509: In the Kingdom of the Blind

The Interstellar Alliance has a new problem: mysterious unprovoked attacks on all shipping lanes from a powerful unknown source.  Meanwhile, Londo arrives on Centauri Prime, receiving much jest over his choice of G'Kar as his bodyguard.  Lord Jano meets with Londo and tells him of his fears for the Regent, who has become more and more reclusive and his behaviour more erratic.  One of the Regent's orders is that he alone be given access and control over the Centauri fleet.  When Jano returns to his quarters, he is met by the Regent - and a monstrous alien who immediately kills him.  Back on Babylon 5, Byron tries to reason with the Alliance to provide a safe new home planet for his people - and threatens to reveal the delegates' hidden secrets in order to get what they want.  Byron tries to convince his people to remain in hiding until the problem is resolved but some engage in attacks against the other aliens when relations become strained.  Londo is brought into a personal confrontation with the ambitious Lord Vole - who thinks Londo is an obstacle to his plans for power - but when he tries to kill Londo the strange alien is present and Vole's knife flies back to stab himself.  Londo meets with the Regent and discovers that he was saved by the aliens because that he is "just like them".  In space, a Centauri ship launches an attack on another Centauri cargo vessel.  And back on the station, Sheridan revokes his protection order on the telepaths so they can all be captured and imprisoned - but they have sealed themselves away.

Notes: Byron mentions the events of "last night", referring to Secrets of the Soul, two episodes ago.  The identity of the alien seen here is revealed in Movements of Fire and Shadow.  This is the first appearance of the Centauri Regent (whose name is revealed to be Virini in this episode) since Epiphanies (where his Shadow implant was first seen and he first mentions his preference for pastels), however his "illness" was mentioned in Rising Star.  He mentions to Londo that they will speak once more "before the end" (see Movements of Fire and Shadow).  The deployment of Centauri resources mentioned here hints at the revelation in The Ragged Edge.  G'Kar's lashing in the hands of the late Emperor Cartagia is recalled (The Summoning).

Guest Cast: Damian London returns as the Centauri Regent.  Neil Hunt appears as Minister Vitali, Ian Ogilvy (Roger Moore's successor in the TV series The Saint) as Minister Jaro, and Francis McCarthy as Lord Vole.