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2005-01-05 Entry: ""Why Are You Here?" Night"

In tonight's opening episode, and we get G'Kar and Londo both making big mistakes in "The Coming Of Shadows." We get our first shot of a Ranger in this episode, and more of Lord Refa scheming behind the scenes.

The Centauri Emperor comes to Babylon 5, and the Narn are obviously upset about this. So their government endorse G'Kar's plan to kill the Emperor. "Why Are You Here?" as a question makes its first appearance, when the Emperor questions Sheridan about his choices in life. G'Kar doesn't get to carry out his assassination though, as the Emperor suffers a heart attack just before hand.

Refa prods Londo into making a rash choice, asking Mr Morden to take out a Narn listening post, and then sending in Centauri warships to take credit. Unfortunately, the Emperor came to Babylon 5 to apologise to the Narn.

Londo has the dream - ships being destroyed, great hand reaching out of the sun, shadow ships flying over head, being crowned Emperor, dying with G'Kar's hands wrapped around his neck.

The Shadows destroy the Quadrant 14 listening post. The Centauri move in. The Narn reinforcements arrive to find them there. War begins...

The Ranger gives a message from Sinclair to Garibaldi. And Londo lies about the Emperor giving his blessing to the war.

In the mostly throwaway episode "GROPOS," Franklin's father, infantry General comes to B5 for a few days layover with 25000 troops. The only thing worth referring forward is Garibaldi and Dodger's non-relationship. She might come to a sticky end here, but she'll be back with insightful comments later...

Oh, and B5 gets a newly upgraded defense grid, so they can theoretically take on a warship.

Delenn has to face the Gray Council, and Sheridan takes on a fighter mission in "All Alone In The Night." Of course, Sheridan's mission doesn't go quite as smoothly as expected when he is captured by the Stribe and forced to fight a Narn, Ta'Lon, who makes his first appearance here (although credited only as "Narn").

General Haig comes to B5, but of course, Sheridan is missing...

Delenn's meeting with the Council doesn't go all that well either - they've voted to remove her from her position as Satai while she was absent, and they're still debating whether she can remain ambassador to B5. Things get worse when she finds Neroon has been chosen as her replacement, unbalancing the Nine with four from the warrior caste and only two from the religious.

Oh, and while Sheridan is on the Stribe ship, he has a strange vision: Ivanova with a big black crow on her shoulder says "Do you know who I am?", a vision of himself, then Garibaldi with a pigeon on his shoulder (okay, it might be a dove...) says "The man in between is searching for you", then Ivanova again, wearing a black veil, says "You are the hand." Finally, Kosh - Sheridan asks "Why are you here?" and Kosh replies "We were never away. For the first time your mind is quiet enough to hear me." Sheridan asks "Why am I here?" and Kosh gives the suitably cryptic answer of "You have always been here."

When Sheridan finally shows up, Haig debriefs him - he was supposed to be determining the command staff's loyalty to Earth. Haig tells him Psi-Corp is manipulating things back home, and the President's death may not have been an accident. Haig (and other high ranking military people) are planning to take back the government, and want Sheridan to help... Sheridan has to break it to Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Franklin.