lurkers-guide/ftp/babylon-5-setting-s4

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From: Babylon 5 FAQ <no_hormel_products@anywhere.com>
Subject: Babylon 5 FAQ (F): Setting for season 4
Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu
Organization: Conspiracy of Light
Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Reply-To: (see signature)
Summary: This document is a supplement to the Babylon 5 FAQ list.  It
contains
         information to help viewers of the show who are catching up with
the
         show in season 4 ("No Surrender, No Retreat", Earth year 2261).

Archive-name: tv/babylon-5/setting/season4
Frequency: bi-weekly
Last-modified: 17 December 1997

+-----------------------------------+
|  BABYLON 5 FAQ, part (F):         |
|  Setting for season #4            |
|                                   |
|  A guide for viewers who wish to  |
|  catch up to the events  leading  |
|  up to  season 4, "No Surrender,  |
|  No Retreat."  This is the year   |
|  2261 in the opening credits.     |
|                                   |
|  This holds SPOILERS  for season  |
|  1, 2, 3 episodes, and descrip-   |
|  tions of season 4 settings.      |
|  DO NOT READ unless you are now   |
|  watching SEASON 4 episodes!      |
+-----------------------------------+

There are SEVEN parts to the FAQ: (A) Information about B5; (B) News and
Schedule; (C), (D), (E), (F) are the settings for seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
respectively.

The latest version of all parts of the FAQ can be retrieved via anonymous
ftp
at ftp://ftp.midwinter.com/pub/Babylon-5/ or via e-mail by sending a note to
mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with any or all of these lines in the message body:
    send usenet/news.answers/tv/babylon-5/faq
    send usenet/news.answers/tv/babylon-5/news-schedule
    send usenet/news.answers/tv/babylon-5/setting/season1
    send usenet/news.answers/tv/babylon-5/setting/season2
    send usenet/news.answers/tv/babylon-5/setting/season3
    send usenet/news.answers/tv/babylon-5/setting/season4
    send usenet/news.answers/tv/babylon-5/setting/season5

WORLD WIDE WEB users should see http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/lurker.html
for the much more detailed "Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5"; the information
in this document is similar to the "Universe" section.

    -------------------------
    Contents of this document
    -------------------------
    1.  Introduction
    2.  The Setting of Babylon 5
    3.  The Major Players
    4.  The Characters
    5.  The Story So Far
    6.  Past and Current reference
    7.  Credits and Legalese

------------------------------

Subject: 1.  Introduction

    It was the year of fire / The year of destruction /
    The year we took back what was ours.

    It was the year of rebirth / The year of great sadness /
    The year of pain / and the year of joy

    It was a new age / It was the end of history /
    It was the year everything changed

    The year is 2261 / The place: Babylon 5.

        -- Lennier, Zack, G'Kar, Lyta, Vir, Marcus, Delenn, Londo, Franklin,
           Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Sheridan

------------------------------

Subject: 2.  The Setting of Babylon 5

A hundred years ago, humanity made contact with its first alien civilization
-- or more to the point, they made contact with us.  Before the arrival of
the
Centauri, we were confined to our own solar system, forced to use slow
sleeper
ships to explore the universe.  The Centauri gave us the stars, offered us
the
use of their "jumpgates" -- portals into hyperspace -- and later, taught us
to
make our own.  In exchange for this and other technologies, they asked only
for trinkets, novelties to sell back home.

In the eighty years that followed, humanity flexed its muscles, expanding
outward at a rapid pace.  When a group of less powerful races was attacked
by
an invading army, Earth came to their aid, cementing its role as a major
galactic power, if a young, brash one.

The wave of euphoria came crashing down when humanity made contact with a
mysterious race called the Minbari.  The Earth-Minbari War began with a
misunderstanding, a human captain and a Minbari commander too quick on the
trigger.  Thanks to bad luck or something darker, our first meeting with the
Minbari resulted in the death of their supreme religious and political
leader.
To the Minbari, what followed was a holy war, vengeance for the murder of
their spiritual leader.  Earth was no match for the technologically superior
Minbari, and they easily beat us back to our home planet.

Then, without explanation, as their ships closed in on Earth and wiped out
our
last desperate defenses, the Minbari halted their advance and surrendered.
Only an elite few knew why.

The Babylon Project was conceived in the aftermath of the war.  Modeled
after
the United Nations, it would be a meeting place, neutral ground where the
powers could meet and work out their differences peacefully.

The first three Babylon stations were sabotaged in mid-construction.  The
fourth was completed, but just as it was about to go online, it vanished
without a trace.  The Earth government would have stopped there, but some of
the alien governments, seeing the value of a meeting ground, offered
financial
assistance for the construction of a fifth station.  Naturally, there were
strings attached.

Babylon 5 is the story of the last of the Babylon stations, the last hope
for
a galaxy without war.  It begins in the year 2257 with the opening of the
Babylon 5 station.

 + + + + +

Babylon 5 has failed in its original mission, yet has it done much more than
was intended.  A great war is underway against a powerful enemy that existed
only in legends until a few years ago.  Having seceeded from its Earth
govern-
ment that once ran the station, Babylon 5 is now the center of activity of
a great alliance among dozens of races to push back the forces of darkness.
The alliance has recently found its first real victory, but at great
expense;
the fate of Babylon 5 and the surrounding governments hang in the balance.

------------------------------

Subject: 3.  The Major Players

========    a. Babylon 5 (an independent state)

Babylon 5 was an outpost operated by the Earth Allance, built with the aid
of
a few alien governments.  Captain Sheridan declared independence in mid-2260
to side with the resistance opposing the corrupt government on Earth.  By
continuing its function as a remote outpost for use by a multitude of
species,
B5 has been able to maintain its autonomy from Earth.  With the war against
the Shadows out in the open, the station has served as a base of operations.
The station orbits around a planet, once thought barren, which houses an
ancient, vast machine that may prove useful to the forces of light in the
years to come.

========    b. The Earth Alliance

The Earth Alliance, headquartered in Geneva, is currently under martial law,
led by its corrupt president, William Morgan Clark.  Several colonies of
Earth
(including Babylon 5) have seceded from the EA, but Clark's grip back home
is
strong, thanks to his loyalists and help from Psi-Corps, a government agency
in charge of overseeing humans with telepathic abilities, and the Night
Watch,
and Orwellian agency designed to stifle political dissent.  Earth has taken
a
questionable stance by allying itself with the expansionist Centauri Empire,
hoping to save its own skin by allowing the Centauri to roll unhindered over
the lesser races Earth once saved.  Even worse is the fact the EA goverment
appears to be working behind the scenes with the Shadows, the great Enemy
against which Babylon 5 is leading the forces of light.

========    c. The Minbari Federation

An old, highly spiritual race, the Minbari are humanoid with exterior bone
crests on their heads.  Once an adversary of Earth, the Minbari Federation
has
teamed up with Babylon 5 and a coalition of many other races to fight an
ancient enemy from a thousand years ago, the Shadows.  The Grey Council,
Minbar's ruling body, was recently dissolved, with a rift opening between
the
Warrior Caste and the Religious Caste.

Only a few know that Minbar and Earth have linked histories: a human,
Sinclair, the first commander of Babylon 5, traveled back in time to the
previous war against the Shadows and delivered a new base of operations,
Babylon 4, to the Minbari.  Sinclair became a great spiritual leader, the
founder of Minbari society and a prophet thanks to his knowledge of future
events.  Sinclair's journey opened a doorway between Minbari and humans, and
since the last war a thousand years ago, Minbari souls have been slowly
reincarnating in human bodies.  Upon discovering that, the Minbari halted
their recent war against the humans.

========    d. The Centauri Republic

The Centauri Republic, once a fading former power, has allied itself with
the
Shadows and is enjoying a renaissance of military and political might.  The
Centauri are even allowing the Shadows to house ships and personnel on their
homeworld.  The insane Centauri Emperor, Cartagia, believes the Shadows will
elevate him to godhood if he cooperates with them. Instead, the pact is
likely
to leave Cartagia dead and Centauri Prime in ruins.  Centauri are mostly
human
in appearance; men wear their hair in fans whose height indicate social
standing, and women have shaved heads.

========    e. The Narns

Once a major power, the Narn Regime was one of the victims of Centauri
expansionism, especially humiliating since they were unwilling subjects of
the
Centauri Republic a hundred years ago and had only recently won their
freedom.
Under the leadership of former ambassador G'Kar, now living in sanctuary on
Babylon 5, the Narn are assisting with Babylon 5 security and doing what
they
can to help in the struggle in the fight against the Shadows while
attempting
to rebuild their homeworld and their forces.  Narns have a reptilian
appearance and are easily provoked.

========    f. The Vorlon Empire

The Vorlons are an ancient race, the last remaining member of a group of
elder
races known as the First Ones who ruled the galaxy millions of years ago.
The
Vorlons have visited the lesser races for eons, manipulating many of them
for
their own purposes; they are responsible for the appearance of telepathy in
at
least some races, a modification they hoped would aid the eventual defeat of
the Shadows, their ancient adversaries.  Though the Vorlons have helped
orchestrate the alliance against the Shadows, and have shown themselves to
be
an awesome military power, they are reluctant to involve themselves
directly,
preferring to place younger races on the front lines and avoid the risks of
direct confrontation.

========    g. The Shadows

The Shadows are a dark power, ancient beyond even the Vorlons.  They have
fought fierce wars against the First Ones across millions of years.  The
last
Great War against the Shadows was ten thousand years ago; after that,
perhaps
thinking the Shadows destroyed, most of the First Ones departed.  A thousand
years ago the Shadows rose again, and were defeated by an alliance of the
few
remaining First Ones and others, including the Minbari.  The Shadows have
been
working over the millenia to spark struggle and chaos among the lesser
races,
ostensibly to provoke growth and evolution; their method is the opposite of
that of the Vorlons, who prefer to manipulate the other races more subtly.
The
Shadows generally choose to make themselves invisible, though some -- such
as
telepaths -- can not only sense their presence, but are able to immobilize
Shadow ships, a fact which has not escaped the notice of Babylon 5's crew
and
their allies in the Shadow war.

========    h. The Rangers

The Rangers are an "army of light," comprised of Humans and Minbari, formed
to
gather information and perform covert operations in the war against the
Shadows.  With fighting out in the open, so too is their presence. Their
leader is Minbari Ambassador Delenn, with the aid of Captain Sheridan.
Rangers
are identified by a pin which depicts elements of human and Minbari
appearance.

------------------------------

Subject: 4.  The Characters

========    a. Main Cast (appearing in most episodes throughout the season)

i. Humans

CAPTAIN JOHN SHERIDAN                       Bruce Boxleitner

The commander of Babylon 5 and leader of the war against the Shadows,
Sheridan
was representative of the Earth Alliance before he declared Babylon 5's
independence from the Earth Alliance.  He was assigned to Babylon 5 because
he
seemed the hard-line military type; yet he was part of the growing movement
against the corruption back on Earth.  When he found out that the Shadows
were
responsible for the loss of his wife Anna, he pledged himself to help the
Vorlons and the Minbari defeat them.  Sheridan has recently found himself
romantically involved with Delenn, the representative of the Minbari.
Season
4 begins with Sheridan, having fallen at Z'ha'dum, in a strange state
between
life and death.

COMMANDER SUSAN IVANOVA                     Claudia Christian

Second in command and in charge of the day-to-day operations, along with
some
ambassadorial duties, on Babylon 5, Ivanova is an ambitious career officer,
hoping one day to command B5 or her own starship.  She can be quirky or
pessimistic at times, but she has a dry sense of humor that shows itself in
the rare moments she is able to relax among others.  Having poor success in
relationships, most recently in losing Talia, she is not an easy person to
get
to know.  Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and raised abroad on Earth,
Ivanova
is a latent telepath, "not even a P1," but has spent her life hiding her
talent from Psi Corps after their legally-mandated drug treatments drove her
mother to suicide.

SECURITY CHIEF MICHAEL ALFREDO GARIBALDI    Jerry Doyle

In charge of security on Babylon 5, at least up until when he and his
starfury
mysteriously disappeared immediately after Sheridan took his fall at
Z'ha'dum.
He has a troubled past, bouncing from position to position and trying to
over-
come alcoholism. And though he seems to have found his home on Babylon 5,
the
circumstances of his disappearance may prove to be trouble for him.
Garibaldi
is something of a smart-aleck, always ready to crack a joke, but given to
bouts of self-doubt and introspection when nobody's looking.

DR. STEPHEN FRANKLIN                        Richard Biggs

Having just recovered from an addiction to medical stimulants and returned
to
duty after a break to deal with his personal problems, Franklin is charge of
Medlab on Babylon 5.  A specialist in xenobiology (alien biology), his
background is mainly in experimental medicine, so his bedside manner is
occasionally not what it should be.  His strong sense of personal morality
is
at times in conflict with his duties as the chief medical provider for
aliens
from hundreds of worlds and cultures, some of whom view his obligations
rather
differently.  He is known to operate outside the rules when he feel the
issue
is important.  In his middle thirties now, he spent years hitchhiking
through
space, offering his medical services in exchange for the opportunity to
examine new life forms.

ii. Ambassadors

AMBASSADOR LONDO MOLLARI                    Peter Jurasik

The representative of the Centauri Republic.  Once on an inconsequential
assignment, Londo struck a Faustian bargain with the Shadows -- new
"friends"
he knew nothing about -- putting the Centauri on an expansionist path that
has
resulted in the decimation of the Narn homeworld and brought chaos to the
region of the Galaxy near Babylon 5, exactly what the Shadows wanted. Once
jovial and indulgent, Londo has now removed most of his enemies in the
Centauri Government, and seems destined to become Emporer, withstanding the
problems he's having with the current Emporer.

AMBASSADOR DELENN                           Mira Furlan

Religious, with a strong sense of fate and justice, Delenn was the Minbari
ambassador, and is now the leader of the Rangers in the fight against the
Shadows.  Once a member of Minbar's ruling body, the Grey Council, she lost
her position after her controversial decision to undergo a transformation
that
gave her human characteristics, a transformation that has brought her very
close to Captain Sheridan.

G'KAR                                       Andreas Katsulas

The ambassador of the Narn Regime when there was a Narn Regime to represent,
G'Kar is now a refugee in exile, wanted by the Centauri Republic.  Sheridan
granted him asylum on Babylon 5, and now G'Kar has joined the effort to
fight
the Shadows however he can; he eventually hopes to retake his homeworld from
the Centauri.  G'Kar is well-read, deeply spiritual, and extremely
intelligent.

AMBASSADOR KOSH                             Ardwight Chamberlain
(translation)
                                            Chris Franke (voice effects)
                                            Jeffrey Willerth (in the suit)
                                            and animatronics

Kosh is the representative of the Vorlon Empire, and is the replacement for
the first Vorlon representative, also called Kosh, who was killed by the
Shadows.  While the first ambassador was mysterious, withdrawn, and
enigmatic,
the new ambassador has all those traits and also seems less friendly and
tolerant of others.  As with his predecessor, he communicates through a
complex sequence of musical tones, translated into English by a device on
his
encounter suit.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

========    b. Supporting Characters (also in the opening credits)

iii. Ambassador assistants

VIR COTTO                                   Stephen Furst

Diplomatic Attache to Ambassador Londo.  Vir feels strongly that the choices
Londo has made over the past year and a half are taking the Centauri down a
self-destructive and morally wrong path, and has gone from timid to bold in
expressing that opinion to Londo.  He feels somewhat powerless in his
position, close to the major decisions but always on the sidelines.  Vir
sympathizes greatly with the plight of the Narns, and managed to save
thousands of Narn lives through forged travel papers while he was stationed
on
Minbar last year.

LENNIER                                     Bill Mumy

Delenn's aide, originally brought up monastery on the Minbari homeworld.  He
reveres Delenn as an almost holy figure and accepts her physical
transformation without question.  He has pledged his life to her, in fact,
and
is perfectly willing to die by her side.  Still something of an innocent
thanks to his isolated upbringing, Lennier has learned some of the art of
diplomacy during his tenure on Babylon 5.  Lennier has been helpful to
Delenn
in leading the Rangers and fighting against the Shadows.

iv. Humans

MARCUS COLE                                 Jason Carter

A Ranger permanently stationed on Babylon 5, he oversees the flow of
information from rangers stationed in the area.  Often flamboyant and
acerbic,
Marcus has picked up the Minbari language and fighting skills from his
Ranger
training.  He has taken a liking to Commander Ivanova, though she's
approaching the relationship with more than a little caution.  Unlike many
Humans who felt a calling to become a Ranger, he says he joined their number
only after his brother was killed by Shadows.

ZACK ALLAN                                  Jeff Conaway

Garibaldi's principal lieutenant, Zack is earnest and trustworthy, if not
necessarily the brightest person on the station.  He earned Garibaldi's
trust
last year when he rejected the Machiavellian "Nightwatch" organization that
was bent on taking control away from the station on behalf of President
Clark.
In Garabaldi's absence, he's had to take over as security chief on the B5.

LYTA ALEXANDER                              Patricia Tallman

A former Psi Corps telepath -- the first one assigned to the station, in
fact.
Three years ago she scanned Ambassador Kosh, an experience that brought her
back to the station to serve as an aide for Kosh.  She has been helpful to
Sheridan in the fight against the shadows, proving that telepaths have an
advantage against Shadow ships.  With the original Ambassador Kosh now dead,
she is having a difficult time working with his replacement.  And her work
with the vorlons seems to be improving her telepathic ability....

========    c. Recurring and Past Characters

+-----------------------------------+
|  This section  lists  characters  |
|  that are seen from time to time  |
|  on Babylon 5.   Characters that  |
|  have appeared in the past,  and  |
|  may have some relevance  to the  |
|  current season, are listed here  |
|  as well, to provide context.     |
+-----------------------------------+

EMPEROR CARTAGIA                            Wortham Krimmer

The current Emporer of the Centauri Empire. Placed in power by Lord Refa and
his ambitious allies, Cartagia has allied himself with the shadows in a way
that makes even Londo uncomfortable.

LORIEN                                      Wayne Alexander

An ancient one -- the oldest -- who accompanies Sheridan after his fall.

MORDEN                                      Ed Wasser

A member of the same expedition Sheridan's wife was on, Morden works for the
Shadows.  He is often accompanied by one or two of them, though they're
invisible to most people.  Never a major player, he is always ready to talk
to
Londo and pass messages to and from his "associates."  Morden is
meticulously
polite, but nonetheless is a menacing presence who can casually discuss the
deaths of tens of thousands of Narn as easily as most people talk about the
weather.  He is involved with dealings between Shadows and the corrupt Earth
government as well.

ANNA SHERIDAN                               Melissa Gilbert
                                            (Originally: Beth Toussaint)

John Sheridan's wife was presumed killed in an explosion while on an
expedition to a newly discovered planet which we now know as Z'ha'dum.  She
wasn't killed, but was used by the Shadows.  She finally surfaced after five
years, but it was discovered that her personality had been altered and she
was
no longer really Anna.  She was killed when the White Star exploded on
Z'ha'dum.

JEFFREY DAVID SINCLAIR                      Michael O'Hare

The commander of Babylon 5 and representative of the Earth Alliance for its
first two years of operation, Sinclair was transferred to Minbar to serve as
Earth ambassador, but unofficially to function as head of the Rangers.
Sinclair recently brought Babylon 4 back through time to aide the Minbari in
their war against the Shadows of 1000 years ago; in doing so, he used the
same
device that had transformed Delenn in order to attain Minbari appearance,
and
in doing so, became Valenn, Minbar's great spiritual leader who formed the
Grey Council.

PRESIDENT WILLIAM MORGAN CLARK              Gary McGurk

The president of the Earth Alliance, Clark was vice-president when he had
President Santiago assassinated; he rose to power with the help of
Nightwatch,
the Psi Corps, and some kind of involvement with the Shadows, dissolving the
EA Senate and declaring Martial Law.

AMBASSADOR KOSH NARANEK                     [same credits as the 'new' Kosh]

One of the oldest Vorlons, possibly thousands of years old, Kosh was the
Ambassador to Babylon 5 until he was killed by the Shadows.  Though as
secluded and cryptic as any Vorlon, Kosh had seen something special in
Sheridan and had given him various 'lessons' that supposedly help Sheridan
to
understand himself.  In fact, Kosh saved Sheridan's life, leaving his
encounter suit and appearing as an angel, recognizeable to many species as a
holy being of light.  Kosh had also enlisted Lyta Alexander as an aide for
unknown purposes.

ALFRED BESTER                               Walter Koenig

A Psi-Cop, one of an elite unit of the Psi Corps whose function is to track
down rogue telepaths, among other things.  A powerful figure in the
Psi-corps,
perhaps in part because of his high P12 psi rating, Bester was often at odds
with Babylon 5 personell; he recently found himself an unexpected ally of
Sheridan and the fight against the shadows when he discovered that the woman
that he loved had been abducted by the Shadows.

NUMBER ONE                                  Marjorie Monaghan

The tough-as-nails leader of the Mars resistance, Number One, as she is
known,
intensely distrusts telepaths and will rarely compromise once she's made up
her mind.  She has a soft spot for Dr. Franklin, though she rarely shows it.

LISE HAMPTON                                Denise Gentile

Once involved with Garibaldi when he worked on Mars, Lise has come back into
Garibaldi's life, though she's on her second husband since they parted
company
years ago.

BROTHER THEO                                Louis Turenne

A Dominican monk, establishing residence on the station to study the
religious
beliefs of alien races.  Willing to trade the services of his order for the
ability to stay on the station, Theo and his brothers have been helpful
spiritual guides in the difficult days of the war against the Shadows.

JACK                                        Macaulay Bruton

He was Garibaldi's seemingly loyal assistant until he shot him in the back
as
soon as Garibaldi discovered a conspiracy to assassinate President Santiago.
Garibaldi identified him as his assailant, but he disappeared while being
transferred to earth for prosecution.

LORD REFA                                   William Forward

A ruthless, unprincipled Centauri noble who worked with Londo in a bid for
power.  But over the last year, Refa and Londo found themselves at odds when
Londo realized he was uncomfortable with the chaos he had initiating.  Londo
finally eliminated and disgraced Refa, paving the way to Londo's ascension
with his rival eliminated.

LIEUTENANT DAVID CORWIN                     Joshua Cox

Third in command in C&C, after Sheridan and Ivanova.  Corwin is shy but
well-intentioned, a loyal officer, and has accepted Sheridan's decision to
secede from the Earth Alliance.

DRAAL                                       John Schuck

The steward of the vast machinery below on Epsilon 3.  He is a Minbari who
was
looking for a new purpose in life when he heeded the call to become
caretaker
of the planet.  He has offered his services in the upcoming Shadow War,
though
Sheridan has kept Draal as his 'ace in the hole' so far.

TALIA WINTERS                               Andrea Thompson

Operating as Babylon 5's resident telepath for nearly two years, Talia left
the station when her unwilling involvement in a classified Psi Corps
experiment was exposed and changed her forever.  Her whereabouts -- or her
fate -- are not known.

------------------------------

Subject: 5.  The Story So Far

+-----------------------------------+
|  This section contains  spoilers  |
|  for Babylon 5 seasons 1 through  |
|  3.  It contains no spoilers for  |
|  this or subsequent seasons.      |
+-----------------------------------+

Babylon 5, a space station constructed with the hope of keeping the various
races in the galaxy at peace, seems to function as it should for a while.
In the first year of its operation, the station's Commander Sinclair
discovers that he had been captured and interrogated in the Earth-Minbari
war of a decade ago, only to have his memory erased for unknown reasons.
The crew of B5 discover that the barren world below them is actually
housing a vast underground complex of machinery, and the mystery of the
disappearance of Babylon 4 is partly revealed: it had been taken through
time by unknown forces to assist in a war in an unknown place and time.
Behind the scenes, an ancient race, known only as The Shadows, is building
its forces.  Through Morden, a Human intermediary, the Shadows subtly begin
working their influence on the galaxy by capitalizing on the desires of
Centauri ambassador Londo Mollari to rebuild his fading empire.  Londo lets
his benefactors assist him by destroying a Narn outpost, thus reigniting
conflict with the Narn Government.  On that same day, the President of the
Earth Alliance is killed in an explosion that few realize is really an
assassination, and Delenn, the Minbari ambassador, activates a machine that
will cause her to physically transform.

Days later, the original commander of the station, Sinclair, is reassigned,
and Captain Sheridan takes command, unaware of the existance of the
Shadows.  The mystery of the Minbari surrender is finally revealed:  The
Minbari discovered that Minbari souls were being reborn in humans.  Delenn
emerges from a cocoon to appear nearly human; she claims she has done so to
promote peace between the Humans and the Minbari.  The situation on Earth
is getting worse; covert forces are working in the background and the
"Night Watch" program is stomping down on dissidents; meanwhile, Sheridan
reveals that he is part of an underground movement to gain control back
from the corrupted government; he brings his trusted officers into the
fold.  On the eve of an historic speech that would have brought peace
between the Narn and Centauri, Londo calls upon his unknown agents to
attack a major Narn colony, starting a war.  Ambassadors Kosh and Delenn
reveal the existance of the Shadows behind the Centauri brutality; Sheridan
is enlisted to help in an upcoming war against them; he takes it personally
when he learns that the Shadows were likely responsible for the death of
his wife five years ago when she travelled to a planet called Z'ha'dum.
The Centauri, with the aid of the Shadows, terminate the war with the Narn
decisively by bombing the Narn homeworld "into the stone ages."  The
Centauri soon begin annexing other worlds; the enigmatic Ambassador Kosh
finally reveals himself, revealing that Vorlons appear to most races as
angels; and a shadow ship has been caught on camera, undoing the secrecy
that the shadows had been maintaining. The Great War is begun.

The Minbari give Sheridan a powerful new ship, the White Star, to command
in the upcoming fight against the Shadows.  Further corruption in Earth
government is revealed when it is learned that the Shadows have been
cooperating with certain individuals in government.  The Earth alliance
plunges into civil war as martial law is declared back home; Sheridan is
forced to secede from Earth and is only able to keep the forces at bay with
the help of the Minbari.  The shadows begin attacking openly (and seemingly
randomly); Sheridan builds an alliance among the many races by enlisting
the help of the Vorlons, an act which results in the death of Ambassador
Kosh.  Sinclair returns to the station with a message from the past; with
the help of the machinery on the planet below, The White Star takes Babylon
4 through time to assist in a war against the Shadows of 1000 years ago.
Londo continues his ascension to power in the Centauri government, removing
his political rival.  Using a discovery that telepaths interfere with the
functionality of Shadow Ships, Sheridan and Delenn organize their alliance
in to a preemptive strike against the Shadows, celebrating a difficult
victory.  Sheridan's wife appears, returning from Z'ha'dum, the homeworld
of the Shadows, and attempts to convince Sheridan that the shadows really
aren't the bad guys; Sheridan rejects her plea when he discovers that her
personality has been altered; instead, he rigs the White Star to crash onto
and detonate a bomb on Z'ha'dum; Hearing the advice of Ambassador Kosh in
his head, Sheridan jumps into an abyss below him just before the explosion;
he is presumed dead.  Immediately after the explosion, the shadow ships
that had been threatening B5 dissapear, possibly returning home; one of the
ships seems to have taken Garibaldi along with it.

------------------------------

Subject: 6.  Past and Current Episode Reference

+-----------------------------------+
|  This section contains brief de-  |
|  scriptions  of episodes  up to,  |
|  and including, the current sea-  |
|  son.   These entries do contain  |
|  minor spoilers, enough to iden-  |
|  tify the episode title based on  |
|  its storyline.                   |
+-----------------------------------+

FOR THE FIRST THREE SEASONS, PLEASE SEE PART (C), (D), (E) OF THIS DOCUMENT.

Season 4: No Surrender, No Retreat

* The Hour of the Wolf
  Londo learns of a disturbing deal back home; Ivanova heads to Z'ha'dum.

* What Ever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?
  G'Kar avoids the Centauri while he searches for Garibaldi.

* The Summoning
  Delenn continues to rally support for a plan to attack the Shadows.

* Falling Toward Apotheosis
  The Vorlons continue fighting the Shadows; Kosh is asked to leave B5.

* The Long Night
  The Army of Light prepares a strike; Londo plots against Cartagia.

* Into the Fire
  The Army of Light moves against the Shadows.

* Epiphanies
  Bester brings news of Earth's plans against B5; Garibaldi resigns.

* The Illusion of Truth
  ISN sends a team to do a second story about Babylon 5.

* Atonement
  Delenn must finally face up to her role in the Earth-Minbari War.

* Racing Mars
  Franklin and Marcus go on an undercover mission to Mars.

* Lines of Communication
  Marcus and Franklin continue their Mars mission.

* Conflicts of Interests
  Garibaldi gets a new job working with forces tied to mars.

* Rumors, Bargains and Lies
  Sheridan tricks the non-aligned worlds; Delenn tries to stop civil war.

* Moments of Transition
  The Warrior caste demands Delenn's surrender; Earth is targeting
civilians.

* No Surrender, No Retreat
  Sheridan attempt to liberate an Earth Colony.

* The Exercise of Vital Powers
  Garibaldi arrives on Mars; Lyta helps franklin with the frozen telepaths.

* The Face of the Enemy
  Sheridan's search for his father leads him to Mars.

* Intersections in Real Time
  Sheridan is held captive on Mars.

* Between the Darkness and the Light
  Ivanova takes on Clark's forces as a plan to rescue Sheridan is developed.

* Endgame
  Sheridan's forces make their final strike.

* Rising Star
  Earthgov decides Sheridan's fate; Delenn offers an astounding proposition.

* The Deconstruction of Falling Stars (filmed in fifth season)
  The history of Babylon 5 is recollected from various points in the future.

------------------------------

Subject: 7. Credits and Legalese

This text file may be distributed online, in complete or excerpted form, as
long as acknowledgement is made to the authors, and the URL of the current
version of this file is indicated. (see top of document.)

The Babylon 5 Frequently Asked Questions List part (F) is Copyright 1996-98
by
Dan Wood and Steven Grimm.  Acknowledgement is made to J. Michael
Straczynski,
previous FAQ maintainer Lee Whiteside and to excerpted contributions from
the
Babylon 5 online libraries.

Currently maintained by Dan Wood.
Comments, suggestions, etc. are always appreciated.

This text file was edited on QUED/M text editor running on a Macintosh.

If you maintain an online B5 service, I can send you each FAQ update.  I
don't
have the resources to send updates to individuals, so please don't ask.

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