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Garibaldi investigates a missing person in the mysterious Grey Sector. Delenn becomes the leader of the Rangers.

Starring[]

Regular Cast[]

Special Guest Star[]

Featuring[]

Cast Notes[]

Summary[]

Introduction[]

Zack Allan is running a recruiting drive for telepaths to help in the war against the Shadows. John Sheridan and Susan Ivanova discuss the possibility of getting Stephen Franklin's help in contacting the underground railroad he assisted to get telepaths away from Psi Corps. With Franklin still on walkabout, finding him will be tough.

Meanwhile, a maintenance tech looking for a power short in Grey 16 is attacked by an unknown entity.

Act I[]

On Minbar, Delenn and Lennier make arrangements to send Jeffrey Sinclair's effects back to his family. While there, the issue of Ranger One's replacement is brought up. Delenn is offered the position but she is reluctant to take it.

In Security, Michael Garibaldi is admiring an antique gun from his grandmother when Allan arrives with the odd report from the missing maintenance tech. After Allan asks about the gun, he explains the unusual report. Garibaldi elects to take the case himself when he hears the man simply disappeared and heads to Grey Sector.

Ivanova goes looking for Franklin in Downbelow and finds him, irritable and suffering from stim withdrawal. She asks him about the underground railroad, and he offers to give her a backup of the information on the condition that no one comes looking for him so he can work out his issues.

Act II[]

Garibaldi investigates the site of the tech's disappearance. During the conversation, Garibaldi learns that Grey Sector has only 29 levels, unlike the standard 30.

Sheridan believes Delenn taking over the Rangers is a great idea, but Delenn thinks it may not be the popular choice. Sheridan promises to arrange the space for the initiation ceremony when Ivanova contacts him with the information regarding the underground railroad and he leaves. Delenn is then confronted by Neroon from around the corner. He clearly opposes her taking over the Rangers and the rise of the Religious Caste over the Warrior Caste, calling it ambition. He accuses Delenn of scheming to create a new power for herself. Neroon wants control of the Rangers under the Warrior Caste and means to take command himself. Just then, Lennier arrives, taking her attention away and Neroon disappears.

Lennier cannot believe that Neroon would challenge her for control of the Rangers, and believes that he would even go as far as to kill her. Delenn doesn't think so, and forbids him from telling Sheridan about their "internal" problem.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi begins investigating the mystery of the 29 levels of Grey Sector, counting the time it takes the lift to reach each level. It takes three seconds to get between floors, but six seconds to get between Grey 16 and Grey 17. Garibaldi forces the lift to open in between and finds a forgotten level of the station. He is trapped by the malfunctioning door and is soon incapacitated while investigating a sound.

Act III[]

Lennier visits Marcus Cole in an attempt to help Delenn without breaking his promise to her. He informs Cole of Neroon's intentions against Delenn. If Cole interferes, then it would avoid any scandal involving Minbari attacking other Minbari. He only needs to stop him from interrupting the ceremony appointing Delenn as Ranger One.

Garibaldi wakes up, stripped of his weapon and link, and finds people living on the forgotten level. One man welcomes him ominously, introducing himself as Jeremiah. He explains the universe is alive, and that the Minbari understands it, giving them an advantage. Everyone is the universe itself, and that is why they are driven to understand stars and planets. He then mentions only when they understand will the "door" be open.

Rangers begin arriving on the station for the ceremony. During some alone time, Sheridan and Delenn talk about her family and childhood.

As Neroon heads for the ceremony, he is waylaid by Cole who challenges him to a duel to the death.

Act IV[]

As the ceremony to invest Delenn as Ranger One takes place, Neroon and Cole fight furiously, Garibaldi tries to escape the forgotten level, and Lennier stays alert. Garibaldi is sealed off from the rest of the station by whatever these people did. Garibaldi feigns suffering cramps from the tranquilizer and takes the leader of the people living on the level, Jeremiah, hostage.

Meanwhile, Cole is no match for Neroon, but fights anyway. Neroon pauses, wanting to know why Cole fought knowing he could not win. Cole makes it clear that they believe in Delenn and they are willing to fight and die for her.

Garibaldi and Jeremiah head through the level and find the bloodied remains of the maintenance tech's clothes. Jeremiah insists they don't believe in violence, and continues to try making Garibaldi understand. A shriek is heard. Jeremiah goes on with his rhetoric about the universe as Garibaldi watches out for whatever the shriek was. He then learns that it is a Zarg.

At the ceremony, Neroon finally arrives and confronts Delenn. Surprisingly, he does not challenge her claim to be the role of Ranger One, but, rather, tells her that there is now blood between them and throws down a bloody pike. Further, that he now understands that the humans in the Rangers would not die for him. He calls her Entil'Zha and leaves. Lennier goes in search of Cole and finds him beaten but alive.

Garibaldi sees the Zarg and uses a steam vent to ward it off. He then makes a makeshift slugthrower weapon, kills it, and takes Jeremiah to continue finding a way off the level.

Act V[]

As Cole recovers in Medlab, Lennier defends Cole's decision to confront Neroon and notes the balance of life and death in the universe. Just then, Neroon visits Cole, but insists the two leave them alone. Surprised, they do so, and, since Cole is still unconscious, Neroon notes aloud anyway that his preconceptions have died. He admits seeing a human invoke Valen's name and willing to die for a Minbari changed him and the "rightness of his cause." He supposes they are of the same heart, as Delenn has said.

Cole was actually semi-conscious and interjects as Neroon starts to leave, asking him that, next time he needs a revelation, to make sure it is not so uncomfortable. Neroon laughs aloud at this, audible to Lennier and Delenn outside and surprising them.

Garibaldi finally gets out and meets Sheridan in his office – Sheridan, frustrated, asks him where he was during the ceremony. Garibaldi then goes into a long explanation about what happened on the forgotten level, much to Sheridan's confusion.

Memorable Quotes[]

"I like mysteries, but I hate Grey Sector. I swear, it's like the Centauri Triangle in there. There's always some damn thing going wrong."

Michael Garibaldi to Zack Allan


"I'm in awe, Lennier--the way you can take a straightforward, logical proposition and turn it inside out so that in the end it says what you want it to say instead of what it actually means. Did this come naturally, or did you attend some special martial arts class for the philosophically inclined?"

Marcus Cole speaking to Lennier


"My name is Jeremiah. Welcome to the end of the world."

Jeremiah to Garibaldi


"I hate Grey Sector."

Michael Garibaldi


Behind the Scenes[]

J. Michael Straczynski has admitted that this episode did not work. He is especially critical of the Zarg, both in terms of appearance and in how it was handled. He has expressed a desire to apologize to fans for the episode.[1]

In the weeks leading up to this episode, JMS played a prank on Jason Carter by asking Bill Mumy and several other cast members to imply that Marcus was going to die in the season.  Carter becoming increasingly panicked and concerned, especially as he read the scene about Marcus's fight with Neroon.  In the final scene, as Marcus wakes up in medlab, JMS wrote into the script, "You can relax now, Jason." 

External link[]

Episode guide page for Grey 17 is Missing at the Lurker's Guide

References[]

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