Babylon 5: In the Beginning Page #4

---

Sir, alien ships are changing course.

Moving in our direction.

I'm picking up scanners.

Extremely powerful.

I've never seen anything like them.

They've seen us!

All right, let's get out of here.

Prepare to jump.

- Jump engines not responding.

- What?

FIRST OFFICER:
Alien scanner arrays

interfering with our electrical systems.

Tremendous EMP output.

Trying to reroute.

They drew us in deliberately.

Wanted us in range of their scanners,

so they could shut us down.

You said you wanted to get as much

information on their ships as possible.

What if they want to capture our ships

for the exact same reason?

Then we want to make sure

that does not happen, Commander.

Go to red alert.

Try to open up a channel.

Tell them we mean no harm.

DUKHAT:
What is it?

We detected these alien ships

approaching our space.

DUKHAT:
I've never seen those

markings before. Who are they?

I believe they are the Humans.

MORANN:
They've tried to contact us,

but we do not understand their language.

As is our custom,

we are approaching with gun ports open.

By whose order?

Sir! Alien ships have opened gun ports.

- Are they prepared to fire?

- I don't know. I can't tell.

Talk to me. Are they locked on us?

Scanners are too powerful.

I couldn't tell even if they were.

They have opened all gun ports.

Master, that is the tradition

of the Warrior Caste...

...a gesture of strength and respect.

They see our weapons,

and we approach them open-handed.

FIRST OFFICER:
Enemy presumed

to be hostile. Weapons hot!

All batteries, all forward guns...

...fire at will. I repeat. Fire!

Fire!

[Yells]

Somebody, help me! Help me!

[Sobs]

We have hit their scanner arrays!

We can jump now.

All right, get us the hell out of here!

Delenn, we need to strike back,

but the Council is divided.

Do we follow them back to their base

and take revenge...

...or do we wait,

try to find out what happened?

Yours is the deciding vote, Delenn.

He was the best of us.

They struck without provocation.

There was no reason.

Animals! Brutal!

They deserve no mercy!

Strike them down!

Follow them to their base and kill them!

All of them! All of them!

No mercy!

With the death of their leader, Dukhat,

the Minbari went mad.

They swore revenge

and began a holy war...

...that could only end

in the complete extermination of mankind.

LEFCOURT:
The incident you have just seen

has been repeated at half a dozen bases...

...in just the last few days.

Where the Minbari strike,

nothing is left alive.

Even ships no longer capable of fighting

are targeted and destroyed.

So, surrender on any scale is not an option.

Every attempt we've made to communicate

with them has been rebuffed.

FONTAINE:
They are moving methodically

through the outer colonies...

...wiping out our defense structures

and leaving the colonies vulnerable.

Civilian structures are being left alone

for now.

Now we know the Minbari

use a caste system...

...including a warrior caste.

And we think they're fighting

in a way consistent with that structure...

...taking out our warriors first,

and coming back for the rest later.

They intend to eliminate our defensive

capability all the way to Earth.

Then, with no one to stop them,

they'll head back out again...

...and finish the job of wiping out

every last man...

...woman and child of the Human race.

FONTAINE:
Since the first engagement...

...we haven't won one battle

from the enemy.

Their ships are immensely superior

to our own.

And they use stealth technology

we have not been able to beat yet.

We called you here because we wanted you

to see the situation for yourselves.

We want you to go back to your units

and make them understand two things:

One, we need a victory against these

forces, any victory, to increase morale.

Two, that unless we find a way

to defeat the Minbari...

...the Human race ends

with the current generation.

Dismissed.

There's got to be a way to beat them,

John.

But you saw those records.

Any ship that comes up

against them loses.

I've never believed in the idea

of an undefeatable enemy, sir.

Any ship can be destroyed.

I hope to hell you're right.

It'll be a few more days

before the Lexington is fully outfitted...

...the engines recharged.

You can see your folks.

But you're going to need me here, sir.

- They'll understand.

- Are you sure?

If you were in my position, would you go?

Under normal circumstances, no.

But after what I saw...

...yeah...

...I'd go.

PA VOICE:
Attention.

Attention on deck.

Ganya Ivanov,

you've got a visitor in Room 7.

You've got five minutes.

Get to it. We've got to launch.

GANYA:
Susan, what are you doing here?

You're supposed to be at the university.

SUSAN:
You know me,

never where I'm supposed to be.

I just wanted to see you before you left.

I thought big brothers were supposed

to take care of their little sisters.

Not the other way around.

So, sue me.

I will. Later. When I get back.

SUSAN:
I was just worried, that's all.

I've heard many terrible stories

about what's going on out there.

It's not as bad as everyone says.

I'll be fine.

The military takes care of its own.

Then you'll back me up when I decide

to sign up in a few months.

- Susan Ivanova, you can't...

- I'll be old enough by then.

Father won't stand for it.

It's my choice, not his.

PA VOICE:
Ivanov Ganya,

report to Bay 9 for immediate launch.

I have to go.

I love you, little sister.

I love you, too.

SUSAN:
Ganya, wait.

Remember when we were camping

and we got lost?

And then I lost my earring,

and then we were found.

I never found the earring.

You made me feel better...

...by telling me that it was lucky?

I remember, but...

Here, take this for good luck.

I won't wear it again until you come back.

Until you give it back to me.

That way, we know you'll come back.

See you soon.

LONDO:
I'm sorry,

but there's nothing I can do.

AIDE:
We're not asking the Centauri

government to intervene militarily.

We know that won't happen.

We're talking tactical

and strategic support.

LONDO:
Yes, and weapons.

AIDE:
You and the Minbari are two

of the older races.

Your technology is far above our own.

With access to some of your weapons,

we'd at least stand a fighting chance.

LONDO:
It is not our policy to supply

advanced weapons to developing worlds.

- We'll pay any price.

- Yes.

And then we will pay the price...

...when the Minbari come after us

for helping you.

No, I'm sorry. There's not enough money

in your entire planet...

...to justify that risk.

- Londo, if you'd just listen...

- To what?

The voice of a race

that is about to become extinct?

No, I'm sorry.

I have always been very fond of Humans,

but we cannot risk angering the Minbari.

There is nothing I can do. I'm sorry.

AIDE:
He refused to help,

just as you said he would.

G'KAR:
The Centauri care for no one

but themselves.

They would sooner see your world

in flames than lift a finger to help.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes