As Ivanova makes an announcement about the Vorlon attacks, and worlds that are accepting refugees, a woman in the docking area is frantically trying to reach her husband when she suddenly collapses. The crowds make no move to assist her but they suddenly part as someone approaches, offering her a hand. Sheridan guides her to over to where Zack is watching and leaves her with him. She seems in awe of meeting Sheridan, something Sheridan and Lorien discuss as they walk off.
In his quarters, Garibaldi keeps tabs on them, specifically Lorien. He's very suspicious about him, even for Garibaldi. Zack tries to ask if he's ok, and Garibaldi nearly bites his head off. He's getting tired of everyone asking him that, pointing out that Sheridan supposedly died but no one's asking him if he's alright. Zack just tells him the doctor want to make one more exam, then he'll be cleared for work. Before Zack leaves, Garibaldi admits that part of what's bothering him is that Sheridan has hardly spoken to him since they got back.
On Centauri Prime, Cartagia has summoned Londo to the palace garden. He and Morden tell Londo that the Vorlons have gone mad, destroying any world the Shadows have influence. Londo notes that there are over a hundred Shadow ships on world, and insists they be removed. Morden refuses, saying they'll never attack a major world. Cartagia is too set on becoming a god to turn Morden down. After he leaves, Cartagia takes Londo to meet his "friends" so he can share his latest brilliant idea. Sitting in front of the severed heads, Cartagia says how one of them came up with the idea of turning Centauri Prime into a pyre to illuminate his ascension to godhood. Londo is speechless, which Cartagia takes as agreement.
Back on station, Franklin is examining Garibaldi, including a check for scarring on the back of the neck. He doesn't find anything and deems Garibaldi fit for duty. When asked, Garibaldi can only guess that he got caught in the backwash when the Shadows jumped out. As Franklin starts pulling off his gloves, Garibaldi has a flashback, but says nothing about it. As he leaves, Sheridan comes in and asks about some tests he requested.
Ivanova continues giving updates on the situation, including the loss of three refuge worlds. Sheridan watches in his quarters as Delenn comes in. He notes that Ivanova is afraid, something he's never heard from her before. After an awkward moment, they begin to talk. Delenn tries to apologize for not telling him Anna might still be alive, admitting she's been afraid he'd come back and not be able to forgive her and she'd lose him again. He assures her that he's accepted what happened and let everything go, except for her. She gave him a reason to come back. Delenn embraces him, and they hold each other close.
Later in the war room, Ivanova, Franklin and Garibaldi are discussing the overcrowding the station's experiencing, Garibaldi saying it's only going to get worse. Every ship for light years in every direction is coming there and they don't have the resources to deal with the ones who are already there. Franklin suggests Epsilon III, since it's never been touched by the Shadows and there must be supplies down there.
Sheridan agrees, then turns to a security topic. The Vorlon ambassador. He wants to get rid of Ulkesh so they can deal with the Vorlons without eavesdropping, but he won't say how so Ulkesh can't glean anything from Garibaldi's thoughts. Garibaldi is about to gather a tactical team, but Sheridan says just a few people he can trust. Garibaldi heads off, muttering about falling on his sword, while the others look rather disturbed. Lorien comes in with Lyta. She's had her part explained to her, and will do her best while Lorien warns them that the Shadows could kill Kosh because they were both First Ones, and that an enraged Vorlon is more powerful than they can imagine. Sheridan explains that they need to be able to move without Ulkesh reporting on them, so they need to take out the Vorlon, anyway they can. In his quarters, Ulkesh lurks.
Garibaldi and his team arrive at the Vorlon quarters and he asks Ulkesh to leave, but the Vorlon is predictably stubborn, and refuses. When one of them approaches, Ulkesh knock him back and they open fire, their PPG blasts doing nil as Ulkesh throws lightning at them and emits a high-pitched sound that shatters their face masks. They retreat before they suffocate.
Sheridan is in his quarters when Londo calls, probably collect, asking if there is any truth to the rumors of the Vorlons attacks. He asks how far they are from Centauri Prime and Sheridan tells him a week. When asked if they are doing anything about it, Sheridan says they have an idea, but there are no guarantees. Londo, realizing the Centauri are on their own, thanks him and signs off.
Lyta comes to see Ulkesh, warning him about the attack, but Ulkesh has already dealt with it. She then tells him there's still a piece of Kosh that someone's keeping from her. Ulkesh finds this intolerable, and she leads him out.
Before long, Ulkesh begins to suspect something, but she manages to get him into position where raw electricity is pumped through a series of transformers into his encounter suit while security comes in and starts shooting until the suit bursts open.
Ulkesh, now seen in his true form, begins attacking everything in sight while his ship begins trying to get away as well. Delenn, who had come up to see this, tries to help a fallen guard, but catches Ulkesh's attention. As he strikes at her, Sheridan moves between them, taking the blow himself and is immobilized.
Lorien comes in and tells Sheridan, "Now!" Sheridan turns and releases another, golden-colored Vorlon, the last of Kosh, with bits of Sheridan and Lorien thrown in. The two Vorlons fight each other until they take it outside, up the sides of the station, and onto Ulkesh's ship where they all explode in a blinding flash.
Delenn rushes over where Sheridan lies fallen, but Lorien says his life force must be replenished and lays a glowing hand on Sheridan's back.
- Delenn: Is this how you brought him back from Z'Ha'Dum?
Lorien: I give of myself to replenish him. For a little while.
Delenn: How long?
Lorien: Long enough.
As Sheridan wakes up, Delenn holds him close, while Lorien goes off to recover.
Londo waits for Cartagia in the throne room, where he expounds upon an idea he had, and something Cartagia himself overlooked. Once Centauri Prime is gone, there will be no one left to remember, and more importantly worship, the great god Cartagia. The solution, Londo says, is to take G'Kar to Narn and have his trial there, where his wisdom and greatness would be seen by all. Cartagia agrees, and begins making arrangments for the trip.
At Babylon 5, a massive fleet is gathering to end the war once and for all.
- Garibaldi: And then what?
Ivanova: "And then what" what?
Garibaldi: Well if we lose there is no "then what", and if we win then what next? We're still renegades, I don't think there's anybody left on this side of the galactic core that we haven't already honked off. We can't go home. Sometimes I don't know what scares me more, winnin' or losin'.
Ivanova: God, I thought I was depressing.
Delenn comes to Sheridan's quarters, where he and Lorien explain what really happened on Z'Ha'Dum, how Lorien found Sheridan dying, or dead, and managed to revive him with his own energy. The test Sheridan asked about earlier was a complete scan of himself, which showed some kind of energy sustaining him. But it's only temporary, and Lorien says it will only be up to twenty years.
- Lorien: And then, one day, he will simply stop.
Sheridan asks for a moment, and after Lorien leaves he and Delenn discuss, he's ok with it, but Delenn isn't. She feels it's only getting him back to lose him again, but it's still twenty years he wouldn't have otherwise. He then, awkwardly explains the concept of the engagement ring to her until she realizes he's asking her to marry him. Her response is a deep kiss.
In G'Kar's dungeon, Cartagia is personally overseeing arrangements, though he doesn't like the way G'Kar is looking at him. Londo doesn't offer any suggestions, and after he leaves, Cartagia decides to have G'Kar's eye plucked out, casually picking one, then leaving as the prison door is shut.
This episode contains examples of:
- The Berserker: Once out of his suit, Ulkesh goes on a rampage, attacking anything that moves.
- Bystander Syndrome: The crowds in the beginning just walk around the woman, despite her frantic pleas for help.
- Call-Back:
- Delenn apologizes for keeping the possibility of Anna's survival from Sheridan.
- Cartagia meets with his "Shadow Cabinet" again.
- Lorien explains what happened when he found Sheridan
- Deer in the Headlights: Delenn when she sees Ulkesh about to attack her.
- Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Sheridan, with Lorien and Kosh's help, is able to take out the Vorlon ambassador.
- Disproportionate Retribution: For giving him a dirty look, Cartagia has G'Kar's eye removed.
- Door-Closes Ending: Right after Cartagia orders G'Kar's eye plucked out, he walks out as a guard pulls out a knife and the prison door is shut.
- Duel to the Death: Ulkesh and Kosh wind up in a fight with each other that destroys both of them.
- Earth-Shattering Kaboom: The Vorlons have been going around blowing up entire planets that have been influenced by the Shadows.
- Energy Beings: We finally see what Vorlons look like without the encounter suit or projected images.
- Eye Scream: Cartagia decides to have G'Kar's eye removed as the penalty for looking at him the wrong way.
- Forgiveness: Sheridan's still not exactly happy with Delenn for hiding the fact that his late wife might still be alive, but he does understand her reasons - and more importantly, he loves her.Sheridan: I fell at Z'Ha'Dum, Delenn. I saw my own death and accepted it. I looked up and saw Anna, or what was left of Anna. In that moment, I said goodbye, the goodbye I could never say before. I let it all go, and I only held on to one thing - the image of your sweet face. If I never came back, that was enough. But you gave me a reason to come back. Could I love that much and not forgive?
- Healing Hands: We get to see how Lorien heals people here.
- Hyperspace Is a Scary Place: In addition to destroying planets, the Vorlons are also destroying jumpgates, causing navigational hazards at the tranfer points.
- Kick the Dog: Cartagia orders the guards to pluck out the eye of G'Kar, who is already condemned to die. He orders it done on a whim, having decided he doesn't like how G'Kar is looking at him.
- Kill It with Fire: Cartagia's idea of making Centauri Prime a pyre to honor his ascension to godhood.
- Meaningful Echo, after almost two full seasons:
"Let it all end in fire!" - Law of Chromatic Superiority: Ulkesh's true form shines with a silvery-blue light. When Kosh (and Sheridan/Lorien) appears, he has a bright golden light.
- Living on Borrowed Time: Sheridan and Lorien tell Delenn that he actually did die, only Lorien was able to revive him. The technique will only give Sheridan 20 years of life, at most.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Sheridan deliberately withholds information from Garibaldi to keep Ulkesh from possibly picking it up.
- Make Me Wanna Shout: Ulkesh emits a sound that destroys security's face masks, forcing them from his quarters.
- Mood Whiplash: Right after Delenn accepts John's proposal, we go to G'Kar's darkened cell with Cartagia contemplating one last torment.
- No-Sell: When Security first goes to confront Ulkesh, their weapons are next to useless. Even later, when massive amounts of channeled power destroys the encounter suit, it only seems to make him mad. It takes Kosh to finally defeat him.
- Oh, Crap! / Vertigo Effect: As Ulkesh realizes he's been Lured into a Trap.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: After listening to Ivanova's report on Vorlon movements, he notes that she's afraid, something he's never seen in her before.
- Red Herring: Shortly after Dr. Franklin's examination of Garibaldi, Sheridan enters Medlab and asks for the results of some tests that he'd wanted run. At first it seems that the tests in question were of Garibaldi, giving Garibaldi's suspicions a certain amount of credence (that they were examining Garibaldi when they should be examining Sheridan, who mysteriously survived something he shouldn't have). Turns out, Sheridan's requested tests were of Sheridan himself, and confirmed that he was in fact Living on Borrowed Time.
- Sanity Has Advantages: Londo's scheme to get the emperor to go to Narn is based on appropriating the emperor's own Insane Troll Logic
- Shock and Awe: Ulkesh uses this against the security team, then has it used against him via in an effort to force him out of the suit.
- Slouch of Villainy: Cartagia makes himself very comfortable on his throne.
- With This Ring: Sheridan takes the opportunity to propose to Delenn, though at first she doesn't quite understand the significance of it. Once she does she readily accepts.
- Your Days Are Numbered: Sheridan will only live another twenty years from this point.
