- Remark attributed to Commander Susan Ivanova upon the revelation of the First White Star prototype, Jan 2260
* * *
Dec 7th, 2259...
William nodded his head in satisfaction, as behind, the rest of the cadre broke into instant and animated discussion. Less then a hundred kilometres ahead of their ship, and closing, two violet and white starships hung in space together...ships based on a promise...ships built of necessity.
"At last, Tashann. At *last* we can begin to do what must be done. But you surprise us all the same, I think...we were told that there would be one to start with?"
"Varanel, who you have met, informed me of this while we on Babylon 5, Val'na. The first full size ship stands to the left in the formation. Her name, as you know, is the 'White Star', the first of many to come. Varanel himself commands the smaller experimental prototype known as the 'Crystal Star'...of all the designs leading up to the full size warship we will be testing, that vessel is the first to include a White Star jump engine. In all other respects, however, the Crystal Star possesses less firepower, lesser maneuverability, and little regenerative capability."
"But...we need someone to practice *against*."
"Precisely. The White Star will, when fully commissioned, outmaneuver and, all being well, outfight anything else in her class or better...and the Crystal Star prototype is the nearest equal we currently possess for field testing, to prove this case."
"And it's our job, of course, to report back to the Entil'zha on the readiness state of the White Star, before anything else happens."
"As you well know. However, for the present, I would suggest that you pay closer attention to your piloting then the task ahead. Our destination grows *quite* near."
William chuckled, and turned his attention back to the task at hand.
* * *
Chronicles Log, Interlude, December 7th, 2259.
My step onboard the White Star at the beginning of that fateful mission was an exercise in deja vu...the background noise, so unfamiliar and familiar at the same time, stopped me in my tracks...and it took me a moment to focus on what it meant to me...and then I understood...and more or less succeeded at hiding the shock at that understanding from those around me.
The background noise...faint chimes...notes of silence and grandeur...called to me from the future I had seen during our mission into the rift; the memory of Jennie holding me against a background of *that* noise exactly...a White Star, in Earth Orbit, age unknown. They *would* be built, it was inevitable, whether or not it is this one we were on, I do not yet know.
* * *
"Oh boy..." Jennie muttered, casting her eyes around. "This doesn't look good at all."
While the background 'thrum' of the White Star's engines was smooth and constant, the image of normality they had all been expecting was yet to be found. Temporary testing stations were set up throughout the ship, and Minbari of the Religious caste bustled back and forth on their tasks, beneath the floors, above the ceilings, and everywhere else that mattered.
"Fear not, Jennifer." Dreann commented, turning to her comrade. "It may appear...unorganized, but I assure you that safety is paramount among the thoughts of those attending us here. Those with us must be sure of this vessel's capabilities before the next are constructed. Any problems that still exist must be corrected before the first mission against the Enemy is undertaken...many have already been elliminated, but there *may* still be some that have not as yet been found. That, of course, is our task."
She shook her head, and then sighed. "Forgive me...it's just that every fighter, cruiser or destroyer I've ever been on has been in top shape. I've never been on a starship that's going thorugh a shakedown cruise before!"
"Understandable; but think on this...in the near future, the Anla'shok will be called upon to command these vessels once they begin to appear in their multitudes. We are the first of the Rangers to be given this chance; a vision of the future, of what is to come. And there is *no* doubt at all that once the Fleet comes into being, we will be given command of these ships. You call such a position, 'Captain', do you not?"
Jennie turned in mid-stride, and focussed a sharp gaze on Dreann. "We do...but the Rangers are all equal in some ways, and different in others. As for commanding such a ship as this, I have my reservations. William, now...his path towards such a command may be inevitable, but I would be more then content to serve at his side as First on *his* White Star when the time comes...this you should have understood without asking."
Dreann nodded politely.
* * *
William turned in the bridge, his gaze uncertain...and a little annoyed. "Tashann?"
"Yes, Val'na?"
"There's no captain's *seat*."
Tashann's brow rose, and then he nodded. "You must understand, Val'na, that our war cruiser commanders do not sit down in our vessels. We have found it...best to remain standing in order that the full picture, do you say?...can be seen.
William sighed. The differences between them did not crop up often, but in the end, sooner or later, some were *bound* to appear. "*That's* definitely going to have to be corrected...eventually. We are less comfortable standing up in battle, Tashann...far less, I assure you. And the White Star fleet is, eventually, going to have a *lot* of human commanders."
"Your comments are noted. It is unclear who the first fighting commander of this vessel will be, but if a similar response is noted, we will *likely* implement your... suggestion. For now, however, Val'na, the White Star is yours to command. Tell us our destination, and the crew will act. The Crystal Star will follow us to that destination."
William thought for a moment, and then turned to catch Jennie's eye over at the weapons station...and nodded; of *course*. He turned, thought for minute, and then...in Minbari, no less, even though the language came less easily to him then it did to Jennie..."Bring jump engines on line. Set course for the Dilgar system."
Space twisted ahead of the two warships, and a short time later, the stars shone alone.
* * *
Dec 12th, 2259. Neiphros Prime.
"What do you want?" Walther calmly inquired, as before him, the Neiphros ambassador angrily leaned forward, spines agitated.
"Your question is meaningless."
"Is it? Come now...we have all heard the stories of what this represents. The Centauri even now reach out their hands to grasp on the specter of the past...while the Drazi, the Brakiri and the other *strong* races look to their borders and their neighbours with suspicion and distrust. The war is spreading, and soon enough, if things continue, the galaxy will catch fire. Neiphros possesses a less powerful navy then many of your neigbours...and the Brakiri are near enough to concern you. If *they* reach out their hand, what chance do you stand? So I say again...what do you want?"
"What do *we* want?" the Neiphros ambassador angrily replied. "Security. Safety. To be left alone. To be left in peace."
"Impossible. With your status, you would be crushed."
"What do you propose?"
"Only a mutual treaty of respect between my associates and your government. If the Neiphros are attacked, you may request aid from my associates...and they will respond, I *assure* you."
A glint of suspicion emerged in the Ambassador's eye. "And what *fee* must we pay for this assistance?"
Walther laughed politely. "Fee? No fee will be asked. No...my associates require nothing from you...except, perhaps, several small favors...one for now, and one, perhaps, if all goes as planned, for later."
"Explain."
"You are, I take it, familiar with the Dilgar system?"
The Neiphros ambassador snarled. "The Dilgar system is a dead system, radiation-blasted, as was the Dilgar's due. Nothing lives there now."
"But of course. However, the Dilgar system is, shall we say, a little *closer* to your worlds then you would like...as you and yours found out during the Dilgar War...they could reach you all too easily from their place of power...and they hurt you *badly*. For now, however, the Dilgar system is, I fear, *not* as dead as you believe."
"The Dilgar *return*?"
"No...of course not...*worse*. The powers that be plot against you, Ambassador...enemies of the Neiphros and of my associates move among the dead rubble...collecting information... plotting and watching."
"Intolerable! They must be *stopped*...they must be STOPPED, denied their attempt, destroyed, anhillated! We will *not* be threatened."
Walther nodded, and smiled the 'smile'. "No. Of course not, Ambassador."
* * *
<He is doing what should not be done.>
<The Stalker has denied him his place in the universe. Denied him his right to life. Denied him what he is, what he was, and what he will be. We will let him do what he is doing...for now. It is futile, of course... but he will make the attempt nontheless>
<This must change...and soon. We will return to Z'ha'dum.>
<Eventually. But first, let chaos run its course.>
<Agreed.>
* * *
Dec 14th, 2259. Dilgar system.
Great clouds of gas hid most of the stars in this place, legacy of hate, legacy of death. Even this far from the Dilgar primary, the energy expended by the destruction of the system primary displayed its lethal effects. Every one of the gas giant moons in the system possessed two faces...one cold and cratered, as it had always been, the other glassily melted by the rage of that not-so-long-ago blast. The destruction was total...the silence, complete.
And then, not, as around the fractured lim of the nearest moon, two tiny warships leapt into view, and blazed a violent track across the heavens...
* * *
"One-Eighty-Flip complete.." Talion tersely reported from the rear station. "Centrifugal shear stresses 2% above design maximum, and dropping."
William shook his head, and turned to Tashann, who nodded. "We've *got* to get rid of that shear stress, Tashann. White Stars in true combat are going to have to make high speed breaks on a regular basis. We *cannot* afford to be thrown around the bridge every time we have to avoid a Shadow weapons strike!"
"Understood." Tashann spoke tersely through the intra-ship comm system, and then turned. "Artificial gravity systems now compensated. The design group suggest that we repeat the procedure."
"Do so." This time, William barely felt the shudder of forces as the White Star turned itself end over end and accelerated aft at well over five Earth gravities, and then the shuddering vanished completely.
"Equilibrium attained."
"Finally." Jennie commented wryly. "I can almost believe that you were actively *trying* to make me ill."
William gave her a hard stare, and then they both smiled. "Next?"
"Weapons test on primary and secondary batteries; direct simulated combat with the Crystal Star, approach from unknown vector, response time test."
"Proceed."
Slightly more then twenty minutes passed, and then, a relatively tiny jump point opened above and ahead of them, and for a time measured only by adrenalin, the two warships jigged and jagged and traded simulated weapons fire across the lurid Dilgar sky. All during the maneuvers, he felt his love's eyes on his back as she concentrated on the task at hand...*this* was a taste of what was to come...in more ways then they could understand.
"Test complete." Tashann looked at the statistics, and nodded approvingly. "We have achieved our goal of..."
A sudden, sharp chime broke the Minbari's words off. "Strange; a disturbance is detected, in system." Tashann's eye grew narrow. "The local jump gate has come online... a vessel of destroyer class has emerged."
"Race?"
"Neiphros." Jennie announced tersely. "They are active-sweeping the system, William...I think they've found us, they just jumped again."
"The Crystal Star hails us, Val'na."
"Let me speak to them." The curtain image split, and Varanel's face quickly appeared. "Your orders, Val'na?"
"It would be...unwise of us to antogonize the Neiphros, and equally unwise of us to reveal the existence of the White Stars to the galaxy for now. Make ready to turn, and..."
"We've got a jump point!" Talion exclaimed, and then, his face grew shocked. "In Valen's Name!...it's just about..."
William hid his face as the shockingly close blue flare of the point spread into a vortex, and another warship emerged, less then fifty kilometres ahead of them.
"Damnation!...didn't take them as long as I thought it would!"
"Distances in hyperspace are often deceptive, as you well know, Val'na. However, and more importantly, their weapon systems are active, they are..."
"Son of a..."
"Firing!"
Two, long orange beams reached out, and harmlessly struck off into space...a warning, then. The moment of shock that created lasted only a moment, and then, William turned, his eyes narrow. "I'm assuming that the captain of that destroyer has something to say us...I know the type, they *always* do."
Talion nodded. "Online." A harsh, snarling guttural tongue filled the air..."Translating. Unknown alien agressors, this is the destroyer VEU'NERROGANT'A, of the Neiphros Alliance Warfleet. Your presence in this system is proof of your agression towards the Alliance, you will surrender your vessels at once, or be *destroyed*"
William smiled. This was going to be the most interesting test of *all*. "Varanel...I'm just *guessing* that they don't know about our ace in the hole."
Varanel nodded...he knew *exactly* what William was talking about.
"Follow my mark...maximum acceleration." William smiled again, half mockingly, half grimly. "One high speed pass over their ship, avoid their weapons, into their blind spot, and then into hyperspace from there."
"We will follow your lead, Val'na. Do we fire on them in passing?"
"*NEGATIVE*. Do not engage."
"Understood. Crystal Star *out*."
"Is everyone ready?" William inquired, and looked around the bridge. Everyone seemed...eager...and believing. "Then...let's do it."
In an instant measured in history, the White Star and Crystal Star went from near stationary to a blur of sudden movement. Missiles and fusion laser leapt out from the Neiphros destroyer, trying to acquire, but the Ranger vessels simply moved too *quickly* for that. In a sudden blast of speed, they passed beneath the range of the quickly tracking (but not quickly enough) guns of the destroyer, low over its conning tower, and then down into the warm exhaust plume of the capital ship's fusion drive.
"Now!" William barked. "Jump engines online... and JUMP!"
It *almost* worked perfectly...but one firing crew on the Neiphros destroyer was all it took...and as the two Ranger vessels began the leap into hyperspace, a single set of interceptors homed in on the Crystal Star, and sheared off its port engine nacelle...the two ships, intact and lamed, carried by their momentum, flashed into hyperspace...and vanished.
* * *
Warleader V'nook'Savad shook his head savagely before turning to his First. "So. We had them in our sights, and they escaped. Impossible, I say!...how is it that ships THAT SMALL could possibly possess a jump drive?"
"We will be made as fools in the eyes of the other Warleaders." his First tersely replied. "Perhaps it would be best if...we announced that nothing was discovered in this cursed system?"
V'nook'Savad growled his irritation, and then, abruptly nodded. Better to save face then to admit that *this* had happened...no one would believe them. It was better to be silent.
* * *
In hyperspace...
"You're sure?"
"Quite sure, Val'na." Varanel replied, his image the image of discomfort. "The Weapon strike we received has created an imbalance in our drive systems. The design team has attempted to control it, but it is getting worse. This was not something we anticipated...and in less then six hours, at the present rate of deteriation, the drive system will reach critical, and detonate."
"You can't shut it down?" Jennie inquired. "We could tow you back to Minbari space."
"A prudent plan...but with the current instability, abandoning this vessel makes more sense."
"Abandon? And what should happen if the Neiphros discover the Crystal Star before she explodes, Varanel??"
Varanel gritted his teeth, and nodded. "I do not like it, Val'na, but you are correct. We must destroy this vessel, and return home onboard the White Star."
William nodded. "Join us onboard, and we will do what needs to be done."
* * *
Chronicles Log, Interlude.
The hardest order I'd ever given up to that point was the command to destroy the prototype upon which the White Star was based...damaged through an engagement that never should happened. How, in Valen's Name, did the Neiphros find out that we were there?...and, more importantly, from *who*?
The possibilities anger me.
However, the White Star has, by far, proven her worth in this incident, and no word of our encounter has arrived through the voices of the Rangers observing Neiphros space. Our supposition was correct; the preconceived notions of the Neiphros captain have kept our secrets...for now...and the White Star will shortly be commissoned at the first vessel to truly serve what is becoing an army...an Army of Light.
We cannot hope to have the same luck the next time, however.
* * *
Tuzanor...Dec 17th, 2259.
"Fate does not appear to treat you kindly, William." Sinclair commented, as a small ice storm appeared over the mountains to the north, and drifted down towards the compound. The weather would shortly be taking a turn for the worse.
"I try not to believe in fate, Entil'zha." William replied, as, overhead, the brilliant sun vanished into the clouds. "And prophecy is almost as bad. The Inquisitor taught us that."
"The Inquisitor...I see."
"What next would you have us do, Entil'zha?" Jennie inquired from nearby.
Sinclair smiled. "Rest."
"Entil'zha?"
"Please...I *insist*. What should have been a simple deep-space test of the first White Star turned into what you endured. Enough: find yourselves a place to sit back, and relax...and at least, for a little while, forget about the War, and the Shadows. I won't deny you and William time to enjoy the coming holiday...you have something precious, and it shouldn't be ignored."
"For how long, if I may ask, Entil'zha?"
Sinclair leaned over, and whispered something in William's ear.
William smiled.
Jennie scowled. "Now...that's not fair!"
"No...I guess not. But it is *fun*...and everyone should have a little fun once in a while."
Sinclair watched them go, a smile almost touching his face, as well.
* * *
Next: In search of a peaceful end to 2259, William and Jennifer arrive on Babylon 5, without all the usual extra baggage. What they find, of course, is something else entirely..(!)..the conclusion of "Destiny's Call", coming soon.