“Point of No Return” is episode nine of season three of Babylon 5.
Londo is reading a report that Vir has written about the Minbari, and is telling him that it’s totally inappropriate and it needs doing again. Vir replies that he spent weeks working on the report, that he has gone without sleep and checked every single detail to make sure it is absolutely accurate. Londo says he’s sure it is – and that’s the problem. Londo wants the wording of the report changed so that the Minbari sound bad.
Vir complains that Londo does this to him every time. Londo insists that he is trying to help. Vir’s report is going to be circulated amongst the royal court, and Londo says it needs to make the Minbari look less civilised than the Centauri. Vir doesn’t understand, as he though the purpose of the report was to provide accurate intelligence. Londo informs him that intelligence has nothing to do with politics. Which, sadly, is probably true.
At this point Vir essentially loses his temper and says he is going to get some sleep. Then Londo gets a message from Centauri Prime and he tells Vir to stay, for it is one he has been waiting for. Londo is informed that Lady Morella (Majel Barrett) has agreed to his request and is going to arrive at Babylon 5 with her entourage very shortly.
Afterwards, Londo tells Vir that Lady Morella was the Emperor Turhan’s third wife – Turhan died in “The Coming of Shadows” -and it’s important that she sees how the treaty with the Earth Alliance is going and to give her a tour of the station. Londo says that things must go smoothly. A bad thing to say. When he opens his door, Londo sees people rushing around. He stops a random Minbari and asks what happened and is informed that the Earth Alliance has just declared martial law. President Clark did that in the previous episode, “Messages from Earth”, probably to stop the senate investigating his complicity in the death of President Santiago.
Sheridan and Ivanova are speaking to Lt. General O’Reilly on Earth. He tells them that things are out of control. Clark has issued an executive order dissolving the senate – if a chief executive can do that legally, there is something very wrong with your constitution – and half of the senators are on the run. Others are under arrest and the rest of them are hiding out, trying to get support from the military under the constitution. Things do not look good.
General Hague was on his way back from Io when things went to hell, and no-one has heard from him since Monday. There’s an explosion from somewhere outside O’Reilly’s office. He looks and tells them that the Elite Guard has just opened fire on the senate building. Hague’s last message had one for Sheridan in it ‘Everything’s gone to hell John. God help us all. You’re on your own.’ Things are very bad.
In C&C, Sheridan tells the staff that, in response to allegations of conspiracy against the government, Clark has declared martial law on Earth. Mars and Io have been given similar restrictions. Babylon 5 hasn’t yet, but it will be coming soon. All channels to Earth are blacked out, bar the Gold Channels which are for official military business only. Other governments may take this chance to move against the station. Corwin asks the captain what they did wrong; he replies that he doesn’t now.
Afterwards, Sheridan and Ivanova bump into Garibaldi in the corridor. He tells them that there is a nine system alert out for General Hague. If Hague can get enough big ships to follow him, he could go toe-to-toe with Clark. If Hague is caught, those on the station will be next. Hague may try and make it to the station. Garibaldi says it’s bad and Sheridan replies that he’s never seen it worse.
Zack is watching the news from Earth when the Nightwatch liaison (Vaughn Armstrong) comes in and turns it off. He tells Zack that there is a Nightwatch meeting at 1100 hours and he needs to make time to be there. It’s important, and if Zack sees any other members of the Nightwatch, he is to tell them as well. And not to put it on the link or tell anyone outside the Nightwatch – especially the chief. And to bring extra caps for his PPG; hopefully they won’t be needed, but you never know. Sounds like the purge may be starting.
G’Kar is singing again when Garibaldi opens his cell. The chief tells G’Kar to get out of here. G’Kar thought he still had three weeks to serve for attacking Londo in “Dust to Dust”. Garibaldi replies that he needs his people out there, not inside guarding G’Kar. Besides, everything’s gone to hell so what difference does it make. G’Kar had heard and tells the chief that he might have something for him in a little while. When the time is right.
Lady Morella’s vessel is docking with the station and Londo is not happy. Vir asks what makes the lady so important. Londo tells him that it’s not widely known, but the Emperor Turhan’s third wife was a prophetess, a seer. Londo wants her to tell him if what he sees for his destiny is true. Vir asks if Londo wants to know if it will all happen the way he sees it. Londo replies no, he wants Lady Morella to tell him it won’t. When Lady Morella arrives, she asks why there are no Earth officials waiting to greet her. Londo replies that they are tied up in a local problem.
Sheridan, Ivanova and Garibaldi have a channel open to another EarthForce officer, General Smits. The general tells Sheridan that neither his, nor Sheridan’s, opinion mean anything. Their job is to follow the chain of command from the commander-in-chief. Smits has orders that he is sure Sheridan is not going to like, but he’s been assured that they are temporary measures. The political office has assigned all off-planet security to Nightwatch personnel exclusively. Elsewhere, the Nightwatch meeting is going on, and the liaison is telling the security personnel that every branch of government has been infiltrated by people acting against the best interests of Earth. Well, not every branch, but the office of the president, the Psi Corps and some of the senate definitely have. Except that’s not what he is referring to. The Nightwatch, those in and those who wish to join, will be assigned to find the traitors and root them out by whatever means they think is appropriate (which is an appallingly bad order). That Babylon 5 belongs to the Nightwatch.
G’Kar returns to his quarters and finds Ta’Lon standing outside. By the sounds of it, he’s been there, waiting for G’Kar, since G’Kar was incarcerated. Ta’Lon saw an opportunity to repay his debt and did not want to miss it. G’Kar’s vision under the influence of Dust has changed how he sees things. And he says that the humans are key, and the Narns need to help them.
Some of security are joining the Nightwatch, some are not. Garibaldi is not best pleased, and heads to confront them, even though Sheridan says there has to be a better way. He just doesn’t know what it is. The station is going to go under martial law as well, and trouble is breaking out on it. Back in Sol System, EarthForce ships are firing at each other. Things are getting very, very bad. There is another way to deal with things, as Sheridan thought, but it’s probably only going to be a temporary solution at best.
Lady Morella reveals things to Londo. And to Vir. One of which greatly disturbs both of them.