History Recap / BabylonFiveS05E14MeditationsOnTheAbyss

* {{Troll}}: Londo tells Vir about how insecure the Drazi are and how their females will mate with anyone to avoid their own males, and how the Drazi ambassador's wife had a night with [[InsectoidAliens the Gaim]]...and then smashes the bug. He later needles the ambassador about it to his face.

* {{Troll}}: Londo tells Vir about how insecure the Drazi are and how their females will mate with anyone to avoid their own males, and how the Drazi ambassador's wife had a night with the Gaim...and then smashes the bug. He later needles the ambassador about it to his face.

* RageBreakingPoint: To recap the last 4 and a half years: Vir got sent to Babylon 5 because he was seen as a joke and the position looked important on paper. There he tried to talk Londo out of his deals with Morden and prevent the second Narn-Centauri war. When that didn't work he was PutOnABus to [[ReassignedToAntarctica Minbar]], where he saved 2000 Narn from his own government. Londo later used that part to blackmail him to as far as Vir knew help capture G'Kar. On top of all that he had to kill Cartagia to save his homeworld. Then the Drazi bugged his quarters and called him weak.

** Carrying on another's work is the [[Recaps/BabylonFiveS05E05LearningCurve wrong reason to join the Rangers]].

-->'''Londo''': Now the thing you must remember about the Drazi is that they are very insecure people, but they have so much to be insecure about. Did you knwo that the female of their species will gladly mate with any other species in the universe to avoid the males of their own kind? Take the wife of the Drazi ambassador, for example. After spending an afternoon of passion with her, the Gaim ambassador told me the most amazing stories. Yes, You know that one day he actually...oops. (''drops bug and stomps on it'') There, hah. They should stew all day over that.

Vir is puzzled, why would memebers of the Alliance spy on each other, but Londo tells him never to take pilitics personally. Back to his position, ince Londo will soon be emperor, he will need a replacement ambassador to Babylon 5, and Londo has decided it will be Vir.

Montoya orders them to jump, and the ''Maria'' heads for the jumpagte.

Out among the asteroids, the exercise starts, with Lennier taking an early lead. Findell, however, doesn't have any kills at all and when Montoya tries to confirm, he doesn't respond. Lennier orders his fighter to locate Findell, who cuts comms and orders his fighter to top speed. Lennier realizes what Findell's trying to do and sets off after him. He opens a private channel to try and talk him down. Findell admits Lennier was right, he is not Anla'shok but he cannot return home in shame. Lennier again tries to talk him out of it, but Findell cuts the comm and flied head on toward a large asteroid. Now forced to take drastic action, Lennier orders his fighter to override its friend-or-foe system and enable weapons. [[ImprobablePilotingSkills He fires on Findell's fighter, disabling its engines then flies in close to bump his off course]]. He then has to pull a sharp turn to keep from crashing into the asteroid himself.

* BluffTheEavesdropper: After locating the drazi bug, Londo decides to have some fun with whoever's listening.

* CurbstompBattle: After Delenn walks off, the man who accosted her gives chase, only to be knocked across the room by Lennier.

* Ambadassador: How Vir gets his job of representing the Centauri back. This time Londo thinks he did good.

* BondOneLiner: The guy still has five fingers left.

* LeeaningOnTheFourthWall: When Sheridan asks about Garibaldi, it reminds the audience that we haven't seen him all episode either.

Back on the ''Maria'', Montoya demands to know what all that was about. [[BlatantLies Lennier tries to pass it off as a computer glitch]], but Montoya's already seen its flight data, which shows he took manual control when he fired. Lennier says it was the only way to regain control. Montoya says he doesn't know what happened out there but for the record fails Lennier on the Easter egg hunt. Since they don't know what Findell would have done on his own, he gets a neutral grade. He then turns to Findell. He's arranged an assignment for him, goign to work in the recruitment office in Tuzanor working with new recruits.

Garibaldi is currently in his quarters, drunkenly searching for the missing link so he can order pizza.

* BlatantLies: Probably the most blatant we've ever seen from a Minbari.

She gets up and goes to leave, but the man gets up and runs after her. He doesn't get too far before he's knocked in the head by another hooded figure, who turns around and [[CurbstompBattle swiftly knocks him into the bar]]. The figure then goes to join Delenn.

-->'''Man''': You broke my finger!

* TrainingFromHell: In Ranger training you might be abandoned in deep space with barely any oxygen or sent to fly through a think knot of asteroids at dangerous speeds. Sounds like fun.

Lennier arrives aboard ''White Star 27'' and reports to Captain Enrique Montoya. Lennier gives a brief summary of his experience during the Shadow War under Delenn and Sheridan. Montoya's impressed, but he'l see if he can find something to add to what they imparted. Another Ranger comes up, and Montoya introduces him as Findell, another of the ''Maria's'' trainees, or as she's officially known, ''White Star 27'', but what kind of name is that for a ship? Montoya named her ''Maria'' after his sister.

She gets up and goes to leave, but the man gets up and runs after her. He doesn't get too far before he's knocked in the head by another hooded figure, who turns around and swiftly knocks him into the bar. The figure then goes to join Delenn.

-->'''Londo''': I just came by to mention to you all that someone must be terribly inept, whoever it was, planted a listening device in my quarters this morning. The very idea is laughable, absurd, even moronic, wouldn't you say, Ambassador? (''Drazi glares'') Well, I just wanted to alert you all in case anyone tries anything equally as stupid as this again. Good day to you all, especially ''you'', Ambassador. Oh, and your wonderful, beautiful wife. (''walks out'')\\

The ''Maria'' jumps to normal space and Montoya orders Lennier and Findell to launch. They emerge from the launch bay, but while checking systems, Lennier finds his atmosphere is showing 50% of what it was when he did his preflight. Findell's is the same. They're about to head back, but the ''Maria'' suddenly jumps away, stranding them in deep space with less than an hour of air.

With little air left and no way of knowing when the ship will be back, Lennier, suggests entering a meditative state to reduce their body functions and try to use as little air as possible. They might be able to last a couple of hours that way. Findell's not sure he can, but Lennier says it's only necessary to try.

G'Kar is answering questions and tiurns to the next one, "What is truth? And what is God?"

G'Kar answers this by describing the search for truth as shining a light upon a wall, but all too often we come to see the light reflected on the wall as God rather than the revelation knowledge that it truly is. He says the perception of God comes from the search for God. It may be an appreciation of the light, which is actually coming from us. If we get in the way, we assume we are the center of the universe, or look at our shadow and assume all is darkness. Getting in the way of the light defeats the purpose, which is to reveal the wall in all its splendor and flaws and understand the world around us.

Lennier is still in meditative state when Findell starts calling, saying he can't breath. Lennier tries to calm him down but Findell's air is almost gone. He flies off to look for...someplace with air, but the ''Maria'' jumps back in. Montoya orders them to report to the bunks for debriefing, where he explains what happened out there. He engineered a scenario to simulate situations where they have been left behind for whatever reason. The ship and its mission come first. Montoya wanted to see how they responded, and Lennier had the correct solution, one that would have allowed them to extend their life support and allowed the ship to find them when they returned.

-->'''Montoya''': To be Anla'Shok means understanding that there is nothing to fear in death except the failure to complete our assigned mission. Death is not the enemy. Death simply is.

The ''Maria'' enters a star system with a large asteroid field and explains that they're going on an "Easter egg hunt". The crew have planted 39 homing devices among the asteroids and they are to find and destroy 10 of them while avoiding being hit and destroyed by an asteroid themselves. Findell has a question: with only 39 devices and four trainees, won't one of them come up short. Montoya says a little competition is good for the soul, then orders them to their fighters.

Out among the asteroids, the excercise starts, with Lennier taking an early lead. Findell, however, doesn't have any kills at all and when Montoya tries to confirm, he doesn't respond. Lennier orders his fighter to locate Findell, who cuts comms and orders his fighter to top speed. Lennier realizes what Findell's trying to do and sets off after him. He opens a private channel to try and talk him down. Findell admits Lennier was right, he is not Anla'shok but he cannot return home in shame. Lennier again tries to talk him out of it, but Findell cuts the comm and flied head on toward a large asteroid. Now forced to take drastic action, Lennier orders his fighter to override its friend-or-foe system and enable weapons. He fires on Findell's fighter, disabling its engines then flies in close to bump his off course. He then has to pull a sharp turn to keep from crashing into the asteroid himself.

Back on the ''Maria'', Montoya demands to know what all that was about. Lennier tries to pass it off as a computer glitch, but Montoya's already seen its flight data, which shows he took manual control when he fired. Lennier says it was the only way to regain control. Montoya says he doesn't know what happened out there but for the record fails Lennier on the Easter egg hunt. Since they don't know what Findell would have done on his own, he gets a neutral grade. He then turns to Findell. He's arranged an assignment for him, goign to work in the recruitment office in Tuzanor working with new recruits.

* BluffTheEavesdropper: After locating the drazi bug, Londo decides to have some fun with whoever's listening.

* SecretTestOfCharacter: Montoya sends Findell and Lennier on fighters to scout around and then leaves. The fighters have - to their surprise - only one hour of oxygen. The goal of the excercise was to see how would they respond.

-->'''Human''': You broke my finger!
-->'''Delenn''': [[BondOneLiner True, but you still have nine left, for the moment]].

* CallBack: Londo uses his [[Recap/BabylonFiveS04E01TheHourOfTheWolf bug detector again]].

* WellDoneSonGuy: Londo heartily approves of Vir dismantling the Drazi merchant's stall for Planting the bug.

* SecretTestOfCharacter: Montoya sends Findell and Lennier on fighters to scout around and then leaves. The fighters have - to their surprise - only one hour of oxygen.

->It is not necessary to know. It is only necessary to try.

* IncrediblyObviousBug: Londo finds one in the bottom of a shopping bag. Not that obvious at first glance, but his little detector finds it easily enough. He and decide to [[BluffTheEavesdropper have some fun by having a loud conversation about the Drazi ambassador's wife]] before smashing it.

* IncrediblyObviousBug: Londo finds one in the bottom of a shopping bag. Not that obvious at first glance, but his little detector finds it easily enough.

* AttemptedRape: ''Do not'' hold Delenn's hand if she doesn't want you to.