205: The Long Dark

A century-old Earth ship, USS Copernicus, carrying cryogenically frozen humans is discovered adrift in B5's vicinity.  One of the occupants is found dead, and a check of the navigation computer shows that the ship's course had been altered and was en route for the Rim.  When the other occupant, Mariah Cirrus, is reawoken, a semi-corporeal life form is released and loose on the station.  A lurker named Amos, the only survivor of a massacre during the Earth-Minbari war, seems to know what it is and helps Garibaldi track it down, using himself as bait and sacrificing his own life to destroy it.  Franklin develops feelings for Mariah, but she feels that she wants to familiarize herself with the future before making any commitments.

Notes: Having a nightmare, Amos cries out "They're coming through the walls!", echoing Garibaldi during the flash-forward sequence in Babylon Squared.  The "Dark Soldier" life form is illustrated in G'Kar's Book of G'Quan; as the Copernicus' was headed en route for Z'ha'dum, presumably it is some form of Shadow foot soldier.  The Markab seem to know quite a bit about the Shadows and their movements, which might explain their fate in Confessions and Lamentations.

Guest Cast: Dwight Schultz (Amos) previously appeared as "Mad Dog" Murdoch in the TV series of The A-Team, and as Lieutenant Reg Barclay in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and the film Star Trek: First Contact.  Anne-Marie Johnson (Mariah Cirrus).