All Alone in the Night

"All Alone in the Night" is an episode from the second season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.

Plot

B5 receives reports of mysterious attacks on merchant shipping, Captain Sheridan, missing the feeling of being in a fighter ship decides to take a wing of Starfury fighters and personally investigate the problem.

Ambassador Delenn is summoned by the Grey Council to decide her fate. Although a member of the Council, her decision to undergo the physical change into a half-human, half-Minbari hybrid has stirred strong feelings against her on the Council and in Minbari society.

Captain Sheridan's flight is attacked by an unknown alien ship and he is taken captive. One of his group makes it back to Babylon Five, dying, but his recorded report explains what happened. Delenn, on her way back to Babylon Five, is given a description of the alien ship and is able to give Ivanova enough information for the Agamemnon to find and attack the enemy vessel. During the attack, Sheridan and a Narn captive are able to reach an escape capsule. The vessel dumps the rest of its captives into space and is subsequently destroyed. Back on the station, Sheridan tells Hague that the command staff at B5 are loyal to Earth and are "good people". Hague then informs Sheridan of his belief that President Clark had President Santiago killed so he could take over the Earth Alliance; Hague also suggests the Psi Corps may be pulling the strings. He intends to expose Clark's conspiracy and he asks Sheridan to help him; Sheridan agrees. He also decides to ask his command staff for help in uncovering the conspiracy.

Arc significance

• Delenn is removed as a member of the Grey Council and the warrior caste gains an extra voice on the council; the new division of 4 warrior, 3 worker, and 2 religious caste is an unprecedented deviation from the traditional 3-3-3 division.
• First reference to the existence of three castes within Minbari society. Specifically, the worker caste is referenced for the first time; prior episodes had only mentioned the religious and warrior castes.
• We learn that Sheridan was posted at Babylon 5 to secretly determine the loyalty of the command staff; he reports to General Hague that Ivanova, Dr. Franklin, and Security Chief Garibaldi are all loyal and trustworthy.
• Sheridan and his command staff agree to secretly help General Hague uncover evidence proving that President Clark conspired to kill President Santiago.
• Although he is not identified by name until his appearance in season 3, this episode marks the first appearance of Ta'Lon, a Narn who becomes a student of G'Kar and eventually an important figure in Babylon 5 (played by Marshall Teague).
• Hague reinforces Sheridan's belief that the Psi Corps is running the clandestine operation on Earth
• Kosh is aware of Sheridan's capture, and there is some sort of mental connection between the two.

References

External links

• All Alone in the Night at The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5