519: The Fall of Centauri Prime

Londo rescues G'Kar from his prison cell as the bombardment of Centauri Prime continues.  When Londo goes to confront the Regent, he finally meets face-to-face with the Drakh - who gives Londo an ultimatum; surrender to him, or Centauri Prime will be completely destroyed.  The Drakh are carrying out the Shadows' last legacy to bring down Centauri Prime in retaliation for their treatment during the Shadow War.  Londo relents; and he visits G'Kar one final time to say goodbye.  G'Kar admits that while he could never forgive the Centauri for the treatment of the Narn, he forgives Londo.   Londo returns to the Drakh, ready for his future as Emperor - and the Drakh implants him with a Keeper.

Londo contacts Sheridan to inform him that the Regent acted alone in ordering the attacks, and that the Shadow technology found on the ships were purchased on the black market.  Sheridan requests that Londo help him find Delenn's White Star which is still missing in hyperspace.  Delenn and Lennier are convinced that they are going to die when confronted by a fleet of Centauri warships, but are rescued just in time.

On Centauri Prime, Sheridan, Delenn, Vir and G'Kar are surprised when Londo announces to his people that they are breaking from the Alliance; the planet is in total ruins and, after paying reparations to the Alliance as compensation for the attacks, they do not have the resources to rebuild.   Londo assigns Vir as Ambassador to Babylon 5 in his place, and departs to walk to his inauguration ceremony alone.

Notes: Londo recalls Morden's warning to him regarding the Shadows' vengeance in Into the Fire.  Londo also has flashbacks to the Centauri feast he staged on Babylon 5 (The Parliament of Dreams); his time with Adira Tyree (Born to the Purple); his drink with G'Kar (The Coming of Shadows); watching the bombardment of Narn (The Long, Twilight Struggle); and the dream of his death (Midnight on the Firing Line, The Coming of Shadows, War Without End, Part II).  After a long lead-up, Londo has finally become Emperor of the Centauri Republic - Point of No Return, War Without End, In the Beginning, Rising Star.  Vir suggests that he board up the Palace windows to block the view of destruction outside - as is seen in In the Beginning.  Centauri Prime ending "in fire" has been foreshadowed by both Kosh (The Coming of Shadows) and Emperor Cartagia (Falling Toward Apotheosis).

Lyta recites a Vorlon memory implanted within her telling that the Vorlon homeworld is off-limits to all until the younger races are ready to be allowed access to the technology - "one million years from now"; we have seen a hint of this future in The Deconstruction of Falling Stars.

Guest Cast: Damian London, Robin Sachs and Wayne Alexander reprise their roles from the previous episode (Movements of Fire and Shadow).  Simon Billig appears as a Ranger (and also in Objects at Rest); he also appeared as Hogan, a semi-regular in Star Trek: Voyager's second season.