Season Two: "The coming of Shadows" (Part Seven)
2.11 “All alone in the night”
Ambassador Delenn has been summoned to stand before the Grey Council, who wish to consider her position both within that august body, and as representative to Babylon 5. She fears she may at the very least be removed from the latter. Ivanova tells Sheridan there have been strange reports of disturbances in Sector 92, and he decides to go investigate personally. Ivanova reminds him that General Hague is due at 1800, and is surprised that she was not advised of this important arrival, but Sheridan tells her it is a private matter and he should be back in plenty of time. When they get to the sector co-ordinates though, there is nothing to be seen … until suddenly a strange ship comes through the jumpgate and after a quick firefight with Sheridan’s escort, beams the captain aboard and leaves.
The only survivor of the escort, Lieutenant Ramirez, has no choice but to head back to Babylon 5 and report the abduction, as his ship has been badly damaged. The general arrives on the station, and worries when he is told Sheridan is overdue: this is not like him. Delenn receives the judgement of the Grey Council. Due to her disobedience in refusing to wait until her transformation had been authorised, she is to be removed from the Council, can no longer be known as
Satai. When she asks what about her ambassadorial position, she is told this is still being debated. It being her right to make a statement before the Grey Council, and she confirming she wishes to exercise that right, they will convene, and call for her when they are ready.
On the alien ship Sheridan is subjected to experiment and/or torture, then pitted in combat with an alien, and then another, a Narn, who asks Sheridan to kill him. But the captain just knocks him out, reasoning that whoever captured him --- and the Narn, and any other aliens --- are using them for their sport, and refuses to play. Ramirez dies, and the telemetry from his fighter shows the alien ship kidnapping Sheridan. Delenn discovers that she has been replaced by, of all people, Neroon, in the Grey Council. Neroon is Warrior Caste, and now that caste have skewed the balance of power on their side, which is unprecedented. Delenn is cast out, but allowed to remain at Babylon 5.
Sheridan manages to disable the control that was forcing the Narn to fight him --- and the other alien too, we assume --- and teams up with him to try to escape. Meanwhile back at the station the general has called in Sheridan’s old ship, the Agamemnon, to help out. They’re trying to track the alien ship, and are getting some help as it has made extra stops, presumably to collect more specimens. Sheridan has an odd dream in which Kosh speaks to him. On returning from her visit to the Grey Council Delenn is contacted by Babylon 5, and tells them she knows of this race. She gives Ivanova the co-ordinates of their homeworld, and the Starfuries along with the Agamemnon head to intercept the craft, joined by Ambassador Delenn.
Though the aliens space most of their captives --- eject them into space without any protection, basically executing them ---, the strike force destroys the ship. Sheridan and the Narn meanwhile have made it to an escape pod and are picked up. As he leaves medlab having checked up on his fellow captive, Sheridan runs into Kosh who says “You have always been here”, the same phrase he used in the dream the captain had aboard the alien ship. General Hague meets with him and it becomes evident that Sheridan’s original mission on B5 was to scope out the loyalties of his crew. He says he doesn’t enjoy being a spy, but now that they have all proved themselves Hague tells him that not everyone back home is convinced the death of the former president was an accident, and he asks Sheridan to help him gather information to help him prove that there was a military coup on Earth, that Psi Corps were behind it, and to help him redress the balance. Sheridan agrees, and his command staff, when asked, are in too.
QUOTES (Note: as the series moves more closely into the overall arc this season many of these quotes may directly reference or have a bearing on future episodes, events, etc., and so where relevant from now on I will be commenting on those that need commenting, advising how they link into future or previous episodes and how they fit into the overall arc, without of course giving away any secrets or spoilers)
Ramirez: “You’re crazy man! The Dodgers will never make it to the world series. Hell, they’ll be lucky if they make the playoffs without embarrassing themselves!”
Garibaldi: “Your diagnosis, doctor?”
Franklin: “The patient is confused, delusional, unable to separate his natural sense of loyalty to his home team from the fact that they stink, and only got into the playoffs on a technicality!”
Ramirez:” What technicality? The Mars team hit more home runs than any other team on the books!”
Franklin: “Only because Martian gravity is forty percent lower than Earth normal: the ball travels faster and further, skewing the results.. Once they hit Earth gravity, Helen Keller could bat better than any one of them!”
Delenn: “We can no longer allow ourselves to be separated by names and borders. Our two sides must unite or be destroyed. Do not make my sacrifice a vain one. Allow me to finish what I started. In the name of our friendship and the future of our people, let me remain on Babylon 5.”
Neroon: “I am more than happy for you to remain with the humans.”
Delenn: “You are the one who was chosen to replace me. I do not know you.”
Neroon: “Oh I believe you do.” (Removing his cowl)
Delenn: “Neroon! I do not understand. He is Warrior Caste, from the Star-riders Clan! What is happening here? What are you doing? When Valen called the Nine together he chose three from the Worker Caste, three from the Religious Caste and three from the Warrior Caste. My replacement should have been from the Religious Caste. Four of the Warrior Caste gives them unprecedented power!”
Neroon: “And why not? It was the Warrior Caste who died in the war against the Earthers! The Warrior Caste who have defended our world for centuries, while the Council floated among the stars, isolated from its own people.”
Delenn: “This is wrong!”
Neroon: “Is it? You say prophecy tells us a great war is coming. Should it not be the Warrior Caste who lead us against it?”
Delenn: “The Warrior Caste cannot be allowed to set policy!”
Neroon: “Have you done any better? When I was inducted into this circle I was finally told the reason we were ordered to surrender. I didn’t know whether to laugh or weep! If we had been told the real reason at the time we would have never surrendered!”
Delenn: “You do not understand…”
Neroon: “I understand that before me is a creature I do not recognise: one foot in two worlds. You’re an affront to the purity of your own race, and your belief that you are satisfying prophecy is presumption of the highest order! And yet, you are now the perfect liaison between our two peoples. You have no home with either of them. So by all means play your games, act out your little fantasies. Return to Babylon 5. And stay there!”
(Here Delenn tries to explain to the Grey Council how important it is that they unite with the humans to fight the coming darkness. We have already seen how prophecy has warned them that if they do not ally together they will not prevail against the great enemy who is returning, but the Council --- or at least, Neroon --- see her as being arrogant and presumptuous because she took it upon herself to go through the transformation she did without sanction from or approval by the Grey Council. Neroon, as new leader of the Council, banishes her but does allow her to retain her position at Babylon 5, which in the end will be the most important outcome from this meeting, as this is absolutely where she need to be.
Also, the ascension of Neroon to power does indeed tilt the balance of power in favour of the Warrior Caste, and it is now they who shall set Minbari policy. This will have massive repercussions, both for the Minbari and for the galaxy at large, and will divide one of the biggest and most important players in the war that is to come, at a time when they should all be fighting as one.)
Sheridan: “Why are you here?”
Kosh: “We were never away. For the first time, your mind is quiet enough to hear me.”
Sheridan: “Why am I here?”
Kosh: “You have always been here.”
(This will become very important later on, especially mid season three. It’s also important that this dream, as it were, comes partially true: when Sheridan meets Kosh on the way out of medlab, he repeats the final line to him.)
Delenn: “The last expedition of these aliens was into Minbari space. We tracked them back to their homeworld, and made sure they understood the depth of their mistake.”
(A simple but matter-of-fact statement that reminds us that nobody, and I mean nobody, messes with the Minbari and lives to tell the tale! They are a peaceful people at heart, but stir up the hornet’s nest at your peril!)
Hague: “You have an uncommon failing for someone in your position, Captain: you’re a patriot. You believe, as I do, that when we put on that uniform we took a solemn vow to protect Earth against threats from outside and from within.”
(Again, this first real possible confirmation of, if not a conspiracy to kill Santiago then the suspicion of one, will inform much of season three and four, and again, Clark may regret arming Babylon 5 as he does in this episode.)