Synopsis written by Richard Heider.

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Guten Tag! I am a babelfish. I dropped in here from the parallel universe of Douglas Adams. (Highly improbable, I admit.) As long as I'm here, though, I can be useful to you. I'll appear when there's foreign speech in need of translation. Just roll your mouse over me for a rendering in English. (You can try it right now.)

COMMAND & CONTROL

      Commander Ivanova watches three shuttles leave the station. Behind her, Captain Sheridan asks:

Sheridan: Are those the last of the Night Watch?
Ivanova: Well, it's the last batch we could find! Garibaldi's still trying to track down the rest. The others are civilians heading for Earth, Mars, and the colonies on Proxima and Orion.

      Speak of the Devil and he shall appear --- Chief Garibaldi walks in on cue. He has managed to dispense with the cane, but now sports a sling supporting his right arm. We might note that Sheridan is still wearing just the white shirt (a clean one, of course).

Sheridan [surprised]: Well, what happened to you?
Garibaldi [making light of it]: Aaaah, I fractured my elbow and wrist when we went hand-to-hand when the Marines tried to board us. I figured I could get by with just the bandages, but Doc wants me in a cast just to be sure. It's no big deal.
Sheridan: How is it out there?
Garibaldi: It's quiet! Y'know, they're all pretty stunned. It's not every day that we secede from Earth! Mostly, they're unhappy about having all the comm channels shut down.
Sheridan: We can't put Stellarcom back on line until we've added some insurance. The computer system that runs this place was installed by Earth Central. They have all the access codes.
Ivanova: So once we open up all the comm channels, they can send a message out to override the system, erase our passwords and lock us out. Cute! I mean, they could shut down the defense grid, life support...
Garibaldi: No problem! I've got the access codes locked away. It shouldn't be too much trouble to go in and change the passwords. [To Sheridan:] So, how much longer are you gonna stay out of uniform?
Sheridan: Until this is over.
Ivanova: That could be a long time.
Sheridan: As long as we are on our own, I can't justify wearing an Earthforce uniform. My hypocrisy only goes so far!
Ivanova: What about later?
Sheridan: Then I'll --- I'll wear it then. But that's the last time. Now, if you need me, I'll be out making the rounds.
Ivanova: Are you sure that's a good idea?
Sheridan: We have to reassure everyone that we are in control of the situation. We can't do that hiding in our offices!
Garibaldi: I still think you should have an armed escort.
Sheridan: That kind of defeats the purpose, Mr. Garibaldi! [Smiles.] I can take care of myself!

CONFERENCE ROOM

      Delenn and Lennier are meeting with some of the officers (all dressed in religious caste robes) of the Minbari warships that helped save the station. She thanks them on behalf of Captain Sheridan. After the meeting, Lennier mentions a request from Fleet Captain Lennan, who would like to come aboard the station for a tour. Delenn is happy to grant the request, saying she will meet him personally. Then she moves on to yet another subject.

Delenn: Lennier, you still haven't told me what you think of all this.
Lennier [optimistically]: Opinion doesn't enter into it. What is, is! Prophecy said one day we would unite with the other half of our soul in a war with the ancient enemy. This we have done!
Delenn [soberly]: Prophecy is a poor guide to the future. You only understand it when the event's already upon you. And --- not all of the prophecies are good ones! There is darkness and fire still ahead of us. There are no guarantees that any of us will survive it!

THE ZOCALO

      Sheridan walks slowly through the crowd, letting himself be seen. At a distance, a man sits hidden, grimly aiming a scoped rifle at the Captain's head. The sniper prepares to pull the trigger.

THE ZOCALO

      The sniper draws a bead between Sheridan's eyes. He energizes his weapon. Someone grabs him from behind and spins him around. The sniper looks into the craggy face of an angry one-eyed man. They speak heatedly, but quietly.

One-eye: I told you to wait!
Sniper: I had a clear shot!
One-eye: You had nothing! If you take him down, he's a martyr! Five hundred men will stand up where he fell! Now, we do this by the numbers, or not at all! Don't worry. Before this is over, we'll have our pound of flesh!

OUTSIDE CUSTOMS

      Delenn and Lennier greet Marcus Cole on his return from a mission.

Delenn [bowing]: Hello, Marcus. Welcome back!
Marcus [bowing]: Delenn. Lennier. Any news?
Delenn: I think we are safe for a while. Your government will think twice before engaging a Minbari fleet.
Marcus [amused]: They're not my government! Back on the colony, Earth was just a place that sent us books and vids and took thirty percent of our income. Should've given it the boot years ago! Now we can make a fresh start.
Delenn: Yes. Which is why I decided to call for the Nafak'cha.
Marcus [loses the big smile]: This may not be a good time.
Lennier: The rebirth ceremony commemorates a great change that is coming, or a great change that is here. We stand between both. Why is this not an appropriate time?
Delenn: Your people need to heal! All of us here need to heal. The ceremony will help.
Marcus: I just think everyone's going to be busy with ceremonies of their own for a while. [And while that's all true enough, Marcus has learned the Minbari trait of not telling the whole truth. Stay tuned.]

THE SANCTUARY

      Captain Sheridan and the command officers lead an assembly of Earthforce personnel in one such ceremony. Everyone (including Sheridan) is in dress uniform. The big window looking out the front of the station is vital to this particular ceremony.

Sheridan: In breaking away from Earth, we have begun a difficult and uncertain journey, and none of us can see its end! But our cause remains a just one. That truth honors and sanctifies our fallen comrades who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we might carry on the work that is ahead of us. We are gathered here today to honor their memory and their names. [On command, the four officers turn about to face the window, and an unseen trumpet begins to blow "Taps."]
Ivanova: Hamilton. Rodriguez. Spinelli. [From the docking ring, a train of burial torpedoes flies forth.] Singh. Osterman. Massey. Cooper. Kim. Indari. Nagashima. Lietz. Mankowski.
Sheridan: From the stars we came. To the stars we return, from now until the end of time. We therefore commit these bodies to the deep.

      As the assembly watches through the window, the coffins set course for Epsilon Eridani. A squadron of Starfuries flies "above" them in V formation. The fighter to the leader's right breaks upward, leaving the squadron in the traditional "missing man" formation as the trumpet finishes the mournful bugle call.

THE ZOCALO

      Our friend Refa strides across the marketplace, having found the man he is looking for. At a sidewalk bar, he stops at Londo Mollari's table.

Londo [cheerfully]: Ah! Will you have a drink, Lord Refa?
Refa: Yes, thank you. [Sits. Londo puts a drink in front of him.]
Londo: I'm sure it was a tiring journey!
Refa [curtly]: Yes, it was! [They clink glasses.] Now, what was so important that you felt you had to drag me out here instead of coming to Centauri Prime?
Londo: Well, I have been going there quite a bit lately. I think it is good for you to come to me from time to time, hmm? [Refa lifts an eyebrow, then looks away sourly.] Now, I have been studying these reports from the front lines. You'll note the plural form, "lines". Is there anyone along our border with whom we are not currently at war?
Refa [defensive]: We need the room to expand!
Londo [nods]: Only an idiot fights a war on two fronts. Only the heir to the throne of the kingdom of idiots would fight a war on twelve fronts!
Refa [cocky]: We can handle it! Our resources are greater than you think!
Londo: Ohhhh! You mean your recent alliance with Mr. Morden, yes?
Refa: I don't know what you're talking about.

      Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Londo pulls out a tiny device and pushes a button. Mr. Morden appears as a ten-inch hologram in the center of the table.

Morden (recording): We asked Lord Refa to secure the planet for us. [Londo clicks it off.]
Londo: I have gotten into the habit of recording important meetings. [Nervously, Refa sips from his drink.] One never knows when an inconvenient truth will fall between the cracks and vanish! Mr. Morden and his associates worry me! After the Narns were defeated, I took steps to put some distance between us. Refa --- I have the feeling that he and his associates are carving a great dark hole in the middle of the universe! And when they go down, anyone nearby will go with them!
Refa: That will not happen! You don't appreciate their strength!
Londo [angry]: I appreciate their strength, all right! And that is why this unfocused aggression worries me! By drawing our forces into a dozen smaller wars, you have effectively weakened our main line of defense, should they turn an eye to Centauri Prime!
Refa: They will not do that!
Londo: No, they will not! Because you are going to take steps to prevent it! And you will start by breaking off your relationship with Mr. Morden!
Refa [laughs]: Oh, Londo! You are a fool! You walked away from the greatest power I have ever seen! And now you expect me to do the same? They are the key to my eventual rise to the throne! Why would I abandon them? [Sips from his drink again.]
Londo: Because I have asked you! And because your loyalty to our people should be greater than your ambition! [Amused, Refa chuckles.] And because I have poisoned your drink. [This gets Refa's full attention.] Yes! And it is very interesting poison. It comes in two parts! Both are harmless on their own, but when combined, quite lethal. The first settles into the bloodstream and the intestinal walls. It stays there for years --- silent, dormant, waiting. When the other half of the poison enters the body, the two meet --- have a little party in your cardiovascular system --- and suddenly, you are quite dead! Your drink contained the first half of the poison.
Refa: Why? Why did you do this?
Londo: To guarantee your cooperation! [Smiles.] And because, sooner or later you would do it to me! As we are returning to the old ways, Refa, and poison was always the instrument of choice in the old Republic, being something of a sentimentalist, I got here first!
Refa: What do you want me to do?
Londo: You have encouraged that fool Cartagia to attack worlds that have no value to us! You will now encourage him otherwise! You will bolster our lines of defense around Centauri Prime! And you'll have nothing more to do with Mr. Morden! If you do not comply, one of my agents in the royal palace will introduce you to the second half of the poison. [Lifts his glass.] To your health, Lord Refa!

SECURITY --- GARIBALDI'S OFFICE

      Sheridan and Ivanova have joined Garibaldi for some critical business. The Captain is back in his white shirt, while the others are in their duty uniforms.

Garibaldi: Okay, I've accessed the command codes. We're all set, go ahead!
Sheridan: This is Captain John J. Sheridan. Serial number XO7Y39-Alpha. Security code: obsidian.
Ivanova: This is Commander Susan Ivanova. Serial number Z48M27-Epsilon. Security code: griffin.
Garibaldi: This is Chief Warrant Officer Michael Garibaldi. Serial number V17L98. Security code: peekaboo.
Computer: Authorizations confirmed. Orders? [Sheridan and Ivanova share a long look. She tries to suppress a laugh.]
Garibaldi: All right. List all command-level passwords, replace all entries with new passwords, then restart system. [As he pokes a few keys, the door opens and Delenn walks in.]
Delenn: Captain? If this is not a good time...
Sheridan: No, no, no. It's fine! [Steps over to her.] They can take care of the rest. [Nods at the others and he escorts her out.]
Ivanova [grinning]: Ahem! "Peekaboo"?
Garibaldi: Would you have guessed it?

BLUE SECTOR

      John and Delenn walk away from Security together.

John: Um, a --- "rebirth ceremony"?
Delenn: Yes. I demonstrated a small part of it two years ago in an exchange of religious ritual. [Before Sheridan arrived (Parliament of Dreams).] Now I think we could benefit from all of it.
John: Who are you inviting?
Delenn: You, Ivanova, Mr. Garibaldi, Dr. Franklin, several in what's left in the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, G'Kar, Ambassador Mollari...
John: Londo? With everything that's been going on, he's the last person I'd invite to something like this!
Delenn: Which is why he was the first one I decided must be invited! We have gone through so much pain, John. If we do not put it behind us, if we are not born into new possibilities, it will surely destroy us!

A HIDEOUT

      The one-eyed man is talking to a motley crew of men.

One-eye: One of our people just got in carrying orders from the Night Watch office back home. They want everyone in the Watch who's managed to go undetected to keep a low profile --- except for us. We've been authorized to proceed! For now --- Sheridan is not the primary target!
Sniper: Damn Minbari! We nearly had Sheridan until those war cruisers showed up! Can't do anything until they're gone!
One-eye: Exactly! So that's our target! Ambassador Delenn is walking a tightrope back home. She got those ships here through sheer force of personality! They think that she's the Second Coming or something! You take that away, and their support will fade! The Minbari warships will vanish. Our forces can come in and finish the job!
Sniper: Minbari are funny about their leaders. We kill Delenn, they might take it kind of personal!
One-eye: Don't worry. We've got that angle covered. We'll make it look like it was Sheridan's fault! That way he loses on both sides!
Sniper: During the war, I once took seven days to kill a Minbari. First you tie off the fingers one at a time, and you slice off the fingers. Then the feet --- the hands --- the arms --- the legs! You should have seen it!
One-eye: Don't worry, we will! [Walks off.]

      The sniper remains seated in the midst of the group. He begins to sing:

Toe bone's connected to the foot bone,
Foot bone's connected to the ankle bone,
The ankle bone's connected to the leg bone,
Leg bone's connected to the hip bone,
Now hear the word of the Lord!

DOWN BELOW

      Disguised in a coarse brown hooded robe, Delenn finds her way to the lurkers' restaurant that Marcus uses as his base of operations. She sits with him. He excuses the look of the place.

Marcus: This place is a gold mine for information! Mine --- theirs. [Nods toward a larger table across the room where a rough crowd of men sit in conversation.] Some kind of syndicate, I think. But we've come to an agreement --- I don't bother them, they don't bother me. So --- what can I do for you?

      Delenn has come because she is surprised that Marcus isn't preparing for the ceremony. He becomes evasive, and tries to beg off, claiming he's too busy. Delenn probes deeper. He admits he even skipped out on the mandatory ceremony during his Minbari Ranger training. Then he claims to see someone across the room he needs to talk to. Before he gets away, Delenn promises that they will continue the discussion later.

SECURITY

      Garibaldi continues with the computer while Ivanova watches.

Garibaldi: There! I finished inputting the command codes. Now we just reset the computer system --- and once it comes back online, it should be operating under the new passwords. Computer! Initiate complete shutdown, restart in ten seconds.
Computer: Confirmed.

      The computer abruptly shuts down and all the monitors on the walls go dark.

Ivanova: God, I hate this part! I'm always afraid I've broken something.
Garibaldi [grins reassuringly]: It'll be fine! I've done this before. [Hits a few keys and the monitors light up again.] Ah! Told you! Computer! [No response.] Computer?

      The computer finally responds. But gone is the soothingly efficient female voice. Instead, we hear a male voice with a classically rude New York City accent. [This computer voice is even credited: Harlan Ellison plays Sparky the Computer.]

Sparky: Hey, whadda you lookin' at?
Garibaldi: Run diagnostics.
Sparky: What, you gotta broken arm or somethin'? I gotta station to run here! [Ivanova can't believe what she's hearing.]
Ivanova: Computer!
Sparky [sarcastic]: Fine, I'll do a diagnostic! So maybe Level 42 doesn't get its quota of oxygen for today because I'm distracted, but if it makes you happy ---
Garibaldi [honked]: Stop!
Ivanova [amused]: Garibaldi, what...
Garibaldi: I just remembered, they tried to install an artificial intelligence subroutine when the station went operational. They shut it down right away because it didn't work right! Must've come back online when the system rebooted! [Hey Michael, I thought you said you'd done this before!]
Ivanova [laughing]: Great! How do we shut her down?
Sparky: I heard that! Are you two easily offended, or what?

CENTRAL CORRIDOR

      Delenn and Lennier have run into Londo and invited him to the rebirth ceremony. The Centauri asks what it entails.

Delenn: Reflection. Meditation upon what has gone before, what is now, and what is to come.
Londo: Ahhhhhh! For a moment, I was thinking women, drinking, and debauchery! [Delenn winces.] I forgot I was speaking to Minbari! This by you is a good time, is it? [Laughs.] What else?
Lennier: You must tell someone a secret that you have never told anyone else before. And you must give away something that is of great value to you.
Londo: Ah! Sounds positively festive!
Delenn [earnestly]: It is time for us to come together! To restore that which has been torn apart and to heal the wounds we have suffered.
Londo: With everything that has been going on, I'm surprised you invited me!
Delenn: In the matter of confessions, meditation, and the closing of past wounds, Ambassador, you were at the top of my list!
Londo: I am already attending to my past, my present, and what remains of my future. I do not require your assistance --- or your approval! Enjoy your ceremony, Delenn. I intend to have other plans!

      Londo walks away abruptly, leaving the two Minbari looking at one another uncomfortably.

RED SECTOR

      Delenn and Lennier now try their luck with G'Kar.

G'Kar: Since we've begun working with Station Security, we have greater obligations. We need to prove our value to Sheridan so that we can retain our position when the crisis ends. I'll try and stop by for the closing ceremonies!
Lennier: What matters is everything leading up to that point! Leaving behind the old, preparing to be reborn.
G'Kar: I've already been born once, and quite sufficiently, I think. I - I'm sorry, but I'm simply too busy! Good day to you, Delenn, Mr. Lennier!

      G'Kar hurries off. Marcus, coming down a nearby staircase, has seen and heard the end of the conversation.

Marcus: Well! It was a good idea while it lasted!
Delenn: It still is a good idea. We will hold the ceremony. If some choose not to attend, the loss is theirs.
Lennier: Delenn, you asked me to remind you about the ship.
Delenn: Oh, yes, of course! [To Marcus:] A captain from one of our warships has asked for a tour of the station. It seems fair to let them see what they have saved. I will meet him in the docking bay.
Lennier: Good! I will go with you.
Delenn: Marcus will accompany me. It will give us a chance to talk. [Bows to Lennier in parting.] Lennier.

      Lennier goes off in one direction while Delenn and Marcus go in another. Marcus appears to be wondering what this is about.

SPACE

      A flyer crosses over from a war cruiser to the station.

AN EMPTY PASSENGER LOUNGE

      Delenn and Marcus walk into the lounge. She is still trying to get to the bottom of Marcus' problem with the Nafak'cha.

Delenn: I wish you would trust me enough to talk to me, Marcus. Why are you so reluctant to take part in the rebirth ceremony?
Marcus: You asked me to give something up, Delenn. [Sighs.] I don't have anything left! It's all gone. [He offers her a chair. They sit.] My brother was the last of our family, and he died because of my stupidity! He warned me of the Shadows. I didn't listen. And when they came, I lost him, our home, the colony where we'd grown up, a woman I was quite fond of. I escaped with only the clothes on my back and went off in search of these Rangers that he'd been going on about. Because he believed in them. And in you. Everything I was, everything I had, all of it, died that night! I don't have anything left to give.
Delenn: Then that is exactly what you must give up! Yes, you have lost much, endured much, sacrificed greatly, but you cling to the memory of your sacrifices, of all the things you have lost or left behind! They drag behind you like chains of your own making! And they can have a terrible power over you, Marcus. The power of grief and loss and regret. Yes, you have let go of the people, the places, the things. But you have not let go of the pain! You have not forgiven yourself.
Marcus: For what?
Delenn: Being alive.

      The PA announces the arrival of the flyer. Marcus excuses himself to go notify security that Delenn is bringing her guests aboard. She steps through the gate to meet the Captain Lennan, who comes in with two aides. As they greet each other, the door back into the station drops closed behind Delenn. Four of the Night Watch goon squad, including One-eye and the Sniper appear from hiding behind the Minbari officers. Delenn shouts a warning, but it is too late. The thugs shoot down the two aides while Delenn and Lennan duck behind a shipping container. Unarmed, they can offer no resistance as the thugs walk up to them and order them at gunpoint to come with them.

SECURITY CENTRAL

      Garibaldi grits his teeth as Sparky offers helpful suggestions.

Sparky: Ya know, you're looking very stressed. This is not a good! Hey, how about something to eat? Maybe a nice piece of brisket, you'll suck an orange...
Garibaldi: Would somebody please fix this thing before I go out of my mind? [Ivanova calls on the Babcom.]
Ivanova: Michael, I just heard! Somebody grabbed Ambassador Delenn and one of the Minbari captains!

THE NIGHT WATCH HIDEOUT

      One of the Minbari aides has only been wounded in the attack, and he has been dragged in and left on the floor. Delenn and Lennan are tied up, with the Sniper holding a gun right in Delenn's face. She pleads with him.

Delenn: He's hurt! You should attend to him, or allow me to do so.
Sniper: If I were you, I'd be worried about my own health right now.
Delenn [looking him directly in the eyes]: I have faced far worse than you.

      One-eye comes in the door with an announcement.

One-eye: Word's out! [To a henchman working on something inside a wall panel:] Got that monitor line scrambled? Good! All right, people, let's get ready!

      Delenn glares defiance at the Sniper.

SHERIDAN'S OFFICE

Marcus: I should never have left her alone, even for a minute!
Sheridan: You couldn't have known!
Marcus: It's happening again! I don't listen, I turn my back for two minutes, and somebody else pays the price!
Corwin [breaking in on Babcom from C&C]: Captain! We've got someone on hold. It's about Delenn!
Sheridan: Put him through! And trace the call!

      The one-eyed man appears on the screen. Garibaldi instantly recognizes him.

Garibaldi: Boggs!
Boggs: Hello, Chief! Looking for me?
Garibaldi: Yeah, you and your other Night Watch buddies! And you just gave me one more good reason to find you!
Sheridan [angry]: Where's Delenn?
Boggs: She's with us. [Steps aside so the camera can see Delenn and Lennan sitting tied up behind him.] We've also got a Minbari captain and one of his aides. And don't bother tracking this call --- we scrambled the Babcom lines.
Ivanova: What do you want?
Boggs: To put this station back under Earth control and to kick out the alien influence! Now, you either get rid of those Minbari cruisers in the next six hours, or I'll kill the hostages! First the captain, then Delenn. One last thing --- we're monitoring all security channels. And some of our people are still in with your people, Chief! So don't do anything stupid! Or these two die instantly! Just to show you I'm serious...

      Boggs steps away from the camera again, waving at the Sniper, who grabs the wounded aide and, gun at his throat, drags him to the camera. While Delenn cries out, the Sniper shoots the hostage.

      The officers react with shock at what they've witnessed. Marcus reacts even more so.

Marcus: Bastards! Bloody bastards! [Runs for the door.]
Garibaldi: Marcus!
Sheridan: Let him go! He has sources of his own that don't involve Security. Maybe he can find something.
Garibaldi: The trigger man! I know his face! He's and old war buddy of Boggs'. A real psycho, stone killer! He used to work behind enemy lines during the Minbari war.
Sheridan: Get me everything you've got on his contacts. I want this call analyzed! If it can't be traced, find me something else we can use!

DOWN BELOW

      In the lurkers' restaurant, the "syndicate" is involved in a poker game. Marcus steps up to the table and picks up the deck.

Marcus: Hello! Thought I'd deal myself in! [Takes a seat at the table.]
Syndicate boss: I thought we had an understanding --- we don't bother you, you don't bother us!
Marcus [shuffling]: That was before a close friend of mine was abducted by some very bad people! Being rather bad people yourselves, it occurs to me that one of you might know where she is.
Boss: Well, we don't talk to Security. Why should we talk to you?
Marcus [dealing]: Because if you don't, then in five minutes I will be the only person at this table still standing. [The boss guffaws.] Five minutes after that, I will be the only person in this room still standing! [The boss chortles.] So --- who's in?

      All of the players come to their feet. Still in his chair, Marcus looks from face to face.

THE NIGHT WATCH HIDEOUT

      Delenn whispers to Lennan.

Delenn: Da'lehn shtokava?
Lennan: Vehs. Da'men togero fanero ahn.
Sniper [stepping behind them]: Then we should tighten them! I picked up your language from some POWs I took during the war. [Walks around in front of them.] It came in real handy when I told them to start digging their own graves! You do realize, of course, that neither of you are getting out of here alive. Got any thoughts about that?
Delenn [quietly]: Yes. I feel sorry for you.
Sniper: Me? You feel sorry for me? Now, that's comedy. So how do you figure you feel sorry for me?
Delenn: Among Minbari, one individual leads, but we move as one. We are at our best when we move together. And we are at our worst when we move together. When our leader was killed by your people, we went mad together! We stayed mad for a very long time! A madness that almost consumed your world! Until finally, before it was too late, we woke up together! But you! You are alone! You have no one to awaken you from your madness! For this --- and nothing else --- I feel pity for you.
Sniper [suddenly angry]: Screw it!

      He takes a step back and takes aim at Delenn's head. Lennan shouts and jumps up to tackle the madman. He pulls his hands free and kicks a second thug, but the Sniper shoots him down. Then the killer aims once more at Delenn --- just as Boggs comes in the door.

Boggs: Damn it! [Knocks the man's gun aside.] That's enough! What are you, crazy?
Sniper: Maybe. Ask her. [They look at Lennan.] He's not dead.
Boggs: Not yet! Now, we need these two alive until this deal is finished! Once that's done, they're all yours --- not before! You hear me?
Sniper: I hear you.

DOWN BELOW

      The restaurant is a complete shambles, and only three men are standing --- Marcus, the Boss, and one of his men. Marcus is in a demanding mood.

Marcus: Where --- is --- she?
Boss [stammering]: I'm telling you, I don't know!
Marcus: Then you know somebody --- who knows somebody --- who knows something! Who? What? Answer me!

      The Boss takes a swing with a beer pitcher. Marcus ducks, and the pitcher shatters on the skull of the third man. Marcus grabs the Boss by the collar and plants a roundhouse to the man's jaw. Both of the bad guys are down for the count. Marcus looks around the room. He's not happy.

Marcus: Bugger! Now I have to wait for someone to wake up!

      He steps back, and a hand takes him by the arm from behind. He whirls, ready to strike --- and stops.

Lennier: I would advise against it. [Surveys the wreckage.] I see they trained you well back home.
Marcus [breathing heavily]: Yeah. They said I was carrying around a lot of repressed anger.
Lennier: And?
Marcus: I'm not repressed anymore! [Pause.] I failed once before to save someone I cared about. I refuse to fail again! What are you doing here?
Lennier: I came to discuss the rebirth ceremony with you. You will come, I assume.
Marcus [astonished]: Rebir... Why are you worrying about that? There's much more important things...
Lennier [indignant]: It was the last thing she asked me to do, and I will see that it is done! And if you are saying that you will not come, then we have nothing more to discuss! [Bows and turns away.]
Marcus [frantic]: Forget about it, it's not important! Lennier! [Grabs Lennier's shoulder. Lennier spins around, takes Marcus by the collar and lifts him six inches off the deck, with no apparent effort!]
Lennier [with a veneer of cold calm over hot anger beneath]: Do not touch me in that fashion! We may sometimes look like you, but we are not you! Never forget that!
Marcus: Point taken! [Lennier sets him down and thrusts him back.]
Lennier [letting the anger out]: Don't you think that I want to tear this station apart looking for her? She is my mentor, my teacher, my ------ [Calms down a bit.] As part of the rebirth ceremony, I am required to tell someone that which I have never told anyone before. This is as good a time as any. I love her!

DOWN BELOW

      Marcus and Lennier continue their "discussion".

Marcus: You'll forgive me if I'm a little surprised at your admission.
Lennier: My love for Delenn is not quite what you might think. It is not "romantic love" as you consider it. It is something higher --- and nobler. A pure, perfect love, if you will. I know that Delenn is fated for another, and --- I've accepted that --- in my heart. But I have vowed to stay at her side through all things for as long as I live.
Marcus [wrestling with his own feelings]: That's a dangerous promise, Lennier. [And this would be a good place to remark that "Minbari never tell anyone the whole truth." Sometimes not even themselves.]
Lennier [getting back to his normal demeanor]: Well --- since I can never tell her, I tell you as my part of the ritual.
Marcus: Thank you. [A moan breaks into the quiet of the moment.] Excuse me! [Marcus leans over the Boss and shouts:] Hello? [Puts him in a headlock.] This is your wake-up call!
Boss [whimpering]: Come on, give me a break!
Marcus: Certainly! What would you like? An arm? A leg? We're fresh out of broken hearts. We just had a run on those! How about we start with your fingers and work our way up?
Boss: Ahhhm! Hey look, you know, maybe --- maybe I have some information! Ahhm! A name?
Marcus [to Lennier]: You see? It's like I've always said. You can get more with a kind word and a two-by-four than you can with just a kind word! [To the Boss:] Please. Continue!

SHERIDAN'S OFFICE

      Ivanova replays the call from Boggs for Garibaldi and Sheridan.

Ivanova: We still haven't been able to trace the call, but we processed a signal to pick up some details about the room, and we got this background sound. [The deep thrumming sound that she plays is inaudible on many TVs' dinky speakers.]
Garibaldi: I know that sound! It's the cooling system that feeds the fusion reactor! All that stuff is in Grey Sector!
Sheridan: Well, it's a start! That still leaves us with a lot of ground to cover. If we start poking around blindly, they'll get wind of it and kill the hostages! [Marcus walks in.] We need an exact location!
Marcus: Try Level 14.
Ivanova: Why 14?
Marcus: A kind stranger volunteered he'd delivered some components needed to make calls that can't be traced. He said he'd heard one of the men talking to someone from Security about getting the equipment to Level 14. He didn't hear which sector.
Sheridan: Well, it's a shot! Susan?

      Ivanova steps to the Babcom and orders up a display of Grey 14. She discovers a piece of 14A has recently been sealed off under orders of Mr. Garibaldi. He protests he has done no such thing.

Sheridan: That's the place! Only one way in or out. Walls are fortified. They could hold us off for a long time! We can't stop them from killing the hostages if things go wrong. How much time do we have left on the deadline?
Ivanova: Less than an hour. But if Security's been compromised...
Garibaldi: I can put together a team of people I can trust!
Sheridan: Make it a small team! The more people, the more chance they'll hear about it! Marcus, did your contact give a description of the security guard?
Marcus: Yes. Very detailed, in fact.
Sheridan: Good! Because I have an idea!
Ivanova: Which is?
Sheridan [deadpan]: We're going to surrender!

GREY 14A

      In the Night Watch hideout, Boggs is getting nervous. He paces like a caged beast.

Boggs: How much longer?
Sniper: Ten minutes.
Boggs: They've got to know we're not bluffing! They can't be that stupid, can they?
Sniper: Always bet on stupidity. [The Babcom lights up, and a guard appears on the screen.]
Guard: Boggs, are you there?
Boggs [angry]: Right here! I told you not to call me on this channel!
Guard: The Minbari have pulled out!
Boggs: What? Are you sure?
Guard: See for yourself. Going to Securecam input. [We see a war cruiser open a jump point and leave.] They jumped about five minutes ago. They gave Sheridan his walking orders. Any harm comes to Delenn, they'll hunt him down! So he won't move against you as long as she's in custody.
Boggs [jubilant]: Excellent! We're in business! Send a narrow-beam transmission back home! Tell them to send in the Marines! [The Babcom clicks off. Boggs turns to the Sniper.] Our people will be here in less than an hour! Once they get here...

      A loud noise and a sudden lurching of the room cut off the celebration. The lights go out momentarily. The Night Watch goons are bewildered.

Sniper: They're coming in!
Boggs: No, that doesn't sound right! [Excited shouts come faintly through the closed door. Boggs opens it. People are running in panic, all in one direction. He grabs one of them.] Hey, what's going on?
Man [panicked]: Coolant line to Reactor 7 just blew! There's a leak in the fusion reactor, and it's venting this way! Let me go! [He pulls loose and runs. Back the other way, a cloud of steam billows around the corner.]
Boggs: Oh, no! Look at this! [The PA system begins to blather about remaining calm.] Everybody out! Take them with you! We need them for insurance! Move!

      The four goons and the two bound hostages hurry after the crowd. As they cross through an open space, they are ambushed by Garibaldi's troops. In a brief gun battle, all four goons go down, taking two of Garibaldi's men with them. During the shooting, Lennan manages to untie himself and Delenn.

      As Sheridan checks on one of the downed Security men, Delenn sees the Sniper get up with a throwing knife in his hand. He takes aim at Sheridan, and Delenn calls out a warning. She runs past the Sniper toward Sheridan and takes the knife in her back. She collapses in Sheridan's arms. Garibaldi calls for a medic and Ivanova tries to take Delenn from Sheridan. The Sniper takes advantage of the confusion to run away.

      Sheridan finally gives in and lets Ivanova and the medic have Delenn. He refocuses on the Sniper and runs after him with bloody vengeance in his eyes. The Sniper loses speed fighting his way through clusters of lurkers, and Sheridan eventually tackles him. They slug it out --- no finesse, just pounding, with Sheridan in control the whole way. He pins the Sniper against the wall by the collar and shakes him violently.

Sheridan: No more! No more of you! No more Night Watch! No more hostages! No more lies! Not on my station! Not on my watch! No more!

      The Sniper breaks loose, but is slow in taking advantage. Sheridan lays a powerful fist on the man's face and sends him tumbling. He doesn't get up. Sheridan stands over him, puffing heavily.

Sheridan: No more!

SHERIDANS' OFFICE

      Sheridan and Ivanova meet with Lennier.

Ivanova [concerned]: Lennier, any news on Delenn?
Lennier [excited]: Yes. The knife missed her vital organs and embedded itself in a rib. Dr. Franklin says she will make a full recovery.
Sheridan [relieved]: Ah! Then we can go ahead with the rebirth ceremony she talked about!
Lennier: I am afraid that is impossible for now. The ceremony must be held within a certain amount of time once preparations have begun, and that time is almost past. And Delenn is in no condition to conduct it now. [Bows and leaves.]
Sheridan [to Ivanova]: So where's Garibaldi? I figured he'd be here.
Ivanova: He's still working with the tech crews trying to get the computer system back in shape. They say they'll finally have the artificial personality purged by midnight!

A TRANSPORT TUBE

      Inside the car, Garibaldi finds himself a captive audience while Sparky complains.

Sparky: Oh, not that my bruised feelings would have any meaning for you, but why are you having these people poke me all over the place? I'm a perfectly reasonable artificial personality! Nobody's ever complained before! But I guess some people just aren't happy unless they're messing it up for everyone else! You know, you really should stand up straight! Your mother and I have been worried about this for years! We've been trying to talk to you about it but...

      Wearily, Garibaldi draws his weapon and shoots out the car's loudspeaker. As bits of it fall to the floor and electronic components snap and sizzle, he holsters his PPG with an expression of sheer satisfaction.

MEDLAB

      Lennier looks in on his mentor. She looks to be recovering nicely, but she isn't going anywhere for a while. Her speech is labored.

Delenn: You should get some rest, Lennier. You haven't slept since I was put here.
Lennier: I will rest --- when it is time.

      Sheridan sticks his head through the door. He's now in civvies and holds a bundle in his hands. Seeing him, the two Minbari smile, and Lennier excuses himself. Sheridan sets his bundle on a table by the door and crosses over to Delenn.

Sheridan: Hello, Delenn. You know, I was thinking --- if you couldn't come to the rebirth ceremony, the ceremony should come to you. [He flashes a big smile, then turns serious and looks back at the bundle.] I've given up something that really mattered to me. My uniform and everything that goes with it. [Haltingly:] What I've never told anyone before now --- when you were hurt --- when you were in my arms --- I was ready to kill that guy with my bare hands. And I realized I'd never told you --- how much I cared about you. How much you mean to me. I think it's time you knew that. [She smiles up at him.] I can no longer imagine my world without you in it. [Weakly, she reaches out her hand. He takes it.] I don't know exactly when or how it happened, but I'm glad it did! [He turns away and leaves the room. Garibaldi steps in --- wearing civvies and carrying a bundle.]
Garibaldi: Ambassador. [Puts his bundle on top of Sheridan's. It's his uniform.] No one knows, but, uh --- I'm afraid all the time --- of what I might do if I ever let go. [Steps out. Ivanova is next --- in civvies and carrying a bundle.]
Ivanova: I think I --- loved --- Talia. [Next up is Franklin --- in civvies, carrying a bundle.]
Franklin: I, uh --- think I have a problem.

      The four officers start to leave the Medlab together, but Lennier calls out to them.

Lennier: Wait, please! Before you go, as part of the ceremony, Delenn had something made for you. I think she was expecting your actions. The gifts are waiting for you in your quarters.

      The officers smile through the glass back at Delenn before they leave.

COMMAND & CONTROL

      Left in charge of the dome, Lieutenant Corwin is in conversation with a technician when something startling catches his eye. One by one, the eyes of all the crew are drawn to the same sight. Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Franklin have stepped onto the command deck, resplendent in new uniforms of black and silver. Sheridan looks around the room, his eyes stopping on Corwin.

Sheridan [smiles]: What's the matter, haven't you ever seen someone who's been reborn before? [Corwin smiles back. To all:] The crisis, for now, is over. Tell the ships: We're open for business!

      [Note: It may be just a coincidence, but the new uniforms recall the "space-black and silver of the Galactic Patrol" --- from Doc Smith's Lensman novels, a favorite of JMS.]

      [Note: This episode marks the exact halfway point of the B5 saga. Hang on tight --- what's past is prologue!]

"CEREMONIES OF LIGHT AND DARK" synopsis © 2005 Richard Heider. Do not reproduce without author's express permission.