The
Centauri Emperor, knowing that he will die soon, makes arrangements to travel to
Babylon 5 to meet with
Narn Ambassador
G'Kar in neutral territory and offer a public apology on behalf of the Centauri people for their occupation and enslavement of the Narn homeworld, though this reason is not made public. G'Kar, on hearing the news of the emperor's visit, makes plans to assassinate him, while Centauri Ambassador
Londo Mollari and his ally
Lord Refa believe that the emperor's actions have led to a decline of the Centauri Republic and plan to confront the emperor on this. The Emperor arrives, meeting the human command staff of the station, and requests a meeting with
Vorlon Ambassador
Kosh before he leaves the station. A reception for the Emperor is planned, and the attendees are stunned by seeing G'Kar there. The Emperor collapses before he can make the reception.
Dr. Franklin determines the Emperor only has a short time to live, and the Emperor requests that he pass word on to G'Kar about his planned apology. Dr. Franklin tells this to G'Kar, who is astonished and humbled by the act. While the emperor is on his deathbed, Refa urges Londo to take initiative as to sway their supporters on
Centauri Prime as to assure Londo will become the next emperor. Londo, against advice of his aide
Vir, decides to send a fleet of Centauri warships to a Narn colony on a planet in Quadrant 14. Refa warns the size of the fleet will not be enough to take the planet before he leaves. Privately, Londo tells Vir to contact
Mr. Morden, the human spokesman for the
Shadows, and to arrange for the Shadows to attack the colony before the Centauri ships arrive. Vir follows the orders, but tells Londo he will regret this decision. Later, G'Kar offers to buy Londo a drink in light of the emperor's apology, unaware of Londo's recent action. The Narn colony is attacked by the Shadows and rendered defenseless. The Centauri ships arrive, which are shortly seen by Narn fighters investigating the attack. Word is relayed to the Narn homeworld, and soon across the system, that the Centauri have taken their colony. Kosh meets with the Emperor, and tells him that the situation will end "
in fire". With the Emperor near death, Refa and Londo meet him at his deathbed. The Emperor whispers something in Londo's ear before he dies. Londo states that the Emperor approved of the attack on the Narn colony, and that he wants Refa and Londo to carry his people "back to the stars". In private Londo tells Refa that the Emperor told him they were both damned, but Refa shrugs it off as "a small price to pay for immortality". G'Kar learns of the attack and attempts to kill Londo before he is restrained by security forces. At the council chambers, Sheridan manages to successfully bluff Mollari into allowing the Narn colonists to return to their homeworld. G'Kar announces that the Narn government is formally at war with the Centauri. A
second plotline involves a mysterious man who has been following Chief
Garibaldi around. When Garibaldi confronts and arrests him, the man gives him a recorded message from
Jeffrey Sinclair, the
Earth Alliance Ambassador to
Minbar. Sinclair tells Garibaldi that a "terrible darkness" is coming and that he has become involved with a military force called the "
Rangers" to fight it. Garibaldi agrees to allow the Rangers to operate on the station and to keep their presence a secret, even from Sheridan. In return Garibaldi asks the Rangers to provide him with information they learn which could affect the station's security, to which the Ranger agrees.
Delenn is also given a recorded message by the Ranger. == Production ==