Babylon 5: Cultures: Drakh

Culture Review by Patrick L. Jones

The Drakh are a mysterious and secretive race that served the ShadowsThe Centauri knew of them ages ago and referred to them much like the “bogey man” to frighten bad Centauri children.  one look at them and you can see why.  The Drakh are pug ugly and very nasty.

The evil alien savoiur

The second type of Drakh seen from ‘In the Kingdon of the Blind’

There seem to be at least two types of Drakh.  one appeared in the episode “Lines of Communication.”  He sort of shimmered and looked like the McDonald’s Hamburglar from hell.   The other type first appeared in “In the Kingdom of the Blind”.   The Drakh employ some really nasty spidery critters called the keepers to do their dirty work.  Captain Jack had one.  So did the Regent and later Londo.  The keepers help control the Drakh’s thralls.  The Drakh seem to treat other races like puppets.

The Drakh were intensely loyal to the their former masters the Shadows.  They used to call Z’ha’dum home before Sheridan nuked it with White Star 1 and it later got blown to bits when Sheridan came back to Z’ha’dum.

The Drakh want two things.  A new home and revenge on the Interstellar Alliance.  They sort of combined these goals by infesting Centauri Prime.  Morden warned Londo before he was dragged off to the chopping block that the Shadow’s allies would make sure Centauri Prime paid the price for what he did that day.  Man was he on the money.   The Drakh are nasty critters.  They’re strong, telepathic, ugly and patient.

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If the Shadows used other races to do their dirty work, the Drakh seem to take great pride in it.  They are very patient.  And they hold a grudge.

An ugly Drakh

The Drakh are pug ugly and very nasty.

The Drakh remember that Londo blew up the Shadows on the Island of Celini in the episode “Into the Fire”  They fit the Regent with a keeper to start a war with the alliance.  They later fit Londo with a keeper for revenge.  The Drakh in effect rule Centauri Prime without anyone outside of the Alliance knowing it.

Five years after the Alliance was formed, the Drakh obtain possession of a Shadow planet killer.  They attack Earth, but are repelled by a combined Earth Alliance and Interstellar Alliance force commanded by John Sheridan.  The Drakh are repelled but not before releasing a deadly plague in Earth’s atmosphere.  If a cure is not found in five years, all life on Earth will die.

A trip to the pub would be uneventful for you and your Drakh chum.  He’d hide in the shadows while you chat up the girls, until he sees one he likes.  If you’ve already got your keeper, the Drakh would be bound to say something profound to you telepathically like   “Yessss.  She will be sufficient.”  You’re Drakh buddy might be great in a scrape.

The Drakh can be summed up by this song sung to the tune of the Boll Weevil song:

The Drakh they look like ugly brown bugs.
The come from Z’ha’dum they say.
They’re going to bust up the alliance.
They’re just looking for a place to stay.
They’re just looking for a home.
Just looking for a home.

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Race Rating – Centauri
Personality 1 (rancid butter) – 5 (cool dude) 1
Attractiveness 1 (requires paper bag) – 5 (Drop-dead-gorgeous) 1
Humour 1 (stomach-turning) – 5 (sidesplitting) 1
Dress Sense 1 (laughable) – 5 (hip) 2
Aggression 1 (big/little softy) – 5 (hard as nails) 3
Social Standing 1 (scumbag) – 5 (god) 3

Sad Geezer Race Rating   (out of 30)  = 11                         

This Culture review is © 2001 Patrick L. Jones.
Not for reproduction without the authors express permission

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The BABYLON 5 names, characters and everything else associated with the series are the property of J. Michael Straczynski, TNT and Warner Brothers, a division of Time Warner Entertainment Company. All rights reserved.

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