The war between the Earth Alliance and the Minbari Federation left an indelible mark
on the galaxy.
That a simple misunderstanding between such advanced and intelligent races could lead
to three years of carnage and the near genocide of a people was a mistake that could never
again be allowed to occur.
The answer was Babylon 5.
A place where the races of the galaxy could resolve their disputes and problems, a last,
best hope for peace.
The men and women assigned to Babylon 5 represented the best that humanity had to offer, and none
more so than Susan Ivanova.
Susan was born in 2230 in St. Petersburg, the daughter of Sofie and Andrei Ivanov and
younger sister to Ganya Ivanov.
Susan’s early life was dominated by the decline of her mother, a telepath who had
worked to keep her abilities hidden.
Her mother’s telepathy created a very personal bond between the two, with Susan able to literally
feel her mother’s love for her.
Eventually however, Sofie’s telepathy was discovered by the Psi Corps and she volunteered
to be administered drugs that would inhibit her abilities.
The drugs, called “Sleepers”, carried with them intense side-effects, most notably
severe depression.
The weekly treatments were eventually too much for Sofie Ivanova and she took her own
life when Susan was a teenager.
Her mother’s death affected her deeply and sparked Susan’s deep hatred and mistrust
for the Psi Corps.
The outbreak of the Earth-Minbari war led to the loss of her brother Ganya, a fighter
pilot whose Starfury was shot down early in the conflict.
Susan had gifted her brother a single “lucky” earring, and she continued to wear only one
earring for the rest of her life in his memory.
Susan herself joined Earthforce in 2247 and was commissioned as an officer in 2249.
Already consumed with grief, Susan’s father Andrei was angered by her enlistment which
contributed to a growing rift between the two over the passing years.
By the end of the war, Susan had logged over 100 hours of combat flying experience and,
in the years thereafter, was posted to a variety of deep space assignments.
By 2258 Susan had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and was assigned to
Babylon 5 to act as the station’s second-in-command.
During her time on Babylon 5, Susan Ivanova worked within the Command and Control center
and was responsible for coordinating the station’s operations and ship traffic.
In special circumstances, she would take command of a Starfury and hone the skills she had
learned during the Earth-Minbari war.
In a rare exception to her “by the book” attitude, Ivanova illegally accessed the highest
communication band in the Earth Alliance, typically reserved for the Office of the President,
to contact her ailing father.
His dying words healed the long rift between them, though she never reconciled with her
past trauma.
The occasional presence of Psi-Corp agents on Babylon 5 enraged Susan, even going so
far as to tender her resignation from Earthforce rather than be telepathically scanned.
Eventually, Ivanova admitted her status as a latent telepath - not powerful enough to
read another mind, but able to block a scan of her own.
After the assassination of Earth Alliance President Santiago, Ivanova was appointed
to be the temporary commanding officer of Babylon 5 before being replaced by Captain
John “Starkiller” Sheridan.
Her actions earned her a promotion to a full Commander at Sheridan’s request, and she
became one of the highest-ranking Earth Alliance officers on the station.
With her new position came new responsibilities.
Over the course of her career on the station, she helped mediate diplomatic and military
disputes and as the galaxy fell into war and chaos, helped transform Babylon 5 from a symbol
of peace to one of victory.
The illegal coup-d'etat by Earth President Morgan Clark and the great war against the
Shadows brought Ivanova back into combat.
She personally piloted a Starfury to defend Babylon 5 during the Earth Alliance Civil
War and later commanded an advanced White Star warship as part of the Army of Light,
a coalition of races dedicated to ending the threat of the Shadows.
In a moment that would tip the balance of the impending Second Shadow War and the destiny
of the galaxy, Susan Ivanova made contact with some of the reclusive “First Ones”.
Inciting them to action, she convinced these ancient beings to stand alongside the younger
races, making the Army of Light a force to be reckoned with.
With the liberation of Earth, the departure of all the First Ones and Shadows, and the
formation of the Interstellar Alliance, Susan Ivanova was promoted to full captain, the
last official act of newly elected President Sheridan.
Ivanova accepted command of the EAS Titans, leaving her old post behind.
As the events surrounding her time on the station faded into legend, Ivanova rose to
the rank of General and later Anla’Shok Na, the leader of the elite force of rangers
dedicated to maintaining peace across the galaxy.
Under her leadership, the Anla’Shok grew to include members from every world and she
instituted a system of honor and self-sacrifice that would define the Rangers for centuries
to come.
Shortly before her death, a full study of her neural pathways was undertaken allowing
future historians to access her memories and knowledge in the milennia to come.
As a pilot, commander, and leader, Susan Ivanova was confident, brave, and often intense.
Her eidetic memory helped her become a brilliant administrator and military strategist and
she had little patience for those who acted without considering the consequences of their
actions.
On Babylon 5, her word was considered no different than the word of god, infallible and not open
to debate.
While not overtly religious, Ivanova maintained a reverence and respect for her Jewish roots,
a facet of her life fostered by her rabbi, Yossel Koslov who she affectionately referred
to as her uncle.
Her heritage brought her comfort in the darkest of moments.
She sat shiva with the support of her commanding officer and trusted friend Jeffrey Sinclair
after the passing of her father.
While her faith wavered, in her words, she “never stopped being a Jew”.
A superb military officer, Susan Ivanova excelled within Earthforce, rapidly climbing the ranks
while sacrificing a life of stability for one of constant change.
Romance was something of a burden to Ivanova, for all those she had truly loved, her mother,
brother, and father, were taken from her.
The men and women she loved, Talia Winters, Marcus Cole, and her mentor, John Sheridan
were likewise ripped away from her, and led to the belief that all love is unrequited
and that she herself was perhaps not deserving of true happiness.
Later in life however, as leader of the Anla’Shok, she came to believe that there were always
opportunities for new beginnings, even for people like her.
Statues of Susan Ivanova were placed on every major world while her remains were interred
in Yedor Memorial Park, laid to rest alongside the greatest heroes, dignitaries, Rangers,
and presidents.
So powerful was her impact on the fate of the galaxy, even millennia later as the Earth
was finally consumed by the light of the sun and the human race departed for a new home,
the name Susan Ivanova was never forgotten.
In Dossier, the Templin Institute investigates the legendary figures from alternate worlds.
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