Crusade / Episode List

Season 1 of Crusade
Episodes	13
Country of production	United States
First broadcast	Jun 9, 1999 - Sep 1 1999 on TNT
German-language first broadcast	Jun 23, 2011 - Aug 4, 2011 on SYFY

The American television series Crusade consists of 13 episodes. Originally, five seasons with 22 episodes each of the Babylon 5 spin-off were planned, but production was discontinued early.

action

The plot ties in directly to the film Babylon 5: Brothers in Arms , which thus takes on the role as a pilot film. The following also describes the plot of three other episodes whose scripts were already finished before the series was discontinued. Although these episodes were no longer filmed, their plot belongs entirely to the canon of the Babylon 5 universe . The episode "The End of the Line" was planned as the 22nd episode and thus as the finale of the first season. The entire season takes place in 2267.

See also : Figures in the Babylon 5 Universe  and Races and Groups in the Babylon 5 Universe

No.	German title	Original title	First broadcast in the USA	German language first broadcast (D)	Director	script	Production number	Chronological order note
1	War zone	War zone	Jun 9, 1999	23 Jun 2011	JanetGreek	J. Michael Straczynski	108	1
The earth is under quarantine after the release of the Drakh virus. Captain Matthew Gideon is ordered to Mars because he has been chosen to lead a special mission: with the new destroyer Excalibur , he is supposed to go in search of a cure for the disease. As medical director, Dr. Sarah Chambers assigned. Gideon insists that the telepath John Matheson become his first officer. The thief Dureena Nafeel can also convince him to use her skills as a crew member. Shortly afterwards, the crew is sent on their first assignment. Recently, an Earth destroyer was wiped out by a Drakh ship, which crash-landed on the planet Ceti 4. There is also an archaeological Earth expedition. In fact, the Drakh make their way to the archaeologists, but can be intercepted by Gideon beforehand. Together with the leader of the expedition, Max Eilerson, the Excalibur's crew examines the Drakh ship. There begins a fight with the remaining crew, in which the technomage Galen surprisingly comes to the rescue and kills most of the Drakh. At the same time reinforcements arrive for the Drakh, who are defeated in a space battle with the Excalibur. A Drakh is caught on Ceti 4 and is to be transferred to Earth. Eilerson joins the Excalibur crew. Gideon meets with Galen, who also expresses his intention to accompany the mission.
2	The long way	The Long Road	Jun 16, 1999	23 Jun 2011	Mike Vejar	J. Michael Straczynski	107	3
A rare mineral is mined on the planet Regula 4, which has a life-prolonging effect on people and is thus supposed to give the earth more time. There are also some settlers who have chosen to live close to nature and to renounce modern technology. However, the mining of the mineral has been sabotaged for some time without the use of force and there are strange appearances, such as a giant dragon. Gideon gets to the bottom of the matter and meets the technomage Alwyn, Galen's former teacher who lives as a friend and advisor among the settlers. He admits that he was responsible for the sabotage and the apparitions, as the mining has accelerated enormously recently, regardless of the nature and the health of the population. The situation escalates when some settlers take mine workers hostage because Alwyn makes them feel safe. An Earth Force raiding party intervenes, but Alwyn is able to resolve the dispute non-violently. He is appalled by what the settlers are capable of. Together with Gideon he develops a plan: Alwyn apparently loses control and threatens to destroy the armed forces of the earth. The Excalibur turns him off and destroys the mine complex. But Alwyn is fine. The settlers should consider him dead and stand on his own two feet in the future. He says goodbye to Gideon and Galen and leaves Regula 4. The mineral should be mined more carefully in the future.
3	The source of eternity	The Well of Forever	23 Jun 1999	Jun 30, 2011	Janet Greek	Fiona Avery	106	14th
Galen, who accompanies the Excalibur with his own ship, tells Gideon about a mystical place in hyperspace, which is called the source of eternity . The source is a place with strong energy, where answers to many questions can be expected and perhaps also help in healing the Drakh plague. Gideon's crew agrees. Galen couples his ship to the Excalibur's systems, as only both ships can maneuver through hyperspace to the source. When the search is delayed, Gideon has doubts and is about to abandon the search. However, Galen makes it clear that he will not release control of the Excalibur until the source is found. Gideon is horrified, but shortly afterwards the goal is achieved. It is a huge structure made of precious metals and minerals that serves as a resting place for highly developed civilizations and techno-magicians. Galen reveals his real motivations: he once promised his late lover Isabelle to find the source she had been looking for over many years. He leaves her ashes on the spring and promises never to abuse Gideon's trust again. It then deletes any indication of the source's location. Meanwhile, Matheson receives a visit from Mr. Jones from the Telepath Integration Office, the successor organization to the Psi Corps. Jones is assigned to telepathically scan Matheson to make sure he is not using his abilities illegally. Jones learns that Matheson has already read the minds of some crew members and reports this to Gideon. However, he trusts Matheson completely and ensures that there are no further consequences.
4th	The path of worry	The Path of Sorrows	Jun 30, 1999	Jun 30, 2011	Mike Vejar	J. Michael Straczynski	109	4th
The crew discovers a mysterious alien being on a planet that lives in a locked sphere. It is brought aboard the Excalibur to examine it. There it establishes telepathic contact with several people who have visions of previous experiences: Gideon previously served on the destroyer Cerberus. This was destroyed by a strange ship that looked like a ship from the people of the shadows. Gideon was the only one who survived and was saved by Galen, who happened to find him. During the subsequent questioning by Earth Force officers, Gideon's version is ignored and the Cerberus explosion is attributed to a technical defect. Later, Gideon wins a mysterious chest, the so-called Apocalypse Box, while playing a poker game. The former owner is relieved to finally be free and warns Gideon that the box is often a lie. Shortly afterwards he dies. Matheson recalls the last days of the Psi Corps when a telepath who reneged from the Corps was brought up to him as a prisoner. She reports on crimes committed by the corps and appeals to its conscience. Eventually he enables her to launch an attack on the corps that ultimately led to its end. Galen is reminded of the last conversation with his dying lover Isabelle. He gets angry and asks what the being actually wants. It replies that it forgives those who cannot do this themselves. Full of anger, Galen is about to kill the creature, but Gideon is there in time and brings the alien back to the planet.
5	Dureena's secret	Patterns of the Soul	7 Jul 1999	Jul 7, 2011	Tony Dow	Fiona Avery	110	13
General Thompson of the Earth Strike Forces sends the Excalibur to the planet Theta 49. A group of people who fled Earth during the spread of the Drakh plague are said to be there. Should they be infected, they pose a security risk and should return to Earth. With temporary protection, the Excalibur crew members can move around the planet safely. In fact, the settlers are carrying the virus. Gideon orders them to get ready to leave Theta 49. Gideon becomes suspicious when Thompson orders the settler ship's log to be cleared and investigates. In the meantime, Dureena discovers a group of members of her own species on the planet who are also infected. Since their home planet Zander Prime was destroyed, it is the last survivors of their people who once made an emergency landing on Theta 49 and were forgotten. Dr. Chambers arrives and Dureena demands that no one find out about the group. It turns out that the settlers were subjects of an illegal Earth Alliance research program and were deliberately infected with the virus. When the settlers want to flee with their ship, Gideon has it destroyed, which settles the matter for Thompson. However, Gideon had the ship evacuated beforehand without being noticed. The settlers can continue to live on Theta 49 and have no way of leaving the planet. Dr. Chambers discovers that Dureena's people have no more than a year to live.
6th	Orders from the grave	Ruling from the Tomb	Jul 14, 1999	Jul 7, 2011	John Copeland	Peter David	111	2
A conference on the Drakh plague is held on Mars, at which Dr. Chambers is supposed to give a speech. Mainly responsible for security are Gideon and Captain Elizabeth Lochley, the commander of Babylon 5. Soon a conference participant is murdered. The traces point to a doomsday sect that regards the plague as a punishment from God that must not be fought. Later, a member of the Excalibur's crew is also attacked, but survives. What both victims have in common is that both of them used to belong to the same religious community. The investigation leads to a man by the name of Andre Sabat, who is attending the conference under a false name and was also a member of the religious community before. In order not to be recognized by other former members, he tried with accomplices to get them out of the way. He once suffered a breakdown and since then has heard a voice that he takes to be Joan of Arc and gives him instructions. He and other cult members intend to blow up the conference building. When the bomb's timer shows only a few seconds, Chambers begins her speech. Gideon interrupts them and tells the participants that the plague cannot be defeated. Sabat lets himself be fooled, believes he has achieved his goal and stops the countdown. Eventually he and his accomplices are caught and killed in a firefight.
7th	According to their own rules	The Rules of the Game	Jul 21, 1999	Jul 14, 2011	Jesús Salvador Treviño	J. Michael Straczynski	112	12
The Excalibur makes a stopover on the space station Babylon 5. Gideon is supposed to conduct negotiations there in the presence of Lochley, which concern the planet Lorka 7. There the knowledge of an ancient people is presumed, which could be helpful in the search for a cure. However, two representatives of the Lorkans refuse to cooperate as a landing on Lorka 7 would desecrate the planet. There is even an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Gideon and Lochley. The background is that the two Lorkans traded in technology illegally on their home world and wanted to cover this up. They are arrested and the Excalibur is given permission to land on Lorka 7. Meanwhile, Gideon and Lochley begin an affair. Max Eilerson meets his ex-wife Cynthia Allen on the ward. Everyone owes a loan shark, Rolf Mueller, who charges extreme interest rates. Eilerson helps her by paying Mueller back the loan amount without interest. This is not satisfied with that. He has Allen's cat Mister Kitty kidnapped and threatens to harm the animal if he does not receive the full amount. Eilerson then resorts to an old weapon from his archaeological collection that was once used by slave owners. He puts a ring around Mueller's neck that will explode if he ever approaches Eilerson or Cynthia. Mister Kitty is set free.
8th	Appearances	Appearances and Other Deceits	Jul 28, 1999	Jul 14, 2011	Stephen Furst	J. Michael Straczynski	113	5
An unknown alien spaceship is recovered by the Excalibur crew. Except for one survivor, the entire crew is dead. The unconscious alien is brought to the infirmary. There he touches a medic and dies immediately. Eilerson manages to translate characters found in the strange ship. It turns out that the crew fell victim to a being that resides in one or more bodies of other living beings and is transmitted by touch. At this point, a sizeable section of the crew is already obsessed. It succeeds in isolating the infected. The being demands to be released on a planet in order to take over the local population. Gideon outwits it by briefly removing the oxygen from the cordoned off area and placing a guard in a spacesuit there who was killed shortly before. Since the being would die with its hosts, it rescues itself in the body in the spacesuit. Too late it realizes that the man is dead. The body is thrown into space and destroyed with one shot. Meanwhile, there are two Earth political advisors on the Excalibur, who are supposed to polish up the crew's image in order to reassure humanity. In the course of this, the crew's black uniforms will be replaced by gray ones.
9	The ships' graveyard	Racing the night	Aug 4, 1999	Jul 21, 2011	Mike Vejar	J. Michael Straczynski	103	6th
The Excalibur crew is investigating a planet believed to have died from a virus similar to the one that was released on Earth. A crew member is killed in a huge ghost town. The victim lacks all internal organs. After further attacks, Galen can help clarify what is going on on the planet: A thousand years ago, the people of the shadows contaminated the planet with the same plague that afflicted humanity. The population fell into cold sleep after unsuccessful efforts to fight the virus. Every two years a member of the people is awakened, who oversees everything and soon dies of the disease. Visitors to the planet are medically analyzed in search of a cure and killed in the process. Gideon condemns this behavior but promises to return if he finds a cure for the virus. Those responsible for the murders should then be held accountable. From a hiding place in his quarters, Gideon takes the apocalypse box (see episode “The Path of Sorrows”) and asks her about the next travel destination.
10	The magician's warning	The Memory of War	Aug 11, 1999	Jul 21, 2011	Tony Dow	J. Michael Straczynski	102	8th
The Excalibur is heading for another planet whose population has died out under similar circumstances to those on Earth. Galen strongly warns against entering the planet; Techno-magicians consider it a forbidden and extremely dangerous place. But Gideon doesn't want to miss the opportunity. Several members of the expedition were violently killed in the first night. Together with Galen, the crew finds out that it is an artificial nano-virus that causes its victims to fall into a blood frenzy and then erases all memories. The inhabitants of the planet consequently killed each other. Galen suspects a central control behind the virus and finally finds it: Techno-magicians once developed the virus as a weapon and tested it on the planet. Since nobody should know about it, they declared it a forbidden place. Galen destroys the artificial intelligence that controls the virus, rendering it harmless. Dr. Chambers succeeds in developing temporary protection against the Drakh virus from the information obtained, which lasts for 48 hours. Gideon consults the apocalypse box again, the last hint of which, although not a cure, brought some small progress. She advises not to trust Galen.
11	Practice 9	The Needs of Earth	Aug 18, 1999	Jul 28, 2011	Mike Vejar	J. Michael Straczynski	101	7th
Gideon is informed about a prisoner named Natchok Var who is said to have stolen important data from his people, the Moradi. Since this is partly ancient knowledge, Gideon hopes to find something useful for his mission. Var is imprisoned on the planet Praxis 9 and is due to be handed over to the Moradi shortly. Dureena and Gideon free Var and bring him to the Excalibur. He insists on giving the data only to someone who proves worthy. Soon destroyers of the Moradi arrive and demand the extradition of Vars. In the meantime, he happened to hear a piece by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the sick bay, which convinced him that he could trust people with his data. He asks Gideon to copy the data and then gets on a shuttle to surrender to his people. However, these destroy the shuttle shortly after take-off. Dr. Chambers has analyzed the copied data and reveals the truth: The Moradi government has decided that all art should be destroyed because it is considered harmful. Books are burned and those who resist face the death penalty. Var owned the last copies and wanted to save them from destruction. Chambers finds no evidence of a cure, but believes that the works of art still have value for humanity in that they serve as a source of inspiration and hope.
12	The conspirators	Visitors from Down the Street	Aug 25, 1999	Jul 28, 2011	Jerry Apoian	J. Michael Straczynski	104	9
Two members of an unknown species, Durkani and Lyssa, are taken aboard the Excalibur from a capsule floating in space. Although this is a first-time contact, the two speak English and wear clothes like people did in the 20th century. The strangers are also completely scared. Durkani explains that he is on the trail of a conspiracy. The people have been secretly exploiting his home planet for a long time and are in league with his government. At first he assumes that Gideon has also been informed, but eventually he asks him to help with the clarification. Shortly afterwards, Kendarr, another member of the Foreign People, appears, demands the extradition of Durkani and Lyssa, and comes on board. There it comes to a confrontation between the three strangers. To prevent an escalation, Gideon enables Durkani and Lyssa to travel home. Kendarr clarifies the situation: his people first received radio waves from other species about 200 years ago. Since then, the government has been feigning a conspiracy with the people, which it demonstratively denies in front of the people. In this way, the acceptance of unpleasant decisions should be increased, since government members are only taken for puppets of the people. Nothing will happen to Durkani, because you need people like him to keep believing in the conspiracy alive. Gideon doesn't like the matter. He sends probes to Kendarr's homeworld that reveal the hoax.
13	The decision	Each Night I Dream of Home	Sep 1 1999	Aug 4, 2011	Stephen Furst	J. Michael Straczynski	105	10
Gideon is sent on a top secret mission, the details of which he only gradually learns. An Earth Senator who is not infected comes aboard the Excalibur with civilian David Williams. Williams was not on Earth when the virus was released, but he wants at all costs to be with his beloved who is there. Therefore, he volunteered for an experiment in which a person is infected with the virus and is to be monitored at that moment. On the way to Earth, a radio signal is received from Elizabeth Lochley, who is in dire straits after fighting space pirates. Gideon brings her on board. At the earth, the head of the xenobiological research department and former chief physician of Babylon 5, Dr. Stephen Franklin, taken on board. Together with Dr. Chambers oversee the experiment. To carry it out, the Excalibur moves to a secret location, but the Drakh track down the ship and a fight ensues with Lochley leading the fighter squadron. The Drakh ships can be repulsed while the experiment is successfully completed. The most important finding is that it is an artificial nano virus. Franklin and Williams eventually return to Earth.
14th	-	To the Ends of the Earth	-	-	-	J. Michael Straczynski	114	11
Gideon receives a hint from the apocalypse box that a ship of the same design as the one that destroyed the Cerberus (see episode “The Path of Sorrows”) is active again. It attacked an alien ship and caused a bloodbath in the process. Regardless of his actual mission, Gideon is determined to go into pursuit. The brutal approach of the strange ship also allows the rest of the crew to agree. In the subsequent hunt, Gideon, driven by revenge, brings the Excalibur's drive to the limit of its capacity and thus the entire mission in danger. This causes annoyance among some of the crew. Galen, however, worriedly asks about Gideon's sources of information and warns him that he might lose control; but Gideon keeps a low profile and rocks. In an asteroid field, the ship can finally be stopped and rendered harmless. Before it can be examined further, it destroys itself. However, Eilerson discovers that it is definitely Shadow Technology. Gideon then visits the location where the alien ship was attacked. He suspects the origin of the ship with shadow technology there. He finds a large, recently destroyed area on a moon. The devastation was apparently caused by a weapon that resembles the Excalibur's main gun. Gideon suspects that there are other mysterious ships like the one being pursued and wants to continue the search. Galen meets up with another technomage who implies that his order has something to do with shadow technology. Gideon should not find out anything about this at first. Meanwhile, Gideon is tired of the new gray uniforms (see episode Appearances ). An alleged accident in the laundry serves as an excuse to revert to black uniforms.
15th	-	Value judgments	-	-	-	Fiona Avery	115	15th
In the mines of an Earth Alliance colony, Eilerson examines a chamber created by an ancient, sophisticated species that is telepathically sealed. Matheson's powers are not strong enough to open the door. The Excalibur crew learns of a telepath who is believed to live nearby and comes to see him. It's about Alfred Bester, who is on trial for his crimes during the telepathic crisis and on the run. Matheson is against cooperating with Bester, while Dureena and Eilerson want to get Bester's help because of the chance of a cure. In return, he demands that he be taken on the Excalibur in order to be able to flee further. Gideon initially refuses, but changes his mind when Bester threatens to charge Matheson for alleged crimes as well. Bester opens the chamber. Water is found in it, which turns out to be a highly effective pain reliever and even has a slightly life-prolonging effect. On the way back, the group is attacked by a gang who tried unsuccessfully to take the find. During the fight, Bester Matheson saves the life. Bester leaves the Excalibur and later docks on a large spaceship of the Psi Corps that officially no longer exists. He talks to another telepath about his intention to strike back one day. In the colony men search in vain for him and convey the bad news to their employer, Michael Garibaldi.
16	-	The end of the line	-	-	-	J. Michael Straczynski	116	16
Gideon follows the trail of a radio signal that was also sent by the ship of unknown origin that he once pursued (see episode "To the Ends of the Earth"). Shortly before reaching its destination, the Excalibur almost falls into a trap - its arrival was already expected. Gideon suspects a traitor and in fact a crew member is exposed who evades arrest by suicide. The crew discovers an Earth Forces base that is nowhere on record. The commander, Major Lee, declares it is one of six top secret research centers and tells Gideon to turn back. The Excalibur withdraws, but Gideon infiltrates the facility with the help of Galen unnoticed. There Gideon discovers strange human figures whose skin resembles the hulls of shadow ships. Lee is able to arrest Gideon and explains to him: The Earth Forces are secretly researching the technology of the shadows. One result of this was the ship that destroyed the Cerberus (see episode "The Path of Sorrows"), because it could not be controlled. He also explains that the technomages also use shadow technology. Shortly thereafter, Gideon is freed by Galen. This kills the hybrid creatures. Gideon no longer trusts Galen because of his conversation with Lee and decides to go their separate ways. He intends to inform the public about the illegal experiments and arranges a meeting on Mars. Before he can reveal anything, Gideon is gunned down.

^NoteThe left column shows the order of the first broadcast by TNT , as it was also released on DVD. Due to a different order in the repetition on Sci-Fi and a third one featured in the book Across Time and Space: The Chronologies of Babylon 5 , there was ongoing discussion about the correct timing of the episodes. The chronological order presented here takes into account all material that was later published, such as scripts and drafts of unproduced episodes. It is also used in the 2017 Babylon 5 Encyclopedia.

literature

• Jason Davis: Babylon 5 Encyclopedia . 1st edition. Publishing 180, 2017, ISBN 978-0-9821005-9-2 .

Web links

• Episode guide on sf-radio.net
• Episode guide on goldkanal.de

Individual evidence

1. ^ Crusade episode viewing order. Retrieved October 6, 2019 .