The Drala Fi (Black Star in English) was the Minbari flagship during the Earth-Minbari War.
An EarthForce task group was ambushed by Drala Fi in an asteroid field, leaving all ships destroyed or disabled. The damaged EAS Lexington, under the command of first officer Commander John Sheridan, acutely aware of the Minbari policy of exterminating all enemy combatants, even when they were legitimately surrendering, mined several nearby asteroids with nuclear devices as a precaution.
The Lexington then issued a distress call, which attracted the attention of Drala Fi. The mines completely vaporized the Drala Fi, giving Earth a much-needed morale boost. The Minbari considered it a despicable act of cowardice, and named Sheridan "Starkiller" in loathing and disgust; the Earth Forces justified the desperate tactic by noting that the Minbari policy of total annihilation was just as abhorrent.
In December 2259, Sheridan was given a piece of the Black Star as a Christmas present by Susan Ivanova.
Notes
- There is a continuity issue regarding the destruction of the Black Star:
- When Captain Sheridan explains the incident to Susan Ivanova when he takes command of Babylon 5 in 2259, he states that the incident occurred in the Asteroid Belt in the Sol system. He also says that the nukes took out the Black Star and three of her support cruisers.
- When the battle is actually shown in In the Beginning..., it takes place in a different star system, and only the Black Star is destroyed, while most of the Earth fleet is destroyed.