldi has been fired from 5 different jobs for “unspecified personal problems”. His assignment on Babylon 5 is probably his last shot in Earth Force.

Garibaldi was in Earth Force during the E/M war, but not on the Line.
####Unanswered Questions

Who invaded Ikarra so many times? What was so valuable about it?

Why is Sinclair so prone to heroism (read: suicidal bravery)? He’s deliberately put his life on the line three times now in the past year (cf [[The Gathering]], [[Soul Hunter]]). Garibaldi suggests an answer: when the war ended it took away the direction it gave his life, as happened to many veterans. So now he’s “looking for something worth dying for because it’s easier than finding something worth living for.” Sinclair’s not entirely satisfied with that answer, and resolves to give it more thought.
####Analysis

A “Bio-weapons” supplier backed Hendricks’ original expedition to Ikarra – they must have had advance information about what was to be found there.

Ivanova has little faith in the ethics of big government organizations (cf [[Mind War]], [[Deathwalker]]).

Franklin appeared to seriously ponder the image of great wealth Hendricks offered, before the guards took him away.

A team from Earth Force Defense, Bio-weapons Division confiscated the Ikarran artifacts just as the dust from the weapon-chase was settling. Earth now has bio-tech of its own to study.
####Notes

Garibaldi: “The commander’s a hands-on kind of guy, he’ll grab any chance he can get to take out a ship – he’s like that.”

This episode occurs right around the 2nd anniversary of Babylon 5 going on-line.

In a poll, 75% of “Interstellar Network News” said B5 wouldn’t last 5 minutes. Lloyd’s of London put the odds at 500 to 1 against it lasting one year.

The “Narn-Centauri negotiations” are to occur in the near future.

Sinclair: “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth.” (His reply to Garibaldi’s joking guess that Sinclair’s interview would get him shipped off the station and himself promoted into Sinclair’s position.) This is a quote from Shakespeare (King Lear.)

Dr. Hendricks says to Franklin, “There’s a Martian war machine outside, and it wants to speak to you about the common cold.” That’s a reference to H. G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds,” in which the Martian invaders are killed by common microbes.

Sinclair: “When you become obsessed with the enemy, you become the enemy.”

At the last, the Ikarran begs forgiveness from the “Great Maker”.

Franklin: “I’m starting to wonder if what we just saw is a preview of things to come” (re: Pro-earth groups).

Ikarra may be an Australian Aboriginal word.

The Australian DSTO (Defence Sciences and Technology Organisation) developed the anti-submarine weapon “Ikara” in the 1950’s. It is no longer in use in the Australian Navy, having been fired for the last time in 1990. The Brazilian Navy may still use a variation of it.

Since the DSTO has a tradition of naming its products after warlike Aboriginal animals, it’s plausible that the word refers to an animal.

A slight visual gaffe: When the bioweapon self-destructs and falls to the ground, its head is facing to the left (away from the camera.) But when Sinclair watches him turn human again, Nelson’s head is facing to the right (toward the camera.)
####The Interview

Reporter: “After all that you’ve just gone through, I have to ask you the same question a lot of people back home are asking about space these days. Is it worth it? Should we just pull back, forget the whole thing as a bad idea, and take care of our own problems, at home?”

Sinclair: “No. We have to stay here, and there’s a simple reason why. Ask ten different scientists about the environment, population control, genetics – and you’ll get ten different answers. But there’s one thing every scientist on the planet agrees on: whether it happens in a hundred years, or a thousand years, or a million years, eventually our sun will grow cold, and go out. When that happens, it won’t just take us, it’ll take Marilyn Monroe, and Lao-tsu, Einstein, Maruputo, Buddy Holly, Aristophanes – all of this. All of this was for nothing, unless we go to the stars.”