“Comes the Inquisitor” is episode twenty-one of season two of Babylon 5.
In the previous episode, “The Long, Twilight Struggle”, the Centauri defeated the Narn. The Shadows destroyed the main fleet of the Narn Regime whilst the Centauri bombarded the Narn homeworld with mass drivers, forcing a surrender. Ambassador Mollari told the terms of the surrender to the council, and stated that G’Kar was no longer the ambassador of the Narns. Although Londo appeared to take public pleasure in this, it seems that in private he is not so happy with his choices.
This episode opens with G’Kar lecturing the others on the station. He asks if anyone believes the Centauri will stop with just the Narn – and, given that they have already seized several bordering worlds, they probably haven’t. One of those passing says that it is nothing to do with them. G’Kar responds that, now the Centauri were able to conquer the Narns without interference, they will eventually turn on others. One of the other Narns tells G’Kar that it is pointless, and asks why he embarrasses himself in public. G’Kar responds that their voice must still be heard, and is then told that he needs to attend a meeting. Vir was watching this, and Vir was never happy with Londo’s choices that led to the war.
Delenn meets with Kosh and asks him if something is wrong. Kosh tells her that he has sent for an inquisitor. So that he can be sure about her. Kosh tells Delenn to submit to the inquisitor’s authority, and she asks how she will know him. Kosh responds that she will know – if she survives.
Delenn and Lennier meet with Sheridan. She has told the captain that someone is coming to see her, and that she wants Sheridan to pass the visitor through customs, but she can’t tell Sheridan who the person is or why they are coming. The captain doesn’t have a problem doing this, but just wants to understand. Delenn says that Kosh has doubts; Lennier corrects this and says that the Vorlon just wants confirmation. Which Delenn considers to be the same thing. Sheridan has been informed that the Vorlons are crucial to the big war, so that if they are worried about something, he wants to hear about it. Delenn tells Sheridan that Kosh is uncertain about her. He wants to be certain that Delenn’s choice was the correct one, and for the right reasons, and that she must do it alone.
G’Kar’s meeting involves a human arms dealer called Mr Chase. G’Kar wants weapons, light munitions. Chase says that he thought the war was over; G’Kar tells him he was misinformed; their tactics have simply changed. Chase tells G’Kar that the weapons will not come cheap, and shows G’Kar the price. Which the latter thinks is too high. G’Kar also points out that many of the weapons are the same ones that the Narns sold to Earth during Earth’s conflict with the Minbari, but they are now selling for more money. Chase responds that things are getting tense, making it a seller’s market. But he’s willing to knock 10% off the top – for an immediate decision. So G’Kar agrees. G’Kar also warns Chase that the money is a limited resource, bought with blood, and gives Chase a threat, which Chase does not take offence to.
Later, G’Kar is confronted by Garibaldi who says that he has heard that G’Kar is buying weapons to use back home. G’Kar responds that Garibaldi would never have asked if he didn’t know the answer, so to just dispense with the to and fro and cut to the point. Garibaldi tells G’Kar that he wants no weapons shipping through the station, because that would send things straight to hell. Which is where G’Kar thinks they are going anyway, but the chief thinks a delay is good. Once G’Kar agrees, Garibaldi hands him a data crystal. He says that a buddy of his owns a transfer station near a jump point, and that half the stuff that goes through it is illegal goods. So a few more cases should be overlooked. G’Kar wants to know why the chief is doing this – and is told it’s because G’Kar didn’t lie to him. G’Kar is also having credibility problems with his own people.
A Vorlon ship comes through the jump point. Not Kosh, for he is still on the station. Captain Sheridan goes to meet it in a docking bay. There was only one passenger, a human with a cane, top hat and rather Victorian-looking clothes. The man, when he looks out into the station, says that nothing changes; corruption, immortality, chaos. He says that he was last on Earth long ago, and that yes, the Vorlons have been to Earth – they’ve been everywhere. The man tells Sheridan his name – Sebastian – and his home address in London, from 1888. Sebastian says that the Vorlons found him, took him and transported him, and took him into their service. Sebastian is called upon when he is needed, and preserved when he is not.
Sebastian’s methods of questioning Delenn amount to torture, albeit torture she submits to willingly. Torture that could kill her, and Sebastian thinks it will. For it has every time he has done it before, as those he questioned were not chosen as they thought. Sebastian’s home, the year he is from, his Victorian appearance and his behaviour all give the impression that Sebastian is not the only name he was known by. That there may be another, rather more famous name he was known by, one associated with London, 1888.