From: davideml@bellsouth.net   
      
   4-21 The Ides Of March   
      
      
      
             First airing was May 10, 1999.   
      
             The story starts out with people being tortured in some kind of   
   dungeon, and screams of   
   pain. We see the back of a woman in bikini rags with a sword. It's Callisto.   
   She sees visions of   
   Gabrielle and Xena taunting her. Some man who is obsessed with her tells her   
   he has the ear of   
   "him" and has told "him" about her and that "he" shares an interest in Xena as   
   does Callitso.   
   Callisto says if "he" wants Xena there, she can do it. The man says she can't   
   harm Xena physically,   
   only spiritually. She must turn Xena from her Way as a warrior to a path of   
   peace. And she must   
   help "him" with Caesar.   
      
             Cut to Caesar's bed. It looks like Xena is straddling him and they   
   are having sex.   
   Suddenly Xena has a knife and starts to plunge it into Caesar. He awakens from   
   a nightmare.   
   Callisto is there and tells him she can give him ultimate power and free him   
   from his greatest   
   torment - Xena.   
      
             Cut to Xena, Gabrielle, and Amarice at the docks. They are going to   
   find Eli because Xena   
   says it's what Gabrielle wants. Xena suddenly catches a spear thrown at them.   
   She and Amarice fight   
   soldiers/thugs/mercenaries while Gabrielle looks as if she wants to join the   
   fray, but she doesn't.   
   She sees Amarice about to be killed and throws a rope around the guy's ankles   
   and jerks him off his   
   feet into the water. Xena puts the Pinch on one man and he says there is a six   
   million dinar bounty   
   out on her by Caesar. Xena says it's time to end the feud between them - by   
   killing Caesar.   
      
             Xena tells Amarice about her vision of them dying. She is going to   
   Rome and tells   
   Gabrielle and Amarice to stay behind.   
      
             Caesar is at a desk and man brings Xena's head wrapped in a rag.   
   When Caesar sees it   
   isn't Xena, he orders the man killed. Callisto tells Caesar that Xena will   
   come to him and he   
   should have  one more plan to thwart her.   
      
             Gabrielle and Amarice find Eli healing the legs of a teenager. He   
   sees Gabrielle and they   
   hug. Amarice isn't having any of that. Gabrielle tells Eli that Xena has some   
   work to do. Amarice   
   asks Eli if his mother was threatened, would he fight to defend her? Gabrielle   
   explains they have a   
   difference of philosophy.   
      
             Later Gabrielle asks Eli if he can teach her to heal. He says   
   selfless pure love is the   
   only expression of divine perfection. Amarice says only real power is at the   
   end of a sword. Then   
   they are surrounded by Romans led by Brutus. He says they are hostages to   
   prevent Xena from killing   
   Caesar. And that Caesar promised him no one would be hurt. Everyone is   
   arrested and taken to a   
   prison.   
      
             Xena has arrive in Rome and is dressed as a Roman guard outside   
   Caesar's (office?). When   
   she gets the opportunity, she throws her Chakram,  but just as it is about to   
   kill Caesar, Callisto   
   catches it. Xena fights off a half dozen guards then dives out of a window.   
      
             Callisto appears in front of Xena. She tries to kill her but twice   
   Callisto is able to   
   deflect the sword, and the third time it passes right through her. She tells   
   Xena that instead of   
   oblivion, she was sent to a place that makes Tartarus look like the Elysian   
   Fields, called Hell.   
   She says whoever runs it is interested in Caesar and thinks Xena will be an   
   obstacle. She is there   
   to make Xena an offer. Xena refuses to listen. Callisto tells her Gabrielle is   
   in the hands of the   
   Romans and is on her way to a prison in the Apennines.  Xena still refuses to   
   hear her offer, but   
   takes off to find Gabrielle.   
      
             Gabrielle, Amarice, Eli and his followers are brought inside the   
   prison. Brutus sees   
   crosses being built. The jailer tells him they are for pirates. Inside the   
   jail, Amarice tries an   
   escape, but is knocked down. Gabrielle falls across her and tells Brutus she   
   wants him to pardon   
   Amarice, reminding him that he was once shown mercy. He has her chained to Eli   
   in a cell with the   
   others.   
      
             Cut to Brutus and his soldiers on the road. Brutus goes to take a   
   leak and Xena appears   
   behind him. She tells him if he will tell her where Gabrielle is she will give   
   him information to   
   save his life. He agrees. She says on the Ides of March Caesar will declare   
   himself emperor and he   
   will send Brutus to Gaul to have him killed. Brutus tells Xena Gabrielle is in   
   prison at the foot   
   of Mt. Amaro.   
      
             In the cell Gabrielle tells Eli she was able to reach a state of   
   emptiness, which is   
   necessary to be filled with love.   
      
             Xena is at the prison and Callisto appears again. She says if Xena   
   will put down the   
   sword everyone can just walk away. Xena says she must be the best warrior she   
   can be to redeem   
   herself, no matter what the consequences are.   
      
   Caesar welcomes Brutus and tells him the crosses are for Gabrielle and the   
   others. What better   
   distraction for Xena than to see her best friend executed on the Ides of   
   March? He tells Brutus to   
   be ready to go to Gaul with whichever legion he desires.   
      
   Just as Xena sneaks into the jail, Callisto screams out Xena's war cry and   
   alerts the guards. When   
   they leave the jail, they are attacked by the Romans. Everyone but Gabrielle   
   fights. She gets Eli   
   and his followers, and Amarice to run away. Callisto sees that they may all   
   escape and is angry.   
   Gabrielle sees her throw the Chakram at Xena. It hits her in the back,   
   breaking her spine and   
   crippling her. The Chakram falls to the ground broken into two pieces When   
   Gabrielle sees a soldier   
   about to kill Xena, she throws a spear at him and kills him. She then picks up   
   a sword and kills   
   more solders. She grabs a knife and stabs another one repeatedly until she   
   sees the bloody knife in   
   her hand. The solders surround them and they are taken back to jail.   
      
   They are in the jail wearing crucifixion rags. Gabrielle is cradling Xena.   
   Xena tells her not to   
   cry. A solder says "it won't be long now."   
      
   Brutus is tell the senators that Caesar is a threat to Rome.   
      
   Xena tells Gabrielle it was her (Xena's) fault Gabrielle left the way of love.   
   Gabrielle says she   
   had a choice and she chose to save her friend.   
      
   Xena says she's sorry for all the times she didn't treat Gabrielle right.   
   Gabrielle says she   
   brought out the best in her; she saved her.   
      
   Caesar tells Brutus he won't like the announcement he's going to make.   
      
   Xena and Gabrielle are taken to the crosses. Xena is being dragged. It is   
   snowing. Callisto,   
   visible only Gabrielle, stands by catching snow on her tongue.   
      
   Callisto appears to Xena and says they are going to die like slaves.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)