" Delenn, I need a favor." " You have only to ask." "I need to borrow a White Star ship." "I heard what you have in mind." " I'll get it back to you before the deadline." " We can spare the ship, but may I ask why?" "If you attack Z'Ha'Dum, you're going to need all the help you can get." "There may be some First Ones out there we haven't found yet." "I have all the information at hand that I need to go looking for them." "Some of them might be at least as strong as the Shadows." "We found one last time." " I think if we get a few more to sign on." " I agree." "You'll need a translator." "The crews only speak Minbari." " Lennier must stay with me..." " That's not necessary." "I've been teaching myself Minbari." "I figured, what the heck." "It gave me something to do." " I can handle the crew." " Ours is a very difficult language." "I know, but it's okay." " It's..." " Very good." "A bit of an accent." "But, yes, very good." "Yes." "But in the heat of battle, you must do more than speak Minbari." "You must be able to think in our language." "It can take a few seconds to translate an order." "We know what can happen in a few seconds." "Boom, crash, burn." "Exactly, so Marcus will go with you." "Just to help." " It's not necessary..." " You mind?" "Not at all." "Love to." "All right, then." "Meet me in Docking Bay 4 in two hours." "If you're not packed and ready to go, I'm going without you." "I'll be there." "Tell the crew, anyone who laughs will answer to me personally." " Looks like there's a party." " That's curious." "There was no announcement on the emperor's schedule." "Come, Narn." "You must be terribly thirsty." "You haven't had a drink in three days." "Here it is." "All you have to do is ask for it." "Politely, of course, and it's yours." "He slipped on his pride and fell on his honor." "G'Kar." "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." "By the human calendar, this is January 17, 2261." "Everyone I hold dear is gone." "It is over two standard weeks since John failed to return from Z'Ha'Dum." "Two weeks since Mr. Garibaldi disappeared." "Londo and Vir have returned to Centauri Prime and G'Kar is also gone, searching for Mr. Garibaldi." "Marcus and Ivanova have taken one of the White Star fleet." "Where they are, I have no idea." "They hope to find more of the First Ones for our final assault on Z'Ha'Dum." "It is a desperate mission, but these are desperate times." " Anything, anything at all?" " We've scanned all the planets in the area." "There may have been something here once, a long time ago, but it's gone now." "That's three dead ends in a row." "Susan, apart from our little run-in last year, there hasn't been a confirmed sighting of the First Ones for 1000 years." "It's gonna take time." " We don't have time." " Then I suggest we move on." "We've spent almost two days here." "We can't afford to waste another day." "All right, I just thought from all the stories that this place would be perfect." "I was sure we'd find something." "All right." "What's next on the list?" "Sector 87 by 20 by 42." "At least a dozen ships have reported seeing something rather godlike in the area." "Since neither you nor I were there, it must be one of the First Ones." "You're having delusions of grandeur again." "If you're going to have delusions, may as well go for the really satisfying ones." "Shall I set course?" "I hope they have had luck in their journey because we are badly outnumbered by our enemies." "Ambassador, I've got the information G'Kar wanted on the transport that found Garibaldi's fighter." "I tried sending word, but couldn't reach him." "Nobody's heard from G'Kar in days." " Can it wait until he calls in?" " No, too risky." "If this really is a lead on Mr. Garibaldi and we wait too long we could lose our only chance of finding him." "I can chase this, but if you'd rather send someone after G'Kar..." "No." "We can't afford to send any more people after him." "The deadline for our attack is too close." "I can only hope he's all right." "Yeah." "I can't believe it." "Did you see him?" "I was right there, Vir." "I saw him." "How can you see G'Kar like that and feel nothing?" "I feel, Vir." "I wish that I didn't." "It would make this much easier." "But we must play along until the time is right." " I don't know if G'Kar can survive that long." " He will survive." "He must." "For my sake, as well as his own." "If we succeed, we will take back our world from Cartagia and G'Kar will win back his as well." "That was our deal." "But I hear that they're torturing him." "Apparently, Cartagia was dissatisfied with his performance this morning." " As I told you." "A monster." " I know, I know." "It's just that I've never been involved in a conspi..." "I've never been involved in a conspiracy to kill anyone before not to mention the emperor!" "I thought we were past this centuries ago." "There's got to be another way, Londo." "I mean, can't we reason with him or something...?" "Damn him!" "Damn him!" "Damn him." "Damn his silence!" " He refuses to bow." "He refuses to drink." " Majesty." "Do you know that we assigned him one of our best pain technicians?" "They used to be called torturers." "Ever since they got organized, it's "pain technicians."" "Why are you here?" "One of our very best torturers." "I felt certain he would break him." "Two hours he worked, not a sound." "I said, "Give me a cry, Rintinzi, give me a shout, a whimper, a scream."" "Silence." "So I got into it myself." "You can't leave these things to others." "They never get it right." "It..." "Well, you can see for yourself." "If I didn't know better, I'd say he was a mute." "Silence." "I'm beginning to understand what you go through with G'Kar." "How you put up with him, I've no idea." "He was a small burden." "So towards the end, I decided cut off his hands." "Maybe that will get a reaction." " Great Maker, did you...?" " No, no." "Unfortunately he passed out before we got that far." "Loss of blood, I suppose." "Very inconvenient." "We'll start again when he's conscious, and this time, if he remains silent..." "Silence." "Silence." "Well, where is the joy in that, really?" "He's so insubordinate." "I can't have him challenging my authority that way." "I know I made a present of him to you, Mollari but if I don't get my scream, he'll have to be killed." " You do understand, don't you?" " Oh, yes, Majesty, of course." "It'll help the flowers." "Life and death, perfect balance." "Good day, Mollari." "Good day." "Londo, remember what I said before about "there must be another way"?" "I was wrong." "Kill him." "Convoy 1 to C  C. Standing by." "Clear to proceed, Mr. Allan." "Good hunting to you." "Now, hold your fire until I give the word." "If Mr. Garibaldi really is onboard, we don't want to risk injuring him." "It'd just make him mad, and you know what he's like." "That's a roger, Shuttle 1." " Yes?" " Lyta, it's Delenn." "May I talk to you?" "This isn't a good time." "Could you come back later?" "I'm afraid not." "Please, may I come in?" "I know it's late, but..." "Lyta." "What happened?" "Your furniture." "The new ambassador instructed me to get rid of everything but the mattress." "And that was only a concession to the human need for sleep." "He said it was a distraction from the work." "But he cannot force you to live like this." "Can he?" "Yes, he can." "Was there something that you wanted, ambassador?" "In less than a week, the Rangers and a few of the League Worlds will launch an attack on Z'Ha'Dum." "I sent word to the Vorlon ambassador asking if his government would commit ships to our cause." " He has never replied." " The ambassador has been very busy." "I thought he would welcome the chance to strike at the Shadows." "I think the Vorlons have plans of their own." "There's something going on." "Something they haven't told us yet." "Do you have any idea?" "No." "And frankly, I am afraid to ask." "I don't think that they care about what happens to us anymore, Delenn." "I think the game just got bigger than that." "I know this is hard for you, but you must try and find out what they're planning." "I can't!" "You do not know what this new Vorlon is like, Delenn." "Or the things he can do." "Lyta, in less than seven standard days, our ships are leaving for Z'Ha'Dum." "We cannot walk into this blindly." "If there's something going on, we need to know what it is." "Please!" "I'll do what I can." "That's all I ask." "Thank you." "I repeat, you are ordered to surrender your vessel or we will be forced to attack." "This is your last warning." "Please respond." "All right." "Bravo 1 and 3, target main engines and control systems but stay clear of the hull." " Roger that, Shuttle 1." "System is still operational." "Come around for another pass at..." "Wait a second." "Stand by." "They've launched a lifepod." "Could be him." "They'll probably try to make a run for it." "Stand by to..." "Shuttle 1 to Bravo Convoy." " Any sign of survivors?" " Negative, Shuttle 1." "I don't get it." "We didn't do that much damage." "We could've hit a primary system somehow." "Maybe." "All right." "Let's pick up the lifepod." "I only hope they decided to surrender before they knew how badly they were hit." "Roger." "Moving in." "Contact confirmed." "Initiating program." "All right, watch it." "I want full body and cardiac stimulation, all right?" "Oxygenate his blood." "Run bioplasm up the carotid to minimize injury to the brain cells." "Doc, will he be okay?" "I'm not sure until we do a full scan." "I think so." "He should be okay as long as we don't find any surprises." " How'd you find him?" " We had a lead on the guy who found his fighter and gave it to a salvage operation." "We ran a check on Earth-registered ships, came up lucky." "Got his flight plan." " Know what they did to him?" " Negative." "Ship was destroyed right after they ejected his lifepod." " Doctor, there's a rise in blood pressure." " All right, I'm coming in." "Good going on this, Zack." "It's about time we had some luck." "Thanks." "Yeah." "We were lucky, all right." "You didn't have to pull out of me so fast." "You hurt me." "While I was carrying you, you felt cold hard." "What are you hiding from me?" "Your work, for now, is done here." "Go." "Sleep." "I have a right to know." "I have done everything you asked." "I let your people modify me." "Enhanced my telepathic ability so I'd be more suited to carry a Vorlon around in my head, because I believed." "Kosh, the real Kosh, wasn't like this." "I think, on some level, he cared about us." "About me." "But with you, it's as if I'm being used and thrown away when I'm not needed anymore." "Damn it, I have earned some respect!" "And I have earned some answers." "Respect." "From whom?" "Would you know my thoughts?" "Would you?" "A little scream." "Is that so much to ask for?" "I know what it is with you." "It's your pride." "You would rather stay silent than give him the satisfaction of seeing you cry out in pain." "I would probably do the same myself, but not now." "There's too much at stake." "I need a live ally, not a dead martyr!" "What you ask I cannot give." "Is your pride worth more to you than saving your world?" "We had a deal." "You help me with Cartagia, I help free Narn." "We do not oblige conquerors." "If I give him what he wants if I beg for mercy, cry out I would no longer be a Narn." "And if you are dead, are you still a Narn then?" "No!" "You are food for Cartagia's pets and your people are still prisoners!" "They, too, are no longer Narns." "Only slaves." "And then dead slaves." "Is that what you want, G'Kar?" "Is it?" "One scream, that's all!" "One little scream, and he will let you live!" "And we will both get what we want." "You don't know what you're asking." " You don't understand." " Yes, I do!" "Yes, I do." " What's our ETA?" " Two, three hours." "All this technology, and it still takes forever to get anywhere." "Ask you a question?" "Assuming we live through this, what do you want to do when the war's over?" "Go home." "See St. Petersburg." "Paris." "I want to visit my father's grave." "I didn't make it to the funeral." "I couldn't take it at the time." "Then travel." "I want to walk outside." "I think the last time I looked up and saw a sky was six years ago." "Anyone special waiting for you back home?" "No." "Not anymore." "You?" "Someone." "She doesn't know it yet." "That's a strange way to pursue a relationship." "I suppose so." "I want this thing to go right." "I want it to be special." "Oh, a romantic." "I don't think I've felt that way since the first time." "That's what I'm talking about." "You mean, you don't...?" "You haven't...?" "Yes." " You're a...?" " Exactly." " With anyone?" " Never met the right person before." "Wow." "I thought the First Ones were rare." "Well, I hope she appreciates it." "So do I. It's..." " I'm picking something up." " A unicorn?" " Sorry." " It's some kind of distortion field in hyperspace." "It's as if someone's taken a part of hyperspace and folded it on itself like a pocket." "It's barely noticeable." "The only reason we can detect it is because this thing's based on Vorlon technology." " Can you track it?" " I think so." "Coming about." "Could be some kind of a hiding place built right into hyperspace so no one else could find it." " First Ones?" " Maybe." "Who else would know how to do it?" "Approaching distortion field." " Getting anything?" " Not sure." "Instruments are all over the place." " Marcus." " Trying to correct." "Marcus." "You better take a look." "Bloody hell!" " What happened after you left Babylon 5?" " I told you I don't remember anything!" " What happened after you left?" " I don't remember!" " What?" " God, I don't remember!" "I don't remember!" "Nothing!" "Nothing!" "Nothing!" "Chief?" " Chief?" " Zack?" "Yeah." " You okay?" " I think so." "I had a bad dream." " What happened?" " I was about to ask you the same thing." "Last time anybody saw you was over two weeks ago." "Two weeks?" "Can't be." "I was just..." "Just what?" "I don't know." "Everything's a blur." "Do you remember anything that happened to you after you left?" "No." "No, nothing." "I..." "I don't remember anything." "Two weeks." " Where's Sheridan?" " You don't know?" "Capt. Sheridan's dead." "He died at Z'Ha'Dum." "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Lethke." "I only wish that I had better news." "The other League Worlds are worried about your decision to attack Z'Ha'Dum." "They believe in doing so you will only provoke a deadly response." "Response is coming either way." "The Shadows will strike again soon." "We have nothing more to lose." "People never believe they have nothing else to lose until they've already lost it." "They're afraid." " We're all afraid." " But their fear may cause them to act against you." "They asked if I would attend an open rally to protest your actions." "They hope to stir up popular support to cause the few worlds that have sided with you to withdraw their ships." " Do you know when?" " Later today." "That's all I know." "When I declined to participate, they kept the rest of the information from me." "How do you plan to stop them?" "I don't." "I do not agree with what they're doing." "Fear is making them act against their own interests." "But they must be free to speak their minds or we have nothing left worth fighting for." "But you will be there?" "My voice is as free as theirs." "They'll hear my side as well." " The truth will attend to itself." " I hope you're right, Delenn." "Oh, one last thing." "We received a message from one of our long-range probes." "It picked up an unfamiliar ship moving on a hyperspace beacon that might be taking it toward Babylon 5." "I wondered if you knew anything about this." "No, I'm sorry." "Well, if it's coming here, I suppose we'll find out soon enough." "I see they've dragged you out of bed too?" "They told me to come, but I still don't know why." "Yes, and this one was not being very helpful." "Where are we going?" " You don't think they know, do you?" " No." "But it's so late." "Where are we going?" "I don't like it." "Well, why are we stopping?" "Approach." "We've been waiting for you." " Majesty?" " This is my private place." "I come here to think, to dream, to plan for my eventual godhood and to play." "Very few who come in here ever leave again." "You should feel honored." "The electro-whip is set to give an increasing level of pain each time it is used." "At 40 strokes, it will kill even a Narn." "It stops when he screams." " Majesty, there must be another..." " I must have my scream." "If he does not scream, he dies at 40." "It's his choice, not mine." "Proceed." "One two, three four, five six, seven eight, nine 10, 11, 12 13, 14 15, 16 17, 18 19, 20, 21 22, 23 24, 25, 26 27, 28 29 30 31, 32 33, 34 35 36, 37 38 39..." " Ivanova to C  C." " C  C online." "We're coming in." "Find Lyta Alexander." "I need to see her as soon as possible." "Confirmed." "Anything else?" "Yes, I want you to run a probe on all transmissions from Sector..." " 70 by 10 by 53." " Did you get that?" "Got it." "What are we looking for?" "I don't know, but we'll know it when we find it." " Yes?" " There is quite a bit of movement going on in the Zocalo, Delenn." "I would suggest the gathering we were warned about is coming soon." "I'll be there as fast as I can." " Anything yet?" " Nothing, commander." "Keep looking." "Where's Lyta?" "We're tracking her down now." "Commander, we've got something coming through the jumpgate." "Signature and silhouette unknown." " Could it be the Vorlons?" " I hope not." " How soon?" " Now." "It's coming in on approach." "Open up a frequency." "I can't." "It's not using any of the standard frequencies." " It'll have to wait..." " Commander, it's using our access codes." " It's activated the docking bay sequence." " What?" "Lvanova to Security." "Red alert!" "It's moving into the central docking bay." "All units move into position." "Everyone listen." "Listen to us." "There's something that you don't know." "We must tell you the truth because the Minbari never tell anyone the whole truth." "Delenn and others conspiring with her are risking all of your lives by organizing an attack against the Homeworld of the Shadows." "Hey, chief." "What are you doing?" " I ought to be there." " You're in no condition..." "Hey, tough." "I'm going." "I'm betting you can't spare people to put me to bed, can you?" "All right." "Come on." "The Shadows have withdrawn for now." "There have been no new attacks." "We believe we can find a peaceful solution." "If there is another pointless attack against Z'Ha'Dum they will destroy us all!" " They will come anyway!" "You don't know that!" "Well, I'll be damned." "It has been 1000 years since the last Shadow War." "If we do nothing to provoke them it may be another 1000 years before they move again." "We cannot allow the fleet to leave for Z'Ha'Dum." " That fleet is our only chance!" " Don't listen to her." "She must be silenced!" " You're acting out of fear!" " And you're acting out of grief and loss!" "If Sheridan has died, then why not the rest of us?" "You cannot attack Z'Ha'Dum." "No one has ever succeeded." "Ships go there and never return." "Lives are wasted." "Sheridan died trying to attack Z'Ha'Dum." "No one who goes there comes back alive." "Captain." "We're sorry." "We thought you were dead." "I was." "I'm better now." "The ambassador is correct." "I went to Z'Ha'Dum." "I've seen the face of the enemy." "They're not gods, and they're not indestructible." "I've fought them, and I've killed many of them." "And I've survived." "There is a way out of this, a way to stop this insanity once and for all." "Now, Delenn's fleet is a start." "Now we have to build on it." "Together, we will form the largest fleet in history." "Not just for a battle, but to change the shape of the galaxy!" "Not just for ourselves, but for our children." "And our children's children." "You tell your governments that the only man to survive Z'Ha'Dum sends this message:" "We can end this." "Not just for now, not just for the next 1000 years, but forever!" "I stand before you as proof that it can be done." "We can fight, and we can win, but only if we do it together!" "Can I count on you?" "Can I count on you?" "Will you stand together?" " Yes!" " Yes!" " Yes!" " Yes!" "I thought I'd never see you again." "I'll never leave you, Delenn." "Not if the whole universe stood between us." "This is C  C to Lyta Alexander." "Your presence is requested at once in Capt. Sheridan's office." "Repeat, this is C  C to Lyta Alexander." "Your presence is requested at once in Capt. Sheridan's office." "This is C  C to Lyta Alexander." "Your presence is requested at once in Capt. Sheridan's office." "You know, don't you?" "It's started." "When most of the First Ones left two of them, the Shadows and Vorlons, stayed behind." "Their job was to keep an eye on the younger races, help them along but they couldn't decide or agree on what had to be done." "The Vorlons believe that strength comes through order and discipline." "The Shadows believe in promoting evolution through conflict, starting wars." " Those are diametrically opposite positions." " Exactly." "Now, at first, there was a balance between the two sides." "They abided by rules of engagement, respected each other's positions." "But that changed over time..." "Something, Mr. Garibaldi?" "I just want to know who our new best friend is over here." "His name is Lorien." "That's all you need to know for now." " Yeah?" "Who decided that?" " He did." " Isn't that convenient?" " What the hell is that?" " I told you I trust him." " I know." "Secrets on top of secrets, right?" "I'm getting too old for this stuff." "What, that's funny to you?" "Lorien is older than he looks." "John, what I don't understand is, why the wars?" "Why the fighting?" "If each side agreed to respect the other..." "I don't know who started it first, but somewhere along the line they both decided that their way was the right way, the only way." "And we've been caught in the middle ever since." "Hello, captain." "Welcome back, John." "Hey." "Hey, I heard that you three went to Z'Ha'Dum after me." "That was foolish and dangerous." "And I can't thank you enough for trying." "Listen, I hate to bring this up at a time like this." "It seems like every time we get good news, you guys coming back alive something comes up and smacks us in the head." "What is it?" "When Marcus and I were out looking for the First Ones we came across a Vorlon fleet hiding in hyperspace." "Not dozens, not hundreds, but thousands of ships." "A couple of them were three, four miles across." "We tried to track them, but we lost them somewhere around Sector 70." " There's a Shadow base not far from there." " Exactly." "So as soon as we got back, I had C  C monitor that area for any transmissions, anything unusual." "The Shadow base was located on a planet called Arcata 7." " It's not there anymore." " The base?" "No." "The planet." "They destroyed..." "They destroyed an entire planet." "Lyta there are over 4 million people on Arcata 7." "You..." " You can't be serious." " This latest incident everything that's happened lately, it's convinced the Vorlons that their only alternative is to destroy the Shadows and anyone touched by them." " Like an infection, you have to cut it out." " And any healthy tissue that's cut out along the way, it's okay because it's for a good cause." "Since the Shadows are about to strike back anytime now we're caught in the middle again." " In Valen's name." "We could barely stop the Shadows." " How do we stop them and the Vorlons?" " I don't know." "All I know is that unless you do stop them, it won't matter who wins and who loses because none of us, not a single world in 70 light-years in any direction will live to see it."