The Babylon Project
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Shon was a member of the Onteen race.

In 2258, Shon was stricken with a congestive blockage in his upper air passages, a common but very serious condition for races with internal air bladders, usually the result of an infection or injury. Shon's parents Tharg and M'Ola took Shon to several doctors on Aicha, all of whom told them there was no treatment for his watery breathing. Not willing to give up, they took Shon to Babylon 5 in hopes that an alien doctor might be able to help. Doctor Stephen Franklin said he could easily cure Shon with a simple operation, unaware that piercing the flesh was unacceptable to their religious beliefs. Horrified Tharg and M'Ola refuse to even consider it an option. Franklin offers an alternate treatment of emollients and microbeams to help his internal fluids to dislodge the blockage by itself, though he warned it was unlikely to work.

Tharg and M'Ola, knowing Shon would likely not survive another space journey, reluctantly agree. As Franklin thought, the treatment failed to work and confronts Shon's parents, hoping they'll relent and allow him to operate as he believed they should have done in the first place. When he is unsuccessful in persuading them he asks Commander Jeffrey Sinclair for permission to operate despite the parent's wishes. Tharg and M'Ola plea to the commander, and when he does not decide right away, they believe he will side with Franklin over them. They appeal to every major ambassador on the station, but are turned down by each. Sinclair eventually finds in their favour. Shon's relived parents thank Sinclair and prepare to take their son to Thailateen. However, Franklin contravenes Sinclair's order and performs the operation.

Believing their son lost his soul in the operation and is no more than an empty shell, Tharg and M'Ola dress it in the Lamuda and perform the "Great Journey" ritual, ending Shon's life.[1]

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