318: Walkabout

Franklin has gone walkabout through the station "to find himself" - according to his Foundationist beliefs he needs to rediscover himself before he can continue with his work.  Lyta Alexander arrives on the station, having just "heard" of Kosh's demise - just as a new Vorlon ambassador, also claiming to be named Kosh, arrives.  He questions Lyta regarding a "piece" of Kosh that appears to have been missing, but she says she wasn't with him at the time of his death; she does suspect, however, that Sheridan is carrying it with him.  Garibaldi goes in search of Franklin, worried about him, but is unable to convince him to return until his task is complete.  Franklin has met Cailyn, a nightclub singer, but when she steals his credit chip to purchase the drug metazine he thinks she has an addiction.  Sheridan recruits Lyta to test the theory that telepaths may be an effective weapon to use against the Shadows, taking her aboard the White Star to the site of the most recent Shadow attacks.  Three Minbari telepaths aboard a Minbari warship accompany them as back-up, but Captain Na'Kal of the Narn heavy cruiser Ja'Dok refuses to endanger his ship.  Garibaldi angrily insists that G'Kar and the League of Non-Aligned Worlds go to assist Sheridan.  When Lyta realizes the Shadows were responsible for Kosh's death, she manages to hold one at bay long enough for the White Star to destroy it.  However, four more Shadow ships arrive and only by the eventual arrival of the Ja'Dok and a small fleet do they save the day.  Franklin discovers that Cailyn actually has neuroparalysis, a terminal illness that the metazine helps relieve the pain.  He takes her to MedLab with instructions to give her whatever she needs for as long as she needs it, then resumes his walking.

Notes: Sheridan's connections to Kosh were previously seen in All Alone in the Night, There All the Honor Lies and Interludes and Examinations (where Kosh appeared to Sheridan as he was dying).  Telepaths were discovered to be an effective weapon against the Shadows in Ship of Tears.  Franklin resigned MedLab to go "walkabout" following his stim addiction in Interludes and Examinations.  Dr Kyle is mentioned (see The Gathering).  Cailyn's eventual death is referred to in Endgame (where she is given the surname James).  When the new Vorlon Ambassador's ship arrives, it veers off to greet Sheridan while he is out spacewalking, and displays a message to him in the patterns on its hull.  Whatever it says is still unknown.

The soundtrack of this episode is available on CD.

Guest Cast: Patricia Tallman returns as Lyta Alexander.  Erica Gimpel (Cailyn) appeared in the TV series Fame.   Jennifer Balgobin makes her second appearance as Dr Lilian Hobbs (Interludes and Examinations, and seen again in Objects at Rest).  Robin Sachs makes his second appearance as the Narn Captain Na'Kal (see The Fall of Night).