####Overview

The station becomes a hotbed of galactic controversy when Sinclair is forced to protect a notorious war criminal — a scientist who’s invented an immortality serum. Ambassador Kosh hires telepath Talia Winters to oversee a very unusual negotiation.
####Guest Stars

Sarah Douglas as Deathwalker/Jha’Dur. Robin Curtis as Ambassador Kalika. Cosie Costa as Abbut. Aki Aleong as Senator Hidoshi.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/009.html
####Backplot

The League of Non-Aligned Worlds and the Earth Alliance are allies, thanks in large part to Earth’s intervention while the League was being devastated by the Dilgar thirty years earlier. JMS says, “The Dilgar War was one of the first conflicts that the EA got into, soon after establishing a presence in space. We mainly entered it to try and make a ‘rep’ for ourselves, then got more morally involved when we saw what was going on. That and the Minbari War are the only real major conflicts Earth has been involved with, and Earth was not directly at risk in the Dilgar war, though if they hadn’t been stopped, that might have changed eventually.”

The Vorlons have a strong distrust of telepaths.

The Minbari warrior castes know about the hole in Sinclair’s mind.
####Unanswered Questions

What do the Vorlons know about immortality?

Why don’t they like (non-Vorlon) telepaths?

Is this the last we’ll hear about the immortality serum, or did Dr. Franklin keep the sample he was testing? (JMS has hinted that it’s not a simple plot device which’ll never be mentioned again.)

Why do the Wind Swords speak often of Sinclair? What do they know about what happened to him?
####Analysis

Na’Toth’s grandfather had the misfortune to be on a planet that Jha’dur took, and her misuse of him is the source of Na’Toth’s feud, yet the Narn seem to give the incident no particular weight. What world this was is not disclosed, but either it wasn’t a Narn colony, and Na’Toth’s grandfather was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, or it was a Narn colony and the incident was smoothed over at the time. Evidence seems to point to the former, but it’s unclear.

Jha’dur is a specialist in, “biochemical, biogenetic, and cyber-organic weaponry.” During the Dilgar invasion of the “non-aligned sectors” she decimated whole planets to further her own research. Presumably the other Dilgar were equally vicious and callous. She seems to be especially notorious though, known by name 30 years after the event, perhaps because her biological experiments seem especially horrible.

At the time of the Dilgar war humanity was fresh on the interstellar political scene, having been discovered and given jumpgate/hyperspace technology by the Centauri. The non-aligned worlds seem to be relatively low-tech, and they were being overrun by the Dilgar in a particularly ruthless bid for an empire. Earth’s entry into the conflict turned the tide against the Dilgar, leading to the race’s confinement to their own system and their ultimate destruction when their sun went nova.

Jha’dur was shielded and hidden by the Minbari Wind Swords, members of their warrior caste, at the close of the Dilgar war 30 years ago. The Minbari didn’t encounter humans until about 20 years later, at which time the first contact went bad and initiated the Earth-Minbari war. Up until now it seemed that neither side knew of the other, but how could the Minbari have aided and supported Jha-dur for 20 years without learning of Earth? Moreover, when the Minbari are debating their response to the loss of their leader the Wind Swords arrive on the scene with new, very powerful weapons. Presumably much of the Minbari arsenal of weapons and ships derives from designs given them by Jha’dur. The circumstances of the first contact problem between the Minbari and the Humans may also indicate that it was the result of a plot by Jha’dur for revenge on those who (at least indirectly) destroyed her race.

The serum designed by Jha’dur is insidious, requiring something critical from living beings to make. It’s unclear whether this same process would be applicable to every species, or whether the same serum could be used across species. But in any case it was designed, perhaps intentionally, to cause a great deal of harm when used.

Just what benefit the Wind Swords derived from her research is unstated. Note, however, that she has (a) been permitted by the Wind Swords to use up enough living entities to pursue her research, and (b) used at least one dose on herself with some amount left over. She has also been permitted to leave to negotiate with the Narn, her first entry into public view since the war.

Senator Hidoshi calls Sinclair while Jha’dur is still in medlab. He insists that Jha’dur cannot be Deathwalker, but also insists that she be sent to Earth immediately. Still, he clearly knows all about the situation, which implies that he has sources of information both on B5 and perhaps among the Minbari or the Narn.

Talia Winters has an interesting time with Kosh during this episode. Here we see the first of a known class of people called “vicars,” short for “VCRs.” These people are human recorders, capable of recording sensory and environmental information for later playback through devices directly implanted in their brains. This demonstrates a very high degree of possible integration between people and computers at the time of B5. How common this is and how sophisticated it can be has yet to be seen.

Is Kosh a telepath? During the interviews between Kosh and Abbut (the vicar) Talia is occasionally goaded with an image dredged up from her mind. Clearly these are not her own thoughts, and clearly Abbut cannot be the source since human telepaths are regulated. That only leaves Kosh him(it?)self. Yet Talia doesn’t seem to have any hint that Kosh is doing this to her. If Kosh is a telepath, what other abilities does he have? And if he is a telepath, and the cause of Talia’s distress, what did he need the vicar for? It seems clear that the byplay between Kosh and Abbut was intended as misdirection, to divert, bore and confuse her leaving her open for Kosh to penetrate her shields and stimulate the images he collected.

Kosh collects from Talia, in his words, “Reflection. Surprise. Terror. For the future.” He may intend the data as a lever or weapon against her.

####Overview

Sinclair is kidnapped and interrogated by members of a pro-Earth group, determined to find out what transpired when the commander was briefly missing in action during the final battle of the Earth/Minbari war — something Sinclair has never been able to remember.
####Guest Stars

Judson Scott as Knight One. Christopher Neame as Knight Two. Jim Youngs as Frank Benson. Justin Williams as Mitchell.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/008.html
####Backplot

In the days before the Earth/Minbari war, Dr. Franklin used to hitchhike starships, trading his services as ship’s doctor in exchange for free passage to places he’d never been before.

Franklin: “Towards the end, when things got bad for our side, those of us involved in xenobiology were told to hand over our notes to be used in genetic and biological warfare. […] I took an oath that all life was sacred. I destroyed my notes, rather than have them used for killing.”

After his squad was shot down at the Line, Sinclair’s ship was disabled and taken aboard a Minbari cruiser. He was tortured and examined, and at one point stood unfettered within the circle of the grey council itself. When they didn’t respond to his questions, Sinclair suddenly walked up to one of them and pulled back the hood, revealing the face of Delenn. He was then knocked out again, and some time later returned to his ship with no memory of the experience.

(A synopsis of the events at the Line as Sinclair re-experiences them is available. There is also a separate Guide page devoted to those events.)

Knight Two: “Your ship was off the screens for 24 hours. You didn’t just black out, your ship disappeared!”

Sinclair: “The screens malfunctioned, the hearing proved that.”

This would explain why Sinclair “fell off the merry-go-round” promotion-wise. Officers who’ve inexplicably disappeared in the presence of the enemy tend to hit a glass ceiling even if their loyalty is officially accepted.

The Knights may be part of a covert operation within Earth Force that’s trying to find collusion between Earth officials and the Minbari.
####Unanswered Questions

Franklin asks Delenn, “How were you involved in the war?” She declines to answer, even though he had just answered the same question from her. Toward the end of the episode it’s revealed that Delenn did indeed play a significant role in the war, but little is yet known about what that was. (cf: [[Babylon Squared]])

Sinclair’s absence was first realized when Delenn reported that he didn’t show up for a meeting with her in the Council room. What was that meeting to have been about?

Delenn said she checked with Ivanova before asked Garibaldi about Sinclair’s absence. Ivanova is willing to page Sinclair about everyday problems – why wouldn’t she call his link when he’s mysteriously long overdue for a diplomatic appointment?

Later, Delenn asks Ivanova if there’s anything she can do to help, and Ivanova replies that the crew is doing everything possible. Yet why is she strolling down a corridor with Delenn, rather than following leads and scouring for new ways to find Sinclair?

How was Sinclair flawlessly abducted from his quarters?

How did Knight One get Benson’s body off the station? (see jms Speaks)

Who were the Knights working for?

Why wasn’t telepathy used for the interrogation? It would have been no less legal than what the Knights did, and a telepath would probably have had better skills at dredging up old memories. The whole power source problem (which ultimately sunk the Knights’ plan) could have been avoided – only the stimulation technology need have been brought on board.

Is Sinclair really a Minbari plant?

Why was Delenn’s superior on the station?

What is it that the Minbari don’t want Sinclair to remember about his experience on the Line???
####Analysis

Sinclair: “Everyone lies, Michael. The innocent lie because they don’t want to be blamed for something they didn’t do, and the guilty lie because they don’t have any other choice.”

This is extra reason to think twice before taking anything said in this episode at face value. Nor should one assume that a lie covers up wrongdoing.

Earth Force was researching the use of genetic and biological warfare against the Minbari. These are offensive, not defensive methods, effective only on planets. They must have been planning a desperation ground strike of some kind. (cf: [[Soul Hunter]])

After he punches Knight Two in VR, Sinclair looks at his hand, making a fist and releasing it. Scenes of him in the cybernet chair after that show him clenching his fist in real life as well, in unison with continued fist-clenching in VR. Sinclair is rediscovering, slowly, how to get his brain to control his body. The pain of the remembered zap in the council chambers is later enough to propel him all the way back, if groggily.

While looking for Sinclair’s body outside, station forces discover the body of Benson floating outside Red Sector. Garibaldi visually identifies him (other Security folks had not been able to), and says, “Whoever killed him couldn’t have carried the body very far without being noticed.” He may be wrong in this conclusion – Knight One could have dumped it into a nondescript cart and gone a long way, for example.

Garibaldi: “If they dumped the body out of an airlock, the station’s gravity wouldn’t let it get far.” This is true only if the body was dumped out of a no- or low-velocity airlock. Perhaps Garibaldi’s assertion is correct because there aren’t any high-velocity airlocks on the station other than the Cobra Bays.

Knight Two: “Look at Earth: Alien civilization. Alien migration. Aliens buying up real estate by the square mile. What they couldn’t take by force, they corrupted! Inch by inch!”

This sounds very much like Homeguard propaganda – perhaps there is a connection. (cf: “War Prayer”)

Delenn exhibits ignorance of the powers of Earth telepaths – Ivanova had to explain to her that Talia, a P5, was not capable of a search-and-recover mission.

Ivanova’s only contribution to the search effort was to track all ships that left Babylon 5 in the previous 8 hours, which turned out to be wasted effort. This and several Unanswered Questions suggest she may have been working with the Knights.

Delenn: “It’s me, commander.”

Sinclair: “I know – I know you. I know who you are.”

Delenn: “I’m your friend, commander. Ambassador Delenn. Your friend.”

Sinclair: “NO! I know you. I know you.” [Knight One prepares to fire, Sinclair shoots him down]

Delenn: “Welcome home.”

[Sinclair collapses]

By his emphatic denial above, it should be clear to Delenn that Sinclair is remembering something about his discovery of her at the Line. He later denies remembering anything, but she must wonder if he’s lying. (If the Analysis in the Line Guide page is correct, however, she should be certain he is lying.)

Knight Two apparently remembered nothing about himself after Sinclair’s destructive escape fried his memory. However, the word “Commander” brings him up short, and he remembers Sinclair’s name, saying “There’s something in my head. It says: ‘Maybe you’re still inside. Maybe we’re both still inside.'” His phrasing there indicates that this is not his own current thought, but a thought that survived his brain damage. So, what did Knight Two, in full possession of his faculties, mean by that suspicion? The most obvious answer is “inside the simulation,” but this is a very weak explanation, and goes nowhere.

Knight Two’s last experience would have been watching Sinclair’s recollection of his Grey Council experience, including his discovery of Delenn (whom Knight Two may not have recognized).

See also the Guide page devoted to Sinclair’s recollection of the events on the Line.

####Overview

A violent attack on a Minbari poet rocks B5 and leaves Sinclair scrambling to flush out a vicious pro-Earth group. Two star-crossed young Centauri lovers seek Londo’s protection. Ivanova is shaken when a man from her past arrives at the outpost.
####Guest Stars

Nancy Lee Grahn as Shaal Mayan. Danica McKellar as Aria Tensus. Rodney Eastman as Kiron Maray. Tristan Rogers as Malcolm Biggs. Michael Paul Chan as Roberts.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/007.html
####Backplot

The Homeguard, a radical pro-Earth group, has wide support among humans, and is growing in popularity back on Earth.

Shaal Mayan is a renowned Minbari poet. “I create and perform Tee’la,” she says: “poem songs that attempt to recall old memories and prompt new ideas.”

The only two human beings ever to have direct contact with a Vorlon have since been transferred to Earth – Dr. Kyle to work closely with the president (cf [[Infection]]), and the telepath Lyta Alexander just a week later. Neither of them shared their experiences with anyone on the station. (cf [[The Gathering]])

Londo has three wives, all of them arranged marriages, all of them “great sacrifices.” “They inspire me! Knowing that they are waiting at home for me is what keeps me here, 75 light years away.”

Ivanova used to be involved with a fellow named Malcolm Biggs, but left him when she enlisted in Earth Force 8 years ago.

More insight into Londo’s personality and Minbari beliefs:

Mayan: Ambassador, you should listen to the girl. We Minbari consider love to be a most potent force for healing. She cares deeply for him. Such feelings can turn the tide when all else fails.

Londo: Oh I see. And if he dies, despite this great power of lo-

Mayan: If he dies, she will suffer enormous grief, but every moment together will make her grief a little less.

Londo: I would expect such logic from a poet. What can a Minbari know about Centauri feeling?

Mayan: Ambassador, I have traveled far and seen much. And what I have seen tells me that all sentient beings are defined by their capacity and need for love.

Londo: And she will learn to live without it!

Mayan: As you did?

later…

Vir: Kiron may die because our “glorious” tradition values wealth and power over love.

Londo: My shoes are too tight.

Vir: Excuse me?

Londo: Something my father said. He was old, very old at the time. I went into his room, and he was sitting alone in the dark, crying. So I asked him what was wrong, and he said, “My shoes are too tight, but it doesn’t matter, because I have forgotten how to dance.” I never understood what that meant until now. My shoes are too tight, and I have forgotten how to dance.

Unanswered Questions

The black light camouflage suits worn by the Homeguard henchmen were developed by Earth Force; friends of Malcolm’s procured some prototypes for them. Is a faction of Earth Force actually backing the Homeguard for its own reasons?

Londo seems to have had a troubled childhood (see Backplot). What happened that he’s so aggressive and melancholy? None of the other Centauri seem particularly so.

Why is Kosh studying human history, as Sinclair’s conversation with him appears to reveal, especially when he says “We have no interest in the affairs of others?” Perhaps for some reason Kosh does not consider humans “others.” Or perhaps by “affairs” he meant the passing events of the day, as compared to the millennia of a civilization.
####Analysis

The Homeguard sign branded onto Shaal Mayan’s forehead is a combination of male and female symbols from ancient Greek mythos. Perhaps it’s a contemporary symbol for humankind.

Vir passed himself off as the Centauri ambassador in letters to his cousins, and later rebukes Londo to his face about his decision on the matter. This is quite bold compared to the quavering fop he’s been before.

Londo’s nicknames for his wives are “Pestilence, Famine, and Death” – three of the four horsemen of the apocalypse from ancient Christian mythos. Who is the fourth horseman War? Perhaps Londo himself.

Talking to Kosh about the attacks on non-humans, Sinclair breaks off right after asking him to “lend a hand.” Not long later Sinclair wonders aloud to Ivanova how an assassin had managed to poison Kosh on the “hand,” through his encounter suit. (cf [[The Gathering]])

Sinclair was brusque and callous to Delenn and the Abbai agricultural representative at the diplomatic reception. He also declared to the assembled Council that the hate-crime investigation was closed, offering neither arrests nor evidence of safety. This was part of his ruse to win the Homeguard’s trust, but he may still have injured his reputation with other races.

The Homeguard plot on the station was, according to its leader Malcolm Biggs, part of a much bigger plot to kill prominent aliens all over the Earth Alliance.

Black light camouflage is a similar technology to the chameleon net the assassin used in “The Gathering.” However, it requires an entire body-suit and only works while the user is motionless. No mention was made of what was done with the four suits captured with the Homeguard henchmen – Garibaldi may have stashed them away somewhere. And it’s unlikely that those were the only four suits in existence; perhaps the technology will be seen again (cf. [[Babylon Squared]].)
####Notes

Mayan, a childhood friend of Delenn’s, arrived on the station on a tour of other worlds. Earth was to have been her next stop.

Mayan (of her attacker): “All I could see was a shadow. It was a shadow, that is all I know.”

(cf [[Signs and Portents]], perhaps?)

Ivanova is illegally growing coffee in the station hydroponics area.

Kosh speaks.

…

Sinclair: Meanwhile it might be helpful if you spoke with the other ambassadors.

Kosh: We take no interest in the affairs of others.

Sinclair: Well I hope you’ll reconsider. If you could give us a hand, we –

Kosh: Yes?

Sinclair: Nothing. We’ll respect your wishes. pause

That’s quite a viewer. I’ve never seen anything like it before. What is it?

Kosh: Efficient.

Sinclair: Those are images from my world. If I may ask, what are you –

Kosh: I am studying.

Sinclair: Studying what?

Kosh: shuts down

The images on Kosh’s levitating viewer were zoom-ins on pictorial records from Earth history throughout the span of its civilization.

####Overview

Talia’s old Psi Corps instructor, the victim of a secret experiment, is the target of a manhunt involving the Psi-Cops. Catherine wants to survey a promising planet for possible mining, but G’Kar warns her to stay away.
####Guest Stars

Walter Koenig as Bester. Felicity Waterman as Kelsey. William Allen Young as Jason Ironheart.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/006.html
####Backplot

Jason Ironheart was Talia’s instructor and lover at the Psi Corps Training Academy. After she graduated and went into commercial telepathy, they kept in touch by letter – until a year ago when his letters stopped. As Ironheart recounts, he volunteered to undergo genetic and biochemical modification he thought was intended to make him a stronger telepath. The experiment turned out to be an attempt to make him a stable telekinetic, and it after many months and hundreds of injections it worked – stunningly! Ironheart became able to see through any mind like glass, and manipulate matter and energy both. He discovered then that those in charge were after offensive military applications for TK, like secret assassination. So, he killed the head researcher (the only person who could duplicate the work) and fled to Babylon 5, still undergoing changes to his mind and body.

What is it like to be a telepath?

Talia: “It’s like staying in a hotel room where you can just hear the people talking next door. You can try and shut it out, but it’s always there. The key is not to eavesdrop unless you’re invited… casual thoughts are very easy to block, but strong emotions have a way of slipping through.”

“Do you know what it’s like when telepaths make love, commander? You drop every defense, and it’s all mirrors, reflecting each others’ feelings, deeper and deeper, until somewhere along the line your souls mix, and it’s a feeling so profound it makes you hurt. It’s the only moment in a telepath’s life when you no longer hear the voices.”

Ironheart: “We all thought Psi Corps was controlled by the government, but that’s changing. The Corps is starting to pull the strings behind the scenes; they’re more powerful than you could begin to imagine. Telepaths make the ultimate blackmailers…”

“The Psi Corps is dedicated to one thing: control. Control over telepaths, the economy, the courts, over matter, over thought itself.”

A transcript of Ironheart’s meeting with Sinclair is available.
####Unanswered Questions

How much of what Ironheart said was true? He was mentally unstable, to say the least. He was also very motivated to gather fast allies.

G’Kar (to Catherine): “Let me pass on to you the one thing I’ve learned about this place. No-one here is exactly what he appears. Not Mollari, not Delenn, not Sinclair. And not me.” What does G’Kar know that we don’t? (cf [[And The Sky Full Of Stars]] [Delenn, Sinclair], [[By Any Means Necessary]] [G’Kar])

Just before he departs, Ironheart says to Talia: “In memory of love, I give you a gift, the only gift I have left to give.” The gift, as she soon discovers, was at least the beginnings of telekinesis. What manner of telepath has she become?

What did Ironheart mean by his final words to Sinclair? “Good-bye commander. I will see you again, in a million years.”
####Analysis

If Ironheart’s figures are true, and if there are 20 billion human beings in existence, then there should be a thousand people who are (or will become) stable telekinetics. If the Psi Corps’ pursuit of a stable TK justified the extreme measures they attempted with Ironheart, then something about naturally occurring TK’s must make them unusable. It could be that use of TK invariably drives one insane, or perhaps natural TK is insufficiently fine-controlled enough for their purposes.

Whatever it was that the Psi Corps scientists did to Ironheart, it wasn’t more than physical alterations to his brain and body. Yet those alterations started a process that led to his essentially becoming a demigod. This could represent a latent potential in humanity as a whole, of which iceberg telepathy is merely the tip. Or perhaps not – “This is a power that we were never meant to have,” Ironheart tells Sinclair, “we’re not ready for it.”

Ivanova hates the Psi Corps with a passion (understandably – cf [[Midnight on the Firing Line]]) “Good ol’ Psi Corps. You never cease to amaze me – all the moral fiber of Jack the Ripper. What do you do in your spare time, juggle babies over a fire pit? Oops, there goes another calculated risk!”

In spite of this, Ivanova gives Talia a glass of water after she comes through the ordeal of being scanned by Bester and Kelsey. Ivanova’s hatred is tempered with compassion for individuals. (see “jms speaks”)

By threatening to hold him accountable for endangering the station and causing the death of his partner, Sinclair strong-arms Bester into omitting from his report mention of Ironheart’s real fate and Talia’s willful collaboration. However, this can only be an agreement about what gets made official. Just as folks on Babylon 5 know full well that Something happened to Ironheart (with the willing help of both Talia and Sinclair) the right folks in the Psi Corps should know the same through Bester’s unofficial report.
####Notes

Sinclair mentions to Catherine in the morning that he’s got a budget meeting with the construction guild that day, in which he’ll have to make some cuts to which he’s not looking forward. ([[By Any Means Necessary]])

Universal Terraform: a mega-corporation that explores and prepares new worlds for colonization or exploitation.

The procedure for evaluating a newly discovered planet: first, an unmanned sensor probe launched by the exploring ship assesses gross features and composition. If that’s promising, a manned survey is undertaken to determine its value for various purposes. Finally, if the corporation wants to continue, a life sciences probe is sent out to determine the legality of exploitation. (If there are sentient species present then the planet is off-limits.) (see “jms speaks”)

Due to an EA shortage of the material “Quantium-40,” jumpgate construction is backed up 6 months. Catherine’s survey mission to Sigma 957 is largely to determine whether this material is present on the planet.

The being that appeared at Sigma 957 appeared to enter and leave through its own jumpgate. It may have been there for the Q-40.

Just as the Narn fighters match up with Catherine’s ship, part of it sloughs off as it burns up in the atmosphere. The fighters are unaffected; presumably they are atmosphere-capable ships.

Rent for a spartan studio on Babylon 5 is 500 credits per week.

Psi corps ratings:

P5 – level of commercial telepaths. Can easily detect deception and other surface thoughts at close range. Deeper probing is possible but difficult.

P10 – level of Psi Corps trainers. Can observe the mental actions of other telepaths, block some scans, cut through some blocks, perform long-range scans, and may have some fringe skills.

P12 – level of Psi Cops. Can communicate smoothly with normals via telepathy. Two Psi Cops can invasively probe a P5.

Stronger telepaths have a harder time shutting out “the voices”.

Upon graduation from the Academy all telepaths take a telekinesis test – it’s a much sought-after skill. .1% of human beings have some level of telepathic ability, and only .01% of them have TK, half of whom are clinically insane. (see Analysis)

Most telepaths have fewer human rights than normals. They’re forbidden to possess psi abilities unless they’re in the Psi Corps or in prison ([[Midnight on the Firing Line]]). They’re required to submit to scans by Psi Cops, and aren’t even allowed to have fleeting bodily contact with normals, since that would raise the chance in inadvertent scans. (see “jms speaks”)

Psi Cops are afforded greater latitude than other telepaths, “in the interest of efficiency.” For example, they can perform at least surface scans on normals without permission.

As he leaves, Bester gives Sinclair an odd salute – a circle of thumb and forefinger at the forehead – and says, “Be seeing you, commander.” This is tribute paid to one of jms’s favorite shows, “The Prisoner,” in which the line was identical but the hand-motion framed the eye instead. An appropriate twist for a telepath salute!

Continuity glitch: After Ironheart arrives in his quarters, he pours some water into a cup. When the cup is knocked over by his mindquake a few seconds later, it’s empty.

####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.
####A sign in the arrivals area:

Welcome to Babylon 5

Customer Section

Atmosphere Caution

Six different atmospheres are currently available on B5. Others may be created by prior arrangement. Uncommon atmospheric makeups may be synthesized for encounter suits. For specific atmochemical breakdowns see monitor below.

####Overview

An archaeologist smuggles ancient artifacts onto the station, unleashing a living weapon.
####Guest Stars

David McCallum as Dr. Vance Hendricks. Marshall Teague as Nelson Drake.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/004.html
####Backplot

Ikarra 7, now a dead world, was a thousand years ago home to a highly advanced space-faring society. Their technology was organic: tools and artifacts made of living tissue yet immune to decay. Invaded over a dozen times, they finally built 12 devastating organic warriors to protect them. Programmed to destroy any but “pure Ikarrans”, those warriors repelled the last invasion and went on to kill any Ikarran who deviated from the ideal (ie all of them). A transcript of the scene in which this is discussed is available.

Organic technology is, according to archaeologist Vance Hendricks, “The one trick Earth hasn’t been able to crack. The ability to create living ships that thrive in the vacuum of space, to create weapons that produce their own power through internal generation, like a firefly lights up at night.”

The Vorlons have organic technology, and it’s suspected that the Minbari do as well.

Sinclair: “The last time I gave an interview they told me just to relax and say what I really felt – ten minutes after the broadcast I got transferred to an outpost so far off the star maps you couldn’t find it with a hunting dog and a Ouija board.” It’s not clear whether or not this was a joke.

Garibaldi: (to the reporter) “…and after walking 50 miles, we finally made it out of the desert. Later when he was put in charge of Babylon 5, Commander Sinclair asked if I’d come work security. I said yes – it’s been a great time…”

Garibaldi has been fired from 5 different jobs for “unspecified personal problems”. His assignment on Babylon 5 is probably his last shot in Earth Force.

Garibaldi was in Earth Force during the E/M war, but not on the Line.
####Unanswered Questions

Who invaded Ikarra so many times? What was so valuable about it?

Why is Sinclair so prone to heroism (read: suicidal bravery)? He’s deliberately put his life on the line three times now in the past year (cf [[The Gathering]], [[Soul Hunter]]). Garibaldi suggests an answer: when the war ended it took away the direction it gave his life, as happened to many veterans. So now he’s “looking for something worth dying for because it’s easier than finding something worth living for.” Sinclair’s not entirely satisfied with that answer, and resolves to give it more thought.
####Analysis

A “Bio-weapons” supplier backed Hendricks’ original expedition to Ikarra – they must have had advance information about what was to be found there.

Ivanova has little faith in the ethics of big government organizations (cf [[Mind War]], [[Deathwalker]]).

Franklin appeared to seriously ponder the image of great wealth Hendricks offered, before the guards took him away.

A team from Earth Force Defense, Bio-weapons Division confiscated the Ikarran artifacts just as the dust from the weapon-chase was settling. Earth now has bio-tech of its own to study.
####Notes

Garibaldi: “The commander’s a hands-on kind of guy, he’ll grab any chance he can get to take out a ship – he’s like that.”

This episode occurs right around the 2nd anniversary of Babylon 5 going on-line.

In a poll, 75% of “Interstellar Network News” said B5 wouldn’t last 5 minutes. Lloyd’s of London put the odds at 500 to 1 against it lasting one year.

The “Narn-Centauri negotiations” are to occur in the near future.

Sinclair: “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth.” (His reply to Garibaldi’s joking guess that Sinclair’s interview would get him shipped off the station and himself promoted into Sinclair’s position.) This is a quote from Shakespeare (King Lear.)

Dr. Hendricks says to Franklin, “There’s a Martian war machine outside, and it wants to speak to you about the common cold.” That’s a reference to H. G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds,” in which the Martian invaders are killed by common microbes.

Sinclair: “When you become obsessed with the enemy, you become the enemy.”

At the last, the Ikarran begs forgiveness from the “Great Maker”.

Franklin: “I’m starting to wonder if what we just saw is a preview of things to come” (re: Pro-earth groups).

Ikarra may be an Australian Aboriginal word.

The Australian DSTO (Defence Sciences and Technology Organisation) developed the anti-submarine weapon “Ikara” in the 1950’s. It is no longer in use in the Australian Navy, having been fired for the last time in 1990. The Brazilian Navy may still use a variation of it.

Since the DSTO has a tradition of naming its products after warlike Aboriginal animals, it’s plausible that the word refers to an animal.

A slight visual gaffe: When the bioweapon self-destructs and falls to the ground, its head is facing to the left (away from the camera.) But when Sinclair watches him turn human again, Nelson’s head is facing to the right (toward the camera.)
####The Interview

Reporter: “After all that you’ve just gone through, I have to ask you the same question a lot of people back home are asking about space these days. Is it worth it? Should we just pull back, forget the whole thing as a bad idea, and take care of our own problems, at home?”

Sinclair: “No. We have to stay here, and there’s a simple reason why. Ask ten different scientists about the environment, population control, genetics – and you’ll get ten different answers. But there’s one thing every scientist on the planet agrees on: whether it happens in a hundred years, or a thousand years, or a million years, eventually our sun will grow cold, and go out. When that happens, it won’t just take us, it’ll take Marilyn Monroe, and Lao-tsu, Einstein, Maruputo, Buddy Holly, Aristophanes – all of this. All of this was for nothing, unless we go to the stars.”

####Overview

Londo’s career is in jeopardy when a beautiful slave seduces him and steals a sensitive computer file. Garibaldi investigates an unauthorized use of a restricted communications channel.
####Guest Stars

Fabiana Udenio as Adira Tyree. Clive Revill as Trakis. Robert Phalen as Andrei Ivanov.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/003.html
####Backplot

Trakis: “Do you know why a drunken fool like Mollari has the power he does? Because his family has been collecting dirt on other families for years, like all the ‘noble’ houses of the Centauri republic.”

Londo: “We Centauri live our lives for appearances: position, status, title. These are the things by which we define ourselves. But when I look beneath the mask I am forced to wear, I see only emptiness.”

Centauri law permits individuals to own Centauri slaves. Owners are legally responsible for the actions of their slaves. This appears to be a slave system of economics rather than of caste. According to Trakis, powerlessness and slavery is the fate of all Centauri who don’t play the game of blackmail and backstabbing.
####Unanswered Questions

What was the Euphrates treaty compromise that Sinclair forced Londo to accept?
####Analysis

Londo and G’Kar agree over a drink that females are the finest of all things in life. They are much more friendly with each other now than when last we saw them (cf: [[Midnight on the Firing Line]]). The Narn must have been very pacifying in the meantime.

Intense anger from a couple nearby people is enough to send Talia away for a breather.

Londo agrees to Sinclair’s compromise on the Euphrates treaty in exchange for his personal help recovering the purple files. However, this should not be taken as another example of Londo putting personal concerns above state concerns. In a profoundly blackmailable culture like the Centauri, power lost by one individual or family would always be gained by another. But if an outsider were to get hold of a treasure trove like Londo’s purple files, all of Centauri would be diminished. There is an interesting parallel here to the Minbari concern for souls (cf: [[Soul Hunter]]).

Ivanova’s brother was killed in the Earth/Minbari war, her mother committed suicide (cf: [[Midnight on the Firing Line]]), and she’s been estranged from her father for years. Thus it’s unsurprising she’s so hard-edged.

Talia is willing to skirt Psi Corps regulations when a life is at stake (though she has no concern for Londo’s career). The Psi Corps’ hold on remote psis appears to be pretty weak.

When she was approached about the plan, Talia asked Sinclair if Londo was serious about a woman’s life being at stake. Shouldn’t she have sensed Londo’s distress? Strong emotions are difficult to block out, she says (“Mind War,”) and with Adira’s life and his career at stake, Londo would presumably be quite anxious. Of course, she may have sensed the anxiety but not its reason.

Ivanova is willing to skirt EA regulations for personal perks. (cf: “War Prayer”)

When G’Kar meets with Trakis to exchange the information, Trakis says to him, “You said nothing about a telepath.” From this it is clear that G’Kar was the one who contacted Trakis. However, Trakis knew through the bug he planted on Londo that Sinclair was onto him. So, Sinclair must have set up G’Kar’s call to Trakis in such a way that it wouldn’t arouse his suspicions.

Telepath-aided negotiation must make future diplomacy much different than it is now. No posturing, tailored versions of the situation back home, empty threats, or hidden agendas. Parties have the same freedom to make choices for their governments, but there are vanishingly few tactics left to gain more advantage over one’s adversary than one already has.
####Notes

The episode’s title is a term dating back to Roman times, still in use in Britain. Roman senators in the days of the Republic wore purple edged togas as a symbol of royalty, since purple dye was very expensive. Today, members of the House of Lords wear purple robes for state occasions. When someone is made a peer in the UK they are said to have been “raised to the purple.” Hereditary peers are [[born to the purple]]. Perhaps this implies that the purple files are so named because they are what keeps Londo’s family in its preeminent position.

G’Kar glances no less than four times at the human dancer behind him when he and Sinclair first confront Londo about the treaty.

Babylon 5 communications has a priority “Gold Channel” reserved for emergency communications. Sinclair’s express permission is required to use it, and its existence is known only to the ambassadors and senior officers.

Londo’s family heirloom, from the earliest days of the Empire, is a stylized eye-and-teardrop.

Universe Today main headline: Homeguard Leader Convicted

“Fresh Air” is the finest restaurant on Babylon 5.

Talia used to work for the “Political Bureau”.

“I like to know all there is about Babylon 5,” Sinclair says, “and Garibaldi’s files are very thorough.”

Ivanova appears to wear only one earring, though it’s hard to tell since throughout the episode we get no more than a glimpse of the right side of her head.

####Overview

Delenn is in danger when a soul hunter, an alien who captures the souls of the dying, arrives at the station.
####Guest Stars

W. Morgan Sheppard as Soul Hunter #1. John Snyder as Soul Hunter #2.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/002.html
####Backplot

The soul hunter of this episode has visited Earth before.

Minbari are trained from childhood to protect their souls from soul hunters.

The soul hunter had a unique perspective on a significant event in Minbari history:

[to Sinclair] “Minbari: jealous, selfish, private. We have saved only a few – very rare. The rarest of all, their leader Dukat, dying; your fault, your war; the pinnacle of Minbari evolution. We came, I, others. They made a wall of bodies to stop us! He died. And his dreams, his ideas – all that he was, all that he could ever be – gone… wasted… jealous…” Later he recognizes Delenn from the Grey Council, which was responsible for stopping him.
####Unanswered Questions

Why do all races but humans know about soul hunters? Since they all share the Minbari’s fear of them, do most of them share the Minbari belief in reincarnation?

Why are so many non-humans moving to Earth? They must face a fair amount of prejudice there. (cf: [[The War Prayer]])

What are the “certain classes” of Minbari in which Delenn says soul hunters have always taken a particular interest?

“Your fault, your war,” says the soul hunter to Sinclair, recounting Dukat’s death. Was he referring to humans in general, Sinclair in particular, or Dukat?

“If only you could see,” says the soul hunter to Franklin. Apparently he can actually observe the soul’s departure from a dying body. Later we see, possibly through Delenn’s eyes, a blue wispy something escape as she breaks a soul vessel. Does this mean that Minbari too can see souls?

With a glimpse into Delenn’s soul, the soul hunter exclaims, “You would plan such a thing? You would do such a thing? Incredible.” He’s had a long history with the Minbari – what would so surprise him? (Revealed in [[Chrysalis]] and [[Revelations]])

Recovering in Medlab, Delenn says to Sinclair, “I knew you would come. We were right about you.” Clearly, the Minbari have made predictions about him. However, Sinclair didn’t really prove anything about his character by rescuing Delenn – someone else could easily have been the one to find her. Perhaps he’s just fulfilled part of a prophecy, thereby confirming his role in it. (cf: “Parliament of Dreams”)

Combining the above questions, does Delenn’s incredible plan involve the Minbari predictions about Sinclair?

As the soul hunter himself challenged, why is one of the great Minbari leaders acting as their ambassador on Babylon 5? Sinclair is now wondering the same thing.
####Analysis

Delenn meets Sinclair just as he’s going to check out the injured pilot, and offers to help him ID the fellow. She has a knack for being at the right place at the right time. (cf: [[The Gathering]]).

Sinclair did not call for backup when he encountered the soul hunter, even though there were four others nearby searching for Delenn. He has a tendency to put himself into dangerous situations. (cf: [[Infection]])

During this episode there are three different stories told about the soul. Sinclair heard all three, and doesn’t know which to believe. All he knows is what he saw.

• Franklin: There is no soul that survives the body. With advanced technology, he allows, one could preserve a record of someone’s personality, but death is death.
• Delenn: All sentients have immortal souls. When a Minbari dies its soul merges with the souls of other dead Minbari. These are recycled into future generations, so as individuals advance their own souls, the Minbari as a whole advance.
• soul hunter: All sentients have ephemeral souls. When a person dies, the soul expires into oblivion. However, soul hunters have a prescient attraction to death – if they so choose they can capture and preserve a soul “for the greater good” at the moment it leaves the body. They carry with them a bag full of the souls they have “saved”, each in its own glass vessel.

For a Minbari, the soul hunter’s method of preservation is true death, for it cuts a soul off from the rest and diminishes the next generation; for a soul hunter, the true loss is uncollected souls.

These are completely irreconcilable belief systems.
####Notes

Dr. Franklin arrives on the starliner Asimov, which we see again later.

Dr. Kyle is on his way to a new assignment working with the president. He’s much needed there what with “so many aliens migrating to Earth,” as Franklin puts it.

The average human lifespan is almost 100 years.

Ivanova conducts a simple funeral with these words: “From the stars we came, and to the stars we return, from now until the end of time. We therefore commit this body to the deep.”

The soul hunter tells Sinclair his opinion of the Minbari: “pale, bloodless, look in their eyes and see nothing but mirrors, infinities of reflection…”

When Delenn is recovering in medlab at the end of the episode, she’s attached to a machine that should presumably be pumping blood back into her body. But the fluid is flowing out of her instead. The shot was played backwards so the director could get the camera movement he wanted.

####Overview

When the Narn attack a Centauri colony, Londo and G’Kar nearly come to blows. Meanwhile, raiders are attacking transport ships near the station.
####Guest Stars

Paul Hampton as The Senator. Peter Trencher as Carn Mollari.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/001.html
####Backplot

Earth’s first contact with an alien race was with the Centauri. At the time, the Centauri claimed to be the dominant species in the galaxy, a “huge empire” – but (according to Garibaldi) this hasn’t been true for almost a hundred years. Furthermore, they tried to convince the Terrans that they were actually a Centauri lost colony, which genetic analysis proved also false.

All Centauri foresee the circumstances of their deaths in a dream. In Londo’s dream, it is 20 years in the future and he and a Narn have one another by the throat. When Londo first saw G’Kar, he recognized him as the one from his dream.

According to G’Kar, the Centauri occupation of his homeworld was a “hundred year reign of terror.”

The Sinclairs have been fighter pilots since the Battle of Britain. Jeffrey Sinclair’s father taught him everything he knows about flying and combat.

The Narn sold weapons to Earth during the Earth/Minbari war.

The first Mars colony was destroyed by an enemy sneak attack.

Ivanova’s mother was a long-undiscovered telepath, never able to use her powers very well. When the Psi Corps finally caught up to her, they put her on very potent psi-retardant drugs. “Every day we just watched her drift further and further away from us. The light in her eyes went out bit by bit. And when we thought she could go no further, she took her own life.” (cf. [[Eyes]] and [[Legacies]].)

Londo has enough clout to get a member of his family assigned to an agricultural colony rather than admitted to the military.
####Unanswered Questions

There are two references in this episode to a major event in the Centauri empire about a hundred years ago. What happened back then? (cf: [[Signs and Portents]], perhaps)

How did Kosh get into his encounter suit so quickly? When Sinclair visits to ask about his position on the Ragesh 3 situation, Kosh’s suit is in plain view but un-animated, the “shoulders” at rest about two feet below the “head” (which they normally encircle). Sinclair can see a large light moving behind a translucent screen; Kosh’s voice also appears to come from behind the screen. When Sinclair turns his back to go, the light flashes across him for a moment, and when he spins around the encounter suit is just reaching its full height, with Kosh as in it as he ever is.

When Londo tells Garibaldi he couldn’t possibly understand his situation, Garibaldi replies, “I understand better than you’ll ever know. I know it burns, I know the things it makes you want to do.” What was he referring to? (cf: [[Survivors]], perhaps)

How did G’Kar know about the Centauri decision to make no response to the Ragesh 3 attack?

Why did Kosh attend the council session?

Is it part of a larger Narn plan to supply the raiders with weapons?

What is Garibaldi’s most favorite thing in the universe?
####Analysis

From the things they say about each others’ races at various times during this episode, neither Londo nor G’Kar seem likely to strive for lasting peace:

• Londo: “We should have wiped out your kind when we had the chance!…On the issue of galactic peace I am long past innocence and fast approaching apathy. It’s all a game, a paper fantasy of names and borders. Only one thing matters: blood calls out for blood.”
• G’Kar: “Your time has come and gone! It’s our turn now. One night you’ll wake up and find our teeth at your throat…I will confess that I look forward to the day when we have cleansed the universe of the Centauri and carved their bones into flutes for Narn children. ‘Tis a dream I have.”

Londo was absolutely consumed by anger and hatred. He would have sacrificed peace and justice for personal vengeance. (cf: [[By Any Means Necessary]])

The Narn attack a distant easy target with little military value. This must have been to test the Centauri reaction – see how many ships they send in response, how hard they’re willing to fight to defend any part of their territory. The Narn are forced to withdraw for non-military reasons, but they learn a great deal about their enemies with that move.

Ivanova is surprised to hear Sinclair defend the honor of the Minbari. (cf: [[The Gathering]])

The EA is not in a strong enough position at home to take an ethical stance toward its neighbors. “The Earth Alliance can’t go around being the galaxy’s policemen,” says the senator, “They want to fight it out, let’em. Just keep us out of it – at least until after the election.”

One of the most alien moments was watching Delenn try to understand Garibaldi’s cartoons and popcorn. She is at times a sage, and sometimes an innocent.

Sinclair claims he confiscated data crystals detailing Narn communications that confirm Londo’s claims about the situation at Ragesh 3. However, Sinclair has bluffed before (cf: [[The Gathering]]). There is no proof that the crystals actually contained data.
####Notes

Centauri have no major arteries in their wrists.

Garibaldi knows about the habitual movements of the senior staff (Sinclair turning off his link during down time at C&C, Ivanova going to the bar after work).

Garibaldi has had prior experience with the raiders. (“I knew they’d be back sooner or later.”)

Ships move to and from the “secondary jump point” through hyperspace via the primary.

Starfuries can take multiple hits from Narn heavy weapons without losing function.

Earth is ruled by a Senate and a popularly elected President, though it remains to be seen how much these positions resemble those of today’s USA. America, Russia, and China are among the “states” in this democracy.

A Senate subcommittee can dictate Sinclair’s vote on the council.

G’Kar’s spoo was quite fresh that week.

Sinclair attributes two aphorisms to his father:

• “The best way to understand someone is to fight him, make him angry. That’s when you see the real person.”
• “Ignore the propaganda. Focus on what you see.”

Kosh speaks:

• K: They are alone. They are a dying people. We should let them pass.
• S: Who, the Narn or the Centauri?
• K: Yes.

Shipping companies buy access to the jumpgates in bulk, then sell it on the open market. However, the schedules are kept secret to protect against piracy.

All incoming ships log their routes through Ivanova’s console.

A Narn weapons deal always includes an advisor who instructs the buyer in the weapons’ use and insures they aren’t sold to a third party.

All Earth Telepaths are given three options: join the Psi Corps, go to jail, or take drugs. Unlicensed telepaths are heavily controlled in the name of protecting public privacy.

Luis Santiago wins the presidential election over challenger Marie Crane. His platform included promises to cut the budget and keep Earth out of war. His agenda for his coming term includes cultivating a closer relationship with the Mars colony and “preserving Earth cultures in the face of growing non-Terran influences” (cf: [[The War Prayer]], [[Survivors]])

####Overview

The Vorlon ambassador is nearly killed by an assassin shortly after arriving at the station, and Commander Sinclair is the prime suspect.
####Guest Stars

Tamlyn Tomita as Lt. Cmdr. Laurel Takashima. Blaire Baron as Carolyn Sykes. Johnny Sekka as Dr. Benjamin Kyle. Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander. John Fleck as Del Varner. Paul Hampton as the Senator.
####Lurk

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/synops/000.html
####Backplot

Earth has been keeping genetic records of telepaths for the last 6 generations.

The Psi Corps takes children with psi abilities when they are young and trains them to use this ability in a very strict manner. There are definite rules governing the use of psi. No unauthorized mind scans. No gambling.

All races but the Narn have telepathy.

The Narn are a young but powerful civilization, with (G’Kar claims) unlimited manpower.

The Narn heard about the reason for the Minbari surrender in the Earth-Minbari war – a decision from their Grey Council (a secret group of “holy men”).

The Minbari are the oldest of the “five federations,” and centuries ahead of the others technologically.

Londo says to Garibaldi: “You know why I am here? I’m here to grovel before your wonderful Earth Alliance, in hopes of attaching ourselves to your destiny. […] There was a time, when this whole quadrant belonged to us! What are we now? Twelve worlds and a thousand monuments to past glories, living off memories and stories, selling trinkets.”

Centauri status is based on family history. Political and personal power must be built up over generations.

The Narn were once enslaved by the Centauri and have only recently gained independence. This seems to be a sensitive spot for the Narn, or at least G’Kar. (cf: [[Midnight on the Firing Line]])

Sinclair fought in the last battle of the Earth-Minbari war, the Line. In the midst of battle, he blacked out while attacking a Minbari warship and remained unconscious for 24 hrs. He has no idea what happened to him during those 24 hrs. (cf: [[And the Sky Full of Stars]])

Takashima used to work at a corrupt mining station on Mars. Refusing to go on the take, she was never going to get promoted out of there. She recounts lashing out and “breaking the rules” out of frustration at it all. However, Sinclair was her superior there for a while, and he got her to shape up and play things by the book.

Garibaldi has been “bounced from station to station” for a long time before Sinclair requested him for Babylon 5. (cf: [[Survivors]])
####Unanswered Questions

####The Station

Why was Babylon 5 really built, and rebuilt, and rebuilt, and rebuilt, and… rebuilt? Sinclair’s story about human stubbornness doesn’t hold water. B5 is a monstrous project, especially for a society very recently decimated by war. Yet it was made five times, the fifth time from SCRATCH.

Who sabotaged B1-B3, and why? Who vanished B4, and why?
####The Minbari Assassin

How did the assassin get the voice and image of Sinclair in diplomatic dress before he poisoned Kosh? For everyone else he obviously impersonated, we’d seen him in close proximity to them earlier.

The assassin-as-Varner pointed a gadget at Lyta in the bazaar. It is widely assumed that this acquired her visual pattern for the changeling net, but it could have been something else.

Why did the assassin-as-Varner arrange to make Londo late for the reception? He kept Londo in a public place, making him unframeable.
####Takashima

What hold did G’Kar et al. have on her? (see Analysis) Perhaps she was on the take in that corrupt mining colony, and she’s still living on the take today.
####Lyta Alexander

Why was she talking to the assassin-as-Varner, as reported by Garibaldi and Londo? Garibaldi must have asked her at some point, but we never get to see this.

How was she involved? (see Analysis) Perhaps her role was only passive – agree to scan Kosh if asked, report any information she gathers (possibly via telepathy).
####Sinclair

Judging by the headlines of Universe Today, Babylon 5 is a very big deal back on Earth. Why is Sinclair, a lowly Commander, both in charge of the station and acting as the Earth diplomat? (cf: [[Signs and Portents]])

What happened to Sinclair on the Line? (cf: [[And the Sky Full of Stars]])

What is the hole in his mind? Is it simply the 24 hour memory loss from his experience on the Line, or something more significant?
####Del Varner

According to Garibaldi’s information, Del Varner would normally stay far away from B5. So, why was he recognized by a local tech (Eric)?
####The Vorlons

Why did they request that the monitors in the docking bay be turned off? Kosh was walking out in public, hidden safely in his encounter suit.

What is Kosh inside that suit anyway? (cf. Lost Scenes from Babylon 5)

How did the poison get through to Kosh? He must have had his hand, or whatever the limb was, completely outside his encounter suit. Perhaps that explains why the Vorlons wanted the monitors turned off; they didn’t want anyone else to see Kosh’s hand. In that case, why did they want Sinclair to see it? Special Edition (spoiler for a pivotal revelation later in the series): Kosh greeted what he thought was Sinclair by addressing him as “Entil-zha Valen,” indicating that he already knew Sinclair in some context.

Is there anything to that legend about someone turning to stone when they saw a Vorlon? Have people ever gotten into situations where they could conceivably have seen one?

The Vorlons seem to be puppet thugs of the conspirators in the pilot, yet clearly they do some things for their own reasons. Why such secrecy around their technological inferiors? Why break the veil to send an ambassador to B5?

For that matter, why agree to ship Sinclair to their world? Surely that would mean him finding out about them. Unless they never intended to bring him there alive, of course.

Did Delenn really tell Sinclair everything the Minbari know about the Vorlons? Either way, how much does he know now?
####The Minbari

Why did they surrender at the Line? It’s already pretty clear that Sinclair had Something to do with it. Furthermore, what was the real reason the Minbari were fighting the war to begin with?
####The Centauri

Why have they fallen so far from power? From Londo’s stories it seems they were a great Empire within his lifetime (which may be quite long, for all we know).
####Miscellaneous

Why was the access panel outside Varner’s quarters busted, by the time Garibaldi arrived? It probably has something to do with the assassin using Takashima’s clearance to gain entry. Perhaps the panel keeps the only record, locally, of who’s used it, and thus breaking it would prevent the illegal entry from being discovered.

The very presence of a changeling net aboard the station invites us to open the question, “Who else did we see that could have been that Minbari in disguise?”

Four major actors in the pilot left the production for various reasons and do not have permanent roles in the series (though Lyta Alexander reappeared later.) However, since jms slipped reasons why in the B5 universe two of the the characters no longer appear, it is meaningful to ask:

Why was Lyta Alexander replaced as station telepath? Did she get in trouble for unauthorized mind-scanning after all, or was it because she’s been in the mind of a Vorlon?

Why has Carolyn drifted out of Sinclair’s life?
####Analysis

####The Plan

G’Kar et al. wanted to start a war between the EA and the Vorlons. The primary plan was for Kosh to be dead; Takashima’s announcement that the Vorlons had forbidden the opening of his suit should have nailed that coffin shut. Framing Sinclair for the murder was probably also part of the primary plan (the Vorlons’ request that the bay monitors be turned off could well have been a surprise to them).

There may have been a secondary plan to achieve the same results: having Lyta scan Kosh. This could have been foreseen, impromptu, or coincidence.

The assassin was Minbari, which indicates a violent faction of the Minbari still exists (cf: [[Deathwalker]]). The goals of that group are unknown, but so are the goals of the mainstream Minbari government.

In particular, the Minbari warrior class may have had their own reasons for getting Sinclair sent to the Vorlon homeworld.

Takashima was somehow involved

The assassin used Takashima’s palmed security access to gain entry to Varner’s quarters.

Takashima agreed to Kyle’s plan of getting Lyta to scan Kosh even though (by her own story) it went very much against her grain. “I guess I’m about due” is hardly a believable reason.

Takashima broke into Varner’s files. 260 years from now, would someone be able to crack open a technology criminal’s secure files in a matter of hours without inside information?

There were lots of instances when very recent information was used to further the Plan, for all of which Takashima was in an ideal position to be responsible.

The assassin met Kosh at the right docking bay at the right time.

In general, the Plan proceeded smoothly in spite of Kosh’s 48 hour early arrival (the angriest response we saw from Takashima was to this very discovery).

Sinclair was trapped in a lift at just the right time for just long enough, and the record cleared.

Someone actually contacted the Vorlons and told them about the poisoning, thus acquiring the predictable response that opening Kosh’s suit is verboten.

Someone leaked – very quickly – the fact that Sinclair had been fingered by a witness. This is what brought on the Vorlon cruisers.

G’Kar found out – again very quickly – that Kosh would recover from the poisoning (“There has been a complication”).

Lyta may have been involved

She seems to have exchanged glances with the real Del Varner as she walked off with Sinclair at the very beginning. The two probably came in on the same ship.

Later, she’s seen talking to the assassin-as-Varner. Yet the latter scans her image for the changeling net without her knowledge (if that was what he was doing), so their level of cooperation is mixed at most.

The assassin, disguised as Lyta, didn’t kill her in the ample moment they shared outside the medlab.

On the other hand, her conversation with G’Kar within “privacy” would almost certainly have been very different if they were in cahoots. So perhaps she was only in contact with Del Varner and/or the assassin.
####The Minbari assassin

The assassin didn’t need any special clearance to enter Varner’s quarters; he was expected. So he must have used Takashima’s clearance in order to leave a record of her entry at that time. Since the panel was broken before this could be discovered, this suggests clandestine cross-purposes.

“There is a hole in your mind” may have been his response to Sinclair’s question, “Why did you do it?” Interesting.

It was not part of the plan for the Minbari to set off his explosives. Else why arrange to be able to get off the station? So, they were just to prevent his capture/interrogation.

Sinclair is inexplicably trusting and friendly with Delenn

He would have sacrificed his life to kill a few more Minbari during the war ten years ago, yet:

He does not appear to be discomfited by Delenn’s evasions in their Garden conversations.

When he encounters Delenn after escaping the exploding assassin, it would have made sense for him to confront or question her, or at least be suspicious. Instead, he was relaxed and jovial. Later, he made sure Delenn knew he didn’t hold her responsible.

Delenn

“The power of one mind to change the universe” likely refers to Sinclair. (Recall the other Minbari’s reference to his mind.)

There were two stones in the stone garden.

She evades most of his questions, yet volunteers two big files during the episode, and drops lots of other hints to him. As with her abstention on the council, she seems subject to contrary forces. Keep him in the dark, yet point him toward the light.

She is a personally powerful representative of a very powerful race. Yet we don’t observe her taking any active hand in the big picture so far.

In the B5 council vote to extradite Sinclair to the Vorlon homeworld, an abstention was equivalent to a “No” (presumably abstentions are interpreted to mean “None of the above” or “Take no action”, whichever is appropriate). So, what conflict prevented Delenn from explicitly voting against the motion? Special Edition: Delenn claimed she couldn’t vote one way or the other because she didn’t yet have all the information at hand, and that her orders where Sinclair was concerned were simply to observe, not interfere.
####Londo

He fills Garibaldi’s ears with stories of the good old days of conquest. Bygone days, unlike the way things are now. He may be honest, or he may be trying to allay suspicions. More likely the former, since Garibaldi’s suspicions don’t have much political significance.

A heavy drinker and compulsive gambler.
####G’Kar

Notice his jollity in telling Takashima his transport will submit to the weapons search (now that the assassin has successfully come aboard). True, if she was in cahoots with him, that little exchange was for show, as was their earlier confrontation at Ops. He’s nonetheless consistently transparent in his emotional states.

A schemer and warmonger.
####Takashima

Some of her ideas were faultlessly loyal to the EA (eg “You better take a recorder – the way things are going you may need a witness.”). So, her heart’s in the right place, at least.
####Garibaldi

Self-esteem trouble. He’s ready to give up on the investigation after Varner’s death. He’s used to failure at his other jobs.

Garibaldi also messes up the investigation in several ways:

No guards around Kosh.

Losing sight of Varner while questioning Londo.

Not talking to Lyta about Varner while it’s still relevant.

Not noticing all those Takashima timing and information clues.

Lets the Commander get into a shooting fight with a superior foe, alone.
####Notes

An alternate introduction was written, but not filmed.

Universe Today main headline: Vorlons to Make Contact

Universe Today sub-headline: Narn Protest of EA’s B5 Heats

Among the messages flashing by on Lyta’s identicard: ELVIS STILL LIVES

When the assassin scans his hand at Varner’s door, words are visible on the screen. If you have a lucid pause function on your VCR, you too will be able to read what they say – “Laurel Takashima Cleared”.

Minbari ships have short-range FTL, or cloaking, or jamming (Sinclair: “They came at us out of nowhere”). Basically, they can put themselves right where they want to be without Starfuries noticing them en route.

Cruisers can “wait” in hyperspace outside a jump gate.

Unscheduled uses of the jumpgates, at least during this earlier part of B5’s history, are practically unheard of.

Special Edition: Two plot points, Kyle’s use of stims to stay awake and Takashima’s use of the Garden to grow coffee, were both transferred to the characters who replaced them in the series.

Ed Wasser played C&C technician Guerra, and later went on to play Mr. Morden (first appearing in “Signs and Portents.”) There’s no evidence that the two characters are related, however.