The Excalibur races through the night, hot on the tail of the
mysterious Shadow Hybrid ship.
Gideon has hit upon a "leapfrogging" technique for
keeping up with the powerful, swift organic ship. He orders the Excalibur
to make short hops into and out of hyperspace, then scan in a wide
field upon re-emergence into normal space. It's working--they're
staying just behind the Hybrid, but at a potentially devastating
cost: the jump engines on Excalibur are already
overheating.
Matheson reports to Gideon that many among the crew are concerned
about the Captain's obsessive behavior, and that those who know about
the upcoming Centauri Prime operation feel they are betraying their
friends. Gideon wrestles with the dilemma but orders the ship to
continue in pursuit.
Aboard Babylon 5, President G'Kar
receives a message from his old friend and traveling companion,
Lyta Alexander. She is checking in, as part of an agreement with
G'Kar. He tells her the time may be coming when he will have to
call upon her. She informs him that she is on Mars, on the way
to a meeting with Michael Garibaldi, one that Garibaldi called.
She doesn't know what he wants, and is suspicious. G'Kar
reassures her, being close to both of them, and she continues on to
Edgars-Garibaldi HQ.
Renegade White Star 13 races through
hyperspace toward Centauri Prime, and a rendezvous with the other
forces preparing to move against the Drakh. Aboard, Neroon and
Marcus go over their battle plans once again. In a rear cargo
hold crouches a stowaway, mulling over just how wise it was to have
come along for the ride.
On Minbar, Alisa Beldon searches for a way
off-planet before the mood against humans there grows any worse.
Unable to find reputable transport, she begins inquiring into the
small alien community on Minbar, and is attacked by a band of
criminals. These attackers are driven away by a Minbari Ranger
who rushes in, pike swinging wildly. The Ranger introduces
himself as Tannier.
Lyta arrives at Edgars-Garibaldi Industries
headquarters and is invited in by Garibaldi. After a few
moments, Garibaldi calls into the room none other than Talia
Winters. Lyta reacts violently, lashing out with her telepathic
powers. Talia recoils and defends herself. Garibaldi dives
for cover, then yells for the two of them to stop it and settle
down. He manages to explain to Lyta that Talia is nearly her old
self once again, but desperately needs help. "So," he
says, "we all have the best of intentions. And we all share
the same goal: to find Bester." He points at Lyta.
"You want him so you can get him to stop his insurgency and stop
giving telepaths a bad name." He points at Talia.
"You need him to help repair the damage he did to
you." He points at himself. "And me-- I get
whatever's left."
Aboard Babylon 5, EarthForce officials have
arrived, searching for Lochley. Able to evade the pursuit due to her knowledge of the station,
Lochley hides out in the parts of Downbelow that even most Lurkers
avoid if at all possible. For several days she avoids the searches,
then finally manages to send a secret message to Ivanova, asking to
talk. Meeting in a dark and dingy area of Downbelow, the two
discuss the situation, and Ivanova agrees to do what she can to help
expose the truth and clear Lochley's name.
Vir arrives at the palace on Centauri Prime
and blusters his way in to see Londo. After a short
conversation, Londo openly states that
he is prepared to overthrow the Drakh and reclaim the homeworld!
Instantly the Keeper on Londo's shoulder awakens.
Aboard the Renegade White Star 13, Marcus and
Neroon stroll through the cargo hold, deep in conversation, when
suddenly Marcus interrupts himself to leap up and yank the lid off a
crate. "Come out," he demands.
Dureena Nafeel climbs out of the crate and
glares defiantly at Marcus. "How did you know?"
Marcus shrugs.
After admonishment from both Marcus and
Neroon, Dureena is grudgingly allowed onto the command deck, where
Marcus cheerfully informs her, "We're probably all going to die
soon anyway."
In deep space, the Excalibur's engines
are overheating and on the verge of exploding. The crew is near mutiny.
Gideon presses for "One more minute." At last, his
ship catches up with the Shadow Hybrid ship, close enough to
fire. "Target the engines--if you can figure out what they
are," he orders Matheson.
The Excalibur fires a barrage of
energy beams at the Shadow Hybrid, but only manage to strike it a
glancing blow-- though enough to send it tumbling out of
control.
"Stay with it, John," Gideon
orders.
As the Excalibur presses down on the
black ship, the Shadow Hybrid suddenly lurches violently and spins
around, zooming back past the Excalibur.
"Don't you say it," Gideon growls.
Matheson stares at the floor, not mentioning
the fact that the Shadow Hybrid has jumped into hyperspace again.
Gideon slumps back in his seat, utterly
miserable.
"Orders, sir?" Matheson urges,
hoping desperately that Gideon won't begin the seemingly futile chase
again.
Gideon inhales deeply, then, "Centauri
Prime, at best speed."
Matheson allows a slight smile to crack his
usually stoic facade, and quickly issues the order to turn the
Excalibur around and head at top speed for Centauri Prime.
One of the techs speaks up. "Top
speed? But
sir, the engines--"
"I was late once," Gideon snaps,
"and an entire world
paid the price. I will not be late again." He fixes
Matheson with his gaze, fire burning in his eyes. "I don't
care if you have to melt those engines-- I want us at Centauri Prime yesterday."
On Centauri Prime, Londo's bold declaration
of honesty has awakened the Keeper, who immediately seizes control of
him, as Vir recoils in horror. Londo staggers forward,
zombie-like, with murder in his eyes. Vir races behind a desk
and pulls out a weapon that Londo had hidden there (and told him
about) several weeks earlier, for just such an occasion.
"I'll kill him!" Vir shouts at the
room, pointing the weapon at the surprised Keeper-driven Londo.
"Show yourself or I'll kill him, and ruin all your plans!"
From out of the shadows steps Shiv'kala.
"Then you will take his place," Shiv'kala intones
menacingly.
Suddenly, in their midst, a shimmering of
light gives way to Galen, who, casting his invisibility spell aside,
hurls fireball after fireball at Shiv'kala. Screeching in shock
and dismay, the Drakh scrambles for cover, but Galen bears down on
him, unleashing a barrage of destruction. As Shiv'kala's
consciousness slips away, the Keeper loses its mental grasp on Londo.
Regaining his senses, the Centauri Emperor strides forward, reaching
down to throttle the remaining life out of the Drakh. As
Shiv'kala dies, the Keeper falls from Londo's shoulder, dead as well.
After a few moments of relief and
congratulations between Londo and Vir, Galen points out that the
larger military action against the Drakh is about to begin, and they
had better be getting into position. "I believe,"
Galen says, "that the technical term is, 'The jig is up.'"
Vir and Londo stare at him blankly.
Then Vir asks, "You mean the
Drakh was able to send out a telepathic warning just before he
died?"
"I'm afraid so, yes."
Wide eyed, Londo and Vir run from the
throneroom, even as the sounds of battle begin to reach them.
The Drakh have been alerted and hostilities have begun early!
There will be no element of surprise for the liberation forces.
Vir signals the news up to Marcus and Neroon aboard White Star 13,
which has just entered Centauri Prime orbit.
Despite having heard nothing from either
G'Kar's promised forces or the Excalibur, Marcus and Neroon grimly
order their makeshift army on the ground, consisting of Centauri
patriots, renegade Rangers, and a couple of young Technomages, to go on
the attack. Marcus and Neroon prepare to land the White Star and
join them in combat.
High above Centauri Prime, G'Kar's small Coalition
Fleet emerges from hyperspace. But the Drakh and Drakh-controlled Centauri
warships are on the move, and are more than prepared to meet any
attacking ships with overwhelming force. The coalition has
jumped straight into a death trap.
Aboard the lead ship, Ambassador Miloshi
Voktal of the Vree stares wide-eyed at the combination Drakh-Centauri
fleet waiting in ambush. "Where is the Excalibur?"
The enemy ships open fire.
Annotations
for "Racing the Night."
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