####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.
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