Deathwalker
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| “Deathwalker” | |
|---|---|
| Babylon 5 episode | |
 |
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| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 9 |
| Guest stars | Sarah Douglas (Jha'dur) Robin Curtis (Ambassador Kalika) Cosie Costa (Abbut) Aki Aleong (Senator Hidoshi) |
| Written by | Larry DiTillio |
| Directed by | Bruce Seth Green |
| Production no. | 113 |
| Original airdate | 20 April 1994 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "And the Sky Full of Stars" | "Believers" |
| List of Babylon 5 episodes | |
"Deathwalker" is an episode from the first season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.
Contents |
[edit] Plot synopsis
A war criminal arrives aboard the station with a stunning scientific discovery: a substance that offers possible immortality.
[edit] Details
Ambassador Kosh hires Talia Winters to telepathically monitor some transactions, and is instructed to meet up at the hour of scampering.
Na'Toth meanwhile is waiting for a ship to dock, when she spots an individual disembarking from another ship. She goes wild shouting "Deathwalker" and attacks the woman until she is restrained. Sinclair and Garibaldi meet up to discuss the happening, and although she has all the outward trappings of a Minbari and has arrived from Minbari space it is clear she is not a Minbari. They have heard the name Deathwalker before. They question Na'Toth and find she has taken a blood oath to kill the Dilgar woman known as Deathwalker. Deathwalker was responsible for a series of experiments on Na'Toths grandfather and other people, that ended with most of them dying. This happened over 30 years ago, and would make the woman much older than she appears now.
Talia meets up with Kosh and his client Abbut, but she can not find out any details from Kosh. A mind scan of Abbut show his mind is empty of thoughts. Several cryptic sayings are exchanged between the two.
In Medlab, Dr Franklin has stabilised Deathwalker, and reports her body is healing itself very quickly. Sinclair tells him 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. The records show Deathwalker was a name 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. Garibaldi arrives with a Dilgar uniform and a mystery drug. Sinclair is called away to answer a gold channel call.
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.
It is Senator Hidoshi on the gold channel, and he wants Sinclair to send Deathwalker to Earth as soon as possible. He refuses to hear any arguments from Sinclair and terminates the call.
In Medlab Jha'dur wakes, and is angry with Franklin who is analysing the drug. She says it is her life's work. Sinclair goes to Medlab, bumping into Londo on the way, who asks if the rumours of Deathwalker are true. Sinclair shrugs off the rumour. He arrives in Medlab and dismisses Franklin to talk to Jha'dur. She confirms she is Deathwalker, and that she has discovered a drug that cures disease and retards the ageing process in all humanoid life forms. However the drug is unstable and difficult to produce, but Sinclair can see the results.
Talia's meeting comes to an end with more cryptic sayings. She asks both sides what the meaning of the meeting was, but both decline to give her a straight answer.
Sinclair asks Lennier for help, as Deathwalker claimed she has been living with the Wind Swords, a branch of Minbari warrior cast. He agrees to try and find out.
G'Kar makes an offer to Deathwalker for her drug, which she doesn't take up.
Sinclair, Ivanova, Garibaldi and Franklin meet to discuss options. They decide that Earth is probably the best place for her, although not without a lot of disagreement.
Sinclair perpares to escort her off the station, but G'Kar has told the League of Non-Aligned Worlds about her presence, and they very much want revenge. They compromise on having a meeting and a vote about a war-crimes trial. The vote is No, and various of the league storm out.
Meanwhile Talia has her second meeting with Kosh and Abbut, which is every bit as confusing as the first. It seems clear that Abbut is part machine though.
The tension increases when a league warship arrives and threatens B5 if Deathwalker is not released. Ivanova manages to talk them out of attack, and Sinclair manages to reach a compromise, where 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. 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,
Jha'dur's ship leaves B5, but as it approaches the jump gate, a Vorlon ship appears and destroys Jha'dur's ship. Kosh tells them they are not ready for immortality yet.
Sinclair and Garibaldi later discuss the significance, and Talia joins them and explains about 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.
[edit] Arc significance
- The Dilgar War is first mentioned, showing some of Earth's backstory. The Dilgar invaded the non-aligned sectors in 2230.
- Kosh tells the League 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.
[edit] Production details
[edit] Trivia
- Sarah Douglas, the Deathwalker, also played the Kryptonian renegade criminal Ursa in Superman: The Movie and its sequel.
