[B5] Comment on "In the Beginning"

[Ineti]

Thanks a lot! CaptJim, do you have a link to the site you mentioned?

[CaptJim]

use to be www.midwinter.com, i think. i haven't been to it in awhile

look it up on yahoo

they use to have good episode synopsis for all the series, books, comics, and movies

[Ineti]

Thanks, I'll go see what I can find.

[CaptJim]

My mistake.. "A Call to Arms" was the pilot for Crusade

[Morticutor_UK]

Ah yes...

Personally I thought that the films weren't as good overall.

Crusade was most excellent series though, even though it was a D&D group (Mage, Thief, etc.). Once you've watched B5, it's worth a good look. Shame I'll never get to know what heppened...

[Grutos]

Dude - I've got them all on tape (I think I've got the Rangers one as well). Just stop by some evening and pick 'em up.

Just wait until her eyes turn black!! What every tried & true warrior born wants, @$$ kicker supreme who just got ticked-off and is on your side!!

[Bill Harris]

Originally posted by CaptJim

Crusade (Pilot for "Crusade" series)

The title for this movie was "Call to Arms".

[T'lara]

Originally posted by Morticutor_UK
Ah, yes Kosh Vader as the crew called him.

G'kar simply offered the humans weapons during the war. The Narn weren't invovled at that point, as I recall. Ambassador Londo of the Centauri simply told the Human (I forget which) that they should not "wake the dragon" with their blundering around.

Do I count as obsessive yet?

I need to dig out the first Season Episode name but G'kar said to Sinclair the humans owed his people a favor for Their support of the humans during the Earth/Minbari war.
Sinclair retorts that the Narn were only interested in money they sell their arms to anyone for the right price.

I will gladly check my DVDs to find the Episode Name if asked. Oh the sacrfice seeing B5 again.

[Morticutor_UK]

Mignight On The Firing Line, Season 1, Episode 1.

[General Chang]

Emperor Molari put it best at the beginning of "The Beginning."

"The Humans have a saying: Pride goeth before a fall. "

The Earth was very cocky after their conflict with the Dilgar. The general had made that clear to Liason Molari. "We handled the Dilgar, we can handle the Minbari."

So, not only did the Earth have arrogance and stupidity, but they also sent someone who had a clear record of making first contact situations go south...in deepest winter. (Despite his acquittal at the earth tribunal.)

More enlightened races would have recognized the Minbari's "gunports open" tradition as one of either caution or respect.

When the one councilmember reported to Dukhat that they were approaching the humans with gunports open, he did not state at all that the Minbari weapons were powered, just opened, as a sign of respect.

It leads me to believe that perhaps the captain of the earth ship was not the only one who couldn't handle FC situations correctly.


Let's analyze this:

During a mission to test the frontiers of Minbari space, the earth ship's sensors pick up a vague sensor contact at extreme range.
The captain orders the ship to move in closer, contrary to orders that their ship was to pick up data only, not get involved with the Minbari. The earth ship moves in. The Minbari detect the earth ship. The elder of the Warrior Caste orders the Minbari entourage to close range with the approaching unknown vessels, whom Delenn correctly identifies as Human. Koplann, the Warrior Caste leader informs Master Dukhat that they are approaching the earth ship with gunports open, according to Minbari tradition as a sign of respect. "We approach them open handedly. They can see our weapons." However, Koplann did not order the weapons charged. And they are scanning the approaching earth vessels.

Now, this is where it gets hairy. The captain of the earth fleet did give an order to attempt to contact the approaching aliens, to state that "We mean no harm!" He did not wish a repeat of his earlier faux pas with the Dilgar, although the captain had already made the mistake of going against orders, and closed in on the Minbari. (The Minbari were unable to translate any comms coming from the earth ships.) The sensors officer reports that communications are jammed. The sensor scans of the Minbari fleet are overwhelming the earth ships' ability to return to Hyperspace. If I recall correctly, the earth ships' sensors were also apparently jammed. If that is the case, how did the one bridge officer manage to report an energy spike aboard the Minbari cruiser, which seems to indicate that the Minbari gunports are charging? It is my opinion that that particular bridge officer knew how the Captain would respond, and made a false warning that the Minbari were charging their weapons. He figures that if the earth ships fire first, they would have a chance to get away clean. Apparently that bridge officer was a coward, looking for a quick way out of a situation that his Captain was thus far handling correctly (orders to close in, notwithstanding). Acting on false information, the Captain gives the order to fire on the alien ships. You could even see the look of regret on the gunnery officer's face as the Captain gave that fateful order.

It is my opinion that Earth people for the most part are fairly well enlightened...and through the cowardly actions of a bridge officer, and only partially the Captain, Earth was nearly plunged into extinction.

I retreat now to my armchair.

Respectfully,
General Chang