Deathwalker

"Deathwalker" is an episode from the first season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.

Synopsis

Na'Toth spots a Dilgar woman disembarking from a Minbari ship, and reacts violently, attacking the woman, whom she calls "Deathwalker". Na'Toth explains that the woman is a war criminal responsible for a series of experiments on Na'Toth's grandfather and other people, that ended with most of them dying over 30 years ago, and she took an oath to kill the Deathwalker. In Medlab, Dr. Franklin reports her body is healing itself very quickly. Sinclair tells Franklin she is a Dilgar, who were mostly wiped out in the Dilgar War, and those that survived died when their sun went nova.

The records show Deathwalker was an epithet given to Warmaster Jha'dur, who was the infamous leader of the Dilgar invasion of the non-aligned sectors in 2230. It also shows she is a specialist in biochemical, biogenetic, and cyber-organic weapons. Her body appears too young to be the Deathwalker, and too old to be her daughter.

Sinclair is contacted by Senator Hidoshi, who wants Sinclair to send Jha'dur to Earth as soon as possible. In Medlab Jha'dur wakes, and is angry with Franklin who is analyzing the drug, which she says is her life's work.

She confirms to Sinclair that she is the person known as Deathwalker, and says that she created a universal anti-agapic drug that cures disease and retards the aging process in all humanoid life forms. The drug is currently unstable and difficult to produce, but Sinclair can see the results.

G'Kar meets with Jha'dur, who came to B5 to deal with a senior official from Narn regarding her discovery. She offers to give the drug to the Narn, but only on the condition that Na'Toth is executed and her remains presented to her. G'Kar refuses.

Sinclair prepares to escort Jha'dur off the station to Earth, but G'Kar has told the League of Non-Aligned Worlds about her presence, and a delegation demands Jha'dur be turned over to them to stand trial. Sinclair, in an attempt to stall for time, suggests instead that the B5 council debate the matter and hold a vote regarding a war crimes trial.

During the council vote, Londo votes "No", claiming the Centauri had no quarrel with the Dilgar. G'Kar states that the Narn will vote "Yes", but only on the condition that the trial is held on Narn. When the League objects, G'Kar responds by voting "No". Sinclair, on behalf of Earth, votes "Yes". Ambassador Kosh refuses to attend, on behalf of the Vorlons. Lennier, representing the Minbari, votes "No". This means the vote is 3 to 2 against with 1 abstention.

The tension aboard the station increases when League warships arrive and threaten B5 if Jha'dur is not handed over. Sinclair manages to reach a compromise, in which Jha'dur will go to Earth, and then after she has finished helping them with the drug, she will be released to the League for a trial.

However just before she departs, Jha'dur smugly informs Sinclair there is a price to her immortality medication: The essential components are fatally derived from the bodies of beings of the same species of the recipient. With a sadistic glee, she predicts that the various species will turn on each other internally and ravenously for immortality. "Not like us? You will become us." However, before it can reach the jump gate, a Vorlon ship comes through and destroys Jha'dur's ship. When Sinclair confronts Kosh about why the Vorlon attacked, he simply states that "You are not ready for immortality".

Production details

• The Windswords were the warrior clan involved in the events in the pilot. It is established that during the war between the Minbari and Humans, the Windswords offered the Minbari many new weapons, now known to have been developed by Jha'Dur.

External links

• Deathwalker at The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5