Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.info,rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated,rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5,alt.tv.babylon-5,rec.arts.sf.tv,alt.answers,rec.answers,news.answers From: Babylon 5 FAQ Subject: Babylon 5 FAQ (G): Setting for season 5 Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu Organization: Interstellar Alliance 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 5 ("The Wheel of Fire", Earth year 2262). Archive-name: tv/babylon-5/setting/season5 Frequency: bi-weekly Last-modified: 29 May 1998 +-----------------------------------+ | BABYLON 5 FAQ, part (F): | | Setting for season #5 | | | | A guide for viewers who wish to | | catch up to the events leading | | up to season 5, "The Wheel of | | Fire," airing in 1998 on TNT in | | the U.S. This is the year | | 2262 in the opening credits. | | | | This holds SPOILERS for season | | 1 - 4 episodes, and descrip- | | tions of season 5 settings. | | DO NOT READ unless you are now | | watching SEASON 5 episodes! | +-----------------------------------+ NOTE: The Babylon 5 FAQ is going into retirement after this edition, so please don't be concerned that the season 5 descriptions are incomplete. 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 (2258) Kosh: And so it begins... Assassin: There is a hole in your mind. Sinclair: What do you want? G'Kar: No one here is exactly what he appears. Sinclair: Nothing's the same any more. (2259) Senator: Commander Sinclair is being reassigned. Mollari: Why don't you eliminate the entire Narn homeworld, while you're at it? Elric: I see a great hand reaching out of the stars. Sebastian:Who are you? (2260) Reporter: President Clark has signed a decree today declaring martial law. Sheridan: These orders have forced us to declare independence. Bester: ...Weapon supplies... Sheridan: ...Unless you people get off your encounter-suited butts and do something. Zathras: You are the one who was. Kosh: If you go to Z'Ha'Dum, you will die. (2261) Lorien: Why are you here? Do you have anything worth living for? Delenn: I think of my beautiful city in flames. Sheridan: ...Giants in the playground. Sheridan: Now get the hell out of our galaxy! Sheridan: We are here to place President Clark under arrest. (2262) ------------------------------ 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. It was built to keep the peace, yet a great war erupted which treated the races on Babylon 5 as pawns -- yet, with Sheridan and Delenn's leadership, they drove the aggressors away. Not long after, the station served as a base for taking back Earth from a totalitarian regime. And now, the station serves as the base of a nascent Interstellar Alliance -- one which will undergo many growing pains in the next year. ------------------------------ 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 had declared independence in mid-2260 to break away from a totalitarian Earth, but now that Earth has been restored as a democracy, it serves as the base for a new interstellar alliance. Its status is in limbo, but is planned to be purchased from Earth to maintain autonomy. ======== b. The Earth Alliance The Earth Alliance, headquartered in Geneva, has just been liberated from martial law. Most citizens are happy to see democracy restored, but there will likely be those loyal to the old guard who will have trouble adjusting to the new rules. A particular hotspot is the Psi Corps, a government agency in charge of overseeing humans with telepathic abilities. The influence of the Psi Corps has risen tremendously in the last few years, and it is clear to many that a conflict between telepaths and non-telepathic "mundanes" is imminent. ======== 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 sided with Babylon 5 and a coalition of many other races to fight an ancient enemy from a thousand years ago, the Shadows. 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 Valen, the great Minbari spiritual leader, builder of modern 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 come into a precarious situation due to the government's alliance with the Shadows in the recent conflict. The Centauri drove them out, but it is clear that the minions of the Shadows have intentions of getting even with the Centauri. ======== e. The Narns Once an up and coming power, the Narn Regime was a victim of Centauri expansionism, especially humiliating since they were unwilling subjects of the Centauri Republic a hundred years ago and once again fell under their hand in the recent years. Liberated again, it appears that the Centauri will leave them alone for good. Narns have a reptilian appearance and are easily provoked. ======== f. The Rangers The Rangers are an "army of light," comprised of mostly Humans and Minbari, originally formed to gather information and perform covert operations in the war against the Shadows, they now act as the patrollers and protectors of the fledgling Interstellar Alliance. 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 PRESIDENT JOHN J. SHERIDAN Bruce Boxleitner Formerly the commander of Babylon 5, Sheridan has been elected to the presidency of the new Interstellar Alliance. Sheridan is newly married to Delenn, the representative of the Minbari. A strong leader, he shattered everybody's expectations by participating in a revolution against a totalitarian government on Earth as well as an interstellar war against the Shadows. Because he was recently brought back from death by the galaxy's oldest resident, he now has less than 20 years left to live. MICHAEL ALFREDO GARIBALDI Jerry Doyle Once in charge of security on Babylon 5, he left that post while under mental control of the Psi Corps. Now recovered, he has taken up the position of head of covert intelligence for the new Interstellar Alliance. 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 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. ii. Ambassadors AMBASSADOR LONDO MOLLARI Peter Jurasik The representative of the Centauri Republic, soon to become Emperor of Centauri Prime. Stuck 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 resulted in the decimation of the Narn homeworld and bringing chaos to the region of the Galaxy near Babylon 5, exactly what the Shadows wanted. That conflict is over, and he is now on a slow path to redemption. AMBASSADOR DELENN Mira Furlan Religious, with a strong sense of fate and justice, Delenn was the Minbari ambassador who then became 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, whom she has recently married. Delenn is now on the council of the new Interstellar Alliance. AMBASSADOR G'KAR Andreas Katsulas The ambassador of the Narn Regime, then a fugitive when his homeworld fell to Centauri Prime, G'Kar has become a central figure of the new interstellar alliance. G'Kar is well-read, deeply spiritual, and extremely intelligent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ======== b. Supporting Characters (also in the opening credits) iii. Ambassador assistants VIR COTTO Stephen Furst Diplomatic Attache to Ambassador Mollari. Having to watch Londo work with the Shadows from the sidelines, he has grown from a naive, timid assistant to a confident leader, though he still must operate under the shadow of Londo. Vir served briefly as the Centauri ambassador to Minbar, and was involved in a humanitarian effort to save Narn lives during the recent war. LENNIER Bill Mumy Delenn's aide, originally brought up in a monastery on the Minbari homeworld. He reveres Delenn as an almost holy figure and feels left out now that Delenn has married Sheridan. iv. Humans CAPTAIN ELIZABETH LOCHLEY Tracy Scoggins The newly appointed commander of Babylon 5, Lochley represents Earth's interests on the Station. Hand-picked by Sheridan to succeed him (or Ivanova), Lochley apparently knows Sheridan from the past. Though tough and serious while on the job, she does have a sly sense of humor. SECURITY CHIEF ZACK ALLAN Jeff Conaway Once Garibaldi's principal lieutenant, Zack was promoted to Chief of security after Garibaldi resigned. He earned the trust of Sheridan and Garibaldi when he rejected the Machiavellian organization Nightwatch, which was bent on taking control away from the station on behalf of President Clark. LYTA ALEXANDER Patricia Tallman A Psi Corps telepath, the first assigned to the station, in fact. Five years ago she scanned Ambassador Kosh, and subsequently left the Corps. Her scan later brought her back to the station to serve as Kosh's aide. She proved helpful in the fight against the Shadows, due to her Vorlon-enhanced telepathy. When the original Ambassador Kosh died, she had a hard time working with his replacement, and eventually turned on him. Finding herself alone and unable to find work, she reluctantly re-joined the Corps after Bester approached her with an unorthodox proposal. ======== 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. | +-----------------------------------+ LIEUTENANT DAVID CORWIN Joshua Cox Brought up through the ranks working as a technician in C&C, Corwin is now an executive officer working under Captain Lochley. Corwin is shy but well-intentioned, and a loyal officer. 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 personnel; 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. LISE HAMPTON Denise Gentile Once involved with Garibaldi when he worked on Mars, Lise has come back into Garibaldi's life. Her second husband, a business tycoon, is dead, and she is in charge of his corporation. MARCUS COLE Jason Carter Marcus was the head ranger stationed on Babylon 5 until last year, when he sacrificed his life to save Ivanova's. 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 covertley became the head of the Rangers. Recently, Sinclair took 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 Valen, Minbar's great spiritual leader who formed the Grey Council. 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 Shadow War, though Sheridan has kept Draal as his 'ace in the hole' so far. ------------------------------ 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. Sheridan finds himself at death's door and finds the galaxy's oldest resident, Lorien, there to guide him back to life. Londo returns home to find that the new Centauri emporor is dangerously insane, planning on the destruction of Centauri Prime. G'Kar, searching for Garibaldi, is captured by the Centauri and tortured. Garibaldi is found, but is acting peculiarly and soon resigns. Ivanova and Marcus discover that the Vorlons are gathering to battle the Shadows directly; Sheridan and Lorien battle with the new Vorlon ambassador. The Army of light begins a battle with the Shadows and the Vorlons; the war comes to an abrupt end when those races find that they cannot get the younger races to choose their way. Londo assassinates the Emperor, detroys the Shadow base on Centauri prime, and withdraws from Narn. With the Shadows gone, President Clark on Earth launches a plan to recapture Babylon 5. Garibaldi comes upon a plan by a tycoon on Mars to control the telepaths, but then discovers he has been a pawn of the Psi Corps as they eliminate that problem. Civil war erupts on Minbar; Delenn and Neroon, a warrior caste member, manage to bring the war to an end. Sheridan undertakes a campaign to recapture Earth, starting first with the outer colonies and working inward. Sheridan is captured by Clark's forces, and tortured. Ivanova leads a rescue, and Sheridan's forces finally liberate Earth, mortally wounding Ivanova. Using an ancient healing machine, Marcus saves Ivanova's life but dies in the process. Delenn, Londo, and G'Kar found an Interstellar Alliance, and Sheridan is elected President. ------------------------------ 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 FOUR SEASONS, PLEASE SEE PART C THROUGH F OF THIS DOCUMENT. Season 5: The Wheel of Fire * No Compromises Lochley arrives on Babylon 5; Sheridan is inaugurated. * The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari Londo has a major heart attack and must face his demons. * The Paragon of Animals Garibaldi works to enlist the aid of local telepaths. * A View from the Gallery An attack on the station is seen from the eyes of two of the station's crew. * Learning Curve An underground crime leader threatens the safety of the station. * Strange Relations Bester attempts to retrieve the refugee telepaths from the station. * Secrets of the Soul Franklin discovers a dark secret held by the Hyach. * Day of the Dead A Brakiri religious festival brings some unusual visitors to the station. * In the Kingdom of the Blind * A Tragedy of Telepaths * Phoenix Rising * The Ragged Edge * The Corps is Mother, The Corps is Father * Meditations on the Abyss * Darkness Ascending * And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder * Movements of Fire and Shadow * The Fall of Centauri Prime * Objects in Motion * Objects at Rest * Wheel of Fire * Sleeping in Light ------------------------------ 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. Thanks to Charles Gousha, David Henderson for their suggestions and fixes, and to many people who helped me fill in the opening credits. Maintained by Dan Wood. This is the final edition. ---------------------- "Microsoft does not like negative or even objective Dan Wood <*> press coverage and they have a tendency to be a bully http://www.karelia.com about it. If something appears that they don't like, danwood@ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ they have the ability to punish the publication." ---------------------- -- Bob Ingle, Pres., Knight-Ridder New Media BOYCOTT MICROSOFT: