J. Michael Straczynski - Babylon 5 Asked & Answered: Centauri Excerpt--B5 Creator J. Michael Straczynski Answers 5,296 Questions About Babylon 5

BABYLON 5 ASKED AND ANSWERED: B5 Creator J.Michael Straczynski Answers 5,296 Questions About Babylon 5 &Beyond (Centauri Excerpt)

By J. Michael Straczynski and the Editors ofB5books.com

Copyright 2007-2012 J. Michael Straczynskiand Publishing 180

Smashwords Edition

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Babylon5books

EXCERPT: Centauri

HOW OLD DO CENTAURI GET USUALLY? 2/11/96

A Centauri can get to be about 150 or so,sometimes older.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT CURIOUSCENTAURI HANDSHAKE? 2/4/95

Because to some extent the Roman civilizationis one of the sources for constructing the Centauri, I adaptedtheir handshake (checking for knives) as their greeting; "I offerthe hands of friendship."

HOW COME SOME CENTAURI SOUND EUROPEAN, LIKELONDO, BUT OTHERS (LIKE VIR) SOUND AMERICAN? IS THIS A MISTAKE BYTHE ACTORS OR DIRECTORS? 3/2/94

Not all aliens of the same species have thesame accent; any more than all humans have the same accent.

SPEAKING OF LONDO'S ACCENT, I'M ASSUMING THATDIFFERENT CENTAURI ACCENTS REPRESENT PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT AREAS OFTHE PLANET? 4/22/96

No, we've just always assumed that noteveryone on any given planet is going to speak with the same accentas everybody else from that planet. Seems more realistic.

Certainly, among Centauri, a certain accentis more associated with the "old school" of court nobility and thelike.

WHY DID THE CENTAURI BEFRIEND US? WHY DIDN'TTHEY TAKE OVER EARTH WHEN THEY FOUND US? 2/17/94

The Centauri Republic tended to go afterspecies where they could get some advantage; they'd find a world onthe fringe of being able to hit space, with a technological base,move in and take over. It's sharper and easier than taking over aworld without tech; not much to offer. By the time we got to thatpoint, they had begun the decline of their empire, and basicallygreeted us with a shrug.

RATHER THAN EMBRACING US AS A "LOST COLONY"WHEN WE MET THEM, WHY DIDN'T THE CENTAURI INVADE AND OCCUPY US?4/2/94

The Centauri never really got around to us.They've been in a decline for a long time; the Narn occupation wasone of the last of their imperialist rampages. Now they're pullingback further and further. And also as re: Earth...space is big. 100years ago, we weren't putting out any radio or television ormicrowave transmissions; they can't check EVERY planet. We gotoverlooked for a long time by lots of different groups.

I DON'T GET WHY THE CENTAURI WERE QUICK TOINVADE AND COLONIZE NARN, BUT NOT SO MUCH EARTH. 4/22/94

While we were in an agrarian state, and anearly industrial state, we a) were of very little use, b) hadlittle to offer, and c) came at a time when the Centauri werestarting to fall back into isolationism just a bit. The Narn hadthe misfortune to be strategically well located, had many resourcesthe Centauri wanted, and provided other advantages. One doesn'tjust conquer worlds helter-skelter; it takes time, money, effortand some blood to conquer worlds. You only choose those which offeryou enough to make the process worthwhile. That simple.

WHY DIDN'T CENTAURI PRIME CONQUER EARTH?11/23/94

Thequestion isn't so much "Why didn't the Centauri conquer Earth?" as,"Why would they have wanted to?"

We're kind of off the beaten track, andthere's little logistical or tactical value to a base here; upuntil the last couple hundred years, we didn't have a technologicalbase they could exploit, and when we finally did get one, theRepublic was already beginning to shrink and lose its tendencytoward expansionism. Basically, we fell between the cracks, and forsomething as substantial as acts of conquer, there have to be solidgoals, either real or imagined.

IF ALL CENTAURI KNOW EXACTLY WHEN AND HOWTHEY'RE GOING TO DIE, WHY CAN'T THEY JUST ESCAPE DEATH? 2/3/94

Here, as best I can recall, is exactly what Iwrote for Londo: "My people, we have a way, you see...we know how,and *SOMETIMES* even *when* we are going to die...."

ARE ALL CENTAURI DREAMS ACCURATE PROPHECY?2/9/95

Not all Centauri dreams come true; however,the ones in which they see their deaths tend to be prettyaccurate.

WHY DOES LONDO SEEM TO HAVE SO MUCH MOREJEWELRY AND ACCESSORIES THAN, SAY, DELENN? 12/26/93

Londo's people go for jewelry andornamentation such as medals and sunbursts and the like; Minbaridon't do a lot of ornamentation, going instead for fabrics,textures and colors.

WHAT'S WITH THE FRIGHT-WIG LOOK OF THECENTAURI? 12/25/93

Centauri males wear their hair in thisfashion, the length of which is determined by the person's status.Centauri women scorn such symbols of status and go bald except fora knot of hair from the back. (Sort of a peacock approach.)

ARE CENTAURI WOMEN NATURALLY HAIRLESS?5/12/96

No, Centauri women are bald by choice, toshow their disdain for the showiness of the males.

WHY DIDN'T EMPEROR TURHAN'S SON BECOME THENEXT CENTAURI EMPEROR? 9/7/96

Ah...a very sad case, that. Turhan's onlychild, his son, died during a boating accident, of all things. Hedrowned. His personal guard, who was apparently unable to findTurhan's son in the murky water, was found dead several days aftermaking his report; his own death was officially ruled a suicide,out of grief. But there are always stories....

ARE THERE REALLY ONLY 3 BILLION PEOPLE ONCENTAURI PRIME? 12/30/96

Basically, I figured with a culture indecline, often the birth rate goes down; it's also a fairly smallworld, all things considered...and a LOT of them live on otherColonies, they've been spreading out a lot longer than wehave...and of course they have always been sensible about birthcontrol and population growth, one of their few wisdoms, and one wecould learn from.

DOES THE CENTAURI MALE GENITALIA PROTRUDE OREXTEND FROM THE SAME PLACE AS HUMAN MALES? WHERE ARE THE CENTAURIFEMALE ORIFICES LOCATED AND HOW MANY DO THEY HAVE? 2/1/96

Actually, Centauri have six. They extend outfrom the sides of the body, and "fold" in over the solar plexuswhen not in, er, use. (We actually saw one extended for otherpurposes in the first season, "The Quality of Mercy.")

Female Centauri have six...er...slotted areason either side of the spine, just above the hips, three on eitherside.

To go any further would probably bring in theFBI.

MY MOM HAS A QUESTION ABOUT THE SIX GENITALIAON CENTAURI MALES: WHICH ONE DO THEY USE FOR URINATION? 1/4/98

That assumes they urinate out of the sameorgans they use for sex; ain't necessarily the case.

DID THE CENSORS JUST LET LONDO'S GENITALIASLIDE BY? 2/2/96

Well, there's no rules about showingtentacles on TV. I think they didn't even want to deal with it.There are some moments when they pretend they didn't see it, and Ipretend I didn't write it.

HOW CAN AN ENTIRELY SEPARATE SPECIES HAVEEVOLVED ON THE SAME PLANET ALONG WITH THE CENTAURI? 3/7/94

The Xon did evolve into fair amount ofintelligence. There are a very few land masses on Centauri Prime,separated by huge oceans. The two species evolved pretty muchseparately, on different continents that were absolutelyunreachable until one or both sides developed sufficient technologyfor extended sea travel...and that's when all hell broke loose.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE XON? 2/24/94

The Xon? Dead. All of them. And goodriddance.

DID THE CENTAURI WIPE OUT THE XON BECAUSETHEY WERE EVIL? 2/28/94

The Xon weren't any more evil or good thanthe race that survived; two equally sentient species emerged on theCentauri homeworld over the course of evolution. They were more orless separated by distance and land masses and oceans, so there waslittle contact until either side developed the technology requiredto find the other. It was the next best thing to a first contactsituation, except it's on their own world; they were very muchalien to one another. Somewhere along the line, it was decided thatthis world wasn't big enough for both of them, so they began acampaign of slaughter against each other. Londo's people won.