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They had no right to win. Yet they did, and in doing so they changed the course of a war…even against the greatest of odds, there is something in the human spirit – a magic blend of skill, faith and valour – that can lift men from certain defeat to incredible victory.

Walter Lord

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ContentsIntroduction 3History of the War 5Personalities of the War 10

Alyt Aeraan of the Wind Swords Clan 10Alyt Neroon of the Star Riders Clan 10Captain Michael R Jankowski 11Captain Sterns 12Doctor Stephen Franklin 12Dukhat, Speaker of the Grey Council 13Flight Lieutenant Jeffrey Sinclair 13Ganya Ivanov 14General Robert Lefcourt 14‘Kosh’, Vorlon Advisors 14Lieutenant Commander John J Sheridan 14Lennon, Master of the Anla’shok 15Satai Coplann of the Warrior Caste 15Satai Delenn of the Religious Caste 16Shai Alyt Branmer of the Star Riders Clan 17Shai Alyt Sineval of the Wind Swords Clan 17

The Fleets Of 2245–2247 19The Path Of Destruction 29

Scenario 1: Jankowski’s Blunder 29Scenario 2: Vengeance 30Scenario 3: Black Star Rising 32Scenario 4: Alone in the Void 33Scenario 5: Red, Red Regula 4 34Scenario 6: The Walls of Jericho 35Special Scenario: The Fall of the Black Star 36Special Scenario: Centauri Folly 38Scenario 7: Slaughter at Cyrus III 39Scenario 8: Stand at Sinzar IV 40Scenario 11: Proxima’s Tenacious Hold 42Scenario 12: Long-Ranged Sensors Say… 43Scenario 13: Breaching of Sol 44Scenario 14: Io’s Valiant Seven 45Common Scenario A: Fleet Ambush 47Common Scenario B: Hyperspace Hunters 48Common Scenario C: Outpost Assault 49Scenario 15: Battle of the Line (revised) 51

Aftermath of the War 53Painting Guide 56Designer’s Notes 63

CreditsAuthor

Bryan Steele

EditorMatthew Keefe

Director of PhotographyRichard Neale

Props ManagerViktor Midora

Special EffectsBrandon Bray, David Briedis and Luciano M Trentadue,

David Charnow, Omar Chaudry, Kier Darby, Mark Kane, Terry Hagerty, Ingo Haverich, John Quatch, Fabio Passaro,

Todd Pederzani, Chris Sapiano, Michael Stetson, Danilo Moretti

ProducerAlexander Fennell

Miniatures ManagerIan Barstow

Key GripRon Bedison

ExtrasCurt Goble, Matt Holmes, Brian Martin, Andrew ‘Oz’

Osbourne

Special ThanksJ. Michael Straczynski, Fiona Avery, Isabelle Richard,

Skye Herzog

The Earth/Minbari War

Copyright © 2005 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. BABYLON 5, characters, names and all related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.WB SHIELD: TM and © Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.(s05)

Printed in China.

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INTRODUCTION‘A story about great deeds. About armies of light and soldiers of darkness. About the places where they lived and fought, and loved and died. About great empires and terrible mistakes. A true story.’

Emperor Mollari of the Centauri Republic

The Earth/Minbari WarThe Babylon 5 universe is fi lled with wars so frequent and numerous that they are often lost to obscurity and the mists of time. Some are so great, so severe that no one will ever forget them or tell the tale as anything but monumental. One such tale is that of the Earth-Minbari War.

One of the bloodiest, most infamous confl icts in all of the Earth Alliance’s history was not a question of religion or one of territory – but of simple cultural misunderstanding. What began with a simple mistake heralded more than two years of destruction and slaughter that would end in unfathomable mystery. It was the Earth-Minbari War, and it set the stage for the reshaping of the galaxy. Nothing before or since had ever affected the human race and all of its constituent parts quite as much as this encounter ultimately would.

It was one of the most tragic and unforgettable moments in the Babylon 5 history – and now the many parts involved in it can be played out.

How to Use This Book

This book is a supplement for the A Call to Arms miniature game. You will need a copy of A Call to Arms, and ideally the Sky Full of Stars supplement, to make use of this book.

This book contains a complete history of the Earth Minbari War, plus all the rules, new ships, fl eet lists and scenarios that you’ll need in order to fi ght out battles from this period of confl ict. Also included in this book is a list of

important personalities from both sides of the war including fi ghter squadron leaders, starship captains and a cast of others involved.

Players of A Call to Arms can use this book as a series of fun, stand-alone encounters or as the basis for a campaign recreating the Earth-Minbari War.

The book consists of the following six sections:

History of the WarAn in-depth examination of the confl ict from the fi rst, disastrous encounter to the sudden and bewildering Minbari surrender and the genesis of the Babylon Project.

Personalities of the WarMany legendary and notorious individuals fought on both sides during the war. This section provides a detailed overview of the warriors involved on both sides, from the early career of Lieutenant Commander John Sheridan to the mysterious members of the Minbari Grey Council.

The Fleets of 2245–2247The Earth Alliance was still a relative newcomer to interstellar travel and their ships were comparatively primitive during the war, easily outclassed by the superior technology of their Minbari foes. Nevertheless, both fl eets were equipped with their own unique vessels, including the notorious Black Star.

The Path of DestructionThe war swept through the galaxy, the humans loosing battle after battle to the merciless Minbari. Detailed in this

section are some 20 scenarios, allowing players to replay the tragic blunder that led to the terrible confl ict in the fi rst place, to the fi nal, desperate last stand of humanity at the legendary Battle of the Line.

Aftermath of the WarSuddenly, it was all over. The near extermination of the human race had been averted, and against all odds, the humans were somehow the victors – much to their confusion. This section details the immediate aftermath of the confl ict and explains how the war eventually led to greater unity in the galaxy.

Painting GuideBoth the Earth Alliance and the Minbari Federation were slightly different during the war. This section details the different colour schemes and variants for the ships of both fl eets, allowing you to paint and convert your A Call to Arms miniatures to match history!

The Earth Alliance of

2245Less than a decade after their victory over the Dilgar, the Earth Alliance was on the rise both economically and territorially. For their aid in the Dilgar Invasion, the Earth Alliance had earned the thanks and respect of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, many of whose members gave new technologies to their new human allies or provided them with hyperspace access to outlying systems that EarthGov had yet to make any contact with at all.

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They had made new trade treaties and mutual-research pacts with new worlds and governments, many of which they had never even heard of prior to the Dilgar Invasion.

It was during this ‘high point’ that the EarthForce generals (most notably, General Lefcourt) chose to expand into systems they had previously shown a reluctance to explore. Hearing about a race of advanced aliens called ‘Minbari’ that they had not yet encountered, EarthGov wished to investigate.

Fuelled by pride and newfound sense of self-importance, the humans began to amass as much intelligence concerning these reclusive aliens as they could, primarily from the Narn and Centauri. The Earth Alliance soon felt they were ready to push out towards the Minbari.

Fleet growth had reached a new level. The new and improved Hyperion and Nova attack vessels, just refitted with League of Non-Aligned Worlds pulse technology and slightly improved reactor capacities, filled hundreds of docking stations throughout Alliance space. The Earth Alliance felt they had nothing to fear. They had defeated the Dilgar, they had proved their worth to the host of galactic neighbours that made up the League of Non-Aligned Worlds and they had spent months in careful study of the elusive Minbari. Sure of themselves on this new galactic stage, the Earth Alliance readied themselves for first contact…

The Minbari Federation of

2245By the time of the war, the Minbari were ancient indeed. They had explored space for centuries and their society had changed little in that time – since the age of Valen and the Great War against the Shadows, in fact. That is not to say that the Minbari were a stagnant race, or one which had become complacent. Far from it, their recent

history was a long period of constant growth and technological refinement, though their basic understanding of the universe and their role within it had changed little. The Minbari had been the most advanced of the so-called ‘younger’ races for centuries and had long ago perfected sciences that other races could only speculate and theorise upon.

There was, however, one matter in which the Minbari had been remiss. The Anla’shok, who would later be called Rangers, had dwindled to obscurity, seldom seen with little genuine authority, no longer the dedicated, dutiful and diligent agents of light they had once been, when they endlessly traversed the stars in search of their eternal enemies.

It was the leader of the Anla’shok, Lennon, who brought the neglect of his order to the attention of the Grey Council through his outspoken demands and determined lobbying. Once brought before the Council, Lennon demanded that more attention be paid to the Anla’shok, lest it be forgotten entirely and its mission forsaken. Lennon’s demands centred around Valen’s prophesy that the Shadows would return and another Great War would ensue. It was foretold that it would be the greatest of its kind and one that would require the Rangers to be at their full strength. Lennon proclaimed that forces should be sent to the legendary homeworld of the Shadows – Z’ha’dum – and proof be found of this prophecy’s impending fulfilment. With such evidence in his possession, Lennon hoped, the Anla’shok could be revitalised, reborn even.

The Council itself though was less sure of the need for immediate action, unconvinced that the prophecy’s terrible events were imminent. The Warrior Caste, in particular, doubted the need for such haste. The wary words of Coplann, one of the three Satai from the Warrior Caste, spoke of the panic such actions would cause amongst the

otherwise content Minbari peoples. Dukhat, Speaker of the Grey Council, agreed that sending any Minbari fleet on such a mission risked great panic, though he did not doubt the need to restore the Anla’shok’s former strength, nor did he doubt Lennon in his claims and chose instead to lead the expedition himself. Taking the Valen’tha and just a handful of supporting vessels, Dukhat set off for Z’ha’Dum on the most urgent mission the Minbari had undertaken in an age.

They would never reach that doomed world…

The Galaxy of 2245

The galaxy had only recently endured the Dilgar Invasion, a war persecuted by an oppressive and tyrannical race that itself lashed out for no other reason than pitiful desperation. Their bloody swathe of conquest had swept across a hundred systems and scoured the life from a dozen planets. A decade or so had passed, but most of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds’ member races had yet to recover fully from the Dilgar Invasion.

It was a time of rebuilding and creation across the galaxy. The Narn’s mercenary attitude and willingness to buy or sell anything was proving highly profitable in this period of frenetic rebuilding and their regime was on the rise, taking a greater and greater role in galactic affairs. Even the Centauri were eager to spread their wings and lend a hand here and there to the few governments they had not managed to alienate in the centuries before. For its part, the Earth Alliance was spreading far and wide across the galaxy with the blessing and support of their numerous newfound allies. The peace that had come from the Dilgar’s defeat was, slowly, blossoming into cooperation. There remained, though, two powerful races, one ancient, the other young, that had yet to even meet, and when they did, the consequences would be tragic…

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HISTORY OF THE WAR

‘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 we can no longer afford the mistakes of the past.’

Ambassador G’Kar of the Narn Regime

It would be a war born of a single hasty mistake. The Earth-Minbari War was the biggest tragedy ever to befall the human race. It would be two years of death and destruction ending, not with the seemingly inevitable victory and defeat, but with the most mysterious of surrenders.

July of 2245. Only a few hours away from the Tarellen System along the Jericho-Nochtal jump chain, the Earth Alliance cruiser Prometheus began to pick up readings of strange and alien vessels approaching their position. From what little the ship’s crew knew of the Minbari’s supposed location, they were instantly stuck by the possibility that these readings could be Minbari in origin. Counter to their original orders, the Earth Alliance fl eet moved in closer to ‘get a better look’. Captain Jankowski, the Prometheus’ captain, wanted nothing more than to bring back detailed and defi nitive information on the Minbari – even if it meant bending regulations a little to do so.

The Minbari vessel, the Valen’tha, was home to the Grey Council – governing body of the Minbari Federation. It was designed, like all Minbari craft, to avoid the electronic sensors and weapons lock-ons with an advanced stealth technology.

The Prometheus’s sensors were baffl ed and Jankowski decided to draw nearer

in the hope of obtaining clearer sensor readings. The closer the Prometheus approached, however, the stronger the effects of the distortion became. Soon the EarthForce ships were down to tight-beam communications and manual controls only. Fire control was online, but main auxiliary systems were having trouble with the powerful alien emanations.

At the time of the humans’ approach, the Grey Council were engaged in the coronation of a new Satai on the Council – Delenn, the Religious Caste member who would later become Ambassador to Babylon 5. While the ceremony was underway, the Valen’tha’s powerful sensors located the ‘alien’ fl eet headed their way and sought advice as to what to do. The Warrior Caste were reluctant to interrupt such an important Council event, and so decided to act on their own intuition, choosing to approach with caution.

Using an old Warrior Caste custom of showing someone respect by not hiding a single weapon, the Minbari opened all of their ships’ gun ports and powered up weapons systems to allow their detection by the approaching vessel. It was never meant to be a threat.

Drawing still nearer, the Prometheus’ sensors fi nally got a reading off of the Valen’tha, detecting a dozen highly powerful weapons arrays pointing directly at them. Trying fi rst to

escape but fi nding their jump engines scrambled by the Minbari’s powerful stealth units, Jankowski sensed a trap – and gave the order to open fi re.

The Valen’tha and its fl eetmate did not fair well against the heavy EarthForce salvo. Confused and disoriented by what had happened, their crews scrambled to help the injured while pilots and offi cers looked to each other for some sign of what to do next. They found only chaos and death. The initial strike was like an uppercut to a glass jaw; the Minbari were thrown into complete disarray.

Thanks to the damage caused by the initial strike, the Minbari’s stealth units no longer plagued the Earth Alliance fl eet’s jump engines or sensor systems. Jankowski immediately ordered the retreat back to the Orion starbase at Jericho System.

Aboard the Valen’tha, tragedy continued to unfold. Just outside Grey Council’s chambers, a massive bulkhead collapsed, crushing the esteemed Dukhat. Without his say, the Council was divided on what course of action to take next, leaving newly named Satai Delenn to cast the deciding vote. As Dukhat died in her arms, his last words lost in the chaos and confusion, Delenn’s mind clouded with passion and anger. She bellowed out that she wanted the humans to pay. All of them.

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