3. Good Guys Don't Always Wear White (Or Grey)
Even those forces, the two opposing factions in what becomes the Shadow War of 2261, retain the grey aspect. In DS9, generally, you know who the "good guys" are in the Dominion War, but as the Vorlons, who are supposed to be the good guys, adopt more and more chilling methods to defeat their implacable and age-old enemy, we start to see that humans, aliens, all are just minor pawns in the huge chessgame between the Shadows and the Vorlons, and they give them about as much thought as we would a bothersome insect. Although Sheridan and Babylon 5 are more or less established as being the ones in the right, he personally makes some choices that you would have to think would make any commander-in-chief question their morality. You see, JMS is trying to show us there really is no right or wrong side, and men of conscience will often abandon their principles in order to get the job done, if it's the only path available to them. The end does sometimes have to justify the means, and war is, as someone once correctly observed, hell. Yes, I know: Sisko did something like this in "In the pale moonlight", and I'm not questioning the brilliance of that dark episode. I love it. But he did it once. Sheridan has to make hard decisions all through the series. And even then, at the end, after he's saved Earth, they're not grateful. Were this Star Trek, he'd be feted as a hero. But here he's being considered for court-martial! Ah, tis well Jack Bauer knows the feeling! But if nothing else this episode serves to demonstrate Straczynski's understanding that nobody is untouchable, and that sometimes the best of motives can yield unexpected and unwelcome results, particularly if it's politically expedient. Earthforce could not afford to reward an officer who had disobeyed orders and headed a rebellion against his own government, even if that government was corrupt and needed opposing. Nobody in power could afford to admit --- at least, publicly --- that John Sheridan had done what had to be done, what no-one else would have or could have done, and that he should be praised and honoured for it. After all, nobody wanted him running for President!