“Into the Fire” is episode six of season four of Babylon 5.
Ivanova is on one of the White Stars, having been despatched along with Lorien in the previous episode, “The Long Night”, to find the remaining First Ones. She is getting impatient, saying that there are less than 24 hours to get back to Babylon 5 before the conflict the battle Sheridan has engineered both the Shadows and the Vorlons to participate in. Ivanova tells Lorien that they have been waiting for two hours and have to move on. That there are no more First Ones; they have five which is enough. Lorien replies that there is time for one more, the last. It is important to have them all. To keep sending the signal. Ivanova will for ten more minutes, then they are leaving.
Sheridan’s plan is to attack Vorlon targets to delay them long enough to put the combined fleet between the Shadows and the Vorlons. Lorien thinks it’s a brilliant strategy. Brave, possibly futile, but very human. At this point the last of the First Ones appears. Lorien tells Ivanova that he will introduce her to them, they are almost as old as the Vorlons. They have not spoken to anyone outside their own race for centuries. Ivanova asks if they will remember Lorien; he tells her yes. Ivanova hopes the captain is okay.
The White Star fleet is currently attacking, and destroying, a Vorlon observation post. Once this is done. Sheridan orders the fleet to proceed to the rendezvous. There are a lot of ships in hyperspace. Thousands of ships from over two dozen races, working together for the very first time. Win or lose, Sheridan plans to go down fighting.
Lyta tells Marcus that she heard some Vorlons will approach striking distance of Centauri Prime at the same time the fleet will reach Coriana VI. She wants to know why they are here, not an Centauri Prime. Marcus replies that there are six billion people on Coriana VI. There are only three billion on Centauri Prime. They have enough ships to make a stand at one, so which would you choose? It comes to numbers; cold, unsympathetic numbers. Marcus hopes that they have pulled enough Vorlons in to give the Centauri a fighting chance, or that the Centauri have got rid of any Shadow influence by now. Otherwise Marcus does not give two cents for the Centauri’s chances.
Londo, now Prime Minister, is back on Centauri Prime, and the rather flustered minister is telling him they tried to get everything Londo wanted in place, but he gave them so little time. And, with the death of Cartagia, they are all in mourning. Londo tells the minister they will be mourning the entire planet, for the Vorlons will be there in twelve hours. He wants to speak to the ministers of War, Transport and Security in ten minutes. And to get rid of everyone who worked for Cartagia. Londo then – accidentally – sits on the throne, something he isn’t supposed to do. Londo tells Vir that there is very little time and much work ahead of them. And they must find Mr Morden and give him the bad news.
On Sheridan’s White Star, Delenn relays a message from Ivanova, saying that the commander has found all the First Ones. Ivanova wanted to follow but Delenn asked her to wait for confirmation. Because with so many ships, one more will not turn the tide. Sheridan promised Ivanova she would be there for the end, and he owes her that. So the captain asks Delenn to relay a message to Ivanova telling her to haul ass. Delenn goes to do so, poking fun at another human phrase as she does.
Ivanova is hurriedly packing in her quarters on Babylon 5 when Lorien arrives. After a comment about his immortality, Lorien replies that he isn’t immortal. His race can die, through illness or injury. When Ivanova asks where the rest of Lorien’s race are, he tells her they fell ill and died. Or got injured and died. The rest went away. He is the last, as he was the first. Ivanova is sceptical on the subject; Lorien says she listens to her mind, not what her heart tells her. Ivanova and her heart don’t speak any more. Lorien has noticed.
Ivanova says that, assume Lorien was the first intelligent being, there was no chance he or his race could have discovered immortality. That was because they didn’t; they were born naturally immortal. Everything dies – now. For the first, they were balanced by their low birth rate. To appreciate life, to change and grow, meant that life had to be short. The races that followed Lorien’s grew old, became infirm and died. They discovered the Vorlons and the Shadows as infant races, helped nourish them and the other First Ones. Who died, or passed beyond the Rim. Lorien has lived too long, seen too much. To live so long means knowing that love and companionship are transitory and of the moment. Only those who die believe that love is eternal. Lorien thinks that Ivanova should embrace that, for he feels it is the younger races’ greatest gift.
On Centauri Prime, one of the ministers, Durano, comes to Londo’s quarters. He has something to discuss, a personal, private matter, and closes the doors. Londo wants to know what the Ministry of Intelligence wants with him. Durano continues. Several months ago, someone close to Londo was murdered – Adira, in “Interludes and Examinations”. By poison. Durano considers details to be important. This death was preceded by rumours that Londo had attempted to poison Lord Refa. Emperor Cartagia asked Durano to look into the matter, and he continued the investigation even after Refa’s death in “And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place”. Cartagia did not like things left unfinished.
Durano gave his final report to Cartagia, who said that Londo was to know nothing about it as long as Cartagia was alive. As Cartagia is now dead, well. Londo says that Refa was responsible for Adira’s death as he wanted to punish Londo. Durano agrees that yes, Refa did want to punish Londo. And yes, the poison was of Centauri origin. But it was Mr Morden who commissioned Adira’s murder, not Refa, in order to guarantee Morden’s position by having Londo turn to Morden for support in the hope of evening the score. Which Londo did. After Durano leaves, Londo says that Morden played him. He’s a little upset. As in his room will need some new furniture.
In hyperspace, Ivanova is very impatient and tells the Minbari crew to go faster. The ship opens fire on nothing. Lorien tells her that what she just ordered the crew to do was continuous fire. He also tells her that patience is a weapon when used properly. They cannot win through force; they must understand their way out. Sheridan knows that, but it remains to be seen whether Sheridan knows that he knows. Sometimes you can tell Lorien’s people taught the Vorlons.
At Coriana VI, Sheridan is looking at the assembled fleet. He says it’s not bad. They still can’t win, but not bad. Marcus and Lyta have arrived and Marcus questions the ‘can’t win’ bit. The captain tells him no, not against both the Vorlons and the Shadows. Marcus wants to know what they are doing there then if they can’t win. Hoping the truth will set them free. Before it kills them. Nuclear devices have been planted on nearby asteroids. Sheridan tells Lyta that when she came after the captain at Z’ha’dum in “The Hour of the Wolf” she made contact with the Shadows. They need that advantage.
Morden is brought before Londo by two guards. He is healed from the damage he suffered in “Z’ha’dum” but is definitely not happy. Londo tells Mordent that the Vorlon ships and planet killer will arrive in a matter of hours. They have been wiping out any colony or outpost that has been influenced by the Shadows. Cartagia gave Morden’s associates an island to place their ships on. The emperor is now dead so Morden will get his associates to remove their ships. Morden replies that there are three billion people on Centauri Prime; the Vorlons will never attack a civilian population that big. The ships stay. Londo accuses Londo, and the Shadows, of being afraid.
The two guards who brought Morden in step away from him. Londo wants to make sure they speak privately, and tells Morden not to move. There are two armed guards next to Londo, who open fire at the two Shadows that accompany Morden, cloaked, killing them both. Morden accuses Londo of being insane. Londo replies that any other day, Morden would be wrong. But today is a very different day. This is Morden’s last chance. Remove the ships.
Morden will not remove them. Londo doesn’t frighten him. If they attack the ships, they will lose. Londo agrees that the ships are very impressive in the air and in space. But at this moment they are on the ground. Morden tells him that the Shadow vessels will sense any approaching ship from miles away. So what’s Londo going to do? Blow up the island? Well, now that you mention it. Londo removes a remote from his coat and activates it. Several nuclear weapons detonate on the island. Most of the people were evacuated during the night, but a few stayed to keep up the illusion of presence. They knew what was being asked of them. Londo hoped that there would be another way, that Morden would be reasonable. As Morden is dragged off to a cell he tells Londo that even if his associates lose the war, they have allies who will make sure that Centauri Prime pays the price for what Londo has done. Given the glimpse of the future seen in “War Without End: Part Two”, that looks to be true. Although Vir does get to give a wave. Just like this.
Ivanova arrives at Coriana VI and is talking to Sheridan when Lyta tells them she thinks they’re coming. Lots of Shadows appear. Followed by lots of Vorlons. And a really big fight erupts. A three-sided one at that.