Original Airdate: May 13, 1996 Written by J. Michael Straczynski Directed by Mike Vejar Episode #: 60 Production #: 316
Guest stars: Michael O'Hare as Ambassador Sinclair. Tim Choate as Zathras.
Ambassador Delenn reveals the fate of Babylon 4: Sinclair, Sheridan, Ivanova and Delenn must take it to the past to save the future.
Ivanova (CLAUDIA CHRISTIAN) hears a distress signal of her own voice coming from Sector 14, the area where Babylon 4 had disappeared. Garibaldi (JERRY DOYLE) reveals that the signal may be coming from the future and explains that when Babylon 4 reappeared two years ago, he and Commander Sinclair (MICHAEL O'HARE) went on board to evacuate the crew. While there, he experienced a flash into the future where he saw the fall of Babylon 5. A concerned Sheridan sends Gairbaldi to Sector 14 to check the area.
Jeffrey Sinclair summoned by a note locked and sealed for over nine hundred years, arrives at Babylon 5. Delenn (MIRA FURLAN), also receiving a note, explains to Captain Sheridan (BRUCE BOXLEITNER) that the time had come for them to take the White Star to Sector 14, immediately. In explaining why, Delenn recounts history and details how the Minbari, with the help of the Vorlons and a few others, were able to defeat the Shadows when they last fought a thousand years ago. However, to achieve this victory, their side needed a long range base of operations from which to launch their forces. Babylon 4 was the answer, and they took it into the distant past to help defeat the Shadows.
With the reappearance of Babylon 4 two years ago, allies of the Shadows sent ships to destroy it, but something mysteriously had prevented this from happening. Delenn reveals to a shocked Sheridan that he was responsible for stopping them. Continuing on, she explains that with the aid of The Great Machine on Epsilon 3, which is enlarging the temporal rift in Sector 14, they need to go back six years into the past to prevent the destruction of Babylon 4. If successful, they must move the station ahead to the present time. Delenn carefully warns Sheridan, and the crew, that failure to save Babylon 4 would ultimately result in the destruction of Babylon 5. To prove her story, Delenn explains that the distress call Ivanova encountered was the alternative future calling for help. Zathras, one of Draal's aides from Epsilon 3, is sent to assist the crew in their mission.
At the urging of Sinclair, Sheridan instructs an angry Garibaldi to return to Babylon 5 and instructs him not to mention Sinclair's presence on the White Star. Upon arrival, Zack informs him that Sinclair had been to the station, and an unbelieving Garibaldi, checking his messages, eventually accesses a message from Sinclair that wasn't supposed to be opened yet. In the communication, Sinclair explains to Garibaldi that he won't be returning from Babylon 4, and that Garibaldi would be suffering the same fate had he accompanied them on the journey.
Upon descending on Babylon 4, Sheridan and the crew spot six Shadow fighters with grapples holding a fusion bomb. Sheridan intercepts their course and destroys some of the enemy ships, but not before the bomb goes off, sweeping the White Star in a massive shockwave. In the explosion, Sheridan's time stabilizer is damaged, causing him to disappear, and stick in time. When Sheridan awakens, it is eighteen years later and he is in a Centauri palace next to an aged Londo, who is now emperor, sitting on a throne and telling Sheridan he will die.
