“A Tragedy of Telepaths” is episode ten of season five of Babylon 5.
Lochley is dictating her personal log. Her first CO told her that, when someone asks why you took a job, the worst answer you can give is because a friend asked me to. The captain says she should have listened. The place is one long exercise in frustration. She denied permission for the telepaths to remain, but Sheridan overrode her. Now they are walled up in Brown Sector. They can’t wait forever, but neither can the telepaths. They have stated that they will go on a hunger strike until they get the homeworld they demanded for not revealing everyone’s secrets.
She’d like Sheridan to get into this, but he is having problems with the ambassadors. Their ships have been attacked by unknown parties – actually, it was revealed in the previous episode, “In the Kingdom of the Blind”, the Centauri were behind it. Although most likely through the influence of the remnants of the Shadows’ allies that Future Londo mentioned in “War Without End: Part Two”. Currently the ambassadors are blaming each other. They are currently more bothered by the attacks, because they think the telepaths are all locked up in Brown Sector. Except they aren’t.
Londo and G’Kar are still on Centauri Prime, paving the way for Londo’s future rise to emperor. Lochley wonders if Londo could use a good starship captain. But it’s her command and why she’s here and Sheridan is still her friend and he asked for her help. And that’s still a crummy answer. Lochley doesn’t think anyone will like her solution and fears there are going to be a lot of dead people on the deck by the end of it. She contacts C&C and asks for a secure Gold channel to Psi Corps HQ. To Bester. With a header saying she needs his help.
Lochley goes to see Zack to see how progress is going at cutting through. Poorly. The telepaths sense where they are cutting and put steel plate on the other side. That would take longer than cutting through a door, but the telepaths have other ways to slow them down as well. Demonstrated when the man cutting through the door suddenly decides that there is a bomb there. Every time that happens, they need to get a new cutter. Lochley says that a single telepath can only affect someone in their direct sightline, and there has to be a whole lot of them on the other side. There are. Lochley appears to sense something and asks Zack if there are any other ways in. Maintenance ducts, but too small for guards in flak jackets and only one person can crawl through at a time. Lochley decides she’s going, over Zack’s objections. On the other side, Lyta asks Byron if the captain got the message. He isn’t sure.
In the palace on Centauri Prime, Londo doesn’t understand the reports he is reading. They are at peace, and when at peace they cut production of weapons and ships by 25% and invest the money in the economy. G’Kar tells him that’s sensible and wise – and asks who thought it up for the Centauri. Perhaps, with everyone on the same side, the Centauri are going to invade themselves for a change. G’Kar finds that idea appealing.
G’Kar is eating some spoo that he lifted from a tray heading for the south side of the palace. He assumed no-one would miss it. He offers some to Londo, but it’s fresh and Londo tells him only Narns can stomach fresh spoo. G’Kar says that if it’s true and G’Kar is the only Narn in the palace, where was the spoo going? Realising what he’s saying as he does. He asks Londo what is on that end of the palace. Londo reels of a few inconsequential places – then mentions the underground cells. G’Kar wants to go there. Now.
The two are let into a cell by a guard. Inside, chained up, is G’Kar’s former aide, Na’Toth. She asks if the war is over and if they won. G’Kar tells her Narn is free. He thought she died in the first wave. Not quite. She, and other Narns, were shipped off as trophies of victory. Na’Toth was not sufficiently entertaining, and got locked up two years ago. Londo had no idea, and says Na’Toth was probably just forgotten. The emperor gave the order and then forgot to countermand it. These things happen in a monarchy. Giving a verbal demonstration of a piece of idiocy that had lasted for two centuries. Londo can’t simply order her release. Only the Regent can countermand the emperor’s order, and he doesn’t think the Regent will help. G’Kar isn’t willing to wait for Londo to become emperor either. He wants Londo to find a way.
On the station, Garibaldi informs Sheridan that Lochley is going through the maintenance ducts. Sheridan thinks she’s crazy. She was crazy 20 years ago, she’s crazy now. Garibaldi points out that Sheridan is the one who hired her. Garibaldi isn’t that concerned about the telepaths locked away. He’s worried about the ones that got out. Regarding the attacks, the Drazi found a piece of metal of Brakiri origin at the site of the latest attack on their ships. Sheridan thinks there is going to be trouble. So does Garibaldi. When Sheridan asks why it isn’t getting any easier. Garibaldi gives him an answer. History is broken up by wars, because they are exciting. Some like to see something big fall apart and explode from the inside out. Sheridan is currently that something.
Lochley, when she encounters Byron, tells him he had very poor timing. The Alliance races think that the telepaths are involved in the attacks on their ships, and there’s no way the member worlds will agree to a telepath homeworld now. G’Kar and Londo are trying to come up with a way to smuggle Na’Toth out of the palace without anyone noticing. The situation between the Alliance members is deteriorating – which is undoubtedly what is intended. Bester is on his way and the telepaths outside of Brown Sector are also causing problems. Things are definitely going wrong.