While the Excalibur is visiting Babylon 5, ISN breaks the news that the Minbari and Centauri have concluded a Non-Aggression Pact with one another.

Gideon meets with Captain Ivanova and President G'Kar.  G'Kar commends Gideon on the work he and his crew have been doing.  At the end of their meeting, Gideon asks Ivanova to dinner.  She agrees.

Neroon arrives in secret on the Excalibur and reports to Galen and Gideon that the situation on Minbar has become grave.  The Religious Caste is in firm control, but someone else seems to be controlling them in turn.  The world seems nearly consumed with darkness.  Later, Galen speaks in secret with Neroon and suggests he visit Centauri Prime next, and look for clues there.  Galen gives Neroon a few Techno-Mage devices to help him with his work.

Gideon and Ivanova have dinner at the Fresh Air restaurant on B5, and both speak of the demons that haunt them.  Ivanova confesses to Gideon that she still suffers from nightmares almost every night, concerning the destruction of the Earth.  Gideon states matter-of-factly that he holds himself personally responsible for the planet's destruction--something Ivanova finds shocking.  She tries to reassure him that he was only one small element in a vast catastrophe, and should not blame himself.

In the middle of Gideon's dinner with Ivanova, the Ranger Marcus Cole interrupts.  He seems at first miffed to find them together in such a setting, but recovers quickly.  He has brought word to Ivanova that the Rangers are near civil war over the naming of Forrell as Ranger One.  Few like or trust him, but some Rangers are near the point of open rebellion. Gideon asks Marcus if he's heard anything from Neroon recently.  Marcus reacts with a start, but then blows it off casually, saying, "He's been missing for years, hasn't he?"  Ivanova assures Gideon that Marcus can be trusted, so Gideon invites Marcus over to the Excalibur for a more private talk later.  There he tells Marcus that Neroon is in fact alive and working with them.

Some time later, word arrives from Mars:  the Earth Alliance and the Rangers have reason to believe that Neroon is aboard the Excalibur.  The EA orders Gideon to turn him over to the Rangers at once.  Gideon replies that Neroon is not presently aboard, and that he in fact has no knowledge of where he might be.  The EA official reprimands Gideon for taking a wanted fugitive aboard and not detaining him or turning him over to the authorities.

Privately, Gideon is furious, convinced that Marcus has betrayed them to Forrell's Rangers and the EA.

In the Grey Council chambers on Minbar, Anla'shok Na Forrell meets with a figure in dark robes who could well pass for a Grey Council member--if he were Minbari.  The figure pulls back his hood to reveal that he is, in fact, a "councilor"-- but not one of the Grey.  He is Councilor La'Shan, the Drakh agent on Minbar.  He whispers to Forrell that he is pleased with Forrell's handling of matters thus far--Neroon will soon be in their hands. 

On Mars, on the night of the presidential election, an even angrier and more determined Lochley sneaks into Senator Redway's private chambers, and sees his assistant, Samuel Drake, meeting with him.  A door in the rear of the room opens, Lochley gasps, there is gunfire, and only Elizabeth Lochley emerges alive from the room.  

ISN announces that Redway and Lochley have won the election, even as Lochley flees, with President-Elect Redway's blood on her hands.

It was the end of the Earth Year 2268, and things had begun to spiral out of control.  As a darkness grew on Minbar and Centauri Prime, and perhaps even among the Humans, the remaining outposts of Light in the Galaxy seemed few and far between.  And, perhaps worse, we were no longer sure exactly whom we now served, or whom we could trust.  As the lights of freedom went out across the galaxy, one by one, it seemed we could no longer even turn to one another for help.  Each of us faced the coming darkness alone; truly alone.    --Matthew Gideon

Annotations for "Each Night I dream of Home."

Next episode-->

DarkCrusade is the Crusade Alternate Universe story--
the complete, five-year Crusade saga, following one slight change in 2261, "the year everything changed."
Story, design, and layout by Van Allen Plexico. Send correspondence and comments to vplexico@bellsouth.net
Babylon 5 and Crusade created by J. Michael Straczynski and property of Warner Communications.