Synopsis by Katrina Glerum (kat@midwinter.com)

Londo is outraged that Babylon 5 has accepted the sole surviving Narn heavy cruiser, the G'Tok, into the station's mutual protection alliance. Garibaldi is unimpressed.

A visibly upset Lyta Alexander visits Medlab searching for answers about the death of Kosh but none are available.

Garibaldi steps into C & C just as a red Vorlon personal transport jumps in. He enigmatically warns Ivanova against paging the Captain immediately. When Ivanova bites, he mentions that Sheridan has taken a walk...outside. As Ivanova peers aghast out the window, the Vorlon ship pauses to write a greeting on its hull to the spacewalking captain.

G'Kar treats a very appreciative Na'Kal to dinner in his quarters. The conversation quickly sobers when Na'Kal reports that aside from the G'Tok only about ten Narn vessels survived the war. He is further disappointed when G'Kar says they cannot retaliate against the Centauri, but must defend Babylon 5 instead.

Waiting for the new ambassador to arrive, Ivanova tells Sheridan that Garibaldi has gone to find Dr. Franklin, who has avoided his quarters for several days. Sheridan is still astonished by Franklin's revelation about his stim addiction. It is a day for surprises. The new ambassador is considerably darker than the old Kosh. They agree to refer to him as Kosh in public in order not to endanger the fragile new alliance. But when Sheridan asks what he should call him in private the Vorlon says, "Kosh."

"We are all Kosh," he adds without elaboration.

Garibaldi tracks Stephen down in the Zocalo. When Michael questions him about his recent wanderings, Stephen explains that he is engaged in a "walkabout." It is the Australian aborigine rite of soul searching, and he hopes to find himself somewhere if he walks far enough.

The new Kosh examines his predecessor's quarters, Staring at a wall, he perceives an afterimage, apparently of some Shadows and a human.

Lyta isn't sure what she is looking for, but upon nearing the new ambassador's quarters she finds a very angry Vorlon. He tries to throttle a piece of the old Kosh out of her but she insists that Kosh wasn't with her at all when she left the last time. Her profuse apologies seem to satisfy him marginally and she is permitted to stay.

Later in Sheridan's office she almost admits that the new Kosh is blaming her for the old ambassador's death. She drifts into her own regrets as Sheridan muses about the Vorlons. "Is there a problem?" Kosh's old voice asks. Lyta jolts alert.

"I said, 'Is there a problem?'" Sheridan repeats.

Lyta quickly replies, "No." Before she can leave the Captain has a request for her.

Franklin finds a nightclub where a beautiful woman is singing a love song. "I understand you completely, it's over for you," she croons as he stares at her smitten and begins to unwind.

Sheridan explains his proposition to engage a Shadow vessel with a telepath aboard the White Star in order to test the theory that they are vulnerable to telepathic jamming. When he asks for volunteers the aliens present are remarkably quiet with the exception of G'Kar, who offers the G'Tok, and Delenn. Sheridan refuses to take Minbari telepaths along as backup, but the council overrules him unanimously.

To Stephen's delight, the singer, Cailyn, joins him while the club closes up around them.

Na'Kal refuses G'Kar's request to support the White Star, claiming that Sheridan is on a fool's mission. The White Star leaves anyway with only a single Minbari war cruiser as escort. They will jump out of hyperspace as soon as a Shadow attack is reported and attempt to engage the enemy alone.

Holding her cut glass tumbler at eye level Cailyn peers at Franklin. She believes that if she catches the refracted image just right she can see someone's soul. But all she sees of him is pieces.

G'Kar is awakened by a furious Garibaldi hurling back the book of G'Quon. When the Narn protests his impotence in the face of Na'Kal's refusal, Garibaldi reminds him that human pilots protected the G'Tok during the last days of the war not because they wanted to and not because they weren't afraid of dying, but because their commander had the moral authority to order them to do it. As the leader of the Narn in exile it is G'Kar's responsibility to lead, not Na'Kal's, Garibaldi hisses, and then storms out.

Franklin strokes Cailyn's shoulder in bed and tries to offer his assistance. When she asks for a prescription painkiller Metazine to help her sleep, he grows very upset and tells her she should drink less instead. She is annoyed at his rebuke and reminds him that he offered to help. He just refuses crossly and turns away.

Waiting on the White Star, Sheridan tries to comfort Lyta. She asks him about Kosh's death, and is intrigued when he tells her how Kosh had touched his mind on that and another occasion. Just then a Shadow attack is located. They jump in leaving the Minbari ship poised in hyperspace behind them.

Lyta prods the Shadow and collapses when it retaliates. As the Shadow ship homes in on the White Star Sheridan shakes Lyta. In a flash the telepath sees Kosh's death. Her fury steadies her and she halts the Shadow ship in space. While it's paralyzed, Sheridan orders Lennier to pour all power into the forward batteries, even to the extent of taking the jump engines off line. The Shadow is destroyed.

Cailyn filches Stephen's identicard while he lies sleeping and leaves the room.

Lyta announces that the Shadow got off a distress call before they destroyed it. The jump engines still need ten minutes to recuperate when four more Shadow ships arrive. The White Star flees as the Minbari cruiser jumps in, but there are only three telepaths on board and Lyta is exhausted. Evasive action isn't enough and soon the Shadow locks on. In the instant before they are destroyed a jump point opens for the G'Tok and other alien ships coming to the rescue. They destroy the attacking Shadow and the remaining three enemies flee.

Sheridan cackles with glee and rushes to the window. "And so it begins," the old Kosh says to Lyta.

Franklin wakes up and finds Cailyn lying on the floor with his card and a vial of Metazine. He rushes her to Medlab only to discover that she is suffering from terminal neural paralysis. Instead of the overdose he assumed, she had collapsed from excruciating pain. She has only six months to live. She begs him not to send her away, explaining that singing in DownBelow makes her last days worthwhile because she gives the people there hope.

After docking Lyta rushes to tell the new ambassador that a piece of Kosh Naranek may still be alive in someone else.

Stephen enjoys one last song by Cailyn, then resumes walking.

Last update: June 10, 2018