“War Without End: Part Two” is episode seventeen of season three of Babylon 5.
In the previous episode, “War Without End: Part One”, Delenn, Sheridan, Sinclair, Marcus and Ivanova had left for the White Star to head back in time to stop Babylon 4 from being destroyed by allies of the Shadows. Babylon 4 would then need to be sent back in time so that it could help with the previous war with the Shadows a thousand years ago. Otherwise the Shadows would enter this war with far more ships and Babylon 5 will be destroyed in days. Also coming along is Zathras, who was first seen in “Babylon Squared”. The destruction of the station was prevented, but Babylon 4 has not been sent back yet, and in the process, Sheridan’s time stabiliser was damaged. He wound up on Centauri Prime. In the future, after the Shadows had been defeated. Londo is Emperor, and he tells Sheridan he will pay for what he did. After their defeat, some of those driven away wound up on Centauri Prime. The capital city at the very least is in flames.
The episode opens with Londo telling Sheridan that he abandoned the Centauri to his enemies. He says that it cannot have happened in this amount of time, and asks what year it is. Londo tells him that it is 17 years since Sheridan began his great crusade. Then tells the guards to take Sheridan back to his cell, and that the next time Londo sees Sheridan, Sheridan will meet his end. Londo continues, saying he cannot recall his world from what it has become, but at least he can thank Sheridan properly for his role in it.
In Babylon 4 C&C Major Krantz is asking if their scanners are back online after the explosion. And if they know what it was. His first officer replies that the explosion was definitely thermonuclear in nature and the major says to increase the patrols in case there’s an enemy out there looking to breach the hull.
Ivanova is looking for an access panel. She tells Marcus that they are sealed up after the station goes online, but Babylon 4 has only just gone online so with luck they will find one. Marcus says he doesn’t believe in luck. Then, when Ivanova looks back, he has disappeared. And two guards appear, one in front of her and one behind. One hears a noise and asks what it was. It was Marcus, who drops down on top of him. Marcus and Ivanova disable the guards and Ivanova asks Marcus how he knew they were coming. Marcus replies that he didn’t. Just that now was the worst time to be discovered, so it was logical it would happen now. Which is pretty weird logic. Marcus repeats that he doesn’t believe in luck – then luckily knocks open an access panel behind him with his staff.
Sheridan is in a cell on Centauri Prime when he doubles over in pain. On Babylon 4, Zathras is having a moan to himself – not uncommon – when he sees Sheridan phase in and out of time.
Delenn and Sinclair have arrived at their destination, which is currently occupied by workers. Sinclair says that this will do, but they need to clear the place out first. So he contacts Ivanova. Then Delenn is affected by something. When Sinclair asks her what’s wrong, she says she had the strangest feeling. In his terms, as if someone had just walked over her grave.
The door the Sheridan’s cell in the future is opened and someone else is sent in by the guards. The someone else is Delenn. Sheridan asks what she is doing there. She replies that she didn’t tell them anything. They tried to make her but she didn’t. There is nothing they can do, so she and Sheridan have been allowed on last time together. Delenn says she has accepted her fate, and is not afraid as long as Sheridan is with her. And that their son is safe.
On Babylon 4, Ivanova uses the access panel to set off a hull breach alarm and everyone is told to evacuate. She meets the others and says the pressure door is down. They have the area completely to themselves, until the station crew can burn through the door. So they have about an hour.
In the future, Sheridan is telling Delenn that he isn’t supposed to be here. That in fact he isn’t really here. Delenn replies that it’s true then. He told her long ago that he had seen this moment in their future. There have been so many changes since then. Sheridan says that, going by what Londo said, they won the war – but not completely. Delenn replies that this war is never completely won. There is always a new battle against darkness. Only the names change. They achieved everything they set out to do and created something that will endure for a thousand years. But at a price. A terrible, terrible price. Sheridan asks if there is anything can be done, but Delenn tells him that this future can only be changed by surrendering to the Shadows.
The two are then taken by guards to Londo’s throne room. Londo drops a cup on the floor and asks them to excuse him for not getting up, but he has had a considerable amount to drink. As this is the only way they can be alone, and he does not wish to wake it. They cannot see it whilst it is awake. Londo says he gave a very good performance, and it was satisfied. It does not care why Londo does what he does, only that he do it. As long as Sheridan is dead. If Londo drinks just enough, he can put it to sleep for a few minutes, for it cannot handle its drink, and Londo can be himself again. But the amount of time it is asleep grows shorter and shorter.
Londo says that this is the last chance for this place, for his people, for his own redemption. There is a ship behind the palace and his guard will take them there. In exchange for their lives, Londo wants them and their allies to help free his people. After Sheridan and Delenn have left, Londo asks if he is there, old friend. The answer is yes, and it’s G’Kar. Londo tells G’Kar that they will never make it out alive, as his keeper will awake any second and will awake the others. Londo’s only hope will die, and he will die soon after.
Londo tells G’Kar that they have unfinished business, and that they should make an end of it. Quickly. So G’Kar starts choking the life out of Londo, whose eyes change as his keeper awakes, and Londo starts choking G’Kar in return. Back in “Midnight on the Firing Line” Londo had said that his people know how, and sometimes when, they are going to die. It came to Londo in a dream. He is an old man, 20 years in the future, his hands wrapped around someone’s throat and his around Londo’s. They squeeze the life out of each other, and the first time Londo saw G’Kar, he recognised him. In the corridor, Sheridan is fading out again and Delenn tells him not to go to Z’ha’dum. In the throne room, both Londo and G’Kar are dead on the floor when another Centauri enters and picks up the emperor’s insignia. In “Point of No Return” Lady Morella had told Vir and Londo that each would be emperor, but one would only be it after the other was dead. Looks like this is when it happens.
Back on Babylon 4, Zathras is saying he has an idea, and fiddles with a spacesuit, saying to himself that perhaps the power supply in the suit can help activate the time stabiliser. Once done, he says that now they wait. Marcus tells Ivanova that Zathras is quite mad. Ivanova replies that they are stealing a station to fight a war that was over a thousand years ago. They are all mad. Ivanova mentions that Delenn said that Valen appeared at the same time as the station. Valen was Minbari not born of Minbari, and that always intrigued her. Ivanova wonders if they will get a chance to meet him. Behind them, the suit is filling with someone. Marcus says that Valen was one of the Minbari’s holiest figures. He defeated the Shadows and formed the Grey Council. At which point they notice that Sheridan is in the suit.
Sheridan is going to tell Delenn what happened, but decides that it’s a long story, and he will tell her later. Long, and confusing, as it involves time travel. They are about to ‘steal’ the station. Which, of course, does not go to plan. The events of “Babylon Squared” start unfolding again, only this time from two different viewpoints, what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present. Which are both happening at the same time. So there are quite a few clips from that episode.