218: Confessions and Lamentations

A Markab ship arrives - with its entire compliment of passengers and crew dead.  Franklin, investigating a higher mortality rate amongst the Markab on the station, can't seem to extract any useful information out of Dr Lazarenn, his Markab colleague.  When the Markab begin to die in greater numbers, Franklin discovers a highly contagious disease, the drafa, spreading rapidly amongst the population, threatening to render the whole race extinct.

The Markab themselves have known of isolated cases of the disease for some time but take no action against it as it seems incurable and they consider it a just punishment for the sinful.  Franklin's desperation to find an antidote is increased when a Pak'ma'ra is found dead.  The Markab are placed in isolation, with Delenn and Lennier electing to join them for support.  Lazarenn comes down with the disease, and Franklin monitors its progress throughout until he is able to determine how it works and formulate a combatant.  But he is too late, the entire Markab population of Babylon 5 is wiped out.  Meanwhile, Delenn invites Sheridan to a long and involved Minbari dinner ceremony, but he falls asleep halfway through.

Notes: Franklin's use of stims is seen again (see In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum; and also Interludes and Examinations). The relationship between Delenn and Sheridan increases with the dinner ritual - which Lennier has spent two days preparing, including the blessing of the spices - which is the mirror of Sheridan's invitation to her in A Race Through Dark Places.

Guest Cast: Jim Norton plays Lazarenn. He previously appeared as Ombuds Wellington in Grail and The Quality of Mercy, and also appears as a Narn in Dust to Dust.