Minbari

The Minbari are an advanced humanoid species originating from the planet of Minbar. They are quite similar in appearance to humans, although there are significant internal differences. The most prominent external difference is the crest-like "head bone", which covers most of the rear portion of their skull, including the temples. The Minbari have three castes, the Religious caste, the Worker caste,  and the Warrior caste. The Grey Council is their governing body; this council consists of 3 members from each of the three castes.

Technology
The Minbari are a highly advanced race, and are the most advanced of the "young races". They have been capable of interstellar travel since approximately Earth year 1305. Minbari ships possess powerful energy weapons that can easily cut through most ships, and their sensory technology is extremely advanced; Minbari scanners can easily overwhelm most other race's electronics, effectively jamming them. Minbari warships also possess a stealth device that can prevent other races from locking their weapons onto their vessels, although it does not actually make the ships invisible. It was this technology that was used to devastating effect in the Earth-Minbari war. While Minbari weapons were not significantly more powerful than EarthForce's, they were rendered vastly more effective because the Earth vessels could not hit the Minbari.

Most Minbari technology is based on crystals; indeed, their vessels appear as if they are grown, rather than simply manufactured. Because of their technological prowess, the Minbari are amongst the most respected (and feared) of the younger races.

Biology
Humanoid in appearance, the Minbari are apparently mammalian. Physically similar to humans in most ways, the most obvious external difference is the "head bone" or crest, originating from the temples, and covering most of the back of the head. Minbari babies are born without a crest, where it later develops. The females do not menstruate.

The facial features of a Minbari, aside from their crest, is remarkably similar to that of humans; their ears also sit lower on the head than on humans, instead being placed just behind the jaw bone. They are, however, a much more physically durable race. A Minbari can sustain injuries that would kill most humans, and are capable of losing far more blood before they are incapacitated. In addition, Minbari are far stronger than humans. They also have little to no body hair, although some of the men sport beards, often goatees. Minbari also do not sweat.

Despite their remarkable constitution and strength, the Minbari are known for having a serious intolerance to alcohol. Ingestion of grain alcohol can result in paranoia and full-blown psychosis.

The Minbari are a long-lived race, with an average life span of over 200 Earth years (about 133 of their solar cycles). They appear to age at perhaps half the rate that a human does.

Their population has been slowly dwindling for the last few millennia. The Minbari themselves attribute this to the transmigration of souls to other species.

Culture
Minbari culture is split into three castes: Religious, Worker, and Warrior. Although the Minbari have no beliefs in deities per se, they are nonetheless deeply spiritual. In practical terms, they are spiritual atheists. The Warrior and Religious castes are often at odds with one another, and the Worker caste is much less influential than the other two castes.

Membership in a given caste is not hereditary : it is determined by one's calling in life, rather than genetics or birth. One's calling in life becomes apparent early in life, and from there they may choose a teacher from the caste they wish to join. If the calling is genuine and the applicant sincere, then they are accepted into the caste. If for some reason there is a mismatch, and the applicant has selected the wrong caste, they will be helped to find their true calling, with whichever appropriate caste they may belong in.

Membership in a caste need not be permanent or irrevocable; it is not unknown for Minbari to switch castes in certain circumstances.

Unlike the Centauri, Minbari marriages are not arranged. However, marriages are generally within a single caste.

Minbari are normally an extremely honorable people. Rigidly honest, it is quite rare for them to outright lie. However, to maintain their honor, they may save face in rare circumstances by distorting the truth, indirectly. It has been said that "the Minbari never tell anyone the whole truth." Minbari culture emphasizes service -- that there is no greater duty or honor than to service others. This means that they are very oriented towards self-sacrifice.

Earth-Minbari War
The Earth-Minbari war started in 2245 when an Earth exploration fleet led by EAS (earth alliance ship) Prometheus captained by Michael Jankowski went off mission to scan and get a good look at the then elusive Minbari, while the humans were scanning the Minbari, the grey council fleet picked them up on the scanners, the warriors caste sent the lead ship of the fleet with the grey council on board to greet them, the warrior caste made the cruiser open its gun ports as a sign that they would not fire, the EAS Prometheus crew became spooked when this happened, this coupled with the stealth technology that jammed the humans deep scans ended up with the captain Michael Jankowski to order all ships (the Prometheus, one earth destroyers, 2 bombers and a number of star fury fighters) to open fire, the attack surprised the Minbari and heavily damaged the Minbari cruiser, killing around a quarter of the crew including the leader of the grey council; this led five of the nine members of the grey council to follow the humans and exterminate them.

The Minbari began a genocidal campaign against humanity, destroying base after base, although encountering heavy human resistance the Minbari lost little to no ships and continued to slaughter humanity, the first major victory came when Vice-Captain John Sheridan on board the badly damaged EAS Lexington hatched a plan up putting nuclear mines on asteroids and lured in the Minbari flagship Drala Fi (translated the Black Star), it is lured in and destroyed by the mines, this marked the first human victory in the war, being only one of two, the second was when an unknown Earth destroyer went up against a Minbari cruiser, with the weapons destroyed and life support crippled the rammed the Minbari cruiser, destroying both ships.

The battle of the line was the final battle in the Earth-Minbari war.

Minbar
The home planet and the capital world of the Minbari Federation and later the Interstellar Alliance. Located in the Chi Draconis binary star system in Sectors of Known Space Sector 120, Minbar is the seventh planet in its system and is just over 25 light years from Earth. Like Earth, Minbar has an oxygen/nitrogen heavy atmosphere that produces a blue sky. Nearly one-quarter of the planet is covered by the northern ice cap and, as a result, the overall climate is markedly colder than that of Earth. Minbar is noted for its vast crystalline deposits with many of its cities carved directly from the crystalline. The planet is orbited by two moons, has an orbital period of 1.5 Earth years, and a rotational period of 20 hours and 47 minutes.