Severed Dreams

From The Great Machine

Episode Title: Severed Dreams
Episode Number: S3E10
Original Air Date: April 1, 1996
DVD Release Date: August 12, 2003
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Director: David Eagle
Guest Stars: Kim Miyori, Rance Howard, Phil Morris

1 Preview
2 Synopsis
- 2.1 Main Plot
3 See Also
4 Characters
- 4.1 Season 3 Cast

[edit] Preview

The Earth Civil War officially begins.

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot, character development, or ending details follow.

All hell has broken loose within the Earth Alliance. Fighting between General Hague's rebel forces and President Clark's loyalists have spilled a great deal of blood on both sides, and when the governor of Mars refuses to implement Clark's martial law decree, civilian colonies on Mars are bombed. Hague's ship, EAS Alexander, arrives at Babylon 5, but Hague himself has died in a recent battle.

Joined shortly afterward by another rebel ship (EAS Churchill, Captain Sandra Hiroshi commanding), Sheridan prepares to declare Babylon 5 an independent state - a state which must brace itself for an inevitable attack from Clark's forces.

If the battle is lost, not only with many on Babylon 5 lose their freedom...they will also very likely lose their lives. (Attrib: B5 LogBook [1])

[edit] Main Plot

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General Hague, leader of the resistance within Earthforce, is killed in an ambush near Io. His badly damaged ship, the EAS Alexander, makes its way to Babylon 5, the last hope of the Earthforce resistance leaders.

When he realizes what the EAS Alexander's arrival portends, Captain Sheridan cuts off communication with Earth, hoping to avoid a direct confrontation in the short run.

A wounded Ranger brings word to Delenn that not only is the League falling apart, as members war on one another at Shadow instigation, but that the Grey Council knows that the Shadows are active, and yet (dominated as it is by the Warrior Caste) refuses to act. She decides to leave B5 and confront the Grey Council.

Another Earthforce destroyer (the EAS Churchill) arrives at B5 to reveal that President Clark has determined to seize direct control of remaining Earth Alliance outposts by force; and that a powerful Earthforce fleet is hours away from B5 with orders to assume command. An agonized B5 command staff decides to fight rather than submit to President Clark's forces.

Churchill and Alexander launching fighters

Whan the Earthforce task force arrives, it is met by the combined might of Babylon 5 and the two rebel destroyers. The Churchill is forced into a "deathride" that results in her destruction in a fiery collision that also destroys the pro-Clark destroyer EAS Roanoke.

Clark-loyal troops attempt to board Babylon 5

The remaining pro-Clark forces, though they manage to land troops on B5 itself, are eventually defeated, in part due to the heroic sacrifices of newly appointed Narn security troops on Babylon 5.

Delenn has meanwhile shamed the remaining Religious caste and Worker caste members of the Grey Council to "break the Council" and commit the bulk of the Minbari military forces to the war against the Shadows. This action will cost the Minbari dearly later, but it breaks the stalemate in the council and allows Delenn to lead the bulk of the Minbari forces. She sets out on a mission to B5.

Back on Babylon 5, they assess their damages, and the results aren't good. The station has suffered major damage, and more than a third of their fighters have been destroyed. As they clean up, a new Earthforce task force, again spearheaded by a pair of destroyers, jumps in. Resistance seems futile. More jump points are detected forming right on top of the station. Sheridan seems ready to surrender.

At that moment, the jump points open to reveal Delenn's Minbari fleet, which, she tells the Earthforce attackers, will defend the station. When the Earthforce commander objects and asks that she not "force me to fire on your ships," she replies "Why not? Only one human captain has ever survived battle with a Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else."[1] The hopelessly outgunned Earthforce task force jumps to "somewhere else" and leaves the new allies in command of B5 space.

B5 residents cheer Sheridan and Delenn, as it becomes clear that the station is a special place where, against all odds, hope and good intentions can not only survive, but thrive. It has become the headquarters of the resistance to the Shadows and their minions on Earth as well as elsewhere. The thrill of victory hides the tough choices and lean days ahead.