**"I will tell you of the term, 'paradigm'...it is a term of mystery, a harbinger of change, a herald of destruction, of rebirth and of death. Now expand it to two words, 'paradigm shift', and you expose the root of what happened in that one month of 2260.
When I left Babylon 5, it was to observe a refuge preparing itself for the coming wrath of President Clark, with rebellious (although, with John Sheridan in charge, this was somewhat of a given) Earthforce officers steeling themselves to make a stand that even they didn't think would succeed. But regardless of this, they were going to *do it anyway*, damn the torpedoes, and ignore the consequences. And when I returned, with she who made all the difference when it counted, it was to see the above term clothed in real life...the shift had begun, and calm sailing would be denied us..."**
- From the Chronicles Log of William Westcastle, July 2260
* * *
Mar 21, 2260...deep space, near the Earth/Minbar frontier.
William took his place in the Commanding Seat of the White Star 2, a small smile on his face. What had begun the previous December was now a reality, and he had earned the right to be here, in this place, at this time. This White Star showed all the design improvements suggested by himself, Sheridan and Marcus, and others, as well, that would appear in the fleet to come...while this warship was, for now, as per Delenn's orders, to be kept a secret, the first to be used by and within the Rangers.
But regardless of that...at long last, he had a command, of his very own!
At the back of the bridge, Brianna reclined in one of the spare seats, her expression somber, while directly opposed from him, in the new secondary station, Talion was already falling into the role of Operations Officer, a role William himself had filled, long ago, and far away, aboard the ATLANTA. Another life, that now seemed, a life without Shadows, and Prophecies.
And, of course, Jennifer. But imagining his life without her was becoming increasingly more impossible as time went on.
Now, however, they had a job to do...an important one. A short time ago, Delenn had sent one of his command on a facts-gathering mission through League space, and elsewhere, and now, a message had been received from that Ranger...a message of fear, and of entreaty. The warring factions among the League worlds had sent agents to track him down, and unless a rendezvous was arranged, it was all too likely that the Ranger would die. That was where he and his crew came in...if they could reach the rendezvous ahead of the League ships, the Ranger would live, and return to warn Delenn of what he had learnt.
It was time to move.
"Status?"
Talion came to attention. "All ship systems are fully operational, Sha'vei, jump engines and autorepair systems ready for use...main and secondary batteries fully charged."
"Good, there's no point in hanging around then, we have far too much to do, and far too little time to do it in. Set course for the Bahkala IV rendezvous point, activate forward jump engines...and make ready to jump."
With a wave of one hand, Talion called into being the coruscating yellow flower of the jump point. "Ready."
In the long tradition of Earthforce, a tradition he could no more ignore then he would his Ranger training, William raised one hand, and then dropped it sharply. "Jump!"
* * *
Chronicles Log, Entry 37, Mar 26th, 2260.
We only just made it in time; even as I ordered the White Star 2 to jump out, three competing League warships were jumping into the rendezvous point. Vezonn was not in very good shape, and he still has so very far to go. As it is, I still have to figure out a way for him to get back to Babylon 5, for until the swiftly growing Earth crisis resolves itself, we cannot go there directly. For Damn sure, I cannot allow Vezonn to appear on the station out of the shuttle that Captain Sheridan leant us; that would be a breach of protocol too large to ignore. And so, for now, we patrol along the Rim, watching and waiting, as Rangers as called upon to do so often...but with *such* greater speed, that it cannot even be compared to our missions of the past, in those ships we so treasured at the time, but compared to this marvel, were so very antiquated.
The seperation, I must endure; Delenn was very clear on that score. There’s something going on, there; I don't yet know what to make of the situation. But when we are needed, she will call us, this much I do know. Jennie has, for a long time now, been partly in my shadow(not a term I enjoy, but unfortunately, an accurate one)...now is her time to shine...
* * *
Chronicles Log, Entry 41, Apr 4th, 2260.
It's beginning.
I never thought I would live to see it, but the signs are clear, the traps all around. Like icebergs on the ocean, you don't see what is there until the pattern is finalized, and now, that pattern has finally formed. President Clark and the Nightwatch are nearing what they intend, and the forces arrayed against them will shortly live that pattern of fire, of destruction and of death. Once again, the hate that hides within us all, that emotion we like to pretend we control, is about to grasp the reins and drag us all into the Darkness.
We are Rangers...our time has come.
* * *
Babylon 5. Apr 7, 2260.
Captain Sheridan rose from his desk as Jennie entered the office, a small smile on his face, one which faded as she took a seat. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, but I heard from Delenn that with William gone, that's left you in charge of the Rangers here."
She nodded. "Not a circumstance I enjoy, but as long as what the Minbari would call the 'other half of my soul' is in the Field, that is the way of things. If you don't mind, sir, can we come straight to the point? With the growing crises both back on Earth, and just about everywhere else I can think of, we are very busy right now...and as such, my time is very limited...no offense intended."
The Captain nodded, now completely serious. "None taken. The point is as follows...Mr. Garibaldi, who you have had dealings with, from time to time, is, to make it blunt, losing control of the security onboard to the Organization that calls itself the Nightwatch. Sooner or later, we're going to have to deal with them, and when that time comes, I would appreciate it if you assign a group of Rangers to help contain any Nightwatch who might escape from the trap we're planning on setting for them."
She nodded seriously. "Of course, sir; no trap, no matter how well it's laid, ever works as perfectly as it is supposed to. My Rangers will watch, and wait, unobserved, for the moment when you act, and I will assume that moment is coming, and soon, or you wouldn't to be talking to me now. Consider it done, I will assign my combat Instructor, Viridal, to put together a covert team to help Mr. Garibaldi, if such help is required."
Marcus peeked his head around the corner at that point. "Ah!...there you are, Jennifer. Asked us, did he?"
"Yes."
"Said yes, did you?" She nodded.
"Oh good...a little bit of challenge might come out of all this grimness, after all."
"I hate it when he does that, you know.." the Captain called out, from behind her."
"But I do it *so well*!" Marcus replied, and she laughed, as she followed her fellow Ranger out the door. She would have to thank Marcus for that some time soon...there would be very little reason to laugh in the next week or so...what with the powder keg about to go off back home.
* * *
I see, write and Observe the last days of what was.
Earth Alliance Space Station Babylon 5 was created because Mankind was so terrified of what almost happened to him thirteen years ago that he swore it should never be allowed to happen again. It has been said, by some, that this place was our last, best hope for a lasting peace...if that is so, then some would say the mission of the Babylon Project has failed, for even now, as I watch and listen, the sound of men taking up arms resounds across the stars, the voices of all our ancestors, fading against the clarion call of the Blood.
President Clark has fallen to fear, and made his first mistake. It is a mistake that will cost him, in the long run, but for now, he has blitzkrieged his way towards the inevitable endpoint. The machines of war, oiled and ready, are moving into motion, and the desperate acts of a select few will now make all the difference.
It has begun; there is no going back, now, for any of us. The balance has been upset. The dying has *begun*...
* * *
Jovian Nearspace, Apr 8, 2260. The fuse is lit...
The space around Jupiter crawled with ships of all descriptions; carrier groups, destroyers, cruisers and tenders, and over the last six hours, many of them had moved together, forming into a vast fleet between the Io Transfer Gate and the more distant fleet yards. These ships listened to the voice of Earth, and their Captains debated, and many came to a dreadful conclusion. Morgan Clark was the Voice of the Government, and the government, in his name, had declared Martial Law throughout the Earth Alliance.
It was not the job of the men and women of Earthforce to question orders, and it was even less the job of its Captains to act against those orders. But in this fateful hour of change, there are men for which those doctrines now mean nothing; these men value the word "freedom" above anything else...and as such, they are now, beyond hope, beyond redemption, ready to act.
Within the fleet, and elsewhere, space twists, and opens into the familiar, harsh vortexes of jump points, the sigil of warships powerful enough to generate their own tears in space time. Out of one appears the Omega Class Destroyer ALEXANDER and her escorts...the province of General William Hague.
The General, even now, sits on the bridge of the ALEXANDER, and prepares a plea for those who care to change sides, even this late in the game. It falls on deaf ears, and soon enough, the ALEXANDER finds itself in a firefight...the firefight that will start a conflagration later to be called the Earth Alliance Civil War. But Hague is not alone...elsewhere, other units have already appeared in Jovian space.
* * *
Several minutes before...
One hundred thousand kilometers above Jupiter's north pole, space twisted, and ripped aside into two jump points. Seven quick transfers, and Bethany breathed a sigh of relief. NIOBE, APHRODITE and all their escorts had made the transfer into Jovian space without incident, and for now, it seemed, that all was still quiet...*maybe*, they had arrived in time to join up with General Hague. She prayed...
"Damn..." Deitrich whispered behind her, and she snapped to alert.
"Status?!"
"The ALEXANDER's deep within the Fleet, and..." Deitrich cursed in his native German, words to make several of the younger techs on the bridge look up in alarm. "Thunderbolts away from the ALEXANDER, the ACHILLES, the ACHERON..."
The ruddy flash make her grimace, and then it was repeated, and again...long lines of fusion fire reached across the heavens, and sparks of light flashed. She took a deep breath, and rose to her feet, while around her, any and all conversation on the bridge came to a sudden, sharp halt.
"Captain...several units in the Fleet are turning towards us. Message coming in."
"Put it on."
"This is Captain Edward Viras of the Earth Alliance destroyer PERSEPHONE to imbound carrier group. Identify yourself."
She looked at Deitrich, and he nodded...there was no turning back now, for any of them. "This is Captain Bethany Tikopai of the EAS NIOBE, reporting in, as ordered."
A brief pause, and then Captain Vira's voice came back, more harsh, more threatening, and definitely *to the point*. "Captain Tikopai, you will stand your units down and prepare to be boarded, by order of Earthforce Command."
"Like HELL we will." the familiar roar of Iain McRobert blasted from a nearby wallscreen.
"APHRODITE's launched her fighters, ma'am. Do we do the same?"
She raised a hand. "Stand by...open channel."
"Channel open." One more try.
* * *
Captain Edward Viras reclined nonchalantly in his command chair, as all around, the bustle of his now-at-war bridge bustled with the echoes of duty. As expected, the two carrier groups he was even now reducing the range on had arrived on schedule...the traitors Tikopai and McRobert. He shook his head sadly...Bethany had been such a promising officer, until she had fallen in with General Hague.
"This is the NIOBE to the PERSEPHONE. Edward...you served under me at the Academy, you have to *know* these orders are wrong! President Clark is running scared...he's out of control, this isn't the right thing to do to the people of Earth! Join with us!!"
He sighed, and opened a return channel. "Captain Tikopai, your suggestions are out of context, unlawful, and rebellious. I say again...you will stand down your commands, and prepare to be boarded. You will instruct Captain McRobert to call off his fighter groups, or we will be forced to destroy both them and the APHRODITE, as well as any of your vessels that do not, I say again, stand down, in accordance with the directives of President Clark."
"They won't do it." his exec warned.
Viras laughed. "Bethany's a survivor, even if she is a traitor. I know her too well...she'll stand down...the other choice would be suicide."
* * *
Bethany *acutely* felt the gaze of everyone on the bridge...now was where *everything* changed. She nodded. Very well then...there was no turning back now. "This is Captain Tikopai to all fighter squadrons, prepare to acquire enemy targets, make ready to fire, on my mark." She turned a harsh gaze on her exec. "Take us in closer to the PERSEPHONE; we have to draw fire from the ALEXANDER and her group, the General *has* to escape!"
"Understood." Now the decision had been made, Deitrich was all business. "Squadrons away, ENDYMION, VIGILANT and TANTALUS standing by on our targets, APHRODITE has fire control on the rest of the fleet; our weapons are hot..."
"Fire!"
* * *
In an instant measured in death, seven sets of scarlet beams reached across space, and tore into the PERSEPHONE and her escorts, while Starfuries and Thunderbolts danced their dance of death. Secondary explosions rang throughout the habitat section, as smoke filled the air, and sirens wailed. Edward Viras rose from his chair, and raised a trembling hand to his temple...a hand that came away covered in blood.
He turned, eyes wide, to view the flickering tactical display, while the remainder of his staff rushed to execute damage control procedures. The *bitch* had fired on him! He hadn't thought she had the guts...
"Status!" he bellowed.
"Forward bays took the brunt of that hit, sir, but we've had magazine explosions on the port side, as well, it's going to be difficult to reload our fighters when the time comes, and power's shorted out shipwide. The INFLEXIBLE took the bulk of that salvo, though, sir..she's dead in space..but we've all taken damage of one kind, or another..." The Commander looked up, alarm in his eyes. "The ALEXANDER and her group have jumped, sir!!"
"Damn!" Viras turned, his fury now plain. "And what of Tikopai?"
* * *
"The ALEXANDER's just jumped, Captain!"
"I can see that, Commander." Bethany responded sharply. "And we're now the focus of attention." She touched the comm. "Iain?"
"I would suggest, my dear, a quick exit to stage right at this point...our job here is done, and we're labelled renegades."
As if to prove the point, several fusion laser salvos flashed by from the nearing Loyalist fleet, and she nodded. "Spin on our habitat sections, activate jump engines...get our fighter screen in place for the jump!"
"Engines on line, squadrons moving into position." Deitrich paused. "Course, Captain?"
"Captain Hiroshi awaits, Commander..set course for Orion VII."
"Set."
"Then let's get the *Hell* out of here!!"
* * *
Space flared, and with a harmonic measured in desperation, the vessels that once been members of Carrier groups 39 and 67, and now stood against their government, leapt from normal space, and vanished. Behind them, the shoals of Earthforce ships that remained slowed to a halt, and hung in space...deadly, and waiting. The rebels may have ran, but the hunt was only just beginning...
* * *
Next: "Shattered Visions" the fifth, explosive part of 'Dark Circle'...as Captain Tikopai's fleet flees ahead of President Clark's forces, William decides the fate of the Ranger he is protecting. Coming soon.