213: Hunter, Prey

Earthforce Special Intelligence Agent Derek Cranston arrives on Babylon 5 in pursuit of a refugee - Dr Everett Jacobs, the personal physician of President Clark.  Cranston tells the command staff that Jacobs is in possession of knowledge of secret Earthforce projects that could damage Earth's diplomatic status, and orders Garibaldi's security personnel to shoot to kill.  Franklin isn't convinced: he studied under Jacobs at Harvard.  A member of General Hague's patriot underground contacts Sheridan in private and reveals that Dr Jacobs is being hunted down because he has evidence that the then-Vice President Clark was not at all sick when he claimed to be too ill to be aboard Earthforce One when it exploded, killing President Santiago.  Sheridan asks Garibaldi and Franklin to go undercover and find Jacobs before the Earthforce agents do, only to find a lurker Down Below, Max, has kidnapped him and intends to hold him for ransom.  Rescuing him, Garibaldi and Franklin smuggle him past the scanners and off the station aboard Kosh's ship.  Sheridan approaches Kosh in the hope they can understand each other a little better, and Kosh agrees to train him to prepare him "to fight legends".

Notes: President Santiago's death occurred in Chrysalis, and this is the first "solid" piece of evidence to emerge implicating President Clark.  As with Dr Rosen (The Quality of Mercy), Dr Jacobs is using stims to keep himself active (see also In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum).  Max mentions the telepathy-enhancing narcotic Dust (see Dust to Dust).

Kosh's teachings to Sheridan begin in There All the Honor Lies.  Sheridan says to Kosh "What do you want?" (the question posed by Shadow agent Morden in Signs and Portents), and Kosh responds with "Never ask that question".  (See also Comes the Inquisitor for the Vorlons' own "catchphrase".)  Kosh's ship seems to communicate by spelling out messages (in Vorlon) in the patterns on the hull (see Walkabout).

Guest Cast: Bernie Casey (Cranston) appeared in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine two-parter The Maquis, and in the (unofficial) James Bond film Never Say Never Again.  Tony Steedman (Dr Everett Jacobs); Wanda de Jesus (Sarah); Richard Moll (Max).