Great Maker! Your eye! Cartagia?
My eye offended him. Doesn't matter. I can see things now that were invisible to me before. An empty eye sees through to an empty heart.[N]
“The Long Night” · Season 4
In this episode: Londo Mollari (3), G'Kar (3), Michael Garibaldi (1), Vir Cotto (1)
[The War Council has just witnessed the Shadow planet killer in action]
Anyone want to tell me how the hell we're supposed to stop that?
[G'Kar is aghast at his people's enthusiasm for more fighting with the departed Centauri.]
GLG'Lorn
With you directing us, we will finally destroy the Centauri.
You have just tossed someone off that throne! Would you put another in his place so quickly? The Kha'Ri spoke with many equal voices, not the one voice of a single leader.
GLG'Lorn
We need strength to lead us, fire to forge us. We saw that in the Centauri, learned that from them.
Then you have learned the wrong lessons. I will not take the throne. If the Kha'Ri is restored, I will take my place among them, but that's all. I did not fight to remove one dictator just to become another myself.
GLG'Lorn
But the Centauri–
Are a lost people! They ought to be pitied! They are already on a course for self-destruction! They do not need help from us. We need to redress our wounds, help our people, rebuild our cities!
[After G'Kar breaks free from his chains and starts a riot]
CCartagia
Completely irresponsible! The chains weren't properly secured, I can't have it getting out. They'll have to be killed!
Majesty—
CCartagia
All of them, killed! Incompetent behavior! Absolutely incompetent!
Be quiet!
CCartagia
"Quiet"?! [strikes Londo, making him drop Vir Cotto's poisoned needle] You would tell the stars to darken on a whim?! What, would you tear down the mountains because their height offends you?! Who are you?! [seizes Londo] Where were you?! Where were you when my destiny was written in those stars? Where were you when the gods themselves shined down upon me? Huh? You dare to speak to me?! No, you can burn. You can burn with Centauri Prime. You can burn with the rest. Burn with the cities, burn with the temples, burn with all of them!
[Cartagia throws Londo away and turns—only to have Vir run him through with the needle.]
CCartagia
No! [grabs Vir, but starts to weaken as Londo holds him up] I was to be a god, you understand…a god…
[After the assassination, Londo finds Vir drowning his sorrows.]
[slurring] I was toasting Emperor Cartagia. And since he wasn't here, I drank for him. And then, I couldn't be rude, so I had to drink with him. And so first it was me drinking for him—[drinks] and then him drinking for me—[drinks again] and then I kinda got into this kinda cycle. And then, here comes Cartagia, his glass broke, and—maybe it was my glass. Would you like some? Because you know what, I think this is Cartagia's glass after all, so it would be quite appropriate, don't you think?
You're drunk.
Absolut—positive—oh, you betcha. I figured it always worked for you, Londo. Let me—lemme ask you something. [puts a hand on Londo's shoulder and leans in] How much more before I can look in the mirror and not see myself? Because I keep looking and I'm always there. And right now I don't want to see me.
[pulling away] You're behaving like a fool! You did what was necessary. You saved the lives of millions of our people. He had to be stopped. He—
[anguished] Don't you understand? I've never done anything like this before! I close my eyes and I always see his face! [crying, he sits on a couch] Don't you know that all I ever wanted was…was a good job, small title, nothing fancy. A wife I could love, maybe even one who could actually love someone like me. I never wanted to be here. I never wanted to know the things that I know, or to do…to do the things that I've done.
I know. I know, Vir. I never wanted you in that hole. I never wanted you to… I remember when you first arrived on Babylon 5. You were so…full of life, innocent. I was not kind to you. I treated you poorly. I think that I did that because I was envious of you. Envious that you had come so far and were still innocent in your way. You still believed. I, on the other hand… I cannot tell you that your pain will ever go away. I cannot tell you that you will ever forget his face. I can only tell you that it was necessary. You may have helped to save our people. You did a hard thing. But you still have your heart, and your heart is a good one. You would not be in such great pain otherwise. It means there is still hope for you. And for that, I find I still envy you.
[G'Kar is aghast at his people's enthusiasm for more fighting with the departed Centauri.]
Why are you celebrating?!
GLG'Lorn
We drove them away! They knew they could not enslave us forever, and we drove them off! Through strength!
Is that what you think? Try to understand! The strength that defeated the Centauri is not from weapons or arms!
GLG'Lorn
G'Kar, you are tired, you're hurt. You're not seeing this as we do.
I see, G'Lorn. I see better than you can imagine.
GLG'Lorn
When you've rested, we will thank you properly, as is your right. There will be celebrations in the street, G'Kar; your name will be a blessing to any who speak it! And then…then, G'Kar, you will lead us against our oppressors. You will be the instrument of our vengeance! With you directing us, we will finally destroy the Centauri!
You have just tossed someone off that throne! Would you put another in his place so quickly? The Kha'Ri spoke with many equal voices, not the one voice of a single leader.
GLG'Lorn
We need strength to lead us, fire to forge us! We saw that in the Centauri, learned that from them.
Then you have learned the wrong lessons. I will not take the throne. If the Kha'Ri is restored, I will take my place among them, but that's all. I did not fight to remove one dictator just to become another myself!
GLG'Lorn
But the Centauri—
[interrupting] ARE A LOST PEOPLE! They ought to be pitied! They are already on a course for self-destruction! They do not need help from us. We need to redress our wounds, help our people, rebuild our cities!
GLG'Lorn
We must strike back!
No. [turns to leave]
GLG'Lorn
I never thought you a coward, G'Kar! [G'Kar stops in his tracks] We suffered and died during their occupation! Where were you? What have you endured?
[G'Kar stares at him, dumbfounded, out of his one remaining eye.]
What have I endured?
[In way of answer, he starts laughing. His laughter fills the room as he turns to leave the group of angry Narns behind.]
These quotes come from Wikiquote's Babylon 5 pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.