“Darkness Ascending” is episode fifteen of season five of Babylon 5.
The episode opens with an injured-looking Garibaldi looking around a wrecked station filled with dead. Sheridan has a message next to him, saying ‘You failed me’; Zack one saying ‘Where were you?’ Dr Franklin appears and says that they needed him, they couldn’t stop them. Then he is shot and killed. This is followed by a laugh and Garibaldi demands to know who is out there. No-one, is the reply; they did it all by themselves. The shooter is another Garibaldi. In case it wasn’t clear, this is a dream. Something starts covering Garibaldi up and his doppelganger tells him not to fight it; the more he fights, the stronger it gets.
When the substance completely covers Garibaldi, he jolts awake. To find a glowing-eyed Lyta sitting on his bed. Now, that’s not creepy at all. Lyta states she has decided to stop hiding what the Vorlons did to her, and has been testing to see what she can do, how far she can go. Garibaldi shouldn’t have woken up. This is just a dream, it never happened. Garibaldi wakes, again, this time with no Lyta, Then the door opens revealing a woman.
This woman is actually Lise. Garibaldi gave her the passcode, just before he left for Babylon 5. When he said he was only going to stay a few weeks, to get things sorted, then would be right back. Meanwhile, here’s his key if she ever wants to come visit. She figured she’d surprise him. Garibaldi asks if she saw anyone leave. Such as another woman, Lise suggests. Garibaldi hopes not. Lise thinks he looks like hell and usually wakes earlier.
Delenn is in Sheridan’s office collecting some papers when C&C contacts, asking if she is there. She has a message from Lennier, who Delenn sent out looking for evidence about the attacks in the previous episode, “Meditations on the Abyss”. There have been more attacks. Totally random; no witnesses, no evidence. But 20 hours prior to each they have picked up coded Centauri signals, which Lennier believes could be instructions for the attacks. He could probably decode them, in time. Lennier asks if Sheridan knows yet. No, he’s been too busy. Cue Sheridan appearing in his office doorway. He ducks aside so he can overhear without being seen.
Lyta is trying to convince the representative of a company to use her telepaths on their long-range explorer ships. In quantities that would give them an advantage no-one else has. The Psi Corps is stingy with their telepaths; Lyta can provide one to two hundred. All Lyta wants in return is a liveable planet with no other lifeforms for a colony. Unfortunately, the company has a contract with the Psi Corps, and insurance, that means that they can’t hire rogues. What Lyta wants is beyond the capabilities of his company, or any of the others. She needs someone with a lot more resources and no contractual obligations to the Psi Corps. He wishes her luck finding such. Lyta gets an immediate idea, and sets up a meeting with G’Kar.
Vir is briefing Londo; the royal court is wanting information that they have never wanted before. Londo thinks it doesn’t make sense. Vir gave up trying to make sense of things a long time ago. And that’s all the business. Everyone else has cancelled. Vir assumed that this was because everything had been cancelled because of the attacks. Londo says this is the day to day business that goes on anyway. It’s as if the other races don’t trust the Centauri. Vir doesn’t think anyone trusts anyone currently. Londo considers that to be the natural order, but this is still strange.
Montoya, the captain of Lennier’s White Star, comes in to see him. Lennier has decoded three words of the transmissions – ‘Do not reply.’ He thinks they may be being sent from a ship to a hidden base. A base would be vulnerable, if it could be located. But, Montoya says, with no transmissions, the base can’t be tracked. However, Lennier thinks they could still track down the tachyon channel that is being kept open. But it appears Sheridan has ordered them to return home.
Sheridan starts having a go at Delenn, as it was inappropriate for her to send Lennier out without telling him. She agrees, utterly taking the wind out of his sails. She says it was inappropriate for her to not tell him, but it was inappropriate for him not to assign Lennier. She has admitted her mistake; now Sheridan should admit his. Lennier is the perfect candidate to investigate. Delenn did it to give Sheridan deniability, and he’s defensive because she’s right. Then Montoya contacts them. Lennier took a fighter out and is missing. They can’t find him. Lennier has decided to track the tachyon signal himself, which is more than a little dangerous, as his fighter does not have a lot of air.
Lise discovers that Garibaldi is drinking again. She isn’t happy, as alcohol has ruined his life twice. Garibaldi claims he isn’t the same person, and this time he’s in control. She wants proof; don’t drink whilst she’s on the station. Garibaldi agrees, but he’s only successful at hiding his drinking from her and demonstrating he isn’t in control.
Lyta, when she meets with G’Kar, brings up an offer he made back in “The Gathering”. The Narns have no telepaths, and it was revealed in “Ship of Tears” that this was because the Shadows killed them all. G’Kar wanted Lyta’s DNA, either a sample or a direct mating. G’Kar seems to be a combination of embarrassed over the latter part, and sad to have missed it, because things have changed. Lyta wants to know if the offer is still open; the first part. She can give him the DNA of hundreds of telepaths, if the Narn Regime agree to help her people find a planet.
Lise is concerned about some things she has discovered about her late husband’s corporation. War appears to be looming and, as Londo says, ‘This is going to be bad.’