lurkers-guide/background/sum-24

<p>
<font size="+2">Season One</font>
began with an attack, then backed off to allow time to introduce
most of the major characters, species, and forces and touch on most
of the themes, only to gather force again at the end with a set of intense
episodes that raise as many questions as they resolve.  The prominent
threads are the Centauri-Narn conflict, the Shadows, the Psi Corps, happenings
on Earth, the Minbari surrender, what happened to Sinclair at the Battle
of the Line, what happened to the previous Babylon stations, and the Vorlons. 


<h2>Centauri-Narn Conflict</h2>

<p>
As the season began, the Narns launched a preemptive and unprovoked strike
against a Centauri agricultural outpost
(<a href="../guide/001.html">"Midnight on the Firing Line."</a>)
The official Centauri response was to do nothing, but due to his personal
involvement with events there and his great desire that the Centauri show
the mettle of their former age of empire, the somewhat foppish Ambassador
Londo Mollari, with the sympathetic support of the humans and Minbari, tried to
defy his government and sanction the Narn.  The two sides continued to bicker
until in exasperation Londo called for help from his new friend Mr. Morden.
The Shadows launched a preemptive and unprovoked strike against a Narn outpost
(<a href="../guide/022.html">"Chrysalis"</a>)
-- and utterly destroyed it (to Londo's moderate distress.)

<h2>The Shadows</h2>

<p>
The first encounter B5 had with the Shadows occured when a mysterious, polite
man named Morden arrived and asked each of the alien ambassadors, "What do you
want?"
(<a href="../guide/013.html">"Signs and Portents"</a>)
Delenn suspected what Morden represented; Kosh
certainly knew; G'Kar only wanted to annihilate the Centauri.  Morden seemed
to approve most of Londo's desire for the Centauri to reclaim their lost
empire, so he ingratiated himself by doing Londo a great favor.  It was only
after the Shadows attacked the Narn that G'Kar made a connection between this
new enemy and an ancient enemy of lore.  He traveled to the rim of known
space and found a deadly force on Z'ha'dum, a world thought to be long dead
(<a href="../guide/024.html">"Revelations."</a>)
However, his unconfirmed warnings of a great threat fell, and continue to
fall, on deaf ears in the council chambers.

<h2>The Psi Corps</h2>

<p>
Almost as secretive, and certainly as nefarious, is the Psi Corps.  Although
Talia is reasonable and ethical, the behavior of her superiors in the
organization is  questionable.  Among many who view the Corps with
suspicion, Ivanova's hatred of them is almost legendary.  They
hunted Jason Ironheart to the station because after completing their
experiments on him he could see into their machinations for global domination
(<a href="../guide/006.html">"Mind War."</a>)
The Corps' security arm, the Psi Cops, as represented by Bester, appear to be a
particularly sinister breed.  

<h2>Earth</h2>

<p>
The idea that the Psi Corps might be manipulating the Earth government was
lent confirmation when a connection arose between them and the
assassination of the Earth President and the installment of his successor
(<a href="../guide/024.html">"Revelations."</a>)
There are other ominous signs of changes coming from Earth,
among them the anti-alien Homeguard
(<a href="../guide/007.html">"The War Prayer"</a>)
and the squelching of the Mars independence movement
(<a href="../guide/018.html">"A Voice in the Wilderness."</a>)
Whatever the cause, things "back home" are becoming continuously bleaker.

<h2>Minbari Surrender and The Battle of the Line</h2>

<p>
Twelve years ago humans were responsible for the death of the Minbari
leader.  In retaliation, the Minbari declared war, and in the final hour, as
their ships were poised for the destruction of Earth, the Minbari Grey
Council captured one human, Sinclair, attempting to ram their ship.  In the
course of their interrogation they discovered to their horror that Minbari
souls were being reborn in human bodies.  Because Minbari refuse to harm
their own, and due to an ancient prophecy regarding the joining of their
souls and the fight against a great enemy, the Grey Council ordered the
Minbari to surrender. They maintained an interest in Sinclair, however, and
effectively selected him to run B5.  They also invited him to Minbar as the
first Earth ambassador
(<a href="../guide/023.html">"Points of Departure."</a>)

<p>
Delenn, who was present at the questioning of Sinclair, was chosen by
the Grey Council to be the leader of the Minbari
(<a href="../guide/020.html">"Babylon Squared."</a>)
So deep was her belief in the prophecy and her role to play in fulfilling it
that she not only declined the nomination but defied the Council's orders,
spinning a cocoon and metamorphosing into a Minbari-Human hybrid.
Perhaps she is right, for the instant a
<a href="../guide/002.html">"Soul Hunter"</a>
(a caretaker of the "greatest
souls") saw her, he tried to collect her soul prematurely. 

<h2>Previous Babylon Stations</h2>

<p>
The first three Babylon stations were sabotaged.  The fourth vanished
immediately after coming online.  Four years later it reappeared and a
strange alien named Zathras explained that B4 was being drawn through time by
"The One," (a much older Sinclair aided by Delenn) to serve in a great
galactic war
(<a href="../guide/020.html">"Babylon Squared."</a>)
People on B4 experienced time shifts, and
Sinclair envisioned Garibaldi's last stand in a battle aboard B5.

<h2>The Vorlons</h2>

<p>
The Vorlons are almost as much a mystery at the end of the season as at the
beginning.  As Kosh arrived on the station
(<a href="../guide/000.html">"The Gathering"</a>)
he was the victim
of an assassination attempt by a Minbari.  Lest we think the Vorlons are
ineffectual or completely uninvolved, they enigmatically destroyed a ship
bearing the secret of immortality to Earth.  Kosh also showed an interest in
Talia, to the point of making a mental recording of her
(<a href="../guide/009.html">"Deathwalker."</a>)

<h2>Other Issues</h2>

<p>
The planet below B5 was found to contain vastly powerful machinery and
weapons.  Delenn's former mentor Draal replaced the sentient heart of the
machine
(<a href="../guide/019.html">"A Voice in the Wilderness."</a>)