Airdate: February 11, 1998 Written by J. Michael Straczynski Story by J. Michael Straczynski & Harlan Ellison Directed by Janet Greek Episode #: 92 Production #: 505
Guest stars: Robin Atkin Downes as Byron. Joshua Cox as Lt. Corwin. Raymond O'Connor as Mack. Lawrence LeJohn as Bo.
Two ordinary crewman oversee the station while it defends itself against an attack.
Hyperspace
As a probe from Babylon 5 passes through hyperspace, several alien, unidentified ships approach and destroy it.
Babylon 5
Captain Lochley is awakened by C & C. Lt. Corwin says that the probe they sent out has been destroyed. Lochley asks if it is the aliens they've been expecting. Corwin doesn't know, but he believes so.
Lochley: "Alright, I'm on my way."
C & C
The captain enters and asks for an update about the alien ships. Corwin hasn't been able to lock onto the alien ships with the scanners yet, but they should be coming into range soon. Lochley addresses the crew and informs them of a hostile alien force that is scouting for "likely" worlds to invade.
Lochley: "Likely means soft and vulnerable. We have to make sure they don't leave here, or they leave believing we are neither soft nor vulnerable."
She tells Corwin to prepare a lifepod for President Sheridan and Delenn. Corwin says that even if the station falls, they won't leave.
Lochley: "Leave that to me. If I have to personally hit them over the head and drag them into the lifepod, I will."
The captain orders all starfury squadrons to launch. As the furies launch, security troops take place all over the station and the defense grid arms.
Blue Sector
As the security troops rush by, two maintenance crewmembers discuss the situation while repairing an access panel.
Bo: "Seems like there's always something going on around here."
Mack: "And we have to clean it up. They never think about that part, do they?"
Bo: "No, it probably never even crosses their minds."
Blue Sector
President Sheridan and Captain Lochley argue about making Sheridan and Delenn evacuate the station in case it falls. Sheridan refuses to leave, but Captain Lochley insists that he keep in contact with a lifepod at all times and be ready to board it should the need arise.
Lochley: "My job is to protect you and this station. And not necessarily in that order."
Sheridan: "I understand that part."
After a great deal of insistence and asking what Sheridan would do if their positions were reversed, Sheridan reluctantly agrees to link up with the lifepod and be prepared to board it if the situation arises.
Bo and Mack are working on another access panel and using some sort of machine on the floor while Sheridan and Lochley discuss their situation.
Mack: "Did you hear that, Bo? That's why I like Sheridan, always have. Sheridan, he's down in the trenches with the rest of us."
Bo tells Mack about the time that a Nightwatch fanatic threw a knife into Delenn's back right after B5 seceded from the Earth Alliance. Sheridan was enraged and chased the man down.
Bo: "Anyone else would have let security take care of it. But Sheridan chased him down and knocked him down so hard, the guy didn't get up for three days."
They continue to discuss Sheridan and Delenn; Bo remembers the time he went to Z'ha'dum.
Bo: "I heard he was dead once."
Mack: "Well, nobody's perfect."
Bo asks Mack about the machine he is using. They are supposed to run the device along the floor periodically. Bo doesn't know why. He doesn't think the floor is any cleaner. Mack thinks that the device strengthens the metal or looks for cracks.
Bo: "Well, I guess it's time for lunch."
Their attention quickly diverted from the floor machine, Bo and Mack sit down for lunch. Bo has a salami sandwich; Mack has a spoo sandwich.
Bo: "What is that stuff?"
Mack: "It's this spoo stuff everyone's been talking about. The Centauri love it. 10 credits an ounce if you can believe it."
Bo: "What's it taste like?"
Mack: "I don't know. Kind of. . . spooish."
Bo: "No, you're supposed to say chicken. That's the joke. When someone asks you what something strange tastes like, you're supposed to say chicken. It's funny that way."
Mack and Bo's conversation is interrupted by Lt. Corwin. Corwin orders station personnel to battle stations. The alien fleet is on approach to the jumpgate. He also orders maintenance crews to Medlab and to the Observation Dome.
Medlab
Dr. Franklin instructs his staff to prepare for incoming trauma victims. He wants them to be ready for emergency cases, and to make sure they have plenty of synthesized blood on hand for aliens. Bo enters, and Dr. Franklin asks him to get the isolab computer runnig. It's not providing the options to make alien atmospheres. Bo says the system is probably locked up; he'll have it online in a few minutes.
Franklin: "I just wish we knew what kind of lifeforms we're in for so we can be ready."
Bo, under his breath, asks why Franklin cares about them. Franklin hears this and asks Bo to ask his question to his face.
Bo: "Why bother? Whoever they are, whatever they are, they're coming here to kill us. If I see one of them flopping on the deck, gasping for air, I'm going to let him bite."
Franklin: "Well, that's your choice, I don't agree."
Bo: "Why not?"
Franklin tells him that he sometimes wonders the same time. He doesn't know why he always keeps going, trying to save lives, regardless of who they are. Franklin says that his father was once taken hostage by rebel forces during a civil war between two of the midrange colonies. He was told that there wasn't much chance of anyone coming out alive. After two months of siege, Earthforce troops were finally able to restore order to the colony. When they recaptured the base, three wounded Earthforce soldiers came out; one of whom was Franklin's father. One of the rebel doctors had kept him and two others alive because he believed life was sacred. When Franklin saw his father being helped by the doctor, he decided that he wanted to become a doctor himself.
Franklin: "So when this is all over, I'll be out there looking for anyone I can save, because that's what I do. So, I need those atmospherics back online."
Bo: "So what happened to the doctor who saved your dad?"
Franklin: "Shot and killed by his own men. They said he was a traitor."
C & C
Lt. Corwin angrily hits his console. Mack enters and asks what the problem with the computer is.
Corwin: "I don't know; it was working fine a minute ago."
Captain Lochley asks Corwin for an update on the situation. Corwin says the primary defense grid weapons are online, but the secondary systems are offline.
As Lochley and Corwin discuss the defense grid, three enemy ships jump into normal space and attack the station. The alien ships surprise and destroy several starfuries.
Lochley: "Defense grid, fire!"
C & C
As the starfury squadrons defend the station against the alien ships, Mack works to repair the defense grid controls.
Corwin: "They're scanning us; trying to access our defense information."
Lochley: "Scramble all the codes."
Lt. Corwin tells her that if they scramble the codes, they won't be able to use the system for themselves. Right as Corwin scrambles the defense codes, Mack locates the problem.
Two of the alien ships have been destroyed, but the third one is running for the jumpgate. Lochley orders the starfuries to pursue, but the alien ship has too far a lead and it is out of range of the primary weapons on the defense grid. Just before the ship enters the jumpgate, Mack brings the secondary weapons back online and Lt. Corwin fires, destroying the alien ship moments before it jumps into hyperspace.
Lochley is relieved that the defense grid is now fully operational. She tells Corwin that the alien ships were only a small scouting party; the invasion fleet will be along soon. She instructs Corwin to alert the ambassadors and to prepare for emergency evacuation procedures.
Lochley: "While you're doing that, I'm going to go have a talk with Mr. Garibaldi."
Mack picks up his equipment and leaves. He finds Bo working in a corridor at a manhole. They discuss the new captain. Mack is impressed by her. He says she is tough and smart.
Mack: "I'm just glad she's on our side."
Bo: "Yeah, maybe."
Bo accidentally let that slip, but Mack wants to know what he means. Bo says he's heard rumors that Captain Lochley was on the other side of the civil war. Mack says she may have just been following orders. Bo tells him the some people follow orders because they have no other choice, but some people follow orders because they want to.
Mack: "You shouldn't listen to rumors, Bo. This place is full of them."
Bo: "If I shouldn't listen to rumors, then why did you ask me?"
Mack and Bo enter a transport tube for Brown sector. After a few levels, Lochley and Garibaldi enter the tube, having a very heated discussion.
Garibaldi: "How was I supposed to know they could download our tactical files?"
Lochley: "That's your job as head of covert intelligence, Mr. Garibaldi. Right now, I'm not seeing a whole lot of intelligence, covert, overt or otherwise."
Garibaldi tells her that he can't think of everything, but Lochley says that's what his job is all about. Lochley is engraged Garibaldi wasn't able to get good information about the alien invaders. The Gaim have had previous contact with this race, so they should be able to tell him about everything.
Lochley: "Well, why don't you go back to the Gaim and think up all those questions you didn't ask before. Because there's an assault fleet coming here, Mister. And I'd like to have at least a fighting chance of surviving the next 12 hours."
After Lochley leaves, Garibaldi tells Mack and Bo:
Garibaldi: "Trust me, the odds on that are pretty damn small right about now."
Garialdi leaves, and Bo and Mack continue on their way down to Brown 9. When they arrive, they get to work on a malfunctioning Babcom unit. While they work, Mack asks why they don't just shut down the jumpgate when a hostile force threatens the station. Bo tells him that it's not that easy. A jumpgate uses so much power that it takes nearly a week to start up, and about 2 days to shut down. Even if they could shut down the jumpgate, they don't want to do that because they would be effectively shutting down the only route of escape, should things get "hot." As soon as they finish, the stationhouse calls in and gives them another job to take care of.
Bo and Mack set the Babcom unit back online. The unit activates, and Captain Lochley comes over the PA. She informs the station that the first wing of the attack is coming through the jumpgate. She urges the station population to take cover and stay in their quarters while the station defends itself.
The alien fleet enters through the jumpgate and approaches Babylon 5 on an attack vector.
Outside the station, the starfuries engage the smaller alien ships while the station's defense grid fires on the larger ships. Both sides suffer quick and devastating losses, and as the battle rages on, the alien ships send breaching pods toward the station's hull.
Observation Deck
Bo and Mack finish prepping the deck for a religious ceremony and take a break. They watch the battle going on outside. They talk about the battle, how there are lots of people outside fighting to keep them alive. Bo tells Mack how to identify casualties: when a starfury is destroyed, the explosion is red; when an enemy vessel is destroyed, the explosion is green. Bo explains that explosions require an atmosphere. Since the starfuries have oxygen atmospheres, the explosion is red. However, since the aliens obviously use a different atmosphere, their explosions are green.
Mack: "You figured this out, all by yourself?"
Bo: "I asked one of the pilots the other day. Most of them act like we don't exist. This one was okay, though. He's probably out there right now."
Mack: "Hey, that was a red one."
Bo reminds Mack to never forget that those pilots are out fighting for everyone's life. As the battle continues to go on, a single White Star class ship jumps into normal space and joins the battle. As the White Star engages the enemy ships, a breaching pod attaches to the station and burns through. Corwin comes over the PA and advises everyone to move to the emergency shelters. Bo and Mack make their way to a shelter. When the transport tube they are in stops, they override the system and open the door. A security troop falls into the tube. There is major crossfire between them and the nearest door. They crawl behind a barrel and watch the battle. One of the aliens, dressed in red fatigues, approaches Bo and Mack. Bo clobbers him while Mack picks up a PPG rifle and fires into the alien troops. He kills one just as Zack Allen sees him. Zack tells them to get out of the crossfire while he covers them. Bo and Mack crawl away from the killing zone. When they get out of the crossfire, they find Byron and his telepath colony in a nearby room.
Byron: "It is safe here. You should remain here until the fighting stops."
Bo and Mack sit down, obviously feeling awkward being in the presence of the telepaths. Byron sits, holding a helmet that belonged to a fallen alien soldier. Byron tells Bo and Mack about the personality of the soldier: after someone dies, their personality, a part of their soul, remains for a few minutes. A telepath can pick it up for just a few minutes before it disappears.
Mack tries to start up a conversation with the telepaths, but Byron doesn't appear to be interested. Suddenly, an enemy soldier enters and points a gun at Mack. Byron and the other telepaths focus on him, and the soldier slowly lowers his gun and walks away.
Mack, feeling at odds with the telepaths, decides to leave. Bo agrees, and they get up to leave. Before they leave, the station shudders as it takes a serious hit. Mack is worried that the hull might breach, but Bo is confident that the starfuries and the defense grid will protect the station and its inhabitants. Byron asks if the station will survive, and Bo says that Babylon 5 has the best, most experienced fighter pilots in the entire sector. They'll protect the station.
Bo: "I just wish I was out there with them."
Byron seems to be interested by this statement, and asks if Bo truly wants to be outside with the fighter pilots. Bo confirms it, and Byron telepathically allows Bo to be a part of the action outside. Bo is piloting a starfury and fighting the enemy forces. He sees human and alien fighters being destroyed.
After a few moments, Bo "wakes up" and is astonished at what Byron was able to do. As he and Mack leave, he looks back at Byron, wants to thank him, but can't find the words to do so. Byron simply says goodbye to them.
Emergency Shelter
As the battle outside the station rages on, Bo and Mack enter one of the emergency shelters. There are cots lined up against the walls. There are families huddled together and individuals laying on the beds. Londo and G'kar are in the same shelter as Bo and Mack. Londo is annoyed that he has to waste his time in a shelter. He wants to know where the White Star class ships are, too.
G'kar: "They are still returning from the Imphili homeworld, Mollari, as you well know."
Londo: "I wasn't talking to you; I was talking to the universe."
Londo comments about how G'kar seems very calm in the shelter. He inquires about it. G'kar tells him that the Narns stayed in shelters when the Centauri bombed their world during his childhood. He grew up in bomb shelters.
G'kar: "And where did you grow up, Mollari?"
Londo: "I was never a child. For as long as I can remember, I have had responsibilities. Responsibilities to family, house, republic. "
G'kar: "That explains a great deal. I spend my years in one shelter after another. But, sooner or later, I was able to leave the shelter, walk out into the daylight. You do not have that luxury. You carry your shelter with you. You did not grow up, you grew old."
Londo: "I think I will see how things are going out there."
G'kar: "I'll go with you."
Londo: "What, are you afraid I won't come back, G'kar?"
G'kar: "No, afraid you will."
Londo and G'kar leave the shelter to see how things are going. Corwin comes over the PA and informs the station that the second wave of enemy ships is coming through the jumpgate.
Outside the station, the battle continues. An enemy ship is damaged badly and crashes into the station. It rips sections of the hull pieces and fires start everywhere. Maintenance bots put out the fire, and Bo and Mack are called in to help deal with the hull integrity. They quickly pass by another fierce fight going on between station security and alien soldiers. As they go down a more quiet corridor, they see Sheridan and Delenn arguing about getting on the lifepods. He wants her to get on a lifepod, but Delenn won't leave his side. Sheridan sees Bo and Mack and tells them to escort Delenn to a lifepod.
Delenn: "What if the station falls?"
Sheridan: "Then as you told me once, I'll see you again in a place where no Shadows fall."
They share a very passionate kiss, and then Sheridan runs off toward the firing line. Bo and Mack escort Delenn through Green sector toward the life pods. She asks them their names. Mack explains they are a maintenance crew. They keep the station running while the big boys make the decisions.
Delenn: "Worker Caste."
Mack: "Yeah. I guess you could say that. We're just about as worker caste as you're going to find around here."
Delenn asks what would happen if the controls in the lifepod were "accidentally" smashed after launch. Bo says the pod would either explode or crash into Epsilon 3. Delenn says that if she were launched in a lifepod, and had to watch everything she loved and fought for die, the lifepod would suffer just such a terrible accident.
Bo: "The President is right, ma'am. It's not safe here for either one of you."
Delenn: "I know, but it's home for both of us."
Bo: "Ma'am, you two really love each other, don't you."
Delenn flashes a very big smile and walks off.
Bo: "Suddenly I think I understand Sheridan a lot better. Dead or alive, I'd claw my way out of hell and straight through ten miles of solid rock to see that smile again."
The station rumbles, and Mack wonders if they've taken a hit. Bo says it doesn't feel like the station has been hit. They thrown some debris out of the way to uncover a nearby porthole. Mack yells in excitement: the White Star fleet jumps out of hyperspace and pulverizes the invasion fleet. Hundreds of green explosions light up the night, and the invasion fleet is destroyed.
Mack: "Hey, it looks like the fighting has stopped."
Bo: "Yep, best get back to work."
Bo and Mack complain about the amount of work ahead of them. They have to work on the hull, fix the airlocks, clean up the body parts and ship parts that are floating around outside the station.
Mack: "Typical. They call all the shots. They get all the glory. We clean up the mess."
Bo and Mack pass by an emergency treatment shelter that Dr. Franklin has set up. He is identifying bodies and trying to help anyone alive.
Bo: "Well, maybe not all the mess."
As maintenance fixes the hull outside, Bo and Mack work on the C & C computers and systems. Corwin and Lochley discuss the success of their mission. Lochley is glad that none of the alien ships made it out alive. The invasion force will now leave Babylon 5 alone and move on to the next target. As she turns to leave, Mack approaches her.
Mack: "Captain Lochley?"
Lochley: "Yes?"
Mack: "I know you're new here and all, and I just wanted to say, you're okay in my book, ma'am."
The captain thanks him and walks off, smiling. Mack and Bo get back to work.
Later, as Mack and Bo are calling it a day, they pass Sheridan and Delenn in the corridor.
Delenn: "Hello Mack, Bo."
Mack: "Bo, she remembered my name."
Bo: "Our names."
Mack: "I think I'm in love."
Bo: "She's married."
Mack: "We'll work something out."
Mack and Bo continue along, complaining about work and lusting for lunch.
Bo: "How about lunch? I'm buying. Want some spoo?"
Mack:"At 15 credits an ounce? You're out of your mind."
