**"Now get the Hell out of our galaxy, the both of you!..."**
Remark attributed to Captain John Sheridan, in reference to the Vorlon and Shadow races, during the culminating moment of the confrontation at Corianna VI, early in the Earth Year 2261
* * *
Minbar. July 2315.
Andreas Walken sat back, gaze pensive, and finally spoke. "Impressive, and since you were there for a great deal of those events, all true. It seems to me that the whole point of this endeavour has been to tell the stories we know from points of view we could not have either believed or understood, before this. But what now can be told differently, if you do not mind my bluntness? All *know* what happened in the Corianna system, that fateful day!"
A flash of teeth in the darkness answered him, a smile of understanding and amusement, as well. "You are correct, Andreas, and you are not, at the same time...and by now, I know you well enough to understand, Valen willing, some of your thoughts. The outcome of that day was the same, of course, but some of the details may surprise you, still..."
* * *
Hyperspace. Late January, 2261. 15 hours before the assault on the Vorlon Observation Post...
The gravitational murk of hyperspace had, over time, hidden many things, and continued to hide them, but the four craft that appeared out of that murk had been moving at maximum burn for some time; only now, were they slowing, as they arrived at the rendezvous point they had been assigned. But before *that* rendezvous, another, less dramatic, but still important meeting would occur...
* * *
"Time to intercept with courier vessel, five minutes." Talion reported, as William reclined in the captain's chair of the White Star Four, and wrote. Soon enough, the Fleet would arrive at this place, but before that happened, there were a few other things that were, for all intents and purposes, still incomplete; primary among them, a letter he had been working on for some time now, and Shevak had assured him that a Drazi craft would take the missive to the location that William prayed the receipient still resided in...he smiled, and thought once more on the problem.
G'kael had done SO much for him and Jennifer...had started them on the road to what they were now. And if there was no return for them, if this battle was destined to be their last, then he intended G'kael to know of his final thoughts on what was...he owed that, at least, to the Narn. He looked down at the pad on his lap, and once more went over what was written there.
--**--
"When this letter finds you, friend, we will be about to rendezvous with the massed might of the Army of Light, under the command of that man the Entil'zha has sworn me to protect, even unto death. And this I will do, for he saved my life long ago, and more has occured since then, to make the bond a lasting one. But this strays from the matter at hand...an important matter, for we strive to shake the pillars of Heaven itself, to unseat the status quo...and the reason behind this attempt is as follows:
At this juncture, I find myself unable to accept what the First Ones inflicted upon us, and the reasoning behind it. Advancement through chaos and war set against unyielding order...and the rules they played by were civilized and barbaric at the same time; and death was the only result, but the death of others: *never* theirs.
During the whole time that lead up to this, the Shadows played their games unopposed...and as a result, old friend, when it came time for you and the others to play your hand, you paid the price for your beliefs. I'm sorry we couldn't be there for you in your time of need...but *we weren't ready yet*, and wouldn't be for over two years more.
But now...*now*, we stand as one! Thousands of ships, and dozens of races. The Swords have gathered, and the Rangers stand with them. We live for the One, and if necessary, we will die for the One, as well. We will stand at Corianna VI, and if we fail, then the galaxy will fall into Darkness...for who will be left to stop the fall?
But it may not come to this, my friend, and in due course, it may yet be safe for you to return to that which was stolen so harshly, that thing that may yet prove itself a prize the Centauri cannot hope to handle. And if this is so, and if my commanders can succeed at what they attempt, then we may YET see one another on the surface of Narn, and raise a toast to all those sacrificed, all those lost, all those friends who never made it, and all those who still stand by our side; and we will ask one another, was it all worth it? All the death, the destruction, the conspiracies, the rights and the wrongs?
What did it all mean, and what still lies ahead?
But for now, Jennifer and I walk in the Fire, and the future lies in the uncertainties of chance. Until it resolves into the here and now, I leave you with this missive, in Valen's Name.
Farewell.
*The Rimstalker*
--**--
William smiled, and with a single tap, transferred the message into the waiting data crystal. With a nod, Talion approached, took up the crystal, and left the bridge, while he appraised the presence of the Drazi courier off their starboard side, and smiled. G'kael would receive the message, if he was still at Narhlak. And if not...
Then the Drazi had promised they would search for him, until the message was receieved; until, at least, something stopped them in that attempt.
A something such as the chaos that might burn the galaxy from end to end, if the Army of Light failed in its attempt.
* * *
White Star Eleven, night watch; enroute within the Army of Light; three hours later.
She was so very tired, but Julia would not let that affect her, not until she knew that those she cared for were safe. White Star Four and her small assault unit had been incommunicado for some time now, as had been ordered by Captain Sheridan, and they would not resume communications until, and if, the Fleet arrived at the rendezvous point assigned to William's group.
That time was coming within the next *fifteen* minutes, and as such, she had asked Tashann if she could aid in Operations duties during the night hours, as he, Dreann and the primary bridge crew took their rest. The crew had their orders, and since Lareiken had been ordered to the conn during this time, there was little to worry about. Julia smiled, as she bored a gaze into the back of her friend; she was quite convinced that her Val'na had done that on purpose, of course.
Abruptly, a chime sounded on her board, and with a slight start, she looked down, and then up into Lareiken's patient, waiting gaze. She nodded slightly; Dreann had given her a refresher course on White Star bridge instrumentals operation just before their departure from Babylon 5, and like everything else pertaining to her curse of intelligence, those instructions had sunk in, and edited themselves in without fault. She passed her left hand over the crystals, and sighed in relief.
"Anla'shok Lakotal Tikopai." Lareiken said, his gaze direct. "Report your findings."
Julia smiled, slightly. 'Lakotal', in the Warrior Caste tongue, meant, 'Trainee'. Which she was...the progression was, and would continue to be, of course, longer then most. But for now that didn't matter: there was a job to do, and once again she had been called into action, far beyond her years...
"Sir, there are four vessels approaching the fleet!...Drazi, Vree and..." her smile widened, "Two White Stars."
Larieken nodded amiably. "As it should be; the Rimstalker returns to us; did you truly believe that he would fail in the task that Captain Sheridan assigned to him?"
"No; Valen, it seems, watches over them, as he watches over us all."
Larieken smiled, and conceded the point. "So it would seem."
And then, a more insistent chime caught her attention, and with a slightly shaking hand, she lightly touched another crystal. "Incoming message from White Star Four."
"Accept." Larieken barked, and the Ranger rose to his feet, as an image of William and Jennifer shimmered into being in front of them. "Sha'vei; it is well to see that you have returned to us safely."
"Well, indeed, Larieken." the Sha'vei replied, his gaze critical, if tired. "And while I had hoped to speak to Val'na Tashann, it would seem our arrival has been coincident with a rest period among the Fleet; this will wait, for now.
I do have another comment, however, and quite direct, pertaining to your present operations officer..." and with that, Julia fell, once again, into the hawk's glare of William's eyes...cold, but with a hint of thanks for her stand visible, as well. "Now that we have returned, it is time she went to her rest, as well, yes?"
"I had already...requested this of her, Sha'vei." Larieken replied, his voice amused, "But Anla'shok Lakotal Tikopai's stubbornness is already becoming legendary among the Rangers, as I am sure you realize and understand."
"Indeed. Julia?"
"Sir."
"You may consider that an *order*, if you like...you appear to be close to falling over!"
She nodded, half in relief, and half in thankfulness at the way out that William had provided her...and a saving of honour, as well. "I understand your words, and will comply...now that I know you're safe, sir, I can sleep with at least some ease."
"Do not sleep too deeply, Julia." William commented in closure, as she turned to leave the bridge. "You will, along with the rest of us, be needed in due course."
As the message concluded, she nodded, passing through the doors to wander slowly down the grand corridor of the White Star. As always, as of late, she kept herself unbowed, until she reached her quarters; and then, indeed, came close to a near faint.
No! She steadied herself to think, and sank into a slight meditative pose. That would *certainly* not do; a collapse was not what she wanted, there was still far too much to think about!
So much had brought them to this place and this time, a fleet that stretched back beyound the edge of visibility, a purpose that had sent squadrons of White Stars and League ships against Vorlon outposts in the last day and a half, all in aid of a hope that might not work at all! But it was their only hope to escape from this nightmare that the Shadow War had become...and they had to take the chance...
For what other hope...was there...
A few minutes later, a small instrument rotated into play, and on the bridge, Lareiken looked upon Julia's sleeping form, and allowed himself to smile slightly. His task continued, even now, and to see that she slept was a small sign of hope, amidst the terror.
* * *
The next day...
"Analysis confirms our earlier guess." Talion informed William, as he and Jennifer arrived on the bridge. "There is a large Vorlon observation post squarely in the path of the Fleet, and we will pass it in less then twenty minutes, present speed."
He nodded, unsurprised. "And has Captain Sheridan commanded a response to this threat?"
"He has, Sha'vei; he has ordered the assembly of a full tactical squadron of White Stars to destroy the outpost...*he* will be leading the attack squadron, however."
He sighed, and caught Jennie's resigned shake of head. "This is his way, Talion; we cannot second guess those methods. Prepare to bring us into contact with the Val'nae of the Nines Triads...we will need them *all* to perform this task; and we will stand as the Captain's right hand, as is required."
"And what of White Star Eleven?" Jennie inquired, her gaze pointed.
He paused, and and gritted his teeth; Tashann, Dreann and Julia would hang him *high* if he kept them out of this one. "They come with us; Dreann has proven herself skilled in weapons training, and Tashann is one of our finest commanders."
"But!..."
"This is a war, Jennifer; we need their talents, and cannot deny them the rights that are theirs, as Rangers."
Jennifer nodded coolly...and he winced again. She wasn't happy about involving Julia in this, even now, but that was the way it had to be. "And our place in this mayhem, is what, exactly?"
"We'll be going in with the Captain to cover him and his units, and we will, if need be, command a number of triads to intercept any Vorlon fleet units that may be in the area...if not, we will join them in the attack."
"How ambitious! Now, the question is, will it work?"
* * *
My name is Julia Tikopai, Observer, and, what I experienced, less then ten minutes after my return to the bridge, and twenty after returning to consciousness, was enough to pass me through alternating currents of adrenalin, despair and success...all this, as I watched White Stars in front of us and beside us encounter searing beams of death, and shatter to dissolution.
It could so EASILY have been us; but Captain Sheridan wasted no time in the matter, and ordered White Star Nine to break beneath their covering fire, and take out the defensive screens on our vector; they did so, without question, without pause, walking into a task they might have never escaped from. Scant seconds after that, Tashann and William skimmed their White Stars a hairs breadth above the domes, with Talion and Dreann firing for all they were worth (one of those was from my perspective, the other, naturally, was not, but I can guess, can't I?). The Captain and his squadron were right behind us, and the observation post died the death destined for it.
And so, the Fleet marches on, towards Corianna VI, and into something that will either set us free, or grind us into spacedust. The massed fleets of both the Vorlons and the Shadows are rendezvousing in that system, and would somebody, *anybody*, care to step forward to convince me I'm not going to be dead, twelve hours from now?
But William and the Captain have always, I guess, believed in miracles. Coming back from the dead does that to you, I guess. And if *they* think it can be done, then who am I to hold back the tides of destiny?
* * *
Corianna VI. The arrival of the Army of Light.
The night was cool, but quite clear, and to Ristin and Naranis, that was all that mattered, for it let them see the stars and fiery spaceclouds overhead. Too many of their people, in this day and age, looked upon the stars with deep, almost religious fear, but not they; this, even though the darkness above had given birth to the nightmare things that had invaded their world, so many cycles before, and had only *just* left, for reasons unknown (that this had ALSO set the elders into a furor was not something to be discussed)
*Why did they leave, do you think?* Ristin inquired, as she gazed into the burning sky.
*Those that travelled with them passed on rumours of a great and terrible war that the Dark Ones were fighting in the heavens above* Naranis replied, his interest plain. *Perhaps they were needed to fight this war, or not...it is unlikely we will ever find out, just as it is unlikely our Elders will ever muster the courage to leave this world behind us, as THEY have so clearly done*
*We are too many* Ristin replied, her expression both wistful and fearful *We must begin to leave the world behind, if we and IT are to survive*
Naranis nodded, his regret plain. The Corianni numbered over six billion, now, and this number continued to grow at a frightening pace. Ristin was all too right... eventually, that number would overwhelm the capacity of their world, and what then? Perhaps it was their fate to worry, and to dream, of leaving the world behind, to travel to the stars, and to escape the drudgery of their lives; to believe in the tales of passing the light barrier, and travellling to other worlds...
But what good was escape, if the only thing one could look forward to was war, and encounters with the Dark Ones?
It was then that a shocked gasp from Ristin bought him back to the here and now, and Naranis caught her looking up, the shock and disbelief plain on her face. He followed that gaze, and felt the world he knew shift in balance.
For all across the face of the Great Nebulae, sparks of light were twisting and growing into what seemed to be EYES, dozens of blue eyes staring down on them from the depths of space...
* * *
Hyperspace. The Cha'hal'zhamon Nexus.
*Do you believe in his claims?*
*I pray that they may be so; he *promised* us that if Sheridan does what he is supposed to, that we may travel beyond the Rim, with the Rest*
A sad nod. *I only regret that we could not aid them as the Others did*
*Our legacy stands before us, we cannot escape from it, even if we wished to. We are not like Them, we are not like ANY of the races that found a birthplace in the Universe beyond. We are exiles, my friend, and as such, while we *shall* travel beyond, as HE has requested, we will forever be what we are...
Alone*
A nod. *The way it should be*
*Indeed; the way it *must* be.*
*But will we say goodbye?*
A smile. *Yes...of *course* we shall; but at the appropriate place, and in a fashion that *he* shall not expect*
* * *
To be continued...
* * *
Next: as the Third Age of the Younger Races dawns, destinies are winding to a close, or so it seems...for how will the departure of the Elder Races affect the Rimstalker and his varied companions? Coming soon..
* * *
Writer's note: something I began last part will be brought to conclusion in this one, along with all sorts of other things (!!). A thing to ponder...what, pray tell, would the Battle of Corianna 6 have looked like from the planetary surface??
Read on...
* * *
RIMSTALKER: THE RIDERS ON THE STORM, PART 6
"THE THREE-EDGED SWORD" ACT II OF II
**"It's over because WE'VE decided it's over!"**
Remark attributed to Captain John Sheridan, in reference to the Vorlon and Shadow races, during the culminating moment of the confrontation at Corianna VI, early in the Earth Year 2261
* * *
**'The Corianna system primary is catalogued as a F7 subgiant, markedly hotter and larger then Sol. It possesses 12 planets, and the sixth from the sun is inhabited by a civilization that has only now begun to enter its pre-industrial phase. There are approximately six billion members of the Corianni Race...
...it is estimated that the Corianni are, if they are not interfered with, approximately 80 years from achieving their first spaceflight, and as such, it is the opinion of most of the civilizations in the region that the Corianni should be left alone until that occurs. The presence of a ancient-tech jumpgate in the outer regions of the Corianna system will be sufficient, in our opinion, to advance the Corianni to hyperspace technology within another 100 years of that occurence..."**
- excerpt from an Interplanetary Expeditions report on the nature of the Corianna system, circa 2251
* * *
Corianna VI, several minutes before the Army of Light jumpout; before dawn, the northern hemisphere.
Like so many races before them, the Corianni had come upon astronomy quite quickly, but this was no great surprise, given the extreme closeness of the Great Nebula complex to the Corianna system. Once they had passed their fears by as to what the fires of their night sky meant, the scientists among the Corianni had taken to building telescopes, at first small. But now, technology had advanced to the point where mountain top observatories were coming into their own, at last.
The largest institution on Corianna, technically a university of sorts, though one of extreme large size, had sponsored many of these observatories, and the astronomers working there had been watching the skies, and learning about the universe around them, for many, many metacycles. One such, almost the oldest, had been built in the Tra'kaa'th mountain range, two hundred lengths north of one of the provincial capitals in the northern hemisphere, and among the observers at Tra'kaa'th Station, there were those who, while watching the nebulae, stars and distant galaxies above, had, from time to time, wondered if *other* intelligences existed, out there among the stars.
That wondering had come to an abrupt end almost almost a hundred cycles in the past, when a group of dark, screaming starcraft had appeared over the world Capital, on the far side of the world from Tra'kaa'th. Envoys had emerged from those ships, creatures bipedal in nature (unlike the Corianni, who were, of course, tripedal) and had, after a time, demanded an empty site for the ships of their 'Masters'.
The Elders had conferred, their eyes dark with fear, and the decision was arrived at that refusal to grant these dark demons of space their site would probably result in epic destruction and death, for the shrieking demon ships had demonstrated their purple rays of death to the Elders, on command. And so, the residents of Corianna had huddled and waited for the death they believed was coming; rather abruptly, however, three cycles in the past, the demon ships had arisen, and vanished from the Coriannan skies.
Now, the observatories had all been commanded to watch for the return of the demons, and they had all done so, to varying degrees. Brakiss, the chief astronomer, sighed, and after pausing to warm himself, turned his eyes once again to the field of the trinocular richfield instrument that was his favorite, for time was growing quite limited, this clear winter night. The juniors could continue to recline outside, and watch for such arrivals...HE was far too busy for that...
*Master!* the exclamation came from below, and Brakiss umbled with displeasure, before turning one eye to the excited junior below.
*Yes, Shakari, what, in the name of the Fire above, is it *this* time?*
*Master...what we are seeing outside...it cannot be easily described! The heavens are covered with...well, we don't know what they are, but *things* are coming out of them, ENORMOUS things, of all kinds and shapes!*
Brakiss sighed, and descended carefully from the platform, and moved along the gantry towards the exit with his excited companion. *This had better be important, Shakari; it is preposterous enough that the Dark Ones came to us, to prove we were not alone...now, do you claim that OTHERS have come to visit...us...*
Brakiss tailed off his comments, as the sight above drew even him to pause in astonishment. All across the Nebula, blue holes yawned open, and even as he watched, several more sparks of light grew, twisted, and opened up into more of those preposterous holes in the firmamemt. *By the Fire...what are *those*?*
His other assistant, Abridas, cantered over and passed the portable trinocular. *Observe, Master...they appear to be, for want of a better word, VORTEXES to... somewhere else! Things are coming out of them, many MANY things!*
Brakiss umbled his disbelief, but looked anyways, and sighed at the sight he saw. Close up, the blue holes were clearly spiraling outwards from a hidden dark source. Deep within the source, flashes of light were continously appearing, and his juniors had, of course, been right. Tiny objects were emerging from the 'holes', but they were tiny only in comparison...the 'holes' were clearly many, many tens to the power to tens lengths off of the surface, and some of these objects would nearly dwarf the mountain the observatory had been built on.
*It would appear...* he commenting cryptically, *That we are, once more, about to receive visitors*
*As if the First ones weren't enough of a shock!* Abridas replied, his mouth twisting in chagrin. *This will certainly produce more riots from those who fear the skies*
*You are, no doubt, correct* Brakiss sighed, and made up his mind. *It would seem we are going to have to turn the main instruments onto these...new visitors. Perhaps THEN we shall be able to determine their nature and intentions more accurately...*
* * *
"What chaos we have brought." Tashann commented, as Julia watched the chaotic jumble of the Fleet move to and fro across space, with the partly veiled globe of Corianna beyond. "What must the Corianni think of us, to have so disturbed their worldviews?"
"The Shadows began that process." Dreann replied, her expression unforgiving. "There was no possibility that they could have resisted the Shadows, and as such, the Corianni, while they should have been left alone for many more cycles, are now well aware that other intelligences exist in the universe. Our arrival will have only compounded that concern."
"We had no choice!..." she interjected, as Tashann turned towards her, plainly interested to hear what his Observer was going to add to the discussion. "The Vorlons are coming here with the majority of their fleet, as well as one of their planetkillers. The Captain arranged, with the help of the Sha'vei, to bring the Shadows here, as well, and...and, to place *us* in between. We simply can't let the Vorlons destroy Corianna!"
"Though I shall be *quite* interested to see how Captain Sheridan and the Entil'zha can possibly do away with this threat." Tashann replied, face grave. "They will not stop simply because we *ask* them to."
"That is why the First Ones were invited to help out, as well..." Dreann reminded them both. "If it comes to the worst, they will join us in the fight, as well."
"I do not doubt..." Tashann concluded solemnly, "That it will come to the worst, Dreann."
* * *
The Observatory...the next evening.
The short, pale winter day had now come to an end, but for Brakiss, Skakari and Abridas, sleep had been near impossible. Quick sketches of many of the god-like craft above them had been made before sunrise, as for reasons unclear, the great shoal of vehicles had, after arrival, hung very nearly in place, moving slightly from place to place, but seemingly...waiting for something. Many were hard to see, but dominating all were a type that seemed almost to have come from the sea, tall, and thin, with three spines, one up, and two down..
And now, the Avatars had blessed them with another clear night; such terrible riches...
Brakiss umbled in irritation, and rubbed his eyes. Now that the sky was dark enough to once again observe events above, he would have to put aside his exhaustion, for a time. The skycraft were still up there in their multitudes, still more or less in the same position as before, but, it seemed, slightly more ordered then they had been in the morning...still waiting.
*Observe!* Abridas exclaimed, and the other two astronomers turned, to see one of the holes to elsewhere, a tiny one, it seemed, open and shut two thirds of the way up from the northern horizon. He quickly raised the trinoculars to his eyes, and beheld an almost invisible speck of light moving against the stars, towards the congregation overhead. A late arrival, perhaps?? Or maybe...
*Master!* Skakari interjected, his voice shaky, *MORE come!* They turned, and saw that it was true. To the south, dozens more of the blue holes had appeared, and then, as one, the astronomers caught their breath...for among the rest, an emormous hole appeared, and spat out a vast yellowish saucerish thing... *How could ANYTHING be that big?* the junior exclaimed.
Brakiss had no answer to this question, but short moments later, the holes closed, and a quick glance through the trinoculars revealed tiny clusters of dots around the saucer craft, which was now close enough to reveal a blue glow around its middle. What in the name of the Avatars *was* that thing, bigger, certainly, then many smaller Corianni cities?
* * *
White Star Four.
"White Star squadrons have formed up." Talion reported to William, as all around them, the bridge crew grew tense. This was the moment they had both been waiting for and dreading: the Vorlon and Shadow fleets, in their thousandfold multitude, had arrived at Corianna...and now, as previously planned, the Army of Light stood ready to insert itself between those dread forces.
"Very good, Talion." he replied, before catching Jennifer's near-fearful gaze. From Z'ha'dum, they had returned, to face this...from the frying pan, and as he had said, back into the Fire. "Stand by to pass the signal to attack; status of enemy fleets?"
"They are moving directly towards one another...ignoring us completely. The Vorlon planetkiller has already jumped into the system, Shadow planetkiller has not yet arrived...*stand by*, signal coming in from White Star Two; Captain Sheridan is preparing to detonate thermonuclear devices within range of the enemy fleet units."
Beside him, Jennie winced, and he nodded. "I see; well, if the Captain wants to get their attention, that'll *probably* do it."
* * *
White Star Two.
Lyta briefly winced, as in the background, she felt Brianna cry out, and then fade away into the oblivion of unconsciouness. The other telepath's closeness to Ulkesh had, as she had feared, laid her low with the Vorlon arrival, but Brianna had not been quite as strong as her, even from the beginning.
No matter; what needed to be done, only *she* could do, now.
* * *
White Star Six.
Lanniel sighed, and shook her head regretfully. This was not a good time for this to have happened; but the possibility had been there, and she had learned to always put a backup plan in place...the hard way.
With measured, but timely movements, the Religious Caste crew took up the limp and unresponsive body of her operations officer, and left the bridge; the replacement was already in place. Anla'shok Tolmanes' sensitivity to the Vorlon presence had hurt her, in the end; if they died now, she would never know.
* * *
Tra'kaa'th.
As one, the astronomers winced, as in the heavens above, three enormously brilliant points of light erupted into being, one of them quite close to the gigantic saucercraft. *What are they doing?* Abridas wailed, as the saucership's companions quite visibly, and with menace, turned towards the multitude waiting above them. *And who is doing what to what?*
*Two of those lights erupted in seemingly empty space* Shakiri commented, *But recall the dark demon ships may not be easily seen*
*I fear..* Brakiss commented, his voice soft, *That the gods of the sky are about to war upon one another...*
Scant moments later, the senior astronomer's fears were proven quite real.
* * *
Elsewhere...
They had come to watch, once again, in the same spot; now, would this be the last sight they would ever see?
Sadness and fear filled Naranis's heart as he gazed upon the deathpyre blazing overhead. Ristin whimpered, and hid her eyes against his flank, but he gazed to the skies, and could not look away. Across half of the firmament, lines of fire blazed in all the colours of the rainbow, flares of dazzling destruction, blooms of flame that could only mean death for some of those above.
He gazed upon what he saw, and ran things through his mind carefully. With the multitude above, and the group arrayed around the recently arrived saucer-thing, plus (undoubtedly) the fleet of the dark demons, a three sided conflagration had erupted above their peaceful world.
But who was fighting WHO?? And most importantly, would the battle spread to the surface?? He tried to put that thought out of his mind, and could not; images of fire falling filled his despairing mind...
* * *
I Observe, and Remember.
It was a battle beyond belief, a battle with three sides, and none. A battle in which we whirled, and moved, and died. And through the devastation danced the White Stars, singly, and in pairs, and in squadrons, and we moved quickly enough to survive, for the most part. All around us, beams of fire reached across the heavens, and once, our Squadron, the squadron that had chosen to stand with the Rimstalker, my commander, my love, passed between a pair of Minbari and Brakiri ships, as both erupted into flame. The chaos, it seemed was complete, and yet...
And yet, the measure of the battle was far shorter then it could have been, for even as we fought, the dread bulk of the Vorlon planetkiller moved closer and closer to the world of the Corianni, and in due course, we knew, the Captain would lose patience with the obtuseness of the Vorlons, and call in his final strikeforce, the ships of the First Ones.
This he did, and this we saw, as out of nowhere, it seemed, the First Ones came...and strike, they did, with ruthlessness, without mercy, without pause. But out there, amidst the carnage, also floated the terrifying black strands of the Shadow planetkiller...why was it here? For Corianna had housed a Shadow base!
* * *
Brakiss shook his head, and could not believe what he had just seen...but there it was, and it *had* happened. For a time that seemed both to stretch to infinity and shrink to a passing moment, the skies above had been scored with lines of fire; the skycraft had whirled, and killed, and died, but in the last moments, an seeming impossibility had occurred; for even as the battle had progressed, the saucer-thing had drawn nearer, and nearer...and then, more THINGS had appeared above it, and struck!!
The saucer had shivered, and pulsed, and then, in a searing flash, as bright, it seemed, as the sun...the saucer had EXPLODED. And now, it seemed that the battle had paused; those who had been so ready to fight, and to destroy, had also, it seemed, been shocked into a pause. What now would happen??
* * *
I Observe, and remember, and saw...and what I saw, I will never forget, as long as I live. Into all our minds, there came a presence such as I have never known, and, perhaps, never will again. This being called LORIEN, the Ancient One who helped both Captain Sheridan and my former Mistress and her Other Half at Z'ha'dum, reached into all of our minds, and showed us a terrifying confrontation, and a enormous hope realized.
The battle had paused, with uncertainty, for with the arrival of the First Ones and the destruction of the Vorlon Planetkiller, it seemed to me as if neither the Shadows nor the Vorlons were sure of what to do next. That the Vorlons chose to summon their other fleet at that very moment surely saved Centauri Prime from destruction; that *both* of them, through Lyta Alexander, chose to confront Sheridan and Delenn brought about what happened next.
I SAW, as we all saw; Sheridan first arguing with, and then rejecting the imperious claims of the Vorlons, the image, a masked woman in crystal; of Delenn, facing the dark reflections of all she held dear, and hearing the Other side's opinion of what was, and rejecting them, as well. But finally, the straw that broke the backs of our 'Guardians' was this...
'You will fight, because we tell you to fight' and 'you will fight for us, and you will die for us, because the others know *no* other way'. We stood, and watched, as both the Shadows and the Vorlons, upon discovering that all had seen the conversations, courtesy of Lorien, grew furious, and tried to kill our commanders.
But Lorien stepped in, and saved them, in order that they could do what came next...
* * *
White Star Four.
"Damn it!" William exclaimed, as the dank coldness of the Shadow cloud continued to leech energy out of his command. "We came this far, *now* they try to freeze us into submission?"
"Hold!!" Talion cried out, his gaze frantic. "Sha'vei, a Shadow missile has targeted itself at White Star Two!"
He gritted his teeth, and resumed his seat, catching one, long, horrified glance from Jennifer. So that was the way they wanted it to be, was it? So be it; he had sworn to protect the Captain, and if that meant taking the missile for them...
But even before he could give the order, a flash of light bloomed in the near distance; a Drazi ship had been quicker. "Bring us in beside the White Star Two!" he commanded, as all around them, the other races did the same with their fleet ships. "They SHALL not die."
* * *
We never saw what happened directly, but the results were clear enough, and what Delenn said to the Vorlon and Shadow presences was the beginning of the end...what Sheridan said to finish it up was the end itself. The real reason we had come to Corianna was not to fight the Shadows and Vorlons...if we had done that, we would have been crushed between them, almost unnoticed. Instead, we came to Corianna holding, as Kosh once told me, before he passed beyond the Veil, a three-edged sword...a weapon of us, and of them, but most importantly, of truth. And the reality of it was, now that Lorien had ensured everyone in the Army of Light *knew* the Truth, a decision had to be made, not between Order or Chaos, but whether or not it was finally time for us to go our own way.
It was a difficult choice to make, both for us, and for them, as well, and for those of us who had followed this from the beginning (of which *I* was not one, and I truly regret, now, having missed the early movements) such as William, and Jennifer, and Brianna, and countless others into this conflict, it was another pivotal moment of change...for William had, at Z'ha'dum, seen what the Shadows really were; through Brianna's eyes, in the pain she displayed there, he had also seen what the Vorlons represented.
Neither of them were good, and neither of them were evil; it all a matter of perspective. In the end, beyond the prophecies, outside the destinies, above everything they, and we, had done, William, and all who followed him, who believed in him, were drawn to stalk out the Truth.
And so we did; and *everything* changed.
* * *
The three astronomers simply, stood, and wondered. Above them, great burning trails of light were falling through the atmosphere, undoubtedly remnants of the great saucer, burning up as they fell into the air. But more importantly, it seemed that whatever had happened above had not ended in fire...somehow, it had ended, instead...
In *LIFE*.
They had seen, without understanding, yellow holes spring open, and forces depart; and even now, the congragation above, that multitude of ships, were moving away from their world, as well.
*What was it all about, do you think?" Abridas whispered, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.
Brakiss smiled, and umbled an umble of satisfaction. *It is enough, is it not, Abridas, to know that the god-like weapons have fallen silent. Their conflict is finished, and while they are leaving us, we *know* of them, now...and perhaps, in your lifetimes, we will begin the process of reaching out our hands to meet them.
And all being well, the Avatars willing, that meeting will be one of peace, not of war.*
* * *
With hands gentle, Naranis slowly drew the door of Ristin's sleeping chamber closed behind him, and allowed himself a brief smile. This scene was, no doubt, being repeated all across the planet; so much stress, so much fear had been poured out as the beings from the stars had warred upon one another; but then, there had been a pause, and then, a surprise beyond any imaginable.
They had all begun to leave!
He shook his head in wonder, and moved to his own sleeping chamber. Now, the world would sleep; and awake to what would, it seem, be a better tomorrow...
* * *
White Star Two. After Lorien's departure.
"Captain."
Sheridan smiled, as all around them, the various fleet units began to organize themselves...some were jumping already, and you couldn't blame them, the news would come as a hell of a nice surprise to the governments back home.."Yes, Lyta?"
"Captain, request permission to transfer to White Star Six for the trip back to Babylon 5; there's...someone I need to see."
* * *
White Star Four, enroute from Corianna 6 to Babylon 5. Four hours after the departure of Lorien.
Beside him, Jennie slept, a slight smile on her face. He reached over, and gently brushed aside her long reddish-brown hair, and simply...enjoyed the sensation. Enjoyed it without worrying whether or not there might be a tomorrow. Enjoyed it without having to look forward to more battles, to more death, to more fear; at least, for a while.
And now...now they were first going back to Babylon 5, and from there...he shook his head in wonder; he didn’t know what would happen from there, not yet, at least. The very things that had drawn him into this, the very things that had made him what he was; those things had now passed into history. The Vorlons and the Shadows, as well as all the other First Ones, were gone...beyond the Rim, or so it was said.
What now, would his tasks be? The destiny he had both followed and helped to create had cycled through to an apparent completion. It had started, that fateful moment when the Shadows had opened fire on the ATLANTA, so long ago and far away, that life now seemed.
But of course, it had been; that had been...another Age. An age where Vorlons had walked, where Shadows had skulked in the darkness, where fear had waited around every corner and behind every door. Now, there were no destinies controlling him, any longer, no long meddling fingers pulling the strings.
Now, he would have to make his own destiny, it seemed.
But first, there would be time, a little at least, to take a rest.
And, if all went well, to fulfill a promise he had made, in another place, and another age.
* * *
White Star Six.
<Brianna.>
Brianna blinked, and forced her eyes open, and nearly groaned out loud...she had evidently missed the battle *completely*, but it seemed that they had survived, after all... <Oh no; not again!>
Lyta rose from a nearby pallet, and smiled. <Trust me...this is the last time this is going to happen to you.>
<What happened?>
<Oh...let me see, we fought in the largest battle the galaxy has ever seen, the Captain banished the Vorlons and the Shadows from the galaxy, we saved Corianna 6 from being blown to bits...how's that for starters?>
She blinked...what had Lyta said? And then, the true implications hit home...and a multitude of emotions passed through her; but chief among them, was halting amazement and disbelief. They were gone??
They were gone! She wouldn't have to...
And to her great surprise, Brianna found herself once more starting to cry.
* * *
White Star Eleven.
Beneath the light of her candles, Julia wrote, as outside the portal, the red wrack of hyperspace shimmered and danced.
"The Third Age." she whispered, smiled a secret smile, and closed the book.
* * *
To be continued...
* * *
Next: Now that the Shadow War is over, the destinies of the Rimstalker and his companions will begin to spin off in different directions...while G'kael and his patriots return to a ruined Narn, and Bethany and her captains must decide what to do next, now that the Shadows and Vorlons are gone. In the meantime, however, there is a wedding to arrange! "Legends of the Newborn" the next part of RIMSTALKER, coming soon...