“Endgame” is episode twenty of season four of Babylon 5.
In the previous episode, “Between the Darkness and the Light”, Sheridan was rescued from Mars – with Garibaldi’s help. Ivanova had taken the White Star fleet to take on Clark’s elite destroyers, which had been upgraded with Shadow technology. She was successful, but in the process Ivanova herself was gravely injured, with the prognosis being terminal. She asked Sheridan to do a favour for her. Which was to be in command of his old ship, the Agamemnon, in the final thrust towards Earth.
The massed fleet, including the ships of the League, are in hyperspace. Marcus is with the injured Ivanova when Delenn enters. The transport has arrived to take Ivanova back to Babylon 5. It is too dangerous to keep her there, as they are almost at Mars. Marcus says that Ivanova would want to be there for the battle, unconscious or not. Delenn says that the station can do what is best for Ivanova, Yes, she is dying, but they can make her final hours comfortable.
On Mars, Dr Franklin is narrating his personal log as the resistance forces are getting ready. They are starting the final strike to free Earth and Mars. A woman in Earthforce uniform approaches Franklin, Number One and Lyta. They want her to smuggle the cryounits containing the telepaths who were rescued in “Ship of Tears” onboard the Earth destroyers. She had expected to smuggle weapons and bombs, not people. One cryounit needs smuggling on each ship and there are 30 in total. Number One hopes that Franklin knows what he is doing.
Garibaldi is scouting the secondary target, a base of some sort. He has some others with him and radios in that they are going to move in on foot. A shuttle takes off from the base and rendezvous with Earth destroyers in orbit around Mars. More shuttles leave and, in a bunker around the target, a man is saying that Sheridan won’t stand a chance. A woman he is speaking to grabs a breathing mask when his back is turned and he tries to contact another station. With no luck. The woman pulls a weapon on him and Garibaldi and the others breach the door. They now control the perimeter of the base. Lyta, Franklin and Number One are there as well. Franklin ahs a headset to attach to Lyta.
On the Agamemnon, Sheridan contacts the rest of the fleet. They are one jump away from more trouble than most of those present will have seen before – and, hopefully, than they will again. They need to take out the bases on Mars before moving on to Earth. The White Star fleet and the Earth destroyers will lead the way. The League will provide tactical support and defence, only engaging if fired on. They are simply waiting the word from Garibaldi.
On the Apollo, the flagship of the Earth fleet, the captain is telling the general, Lefcourt, that all the supplies are onboard. Something has been detected in hyperspace, but the fleet isn’t going to enter. Every battle in hyperspace has gone badly for both sides. Lefcourt explains to the captain, when he asks, that he took over because he is of the old school. A soldier doesn’t take arms against his own government. No matter how justified the reason. Plus Sheridan was his student at the academy. Lefcourt doesn’t seem happy about doing his duty, but is doing it.
Franklin is finishing with Lyta, who needs to go outside so that there are no obstacles between her and the targets. When she exits, Garibaldi sends a signal to the fleet. Marcus is talking to Lennier about Ivanova; he thinks that maybe someone on Babylon 5 can help. Lennier answers – too quickly – saying there is nothing usable on the station. Then Garibaldi contacts them. Their White Star is going to exit hyperspace inside the atmosphere. Something that needs exact coordinates; Franklin hopes Garibaldi hasn’t confused latitude and longitude. Which it sounds like he has done before. The ship successfully exits hyperspace and shoots up the base.
Lefcourt, on hearing about the attack, orders the ships to remain clear of the planet. He’s sure Sheridan is up to something though. Sheridan himself contacts Lyta and tells her to do it. Inside the bunker, Franklin explains that the telepaths will awaken on the ships. They will seek out the nearest computers to merge with them, taking that destroyer out of the action, meaning it is out of the fight and won’t need shooting up, and the people in it killing. Franklin isn’t exactly happy about using them this way, but to remove the Shadow technology implanted in them he needs Earth’s resources.
So, the final battle against Clark is now underway. Marcus’s conversation with Lennier ahs got him thinking. He’s sure that Lennier knew something, but didn’t tell everything. Lennier didn’t lie, but he didn’t elaborate on everything. So Marcus pokes around and discovers something.