B5 Backround Info:
Babylon 5 is a science fiction television program set in the 23rd century, first airing on January 26, 1994. Created by J. Michael Straczynski, Babylon 5 has taken on a whole new concept in television story writing. What makes Babylon 5 so unique is that the show is designed to be a TV novel. The 5 year story arc, contain 5 seasons, with each episode building on each other to form a beginning, middle, and end to the story.

Currently Babylon 5 has completed filming of the fourth season, and has yet to be renewed for the final fifth season. Babylon 5 has faced a great challenge here in the United States in getting more viewers to watch the show, however in the United Kingdom, and across Europe and Australia, Babylon 5 has been rated the #1 television drama. With new advertising strategies and the formation of a new Babylon 5 fan club, the number of viewers of the show will hopefully increase.

Babylon 5 is self sufficient space station located deep in neutral space. Babylon 5 is the last of the Babylon stations. Babylon's 1 and 2 were sabotaged, Babylon 3 blew-up, and Babylon 4 mysteriously disappeared. Support for the project came from all five of the major Star Powers, in hopes that it would be a place where species could work out their differences peacefully.

Star Powers

Earth Alliance:
The Earth Alliance was once involved in a major war with the Minbari in the year 2247, after an Earth explorer ships encountered a Minbari Cruiser for the first time and opened fire on it. During that mishap the Minbari leader Dukat was killed. Calling for revenge the Minbari Federation (by order of the Grey Council) declared war, and nearly exterminated all of the Earth Alliance. After that war the Babylon project was proposed in order to avoid any such conflict from happening again. In 2258 the Earth Alliance president, Luis Santiago, was assassinated. Vice President Clark, took over. He formed the Nightwatch and later declared Martial Law. The Earth government went in to a state of corruption under Clark, where freedom of speech, and civil rights were subtly discarded. With the declaration of Martial Law the clonies of Proxima III, and Orion VII declared independance and were later recaptured. Babylon 5 also suceeded from the Earth Alliance.

Minbari Federation:
The Minbari Federation is the oldest race next to the Vorlons and Shadows. During the Earth/Minbari war of 2247, it was discovered that Minbari souls were going to Human bodies. The Grey Council ordered the attack on the Earth Alliance stopped. Many Minbari did not understand, one such ship broke away in self-isolation. The Trigotti. After the war the Minbari began strengthening relations with Earth up until the new policies were set by President Clark which lessened relations with other worlds. The Minbari ambassador to Babylon 5 is Delenn. A former member of the Grey Council. The Grey Council is an elite group of 9 Minbari that rule over the Federation. Soon after Babylon 5 broke away from Earth, the Minbari pledged support and protection for B5. The Minbari know about the great Shadow War, and that Babylon 5 is the key to winning that war. In 2259 the Grey Council renounced the profesy of the war, as a result Delenn broke the council, taking the Religous and Worker caste with her. The end of the Shadow War open the door to a brief civil war between the Warrior and Religous castes, that ended with the re-formation of the Grey Council with 2 member from the Religous Caste, 2 from the Warrior Caste, and 5 from the Worker caste.

Vorlon Empire:
The Vorlon Empire has remained to themselves, and very mysterious. The Vorlons are the last remaining First ones, or Ancients. The Ancients were powerful beings, that walked amongst the stars thousands of years ago. The Vorlons are the last of the First ones to remain in this galaxy. They wait until the day that Shadows, their ancient enemy, returns. The Vorlons use organic technology, making their ships extremely powerful, and far more advanced than the other races. The Vorlons have three types of ships. The Heavy Vorlon Cruiser, the Vorlon Transport, and the Vorlon Fighter. In 2261 the Vorlons joined with the Shadows, and ended their war by traveling beyond the rim to join with those ancients that walked before them.

Narn Regime:
The Former Narn Regime was once a major power up until they were defeated by the Centauri, aided by the Shadows. The Narn were under Centauri occupation for a short period until they were granted independance by the new Centauri Prime Minister Londo Mollari. Only a handfull of Narn Heavy Cruiser were been know to have survived the war. G'kar lead the remaining Narn on Babylon 5 in a resistance movement against the Centauri. The Narn on Babylon 5 also serve as Station security since Babylon 5 succeeded from the Earth Alliance. The Narn are trusted members of the Army of Light against the Shadows.

Centauri Republic:
The Centauri were once a major imperialistic power, later falling from that in to a state of decline. Until recently, when with the aid of Ambassador Mollari and the Shadows, they have risen to far more power than they have had, and have declared war on many in the League of Non-aligned worlds and the Narn. Ambassador Mollari has recently joined with the Shadows, in hope that they will strike down the Centauri government, which he believes killed his old love, Adira. Soon after his recallment to Centauri Prime, Londo seized power by killing Emperor Cartagia and then expelling the Shadows.

The Shadows:
The Shadows are beings of Darkness unlike the Vorlons which are of the Light. The Shadows have been ancient enemies of the Vorlons for millennia. After their last great war 1000 years ago, they went in to hiding, and have since risen back, gathering their forces. In the year 2260 they began moving openly, targeting the non-aligned worlds first. The Shadows have a human agent, Morden, who has aided them in gaining the confidence of Ambassador Mollari, and their liaison to the corrupt human government. The Shadows also use organic technology similar to that of the Vorlons, and have very powerful ships matched only by the Vorlons. Minbari Intelligence has also gathered that the Shadows use telepathic humans to control their ships, directly interfacing with the ships. The Shadows are a fearsome, deadly race bent on galactic conquest, with a take no prisoners momentum.

After Martial Law was ordered the Earth Colonies of Orion VII, and Proxima III, broke away from the Earth Alliance, soon after Babylon 5 also declared independence, as the "Independent State of Babylon 5", under the protection of the Minbari. Since the recent rise of the Shadows, the Minbari, Babylon 5, the Vorlon Empire, the Rangers, and any others who will join them, have organized in to the Army of Light, which will stand in the way of the Shadows goals of conquest. Babylon 5 serves as the command post during the war, similar to Babylon 4, 1000 years earlier. Together, Babylon 5, the Vorlons and the Minbari are our last best hope for victory!