Sinclair's The One

I recall the fist time I saw the noble Jeffrey Sinclair . . . and what I learn first about him is that he only takes 10 minutes each day for himself... and even that can be intruded upon by his staff without chastisement. Then I see this stern-faced yet handsome man, gazing out into the Sea of Stars. I still wonder... what was he thinking. Was his mind once again brought to the Battle of the Line, to the friends and comrades who were sacrificed over a misunderstanding of protocol? Or was he troubled by the mysteries which surrounded him: his disappearance during that battle, his sudden appointment as commander of the Babylon 5 station, and the seven fateful words spoken by the Minbari assassin, "There is a hole in your mind"? Or was he simply contemplating the vastness of the universe: the known and the unknown, the beautiful and the repulsive?

From a purely aesthetic view, I find Sinclair a most appealing human male, one who makes this Priestess' heart melt. The broad shoulders, the erect stance, so confident, so comfortable. To watch him move and walk (even out of a room), yes, this is truly delightful. His eyes, dark and mysterious, almost hidden beneath that strong brow, searching and observing, never missing the smallest detail. And then he smiles and his whole being, nay the whole room, brightens under the spell of those dimples and twinkling eyes. He has a sense of humor which is subtle and even a bit dangerous. And then... he speaks. Ah, a voice to touch the deepest part of one's soul. The tones vibrate inside your body and echo in your mind. Yes, I was under this man's spell from the first moment. And when he departed the Babylon station I felt a sense of loss like unto grief.

Here is a man who uses his mind, not necessarily his position or authority, to find creative solutions to near impossible situations. Here is a classic hero, an archetype, a renaissance man. There are secrets to discover, quests to undertake, plots to expose, helpless to defend, difficult choices to be made. Duty and honor are his highest aspirations, but not at the sacrifice of individuals. He is not afraid to risk or even sacrifice his own life for what he believes is right, or to safeguard those under his protection. A man who feels personal responsibility above and beyond the line items of his job description or his oath of allegiance. His loyalty is unquestionable. His compassion genuine.

And yet there is an aloofness to Sinclair. Perhaps this is a character trait always present in his nature, or perhaps the events of his life have shaped him this way. His father's death apparently had great affect on him as a young man. It took the wisdom of a priest to show him the path to forgiveness. And was it his career goals which kept him from commitment to his true love, or the compelling drive to find and follow his destiny? Was it the great loss of friends which kept him solitary, protected him from further heartache? Or simply the nature of a hero on a quest: by forsaking the personal relationships, he could concentrate on the goal - - even though now it seemed the goal was no longer defined.

Perhaps it is simply his "command style." He's *very suddenly* placed in a high profile position. He'd been (since the Battle of the Line) on a fast track to nowhere! Although confident that he could do the job well, he was still under great pressure from not only his own expectations and those of his superiors, but from those factions who were determined to see him fail for their own perverted reasons. He was carrying a heavy burden, compounded by his own "excess baggage." And he was the Station Commander. He could not play "Everybody's Buddy." That's another style, for another commander.

When we finally see Sinclair again, after months on Minbar as Ambassador (having accepted himself as Anla'shok Na, if not Entil'Zha), we see a much different man. The former aloofness seems to have evolved into comfortable yet quiet assurance of purpose. He stands even further apart from his acquaintances than he did as Commander. Yet at the same time, he seems very close, very intimate with each and every one of them. All this is bound up in one simple statement, spoken in Minbari to Delenn: "I know what is coming."

As any true hero, he sacrifices everything he has, everything he is, everything he could ever be, in order to follow his destiny. This he did willingly, without thought of consequence or reward, for the benefit of all sentient beings of this universe. He is worthy of our undying affection and devotion, though he would never seek it, nor even desire it. Yet we can not withhold it from him, such is our love and appreciation for his compassion and self-sacrifice, to say nothing of his dimples.