Babylon 5: Questions Answered and Unanswered part 3
37.Don't argue with me on this one: between half and two thirds Starfury and shuttle pilots wear enlisted uniform/less than half ever wear the same uniforms as commissioned officers. Yes I know some could be technicians but why would technicians need a pre-battle prep talk from Sheridan (S2, 'The Fall of Night')?
So I am assuming the following [IF GROPOS/Earth Force Marine Corps, Security and the Navy all the same terminology at Specialist-level and higher (i.e. PO3)]:
Paygrades by rank
Command Master Chief (PO)/Sergeant-Major: as Lieutenant Commander
Master Pilot: as Lieutenant
Senior Pilot: as Second Lieutenant
Paygrades enlisted personnel (being nine for consistency)
[Pay Grade →
Branch of Service ↓ E-1 E-2 E-3 E-4 E-5 E-6 E-7 E-8 E-9
Army PVT PV2 PFC SPC - CPL SGT SSG SFC MSG - 1SG SGM - CSM - SMA
Marine Corps Pvt PFC LCpl Cpl Sgt SSgt GySgt MSgt
Navy SR SA SN PO3 PO2 PO1 CPO SCPO MCPO - CMDCM]
Master Chief (PO)/Pilot
Senior Chief Petty Officer/Junior Pilot
Chief Petty Officer
Petty Officer (1st Class)
2PO
3PO
Crewman: as Private First Class
Crewman: as Private
Crewman recruit: as Private (unranked)
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_Master_Chief_Petty_Officer
Pilot insignia based on those shown in
http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Earth_Force_Ranks#Other_Insignia
Alternately:
Master Pilot=Lieutenant
Senior Pilot=Lieutenant (junior grade)
Pilot=Ensign
Junior pilot=Ensign/Cadet
38.The specific rank of Ensign is actually never mentioned until 'Crusade' in Gideon's flashback to the EAS Cerberus. Ditto Lieutenant (junior grade) until series 3 (specifically Corwin's promotion to Full Lieutenant, whereas in series 2 he is a 'Second Lieutenant'). I considered including these ranks in the enlisted ranks but it made more sense to insert only the Petty Officer and Pilot positions. There is no mention of the rank of Corporal so I am assuming GROPOS follow the US Army ranking system, at least up to a point and then Naval ranks take over.
39.How far does the Shadow's fear of telepaths go? Is it then in their interests to develop the younger races away from a Vorlon-style development and hence the repeated conflict with the Vorlons?
40.Conversely, would a development towards Vorlon-style telekinesis in e.g. Humans create less resource-hungry civilisations and therefore less need for conflict over resources? The Shadows could see this as well and it may be in both races' interests if organic technology (at least the ability to simply grow ships in a vacuum) were developed by the younger civilisations. The Shadow wars' aim could be to stimulate development while at the same time stifling growth so no race is a threat to any of the First Ones.
41. Re. Starfury pilots possible ranking system
Major=Master Pilot
Lieutenant=Senior Pilot
Lieutenant (junior grade)=Pilot
Ensign=Junior pilot
Four 'pilot' levels also correspond with the mentioned four non-command security levels and could be considered to use the same ranking system...except the security officers on Babylon 5 are certainly all non-coms. Earth Force Security does have Commissioned Officers but these are not the general peacekeepers/gendarmarie that would cover Earth Alliance outposts and colonies.
The series two episode 'GROPOS' shows most clearly the uniforms used by the enlisted men. A design used for NCOs outside of battle dress shows a pattern similar to the shade of blue over blue used by at least some pilots but is two shades of a pale cream instead. Obviously Keffer and other pilots wear the blue and blue uniform but personnel associated with the Starfury squadrons are seen on many occasions wearing the two pale cream uniforms. One example is the (NCO?) who tries to come on to Kodath in 'Born to the Purple'. I should add that the technical staff on B5 wear a combination of blue and grey overall-type uniforms, apart from the Officers stationed in C and C.
42. Again, could the Shadow-Vorlon dichotomy come from the First One's apparent theology? Namely Loriens' assertion that the First Born were naturally immortal and that later 'generations' (i.e. races) were more numerous while having progressively shorter lifespans. Perhaps a cull of some sort was desired, certainly the Shadows would feel threatened by any large alliance of younger races, such as that which defeated them in the past. Perhaps the reduced lifespan gives a kind of urgency to the Shadow's cause while the Vorlons seem more content to watch and wait. Maybe the Shadows even believe that repeated wars prevent worse conflicts breaking out in the future-or they simply wanted somone they could relate to on their level.
Wednesday 11 January 2012
Sunday 8 January 2012
Babylon 5: Questions Answered and Unanswered part 2
25. Sheridan as Kosh/Kosh as Sheridan. If this is the case and Kosh is a future Sheridan travelling backward into the past this does explain both why Kosh knows so much about the Human residents of B5 and why at the same time he seems to know so little about Humanity in general. If we accept that, for example the Kosh in 2258, has Sheridan's knowledge from 2259 to 2281 then we can see why he would, for example, be so concerned with Talia Winters. He would know about the sleeper agent built into her subconscious and would create a back-up Talia in the eventuality that the sleeper agent becomes dominant. The recording of a traumatic memory-i.e. when Talia scanned the Martian criminal-could be sufficient to do this.
26. Majors, Lieutenant Commanders and Sector Captains. With the apparent interchangable use of army and navy ranks in Earth Force the question begs: which ranks are simply titles or equivalent ranks and which are the 'real' ranks?
27. Is Captain a particular rank or does it simply cover commanders of bases or carrier groups? Is Major a rank in both Navy and Marines/do they just have the same ranks or does the rank refer to an officer acting on behalf of a Flag Officer (or even the President e.g. Leanna Kemmer) or their subaltern e.g. Ed Ryan?
28.'Sector Captain' is mentioned in 'The Gathering', similarly, in the US Coast Guard, 'Sector Commander' is equivalent to 'Captain' in the Navy. Perhaps Commander Sinclair is meant to occupy a position similar to a Sector Commander? Which makes sense considering B5's position in neutral space both as a free port and early warning system in case of an invasion of the Earth Alliance. Similarly, Garibaldi could have the rank of Command Master Chief Petty Officer; as opposed to Chief Warrant Officer (which I suppose would imply the presence of more than one Warrant Officer on the station)
29. As both 'Commander' and 'Sector Captain' are mentioned, perhaps 'Sector Captain' is equivalent to the rank of 'Commander' in the space navy? Regards to the US Coast Guard, 'Commander' refers to the rank of Captain or Rear Admiral. 'Captain' also refers to any officer of junior rank who commands a ship.
30.There are 10 pay grades for commissioned officers (USCG) covering:the four junior ranks (Ensign,Lieutenant Junior Grade,Lieutenant and Lieutenant Commander); the two positions of Commander and Commodore; plus Flag Officers: Rear-Admiral (upper and lower), Vice-Admiral and Admiral.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_the_United_States_Coast_Guard
Considering the actual ranks portrayed, being no Admirals on-screen and officers such as 'Commander' Galus and 'Lieutenant Commander' Takashima being referred to as simply 'Lieutenant' and also being consistent with Captain Lochley's promotion to Colonel ('Lost Tales'):
Ranks
General
Lieutenant-General
Major-General
Colonel
Commander
Major
Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Positions
Captain, from commander of a corvette or small outpost to that of a fleet division
(below Lieutenant-General, above Major)
Lieutenant Commander, e.g. the head of department on an outpost
[i.e Garibaldi-head security, Laurel Takashisma/Susan Ivanova-head station operations, Dr Stephen Franklin-head of Medlab
(Lieutenant or above)
32. Re.'The Deconstruction of Falling Stars'-when did Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi and Franklin have their neural pathways/personalities mapped and stored and was this done post-mortem? Similarly, did this have their consent and was this a common practice,perhaps initially used by Psi Corps (this is implied somewhat in 'Dust to Dust') and then brought into wider knowledge when Psi Corps was disbanded?
33.Note: usually only Lieutenant Generals are seen leading fleets in Earth Force.
34.How advanced is Narn genetic engineering, as G'kar (a Narn) seems perfectly convinced he can successfully impregnate Lyta (a Human)? He has had gills implanted so he can obtain oxygen in some of the more noxious atmosphere's of the alien sector, why not further 'modifications'. Or is Human/Narn compatibility a result of Vorlon genetic engineering?
35.Is it possible that the Minbari and Centauri are the only races to have naturally evolved telepathy? Delenn seems somewhat telepathic, albeit on a very superficial level, and universal telepathy in the Centauri could result in universal precognition?
36.I assume all Drazi are hermaphrodites?
25. Sheridan as Kosh/Kosh as Sheridan. If this is the case and Kosh is a future Sheridan travelling backward into the past this does explain both why Kosh knows so much about the Human residents of B5 and why at the same time he seems to know so little about Humanity in general. If we accept that, for example the Kosh in 2258, has Sheridan's knowledge from 2259 to 2281 then we can see why he would, for example, be so concerned with Talia Winters. He would know about the sleeper agent built into her subconscious and would create a back-up Talia in the eventuality that the sleeper agent becomes dominant. The recording of a traumatic memory-i.e. when Talia scanned the Martian criminal-could be sufficient to do this.
26. Majors, Lieutenant Commanders and Sector Captains. With the apparent interchangable use of army and navy ranks in Earth Force the question begs: which ranks are simply titles or equivalent ranks and which are the 'real' ranks?
27. Is Captain a particular rank or does it simply cover commanders of bases or carrier groups? Is Major a rank in both Navy and Marines/do they just have the same ranks or does the rank refer to an officer acting on behalf of a Flag Officer (or even the President e.g. Leanna Kemmer) or their subaltern e.g. Ed Ryan?
28.'Sector Captain' is mentioned in 'The Gathering', similarly, in the US Coast Guard, 'Sector Commander' is equivalent to 'Captain' in the Navy. Perhaps Commander Sinclair is meant to occupy a position similar to a Sector Commander? Which makes sense considering B5's position in neutral space both as a free port and early warning system in case of an invasion of the Earth Alliance. Similarly, Garibaldi could have the rank of Command Master Chief Petty Officer; as opposed to Chief Warrant Officer (which I suppose would imply the presence of more than one Warrant Officer on the station)
29. As both 'Commander' and 'Sector Captain' are mentioned, perhaps 'Sector Captain' is equivalent to the rank of 'Commander' in the space navy? Regards to the US Coast Guard, 'Commander' refers to the rank of Captain or Rear Admiral. 'Captain' also refers to any officer of junior rank who commands a ship.
30.There are 10 pay grades for commissioned officers (USCG) covering:the four junior ranks (Ensign,Lieutenant Junior Grade,Lieutenant and Lieutenant Commander); the two positions of Commander and Commodore; plus Flag Officers: Rear-Admiral (upper and lower), Vice-Admiral and Admiral.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_the_United_States_Coast_Guard
Considering the actual ranks portrayed, being no Admirals on-screen and officers such as 'Commander' Galus and 'Lieutenant Commander' Takashima being referred to as simply 'Lieutenant' and also being consistent with Captain Lochley's promotion to Colonel ('Lost Tales'):
Ranks
General
Lieutenant-General
Major-General
Colonel
Commander
Major
Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Positions
Captain, from commander of a corvette or small outpost to that of a fleet division
(below Lieutenant-General, above Major)
Lieutenant Commander, e.g. the head of department on an outpost
[i.e Garibaldi-head security, Laurel Takashisma/Susan Ivanova-head station operations, Dr Stephen Franklin-head of Medlab
(Lieutenant or above)
32. Re.'The Deconstruction of Falling Stars'-when did Sheridan, Delenn, Garibaldi and Franklin have their neural pathways/personalities mapped and stored and was this done post-mortem? Similarly, did this have their consent and was this a common practice,perhaps initially used by Psi Corps (this is implied somewhat in 'Dust to Dust') and then brought into wider knowledge when Psi Corps was disbanded?
33.Note: usually only Lieutenant Generals are seen leading fleets in Earth Force.
34.How advanced is Narn genetic engineering, as G'kar (a Narn) seems perfectly convinced he can successfully impregnate Lyta (a Human)? He has had gills implanted so he can obtain oxygen in some of the more noxious atmosphere's of the alien sector, why not further 'modifications'. Or is Human/Narn compatibility a result of Vorlon genetic engineering?
35.Is it possible that the Minbari and Centauri are the only races to have naturally evolved telepathy? Delenn seems somewhat telepathic, albeit on a very superficial level, and universal telepathy in the Centauri could result in universal precognition?
36.I assume all Drazi are hermaphrodites?
Tuesday 3 January 2012
Why are there no trade unions in Star Trek?
Why Babylon 5 rules.
Simply because it portrays a variety of fictional organisations which are not species-specific and this is uncommon in science-fiction
Being:
The Order of Technomages (Human and Centauri, possibly also Drakh and others);
The Thieves Guild ('A Call To Arms' had a 'Dureena's People',a Pak'ma'ra, a Narn, a Hayach, one or two Drazi and several Human members, plus those of other races);
The Transport Pilots Association (Human, Minbari and others were seen;Episode 'A Day in the Strife)
and The Rangers (initially Minbari, then Minbari and Human, then finally citizens from all members of the Interstellar Alliance were allowed to join from 2262).
OK I guess that's it but in science fiction you usually get very specific orders (i.e. the Order of Wizards and the Jedi Order); civilisation-specific governments or federations; and crime syndicates. Yes the Jedi are not only Human but entrants do have specific requirements/abilities.
I suppose the Indigent Alien Benevolent Fund described in 'Matter' counts as a pan-species organisation, as does the Culture itself. However an outsider has to petition (part of) the Culture for membership (of the Culture) or be recruited as a mercenary by Special Circumstances.
I suppose the Indigent Alien Benevolent Fund could be classed as a form of welfare state and the Culture as a civilisation so I suppose they don't count as such (!) and cannot be compared to the organisations of Babylon 5.
Grrr,I'll put it this way: Why are there no trade unions in Star Trek? It doesn't have to be 'just the Federation and the Orion Syndicate'!
Simply because it portrays a variety of fictional organisations which are not species-specific and this is uncommon in science-fiction
Being:
The Order of Technomages (Human and Centauri, possibly also Drakh and others);
The Thieves Guild ('A Call To Arms' had a 'Dureena's People',a Pak'ma'ra, a Narn, a Hayach, one or two Drazi and several Human members, plus those of other races);
The Transport Pilots Association (Human, Minbari and others were seen;Episode 'A Day in the Strife)
and The Rangers (initially Minbari, then Minbari and Human, then finally citizens from all members of the Interstellar Alliance were allowed to join from 2262).
OK I guess that's it but in science fiction you usually get very specific orders (i.e. the Order of Wizards and the Jedi Order); civilisation-specific governments or federations; and crime syndicates. Yes the Jedi are not only Human but entrants do have specific requirements/abilities.
I suppose the Indigent Alien Benevolent Fund described in 'Matter' counts as a pan-species organisation, as does the Culture itself. However an outsider has to petition (part of) the Culture for membership (of the Culture) or be recruited as a mercenary by Special Circumstances.
I suppose the Indigent Alien Benevolent Fund could be classed as a form of welfare state and the Culture as a civilisation so I suppose they don't count as such (!) and cannot be compared to the organisations of Babylon 5.
Grrr,I'll put it this way: Why are there no trade unions in Star Trek? It doesn't have to be 'just the Federation and the Orion Syndicate'!
Babylon 5: Questions Answered and Unanswered
1.In "The Gathering" the exiled Minbari sect is almost certainly the Windswords clan; "The most militant of all our Warrior Castes"-Lenier, episode 'Deathwalker'
2.Regardless of their real identity their motive for framing Commander Sinclair for the attempted assassination of Kosh would be identical to those of rouge elements in Earth Force:They would wish to distance Sinclair from the Grey Council believing him to be too close to them.
3.Presumably the Windswords would also believe the Minbari Government to be too close to the Vorlons and would wish to sever this link. It may seem unlikely that they would wish to ally themselves with former enemies, but the schism between the Minbari Warrior and Religious castes over the decision by the Religious Caste (specifically Delenn) to surrender at the Battle of the Line could be a reason to ally themselves with former enemies to enact revenge on Delenn and the Religious Caste.It is also possible that a Vorlon attack on Babylon 5 would result in Delenn's death.
4.The Windswords and Kosh's assassin both refer to Sinclair "having a hole in your mind".
5.A war between the Earth Alliance and the Vorlon Empire could result in a stalemate if the other races/federations do not side with the Vorlons as the Vorlons may be reluctant to destroy or occupy Earth and it would be impossible to destroy or embargo all Earth's colonies if the Earth Alliance has allies among the other federations. The Vorlons would also be short of ground troops without allies among e.g. the Narns or the Minbari and ultimately these would be needed even in an interstellar war to subjugate hostile populations.
6.Presumably if hostilities did break out the Earth Alliance would finally accept the Centauri Republic as an ally. Minbari society would be split; but the majority of the Warrior Caste may again side with their former enemies the Humans, again maybe simply to spite the Religious Caste or to expand the Minbari sphere of influence/overthrow the Grey Council.
7.Again, the supposed conspirators would want to alienate the Vorlons and a war may be the only opportunity for Earth to obtain Vorlon technology. Elements in the Earth Alliance are often quite prepared to endanger the lives of Humans and aliens in order to access 'new' technologies so this supposition is hardly far-fetched. If these elements were allied with the 'Knights' (see 20) and the Windswords they may believe a war with the Vorlons to be survivable if not winnable. Episode 'Deathwalker' also suggests an element of cooperation between clandestine EA and Minbari elements.
8.This may be a shot in the dark but there are enough suggestions that the Vorlons are really Human; there certainly is a distinct possibility that Kosh is Human. In fact I think it is very possible that 'he' is a version of John Sheridan (commander B5 2259 to 2261) who experiences time backwards from Sheridan's 'death' in 2281.Of all the B5 races there is no mention of any aspect of the Vorlon's culture,other than the name/title/rank Kosh and Vorlon. Instead we see Kosh at various times researching Earth culture and history. Is he preparing for his "future" or re-remembering his past?
9.Kosh was prepared to reveal his true nature to save Sheridan's life. Plus, Marcus 'jokes' that Kosh is Merlin then states that Merlin (as in The Magician) was able to predict the future by remembering it, as he 'aged backwards'.
10.The Ranger, one million years into the future seen in 'The Deconstruction of Falling Stars' (s4), is seen transforming into a ball of bright light before entering a Vorlon-style encounter suit. This doesn't necessarily mean that 'all the Humans became all the Vorlons' but the Vorlons themselves could be a kind of composite race of (perhaps only individuals) who were sufficiently evolved. This certainly happened to Jason Ironheart who states he will see 'you' (presumably referring to Humanity) in 'a million years'('Mindwar'). Of all the B5 races there is no mention of the Vorlon's culture, instead we see Kosh at various times researching Earth culture and history. Is he preparing for his "future" or re-remembering his past?
11.This process could have happened to Sheridan as his body was never recovered.
12.Who IS blowing up all the Suns? The Hand?
13.Why are Ivanova and Delenn often depicted wearing veils as if at a funeral,and why was Delenn a Human in Mollari's vision?
14.Was General Hague aware of and in contact with the Rangers, as his signal for Sheridan was once delivered by a Ranger? Would he arrange for Earth Force officers, unhappy with the police-state measure introduced by (then) Vice-President Clark in 2258 ('Eyes'), to defect to the Minbari? Hauge himself need not have direct knowledge of the Rangers for this to happen, but any officer doing so would almost certainly be directed to the Rangers. Ivanova herself even suggests she'd rather serve the Minbari than Earth Force because of her treatment. Perhaps this would have been a plot opening if Claudia Christian had left in the second series?
15.Similarly, why weren't (some of) the Rangers recruited or trained on Babylon 5?
Perhaps if Sinclair was still Commander this would have happened?
16.Presumably Sinclair was the first Human to join the Rangers but if this was the case how could he have been the first to have heard of them? I am referring to Marcus' brother and Marcus' own assertion that he had to live on Minbar for a year to learn the Minbari language in order to complete his Ranger training.
17.Marcus arrives at Babylon 5 just less than a year after Sinclair would have left B5 for Earth before going to Minbar.
18.However, Delenn describes Sinclair as being the first Human to live permanently on Minbar and that he is the first of many so other Humans could have lived on Minbar briefly. There were EA ambassadors to Minbar on a temporary basis before Sinclair was assigned there in the beginning of 2259 and Humans could have joined the Rangers without actually undergoing Ranger training. Plus the Rangers did have a training camp in Drazi space.
19.It is possible that (basic? full?) Ranger training takes six months while entry to the Rangers could be based on previous military experience or prior knowledge of Minbari, a qualification any veteran of the Earth-Minbari war or any ambassador or free trader dealing with the Minbari would have. The simplest answer anyway is that a number of Humans had heard of the Rangers in 2258 or earlier. I guess with hindsight the Rangers seem kind of tacked on. I don't know if they really add anything to the plot. Perhaps Humans and Minbari would have joined forces anyway as a result of both sides' civil wars if Sinclair continued to command B5 instead of leaving to lead the Rangers.
20.Who exactly were the two 'Knights' ('A sky full of stars') and would they be part of the same cabal of officials who plotted to assassinate Kosh/was Laurel Takashima part of the same cabal?
21.How much knowledge of these plots did the Psi Corps and Vice-President Clark have? Did they even initiate them?
22.Santiago would have been elected EA President in 2254. Around this time both the Psi Corps and the EA government, via Interplanetary Expeditions, would have some knowledge of the Shadows' existence from the discovery of a Shadow Vessel on Mars.
Clark could have kept the Shadows' existence a secret from Santiago while at the same time establishing an alliance between himself, IPX, the Psi Corps and the Shadows.
23.Who exactly IS Justin? Was he also part of the Icarus' crew or was he recruited by the Shadows much earlier?
24.I suppose if the Vorlons did manage to successfully exterminate Humanity (and if unchecked they would have destroyed Earth, Mars and possibly B5 to eliminate those influenced by the Shadows) Humanity would still be intact through: Justin and Morden (living on Z'ha'dum), Alisa Beldon (Minbar) and Sebastian (Vorlon). Plus possibly Anna Sheridan and other Human thralls of the Shadows and maybe Lyta Alexander if she was on Vorlon at the time. Plus Delenn and (millions of) other Minbari have Human ancestry as she is descended from Sinclair.
1.In "The Gathering" the exiled Minbari sect is almost certainly the Windswords clan; "The most militant of all our Warrior Castes"-Lenier, episode 'Deathwalker'
2.Regardless of their real identity their motive for framing Commander Sinclair for the attempted assassination of Kosh would be identical to those of rouge elements in Earth Force:They would wish to distance Sinclair from the Grey Council believing him to be too close to them.
3.Presumably the Windswords would also believe the Minbari Government to be too close to the Vorlons and would wish to sever this link. It may seem unlikely that they would wish to ally themselves with former enemies, but the schism between the Minbari Warrior and Religious castes over the decision by the Religious Caste (specifically Delenn) to surrender at the Battle of the Line could be a reason to ally themselves with former enemies to enact revenge on Delenn and the Religious Caste.It is also possible that a Vorlon attack on Babylon 5 would result in Delenn's death.
4.The Windswords and Kosh's assassin both refer to Sinclair "having a hole in your mind".
5.A war between the Earth Alliance and the Vorlon Empire could result in a stalemate if the other races/federations do not side with the Vorlons as the Vorlons may be reluctant to destroy or occupy Earth and it would be impossible to destroy or embargo all Earth's colonies if the Earth Alliance has allies among the other federations. The Vorlons would also be short of ground troops without allies among e.g. the Narns or the Minbari and ultimately these would be needed even in an interstellar war to subjugate hostile populations.
6.Presumably if hostilities did break out the Earth Alliance would finally accept the Centauri Republic as an ally. Minbari society would be split; but the majority of the Warrior Caste may again side with their former enemies the Humans, again maybe simply to spite the Religious Caste or to expand the Minbari sphere of influence/overthrow the Grey Council.
7.Again, the supposed conspirators would want to alienate the Vorlons and a war may be the only opportunity for Earth to obtain Vorlon technology. Elements in the Earth Alliance are often quite prepared to endanger the lives of Humans and aliens in order to access 'new' technologies so this supposition is hardly far-fetched. If these elements were allied with the 'Knights' (see 20) and the Windswords they may believe a war with the Vorlons to be survivable if not winnable. Episode 'Deathwalker' also suggests an element of cooperation between clandestine EA and Minbari elements.
8.This may be a shot in the dark but there are enough suggestions that the Vorlons are really Human; there certainly is a distinct possibility that Kosh is Human. In fact I think it is very possible that 'he' is a version of John Sheridan (commander B5 2259 to 2261) who experiences time backwards from Sheridan's 'death' in 2281.Of all the B5 races there is no mention of any aspect of the Vorlon's culture,other than the name/title/rank Kosh and Vorlon. Instead we see Kosh at various times researching Earth culture and history. Is he preparing for his "future" or re-remembering his past?
9.Kosh was prepared to reveal his true nature to save Sheridan's life. Plus, Marcus 'jokes' that Kosh is Merlin then states that Merlin (as in The Magician) was able to predict the future by remembering it, as he 'aged backwards'.
10.The Ranger, one million years into the future seen in 'The Deconstruction of Falling Stars' (s4), is seen transforming into a ball of bright light before entering a Vorlon-style encounter suit. This doesn't necessarily mean that 'all the Humans became all the Vorlons' but the Vorlons themselves could be a kind of composite race of (perhaps only individuals) who were sufficiently evolved. This certainly happened to Jason Ironheart who states he will see 'you' (presumably referring to Humanity) in 'a million years'('Mindwar'). Of all the B5 races there is no mention of the Vorlon's culture, instead we see Kosh at various times researching Earth culture and history. Is he preparing for his "future" or re-remembering his past?
11.This process could have happened to Sheridan as his body was never recovered.
12.Who IS blowing up all the Suns? The Hand?
13.Why are Ivanova and Delenn often depicted wearing veils as if at a funeral,and why was Delenn a Human in Mollari's vision?
14.Was General Hague aware of and in contact with the Rangers, as his signal for Sheridan was once delivered by a Ranger? Would he arrange for Earth Force officers, unhappy with the police-state measure introduced by (then) Vice-President Clark in 2258 ('Eyes'), to defect to the Minbari? Hauge himself need not have direct knowledge of the Rangers for this to happen, but any officer doing so would almost certainly be directed to the Rangers. Ivanova herself even suggests she'd rather serve the Minbari than Earth Force because of her treatment. Perhaps this would have been a plot opening if Claudia Christian had left in the second series?
15.Similarly, why weren't (some of) the Rangers recruited or trained on Babylon 5?
Perhaps if Sinclair was still Commander this would have happened?
16.Presumably Sinclair was the first Human to join the Rangers but if this was the case how could he have been the first to have heard of them? I am referring to Marcus' brother and Marcus' own assertion that he had to live on Minbar for a year to learn the Minbari language in order to complete his Ranger training.
17.Marcus arrives at Babylon 5 just less than a year after Sinclair would have left B5 for Earth before going to Minbar.
18.However, Delenn describes Sinclair as being the first Human to live permanently on Minbar and that he is the first of many so other Humans could have lived on Minbar briefly. There were EA ambassadors to Minbar on a temporary basis before Sinclair was assigned there in the beginning of 2259 and Humans could have joined the Rangers without actually undergoing Ranger training. Plus the Rangers did have a training camp in Drazi space.
19.It is possible that (basic? full?) Ranger training takes six months while entry to the Rangers could be based on previous military experience or prior knowledge of Minbari, a qualification any veteran of the Earth-Minbari war or any ambassador or free trader dealing with the Minbari would have. The simplest answer anyway is that a number of Humans had heard of the Rangers in 2258 or earlier. I guess with hindsight the Rangers seem kind of tacked on. I don't know if they really add anything to the plot. Perhaps Humans and Minbari would have joined forces anyway as a result of both sides' civil wars if Sinclair continued to command B5 instead of leaving to lead the Rangers.
20.Who exactly were the two 'Knights' ('A sky full of stars') and would they be part of the same cabal of officials who plotted to assassinate Kosh/was Laurel Takashima part of the same cabal?
21.How much knowledge of these plots did the Psi Corps and Vice-President Clark have? Did they even initiate them?
22.Santiago would have been elected EA President in 2254. Around this time both the Psi Corps and the EA government, via Interplanetary Expeditions, would have some knowledge of the Shadows' existence from the discovery of a Shadow Vessel on Mars.
Clark could have kept the Shadows' existence a secret from Santiago while at the same time establishing an alliance between himself, IPX, the Psi Corps and the Shadows.
23.Who exactly IS Justin? Was he also part of the Icarus' crew or was he recruited by the Shadows much earlier?
24.I suppose if the Vorlons did manage to successfully exterminate Humanity (and if unchecked they would have destroyed Earth, Mars and possibly B5 to eliminate those influenced by the Shadows) Humanity would still be intact through: Justin and Morden (living on Z'ha'dum), Alisa Beldon (Minbar) and Sebastian (Vorlon). Plus possibly Anna Sheridan and other Human thralls of the Shadows and maybe Lyta Alexander if she was on Vorlon at the time. Plus Delenn and (millions of) other Minbari have Human ancestry as she is descended from Sinclair.
Monday 2 January 2012
Descendant
Descendant ten million days from home
Following the signal of the long-dead
The Vanished, who's time ran out
Descendant of the Pilot
Eve of the ten million days
Only a hundred vials, daughters all self-impregnated by miniature Adams
The one descendant finds the Lost Tribe of the Vanished
Now barely literate, they soon learned to read the old letters
And the new
Descendant,aged but still young
Herself childless but so many siblings
Now themselves landlord-tenants of a dozen stars
Descendant sends the signal
"We are here"
That shines for a hundred million nights
Then makes the long way back
To the Old Place
The Homestead
[note ten to power seven days equals 28,000ish years]
Descendant ten million days from home
Following the signal of the long-dead
The Vanished, who's time ran out
Descendant of the Pilot
Eve of the ten million days
Only a hundred vials, daughters all self-impregnated by miniature Adams
The one descendant finds the Lost Tribe of the Vanished
Now barely literate, they soon learned to read the old letters
And the new
Descendant,aged but still young
Herself childless but so many siblings
Now themselves landlord-tenants of a dozen stars
Descendant sends the signal
"We are here"
That shines for a hundred million nights
Then makes the long way back
To the Old Place
The Homestead
[note ten to power seven days equals 28,000ish years]
The Gathering:Whodunnit?
The Pilot Episode for Babylon 5 (titled 'The Gathering')
concerns a plot to assassinate Kosh, the newly arrived ambassador from the Vorlon Empire. The assassin nearly succeeds, putting Kosh into a poison-induced coma, but through the efforts of B5 staff an antidote and the identity of the real ambassador is revealed just as a retaliatory Vorlon fleet arrives.
Through the resident telepath, Lyta Alexander, and the use of a "changeling net" the assassin frames Station Commander Sinclair for the attempted murder. Meanwhile, Narn Regime Ambassador G'kar arranges via a trial by the Babylon 5 advisory council, and by secretly contacting the Vorlon government, for Sinclair to be shipped to the Vorlon Homeworld for trial.
On the face of it there were only two conspirators in the plot: the assassin himself and a Human tech-smuggler named Varner. The assassin, a member of an exiled Minbari sect, arranged for Varner to provided him with said changeling net. He then kills Varner and succeeds in convincingly impersonating several B5 residents and staff, including Sinclair, Varner himself and Lyta Alexander by constant use of the changeling net. However, a boarding pod was discovered attached to the station's hull indicated the involvement of a third party.
It was assumed by Sinclair and his staff that the Minbari assassin arrived on a Narn transport, however the third party could easily have been rouge elements in the Earth Alliance or the Vorlons themselves. The reason for suspecting the Narns is that the Narn transport initially refused to submit to a weapon's scan then, later on, G'kar relented "in the interests of interstellar cooperation". Presumably, the boarding pod would have departed the Narn vessel after its arrival in B5 space and before G'kar changes his mind about the weapon's scan.
It was certainly reasonable for Sinclair to suspect G'kar and it was even in G'kar's interests to make Sinclair believe this to show that the Narns are not to be messed around with, but this does not mean the Narn Regime was responsible. There are several reasons not to suspect the Narns:
1. If they were responsible the entire crew of the Narn ship would all have to be conspirators and this could be considered unlikely as an increase in the number of conspirators would increase the probability of the plot being revealed prematurely.
2.G'kar was very keen to make an alliance via Delenn with the Minbari Federation. He would not jepordise this by starting a war with the Vorlons.
3.A Earth Alliance shuttle only requires one pilot and could even be put on a programmed course to and from Babylon 5. Plus, official EA ships would not be scanned for weapons as they are entitled to bring weapons aboard B5!
4.The assassin also used Takashima's palm print to access Varner's quarters. A copy of the second in command's palm print could only be obtained by a high ranking official or officer in the Earth Alliance, possibly Takashima herself.
5.If Takashima or another EA officer was involved their motive could simply be their promotion as a replacement for Sinclair would almost certainly be required if he were killed or imprisoned etc.
6.The Vorlons themselves may be invloved as they probably had the technology to revive Kosh. Also, it is strange that they would allow Sinclair to stay on the Vorlon Homeworld when they insisted Dr Kyle allow Kosh to die to protect his identity.
Reasons to suspect elements in Earth Force or the Earth Alliance:
7.Elements would certainly wish to remove Sinclair from B5 as he was percieved by some to be too close to Minbari Ambassador Delenn.
8.Certain groups advocate an isolationist stance for the EA and have resorted to violence to achieve these ends.
9.Ditto 'Home Guard' a faction which blames aliens for Earth's problems and believe aliens have too much influence in EA policy.
10.The breeching pod used by the assassin first appears moving from behind a shot of an Earth Alliance shuttle!
I think by considering the evidence and the motives the conspiracy was between the exiled Minbari sect described and high-ranking officials in Earth Force, particuarly as both sides would want to discredit Sinclair and the Minbari Government.
It is, however, entirely possible that the Vorlons arranged the whole thing as an excuse to provide a show of force, both to show that the Vorlons have considerable firepower and the will to use it and simply to avoid being dismissed as legends. Many sentients have only heard of the Vorlons but only, presumably, the Minbari have had any real contact with them so it is entirely reasonable for most sentients to dismiss the Vorlons as a fictional race, a hoax perhaps perpetuated by the Minbari themselves. Also,for reasons revealed later in the series, Sinclair would have been on of the few Humans allowed to live on Vorlon so they would be happy to keep an eye on him until needed.
The Pilot Episode for Babylon 5 (titled 'The Gathering')
concerns a plot to assassinate Kosh, the newly arrived ambassador from the Vorlon Empire. The assassin nearly succeeds, putting Kosh into a poison-induced coma, but through the efforts of B5 staff an antidote and the identity of the real ambassador is revealed just as a retaliatory Vorlon fleet arrives.
Through the resident telepath, Lyta Alexander, and the use of a "changeling net" the assassin frames Station Commander Sinclair for the attempted murder. Meanwhile, Narn Regime Ambassador G'kar arranges via a trial by the Babylon 5 advisory council, and by secretly contacting the Vorlon government, for Sinclair to be shipped to the Vorlon Homeworld for trial.
On the face of it there were only two conspirators in the plot: the assassin himself and a Human tech-smuggler named Varner. The assassin, a member of an exiled Minbari sect, arranged for Varner to provided him with said changeling net. He then kills Varner and succeeds in convincingly impersonating several B5 residents and staff, including Sinclair, Varner himself and Lyta Alexander by constant use of the changeling net. However, a boarding pod was discovered attached to the station's hull indicated the involvement of a third party.
It was assumed by Sinclair and his staff that the Minbari assassin arrived on a Narn transport, however the third party could easily have been rouge elements in the Earth Alliance or the Vorlons themselves. The reason for suspecting the Narns is that the Narn transport initially refused to submit to a weapon's scan then, later on, G'kar relented "in the interests of interstellar cooperation". Presumably, the boarding pod would have departed the Narn vessel after its arrival in B5 space and before G'kar changes his mind about the weapon's scan.
It was certainly reasonable for Sinclair to suspect G'kar and it was even in G'kar's interests to make Sinclair believe this to show that the Narns are not to be messed around with, but this does not mean the Narn Regime was responsible. There are several reasons not to suspect the Narns:
1. If they were responsible the entire crew of the Narn ship would all have to be conspirators and this could be considered unlikely as an increase in the number of conspirators would increase the probability of the plot being revealed prematurely.
2.G'kar was very keen to make an alliance via Delenn with the Minbari Federation. He would not jepordise this by starting a war with the Vorlons.
3.A Earth Alliance shuttle only requires one pilot and could even be put on a programmed course to and from Babylon 5. Plus, official EA ships would not be scanned for weapons as they are entitled to bring weapons aboard B5!
4.The assassin also used Takashima's palm print to access Varner's quarters. A copy of the second in command's palm print could only be obtained by a high ranking official or officer in the Earth Alliance, possibly Takashima herself.
5.If Takashima or another EA officer was involved their motive could simply be their promotion as a replacement for Sinclair would almost certainly be required if he were killed or imprisoned etc.
6.The Vorlons themselves may be invloved as they probably had the technology to revive Kosh. Also, it is strange that they would allow Sinclair to stay on the Vorlon Homeworld when they insisted Dr Kyle allow Kosh to die to protect his identity.
Reasons to suspect elements in Earth Force or the Earth Alliance:
7.Elements would certainly wish to remove Sinclair from B5 as he was percieved by some to be too close to Minbari Ambassador Delenn.
8.Certain groups advocate an isolationist stance for the EA and have resorted to violence to achieve these ends.
9.Ditto 'Home Guard' a faction which blames aliens for Earth's problems and believe aliens have too much influence in EA policy.
10.The breeching pod used by the assassin first appears moving from behind a shot of an Earth Alliance shuttle!
I think by considering the evidence and the motives the conspiracy was between the exiled Minbari sect described and high-ranking officials in Earth Force, particuarly as both sides would want to discredit Sinclair and the Minbari Government.
It is, however, entirely possible that the Vorlons arranged the whole thing as an excuse to provide a show of force, both to show that the Vorlons have considerable firepower and the will to use it and simply to avoid being dismissed as legends. Many sentients have only heard of the Vorlons but only, presumably, the Minbari have had any real contact with them so it is entirely reasonable for most sentients to dismiss the Vorlons as a fictional race, a hoax perhaps perpetuated by the Minbari themselves. Also,for reasons revealed later in the series, Sinclair would have been on of the few Humans allowed to live on Vorlon so they would be happy to keep an eye on him until needed.
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