From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
   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 Callisto.   
      
       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 Xena 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]   
      
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