“Falling Towards Apotheosis” is episode four of season four of Babylon 5.
In the previous episode, “The Summoning”, Captain Sheridan returned, accompanied by Lorien, putting a lie to the statement that no-one returns from Z’ha’dum. Sheridan explained what Lorien had told him. That of the First Ones, the Shadows and the Vorlons remained behind to guide the younger races. But each with different ideas as to how to encourage their growth. They initially respected each others’ ideas but, for some reason, ending up going to war. The Vorlon fleet is now on the move and has already destroyed a world; the Vorlons plan to eliminate anything touched by the Shadows.
This episode opens with the message ‘Please Stand By. Incoming Transmission’ then Ivanova appears with an update on the continuing crisis. Two more deep space colonies have been eliminated by the Vorlons; their largest ship would appear to be a planet-killer. Many refugees are on the move and Ivanova urges everyone to please remain calm, as fear is their greatest enemy. People do not appear all that calm though. A woman is looking for her husband and falls to the floor. No-one helps until a hand reaches down. It is Sheridan’s, and he is accompanied by Lorien. Everyone does quiet seeing the man who has returned from where no-one does. Sheridan hands the woman over to Zack. When he leaves, the woman asks Zack if it’s true that Sheridan came back from the dead. Zack no longer knows what’s true around here. Sheridan and Lorien have a conversation, rather abbreviated in some ways, as if they have a connection. That people need to believe, but not in Sheridan, that he cannot save them all, but will try. That he will fail, but he’ll see.
Garibaldi is in his room watching the secure cam footage of the incident when Zack arrives. Zack wants to know how the chief is feeling. Which is ready to get back to work. Garibaldi is watching the footage, even though Franklin told him to take it easy, because he needs to do something or go stir-crazy. No, he tells Zack, he isn’t keeping an eye on the captain, but on Lorien. Everywhere Sheridan goes, Lorien does as well. Garibaldi is suspicious of Lorien; is this his normal professional paranoia or something else.
Sheridan vouched for Lorien, Zack says, that Lorien saved his life on Z’ha’dum. Garibaldi thought Sheridan died there; the life saving came after that bit. Garibaldi is tired of people constantly asking if he’s alright, and no he doesn’t remember what happened. No-one is questioning the captain though. After Garibaldi’s little rant, he says that he is finished, for now, when Zack asks. Because the reason Zack came was that Ivanova wanted the chief to go see Franklin one more time. Then back to work. Garibaldi feels a little sheepish now. He also feels that Sheridan has been avoiding him ever since they both returned.
On Centauri Prime Cartagia is roaming the garden at night and has summoned Londo to see him. The emperor wants to know what Londo sees in the sky; the answer is stars. Mr Morden, who still looks distinctly the worse for wear, tells Londo he isn’t looking hard enough. The Vorlons are out there, and they have gone mad, attacking anywhere Morden’s associates have influence. Londo had heard nothing and Cartagia confirms that it is true. The information has not been widely dispersed though.
Morden explains that, after the last war, his associates hid ships on many worlds. The Vorlons are ensuring that this does not happen again. Londo is rather aghast at this, for in “The Hour of the Wolf” Shadow vessels came to Centauri Prime. There are over 100 of the ships on Londo’s homeworld, and he assumes that they will leave now. He assumes wrong. Morden is of the belief that the Vorlons will not attack Centauri Prime. Smaller colonies yes, but not there, as they lack the will. Londo does not feel this is a risk worth taking. Neither Cartagia nor Morden appear to agree with him. Morden wants a blockade of ships surrounding Centauri Prime, as the Vorlons will avoid civilian casualties.
Once Morden has left, Cartagia tells Londo that he has no intention of sending Centauri ships out there. Which sounds good. It isn’t. Cartagia tells Londo that he has come to the same conclusion as Londo has. That the reason the emperor likes Londo is because the thinks the same way as Cartagia. That is highly unlikely. Cartagia wants to show Londo something few have ever seen before. Londo discovers that what the frightened minister told him was right – Cartagia does have the severed heads of his enemies on a desk, and he talks to them. Cartagia calls the heads his shadow cabinet. The emperor plans to turn Centauri Prime into an inauguration pyre to celebrate his ascension to godhood. After all, how would their world survive without him, and anyone who followed would be inferior. So Cartagia plans to put them out of their misery by letting it burn. It is really doubtful that Londo is thinking anything at all along those lines.
Back on Babylon 5, Dr Franklin is examining Garibaldi. He has one more test to carry out, and fits a device to Garibaldi’s head. The doctor is checking for scarring, to see if Garibaldi might have been programmed for use in a Shadow vessel, but he’s clean. Franklin wants to know what Garibaldi thinks happened; the chief thinks his Starfury got caught in the backwash when the Shadows jumped to hyperspace. After that, he doesn’t know. Franklin tells the chief that he is ready to go back to work; Garibaldi has another memory flash, but doesn’t mention it. He might not know what happened, but he is getting flashes of it. After Garibaldi leaves, Sheridan arrives wanting to know if there have been any results on his tests. A matter that comes up again close to the end. On one of the screens, Ivanova is announcing that another colony has probably fallen to the Vorlons. This is not the last update of its type.
Sheridan is watching Ivanova on a screen when Delenn arrives in his quarters. He asks Delenn if she heard it – Ivanova is afraid. The captain has known Ivanova, on and off, for about 10 years, and has never heard her afraid before. This is the first time they have been alone since Sheridan returned, and Delenn was afraid he was lost, and it was her fault. She was also afraid that he would come back and not forgive Delenn for hiding the truth about Anna. It seems that Sheridan has forgiven Delenn though.
At a meeting in the War Room, Ivanova is telling them that there are a heck of a lot of ships. Not just warships, but refugees as well. Franklin says that Medlab is jammed as well. Garibaldi thinks that in a few days the wounded will be the least of their problems. For Babylon 5 will be the only place that races will be able to find their own kind, so they will all come. The refugees think they can do something but Garibaldi is of the opinion that nothing can stop the Vorlon fleet from doing anything they want. The station’s capacity is a quarter of a million people, and they are already past that and people keep on coming.
Franklin is suggesting shipping people down to Epsilon 3, including a portable Medlab. The Vorlons shouldn’t attack the planet as it has never been influenced by the Shadows. Sheridan arrives during this and agrees that this is a good idea. He tells Garibaldi they have a security problem – the new Vorlon ambassador. As long as the Vorlon is here and reporting back to his homeworld, they can’t do what is needed to stop the attacks. And no, he can’t tell Garibaldi what this is. No-one knows how telepathic the Vorlons are, which is why Garibaldi has been kept out of the strategy sessions. What he doesn’t know can’t be read in his mind. Garibaldi sarcastically asks if he’s just supposed to go up to the Vorlon and ask him to leave. Apparently yes. No, not with a full tac team, just a few people he can trust. The chief leaves, talking to himself, and Ivanova asks if Garibaldi is even crankier than usual.
Lyta and Lorien arrive after Garibaldi has gone. She is ready for something. Lorien explains that the Shadows were able to kill Kosh in “Interludes and Examinations” because they are both First Ones. They have never seen a Vorlon enraged and they are more powerful than they know. With millions of lives at risk, Sheridan is going to take on the Vorlon any way he can. And has a plan. In fact, the Vorlons are so tough it’s astonishing that Kosh was actually injured so easily back in “The Gathering”.
Londo also reaches out to Sheridan for information, given that Cartagia is keeping things close to his chest. He is starting a plan to deal with the clearly bonkers emperor before he gets Centauri Prime destroyed in his pursuit of godhood.