Dust (Babylon 5)
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Department Sigma - The Invisible Heroes of Psi Corps by pallasite
Fandoms: Babylon 5, Babylon 5 & Related Fandoms
06 Apr 2017
Tags
Summary
The prologue of Behind the Gloves is here - please read!
The elusive "Department Sigma" is mentioned many times in the canon books, and the results of their work (and mishaps) are mentioned several times in the show (e.g. Dust, and the Ironheart debacle). Indeed, when it comes to "secret projects" in the Corps, it seems they're behind everything. But who was "Department Sigma," and what were they really up to?
Perhaps surprisingly, they weren't the "evil" outfit the show leads you to believe. Rather, the inspiration for their work came directly from the Vorlons themselves, who took Psi Corps director Kevin Vacit, and his aide Natasha Alexander (Lyta's grandmother) onto their ship - and showed them the long, difficult path necessary for humanity to defeat the Shadows. Telepaths were at the center of the plan.
Director Johnston assassinated Natasha Alexander.
Under subterfuge, Department Sigma plowed ahead anyway, knowing nothing less was at stake than humanity itself.
Series
- Part 23 of Behind the Gloves
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Summary
Natasha Alexander, Lyta's grandmother, has been chosen by Vorlons to save the world - but there's a price to pay: We are fighting to save one another, and some must be sacrificed, if all are to be saved.
This is the chapter that explains it all. (The overview of the story line about Department Sigma can be found here, with spoilers.)
The prologue of Behind the Gloves is here - please read!
[Edit 12/16/24: Canon tells this story from Kevin's POV. I tell it here from Natasha's POV and add more material to cover later events. The original events, both in Antarctica and on Venus, are also covered in my novella here.]
Series
- Part 56 of Behind the Gloves
- Part 3 of Dark Genesis Fix-It
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The Backstory On Dust (Part 1) by pallasite
Fandoms: Babylon 5, Babylon 5 & Related Fandoms
30 Sep 2018
Tags
Summary
A reader asked me recently: "I have a stupid question and you are the expert on B5 telepaths... So Dust... What happens if a telepath in the B5 universe takes Dust? Do they get the same high as a normal? Or not? A temp boost like when they go into hyperspace? On the flip side, if telepath is victim of Dust user... I don't get why a telepath would be more traumatized, (permanently) as a victim of a Dust user than a normal (temporarily). Bester mentions this in Dust to Dust (god I loved him in that episode), but doesn't explain why."
In this two-part essay, I answer these questions (and more)!
The prologue of Behind the Gloves is here - please read!
Series
- Part 120 of Behind the Gloves
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The Backstory On Dust (Part 2) by pallasite
Fandoms: Babylon 5, Babylon 5 & Related Fandoms
02 Oct 2018
Tags
Summary
A reader asked me recently: "I have a stupid question and you are the expert on B5 telepaths... So Dust... What happens if a telepath in the B5 universe takes Dust? Do they get the same high as a normal? Or not? A temp boost like when they go into hyperspace? On the flip side, if telepath is victim of Dust user... I don't get why a telepath would be more traumatized, (permanently) as a victim of a Dust user than a normal (temporarily). Bester mentions this in Dust to Dust (god I loved him in that episode), but doesn't explain why."
Part 1 is here.
The prologue of Behind the Gloves is here - please read!
Series
- Part 121 of Behind the Gloves
-
Tags
Summary
A reader asked me: "I have a stupid question and you are the expert on B5 telepaths... So Dust... What happens if a telepath in the B5 universe takes Dust? Do they get the same high as a normal? Or not? A temp boost like when they go into hyperspace? On the flip side, if telepath is victim of Dust user... I don't get why a telepath would be more traumatized, (permanently) as a victim of a Dust user than a normal (temporarily). Bester mentions this in Dust to Dust (god I loved him in that episode), but doesn't explain why."
I answer the reader's questions, and more!
This work is a selection from the Behind the Gloves project, with all the sections of this work together in one place.
Series
- Part 5 of Behind the Gloves (condensed)
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Gaining or Losing Telepathy by pallasite
Fandoms: Babylon 5, Babylon 5 & Related Fandoms, Babylon 5 (TV 1993)
17 Jul 2022
Tags
Summary
Telepaths who lose telepathy don't become "normals," and likewise, normals who, through use of Dust, are made telepathic are not "telepaths."
I also explore this issue in other works and contexts.
Series
- Part 190 of Behind the Gloves