Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) wants to work around the Earthforce embargo and bring in supplies. Ivanova (Claudia Christian) suggests the Black Market, but even they are frightened. She says she’ll take care of it. In fact, since Sheridan hasn’t taken personal time in nine months, died, came back to life, and won the Shadow War, she is relieving him temporarily for his health. On a human transport on the way to Mars, Doctor Franklin (Richard Biggs) is surprised to see Marcus Cole (Jason Carter) dragging in a supposed spy (Donovan Scott). Franklin interrogates him. He says he is the pilot’s brother and gets to hitch rides. He calls himself Captain Jack (no relation, I’m sure, to Captain Jack Harkness of Doctor Who).
Sheridan flips through channels, looking for something besides the lying, government controlled ISN. He runs across an interview with Garibaldi that angers him. He confronts Garibaldi, who brushes him off. There is an argument which is closely observed. Back on the liner to Mars, Marcus and Franklin find out Captain Jack is their forward contact from the Mars Resistance. He gives them fake identicards for Mars, indicating that they are a gay couple on their honeymoon. Garibaldi is met in a hallway by the man who observed his fight with Sheridan. They want to recruit him for their side, whatever that is.
On the way to meeting with the Resistance, Jack tells Marcus and Franklin about the outrageous lies concerning Babylon Five in the media. Marcus explains that Sheridan has never abandoned Mars but has been kind of busy. Apparently, Mars knows nothing of the Shadow War, so tight is Earth’s control. A shuttle arrives with cargo for Ivanova: smugglers. In Sheridan’s office, she asks them why they stopped smuggling on Babylon Five. Well, Earthforce is condemning smugglers to death, and arms-dealers are afraid of Nightwatch. Ivanova offers them Starfury protection and forgiveness of petty crimes. As Marcus, Franklin, and Jack make their way through old mining tunnels, they are pounced upon by Resistance. They are searched. Reluctantly, they offer their real identicards to prove their Babylon Five cred. Delenn finds Sheridan in the Zen Garden. He can’t figure out Garibaldi. Delenn has another pre-wedding ritual in mind, and Sheridan is underwhelmed until he finds out it is Shan-Fall, in which they find each other’s pleasure centers. Captain Jack seems nervous. The Martian Number One Rebel (Marjorie Monaghan) appears, and Jack tries to kill her, but Marcus shoots Jack and an alien is blasted off his shoulder. They kill the alien and learn it can take over the will of those it rides.
Jack escapes and contacts them from a tube shuttle. The alien can rebuild itself from the parts still left in its victims. He detonates a bomb inside the tube shuttle. Sheridan tries to talk with Garibaldi, but when an alien woman speaks to Sheridan with reverence, Garibaldi loses it and they come to blows. Sheridan says, “Next time, I take your head off.” He goes to Delenn’s quarters and finds out the Shan-Fall requires Minbari witnesses. She pulls him into the bedroom and shuts the door. On Mars, Number One puts Marcus and Franklin up in a hotel as they await other Resistance leaders. The man who spoke to Garibaldi in secret meets him in a bar. Garibaldi tells him he will undermine Sheridan but not hurt him.
The alien on Jack’s shoulder is the same thing on Regent Virini of Centauri, and on Londo in a flash-forward. Franklin and Marcus make a good comedy duo. They reminded one reviewer of Neil and Del from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. The conflict (real or not) between Sheridan and Garibaldi is another high point. Number one is really named Itessa Halloran. Marjorie Monaghan appeared in Star Trek: Voyager and in a rather obscure short-lived series called Space Rangers, which was not great, but the characters were quite engaging.