**They tried to tell us that it couldn't be done, that to try was to commit suicide. And in the past, that would have been the case; with the mile or more long capital ships of pre-Shadow war vintage, any entry into a planetary atmosphere would have been a death run. But then, Captain Sheridan proved that it was possible; did anyone really believe it would take us long to emulate him?"**
From the Chronicles Log of William Westcastle, Late Apr 2260
* * *
Apr 11th, 2260.
"Bloody Hell." Commander Alwhin muttered. "Not taking any chances, are they??"
Bethany shook her head wearily. The fleet group that had just jumped into the system contained ten ships to her eight, and three of those were Omega Class Destroyers...the ACHERON, the DAEDALUS and the YEAGER. The jump in had happened at a range of less then thirty thousand kilometers, and her ships were close to being effectively surrounded.
Effectively was the word. The trap was well set...but not impossible to escape from.
"Message coming in, Captain."
Bethany turned to the nearby comm screen, and winced; she knew that face...the face of one her closer friends in the Fleet.
Until now, that was.
"This is Captain Elizabeth Lochley of the Earth Alliance Destroyer ACHERON to Rebel fleet commander. You are hearby ordered to stand your vessels down, surrender, and prepare to be boarded in accordance with the Executive Order issued by President Clark. Failure to comply with these orders..."
Okay, enough of that. "All vessels, launch fighters." She nodded at her comm officer..and the fateful channel was opened. "This is Captain Bethany Tikopai of the Earth Alliance destroyer NIOBE to Captain Lochley. The executive order in question is in violation of the Earth Alliance Constitution; as such, the officers, men and women of this fleet must regretfully decline to accept your order, since we do not accept the authority of President Clark to impose his autocratic rule upon the people we have sworn an oath to protect!"
"Brave words, Captain!" Captain Lochley replied, her eyes glinting dangerously. "But it's not our job to decide how the People should be ruled, and President Clark imposed his order because of the Times. NOW, if you do not stand down your fighters, Captain, we will forced to impose lethal force against you and your group; please, Captain!...don't do this."
"Orders, ma'am?" Commander Alwhin inquired.
Bethany quickly keyed in several more commands, cutting the other side's commander off from the inter-group comm lines. A pang of regret passed through her, and was ruthlessly put aside. Beliefs were beliefs, and their's was set. "Lieutenant Gage?"
"Captain?" the voice of the group CAG quickly returned.
"Lieutenant, you are to move your squadrons into firing range; but do not, I say, DO NOT, be the first to open fire; let them take the first shot."
"Is that your answer, Captain?" a frankly, it seemed, disbelieving Elizabeth Lochley asked, as the dozens of fighters in the fleet moved towards their battle stations. "You must understand that I can give you no more chances?"
Communication was briefly resumed, but to say one thing, and one thing, only. "I do; see my above statement. Tikopai out." Bethany turned to her exec. "Take us to battle stations, Commander. Weapons crews on full standby; the instant the other side opens fire, you will return fire. We have to clear a path to escape, that is our only recourse."
"Understood." Another check. "Enemy fighters entering firing range...and firing! Main batteries standing by."
Her gaze became level and cold. "Once more into the breach it is, then, Commander. Open fire."
* * *
Proxima III.
The harsh lines and planes of this world still felt unfinsihed to him, but he had made it to this place, at least...which was something that could not be said for the rest of his family. The harsh cauldron of regret and rage rolled within him again...at seeing Miriam dragged away by the Nightwatch, her face a mask of terror, of trying to warn his brother and their family, his daughter and her husband, and realizing it was already too late.
He shook his head bitterly. it was always the same, and if he could, he would have blamed it on his only son, but that wasn't fair at all. If there was anything William had taught him, that moment, over a year ago now, when he had left Earth behind for the unknown, it was this; no one could be trusted...and any who spoke against the Government in its present state would suffer. As it was, it was only after calling in every favour he was owed that he had escaped from the hands of the Nightwatch, during the time of chaos only just past...and now, he was here: a wasteland refuge, beneath the bloody light of Proxima...without his wife, his family, and nearly, it seemed, without hope.
Charles Westcastle sighed deeply, and ran a hand through his ash colored hair. Two messages had come from his son since that long ago parting, and neither were entirely clear. The most recent had reached him in early February, and interestingly enough, it seemed that William had arrived at a certain position of authority on Babylon 5...though what the position entailed had not been made clear, either. Perhaps, all being well, there would be a chance to reach the station before the hammer fell over this place...if and when that happened, no escape would be possible.
A movement caught his eye, and he turned, to see a rather surprising sight. Rupert Harkel, the man in the Resistance who had lead him to this refuge, high above a cliff of deception and death, had returned...and with him, walked a dark haired, serious girl, just, it appeared, entering that phase of adolescence that presaged the changes to come.
"Mr. Westcastle...good day."
"I would ordinarily return that greeting, Mr. Harkel, however, we both know that this is not a good day, week, or month, for that matter."
Harkel nodded grimly. "The news is not good, as you say, but those who helped to save you and get you out of Earthspace continue their struggle."
"Without force and belief, the struggle, for now, is meaningless. Earth lies under the boot now, and it is only a matter of time before that boot spreads to the rest of the Alliance."
"Indeed; while we have not done well in the initial struggle, and everyone's hand is against us, you must know that as long as we struggle, hope is never lost. The colonial council has, as you know, joined with Mars and the Orion Colonies in refusing to enact President Clark's order of Martial Law..."
"As expected." He shifted a flinty gaze to the teenage girl accompanying Harkel. "And who, may I ask, is this young wraith?"
"Wraith *indeed*..." the girl replied sharply. "I will have you know, Mr. Westcastle, that I am far more then that...both to those who run, and those who follow. My mother survived the Battle of the Line because of me, and now, the Government wants me badly because of who she is, and what she is doing."
He raised one eyebrow in inquiry.
"Her name is Julia Tikopai, Mr. Westcastle; I have told you in the past of the actions of General Hague, have I not? Yes, of course I have; well..Julia's mother is one of the General's prime deep space group commanders, and as such, if the government can capture her, blackmail and threats could easily follow. Captain Tikopai is far more valuable to the Cause where she is, and as such, young Julia cannot be allowed to fall into their hands."
He nodded somberly. "So...can I assume you are asking me to fall back on the training on my youth, and protect both myself and this youngster from the Enemy?"
"If you wish to consider it so, then so be it. Perhaps, Mr. Westcastle, it will give you more reason to hope."
He looked into Julia Tikopai's steady gaze once more, and shook his head in wonder. Protector; a role he hadn't played in a very long time. Maybe some of what Harkel said did make sense...
* * *
"Please don't tell me how you managed to get a hold of this transjet." Julia muttered, as her newfound protector shut the port side maintenance hatch with a resounding clang. The Sun was almost gone...time to be indoors.
"When the Loyalists come, it will be time for us to move on from this place." Charles informed her with a steady gaze. "And the more we move, the less likely it is that they will find us; for the Nightwatch is quite insistent about such things, girl, regardless of whether this colony has seceded or not. The more we move, the better chance we have at staying free. There are airfields scattered all around this world, and people who will help us, never fear."
"If you say so." Julia turned her gaze to the fading light overhead. "I wish I knew that Mother was all right...this isn't going to be easy, on any of us."
"I'm sure she's just fine, Julia. Don't lose hope."
* * *
A massive shudder rang through the NIOBE's habitat section, and Bethany grimaced as both the rear and forward fusion lasers, as well as the interceptors, returned fire. The fighting had been fierce, and all of the fleet ships were damaged, now, to some extent, but they had destroyed one of Lochley's cruisers, and three more, including the Omega Class Destroyer DAEDALUS, were near to dead in space; it had not gone all their way, however, Iain McRobert's escort Nova, the ARMAGHAST, was already being boarded, thousands of kilometers behind the main battle line.
She quickly wiped away the sticky blood on her brow, drawn from the ACHERON's first strike on her ship. The price of belief was now making itself WELL known.
"Twenty-five percent damage to rear decks." her exec informed her, his gaze steady, and almost disbelieving...how had it come to this? Even she couldn't answer that one. "Damage control enroute...if we take another hit like that one, though, Captain, we're going to have to stop rotation."
"Understood..stand by on zero grav, as necessary. Fleet status?"
"Captain McRobert's group has just moved clear, Captain, they're standing by, ready to jump." Alwhin sighed. "At least they'll get clear, it doesn't look like we've got much of a chance." Then the Commander's eyes went wide, and then narrow with hurt and shock..."Oh my God! The ENDYMION!"
"Redirect forward fire to cover them!" she ordered, part in desperation, as she watched the ACHERON and the YEAGER bear down on the cruiser. But would it be enough?
As she watched, both destroyers fired simultaneously, and a brilliant flash erupted along the ENDYMION's flank. She rose from her chair, a dark pit of despair growing within, to see the mainline girders of the escort shudder, and then explode. The instigators paid an instant later, however, as NIOBE's forward batteries blew an enormous hole straight through the YEAGER'S fighter bays, and Lieutenant Gage's Thunderbolt squadron ran dozens of long, deep black scars along the warship's drive section, while the rest of the Starfuries fought off their Loyalist counterparts. But some of those she lead had already paid the price...
A instant of silence fell over the bridge, and then Alwhin spoke for them all. "ENDYMION destroyed, ma'am; but the Loyalists have disorganized. ARLINGTON and VIGILANT are moving to jump."
"They won't make it, Commander, not without our help. Half of their fighters are already gone, and a third of ours, as well."
"YEAGER's forward batteries are down, and she's lost drive capability, Captain, but ACHERON is coming into firing range."
You asked for this, Elizabeth, she mused; not me. Our beliefs have brought us to this point, but is it worth the price we've paid? She gritted her teeth, and began to say the order that would surely doom them to their deaths. It had already been worth it...the holding action had already been enough to allow Iain and most of his group to jump... and if it was up to them to draw the irate fire of the remaining loyalists, then so be it.
And then...Deitrich Alwhin's eyes went wide, with both fear, and a shade of hope. "Captain! Two jump points opening, behind the ACHERON!"
What the Hell? The breath caught in her lungs...could it be?
The twin, fiery blue vortexes irised open, and spat out three ships, one destroyer and two cruisers...all of which immediately fired. One of the laser salvos from the destroyer nailed the ACHERON along its drive section, and the upper drive units were instantly enveloped in a fireball. Nearby, another Loyalist cruiser died...but there was no time to sightsee.
"ACHERON'S lost power, ma'am, if temporarily; that wasn't a critical hit."
"Noted; stand by." And then, the transmission she had been waiting for came in..
"This is Captain Hardishane of the THESEUS to the NIOBE; Captain Tikopai, do you respond?"
She nodded to Alwhin in almost insane relief, and the link was made. "You've obviously heard the old motto about the cavalry, Captain...as it is, I'm VERY glad to see you right now!!"
"Understood." Hardishane's gruff voice responded, as his small group passed through, fighters and capital interceptors exchanging fire with the ACHERON and its fighter group. However, we've disorganized them just enough to help you out, Captain; I suggest you follow your escort's example and get the hell out of here...out."
"Noted." She turned to Alwhin, voice strained. "CAN WE JUMP?"
"Barely. The fusion drive is a little unstable, but jump engines are online; course?"
"Away, that's all that important, for now." She looked around the smoky, damaged bridge, and staunchly kept hold of her emotions. Orion VII had been a mistake of the worst caliber, but they had survived the trap, if barely. Two of her ships had either been lost or destroyed, and the remainder would take some time to repair.
But it could be done...it had to be done.
"Lieutenant Gage and Captain Hardishane are covering our backs, Captain; jump engines on line."
"Very well then. As Captain Hardishane so aptly put it, let's get the hell out of here!"
* * *
The flickering light and damage reports said it all to her knowing eyes. Sharp eyebrows rose in disgust and, at the same time, recognition of the secondary trap the other side had pulled on her. It had been a coup of the highest caliber, and even with the ships she had bought into the battle, surprise had still been the key to victory. Outside her ship, the rubble of cruisers and shattered fighters spun through space in its dance of death. It was all such a waste.
"Report."
"We'll in drydock for at least two months, Captain; as it is, we're going to have to be damn careful on the way; even a little bit of upset will be enough to make the reactor go critical."
"So, the story is minimal power, and little or no weaponry."
"Yes, ma'am."
I've got to hand it to you, Bethany, she thought. Even when we were friends, you sure knew how to ruin my day.
* * *
Charles eyed the craft pursuing them, and tried not to despair. Scant hours before, two Earth warships had jumped into the system, and immediately set about the process of blockading Proxima III, while on the surface, groups of Resistance and Nightwatch, hidden until now, fought one another. The group following them, however, had no pursuing Resistance fighters, and flew faster airjets then his. The outcome, he supposed, was inevitable...
* * *
"You're sure?"
"We're nearly there; she needs our help...and another, someone familiar to you. Put aside your doubts, William, and just do it, or see what Kosh showed you come true."
"Sha'vei, this is a BAD idea! I think we're already within..."
"Talion...I'm going to make this VERY clear to you, and consider this an order from the Sha'vei, not your friend. Activate jump engines, and take us out on Brianna's say; stand by on gravimetric projectors."
"Now!" Brianna cried.
William frowned as the White Star 2 transitioned to realspace. How did you define 'familiar'??
* * *
What happened in the next ninety seconds would stay with him for the rest of his life. In the copilot's seat beside him, Julia jumped, as two PPG blasts passed their craft...the pursuit was getting impatient, it seemed. And then, she gasped in amazement, and a spear of shock passed through HIM, as well..
Behind the pursuit, the atmosphere twisted, and opened up into (Lord of lords!) a jump point...out of which sprang a tiny, violet and white, BLINDINGLY fast ship. In an instant measured in fate, the cruiser swept by the suddenly disorganized Nightwatch pursuit, and an instant after that, was over them. He had just enough time to see a blur, when everything seemed seemed to suddenly -stretch- and he realized, rather abruptly, that they had been captured, SOMEHOW, by the surprise arrival.
"Gravimetric beams.." Julia breathed out, her face a mask of wonder. "Oh my! They've just GOT to be Minbari!"
"Are you trying to frighten me, girl?" he growled.
"No, of course not, Charles!...only stating the facts as I see them." Julia replied, now completely straight faced.
They were going to find out quite soon the answer, however, as the powerful beams drew the airjet into the ship's shuttle bay...and only just soon enough, as ahead of them, the atmosphere twisted into the orangy-yellow drain of an exit point...they were spared, however, seeing the agonizing murk of hyperspace, as the bay doors closed behind them.
* * *
The air untwisted, the howl faded...and the target had, beyond a doubt, vanished. The Nightwatch members looked at one another in consternation as their pilot finally regained control of their airjet. A jump into the atmosphere? No one was EVER going to believe this!
"What do we tell them?"
"I haven't got a clue..they're not going to like the answer, though."
"So what do we do?" the junior inquired, almost desperately.
The leader sighed. "Defect...it's safer then the alternative, don't you think?"
* * *
"You saw WHAT?" the captain of the orbiting destroyer inquired, his face openly displaying his disbelief.
"I'm telling you, sir, the energy signature looked like a ship jumping into Proxima III's atmosphere, and then out again. Nothing else makes sense!"
The captain harrumphed. "Don't be ridiculous, Mister!...nothing in known space can jump inside a planetary atmosphere; any ship that tried would slam into the ground, and be destroyed. Find me another explanation for those mysterious disturbances of yours."
The tech just sighed, and went about his business.
* * *
While Julia seemed perfectly calm, he was finding it very hard not to panic. Upon leaving their airjet, they had been met by several grave-faced Minbari, both dressed in similar, black cloaked uniforms with a emerald jewel on the right breast, and those had then escorted them through the airy, violet-tinged corridors of this impossible ship. No words were said, and no response given to inquiries, but it was quite clear where they were supposed to go.
The doors ahead of them slid open, to reveal, to his amazement, a red-haired human woman, with several more humans beyond. She bowed towards Julia. "Welcome...Prodigal Daughter...I am Brianna Tolmanes."
"That's one of the more interesting greetings I've received in my life." Julia replied, looking around the bridge as they walked in. "Would you care to elaborate on why you greeted me in that fashion..and more importantly, to Charles and I, what this all means?"
"She would." a voice announced, a voice he found all too surprisingly familiar, as William rose from the command seat, a small smile of mysterious welcome on his face, wearing the same black and brown uniform as the rest. "Father, but since I command this White Star, that task falls to me."
It took a moment for him to compose himself. "William! I...well this is apparently going to be one HELL of a tale."
William smiled. "You could say that, yes."
But then, the reunion was interrupted...shockingly so. Another of the humans onboard turned to his son. "Sha'vei, message incoming; it is Delenn."
He watched his son stiffen into his command posture, and, with a sigh, stood aside, turned...and jumped, as a curtain of light sank from above, revealing the face of Ambassador Delenn, familiar to him from the ISN newscast the previous year. Delenn, at the moment, appeared to be only just barely composed enough to talk to his son...something was going on, but what?
"Sha'vei Westcastle, I understand that Ambassador Kosh directed you on a rescue mission. I will assume you have successfully concluded this endeavour?"
"Of course; what do you require of us, Delenn?"
"You and your crew will rendezvous with the Grey Council flagship immediately, it should be no more then a four or five hour trip for you. I will be coming aboard your White Star when you rendezvous, prepare for that arrival."
"Forgive me, but what of the first White Star?"
"The timing is unfortunate, Sha'vei; the first White Star is currently being repaired and tested, there is no other available but YOURS."
"And our mission?"
"To save all we hold dear."
"I understand, Delenn. White Star Two out." As the image of the Minbari vanished, William turned to him. "Forgive me, Father, but I must ask you and your young charge to retire to quarters onboard. Until this is over, there will be no time for us to talk; Talion will show you to your quarters until our return to Babylon 5."
"Hold on now!...before we go, William, answer me two, very simple, questions...what have you become, and where are we going??"
"I am a Ranger, Father...and, to put it simply, we are very likely going into Hell; does that tell you what you need to know?"
He sighed, and nodded, as Julia and he were guided from the bridge. He should have known better then to ask!
* * *
Hear me now, I Observe; this was where it all changed; where it all began, and where it all ended.
* * *
Here me now, I Follow; this is the *rest* of the story.
Next: Apr 13, 2260...the day that everything changed, as seen from the other side's point of view, and a few others! "Divisions of Triumph", the dramatic, sixth part of "Dark Circle" coming soon.