**"You have your orders, General. Return them to Earth, publicly humilate them, and cashier them from the Service. Thereafter, they will no longer be your concern." **
- Remarks attributed to Vice President Morgan Clark near the end of November, 2258
* * *
November 16, 2258...EAS AGRIPPA.
"Commander, come on in!" Dexter Smith invited, as Walther Gideon warily entered the Captain's office. "It looks to me like you've been through a hell of a ride. Being trapped in that lifepod for, what would it have been, almost forty eight hours, you and Lieutenant Commander Westcastle can't have enjoyed that at all..."
"No, sir...you could say that, I think. In fact, I don't think I would *stop* at the word *enjoy*...sir."
"You sound...perturbed about something, Commander."
Gideon raised his eyebrows. "Perturbed?...sir, you have *NO* idea. Well over half of my command was destroyed by raiders that we never saw and that no one else did. My entire Starfury squadron, and all but the Lieutenant Commander and myself killed, without warning and without explanation. In the same circumstances, wouldn't YOU be perturbed as well, sir?"
Throughout his outburst, Captain Smith's expression had darkened, as Walther could easily see. This was a situation he had never expected to be put into...actively lying to a superior officer. This was, of course, completely unlike him, and he suspected he knew what the result would be of not taking things calmly AND lying to the captain of the AGRIPPA..even *with* Zathras's 'assistance', he was on edge..and it was showing.
"Take a seat, Commander." Gideon did. "I will try and put this plainly, since it seems that you and your Operations Officer have demonstrated a sincere lack of the same since coming aboard...and I intend to discover the reason why this is the case.
Oh Hell...here we go.
Commander Melande *attempted* to interview you and your officer one on one...and despite your training, you failed to keep your calm...you *failed* to give us any useful information on the matter of this attack and destruction of your command...and you FAILED to take this investigation seriously, by the look of it, Commander! Your promotion is fairly fresh...and you've just turned the observations of the selection committee on their collective ear. I must say that I am not pleased to see this...and can add that I doubt the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be, either."
Gideon drew a deep breath. "I..understand your doubts, sir, but I *wish* I could give you more information then I have...but that just doesn't seem to be possible. Lieutenant Commander Westcastle and I were the only survivors of the attack, we were trapped in a lifepod for almost two full standard days, and *sir*, we have no recordings to confirm anything of what happened. I regret that to be the case, sir, but it is."
"Very suspicious, Commander...that the station emergency recording devices should have been destroyed, also. It does not appear, to me, that these were ordinary raiders. Events out at Loki confirm this, to a certain degree. The destruction of the orbital refineries was total..and I *do* mean total. Did someone *powerful* covet this system enough to send the equivalent firepower of several ships the size of this one? How can you *say* with a conscience that you saw nothing, Commander?"
Oh *Hell*, we're in for it, now.."I have no other answer, sir."
Captain Smith's face twisted angrily. "On your feet, Commander. That response is unacceptable, both to me and to the higher officers heading this investigation, and it does NOT help that the other man who survived this attack was involved in a similar, far more costly accident that he could not explain, Commander...no, not at all. It is apparent to us all that a degree of inexperience has been displayed here that we did not anticipate when we promoted you. How shall I say it, Commander?...you are in a great deal of trouble."
"I..."
"You have *not* been given permission to speak, Commander. This is what will happen. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have ordered you returned to Earth...this we will do. Another set of officers will be assigned to Nighthawk to clean up your mess...they are enroute aboard the DELPHEI as I speak. The AGRIPPA will return you to Earth, where Special Investigations will conclude their investigation of the matter. I don’t know what the result of that investigation will be, but I doubt things will be well for you or your career after this is concluded, Commander!
You are dismissed."
* * *
Chronicles Log, Entry VIII, November 18th, 2258...(remembrances)
How shall I say this, and put it plainly. The saying goes, "Once it's an accident, twice it will hang you." That had certainly been the case at Nighthawk...and it looked at the time as if things would only get worse before they got better. I heard from Walther some time ago about the tongue lashing he received from Captain Smith...similar to the one *I* received from Commander Melande. In any case, once the destroyer DELPHEI jumped in to continue the investigation, the AGRIPPA and all aboard her jumped for Earth...where I am now, awaiting the final, inevitable result of the Earthforce investigation. We still have a significant amount of time remaining before the debate concludes...but the end result of that voyage, and the repercussions of the two vicious attacks by the Enemy on my companion, dear friend, and I are now coming to fruition as inevitable as an asteroid.
Which, of course, was the whole point. What happened at Nighthawk changed three lives drastically. Whether for the better or worse I can not yet say. Walther and I will face up to our destiny with a straight face...and keep our mouths shut regardless of the things we know. Zathras' actions will save us from that fate, at least...
* * *
November 24th, 2258...On the Rim...
"A message just came in on Gold Channel, sir. I think..you should see it, sir."
"Thank you, Lieutenant Commander."
<beep>
Oh Hell, Sheridan thought, as he read the message...now what??
* * *
November 29th, 2258. On the Narn/Earth Frontier...
Jennie looked apprasingly into the mirror, as she tied her hair, now dyed a midnight black in colour, back into a loose braid. According to the records attributed at Nighthawk by Walther and William...she was now a dead woman; but it was best, G'kael had told her, not to take chances...and so she'd agreed to change her hair colour at least temporarily. If that *wasn't* enough, now she wore a scar on her left cheek, as well, courtesy of Mr. 'much apologies but do what we must' Zathras! G'kael insisted that it would fade in a matter of months...but for right now, it just made her look *far* too sinister for her own satisfaction.
And, on top of the rest, a *costume* that only added to her new image of the frontier starpilot from hell...
A chuckle from behind made her jump. "A fine distinction from your previous appearance..." G'kael drawled. "Fine enough to fool anyone who doesn't know you well. N'rothak has been working late into his sleep periods getting your paperwork ready...but now, Jennifer Clifford, you must do the rest yourself; take on your new identity, as required, and the rest, of course."
She whirled angrily. "Oh yes, G'kael!...musn't forget that, even *after* Zathras ran off with the rest of his friends at the rendezvous point, without explanation, without even telling us where he was going!"
"Unnecessary. Zathras does what he must...when he must." G'kael cleared his throat. "However; enough of that. It's time we parted ways for a time; Miss...Zandar, shall we say?"
Celia Zandar. Her best friend in her youth; killed in the Earth-Minbari War...and now she inherited the name, as was just. Not for vengeance...but for action. If only to Observe.
"Of course. The ship is ready?"
G'kael smiled. "Absolutely. Our mutual friends just delivered it in the last half cycle. We have heard that William and Walther have reached Earth, and that the investigation and inquiry are ongoing. It is enough that you can approach and reunite with them from an unexpected direction. From this moment forward, your path is your own...Observer. Do not disappoint those who have given you this chance."
She shivered. Not likely.
"Then I must be going...and I have to get a cargo. Always thought I would be following Dad in his footsteps one day..."
RIMSTALKER: SHADE AND SHADOW, PART 4
"THE END OF HISTORY", ACT II
** "What happened at the transfer point at Io that fateful New Year's Day would be a harsh catalyst for all that followed. Plans hidden within plans hidden behind false faces would all come out in the end...for all those who did the planning, mostly for the worse..." **
Erica Travers: "Wars of Deception"
* * *
December 4th, 2258. Earthdome.
Face stony, General Ranford Lea entered the hearing room allotted to a situation best kept quiet. Higher powers then he wanted to think about had passed down the orders, and Lea was a good soldier...he always had been, and it had always been the way of good soldiers to follow their orders...regardless of *where* the orders came from.
With a snap, the guards came to attention, and the twin focuses of the hearing rapidly did the same. Unfortunate, really; they had been good officers, more or less, but fate...or something worse, had finally caught up to those two men.
"I regret that it's turned out this way, gentlemen..." Lea remarked, as below him, Commander Gideon and Lieutenant Commander Westcastle looked up at the stand, faces inscrutable, from their positions of attention. "But the facts don't lie...they never do, it seems. Now that the inquiry at Nighthawk has concluded, the Captains of the AGRIPPA and the DELPHEI have forwarded their final reports on the matter to Earthdome. There are a number of points I want to go over with you before I announce the verdict of the Investigations board. I trust that you are openminded enough to follow these points of procedure?"
Lea got the response he expected within seconds, nodded his head, and continued.
"Very good; take a seat, then, gentlemen.
Things weren't QUITE severe enough to make this a courtmartial, but a couple of the Chiefs of Staff WERE willing to go that far, so you may as well expect the comment I'm about to make..you're getting off easily, gentlemen.
One: Lieutenant Commander William Westcastle; that would be YOU, son; within a period of slightly more then one month serving in the capacity of Operations Officer, you were involved in two events near to or on the Rim, wherin you failed to act in saving any of your crews other then, in the second case, your Commanding Officer. We were willing to give you one chance, but twice in that time period is excessive, in our opinion. I don't believe in bad luck, hense, you COULD have prevented some of those deaths. You failed to do that.
Two: Lieutenant Commander Westcastle insisted that in both cases he saw nothing of the raiders who attacked his commands. This is unlikely, and shows poor observational judgement.
Three: Commander Walther Gideon, you similarly failed in your duty of protecting Earthforce resources and personnel. The loss of Nighthawk station and the majority of Nighthawk's Starfury squadron to Raider attack is unacceptable, and shows a great lack of finesse in planning and execution of missions. Additionally, you failed to control Lieutenant Commander Westcastle's actions, a reflection of your own actions as Nighthawk CO.
Four: In sworn testimonies, both of you indicate that your lifepod was NOT intercepted by a Narn pocket warship known to be in the vicinity of Nighthawk and its moon shortly following the raider attack. Additionally, neither of you recall seeing the vessel from your lifepod during that period...EXCEPT you should have. So...either you're lying to us, or you're partially blind, or both. I could prove the first if I wished, but I think we all know where things are going here.
So, let's get to the meat of things here, shall we, gentlemen? It is the finding of the inquiry board that due to the lack of observation and judgement in two situations where a great deal of life and equipment could have been saved...and wasn't, you have both been charged with deriliction of duty, and per Earthforce Regulations, it behooves us to keep you away from where you have demonstratably done the most damage.
You have two options available to you...and I rather expect the one you will take. Option One: You will both take demotions in rank and position...and these demotions will likely be permament; you will be denied deep-space duty of any kind for the remainder of your careers. This means you will be Earthbound for the forseeable future. I trust that this will NOT be the choice you will make, gentlemen.
Option Two...the one I *expect* you to take. Both of you will be given the option of resigning from the service." Lea pointed, and his adjutant, just arrived in the chamber, presented a computer pad to both of the officers. "Make it clean, gentlemen...break from your streak of fate while you can, because I..."
Lea stopped, and inclined his eyebrow in surprise. Both Commander Gideon and Lieutenant Commander Westcastle had just signed their careers away...with him still in the early stages of arguing them into it! Fair enough. It usually, in these situations, took a great deal of cajoling for this to happen. Interesting that that hadn't been the case here...but done was done.
"Thank you, gentlemen. You've both made the right choice, and I assure you, these incidents will have no noticable effects on such civilian careers as you choose to take in the future. However...I *do* suggest that you make your way off world as soon as possible. Certain...higher powers are especially displeased with you both at the moment."
"Duly noted, sir." Commander Gideon smartly replied, a strained look in his eyes. "What we...both expected, after the events of the past few days."
"Of course. Commander Barnes will take you the rest of the way through the release procedure. If you will follow him?"
As one, the two just released Earthforce officers came to attention, and saluted. Face grim, Lea did the same, and turned to depart.
Done was done.
* * *
Dec 7, 2258...Proxima III.
Jennie gazed down, more or less serenely, on what she had wrought in the past week or so of owning the STARDANCER(a far too lovely name for the thirty year old piece of junk that G'kael and his allies had lent her, but it did the job) and inhabiting her new identity, wrought by those self-same allies and the crew of the 'N'blis'. There were enough billion humans in the galaxy by now that one less or one more was sometimes missed, if the information was manipulated properly. And so, she found herself here in Proxima orbit, loading a cargo of processed ores slated for delivery to the Earthforce Jovian shipyards...among *other* cargos, smaller but just as important, slated for a few destinations between here and there. Contracts like these one were a dime a dozen in Alliance space. But it was *exactly* what she needed, for now.
"Cargo aboard and secured." the crisp voice of the loader tech announced, as below the STARDANCER, the long atmospheric transfer shuttle detached and began to pull away on a return to surface vector. "You are cleared for thrust, STARDANCER."
"Acknowledged." she replied, and keyed in to Proxima Gate control, as she twisted her vessel in midflight and vectored in on the quadruple prong of the gate, several tens of thousands of kilometers above. "Proxima Gate, this is Captain Zandar of the STARDANCER, my cargo is loaded, requesting clearance to jump."
"This is Proxima.." the controller drawled from below. "Status noted, gate is clear. You are cleared for jump."
"Thank you, Proxima...STARDANCER out."
Jennie relaxed as all too slowly, the Proxima gate began to grow in the forward viewport. This stage of the subterfuge was now over and done with. Now she had a REASON to be in Earth system at the appropriate time...and, more importantly to her, at the appropriate place. As the gate flared and sucked her ship in, her primary thoughts on the matter was very clear...
I may be 'dead', William, but for damn *sure* I haven't forgotten your promise....
* * *
Dec 8, 2258. Earth Alliance Space Station Babylon 5...The Alien Sector.
G'kael frowned, as, around him, the methane gases of the Alien Sector flowed in long straying wisps. All was going according to plan, and yet, in the few times he'd been summoned to this place, the nervousness had not yet abated. Admitedly he was higher in the organization then many others, but this meant nothing as of yet, for no pieces had yet been played...all were trapped in the throes of preperation.
For now.
A moving bulk of shadow drew his attention, and G'kael raised his eyes to see the bulk resolve itself into the encounter suit of Kosh Naranek, the Ambassador of the Vorlon Empire. G'kael bowed.
"It is as you have said, Ambassador. The pieces are in place, the players are responding as anticipated."
As always, the Vorlon response was musical, tonal...and sent shivers crawling up G'kael's spine. "##The need will guide them##."
"If you...say so, Ambassador. I initially felt it less then likely the plan would succeed."
"##Doubts do not concern us. In the fires of their undoing will the song be heard##."
G'kael smiled. "Of course, Ambassador."
The Vorlon's 'eye' narrowed. "##*You* doubt us?##"
"No, Ambassador!" What brought *that* on?
"##Good. Go. Now.##." With that, the Vorlon turned away, and G'kael let out a long breath. So be it, to get away from Kosh that easily was a blessing in itself.
* * *
Dec 9, 2258. Earth...North American Sector.
"So..." Charles Westcastle barked, turning one eye on his only son, "Trouble finally caught up with you, did it? I'm not terribly surprised, William. Disappointed, yes, but not surprised. Seems a terrible run of bad luck to have brought you to this end, though."
Walther watched impassively as his companion gritted his teeth and prepared to respond. More then half a week they had spent extracting themselves from Earthforce, fulfilling Form Y and signing on Line X, and now it came down to explaining the situation to their families, possibly the hardest part of it all. Fair enough...G'kael had implied that this would be hard, but this was the hardest part of all. He had faced his own father slightly more then twenty four hours in the past and attempted, and failed, to convince him of his side of the story. They only saw the worst of what had happened...rumour, and the media, saw to that.
"Think of it what you will, Dad...none of what happened was my fault. There are forces out there on the edge of our space that defy explanation, and we came up against those forces...*I* came up against them, and survived their attack. We don't have to like it, but Walther and I came away with our lives, Dad. Isn't that enough?"
The elder Westcastle snorted. "Easy for you to say. But now I have to put up with the comments from the rest of the family..all the ones who were so proud to see you get through the Academy, receive assignment to a deep space command, in a position that MEANT something. Now what do we have, son? Discreditation, humilation..."
"Dad...you've got to stop this!"
"Hah!...you understand *nothing*! It's easy for you to say these things, William...it's less easy for me to live around what you've created."
Walther watched William slowly exhale another, long, breath. "Fine. I guess it's time we were leaving, then. No use in me staying around to make the situation worse...or convince you otherwise."
"You're leaving...right. So where will you go, son?" The elder Westcastle's voice remained as harsh as a grate. "You have to earn a living, after all!"
"Io, for starters..and then outsystem to the colonies. It's no good me staying around here, Dad. Earth has no draw at the moment, and we'll only get political pressure from the higher-ups, as our superiors noted...they don't like to see failures out in the open, as I'm sure you know."
"Hmm...yes. There is that Babylon place, though, isn't there?"
"A possibility, I'll agree...but enough. I've taken up enough of your time, Dad, you've got your life to live, too."
* * *
Chronicles Log, Entry IX, (realtime) December 10, 2258.
I write this from the antiquated comfort of a cross-system transport. At the moment, we are almost out of Earth space, heading for Io, which we hope to reach sometime around Christmas Day. It's been a hell of a few weeks, but I finally have time again to write down a few thoughts.
The break we made with our families, with Earthforce, almost with everything we know, has to have been for the best...there must be SOMETHING to show for this thing that we've done...to show us that Zathras and G'kael are right about this. Is it enough to know that the Enemy is out there, waiting, planning, getting ready for their first move, whatever and whenever that will be? Is it enough to say that we are part of a movement beginning to counter that threat? A threat that almost NOBODY knows about?
Is it enough to go on the promise I made to Jennie over a month ago, to meet her, to hold hard to what we're building on? A bridge between someone dedicated to finding the truth behind the lies, and another dedicated to viewing the passage of history, and collecting the results? It has to be enough.
It has to be.
* * *
Two Weeks later...near the Jovian jump gate.
Silent, alone, the Earth Alliance Jovian transfer point orbited silently through the massively charged environment of the Jovian magnetic field, and was unaffected by it. A technology older then the human race would not be affected by something as paltry as electromagnetism, and the vast array of ship activity plying the routes above Jupiter's ocher clouds only proved that the race operating the gate was agressively utilizing that technology to its own ends.
All of a sudden, sensors chimed in on the nearby Transfer point station, and deep, searing flashes ran alone the tines of the gate, as the Quantium-40 nodes on the tines readied, and then pushed their rift through into hyperspace. As sudden as that, the blue-shifted wormhole reared open, and spat out a tiny, by relative scale, dilapatated freighter...
* * *
"Uggh." Jennie muttered, as the Jovian cloudscape spun into being, Io ahead and below, and the two of the four remaining Galilean moons ahead and outwards. "Wild ride." Enough jumps for a while, girl, she told herself, keying in the comm system.
"Transfer station, Transfer station, this is the freighter STARDANCER, out of Proxima III, with cargo for the EarthForce yards at Io. Request vectoring to unloading station and return course to dock at transfer station, over."
"This is Io Control, STARDANCER, your request is authorized. Proceed into vectored orbit layer 50 Jovian relative for intercept to Earthforce unloading facility. Return course will be authorized upon departure from above location..over."
"Thanks, Io Control...STARDANCER out."
Well, that seemed relatively simple. Maybe I'll actually get to be someplace I can enjoy Christmas for once.
Too bad there's nobody to enjoy it with yet, though...
* * *
December 29th, 2258. Io Transfer Station...Concourse.
"Took long enough to get here." Gideon commented, as Westcastle disembarked onto the Concourse behind him. "What a lovely way to spend Christmas...on a transport half way between here and there, and detoured half way out the beyond just to make sure we don't interfere with our dear President's touring procession!"
"Relax about the tour, Walther. We're here on a mission, as I'm sure you realize. A certain young lady we made a bargain with had better be here by now."
"She will be." Walther sighed, and looked around the bustle of the station corridors. If you looked far enough along the corridor, you could easily see the curve of the torus, running around the node below their feet. Spin gravity always seemed to give him a headache, for some reason, though. Earthforce personnel far outnumbered anyone else on the station, but transfer points *were* transfer points, and you could find shopkeepers anywhere people met and passed through...and one of those businesses had operated on the Concourse at Io ever since the station had opened, and become famous as a result, especially for surviving the Earth-Minbari War.
That place was Mandrag's Grill...and a sorrier, but more interesting spot, was rare to find. Food from all across the known galaxy...if you were brave enough to try it, that is.
"She said she'd be here." William continued, his newly bought longcoat flowing in the slight breeze of the station's conditioning system. "Four hours, centred on 1200. So where..."
"Hello, stranger." a whispered voice called from behind, and William whirled, with Walther just behind him...and he just about lost it at that point. G'kael had warned them Jennie wouldn't look the same as she had, but this...well! From leather boots to fibercomp jacket to dyed black hair, *and* a scar??!? on her cheek, Jennie it was, but what a change!
Go get her, Will...
He did.
* * *
Chronicles Log, Interlude.
Celia Zandar, she said. I'm Celia Zandar...remember that, for where we can be overheard. I'm Celia Zandar.
Okay, fine...Christmas came late this year!
* * *
Jan 1, 2259. The end of the Beginning.
"Wake up. You missed most of the party."
"Wha..."
Jennie smiled, and drew the covers more tightly around herself. Over their heads, a portal faced outwards to the stars, and against those stars, the commerce of the Jovian system danced its stately dance. Back together at last...and Will had more then made up for the seperation of the last few days. It had been worth it, in her eyes...
"C'mon, Will, wake up!...we'll miss the arrival of Earth Force 1 if we don't hurry."
"Uh huh. Whatever..."
Fool. She laughed, and then reached over for the glass of champagne on the nightstand.
And then, a flare of light flashed against the covers...and became an inferno of light. Startled, Jennie looked up into the portal, and gasped. Deep against the ocean of stars, a bloom of fire spread. A bloom of...destruction? What the; no...
It couldn't be.
At the door to their tiny quarters, a urgent chime sounded, and not withstanding William's sudden start, she leapt to the floor, throwing clothes on in haste. "Yes?"
"'Celia'." Walther's voice spoke urgently...emotionally...through the link. "Get up; get Will up, right *now*. We've got a problem... hell, no, the whole *Alliance* has a problem!"
"What? It's, that explosion..." No way!
"Not just an explosion; worse then that...ah hell..." At that point, Walther lost his cool. "Earth Force One. I just heard; it's station wide, on the link. Earth Force One, just...
Blew Up."
As simple as that; and sharper then daggers. Jennie's hand went numb, and seconds later, the glass of champagne shattered against the deck.
* * *
Chronicles Log, 2258...Final Entry.
So in the beginning did we see ourselves as knowing it all, and in the end we proved nothing of the sort. In a year where the Enemy nearly killed me twice and the President of the Earth Alliance killed on what should have been a day of happiness for us all; where do we go next...what do we do next?
It is clear enough that no one is safe. It is clear enough that everything is changing...and that everything will be changed by what has happened. I am trying not to be emotional about this, but it is *hard*. If this was an accident...then may Luis Santiago rest in peace. If not, then God help those who have done this...and preserve them from those of us who know something of the truth. For we will not stop until the truth is revealed and action taken...and we will stalk them down wherever they are, and end the lies.
So do I swear.
* * *
In the darkness, a man laughed. It was done...over at last! Those who might have threatened him destroyed or humbled, banished from his sight. Now, *he* held the power.
** "They spoke down from above, and cast down on us the boon of pursuit and watchfulness. Beliefs we knew not...compassion we knew not, and in the hinterlands, at the focus, the path found us, not us the path.
In the darkness between the void, we knew the terror of what was to come...faced it, and saw our destiny. Pawns they saw us as... but pawns with the fury of swords.
In the fires of the deep, we endured the hopelessness of greed, and accepted what was to be. As a circle has no end, so would we start at the beginning and return to the end, and break the cycle forever.
And in the arms of another, there would we find the only candles still burning in the darkness..." **
From "The Book of the Observer" as published in the Mid 33rd Century, Earth Reckoning
Next: RIMSTALKER II: DESTINY'S CALL ushers in the Earth Year 2259 for the Rimstalker, the Observer and the man who is presently their companion, Walther Gideon, as they arrive at that place where all roads end...Earth Alliance Space Station Babylon 5...and find that their arrival has been anticipated by certain higher powers.