Babylon 5 Ficlet: Taking A Stand
Title: Taking A Stand
Fandom: Babylon 5
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: John Sheridan.
Rating: G
Word Count: 690
Spoilers: Severed Dreams.
Summary: Having broken away from earth, Sheridan and Babylon 5’s human personnel have no choice but to defend themselves against the might of Earth Force.
Written For: Challenge 339: Amnesty at fan_flashworks, using Challenge 8: Genre (Science Fiction).
Disclaimer: I don’t own Babylon 5, or the characters. They belong to J. Michael Straczynski.
This wasn’t a situation John Sheridan had ever expected to be in, but President Clark’s actions had left him no other choice. The orders Clark had issued were illegal, the actions he was taking against earth colonies were unconscionable, and someone had to take a stand for all that was right. That was why Sheridan had chosen to cut ties with earth. Babylon 5 would hold itself independent of earth’s governance until such time as President Clark was removed from office. After that… well, he’d figure something out if and when that time came.
He’d known Clark wouldn’t accept his decision, known it would put the station and all its half a million human and alien residents squarely in the firing line, but even so, seeing those Earth Force destroyers coming through the jump gate, weapons at the ready, had chilled him to the bone.
What chance did an immobile space station and a few dozen star furies have against those behemoths? They had the help of two destroyers on their side, but would even that be enough to defend the station? It wasn’t as if any of the other races would offer to stand alongside them in the battle ahead, and he couldn’t blame them for that; it wasn’t their fight. Sheridan wished it wasn’t his either. To take up arms against his own people, many of whom he knew and had, up until now, respected was unthinkable, and yet here he was, not just thinking about it but doing it.
Well, it was too late to change his mind now, and backing down wasn’t an option; he’d already come too far, so he launched his fighters, and the Earth Force ships launched theirs. This was it, make or break. He ordered his pilots to let the other side fire first; he and his people wouldn’t be the ones to start this fight, but once it was underway…
The battle was fierce, a dizzying spectacle playing out before his eyes, but Sheridan had never felt more helpless. Ivanova was out there, fighting alongside their pilots, and he wished he could be there with them, instead of standing here watching, and issuing orders. So many people dying and nothing he could do to stop it, although he tried repeatedly to talk sense into the captains of the other ships. Dammit, why wouldn’t they listen?
The Churchill was hit, Captain Hiroshi should have evacuated her crew, but there wasn’t time, so she aimed her ship at the Roanoke, destroying both with all hands still aboard. Sheridan could have wept, but the battle wasn’t over, there was no time to grieve their losses, not yet.
Just when he thought maybe they’d get some respite, time to regroup, make repairs, and tend to the injured, the jump gate activated again, and more ships poured through. The battered station and its defenders couldn’t hope to stand against so many! The battle was surely lost now.
Facing utter defeat and probable destruction, Sheridan watched in numb disbelief as four more jump points formed practically on top of the station. Now what? They were already outnumbered and outgunned. Was Earth Force so determined to display its superiority that they’d sent the entire fleet to take down one space station?
But it wasn’t more Earth Force destroyers come to seal their fate. Instead, it was the most beautiful sight Sheridan had ever seen in his life: Delenn, with four Minbari warships, charging in like the cavalry at the last possible moment. Her ultimatum was enough to cause the Earth Force ships to turn tail and depart, knowing they were no match for the Minbari vessels.
It wasn’t victory exactly, there had been far too many deaths on both sides, but it was an end to the fighting, at least for now. Babylon 5 was still standing, and they had a lot of work ahead of them. Now the station was protected they needed to get preparations underway to take on an even greater enemy, and they couldn’t count on earth for assistance. They’d survived a major battle, but would they survive the coming war against the Shadows?
The End
Fandom: Babylon 5
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: John Sheridan.
Rating: G
Word Count: 690
Spoilers: Severed Dreams.
Summary: Having broken away from earth, Sheridan and Babylon 5’s human personnel have no choice but to defend themselves against the might of Earth Force.
Written For: Challenge 339: Amnesty at fan_flashworks, using Challenge 8: Genre (Science Fiction).
Disclaimer: I don’t own Babylon 5, or the characters. They belong to J. Michael Straczynski.
This wasn’t a situation John Sheridan had ever expected to be in, but President Clark’s actions had left him no other choice. The orders Clark had issued were illegal, the actions he was taking against earth colonies were unconscionable, and someone had to take a stand for all that was right. That was why Sheridan had chosen to cut ties with earth. Babylon 5 would hold itself independent of earth’s governance until such time as President Clark was removed from office. After that… well, he’d figure something out if and when that time came.
He’d known Clark wouldn’t accept his decision, known it would put the station and all its half a million human and alien residents squarely in the firing line, but even so, seeing those Earth Force destroyers coming through the jump gate, weapons at the ready, had chilled him to the bone.
What chance did an immobile space station and a few dozen star furies have against those behemoths? They had the help of two destroyers on their side, but would even that be enough to defend the station? It wasn’t as if any of the other races would offer to stand alongside them in the battle ahead, and he couldn’t blame them for that; it wasn’t their fight. Sheridan wished it wasn’t his either. To take up arms against his own people, many of whom he knew and had, up until now, respected was unthinkable, and yet here he was, not just thinking about it but doing it.
Well, it was too late to change his mind now, and backing down wasn’t an option; he’d already come too far, so he launched his fighters, and the Earth Force ships launched theirs. This was it, make or break. He ordered his pilots to let the other side fire first; he and his people wouldn’t be the ones to start this fight, but once it was underway…
The battle was fierce, a dizzying spectacle playing out before his eyes, but Sheridan had never felt more helpless. Ivanova was out there, fighting alongside their pilots, and he wished he could be there with them, instead of standing here watching, and issuing orders. So many people dying and nothing he could do to stop it, although he tried repeatedly to talk sense into the captains of the other ships. Dammit, why wouldn’t they listen?
The Churchill was hit, Captain Hiroshi should have evacuated her crew, but there wasn’t time, so she aimed her ship at the Roanoke, destroying both with all hands still aboard. Sheridan could have wept, but the battle wasn’t over, there was no time to grieve their losses, not yet.
Just when he thought maybe they’d get some respite, time to regroup, make repairs, and tend to the injured, the jump gate activated again, and more ships poured through. The battered station and its defenders couldn’t hope to stand against so many! The battle was surely lost now.
Facing utter defeat and probable destruction, Sheridan watched in numb disbelief as four more jump points formed practically on top of the station. Now what? They were already outnumbered and outgunned. Was Earth Force so determined to display its superiority that they’d sent the entire fleet to take down one space station?
But it wasn’t more Earth Force destroyers come to seal their fate. Instead, it was the most beautiful sight Sheridan had ever seen in his life: Delenn, with four Minbari warships, charging in like the cavalry at the last possible moment. Her ultimatum was enough to cause the Earth Force ships to turn tail and depart, knowing they were no match for the Minbari vessels.
It wasn’t victory exactly, there had been far too many deaths on both sides, but it was an end to the fighting, at least for now. Babylon 5 was still standing, and they had a lot of work ahead of them. Now the station was protected they needed to get preparations underway to take on an even greater enemy, and they couldn’t count on earth for assistance. They’d survived a major battle, but would they survive the coming war against the Shadows?
The End