“Legacies” is episode seventeen of season one of Babylon 5.
Garibaldi is talking to Sinclair in the observation dome wanting to know why they have to do something. Sinclair says that when the Minbari’s greatest war leader, the Shai Alit, suddenly dies, they feel the need to honour him on his journey home. Garibaldi doesn’t see why this should involve displaying the body to every Minbari on the way; it seems like a prelude to starting a war. Then the gate activates and a Minbari ship comes through. A war cruiser. Which gives Sinclair a flashback to the Battle of the Line, the last time he saw a ship like that.
Ivanova is finishing a meal elsewhere when Talia winters arrives. They acknowledge each other, but no more. Than Ivanova gets a message that the Minbari ship has arrived and is leaving. Close by, a young girl steals something from a stall; as she runs away she collapses. Both Ivanova and Talia rush to the girl – Talia says to call Dr. Franklin for the girl is a telepath and has suffered a mind burst.
The station has now scanned the Minbari war cruiser, and the scan reveals that the gun ports are open. Which is rather worrying. The cruiser, when contacted, says that they are on a peaceful mission and will not explain further. Ambassador Delenn arrives and apologises for the misunderstanding. She says that the guns are not active – which is confirmed – the ports are simply open as a symbol that they carry the body of a respected war leader. She says to Garibaldi that humans have similar traditions and he agrees – the riderless horse and the missing man formation. Delenn says that the cruiser will close the gun ports whilst near the station, and says she is going to greet the cortege, and asks that Sinclair and Garibaldi accompany her.
The young girl is now in med lab and Dr. Franklin is examining her. Talia says that she is a powerful telepath, one who just came into her abilities. She wants to contact Psi Corps to arrange passage for the girl, Alisa, back to Earth. Ivanova – who has some acknowledged issues with Psi Corps – says that there is still the matter of the theft and that Alisa is in the station’s custody for now. Franklin, to stop the argument, says that Alisa is in his care for now, and orders both Talia and Ivanova out.
Garibaldi is expecting trouble from having Shai Alit’s body on the station. Delenn invites Sinclair and the others to attend the viewing. Sinclair realises that something is up, and Delenn says that displaying the body in such a manner is unusual, but that the Shai Alit’s clan, the Star Riders, insisted on it. Sinclair also realises that Delenn is not entirely happy – it seems that before the Shai Alit became warrior caste, he was a high priest in the religious caste.
The leader of the visiting Minbari, Neroon (played by John Vickery, who had a couple of roles in The Next Generation and Enterprise and played Gul Rusot in Deep Space Nine) is not making any friends on station. He says that the Shai Alit’s body will be guarded overnight by Minbari – no humans allowed anywhere nearby. The next day, at the viewing, the body has disappeared. Neroon is extremely unhappy about this and starts threatening to tear the station apart looking for the Shai Alit. Matters start getting really tense.
Ivanova and Talia disagree over what should be done with Alisa. Ivanova wants to keep Alisa on the station for long enough that she can examine all of her possible options, not just joining Psi Corps. The Narns are extremely interested in getting a telepath, for they have none of their own, and are willing to pay well. They may not be the most pleasant to live with though.