Babylon 5 s04e07 Episode Script

Captain's personal log: The Shadow War is over.
We won.
But I can't stop thinking about what it cost us and how much work is still ahead of us.
Then again, maybe the doc's right.
Embrace the moment.
In the end, it's all we have.
Trouble will come in its own time.
It always does.
But that's tomorrow.
Give me today, and I will be happy.
Hey, Al.
Thanks for stopping by.
I just came back from a meeting at Earth Dome.
The president has commissioned a new program involving Psi Corps Earthforce, Nightwatch and the Ministry of Peace.
For reasons of security, none of these groups will know what the others have been assigned to.
Won't we end up stepping on each other's toes? That's a risk we'll have to take.
The president can't trust anyone outside the inner circle with the whole picture.
I'm not authorized to give you the details.
But something has rattled him big time.
So we've been given a new mandate.
The president wants Babylon 5 shut down permanently.
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.
If Clark wants to shut down Babylon 5 why not just send in the troops? They tried that last year when they turned back our ships.
It had a disastrous effect on morale.
There's considerable sympathy for Babylon 5 among the alien governments and here at home.
So those are the areas being targeted in the new program.
The goal is to knock the pins out from under them then move in when they're vulnerable.
Any questions? No, sir.
Your ship is ready to leave for Babylon 5, prime minister.
You're sure you can't stay with us a while longer? With the recent passing of the emperor and the Narn Homeworld being freed I don't think this is a safe place for me just now.
I will return when things calm down.
Well, it's our loss.
The jarno plants are just coming into bloom.
Five days of flowering and then they're gone.
Just like life, I suppose.
- You really should see it! - Well, next time.
I should tell you, the Centaurum met this morning to discuss choosing a new emperor.
With all the recent problems, they voted to postpone any decisions for a while so they could choose more wisely this time.
Probably a good idea.
The royal bloodline isn't what it used to be.
Too much intermarrying, I suppose.
I always say, "When you reduce a family tree to a family bush you just can't hide as much beneath it.
" Exactly.
So the Centaurum has decided to appoint a regent to the throne until a new emperor can be selected.
A regent? Oh, my heavens.
Who would take that job? It pays very well, I hear.
But it's simply a ceremonial role.
Actually, they've selected you.
It hardly seems worth - Me? - You.
Oh, dear.
The royal court awaits your orders, regent.
If you need any advice, I'll be on Babylon 5.
- Good day.
- There is I'm thinking pastels.
Well, I don't see any sign of infection.
That's good.
Wouldn't want to go any deeper into your eye cavity to dig it out.
Thank you.
I believe I've had quite enough of that.
There's a lot of scarring back here.
The Centauri who plucked it out was not a surgeon of your caliber.
I believe he used something similar to this.
I only saw it end on, you see.
Yeah.
Here.
- Is there any pain? - There is pain.
Sometimes I find my eye itches.
How can it itch if it's not there? Phantom limb syndrome.
Nerves are still sending off random impulses.
I'll give you something for the pain.
Then I want you to come back for a neural scan to determine what's left of the optic nerve bundle.
I can't promise anything, but I might be able to fix you up with a prosthetic.
Yeah, it's gonna be a tough match.
I don't have access to the newer prosthetics now that we're cut off from Earth.
And they are designed for human metabolism, but Will I see as I did before? Well, even under ideal conditions, the neural interface is difficult.
You'll have some scanning lines, interference if you're near power sources.
It will do.
Thank you, doctor.
- Here.
- Thank you.
G'Kar.
There's a rumor that after Narn was freed your people wanted to put you in charge.
Is that true? - Why didn't you take it? - I have seen what power does.
And I have seen what power costs.
The one is never equal to the other.
- What happened after you left Babylon 5? - I told you, I don't remember! - What happened? - I said, I don't remember! - Yeah, what is it? - We've got a coded message for you.
- It just came in.
- Source? We haven't been able to run it down.
We ran a standard decode but we couldn't find anything.
- Put it through.
Computer, delete last transmission and log of incoming messages.
Well, we might as well get started.
Mr.
Garibaldi, good of you to join us at last.
Well, now that we are all here Before you do that, there's something I wanna say.
This isn't easy for me, and I imagine it'll be a pain for everybody else, but There's no easy way to get to it, so I'll say it.
I've decided to resign as head of Security, effective immediately.
- You can't just resign like this.
- Who says? Since we broke from Earth, you can't hold me to my Earthforce contract.
We're free agents now.
Michael, we've all been under a lot of strain lately, all right? No one can blame you for feeling stressed out.
- Maybe a few days away - I don't want a few days away.
I don't want a vacation, a leave of absence, or a pass to Disneyplanet.
- I want out! - Why? Why? Because I wanna get out of the game while I'm ahead.
That's why.
Where does it say I have to fight someone else's battles for the rest of my life? I'm tired.
I'm tired of fighting wars I can't even begin to understand.
Okay, we won.
So now what? We can't go home.
President Clark would have us up for treason in a hot second.
Do we go up against our ships again? Live like outlaws for our whole lives? - What kind of a life is that? - I agree we've got work to do back home.
- But there are ways to do it.
- What if you don't do it the right way? If you have a better idea, put it on the table.
No, I don't have a better idea.
I can't find a way out of this.
All I see here is a chance to get out while I still have my skin make a life, maybe find a little happiness.
Doing what? I figure, you know, go independent.
Start my own company.
During the war, lots of people lost a whole lot of things and lots of people.
They'll need someone to help them find those things.
A man could make a decent living doing that.
- Hell, maybe even do some good.
- Garibaldi Look, I didn't come here to argue with you.
I just wanted to tell you because you got a right to know.
We all went through hell together, and whether you realize it or not we're all damn lucky to be alive.
I did my part, and now it's It's time for me to try and find a life for myself.
The war was about finding our own way and making our own choices.
If you won't let me do that if I can't carve out just a little bit of happiness for myself then I have to ask: What the hell were we fighting for? After you get your assignments, you have to rotate through customs once every two or three days.
We get a lot of ships through here.
And if we don't rotate our people regularly, they'll get burned out.
Now, check this display as soon as you come on duty.
You'll get your updates on who to hold and who to let through.
Anything unusual gets flagged.
And would I fall under the category of unusual, Mr.
Allan? Well, didn't think we'd be seeing you again anytime soon, ambassador.
Yes, I gathered that from the look of unvarnished joy on your face.
Perhaps you'd like to sit down before you are overcome by ecstasy.
Thanks, I'm fine.
So, what happened? They get tired of you back home? Tired? No, of course not.
Don't be absurd.
Why, the emperor himself said I would only be allowed to leave over his dead body.
I said, "Well, how strange.
Mr.
Allan said I would only be allowed back onto Babylon 5 over his dead body.
" With my very busy schedule I can only accommodate so many requests.
I know it is a burden, but you will simply have to wait your turn.
The only reason that guy is still alive is that half the time I don't know what he's talking about.
The other half, I wish I didn't.
That's why it's important to check in on customs on a regular basis.
You never know who's gonna walk in that Just a guess, Mr.
Allan, but I'd suggest the word you're looking for is "door.
" Now, please notify the captain that I'm here.
I need to meet with him and the rest of the command staff ASAP.
I assume my usual quarters in the brig are available.
I've grown so attached to the place.
For you, Mr.
Bester, always.
You ever have one of those days? Yeah, well, I guess I better notify - Zack here.
- The captain wants to see you ASAP.
He said there's a problem with Garibaldi.
On my way.
Look, I'm getting the hell out of here before anybody else comes in.
With my luck, it'll be the Second Coming.
And I'm still three commandments behind on penance.
Here, take over.
Thank you.
Yeah, come in.
G'Kar.
Hi.
I heard Well, I heard you went looking for me.
You're about the only one who did.
I heard you lost your That the Centauri captured you because of me.
If you had stayed here on the station where you had sanctuary, then they couldn't have G'Kar, I'm sorry.
I don't know what else to say.
I'm sorry.
Welcome home, Mr.
Garibaldi! - Thank you, G'Kar.
- What? I can't breathe.
Sorry.
Why were you apologizing? Because Because it was all for nothing.
You went through all that for me and they found me somewhere else.
- All for nothing? Absolutely not.
True, if I hadn't gone after you, the Centauri would've never captured me.
And yes, it cost me my eye.
But it put me in the right place to strike a deal with Mollari.
Because of that deal, my world is now free.
- Then you're not upset? - Upset?! I'm delirious with joy! It proves if you confront the universe with good intentions in your heart it will reflect that and reward your intent.
- Yeah.
- Usually.
It just doesn't always do it in the way you expect.
Yeah, maybe.
Maybe.
Maybe so.
I'm just - I'm just sorry you went through all this.
- For this goal, I'd go through far worse.
That's why I came here, to thank you.
Through your friendship, you became the one thing outside my own people that I could care enough about to risk being captured and in so doing, helped me serve my people more than I had dreamed possible.
You have a very weird way of looking at the universe, G'Kar but I kind of like it.
Thank you.
And you, Mr.
Garibaldi.
Good day.
Even for a Narn, he's nuts.
I didn't think the chief would ever walk away from this job.
Something's gotta be wrong.
He's been acting funny ever since he got back.
Maybe so, but until we know more, we have to go along with this.
Meanwhile, I'm putting you in charge of security.
After that, find Lyta Alexander and escort her to the conference room.
We're meeting with Bester in an hour, and I wanna be sure we're not scanned.
- Ivanova.
Go.
- Commander, you better put on ISN.
They're talking about us.
Computer, show us ISN.
The new presidential mandate forbids any Earth ship to travel to or from Babylon 5.
This includes commercial transport, passenger liners and private cruisers.
Earthforce patrols are authorized to use force to maintain the quarantine zone.
Any ship found violating these rules will be seized with both crews and passengers subject to arrest.
The president's action was in response to reports from the Ministries of Peace and Security detailing possible terrorist threats emanating from Babylon 5.
The president will release information regarding these threats at a later date.
Once again, all travel between Earth and Babylon 5 is now forbidden by law.
- Yes? - Zack Allan, ma'am.
Can I see you? You moving? While I worked for him, the new Vorlon ambassador had me throw everything out.
He said it was a distraction from my duties.
Now that he's gone, I went out, picked up a few things and I don't know where to put it all.
- Yeah, I know the feeling.
Listen, the captain wants me to escort you to the conference room.
- Bester just came aboard, and - Bester? - The Psi Cop? - Yeah.
Sorry, I assumed the two of you had met before.
Oh, we have.
While I was at the academy I interned with the Psi Cops as a field assistant.
They're trained to make others nervous, but Bester makes even other Psi Cops nervous.
Hell, the guy can make poison ivy nervous.
But we have to make sure he doesn't scan anybody.
- Captain needs you to keep an eye on him.
- Zack when I broke with the Corps, I became a rogue telepath.
As far as Bester's concerned, I'm just another blip.
- Lf he sees me, he'll take me back.
- Captain won't let him take you anywhere.
You've got his personal guarantee.
So will you come? Zack how come the only time people come see me is when they want something? Scan someone.
Protect someone.
Set up the Vorlon so you can take him out.
I nearly got my brain fried at Z'Ha'Dum, but nobody comes just to visit.
Nobody comes by and says, "Let's have dinner.
" I'm sure it's nothing personal.
I don't have to be a teep to know that you're lying, Zack.
So, what is it? Look, Lyta, you gotta understand you were close to the Vorlons, and they're not exactly popular right now.
And there's a rumor going around that before they left, they changed you made some modifications.
So, yeah people are a little wary around you.
With everything we've been through, can you blame them? No, I can't.
I guess I already knew it.
I just needed to hear it from someone.
I needed someone to be honest with me about it.
Thanks.
I might not like it, but at least I know where I stand.
Just part of the service.
Listen later on, if you still need some help unpacking this stuff you call me, okay? I'll bring pizza.
Thanks.
Too much! You're a thief! I'll give you 20 credits for the set.
That's all.
So? My world is now free.
You no longer exist in my universe.
Pray that we never notice one another again.
I want you to know that I object to this, captain.
Ms.
Alexander has no business being here.
She's a blip.
By all rights, I should arrest her and take her back with me.
Oh, you could do that.
And I could nail your head to the table, set fire to it and feed your charred remains to the Pak'ma'ra.
But it's an imperfect world, and we never get exactly what we want.
- So get used to it.
- Captain, this is pointless.
She's a P5.
If I were really going to try something, she's not strong enough to block me.
You're just embarrassing yourself and her.
Haven't we learned by now to trust each other? No, now sit.
- I take it you've seen the news.
- We have.
What the hell is going on back home? This quarantine? Now that he's lost his allies among the Shadows the president is worried about what you might do.
He knows you'll come after him sooner or later so he's making a preemptive strike.
He wants to destroy your credibility undermine your position back home and among the alien governments.
They've already launched phase one, the propaganda war.
With phase two, they get serious.
And what's phase two? It's not that easy, Mr.
Allan.
This information has a price tag attached to it.
Why? You said you'd help us in exchange for us trying to free your lover from the neural nets used on her.
True.
Even though the Shadows seem to be gone their allies in the Corps are still there, so I can't pursue this back home.
But you haven't succeeded yet, have you? The organic technology used in the wetware is beyond anything we've ever come across.
I've put them back into cryogenic suspension until we can figure it out.
- In time - There is another way.
If the Shadows have left Z'Ha'Dum and that's where this technology came from why not go there and take it? - Go back to Z'Ha'Dum? Are you nuts? Why not? If what you say is true, the place is deserted.
No.
No, they would've left defenses.
Maybe so, but that's my price.
You take me to Z'Ha'Dum and I'll tell you what I know about phase two.
After that, we go our separate ways.
It's a risk.
Even though Z'Ha'Dum's been abandoned we don't know what they left behind.
We're gonna have to have more information before we try this.
Information or not, I don't think you should go back there again.
You barely got out the last time.
Look, we can send someone else, right? No one else knows the area.
You okay? Fine.
- Is there a consensus? - No.
But we'll go anyway.
You have my word.
Now, this phase two? President Clark has ordered the Earthforce base in Sector 49 to keep a squadron of Starfuries on patrol beside the local jumpgate.
Sector 49 is the last stopover point for ships traveling from Earth to Babylon 5.
They've been told to challenge any ship coming through the gate.
What they don't know is that a Black Omega squadron an elite attack force attached to Psi Corps and answerable only to President Clark has been dispatched in heavily armed transports.
Their mission is to jump out and destroy the security patrol before they can react then leave behind evidence indicating that Babylon 5 was responsible for the attack.
Blaming you for the unprovoked murder of our pilots will help get the military and public opinion back on Clark's side.
You'll have to send a team to intercept the squadron immediately or it'll be too late.
It's ironic, I suppose: Save the Earthforce patrol, and continue the blockade of Babylon 5.
Let them be destroyed, and you'll be framed for murder and lose sympathy back home.
For you, it's a lose-lose proposition, captain.
But as you said: It's an imperfect world.
I appreciate you doing this, chief.
Not a problem.
When I got the emergency codes to lock down the station I made sure to put them someplace safe.
Why is it that someplace safe is always the one place you can never remember later? You got something to say, Zack? I got eyes in the back of my head.
You grow them after being shot in the back.
You run security long enough you're gonna grow them yourself.
So? I think you're making a mistake.
Quitting like this, chief, it just ain't right.
Not after everything we've been through.
What, you don't want a promotion? It's not about a promotion.
You know that.
I just don't want you to make a mistake.
Here we go.
Found it.
Zack, I got a flash for you.
The one thing in life you can be sure of is that you'll make mistakes.
Big ones, small ones.
Mistakes that take your breath away and haunt you for the rest of your life.
It happens.
I've had to learn that the hard way.
But this, right or wrong this is something that I gotta do for myself.
Remember when I hired you? Yeah.
It was the first break I had in a long time.
Exactly.
Details I don't have to go into.
You know and I know, and that's all that needs know, right? Nobody would hire you.
I checked your references.
They all said, "The guy is a problem.
" But at some point, you just gotta go on instinct.
The way I figure it, we are all entitled to one big, stupid screwup in our lives.
Maybe this is one of those.
We'll see.
A lot of people told me I was making a mistake with you.
But I was right.
And if I could be right about you why can't I be right about me? Zack, you're the best second I've ever had.
You'll make a good chief.
Well, not as good as me, but, you know, we can't expect miracles here, right? Talk about delusions of adequacy.
- Here.
- Thanks for everything.
- You are welcome.
Now get out of here.
I got things to do.
Hey.
Thank you for coming along.
Spending five minutes with Bester would try the patience of a saint but being stuck with him on a ship goes above and beyond the call of duty.
It's not a burden.
It will give us time together.
- That can never be a bad thing.
- I know, I know.
It's just we never seem to get a break.
You know, I figured well, the war's over, we won we should get a few days off before the next big crisis.
- But it never seems to work out that way.
- No.
And you wouldn't have it any other way.
- I beg your pardon.
- You're a problem solver.
You're one of these people who will pick up a rope that's tangled up and spend an entire day untangling it because it's a challenge, because it defies your sense of order in the universe and because you can.
Sometimes I try to picture you sitting on a beach with absolutely nothing to do.
- And? - And the picture always ends with your head imploding.
You haven't known me this long to know me so well.
We're old souls.
Deal with it.
Earth security patrol to transports.
If you're en route to Babylon 5, turn back or prepare to be boarded.
Do you receive? I repeat, security patrol to unidentified ships! Heave to at once! Alpha Squadron to Earthforce Patrol.
It's a trap! Break off! Break off! They're boxed in.
Alphas Two and Three, take out the enemy fighters! Four and Five, you're with me! Security Patrol to Alpha Squadron.
Damn, you just saved our butts.
Where the hell did you come from? Babylon 5.
Babylon 5? I thought you were supposed to be the bad guys here.
Well, let's just say that reports of our disloyalty have been greatly exaggerated.
We hit their primaries.
Break away.
You've been keeping me out since I got here.
A good question is, why? A better question is how? I was thinking, I may have spoken rashly before.
There may be some value in not turning you over.
You're stronger than the last time I saw you.
- We all change.
- Yes, but this is different.
I can feel it.
Whatever's happened to you you have a moral obligation to share it with the Corps, Lyta.
The Corps is mother.
The Corps is father.
In that case, Mr.
Bester, I'm an orphan.
Not an orphan.
Just a confused, frightened child who's run away and needs to be reminded where home is.
Lyta remember, I know things about you you wouldn't want anyone else to know.
Never forget that.
Is that it? It looks like hell.
That's about right.
John, the crew is picking up something unusual at the local jumpgate.
- What is it? - It appears to be an evacuation.
Those aren't Shadow vessels.
Who are they? Shadows couldn't have done all they did alone.
They had allies dark servants from other races who helped because they believed or because they had something to gain.
- Why would they be evacuating? - Are we picking up any signals from the planet? - No.
- Lyta? - I'm not sensing anything.
It feels dead.
Then we can go in.
There's no one there to stop us.
- Come about! - What?! Get us away from the planet, fast! - What are you doing? - Defenses down, no warning message.
There's nobody left down there! Maybe the Shadows decided not to leave anything behind for others to steal.
No.
No! They wouldn't Well, looks like we're still stuck with each other, Mr.
Bester.
Like I said it's an imperfect world.
This is where we keep most of the telepaths rescued from the Shadows until the doc can get the control devices out of their brains.
The rest of them are in cryo.
Which one is she in? Your ship leaves in 10 minutes.
I'll be back in five.
Hi.
I tried.
Damn, but I tried.
Six men.
My best pilots.
They weren't my orders.
I just passed them on and took advantage of it.
They trusted me.
Never imagined what I was sending them into.
When I gave them the orders, I looked in their eyes and It's a hard thing to send people in to die when you're the one pulling the trigger.
But I'd do it again.
Black Omega was my baby my creation.
And I'd gladly sacrifice the whole squadron if it would bring you back to me.
But it was all for nothing.
Sheridan and the others, they're probably laughing right now.
Well, that's all right.
I still have an ace in the hole.
And it'll hurt them more than anything they've ever done to me.
I miss you.
There's no one at home for me to talk to.
Good night.
I'll see you soon.
I promise.
Yes? I just thought I'd come by, see how you were doing.
Fine.
Fine.
- Why shouldn't I be? - You know, I was just thinking about the timing of that evacuation at Z'Ha'Dum.
And then I remembered what lvanova told me that when the three of you went to Z'Ha'Dum to find me the Shadows picked up on your telepathic signal.
Now, those sensors were probably left behind when the Shadows went away.
If someone who knew they were there began sending a telepathic probe the moment we hit hyperspace it might just be enough to set off the destruct sequence.
Of course, it would take a very powerful telepath to send a signal that far ahead.
Hyperspace has been known to enhance telepathic abilities.
Not that much.
And do all that and keep Bester from picking up the signal? That's a bit much for a P5, wouldn't you say? Maybe even beyond a P10 or a P12.
Now, what I haven't figured out yet is why would someone go through all that? Theoretically maybe because he got me angry.
Maybe because there's leftover commands from the Vorlons I haven't recognized yet.
Maybe because what's left on Z'Ha'Dum can't fall into anyone's hands for any reason.
And maybe Maybe because he hurt so many of my people, he deserves to be hurt in response.
He has sent away so many loved ones, he deserves to find out how it feels to lose someone he cares about.
And I wouldn't have been told because he could scan me.
But not you.
Yes.
Well, theoretically.
Well, I'm glad we're talking theory here, Lyta.
Because as much as I may agree with your reasons might even have supported the decision if this were to happen again if a command-level decision were made without consulting me I would turn you over to the Psi Corps and let them turn you inside out.
Am I perfectly, crystal clear? Yes, sir.
Yes? What? I got half plain cheese and half pepperoni.
At least, they said it was pepperoni.
I don't think we should look too close, though.
Still need a hand? I've been monitoring the Gold Channels.
Clark's having a hell of a time explaining the ambush.
"Just all a terrible mistake," he says.
He won't try that again.
No one would fall for it now.
- We've gone from lose-lose to win-win.
- It seems like.
So why do you look so worried? I was just thinking about those ships we saw leaving Z'Ha'Dum.
Delenn called them the allies of the Shadows, dark servants.
We don't know what they took, where they're going or what they plan to do.
- Maybe they just wanted out.
Or maybe they want to get even.
With Z'Ha'Dum gone, it'll take a long time before they can do anything to anybody.
Yeah, I suppose so.
But I just wish I knew where they were going.
A dream.
That's all.
Just a bad dream.