“Eyes” is episode sixteen of season one of Babylon 5.
Garibaldi is in his quarters, apparently fixing up a motorcycle, when there’s a buzz on his door. Lennier comes in and says that he’s been asked to come by Ambassador Delenn. Shaal Mayan is returning to the station, and after her previous experience, in “The War Prayer”, Delenn would like to arrange a security escort. Garibaldi agrees – after all, he did offer Shaal Mayan an escort the first time. This sorted, Lennier asks what Garibaldi is doing.
Garibaldi says that what he is working on is a motorbike, a mint condition 1992 Kawasaki Ninja ZX. It’s in bits, so perhaps Garibaldi’s definition of mint condition is a little different. He has been working on the bike for five years, scrounging parts, and has finally got them all. He just needs to work out where they all go. Garibaldi even has a manual for the bike, which he won in a game of blackjack – but it’s in Japanese. Lennier is fascinated by the concept, especially when Garibaldi says that it’s a piece of Earth history, and offers his assistance. Garibaldi agrees, and then gets a com from Commander Sinclair, asking him to report to the briefing room.
Elsewhere, two men are looking at Ivanova’s records. One of them, a Harrsion Gray (played by Jeffrey Combs, who is perhaps best known for playing seven different roles in Star Trek, particularly Weyoun and Brunt in Deep Space Nine and Shran in Enterprise) says that Ivanova needn’t be included, as her record’s spotless. The other man says that records don’t tell the whole story, and that she will be included.
Sinclair is briefing Garibaldi and Ivanova. Earth Central has been in contact about some recent attacks on Mars Colony, believed to be the work of terrorists. Earth is concerned that Babylon 5 will become a source of weapons for terrorist groups. Alien merchants can conduct arms sales on the station; they just can’t transfer any weapons on it.
Lou Welch is being questioned by one of the men from earlier, the one who appeared to be in charge, and who calls himself Franks. Franks is asking questions about the station and Sinclair. Enough that Welch gets concerned and calls Garibaldi about it afterwards. Garibaldi looks into it and says that the two men are business agents out of Lagrange 2, for the Quartermaster Corporation, an independent military contractor. They appear to be genuine, but Garibaldi thinks that they could be source of arms for terrorists. So he goes to their quarters.
Gray is there when Garibaldi arrives, and he pulls on some gloves before letting Garibaldi in. Gloves of a type usually seen on members of Psi Corps. Franks returns shortly after Garibaldi enters, and says that his name isn’t Franks – it’s Colonel Ari Ben Zayn of Earthforce Internal Affairs – ‘Eyes’ in the colloquial. Gray is a Psi Corps military specialist, and they are here to conduct a special investigation of Babylon 5’s command staff.
Zayn first brings up the Vorlons, and their actions in “Deathwalker”, with Garibaldi. He wants to know why Sinclair didn’t do anything about them; Garibaldi thinks that trying to do anything about the Vorlons is a waste of time.
Garibaldi is concerned, and raises the matter with Sinclair. He says that things are a mess back home, and this sort of investigation could easily turn into a witch hunt. Colonel Zayn is questioning everything done over the past year (bringing up lots of references, although no flashbacks, to previous episodes), and given that Sinclair has had to rewrite the book a few times, things could get messy.
Ivanova is unwilling to cooperate if Psi Corps want to scan her. Zayn references the Psi Cop Bester – seen in “Mind War” – in a private discussion with Gray. Bester has a grudge against Sinclair. And Lennier gets very involved in the rebuilding of Garibaldi’s bike.