Did the show ever mention who Lochley's XO was?
B5: Why place the ISA's HQ on Minbar ?
- Thread starter Lighthammer
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Did the show ever mention who Lochley's XO was?
Plus of course B4 lasted (more or less intact) for a good 1000 years, so that's money well spent I think. B5 was only decommissioned so early because of changing socio-economic conditions. It's not like they planned on the entire galaxy getting turned on is ear or anything.
I think JMS said it was Corwin. A bit odd I know, given that he never made it past Lt, but then by that stage it wasn't a purely military hierarchy anymore.
^ Trying to make sense of the B5 Earth military structure (particularly regarding rank) is an exercise in futility...
Going by what I’ve read, that sounds about right.
Was if ever explained why, as a diplomatic/trade station, there were no diplomats from earth stationed there. Always seemed a little strange that human military officers were holding meetings with a room full of alien ambassadors!?
It's possible that military officials could hold dual diplomatic/military functions. There certainly is precedent for it in human history.
There was actually a planned episode in season one where an Earth ambassador would show up, but it ended up getting dropped. The other alien governments have interesting picks for their ambassadors as well though. G'Kar is a member of the Kha'Ri; Delenn is one of the Grey Council; it's only Londo that's on the station as "only an ambassador." Babylon 5 is an Earth station until the secession; considering the EarthGov's turn towards a more military state it makes sense that an officer was chosen to represent Earth interests.
The only consolation I can find is this:
Since B5, the show as we see it, is a holodeck-like re-creation done decades after the fact by the Rangers, perhaps the rank structure is something they got wrong.
; ) Yeah, there is that approach I suppose. Which could probably be applied to this as well . . . . . ..
It only got more military after season 1. Besides, their title was that of ambassador, and the Narn Kha’ri and the Minbari Grey council are both political/administrative groups/organisation! Earthforce is a military one. Given the volatile state of the known universe, past conflicts and the day to day stuff like trade meetings, first contact (Lumati) etc. it just seemed a bit . . . . . I dunno, unrealistic to have military officers running around in full uniform being the human representatives in that kind of environment. Didn’t a (human) diplomat turn up to negotiate a non-aggression treaty with the Centauri at the end of season 2 - and going by the reactions, having one turn up was a bit of a rare occurance!?
^The impression I get is that B5's XO was supposed to be just a mouthpiece for the B5 Senate oversight committee back at Earthdome. Or at least that's what the Earth politicians wanted. After a war like the one they just had with the Minbari its no wonder the hawks were largely in control. Even in the first season one gets the impression Santiago was the only sane, forward thinking person in the joint.
Plus of course Sinclair & Sheridan) were military Governors, not just COs and their authority in such matters was said to come directly from the EA President.
As for G'Kar & Delenn respective positions; As I understand it, the Kha'ri was sort of a parliamentarian type of body with no single leader, just increasingly smaller and more powerful "circles". G'Kar was of the Third Circle, which is a group of 12 ambassadors.
Delenn's true position was of course a closely guarded secret. She was only really there to keep an eye on Sinclair.
It might also be worth keeping in mind that B5 was not the *only* diplomatic channel open between the major races. The Centauri had had an embassy on Earth for the best part of a century. The Narn too had a presence since at least the Earth-Minbari War and we see in one of the early comics that the Minbari have a minor presence in Geneva too. I'm sure many other worlds had various points of contact with each other over the years, but B5 was the only place where everyone was under the same roof.
Plus of course Sinclair & Sheridan) were military Governors, not just COs and their authority in such matters was said to come directly from the EA President.
As for G'Kar & Delenn respective positions; As I understand it, the Kha'ri was sort of a parliamentarian type of body with no single leader, just increasingly smaller and more powerful "circles". G'Kar was of the Third Circle, which is a group of 12 ambassadors.
Delenn's true position was of course a closely guarded secret. She was only really there to keep an eye on Sinclair.
It might also be worth keeping in mind that B5 was not the *only* diplomatic channel open between the major races. The Centauri had had an embassy on Earth for the best part of a century. The Narn too had a presence since at least the Earth-Minbari War and we see in one of the early comics that the Minbari have a minor presence in Geneva too. I'm sure many other worlds had various points of contact with each other over the years, but B5 was the only place where everyone was under the same roof.
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