Sheridan launches a preemptive strike against the Shadows. Franklin jeopardizes his life while trying to do a good deed.
####Overview

####Guest Stars

Shirley Prestia as Barbara. Melissa Gilbert as Anna.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/065.html
####Backplot

In Minbari tradition, when two Minbari become close it is the custom for the female to keep vigil at the male’s side for three nights while he sleeps. This is thought to reveal the male’s true personality, because while you’re asleep, you can’t keep up your guard, and this helps the female decide whether the relationship should continue.
####Unanswered Questions

How many ships did the League worlds withhold from the battle?

How many ships were destroyed in the battle? How many people died?

Why has Anna Sheridan come to Babylon 5? Is she as much of a pawn of the Shadows as Morden? (See Analysis)

How will Anna Sheridan’s presence affect Sheridan’s near-engagement to Delenn?

How did Anna get into Sheridan’s quarters?

Why have the Shadows not yet attacked Babylon 5?

How badly were the Shadows hurt by this battle?

Why did Sheridan keep dreaming the dream after Kosh died? Is it because of the piece of the Vorlon inside of him, and if so, is it somehow guiding him?

How did Anna know Delenn’s name? Did Morden tell her?

Were the Vorlons approached to be part of the battle fleet?

Who else might have survived the Icarus?
####Analysis

In this battle, it’s said that for each Shadow ship that was destroyed, two Army of Light ships were destroyed. This forces the question: who has more ships, the Army of Light, or the Shadows? And if the Shadows have as many or more, what does that bode for the coming battles of this war?

It’s plausible that Anna Sheridan is acting on behalf of the Shadows just as Morden is. Will Sheridan react to her presence with an understanding that she’s now an emissary of the Shadows?

Delenn had a flashforward to Anna’s arrival ([[War Without End part 2]].) Why, then, was she surprised to see Anna? Perhaps she didn’t expect it to happen that night. It’s also true that Anna didn’t identify herself in Delenn’s flash, so perhaps Delenn didn’t get as complete a view of the future as Sheridan (and earlier, Garibaldi and Sinclair) did.

This episode resolves, at least initially, most of Sheridan’s dream from [[All Alone in the Night]]. Sheridan is “the hand,” one half of a pair of opposing forces. He wears the Psi Corps badge to signify their alliance with Bester, and his position as someone in charge of large numbers of telepaths. Ivanova’s statement, “Do you know who I am?” refers to her latent telepathic ability ([[Divided Loyalties]].) However, it’s still not clear who the “man in between” is. It’s also not clear whether Sheridan’s analysis, even with the help of Delenn and Ivanova, is actually correct.

Perhaps Anna Sheridan is the “man in between” from Sheridan’s dream, despite the personal pronoun problems. Or perhaps she’s an envoy of that man.

“The man in between” implies someone on the other side. Who might that be?

Sheridan openly talked about Ivanova’s latent telepathy in front of Delenn. Does Ivanova no longer consider it such a secret, now that she’s presumably beyond the reach of the Psi Corps? Or does Sheridan simply trust Delenn so much that it didn’t occur to him he might be violating Ivanova’s trust?

Who is the third spotlight on the Minbari flagship meant for? Most likely it’s simply a result of the Minbari doing everything in threes. Sheridan and Delenn gave orders from more than one place in the tactical center, so it’s probably not a matter of the lights denoting different functions.

Garibaldi’s empathy for Franklin, to the poi substance abuse ([[Survivors]], among other episodes.) He presumably knows something of what Franklin has been through.

When Franklin and Sheridan are discussing Franklin’s experience, the doctor comments, “Moments are all we have.” Sheridan pauses as if remembering something. He may be recalling Delenn’s similar comment in [[War Without End part 2]]: “Savor the moments, for they will never come again.”
####Notes

Franklin’s stumble into the crowd was reminiscent of two scenes from [[Chrysalis]], both Petrov’s approach toward Garibaldi, and Garibaldi’s later emergence at the party.

In Britain, Channel 4 edited out seven seconds of the attack on Franklin.

In a video message in [[Revelations]], Anna Sheridan was originally played by Beth Toussaint, not Melissa Gilbert.

Some people have pointed out an apparent continuity glitch, but it’s not. When Franklin is being wheeled into medlab after being stabbed, he sees Garibaldi, Ivanova, and Sheridan above him, even though Sheridan hasn’t yet arrived on the station. But if you look at the surrounding shots from Franklin’s point of view, it’s clear he’s simply hallucinating and imagining that the doctors around the gurney are his fellow officers; nowhere but that one shot do any people in command uniforms appear.

The Egyptian blessing was first mentioned in [[A Distant Star]].