“The Summoning” is episode three of season four of Babylon 5.
Ivanova approaches Delenn and Marcus and asks Delenn for a favour. She wants to borrow one of the White Star fleet. Ivanova has heard what Delenn has in minds – in the previous episode, “Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?”, Delenn had decided to take the entire White Star fleet and anyone else who would come to attack Z’ha’dum – and promises to bring the ship back before the deadline. The ship can be spared but Marcus wants to know why Ivanova wants one. Ivanova believes that they will need all the help they can get for an attack. She wants to see if there are any First Ones out there who have not been found.
Ivanova has information on possible locations. The last time she and Marcus headed out, in “Voices of Authority”, they did manage to find one of the First Ones. Delenn agrees that they need help and tells Ivanova she will provide a translator, as the crew only speak Minbari, but Lennier is staying with Delenn. Ivanova has apparently been teaching herself Minbari and thinks she can handle talking to the crew. Delenn points out that it is a difficult language and Ivanova displays her skill in it. Or lack of skill might be the more appropriate description.
Marcus starts speaking and Delenn tells Ivanova it’s very good, but Ivanova has a bit of an accent according to Marcus. In the heat of battle, one must do more than speak the language, one must think in it, for the few seconds needed to translate an order could be fatal. Marcus is going to accompany Ivanova to help. Ivanova doesn’t think this is necessary but Marcus would love to. If he isn’t ready when Ivanova is ready to leave, though, she will go without him. After Ivanova has left, Delenn asks Marcus to tell the crew that if anyone laughs they will answer to her personally.
On Centauri Prime in the palace Vir is accompanying Londo. There are sounds of laughter and Vir wonders if it’s a party. According to Londo there is nothing on the emperor’s schedule. In the throne room is G’Kar, with some sort of bizarre fool’s headpiece. One Centauri is pouring G’Kar a drink of water. After all, he must be thirsty; he hasn’t had a drink in three days. All G’Kar has to do is ask for it. Politely. G’Kar does not and the drink is poured out and G’Kar knocked to the floor. The other Centauri think this is hilarious. Londo and Vir do not.
On Babylon 5, Delenn is narrating. By the human calendar, it is now January 17th. Everyone Delenn holds dear has gone. It’s two weeks since Sheridan failed to return from Z’ha’dum. Two weeks since Garibaldi disappeared. Londo and Vir are on Centauri Prime and G’Kar is looking for Garibaldi. Ivanova and Marcus have takes the White Star somewhere, she knows not where. A desperate mission for desperate times.
On the White Star, Ivanova asks Marcus if anything has been detected. They have scanned the planets; something was there but it’s long gone. Apparently the third dead end in a row. Apart from Ivanova and Marcus’ run in with one the previous year, there have been no confirmed sightings of a First One in over a thousand years. Marcus says it will take time. They don’t have time though. Marcus suggests they move on as they have spent two days nib this system. Ivanova agrees, but thought from all the stories, the place was perfect and that they were sure to find something. The next location is one where, according to Marcus, over a dozen ships have reported seeing something rather godlike. And, Marcus says, as neither he nor Ivanova were there, it must be one of the First Ones. Ivanova accuses Marcus of having delusions of grandeur again. He believes that if you are going to have delusions, go for the really satisfying ones.
On Babylon 5, Zack approaches Delenn. He has the information G’Kar wanted on the freighter that found Garibaldi’s fighter, but can’t reach G’Kar himself, as no-one has heard from him for days. Zack doesn’t believe they can wait for G’Kar to get back in contact either, as if they wait too long they may lose the only chance they have to find the chief. Delenn agrees and hopes that G’Kar is alright.
Not really. Back on Centauri Prime, Londo and Vir are in one of the palace gardens. Vir is asking Londo is he could believe what was happening – Londo states he was there. And Londo can’t see G’Kar like that and feel nothing. He wishes he could, for it would make things much easier. Londo had come to an arrangement with G’Kar in the previous episode; G’Kar would help Londo get rid of Cartagia and Londo would free Narn. Londo says they have to play along until the time is right but the question is if G’Kar can survive that long. For the sake of both their worlds. Even now Cartagia will be having G’Kar tortured, as he is dissatisfied that G’Kar is not screaming. Vir has never been in a conspiracy to kill anyone before, let alone the emperor and asks if they can’t reason with him.
At this, Cartagia himself appears. His hands are bloody and he is dissatisfied. G’Kar didn’t scream, even under the ministrations of one of the most skilled pain technicians. Eventually the emperor got his hands bloody himself. Cartagia believes he knows what Londo is going through with G’Kar and wonders how Londo put up with him for this long. Cartagia was going to cut of G’Kar’s hands but, on Vir’s question replies that G’Kar passed out before then. Probably from loss of blood. They will start again when G’Kar regains consciousness. Even though the emperor gave G’Kar to Londo, if G’Kar does not scream he will have to be killed. After Cartagia has gone, Vir says that he was wrong when he said there had to be another way. The emperor needs to be killed.
Zack is heading out with shuttles and Starfuries and Delenn heads to see Lyta. Lyta says it is not a good time but Delenn cannot come back later. In Lyta’s quarters, all she has now is a mattress. The new Vorlon ambassador told her to get rid of everything as it was a distraction. The mattress only remained to cater for the human need for sleep. Delenn doesn’t think the ambassador can force Lyta to live like this, but apparently he can. The matter Delenn wanted to discuss was the impending attack on Z’ha’dum by the Rangers and a few of the League worlds. Delenn had contacted the new ‘Kosh’ asking the Vorlon government to commit ships, but the ambassador hasn’t replies. Lyta believes the Vorlons have plans of their own. That something is going on that the Vorlons haven’t told anyone yet. Lyta doesn’t believe the Vorlons care what happens to them any longer, as she thinks the game has got bigger. Delenn would like Lyta to try and find out what is going on.
Zack is trying to get the vessel he tracked down to surrender, but they are not even responding. They open fire to disable the ship and a lifepod launches. Then the ship explodes, even though they didn’t believe it was hit that badly. It was probably a self-destruct. Garibaldi is in the lifepod, and some sort of programme activates when the ships are detected close to it. Back on Babylon 5, the chief is taken to Medlab.
The Vorlon ambassador has been in Lyta and she finds him cold and hard compared to the real Kosh. The ambassador tells Lyta her work is done, go to sleep. Lyta doesn’t. She allowed the Vorlons to modify her, to enhance her telepathic powers. Kosh seemed to care; now it seems the Vorlons will use her and throw her away when not needed. Lyta believes she has earned respect. The Vorlon does not. She tries probing him telepathically. It does not go well.
On Centauri Prime Londo has gone to see G’Kar. He wants G’Kar to give a scream for the emperor. He understands that G’Kar’s pride is making him stay silent. Londo would do the same himself, but there is too much at stake. Londo needs a live ally, not a dead martyr. Is G’Kar’s pride more important than saving his world? G’Kar’s response is that if he screams, he will no longer be a Narn. According to Londo, if G’Kar is dead, he will no longer be a Narn; he will be food for Cartagia’s pets. G’Kar’s people are no longer Narns. They are slaves, then dead slaves. One little scream is all that’s needed. G’Kar tells Londo that Londo doesn’t know what he’s asking, that he doesn’t understand. Londo replies that he does.
In hyperspace, Marcus asks Ivanova what she wants to do when the war is over. If they survive. She plans to go home, to St. Petersburg, to Paris. Visit her father’s grave, travel, walk outside. Ivanova, to Marcus’ inquiry, says she doesn’t have anyone special and asks if he does. Marcus does, although she doesn’t know it yet. When Marcus continues, Ivanova replies that she hasn’t felt that way since the first time. Which is what Marcus is talking about. No, he hasn’t. With anyone. He never met the right person before. Ivanova thought the First Ones were rare and hopes Marcus’ mystery woman appreciates it. So does he. Ivanova does not realise that she is the mystery woman.
Marcus then says that they are picking up something in hyperspace. No, not the unicorn Ivanova suggests. A distortion field, like a pocket made in hyperspace. Barely noticeable, and the only reason they detected it is because the White Star is partly constructed from Vorlon technology. A hiding place in hyperspace seems like a likely hiding place for a First One. Inside the pocket is nothing from an unknown race but Vorlon ships. Lots of Vorlon ships. Many, many Vorlon ships including some really, really big ones.
Most of the League is not happy with Delenn’s plan to attack Z’ha’dum and plan to cause difficulties. There is a mystery ship heading towards Babylon 5, one that no-one recognises. G’Kar has to decide if his pride is more important to him than anything else. There is a really, really big Vorlon fleet in hyperspace with aims that turn out to be less than great. The origins of the Shadow wars is revealed. And what did happen to Mr Garibaldi? It looked as if he may have been a prisoner of the Psi Corps, in particular Bester. What programme has now been activated?