Neroon in Legacies -- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

by Sunraven

  1. The symptoms of PTSD due to the loss of a loved one are fairly standard: Insomnia, hag-ridden nightmares, loss of appetite, depression, anger. Depression is anger turned inward.
  2. Go to the first screen capture on the Legacies page (counting down from the left column). Look at the staring look which is typical with insomnia. Neroon stated that they were on a peaceful mission, but was his arrogant self in not explaining the gunports being open.
  3. Go to the third screen capture. Neroon has large dark circles under his eyes, more than ever shown in any other episode he's in. During the cortege, there is a slight hesitation when his eyes move from one face to another. This is another sign of exhaustion.
  4. In the fifth screen capture, you can see he looks like death warmed over, very tired looking, dispirited.
  5. In the episode, look at N's face when he sees that the body is missing. His voice cracks when he is saying "Where is the Shai Alyt?" Almost like he can't take much more stress without cracking.
  6. When he asks Sinclair "Where is the Shai Alyt's body", his voice quavers at the end.
  7. N. is extremely intelligent and more discerning than most warrior caste (look at him next to Shakiri for a great contrast). If he was thinking clearly, he would not have thought that Sinclair would hide the body in his quarters. Why in Valen's name would he do that? If he wanted to start another war, he would have claimed Earther responsibility for taking the body. He certainly wouldn't sleep with it in his quarters.
  8. When Neroon fought Sinclair, he succumbed quickly. Too quickly. Either it was because he was physically weak at that point, or because he knew what he was doing was wrong.
  9. When Sinclair offers to write a letter about Branmer to send to Minbar, watch his expressions and body language. He seems almost pathetically grateful for the offer.

Conclusion: For warriors of any species, death in battle brings honor. But Branmer died on a diplomatic trip, and so he must have died of an organic disease, because the Minbari would have gone to war if he had died by another race's hands. N is very close to Branmer, and has been for fifteen years at least. He loves him. He must have had to watch the great leader die, and he could do nothing to help him. The helplessness would get to anyone, but more so to a warrior caste, who usually deal with stress or fear feelings with violence. To cry would be a sign of weakness in a caste who believes that strength of physical prowess leading to more enemies dead is the only important strength. N had absolutely no healthy way to deal with his grief. From the looks of him during this episode, he apparently has starved himself (a Minbari mourning tradition), has subdued his grief response, looks like he isn't sleeping, and is probably taking the athlete's way of working out stress by increasing his amount of weapons practice. All in all, he is definitely on the ragged edge from PTSD.

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