Babylon 5: In the Beginning Page #7

---

Anyone else on my team?

Just one.

LEFCOURT:
Commander Sheridan,

Dr. Stephen Franklin.

He's had a fair amount of physical contact

with the Minbari before the war.

He can verify these individuals are

who they say they are...

...and be on hand in case things go badly.

You volunteered?

Well, I didn't have that much of a choice.

The only way I could get out

of the stockade.

Long story. Tell you later.

What about a translator?

We've heard that your contact

has studied your language.

Just in case, I will go along,

since I am fluent in Minbari and English.

I don't have to tell you how important

this mission is, Commander.

It's been only a few months...

...but there are millions of lives at risk

in the inner colonies.

More here in the home system.

This has to go well, John.

There's no other choice.

And if the only way out is for Earth

to surrender?

LEFCOURT:
Officially,

that's up to the negotiators.

Those are my orders.

Unofficially...

...we're losing this war, John.

And if the only way the Human race

can survive is to surrender...

...then we will surrender.

LONDO:
Orders.

We all have our orders.

That is something you

don't understand yet.

You think to go to bed early is an order...

...to clean your room is an order.

The hard orders...

...those are the ones you discover later.

The order to leave your friends

on the battlefield.

The order to...

...fire upon the weak, the powerless.

My orders...

My orders were to prevent the Narns

from using the war...

...to establish closer ties with the Humans.

My spies learned of the Narn mission

to the Epsilon system.

We assumed it was an arms shipment.

We didn't know...

...we couldn't know

that it was an attempt to end the war.

And so, I gave the order to intercept them.

Great Maker, forgive me.

SHERIDAN:
Just a sec.

We need to find the power supply.

I just hope the solar batteries

are still working.

Dr. Franklin, check the perimeters.

See if we can secure this place.

All right.

You know, Commander...

...if we are unable

to resolve this war of yours...

...there is always a place for someone

like you among our people.

We could arrange a safe haven

for you and a few others.

Thanks...

...but if my world goes, I'm going with it.

A waste of material. Most unfortunate.

Good, Doctor, I was just telling your...

Precaution...

...only.

You, Sheridan?

Yes.

I didn't know you'd been told

who was coming.

We know more than you think.

I also know what you did to the...

...Drali Fi.

The Black Star.

We did exactly

what you would have done to us.

We just did it first.

I know.

It was necessary.

I also know that many of my people...

...will not forget.

I speak to you...

...for them.

We must find a way to resolve this...

...so that many more of your people

not get killed.

We...

[Beeping]

G'KAR:
Yes?

N'FAL:
G'Kar, a ship is coming

through the jump gate!

G'KAR:
Do you have a reading on it?

N'Fal? N'Fal, can you hear me?

Hit the deck!

LENONN:
[Coughing] They never knew...

...who had attacked them.

Each side assumed it was a renegade arm

of their own government.

But it was us.

And it was my order that destroyed...

...their last chance for peace.

[Coughing]

FRANKLIN:
Help me.

SHERIDAN:
How is he?

Not good.

We need him alive.

That may not be...

...possible.

I am sorry...

...I made things worse.

Try not to talk.

No, you must listen.

They will come looking for me.

And they will blame you...

...for me.

And the war...

...will grow worse.

LENONN:
Listen...

...carefully.

And repeat exactly.

- Did you get it?

- Yeah.

LONDO:
As Lenonn had promised...

...the Minbari came quickly.

[Struggling]

SHERIDAN:
Wait.

I have a message.

I said, "I have a message!"

I know what's in Dukhat's sacred place.

I know what's in Dukhat's...

I know what's in Dukhat's sacred place!

Stop!

What is in Dukhat's sacred place?

Isil-zha.

Isil-zha.

Let them go.

- Satai...

- I said, "Let them go."

There has been enough death today.

Isil-zha.

What does that mean?

The future.

Is that the end of the story?

The end?

No.

No, not the end.

At the point that I am describing...

...50,000, maybe 60,000 Humans had died

in the Minbari War.

With their one chance for peace ruined

and Lenonn dead...

...the war escalated.

The end of the story?

SINCLAIR:
Break off! I'm hit!

No.

Not the end at all.

The greatest slaughter of all...

...still waits for us.

And it changed everything.

Everything.

It's ironic, isn't it?

I had every window in the palace

blocked off because I was afraid...

...that if I came around a corner

and saw this, unprepared...

...that I would break down and cry.

And yet I spend all of my time here

in this room...

...looking at it.

In my life, I had four wives.

I cared for them all deeply.

But I loved Centauri Prime.

Loved every street, every tower...

...every inch of our world.

Everything I did, I did for her.

And look what we have done to her.

But...

There is hope.

But it will be hard.

It will be so very hard.

Well...

Where was I?

Yes.

The war.

The Humans, I think,

knew they were doomed.

But where another race

would surrender to despair...

...the Humans fought back

with even greater strength.

They made the Minbari fight...

...for every inch of space.

In my life,

I have never seen anything like it.

They would weep...

...they would pray, they would say

goodbye to their loved ones...

...then throw themselves...

...without fear or hesitation...

...at the very face of death itself.

Never surrendering.

No one who saw them fighting against...

...the inevitable could help

but be moved to tears...

...by their courage.

Their stubborn nobility.

When they ran out of ships,

they used guns.

When they ran out of guns

they used knives...

...and sticks and bare hands.

They were magnificent.

I only hope...

...that when it is my time...

...I may die with half as much dignity...

...as I saw in their eyes at the end.

They did this for two years.

They never ran out of courage.

But in the end...

...they ran out of time.

PRESIDENT:
Are we on?

This is...

This is the President.

I've just been informed

that our midrange military bases...

...at Beta Durani and Proxima 3...

...have fallen to the Minbari advance.

We've lost contact with lo...

...and must conclude that they too

have fallen to an advanced force.

Our military intelligence believes...

...that the Minbari intend to bypass Mars

and hit Earth directly...

...and the attack may come at any time.

We have continued to broadcast

our surrender...

...and a plea for mercy.

And they have not responded.

We therefore can only conclude...

...that we stand at the twilight...

...of the Human race.

In order to buy more time...

...for our evacuation transports

to leave Earth...

...we ask for the support of every ship...

...capable of fighting...

...to take part in a last defense

of our homeworld.

We will not lie to you.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes