“Rising Star” is episode twenty-one of season four of Babylon 5.
In the previous episode, “Endgame”, Clark had killed himself before could be arrested, although he did try to wipe out the rest of the population as well. Marcus had found Dr Franklin’s recordings about the alien healing machine from “The Quality of Mercy” and hooked himself and Ivanova up to it.
This episode opens with an ISN report. It covers Clark’s suicide, with an image of his shrouded body in his office with a sign saying ‘Traitor to Earth’ on it and the ‘Scorched Earth’ note he made. Sheridan has surrendered to Earthforce and a closed session is determining how he will answer for his actions. Susanna Luchenko of the Russian Consortium is the acting president and is speaking to reporters, telling people to remain calm and not act out of revenge against those responsible for the pain and suffering. To allow the courts and legal system to separate the guilty from the frightened. She also mentions that their thoughts are with Ivanova. Franklin is on a White Star heading back to Babylon 5 urging it to go faster. In Medlab, a couple of personnel enter and find Marcus and Ivanova, Marcus slumped over her body.
When Franklin arrives, he is told that Ivanova is stable. after a fashion. Marcus is essentially dead. Ivanova is sitting crying when Franklin finds her. She asks why Marcus did it. She didn’t want him to do it, she never would have asked him to. Franklin thinks that Marcus got access to his coded log entries, in which he said the machine was too dangerous. When Ivanova was dying, she says she heard a voice saying ‘I love you.’ She thought it was God and that he really did have an English accent like in the old movies. Ivanova says she always had a problem with relationships, and had given up on them. Until Marcus.
On the station, Londo approaches G’Kar who tells him he is late. Londo tells G’Kar that no, G’Kar is early. G’Kar replies that he is never premature. A poor choice of words which Londo uses against him. When Vir arrives, both tell him he’s late. He has some state business to discuss; Londo asks G’Kar to go on ahead. They can discuss G’Kar’s problem on the way to Earth. When G’Kar leaves, Londo tells Vir that he and G’Kar are developing a very strange relationship. Vir has received a message from homeworld. The Regent is ill – as in soon to die – and the royal court wants Londo to be emperor. Londo is not as thrilled by that idea as Vir expects, or as he might once have been.
Sheridan is in a room by himself when Bester enters; he had claimed to be an old friend. He wants to speak privately with Sheridan. Sheridan tells Bester he knows what he did; Garibaldi told him. He asks what happened to the vials taken from Edgars’ safe in “The Face of the Enemy”. Bester denies knowing anything but, if there was an anti-telepath virus, it would have been destroyed. The antidote would be kept safe though. It’s also Garibaldi’s word against Bester’s and a telepath would have to be brought in to verify that Garibaldi is telling the truth. Said telepath, for their testimony to be accepted in an Earth court, would have to be with the Psi Corps.
Bester actually wants to know what happened to his lover, Caroline, one of the telepaths recovered in “Ship of Tears”. He wants to know if she was one of the telepaths used to disable the fleet. If she was, and she died, Sheridan will not leave the room alive. Sheridan is not impressed with this threat. Sheridan says that they only used telepaths who were single, with no family and incurable. The first two Caroline did qualify for. However, Sheridan says he knows what it’s like to lose someone, get them back then lose them again. He wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Not even Bester. Caroline is still on Babylon 5. Bester actually thanks Sheridan. Sheridan knows that Bester will keep moving his telepaths into positions of power, and start a war between telepaths and normals. Which he will lose. Assuming Bester makes it that far. Garibaldi is currently finishing up some personal business on Mars. Once he’s finished he’ll be looking for Bester. Said personal business is looking for Lise, who disappeared after Edgars’ death.
Londo and G’Kar arrive on a White Star and meet with Delenn – she already knows that Londo has been offered the job of emperor. Delenn hasn’t heard anything from Sheridan since he turned himself over to his own people. The other ambassadors of the League will be arriving shortly, but Delenn wanted to speak to Londo and G’Kar first as they have considerable influence. She wants them to see something first. G’Kar, on reading it, asks Delenn if she’s sure she wants to do this. Londo starts laughing; not because it’s funny but because he’s rarely in the presence of living history. He considers Delenn to be quite mad for even considering it. When the rest of the ambassadors arrive, Londo tells them that Delenn has a fascinating proposal for them.
On Earth, Sheridan is told by a general that they have finished their deliberations and the president wants to speak to him. Luchenko tells Sheridan that half of Earthforce wants to kiss him on both cheeks and give him the Medal of Honour. The other half wants to shoot him. As a politician, she is used to compromise. Which would be giving Sheridan the medal, then shooting him. Which has a certain appeal. lark was out of control, but the time was never right to move against him. They didn’t want to invite invasion and Clark had people everywhere. Babylon 5 was the only place he didn’t, so they were the only people who could move without Clark’s knowledge.
Still, Sheridan led an insurrection against his own government. Mutiny at best, treason at worst. It’s inconvenient. Now Luchenko has to clean up the mess, with or without Sheridan’s help. She wants him to join in a press conference where he says what he did he did for the good of Earth but in all conscience he cannot remain in Earthforce any longer and resign. He will get his pension and amnesty for his crew. The alternative is a dishonourable discharge, with court-martial, and the same for his officers. Luchenko says that Sheridan did do the right thing, but in an inconvenient way, and he now has to pay the penalty.
Delenn’s proposal has been accepted by the League ambassadors. She, G’Kar and Londo attend the press conference where Sheridan is going to resign. At which point she reveals just what the proposal was. The end of the episode sees mention of two upcoming wars. In many ways, this feels like a finale episode, but there is still another episode from this season, another season and more feature length episodes.