Note: This one is set between the events seen in "Conflicts of Interest" and "Rumours, Bargains and Lies"...and presupposes that Marcus got back to the station in time for these events to happen. But when *haven't* I stretched the realms of probability in this yarn?? In any case, this is a fun one, and begins the job of a tieing up a loose arc thread I have left hanging since SHADE AND SHADOW. Yep, it's one of those situations, I'm afraid.
Oh yeah...and in case I've missed saying it, these past eleven months, JMS's characters are the property of JMS. I'm just having fun with a few of them, from time to time, when the opportunity presents itself...
RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM; PART 12
"CANYONS OF THE MIND"
**"You have to realize that we nearly lost her, then; if the creatures in Thirdspace had managed to do worse then they did, who knows what would have happened, beyond the obvious. But she survived the experience, and although we found it difficult to keep her out of depression for the first little while afterwards, eventually, something would happen that would make all the difference for her; and show her some of the path she would follow in the years still ahead.
This, however, was, at Mid-summer, more of a side concern; William and I, and all the rest who held her friendship dear, were far more concerned with what had happened to Brianna after the Artifact had been destroyed. For almost two weeks, it was as if she had dropped out of existence, or gone her own way, without saying goodbye. This second option seemed ludicrous to us, however.
And then, to our surprise, a clue arrived, as to her location..."**
- From "Storm Crossing: The Shadow War, and other responsibilities"
* * *
The second week of July, 2261.
The Council chambers were dark, darker then he had ever seen them, but it was late, and outside, shadows and dim light filled the Garden, the only sources of illumination dimmed down to firefly glows. Was this, in the end, all there was?
He had not seen it before, not this clearly; but the weight of all the things that had happened to him, and, also, to all those he held dear, were slowly, and with finality, beginning to make their presence known. When all this had started, he had only just celebrated his thirty-first birthday, among all of his comrades and fellow crew aboard the ATLANTA; so much had happened, since then; war, pain and death, and years lost. He reached one hand up to the silver streak there, a streak growing day by day, and shook his head sadly. This conflict had aged him, had aged Jennifer and he both; when, in Valen's Name, would they be able to find peace again, for more then a moment, to touch, without fear of what was yet to come, the fire that had brought them together?
It would not be now, certainly; especially not after the report that Colvhar had passed onto him, the day before. That report, a gathering of notes from the few observers the Rangers still had in Earthspace, had contained a clue as to a problem that had gnawed at him ever since the picking-up-of-pieces that had occurred after the destruction of the Artifact.
The present whereabouts of a woman who, while not as dear to him as Jennifer, was someone he had come to treat as a valued comrade, through thick and thin, from her calamitous service to the Vorlon Ulkesh, now dead these six months, and beyond, to her past work within a Ranger cadre that had helped, in its actions, to create legends.
Four days before, a covert group on Mars had observed the passing of a small group of Psi Cops through one of the major Martian surface transfer points; not an unusual occurence, given that one of the major Psi Corps centers was located at Syria Planum. What *had* been unusual was the presence of the woman they were guarding; a dishevelled, red haired woman whose eyes, though apparently hazed by drugs, had struck a stake into the observer's eyes. This was an important sighting, for it had been made known that the human commander of the White Star Fleet had commanded a search for a lost Ranger, and a description had been passed down through the network; a description that matched what the observer had seen, despite the crude treatment of the Psi Corps prisoner; and the observer had acted at once.
So now, Brianna's location had been determined; but *how* was he, and the team that would follow him even into the heart of the darkness that Earth had become under President Clark, to reach Mars, and in a fashion that would get him there fast enough to do something, *anything*, about Brianna's situation, if such actions were even possible?
Marcus, of course, had proven there was a way, in the month before, to reach Mars, and return, without raising undue notice. But that would take *too* long...there were other options available...although, with his command still under repair at Minbar, utilizing a White Star to infiltrate Earthspace did not seem, for now, to be the correct option to take.
And so, another choice had been made, only a few minutes before. There was no escaping from this duty; she had trusted in him to keep her honour, he, in turn, had no choice but to try and save her from those who might only seek to do her harm.
Behind him, the door grated open, and a familiar figure entered the chamber; a figure light of step, but firm; tall, but long haired, and marred by a thin cast on her right arm. "I'm not going to try and make you explain yourself on this score, William; after almost three years at your side, I've come to learn that there's no winning an argument with you, when you're in this sort of mood."
In one sharp movement, he turned, and moved, and like magic, a magic hard earned, she was in his arms. "You're...not healed yet, and while I *promised* that after Z'ha'dum, I wouldn't bear to be parted from you again for long either in distance or time, this is...a situation I hadn't anticipated. We're going into the heart of Earthspace to get her back, Jen..."
"And I would be, I suppose, a liability of sorts, yes?"
"Now that's...!"
"Not fair? No, it isn't, but it's true, and as I've said from time to time on this rocky road we've followed, the truth sometimes hurts. But I do understand, William, this time, your reasoning; and while you may not believe this, I accept what must be."
"You do. I see."
Her eyes sparkled. "Sometimes, I've found it best to keep you on your toes, Master Rimstalker; it seems to keep you a little humble, and great leaders *always* need that, from time to time..."
And that was the last thing she said that night; the last night before the leavetaking to come; another leavetaking, another mission, another task to be performed, a duty that, if ignored, might mean death for the one who needed rescuing.
And as such, he found no rest until *much* later that night.
Not that arguments were given, mind you.
* * *
Mars.
In a snap of thought, Brianna came back to herself, and, more or less instantly, screamed her lungs out. Not that this helped the situation any, but it was her first, instinctive reaction. And then, the last memory she had, came back to her; a memory of betrayal, and of failure.
It had happened one night, long after the duties of the day had been completed for William and Shival; the end of helping with the work on a long series of reports and examinations on what the Rangers had done wrong during the Thirdspace crisis, and how those failures might be avoided in the future. She had, without much of a thought, decided to go for a walk in the Garden; a time alone, to clear her thoughts, to banish, yet again, the memories of the madness that had come back to her during the encounter with the Black Tower.
Then, it had happened; cornered without expectation by a trio of telepaths; terribly strong telepaths, ruthless in gaze and in actions, telepaths that had appeared as if out of *nowhere*. She had turned to run, but it was too late; the leader had taken her down, and one of his female companions had pressed a gas gun to her neck. A slight prick, and down into the darkness, she had gone.
And back out into darkness, she had returned. Brianna reached out her hands, and winced when they came into contact with a surface a couple of feet above her head. Further explorations revealed that she was in what appeared to be a small cell less then four feet on a side, completely without light. After several minutes more, she managed to locate a small tray of food, and the realization of her hunger then overcame anything else.
After a time, she stopped, suddenly aware of a calculating interest in her actions...a calculating, telepathic interest.
<Where are you, you *bastards*?> she screamed into the darkness. <You tricked me, cornered me, where the HELL are you?>
<Interesting, to hear you think of us in such a way.> a cultured, superior voice replied. <We can see you, can you see us?>
A coldness sank through her bones at this statement; she turned in the darkness, looking, but the darkness was absolute. <I don't believe you.>
<Do you not? This, however, is irrevelant, the only thing that should matter to you at this moment, Miss Brianna Enyae Tolmanes, precious rogue gone wrong, servant to a race banished through their own pride, foolishness, and stupidity, and *above* all, member of a perverse, quasi-religious organization that should never have been made to be, is that you have come Home to us, at long last.>
<Home?> she shrieked disbelievably into the darkness. <After all the wonder and terror that I have known, how am I to call this cell HOME?>
<A technicality, only; do not attempt to banter words with us; WE are the ones who have the upper hand, here, and this state will continue until you come to accept that the life you have lead was as a dream to what shall be; you have come back to us, lost child, disbeliever, and in due course, you, too, will come to accept what we are, mother, father, absolver, and confessor, replacement for the Minbari falseness you swear in, the falseness named Valen.>
<You're Corps.>
<You take the first step.> the voice replied approvingly. <But many small steps are required to take you out of the Night that surrounds you. Yes, we are of the Corps, and while not of the team that rescued you from Babylon 5, we are comrades of those valued members of the Corps, and their dedication has already been rewarded.>
<You did not understand the meaning of my statement; my identification of you is a fact, not a sign of welcome. I am a Ranger, I walk in the dark places where no others shall walk, and while I'm a telepath, I don't belong to you, but to the One, whom I serve, in Valen's Name. Does THAT tell you my thoughts on your...organization?>
<It shows us only that you, regretfully, have a long ways to go before your release...> the voice sadly replied. <And that what we have imposed upon you is, as we feared, only the first stage in your anticipated rehabilitation.>
It was then that she heard the hissing; Brianna briefly considered using the gills the Vorlons had given her to filter out the compound, but then decided against that choice; those were an ace in the hole to be used...but not now. The bitter smell of the gas filled her lungs, but before she passed out, there was enough time for a rebuttal. <I fear...that you will fail in your plans. I will never surrender to you; not EVER.>
<We will break you of that, rogue; you cannot defeat us, you cannot escape us. We are the Corps, we are Mother, and we are Father, but most importantly, to you, we are *Teacher*. And in the end, you will serve us...
Or die.>
* * *
Babylon 5; the next day.
It had happened again, just like the first time...only this time, Draal had had the decency to let him get all the way through the shower first, and almost out the door.
But not quite.
"Captain!" Draal pontificated, a broad smile on his face. "I do apologize for the interruption, but after the long absence, in which, I must admit, you have done quite well in taking care of many of the problems we faced when last we talked, and without utilizing the services of the Great Machine...it is time once again for us to, shall we say, reestablish communications."
"You know, I could've done with this talk a few days ago; if it hadn't have been for Ivanova running into one of the Zathras brothers down below, the Voice of the Resistance wouldn't have, no *couldn't* have gotten off the ground!"
Draal sighed, and nodded. "Yes, yes, I do understand, but at the time, my attentions were needed, shall we say, *elsewhere*. Now, however, that need has abated somewhat, but come!...it is time for me to come to the reason I have visited you this day, of all days. It is a simple request, but as the Captain, I felt that you still should have a right to know about this."
He sat down, now a little more interested. "Okay, Draal...now, you've got my attention. What's this all about?"
"Nothing for you to be *truly* worried about, Captain, only a matter of protocol. There is, among the Rangers in this place, a young female of your kind who is well on her way to becoming the best in a generation of Rangers yet to come. And while we cannot say what she will become, the human commander of that you call the White Star Fleet has had words with me on the subject, and we have come to a mutual understanding of sorts."
"I see; and did you visit *him* like you've visited me, these last couple of times?"
Draal harrumphed. "Hmm; in a matter of speaking, *yes*. In any case, it is his wish that this young Trainee come down to Epsilon Three to visit me personally; and there, she may yet learn more about the past that was, the present that is, and the future that may yet be."
"Well...if William seems to think this is necessary, I guess I shouldn't have any objections...in fact, during the few times we've had to talk on things, while we haven't mutually been in the middle of the largest battles the galaxy has ever seen, I think he *may* have mentioned this Trainee of yours, from time to time."
"Excellent; you have no objections to the plan, then?"
"Only notes; I'm going to assume that William assigned someone to take her down to Epsilon 3?"
"Of course."
"Then if there isn't anything else, I think I hear breakfast calling."
Draal smiled, and bowed. "Indeed, I remember that call, all too well. Good day to you, then, Captain."
* * *
Julia slowly looked up from her meditation routine as the door to her quarters slid almost gently open, and then felt her eyes go wide. Oh my...she sprang to her feet, to meet the tall, long haired, and openly *grinning* Ranger who had arrived on her doorstep.
"Anla'shok...Cole?" She SHOT to her feet, all moping forgotten. "With all due respect, what brings you to..."
"Your door? Well now, for starters, I thought that I might try and brighten your day somewhat, but if that didn't work, I was asked by someone we both know, to do a favour for you; and after all that you went through with that Thirdspace thing, maybe *this* will cheer you up a little."
Boy oh boy...she resolutely stopped her arms from shaking, and tried not to get lost in those marvelous eyes of his. It would be horribly *easy* to develop a crush on him, with enough exposure!"And that would be...what, exactly?"
"Seems that Draal, the caretaker of the Machine on Epsilon 3, wants you to come down for a visit. One of the great and all powerful Sha'vei, of which there seems to be terribly twice too many running around the station these days, told me that Draal's visited you, once or twice...and now, he wants to meet you face to face, I guess."
"*Now*?" she squeaked. "I...there's an awful lot of space between here and there, you know."
"That'ss where *I* come in."
Oh...wonderful. "Then I suppose we better get, going, then."
And there went that smile again. "After you."
* * *
Transfer Gate...two jumps from Babylon 5.
"Well..." Colvhar drawled, his expression pensive. "Since we couldn't go towards the blockade, I guess we had to go outwards. You're sure that they got the message?"
"Yes." William replied, his mood expectant. "And they should arrive any..."
"Jump point forming." Talion interjected, a sneaky grin on his face. "Right on top of us."
As one, Colvhar and William turned to gaze out the viewport, as most of the space ahead of them faded and twisted, revealed the gigantic blue flower of a jump point, out of which sprang the all-too familiar shape of an Earthforce destroyer.
"Covert 1 to NIOBE." William sent, his smile broad. "And top of the morning to you, Captain Tikopai; your daughter sends her regards."
"I've heard that in the crisis the people of Babylon 5 just went through." the reply came, as the NIOBE drew alongside the small Ranger shuttle; "That your wife and my daughter came to blows...would you care to resolve the truth of that rumour, Sha'vei Westcastle?"
The other Rangers watched a flicker of grimness pass across their leader's face, and wisely held their silence. "That...I'm afraid, is someting we will need to discuss in private, Captain."
There was a pause, and then, "Understood; forward bays are standing by for your ingress; make it speedy, gentlemen, you never do know what patrols may be hanging out nearby."
* * *
Later...
The red and black nothingness of hyperspace curdled around the NIOBE, and matched Deitrich Alwhin's mood, as he arrived in his CO's office, report in hand. "They've got to be out of their mind to want to do this! Is it true, that it's almost all in aid of one of their own that they lost, by mistake?"
Bethany nodded; a little sadly, now that she knew some of what had happened during the 'Thirdspace' crisis, weeks before. "In a matter of speaking, Commander, yes; but at the same time, it can be also be treated as a test for us; sooner or later, we're going to have to go back to Earth, and if we can confuse them, make them think we're not the ship our ID says we are, then practices like this one will make tossing Clark out on his ear easier later on."
"Noted."
"Of course; what is our ETA, Commander?"
"We'll come out in Neptune orbit in a little more then four days and six hours...after that, they're on their own."
"Until they signal us...." Bethany reminded him. "And *then*, it's going to be time to pull a few more strings of our own."
* * *
Mars.
With a minimum of fuss, Brianna felt the world once again resolving back into itself around her, but this time, there appeared to be a number of significant differences. The black cell of the previous waking period was gone, replaced, astonishingly enough, by a well laid out, if small, sitting room, with pleasant carpeting, plush seating, and a remarkable view of the red sands of Mars, just outside.
What *was* this? And what did it all mean? It seemed almsot preposterous, after the threats the Corp telepath had made, to find herself in this place!
With a click, the door on the far wall slid open, and Brianna jumped to her feet, tense, and ready. Whoever that was coming in through the door was about to get one Hell of a surprise...
"Feel free to try and disarm me if you wish..." the short, dark haired man addressed her, his smile pleasant. "But I assure you, Miss Tolmanes, that that would do you no good at all."
Brianna's eyes narrowed; this man was wearing the uniform of a Psi Cop, and as such, could not be trusted. But perhaps there was enough truth in what he said to make her pause. "What am I supposed to think, after that *place* you put me in? Escaping from this base is my only option, given that you kidnapped me from the only place I call home, took me away from the only friends I have in this universe, and brought me here, to a place with no hope, no comrades, nothing at all, that I hold dear!"
"Well said." the other replied, his gaze now serious. "And taken in the context you understand, completely accurate. But while the others would like to believe you were brought here for reasons they can understand, there comes a time when the controlling force of an operation feels the need to bow down and contact the focus of his attentions; this is one such time, I am afraid."
What? "Are you trying to say that you brought me here for reasons other then..."
"Precisely; and while you may not believe what I say, understand that in all the things I have done, occasionally I find myself indulging in a moment of compassion; you see, tools used to the best end available should, in the end, know that they were used well, and as a reward, turned loose, to make their own destiny, such as it is."
"You're not..talking about.."
"You?" The dark haired Psi Cop laughed, and shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not!...do not overwhelm yourself with the belief that since you're a telepath, and were involved with the Vorlons, that you exist as a center in the universe. It is a fact, is it not, that dear, *dear* Lyta was called upon to save you from yourself, on a number of occasions?"
"Yes." Quietly.
"Then we both understand that I am not referring to you. No, Miss Tolmanes, if you cooperate, and you seem to be doing an enviable job thus far, in this discussion, then perhaps, in due course, an unusually visible avenue of escape will make itself known to you. But that is for later, not for now; for now, you exist as the center to a hunt that is, ever so quickly, drawing in he who is my *true* target."
Brianna felt her mouth go open, ever so slowly. "William? You wanted William to come hunting for me?"
"Indeed I did, Miss Tolmanes."
"But why?"
The Psi Cop's smile mocked her to the core. "That's for me to know, and for you to find out...if you're smart enough to figure it all out, that is."
"You bastard...you should die for this! To bring me all the way to Mars, just for THIS? You should *die*."
"You will have to stand in line, I'm afraid." The Psi Cop turned to go, but in mid step, turned one last time. "And since you want to remember my name to kill me by, it's Bester...Mr. Bester. Be seeing you, Miss Tolmanes."
The door shut, just before she collided with it.
* * *
To be continued...soonish!
Next time...William arrives on Mars, and walks right into a trap set by Mr. Bester, who is just about ready to go to Babylon 5, but not quite! Meanwhile, Julia finds a revelation in the Great Machine, that leads her to begin a new quest to find a treasure, lost a thousand years in the past..."Blood and Red Sand", the next part of "Riders" coming soon.