A Distant Star

"A Distant Star" is an episode from the second season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.

Synopsis

The Explorer class vessel, the EAS Cortez arrives after a five-year run near the outer rim of known space installing jump gates, and prepares for restocking. Its captain, Jack Maynard, greats Sheridan warmly, as Maynard had been Sheridan's former commander, and is curious why Sheridan took the station commander job, as it is far more bureaucratic than his previous assignments. Maynard proceeds to tell various stories of their encounters over the last few years, including rumors of something lurking in hyperspace. Sheridan starts to regret taking the Babylon 5 job, and letting his work start to pile up.

With restocking completing, the Cortez leaves for hyperspace, but shortly after passing through the jump gate, its engines fail, losing power to critical system including their navigational beacons. While they can repair the engine failure, without a reference to a jump gate, they have no chance of finding their way out. Maynard sends a distress signal, which is picked up by Babylon 5. Knowing the chance of finding a ship lost in hyperspace is nil, Sheridan suggests a plan of using a line of Starfuries to keep a locked signal from the jump gate to each other, with the last one in line to seek the Cortez and provide itself as a point of reference. Commander Galus and Lieutenant Keffer offer to take this risky role.

The Starfuries are launched into the jump gate, and with Galus acting as point of reference for Keffer, they are able to find the Cortez and message them about their help. Suddenly a large ship appears and knocks Galus' Starfury out of the line and into a gravity well, killing him; Keffer's Starfury is also damaged and sent spinning. Unable to make contact with the Cortez or his squad, Keffer fires shot after shot back in the direction of the jump gate. Maynard recognizes what Keffer is doing and has the Cortez follow that track. However, Keffer refuses to have them divert course to rescue him, as they would likely lose the direction of the jump gate again; Maynard thanks him for his sacrifice.

The Cortez and remaining Starfuries safely make it back, and while Maynard is grateful for the rescue, Sheridan is despondant about losing two of his pilots. He spends time in a garden on the station when he is joined by Delenn. Sheridan explains how he no longer feels Babylon 5 is his place, but Delenn assures him he belongs her, and that everything they see are all star matter. The conversation perks Sheridan's interest.

In hyperspace, with limited oxygen left, Keffer spots an alien ship exit hyperspace. He quickly has the ship's pilot follow the same course, clearing hyperspace. He quickly uses jump gates to get back to Babylon 5 where the station celebrates his return. Keffer is promoted to commander of the squadron, but is troubled by the origin of the ship he saw. Sheridan proudly regains faith in his role as station commander.

Arc significance

• Some details of the structure and navigation of hyperspace are revealed.
• Lieutenant Keffer sees a strange ship in hyperspace, leading him to an obsessive, season-long effort to learn what they are.
• Lt. Keffer is promoted to command of Zeta Squadron following the death of Galus.
• Delenn is becoming isolated from her people by her physical change.

Production details

• While not explicitly mentioned in the episode, the series creator explains that Explorer ships both map unknown regions of space and leave behind jumpgates that they construct.^[1]
• Explorer ships have a SPOF design flaw.
• Bagna càuda is an authentic Italian dish.

External links

• A Distant Star at The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5

References