As the Earth Alliance plunges toward civil war, internal strife threatens to shatter the command structure of B5. Zack’s loyalties are put to the test when the Nightwatch is ordered to take over station security. Londo receives another glimpse of his des
####Overview

####Guest Stars

Majel Barrett as Lady Morella. Marshall Teague as Ta’Lon.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/053.html
####Backplot

After the death of a Centauri emperor, custom states that his spirit lives on in the body of his consort, who speaks both for herself and her late husband.

Londo is destined to become emperor. That part of his future cannot be avoided, according to Lady Morella. Vir is also destined to become emperor. One will become emperor after the other dies, but it’s not clear which.

Londo has already passed up two chances to avoid the destiny he fears awaits him. There will be three more. He must save the eye that does not see. He must not kill the one who is already dead. And failing those, at the last, he must surrender himself to his greatest fear, knowing that it will destroy him.

One result of G’Kar’s Kosh-inspired revelation in [[Dust to Dust]] is the belief that humans are the key to the salvation of the Narn race. He also believes, as Kosh suggested, that the Narn must give up their pride and their vengeance or risk being completely destroyed, and that his people must sacrifice themselves by the hundreds or even the millions if all are to benefit in the end.
####Unanswered Questions

Is General Hague on his way to the station?

What impact will Sheridan’s new security forces have? Will they immediately turn Earth against him?
####Analysis

One of Londo’s two squandered chances was undoubtedly his action in [[The Coming of Shadows]], which sparked the Narn-Centauri War. The other is less clear. Perhaps it was his initial meeting with Morden, or the attack on the outpost in [[Chrysalis]]. It may also have been his decision to ask the Shadows to defend Gorash 7 ([[The Long, Twilight Struggle]],) without which the Centauri wouldn’t have been able to crush the Narn as thoroughly as they did.

“The eye that does not see” might refer to the Eye, the symbol of Centauri nobility that marked the start of Londo’s association with Morden ([[Signs and Portents]].) It may also refer to G’Kar’s eye, which appears to be injured or missing in Londo’s dream ([[The Coming of Shadows]].)

The one who is already dead might be Morden, who’s officially dead according to Earth Alliance records (“In the Shadow of Z’ha’dum”) or perhaps G’Kar, whose old life is certainly gone. It’s also possible that it refers to the memory of someone who is to die; Londo may be presented with an opportunity to discredit someone who would otherwise serve as a martyr. Along similar lines, it may refer to the wishes of someone already dead; for instance, destroying the chance for peace that Emperor Turhan sought before his death, something that would have been the Emperor’s legacy.

Another possibility is a connection to the transfer of Minbari souls to humans; the owner of a particular previously-deceased Minbari soul (perhaps Sinclair) may prove troublesome to Londo in the future.

Londo’s greatest fear might be the downfall of the Republic, or perhaps his own death.

It’s likely Londo will squander at least the first two of his remaining chances, given the fact that there will be a third — assuming Morella is correct.

What did Sheridan and the others say to convince Zack to go along with their ruse? It may have been as simple as convincing him that the order from the Political Office was illegal, just like Sheridan told the trapped Nightwatch members. Using that to convince him would have been the safest course of action, since as a loyal officer he’d be inclined to go along with the plan even if his sympathies had shifted toward Nightwatch.

What were all the non-security Nightwatch members doing during the crisis? Were they unaffected by the takeover order in the first place, and thus largely unconcerned with what was going on?
####Notes

An official press release about Majel Barrett’s appearance is available.

Many of the Nightwatch members in this episode are production staff members, including the production secretary and an assistant director.

Lady Morella is said to be returning from a visit to Ragesh 9. The Ragesh system is the same one attacked by the Narn in [[Midnight on the Firing Line]].