"You want to know why we fought, against the Alliance? Well, I guess I'll tell you why; we fought, not for the sake of fighting, but in the hope of creating a better future. Captain Sheridan gave us a chance to act, and I wasn't *about* to ignore that chance."
- Remarks attributed to the Martian Resistance leader Tessa Halloran, known in some circles as 'Number One', after the declaration of Martian Independence, Nov 2261
* * *
Mars; Syria Planum. Late July, 2261.
Twilight had come to Mars, and with it, the promise of the icy night still to come.
Above the bunker that another small group had entered, some hours before, a group of watchers had congregated on a hillside, their vehicle concealed nearby, waiting for the signal that would tell them the time had come to act. Some among the party looked into the rose-pale twilight glow, and gazed upon the brilliant blue star of Earth. It had all begun there, but now...now, so *much* of the future could be possible, here.
Rather abruptly, the leader of the group straightened, and turned to his comrades. No radio signal was used during the conversation, but none, of course, was *required*. <I have received the signal...it is time for us to act.>
<The guards on the tunnel have been withdrawn?>
A bitter smile crossed the leader's features, as he nodded. <That is so, yes; while Mr. Bester wished to indulge himself with those who entered *our* base, it is growing near time for the game to be played out to its ultimate conclusion. As such, we have our orders; we are to make our way through the tunnel, and into the dome where the prisoners have been secured.
At the same time we are doing this, four other small groups will be approaching the base from different directions; these groups will contain elements of the Martian Resistance, arrived to aid their friend, Shiane Quintara. We, of course, will turn our resources towards 'guiding' these 'freedom' fighters. Under cover of this attack, Mr. Bester will enact what appears to be a retreat, allowing the Rangers and the telepath, Tolmanes, to 'escape'.>
<I simply don't understand why he's doing this!> another commented, his tone bitter. <It would be simple enough to break this blip of her loyalties, no matter her strength!>
<The ends would not justify the means.> the leader chided his underling sharply. <Mr. Bester has indicated that Ms. Tolmanes will, in the end, because of what we do, come to the Corps of her own free will. And in all things, we have sworn to obey him, for he is as law to us.>
<So be it, then.> As one, the group rose, and began to make their way down the hillside. The time was drawing near.
* * *
Syria Planum Base.
At a gesture from Bester, most of the telepaths had left them; only four remained, their purpose clear; to ensure that Brianna did nothing unwise, *and* to keep the rest of his team in check. William gazed upon his friends and comrades bleakly, before they had been taken into the other room; it was clear from the look in the eyes of Colvhar and the Quintara brothers that they didn't believe their chances for escaping cleanly from this were good; and he couldn't blame them; even among the Rangers, the aura of nastiness that followed Bester around was well known.
And now, Bester had inferred that what he considered a firm, solid foundation, the path he had been following ever since his last encounter with the Psi Cop on Nighthawk, was, in some way, flawed. That all he believed was not *quite* what it seemed. And unfortuantely, he knew exactly what Bester was referring to. He thought back, to a time before the Shadows, before the Rangers, before Z'ha'dum, back to a time of innocence, a time in which he and Jennifer had only begun to discover their love for one another. He could still remember Bester's words clearly, even though it had been almost three years now, since they had last met...
<Flash>
"My task here, and Ms. Salient's, is not to harm Lieutenant Commander Westcastle in any way, but instead to determine whether or not the accident that destroyed the EAS ATLANTA *was* an accident, or the beginnings of what could possibly be a serious threat to Alliance security. Mr. Westcastle's partial amnesia does not make this job any easier, and so, here we are..."
<Return>
At the time, Bester had intimated that he and his companion had only been there to make cursury 'surface' scans to determine whether any threat to the Alliance existed. But now, doubts arose; between Bester and his companion, Ms. Salient, both, of course, P12 ratings, there had certainly been enough telepathic power present to not only overwhelm his impressions of what had happened, but also, Jennifer's and Mariallah's, as well.
Across from him, Bester grinned suddenly. "I see that you're running back over your impressions of what happened on Nighthawk; it won't help you, of course, since what you remember is not what actually happened that day."
He closed his eyes, and tightly held in check the emotions that threatened to escape his control; doubt, despair, and anger at what this *telepath* might have done. The Rangers had given him that control; his experiences in the war against the Shadows had tempered him, made him what he was. He would hear Bester out; but he would hold off on belief, for the time being.
"I've often wondered, myself, the entire story behind that visit you made, Mr. Bester; as you know, we were, ultimately, completely in the dark about what was still to come. I now have my suspicions that you did not entirely share that problem, however..."
Bester nodded agreeably. "Perhaps that's so; we *knew* that the Shadows were out there, plotting, maneuvering within Earthgov. It seemed obvious that President Clark, who was, at the time, the second to President Santiago, had fallen in with agents of the Shadows, and there were indications that the Shadows were beginning to make inroads with the Corps, as well.
As you might well guess, this could not be allowed, and yet, at the same time, I could not, myself, move as I might wish. It seemed more likely that a number of mundane officers in Earthforce, such as Captain Sheridan, and yourself, might, in due course, be placed in positions where moving against the Shadows and their plans could be possible, in ways that we of the Corps could not hope to emulate..."
&It;Flash>
October 18th, 2258. Nighthawk Central, Medical Facility
"We may now proceed with your plan, sir." Salient announced, as Bester cast a glance between the Doctor and the young Earthforce Lieutenant, Clifford, both of whom were now staring more or less vacantl into nothingness, their brains having been temporarily short circuited by his assistant. At once, Bester turned his attentions to the other officer, Westcastle, and after a short, but indepth scan, he smiled, and nodded.
His suspicions had been correct; and while the agencies that had sent him here would have wanted other, and possibly more *terminal* outcomes for this meeting, that could not be allowed. For this officer, Westcastle, might, in due course, become more valuable in the secret war against the Shadows then anyone had realized...
<Return>
"So you see," Bester continued, as William sank into a seat, his thoughts full of turmoil, "While at the time, there were certain agencies who would have been quite happy to have seen you dead, I saw you, instead, as an opportunity to be utilized, and decided I had to act. What I did was in my best interests, of course, but in the end, it turned out being in the entire spiral *arm's* best interests, so why blame my choice?"
"What did you do to me?"
Bester shrugged. "Oh, only a tweak here, and there; emphasizing elements that you would never have touched otherwise; for instance, what you felt for young Miss Clifford...oh, I *suppose* she would be 'Westcastle' by now, wouldn't she?...was a valuable element, already there. But as I said, a tweak here and there was all that *was* required. "
"You cold-hearted *bastard*!" Of a sudden, the rage escaped his controls, and he surged up and out of the seat...to find himself suddenly frozen, with Bester shaking a finger at him mockingly.
"Do not believe, for a moment, that I will allow myself to come to harm in that manner, Mr. Westcastle; *no*, I'm afraid that's not an option you can take, for now! But let me conclude; I suppose it was a successful experiment, all things considered; indeed, I might almost be tempted to say that you've exceeded my own expectations!"
"I don't...believe you." He said the words, but in the core of things, he *knew* that some, if not all of what Bester had said might, indeed, be true. And that was what hurt, most of all.
"Well now...in the end, your actions have spoken for themselves, have they not?" At that, Bester gestured, and the telepaths in the room, Brianna among them, fell in besides him. "However...now that I've satisfied my need for honesty in this matter, a matter I could quite easily have kept to myself, I believe it's time we were going; so many places to be, so many things to do, how is there time for it all?"
And with that, the Psi Cop nodded in his direction, opened the door, and began to slip out of sight, his retinue in tow.
* * *
Mars orbit.
Moments schronized, and satellites all over Martian nearspace turned their sensors to watch, as a tiny crack formed in the fabric of the universe, and seconds later, ballooned outwards into a jump point. And scant moments after that, the capital ship that had created the point flashed into normal space.
"This is Earthforce Martian Orbital Control to incoming Heavy Cruiser CASCADE; we are pleased to see you’ve arrived on schedule."
Adam Paradis snorted, and briefly met the eyes of his exec. "Yeah, I *bet* you are." he muttered, then raised his voice. "Acknowledged, OC; the officers of CASCADE wish to return that compliment in turn. Now that we're here, OC, do you have any orders for us?"
"Affirmative; assume orbital level three-six-zero, and stand by for permission to transfer units to surface. Additionally, two shuttles, from the Ministries of Peace and Intelligence, are approaching this locale from Earthwards. Expect them to rendezvous with your vessel in no less then sixty hours with further orders; over."
"CASCADE confirms those orders; out." Paradis sighed, and turned towards his exec, Ben Strickland, once again. "Well, Hell, Ben; here's to the hope that that team that Captain Tikopai mentioned will be on time; if they're not, everything could get sticky *real* quickly, with those Ministry shuttles rendezvousing with us."
"Yes, sir!"
* * *
Syria Planum Base.
It was then that the distant, familiar, *surprising* sizzle of PPG fire started up, and Bester froze in the hallway, while the other four Psi Corps telepaths tensed up, and began to draw their own weapons.
That, however, was all the indecisiveness that Brianna seemed to need, as she suddenly turned towards one of her two captors...descended into a stance that he had observed Dreann teaching her, at one point, several years in the past, and kicked the telepath solidly to the side of his head. With a muffled cry, the telepath went down, and as another moved to attack, Brianna turned and looked at him *hard*, her pupils widening enormously. With a brief 'grunt', that guard fainted dead away, and in a moment more, Brianna had bolted back through the door, and moved in beside him. She smiled just for a moment, but he kept his face firm, and focus even firmer, on the danger that remained.
For they were Rangers, most of them, and despite the painful darkness that Bester had created within him by his words, the training held. Within seconds more, Talion and Colvhar stood close by him, Shiane just behind, as the distant weapons fire increased in volume and amount, and shouting suggested that some of the telepaths Bester had sent away were returning, and at speed; chased, perhaps, by other forces?
"You won't make it off of Mars, Westcastle.." Bester promised, now surrounded by the other two telepaths. "Not with her."
"We'll see about that; as for you, Mr. Bester, it would seem that we have friends in higher places then you realized, come to aid my comrade Shiane Quintara; brave, they are, to attack your base in such strength. Also, what we’ve spoken of, we will, no doubt, speak of again, in times to come. But I'm an honorable man, so I will let you go; return to your Corps, and I will return to my command, with the Ranger I came here to retrieve. All does not always go your way; *leave*, while you still can."
"Touche!" Bester declared, as a small group of telepaths passed by, their faces grim, with several in the party showing PPG burns. "You speak truly; this will not be the last time we meet, but be warned, Westcastle; keep your guard up, for sooner or later, other matters will fall by the wayside, and I *will* return for her."
"Valen stands with us, Mr. Bester; and I swear, in his name, that I will do all in my power to prevent that fate."
"We'll see; be seeing you, Westcastle." And then, the telepaths moved off as one, down the corridor and around the corner, replaced a scant moment later by a group of hard-faced Resistance fighters, most in environmental suits.
Shiane strode into the hallway, and briefly clasped hands with the leader of the group. "Drake; glad to see you could finally make it."
Drake nodded curtly. "Shiane."
"You waited a little longer then I would have liked; the telepaths set a trap for us that we wouldn't have escaped from, if I hadn't had this backup plan in mind."
"True enough; however, we've got to get the Hell out of here before the Corps comes back in with more telepaths then we can frighten off. *And*, we're going to have to get these Rangers of yours off of Mars at the earliest opportunity, before the Bloodhounds track 'em down. Can this be done?"
"Yes, it can be done; Westcastle and his men have a plan."
At that, Drake turned his attention to the Rangers. "And you, I suppose, would be Westcastle, eh?"
He nodded.
"All right, then, listen up; you've gotta get back through that tunnel as fast as you possibly can; we'll cover your backs, until you can get into your crawler, and away. Shiane, do I *want* to know the rest of their plan?"
Shiane curtly shook his head. "The less that you know about the key aspects, the better, Drake; let's just say they've got a lot of driving to do, and in a very short time, okay?"
"Right, then." Drake turned to his men, and barked, "Come on, boys! Time to lay down a little covering fire!"
Once this began to happen, Talion conferred briefly with his brother, and then turned towards him. "We'd best be going, then, sir."
They began to move, and then, he felt a faint touch on his shoulder, and turned to meet Brianna's questioning gaze. "What he told you; even if it *is* true, William, you can't allow yourself to be influenced by those words! Bester's a dark-hearted man, and I believe that he would do almost anything to hurt those who interest him; those who have succeeded at life in ways he can never hope to emulate."
"I..." he paused, and regathered his thoughts. "I don't think I want to talk about this right now, Brianna; maybe later...maybe together with Jennifer, and Julia, and the rest of our friends and comrades; but not yet, and not now."
Brianna nodded somberly, at this; and then the subject was dropped, as farther on ahead, Talion located the manhole cover leading to the underground network, and raised it.
It was, after all, time to run like Hell.
* * *
The rungs of the ladder were icy in Brianna's hands, but her heart was far icier even then that, as she gazed up on William's face, both troubled and relieved at the same time, before her commander turned, and began to climb down himself. So *much* of what had happened, up there, had been a sham, carefully set up by Bester so that William and the rest of the Rangers would believe it was the truth.
So many lies and deceptions; all in aid of snaring her into the Corps, later rather then sooner. A compact she had made, a vow she could not, now, break.
A bargain that would, in the end, almost certainly tear a friendship asunder.
But that was for the future, not for now; for now, she could ignore what was still to come, and live only for the moment.
* * *
Later...
"All went well, I will assume?"
"Of course; I did all that I wanted to, in that endeavour; and while we must, as a matter of protocol, send a small pursuing force after Westcastle and his team, the commander of that unit will be ordered to never *quite* catch up to his prey; and I have no doubt that sometime in the next day or so, Westcastle will reach his ground-to-space rendezvous point, and the matter will be concluded.
But between the compact that I forced Miss Tolmanes to make with the Corps, and the doubts that now exist in Westcastle's mind, I believe we can only call this operation an *unqualified* success."
"Good! But for now, Al, I won't take up any more of your time; you do, after all, have to be on your way within the hour. Babylon 5, and one of our other serious concerns, awaits your capable talents."
* * *
To be continued. Between escapes, mysteries and buried treasures, the countdown to Sheridan's 'Long March' concludes, in the next part of "The Riders On the Storm", coming soon.
RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM; PART 14
"BELIEFS AND SILVER FIRE" ACT II OF II
**"I think of my beautiful city, in flames."
- Remark made by Delenn in Yedor, Minbar during the opening days of August, 2261
* * *
EAS CASCADE; Mars orbit; first actions.
The door to Paradis's ready room chimed, and the Captain turned a knowing look towards his exec. "And here comes our ace in the hole."
Ben Strickland merely nodded in return, but a grin wasn't far beneath. "Yes, *sir*"
"Come."
The door slid open, and a very straight laced young officer entered, her long blonde hair tucked away into a tight but complicated braid. "Sir! Lieutenant Magreathea Shephard reporting, as ordered!"
Paradis resolutely hid a smile; it was, after all, one Hell of a first name! "Lieutenant; as you well know, from the previous discussions among the executive staff of this vessel, we will shortly be breaking out of Mars orbit and making for the rebel rendezvous point; however, before we do that, there's a task I need you to perform..."
"Sir?"
"Your record lists you as having aquired a Masters degree in Planetary Geology and Tectonics before joining Earthforce. If I was to suggest it being *possible* for you to take an atmospheric shuttle down to take a look at the Tharsis complex volcanoes for the next few hours, what would your response be?"
A smile lit up Shephard's face. "That you decided to make one of my oldest wishes come true...sir?"
Paradis laughed. "Almost; but there's a condition, Lieutenant; let me explain..."
* * *
Psi Corps Bloodhound Unit Command; enroute in Syria Planum; two hours later.
"Report."
"It is as Mr. Bester thought, sir; while the vehicle they are travelling in makes it *almost* impossible for us to detect them, every once in a while we are able to find it, and the path is clear; they will skirt the edge of the Vallis Marineris complex tomorrow, and if they continue on their present course and at their present speed, they will reach the summit of Pavonis Mons the following day, or perhaps a little later."
"Very good; as you know, the infiltrators must be allowed to reach the summit uncontested; keep at least fifty kilometers between yourself and their vehicle; and while we will monitor their progress from aloft, it will be...*interesting* to see which vessel in orbit sends a shuttle down to, shall we say, 'save' them, although, of course, Mr. Bester does have his suspicions."
"And we are *not* to inform Earth Central of this treason?" Disbelievingly.
"Not at this time, no; do you understand?"
"Understanding is not required, only obedience."
"Indeed..."
* * *
EAS CASCADE.
"Status, Commander?"
"Time's running out, sir...we haven't heard a damn thing as of yet, and Lieutenant Shepherd has taken as much time with her team at Olympus Mons as is feasible...sir; she can delay the flight to Pavonis Caldera *no further*. Maybe this mission that Captain Tikopai mentioned to us failed in some way; if so, we have to decide what to do, and soon. The shuttles will be here within three hours, sir."
"I know; stand by."
* * *
Mars. The east slope of the Tharsis Bulge, below Pavonis Mons.
Tiny against the immensity of the landscape around them, a tiny ground vehicle moved across the sands of red Mars; tiny, but big enough for five, and capable enough to make the trip they had planned; a trip almost finished, now. The Resistance had come through for them in a most interesting way, back while they had been planning on breaking Brianna out; the vehicle that Shiane and his resistance friends had 'appropriated' for them (which meant, of course, they had *stolen* it) had a camoflage skin; also, the built in heat sink allowed them to virtually dissapear against the Martian surface; this trait had been useful during their drive into Syria Planum; it had been *more* useful, after.
A number of times, in the first thirty-six hours after their escape, small, black unmarked flyers had worked their way in spiralling search tracks outwards from the plain behind them, and Colvhar had carefully noted that there were probably Bloodhounds following their trail, but this had not stopped the Rangers from carefully following the plan agreed upon with the Captain of the NIOBE, however.
In the night hours following their encounter with Bester, they had travelled across the hard packed gravel at the tail end of the Noctis Labyrinthus, the maze at the end of the great Mariner Valley, and then had begun the long trek up the side of the Tharsis Bulge. The following evening, the almost impossibly immense shield cone of Pavonis Mons had appeared ahead of them, and towards it, they had gone.
Colvhar and Talion, during this period, had wisely kept their silence, understanding the grimness on their leader's face all to well; when William had needed to sleep, they had taken turns in the driving; when meal times had come, they had prepared the food for him, and said nothing.
That was, for now, the way it had to be.
Finally, as the sun began to sink towards the false horizon ahead of them on the second day, the giant, sunken pit of the caldera had appeared, and at last, it was time to send the signal.
*Now*, the question was, had Julia's mother come through on her promise to have a ship in orbit, waiting to receive that message?
Time would soon tell; William nodded at Colvhar, and after a pause in which the Rangers had put on their environmental suits, the younger Ranger had stepped out of the vehicle, made a fix on the nearest satellite in the Mars public Grid, and had sent the signal.
It was now, only a matter of waiting; but would help arrive from above before the Bloodhound units following them found them again??
* * *
In orbit...
With a wide grin, Strickland turned from his station, and Paradis visibly *restrained* himself from doing the same. "Signal detected, sir! Those 'Rangers' you told us about are exactly where they're supposed to be, for a wonder."
"As it should be; now, we're just about out of time. Is Lieutenant Shephard..."
"*Shephard to CASCADE; come in, CASCADE.*"
"Well, speak of the devil!" Paradis muttered. "This is CASCADE, go ahead."
"We're just coming up on Pavonis summit now; stand by. As soon as we make the pick up, we'll be coming up to orbit ASAP."
"Noted; CASCADE out." Paradis turned. "Ben?"
Strickland nodded, his expression pensive. "By the time she's back sir, those shuttles from Earth are almost going to be on top of us; and there's at least one destroyer due in from patrol any time now; if they're too close, we're going to have a hell of a time getting out of here."
Paradis nodded. "Time to roll the dice, Commander; time to roll the dice. And this toss is one we *have* to win."
* * *
On Pavonis Mons.
"Well, brother," Shiane declared, as the other three Rangers made their way over to the recently landed atmospheric shuttle. "I guess this is goodbye, then."
Talion shook his head resolutely. "No, Shiane, never goodbye...only *farewell*. We will see each other again, and sooner then you might realize."
* * *
Zhaka Detrane thought of himself as a fairly decent sort; loyal to Earth, and without a fault. And now, as his command made the final appraoach to the heavy cruiser waiting for them in Mars orbit, he looked forward to the task ahead with relish. The orders he had received were curt, and to the point; it seemed likely that the executive staff onboard the CASCADE were traitors to Earth, and as a loyal member of the Nightwatch, he knew what to do.
At which point, to his disapointment, just about everything started to go wrong.
"What the Hell?" came the astonished cry from the cockpit, Detrane sprang to his feet, and made his way forward.
"Mezak; what's wrong?"
"See for yourself." his pilot replied, with a gesture of frustration, an emotion that he was soon sharing. The CASCADE, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was under acceleration, and as he watched, a jump point began to twist open ahead of the cruiser.
Detrane cursed, and turned away. So close, they had been, and yet so damn far. And yet, he had to admire their guts in pulling this off; to come into Mars orbit, and then obey all their orders right up until the moment they had decided to jump. And the crux of it all, was that the Powers on high hadn't been sure about this; if the Ministry *had* been, a destroyer would have been waiting on blockade, to prevent something like this from even happening.
Detrane sighed; another ship lost, another case of bad timing. And the more times this happened, the more nervous the powers back on Earth were becoming. And if you couldn't trust the cruisers and capital ships out on patrol, then who *could* you trust?
And where would it all end?
* * *
Earth.
Like they had so many times in the last few years, like ships passing in the night, two politicians came together in a darkened room. They had both served President Clark, and the Regime, in their own way, but now, things were growing strained. It seemed quite likely that a crisis point was coming.
"You've heard, then?" the other inquired.
"Yes; most disappointing." the first man replied bitterly. "And at the same time, I am displeased that our vaunted Earthforce High Command could not easily track the jump trace of that heavy cruiser."
"It is not always easy, or so I have heard."
"To hell with that!...don't you see what's happening? Every time we lose a ship, every time some of *them* decide to take a stand, our stance becomes weaker, and the forces of Resistance grow stronger; this cannot be allowed to continue!"
"I agree; the President is right to be concerned about this pattern; what do you suggest?"
A bitter smile. "For starters, the knowledge of this defection must not get out; if the people find out that another heavy cruiser has defected to join the rebel forces, it could create an *unfortunate* situation."
The other snorted. "Soon enough, we will have to act, in any case; rumours abound, and everywhere, the Resistance itches to break free from the stasis we have imposed upon them. But we shall not let them, we *cannot* let them! We must not allow the power to escape from our grasp!"
At that, an aide entered the room, and passed a crystal to the first man; a moment passed, a moment in which the recordings were reviewed, and then, the eruption came. "So!...it seems that the initial movements of the crisis ahead may have come upon us; word has come that a convoy of refugee ships may be trying to escape from Proxima."
"But...what if they have information about us, about the Alliance?" the other mused fearfully. "What if they are preparing to collaborate with the alien worlds, and undermine us from within?"
"Precisely my concern, friend; come, we must talk with the President; something *must* be done about this, before things get any worse."
* * *
CASCADE. Enroute in hyperspace.
Around them, the arcane energies of hyperspace crackled and moved, but for a wonder, they had apparently astonished the powers that were, and his ship had made good its escape. Nine hours so far, and there were no signs of pursuit. He didn't know how long this lucky streak would last, but he wasn't about to tempt fate. Then again, nor was he about to go to sleep just yet, either; once they had come out, beyond Proxima, turned and rejumped, maybe; but not yet.
"Captain?" Paradis turned in his chair, to see a tall, dark haired man enter the bridge; a man who, from the look in his eyes, had been through hell, and out the other side; a man whose dark hair was shot through with a single, long streak of white. "Forgive me for not coming to thank you in person upon our arrival, sir, but I guessed that you and your staff would be somewhat...occupied during the escape from Mars."
"You could say that, yes." He reached out a hand. "Adam Paradis; and you would be, I will assume, William Westcastle, the Ranger?"
The other shook it, and half bowed. "In the flesh; though sometimes, I'm not so sure if that is a blessing, or a curse. For instance, Captain Paradis, you may take comfort in knowing that you didn't have to go through what we did, out beyond the edge of the Alliance, in the darkness that is."
Paradis sighed. "Bethany Tikopai, an officer whom it seems we both know well, gave me a memory crystal to review before we parted ways; I haven't shown that crystal to anyone else on this ship yet, and I must admit, I find some of the things on it hard to believe. But it's true, Westcastle; isn't it?"
A nod. "I was there, Captain, to see it all. The darkness coming, the deceptions, the cruelties, the lies, the battles and the pain. And at the same time, Captain, we held the line against that darkness, because there was no other choice. So yes...it's all true, every word."
"I was afraid of that. Now, if you'll excuse me, we're not quite out of the woods just yet."
"I understand, Captain; but before I go, let me say that what you did, both for me, and for Captain Tikopai, was a brave thing indeed. You helped us when we needed help, and now, you go to help her...and in Valen's Name, I thank you for that sacrifice. Good day, Captain." The Ranger turned to leave the bridge, and Paradis raised one eyebrow in thought before turning back to his duties.
In *Valen's* Name; how...interesting.
* * *
Babylon 5; August 3rd, 2261. The Ranger compound.
"No!" Jennifer ground out, her expression resolute. "Absolutely not!"
"With *all* due respect, Val'na Westcastle!" Julia replied, somewhat hotly, "Don't you think that I've been cooped up on this station for *quite* long enough? I mean, Sha'vei Shival had all but admitted that there's little more they can do for me, here...my training is all but complete; and if you're still worried about the aftereffects of the Thirdspace Crisis, don't be! I assure you, I've passed that by, now."
"Shival...is there any truth to her claims?"
Shival sighed, and rose to his feet. "I regret to say to this to you, Jennifer, but most of what Lakotal Tikopai says is, I'm afraid, quite true. In the time since our young trainee emerged from her post-Thirdspace depression, and especially since the guardian of the Great Machine has been, well, paying her visits from time to time, she had improved remarkably...improved to the point where, if she still wasn't restricted by her, in my opinion, extreme youth, I would say she was ready for the Ceremony now!
But this cannot be allowed; and yet, we cannot continue as we are; we must all be allowed to advance as we learn, and it is time, I believe, to let her loose upon the galaxy, once again."
"Now is the galaxy ready for her, is the question I would like answered."
Shival laughed, and nodded. "And as for her request, Jennifer, it is a just one; Tashann and his crew have been summoned to Minbar by the Entil'zha; it seems likely, now that the Civil War is over, that she will soon wish to return to Babylon 5. It is a great honour for Tashann to perform this service, a great one indeed. And yet, until this happens, there may be time for Julia to descend to Tuzanor; it is has been a long time since her last visit to the Holy City."
"So...let me get this straight; you think that while she can't be a Ranger, yet, we should let her, well, perform certain 'acting' duties, in the meantime?"
"Just so. Julia can assist Tashann on his White Star, as she did before; she can revisit Tuzanor, touch once again the places Valen touched...and when the time allows, we will see her, still. We will give her tasks to perform, until the time comes for her Ceremony. And then, she will be one of us, at last, as is her right."
"Please, Jennifer..." Julia entreated, her gaze earnest beneath her dark curls. "Let me fly free.
*Please*."
She sighed...and made her decision. "All right, Julia; I'm going to let you go, this time. But try not to get in trouble, right away, okay?"
"I hear and obey." her former charge replied, a grin on her face. "But, can I help it if trouble follows me around?"
"I've heard of a human term that 'applies' at this juncture..." Shival drolly commented, as Julia left the chamber, "You must have the patience of a saint, Jennifer, to have put up with her for as long as you have."
"That may be so, Shival, but I can't help but think that something special will come of it all, in the end. That the trip down to the Great Machine helped, as well, in some way...that having Draal himself to talk to, from time to time, was a lucky break. And yet...sometimes I wonder...why all the interest, not only from those we know of, but from the Vorlons, as *well*? Why did Kosh bother to do what he did, before he died?"
"I fear," Shival replied, "That we will find out the answer to that question, soon enough. But for now..."
"No arguments, Shival; I just know that my husband will be happy to see his command back in full working order, and to that end, I have to be going."
* * *
Four days out from Earth, it happened; something sufficient to blow the entire bridge crew out of the water from the surprise. As he watched the tiny purple and white ship whirl in space, and rush away at a speed his command could not hope to rival, Paradis now thought he understood how the Rangers might have helped to win the war against those 'Shadow' things.
Now, what would it take to convince the Captain of Babylon 5 to bring the Rangers, and their tiny but majestic ships, into the struggle to help liberate Earth?
* * *
White Star 4, enroute to Babylon 5, August 4th, 2261.
Despite the dark worries that still lurked at the back of his mind, worries that he had sworn Brianna, Talion and Colvhar to secrecy on, it felt *wonderful* to sit in the command chair of a White Star again. And not just any White Star, but his!
He reached out a hand, and twined it through the Jennifer's fingers. She had, of course, seen the dark tinge in his eyes when they met, but while he had told her many things, he had not told her what Bester had said to him...and as far as he was concerned, it would stay that way, for as long as the secret could be kept. She needed no more grief, not here and not now; that would only serve to mask the joy he felt at seeing her again, to mar the love they had for one another.
And so, the secret would be kept; so it had been sworn.
"Sha'vei!" It was Talion, once again back at his now familiar Operations post, who spoke. "Message coming in from Babylon 5; sir...it's the Captain."
William rose to his feet, as the by now familiar face of Captain Sheridan appeared in the holocurtain, and then, he frowned. A trace of anger could be seen on the Captain's face; now what had happened? "Sir?"
"William; while I wish I had time to congratulate you on your success at Mars, matters have come to a head. And with Delenn away on Minbar, I must, unfortunately, invoke my authority as co-commander of the White Star Fleet, above you, and summon you back to Babylon 5, best possible speed."
He nodded, now all business. "If I may inquire, sir, what has happened?"
"Twelve hours ago, a number of refugee ships attempting to escape from Proxima III were cornered and destroyed by several Earthforce destroyers. As a result, the time has come to do something I wish we didn't have to do; but President Clark's out of control, and if we don't act *now* to stop him, things are only going to get worse."
All around him, the bridge had gone completely silent, and he briefly met Jennifer's eyes, and saw the fear there. "And so it begins, again. I undersand, Captain; we'll be back as soon as we can manage."
"Good enough; we'll talk more when you get back; Babylon 5 out."
There was a pause, and then, the explosion came. "Damn it!" Jennifer spat, her expression showing exactly what she thought of this latest turn of events. "This *isn't* fair, William! I only just got you back, and now, the Captain goes and declares war on Earth?"
He nodded, before retaking his seat. "So it seems; but while the Captain may have declared war, it's going to take a little while to get everything organized, several weeks at the least. We'll have some time, before..."
"Oh, no you don't!" Jennifer hotly replied, as the rest of the bridge crew looked on with trepidation. "I won't let you do that to me again, not *this* time! Understand this, William, I've put up with a lot to follow our destiny, but I won't let you do this to me again! If we're going to war, to fight against President Clark, then this time, Rimstalker mine, I'm following you...to the end of the line, and to our deaths, if need be. Do I made myself clear?"
He paused, and tried to find the words to say how much he didn't want this; but it was clear there was no arguing with her...not this time. "Well, then I suppose, there's only one thing I can say..."
"And what's that?"
"Will you follow me...into fire...into darkness...into death?"
There was an astonished pause, and Jennifer quite visibly paused in mid-tirade, and met his gaze, her eyes wide, before clasping her hands tightly in his. "I will."
"Then *follow*."
* * *
Tuzanor, Minbar; several days after the declaration of War.
Overhead, the skies were speckled with a million stars; or so it seemed, but the candles lit her way, lit the path back to the site of her greatest defeat. She climbed, step silent, until the Point stood before her. Beyond the point, the waterfall of Gajn'darahl thunderd down, as it had done for a hundred thousand years, and would do, for a hundred thousand more. The waterfall had seen empires rise, and fall, and now, it might be witness to something...
Wonderful.
She turned away, stepped across the spot where, almost nine months before, an agent of darkness had attacked her, maimed her soul, and changed her forever, and down the stairs. Down to the entryway, and beyond. With a slight movement, she lit the candle, and watched it flicker in the slight breeze, a breeze that diminished as she descended into the caves beneath.
The catacombs of the Waterfall had long ago been mapped, or so everyone thought; well mapped. And after her arrival in Tuzanor, the day before, she had been drawn to the archives, drawn to find a map of those catacombs...this was the key.
The key to her dream...in the Great Machine. Her vision.
She had committed the map to memory, and now, she walked in the vision; walked as the Elder and the Young one had walked, a thousand years before. She closed her eyes, at uncertain junctions, and trusted in her belief to do what was right. How long had she been down here? Minutes? Hours? It did not matter. She would walk as long as it would take, until she found the right place, until she found...
Her eyes snapped open, then, and she gently came to a halt; around her, the walls flickered against the light of the candle, flickered in her memories. And the memory and the present, were one and the same.
Trust in the vision, she told herself; trust in the memory.
But where was it?
Where?
So lost in the vision, she was, that at first, she did not notice the vibration, feel what was happening. And then, it came to her...an *earthquake*? She fell against one wall, suddenly terrified. She was in a cave, what if...
Scant feet from her, a great hanging spire of rock suddenly crashed to the floor of the cave, and shattered to rubble...and then, as suddenly as it had began, the tremblor eased away, and with unsteady step, she got to her feet, and sighed bitterly. She had been a fool to come down here, in the middle of the night, looking to find an ancient buried artifact from the age of Valen...a lost weapon, shown to her, in a dream.
And then, she realized, that there something in the rubble left by the fallen spire. Something...that *didn't* belong. A rough, cracked, but light cylinder, seemingly made of the same rock as the spire itself. With hands trembling, she reached down, and lifted it onto her lap. The end had broken off, somehow, and she tipped it towards the cave floor. Within, was...
Something fell out; something tiny...light...and even under the dust of a millenium...it was obvious what that something was. With heart pounding, she quickly picked it up, and hid it within her cloak. Unbeliveable; simply unbelievable! She had trusted in the vision, and now...
"Julia!" the faint cry came, and she turned, and smiled, before stepping on the cylinder, and felt it shatter into chunks no different from the rubble beyond; but of course... "Anla'shok Lakotal Tikopai! Are you down here?"
"Larieken...I'm here! *Please* come quickly!"
Soon enough, her friend arrived in the chamber at a run, to find her kneeling on the floor, her candle all but out. "Julia; the catacombs are not a wise place to enter at night; and with this earth...shake, do you call them?...you could have been quite seriously injured. Come now, return with me to the surface; there are others you need to reassure, this night."
She bowed. "Forgive my error, Anla'shok; I will follow." Outwardly, she remained calm, but inside, the glow of success lit her from head to toe. She had followed her instincts, followed the vision, believed in the dream. And she had found it, as they had intended. What had Zathras called her??
The Promise of the Future, yet to come.
And at the same time, she knew, the long hand of Valen had reached out to touch her, yet again. The letter had been first; and now this!
She could never thank him enough, for all that he had done for her. But maybe, just maybe, doing what she would, as a Ranger, would be enough payment.
For now.
Soon enough, they returned to the Ranger Compound, and all who were concerned found their fears put to rest. But in the meantime, a message had come, a grave portent, a dark tiding that touched her just as deeply as her discovery had.
It had finally happened, as she had long feared it would; the President had pushed Captain Sheridan too far; and now, now there would be war.
War, and a final reckoning.
And, if they were all supremely lucky...
A new beginning, as well.
* * *
That month passed so quickly, and for the time being, I kept my secret close. With deft hand, I sewed a hidden pocket into my tunic, against my ribs, and there it went; secret, unused, but there, just the same, a replacement for the weapon I had burnt, a weapon never meant for me, a weapon I had used to injure one I hold dear.
And while we stayed on Minbar, watched and waited as our Entil'zha guided her world back onto the Path, outside our place of peace, the dark hounds of War gathered once again.
And after they passed, nothing we knew, nothing we held dear, would ever be the same again.
Some called it the Liberation of Earth. Some called it Sheridan's Folly.
It was both. It was neither.
And it changed us all...forever.
* * *
To be continued...
* * *
Next: Sept 2, 2261; the end begins, as William and Jennifer follows Captain Sheridan into the Battle of Proxima III! "The Long March" the next part of "The Riders on the Storm" coming to a computer screen, near you, all too soon.