Ranger Sightings - "Matters of Honor"

Scene 1: Space, above Zagros 7 [tag & Act I].

A Drazi ship is fleeing the planet; as it leaves, it's being fired upon by Centauri blockade mines.
Inside the ship:
The Drazi pilot (Drozac) is strapped in a seat in what looks like a small cockpit.

"Approaching the barrier. Are you ready?"
--- Drozac to Marcus

"Standing by."

--- Marcus (off screen) to Drozac

"Here it comes."

--- Drozac to Marcus
Outside the ship:
The ship evades a number of blasts by several mines, and then gets hit by the edge of one.
Inside the ship:
The ship rocks as the blast hits.

"Almost there."

--- Drozac to Marcus
"Eject me! Don't take the chance!"

--- Marcus (off screen) to Drozac

"Not yet. Get you all the way outside the barrier."

--- Drozac to Marcus
Outside the ship:
The ship evades more blasts.
Inside the ship:

"Now. Now."

--- Marcus (off screen) to Drozac
Drozac puts his hand over a half-sphere with a number of buttons on it.

"Dammit, now!"

--- Marcus (off screen) to Drozac
Drozac closes his hand over the half-sphere.

"Now."

--- Marcus (off screen) to Drozac
Drozac pushes a button.
Outside the ship:
A pod is lifted at an angle from the ship, and then takes off. Two blasts miss it.
Inside the ship:

"Good luck."

--- Drozac to Marcus
Outside the ship:
The ship is hit by more blasts and explodes. The pod flees away from the planet and gets hit once.
Inside the pod:
A human (Marcus) is seated in the small cockpit of the pod.
As the blast hits, the pod shakes. Marcus closes his eyes.

"Goodbye, Drozac.

"Computer, damage report. Can we still jump?"

--- Marcus

"Confirmed. Destination?"

--- computer
Marcus looks slightly relieved.

"Babylon 5."

--- Marcus
Outside the pod:
The pod races toward an open jumpgate and enters.

[Commercial]

The pod continues through hyperspace.
Inside:
The interior of the pod is lit in red; Marcus looks hot.

"Computer. How long until we reach Babylon 5?"

--- Marcus

"Seven standard hours at present speed."

--- computer
Marcus mutters, "Seven," under his breath.

"Redirect as much power as you can from life support to the engines."

--- Marcus

"Confirmed."

--- computer
The pod goes dark, lit only by the control panels.

Scene 2: A small bar in Downbelow [Act II].

Delenn and Lennier, in cloaks, along a corridor and arrive at the entrance to the bar.

"Are you sure this is the place?"

--- Delenn to Lennier

"Reasonably."

--- Lennier to Delenn
They enter.

"This is an unreasonable place for reasonable assumptions."

--- Delenn to Lennier
There are a number of humans and aliens in the bar.
Delenn and Lennier head toward the back and sit down at a small table with two chairs. A man (Marcus) comes up to the table with two full glasses in his hands, and places them in front of Delenn and Lennier.

"Drink."

--- Marcus to Delenn and Lennier

"Uh, thank you, no. If you please, we are waiting for someone."

--- Lennier to Marcus

"People come here to drink. Do you want to draw attention?"

--- Marcus to Lennier
Marcus grabs a chair from another table, brings it over, and sits down.
Delenn reaches for her glass, but Lennier quickly puts his hand over it and picks it up. He sniffs it, takes a sip, and then puts it back down.

"No alcohol. It is safe. Mr--"

--- Lennier to Delenn and Marcus

"Just call me Marcus.

"Of course it's safe. I know the effect it has on Minbari, but since most don't, I figured it'd help prove I was waiting for you.

"Can I have it back now, please?"

--- Marcus to Delenn and Lennier
Lennier hands him his ranger brooch. Marcus looks down at it.

"Do you know, I've heard that when these are made, they're forged in white-hot flame, then cooled in three bowls. The first is some kind of ancient holy water; the second, Minbari blood; the third, human blood. They say that when a ranger dies, the figures on either side shed three tears: one of water and two of blood."

--- Marcus to Delenn and Lennier
Marcus pins the brooch back on.

"And you, do you believe this?"

--- Delenn to Marcus

"I stopped believing in miracles a long time ago, Ambassador. A part of the heart goes dead; it's best to leave it that way."

--- Marcus to Delenn
Delenn looks disturbed.
Marcus glances around for a moment.

"I need your help, Delenn. But I suggest we go someplace a little bit more private to discuss it. This way."

--- Marcus to Delenn and Lennier
Marcus gets up and Lennier and Delenn follow him.

[Scene summary: They're followed out of the bar and forced to fight a group of lurkers who claim that part of Downbelow. During the fight, Marcus uses a stick that expands from a small cylinder, which he passes to Delenn. They defeat the lurkers.]

Marcus and Delenn look at each other, both breathing heavily.

"You all right?"

--- Marcus to Delenn

"Yes, yes. Lennier? Lennier?"

--- Delenn to Marcus and Lennier
Lennier comes up to them.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Delenn."

--- Lennier to Delenn
Delenn looks down at the stick in her hands.

"A Minbari fighting weapon. An old one."

--- Delenn to Marcus
Delenn hands it back to Marcus.

"A gift from a friend."

--- Marcus to Delenn
Marcus shrinks the weapon and puts it back in his pocket.

"We must hurry. This way."

--- Marcus to Delenn and Lennier

Scene 3: Sheridan's office [Act II].

Garibaldi is speaking with Delenn and Lennier as Ivanova walks in and over to Sheridan, who's talking to Marcus.

"Captain, you wanted to see me?"

--- Ivanova to Sheridan

"Yes, Commander."

--- Sheridan to Ivanova
Sheridan glances away and shifts slightly.

"Umm... This is going to be difficult.

"Ah... I haven't had a chance to fill you in on everything until now, and I apologize for that. But from what I've just heard, we don't have a lot of time. This is Marcus. He's a--"

--- Sheridan to Ivanova

"A ranger."

--- Ivanova to Sheridan
Marcus and Sheridan look at her.

"They've been trained to fight the Shadows and keep an eye on what's happening outside Babylon5."

--- Ivanova to Sheridan
Sheridan looks at her and mouths "What?"

"The rangers in this area are under the direct control of you, Ambassador Delenn, and Garibaldi is functioning as your liaison."

--- Ivanova to Sheridan
Delenn and Lennier look surprised; Garibaldi rocks back and forth on his heels and shakes his head in admiration.

"Did I leave anything out?"

--- Ivanova to Sheridan
Sheridan looks stunned.

"When did you-- How did you--"

--- Sheridan to Ivanova

"Captain, the day something happens around here and I don't know about it, worry.

"So what's up?"

--- Ivanova to Sheridan
Sheridan looks at Marcus.

"Marcus?"

--- Sheridan to Marcus

"I came here from Zagros 7. It's a Drazi colony on the edge of their territory. It's also the base for one of our biggest training camps."

--- Marcus

"I thought the rangers were being trained on Minbar."

--- Garibaldi to Marcus

"Many of them are, yes. But there is a wisdom in, as you say, not putting all your eggs in one basket. Besides, not all of our people are--comfortable--with the idea of the rangers. So with the cooperation of other governments, we've created additional training camps... elsewhere."

--- Lennier

"Two weeks ago, we were surrounded by Centauri blockade mines. Any ship trying to leave the blockade is shot down. It's a small colony, with very little of value, so our guess is that we're the target."

--- Marcus

"Why hasn't the Drazi government done anything about this?"

--- Ivanova

"The Centauri have captured much larger targets on the other side of their territory. They do not have the resources to protect a colony with so few people and of such limited strategic importance."

--- Delenn

"We're boxed in on all sides. We need your help, now, before anyone else is killed, or the camp is invaded. All you have to do is break the blockade long enough for the other rangers to escape."

--- Marcus

"Look, to lead an expedition into Drazi space, take out a planetary blockade, would need a warship, major ordnance, a crew. We don't have those kinds of resources. And we're already in hot water with the Centauri over the last firefight."

--- Garibaldi to Marcus and Sheridan

"We have the means, if you have the will. There'll be nothing left behind that can be linked back to you. We have no one else to turn to."

--- Marcus to Sheridan

Scene 4: On the White Star [Act III].

Marcus is seated at a set of controls; Ivanova wanders over to talk to him.

"You haven't said much since we came on board."

--- Ivanova to Marcus

"I don't usually speak unless I have something to say."

--- Marcus to Ivanova

"Then we have something in common.

"So how'd you get involved with the rangers?"

--- Ivanova to Marcus

"My brother joined six months before I did. I said he was being a fool: chasing legends, playing hero.

"He came back to warn me about a Shadow attack on the mining colony I was working at. Didn't listen.

"I got back just in time to see him die."

--- Marcus to Ivanova

"I'm sorry."

--- Ivanova to Marcus

"Before he died, he asked me to finish what he'd started. I keep my promises."

--- Marcus to Ivanova

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Last modified March 5th, 1996.
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Trudy A. Goold/tag@myna.com