Psi Corps - The Psi Cops and Opposition To The Corps

The Psi Cops and Opposition To The Corps

Psi Cops are members of a para-military body enforcing laws related to telepaths and operates with few checks against their authority. This is especially true when dealing with non-telepaths who have done violence against a member of the Psi Corps. For example, after capturing a murderer of telepaths, they implanted an image in his mind so horrifying that the person had to be permanently restrained to prevent him from ripping out his own eyes. In another case, a man who murdered a Psi Cop was ejected from a spaceship. While Psi Cops claim to only want to bring rogue telepaths back to the Psi Corps family, they are likely to kill a rogue telepath upon capturing one. Psi Cops possess a rating of P-12. P-13s or slightly higher are a rarity and some of those that are eventually found out to be P-13s, also become rogue telepaths and go on the run in fear of what the Psi Corp will do with them through experiments ("A Race Through Dark Places"). Psi Corps also use telepaths of lower ratings in support roles.

Psi Corps has attempted to increase a telepath's abilities through genetic manipulations and experiments; one such experimentation produced enhanced abilities in a P-10 level telepath named Jason Ironheart, in an attempt to produce a stable of telekinetics and stronger telepaths for the Psi Corps. Ironheart volunteered to have his telepathic powers increased, but they soon became unstable. He fled from Psi-Corps, eventually coming to the space station Babylon 5 where he set up an escape route for other rogue telepaths, but was pursued by Psi Cop Alfred Bester. However, Ironheart began to undergo destructive mindquakes, releasing bursts of psychokinetic energy so powerful that they threatened the station. As Ironheart realized that his abilities had grown too great to contain, he discorporated his physical form, but not before leaving Talia with a gift; enhanced telepathic shields, and even a bit of telekinesis of her own (Mind War).

Doctor Stephen Franklin of Babylon 5 participated in an underground railroad to help rogue telepaths escape from the Corps ("A Race Through Dark Places"). Eventually, the telepaths who escaped provided assistance during the closing days of the Shadow War. Later on, President John Sheridan of the Interstellar Alliance allowed rogue telepaths to form a small colony on Babylon 5. The situation ended in violence when the Psi Cops attempted to take the rogue telepaths back to Earth.

After the colony on Babylon 5 was forced to leave following the death of its leader, Byron, Lyta Alexander began a crusade against the Psi Corps. Her actions led to a war in which rogue telepaths and non telepaths fought the Psi Corps. The old Psi Corps was destroyed, and a new Psionic Monitoring Commission was built to replace it.

Once the Telepath War was over, the Psionic Monitoring Commission dedicated itself to hunting down those members of the Corps who committed war crimes, such as Alfred Bester. Bester was eventually captured and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison with his abilities taken away by drugs. Many private schools were founded to educate telepaths; they met with mixed success. Telepaths were allowed a much wider range of options as far as their lives were concerned. Rather than having to join the Psi Corps, they were able to do almost anything they wanted. This included joining the Earth Alliance military and working for private organizations.