The Fall of Night
Encyclopedia
The Fall of Night is the final episode of the second season of the science fiction
television series Babylon 5
.
have been expanding their war of aggression
; now they are launching attacks into Drazi and pak'ma'ra
space. Sheridan
confronts Ambassador Londo Mollari about the incursions, but to no avail.
The Earth Alliance
sends two members of the Ministry of Peace
to the station. One of them, Mr. Welles, a representative of Nightwatch
, meets with Nightwatch members on the station, including security officer Zack Allen. Mr. Welles encourages the local members to be more vigilant in reporting suspicious or "disloyal" activity, including any talk by civilians critical of the President or of EarthGov policies. Welles also attempts to recruit Commander Ivanova
as a Nightwatch informant, but she declines, on ethical
grounds.
The other VIP, Frederick Lantz, is there ostensibly to investigate the Centauri situation, meeting with representatives from the League of Non-Aligned Worlds
, though he refuses to meet with G'Kar. It is soon revealed that he has been sent to sign a non-aggression treaty with the Centauri.
Before this is revealed, however, a Narn warship
arrives at the station, seeking sanctuary
. Captain Sheridan grants their request, and supplies them with equipment, along with promises of protection while in Babylon 5 space. The presence of the Narn ship is kept secret, until a member of the command staff who is attached to Nightwatch informs Mr. Welles, and soon the Centauri know about the ship as well.
The Centauri dispatch a battlecruiser to Babylon 5, demanding custody of the Narn ship. Sheridan refuses, having given his word that the Narns would be granted sanctuary. Mr. Lantz objects, but Sheridan overrides him. Sheridan orders a squadron of Starfuries
to escort the ship out of Babylon 5 space. But when they move toward the jump-gate, the Centauri vessel
opens fire on the cruiser, on the Starfuries, and on Babylon 5 itself.
Babylon 5 returns fire and launches additional fighters forcing the Centauri to concentrate on the station, thus allowing the Narn ship to escape into hyperspace
. Thanks to B5's new weapons systems and the fighters, the Centauri vessel is destroyed. Babylon 5 itself sustains some damage.
The Centauri are furious, and demand a public apology, which Sheridan's superiors order him to provide. While his actions in destroying the Centauri vessel were legally and ethically acceptable actions of self-defense, they violated the spirit of the soon-to-be-signed non-aggression pact between Earth and the Centauri.
Sheridan's public apology is to be given in the station's zen garden. While enroute to the Zen garden via the station's central core shuttle, and drawn to distraction by his own inner conflicts regarding the public apology he has been ordered to give, Sheridan fails to notice two Centauri assassins
posing as fellow passengers have planted a bomb on the shuttle. In a desperate act of self-preservation, Sheridan overrides the shuttle door safety protocols and jumps from the shuttle just before it explodes. High above the garden, Sheridan is freefalling, weightless, but the ground below him is spinning towards him at 60 mph.
With only moments left before Sheridan hits the ground, Delenn
urges Kosh to do something. Kosh agrees, and leaves his encounter suit, revealing publicly for the first time what he is under his encounter suit: a winged, angel
ic being of light. Kosh rescues Sheridan, bringing him safely to the ground.
Kosh's public revelation of his true nature, however, is startling - for every race that sees him sees something different: one of their own divine
beings, deities
, god
s, or in the case of human
s, an angel. Apparently, the Vorlon
s have been manipulating the younger races over time, programming each race to see the Vorlons as they wished them to be seen. Only Londo Mollari, of the Centauri, claims to have seen nothing.
Meanwhile, Starfury pilot Warren Keffer continues his obsessive investigations into the Shadow vessels, determined to prove their existence. Having learned that they leave neutrino
trails when passing through hyperspace, Keffer sets his Starfury instruments to scan for them automatically. While escorting the escaping Narn warship through hyperspace, Keffer detects a Shadow vessel, and breaks off to investigate. The Shadow ship destroys Keffer's Starfury, killing him, but not before he is able to launch a message buoy with recordings of the Shadow ship.
The episode ends with Susan Ivanova reflecting upon recent events, noting that while Babylon 5's mission as "our last, best hope for peace" seems to have failed, it has instead become something greater: a hope for victory. The Nightwatch continues having dissident suspects arrested and charged with sedition, and the Centauri Empire expands their war effort to larger territory. And the ISN network, having discovered Keffer's message buoy, transmits the first public images of the terrifying Shadow vessel in hyperspace... an ominous warning of the disaster soon to come.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series Babylon 5
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...
.
Synopsis
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...
have been expanding their war of aggression
War of aggression
A war of aggression, sometimes also war of conquest, is a military conflict waged without the justification of self-defense usually for territorial gain and subjugation. The phrase is distinctly modern and diametrically opposed to the prior legal international standard of "might makes right", under...
; now they are launching attacks into Drazi and pak'ma'ra
Pak'ma'ra
The pak'ma'ra are a fictional race of aliens in the Babylon 5 universe. They do not feature heavily in any storylines, partly on the pretext that other species avoid them because they are, for religious reasons, dedicated carrion eaters.Humanoid in form, the pak'ma'ra have tentacles around a mouth...
space. 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...
confronts Ambassador Londo Mollari about the incursions, but to no avail.
The Earth Alliance
Earth Alliance (Babylon 5)
The Earth Alliance is the name of a fictional alliance of the nations of Earth and off-world colonies in the television series Babylon 5. The transition of Earth government from a democratic, elected government to an authoritarian, militaristic one and back to a democracy again is a major theme of...
sends two members of the Ministry of Peace
Ministry of Peace
The Ministry of Peace is one of four ministries in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Along with the Ministry of Truth, the Ministry of Love and the Ministry of Plenty, the Ministry of Peace governs in the Oceanic province of Airstrip One...
to the station. One of them, Mr. Welles, a representative of Nightwatch
Nightwatch (Babylon 5)
In the Babylon 5 science fiction universe, Nightwatch was an Earth Alliance paramilitary organization set up during the Presidency of Morgan Clark...
, meets with Nightwatch members on the station, including security officer Zack Allen. Mr. Welles encourages the local members to be more vigilant in reporting suspicious or "disloyal" activity, including any talk by civilians critical of the President or of EarthGov policies. Welles also attempts to recruit Commander Ivanova
Susan Ivanova
Susan Ivanova is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Claudia Christian.-Character overview:...
as a Nightwatch informant, but she declines, on ethical
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
grounds.
The other VIP, Frederick Lantz, is there ostensibly to investigate the Centauri situation, meeting with representatives from the League of Non-Aligned Worlds
League of Non-Aligned Worlds
The League of Non-Aligned Worlds was a fictional collection of races in the Babylon 5 universe.The League of Non-Aligned Worlds was a loose confederation of independent worlds and minor species, most of whom had endured subjugation under the Centauri Republic at its height...
, though he refuses to meet with G'Kar. It is soon revealed that he has been sent to sign a non-aggression treaty with the Centauri.
Before this is revealed, however, a Narn warship
G'Quon-class heavy cruiser
- Depiction :A G'Quan-class cruiser is immense ship armed with two heavy hard-mounted forward-firing laser cannons, two energy mine launchers and Pulse cannons...
arrives at the station, seeking sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
. Captain Sheridan grants their request, and supplies them with equipment, along with promises of protection while in Babylon 5 space. The presence of the Narn ship is kept secret, until a member of the command staff who is attached to Nightwatch informs Mr. Welles, and soon the Centauri know about the ship as well.
The Centauri dispatch a battlecruiser to Babylon 5, demanding custody of the Narn ship. Sheridan refuses, having given his word that the Narns would be granted sanctuary. Mr. Lantz objects, but Sheridan overrides him. Sheridan orders a squadron of Starfuries
Starfury
The Starfury fighter is a fictional vessel used by Earthforce, the military branch of the Earth Alliance, in the science fiction television series Babylon 5...
to escort the ship out of Babylon 5 space. But when they move toward the jump-gate, the Centauri vessel
Primus Class Battlecruiser
The Primus class battle cruiser is a fictional battlecruiser in the fictional universe of Babylon 5.- Depiction :Designed to allow the Centauri to cause serious damage on the battlefield, the Primus was given a massive array of weapons including ion cannon turrets, battle lasers, missile launchers...
opens fire on the cruiser, on the Starfuries, and on Babylon 5 itself.
Babylon 5 returns fire and launches additional fighters forcing the Centauri to concentrate on the station, thus allowing the Narn ship to escape into hyperspace
Hyperspace (science fiction)
Hyperspace is a plot device sometimes used in science fiction. It is typically described as an alternative region of space co-existing with our own universe which may be entered using an energy field or other device...
. Thanks to B5's new weapons systems and the fighters, the Centauri vessel is destroyed. Babylon 5 itself sustains some damage.
The Centauri are furious, and demand a public apology, which Sheridan's superiors order him to provide. While his actions in destroying the Centauri vessel were legally and ethically acceptable actions of self-defense, they violated the spirit of the soon-to-be-signed non-aggression pact between Earth and the Centauri.
Sheridan's public apology is to be given in the station's zen garden. While enroute to the Zen garden via the station's central core shuttle, and drawn to distraction by his own inner conflicts regarding the public apology he has been ordered to give, Sheridan fails to notice two Centauri assassins
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
posing as fellow passengers have planted a bomb on the shuttle. In a desperate act of self-preservation, Sheridan overrides the shuttle door safety protocols and jumps from the shuttle just before it explodes. High above the garden, Sheridan is freefalling, weightless, but the ground below him is spinning towards him at 60 mph.
With only moments left before Sheridan hits the ground, 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....
urges Kosh to do something. Kosh agrees, and leaves his encounter suit, revealing publicly for the first time what he is under his encounter suit: a winged, angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
ic being of light. Kosh rescues Sheridan, bringing him safely to the ground.
Kosh's public revelation of his true nature, however, is startling - for every race that sees him sees something different: one of their own divine
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
beings, deities
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
, god
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
s, or in the case of human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s, an angel. Apparently, 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...
s have been manipulating the younger races over time, programming each race to see the Vorlons as they wished them to be seen. Only Londo Mollari, of the Centauri, claims to have seen nothing.
Meanwhile, Starfury pilot Warren Keffer continues his obsessive investigations into the Shadow vessels, determined to prove their existence. Having learned that they leave neutrino
Neutrino
A neutrino is an electrically neutral, weakly interacting elementary subatomic particle with a half-integer spin, chirality and a disputed but small non-zero mass. It is able to pass through ordinary matter almost unaffected...
trails when passing through hyperspace, Keffer sets his Starfury instruments to scan for them automatically. While escorting the escaping Narn warship through hyperspace, Keffer detects a Shadow vessel, and breaks off to investigate. The Shadow ship destroys Keffer's Starfury, killing him, but not before he is able to launch a message buoy with recordings of the Shadow ship.
The episode ends with Susan Ivanova reflecting upon recent events, noting that while Babylon 5's mission as "our last, best hope for peace" seems to have failed, it has instead become something greater: a hope for victory. The Nightwatch continues having dissident suspects arrested and charged with sedition, and the Centauri Empire expands their war effort to larger territory. And the ISN network, having discovered Keffer's message buoy, transmits the first public images of the terrifying Shadow vessel in hyperspace... an ominous warning of the disaster soon to come.
Arc significance
- We see a VorlonVorlonA 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...
outside of its encounter suit for the first time (although this was later learned not to be their true appearance, which was not revealed until season 4). - The Earth AllianceEarth Alliance (Babylon 5)The Earth Alliance is the name of a fictional alliance of the nations of Earth and off-world colonies in the television series Babylon 5. The transition of Earth government from a democratic, elected government to an authoritarian, militaristic one and back to a democracy again is a major theme of...
signs a non-aggression pact with 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...
. - The Centauri have begun conquering neighboring planets.
- Against orders, 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...
offers sanctuary to a damaged Narn ship, leading to an armed confrontation with a Centauri battlecruiser. - The Narn warship, the G'tok, commanded by Warleader Na'kal, will reappear in season 3 on "Walkabout" to assist Sheridan.
Production Details
- In an outtakeOuttakeAn outtake is a portion of a work that is removed in the editing process and not included in the work's final, publicly released version. In the digital era, significant outtakes have been appended to CD and DVD reissues of many albums and films as bonus tracks or features, in film often, but not...
when the Drazi asks Londo what he saw, Peter JurasikPeter JurasikPeter Jurasik is an American actor known for his television roles as Londo Mollari in the 1990s science fiction series Babylon 5 and Sid the Snitch on the 1980s series Hill Street Blues and its short-lived spinoff Beverly Hills Buntz.-Career:Among Jurasik's guest appearances are an entomologist in...
replied, "I thought I saw a puddy cat. I did, I did see a puddy cat." (See Tweety Bird) - John Vickery also plays NeroonNeroonNeroon is a fictional character in the universe of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5, portrayed by John Vickery. He was a recurring guest character throughout the series.-Background:...
.