Minbari Surrender

From The Great Machine

The Minbari surrender to Earth at the Battle of the Line in 2248, marking the end of the Earth-Minbari War, was one of the most confusing, irritating and well thought-out mysteries of The Gathering, and the first season of the series. As Lennier states in S2E01 (Points of Departure), "The fleet of ships you positioned to hold us off at all costs (referring to the Battle of the Line) were not an obstacle..."

Throughout the first season, we're given backward glimpses of the war (usually through Sinclair's or Delenn's eyes), and hints about what might have brought it to an end, but only enough to whet and heighten curiosity. We learn that Earth had no chance of survival, much less winning the conflict, yet the Minbari stopped the war just short of species genocide for the Humans and pulled back.

It is not until S2E01, Points of Departure, that we learn from Lennier of Commander Sinclair's capture and torture, and that, while the Minbari Grey Council examined him with their vaunted "triluminary," they came to believe that Humans were being reborn with Minbari souls. And since, as a law of Valen, "Minbari do not kill Minbari," and since apparently Humans and Minbari now share souls, Minbari could not continue to kill Humans.

So, the Minbari brought the war to a close by the most expedient means possible: spurred by the Minbari Religious Caste, and without explanation even to their own people, they surrendered on the very eve of their victory. The surrender confused the Humans, infuriated the Minbari Warrior Caste, and left everyone affected in turmoil and confusion.