Elizabeth Lochley

Elizabeth Lochley
Alias	Lizzy
Race	Human
Gender	Female
Date of Birth	2217
Place of Birth	Dickinson, Texas, Earth
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Green
Relatives	Unnamed father Unnamed Mother John Sheridan (ex-husband)
Affiliation	Earth Alliance Earthforce
Rank	Colonel
Portrayed by	Tracy Scoggins

“

"You are the most double-talking, suspicious, second-guessing individual I have ever seen since the last time I looked in a mirror."

– Matthew Gideon to Elizabeth Lochley, 2267.

Elizabeth Lochley became the commanding officer of Babylon 5 in 2262, replacing her ex-husband John Sheridan as CO of Babylon 5 when he assumed the Presidency of the Interstellar Alliance. Personally chosen by Sheridan as his replacement, the two knew each other from his days at the Earthforce Academy, and as such he felt that she was capable of dealing with the kind of problems that would arise on Babylon 5.

History

Early Life

In 2235, Elizabeth ran away from home to escape her abusive alcoholic of a father. Living rough, squatting in abandoned buildings, she became a heavy drinker and drug abuser alongside Zoe, a fellow homeless girl who took to calling her "Lizzy". Becoming fast friends, the pair lived together inside an old, burnt out hotel. While they had a good time together, they were often cold, sick and hungry. One day Lochley came back to the apartment to find Zoe's body swarming with cockroaches on the bathroom floor, dead from choking on her own vomit as a result of a drug overdose. Calling her mother, about ten hours later her father showed up with half a dozen GROPOS from his platoon to take her home. After that incident, Elizabeth stopped the drinking and drugs, enlisting in Earthforce at the age of 19.

At the Earthforce Academy, she met John J. Sheridan. While they were attending the academy, they began an intimate relationship, getting married soon after they both graduated. Shortly thereafter, they realized that they were not destined for any sort of long-term relationship, amicably divorcing three months later.

While stationed at an Earthforce base near a mining company, several people were killed by a man who had been cheating some of the base personnel. Finding the suspect to be a rogue telepath, Psi Cop Alfred Bester was sent in to retrieve him after Lochley's people proved unable to track him down, saving the lives of two of her crew in the process.

During the Earth Alliance Civil War, Lochley did not defect to Sheridan's rebel fleet, believing that it would violate her oath to protect the Earth Alliance Constitution. Believing her duty was first and foremost to protect the men and women who served under her command, she felt that it was not the role of the military to set policy, depose presidents or fire on their own ships.

Babylon 5

After the fall of Clark's regime in late 2261, Sheridan retired from Earthforce to become the President of the newly formed Interstellar Alliance. With Captain Susan Ivanova's departure to take command of a new Warlock class destroyer, Lochley was suggested by Sheridan to take over as Babylon 5's new commanding officer. Locking horns with Mr. Garibaldi almost immediately after arriving on B5, she took issue with the fact that Garibaldi was ordering around security details for Sheridan's inauguration, something that she contended he had no authority over since he had resigned as chief of security. Following the creation of the ISA's Covert Intelligence division, with Garibaldi as its first Director, the two developed a grudging respect for one another. When Garibaldi's problems with alcoholism re-emerged in late 2262, she helped him face his problems and get back on track, surprising him with the very personal revealation that she was an alcoholic herself.

Telepath Crisis

Early in 2262, President Sheridan gave a group of rogue telepaths led by a man named Byron permission to start a colony on Babylon 5, a move which drew the attention (and ire) of the Psi Corps. Dispatching a Bloodhound unit under the command of Bester to bring them back, Byron and his followers were quickly rounded up, despite Sheridan's permission to allow them to stay. Contending that Byron's group were considered criminals on Earth, Bester reminded Lochley that the Alliance could not interfere in the internal affairs of its member races, and as such had no authority to stop him. After an encounter in Lochley's office, Garibaldi attempted to assault Bester, a move which prompted Lochley to throw Garibaldi into the brig. Telling Garibaldi later about her and Sheridan's past, she promises to let him out once Bester left. She then stopped Bester from taking the group of rogues back to Earth on a technicality, which was that the telepaths had to be quarantined for sixty days.

Michael Garibaldi then wanted to recruit some of these telepaths into ISA Covert Intelligence, however Byron did not agree with the idea. Persuading Lyta Alexander to talk to Byron, she manages to reason with him, allowing the telepaths to work with Mr. Garibaldi and joining the group herself. After an intimate evening with Lyta, in which he was able to read some of Lyta's most private memories and thoughts, Byron came to the realization that her and telepaths from a multitiude of races were created by the Vorlons for use as weapons. Enraged by this discovery, Byron asked his people to spy on the ambassadors of the ISA member worlds. Interupting a Council meeting, Byron demanded that the ISA provide a them a homeworld or risk having their secrets revealed to all. Considering this as evidence that the telepaths are out of control, Lochley invited Bester back to the station to arrest the group and take them back to Earth. While many sided with Byron, sealed inside their colony in a hunger strike, a group of renegades took a more aggressive stance, attacking station personnel and seizing hostages. Amongst the hostages are Garibaldi and Dr. Franklin.

Byron became distraught over the killing in his name, this is not how he wanted the battle to be fought. With the aid of Lyta Alexander, he was able to free the hostages and kill the leader of the renegades. Under the condition that those who did not take part in the violence would be free to go, he offers to turn himself and the renegades over to station security. While these terms are agreed to by Sheridan, the appearance of Bester during the surrender precipitates a shooting battle, during which many telepaths and security officers are killed. Unwilling to return to the Psi Corps, Byron fired a PPG into a chemical leak, martyring himself and the other renegades.

Soul Hunter Crisis

Lochley speaking to a Ralgan using the image of Dr. Franklin

Captain Lochley tries to shutdown a holobrothel in Down Below due to concerns over faulty wiring and electrical systems. Apart from the fact that she found the facilty objectionable and offensive. The holobrothel's owner subsequently sues Lochley and Earthforce. While the legal issues are being dealt with, she has Zack check it out. A Soul Hunter comes to Babylon 5 saying that something of theirs has been stolen. It is discovered that the stolen object is, in fact, a large orb containing the souls of a whole civilization. After discussions with Michael Garibaldi They discover that the thief is, in fact, an archelogist/scientist working for Edgars Industries. He stole the object as proof of his theories regarding life extension. Garibaldi, who was auditing the company's books, specifically funding regarding covert projects was considering cutting funding. He showed it to Michael Garibaldi in hopes of keeping his project going. Garibaldi was alarmed and disturbed by the scientist's obviously bizzare behavior and obsession with the orb. It is discovered that the occupants of the orb weren't dying but rather evolving into energy. The souls of the orb wanted revenge and saw their chance when they were taken by the archelogist. Lochley figures out that these souls wanted their lives back, a chance to pick up where they left off. The souls, in turn, plug into the holobrothels holographic systems and using them to appear. Here, the hologram muster a rallying cry and a call to arms. During the ensuing battle, she is shocked to discover that her image was used in the holo-brothel and was dressed in suggestive attire and is further apalled when he says her that her image is more popular with the female patrons. Lochley's thoeries are confirmed when she is knocked out and injured and her conscienceness is taken into the orb. Here, one of the souls takes on the appearence of Stephen Franklin. then tells everyone else and captures the archaeologist who took the orb. The Soul Hunter offers his life in exchange then becomes the mediator between the souls and the outside world.

Drakh Attack

In 2267 Sheridan and Garibaldi come back to Babylon 5 and meet Lochley. Sheridan then meets Dureena Nafeel and Captain Anderson and they take the two prototype ships, the Excalibur and the Victory. Discovering that the Drakh have a Death Cloud and intend to attack Earth, Sheridan asks Lochley to call up Earth Gov. and tell them to assemble a fleet to protect Earth. Sheridan arrives to Earth, finding the fleet assembled and is able to destroy the Death Cloud before it destroys Earth. However, on their way out the Drakh spread a Plague which will destroy all signs of life within 5 years. Sheridan once again meets with Lochley on Babylon 5 and informs her of what has occurred and that they need a new CO for the Excalibur, who will stop at nothing to find a cure, this man turns out to be Matthew Gideon.

Aboard Excalibur

Lochley had set up a trap for the Raiders and in the fight her ship was damaged. Fortunately the Excalibur managed to pick up her distress beacon and rescue her. She was unconscious for two days and then she was ordered to rest. When the Drakh attack the Excalibur the ship to ship communications link was damaged. She offered to help guide the Starfuries. They manage to escape and destroy the mothership. Then Gideon dropped Lochley off at Babylon 5.

Mars Conference

Lochley questioning Trace Miller on his connection with a murder victim

Lochley was assigned, by Dr. Franklin, to take charge of a conference on the Drakh plague. She and Gideon did not initially see eye to eye on how security should be run. They end up having the same views on security. Then they got a call that someone who was supposed to attend the conference had been killed. They figure out it was done by Sacred Omega, a doomsday cult. When they took the body up to the Excalibur, Trace Miller said that he knew the man. When Lochley tries to question him further Gideon wont allow it. Then Gideon asked Lochley to have dinner with him. She agreed and they started talking about Sheridan. Gideon says that Sheridan was his hero. When Lochley said that she used to be married to him, he was shocked. She then assigned him to cover the conference. When Trace gets attacked she questioned him about the people at the conference. She was able to find out who the leader of the cult is. Gideon stoped the leader of the cult from blowing up the conference by saying the Earth has only a few months left, at which they followed the cultist to his hideout. They caught the cult there and killed them all when a firefight broke out. Lochley then said that the Excalibur is always welcome at Babylon 5.

Lorkan Negotiations

Lochley and Gideon

Matthew Gideon came to Babylon 5 after receiving information that Lorka 7 may have held information vital to finding a cure for the Drakh plague. However, he needed to negotiate landing rights to the planet. Lochley set up a meeting between him and the appropriate representatives who later claim that they cannot land on Lorka VII because they are un-pure and would corrupt the local inhabitants. Lochley and Gideon later went to Downbelow where the two representatives tried to kill them. After Lochley and Gideon disarm them, they headed back to her quarters where they ended up having sex. Lochley was later told that the Excalibur may land on Lorka VII. The Excalibur left Babylon 5, after Lochley told Gideon that he is always welcome but does not want to get involved in a relationship at the time being.

Voices in the Dark

Lochley would continue to command Babylon 5 for at least a decade, being promoted to Colonel sometime before December 2271. It was around this time that Simon Burke, one of B5's security officers, broke down in the middle of his shift, running away and screaming that something was inside him. Two days later, he was found barricaded in the Chapel in Blue 4. After attacking two security guards, Burke was restrained and taken to the brig. Upon interviewing him, Lochley began to realize something was very wrong. Believing him to be suffering from some form of possession. she contacted Earth and requested that a priest be sent out to examine Burke.

Appearances

TV/DVD Movies "River of Souls" "A Call to Arms" "Voices in the Dark" Babylon 5 "No Compromises" "The Paragon of Animals" "A View from the Gallery" "Learning Curve" "Strange Relations" "Day of the Dead" "A Tragedy of Telepaths" "Phoenix Rising" "Movements of Fire and Shadow" "Wheel of Fire" "Objects at Rest" Crusade "Ruling from the Tomb" "The Rules of the Game" "Each Night I Dream of Home"

External Links

• Elizabeth_Lochley at The Great Machine