" It's great to have you back, captain." " Thanks." "It's good to be back." "I was starting to think I'd never get out of that place." "Well, I wasn't worried." "I knew they couldn't hold you." "Well, that makes one of us." "So you never told me how you got back here after you escaped." "What's to tell?" "I sent word to the Mars Resistance arranged for a pickup." "Who'd you work through?" "My contact?" "Yes." "Your contact." "It's..." "We don't use names." "Codes, then?" "Just numbers." "It must be difficult having a conversation." ""How you doing, Number One?"" " "Have a good sleep, Number Two?"" " It's a necessary evil." "But you should know that." "You were there." "You know I can't believe they really think this whole campaign against Earth was our idea." " Why shouldn't they?" "You weren't really to blame." "It was the alien governments who influenced you." "No." "That's not what happened." "Well, as you can see even though we've distorted his sense of reality he still remains uncooperative, despite the drugs." "Increase the dosage by 10 percent." "See if that makes a difference." "What about his father?" " What about him?" " Lf we threaten to put a bullet in his head it might encourage him to cooperate." " No." "It doesn't work." "If he doesn't turn and we kill his father, it only strengthens his resolve." "If we threaten to kill his father and we don't, it only weakens our position." "Besides we don't want cooperation." "We want conversion." "We want repentance." "The information on the Resistance we can pick up later." "We have to stay focused on the goal:" "Just to make him admit that his campaign against Earth was the result of alien influence." "And to ask forgiveness." "If we're going to put an end to this war we've got to break resistance in his heart." "The most efficient way to do that is to break him." "To break his mind, his spirit and his body." "It's a matter of time, effort and patience." "He's almost there." "This should help." "More coffee?" "Lt'll make you feel better." "Love to." "It's about time." "I was getting nervous." " I was worried you didn't get through." " It took a while to make contact." "The Resistance didn't stay alive this long by being sloppy." " So, what did they say?" " I had to do some pretty fancy talking." " They heard what you did to Sheridan." " You say it wasn't my fault?" " I told them." " And?" "They didn't believe me." "No!" "What?" "It was the year of fire." "The year of destruction." "The year we took back what was ours." "It was the year of rebirth." "The year of great sadness." "The year of pain." " And a year of joy." " It was a new age." "It was the end of history." "It was the year everything changed." "The year is 2261." "The place, Babylon 5." "Go on." "It's your right." "It was your guy he set up." " I can't." " Stephen?" " I want to hear his side of the story." " What side?" "He set Sheridan up." "We have 30 witnesses." " Now he wants to set us up too." " I still want to hear his side of the story." " Thanks." " No, don't thank me." "Why'd you do it?" "It was Bester." "It was him all along." "He altered me when I was missing." "He messed with my mind." "He made me turn against everybody I knew." "He was trying to find out who was behind a conspiracy against the Psi Corps." " And a dog ate your homework." "Get this over with." "We've got work, remember?" "Look." "L..." "Sheridan promised he'd free Mars when this was over." "By turning him over, this creep screwed us as much as he did you." "So if you don't want to do it, let us." "You got any proof?" "Anything to back up this story of yours?" " Anything?" " Yeah." "I got a receipt from the Psi Corps certifying my brain's been dry-cleaned, pressed and starched." "Come on." "This is Bester." "You think he's going to leave evidence?" "Damn it!" "It's true!" "Look." "I got a pretty good idea where they're holding Sheridan." "I think we can get him out before they ship him Earthside." "You tried that line with Sheridan." "We saw where that ended." " We're not falling for it a second time." " Once they get him off Mars we'll never get him out." "Come on." "We've worked together for four years." "That counts for something." "Yeah, I thought so but right now I don't know anymore." "You can't do this to me." "You can't let Bester screw up my entire life and not give me a chance to fix it." "I can't go out this way." "Lyta, you can scan me." "You can tell them what I'm saying is the truth." "They don't like or trust telepaths here." "My word's not going to count for much." "I agree, but I sure would like to know." "Wait a minute." "You're saying if this story of his is true, she can verify it so we'll know it wasn't really his fault?" "That's it, yes." "I have an obligation to him the same as you do to your people." "What if it was one of yours?" "What would you do then, huh?" "After all that's happened, wouldn't you give him a chance to prove himself?" " No." " No!" "No!" "I mean it!" " You're making a very big mistake." " Well, it won't be the first time that's for sure." " Stephen." "Shut up!" "This better be worth it, because if this story turns out to be bogus I'm going to kill you twice." "You got that?" "I got it." "Can you still do it?" "All right." "Give me the rifle." "Go ahead." "Now, he's gonna get his chance." "Well?" "I can sense you believe it's true." "The core memory is closed." "You've got blocks all over." "I can't get in." " It's all a jumble." " Then push." "Michael, if I do a deep scan, it could damage you." "If you don't, they're gonna kill me." "Now, a headache I can get over." "I'm not sure I'm going to get over being dead any time soon." "Those are level 12 blocks." "Only a Psi Cop can put them in or break them." "You can do it." "Come on, Lyta." "I know you got it in you." "Michael, are you okay?" "Yeah." "Yeah." "I just realized I need a lot more fiber in my diet." "It's true." "What he told us, it's all true." "Like that means a damn!" "How do we know what you saw?" "Why the hell should I believe anything you have to...?" "What do you know about hell?" "Would you like me to show it to you?" "Mine and his." "It's true." "Damn." "It's true." " I saw it." "How did...?" " The truth speaks for itself." " I'm just a messenger." " Let him go." "This is Commander Susan Ivanova of the White Star fleet." "To the Damocles and the Orion." "You will surrender your vessels and stand trial before a war crimes tribunal on charges of murder." "Failure to surrender will be met with instant and lethal response." "They're turning towards us." "Their targeting system is online." "Let them take the first shot." "First tactical squadron, go!" "Second tactical squadron, follow us in." "Weapons systems and engines destroyed." " They're issuing an evacuation order." " Life support?" "Estimate they can last another hour, maybe two." "Good." "It's enough time to get to the life pods." "Cleanup detail, help evacuate the Damocles and the Orion." "Pick up survivors as they come out." "Deliver them to the authorities on Beta 9." "Susan, isn't this slowing us down?" "Once we take care of Clark..." "His accomplices will go to ground." "We'll never find them." "We have to make them understand if they target innocent people they can't run, they can't hide." "President Clark's issuing the orders, but they're pulling the trigger." "Besides, every time we engage the other side we get one or two defectors to join up." "When we get to Earth, we're gonna need every ship we've got." " Any word from Delenn yet?" " She'll join us at the rendezvous point as soon as she can get away." " Good." "Put us on course for the next target." "Well, I can't be positive but I'm pretty sure the captain's being held in a staging area here on Solis Planna." " Based on what?" " I still got some contacts from the old days." "ISN's having a field day making me the hero of the hour since I turned him in." "Since local police know I set him up, they're not worried about me knowing where he is." " Okay, well, what's the plan?" " I don't have one." "Once we get inside, I think I can get him out." " It's getting inside that's the problem." " It's possible." "We've cracked some access tunnels." "The ones to bring in water, take out waste." "They've got an independent air supply in case of an attack on the dome and air pressure's compromised." " Can you put together a team?" "That's the problem." "We're stretched thin and not all my people know that area well." "The ones who do are on patrol." "They won't be back for two days." "Two days?" "But the captain has been in custody for almost a week." " What if he can't hold out that long?" " He'll be dead or broken." "Which is why I can only afford to give you a skeleton crew, enough to get you inside." " Then you're on your own." " You can't..." "Yes, I can!" "We're up to our eyes in troops around here, Stephen." "I'm not risking any more on this than I have to." "If you have a problem with that you can go somewhere else, but that's my final offer." "Delenn!" "Thank Valen I found you before you left." "Ambassador Mollari convened a meeting of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds." " And it's already started." " What?" "Why wasn't I informed?" "I don't know, but knowing the Ambassador, I'm depressed by the options." "The situation has become intolerable." "We must take swift, firm and decisive action." "The Centauri will lead the way, as we have always done." "Toward that end, we will mobilize every ship at our disposal." " Now I must call for a vote." " A vote on what?" "Delenn, you shouldn't be here." "The League cannot vote without a representative of Earth or Minbar." "Well, in that case, since you are here, we can vote." "All in favor?" "Opposed?" "There you are." " It is done, Delenn." " What is done?" "Sheridan has been captured by his own people." "We know that he is being interrogated, perhaps even tortured." "During the Shadow War, Sheridan risked his life and the lives of every human on this station to help save our worlds." "Would the Gaim have done that for the Pak'ma'ra?" "Would the Drazi have done that for the Narn?" "No." "That sacrifice must be rewarded." "Since the war, we have begun working together as never before." "In the past, we had nothing in common." "But now the humans have become the glue that holds us together." "If Sheridan's forces are defeated, then Earth will turn in upon itself." "They will become isolated, or they'll turn against the rest of us." " Politically, it is very wise." " Morally, it is even wiser." "Politics and morality on the same side?" "That doesn't happen every day, Delenn." "If someone doesn't begin making sense here I'm going to become most annoyed." "The League Worlds have agreed to provide warships to Ivanova's fleet." "We will do whatever it takes to help free Sheridan." "It is right that humans lead the battle, it is their world, after all but we can support them, fight beside them as they fought beside us." "But why the secret ballot?" "Why were we not informed about this meeting?" "To protect you." "Some might accuse you of organizing military support not because it is the right thing to do but because of your relationship with Sheridan." "Others might say the council approved it for the very same reason." "We wanted to send a message that the council speaks as one for the right reasons, not out of any personal agenda." "Sheridan is not alone, and you are not alone." "The League stands with you." "We all stand with you." "All right." "Are you sure you know where you're going?" "Anytime you want to head back, just say the word." "I'll go with you." "Okay." "Every inch of the ground above our heads is covered by Earth military forces." "They find you in this sector, they don't even pretend to question you." "It's shoot-on-sight all the way." "Why can't we ever go anyplace nice?" " What was that?" " Marsquake." "We've been getting them for the last couple of years." "Earthgov's been expanding their underground facilities blasting to open up more usable areas." "Half the tunnels here have collapsed in the last couple of months." "I'll go ahead, check out the tunnel, make sure it's clear." "You wait here." "This is gonna take forever, do you know that?" "Yeah, I know." "It's the only way we can get inside the perimeter." "I hope the captain's alive when we get to him." "They've been working him more than a week." "I wouldn't worry about that." "They're not gonna kill him." "They need him alive as long as possible." " Thanks." " All right, who gulped?" "Somebody gulped." "We have got a long way to go." "We sip, not gulp." " I didn't gulp." " I sipped." " You I believe." " Now, why do you believe her and not me?" "When you lie, it's over your face." "She's a better liar than you." "Thank you." "Wait a minute..." "Next time you carry the canteen, I'm gonna gulp." " You are so petty, do you know that?" " What do you mean I'm a good liar?" " Survival of the fittest." " Oh, here she comes." " The way's clear." "Let's go." " Okay." "But I don't like what I'm hearing here." "I'm not a great liar." "I'm a terrible liar." "I don't know who's been saying these things, but when we get back I am gonna sue somebody." "I don't know who and I don't know how, but, by God, I am gonna sue somebody!" "Would you come on already?" "Hold this." "Hold on." "This is as far as I can take you." "This tunnel runs under the main staging area." " From here, you're on your own." " Wait a minute..." "I can't risk it, not even for Sheridan." "They've got patrols that sweep the area every couple of hours." "And try not to fire any PPGs." "The heat sensors will pick up any weapons fired." "I'll wait for you back at the first big tunnel." "Thought you might want to hear this." "He was in one of the life pods picked up by the Agamemnon." " You were aboard the Damocles?" " Duty Officer David Eisensen." "A lot of us opposed the captain's order to attack Beta 9." " Tell that to the people you killed." " It wasn't my fault." "Your guilt will be determined by the war crimes tribunal." " It has nothing to do with me." " What if I had information?" " Would that make a difference?" " Depends what kind of information." "President Clark knows you're heading to Mars next." "He knows you're going to rendezvous with your ships in Sector 300 and go in." "How?" "Not everyone who defects to your side really defects." "Some of them are playing both sides against the middle." "They're gonna lay a trap for your fleet." "I know some of the details enough to think you should be worried." " Why?" " The ships sent to ambush you aren't Earthforce regulars but advanced model destroyers." "Part of an elite force Clark's put together." "They're loyal to the new order." "They won't defect, and they won't give up." " How many ships?" " I don't know." "A lot." " This isn't good." " Definitely." " We could try going around them." " That would save us but what about the ships supposed to meet us there?" "Even if we try to change the rendezvous, we can't get through to them in time." "Clark wouldn't risk exposing his advanced destroyers like this unless he was sure of them." "If they're a new design he'll probably use them against the other Earth destroyers first." "Combined with the fact the enemy almost certainly knows their weak spots they'd be wiped out." " Which could be his intention." "If he gets rid of the Earth ships and weakens our forces he could convince the folks back home that it's just aliens making trouble." "I won't let our forces get caught in an ambush, Marcus, no matter what." " Can we handle them?" " Hard to say without knowing their capabilities." " We have a better chance than anybody." "That's enough for me." " Check in here?" " That corner's been cleared." "Let's move ahead." " You all right?" " You all right?" "I don't think so." "I still think you should stay here." "Not a chance." "You lost a lot of blood." "If there's more fighting I can't guarantee that these sutures are gonna hold." "Well, then, you're just gonna have to give me my money back." "You didn't pay me any money." "That's just my luck, isn't it?" " Hey, you hid the bodies?" " Yeah." "All right, a couple more seconds, we'll be done." " All right." " Okay." " Yeah?" " All done." "Good." "Thank you." "All right, let's get going, huh?" "Commander, I have to say I disagree." "I thought you might." "Nonetheless, I insist." "We know that Clark has set up an ambush for us in Sector 300." "The White Stars can get there the fastest." "If our information's right and those are advanced destroyers we're best suited to take them." " All the more reason for us to go with you." " I don't want to endanger the fleet especially other Earth destroyers." "You're an important symbol." "Proof that it's not just us and a few other alien troublemakers." "Look, captain, until Delenn gets here Captain Sheridan left the White Star fleet under my authority." " I have to do what's right." " All right if there's no way to convince you." " There isn't." "Just stay ready." "If we should fall, we need you to clean up what's left." "Will do." "Good luck, commander." " We'll see you on the flip side." " Count on it." "Now that we're en route, I suggest you get some sleep." "You've been up for almost 20 hours straight." "Even at top speed, we won't be there for another five hours." "At least you could get in a catnap." "We're about to go into battle against an enemy whose numbers and capabilities we don't know." "Could you sleep?" "No." "But you could rest." "Let me put it to you this way, you can either get 4 hours and 59 minutes rest or 4 hours and 59 minutes of me bothering you about it." " You wouldn't." " Rangers never bluff." "All right, I'll take two and a half hours if you do too." "Done." "You go first." " Hey there." " Yes, sir." " We need to see the prisoner." " Which pris...?" "Hey, I know you." "I saw you on ISN." " You're the one that turned in Sheridan." " The one and only." "Yeah." "Good work." "So, what's up?" "Well, we need to check on his condition." "This is Dr. Stephens and his assistant Ms. Alexander." " I didn't get anything about this." " They want deniability." "Like I said, we're here to check his condition." "But what we're really supposed to do is give him a walk around the block." " And if he falls down a few times..." " Then we need a doc to make sure he doesn't fall too hard." " Got it." "From anybody but you, well..." "Go on in." "But you have to check with the cell guards." " They have final authority over visitors." " Thank you." "Good afternoon." "We understand you got Sheridan in there." "I'm the one who turned him in." "Maybe you saw me on ISN." "I don't watch TV." "It's a cultural wasteland filled with inappropriate metaphors and an unrealistic portrayal of life created by the liberal media elite." " I agree." "Doctor?" " Absolutely." " Good." "We've established common ground." "We'd like to see the prisoner." "I'm gonna have to ask for your authorization." "Of course." "Then once we get the codes, we're in, right?" "Dr. Stephens?" "Yeah, I've..." "It's here somewhere." "Pain." " Did you get the code?" " He thought it as you said it." "7, 12, 54, 50, 19." " Here." " Here you go." "Captain." "Captain!" "Can you hear me?" "Captain!" "Michael." "I was gonna kick your butt for something but I don't remember." " Drugged up pretty bad." " No kidding." " Look, we need him ready to travel." " I'll do my best." "Just do better, all right?" "You'll never know." "You slept well." "Last time you couldn't sleep at all on these things." " I still hate them." "How long did I sleep?" " Four hours." " Four hours!" " We're still 45 minutes from the target more than enough time to wake up." "You needed the rest." " That's the last time I'll ever trust you." " Also the first." "Hey." "The last time that we were in this room, you said something to me in Minbari." "I happen to have an eidetic memory." "It went..." " You told me it was just a greeting." " Yes." "Well, in case you haven't noticed, I've learned a little Minbari since then." "Thank you." "Hey." "Good news." "He's decided to give a full confession." "I figure we'll just take him on out..." "You're not taking him anywhere without proper authorization." "How'd you get him out of there, anyway?" " There's no problem, all right?" " What's wrong with your back?" " Nothing." " Step away from the prisoner." "All right, come on." "Let's move." " You all right, captain?" " Fine." "Just fine." "We're at the rendezvous point?" "Any transmissions?" "Negative." "Shall we go in?" "Anything on the scanners?" "Nothing." "Maybe the information was wrong." " No." "We're not that lucky." "Check the..." " Wait a minute." "I'm getting something." "Is that what I think it is?" "Confirmed." "Scanners indicate the destroyers are using a semiorganic hull design." " Shadow technology." " Exactly." "We knew they got a shadow vessel but who would have thought they could adapt the technology this quickly?" "This is Captain J. Thompson of the Advanced Destroyer Group to enemy vessels." "We have you surrounded." "You are ordered to surrender your vessels or be destroyed." "I say again, surrender or be destroyed." "Put me on with him." "And give me firing control." "This is the White Star fleet." "Negative on surrender." "We will not stand down." "Who is this?" "Identify yourself." "Who am I?" "I am Susan Ivanova." "Commander." "Daughter of Andrei and Sophie Ivanov." "I am the right hand of vengeance and the boot that is gonna kick your sorry ass all the way back to Earth, sweetheart." "I am death incarnate." "And the last living thing that you are ever going to see." "God sent me." "They're launching fighters." "Form up." "I need a flying wedge and cover from the fighters." "We're faster and more maneuverable than the destroyers." "Let's take advantage." "Forming up." "Go!" "Enemy ships closing in, trying to surround us." "Stand by for high-velocity bank." "Break and come around on my mark." "Stand by." "Stand by." "Break!" " Fire!" " Collision 30 seconds." " Keep firing!" " Susan!" "If we let it get away, they'll bring reinforcements." "Stay on course." "Navigational control damaged!" "Working to repair." "How many left?" "Just one." "White Stars 4 and 9 are on it." "Susan!" "Susan!" "John." "I saw you standing so many times, just like that." "I told my personal physicians to look at you." "No." "It can wait." "I want to see her." " Are you sure you're...?" " I'm fine." "It wasn't that bad." "Well..." "Look, I'll..." "I'll talk about it when I'm ready." "It's just gonna take a while." "All right?" "I'll take you to her." "I got the bed just how she likes it, nice and flat." "They didn't want to." "Thought it was bad luck." "Didn't know what else to do." " Can I...?" " She will hear you." "She's been fading in and out since we brought her aboard." "Hi." "Hi." "How are you feeling?" "Not so good, John." "Not so good." "We got them." "Did they tell you?" "They told me." "There were more of them than us and they fought like hell." "We got them." "Didn't we, Marcus?" "We got them." "We cleared the way for you, John." "All the way to Mars." "No ambushes." "No..." "We should go." "Marcus will stay with her." "All right." "John?" "I'm here." "What?" "They won't tell me the truth." "You're my friend, John." "Tell me the truth." "I'm not gonna make it, am I?" "No." "No." "They say the damage is..." "I'm sorry, Susan." "It's okay." "Don't be." "You've carried so much guilt around in your life." "Don't carry any more for me or I'm gonna..." "How long?" "Our doctors say they can promise only a few days, maybe a week." "You see?" "It's not so bad." "John." "Do something for me?" "Anything." "What is it?" "It's not what." "Where." "Captain on deck." "With the permission of Captain James I'm assuming the command of the Agamemnon." "A friend asked me to command the last battle from here." "Put us on course for Mars." " Aye, aye, sir." "Set for Mars." "Peak at M9915 alpha."