Babylon 5 (station)

The last of the Babylon stations

Babylon 5 is a space station in the Babylon 5 universe built to serve as a neutral diplomatic and commercial center after the Earth-Minbari War. It was constructed and operated by the Earth Alliance with additional funding from the Minbari Federation, Centauri Republic, and Narn Regime.

History

Completed in 2257, Babylon 5 was the only one of the Babylon stations to actually serve in its proposed role, the first three having been destroyed by saboteurs and the fourth having mysteriously disappeared. An attempt was even made to destroy Babylon 5, but it failed.

For three years, the station served as a neutral meeting place for diplomats from the Earth Alliance, Minbari Federation, Centauri Republic, Narn Regime, Vorlon Empire, and League of Non-Aligned Worlds. During this time, the station became a focal point for agents of both the Shadows and Vorlons as the Shadows prepared to instigate a new series of wars to "help the Young Races evolve." The first of these wars broke out in 2259, when the Narn and Centauri went to war with each other. While the Earth Alliance remained officially neutral, the command staff of Babylon 5 provided what covert aid they could to the Narns.

In 2260, the station seceded from the Earth Alliance in protest over the actions of EarthGov under the Clark administration. The station became the central command point for two conflicts, the spreading Shadow War and the Earth Alliance Civil War. The Shadow War concluded in 2261 at the Battle of Coriana 6, where the Vorlons and Shadows agreed to leave the galaxy, leaving the Young Races on their own to develop as they chose. The Earth Alliance Civil War ended several months later, when President Clark committed suicide after EarthForce ships loyal to his administration were defeated over Mars and the rebels initiated a blockade over Earth.

In 2262, the station became the seat of the Interstellar Alliance government and the point from which the Alliance's war with the Centauri Republic was commanded. The Republic surrendered after a combined fleet of Narn and Drazi warships bombarded Centauri Prime from orbit. The seat of the Alliance government later moved to Minbar.

The station was eventually demolished in 2281, the given explanation being that, since it had long fallen into disuse, it had become a navigational hazard.

One of B5's interceptor turrets

Facilities

• The station has thrusters for maintaining its orbit and orientation.
• The cylindrical sections of the station rotate to simulate gravity for its inhabitants. Naturally the gravity experienced will vary depending on the distance of the floor from the station's axis of rotation.
• There are at least two major docking bays large enough to admit a shuttle or small cargo vessel; one of these is in the station's forward rotating section, and the other is a micro-gravity bay on the dorsal "spine" of the station.
• Primary power comes from a nuclear fusion reactor.
• Babylon 5 has a set of hydroponic gardens for the cultivation of food.

Defense Systems

When built, Babylon 5 could barely defend itself, having only a few interceptor and pulse cannon batteries plus a few squadrons of Starfuries for defense. In 2260, EarthForce upgraded the station's defenses with additional pulse cannons and interceptors, mine launchers, and a superior command and control system for the new weapons, making the station "able to take on a warship".

Commanding Officers

• Commander Jeffrey Sinclair
• Captain John Sheridan
• Captain Elizabeth Lochley