Opening Narration for Season 5A montage of excerpts from previous episodesKosh: And so it begins... |
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The final season of Babylon 5 resolves a number of outstanding issues in the story line (such as the formation of the Interstellar Alliance and the aftermath of war). It also concludes to a certain extent many of the character arcs that had been established in earlier seasons, but leaves some important ones unresolved (eg. the Bester - Garibaldi arc is left open). President Sheridan, who sees himself more of a soldier than a politician, has the difficult task of trying to hold the fledgling Interstellar Alliance together, while back at home on Earth, the situation is tense with the lingering memories and bitterness from the recent civil war. With Ivanova's departure, Sheridan calls upon a former friend, Captain Elizabeth Lochley, who has an interesting former relationship with him, to assume command of the military side of Babylon 5. In the wake of the war, many groups are trying to reassert their power, with the most significant being the former servants of the Shadows. However, the Alliance begins on a note of cautious optimism, bolstered when everyone eventually agrees to sign G'Kar's declaration of principles: "The universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice. The language is not Narn, or Human, or Centauri, or Gaim or Minbari. It speaks in the language of hope. It speaks in the language of trust. It speaks in the language of strength and the language of compassion. It is the language of the heart and the language of the soul. But always, it is the same voice. It is the voice
of our ancestors, speaking through us, and the voice of our inheritors, waiting to be born. It is the small, still
voice that says: Here, gathered together in common cause, We agree to recognise this singular truth and this singular rule: That we must be kind to one another because each voice enriches us and ennobles us and each voice lost diminishes us. We are the voice of the Universe, the soul of creation, the fire that will light the way to a better future . We are one. We are one." Sheridan & G'Kar : "The Paragon of Animals". The loss of Marcus leaves the station without a representative of the Rangers, so Lennier, feeling that with Delenn married to Sheridan his role on the station is redundant, leaves Babylon 5 to train as a ranger on Minbar. Garibaldi is back on B5 despite having found love on Mars, and Sheridan gives him the job of head of Covert Operations, allowing Zack to stay head of security, while Garibaldi remains a civilian. Lochley's first major problem is a party of rogue telepaths fleeing Psi Corps who request asylum. She refuses but Sheridan over-rules her. However, as the charismatic leader of the telepaths, Byron, wins over Lyta Alexander, Sheridan is forced to re-evaluate his decision in light of Bester's return and Byron's people's subsequent terrorism. From that moment Byron's cause is doomed and Captain Lochley calls in Bester and the Psi Corps. It brings the situation to an ugly end, Byron kills himself, putting an end to the trouble for the moment, but ensuring his name and his cause live on. Londo returns to Centauri Prime to assume his role as Prime Minister. With G'Kar as his bodyguard Londo discovers that all is not well in the royal court and perhaps the influence of the Shadows has not completely faded. G'Kar meanwhile makes an important discovery in the dungeons beneath the palace - where his old friend Na'Toth is being held. With Londo's help they are able to free her. Another problem for Sheridan is the apparent return of the Raiders who are indiscriminately attacking cargo ships belonging to the various members of the League. Garibaldi believing the Drazi to be responsible travels to their homeworld and learns that the true culprits may be far more familiar. The fragile peace is breaking up, and as evidence builds against the Centauri, Londo finds himself becomming increasingly isolated from the other races, culminating in a blockade against the Centauri by the Alliance. Londo faces the Alliance on behalf of his government and announces they are leaving the Alliance. When he finally discovers the truth, it is too late to prevent his world from being bombed and himself from becoming an instrument of the Drakh. Sheridan asks Garibaldi to co-ordinate reports from Rangers who are watching the Centauri warships and the Alliance Worlds who have stationed their own cruisers ready to fire if the Centauri violate their space. If the White Stars can get there before the fighting starts, maybe they can avert a war. But Garibaldi's drinking is becoming a problem once more, and when the message comes through to Garibaldi he is in a drunken stupor. Due to his inaction, the whole Alliance risks being dragged in to a potentially devastating war. The jumpgate in the Drazi system opens and Centauri warships stream out. A Drazi squadron moves to block the way, the Centauri return fire, and space is now full of explosions. When the news of this latest outrage is revealed, the Ambassadors charge into the Alliance chambers, furious that Sheridan broke his promise to protect them with the White Star fleet. Their angry voices grow louder until Sheridan shouts at them to be quiet. Later, Delenn sits in her quarters, meditating, or perhaps praying, as she gazes into the flickering light of a single candle. Sheridan sits down beside her and asks her what the candle symbolises.
"What does the candle represent?" In desperate acts of ego ... we give ourselves names, fight over lines on maps, and pretend that our light is better than everyone else's. The flame reminds us of the piece of those stars that lives on inside us. The spark that tells us ... "you should know better". The flame also reminds us that life is precious, as each flame is unique. When it goes out, it's gone forever ... and there will never be another quite like it. So many candles will go out tonight. I wonder some days ... if we can see anything at all." Sheridan and Delenn: "And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder". Investigations continue into the attacks by the Centuari. Franklin and Lyta travel to the Drazi Homeworld and find evidence that the Centuari are not necessarily the ones behind the war. Although Centauri ships are being used, as they are being controlled remotely, it is likely very few people in the Centuari military know about the attacks. It is valuable evidence in tackling the conflict that threatens to tear the Alliance apart, but it comes too late to save Centauri Prime. As the war escalates, with the Narn and Drazi ships attacking Centauri Prime, Sheridan orders the White Star fleet in, but they have difficulty holding their own against warships up to six times their size. Delenn travels to Minbar to ask in secret for help in creating a new class of ship. However her ship is attacked and left drifting helplessly in hyperspace. Convinced they are going to die, Lennier confesses to Delenn that he loves her. Back on Centauri Prime, when the Drakh asks Londo to decide between serving the Drakh and the potential destruction of the whole planet, Londo finally agrees to be an agent for the Drakh. A Keeper is attached to him, so he will be obedient to their demands Londo contacts Sheridan at the head of the White Star fleet around Centuari Prime to inform him that the Centauri warships are being recalled, blaming the hostilities on the late, mad regent and they agree to end hostilities. Sheridan asks Londo to help find Delenn's missing White Star. Eventually it is found by a Centauri Warship, and Sheridan and Delenn are reunited. Londo is made Emperor of the Centauri, and he dismisses Sheridan, Delenn, Vir and G'Kar from his world, and walks to his inauguration alone. He gives a defiant speech as a giant holographic image of him in his new Emperor's coat towers above the devastated capital. The series ends with the characters leaving Babylon 5. Garibaldi eventually admits to his drinking problem and the process of rebuilding his life can begin, together with Lise and a new life on Mars. Franklin accepts an important xenobiology job back on Earth. Londo faces the prospect of growing old alone as Centauri Emperor, under the control of the Drahk. Ever since the publication of his book, G'Kar has had to escape his people's attempts to try and turn him into a religious icon, who will set up a new government. He therefore decides to explore the galaxy with Lyta, who has been revealed to be a living doomsday device, created by the Vorlons to be their ultimate weapon in the war against the Shadows. There are more revelations for Sheridan and Delenn when she discovers that,
despite the odds, she is pregnant with their future son, David. Everyone gathers to see Sheridan and Delenn leave
Babylon 5 for their new life on Minbar. Delenn tells them there is no word for goodbye in Minbari. In every parting
there is a chance of meeting again, so she does not say goodbye. However, the happiness of Sheridan and Delenn's journey to Minbar is overshadowed when Lennier has a final fatal moment of weakness in his love for Delenn, which, as predicted by Morden, makes him betray the Anla'shok. Racked with shame and guilt he takes off into the galaxy alone. On the evening of their eventual arrival on Minbar, Sheridan and Delenn dine with Londo, who presents them with an urn, which he asks them to give to their son David when he comes of age, saying untruthfully, that it is an ancient Centauri custom. Unknown to Sheridan and Delen, the urn contains a dormant Keeper. Later, Sheridan cannot sleep. He has been thinking about his child and how he will not live to see him come of age. He sits alone and records a message for his son's twenty-first birthday. He tells him to look to Delenn for wisdom and fire; to learn from his mistakes; that home is not a place, but where your passion takes you; to enjoy and remember your friends as life changes and be willing to fight for what you believe in. He ends his letter with a familiar piece of advice: "The first piece of advice my dad ever gave me. Never start a fight, but always finish it." Sheridan to his unborn son, David: "Objects at Rest". |
The Final Narration from Babylon 5
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