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"The Coming of Shadows" is a key episode from the second season of the science fiction television series ''Babylon 5''. It won the 1996 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.〔 Entertainment and news website Geek.com included ''The Coming of Shadows'' as "essential watching" for season two. Geek.com writer Graham Templeton wrote that "one of my personal favorites, this is another pure-plot episode. Its kicks the real-war parallels into high gear, and begins to darken its view of human (and alien) nature significantly."〔 ==Synopsis== Despite having health problems which make travel dangerous, the elderly Centauri Emperor decides to visit Babylon 5. The Emperor knows that he will die soon, and he wishes to meet with Narn Ambassador G'Kar in neutral territory and offer a public apology on behalf of the Centauri people for their occupation and enslavement of the Narn homeworld. G'Kar is unaware of the Emperor's reason for visiting, and he plans to murder him as an act of vengeance for the Centauri's past treatment of his people. Centauri Ambassador Londo Mollari and his ally Lord Refa plan to publicly confront the ailing Emperor about the seeming "decline" and weakness of the Centauri Republic. The Emperor arrives at Babylon 5 and is greeted by the station's human command staff. He tells Dr. Franklin that he wishes to see the Vorlon Ambassador Kosh before he leaves the station. At a reception for the Emperor, G'Kar shocks many by his attendance; they are unaware of his decision to kill the Emperor. The Emperor collapses before he can arrive at the reception and give his planned speech. In medlab Franklin tells the Emperor that he is dying. The Emperor then asks Franklin to tell G'Kar that he apologizes for all the evil that the Centauri inflicted on the Narn. Franklin goes to G'Kar's quarters and relays the Emperor's message; G'Kar is astonished. Following the Emperor's collapse Refa and Mollari meet in Londo's quarters. Knowing that the Emperor is about to die, Refa urges Mollari to do something dramatic to give their supporters on Centauri Prime an edge over their rivals for control of the government when the Emperor dies. Londo — acting against the advice of his aide Vir — says he will take care of it personally, and tells Refa to have several Centauri warships sent to the Narn's largest colony on a planet in Quadrant 14. Refa is skeptical and notes that a small fleet of warships will not be nearly enough to take the planet. When Refa leaves, Londo tells Vir to contact Mr. Morden, the spokesman for the Shadows; Vir is to tell Morden to have several Shadow vessels attack and destroy the Narn colony before the Centauri ships arrive. Vir tells him that he will regret his decision in the future. G'Kar, unaware of Londo's actions and feeling differently about the Centauri since the Emperor's apology, buys Londo a drink. A fleet of Shadow vessels attack the Narn colony in Quadrant 14; they quickly destroy the colony's defenses and render it helpless. The Centauri warships arrive soon afterward and are spotted by a squadron of Narn fighters sent to investigate the attack. The fighters attack the Centauri warships and send a signal to the Narn homeworld that the Centauri have invaded and conquered the colony. The Centauri Emperor receives a personal audience with Ambassador Kosh, who tells him that the situation will end "in fire". Refa and Mollari visit the Emperor on his deathbed; the Emperor whispers something in Londo's ear before he passes away. Londo announces that the Emperor said to him that he approved of the attack on the Narn and that he wants Refa and Mollari to carry his people "back to the stars". Outside medlab, Refa asks Londo to tell him what the Emperor really said. Londo responds that the Emperor told him that he and Refa were both damned, which Refa shrugs off as "a small price to pay". After learning of the attack G'Kar attempts to enter Londo's quarters to kill him, but Captain Sheridan and a security team prevent him from doing so. In Babylon 5's council chambers, G'Kar announces that the Narn government has officially declared war on the Centauri. "Our hope for peace is over," he says. A second plotline involves a mysterious man who has been following Chief Garibaldi around. When Garibaldi confronts and arrests him, the man gives him a recorded message from Jeffrey Sinclair, the Earth Alliance Ambassador to Minbar. Sinclair tells Garibaldi that a "terrible darkness" is coming and that he has become involved with a military force called the "Rangers" to fight it. Garibaldi agrees to allow the Rangers to operate on the station and to keep their presence a secret, even from Sheridan. In return Garibaldi asks the Rangers to provide him with information they learn which could affect the station's security, to which the Ranger agrees. Delenn is also given a recorded message by the Ranger. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Coming of Shadows」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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