Random questions about B5

[b5historyman]

Yep. Copied the wrong one.

I always assumed that former Senator Hidoshi was booted out by Clark when he started removing anyone who served under Santiago and putting his cronies in place.

[b5historyman]

I've always figured Valen was in suspended animation on the Vorlon homeworld.

We know he left Minbar. The Minbari believed he would one day return. The Vorlons abducted other "chosen ones" over the years. It would make sense that the Vorlons would preserve him for some future manipulation of the Minbari.

Depending on how much Valen confided in Kosh about his origins, Kosh itself might have seen to the preservation of Valen, not knowing that he originated in the 23rd century as Sinclair. I'm sure Kosh figured it all out pretty quickly upon meeting Sinclair in 2257, but its hesitancy to act openly against the Shadows may have been tied to uncertainty regarding the logistics of getting Sinclair to the past. I've always thought it was very telling that Kosh finally acted openly (and suicidally) just as the rift in Sector 14 was expanded and Sinclair received the letter from Valen.

Valen being kept on the Vorlon homeworld is something I speculated on way back when I was compiling the Historical Database! As for whether Kosh and Ulkesh knew Sinclair in the past, I think that's pretty much been confirmed by the reedited version of the Gathering. I made quite a detailed posting on one of the Facebook groups about the whole thing.

[Melanie]

Something I've been wondering about since I first watched And the rock cried out no hiding place... How did G'Kar find out that Vir smuggled 2000 Narns to safety? The first reference to it after Sic Transit Vir is when Londo uses it to blackmail him and then it's not mentioned again aside from somewhere in the Centauri trilogy.

[JasonDavis]

Not so much a question as an observation.

When Rathenn delivers Valen's letter to Sinclair near the beginning of "War Without End" Part One, he wonders aloud "How did he know your name?"

I think Rathenn is missing the forest for the trees. His question should have been "How did [Valen] know Modern English?" given that Middle English was still being spoken on Earth, circa 1360.

I think an argument could be made for Valen being the earliest author of Modern English in the B5 universe.

[flobo]

It's always been unclear to me when the english in B5 is only there "for the audience" or when it's really there.

I mean, surely they don't really speak english at the centauri royal court.
So it could be another of those translated for audience thing.

[JasonDavis]

It's always been unclear to me when the english in B5 is only there "for the audience" or when it's really there.

I mean, surely they don't really speak english at the centauri royal court.
So it could be another of those translated for audience thing.

JMS has stated that two Centauri alone in a room (or gathered in the emperor's presence) are understood to be speaking their native tongue. From 4 November 1993:

"...yes, they will speak in their own languages when amongst their own kind...but just as with a WW II movie, when you show the germans talking to one another, it'll be English. On those occasions when someone speaks Narn around humans, then of course it's another language, and will sound that way."

That said, I don't think we ever saw evidence of written language being translated for the audience's convenience. The Books of G'Quan and G'Kar were both in Narnish, as was G'Kar's dictation in--I think--"The Coming of Shadows."

Presumably, given that Valen was writing a confidential note to Sinclair, he would have used English since it would have afforded guaranteed confidentiality from the letter being written until Minbari linguists decoded English during the war.

[Jan]

That said, I don't think we ever saw evidence of written language being translated for the audience's convenience.

Closest would be the opposite, when we saw Delenn dictating a memo and the text showing up on her computer screen. Can't recall which episode that was, though. ETA: Divided Loyalties - she was dictating a memo about trade relations with the Lumati.

[JasonDavis]

Closest would be the opposite, when we saw Delenn dictating a memo and the text showing up on her computer screen. Can't recall which episode that was, though.

"Divided Loyalties," per our telecon.

[b5historyman]

Not so much a question as an observation.

When Rathenn delivers Valen's letter to Sinclair near the beginning of "War Without End" Part One, he wonders aloud "How did he know your name?"

I think Rathenn is missing the forest for the trees. His question should have been "How did [Valen] know Modern English?" given that Middle English was still being spoken on Earth, circa 1360.

I think an argument could be made for Valen being the earliest author of Modern English in the B5 universe.

Middle English may have been spoken on Earth c.1360 but
a) why would the Minbari actually know anything about it when they learned the modern English vernacular
and
b) They'd never heard of Earth until 2245.

But getting back on topic, yes Valen was the first person in the B5 universe to use modern English. He should have copyrighted it

[Movieguy570]

2018 Questions

Wow, wild how this thread hasn't been active in two (going on three) years.

My inquiry relates to the ship tech specifications and such.

I've always wondered who operates all the laser gun and blaster turrets. Sometimes it might be automatic or voice activated by Sinclair/Sheridan/Ivanova while other times it's someone like Lt. Coxx and company manning it.

Anyone have any other key information on it that can better outline it compared to what JMS stated in the forums or is visible in the tech manuals?

Thanks in advance once more and keep the legend alive and well.

[Jan]

Happy you joined us, Movieguy!

I checked the Security Manual and there's really nothing along the lines you're asking for. Hoping somebody else might be able to help?

Again, welcome!

Jan

[Movieguy570]

Reply to a reply

Happy you joined us, Movieguy!

I checked the Security Manual and there's really nothing along the lines you're asking for. Hoping somebody else might be able to help?

Again, welcome!

Jan

Thank you ever so much for trying though. Yeah, I'll ask a few more fans on the various Facebook groups.

[Kraig]

Wow, wild how this thread hasn't been active in two (going on three) years.

My inquiry relates to the ship tech specifications and such.

I've always wondered who operates all the laser gun and blaster turrets. Sometimes it might be automatic or voice activated by Sinclair/Sheridan/Ivanova while other times it's someone like Lt. Coxx and company manning it.

Anyone have any other key information on it that can better outline it compared to what JMS stated in the forums or is visible in the tech manuals?

Thanks in advance once more and keep the legend alive and well.

Specifics are not mentioned, but the defense systems were upgraded in Season 2 Episode 10 Gropos:

General Franklin: Long enough for us to get our gifts in place.

Sheridan: Gifts?

General Franklin: New weapons systems for your defense grid. The very latest from Earthforce R and D. When they're online, Babylon 5 will have enough firepower to take on a warship.

Sheridan: Are you sure this is wise? Babylon 5 is supposed to be devoted to peace. If we begin arming heavily...

General Franklin: The galaxy's changing, captain, and Babylon 5 must change with it. With the Narn and the Centauri at war, the other alien worlds are bound to become more aggressive, and Earth must keep pace. And if all doesn't go well at Matok, my people may need a fallback position. My techs will begin installing the new grid as soon as possible. Cmdr. Ivanova will handle your end.

Later in the same episode:

Sheridan:How's the new defense grid coming?

Ivanova:It should be fully installed by tonight. It's impressive. Pulse cannons. Interceptors. Mine launchers. And a tracking system three times faster than our old one. The general wasn't kidding when he said we could take on a warship.

Sheridan: Let's just hope we don't have to test that.

My guess is that whoever is manning the defense grid on watch on the bridge is in control of all the weapons systems.

When I was in the US Navy, I qualified many different watch stations. I would stand watch when on duty in a certain rotation, in several stations at different times based on the watch schedule. If general quarters (GQ) was sounded and I was on watch at a particular station, I would be relieved by someone who was assigned that station during GQ and would go to my assigned GQ station, until GQ was ended (secured). I would then return to that watch station unless it was past the end of my watch, then whoever was assigned during that time would relieve the GQ watch stander.

[Rudolph]

It doesn't really need to be explained, but I always wondered who the two agents in And the Sky Full of Stars were working for. There's a fair few candidates - Bureau 13, Psi Corps, Homeguard and, I think, Earthforce itself.

I wondered if they were perhaps working on the clandestine authority of Earthgov - possibly directly under Vice-President Clark - as part of his attempts to find out if Sinclair had been compromised as a Minbari agent after he disappeared during the Battle of the Line. Clark wanted to make sure that whoever was in command of a position as important as Babylon 5 could be trusted to do the right thing if it came down to Earth against everyone else. That his agents failed could have factored in to his decision to replace Sinclair with Sheridan, who on paper was an ideal propaganda figurehead: the biggest hero of the Minbari War and a career soldier. Sinclair was in his eyes too close to the Minbari.

[Jan]

I've always wondered who the Knights were affiliated with myself. Could have been anybody, I think, except Psi Corps or they wouldn't have needed that machine and drugs.