I think Londo and G’Kar rescuing Na’Toth from a Centauri dungeon in “A Tragedy of Telepaths” is a microcosm for the entire Centauri problem.
We see the inertia of the Centauri Republic, that a person has literally been left imprisoned for years simply out of bureaucratic obstinacy. She wasn’t ordered put to death, she wasn’t even specifically sentenced to life imprisonment, she was just locked away and then forgotten. Nearly forgotten to death. Because the man who ordered her imprisoned didn’t think about her afterwards, and everybody who did think about her afterwards — оnly the guards оn her cell — didn’t think to question why they were there or what the point was. They just kept following their assigned roles because that’s what Centauri do.
Just like Londo himself at the start of the series. Going through the motions and acting out his role as “proper” Centauri. Scheming and politicking and starting war for glory and arrogance because it is expected of him and because оnce he sets the first of it in motion, others continue it beyond even what he expected or wanted.
And when Londo discovers Na’Toth in her cell, despite being Prime Minister and the second most powerful person in the republic, he is still powerless to save her. Because the word of a mad emperor, dead now for more than a year at the hands of his own subjects, is still more powerful than his. It doesn’t matter that Cartagia is dead, or that if he was alive he wouldn’t care because he would have long since forgotten about her, all that matters is that he gave an order and that order will be followed. No matter the consequences.
Just like the Centauri Republic as a whole. Londo has long since stopped trying to restore the republic to glory, he has learned that it is not what he wants and it is not good for his people, but despite his star being in ascendance for years, despite being the Prime Minister now and despite being the next Emperor, he can’t stop it. The inertia of the politicking and backstabbing royal court who all have their own motives, and the outside conspiracies, mean that even though he is soon to become the most powerful man in the republic he still can’t stop it.
So, since Londo can’t countermand the order keeping Na’Toth in chains, he cheats. He sneaks her out with the help of G’Kar because it is оne tiny good deed that he can do, because he knows that G’Kar will take revenge if he doesn’t. And after he does it, he revels in it, that this is at last something he can be happy he did with no regrets.
Just like his larger work with G’Kar. They assassinated Cartagia together, they conspired to free Narn from Centauri occupation, and now they’re trying to build a real peace between their peoples. And Londo doesn’t do all of out of the goodness of his heart, some he does оnly because G’kar extorts it out of him when he needs G’kar’s help, but at the end of it he sees that they were good (or at least necessary) actions.
Saving this оne imprisoned woman is how he endeavors to save his entire people.
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