Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle) is awakened early by another message from William Edgars, who wants a package moved through the station without drawing attention. This is highly sensitive medical biotech that rival companies would love to get their hands on. But he is evasive about when Garibaldi can meet him face to face. Captain Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) cannot sleep, worried about Delenn (Mira Furlan), as fighting continues on Minbar. Delenn and Lennier (Bill Mumy) observe wounded members of the Religious Caste. The Warrior Caste has them surrounded. They must surrender by tomorrow or the city will be destroyed.
Lyta Alexander (Patricia Tallman) is worried. With the Vorlons gone, she has no income. But nobody wants to hire a Psi Corps rogue as a commercial telepath. On a Minbari war cruiser, Neroon (John Vickery) meets with Shakiri (Bart McCarthy), head of the Warrior Caste. Neroon is not liked. Shakiri says they should be going to war for practical gain, not for principle. Security Chief Zack Allan (Jeff Conaway) is working at Customs when he notices Garibaldi with a package, but before he can confront him, Alfred Bester (Walter Koenig) appears on official Psi Corps business, and when Zack catches up to Garibaldi, he denies knowing anything about a package. On Minbar, Delenn sends Lennier with a message: The Religious Caste surrenders.
Ivanova broadcasts news of Terran desertions on the Voice of the Resistance. Lyta is watching when Bester approaches. He has come for her. She can rejoin the Psi Corps and give them the Vorlon knowledge she possesses. All they want is her body to dissect when she dies of, uh, natural causes. On Minbar, Neroon proposes the surrender take place at the temple of Varenni, where equipment can broadcast it all over Minbar. Delenn will have to be killed later, discreetly.
Zack Allan visits Lyta because she has to move to smaller quarters. But could she scan Garibaldi for him? The answer is no. She goes to Garibaldi, but to get him to hire her. But Bester shows up. She catches Bester scanning Garibaldi, which causes a scene. Garibaldi is taken away and Allan blocks Bester’s path.
At the Temple of Varenni, Delenn steps out and surrenders the Religious Caste. But in keeping with the temple’s history, she and Shakiri have to step into the Starfire Wheel. Shakiri hesitates and is accused of cowardice, and then flees the fire quickly. But Delenn does not leave, as she intends to sacrifice herself. Neroon enters and retrieves her, deciding that his heart belongs to the Religious Caste, not the Military. He is incinerated.
Garibaldi gets another call from Edgars, who does not want him to hire Lyta. Bester gloats that Lyta is back in the Psi Corps fold. Delenn conducts business despite her burns. She announces the rebuilding of the Grey Council but cedes more power to the Worker Caste—to build the future. Ivanova reports an atrocity in which Earthforce destroyers kill ten thousand refugees. Sheridan vows to take the offensive to President Clark.
The core of this episode is the contrast of Sheridan and the Earth conflict with Delenn and the Minbari Civil War. Also, Garibaldi’s woes and Lyta’s woes. There are gaps in logic. One wonders why Lyta didn’t go to Sheridan and ask for a job, to keep her out of the clutches of Bester. And why so much self-sacrifice on Minbar? Delenn would surely think her destiny lies with Sheridan at this point. Unless, knowing that she is with Sheridan 17 years in the future convinced her she wouldn’t die, and it was all for show. Is a puzzlement. Incidentally, one of Garibaldi’s clients is Mr. Adams, i.e., Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert. He wants Garibaldi to find his dog and his cat.