####Overview

G’Kar asks Sheridan to intervene militarily on behalf of the Narns; Ivanova tries to institute an ambassadorship with a visiting alien.
####Guest Stars

Paul Williams as Taq. Ian Abercrombie as Correlilmerzon.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/034.html
####Backplot

The Narn pushed the Centauri off their world through a war of attrition, so it was no longer worth the Centauri’s effort to stay — open, direct warfare is new to them.
####Unanswered Questions

What was that gift?

Will the Lumati’s alliance with Earth be significant?
####Analysis

The situation between the Narn and the Centauri on Babylon 5 seems destined to explode sooner or later, even if things were quelled the first time. If one side begins to lose badly, revenge will be a natural reaction. Perhaps it will be just such an incident that pushes Earth into taking sides, assuming that’s going to happen.

It also seems like only a matter of time before the Minbari smuggling operation is discovered; eventually it’s plausible that the Centauri will get sick of the Minbari nosing around in the middle of war zones, though they may decide they don’t want to risk fighting them. How much trouble Sheridan will be in if his plan is discovered remains to be seen.

Given the Lumati’s feelings about natural selection, it’s unclear how desirable they’ll be as allies. If Earth needs help, they might well decide that that means humans are inferior, and withhold their aid.
####Notes

In keeping with his newfound importance, Londo’s outfit has changed slightly; it is crisper, darker, with a slightly more military look.

On a more editorial note, this episode is arguably the first to drive home how different the situation is now than it’s been in the past. The dark undercurrents that have always been present in the series begin to surface here, in the form of G’Kar’s desperation, Londo’s casual lack of concern over the killing and his calm assurance that the Centauri will defeat the Narn, Sheridan’s loss of composure with G’Kar, and the general sense of hostility around the station.

The Lumati’s arrogant attitude toward other species bears some resemblance to Star Trek’s Prime Directive.