Babylon 5 s05e05 Episode Script

Meditation shapes us.
It makes us strong but keeps us flexible.
As fluid as thought itself.
As invisible as the night.
Is there something troubling you, Rastenn? Apologies, master, but how can we reach a state of meditation when? That is, your voice can be very distracting.
Because you are listening to the voice and not the thoughts behind it.
To be Anla'shok, you must be able to go inside under all circumstances even waiting to go into battle.
Without falling asleep.
Anyone can meditate in silence.
That is hardly a challenge worthy of a Ranger.
A challenge is to stand alone, unarmed, prepared to die.
I would hardly say sitting and thinking is a challenge.
True.
You do seem to have the sitting part down to an art so I suppose there's hope.
As for thinking, well, let's leave that for the advanced classes.
We shouldn't expect too much of you at once.
We'll worry about thinking once we've cleared away all that Warrior caste nonsense.
Nonsense, Sech Turval? - Apologies.
The choice of words - Was unfortunate? In error? Untimely, Sech Durhan.
Return to your meditations.
Turval, we have just received a message from Delenn.
She would like a report on our progress here.
She's asked for me to come and to bring one other along.
And you have chosen me.
I'm honored.
It's good to know that at my advanced age there is still respect for wisdom and perception.
Everyone else was busy.
You are a source of constant annoyance to me, Turval but only because you're right more often than you're wrong.
And why should I keep this joy to myself? I choose to share you with the universe.
Valen help them all.
Tannier.
You were supposed to be listening only to your inner voice.
I was, master.
My inner voice was smiling.
No one has an inner voice that smiles.
I do.
I'd expect that from the Religious caste.
All right, Turval.
Choose your escorts.
Meet me at the landing platform.
We leave for Babylon 5 in one hour.
Yes, Durhan.
You and you, come with me.
Since you seem incapable of meditating in silence going somewhere else might be a good idea.
Babylon 5, the home of peace.
You're behind on payments, Lex.
Look at you.
You insult me.
Now I have to make sure everybody understands that you don't keep Trace waiting for his money.
Do it.
No.
No.
Leave the body where they'll find it.
I want everyone to know there's a new power in town because from now on Babylon 5 belongs to me.
And anyone that doesn't understand that is gonna get exactly the same.
And so it begins.
- There's a hole in your mind.
- What do you want? No one here is exactly what he appears.
Nothing's the same anymore.
Commander Sinclair is being reassigned.
Why don't you eliminate the entire Narn Homeworld? I see a great hand reaching out of the stars.
Who are you? President Clark signed a decree declaring martial law.
These orders have forced us to declare independence.
Unless your people get off their encounter-suited butts and do something - You're The One who was.
- lf you go to Z'Ha'Dum, you will die.
Why are you here? Do you have anything worth living for? I think of my beautiful city in flames.
Giants in the playground.
Get out of our galaxy! We are here to place President Clark under arrest.
Maintenance Chief Willis to Docking Bay 4.
Chief Willis to Docking Bay 4.
Seal off that fuel clamp.
Greetings, Entil'Zha.
Sech Durhan, welcome.
Sech Turval, it's good to see you again.
And you, Delenn.
We are honored that you would come and meet us.
I don't believe in standing on protocol.
Since this is your first time on Babylon 5, I decided to show you around myself.
Thank you.
Then we should - And who are these? - Oh, two of our newest recruits.
This is Tannier.
He comes to the Anla'shok from the Religious caste.
And that's Rastenn, originally from the Warrior caste.
Since you wanted to know how things were it seemed best to introduce you to some of our more recent additions.
- Entil'Zha Delenn, it is an honor to - Speak when spoken to.
Apologies, master.
Well, if you would come this way.
Thank you, Tannier.
Hey, Zack.
Come on.
Have a seat.
Hey, morning.
I was gonna give you a call.
Got word from Byron about those telepaths you wanted.
He'll send a couple candidates to meet you later on today.
- Good.
- It's good to see you down here again.
Didn't know if you'd still hang around with us grunts now that you've been promoted.
It's still just little old me, Zack.
I don't change.
I don't have the time.
Captain.
Nothing wrong with the chair here.
Why don't you join us? Gentlemen.
- So how's it going? - Fine, fine.
I'm just revising the rotation schedule for Starfury pilots on station patrol.
We need to be more efficient.
Keep more fighters outside without putting too much of a burden on the pilots.
Good luck.
During fighting last year we lost a lot of fighters.
We're down to about two-thirds of what we should have.
Since Earth joined the new Alliance we can ask them to send some more replacements.
You're on good terms with the administration.
You could ask them for us.
You give me far too much credit.
- You think? - I do.
Maybe we should It occurred to me that since you were on the other side during the civil war you might feel some, I don't know obligation to help replace some of the fighters we lost during the campaign.
Who said I was on the other side? Well, I didn't hear your name mentioned by anybody on our side.
Anybody else think this food tastes funny? So you think there are only two sides to any argument? I think it's saffron.
I hate saffron.
In this case, yeah.
There've been a lot of rumors about you since you got on board.
Everybody else is afraid to ask.
I don't have that problem.
I don't work for you.
I answer only to Sheridan.
So I want to know, just for me, which side were you on? Okay.
You're right.
I wasn't on your side.
I was on the side that says it's not the role of the military to set policy or depose presidents or fire on our own ships.
We follow orders until one comes along that violates our conscience.
Then we have to decide whether or not to follow it and take the consequences.
Maybe you'll be proven right.
Maybe they'll stick you in front of a firing squad.
But your decision affects only you.
You can take a stand without destroying the chain of command.
And did you? Did you take a stand? Well, now, that's none of your concern, Mr.
Garibaldi.
You asked me if I took up arms against my own government.
The answer is no.
My job is to protect the men and women who serve under my command and I will perform that job with every last breath I've got because I owe them nothing less.
- And the hell with the rest of the world.
- There you have me at a disadvantage.
You see, I don't know what's best for the whole world.
I don't understand the ethical structure of the universe and I don't think it's my place to tear up the constitution I swore an oath to protect.
I am a soldier, Mr.
Garibaldi.
And as such, my vocabulary is rather limited.
I only really understand three words: Loyalty, duty, honor.
If I did it your way, one of those would have to go.
Then the other two would become meaningless just like this conversation.
Good day.
Garlic.
I think it's garlic.
Red 2.
- Mr.
President.
- Captain.
- How's it going? - Fine.
Fine.
I just had a very frank and open conversation with Mr.
Garibaldi.
No, no.
It was good.
Obviously there are some issues that need to be addressed.
At least now they're out on the table where we can see them.
Meaning he doesn't trust you.
- Not as far as he can throw me.
- Yeah.
- You want me to talk to him? - No.
But thank you.
No, he's my problem, not yours.
You know, if I can't handle him I shouldn't be here.
And I will.
In my own time, my own way.
You having second thoughts about taking the position? No, sir.
No, if anything, this confirms that I am exactly where I need to be.
- Why, are you having second thoughts? - None whatsoever.
I picked you for a reason and I have every confidence in that decision.
You just keep doing what you're doing.
Michael will come around eventually.
- He's a good man.
- I know, I just I just never thought I'd meet a second man as strong-willed stubborn and annoying as I am.
My cup runneth over.
Got here as soon as I could.
Let me see.
Looks like a single PPG burst fired at close range.
Same as the last one.
- Any ID? - Name's Lex Moreau.
Got here two weeks ago, ran up a line of credit at the casino then disappeared.
- Interesting.
The heat from a PPG burst takes a few seconds to cauterize the wound.
You get a fair amount of bleeding before then.
There's no blood on the deck, meaning he was killed somewhere else left out in the open probably as a warning.
I don't suppose any of you saw anything.
Heard anything.
Look, this is the third murder in two weeks.
All execution-style, all with a single PPG hit.
Now, my guess is there's going to be more until the guy who's doing this makes his point.
Unless he already has.
Unless the fear coming off all of you was his goal.
Now, either way, unless you help us help you there's gonna be more killing.
Probably one of you will be next.
All right.
Bag him, number him, put him in with the rest.
I'll be in the office.
Stink around here is starting to get to me.
Smart guy.
Figured out a lot just by looking at the body.
He's a good talker too.
Looks like he had some of them convinced.
Take him out.
Tonight.
Trace, listen, I know you got your mind made up on Zack.
That's right.
Yeah, well, I just wanted See, you're new here.
The big guys don't back down when you hit them hard.
We got a good thing going.
Ever since N'grath went down there's been a vacuum in the power structure.
We have the muscle to take over all the Downbelow rackets.
Fencing, extortion, hookers.
The whole thing.
But you got to keep a low profile.
You go after Zack, you'll have the whole station down around our necks.
Listen the last place I had an operation like this was Beta 7.
And there was a guy like Allan in charge of security for the whole colony.
But a lot of guys under him didn't like him any more than we did.
So me and the boys We took him out.
The next guy came after us hard so we took him out too.
And you know what? The third guy was just like us.
So we made a deal.
And everyone lived happily ever after.
Until the war.
Then we all got kicked out.
But now we're here.
And we're gonna stay here.
And we are gonna send a message.
You got a problem with that? Then let's get to work.
Well, finally, since we've opened up membership in the Anla'shok to all the other Alliance races, we've been joined by a few recruits from the outworlds.
Two Drazi and a pair of Yolu three Abbai and a Pak'ma'ra.
We have no idea what to do with the Pak'ma'ra.
They're slow, greedy, selfish, not very bright.
They refuse to speak anything other than their own language so we have to use a translator.
And they're carrion eaters.
If it's not five days dead and decayed, they won't touch it.
We've had to move the quarters of the Pak'ma'ra well away from the other recruits.
It's the smell, you see.
It's quite astonishing.
I understand your desire to make the Rangers representative of all the member races, Delenn but this may not be practical.
The Anla'shok is trained to fight, to think.
They have to learn at least two other languages, not counting Interlac.
So, what are we to do with the Pak'ma'ra? Our training methods were created by Minbari to serve Minbari.
But if there is any lesson to be learned from the humans it is that we are made stronger by our differences, not weaker.
If the Pak'ma'ra cannot learn to be what we think they should be then perhaps we should learn to use them for what they are.
Well, we've already considered using them for garbage disposal but there are things that even a Pak'ma'ra won't eat.
- We think.
- We think, yes.
We haven't actually discovered what that is yet.
The interesting thing about the Pak'ma'ra is that they're everywhere.
They limp from planet to planet, bartering their supplies of Quantium-40 which everyone needs for jumpgate production.
We see them every day, but no one wants anything to do with them.
- Can you blame them? - You miss the point.
For all intents and purposes the Pak'ma'ra are invisible, ignored, shunned.
People go to great lengths not to notice them.
Can you think of a race better suited to work as couriers bringing reports too important to risk on an open channel? She's right.
The Rangers are needed on the frontier.
They shouldn't be used as couriers, which is just as dangerous.
The Pak'ma'ra won't even be noticed.
Well, I suppose there's a certain rough wisdom there.
I'll start the training sessions in infiltration and message coding when we get back.
Thank you, Entil'Zha.
You're welcome.
We'll continue this again when you've had a chance to rest from your long trip.
It's good to see you, Turval.
It's been too long.
I've heard about Marcus, and I'm sorry.
He was one of my better pupils once I got through the noise which filled his head.
It was unfortunate but not unexpected.
Why do you say that? He joined the Anla'shok for the wrong reasons.
Because of guilt over the death of his brother.
He wasn't looking for a way to serve.
He was seeking a way to atone.
Which brings me to someone else.
I won't need you any further.
You're free to explore the station.
Once you complete your training you will be here frequently.
So may as well get acquainted now as later.
I'm very much concerned about your aide, Lennier.
He's training much harder than he should.
He's taking on too much, pushing himself to the limit in combat training.
Sometimes he's reckless.
I wonder if he is trying to prove something.
Maybe to me, maybe to himself or maybe to someone else? Let us say only that l'm also concerned.
Watch him for me, Turval.
If he continues in this way, let me know.
Of course.
And if you should ever need somebody to talk to, Delenn I hope you'll remember your old teacher from time to time.
I will.
Thank you, Turval.
My intent is to use you sparingly only when there's no other way to gather information critical to saving lives.
Seems like every time you use a telepath in an intelligence-gathering capacity it's an interstellar incident just waiting to happen.
We'll create several teams, which will maximize flexibility and guarantee none of you gets used more than you should.
I know this work is a strain and I don't want anyone to feel overburdened.
Any questions? All right.
Zack will get you special com links by the end of the week.
Now, only he and I will have the ID numbers.
Then Then we see what happens.
That's all.
Oh, next time try to contain your enthusiasm for the job.
You sure this is a good idea? I'll let you know if I survive it.
- Now, listen.
Need a favor.
- Shoot.
I need you to pull the security jacket on Captain Lochley.
Are you nuts? That information is personal and classified.
And? I did the same thing when Sheridan came.
It's a good idea we know who we're dealing with.
You've really got a bug up your butt about her, don't you? Did it ever occur to you that because somebody doesn't agree with you that doesn't mean they're the enemy? - No.
There's something that she's not telling us.
Why would Sheridan hire somebody who was on the wrong side of the war? The rumor is that he's trying to make peace.
That may be true, as far as it goes, but I smell something else going on here.
How does he know he can even trust her? He barely Zack Allan, go.
We just received a BabCom message from someone who says she knows about the murders in Downbelow.
You got an ID? Yeah.
Cynthia Teegarden, Brown 42-C.
We ran a check on her.
She's pretty clean.
She wants to talk to you but she doesn't want anyone to know that she gave you the tip.
Tell her I'll meet her in the accessway to Brown 6.
It's pretty deserted this time of day.
Security out.
Gotta go.
- What about my? - I'll think about it.
This may not be a good idea.
We should learn about all the dark places here since that is where we will do our work.
In the dark.
Hey.
You sent the message? Yeah.
Yeah, I sent it.
He'll be here in a few minutes.
- Good.
All right, we've gotta find - You promised me.
You promised me money for a ticket home.
I've been stuck here so long.
You promised me.
Here, there you go.
Transport leaves in 30 minutes.
Beat it.
We gotta find a place to leave the body where it's gonna be seen for a while.
- I got a place.
- What body? It's none of your business.
Beat it.
You said you were gonna scare him into leaving you alone.
You didn't say anything about killing anyone.
They've got my name on file.
All the more reason for you to leave, then, isn't it? - Bye-bye.
- No.
I can't.
I can't go along with this.
No! Let me go! No! Where are you going? Someone's in trouble.
It's not our problem.
You don't know who it is or what's going on.
Let me go! - It doesn't matter.
- It does.
We shouldn't get involved in things like this.
They will only compromise our mission.
Our mission is to save life.
Now, let go.
No.
Stop! Let me go! - You had your chance.
- No.
He's a Ranger.
Yeah, I've heard about them.
Some kind of police force, right? Well, we wanted to make a statement to the authorities.
Might as well make one with him as anyone else.
In Valen's name.
- How badly is he hurt? - Bad.
If he were human he'd be dead right now.
The woman he saved called security.
They got there as fast as they could but the ones who did this heard them coming and escaped.
I should have gone with him.
Where is she now? She may have gotten on a transport to one of the outer sectors.
We don't know which one.
Did he say anything before he lost consciousness? Just that his attackers were human and they were making a statement about who runs things around here.
Zack's checking things on his end, but there's not much to go on.
See to it he lives, doctor.
Make him well enough to stand.
We will do the rest.
Mora'dum.
What does that mean, "Mora'dum"? It refers to a part of Ranger training.
It means "the application of terror.
" Sorry to keep you waiting, Delenn.
It's been one of those days.
I heard about your friend.
I'm sorry.
How is he? He regained consciousness during the night, but he's still very badly injured.
Then we can get a statement.
Good.
I'll have Zack talk to him, get a description of his attacker I'm afraid that will not be possible.
Well, if he can't remember the details, we can have a telepath jog his memory, or No.
We have the information, but we will attend to it ourselves.
This matter is now officially under the jurisdiction of the Anla'shok.
Rangers are required to deal with such things without resorting to outside intervention.
Delenn, this is a matter of internal security.
I would hardly refer to it as "outside intervention.
" Look, I know that you have certain cultural imperatives going on here.
I don't understand them and won't pretend that I do.
But I can't have a bunch of vigilantes running around my station.
Captain, all members of the Alliance, including Earth have recognized the independent authority of the Rangers.
Under the new constitution the Anla'shok are above local security and police forces, yours included.
You're pulling rank.
I would not wish to put it in quite those terms, but No.
No, I don't suppose that you would.
I assume that you don't mind if I ask the president his opinion.
We have already spoken.
He supports this.
I can't believe it.
It's not like him.
It's It's not like him? How? Delenn, you can't just run around having the Rangers take out your revenge every time somebody gets hurt.
Captain, this is not about revenge.
What is it about? Terror.
How is he? He spoke a little while ago.
He asked for water.
I gave it to him and then he fell asleep again.
It's the body's way of healing itself.
I wonder, though, what it will take to heal you.
I was not injured, Sech Turval.
No, not physically.
But your spirit is wounded.
I abandoned him.
I should never have let him go alone.
But you did.
- Yes.
- Why? There's no shame in the truth, Rastenn.
I was afraid.
- Of dying? - No.
I didn't know what was involved.
It could have been something foolish or trivial or stupid.
If I am asked to lay down my life for my people, for my friends I would do so in an instant, but I felt that - You were afraid of dying without reason.
- Yes.
Death in a cause is one thing, but death without meaning If I told you to climb a mountain and bring me a flower from the highest point and you will die after completing your task would that be meaningless? Of course.
It's trivial.
And if there are a million people waiting at the base of that mountain to whom that one flower was a symbol of their freedom and they would follow that symbol and your death into a struggle that would liberate half a billion souls would that have a meaning? You see? We create the meaning in our lives.
It does not exist independently.
Being Anla'shok does not mean worrying about what others will think about us.
It does not mean deciding what to do based upon whether or not it serves our sense of ego or destiny.
It means living each moment as if it were your last one.
It means doing each right thing because it is the right thing.
The scale doesn't matter.
The where, the when, the how, or in what cause, none of those things matter.
In my life, I've discovered very few truths.
Here is the greatest truth I know: Your death, Rastenn, will have a meaning if it comes while you're in fullest pursuit of your heart.
- Finished? - Finished.
We've helped him face his terror in a quieter battle.
And now we must try to help him in the same way.
So, what kind of terror are we talking about here, Delenn? The kind that cripples.
The kind that destroys.
Not from without, but from within.
As soon as he can stand, whether he is fully healed or not Tannier will prepare to face his terror.
Those who harm him now have power over him.
He must take back that power or he will never be whole again.
We will go with him and bring him to the point of his terror.
And then he will face it.
But if he isn't fully healed he could die in the effort.
As Anla'shok, we choose to do that which frightens us knowing that there are no guarantees.
He may lose.
We cannot help him.
Then he will stand alone.
At the end, captain we all stand alone.
All right, that's it.
Come on, everybody out.
Let's go.
Come on.
I don't get it.
Why do we have to leave? Because Delenn told the president, the president told the captain the captain told me and I'm telling you.
They want this whole area cleared of security personnel.
- What do we do if something happens? - Nothing.
Those are my orders.
Now, come on.
- Trace, man, you been outside? - Why? Everybody in security just took a hike.
I went up two levels, down one.
We're clear in both directions.
We've got the whole place to ourselves.
You see? What did I tell you? You just gotta be strong, show them you mean business then you get to do whatever you wanna do.
What the hell is that? Emergency lights activated.
Red, Jerry, go outside, check it out.
Take a hand-mike, and you stay in touch.
- You see anything? - Nothing.
Nobody's around.
We can't see a damn thing.
We Jerry.
- Jerry, you there? - What happened? I don't know.
But whatever it is, I bet it's just these three levels.
We get Topside, we'll be okay.
Listen up, everyone, we're getting out of here.
You three take point, the rest of you bring up the rear.
Let's go! No! Miller! Man, he's gone.
Hey! Who do you think you are? Who do you think you're playing with? Who are you? - Where's Trace? - Stay together.
What do you want from me? Why are you doing this? You stay away from me.
You understand? You stay away from me.
Oh, no.
Not a chance.
I'm not fighting all of you.
Not all of us.
Just him.
Well, that's too bad, because I'm not trained to use one of these things.
His training was not complete either.
It didn't stop you before.
Don't let it stop you now.
If you want to leave here, the way is past him.
None of us will move to stop you if you can get past him.
Not a chance.
I've got my rights.
I've got my rights! You've got the pike.
Continue.
Attend, students.
This is a classic archetype in action.
The strongman, or "bully," as the humans call it.
Essentially a coward whose only skill is convincing others to do what he's afraid to do himself.
Notice the lack of technique.
No follow-through.
Another flaw in this particular personality type.
All muscle, no brain.
This isn't fair.
I don't know how to use this damn thing.
Inexperience is not an issue.
Any one of you showed far more technique and potential the first time you held a pike.
Even the Pak'ma'ra.
Where is your fear now, Tannier? Gone, master.
And what do you feel? Anger? Do you feel triumphant, happiness, joy? Pity.
Why? Because this is all he will ever have and all he will ever know.
Because his name will be swallowed by silence.
Forgotten.
His name belongs to no one.
And who does your name belong to, history? The world? No.
It belongs to me.
Here ends the lesson.
You may take him now.
Shuttle Newton, you are cleared for launch.
You should come with us, Delenn.
It is not right for the Entil'Zha to be so far from home for so long.
The Rangers could profit by your influence.
I wish I could, Turval, but I'm needed here to begin the process of setting up training camps in other Alliance worlds.
Sheridan and I will be there soon enough.
And when that happens I was thinking that I would like to have Tannier assigned as one of the house guards.
Well, that is a great honor for one so young.
Yes, it is.
Well, I will speak to you when you get back home.
Safe passage, Sech Durhan.
Sech Turval.
Entil'Zha, veni.
Durhan, one thing.
Turval told me that the new recruits had not been fully trained with the denn'bok.
The fighting pike is a dangerous weapon, Delenn not to be taken lightly or learned prematurely.
Yes, I know.
That's why it is proper for recruits to learn from one of the younger teachers.
Only a very few will learn from Durhan himself.
Tannier handled the pike quite well.
Almost as though instructed by a master before going into battle.
Yes, he did.
- Good day, Delenn.
- Durhan.
You know, that's something I never realized about the Minbari.
What is that? I think they're genetically incapable of walking away from a fight.
No, I mean it.
When Delenn's forces went up against the Drakh, they barely got out yet they went back and wiped them out anyway.
Yeah, well, they killed a bunch of her people.
I know.
That's what I mean.
You or me, we probably would have gotten reinforcements and then got back but once they're in, they're in.
Earth-Minbari War, same thing.
We hit them, they couldn't let go until either they beat us or we beat them.
Now this.
Somebody starts a fight, they gotta finish it.
Doesn't matter if they win or lose, as long as they don't give in to terror.
Well, maybe.
And maybe that ain't such a bad thing.
So you got the captain's file there? No.
Go away.
- I could just peek.
- You know, Michael you and the Minbari have one thing in common: You never know when to leave something alone.
I'll be in in a minute, Delenn.
That's fine.
I'm just thinking.
About what? I spoke to the captain today.
At one point she said she couldn't believe that you would authorize the Mora'dum.
She said it's not like you.
What did she mean by that, John? I'm going to pretend that you were going to tell me this sooner or later.
I was just looking for the right time.
Ten seconds after you thought of it would have been good.
Yeah.
Yeah, maybe so.
Are you all right? I think so.
It will just take some getting used to.