Babylon 5

Susan and one of her fellow officers are sitting quietly in C&C, as everything is running smoothly and there are no incidents to deal with. Suddenly the jumpgate is activated, indicating six ships coming through. Sheridan runs off to the docking bay to welcome to the station what proves to be a ground pounder force of 25.000 soldiers, led by General Richard Franklin, of the 356th Infantry Division. Their unofficial nickname is GROPOS, an abbreviation for the phrase "ground pounder". The troops are to be stationed at Babylon 5 for a few days, seeing as they're on their way to a mission in a system nearby. Sheridan asks whether the General is related to Dr. Franklin, to which the General replies that the doctor is his son, but he will make the arrangements to meet him himself. He demands space for his troops to stay until they depart for their mission, ignoring Sheridan's protests that there is no more space on the station. The General comes off immediately as a strict, by-the-book military officer who refuses to take no for an answer. Disciplined as he is, Sheridan promises to do everything in his power to find space for the troops.

Ivanova and Garibaldi are growing desperate as thousands of troops flood the station, and they are under the obligation of keeping them under control and helping them settle down without too much fuss. The two meet up with Sheridan in the corridor leading to his office, briefing him about their disrupted docking schedule and imminent security issues, due to the extensively large number of troops aboard the station. In the office General Franklin is waiting to brief them on the classified mission that is about to take place. He recognizes Garibaldi's name and tells him his father, Alfredo, had served under him and that he was an excellent soldier.

The mission is located in Akdor, in a system very near the borders of the Centauri Republic and the Narn homeworld. Akdor is engaged in a fierce civil war, and Earth force has agreed to aid the government in drowning out the resistance. Operation "Sudden Death", as the mission is called, is a surgical strike on the rebel stronghold on Akdor. Babylon 5 was chosen as a base for these operations because its jumpgate is the closest to the system, and Sheridan had served on the planet before, and has a good knowledge of the situation there. He is expected to help General Franklin with the planning of the attack. Sheridan immediately objects, telling him that the stronghold is very well guarded, and a dangerous place to send Earth troops. "It's a death trap", he characteristically states. To maintain the element of surprise secrecy is essential. The Earth Senate will announce the involvement of its military at the last moment, right before the troops are ready to invade. Garibaldi, Sheridan and Ivanova are the only three in Babylon 5 who will know of the real reason for the expedition. Everyone else, including the soldiers themselves, think the force will be sent to Io to relieve the troops there. Earth is worried about the war between the Narn and the Centauri, and they wish to establish a strategical advantage in the area, for when the time comes to choose a side. Their first act of further militarizing their presence in the galaxy is to install a new, highly advanced defense grid on Babylon 5, which will significantly increase its combat efficiency. On a final note, the new weapons system might come in handy if the troops have a hard time defeating the rebels in Akdor. Then Babylon 5 will serve as a fallback position for them. Sheridan naturally objects, since Babylon 5 is supposed to be a neutral place, where peace can be promoted, and the sudden upgrade in weaponry might cause concern among the alien population there. The General makes it clear however, that militarization of Babylon 5 is something already decided by the government, and all the captain can do is accept it. Earth has decided to make its presence in the galaxy more prominent.

Neither Sheridan, nor Ivanova and Garibaldi are positive towards this decision. In the meantime, Lieutenant Keffer enters his quarters, to find two marines sitting on his couch, smoking cigars and telling war stories. Keffer is angry at first, but after a minor squabble the three become friends and sit on the couch together.

General Franklin visits his son in Medlab. The doctor is trying to be friendly but the General never loses his critical, severe attitude. A certain awkwardness from both sides is evident from the beginning. As the conversation unravels we learn more about Dr. Franklin's past. He had served as a military doctor in the previous war, and had resigned for ethical reasons. Now that his father suggests helping to re-assign him to Bethesda Dome, the old conflict is rekindled. The doctor believes that his loyalties should lie with understanding and preserving life wherever that may be found, as opposed to his father who thinks he has an obligation to his race and to his countrymen. With a new galactic war being on the verge of breaking out, Franklin should embrace his responsibilities and support his own species.

Dr. Franklin : I'm needed here. I spent time doing that type of research in the last war, remember? I didn't like it.

General Franklin : Like has nothing to do with it. You have a duty to the force.

Dr. Franklin : What duty? Coming up with new and better ways to wipe out life? I'm a doctor, my duty is to heal.

General Franklin : Then heal humans! Steven, I know you're fascinated by these alien creatures, but they're a threat to humanity! And they always will be! Help your own kind.

Dr. Franklin : Life is life, whether it's wrapped in skin, scales or feathers! Now if you respected these beings instead of constantly trying to murder them, you'd appreciate that.


By that point the General is infuriated, which leads him to finally end the conversation and leave. The doctor tries to reconcile with him but he doesn't turn back to face him. It is evident that their relationship has some serious issues that need resolving. These issues emerge again a little bit later, when Ivanova stops by the Medlab to ask Franklin for space to put up some soldiers. Franklin vents out, refusing to change the way his practice operates to accommodate the soldiers. Ivanova takes him aside and tries to figure out what's going on. He expresses his utter bewilderment and frustration, at not being able to communicate with his father. He loves him but he can't talk to him. Susan tells him she's had the same problem with her own father, who made her angry more times than not. She's needed elsewhere however, and the conversation is postponed for later. Franklin gives the soldiers the space they need in the infirmary.

Later on, in the Zocalo, Susan has a quick drink with Dr. Franklin. He tells her how his childhood has been very difficult, due to the authoritative behavior of his father, who thought he could run his home like a boot camp. But also because his family was always worried something might happen to him, and that he might not come back. That fear was constantly present in their family life. Susan advises him to take the chance to tell his father that he loves him, now that he has it. Delenn discusses the weapon upgrade with Garibaldi, expecting to be reassured that Babylon 5 will remain neutral. She has had no luck arranging peace talks between Londo and G'Kar, who do not even wish to speak with one another.

As she enters the elevator Delenn is faced by a group of drunken soldiers, who make racist remarks about her appearance and threaten to attack her. A female soldier, Dodger (Elisabeth Durnam) intervenes and gets into a fight with the soldiers while Delenn gets away. The fight is broken off by the Sergeant in charge of the troops, but not before Dodger has knocked everyone down. When the Sergeant asks who started the fight, the solidarity that obviously exists between the troops prevents them from saying anything. Delenn notifies Garibaldi about the incident. He has a word with the Sergeant so that no one gets punished. Dodger and Garibaldi walk away, and as he runs off to tackle another bar fight, Dodger smiles and says "Nice butt"…

In the situation room, Sheridan and General Franklin discuss the details of the attack. Sheridan tries to convince him to call off the attack, as he believes Earth Force is being taken advantage of by the Akdor government, and is being sent there to suffer all the heavy losses. Franklin tells him they don't have that option. Earth Force is expected to clear the area of the rebels in exchange for a permanent presence in the sector. Due to the sector being close to the Narn-Centauri border, Earth needs to establish a presence there no matter what the cost. The discussion is interrupted by Dr. Franklin, who wants to speak to his father. His father dismisses him like he would a soldier, and he leaves angry. A conversation with Sheridan follows, where the General states his bitterness about his son thinking that he is a murderer. It is agreed upon that killing is a necessary part of war. "If only my son would understand that", the General says. Sheridan tells him what an important part his son plays in the station, and how devoted he is to his principles. It was the same thing with him and his own father. They had frequent arguments about their principles and convictions for a long time. "Finally one day we realized, that none of us could be anything other than what we were. But we never stopped talking, or loving each other". The General sees the point in Sheridan's argumentation.

Garibaldi meets up with Dodger in the Zocalo, and after having dinner with her they end up in his quarters making out. Dodger is moving too fast for Garibaldi, so he stops her and starts discussing his doubts and why he has them. He was in a relationship that ended badly, then he fell in love with another woman, one whom he could not possibly be with, he's been shot, and generally he finds himself in a point in his life where he needs to take things slowly, think them through and then decide if it's the right move for him to make. Dodger is bitter about what she perceives as a rejection. Her life as a soldier doesn't allow her to form more permanent relationships, for better or for worse casual is the only thing she has time for. Given the temporary nature of a soldier's entire existence, she isn't aiming for anything more. The next battle may find her dead. Garibaldi tries to atone for hurting her feelings but she's off before he has time to.

GROPOS are making their runs along the corridors of Babylon 5, singing their Marine Corps songs in the process. Sheridan and Ivanova make an estimation about the considerable efficiency of the new weapons system, which seems to be rather impressive. General Franklin pays his son another visit. He behaves differently this time, having recognized his mistakes, and having determined to amend his relationship with Steven. He tells him that even though he hasn't been there for him as a child, he is still angry that his son doesn't respect him and considers him a murderer. Steven explains to him that the issue lies in communication and not so much in respect. He isn't able to talk to his father and say the things he needs to say, which is frustrating, especially when he doesn't know if his father will come back alive. "Every soldier lives with death, son, but I suppose sometimes, we forget that our loved ones must live with it too", his father says. Steven tells him that he is responsible for him being the man he is, and that he loves him. The two are finally reconciled. They hug, Steven wishes his father good luck and the General leaves for the mission

Back in the Zocalo, Keffer has a drink with his two GROPO roommates. They share war stories and have fun, until a group of soldiers next to them starts a fight. Garibaldi is also having a drink with Dodger, apologizing for his previous behavior. Dodger apologizes in her turn. Soon enough the fight becomes general and everyone in the bar is throwing punches at each other. It is cut short by the Sergeant coming to announce the troops' departure in a few hours.

Sheridan, Ivanova and Franklin say their goodbyes to the General, whose relationship with his son is now fixed. "Take care, Steven, and for whatever disagreements we may have, you're your own man, and for that I'm very proud", he tells the doctor. Garibaldi rushes off to the docking bay to say one last goodbye to Dodger. They share a kiss and he tells her that perhaps when she gets back they can meet up again. A few hours later, the first reports from Akdor come in. The fighting has been very severe. The rebel fortress has been conquered, but Earth Force has had heavy casualties. General Franklin is alright. The list of casualties is brought to Garibaldi, and he sees Dodger's name among them. Keffer takes a look. His two roommates are also among the casualties.