Babylon 5: A Call to Arms
Encyclopedia
A Call To Arms is the fourth feature-length film set in the Babylon 5
universe (not including the pilot, The Gathering
). It was written by J. Michael Straczynski
, directed by Mike Vejar
, and originally aired January 3, 1999.
and Mr. Garibaldi
rendezvous in deep space to oversee the completion of the IAS Excalibur
, and the Victory, the first in a series of prototype destroyers reverse engineered from the Vorlon
-Minbari
technology of the White Stars. En route to the firing range, Sheridan is visited in a dream by Galen, who shows him graphic images of Daltron 7, a world destroyed by a massive attack.
An alien thief named Dureena Nafeel (Carrie Dobro
) arrives on Babylon 5 in search of the Thieves Guild, to which she belongs. She is captured by their agents and upon revealing her credentials, is allowed to ply her trade provided she abide by their rules. In her sleep, she is visited by Galen who warns her to choose a target wisely when the time comes.
On the firing range, construction supervisor Lionel Drake demonstrates the capabilities of the Excalibur's Vorlon-influenced enhanced weapons system: the ship channels energy from its entire body to capacitance and channels it in a single burst of very powerful energy; the firing, however, leaves the ship underpowered for a recovery period of one minute. During the test, he is visited by Galen in a waking dream. Galen informs him that while the Technomages will remain in hiding for another 20-30 years, they still watch the galaxy, and have learned of an impending attack on Earth by the Drakh: a vicious race formerly allied with the Shadows who seek revenge for the part humans have played in defeating them in the war, destroying their homeworld of Z'ha'dum, and creating the Alliance, which thwarts their ambitions. Galen provides him with descriptions of 3 individuals who will meet him at Babylon 5 to assist him, but explicitly warns him to never explain his actions or mission to anyone under any circumstances.
Sheridan cuts the test short and travels to Babylon 5, where he provides descriptions to security, who quickly apprehend Dureena shortly thereafter. Captain Anderson (Tony Todd
) of the Earthforce destroyer Charon, arrives and meets with Sheridan and Dureena; all have been alerted to each other by Galen. Dureena turns out to be a refugee from Zander Prime, a world destroyed during the Shadow War by a Shadow Planet Killer
; she initially blames Sheridan for his inaction, but upon learning of the Drakh, realizes that they are responsible for what happened. The team sneaks out of Babylon 5 during the night on the Charon, and they travel to the shipyards and take the Excalibur and Victory out to visit Daltron 7. They arrive to find the once pristine world scorched to ruin and they discover the body of the fourth member of their party, a Drazi, on the surface. The Drazi's records indicate that Daltron 7 was destroyed by the Drakh less than a week ago in a test as a prelude to their attack on Earth, confirming that the Drakh are in possession of a Shadow planet killer. Meanwhile, Mr. Garibaldi catches up to the shipyard, and reluctantly takes Mr. Drake with him in pursuit of Sheridan.
Sheridan and Anderson are approached by a small Drakh fleet, who inquire about their identities and intentions. The Drakh suddenly receive a powerful encoded message and begin to flee; the Excalibur and Victory pursue them only to find the entire Drakh fleet departing for Earth. After a short battle, they escape and contact Babylon 5, informing Captain Lochley (Tracy Scoggins
) to alert EarthGov to mobilize their entire fleet. He contacts a disbelieving Garibaldi about the fleet and informs him about a possible informant; upon realizing the transmission came from his ship, Garibaldi discovers that Drake--a Mars citizen resentful of Earth's prejudice against Mars-born citizens--is the informant. Drake is subdued and forced to release the details of their attack fleet.
Sheridan and Anderson arrive in Earth space just ahead of the Drakh fleet and organize the Earth and Alliance fleets assembled to repel the attack, and a massive battle ensues when the Drakh emerge. During the conflict, Sheridan and Anderson venture into the Shadow planet killer in search of a primary component: the device is a planet-sized web of interconnecting joints filled with core-penetrating nuclear warheads, and the master control joint is the vulnerable spot. Dureena uses her guile to correctly isolate the master control hub just as the Victory 's weapon systems are irreparably damaged. Anderson and his crew plow the Victory directly into the control hub, and the planet killer activates prematurely. The Earth and Alliance ships escape just as the planet killer destroys itself and most of the Drakh assault fleet. However, the last remaining ships bypass the defense grid and plunge into Earth orbit, releasing a black gaseous weapon that enshrouds the Earth.
On Babylon 5, Sheridan reports to Lochley that the Earth has been contaminated by a biological weapon engineered by the Shadows; experts calculate that the plague will adapt to human physiology and kill all life on Earth inside of five years unless a cure is found. Determined to save the planet, Sheridan turns the Excalibur into a research vessel, armed with the best experts that can be found to search the galaxy for other races and technologies who may possess the knowledge that can lead to a cure. Galen arrives on the station to assist in the mission.
. It introduces two prominent characters for the cast of Crusade, Galen and Dureena Nafeel, as well as the ship, the IAS Excalibur
. The final scenes set up the basic premise that Crusade follows.
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
universe (not including the pilot, The Gathering
Babylon 5: The Gathering
Babylon 5: The Gathering is the pilot movie of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. The telefilm aired on February 22, 1993...
). It was written by J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
, directed by Mike Vejar
Mike Vejar
Michael "Mike" Laurence Vejar is an American television director, with directing credits on the four most recent Star Trek series, as well as directing other notable series, such as Zorro, Babylon 5, MacGyver, The Dead Zone, The X-Files and Jeremiah.- Notes :In Babylon 5 episode "The Geometry of...
, and originally aired January 3, 1999.
Summary
Five years after the establishment of the Interstellar Alliance, President John SheridanJohn Sheridan (Babylon 5)
John J. Sheridan is a lead character in the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Bruce Boxleitner. For most of the series, he is the commander of the Babylon 5 station; during the series' final season he is the President of the Interstellar...
and Mr. Garibaldi
Michael Garibaldi
Michael Garibaldi is a lead fictional character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Jerry Doyle.-Overview:...
rendezvous in deep space to oversee the completion of the IAS Excalibur
Excalibur (Crusade)
The IAS Excalibur is a starship in the fictional Babylon 5 / Crusade universe. First seen in the Babylon 5 movie A Call to Arms, the ship is a Victory class destroyer. The ship combines human, Minbari, and Vorlon technology....
, and the Victory, the first in a series of prototype destroyers reverse engineered from the Vorlon
Vorlon
A Vorlon is a member of a fictional alien species in the Babylon 5 television series and fictional universe. The Vorlon species is a member of the First Ones, a group made up of the earliest species to gain sentience in the galaxy...
-Minbari
Minbari
The Minbari are a fictional alien race featured in the television show Babylon 5. The Minbari characters of Delenn and Lennier figure prominently throughout the series; Neroon, Draal, and Dukhat are less prominent Minbari characters....
technology of the White Stars. En route to the firing range, Sheridan is visited in a dream by Galen, who shows him graphic images of Daltron 7, a world destroyed by a massive attack.
An alien thief named Dureena Nafeel (Carrie Dobro
Carrie Dobro
Carrie Dobro is an American actress. She is best known for her leading role as Dureena Nafeel in the Babylon 5 feature-length film A Call To Arms and its short-lived spin-off TV series Crusade. Carrie played the character of Kulai on the ABC TV series Hypernauts...
) arrives on Babylon 5 in search of the Thieves Guild, to which she belongs. She is captured by their agents and upon revealing her credentials, is allowed to ply her trade provided she abide by their rules. In her sleep, she is visited by Galen who warns her to choose a target wisely when the time comes.
On the firing range, construction supervisor Lionel Drake demonstrates the capabilities of the Excalibur's Vorlon-influenced enhanced weapons system: the ship channels energy from its entire body to capacitance and channels it in a single burst of very powerful energy; the firing, however, leaves the ship underpowered for a recovery period of one minute. During the test, he is visited by Galen in a waking dream. Galen informs him that while the Technomages will remain in hiding for another 20-30 years, they still watch the galaxy, and have learned of an impending attack on Earth by the Drakh: a vicious race formerly allied with the Shadows who seek revenge for the part humans have played in defeating them in the war, destroying their homeworld of Z'ha'dum, and creating the Alliance, which thwarts their ambitions. Galen provides him with descriptions of 3 individuals who will meet him at Babylon 5 to assist him, but explicitly warns him to never explain his actions or mission to anyone under any circumstances.
Sheridan cuts the test short and travels to Babylon 5, where he provides descriptions to security, who quickly apprehend Dureena shortly thereafter. Captain Anderson (Tony Todd
Tony Todd
Anthony T. "Tony" Todd is an American actor and movie producer, known for his height of 6'5", and deep voice. He is well known for playing the Candyman in the horror movie franchise of the same name, William Bludworth in Final Destination and for guest starring roles on numerous television...
) of the Earthforce destroyer Charon, arrives and meets with Sheridan and Dureena; all have been alerted to each other by Galen. Dureena turns out to be a refugee from Zander Prime, a world destroyed during the Shadow War by a Shadow Planet Killer
Shadow Planet Killer
A Shadow Planet Killer is a fictional machine from the Babylon 5 television show and films, which was used to destroy planetary ecosystems....
; she initially blames Sheridan for his inaction, but upon learning of the Drakh, realizes that they are responsible for what happened. The team sneaks out of Babylon 5 during the night on the Charon, and they travel to the shipyards and take the Excalibur and Victory out to visit Daltron 7. They arrive to find the once pristine world scorched to ruin and they discover the body of the fourth member of their party, a Drazi, on the surface. The Drazi's records indicate that Daltron 7 was destroyed by the Drakh less than a week ago in a test as a prelude to their attack on Earth, confirming that the Drakh are in possession of a Shadow planet killer. Meanwhile, Mr. Garibaldi catches up to the shipyard, and reluctantly takes Mr. Drake with him in pursuit of Sheridan.
Sheridan and Anderson are approached by a small Drakh fleet, who inquire about their identities and intentions. The Drakh suddenly receive a powerful encoded message and begin to flee; the Excalibur and Victory pursue them only to find the entire Drakh fleet departing for Earth. After a short battle, they escape and contact Babylon 5, informing Captain Lochley (Tracy Scoggins
Tracy Scoggins
Tracy Dawn Scoggins is an American actress known for her roles as Cat Grant in the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Monica Colby in the 1980s prime time soap opera Dynasty, and its spin-off series The Colbys...
) to alert EarthGov to mobilize their entire fleet. He contacts a disbelieving Garibaldi about the fleet and informs him about a possible informant; upon realizing the transmission came from his ship, Garibaldi discovers that Drake--a Mars citizen resentful of Earth's prejudice against Mars-born citizens--is the informant. Drake is subdued and forced to release the details of their attack fleet.
Sheridan and Anderson arrive in Earth space just ahead of the Drakh fleet and organize the Earth and Alliance fleets assembled to repel the attack, and a massive battle ensues when the Drakh emerge. During the conflict, Sheridan and Anderson venture into the Shadow planet killer in search of a primary component: the device is a planet-sized web of interconnecting joints filled with core-penetrating nuclear warheads, and the master control joint is the vulnerable spot. Dureena uses her guile to correctly isolate the master control hub just as the Victory 's weapon systems are irreparably damaged. Anderson and his crew plow the Victory directly into the control hub, and the planet killer activates prematurely. The Earth and Alliance ships escape just as the planet killer destroys itself and most of the Drakh assault fleet. However, the last remaining ships bypass the defense grid and plunge into Earth orbit, releasing a black gaseous weapon that enshrouds the Earth.
On Babylon 5, Sheridan reports to Lochley that the Earth has been contaminated by a biological weapon engineered by the Shadows; experts calculate that the plague will adapt to human physiology and kill all life on Earth inside of five years unless a cure is found. Determined to save the planet, Sheridan turns the Excalibur into a research vessel, armed with the best experts that can be found to search the galaxy for other races and technologies who may possess the knowledge that can lead to a cure. Galen arrives on the station to assist in the mission.
Other information
A Call to Arms acts as a segue between Babylon 5 and its spin-off TV series CrusadeCrusade (TV series)
Crusade is a spin-off TV show from J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon 5. Its plot is set in AD 2267, five years after the events of Babylon 5, and just after the movie A Call to Arms. A race called the Drakh have released a nanovirus plague on Earth, which will destroy all life on Earth within five...
. It introduces two prominent characters for the cast of Crusade, Galen and Dureena Nafeel, as well as the ship, the IAS Excalibur
Excalibur (Crusade)
The IAS Excalibur is a starship in the fictional Babylon 5 / Crusade universe. First seen in the Babylon 5 movie A Call to Arms, the ship is a Victory class destroyer. The ship combines human, Minbari, and Vorlon technology....
. The final scenes set up the basic premise that Crusade follows.