How does Vir's season 5 promotion work?

[Ninja_Squirrel]

How does Vir\'s season 5 promotion work?

These are spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen season 5 or even the last few episodes of season 4...



When the Interstellar Alliance is formed at the end of season 4, I was always under the impression that the former ambassadors to Babylon 5 became the ambassadors to the Alliance. Consequently, I would think that an ambassador on Babylon 5 must be from an Alliance member world. So...

Near the end of season 5, the Centauri withdraw from the Alliance. After Londo takes on a Keeper and begins trying to keep everyone at a safe distance, he insists that Vir be promoted to the position of Ambassador to Babylon 5.

But, how can Vir (or anyone else) be an ambassador to Babylon 5 if the Centauri are no longer a member world of the Alliance. Is it that there's still some distinction between being an ambassador to Babylon 5 and being an ambassador to the Alliance? I would think Vir would not be allowed to be in on Alliance meetings. That would be too much like Kosh 2 being allowed to stick around when the Vorlons went mad in Season 4, and Sheridan insisted on taking care of that problem very quickly and very permanently.

However, if Vir is an ambassador to Babylon 5 itself, since B5 is considered an independent state, that might be okay. While that seems to be splitting the hair thin, I can see that he would still be allowed to represent the Centauri people to Babylon 5 in a singular fashion, but if he were in on Alliance meetings, that would be too much like spying.

 

[KoshFan]

Re: How does Vir\'s season 5 promotion work?

To answer that, I need to bring in some minor spoilers from the Centauri Prime trilogy.


(spoilers...


starting....


now.)

Vir's still ambassador to B5 years and years later, well after Alliance Headquarters has moved to Tuzanor. So he must be appointed to the station, which is probably still operating under the old system -- one that the Centauri might never have bothered to withdraw from. During Season 5 the station is sort of in legal limbo: it's now being administrated by Earth again, with Lochley in command, but it's still coming back from independence (does Corwin ever switch back to EA uniform? can't remember now), and it's also serving as temporary headquarters for the new Alliance. Hence the sometimes highly awkard relationship between Sheridan and Lochley, as neither really has to talk to the other, yet they have to share the station.

 

[GKarsEye]

Re: How does Vir\'s season 5 promotion work?

Just because they're not in the Alliance anymore doesn't mean they don't need to conduct business, share space, etc. All countries have ambassadors to other states they are not on the best of terms with. Vir would now be acting as Centauri ambassador to Babylon 5, exactly as Londo was, because B5 will continue serving as a diplomatic focal point.

 

[vacantlook]

Re: How does Vir\'s season 5 promotion work?

I agree: Vir was ambassador to B5 because the Centauri were part of the Babylon 5 charter and chose to not withdraw from that even though they weren't part of the Alliance.

 

[Ninja_Squirrel]

Re: How does Vir\'s season 5 promotion work?

Thanks to all three of you for the input. I figured it was something like what each of you said, but I just wanted to make sure. I even recall Vir still being an ambassador in the CP trilogy, but I couldn't remember the details of that.

One of you mentioned the Babylon 5 charter. Do you think there are still B5 council meetings separate from Alliance council meetings?

If so, then do you think the ambassadors are the same for each, or would there be separate ambassadors, or would it vary from race to race.

If not, then is it safe to say that the "council" is now the Alliance council, and being an ambassador to B5 would be more of singular post, in which you may have to meet with anyone you have particular business with but without having to attend any kind of regular group meetings resembling a council?

 

[vacantlook]

Re: How does Vir\'s season 5 promotion work?

I guess that there would be in-name-only seperate "committees," one Alliance and one B5, but since the ambassadors on these "committees" frequently overlap, they often just throw them all into a room and talk particular issues as needed.

 

[A_M_Swallow]

Re: How does Vir\'s season 5 promotion work?

When the Council moves to the Minbari Homeworld the races will have to appoint 2 ambassadors, one to Babylon 5 and the second to the Council. Some races may have simply cancelled their representation on the spacestation.