“The Fall of Night” is episode twenty-two of season two of Babylon 5 and the season finale.
The episode opens with Zeta Squadron’s Starfuries training, and Sheridan is the one training them. He is giving them advice on Centauri tactics, saying that the Centauri are willing to put their fighters on autopilot if necessary should they black out, and that the fighters need to be prepared for this. Then Commander Ivanova contacts Sheridan and tells him to return to the station, because there’s a problem.
Vir is sitting at a bar when Lennier comes and sits next to him. Each talks about changes in their ambassador and how they never know what is going on until it’s too late. Both says, at the same time, that it makes them nervous. After having essentially a shared moan, they agree to meet at the same time tomorrow.
Ivanova tells Sheridan that the Drazi and Pak’ma’ra ambassadors wish to see him, and asks how Zeta squadron is doing. Sheridan says that they are good but should be better. Ivanova promises to see to it personally and, if the pilots don’t get any better, she will start issuing live ammo. Which will probably be a motivation.
The ambassadors tell Sheridan and Ivanova that the Centauri have invaded both their territories. The Centauri have taken a Drazi listening post, claiming that they liberated it, and appear to be preparing to attack other races and worlds. The Drazi ambassador tells Sheridan that war is spreading, and that soon they Centauri may attack you.
Sheridan speaks to Londo, and demands to know what the Centauri are doing, as they are destabilising the whole region. Londo claims the Centauri Republic is trying to stabilise the region, by creating a buffer zone around the Republic to decrease risk, and that they are simply expanding their presence. Sheridan wants Londo to show him on a map where their presence ends. He says that everything is falling apart and the Centauri are at the centre, and asks why the Centauri, why Londo, cannot see this.
Sheridan later speaks to Garibaldi about Londo. The chief says the ambassador is not the Londo he used to know. Sheridan says that Garibaldi is the closest thing Londo has to a friend on the station, and is there any way he can get through to him. Garibaldi replies no, not as long as Londo is afraid.
Sheridan has sent a full report to Earthdome, hoping that they will not ignore things now that other races are involved. An Earth ship comes through the gate, onboard which is Frederick Lantz, director of the Ministry of Peace. Sheridan comments that maybe someone read his reports for a change; Ivanova is less optimistic and feels the captain shouldn’t hold his breath.
After Zeta squadron return to the station, Lt. Keffer wonders what has the captain so rattled. Another pilot comments maybe it’s the ghost. A couple of pilots from another squadron claimed to see this, a ship they described as being a cross between a spider and your worst nightmare. She believes it’s nonsense but Keffer recognises the description of the ship he saw in “A Distant Star” and decides to speak to the pilots and investigate further. Even though Sheridan had ordered in “Confessions and Lamentations” that freelance investigations be stopped. Because Sheridan knows what’s out there, and doesn’t want anybody else to discover it yet. Keffer’s investigations have consequences.
Director Lantz is accompanied by Mr Welles, the head of the Nightwatch. Lantz says he has come to investigate the Centauri situation and wants an office where he can speak to Londo and the ambassadors of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds; Sheridan, thinking that finally Earth is getting something done, happily agrees.
C&C detects a jump point opening on the far side of the planet, in a location where only Babylon 5 will be able to detect it. A Narn heavy cruiser comes through and hails the station. Sheridan tells the ship’s commander, Warleader Na’Kal, that he didn’t know any heavy cruisers had survived the war. Na’Kal says that they need the support of others, and requests sanctuary. The captain is happy to offer it, and G’Kar is pleased to hear about the heavy cruiser, and G’Kar is the only one that Sheridan has told about its survival.
When the Ministry of Peace and the Nightwatch were introduced in “In the Shadow of Z’ha’dum” they definitely seemed creepy. Director Lantz, however, seems to be a true believer in peace. To a dangerous degree though; Lantz believes that finally they will have ‘peace in our time’ which is not a good choice of phrase.
Mr Welles is, however, another matter. He tells Ivanova that the Nightwatch is run separately to the Ministry and asks for her support, in exchange for certain things. Ivanova was already disturbed by the idea of the Nightwatch; now she really doesn’t like it and isn’t shy about telling Welles. Zack Allen, who did join the Nightwatch, starts getting creeped out at a meeting held by Welles, who wants to know why Zack hasn’t reported any suspicions. Zack doesn’t look to like what Welles wants him to share.
Earth is starting to cause problems, perhaps not surprising as the current president is part of a conspiracy that murdered the previous one. The situation is rapidly devolving.