“Moments of Transition” is episode fourteen of season four of Babylon 5.
Garibaldi is asleep when his com terminal chimes. He has a message from William Edgars on Mars. Garibaldi asks Edgars if he knows that there is a seven hour time difference. Edgars does; he just doesn’t consider it to be relevant He is on call 24 hours a day and he expects those who work for him to be likewise. In “Conflicts of Interest”, Garibaldi got a job offer from Edgars; it seems he has accepted and is now on a weekly retainer. Edgars wants Garibaldi to expedite a package through customs on Babylon 5. As agreed, it is nothing explosive, dangerous or illegal. It is simply some advanced compounds for pharmaceutical research that Edgars wants to keep safe until they are patented. Edgars doesn’t trust the government, the couriers or his competitors. He trusts Garibaldi. For now. As for the face to face mentioned – that will come in the fullness of time.
Sheridan can’t sleep and contacts C&C. They have had no luck getting a transmission to Minbar and there is apparently still fighting in the capital. Nothing new from Delenn since she landed. C&C is sure she is okay. On Minbar, the capital is a mess. Delenn is in the temple with wounded members of the religious caste. Lennier tells her it is bad outside too. An explosion shakes the temple; the leader of the religious caste, Shakiri, has said his forces surround the city. If the religious caste do not surrender tomorrow, he will destroy the city and everyone in it. For the good of the people. Except, perhaps, all the dead ones.
On Babylon 5, Lyta is giving her CV to a woman as she’s looking for work as a commercial telepath. Everything is going well – until the woman mentions checking with the Psi Corps. Lyta is no longer with the corps. She says that Sheridan can vouch for her but the captain’s word will not carry much weight back home. The company’s insurance requires that all telepaths be current licensed members of the Psi Corps. Once Lyta rejoins the corps, they can discuss it again.
Neroon arrives in the room of the leader of the warrior caste, Shakiri. Shakiri says that the religious caste is most upset with Neroon; the latter explains that they thought Neroon would organise his own caste against Shakiri – in the previous episode, “Rumors, Bargains and Lies”, Neroon left the Takari and told the warrior caste that he had enough information to defeat the religious caste. Shakiri goes one about how their people need the warrior caste to lead them. The cost? Why, cities can be rebuilt and everyone dies – it’s only the timing that varies. They will be reborn again in the next generation. The religious caste got them into the war with the humans then, when many warriors had died, simply stopped it. Shakiri tells Neroon that Delenn values life above all things; when she sees her caste dying, she will surrender. Neroon asks if it’s wrong to value life – he doesn’t seem as happy as it might appear – and Shakiri tells him that death is not to be feared.
Zack sees Garibaldi taking a package from someone at customs. He is about to follow when Mr Bester is brought to him. Bester states that his business is not with the command staff, but as a representative of the Psi Corps. Personal matters. None of Zack’s concern. Garibaldi has gone and Zack follows; by the time Zack catches up with Garibaldi the package is missing. Zack is concerned about Edgars – he’s one of the ten richest people in the Alliance but there is not one single picture of him. Garibaldi’s messages have all been voice only for that matter. The conversation goes about as well as many of Garibaldi’s have with his, possibly now former, friends.
Bester is, of course, looking for Lyta. He knows she is looking for work as corporations have contacted Psi Corps for a reference that they, naturally, could not provide. He believes Lyta is desperate for money. Sheridan and the others all got room, board and wages; she does not. Being a freedom fighter may be good, but the pay sucks. Bester wants to slide Lyta’s name off the rogue list and onto the deep cover agents list, so it looks as if she is back working for the corps. In exchange, Lyta will wear the symbol and gloves and give 10% of her fee to the corps.
What else? Well Bester wants Lyta’s body. Only after she has finished using it. When she dies. Bester wants the rights to Lyta’s body after death – and he has a contract with wording to ensure he won’t speed the process up. Why? Well, Bester knows that Lyta was improved, by the Vorlons he believes. Something the corps cannot do – but wants to. Lyta declines.
On Minbar, Delenn agrees to surrender to the warrior caste. It looks as if the warrior caste has won – but Delenn has a plan. Back on Babylon 5, Bester has a plan to – one that is going well. Lyta is not doing so well, as she is out of money and the Vorlons are no longer paying for her quarters – because they have gone beyond the Rim. Finally, after EarthGov’s latest atrocity, Sheridan decides that enough is enough.