“No Surrender, No Retreat” is episode fifteen of season four of Babylon 5.
The episode opens with White Stars arriving at Babylon 5 with Sheridan saying ‘Enough is enough.’ In the previous episode, “Moments of Transition”, footage was received of EarthForce vessels firing on civilian ships full of refugees. So Sheridan has decided to finally start the offensive against President Clark. The War Room looks to becoming a War Room again and other preparations are underway.
Vir meets Londo on the way to the council chambers. G’Kar is already there and the ambassadors of other worlds are arriving as well. Ivanova tells Sheridan that they are waiting, and they enter the chambers as well. Since the White Star fleet started patrolling the borders of the worlds, attacks by raiders and others are down 70%. The ambassadors agree that they are happy with this. Now, there is a price to pay. In the latest attack, Clark’s forces killed 10,000 civilians as an example to others.
Most of the governments represented have mutual defence treaties with Earth. In exchange for the White Star patrols, Sheridan is declaring those treaties null and void. G’Kar stands and says he doesn’t have a problem with this. The Narn Regime supplied weapons to Earth during the Minbari war, promising help when the Narns needed it. Then did nothing. So they are owed nothing in return.
Sheridan says that Clark’s propaganda machine is whipping up anti-alien hysteria, and sooner or later this will have an effect on the others. Sheridan wants everyone to contribute one destroyer-class ship to help defend the station, as their people will need to be protected. Beyond that, Sheridan just wants the other races to not get involved. Do not respond to any request from the Earth Alliance for anything but humanitarian aid, and do not get in the way. Earth stands alone.
Marcus arrives on the station and runs to see Sheridan and Ivanova in the War Room. He has a crystal with the most current fleet deployments around Proxima 3. Clark has stationed three Omega class destroyers between Proxima 3 and the jump gate. The colony is close to surrender as they are out of nearly everything. Which is why they are trying to escape.
Marcus has IDs on the ships. Both the Heracles and the Pollux have new captains and both have attacked civilians. Sheridan wants to know if any ships have avoided attacking civilian targets; they lack that information. Sheridan wants to know which ships they need to destroy and which they might not. If they have to take any other ships out, they will have to. Once they are in, they are in. No surrender, no retreat. Sheridan also wants Dr Franklin to get as many of the telepaths rescued from the Shadows in “Ship of Tears” up and mobile as he can manage. Not for this operation, but soon.
Vir is dozing in Londo’s quarters when the door sounds several times. He jolts awake, claiming that he didn’t do it, then realises it was just a dream. Garibaldi is looking for Londo, as he has business in Centauri space. Londo is having a meeting – with G’Kar as it happens. Garibaldi hadn’t heard about the new campaign to take back Earth, which Vir divulges. Garibaldi isn’t interested in joining back up either, as he doesn’t like how Sheridan does things. Vir replies that he and, well, most everyone, don’t like how Londo does things. But sometimes he’s right. So Vir will give him the benefit of the doubt. Garibaldi is going to fight in his own way.
Most of the White Stars are ready for Sheridan’s orders. Three are en route to Earth; he wants two to come out of hyperspace near Mars and one near Earth. Which will trigger the early warning systems, cause Clark to call in all of his ships and they will be out of the way for when the attack on Proxima 3 goes through. Sheridan hopes some of the destroyers join their side. At Proxima 3, a Starfury leaves the Heracles to go through the jump gate. Marcus is in command of some White Stars that the scout fails to see. He contacts the resistance on the planet, who send him information on which ships have avoided attacking civilian targets.
Sheridan briefs his crews, as they now have new information. The Heracles and the Pollux are to be considered hostile. The Nemesis and the Vesta have gone to great lengths to avoid firing on civilian targets. The other two destroyers they are unsure of. Sheridan wants to minimise casualties on the other side, so they are to avoid firing on those ships unless fired upon first. A soldier’s job is, though, to destroy the enemy and come home alive, so if they have to fire, fire. In C&C, Lieutenant Corwin asks Ivanova about the new paintjob on White Star 2. Which now sports Babylon 5 symbols. He asks if that won’t mean the enemy will know which is Sheridan. That, says Ivanova, is the general idea. So, the Babylon 5 ships are heading off to attack EarthForce, with crews at least some of them will have served with. Civil wars are messy. Plus they don’t necessarily know which way any ship will jump.
Londo’s meeting with G’Kar is in G’Kar’s quarters, which Londo says are like Narn – dry, red and depressing. G’Kar apologises for the lack of chains. Londo catches himself and says they always behave the same way, but he came to talk, not spar. The last year has been difficult for both of them – harder for G’Kar, Londo admits. He knows G’Kar did what he did for the Narns, not the Centauri, but in doing so he helped Londo’s people. For which Londo thanks him. Even if G’Kar doesn’t want to be thanked.
Londo continues, saying that he and G’Kar are not friends, never have been friends and never will be friends, but Londo regrets his choices. The Centauri Republic will not remain neutral in the war with Earth. Londo has had words with his government, who will throw official support behind Sheridan. Londo would like G’Kar to do the same. Londo may not know who the enemy is any longer, but he knows who his friends are, and he has not done as well by them as he should. He would like to drink with G’Kar, a toast to the humans and to a better future for both their worlds. G’Kar does not appear to be interested. But will his dislike of Londo and the Centauri keep him disinterested?