**"Bringing the First Ones onto our side, when it mattered, was, more or less, brought about by John Sheridan's one-time exec, Susan Ivanova. More or less, I say, because, as seems to always be the case with the background that no one knows, it wasn't really that simple at all. There were... other forces at work, and over the course of those years, I had more then one run in with them. Sometimes the encounters were peaceful, and sometimes, they very nearly killed me.
...we all committed some sins during the course of the War, and this is my largest and most secret, a failure that no one else knows about. But as the End draws nearer, it becomes more and more necessary for someone, be it my dear Jennifer, or someone else, to know the whole truth of what happened, and why. In this way, are the sins of the father not passed on to the next generation; in this way, will I eventually be redeemed." **
- From the Chronicles Log of William Westcastle, Spring 2279
* * *
Feb 4th, 2260; The search begins.
"You're looking unusually pleased about something." Marcus commented, as William reclined in the captain's chair of the 'White Star'. "Would you care to tell me exactly what that might be?"
"The first time Jennifer and I tested this ship, almost two months ago, the designers were apoplectic when I suggested that there should be a command chair on the bridge..."
"Ah yes...and shortly after that, the Captain suggests more or less the same thing; amusing, but let's down to the matter at hand, shall we?? Now that we've reached the point where Babylon 5's Starfury patrol disappeared, do you have any idea what we should do next?"
"I believe so; examine carefully." With a few carefully tapped commands, he lowered the bridge viewing curtain, and called up a few statistics. "Without exception, all of the ships that have vanished in the last few weeks did so in areas of hyperspace that possessed unusually large areas of gravimetric distortion. In the case of the Starfuries, the last message from the patrol leader suggested that they had encountered a 'severe hyperspace distortion'...and then, nothing; no evidence they were being attacked, just silence."
"Related to one of the many things about hyperspace that we don't know much about." Marcus narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "And yet, all evidence suggests that ships which lose power here drift down the gravitational incline...and vanish. The question is, do they break up, which would be the obvious solution, or, are there other forces at work here?"
"I thought at first it might be the Shadows back at work...but now I'm not so sure. This doesn't seem to be their style; but the only way to find out for sure is to look deeper into hyperspace then any other ship but this one can; to descend the incline and see if we can find any of the lost ships...or alternately, their remains. The Captain will be satisfied with nothing else."
"Agreed; getting underway now."
* * *
EAS NIOBE, Orion VII Colony, Feb 5th, 2260, 1430 hrs, E.S.T.
"Thanks for the escort, Captain." the commander of the freight convoy passed on, as one, by one, the ships descended within range of the colonial orbital defense grid. "Even though most of the raiders were destroyed eighteen months ago, it always pays to be careful."
"Just doing our job, Captain." Bethany replied, a slight smile on her lips. "NIOBE out." Rising from the chair, she turned towards Deitrich, at the Exec station behind her. "Commander, you have the bridge, there are some details I have to take care of."
"Orders, Captain??"
"As per previous higher orders...we're done here, make ready to jump for Beta Durani."
"Understood." Even as she left the bridge, the characteristic deep howling shudder of the jump transition passed through the destroyer's long axis, and she nodded. Deitrich knew his job, in fact, all things considered, he was probably the best exec she had ever had...
A few short minutes later, Bethany reclined, once more, in the only place she found comfortable to think about needed to be done, safe and apart from prying ears...Barris would make sure of that. Amazing how long he had been with her now, almost fifteen years, dating back to their first meeting during the War. He had saved her life at least twice now, and had followed her through all of her three commands. But enough reminscing, it was time, once again, to reestablish communications with the man at the head of this conspiracy of Light.
<Gold Channel Link Established> "Good day, Sir."
"Captain, excellent, I've been expecting your call. I wish I had better news for you, though."
She frowned. "Sir?"
"Captain...are you familiar with the Earth Agency that calls itself the Nightwatch?"
"Yes, sir, of course. President Clark's Ministry of Peace enacted that agency last year to ensure, in the most simple terms, that nothing could touch his government, 'treason against the government' and 'dealings with aliens' being two of the major plot points. They passed through my crew late last year, and I was quite pleased to see that no one took up the offer."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that , Captain."
Oh hell. "Are you saying what I think you're saying, sir?"
"I'm afraid so; a report has crossed my desk of a message being passed between your ship and Nightwatch Headquarters in Earthdome. You have a mole onboard, Captain, and I strongly suggest that you make all efforts to track him or her down before we begin what we have to."
"That will not be easy, sir; whoever this 'mole' is knows what he or she is doing, and the deception was enough to fool me and my senior staff. Do you have any suggestions?"
"Yes; when you reach Beta Durani, a special cargo will be rendezvousing with the NIOBE. I won't say any more for now, but this cargo will stand ready to assist you with your problem. Additionally, I'm going to suggest that you increase your security measures significantly; tell no one about this who you do not trust implicitly, this includes those who have served with you in all of your commands."
She nodded crisply, a dark knot of anger inside. "I see, sir; then the message is, 'no one is who they seem, Trust no One'?"
The General smiled. "Mining a small piece of history there, aren't you?"
"If you going to steal a saying, sir, it pays to steal the better ones. Tikopai out."
* * *
1700 hrs.
The search continued, without success, and as the mood of his associates grew angrier, so too, did Walther's. They had been searching through hyperspace for days now, and with no more success. While no more vessels had vanished, at the same time, it was equally evident that the problem had not gone away, as vessels from the younger races were still disappearing...covertly, of course, but it was continuing.
It had to stop! Chaos not controled by his associates?... intolerable!
<Observe!>
Walther jumped, and then his eyes narrowed, as the specifics of an approaching vessel passed across the screen. It was not a familiar form, and yet...
"Shall we capture it, or destroy it?"
<They interfere with our search. Destroy! Now!!!>
With a shriek, the fighters and cruiser in the small squadron moved to the attack.
* * *
"Oh, bugger..." Marcus muttered, as the information passed across his station screen. "I'd say we're just a little bit outnumbered here. Is it time to run like Hell, yet?"
"Damnit!" William snarled, as the still distant group of Shadow vessels pushed to the attack. "They can move faster then we can, and we're not getting nominal engine performance this far down the incline as it is. Stand by to..."
And then, a flash of emerald light passed across the wall, and William whirled.
* * *
Walther watched, mouth wide, as the Shadow cruiser shuddered nder the impact of a half-dozen emerald beams. The balance of power had just been upset here, and dramatically so, as half-invisible forms moved against the angry sky of hyperspace, towards his ship.
"So; our suspicions were correct. But it does us no good at all if we do not return to Z'ha'dum to tell of this; break off the attack, we must escape!"
<We do not leave battles!> his Associates snarled, as the cruiser, its scream phenomenal, lost one of its arms.
"We're outnumbered here!...we have no choice!!!"
<Very well!. But next time, we come in strength.>
* * *
"They drove them off." Marcus mused, his fingers flying over the board. "And they're not attacking us...yet."
"For that we can count our small blessings, I've never seen anything like these ships before. What with a combination of advanced weaponry and stealth technology beyond even what the Shadows possess...they attacked the Shadows, for that matter. Looks like the old rumour about there being something living in hyperspace might be true, after all."
"Perhaps." Marcus replied, his gaze grim. "But we have a greater concern just now; given their ability to hide themselves against hyperspace, they could be anywhere, they could even be..."
The 'White Star' shook...violently, and rather abruptly heeled off of its previous course, and Marcus grimaced, while the Minbari crew paused in their work, and gazed with trepidation at their Ranger commanders. "...Right on top of us."
William rose out of his seat. "Status?"
"Whoever they are, they've captured us with some sort of extremely powerful graviton beam, and I'm guessing that where we're going, we might find the other missing ships, if these whatever they are didn't destroy them on sight, like they tried to do to those Shadow vessels."
He nodded his head. "True; however, I don't really appreciate the lack of choice in this situation."
"All being well," Marcus cautioned, "We'll be able to find a way out of this that doesn't involve shooting our way out. With this lot, I suspect that wouldn't be a very good idea, anyways."
William nodded again, this time somewhat angrily, and resumed his seat, while the rest of the crew somewhat nervously resumed their duties. The secret of the Incline had revealed itself to the Rangers...but what would be the end result?
* * *
"NIOBE mole to Nightwatch Prime, come in at once!"
"This is Nightwatch Prime, go ahead."
"There is a problem; somehow, word had leaked from the Ministry of Peace to the rebels surrounding General Hague, they are now aware of our activities aboard this vessel, and, apparently, elsewhere as well. Security onboard has increased by nearly a factor of ten, and I can no longer accurately determine what Tikopai is up to, despite my status aboard. What are your orders?"
"This is not unexpected, there has always been a chance that leaks of this nature would occur. You must therefore adapt and overcome, by continuing your watch, obtaining information when it is possible, and, as needed, sabotaging the efforts of the rebels. The mission is not over, but the focus has changed. Is this understood?"
A nod. "It is."
<Beep>
* * *
2300 hrs. The Zen Garden.
"Miss Clifford?"
Jennie looked up from her contemplation, and managed a small smile, despite her worries. "Hello, Mr. Garibaldi. I don't suppose there's any change in the situation, is there?"
A grim smile, in return. "I wish I could say that there was, but then I'd be lying, and that wouldn't be fair. All the same, the Captain told me to pass on the message that you shouldn't worry too much *yet*; where they were taking the 'White Star' was a part of hyperspace so far off the transfer beacons that transmissions would be impossible in any case. I should know, I've had to fly through those parts of hyperspace myself, on occasion.
Look!...you're all Rangers, and you're supposed to be doing these sort of things, watching out for trouble on the horizon, right? They'll take of the problem, and then, they'll be back. You'll see."
"Thank you for the optimism, Mr. Garibaldi, I really do appreciate it, especially in times like we're facing now."
"If I can help in any other way, just let me know. Hell, you all work for Jeff, anyways, it's the least I can do!"
* * *
Feb 7, 2260, 0300 hrs, E.S.T.
"Do you see it?" William whispered, his eyes wide.
"I'm running on adrenalin, after being awake this long." Marcus replied, "But bloody Hell, yes...you can hardly miss it."
In front of them, against the chaos of hyperspace, fiery red, gray and black in colour this far down the incline, hung a construct almost beyond belief, a three dimensional snowflake-like shape almost as large as Babylon 5, quite obviously their destination. Who these creatures were, and what there purposes were in creating such a place, was as yet unanswered, but as they drew closer, the Rangers beheld, secured along the edge of the construct, many of the ships that had been reported missing...and they weren't alone.
Not by far.
To be continued....in a day that will change the Rangers forever!!
RIMSTALKER: DARK CIRCLE; PART 3
"MOVEMENTS OF GRAVITY AND TREACHERY" ACT II of III
**"The more often this happened, the worse I began to get about it. I clearly remember Michael Garibaldi, who we kept communication with sporadically over the years, even after he resigned from Sheridan's staff, assuring me that William would return, and that time, he did, and the times after that. But eventually, there would come an occasion for fear, for grief and for being proven wrong about everything I thought I knew. I still, even now, curse the Shadows for bringing this upon me and Delenn..."**
- From "Storm Crossing: The Shadow War, and other Responsbilities"
* * *
Feb 7th, 2260, mid-morning.
The crew of the 'White Star' slept; this was partially a natural sleep, but those who had captured them were not opposed to taking advantage of the situation, they had already looked within this strange new ship and determined that it was more advanced then any of the ships they had captured for study thus far. Additionally, the Dark Enemy had attempted to destroy this ship, and they were the Enemy of all. If the Meddlers were allowed to find this place, they would destroy it, as had happened to the great bases of the past; the habitats, however, deeper still, must be kept safe, and so, it was once more time to act.
The others they had captured could tell them nothing of the Enemy, only fears and misconceptions; maybe the youngsters onboard this ship could. In any case, the Dreamwalkers would make the attempt...if there was no success, it was only a matter of suspending them until another oppurtunity came along.
The Dreamwalkers approached the graceful purple and gray ship, their interest keen. Would this be a success?? They were about to find out...
* * *
A pool of light suddenly illuminated William, and he whirled, to see what appeared to be a man approach out of the darkness, robed in and with the appearance of a Tibetan monk. He frowned; this was a vision from his youth, the visits to the glacial mountains of the high plateau, and thus, he was immediately given the hint that this was a dream...a lucid one, and one, apparently, of purpose.
The Other spoke. "You have come to this place, like all the others, those who could not tell us what we wanted to hear. We are going to ask you a question, and if you answer it correctly, then perhaps you will be allowed a further discussion."
William considered carefully what he had seen; the last thing he remembered was the WHITE STAR docking on the edge of the vast alien construct, a falling darkness, and now...this. "I understand, and agree; we are both, it seems, looking for the truth here, if not in the same way."
The Other's eyebrow rose. "A more carefully considered response we have yet to hear. Very well, the question is this: the Dark Meddlers are once again striding about, spreading the chaos and war that is their wont. Do you serve them, oppose them, are you indifferent...or, like so many others we have brought to this place, do you have 'no idea what I am talking about'?" This, we are inclined to disbelieve, and we have hope, for we found you engaged with the Enemy, and drove them off...but we must know, for sure."
William nodded. "The Enemy we share is a race that we have learned to call the Shadows; they are a darkness that must be defeated wherever possible, a force, that if given free rein, will create chaos unopposed, as you just suggested. That is our purpose: I am a Ranger, dedicated to striding the borders of the Darkness, to opposing the Shadows wherever they may be, to watch, to learn, and, where necessary, to assist those who have no other help."
"So..." the Other glanced away briefly, and then gazed squarely at William once more. "It seems that those we know as 'Minbari' have gained new allies, for the word "Anla'shok" shares the same place in your mind as the word "Ranger". We remember them from before, but did not involve ourselves, choosing to hide in that which we call home, that which we draw sustenence from. It is apparent that they have matured in some ways, but not in others."
"You are First Ones, then?"
The Other smiled. "And how do you define that term, William Westcastle, Rimstalker, Warrior, man of the upstart world known as Earth?"
"There are those who live in our universe, and this place, apparently, as well, who have existed for hundreds of thousands if not millions of years, but choose not to involve themselves in the affairs of the younger races, unless disturbed. The Shadows are the oldest race we know of, and are opposed by those we call the Vorlons. There is evidence that further races of this age exist, and so I ask again..."
"If that is your definition, then no, we do not belong in the same category as those you call Vorlons, or those we both call Enemy. We dwell in the recesses of this place; we are few, and so, are secretive, but we are not supportive of the meddling intrusions of those you call Shadows, and so, will strike against them where and when we can." The Other sighed. "And as per your race's need to assign categories and names to everything, you may call us the Cha’hal'zhamon; that is not an ideal translation, but it is the closest we can come to the Truth utilizing your tongue."
"I understand, but I must say some things to you, if I may."
"As you wish."
"Why are you here?"
"A wise question, and not easily answered. The origins of our people lie hidden in the mists of time. We do not come from your universe, nor did we come from here, although we can survive in this place...this we do know, however; our origins are hidden in the mists of time. So, unlike the images that you associate with those you call Vorlons, we are not all knowing, and there are patterns we are unwilling to follow." The Other paced, his expression dark. "That, you must understand, makes us vulnerable; and thus, we hide, and strike only when provoked."
"A perilous position to be in, even for those of your stature."
"Indeed; the places where curvature becomes extreme are our places of power, and if the Enemy had not disturbed us so, we would have stayed in those depths that you and the other Younglings, and even those you call Vorlons and Shadows, are normally incapable of reaching. But, as the saying in your mind goes, 'you cannot put the genie back in the bottle', we are here, and the secret is out. Can you, who call yourself Ranger, find a solution to this problem?"
"I would not assume to dictate to such as you."
A flash of anger. "Dictate or do not, you must provide us with what we need, or you and your crew will never leave this place, and that, I will assume, is not an optimum choice, man of Earth! There is a glimmer of another about you, one without which you will wither and lose hope, and...vice versa. We do not wish to deny that what brings you joy; for a Youthling, you are unusually intelligent, and thus, we abandon mystery and deception, and come to the point. We are not wise in the ways of your Space, and pitfalls lie everywhere; help us, or watch us face the Enemy, and this time, be destroyed, despite our technology."
William thought desperately, and then, nodded, and began. "By undertaking these actions, you have attracted the attention of certain members of the Younger Races, my commanders included, by your kidnapping and examination of their members and ships. Additionally, by your direct engagement with Shadow forces, you have alerted them to your presence. The next time, there will not just be a small squadron searching for you, but an entire fleet. The actions you must take are clear, and if you possess the means, a way out can be found."
"Explain."
"Firstly, you must retreat, and hide yourselves far down the Incline, so that the Shadows cannot find you. Next, you must remove, if possible, the memories of all those you have brought here, save for a spokesman for the Younger races who can keep your secret. Thirdly, if you wish to stand against the Shadows, stand when you are needed, when all of us can stand together. Then is the time you will be needed the most, but that time is not yet. Finally, those ships you have captured must be freed in places unusual to them, but those places must be close to where they can find a way home. In so doing, will the Rangers and the Cha'hal'zhamon establish an alliance with one another, and in the keeping of the secret, only the Entil'zha, my leaders, and I will know of you. The rest will come in due course."
The Other considered, and, then, rather abruptly, eight more phased into being around him. The Other paused for a moment, and then smiled. "It is acceptable..and unfortunate that we could not find such a one as you, before now. Think of a signal that will be used to summon us, and when there is need, send the signal, and we will come. The secret will be kept, the members returned, as per your suggestions. We wish no ill feelings towards any of the Younger Races in your domain, but our secrets must be maintained."
William paused for a moment, and then thought of an image, a flower the colour of the WHITE STAR against the Ranger jewel, and the Other nodded. "It will do; farewell, for now, William Westcastle, Ranger, warrior...man of Right. We will speak again."
* * *
Marcus blinked, as around him, the remainder of the crew returned to the here and now. "What the...what happened?"
William turned, a puzzled look on his face. "I...the last thing I remember is getting us ready to run from those Shadow ships, and then, an emerald flash of light. And now..."
"We're much higher up the Incline then we were." Marcus tersely reported. "And the Shadows are nowhere in sight." He paused. "And, it appears we've somehow lost quite a few hours of time, as well. Do you find this as disturbing as I do??"
William nodded in exasperation. "I hate mysteries and I hate missing time more. Too many shades of the past coming back to roost." A brief discussion in several languages then occurred, as the crew added their own opinions.
"Right." Marcus raised his eyebrows. "Stand by: we're apparently close enough to a transfer beacon to receive messages. Babylon 5 is hailing us...somewhat urgently, by the look of it."
The curtain came alight, to reveal the concerned, but at the same time, relieved face of Captain Sheridan, Delenn just behind him. "William, you've been out of contact for some time, we were just about getting ready to send a search party out to find you. But whatever you did out there, it worked; we've received reports of the missing ships turning up sectors away from where they were supposed to be, but at least they're back, and our Starfury patrol is just about back to the barn, as well. Good work, both of you."
William shook his head, the time for this was not now. "Captain, I wish I could say we were responsible for those returns, but we have to regretfully decline that honor."
"What?"
"William does not lie, Captain." Marcus pointedly added. "If anything, it is apparent that we fell victim to the same force in hyperspace that caused the other disappearances... everyone onboard has fallen victim to a case of what past generations have called 'missing time', and all records in the WHITE STAR computers for that time period are missing as well."
"That shouldn't be possible, Marcus!" Delenn declared, her gaze insistent. "The computers on the 'White Star' are the most advanced my people have ever created... there must be some records of that period available, surely?."
"I understand your objections, Delenn, but if there are, they're not making themselves very easy to find."
"I will make a further report to you both when I return." William added, and he saw the Captain narrow his eyes...good, he'd gotten the hint. "If there is anything more to add, it will be then; 'White Star' out."
Marcus shook his head in exasperation. "That's not going to be a fun report, I'm afraid; I wouldn't want to be in your shoes about now."
"You're telling me."
* * *
EAS NIOBE, Beta Durani orbit, Feb 7th, 2260, evening watch.
"Do you have any idea what this 'package' of General Hague's might be??" Deitrich pointedly asked his Captain, as both officers watched a shuttle from the nearby heavy cruiser ARK ROYAL approach the NIOBE.
"No idea, Commander, only that General Hague assured me the package would help us take care of our 'problem'."
"I see..."
Shortly after that, the shuttle was locked down and secured in the NIOBE's forward bay, and a single spacesuited figure approached the viewing deck. A whir of airlocks, and the figure emerged.
"Welcome aboard the Destroyer NIOBE." Bethany declared, as the figure approached. "I am Captain Tikopai, the..."
"Yes." the other replied, detaching its helmet to reveal a full head of luxurious black hair, and startling jade green eyes. "I know. My name is Melissa Vadim, and I'm here on General Hague's orders, to help you solve your problem."
"And exactly how are you going to do that, if I may ask?" Deitrich pointedly inquired.
Melissa Vadim turned her hawklike gaze squarely on Bethany's exec, and Deitrich backed off...a little. "I'm a telepath, Commander, and no, not a Psi Corps teep, either. Does that answer both your questions? "
* * *
War Council Chambers, Babylon 5, late evening.
"All right..." Captain Sheridan stated, his gaze speculative. "We got the hint, William. What couldn't you tell us then that you can tell us now?"
"It's far more complicated then you might think, sir. We encountered a small squadron of Shadow warships in hyperspace, and shortly after that, the Shadows were driven off by another group that I later learned called themselves the Cha'hal'zhamon. They are, apparently, living in hyperspace, near the bottom of the Incline, and the Shadows disturbed them, so they're coming up to strike at them whenever they can, and as a byproduct, capture for study ships from varying races, waiting for someone to come who could answer for them a very specific question."
"And that being?"
"Will you stand with us against the Enemy who meddles, and brings chaos to our domain?"
"A more pointed invitation for an alliance, I can't imagine."
"In a roundabout fashion...yes, sir. The Cha'hal'zhamon will, for now, retreat to their places of power deep in Hyperspace, and will cease and desist their actions, until the Shadows have assured themselves that they cannot be found. When we need them, they will, however, come to help, but they implied not to ask them until we absolutely needed them to...there doesn't appear to be very many of them left, and they're wary of the Shadows, who would like nothing better then to destroy them all, for a reason I cannot determine; although it seems to be more then for the harassing attacks the Cha'hal'zhamon have been undertaking on their Enemy. Also, they've arranged it so I was the only member of the crew to remember what has occured. One of their conditions is that this must stay between us three and the Entil'zha...at least, for now."
"Fair enough...you've done a far better job here then I initially thought; this gives me an idea, too!"
"John..." Delenn cautioned, "We should not use this new alliance rashly. The Cha'hal'zhamon, despite their advanced technology, are small in number. We should use their help sparingly, and only when we are ready; that time is not now. The secret must stay among the four who already know, it cannot be allowed to spread farther...not yet."
"You may be right, but we can't stop there. They're a beginning, but there are more First Ones out there, Delenn, we have to find them!"
With a smile, William slipped out of the Council chambers. His job here was done, for now, but duty still awaited..
To be continued...
RIMSTALKER: DARK CIRCLE; PART 3
"MOVEMENTS OF GRAVITY AND TREACHERY" ACT III OF III
**"The advancement in Earth Alliance starship technology during the years following the Earth-Minbari War was significant, and the end result, the Omega Class Destroyer project, provided the structure behind Earthforce's Carrier Group standard during the 2250's and 60's. Unfortunately, this standard was flawed, in that in pairing destroyer units with a suitable number of the older Roosevelt and Roosevelt-B heavy cruisers, that those very escorts were made vulnerable by that very advancement....
During the course of hostilities, it was the nature of opposing carrier group units to focus their fire on the escort vessels, being generally unable to destroy their opposing destroyer units, and the end result was, by 2261, that the number of active cruisers and dreadnaughts in Earthforce had been cut very nearly in half. It was the end of an era...the Destroyer, less numerous then its predecessors, but so very much more capable of destruction, was now the Dominating force in the fleet, and the following years would continue that trend, first in the Warlock Class Destroyer, and then..."**
-from "The History of the Earth Alliance Civil War"
* * *
February 14, 2260.
A riot of conflicting thoughts rang through Brianna's mind, as she wandered randomly through the twilight dimness of the station night. In the days since her return, the distant, almost dark song of Ulkesh had not diminished; if anything, it was now stronger then ever before, a dangerous lure, an impossible strain; for while she was a Ranger, the Vorlon had also claimed her for his own, to use when and where he chose. For now, Ulkesh was content to let her serve on Babylon 5, but for how much longer would that continue?? How much longer could she put herself through this??
With a sigh, she laid down on the grass; not strictly allowed by the station's agronomic staff, but there were very few of them around at the moment, and in any case, with what the Vorlons had done to her, she very much doubted that any of them would see her anyways, unless she wanted them too. Eyes half-lidded, she gazed up at the almost vertigo-inducing panorama on the other side of the Garden, almost a mile above her head. Lights moved and danced against the darkness, the core shuttle, the trams and other vehicles on their travels. In some respects, it was as if Babylon 5 was an entity in itself, and these were the cells moving through its innards...
"#Guide#"
With a start, she jumped to her feet, and turned to see the now familiar yellowish-brown form of Kosh behind her. As always, the Vorlon (not her Vorlon, less familiar, and yet, easier to deal with) had arrived without sound, but she had asked for this meeting. "Kosh...thank you meeting me; you're not so familiar to me as Ulkesh, but..."
"#The Dance has not been easy; the service is a burden of giants#"
She nodded. "Then you do see my problem; I can't serve both William and Ulkesh equally, it's too much of a strain on me."
"#Duty is heavier then a mountain, but lighter then death. Choose your path#"
She grimaced slightly. "Not terribly friendly advice, but I do understand; Kosh, is there some way you can help me to control this, before it tears me apart?? I can't leave them, not yet, not now, it's not the right time, for now, they still need me!! I need your help."
#There is a way; but it will not be easy#
"I don't care anymore; you're different then he is, anything you do, no matter the difficulty, I will accept. I've been insane once, as you know; I don't very much want to go there again."
#Very well; follow#"
Heart beating hard, Brianna followed the Vorlon out of the Central Garden, and into the station proper. From point to point, they went, until it was quite clear what their destination would be, but the subterfuge had to be maintained. With a grim shudder, she took hold of a human breather mask from the holder, even though she didn't need it anymore, and allowed her gills to flex ever so slightly. Shortly thereafter, they arrived at Kosh's inner sanctum, and she cast the breather aside, and fixed the Vorlon with what for her was a penetrating gaze. "Are you offering me what I think you're offering me?"
#Yes; It is the only way#
"I understand." She breathed deeply, and opened her mind. "Do what you must."
There was a pause, and then, Kosh's encounter suit opened.
* * *
EAS NIOBE, Feb 15th, 2260. Night watch.
Even a deep space destroyer had to have a night rotation, when the majority of her command staff were asleep in their bunks. The current transition through hyperspace on patrol was far too routine to interest him, and thus, even though he stood the second watch, of his own choice, it was a clearly given opportunity to collect more information. The section was otherwise deserted, his staff elsewhere. A perfect opportunity.
He yawned; it was late, but this was the only time available, especially since Tikopai had enacted her tough new security mandate, which he, being given little choice in the matter, was required to follow. A blink...only a short time more, and the watch would be over.
There was a small sound, and he whirled, to see...nothing. Damnit, he had very nearly fallen asleep on the job...a deadly sin. If that happened, Nightwatch Prime's response would be anything but gentle.
"You disappoint us; if you cannot even stay awake to do the job, how are we supposed to place trust in you?" He whirled, and most coherent thought left his mind, to find an unfamiliar face in front of him. But the voice?...the voice was unmistakable.
"Wha...impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible for the Man who holds the strings of all those far flung children under his employ. You are taking too long to do what you have been ordered to!...Tikopai and her confidantes get away with more each hour they remain unobserved!"
"I'm doing the best I can under the circumstances, damnit!...what more do you want of me? And how the Hell is it that you're aboard Tikopai's ship without her noticing?"
"It was easier then you might think..."
And then, he started, the realization coming on him all of a sudden; the wall behind Prime was wavering, ever so slightly, and the enormity of his mistake came crashing home.
He was still asleep!!
And someone, one of those goddamn teeps, had gotten inside his mind; with an angry roar, he came awake, and turned towards the resolute target of his rage, standing scant meters away, a calm, resolute expression on her face.
* * *
With absolute, ready precision, Paul Telluride sent a PPG shot crashing into Barris's right shoulder, and the security chief staggered, and then turned to run. Nearby, Deitrich stood ready beside Melissa Vadim, while, farther back in the shadows, Bethany stood, completely at a loss on how to proceed, as Telluride lead his detachment of security personnel in pursuit. The man she had worked with since the war, a traitor to his crew and captain, an informant, the worst of all possible sins.
"I know how you feel, Captain.." the telepath commented, her gaze steady, "But we didn't have any choice. General Hague can't afford to lose you to a hostile takeover, your carrier group is too important to him, for us to allow that to happen."
"I understand...but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Curtis Barris was a survivor, and I thought...I believed his advancement to his present position was what he wanted, that he believed enough in our cause to do what was right. I guess...I guess I was wrong."
"At the heart of things, Barris is a good man, but his belief in the right of Government makes him dangerous for our purposes. We're lucky that he is the only member of the Nighwatch onboard...it could have been far worse then it was."
"You're sure of that??"
Vadim nodded. "General Hague made the effort to keep me secret from the Psi Corps, and just about everyone else because he knew that I was good at what I did, and that the Psi Corps would not help him when the time came. Your crew is clean, and the information you've passed onto them helped to make up their minds, more or less. A few of them may not want to act when the time comes to fight Earth, but they will follow orders...and in time, they will come to see that those orders are the right ones to follow."
<Beep>
"This is Tikopai. Go."
"This is Lieutenant Telluride, ma'am. Barris has been cornered and captured, and is currently on his way to the brig. You should know that he was atttempting to get to the 'Bolt bays when he was captured...it's pretty clear what his intentions were."
"Understood, Lieutenant, and thanks. We may have a few things to discuss in due course."
"I understand, Captain...when you want to call the meeting, I'll be there. Telluride out."
Bethany turned to the telepath, still waiting nearby. "Can I assume, Miss Vadim, that your work here is now done??"
"You can assume all you wish...but the reality of the matter speaks otherwise. You allowed a traitor to get inside your arc of fire, Captain, and given the chance, despite your past relationship, sooner or later he would have been forced to make a choice between his loyalty to you and his loyalty to Earthgov. Which do you think it would have been, Captain?"
"Your point is...taken."
"I sincerely hope so; regardless, General Hague has ordered me to remain aboard your ship for the time being, a secret that will be kept by you, Commander Alwhin, and the rest of your crew. Sooner or later, Earthgov and the Nightwatch may try to put another agent or saboteur onboard, and when and if that happens, I must be ready to intercept and neutralize the danger."
"So are you under my orders then, Miss Vadim?"
A frosty smile touched the corners of Melissa Vadim's mouth. "Rather, say I am 'consulting' to you and yours. Do try and enjoy what remains of this night' sleep, Captain, I suspect that you're going to need it."
* * *
Feb 16th, 2260.
"Gentlemen!" Bethany resolutely pointed out, "Disaster was only narrowly averted...this time. If Barris had kept his secret, sooner or later we would have had a saboteur in our midst, and the time is coming soon when the General will be forced to make his move. Discusion?"
"Now that we know that they're watching us..." Captain McCurdy pointed out, "It was be easier to look for the signs. Miss Vadim has kindly agreed to conduct the same searches on our ships that she conducted on yours, and if there are any further agents in our carrier group, we will find and neutralize them, with her help."
"And as for the future, " Captain Francis added, "When the time comes, we will be ready. General Hague has indicated that he will conference with us when he feels that moment is imminent, and once he is aboard the ALEXANDER, it will, all being well, be time for us to join the Fleet he is building."
"Agreed. It's good we're still focused on the matter at hand." Bethany turned in her seat, and Lieutenant Telluride, his gaze firm, stepped forward. "Lieutenant...I hate to pull you away from what you love, but we're currently without a operational security chief."
"I understand, ma'am; Lieutenant Gage has agreed to take command of our Thunderbolt squadrons; at this time, I would like to offer myself as your new head of security."
She smiled. "It's a little more complicated then that, I'm afraid..we want you to be head of Security for the entire *Carrier Group*"
Paul Telluride paled just a little bit...and then he smiled in return. "A challenge!. I like the way you think, Captain."
* * *
"Report."
"It is clear that the agent on the NIOBE has been neutralized, sir, and it is equally clear that we will be unable to infiltrate that ship again."
"No matter; the traitor Tikopai and her fellow rebels are now identified as such..and when the time comes, we will reveal this information to President Clark and the Chiefs of Staff. Many men and women will die in the coming days, but that is justifiable, given the end result."
"Then we are ready to move??"
A smile. "The project on Ganymede is growing near to completion. Soon...very soon."
* * *
Next...the long countdown has finished, the final moves are about to begin, on Babylon 5, on the NIOBE, and everywhere else that matters; the darkness is about to fall, and war's long hand is about to reach out. "SHADES OF DETERMINATION" the first of DARK CIRCLE'S Earth Civil War miniarc, beginning soon.