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Babylon Squared

From The Babylon Project

BABYLON SQUARED
Babylon 5, Episode 1x20
Production number: 118
First aired: 10 August 1994
20th Babylon 5 episode to be aired
Production Credits
Written By: J. Michael Straczynski
Directed By: Jim Johnston
Editor: Lisa M. Citron
Episode Chronology
Story Date: July, 2258
Chronological Order
Preceded by: A Voice in the Wilderness, Part II
Followed by: Legacies
Broadcast Order
Preceded by: A Voice in the Wilderness, Part II
Followed by: The Quality of Mercy



Babylon Squared is an episode from the first season of Babylon 5, which is collectively entitled Signs and Portents.

Contents

[edit] Cast

[edit] Starring

[edit] Also starring

[edit] With

[edit] Guest starring

[edit] Featuring

[edit] Uncredited

[edit] Cast notes

[edit] Summary

[edit] Intro

As Sinclair and Garibaldi are eating breakfast, Ivanova joins them, complaining that C'n'C woke her up because of some strange readings coming from Sector 14. After they play a prank on her, she goes to C'n'C where Alpha 7 has arrived at Sector 14. After his shock of what he sees, he is surrounded by light.

[edit] Act I

Ivanova tries to reach the pilot of Alpha 7, but to no avail. Sinclair is sure that the pilot's communication system "is probably fried".

Delenn is on a Minbari Flyer, preparing to fly alone through the jumpgate.

Alpha 7 arrives at Babylon 5 with no signs of life. Later, in Sinclair's office, Garibaldi explains that the pilot of Alpha 7 died of a natural cause -- old age. He programmed the fighter to return on autopilot. Garibaldi shows Sinclair and Ivanova the pilot's safety buckle. "B4" is scratched onto the surface. Just then, C'n'C contacts Sinclair to tell him that they are receiving a distress call - from Babylon 4. They rush to C'n'C to receive a call from the Commander of B4. He tells them that they have only a skeleton crew, then the signal disappears. Ivanova tells Sinclair that the message was time-stamped four years ago - the time that B4 disappeared.

Sinclair warns the pilots that this is a very dangerous and unpredictable mission, and that no one has to go. No one asks to leave. Sinclair and Garibaldi also take a ship to Sector 14, three hours away.

On the Minbari flyer, Delenn flies into a Minbari fighter ship.

Garibaldi kills time by asking if Sinclair zips then fastens his pants, or fasten then zips.

On the Minbari fighter, Delenn joins the other members of the Grey Council. She is welcomed, and informed that she has been chosen to lead the Minbari, taking Dukhat's place. She does not want to leave Babylon 5, because of the prophecy. They tell her that "prophecy will attend to itself", and that she is staying with the council.

As the ships approach Babylon 4, it appears in front of them. They fly toward it.

[edit] Act II

Sinclair and Garibaldi enter Babylon 4, telling the other pilots to stay back, until it is shown to be safe. They are fired upon by a crewman screaming, "Monsters! I know who you are! I can see you! You don't think I can? I gotta get off this station!" He is subdued by Garibaldi, and Major Lewis Krantz, assigned to supervise construction of Babylon 4, greets them. Sinclair tells him about Babylon 5, and when Garibaldi tells him that the year is 2258, he replies, "Then it's true! We have to get everyone off the station! Quickly!" Suddenly there is a flash, and Sinclair finds himself in the middle of a firefight on the station, not sure what is going on. He is next to Garibaldi, who IS aware of the situation. He tells Sinclair to leave, and that, "This is the moment I was born for!" Then another flash, and Sinclair is back on Babylon 4 where he started. Krantz tells Jeff that it is a flash through time, and it is different for everyone. He then tells them that they need to leave.

Delenn talks to another Minbari that she cannot go back into the Great Hall, because once she enters, she will never leave again. She feels she needs to return to Babylon 5. She demands to reconvene the Council, and he agrees.

Krantz tells them that the problems started 24 hours after going online. They noticed problems with time track system, then "all hell broke loose". He also shows them Zathras, an alien that they found on the ship, that is being held in Security. Zathras immediately brightens when he sees Sinclair, as if he knows him. He thinks for a minute, then says, "Not the one. Won't talk. Can't talk. Not the One. The One is hurt. Must find. Must help." Krantz tells them that Zathras just showed up in the conference room during a flash. Sinclair asks what he is doing there. He replies, "Need this place. Used to fight. They told Zathras biggest of all Babylon stations, we need. Needing, we take." Sinclair asks, "Why do you need Babylon 4? Zathras replied, "Great war. Terrible war. A great darkness. It is the end of everything. Zathras warned, but no one listened to poor Zathras. Great war, but great hope of peace. Need place. Place to gather, to fight, to organize. To help save galaxy, on the side of light, so they tell me. The One leads us. The One tells us to go. We live for the One. We would die for the One. We pull this place through time to save us all." Just then, someone bursts in and tells them "It's back!" They leave, and Zathras escapes. They find a man in a space suit. Zathras exclaims, "It is the One!"

[edit] Act III

Jeff says that the spacesuit figure is in pain. Zathras replies, "Yes, much pain. Warned him. Zathras did. But willing to sacrifice himself for others. He stopped the time taking to let these (crewmembers) escape station." Sinclair approaches the figure, and when he touches him, he is thrown across the room. Zathras rushes over to the figure, hands him an object, and says, "Fixed. Zathras fixed. Take. Hurry!"

Zathras runs away, but is quickly recaptured. He tells them that they must leave immediately.

Delenn, now reunited with the Grey Council, tells them that she must return to Babylon 5, because she has not finished her research on the humans. She talks about the humans' need to community, fight, and independence. They warn her that if she leaves, she may never return, even become an outcast. She insists on staying on Babylon 5, and they withdraw their decision.

As Garibaldi struggles to get the panicked mob onto shuttles in an orderly fashion, Jeff asks Zathras what he gave the figure. He tells Jeff it is a time stabilizer, and that it was his (Zathras'), and that without it, Zathras will die. Garibaldi calls Sinclair, and tells him that almost everyone is off, and that they need to leave. Suddenly a flash, and Michael is in a room with Lise Hampton. He is at the moment in time where he was ready to leave her to go to Babylon 5. He is then flashed back to Babylon 4. Krantz insists that they take Zathras with them. But as they are leaving a post lands on Zathras. Jeff does not want to leave Zathras, but he insists, telling Jeff that he "has a destiny". Sinclair leaves, and Zathras is soon joined by the space suited figure. Zathras is delighted, telling him that he knew he would not leave him, and that he trusts The One. They escape, and the figure takes off his helmet. It is Sinclair, significantly aged. He says that he tried to warn them, but "it all happened, just the way I remembered." A female hand rubs his shoulder, and said, "I know. It's time. We have to go. They're waiting for us." Then Babylon 4 disappears.

As they are leaving the area, Jeff tells Michael that he hopes that Babylon 4 helps them with their cause.

[edit] Act IV

Delenn is ready to leave the ship, when her Minbari friend comes to tell her goodbye. She tells him that she will never see the Inner Chamber of the Grey Council. He hands her a Triluminary, a triangular-shaped object. She objects, but he tells her that there are two others, and it will not be missed for a time. "And if you are right, you will have more need of it than we will."

Ivanova tells Sinclair she is upset that she missed it. Sinclair reminds her that they don't know when the ship will return. She tells him that if it does return, that "I'm going, and Garibaldi is staying here."

[edit] Act V

[edit] Memorable quotes

"Mathmatics not Zathras' skill."
– Zathras
"Zathras not of this time. You take, Zathras die. You leave, Zathras die. Either way, it is bad for Zathras."
– Zathras
"Ooooh...Not The One. No.
Not the one what?
Not The One. Won't talk. Can't talk. Not The One!"
– Zathras to Sinclair

[edit] Image Category

Category:Images by episode (Babylon Squared)

[edit] DVD release

This episode, along with the other episodes from season one, has been released on DVD with extensive special features.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Babylon_Squared"