Drakh
The Drakh are an alien race that features in Babylon 5.
Contents |
History
The Drakh were servants of the Shadows and lived with them on Z'ha'dum. The Drakh were known to have been involved in a pact with the Technomages where they gave them their biotechnological implants that provided them with their powers in exchange for their allegiance. This secret pact between the leaders of the Technomage order and the Shadows continued for many years.
Their species were considered a legend to the Centauri who had not seen their like in centuries and were used as a story to scare children. (Episode: Conflicts of Interest)
At an unknown point, they settled on the Shadow homeworld of Z'ha'dum and called it their home. (Episode: The Fall of Centauri Prime) A number of Drakh were said to had come to Centauri Prime alongside Mr. Morden where they operated in the background and were unseen during the Shadow War. (Episode: The Fall of Centauri Prime) At Z'ha'dum, the Drakh conducted a mass evacuation of the planet and escaped through the Jump Gate when the Whitestar arrived whereupon the planet entered into a self-destruct sequence thus destroying it. (Episode: Epiphanies) They were said to be one of a number of factions that continued the legacy of the Shadows and had access to their former master's technology as they sought to become masters themselves. (Episode: Conflicts of Interest) Following this point, they moved to Centauri Prime, they used a Keeper that they placed on newly inducted Regent Virini in order to influence the Royal Court. (Episode: Epiphanies)
In the aftermath, the Drakh began conducting raids outside of Pak'ma'ra space and attacked other smaller races such as the peaceful Norsai who were allies of the Minbari. At this time, the Minbari Civil War had begun to erupt among the castes with the warriors creating situations that saw the death of those in the religious caste. This provoked a response from the likes of Forell of the religious caste who sought to ally his people with a strong alien race against the warriors in case war erupted. In order to for such an alliance to form, he decided to trick Delenn to meet with him and his allies at a rendezvous coordinates. A Drakh carrier arrived at the scene where it met with a number of Whitestars in order to discuss an alliance between their two people. The Drakh were not aware of Delenn's arrival to the meeting but sought to negotiate their military might in exchange for deserted colonies in Minbari space. During this meeting, Delenn learnt of the Drakh's true nature as servants of the Shadows and after the alien emissary departed she attempted to have her ships escape. In the escape, Forell was killed by debris from the Whitestar whilst another of the Minbari craft was destroyed. An angry Delenn took her Whitestars out of hyperspace back at the previous coordinates in order to eliminate the Drakh. Afterwards, Captain Sheridan received of further raids across space where the enemy ships matched those of the Drakh. (Episode: Lines of Communication) On Centauri Prime, the Drakh moved to protect Prime Minister Londo Mollari from an assassination attempt on his life. (Episode: In the Kingdom of the Blind)
They were forced to flee Z'ha'dum and lost their homeworld in the conclusion of the Shadow War where they came a nomadic homeless. The Drakh became lost for a time until they remembered Centauri Prime that they made as their new target for a new home planet. In an unknown point, they managed to infiltrate the planet and secretly began to take control of the royal court through the Regent. To prepare the Centauri as servants, they manipulated events to bring about a war with the Interstellar Alliance in order to break the Centauri Republic so that they would be malleable tools in the future. This saw the devastation of Centauri Prime at the hands of the Drazi and Narn with Londo Mollari ascending to the throne as emperor who was under the control of the Drakh. This was achieved by planting fusion bombs underneath the planet and threatening to detonate them thus forcing Mollari to serve his new alien masters. Thus, they sought to guide and use the Centauri who were now a broken as well as resentful people. (Episode: The Fall of Centauri Prime)
After they gained total control of Centauri Prime, they prepared to strike at the Interstellar Alliance on their fifth anniversary by destroying Earth with the one remaining Shadow planet killer, and infecting Minbar with a nanotechnological virus that would wipe out the population. But with the help of new advanced ships and the sacrifice of the Victory, they were able to destroy the planet killer before they could destroy Earth. Out of spite, the Drakh infected Earth with the plague and the survivors of the fleet escaped.
Following the attack on Earth, one of the Drakh ships carrying Councilor La'Shan attempted to flee but it was pursued by the EAS Persephone. The ship destroyed the human destroyer but was badly damaged in the struggle where it crashed onto Ceti IV. Though it crashed, much of the crew managed to survive including the Councilor where they discovered that the planet was being studied by members of Interplanetary Expeditions with this team headed by Max Eilerson. After seeing an IPX shuttle survey their crashed ship, the Drakh destroyed it and moved to eliminate the human research team in order to hide their presence on the planet. However, a transmission was sent which attracted the attention of the Excalibur that was on its first mission to find a cure for the Drakh Plague afflicting Earth. To achieve that end, they sought to take the Drakh leader hostage and interrogate him for useful information that could end the plague. This saw the Excalibur dispatch fighters that strafed the Drakh positions and cleared a way for an approach to the crashed vessel. By this point, Councilor La'shan managed to transmit a signal to his kin warning them of the impending threat with several starships dispatched to Ceti IV to eliminate the human presence. With the secret support of the Technomage Galen, the Earth forces managed to eliminate the Drakh warriors and capture La'shan. At the same time, the Excalibur eliminated the Drakh vessels that had come to rescue him. Through the aid of Max Eilerson, they interrogated Councilor La'shan but he refused to give any information as a prisoner of war. Thus, EarthForce decided to ship him to Earth for further interrogation in an attempt to find a cure for the plague whilst the Excalibur proceeded with its mission in finding their answer somewhere in unexplored space. (Episode: War Zone)
Later, when Earth had Dr Franklin study the plague, the Drakh attempted to destroy the Excaliber again but their fleet as well as a mothership was destroyed in the attempt.
At some point, conflict with their species erupted leading to the Drakh War. (Episode: Rising Star)
Eventually the plague was cured, and the Drakh remained on Centauri Prime, preparing to use the Centauri to strike at the Alliance. Their influence on the Centauri homeworld was exposed by Vir Cotto, and driven away. It is presumed they were driven into exile.
Overview
The Drakh were a humanoid reptilian based species. There was a notable difference between certain species of Drakh; some wearing skeletal masks while others had a more reptilian look.
Drakh warriors wear skeletal masks, as a tradition from back before they went to the stars. They have strong telepathic capabilities, and their minds make up the Drakh Entire, which enables them to spread information to their entire population at will.
Drakh are also telepathically connected with the Keepers, which they carry in pouches on their bodies before bonding them with a host, and linking the three of them. The Keeper was capable of being wounded but did not die and instead regenerated within the host. The only sure way of killing the parasite was by killing the Drakh who spawned it.
Through unknown means, they were seemingly able to accomplish telekinetic feats such as stopping a knife from striking its target and sending it flying back at the attacker.(Episode: In the Kingdom of the Blind)
They were devoted in their service to the Shadow's and came to believe in their cause as well as love them. (Episode: The Fall of Centauri Prime)
As a race, Drakh were held to be ruthless and a savage people but extremely bright that was a dangerous combination. (Episode: Conflicts of Interest) At one point, they served their masters the Shadows but following their departure from known space the Drakh were said to had desired to become masters themselves. (Episode: Lines of Communication) It was claimed that the Drakh were quick to learn and learnt many things from the Shadows. (Episode: The Fall of Centauri Prime) Their alien language was able to be translated by xeno-linguistic specialists. Despite speaking their own language, they had the ability to understand and to speak other tongues such as English. (Episode: War Zone)
In terms of hand-held armaments, they had built an unknown form of energy weapon that strapped on their forearms. These projected beams of energy able to destroy shuttles or fire smaller pulse rounds that could kill their targets. (Episode: War Zone) Among their weapons included the use of Shadow technology such as seed-like semi-organic pods that were able to be fitted on ships and eliminate the need for crew making them completely automated. (Episode: Movements of Fire and Shadow)
Members
- La'shan : a male Drakh councilor who survived the attack that poisoned Earth but his vessel was shot down by an Earth Alliance destroyer around Ceti IV. He along with his warriors attempted to call a rescue force but their position was discovered by the Interstellar Alliance ship Excalibur where the crew managed to capture the Drakh who was shipped for interrogation back to Earth. (Episode: War Zone)
- Shiv'kala :
Notes
- Mongoose Publishing created "The Drakh" Sourcebook that provided background for players to incorporate the aliens in any role playing game in the Babylon 5 universe.
Appearances
- Babylon 5:
- Crusade: "War Zone"
External Link
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