Franklin and Ivanova, Dust to Dust
"Decorative, and soft. Probably out to impose their views on everyone
else."
"But their cities are thousands of years old."
"The lack of new construction is a sure sign of a faltering economy.
This could make them very aggressive."
"They are deeply spiritual people, Londo."
"That you can leave in. It always scares people."
Vir and Londo, Dust to Dust
"What is there left for Narn if all of creation falls around us? There's
nothing. No hope, no dream, no future, no life. Unless we turn from the
cycle of death toward something greater. If we are a dying people, then
let us die with honor, by helping the others as no-one else can."
"I can't understand."
"Because you have let them distract you. Blind you with hate. You cannot see
the battle for what it is. We are fighting to save one another, we must
realize we are not alone. We rise and fall together. And some of us must be
sacrificed if all are to be saved. Because, if we fail in this, then none of
us will be saved. And the Narn will be only a memory."
Narn Image and G'Kar, Dust to Dust
"Hi! Something I can help you with?"
"I don't know, I was thinking .. flowers."
"Thinking flowers is good, giving flowers is better. What's the occasion?"
"I'm not sure, but I think I have a date."
"She asked you out?"
"She asked me in, her place."
"Works fast. Is she aggressive?"
"You could say that."
"Hah. Lucky guy."
"It's not like that. Well, it's not like that yet. .. I think."
Flower salesman and David Corwin, Exogenesis
"And according to one of our units on the border of Centauri space,
they've continued massing their fleet. We don't know why. Maybe they expect a
counter attack, it's hard to say. And they have much to be concerned
about. There's always the threat of an attack by say, a giant space dragon, the
kind that leaves the sun every thirty days. It's a nuisance, but what would you
expect from reptiles. Did I mention that my nose was on fire? That I have
fifteen wild badgers living in my trousers? I'm sorry, would you prefer
ferrets?"
Marcus to Ivanova, Messages from Earth
"I thought the purpose of filing these reports was to provide accurate
intelligence."
"Vir, intelligence has nothing to do with politics."
Vir and Londo, Point of No Return
"I believe that I have been touched. That I am meant for something
greater. A greater darkness or a greater good, I can no longer say. All I have
ever wanted is to serve our people. I need to see what is before me. If I
should escape it, or embrace it. If there is any longer a choice."
"There is always choice. We say there is no choice only to comfort ourselves
with the decision we have already made. If you understand that, there's
hope. If not .."
Londo and Lady Morella, Point of No Return
"You must understand, Ta'Lon, I have had a revelation."
"What kind of revelation ?"
"Most profound and substantial one, Ta'Lon. The kind of revelation that
transforms your mind, .. your soul, .. your heart, .. even your flesh.
So that you are a new creature. Reborn in the instant of understanding."
G'Kar and Ta'Lon, Point of No Return
"You have a chance few others will ever have, Mollari. You still have
three opportunities to avoid the fire that waits for you at the end of your
journey. You've already wasted two others. You must save the eye that does not
see. You must not kill the one who is already dead. And at the last, you must
surrender yourself to your greatest fear, knowing that it will destroy
you. Now, if you fail all the others, that is your final chance for
redemption."
"I .. don't understand."
"The future reveals itself only reluctantly, Ambassador. Take the sign for
what it is. Look for it when it appears."
"I will, thank you."
Lady Morella and Londo, Point of No Return
"This is Ambassador Delenn of the Minbari. Babylon 5 is under our
protection. Withdraw, .. or be destroyed."
"Negative. We have authority here. Do not force us to engage your ship."
"Why not? Only one human captain has ever survived battle with Minbari
fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives,
be somewhere else."
Delenn and Captain Drake, Severed Dreams
"Only an idiot fights a war on two fronts. Only the heir to the throne
of the kingdom of idiot would fight a war on twelve fronts."
"We can handle it. Our resources are greater than you think."
Londo and Lord Refa, Ceremonies of Light and Dark
"Oh, Londo, you are a fool. You walk away from the greatest power
I have even seen, and now you expect me to do the same. They are the key to my
eventual rise to the throne. Why would I abandon them?"
"Because I have asked you. And because your loyalty to our people should be
greater than your ambition. And because I have poisoned your drink."
Lord Refa and Londo, Ceremonies of Light and Dark
"I'm already attending to my past, my present and what remains of my
future. I do not require your assistance. Or your approval. Enjoy your
ceremony, Delenn. I intend to have other plans."
Londo to Delenn, Ceremonies of Light and Dark
"Hello Delenn. Now, I was thinking, you couldn't come to the ceremony,
the ceremony should come to you. I've given up something that really mattered
to me, the uniform and everything that goes with it. I've never told anyone
before now.. When you were hurt, when you were in my arms, I was ready to kill
that guy with my bare hands. I realized I have never told you how much I cared
about you, how much you mean to me. I think it's time you knew that. I can no
longer imagine my world .. without you in it. I don't .. know exactly when or
how it happened, .. but I'm glad it did."
Sheridan to Delenn, Ceremonies of Light and Dark
"And how are things at the royal court?"
"You know, collusion, politicking, scheming, innuendo, gossip. The same
old thing."
Londo and Vir, Sic Transit Vir
"There were other women, but I never got past one."
"You mean first base."
"No, no, I mean one. You see, we have six a .. we have six, you see, and each
one is a different level of intimacy and pleasure. So, you know, first you have
one, and that's naa-naa. Then there's two .. and by the time you get to five
it's ..."
"All I can say is that enthusiasm, sincerity, genuine compassion, and humor can
carry you through any .. lack of .. prior experience with .. high numerical
value."
"Wow, I'm gonna remember that. Thank you, thank you."
Vir and Ivanova, Sic Transit Vir
"You know, I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I
thought, wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible
things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So, now I take
great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe."
Marcus Cole, Ranger to Franklin, A Late Delivery from Avalon
"You know the real reason you don't like me, Commander ? It's the
jealousy of evolution. Normals like you are obsolete. The future belongs to
telepaths .. and I intend to make sure that future happens. One way or
another."
"But we can't be on top if the aliens get there first and some of them
have. Through Clarke they infiltrated the Psi-Corp. And apparently they have
their own plans for my telepaths. Whoever these aliens are, they are
interfering with my plans for the future. I won't have it! And so, I need
someone who feels the same way I do. .. Which brings me to you. You'd like to
hurt them, Commander ? Because I think I know how. If you are up for it.
Bester to Ivanova, Ship of Tears
"'Some must be sacrificed for all to be saved.' First I took that as a
revelation for the future. Now I see that it is as much about how we got
here as about where we are going. I think that one sentence is the greatest
burden I have ever known."
"You are right, nothing would've been changed. Except that my people
would now be a dead race."
"You have come a long way, G'Kar. Further than I would've guessed. Sheridan's
promise binds me as well it does him. We will take you into the Council,
G'Kar. And someday, when all this is over, perhaps you will find it in your
heart to forgive me."
"Perhaps, but not today."
G'Kar and Delenn, Ship of Tears
"I've got it. I've got it. I've got it. It's right here. It's right
here."
"Do not thump the book of G'Quon. It is disrespectful."
Garibaldi and G'Kar, Ship of Tears
"You can never go wrong with garters. .. Hmm, you might."
Vendor to Vir, Interludes and Examinations
"Anything I can do to help?"
"Hmm. Short of dying, no, can't think of a thing."
Morden and Vir, Interludes and Examinations
"It is not yet time."
"And who decides that time? You? You put me in this position, you asked me
to fight this damn war. Well, it's about time you let me fight it my way."
Kosh and Sheridan, Interludes and Examinations
"My associates need a voice and an ear in the Centauri royal court.
If you violate the terms of our agreement, my associates may turn their eye
toward your homeworld."
"Then, we shall pluck it out."
"If you put yourself between us and our objectives, you may come to regret
it."
"There is nothing you can do to me, Mr. Morden, ...that has not
already been done. Good day."
Morden and Londo, Interludes and Examinations
"There you are. Being very honored to meet you. I'm being called.."
"Zathras. We've met before on Babylon 4."
"No. .. Zathras does not.."
"It was my past, your future. Zathras, this is very important. When you meet me
again, it will be me, but it won't be me now. So, you are not say anything that
may change the past. Do you understand?"
"Zathras understand. .. No. Zathras not understand, but Zathras do. Zathras
good at doings, not understandings. Zathras honored to meet you for many
reasons."
Zathras and Sinclair, War Without End, Part I
"Yes, yes, Zathras is used to being beast of burden to other people's
needs. Very sad life. Probably have very sad death, but at least there is
symmetry. Go, go, Zathras take care."
Zathras, War Without End, Part I
"My life is almost over. My world, all I hoped for, gone. You two are my
last chance, for this place, for my people, for my own redemption. There
is a ship, hidden behind the palace, my guard will take you there. In
exchange for your lives, all I ask is that you and your allies help to
free my people. I can do nothing more for them."
Londo to Sheridan and Delenn, War Without End, Part II
"No-one ever listens to Zathras. Quite mad, they say. It is good that
Zathras does not mind. He's even grown to like it. Oh yes."
Zathras, War Without End, Part II
"What guarantees will you give me that the crews will not open fire on a
Centauri vessel as it approaches Babylon 5 ?"
"It's the same guarantee I gave when I said that none of the other Narns would
break into your quarters in the middle of the night and slit your throat."
"Mr. Garibaldi, you have never given me that promise."
"You're right. Sleep tight."
Londo and Garibaldi, Walkabout
"Of course he doesn't! It's easy to fight when you've got a lot of ships
to work with. The real crunch comes when you are down to almost nothing. Then
you either play it safe and you probably lose it all or you take a chance.
After everything we've been through with your people, Sheridan was crazy to
send our pilots out to fight for your ship. They didn't want to go, they
didn't want to get blown out of the sky and leave B5 defenseless, and they
sure as hell didn't want to die. But they did it because Sheridan *told*
them to do it, and because it was right."
"This time it is possible he could be wrong."
"Yeah, it's possible. But you don't follow an order because you know for sure
it's gonna work out. You do what you are told, because your CO has the moral
authority that says you may not come back. But the cause is just,
and fair, and necessary. That's why Sheridan is out there, and dammit,
that's where the cruiser should be too! It's not Na'kal's decision, G'Kar,
he doesn't see the big picture. You do, so in my book, and your book,
that makes it your responsibility. Deal with it!"
Garibaldi and G'Kar, Walkabout
"Thin air? Why is it always thin air? Never fat air, chubby air,
mostly-fit-could-stand-lose-a-few-pounds air?"
Garibaldi, Grey 17 is Missing
"I am a Ranger. We walk in the dark places no others will enter. We
stand on the bridge and no-one may pass. We live for the One, we die for the
One."
Marcus to Neroon, Grey 17 is Missing
"Denn Shar, you said. To the death. And death there was. The death was
mine. To see a human invoke the name of Valen, be willing to die for one of my
kind when I was intent upon killing one of my own, the rightness of my cause
disappeared. Strange, that a human in his last moments should be more of a
Minbari than I. Perhaps it is true what Delenn said. That we are not of the
same blood, but we are of the same heart."
"The next time .. the next time .. you want a revelation .. could you
possibly find a way .. that isn't .. quite so .. uncomfortable?"
Neroon and Marcus, Grey 17 is Missing
"Londo, they could've killed me."
"Nonsense, you are not important enough to kill."
Vir and Londo, And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place
"'May gods stand between you and harm in all the empty places where you
must walk.'"
Ivanova speaking for Sheridan, Shadow Dancing
"Hey, come on Chief, it's not your fault. I heard what happened. You
offered to help, he walked away."
"Yeah, I know, but the thing is: sometimes people walk away because they
want to be alone, and sometimes they walk away because they want to see
if you care enough to follow them into hell. I think I went the wrong way."
Zack and Garibaldi, Shadow Dancing
"The Vorlons are like your parents, I suppose. They want you to play
nice, clean your room, do it by the rules. I guess you could call them Lords of
Order."
"The others, the ones who live here, believe that strength only comes from
conflict. They want to release our potential, not bottle it up."
"It's really simple. You bring two sides together. They fight. A lot of them
die, but those who survive are stronger, smarter and better.
Justin and Anna Sheridan, Z'ha'dum
"It was the end of the Earth year 2260, and the war had paused, suddenly
and unexpectedly. All around us, it was as if the universe were holding its
breath, waiting. All of life can be broken down into moments of transition or
moments .. of revelation. This had the feeling of both."
"G'Quon wrote: There is a greater darkness than the one we fight. It is the
darkness of the soul that has lost its way. The war we fight is not against
powers and principalities, it is against chaos and despair. Greater than the
death of flesh is the death of hope. The death of dreams. Against this peril we
can never surrender. The future is all around us, waiting in moments of
ctransition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of
that future, or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in
pain."
G'Kar, Season 3 ending in Z'ha'dum"
"It was the year of fire, the year of destruction, the year we took back
what was ours. It was the year of rebirth, the year of great sadness, the year
of pain, and the year of joy. It was a new age. It was the end of history. It
was the year everything changed. The year is 2261; the place: Babylon 5."
Babylon 5 Main Cast, Season 4 Opening in The Hour of the Wolf
"Minister, I have met Cartagia three times before, twice when he was an
infant. He drooled most of the time, I wonder if he's continued the habit,
and again when he was 15 trying to peek up the dresses of some young women.
I promise you, I will be just as impressed by him now as I was then,
yes?"
Londo and Minister, The Hour of the Wolf
"Ah, Mollari. It's wonderful to see you again."
"And you, Majesty. I could swear you have not changed since the last
few times I saw you."
"Oh, you are of course too generous."
Emperor Cartagia and Londo, The Hour of the Wolf
"Our thoughts form the universe, they always matter."
G'Kar, The Hour of the Wolf
"What are a few million lives compared to the glory of becoming a
living god?"
Emperor Cartagia, The Hour of the Wolf
"Is there something wrong?"
"Something: no. Everything: yes. Conspiracies require more than one person.
And there's no-one here I trust. Come quickly, Vir, we have much to do."
Vir and Londo, The Hour of the Wolf
"Words have meaning and names have power."
Lorien, Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?
"I was doing fine until you showed up with that .. thing in hand."
"It's a Minbari fighting pike, several hundred years old. You are just
jealous because you don't have one. Bad case of pikal envy, if you ask me."
G'Kar and Marcus, Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?
"You didn't ask the price .. for my co-operation."
"You are not exactly in a position to bargain, G'Kar."
"Neither are you. You want my help .. for the sake of your people. I will give
it .. for the sake of my own. If I remove the monster from your throne, you
will remove the monster .. from my world. Leave Narn, set my world
free. Promise me this, and I will do as you ask."
"You have my word."
G'Kar and Londo, Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?
"Captain, we're sorry. We thought you were dead."
"I was. I'm better now."
Drazi spokesman and Sheridan, The Summoning
"You heard?"
"I heard."
"They need to believe."
"Not in me."
"You can't save them all."
"I'll try."
"You'll fail."
"We'll see."
Lorien and Sheridan, Falling Toward Apotheosis
"He was gravely wounded at Z'ha'dum. He was dying. He was dead. I did
all I could to help him, but I can not create life, only the universe can do
that. I can extend, enhance, there is no magic, nothing spiritual about it,
only the application of energies, healing and rebuilding cells."
Lorien, Falling Toward Apotheosis
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail;
There gloom the dark broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me-
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
Free hearts, free foreheads - you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil.
Death closes all; but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks;
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs; the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Sheridan, The Long Night
The poem is the final stanza of Ulysses by Alfred Tennyson. Sheridan
only quotes part of it.
"I can not tell you that your pain will ever go away. I can not tell you
that you'll ever forget his face. I can only tell you that it was
necessary. You may have helped to save our people. You did a hard thing. But
you still have your heart, and your heart is a good one. You would not be in
such great pain otherwise. That means there is still hope for you. And for
that.. I find that I still envy you."
Londo to Vir, The Long Night
"You misunderstand me, Prime Minister. I was merely being specific. In
my experience, if you can not say what you mean, you can never mean what you
say. The details are everything."
Drano to Londo, Into the Fire
"Maybe the doc's right. Embrace the moment. In the end, that's all we
have. Trouble will come in its own time, it always does. But that's
tomorrow. Give me today, and I will be happy."
Sheridan, Epiphanies
"I have seen what power does, and I have seen what power costs. The one
is never equal to the other."
G'Kar, Epiphanies
"Tired? Of course not, don't be absurd. The Emperor himself said I would
only be allowed to leave over his dead body. I said: Well, how strange,
Mr. Allen said I would only be allowed back on to Babylon 5 over his dead
body. With my very busy schedule I can only accommodate so many requests. I
know it's a burden, but you will simply have to wait your turn."
Londo to Zack Allen, Epiphanies
"I'm delirious with joy. It proves that if you confront the universe
with good intentions in your heart, it will reflect that and reward your
intent. Usually. It just doesn't always do it in the way you expect."
G'Kar, Epiphanies
"I want you to know that I object to this, Captain. Ms. Alexander has
no business being here. She's a blip. By all right I should arrest her and take
back with me."
"You could do that. And I could nail your head to the table, set fire to it,
and feed your charred remains to the Pak'ma'ra. But it's an imperfect world and
we never get exactly what we want. So get used to it."
"Captain, this is pointless. She is a P-5. If I were really going to try
something, she's not powerful enough to block me anyway. You're just
embarrassing yourself, and her. Haven't we learned by now to trust each
other."
"No. Now, sit."
Alfred Bester and Sheridan, Epiphanies
"Commander! Did you threaten to grab hold of this man by the collar and
throw him out an airlock?"
"Yes I did."
"I'm shocked. Shocked and dismayed. I'd remind you that we are short on
supplies here. We can't afford to take perfectly good clothing and throw it out
into space. Always take the jacket off first, I've told you that before. Sorry,
she meant to say: Stripped naked and thrown out an airlock. I apologize for any
confusion this may have caused."
Sheridan and Ivanova, The Illusion of Truth
"To celebrate this latest victory against the tyranny of a fanatical
few who have endangered the lives of our citizens, Clarke proclaimed today a
planetary holiday. Curfew has been extended two full hours until 9 PM Earth
standard time, so go out and enjoy."
ISN broadcast by Alison Higgins, The Illusion of Truth
"Raise your eyes and look at me."
"It's disrespectful."
"I can not have an aide who will not look up. You will be forever walking into
things."
Dukhat and Delenn, Atonement
"Everyone's entitled to a fresh start."
"You're even willing to forget about the business--"
"Yes, even though it did make Mr. Garibaldi's hair fall out. You had no way of
knowing what was in thatbottle. That's my story and I'm sticking to it, just in
case he asks."
Ivanova and a smuggler, Racing Mars
"Touch passion when it comes your way, Stephen. It's rare enough as it
is. Don't walk away when it calls you by name."
Marcus to Franklin, Lines of Communication
"Excuse me, I need to see Draal."
"Oh, Draal is very busy! Have had four ground quakes on other side of
planet. Damage to weather control system, to great machine."
"Zathras!"
"Yes?"
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"Zathras work here. Zathras were born here. You work up there, Zathras work
down here. You dress like that, Zathras dress like this."
"That's not--"
"Just covering all possibilities. Zathras does not want you being
confoosed. Bye."
"Hey! Wait a minute! You are not supposed to be here. We left you a thousand
years in the past."
"No! We have never met before. But Zathras very pleased to be meeting you."
"No, we have met."
"No. Oh. No, noo. No no. You did not meet Zathras. You met
Zathras."
Ivanova and Zathras, Conflicts of Interest
"No, that was not Zathras, that was Zathras. There are 10 of us, all of
family Zathras, each one named Zathras. Slight differences in how you
pronounce. Zathraas, Zathras, Zathras.. You are seeing now?"
"There are ten of you?"
"Yes! Well, nine now."
Zathras and Ivanova, Conflicts of Interest
"Everyone always coming to Zathras with problems. Great
responsibilities. But Zathras does not mind. Zathras trained in crisis
management."
"That's great, lets--"
"But only Zathras have no-one to talk to. No-one manages poor Zathras, you
see. So Zathras talks to dirt. Sometimes talks to walls, or talks to
ceilings. But dirt is closer. Dirt is used, through everyone walking on it.
Just like Zathras, but we've come to like it. It is our role. It is our destiny
in the universe. So, you see, sometimes dirt has insects in it. And Zathras
likes insects. Not so good for conversation, but much protein for diet. Ha!
Zathras fix now, this way."
Zathras and Ivanova, Conflicts of Interest
"Yes, we've disagreed, even fought, but I would rather have someone who
oppose me out of an honest belief in the rightness of his cause than someone
who is always on my side because it was expected and required. I question your
judgement and wisdom, your temperament, but never your loyalty."
"Was that a compliment?"
"After a fashion."
"Then you trust me?"
"After a fashion."
Delenn and Neroon, Rumors, Bargains and Lies
"If I had told her the whole truth, it would've destroyed her belief in
the strength and the wisdom of our caste. Delenn does not walk in the same
world you and I walk in. She does not see the same world you and I see. In her
world we are better than we are, we care more than we care. We act towards each
other with compassion. I much prefer her world to that of my own, and I will
not allow anything to threaten that."
Lennier, Rumors, Bargains and Lies
"And.. Well, there's just no delicate way to say this. I want your
body." "What! Are you out of your mind?"
"Heh, that's a very funny question to ask a telepath, .. since we spend so much
of our time in other peoples' minds. I don't want it now, Lyta, just when you
are not .. using it anymore, after .. your passing."
Bester and Lyta Alexander, Moments of Transition
Captain's personal log, September 2nd, 2261. Enough is enough.
Sheridan, No Surrender, No Retreat
"So from now on I guess the operational phrase is 'Trust no-one.'"
"No. Trust Ivanova, trust yourself, anybody else: shoot them."
Corwin and Ivanova, No Surrender, No Retreat
"You may not believe this, G'Kar, but all I ever wanted is what is right
for my world. I'm a patriot, as you are. I have made some .. very poor choices
in the last two years. Because I did not think, those choices almost destroyed
my world, and yours. That is a humbling realization, G'Kar. If for the single
wrong word I can become the enemy, do I any longer really understand who the
enemy is?"
Londo, No Surrender, No Retreat
"Because while I do not know who the enemy is any longer, I do know who
my friends are, and that I have not done as well by them as I should. I hope to
change that. I hope to do better."
Londo, No Surrender, No Retreat
"Mars. I can't believe I'm back on Mars. Three times before this place
almost killed me. I swore I'd never give it another chance to finish the
job. Humans have got no business being here. No business at all."
Garibaldi's Log, The Exercise of Vital Powers
"Mars. Three times before this place almost killed me. And now I have
finally finished the job. I can't feel anything anymore. I don't know what I
care about anymore, except Lise. I screwed up both our lives pretty good. Now I
get to make up for it. Assuming any of us can ever make up for anything we have
done in the past. Maybe we can't, maybe we just have to live with it and get on
with it, and do what we have to, never what we want to. It has to be done. I
hope you can see that one day."
Garibaldi, The Exercise of Vital Powers
"By nature Mr. Garibaldi is rebellious, stubborn, and suspicious. He has
an innate distrust to the authority figures. And he is very good at figuring
out when conspiracies are taking place and tracking it back to its source. We
need that part of him, so I don't wanna risk tampering with him."
Bester, The Face of the Enemy
"There is nothing to be gained by trying to harm me, I am not the
enemy. To be the enemy, I must have some personal stake in what happens to
you. I am not interested in that at all. I'm here to do a job, nothing
more. You are a name, a file, and a case number, that's all."
Interrogator to Sheridan, Intersections in Real Time
"It does prove though how everything is a matter of perspective. You see
what you think is daylight, and you assume it's morning. Take it away, you
think it's night. Offer you a sandwich, if it's convenient, you'll think it's
mid-day. The truth is fluid, the truth is subjective."
Interrogator to Sheridan, Intersections in Real Time
"This is the White Star Fleet. Negative on surrender...we will not
stand down."
"Who is this? Identify yourself."
"Who am I? I am Susan Ivanova, Commander, daughter of Andrei and
Sophie Ivanov. I am the right hand of vengeance, and the boot that is going
to kick your sorry ass all the way back to Earth ... I am Death incarnate,
and the last living thing that you are ever going to see. God sent me."
White Star opens fire on Earthforce fleet
Ivanova and Earthforce Advanced Destroyer Captain James, Between the Darkness and the Light
"Engineering, this is General Lefcourt. In case you didn't notice, the
enemy just pulled our shorts up over our head and tied them into a knot. You
will get the ship under control ASAP, or I will come down there and skin the
hide off every last one of you."
General Lefcourt, Endgame
"You're late!"
"No, no, no, you're early."
"I'm never premature."
"Oh, well, that is a surprise, given what I've heard. I'm sure it's a matter of
perspective, really. But for a Narn, two minutes must be a long time, so if you
go the duration, it's an accomplishment. But for the Centauri, hours can go by
before you even get to the good parts."
G'Kar and Londo, Rising Star
"The bitch of it is that you probably did the right thing. But you did
it in the wrong way. In the inconvenient way. Now you have to pay the penalty
for that. I know it stinks, but that's the way it is."
President Susanna Luchenko to Sheridan, Rising Star
"So, how does it feel to make history?"
"You do not make history. You can only hope to survive it."
Londo and G'Kar, Rising Star
"It was the end of the Earth year 2261 and it was the dawn of a new age
for all of us. It was the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. The
next 20 years would see great changes, great joy and great sorrow. The
telepath war. The Drakh war. The New Alliance would waver and crack, but in the
end it will hold, because what is built endures, and what is loved endures. And
Babylon 5, ... Babylon 5 endures."
Delenn, Season 4 Epilogue, Rising Star
"So, Doctor, who died?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Among my people this is how we celebrate state funerals. Our marriage
ceremonies are solemn, sober, moments of reflection, also regret, disagreement,
argument and mutual recrimination. Once you know it can't get any worse you can
relax and enjoy the marriage. But to start with something like this.. No, it is
a very bad sign for the future."
Londo and Franklin, The Deconstruction of Falling Stars
"Faith sustains us in the hour when reason tells us that we can not
continue, that the whole of our whole lives is without meaning."
Brother Alwyn Macomber, The Deconstruction of Falling Stars
"Dedicated to all the people who predicted that the Babylon Project
would fail in its mission. Faith manages."
Dedication in, The Deconstruction of Falling Stars
"It is said that the future is always born in pain. The history of war
is the history of pain. If we are wise, what is born of that pain matures into
the promise of a better world, because we learn that we can no longer afford
the mistakes of the past."
G'Kar, In the Beginning
"And so it begins."
"There is a hole in your mind."
"What do you want?"
"No one here is exactly what he appears."
"Nothing's the same anymore."
"Commander Sinclair .. is being reassigned."
"Why don't you eliminate the entire Narn homeworld while you're at it?"
"I see a great hand reaching out of the stars."
"Who are you?"
"President Clark has signed a decree today declaring martial law."
"These orders have forced us to declare independence."
"Weapons supplies."
"Unless your people get off their encounter-suited butts and do something."
"You're the one who was."
"If you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die."
"Why are you here?"
"Do you have anything worth living for?"
"I think of my beautiful city in flames."
"Like giants in a playground."
"Get the hell out of our galaxy!"
"We are here to place president Clark under arrest."
Babylon 5 Main Cast, Season 5 Opening in, No Compromises
"I'm sorry, but I'm--"
"Working. Yes, I can see. Books, manuals, directives, regulations, the
geometries that circumscribe your awaken life, drawn narrower and narrower
until nothing fits inside them anymore. My name is Byron."
Captain Elizabeth Lochley and Byron, No Compromises
"Well, Mr. Garibaldi says it's very well written."
"Well, I .. I'm sorry, there's just the one copy for now, and well .. when I
loaned it to Mr. Garibaldi, it came back with coffee stains. I can't--"
Sheridan and G'Kar, No Compromises
"On my world, we have learned that an inauguration is simply a signal to
assassins that a new target has been set up on the firing range."
Londo, No Compromises
"Whoever speaks for the Alliance speaks with one voice for
many. Consequently, this contains the first page of every holy book of every
race that has joined the new Alliance. Whoever speaks for the Alliance does so
with the understanding that it is the inalienable right of every sentient being
to live free, to pursue their dreams, to address wrongs within their own
society without fear of retribution, to believe as their conscience requires in
matters of faith, but also to respect the rights of others to believe
differently, or not at all. Do you, John J. Sheridan--"
G'Kar, No Compromises
"I don't believe this. What is it with this place? I mean, last week
someone tries to assassinate Sheridan, and now someone tries to poison
Londo. My God! What is wrong with you people? Don't you have anything else
better to do? Why don't you get a hobby? Read a book or something?"
Vir, The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari
"You couldn't sleep either."
"No. I heard about your .. situation."
"I heard about yours. As Mr. Garibaldi would say, it's been one hell of a day."
"Yes, a hell of a day."
"And a hell of a year."
"A hell of a 5 years."
"A hell of a life."
".. You win."
Vir and Lennier, The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari
"You've misspelled this. There's no 'Y' in liberties."
"Oh, go away. Repress someone else."
"As you wish."
Londo and G'Kar, The Paragon of Animals
"Do you know what a telepath has to do in order to avoid picking up
stray thoughts? We have to kick down our natural abilities, run rhymes and
little songs through our heads 'round and 'round. All that to keep from picking
up what you're broadcasting loud enough to be heard halfway down the
hall. You're one of those people who rehearses everything, Mr. Garibaldi. You
never enter a situation until you've gone over it and over it a hundred times,
worked out what you will say and what the other person will say, how you'll
respond. It's .. quite remarkable and extremely depressing. That little
personality quirk must have cost you more than a few relationships. Mundanes
want us to fill our heads with noise and babble so we won't hear what you're
shouting at the top of your minds."
Byron, The Paragon of Animals
"Lyta, they believe in this new Alliance. They think they can make a
difference, help people. But they're trying, Lyta. They're trying so hard, and
they're gonna need all the help they can get, whether they know it or not. I
came back because I figured they deserve a fighting chance to make this work,
and I'm gonna give it to them. You do this for me, and I swear, I will never
ask you for anything ever again. .. Till the next time."
Garibaldi, The Paragon of Animals
"The universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice. The
language is not narn or human or centauri or gaim or minbari. It speaks in the
language of hope."
"It speaks in the language of trust. It speaks in the language of strength and
the language of compassion. It is the language of the heart and the language of
the soul. But always it is the same voice. It is the voice of our ancestors
speaking through us and the voice of our inheritors waiting to be born. The
small, still voice that says: 'We are one. No matter the blood, no matter the
skin, no matter the world, no matter the star. .. We are one. No matter the
pain, no matter the darkness, no matter the loss, no matter the fear. .. We are
one.' Here, gathered together in common cause, we begin to realize this
singular truth and this singular rule that we must be kind to one
another. Because each voice enriches us and ennobles us and each voice lost
diminishes us. We are the voice of the universe, the soul of creation, the fire
that will light our way to a better future. We are one."
"We are one."
Sheridan/G'Kar, the Alliance Preamble to the Declaration of Principles, The Paragon of Animals
"You've seen him and Delenn together, right? Now that's true love, my
friend. You don't see that very often."
"Quite very true. He's a good man."
"Yep. A good man."
"I heard he was dead once."
"Yeah, well, nobody's perfect, Bo."
Mack and Bo, A View from the Gallery
"You're supposed to be the head of covert intelligence. Right now, I'm
not seeing a hell of a lot of intelligence. Covert, overt, or otherwise!"
Lochley, A View from the Gallery
"Then, as you said to me once: 'I will see you in a little while, in a
place where no shadows fall.'"
Sheridan to Delenn, A View from the Gallery
"You are a source of constant annoyance to me, Turval, but only because
you're right more often than you're wrong. And why should I keep this joy to
myself? I choose to share you with the universe. Valen help them all."
Sech Durhan to Sech Turval, Learning Curve
"Our training methods were created by Minbari to serve Minbari. But if
there is any lesson to be learned from the humans, it is that we are made
stronger by our differences, not weaker. If the Pak'ma'ra cannot learn to be
what we think they should be, then perhaps we should learn to use them for what
they are."
Delenn, Learning Curve
"We create the meaning in our lives. It does not exist
independently. Being Anla-shok does not mean worrying about what others will
think about us. It does not mean deciding what to do based upon whether or not
it serves our sense of ego or destiny. It means living each moment as if it
were your last one. It means doing each right thing because it is the right
thing. The scale doesn't matter. The where, the when, the how, or in what cause
.. none of those things matter. In my life, I've discovered very few
truths. Here is the greatest truth I know: Your death, Rastenn, will have a
meaning if it comes while you're in fullest pursuit of your heart."
Sech Turval, Learning Curve
"As Anla-shok, we choose to do that which frightens us, knowing that
there are no guarantees. He may lose. We cannot help him."
"Then he will stand alone."
"At the end, Captain, .. we all stand alone."
Delenn and Lochley, Learning Curve
"The willow is deceptively strong. It bends, but it does not break. Its
roots are deep and can withstand the worst storm. It promises rest, and shade,
and cool breezes to those who would find rest beneath it. You have become my
willow. and we have all found shelter in your kindness."
Byron to Lyta, Strange Relations
"Not bad. Tell me, is that really telekinesis, or are you just pushing
the nerve endings, making them feel as if they've been slapped? Either way,
it's taken a lot out of you, Lyta. You're sweating, flushed. How many times can
you do that, Lyta? Can you do just one at a time? Maybe two? How about three?
How about a half dozen of us?"
"I don't know. Like you said, I'm new at this. I could even make a
mistake. Maybe even pop a blood vessel in someone's head by accident by pushing
too hard. Feel like playing the odds, Mr. Bester?"
Bester and Lyta, Strange Relations
"I could hide you."
"I believe you could. I believe you would protect me until the stars themselves
went cold and dead, but my people need me, and I must go to them."
Lyta and Byron, Strange Relations
"I want the aisle seat."
"Oh, no, no, no. You sit on the inside. I want the aisle."
"If you sit on the aisle, I cannot protect you."
"But .. I don't like the inside. It's too cramped. I become nauseous."
"I'll make sure they have a supply of space sickness bags."
G'Kar and Londo, Strange Relations
"And we will all come together in a better place, a better place
than this"
"My love will guide you, my love will hold you,"
"And my love will show you the way."
"There will come a tomorrow where we're free from our sorrows,"
"And our love will show us the way."
"We are strong in each other, we're sister and brother,"
"And we will all come together in a better place, a better place than this."
"My love will guide you, my love will hold you,"
"And my love will show you the way."
"There will come a tomorrow where we're free from our sorrows,"
"And our love will show us the way."
Song sung by Byron's Telepaths, Strange Relations
"I care what happens to you, Lyta."
"Yeah, well, maybe that's true. But talk is cheap, Zack. Byron is putting his
life on the line to create something for his people. And I'm one of them. He's
given us back a sense of dignity and community. I'm proud of that, and I'm
proud of him."
Zack and Lyta, Secrets of the Soul
"Byron, the Vorlons changed me. More than you could possibly know. I
don't know what it'll do once you get past my barriers and I get past yours. It
could burn you."
"Then let it burn."
Lyta and Byron, Secrets of the Soul
"He's hosting a cocktail party for, uh .. Rebo and Zooty. Now, later
tonight, we are having dinner with them."
"Rebo and Zooty are here? Zoot zoot? This is truly a day of wonders."
Delenn and Lennier, Day of the Dead
"G'Kar, as you can see, I'm rather busy, but I believe you know
Ambassador Kullenbrak. He's here to--"
"I know! That is why I came. I strongly advise you against this transaction. It
is dangerous and foolish and unwise."
"Religious toleration is foolish?"
"This is not a matter of toleration. You do not know what you are doing."
"The declaration of principles of the alliance .. You are familiar with it, I
trust?"
"I wrote it!"
"It states that religious belief shall be sacrosanct."
Lochley and G'Kar, Day of the Dead
"So .. When you were emperor, it meant something. Subduer of the Xon and
the Shoggren. .. Now .. Ptttp! Anyone can be emperor. I can be
emperor. Vir can be emperor. If Vir can be emperor, a small earth cat
can be emperor. .. Come on. Talk to me. It's the day of the dead."
Londo, Day of the Dead
"I thought you'd be pleased to see me."
"But I .. I thought you were dead."
"Ah. You know, the reports of my death, they weren't even exaggerated a little
bit. Yeah, I'm .. I'm dead. But, you know, I missed you, and how often do dead
people get second chances?"
Dodger and Garibaldi, Day of the Dead
"No. We say serious things in a funny way, but when the joke comes,
people stop listening. The real comedy all happens in the senate. They do
.. they do one idiotic thing after another, but people listen because they say
it seriously. I don't know whether we're leaving comedy to go into clown
school, but all I do know is that, uh .. comedians don't matter."
"Well, if you don't matter, nothing matters. I mean, the only reason politics
exist is to ensure that people have the freedom to laugh."
Rebo and Sheridan, Day of the Dead
"It's bad luck to die on empty stomach."
G'Kar to Londo, In the Kingdom of the Blind
"How do we avoid being noticed?"
"We don't. We do everything we can to be noticed. And thus become
invisible."
"I do not understand."
"The royal court has been trained not to see what is inappropriate."
Na'Toth and Londo, A Tragedy of Telepaths
"We should expect some losses on their side, but let's try to keep it
within acceptable limits. The Corps is mother, the Corps is father -- in that
way these are our children that've gone astray. We have to at least try
to bring them in alive so that we can correct their thinking."
Bester, Phoenix Rising
"Didn't have to end like this."
"It still doesn't."
"Yes it does. We can't go back now. There's too much blood. We are no longer
who we were. We are what we have become, what you [Bester] made us!"
Byron and Sheridan, Phoenix Rising
"Where is my book? It is my only copy!"
"Yes, that is precisely the point. The Kha'Ri felt that if anything happened to
you, the book of G'Kar would never see the light of day, so they .. liberated
it."
"Liberated it?"
"We took it home. Those that read it were very moved by it and they made some
copies."
"Copies?!"
"Just a few, .. for their friends. A few more, .. later few more copies."
"How many?!"
"That's hard to say, exactly. There was some confusion when it went to the
printers."
"Printers?! I've only been gone for a month, Ta'Lon, there can't be that
many copies floating around this quickly. How many?"
"Five or six .. hundred .. thousand."
"What?"
"I've been told that it will out-sold the book of G'Quan. .. Congratulations,
citizen G'Kar. You are now a religious icon."
G'Kar and Ta'Lon, The Ragged Edge
"All my life .. I have been responsible only for myself. When I risk, I
risked alone to avoid making others pay the price for my mistakes. They want me
to chose them another way. What if I show then the wrong way? What if they come
to me not because of the lesson but because of the teacher? I worry, Ta'Lon,
that my shadow may become greater than the message."
"If that happens, I give you my word that I will personally kill you."
"This is supposed to put my mind at ease?"
"I'm a warrior. It's what I have to give. You and I both have our burdens to
bear, G'Kar. I will carry mine, .. if you will carry yours."
G'Kar and Ta'Lon, The Ragged Edge
"In the past we had little to do with other races. Evolution teaches us
that we must fight that which is different in order secure land, food, and
mates for ourselves, but we must reach a point when the nobility of intellect
asserts itself and says: No. We need not be afraid of those we are different,
we can embrace that difference and learn from it."
G'Kar, The Ragged Edge
"Besides, we don't often see a sense of humor in Psi-Cops."
"Reports of our depression are vastly exaggerated."
Lauren Ashley and Bester, The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father
"Do you get used to it?"
"When it's one of ours, no. With mundanes it's easier. They hate it when you
say that, but it's true. They kill and slave and abuse each other with
efficiency and enthusiasm. Why should we value their lives when they don't?
It's a little harder with rogues and blibs. Being a telepath means you're
special, and rare, and valuable."
Lauren Ashley and Bester, The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father
"Don't you ever go away? Haven't you caused enough trouble for one
lifetime?"
"It's a pleasure to see you too, Mr. Allan. Where can I find captain Lochley? I
should check in with her."
"She's busy, you can check in with me. Card. So what is it this time,
Mr. Bester? Hunting out freedom-fighters, pulling wings off flies, annexing
Sudetenland."
Zack and Bester, The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father
"As a friend he would need to protect you. As my husband he would need to protect me from anything that might happen to you."
"I think, in that respect, he does not know you as well as he should."
"He knows me, but he also loves me. And sometimes the one gets in the way of the other."
"Yes, I .. imagine it could do that."
Delenn and Lennier, Meditations on the Aby
"I've been told each world's internal affairs are considered
private. And this is as internal an affair I can think of."
...
"Oh, and you mentioned wondering what my pleasure threshold is. I just recently
found out. .. I don't have one. Have a very, very nice day, G'Kar."
Lyta to G'Kar, Darkness Ascending
"What does the candle represent?"
"Life."
"Whose life?"
"All life, every life. We're all born as molecules in the hearts of a billion
stars, molecules that do not understand politics, policies and differences. In
a billion years we, foolish molecules forget who we are and where we came
from. Desperate acts of ego. We give ourselves names, fight over lines on
maps. And pretend our light is better than everyone else's. The flame reminds
us of the piece of those stars that live inside us. A spark that tells us: you
should know better. The flame also reminds us that life is precious, as each
flame is unique. When it goes out, it's gone forever. And there will never be
another quite like it. So many candles will go out tonight. I wonder some days
if we can see anything at all."
Sheridan and Delenn, And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder
"Something's bothering you. What is it?"
"I need to ask you to do something I don't want to ask you to do."
"If it's about me wearing those little-- I appreciate the gift and I didn't say
I wouldn't wear them, I just said that .. for me, from a Minbari perspective, I
thought that it looked silly."
"No, it's not anything to do with that."
"[Sigh] Business then?"
Delenn and Sheridan, Movements of Fire and Shadow
"I have been many things in my life, Mollari. I have been silly. I have
been quiet when I should have spoken. I have been foolish. And I have wasted
far too much time. But I am still Centauri .. and I am not afraid."
Regent to Londo, The Fall of Centauri Prime
"Mollari .. understand .. that I can never forgive your people for what
they did to my world. My people can never forgive your people. But I .. can
forgive .. you."
G'Kar to Londo, The Fall of Centauri Prime
"What .. part of my message did you get? We've been having trouble with
the com system, see, and--"
"The most important part. The part that said: 'I need you.'"
"And you came here just on that?"
"What more is there?"
Garibaldi and Lise, The Wheel of Fire
Well, then you may as well give up, because nobody gets it 100%
right."
"I just want to give you a normal life."
"There is no 'normal life', Michael. There's just life."
Lise and Garibaldi, The Wheel of Fire
"It's ironic. Heh. You have to leave because everybody wants
you. They're fighting over you. And I have to leave because nobody wants
me."
"And yet we are the same in many ways. We are all the sum of our tears. Too
little and the ground is not fertile, and nothing can grow there. Too much, the
best of us is washed away. My rains have come and gone .. for now. Yours are
just beginning."
Lyta and G'Kar, Objects in Motion
"I believe that when we leave a place, part of it goes with us and part
of us remains. Go anywhere in the station, when it is quiet, and just
listen. After a while, you will hear the echoes of all our conversations, every
thought and word we've exchanged. Long after we are gone .. our voices will
linger in these walls for as long as this place remains. But I will admit
.. that the part of me that is going .. will very much miss the part of you
that is staying."
G'Kar to Sheridan, Objects in Motion
"Greetings, Ta'Lon. I'm leaving this message for you because it appears
I must leave Babylon 5 sooner than I had intended. I would have preferred to
say this in person, but since I cannot, let me say it here. Now that I am
gone, someone else must speak for our people. I would like for that person
.. to be you. Knowing you as I do, Ta'Lon, I'm sure you're wondering, why
you?"
"To say the least.
"Why should you be asked to take on the responsibility of speaking for our
people? Why you might accept it is for you to decide. I can only tell you why
I've offered it. I believe there is a time for enlightenment and a time for
things to get done. I have become a distraction for our people. They require
patience, direction, determination, and strength. I have provided a little of
the first two. Now, you must provide the rest. You have always been sensible
and level-headed. A rock that will never shift or break beneath the demands of
our people. And you have been my friend. In my absence, we will need someone to
focus on helping our world rebuild and strengthening ties with the Alliance. In
order to serve our people here and at home, one must be both priest and warrior
in equal measure. In recent months, I have become more priest than
warrior. Perhaps, now it is time for someone who is more warrior than
priest. You may believe you are not ready, but you are as ready as I was when I
first came to Babylon 5. Check the records, I think you'll be amused. When
this message has finished, a copy will automatically be sent to Sheridan and
the others. They will receive you as they would receive me. Good luck, Ta'Lon.
Serve our people .. reasonably, fairly, and with honor. The rest will attend to
itself."
G'Kar, recorded for Ta'Lon, Objects at Rest
Singing? They can sing?"
"There's nothing about that in the literature."
"Apparently it's something they only do certain times of the year as part of
their religious ceremonies. You may not believe this, but .. it was the most
beautiful sound I've ever heard. I couldn't make out the words, but I knew it
was full of sadness and .. hope and wonder and .. terrible .. sense of loss. I
looked at Londo and -- this is the amazing part -- there was a .. tear running
down his face. I said: 'Londo, we should leave.' And 'This is upsetting you.'
He just stood there and .. listened. And when it was over he turned to me and
he said: 'There are 49 gods in our pantheon, Vir. To tell you the truth I never
believed in any of them. But if only one of them exist, .. then god sings with
that voice.' It's funny. After everything we've been through, all he did, .. I
miss him."
Sheridan, Franklin and Vir, Sleeping in Light
"Babylon 5 was the last of the Babylon stations. There would never be
another. It changed the future .. and it changed us. It taught us that we have
to create the future .. or others will do it for us. It showed us that we have
care for one another, because if we don't, who will? And that true strength
sometimes comes from the most unlikely places. Mostly, though, I think it gave
us hope .. that there can always be new beginnings .. even for people like us."
General Susan Ivanova, Sleeping in Light
ZAthras: G'day, ZaTHras.
ZaTHras: How are you, ZAthras?
ZAthras: Fine, ZaTHras. Where's ZathrAs?
ZaTHras: He's not here, ZAthras.
ZAthrAs: Wait. Here's the boss fellow now! ZathrAs! How are you doing?
ZathrAs: Fine. Mates, I've brought a new chap here from Pommieland. Michael, ZAthras, ZAthras, Michael.
Michael, ZaTHras, ZaTHras, Michael. Michael, ZAthrAs, ZAthrAs, Michael. Michael's going to be joining us here, working on the great machine.
ZAthras, ZaTHras, and ZAthrAs: G'Day!
Michael: Hello.
ZAthras: Is your name not Zathras?
Michael: No, it's Michael.
ZAthrAs: That's going to cause a little confusion.
ZaTHras: Mind if we call you ZathraS to keep things clear?
Babylon 5/Monty Python parody
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