Between the Darkness and the Light
Encyclopedia
"Between the Darkness and the Light" is an episode from the fourth season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5
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. Franklin is asking how he managed to escape from the prison on Mars where he was being tortured. Franklin goes on to ask Sheridan for details about the resistance, which strikes Sheridan as odd since Franklin was present for the fighting on Mars and elsewhere. It turns out that in reality, Sheridan is still in his prison cell on Mars
- the interrogators are using drugs to alter his mind in an attempt to get vital information from him about the resistance forces next move.
Meanwhile, Michael Garibaldi
is taken prisoner by the Mars Resistance. Feeling that Garibaldi's betrayal of Sheridan may have doomed the cause for Martian independence, Number One - the leader of the Mars Resistance - wants to kill Garibaldi, and offers to let Stephen Franklin do the job. But when Garibaldi pleads for his life and says that he has an excuse for why he turned Sheridan over to forces loyal to President Clark, Franklin decides to not kill him but to hear him out. Garibaldi then tries to convince Franklin and the others that PsiCop Alfred Bester
had manipulated him, but no one believes him. Seeing Lyta Alexander
, a telepath, Garibaldi sees an opportunity to convince everyone that he had been manipulated by Bester. Dr. Franklin forces Number One to allow Lyta to scan Garibaldi's mind, and Lyta is able to convince everyone that Garibaldi was telling the truth. Garibaldi is freed and begins working on a plan to rescue Sheridan.
With Sheridan in prison and being tortured, the resistance fleet is now under the command of Commander Ivanova
, Sheridan's second-in-command on Babylon 5. She has kept up the offensive started by Sheridan, and her fleet continues to win battle after battle against Earth forces still loyal to President Clark. They also continue to receive defectors from Earthforce as well. After defeating one group of loyalist vessels, Ivanova learns from one of the prisoners that President Morgan Clark
has assembled an elite group of advanced starships to ambush Ivanova's fleet. She decides that the White Star warships are the most capable of handling this threat, and so she leaves the resistance fleet under the command of Sheridan's old warship, the Agamemnon, and leads a force of White Stars to the sector of space where Clark's advanced warships are supposed to be located.
Having been made into the hero of the hour by ISN
, Garibaldi learns where Sheridan
is being held. He, Dr. Franklin, and Alexander manage to infiltrate the prison where Sheridan is being held. Garibaldi is stabbed in the process with Franklin stitching him up. They make their way to Sheridan's cell by telling the guards that they are there to "walk Sheridan around the block several times" - essentially they are going to torture him some more. The guards allow them into Sheridan's cell, where they find him drugged. Dr. Franklin helps Sheridan to walk, and they take him back to the prison entrance. The suddenly suspicious guards try to stop the group from leaving, but Garibaldi and his party kill the guards. Sheridan - still drugged and enraged at his treatment - empties a PPG
into one of the guards before leaving with the others.
Ivanova's fleet engages the advanced loyalist starships, which are Omega class destroyer
s which had been merged with Shadow technology. These destroyers have been equipped with improved weapons and Shadow-technology hulls. In the ensuing battle the advanced destroyers put up a strong fight, but are all ultimately destroyed by the White Stars, which are smaller but faster and much more maneuverable than the lumbering destroyers. However, many of the White Stars are themselves destroyed or heavily damaged in the fight. Among them is Ivanova's flagship, which is nearly destroyed when it is struck by a large piece of debris from an advanced destroyer. Ivanova is critically injured in the collision, and Marcus Cole carries her limp body away from the wrecked bridge.
Sheridan arrives back at the fleet. He and Delenn have a reunion on board the Minbari flagship. They go to see Ivanova, who has been paralyzed, and who has only a few days left to live. Ivanova is at peace, and tells Sheridan not to carry any guilt around for what happened to her. As a final request, she asks Sheridan to command the final battles for Earth and Mars from the bridge of the EAS Agamemnon
, his old warship. With the permission of Captain James, Sheridan takes command of the Agamemnon, and puts the resistance fleet on course for Mars
.
In a secondary plotline, Delenn
, the Minbari Ambassador to Babylon 5 and Sheridan's lover, hears from her aide Lennier
that Ambassdor Londo Mollari of the Centauri is holding a closed session of the Babylon 5 council. Fearing the worst, she goes to the meeting and learns from Londo, his aide Vir Cotto
, and Narn Ambassdor G'Kar that the entire council has voted to supply warships to the resistance fleet to help rescue Sheridan and liberate Earth from President Clark's fascist regime. Delenn was not invited to the meeting because her presence would make it appear that the Council was voting to support her personal attempt to save her lover, not as a gesture of real support. For the first time, Narn and Centauri vessels will be serving side-by-side in the same cause.
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...
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Synopsis
The episode begins with Sheridan believing that he is sitting in his quarters on Babylon 5, having a meal with Dr. Stephen FranklinStephen Franklin
Stephen Franklin is a lead character in the fictional universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by the late Richard Biggs. He serves as the chief medical officer on the Babylon 5 space station.-Personality:...
. Franklin is asking how he managed to escape from the prison on Mars where he was being tortured. Franklin goes on to ask Sheridan for details about the resistance, which strikes Sheridan as odd since Franklin was present for the fighting on Mars and elsewhere. It turns out that in reality, Sheridan is still in his prison cell on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
- the interrogators are using drugs to alter his mind in an attempt to get vital information from him about the resistance forces next move.
Meanwhile, Michael 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:...
is taken prisoner by the Mars Resistance. Feeling that Garibaldi's betrayal of Sheridan may have doomed the cause for Martian independence, Number One - the leader of the Mars Resistance - wants to kill Garibaldi, and offers to let Stephen Franklin do the job. But when Garibaldi pleads for his life and says that he has an excuse for why he turned Sheridan over to forces loyal to President Clark, Franklin decides to not kill him but to hear him out. Garibaldi then tries to convince Franklin and the others that PsiCop Alfred Bester
Alfred Bester (Babylon 5)
Alfred Bester is a Babylon 5 character played by Walter Koenig. He is a senior Psi Cop and a recurring antagonist in the series. J. Michael Straczynski named the character after the science fiction writer Alfred Bester, since telepathy is a recurring theme in his work .-Early Life and Career:The...
had manipulated him, but no one believes him. Seeing Lyta Alexander
Lyta Alexander
Lyta Alexander is a character from the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Patricia Tallman.Lyta was introduced in the pilot episode "The Gathering" as a telepath assigned to the Babylon 5 space station by the Psi Corps, a fictional organization...
, a telepath, Garibaldi sees an opportunity to convince everyone that he had been manipulated by Bester. Dr. Franklin forces Number One to allow Lyta to scan Garibaldi's mind, and Lyta is able to convince everyone that Garibaldi was telling the truth. Garibaldi is freed and begins working on a plan to rescue Sheridan.
With Sheridan in prison and being tortured, the resistance fleet is now under the command of Commander Ivanova
Susan Ivanova
Susan Ivanova is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Claudia Christian.-Character overview:...
, Sheridan's second-in-command on Babylon 5. She has kept up the offensive started by Sheridan, and her fleet continues to win battle after battle against Earth forces still loyal to President Clark. They also continue to receive defectors from Earthforce as well. After defeating one group of loyalist vessels, Ivanova learns from one of the prisoners that President Morgan Clark
Morgan Clark
William Morgan Clark is a fictional character and a major antagonist from the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, portrayed by Gary McGurk. His character rarely appeared on-screen, but is a major off-screen presence in the show....
has assembled an elite group of advanced starships to ambush Ivanova's fleet. She decides that the White Star warships are the most capable of handling this threat, and so she leaves the resistance fleet under the command of Sheridan's old warship, the Agamemnon, and leads a force of White Stars to the sector of space where Clark's advanced warships are supposed to be located.
Having been made into the hero of the hour by ISN
Interstellar Network News
Interstellar Network News is a fictional TV news network in the Babylon 5 universe. ISN's motto is The Galaxy's Most Important Network. ISN was modelled on real-world news outlets, such as CNN....
, Garibaldi learns where Sheridan
John 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...
is being held. He, Dr. Franklin, and Alexander manage to infiltrate the prison where Sheridan is being held. Garibaldi is stabbed in the process with Franklin stitching him up. They make their way to Sheridan's cell by telling the guards that they are there to "walk Sheridan around the block several times" - essentially they are going to torture him some more. The guards allow them into Sheridan's cell, where they find him drugged. Dr. Franklin helps Sheridan to walk, and they take him back to the prison entrance. The suddenly suspicious guards try to stop the group from leaving, but Garibaldi and his party kill the guards. Sheridan - still drugged and enraged at his treatment - empties a PPG
Phased plasma gun
The Phased Plasma Gun is a fictional weapon from the television series Babylon 5. It fires a small charge of superheated helium. This gas retains both its shape and small volume via a residual magnetic field. Upon impact with an object, the magnetic field is dissipated and the heat discharged...
into one of the guards before leaving with the others.
Ivanova's fleet engages the advanced loyalist starships, which are Omega class destroyer
Omega class destroyer
The Omega-class destroyer is a fictional vessel used by Earthforce, the military branch of the Earth Alliance, in the science fiction television series Babylon 5...
s which had been merged with Shadow technology. These destroyers have been equipped with improved weapons and Shadow-technology hulls. In the ensuing battle the advanced destroyers put up a strong fight, but are all ultimately destroyed by the White Stars, which are smaller but faster and much more maneuverable than the lumbering destroyers. However, many of the White Stars are themselves destroyed or heavily damaged in the fight. Among them is Ivanova's flagship, which is nearly destroyed when it is struck by a large piece of debris from an advanced destroyer. Ivanova is critically injured in the collision, and Marcus Cole carries her limp body away from the wrecked bridge.
Sheridan arrives back at the fleet. He and Delenn have a reunion on board the Minbari flagship. They go to see Ivanova, who has been paralyzed, and who has only a few days left to live. Ivanova is at peace, and tells Sheridan not to carry any guilt around for what happened to her. As a final request, she asks Sheridan to command the final battles for Earth and Mars from the bridge of the EAS Agamemnon
EAS Agamemnon
EAS Agamemnon is fictional starship in the science fiction series Babylon 5. The Agamemnon is an Earth Alliance Omega class destroyer...
, his old warship. With the permission of Captain James, Sheridan takes command of the Agamemnon, and puts the resistance fleet on course for Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
.
In a secondary plotline, Delenn
Delenn
Delenn is a fictional lead character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Mira Furlan.-Overview:Delenn, an alien ambassador and leader from the planet Minbar, is one of the pivotal characters in Babylon 5....
, the Minbari Ambassador to Babylon 5 and Sheridan's lover, hears from her aide Lennier
Lennier
Lennier is a character in the fictional universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Bill Mumy. He is Minbari and acts as ambassadorial aide to Delenn throughout most of the series.-Background and career:...
that Ambassdor Londo Mollari of the Centauri is holding a closed session of the Babylon 5 council. Fearing the worst, she goes to the meeting and learns from Londo, his aide Vir Cotto
Vir Cotto
Vir Cotto is a character from the fictional Babylon 5 universe, played on screen by Stephen Furst. He is a Centauri male who was from a family of minor nobility, who would eventually become the Centauri Ambassador to Babylon 5, and then became the Emperor of the Centauri Republic in 2278.Vir Cotto...
, and Narn Ambassdor G'Kar that the entire council has voted to supply warships to the resistance fleet to help rescue Sheridan and liberate Earth from President Clark's fascist regime. Delenn was not invited to the meeting because her presence would make it appear that the Council was voting to support her personal attempt to save her lover, not as a gesture of real support. For the first time, Narn and Centauri vessels will be serving side-by-side in the same cause.
Arc significance
- The Mars resistance captures Garibaldi and he convinces them that Sheridan's betrayal was not his doing
- Clark's forces have retrofitted some Omega-class destroyers with Shadow technology and are preparing to ambush Sheridan's fleet.
- Garibaldi, Franklin and Lyta rescue Sheridan.
- Ivanova is gravely wounded fighting the Shadow-enhanced destroyers.
- The CentauriCentauri (Babylon 5)The Centauri are a humanoid species in the fictional universe of the Babylon 5 television series. They were the first alien species to make open contact with the human race. Their homeworld is Centauri Prime, a small Earth-like planet consisting of two large continents and several smaller islands...
and NarnNarnThe Narn are a fictional alien race in the universe of the Babylon 5 television series. Their homeworld is also called Narn.-Homeworld:Narn is the homeworld of the Narn and the Narn Regime. Its day is 31 hours long. Prior to the Centauri's first invasion, Narn was a healthy green planet. Now it...
are flying side-by-side in Sheridan's fleet.