Babylon 5 s02e17 Episode Script

Knives

Home run.
Fair ball.
You're swinging like you've had | a rough day.
You try an eight- hour session | with the League of Non- Aligned Worlds.
They're thinking about banning the Narn | and the Centauri from the Corridor.
There've been a few incidents | around the trade gates.
Well, at least you didn't have | to spend your day in the triangle.
- The"triangle"? | - Holding pitch.
Grey Sector.
Ever since B5 went online, | there've been stories about the place.
- Registering batter change.
| - Strange lights.
Weird noises.
People vanishing.
Maintenance | nicknamed it the"B5 Triangle.
" Now they swear there's something | making their scanners go haywire.
- Foul ball.
| - Anything to the stories? Every station has its phantoms.
I've never seen anything down there, | but it is, you know, kind of creepy.
Foul ball.
Well, in that case, I'll have | to take a look for myself.
- Why? | - Curiosity.
- Holding pitch.
| - When I was a kid I used to love to wander through | all those creepy places: Haunted houses.
Forbidden paths.
| lndian burial grounds.
It was like candy.
I couldn't get enough.
Just don't go in there alone, okay? That's half the fun of it.
Strike three.
You're out.
Thanks.
No, no, no, Vir.
You can't even begin to compare | the compositions of Trantaro - with those of Dorva.
| - But, Londo, Dorva is fine-- Fine? Fine? The man was | a giant of Centauri opera.
His opening aria for Travali Stocata? Please.
This is one of the most brilliant, | soul- stirring piece of music ever written.
That's very commendable, Londo, | and you sing it quite well.
But it cannot stand beside | Trantaro's Mi Gri Vitaro.
Vir, they don't write them | like that anymore.
How fitting you should die with a song on your lips, Mollari.
The Babylon Project was our last, | best hope for peace.
A self- contained world, fiive miles long, | located in neutral territory.
A place of commerce and diplomacy for a quarter of a million | humans and aliens.
A shining beacon in space, | all alone in the night.
It was the dawn | of the Third Age of mankind.
The year the Great War | came upon us all.
This is the story of the last | of the Babylon stations.
The year is 2259.
| The name of the place is Babylon 5.
- Who are you? | - Your doom, Paso Leati.
Paso Leati? Urza? - Londo.
| - Urza! How good it is to see | your sad face again.
Yes.
You almost saw it | for the last time.
By all the gods, never play a trick | like that on me again.
Forgive me.
As always.
Vir, I want you to meet | an old friend of mine.
This is Urza Jaddo.
Excuse me, Vocator Urza Jaddo, | hero of the Battle of Gorash and the finest swordsman in the | Couro Prido, next to me, of course.
Urzo, Vir Cotto, my attache.
Now we shall go back to my quarters, | open a bottle of fine Brivari and you'll tell me what happy miracle | has brought you here to Babylon 5.
Alas, I must decline for the moment.
The journey from Centauri Prime was | long.
There are things I must attend to.
But later we will talk of many things | and drink deeply of your fine Brivari.
I look forward to it.
Hey.
Are you all right? Sheridan to Garibaldi.
Garibaldi.
Chief, I'm in Grey 1 0.
| I've just found a-- Chief! Chief! Captain, I can't read you.
| Send again.
Send again.
Garibaldi, I can't read you.
| There must be-- Captain, are you all right? Yeah, I'm okay.
Just get down here as soon as you can.
Your epinephrine level's elevated but that's consistent | with a sudden state of shock.
You could use rest, but you're fine.
Shock's a pretty mild word for it, doc.
I've been attacked by aliens before, | but never by dead ones.
So maybe next time you'll listen | when I tell you not to do something.
Sir.
No, I'd say the attack was | a simple postmortem reaction.
Dead bodies build up gas which can | cause them to emit sounds - or move as if they're still alive.
| - That's cute.
A zombie with a gas attack.
Look, any idea what killed him? Well, at first glance, | I'd say massive head trauma.
But I'll have to do an autopsy.
All right.
Can you identify him? That's easy.
His name's - Shush- Na- Sh.
Something or other.
| - Yeah.
- Chay- yosh- nay.
| - Gesundheit.
He came in three days ago from | the Corridor, registered a cargo departing tomorrow.
| He was staying in the Markab Sector.
All right, you and I will go through his | quarters.
Send a detail to check out his-- Captain? Are you all right? I just felt a little dizzy there.
Maybe the doc is right about me | needing some rest.
Okay, look, I'll handle the search.
| You cop a little sack time and I'll let you know what we find.
So how long have you and Vocator | Jaddo known each other? Ever since we were children.
But our houses have been allied | since the earliest days of the Republic.
Why does he call you Paso Leati? In dueling societies, it is customary | for each member to be given a fighting name | by his comrades.
They said I fought like a crazed leati.
And so they called me Paso Leati.
Urza was known as Skal Tura, | the silent beast.
Those were great times, Vir.
| We were young, proud, fierce bursting to prove ourselves | to each other and to the world.
Our starships ruled the spaceways and our power was rivaled by that | of the gods only.
Great Maker, it was good | to be a Centauri then.
Every generation of Centauri mourns | for the golden days when their power was | like unto the gods.
It's counterproductive.
I mean, why make | history if you fail to learn by it? You know, Vir, you have what | the Earthers call a negative personality.
No, I don't.
There, you see? Delightful.
Urza will be pleased.
In the old days, his capacity | for Brivari was almost legendary.
Enter! Paso Leati, my heart leaps | to see you again.
No more than does mine, | my good and dear friend, Skal Tura.
- The Brivari? | - Yes, and you won't be disappointed.
Lights.
What? Captain? You okay? Yeah, yeah.
I'm okay.
- How'd you get here so fast? | - I was taking in the forensics report when e- systems picked up gunfire | in your quarters.
- Yeah.
| - What happened? It was here.
It attacked me.
What? A grylor.
It's an animal native to Janos 7.
| I was stalked by one once.
It almost killed me here.
I shot it.
- It must've been a nightmare.
| - No.
No, no.
No, it was no nightmare.
I saw it.
At least I think I did.
Hey, it happens.
I once saw a whole chorus line of purple | wombats doing show tunes in my tub.
Of course, I was pretty drunk | at the time.
Yeah.
So, what does forensics say? - Suicide.
| - He bashed his own skull in? Yeah, against the pipe | where you found him.
- Doc picked half out of his brain pan.
| - Any idea why? No, not a clue.
I mean, bioscans | were all normal.
Oh, no.
Maybe he was in a religious-- | A religious frenzy.
The Markab have rituals where | they lose control of themselves.
That's possible, except those rituals | usually involve psychotropics.
This guy's system was clean.
And besides, why would he go | to Grey Sector to practice his religion? I don't know.
You keep checking.
I want answers.
I'll be in C&C if you need me.
I kind of like it.
And what about you? Are you still married to Marilya? We are comfortable with each other.
She understands.
Well, I'm happy for you.
| And jealous.
After all these years, Paso Leati have you still not found love? There was someone, | a dancer named Adira.
- And? | - It ended as all love does.
Badly.
Listen to me.
Moaning about dead passions like | an old drunkard.
You know what I need? A drink.
A drink! Your name is spoken often | on Centauri Prime these days.
Oh, yes? And what do they say | about me when they speak my name? That your star is once again | in ascendance.
As is the Republic's.
Well, it's about time.
The Centauri have bowed to the whims | of other races for too long.
Now we will show the galaxy | our true spirit.
Beginning with those thrice- damned Narn.
Emperor Turhan, may the gods | comfort him never wanted another war | with the Narn.
The emperor was a good man, | but he was wrong about the Narn.
War with them was inevitable.
And they have given us | little choice in the matter.
The Narn did not start this conflict! They were forced into it by a faction | within our own midst.
The same faction who murdered | Prime Minister Malachi and put that infantile puppet, | Cartagia, on the throne.
I was told Malachi took his own life | when the emperor passed away.
That's the official story.
| Many such lies are told nowadays.
Why do you tell me this, Urza? A resolution is about to be brought | before the Centaurum declaring me and my house | traitors to the Republic.
No, you're joking.
| They could never prove such a thing.
These days, the mere accusation | is enough.
I am a marked man, Londo and if these villains have their way, | I will be disgraced.
And you know what that means.
What do you want me to do? You were always clever, Londo.
And House Mollari is still one of the most | respected of the noble houses.
If you stand with me I know I can save my family.
I'll do what I can.
I knew you would not deny me, | Paso Leati.
And now I must go.
Tomorrow I will arrange a banquet | to celebrate our reunion.
I thank you for the fine Brivari | and your friendship.
Commander, everything in order? Remarkably so, and it's beginning | to worry me.
Do you always worry | when things are going well? I don't have time when they're not.
Jumpgate online.
It's the Arkati.
She's preregistered.
| Route her to Bay 8.
What the hell? Sir? Anna.
Captain, what is it? Station 6, go to hypertrack.
I want | that whole area scanned, right now! What area, sir? Captain, is something wrong? I.
I have to see to something.
And then in C&C, I saw the Icarus.
The Icarus? Yeah, it was a science ship | my wife was aboard.
I saw it explode as if I were there.
And, doc, it happened | over two years ago, and I wasn't there.
Look, I have run you through | every test that I know.
There is nothing wrong with you, | organically.
Great.
Then I'm just plain nuts.
Well, anyone willing to command | Babylon 5 has got to be slightly insane but I don't think that you're | ready for the asylum just yet.
Then what is wrong with me? It's possible you picked up some | kind of new virus from the corpse something our scanners can't spot.
I know a good Markab doctor.
| I'll check with him.
There might be a simpler explanation.
Seven months ago, you were | commanding a starship, right? - Yeah.
| - All right.
Suddenly, you're put in charge | of a small city in space as a major war breaks out.
Your diet changes, | your sleep is interrupted you face a major crisis | every other day.
To top it off you're not sure you can trust | the very people who put you here.
Now that is a lot of stress.
Maybe you're sending yourself | a message.
I'm gonna put you on medical leave | for a few days.
No, no.
lmpossible.
| I have a station to run.
Well, Commander Ivanova is | quite capable of doing that.
- I want you to relax.
| - Yeah.
Let other people handle things | for a while.
Give me your hand.
This is going to monitor any abnormalities | in your system functions.
- Doc-- | - And I'm also prescribing a mild sedative.
I want you to relax and enjoy yourself.
| That is an order.
You know, you're just like your father.
Well, thank you.
Refa! At last! Taking care of our mutual interests | consumes much of my time.
What can I do for you, Mollari? I am told Vocator Jaddo will be declared | a traitor by the Centaurum? He is a traitor.
Don't be a fool.
Urza may differ with a few politicians, | but he would never betray the Republic.
I will vouch for him personally.
Have you said this publicly? It will not be necessary.
| I want the resolution dropped.
It is already accomplished.
Well, then unaccomplish it.
Urza is a friend, more than a friend.
| He's a dueling comrade.
My house and his have been allied | since the earliest days of the Republic.
I will stand up for him.
That is unfortunate.
I'm afraid the political repercussions | will be very grave.
House Jaddo is crumbling, and anyone | who defends it will crumble as well.
We'll try and protect you, of course but if your link with this man | gets out you may no longer fiit in | with our plans.
I fit in with your plans? Perhaps you are forgetting | who made your plans a reality and how it was done.
Mollari, if you insist on clinging | to the coat of a doomed man there is little I can do.
But I will try.
Yes.
You know, on rare occasions, | I am proud to be your attache.
Be careful, Vir, such compliments | will turn my head.
Get me a drink.
And then contact all my agents | on Centauri Prime.
It's time I paid more attention | to what's happening on Homeworld.
Foul ball.
Foul ball.
Captain? Mr.
Garibaldi, is there | something wrong? No.
Just wanted to see how you | were doing.
Better.
A lot better.
You know, I almost forgot | what it's like to just relax.
If you call three hours | of batting practice relaxing.
Does the term"obsessive- compulsive" | ring a bell? Holding pitch.
Yeah.
- Find out any more about that Markab? | - Not really.
Every check confirms | he was just your average business type.
But there is one thing.
He came | through Sector 1 4 on his way here.
Sector 1 4? lsn't that restricted? Right.
Ever since the incident | last year with Babylon 4.
Babylon 4? I thought that was destroyed.
So did we, until we got | a signal from it.
Wait.
I never read anything | about this in the station logs.
Earthforce decided to confiscate | all the records for their investigation.
Now, B4 was caught up in some kind | of weird space- time phenomenon.
We managed to get all its people | off before it disappeared again but Earthforce believes there's | still some anomaly out there.
Maybe the Markab encountered it.
Anyway, it's all here.
I thought you said the records | were all confiscated.
I made a copy.
You never know when I might | wanna write my memoirs.
- Thanks.
| - Keep your elbow up.
Oh, my! Yes, magnificent.
Urza always | knew how to throw a banquet.
Come.
- Urza.
| - Welcome, Londo.
- You know Lord Valo.
| - Lord Valo, good to see you again.
- Londo.
| - My lady.
A month ago he would have grown | horns rather than speak to me.
He still may.
- You must try the Japoti.
| - Oh, yes, please.
- I brought it fresh from the Homeworld.
| - Oh, really? Good, good.
Oh, yes, look.
Divine.
To us.
Old comrades well- met.
| And to the Republic.
To the Republic.
Quite an impressive array of guests.
| Nobles every one? They are friends.
And when I announce our alliance against | those who seek to dishonor my house and our Republic, they will make sure | word is spread throughout the court.
It will not be necessary.
| I've taken care of it.
- What do you mean? | - Well, you've asked for my help.
I've given it.
No charges will | be made against you or your house.
The resolution has already been brought | before the Centaurum.
And my sources assure me | it will pass.
Yeah, well, that's not possible.
| Lord Refa promised-- Refa? What do you have to do with him? He is a friend, a man of great influence.
| With his help, we intend-- I will get no help from that assassin.
It was he who had the resolution | brought before the Centaurum.
You must be mistaken.
Knowledge is a basic tool of politics.
Mine is considerable.
But I never dreamed you would be | a part of his schemes.
Why, Londo? I have a destiny to fulfill.
One which will take our people | back to a golden age.
We are Centauri, Urza.
We are meant to conquer, to rule, | to build empires.
You, the hero of Gorash, | should know that.
I am an old hero.
And what I saw ended at Gorash still haunts me in the night.
I do not want to return | to that kind of glory, Londo.
Listen to me, Urza.
| No one can stop this.
A new day is coming | to our people.
A great day.
And I can help you be a part of it.
You cannot build an empire based on slaughter and deceit.
Turhan knew that.
I thought you did too.
Perhaps it is best that I go.
No, you cannot go yet.
I have a gift for you.
A Coutari.
And a finer blade I have never seen.
It is the blade I carried at Gorash.
I meant it as a symbol of our alliance.
It is magnificent but I cannot accept it.
Then accept this, Paso Leati.
By the laws of the Couro Prido I challenge you to the Morago, | Londo Mollari.
You would fight me to the death, Urza? Yes, to save my honor and my family from your new friends.
Or have you become | as cowardly as they? I take your gift and your challenge in the spirit in which they are offered.
Go.
Make your peace with the gods | and return here in two hours.
Freeze- frame.
Well, I'll be.
What do you want? Mom, Dad.
Yes! Franklin to Sheridan.
Franklin to Sheridan.
Franklin to Sheridan.
What were you thinking? | You can't fight a duel to the death.
I must.
Urza and I are Couro Prido, | proud knives.
It would bring disgrace on our house | if I were to decline his challenge.
Those noble friends of his would | see to that.
Disgrace is preferable to death.
There was a time when I would agree | with you.
That time has passed.
Londo, this is insane.
lnsanity is part of the times.
You must learn to embrace | the madness.
Let it fire you.
- Garibaldi.
| - This is Dr.
Franklin.
- Where is the captain? | - What's wrong? Well, his med bracelet monitored a | strange neural surge and then went dead.
- He's not answering his link.
| - I'm on it.
Garibaldi to officers, I want | a location on Captain Sheridan.
Commander, my board shows Delta 1 | prepping for launch.
Delta 1, why are you prepping | for launch? Delta 1, please respond.
| This is Commander Ivanova.
Ivanova, this is Sheridan.
Captain? What are you doing? Going out for a little spin.
| There's no need to worry.
I'll be back before you know it.
I hope.
Authorization code: | Gamma- Six- Six- Zed- Niner.
Override locking controls.
Open bay doors.
Delta 1 is launching.
lvanova to Garibaldi.
Londo, I knew you would not | disappoint me.
Do you really intend to go through | with this, Urza? It is the only way.
I do not want to kill you.
In all our duels together, you never | could match me with the Coutari.
In all our duels together, my life | was never in jeopardy.
You'll find I set great store by it.
Delta 2 to Delta 1.
| Do you read me? Garibaldi, is that you? It's one and the same.
| What are you doing? I'm giving someone a lift, I think.
You wanna explain that, sir? I haven't got it fiigured out myself but I think you were right.
The answer's in Sector 1 4.
Sector 1 4? But that's-- Yeah, I know.
Lucky me.
The Morago is declared and accepted.
Draw your swords with purpose | and sheathe them with honor.
Skal Tura.
Yeah, this is the place.
Computer, scan for any | unusual phenomenon.
Unable to comply.
Sensors malfunctioning due to | high level of tachyon particles.
What the hell? Holy jumping! Captain, do you read me? Captain Sheridan, do you read me? Captain! Computer, lock on to Delta 1 | and prepare to grapple.
Unable to lock on.
| Signal unstable.
Damn it.
Remind me to leave you home next time.
All right, we can do this ourselves.
All right, come on.
Come on.
Come on.
Nice and easy.
That's it! Yeah! All right! Reverse thrusters.
Full power.
Get us out of here.
Babylon 5, this is Garibaldi.
I'm bringing our wandering captain home.
Age has not dimmed your skill, | Paso Leati.
Nor yours, Skal Tura.
Let us end it then.
Londo! A fair stroke, Paso Leati.
Why did you make me do this, Urza? My family.
I could not let them | share my disgrace.
This way I die with honor.
And you will see they are protected.
Yes, yes.
I promise it.
I will guard them | as if they were my own.
Thank you, old friend.
I will miss you.
It was a life form, | sentient but completely alien.
What was it doing | in your head? It was trying to survive and go home.
It must have come through that rift | in Sector 1 4 and somehow wound up | in that Markab's body.
It drove him mad.
How did you figure out | what it wanted? The images I got: fear, loss, home.
Somehow, | it was sending me a message touching deep emotions in me | which mirrored its own state.
I was actually seeing | what it felt.
This is fantastic.
For this creature | not to show up on my scans it would have to be totally different | from every alien species we know.
Possibly gaseous in nature | or maybe even pure energy.
And yet, somehow it made | an empathic connection with you.
I think he's excited.
Excited? We could be discovering | a whole new life form here.
Do you think we might be able | to contact it again? No, thanks.
I prefer to be | only slightly insane.
Yeah, don't we all? I have made the arrangements | you requested for Urza's family.
Londo? Yes, very good, Vir.
Thank you.
You had no choice.
He would have killed you.
He could have killed me anytime.
He was right, you know.
I never could best him | with the Coutari.
But my death would not have saved | his family.
I don't understand.
By the laws of the Morago the victor must accept | the loser's family as part of his own.
They are House Mollari now.
They cannot be harmed by the resolution | passed against Urza.
He sacrificed himself.
I have made many choices lately, Vir.
And today, for the first time I am not sure those choices were right.
Perhaps some good has come | out of this tragedy.
It's not too late to make | some new choices.
No.
The blood is already on my hands.
Right or wrong I must follow the path to its end.
But, Londo-- You can go now, Vir.
| I want to sleep if I can.

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