Comments on Centauri History:

Both the Centauri and Drazi had been space-faring races for about 800 years by the year 2262. This is backed up by records (episode “Secrets of the Soul”) indicating that the Drazi had trading contacts with the Hyach at least 740 years before this date (1522CE). It is reasonably certain that neither race was directly involved in the last Shadow war in c.1260CE (unlike the Minbari, the Narns and the Markeb) while it is also reasonable to assume that the Centauri had always been technologically ahead of the Drazi, who are still mostly reliant on Jumpgates for interstellar travel, as they had been building jump-capable starships for several centuries. It is also apparent that the Drazi were once subjugated by the Centauri and that the basic design of their main war cruisers (Sunhawks) are based on Centauri design (it is certain that the Centauri sold weapons to other races).

The Centauri have had contact with several other civilizations long before they had star flight. Londo is aware of the Drakh through folk tales while the first emperor* is said to have consulted with three Technomages before founding the Centauri Republic. The original Technomages belonged to a race known as the Taratimude, who would presumably have landed in secret on Centauri Prime and passed on their knowledge to a select group of Centauri, who would have had access to Centauri space via the orbital Jumpgate** (built by an unknown party). The Centauri also shared their world with a now-extinct race called ‘Xon’ and were apparently invaded during the reign of Emperor Tuscano in the third century CE. Vir Cotto apparently describes the ensuing war with the Xon as lasting 1000 years (“Parliament of Dreams”, I cannot confirm the actual length of the conflict but roughly fits in with Centauri history before the establishment of the Republic).

With the above events, a rough description of Centauri history from 200 onwards can be described (although much is conjecture).

c.200CE-The race which will eventually be known as ‘Centauri’, and the one later known as ‘Xon’, exist separately on two continents on the planet Centauri Prime. The Centauri are in a state of development similar to the Renaissance in 16^th century Europe with gunpowder and sailing ships.

230-Expeditions soon discover the Xon and colonies and settlements are set up using Xon as slave labour during the reign of Tuscano, the first Centauri to declare himself Emperor. Many outposts are attacked by Xon, who quickly learn how to build sailing ships of their own. Meanwhile, ships returning to the Centauri continent bring back Xon slaves carrying Xon diseases which reduce the Centauri population to six million in a generation. Similarly, Centauri diseases leave whole areas free of the Xon.

260-An alien ship lands on the Xon’s continent. A Centauri scouting party soon finds it and captures the outnumbered crew. The aliens are taken to the Centauri capital where they are interrogated. The aliens are called the Shoggren and apparently entered local space via a Jumpgate in orbit around Centauri Prime. Most of the ship’s technology is unintelligible to the Centauri who take it back to their capital in parts over several trips. Meanwhile, Tuscano uses this ‘victory’ to bolster and cement his reign after the Xon land and destroy several Centauri cities. Tuscano enacts religious laws banning monogamy among Centauri males to increase the population.

1230-At this point the last of the Xon is killed after countless campaigns. The leading Houses establish the Centauri Republic, with an Emperor chosen by three Technomages. The population is two hundred million at this point, but rising with all of Centauri Prime available for colonization. Centauri technology is now in the advanced industrial age, but much of this was dedicated to the war effort with the Xon as opposed to producing consumer goods. However, Centauri astronomers had known about the Jumpgate for a thousand years and Centauri mathematics and theoretical science has been slowly improving to the point where, by this point, the Centauri are as advanced as the Earth Alliance in c.2090.

1235CE. With no war effort to slow advancement down, the Shoggren ship was partially reverse engineered. At first probes were built to scout hyperspace and local realspace, then the first bases were set up on other planets in the Centauri system.

1256 to 1259-With their versions of the Shoggren’s ion engines and tachyon scanners perfected, the Centauri were finally able to explore hyperspace in ships which were later copied by the Drazi. At this point the Centauri had little understanding of how the Jumpgates worked or the technical skill to build ships with jump engines of their own, so they were limited to exploring systems with existing Jumpgates. The first habitable planets to be discovered and colonized had no sentient life, although the Nakaleen Feeder was encountered on one. However, Centauri ships were soon discovered and attacked by the Drakh***. With a small fleet, the Centauri were outnumbered and so soon abandoned exploration of the stars and left the few colonies they’d established to fend for themselves . In doing so, they were spared the Last Shadow War.

At this point the Centauri are at roughly the same point in their development as mankind was shortly after they were themselves contacted by the Centauri, but with a population of only two hundred million****.

c.1522-By this year, Centauri engineers have finally learned the secret of Jumpgate construction and are building a fleet of jump-capable ships.

1600-Expanding their stellar empire in all directions the Centauri finally encounter two races who are more advanced than they are: the Minbari and the Dilgar. After some brief contact, the Minbari are left alone. There is little contact initially with the Dilgar, mainly because at this point the Dilgar have no Jumpgate or jump-capable ships.

1850-Around this time, the Republic begins to decline and the Centauri begin to use other races as mercenaries, including the Drazi (who are now independent) and the Dilgar (who have been provided with a Jumpgate at this point), as most systems under their control begin to secede from the Republic.

c.1950-The Centauri Republic develop starships with ‘gravimetric’/ inertial drives for propulsion, greatly outmaneuvering their opponents. However, they are still over-extended and become reliant on exploiting developing worlds.

2110-First contact with the Narn.

c.2140-Centauri begin to expropriate Narn colonies.

2156-First contact with humans. Earth Alliance provided with its own Jumpgate to facilitate trade.

c.2180-The Centauri begin the strip-mining of Narn. The Narns begin to resist violently.

2198-Birth of Londo Mollari.

2208-2228-The Centauri are slowly driven off the Narn home world and colonies.

2257-More territory is given to the Narns by Emperor Turhan in return for peace. The Centauri Republic is now limited to twelve major worlds with a total population of forty billion.

December 31^st 2258-The Narn outpost at Quadrant 37 is attacked by an unknown party acting on behalf of Centauri Ambassador Londo Mollari.

2259-Outbreak of war between the Centauri Republic and the Narn Regime after the death of Emperor Turhan coincides with an apparent attack on the Narn outpost in Quadrant 14 by Centauri forces. Cartargia, nephew of Turhan, claims the throne after Turhan’s Prime Minister is murdered. Through a prophetic dream at this time, Mollari later realizes the ‘unknown party’ are the Shadows. The war is ended six months later The Shadows intercept a Narn attack on Gorash 7, the Centauri’s main supply base, while the Centauri Navy attack Narn itself using Mass Drivers to bombard Narn cities with asteroids. Ninety million Narns are killed and the Narn planetary civilization/ economy only exists on the whim of the Centauri occupying forces. The Centauri annexe several Drazi and Pak’ma’ra colonies.

2261-The Shadows establish a short-lived base on Centauri Prime. Death of Emperor Cartagia. The Centauri occupation of Narn ends. Later that same year the Drakh arrive in secret after the destruction of Z’ha’dum. The Centauri Republic joins the Interstellar Alliance after the Earth Alliance Civil War.

2262-Centauri War. Combined Drazi and Narn assault on Centauri Prime after Centauri forces under the Prince Regent’s control attack members of the Interstellar Alliance. Londo Mollari crowned Emperor.

With the development concluded on the ‘Warlock’ class destroyer (based on Centauri, Dilgar and Shadow technology and gravimetric engines provided by the IA/ Minbari) and the Centauri Republic forced to pay war reparations, the Earth Alliance is technologically and militarily ahead of the Centauri Republic.

2278-Death of Londo Mollari and G’kar on Centauri Prime.

*For argument’s sake I am assuming that this refers to the individual who founded the Centauri Republic, not Tuscano “subduer of the Xon and the Shoggren”. Although this introduces some confusion by having Tuscano defeating the Shoggren as Londo describes but is not the one who is blessed by the three technomages, the alternative implies that the Centauri had access to advanced technology soon after the extinction of the Xon 1000 years before the last Shadow War but did not make use of it. The general social outlook of the Centauri does not seem to imply a prolonged period of peace before they finally bothered to explore beyond their Solar System.

**The Jumpgate Network was probably not all built at once, but those orbiting Brakir, Centauri Prime, Draz, Narn, Pak’ma and others were probably all built by some other race before the races of these worlds were capable of space flight but possibly after the Minbari were, indicating the Vorlons may have been responsible.

***This is under the assumption that the Drakh all returned to Z’ha’dum after the war and stayed in hiding with the Shadows so if they encountered the Centauri it would have been before 1260CE.

****I’ve given the same population figures as the B5 technical guide, but changed the dates.