####Overview

When the Centauri emperor visits the station, Sheridan tries to keep G’Kar from going after him. Londo and Refa plot to expand their power. A mysterious man seeks out Garibaldi.

Winner of the 1996 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
####Guest Stars

Turhan Bey as the Centauri Emperor. Malachi Throne as the Centauri Prime Minister. William Forward as Refa.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/031.html
####Backplot

Sheridan joined the Earth military a few years before the Earth-Minbari War. A planetary draft was established during the war.

The Centauri have sent many ships into Vorlon space; none have returned, but strange stories about the Vorlons have found their way back to the Centauri homeworld.

Sinclair’s duties on the Minbari homeworld extend far beyond normal ambassadorial functions. He is taking part in the preparation for the fight against the great darkness that many of the Minbari believe is approaching. To that end, he is in command of a small army of “rangers” — individuals, Minbari and human, who roam the frontier, gathering information too sensitive to report back via normal channels.

The Centauri Emperor employs four telepaths, linked since birth; when he leaves the royal court, two accompany him and two stay behind, so he and his representatives at the court are constantly aware of each other’s circumstances.
####Unanswered Questions

What is the meaning of Londo’s dream? (see Analysis)

Why is Sinclair in charge of the rangers? Is he the only one in control, or is he a piece of a much larger chain of command?

How did the rangers get started? How are they expanding? What or who is drawing them to Minbar, and how?

Why does Sinclair think Garibaldi should stay close to the Vorlon? How much does he know, and how long has he known it? (Recall that in [[The Gathering]] Delenn gave Sinclair information about the Vorlons, though it’s not clear how complete or accurate it was.)

Will Londo become emperor some day?

What will the Narn’s first move against the Centauri be?

What did the Emperor know about Vorlons that caused him to want to ask Kosh his question? What does the question mean? (see Analysis)
####Analysis

When the two telepaths on Centauri Prime entered the throne room, a human and two Minbari were talking to the prime minister. Most likely they were there on unrelated business, but it’s possible they were rangers, there to gather information. (See jms speaks)

As soon as Londo lied about what the Emperor told him, the two veiled telepaths exchanged a look and left the room hastily. It may be that they knew he was lying; whether they’ll tell anyone, and if so what impact that will have, remains to be seen.

Kosh seems to have a perception that extends into the future; or perhaps he is simply basing his comment on the results of the last great war against the Shadows.

Londo’s dream, which has been foreshadowed from day one ([[Midnight on the Firing Line]]) contains a lot of information, if it’s to be taken literally.

The hand seems a clear reference to the “great hand, reaching out across the stars” as seen by Elric in “The Geometry of Shadows.” If so, the hand is Londo’s. Presumably it is a metaphor for his expanding power and influence.

Londo stands in the middle of fine sand, a desert (or perhaps decimated ruins; witness the dead vegitation and patterns in the sand) and watches several Shadow ships fly overhead. This appears to be on Centauri Prime. He is dressed in his ambassadorial uniform and appears to be roughly the same age as in the present. One implication is that the Shadows will either attack Centauri Prime or (more likely) come to its defense. It should also be noted that Londo has never seen a Shadow ship in the present. One reader suggests that Londo’s expression can be interpreted as Londo looking on, helpless, as a great evil is done; for the first time realizing who’s really the pawn in his relationship with the Shadows.

When Londo receives the crown, he is again not much older than in the present, possibly slightly older than when he’s observing the Shadow ships. Perhaps he is crowned after calling in the Shadows to help defend Centauri Prime. (Of course, the new Emperor would have to be dead first.) The person crowning him appears to be fairly old.

Much later — twenty years, give or take — Londo, in white Imperial attire, sits in the throne and looks around, face filled with regret or resignation. Nobody else is visible, and the throne room seems bare compared to the scene at the beginning of the episode. It’s as if everything has been lost; he is Emperor, but Emperor of nothing, perhaps of a dead world.

Then he sees G’Kar, also aged 20 years, face half-covered by a strip of black cloth. The two try to strangle each other. Londo appears to go limp as the dream ends; presumably he is dying. The cloth across G’Kar’s face appears to cover an injury; he may be missing his left eye.

Londo’s old age in the last scene suggests that it takes place around the same time as the attempt to snatch Babylon 4 through time (cf. “Babylon Squared.”) Sinclair seemed to have aged about the same amount, though of course humans and Centauri may age at different rates, and something may have caused Sinclair to age prematurely. But barring those two factors, it suggests that the war is still raging at the time of Londo’s strangulation, and that it will last at least twenty years.

It’s also worth noting that the dream contained only one spoken line, from “Chrysalis:” “Keep this up, G’Kar, and soon you won’t have a planet to protect.” (It was spoken over a scene from “Midnight on the Firing Line.”)

Londo may well be serious when he tells Vir he has no wish to become emperor; his premonition may have convinced him that it’d be bad to seek the position. But the vision remains; he may find himself taking the throne in spite of himself down the road.

The state of G’Kar’s left eye may be a reference to Norse mythology, in which the god Odin gives up his left eye for wisdom.

“It’s a small price to pay for immortality,” says Refa. A reference to everlasting fame? The Centauri propensity for elevating emperors to godhood? (cf. [[Chrysalis]])

The emperor’s question implies that he was in on something that isn’t general knowledge, possibly something about the Vorlons. One explanation may lie in dreams; perhaps the emperor’s death dream (according to Londo in “Midnight on the Firing Line,” such dreams are commonplace among the Centauri) told him that a war would begin after his death. Why he thought Kosh would know how the war would end — assuming the war is what the question referred to — is still an open question, though. (See jms speaks)

Along similar lines, why did the emperor speak his dying words to Londo, rather than Refa? Did he know what Londo was really up to, or was he simply guessing that Londo was likely the catalyst who would bring his empire into war, based on Londo’s handling of Quadrant 37 in [[Chrysalis]]?

The Narn government apparently approved of G’Kar’s would-be assassination attempt, even though he lied about it in his will; presumably he wanted to protect his people from revenge attacks by the Centauri.

####Notes

The script for this episode is printed in its entirety in JMS’ “The Complete Book of Scriptwriting,” ISBN 0-89879-512-5, published by Writer’s Digest Books.

The votes for the Hugo Award were as follows. The two numbers listed are number of nominations received and final number of votes cast.