The Fall of Centauri Prime
Encyclopedia
"The Fall of Centauri Prime" is an episode from the fifth season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5
. This is a key episode in the series, as it marks the final downfall and story completion of Londo Mollari, one of the major characters on the series.
and Drazi fleets are bombarding Centauri Prime from space. On the surface explosions and fires rage across the planet's capital city. In the Royal Palace, Prime Minister Londo manages to get G'Kar out of his prison cell just before the ceiling collapses; G'Kar is slightly injured but manages to walk with Londo back to a room in the palace itself.
Desperate to stop the attack on his homeworld, Londo searches for and finds the Regent. He discovers that the Regent has been under the secret control of a sinister alien race. The alien race are called the Drakh
. The Drakh were "dark servants" of the ancient Shadows, and lived with the Shadows on their homeworld of Z'ha'dum
. When that world was destroyed, the Drakh needed to find a new homeworld, and they decided to settle on Centauri Prime. They remembered the Centauri homeworld from the time they spent there under the protection of the psychotic Emperor Cartagia. However, the Drakh did not want their presence on Centauri Prime to be discovered, and so they live underground, beneath the Royal Palace and the capital city. Shortly after arriving they took control of the Regent by placing a creature called a "keeper" on his shoulder; the keeper is telepathically linked to the Drakh and can control the Regent's mind when it wishes. It also has the ability to stay invisible; thus no one knows that the Regent is under their influence.
Having explained themselves to Londo, the Drakh then make their demands: they will be allowed to remain on Centauri Prime, they will remain in covert control of the Centauri government, and they will take the Centauri Republic out of the Interstellar Alliance
. By doing this the Centauri will be left alone in the galaxy, with no friends or allies, and thus the Drakh will have no one to interfere with them. When Londo refuses their demands, they tell him that they have planted nuclear fusion bombs underneath the planet's major cities, and that unless Londo agrees to their terms they will detonate the bombs, killing billions of people and completely destroying what is left of Centauri civilization. Realizing that he has no choice, Londo agrees. The Regent's keeper then detaches itself and the Regent dies, thus placing Londo in line to become the Centauri Emperor the next morning. However, the Drakh insist that Londo accept a "keeper", so they can control him as they did the Regent. Again having no choice, Londo agrees.
Meanwhile, President Sheridan
arrives at Centauri Prime with a small fleet of White Stars and orders a ceasefire. The Narn and Drazi reluctantly agree to halt the attack, but ask Sheridan to aid them when the Centauri fleet returns and attacks them for what they have done. Sheridan refuses, but knows that he may have no choice but to fight. In another region of the galaxy, Sheridan's wife Delenn
and her aide Lennier
are trapped in their heavily damaged White Star after a Centauri attack. The White Star is still in hyperspace
and gradually drifting away from the main beacon; if it drifts too far off the beacon it will be permanently lost.
Londo goes to G'Kar to ensure that he is OK and to say goodbye. Londo tells G'Kar that he is about to become the emperor and that G'Kar can no longer serve as his bodyguard. He does not tell G'Kar about the Drakh or that they secretly caused the war between the Interstellar Alliance and the Centauri. Londo then accepts the keeper, which uses its tentacles to attach itself to his shoulder and becomes invisible. Londo then issues an order to the returning Centauri fleet to stand down and not attack the Narn/Drazi fleet. Sheridan contacts Londo and asks to come down to the planet and speak to him. Londo at first refuses, but finally agrees when Sheridan informs him that Delenn is missing. In their meeting, Londo is surprisingly rude and arrogant towards Sheridan, informing him that he will help to find Delenn only out of charity, not because of their friendship. Sheridan angrily responds that since the Centauri lost the war, they will be expected to pay heavy reparations
to the Interstellar Alliance. Back in the privacy of his quarters, Londo begs the Drakh leader to save Delenn; it is obvious that he still cares for his friends but can no longer show it due to the keeper's influence over him.
Delenn's White Star has run out of fuel, and as a last desperate act she fires the ship's weapons to attract the attention of anyone nearby. A group of Centauri warships converge on her position. At this point Lennier
, believing that they are about to die, admits his love for her. Instead, the Centauri vessels take their ship in tow and they are saved. To spare Lennier from humiliation, Delenn pretends that she didn't hear him earlier when he confessed his love. Delenn and Lennier are taken to Centauri Prime, where they meet Sheridan and G'Kar. Vir Cotto
, Londo's longtime aide on Babylon 5, also arrives; he bursts into Londo's palace room and is angrily told by Londo to never surprise him like that again. Londo is worried that Vir will see him with his keeper, and that the keeper will force him to kill Vir.
Sheridan, Delenn, and G'Kar plan to attend Londo's inauguration as Emperor, but Londo gives an angry speech to his people in which he attacks Sheridan and the Interstellar Alliance and tells them that the Centauri are now "alone in the universe." In the background, out of sight, the Drakh leader smiles as he listens to the speech; Londo is saying exactly what he wanted. Londo announces to his former friends that he will go to his installation as emperor alone, and that they are not welcome. Although puzzled by Londo's behavior, they reluctantly agree and return to Babylon 5. In his first official act as emperor, Londo names Vir as the new Centauri Ambassador to Babylon 5.
On Babylon 5, the command staff and leadership of the Interstellar Alliance examines a piece of Shadow technology and wonders how many other ancient weapons and artifacts the Shadows and Vorlons left behind. Garibaldi suggests going to the Vorlon
homeworld to recover useful items, but automatic defenses have apparently destroyed all ships that attempted to land on the planet, and telepath Lyta Alexander tells the group that no one will be allowed on the Vorlon homeworld for a million years, until humanity is ready to use such advanced technology.
In the Centauri Royal Palace, Londo sits alone and silent on his throne. Behind him the capital city continues to burn from the Narn/Drazi attack. It is the ultimate irony when Londo states that once, I had all the choices in the world, but no power at all, but now, I have all the power in the world, but no choices at all.
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...
. This is a key episode in the series, as it marks the final downfall and story completion of Londo Mollari, one of the major characters on the series.
Synopsis
As the episode begins the combined NarnNarn
The 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...
and Drazi fleets are bombarding Centauri Prime from space. On the surface explosions and fires rage across the planet's capital city. In the Royal Palace, Prime Minister Londo manages to get G'Kar out of his prison cell just before the ceiling collapses; G'Kar is slightly injured but manages to walk with Londo back to a room in the palace itself.
Desperate to stop the attack on his homeworld, Londo searches for and finds the Regent. He discovers that the Regent has been under the secret control of a sinister alien race. The alien race are called the Drakh
Drakh
The Drakh are a fictional alien race in the Babylon 5 universe. The Drakh were dark servants for the race of First Ones known as the Shadows. They appeared in the fourth and fifth seasons of Babylon 5 as well as the television movie, A Call to Arms...
. The Drakh were "dark servants" of the ancient Shadows, and lived with the Shadows on their homeworld of Z'ha'dum
Z'ha'dum (planet)
In the fictional Babylon 5 universe, Z'ha'dum was the homeworld of the ancient, mysterious race known as the Shadows. The planet is near the galactic rim...
. When that world was destroyed, the Drakh needed to find a new homeworld, and they decided to settle on Centauri Prime. They remembered the Centauri homeworld from the time they spent there under the protection of the psychotic Emperor Cartagia. However, the Drakh did not want their presence on Centauri Prime to be discovered, and so they live underground, beneath the Royal Palace and the capital city. Shortly after arriving they took control of the Regent by placing a creature called a "keeper" on his shoulder; the keeper is telepathically linked to the Drakh and can control the Regent's mind when it wishes. It also has the ability to stay invisible; thus no one knows that the Regent is under their influence.
Having explained themselves to Londo, the Drakh then make their demands: they will be allowed to remain on Centauri Prime, they will remain in covert control of the Centauri government, and they will take the Centauri Republic out of the Interstellar Alliance
Interstellar Alliance
The Interstellar Alliance is a fictional interstellar government of civilizations in the Babylon 5 universe.Formed in 2261 AD in the aftermath of the liberation of Earth and the Shadow War, the Interstellar Alliance was formed between the Minbari, Narn, Centauri, the Earth Alliance and the...
. By doing this the Centauri will be left alone in the galaxy, with no friends or allies, and thus the Drakh will have no one to interfere with them. When Londo refuses their demands, they tell him that they have planted nuclear fusion bombs underneath the planet's major cities, and that unless Londo agrees to their terms they will detonate the bombs, killing billions of people and completely destroying what is left of Centauri civilization. Realizing that he has no choice, Londo agrees. The Regent's keeper then detaches itself and the Regent dies, thus placing Londo in line to become the Centauri Emperor the next morning. However, the Drakh insist that Londo accept a "keeper", so they can control him as they did the Regent. Again having no choice, Londo agrees.
Meanwhile, President 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...
arrives at Centauri Prime with a small fleet of White Stars and orders a ceasefire. The Narn and Drazi reluctantly agree to halt the attack, but ask Sheridan to aid them when the Centauri fleet returns and attacks them for what they have done. Sheridan refuses, but knows that he may have no choice but to fight. In another region of the galaxy, Sheridan's wife 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....
and 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:...
are trapped in their heavily damaged White Star after a Centauri attack. The White Star is still in 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...
and gradually drifting away from the main beacon; if it drifts too far off the beacon it will be permanently lost.
Londo goes to G'Kar to ensure that he is OK and to say goodbye. Londo tells G'Kar that he is about to become the emperor and that G'Kar can no longer serve as his bodyguard. He does not tell G'Kar about the Drakh or that they secretly caused the war between the Interstellar Alliance and the Centauri. Londo then accepts the keeper, which uses its tentacles to attach itself to his shoulder and becomes invisible. Londo then issues an order to the returning Centauri fleet to stand down and not attack the Narn/Drazi fleet. Sheridan contacts Londo and asks to come down to the planet and speak to him. Londo at first refuses, but finally agrees when Sheridan informs him that Delenn is missing. In their meeting, Londo is surprisingly rude and arrogant towards Sheridan, informing him that he will help to find Delenn only out of charity, not because of their friendship. Sheridan angrily responds that since the Centauri lost the war, they will be expected to pay heavy reparations
Reparation (legal)
In jurisprudence, reparation is replenishment of a previously inflicted loss by the criminal to the victim. Monetary restitution is a common form of reparation...
to the Interstellar Alliance. Back in the privacy of his quarters, Londo begs the Drakh leader to save Delenn; it is obvious that he still cares for his friends but can no longer show it due to the keeper's influence over him.
Delenn's White Star has run out of fuel, and as a last desperate act she fires the ship's weapons to attract the attention of anyone nearby. A group of Centauri warships converge on her position. At this point 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:...
, believing that they are about to die, admits his love for her. Instead, the Centauri vessels take their ship in tow and they are saved. To spare Lennier from humiliation, Delenn pretends that she didn't hear him earlier when he confessed his love. Delenn and Lennier are taken to Centauri Prime, where they meet Sheridan and G'Kar. 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...
, Londo's longtime aide on Babylon 5, also arrives; he bursts into Londo's palace room and is angrily told by Londo to never surprise him like that again. Londo is worried that Vir will see him with his keeper, and that the keeper will force him to kill Vir.
Sheridan, Delenn, and G'Kar plan to attend Londo's inauguration as Emperor, but Londo gives an angry speech to his people in which he attacks Sheridan and the Interstellar Alliance and tells them that the Centauri are now "alone in the universe." In the background, out of sight, the Drakh leader smiles as he listens to the speech; Londo is saying exactly what he wanted. Londo announces to his former friends that he will go to his installation as emperor alone, and that they are not welcome. Although puzzled by Londo's behavior, they reluctantly agree and return to Babylon 5. In his first official act as emperor, Londo names Vir as the new Centauri Ambassador to Babylon 5.
On Babylon 5, the command staff and leadership of the Interstellar Alliance examines a piece of Shadow technology and wonders how many other ancient weapons and artifacts the Shadows and Vorlons left behind. Garibaldi suggests going to 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...
homeworld to recover useful items, but automatic defenses have apparently destroyed all ships that attempted to land on the planet, and telepath Lyta Alexander tells the group that no one will be allowed on the Vorlon homeworld for a million years, until humanity is ready to use such advanced technology.
In the Centauri Royal Palace, Londo sits alone and silent on his throne. Behind him the capital city continues to burn from the Narn/Drazi attack. It is the ultimate irony when Londo states that once, I had all the choices in the world, but no power at all, but now, I have all the power in the world, but no choices at all.
Arc significance
- The Alliance has demanded large war reparations from the Centauri.
- Vir is now the official ambassador to Babylon 5 for the Centauri.
- Centauri Regent Virini is dead.
- Londo now has a Drakh keeper attached to him, and is under the control of the Drakh. However, no one else knows this.
- Londo is now Emperor, as was prophesized by Lady Morella. Thus his story arc within the series comes to a conclusion. As stated by JMS, if the series were about a single character, it would be about Londo. As Londo states himself: "Five years ago I had no power, but all the choices I could wish. Now I have all the power, but no choice."
- G'Kar has forgiven Londo for his actions, but his people haven't.
- This fulfills Kosh's prophecy to Emperor Turhan from The Coming of Shadows that the situation between the Narns and the Centauri will end in fire.