Deathwalker

"Deathwalker"

"Deathwalker" is an episode from the first season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.

Synopsis

Na'Toth spots an alien Dilgar woman disembarking from a Minbari ship, and reacts violently, attacking the woman, whom she calls "Deathwalker". She goes wild shouting "Deathwalker" and attacks the woman until she is restrained. Na'Toth explains that the woman is a war criminal responsible for a series of experiments on Na'Toth's grandfather and other people, that ended with most of them dying over 30 years ago, and she took an oath to kill the Deathwalker. In Medlab, Dr. Franklin has stabilised Deathwalker, and reports her body is healing itself very quickly. Sinclair tells Franklin she is a Dilgar, which Franklin doesn't believe. The Dilgar were mostly wiped out in the Dilgar War, and those that survived died when their sun went nova.

Ambassador Kosh hires Talia Winters to telepathically monitor some transactions, and is instructed to meet with him and a hatted man named Abbut "at the Hour of Scampering." For unknown reasons, Talia's mind scan of Abbut show his mind is empty of thoughts. Several cryptic sayings are exchanged between Abbut and Kosh. She is mystified as to the purpose of the meeting and both parties decline to give a clear explanation to her at its conclusion.

The records show Deathwalker was an epithet given to Warmaster Jha'dur, who was the infamous leader of the Dilgar invasion of the non-aligned sectors in 2230. It also shows she is a specialist in biochemical, biogenetic, and cyber-organic weapons. Her body appears too young to be the Deathwalker, and too old to be her daughter. The answer to this mystery may lie in a substance that Garibaldi found among her belongings.

Na'Toth apologises to G'Kar for her actions, but G'Kar understands the nature of the blood oath. However he says that Jha'dur is carrying something very useful to Narn, so she will have to delay her revenge for the good of Narn.

Sinclair is contacted by Senator Hidoshi, who wants Sinclair to send Jha'dur to Earth as soon as possible, and refuses to hear any arguments from Sinclair. In Medlab Jha'dur wakes, and is angry with Franklin who is analyzing the drug, which she says is her life's work.

She confirms to Sinclair that she is the person known as Deathwalker, and says that she created a universal anti-agathic drug that cures disease and retards the aging process in all humanoid life forms. The drug is currently unstable and difficult to produce, but Sinclair can see the results.

Sinclair asks Lennier for help, as Jha'dur claimed she has been living with the Wind Swords, a branch of the Minbari warrior caste. He agrees to try and find out.

G'Kar meets with Jha'dur, who came to B5 to deal with a senior official from Narn regarding her discovery. She offers to give the drug to the Narn, but only on the condition that Na'Toth is executed and her remains presented to her. G'Kar refuses.

Sinclair prepares to escort Jha'dur off the station to Earth, but G'Kar has told the League of Non-Aligned Worlds about her presence, and a delegation demands Jha'dur be turned over to them to stand trial. Sinclair, in an attempt to stall for time, suggests instead that the B5 council debate the matter and hold a vote regarding a war crimes trial.

During the council vote, Londo votes "No", claiming the Centauri had no quarrel with the Dilgar. G'Kar states that the Narn will vote "Yes", but only on the condition that the trial is held on Narn. When the League objects, G'Kar responds by voting "No". Sinclair, on behalf of Earth, votes "Yes". Ambassador Kosh refuses to attend, on behalf of the Vorlons. Lennier, representing the Minbari, votes "No". This means the vote is 3 to 2 against with 1 abstention. The council descends into uproar as various members of the League storm out, threatening to cut ties with Babylon 5.

Sinclair confronts Lennier, claiming that the Minbari gave shelter to Jha'dur. Lennier replies that it was one of their more militant warrior groups that took her in and that his government had no knowledge of their actions until recently.

Meanwhile Talia has her second meeting with Kosh and Abbut "at the Hour of Longing," which is every bit as confusing as the first. At one point she experiences the deliberately provoked memory of a mind probe she performed four years previously on a serial killer, a terrifying experience that still gives her nightmares. Abbut removes his hat, revealing that he has a cybernetically enhanced (and exposed) brain, from which he removes a data crystal. He gives it to Kosh, who announces that their business is concluded.

The tension aboard the station increases when League warships arrive and threaten B5 if Jha'dur is not handed over. Sinclair manages to reach a compromise, in which Jha'dur will go to Earth, and then after she has finished helping them with the drug, she will be released to the League for a trial.

However just before she departs, Jha'dur smugly informs Sinclair there is a price to her immortality medication: The essential components are fatally derived from the bodies of beings of the same species of the recipient. With a sadistic glee, she predicts that the various species will turn on each other internally and ravenously for immortality, sparking a wave of mass murder and chaos that will destroy any pretensions of moral superiority to her people: "Not like us? You will become us." Being helpless to stop her scheme since he knows that his government will still want her medication regardless, all the incensed Commander can do is order the criminal off his station.

Sinclair, Garibaldi and representatives of the various worlds gather on the observation deck, including, to everyone's surprise, Ambassador Kosh, to watch as Jha'dur's ship leaves B5. However, before it can reach the jump gate, a Vorlon ship comes through and destroys Jha'dur's ship. When Sinclair confronts Kosh about why the Vorlon attacked, he simply states to the assembly that "You are not ready for immortality." and somberly walks away.

Sinclair and Garibaldi later discuss the significance, and Talia joins them and relates her meeting with Kosh. Garibaldi says he knows of Abbut–he is a "Vicar" (a term derived from "VCR"), which is a type of alien that is part machine, part sentient being. They act as living recorders and can record just about everything, including brain-wave patterns. Sinclair explains that the Vorlons are uneasy around telepaths, and used Abbut to record Talia's personality, including her worst fears, so that it could potentially be used in the future.

Arc significance

• The Dilgar War is first mentioned, showing some of Earth's back-story. The Dilgar invaded the non-aligned sectors in 2230.
• Kosh tells the League and humanity that they "are not ready for immortality", in a tone indicative of the Vorlon's self-appointed role as parental figure for the lesser races.
• The exchange between Kosh and Abbut, monitored by Talia Winters, was to have significance in later seasons, after the events which led to Lyta Alexander activating the dormant artificial personality embedded in Talia by the Psi-Corps. The initial plan for the storyline was that Kosh would eventually restore Talia to her real personality using the data recorded by Abbut. However, the departure of Andrea Thompson, the actress playing Talia, at the end of the second season meant that this would never be put into motion.
• The Vorlons are high-level telepaths, capable of projecting their thoughts to others.

Production details

• The Windswords were the warrior clan involved in the events in the pilot. It is established that during the war between the Minbari and Humans, the Windswords offered the Minbari many new weapons, now known to have been developed by Ja'Dur.

External links

• Deathwalker at The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5