Babylon Podcast #165: Strange Relations (Season 5)

Comments

1. Rick says:

   April 25, 2010 at 2:01 am

   I think jms actually messed up big time on the rogue telepath and Bester matters. There’s some diplomatic issues on the Interstellar Alliance’s side that Sheridan simply failed to consider.

   Since the rogue teeps had by then hired on with the IA in a military / intelligence capacity, that would give them the same form of diplomatic immunity from Earth jurisdiction as the human Rangers had. If Earth could claim the usual jurisdiction for the teeps at this point, then it could claim such for the human Rangers if it should take the notion to. The IA would certainly not want a precedent like that set. That also begs the question: Does Earth jurisdiction still extend to humans from former colony planets that are now independent, or for that matter humans that may have otherwise given up elegance to Earth? If it came to that, could the teeps do so and swear their elegance to say, Narn, and thwart Bester that way? Better yet, Byron could have used THAT as his case for a home world for his people.

   Lochley really should have told Bester that it was now an IA matter and sent him to petition with the IA for extradition of the IA personnel he was interested in and make his case before the President and advisory counsel. That of course would mean that the reason he was so hot for Byran would ultimately have to come out — Sheridan would have insisted on it. After all, you can’t just grab another government’s personnel within its jurisdiction without cause. Even if they were not employed by the IA by then the fact that the teep colony was under IA jurisdiction, and Sheridan’s protection to boot, meant that it was really out of Lochley’s hands anyway.

   Further, Sheridan would have been fully within his rights to have declared Bester, perhaps even all Psy Cops, a threat to certain IA officials and personnel — himself, whom Bester had threatened to his face; and Garibaldi, whose mind Bester had abused — in particular. For this reason alone, Sheridan could have had Bester banned from the station and its vicinity. Heads of state do have the right to make such bans when they feel their own safety is at stake, after all. Many such bans are in effect by almost every country on earth right now. Once that declaration was in place, Lochley would actually be duty bound to enforce that over any normal rules. He could even have had Bester arrested by IA security forces under Garibaldi’s complaint. Earth considers Garibaldi’s claims trivial? BFD! Bester was arrested in IA jurisdiction, and the IA does not! Of course, traditional diplomacy would dictate that Bester simply be expelled with the warning that the IA would not be so lenient should he be captured in IA jurisdiction again.

   A situation arising from diplomatic mishandling of these issues would to me make more sense than the tantrum Byron throws over not being able to get even with the Vorlons in setting off the upcoming crisis with his group. Perhaps, Just as we think the problem is over, Bester sneaks back and trys, failing as usual, yet another of his now famous fast ones, which coincides with or even results in a couple teeps being caught performing a mission for Garibaldi. Though Bester is duly arrested under an IA warrant, the asimov in Garibaldi’s mind causes him to release Bester, who intimates to the rogues that he has convinced the IA to work with him after all. Byron could be left helpless in the dust as, through no fault of his own, the momentum of anger builds on all sides. Centered around the rogues, of course, who by then see no choice but to defend themselves.

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