Kansas 2 - The Yellow Brick Road, Part 27
Title: Kansas 2 - The Yellow Brick Road
Author: Soledad
Author’s notes: For disclaimer, rating, etc., see the secondary index page.
Some of the dialogue is quoted from the episode “Z’ha’Dum”, swapped around between characters with slight modifications. As for Draal, I work with the first version of him, the one played by Louis Turenne in the episode “A Voice in the Wilderness”, simply because I found him more dignified and likeable.
The Arcati is canon - a ship waiting to dock to Babylon 5. It was never mentioned where it came from, so I made it a Centauri vessel because, well, I needed one. *g*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PART 27 - 21 December 2260
Doctor Stephen Franklin was not having a good day… to put it mildly. And that for several different reasons.
Learning that Doctor Hobbs had quit service and moved over to Voyager was bad enough. He was still far from his usual form, due to his still healing injury. He could impossibly shoulder his normal workload without help. Having lost a competent co-worker - and one who could work for two if necessary - might prove fatal in a crisis.
And they could count on a crisis coming up - actually on more than just one - in the near future. After all, the war had just begun in earnest.
“You learn what you truly had in a person only when you lose them,” was Doctor Hernandez’ comment when he complained to her about the situation. Clearly, he could not count on any sympathy from her side.
At least she was still there, helping as best as she could - and her best was very good indeed. Still, they would feel the loss of Doctor Hobbs dearly.
And now the second bombshell within the hour. Another departure without warning - and this time with potentially disastrous consequences. Things were spiralling downward very quickly; more quickly than he could keep up, especially after having been away from the MedLabs for quite some time due to his walkabout.
He was relieved to see Ivanova stepping out of a transport tube mere metres away. Perhaps he could get some answer from her. Ivanova usually knew everything that was going on aboard Babylon 5 - more than Sheridan, even.
Which reminded him…
“Susan,” he called out to her, “I just checked the logs! The captain's gone!”
“I know, I just found out about it myself,” Ivanova seemed every bit as agitated as he felt. “I'm running it down now. There must be a reason; and if there is, Garibaldi will know. He spoke to the captain last night.”
Franklin shook his head frantically. “Look, you don't understand! I mean, why did he do it? I… I gave him the report, I know he read it!”
That made Ivanova stop mid-track. “What report?”
“There's…” Franklin searched for the right words, since they were standing in a public place and couldn’t know who might be listening. “There’s a problem with Anna!”
“Dammit, I hate being right!” Ivanova muttered angrily; then she brought her temper back under control. “All right, come to the captain’s office with me and tell me all about it. After that, we’ll have to consult our closest allies about the new situation.”
“You mean the Minbari? I’m sure Delenn already knows.”
“If she knows she probably isn’t in any shape to lead her troops right now,” Ivanova said dryly. “I’ll contact Neroon; I may hate his guts, but he’s our best choice right now. And Captain Janeway. There’s something we don’t know yet… but they do. We must put together the details each of us has to see what could be done to protect the station.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Seven of Nine had to admit that she was impressed by the technology of Galen’s ship. Having made herself familiar with the average technological level of this reality, she found it surprising that such a small vessel could phase in and out of hyperspace, without needing a jumpgate or opening a jump-point. Clearly, the ship worked on a basis of completely different technology than anything she had seen so far.
“It is different,” Galen said. “My brethren have developed our technology through centuries of diligent research; and right now we are heading for the very place the basics of it came from.”
“Z’ha’dum?” Seven said in surprise; not the first surprise since she had met Galen for the first time, and not the most pleasant one. “Your technology comes from Z’ha’dum? It is of Shadow origins?”
“The very basics of it are,” Galen confessed. “The first technomages were created by the Shadows to be used as living weapons; they weren’t even humans but Taratimude - a winged, sentient race as old as the Minbari; they are extinct now. But they realized that they were to become the destructive tools of Chaos, and they rebelled against the Shadows and - led by a mage named Weirden - managed to break free,” he shrugged. “It was a thousand years ago, and we have been walking our own path ever since; until the others decided to go beyond the Rim.”
“What for?”
“The signs of a new, great war were visible for those who knew what to watch out for. The others were afraid that our powers may be used as a weapon by one side or another.”
“Was that a real danger?”
“Perhaps; I cannot tell for sure. We are powerful; but we are not invincible. And there are not many of us left. We may have the power - the technology, if you like - but both sides have the numbers. And in the long run, it is the numbers that count.”
Seven thought about that for a moment.
“But if the Shadows created your kind in the first place, are they not technologically more powerful?” she asked.
Galen nodded. “They are. But I am not planning to launch an all-out attack against Z’ha’dum.”
“That is a relief,” Seven commented dryly. “What are you planning then?”
“My technology is of Shadow origins, therefore the planetary defence system won’t identify it as a hostile intruder,” Galen explained. We can slip through the defence grid… and sit out whatever Sheridan is planning. Then we move in and get him out… hopefully.”
Seven gave him a superior eyebrow.
“You plan is full of uncertainty factors,” she judged.
“It is,” Galen admitted. “Fortunately, I am an improviser and work well under pressure. Now, let us start synchronizing your implants with my ship. The way to Z’ha’dum is not short, but we have a lot of work to do while we are travelling.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ivanova would have preferred a meeting aboard Voyager, where she could have been certain that they wouldn’t be spied upon, but with Sheridan gone, she couldn’t afford leaving C&C. So she asked Janeway and Neroon to meet her in Sheridan’s office and bring their executive officers or whomever they wanted to be in the know.
Janeway came in the company of Chakotay indeed, since he was actually better informed than she, while Neroon brought Rastenn, wanting his nephew and heir to know everything that was there to known. Just in case something happened to him; which, counting on a potential Shadow attack, was a distinct possibility.
Ivanova asked Franklin and Garibaldi to joint the meeting, them currently being the rest of the command staff; and Marcus Cole, as Delenn had gone in seclusion. Somebody had to contribute from the side of the Rangers; even if she would have preferred Delenn. Or even Lennier. But beggars couldn’t be choosers, and so she accepted the necessity of enduring Marcus and his questionable humour.
“I have called for this meeting because we have a new situation at our hands,” she began when everyone was seated.
God, she hated presiding over such meetings! That was the captain’s metier, she preferred to act - with a definite emphasis on act - from the background. Especially as Sheridan delegated such ‘pleasures’ to her often enough.
“Apparently, the captain has left for Z’ha’dum with his wife; and also, we might be facing an all-out Shadow attack, soon,” she continued. I assume the two things are connected in some way, but we don’t know how. Not yet. So, any detail any of us might provide could be vital.”
She looked pointedly at Garibaldi, who had been very tight-lipped about his last conversation with Sheridan. However, it was Neroon who spoke first.
“The connection is obvious. The Sher’shok Dum - the Shadows, as you call them - clearly want something from Sheridan. Either they are trying to win him for their case, using his wife to cajole him over; or they want him out of the way because they know that he is the one holding the Alliance together. If he agrees to defect to their side, Babylon 5 will be assimilated by the Shadow forces. If he refuses, the station will be besieged and most likely destroyed.”
“In either case, Sheridan will be lost for our case,” Garibaldi added.
“Wait a minute!” Janeway interrupted. Could you give us some background first? I don’t understand the role of Mrs. Sheridan in all this.”
Ivanova nodded. “Right. Sorry. I forgot that you’re new to the whole situation. Well the story began about five years ago - I assume you know what Interplanetary Expeditions is?”
Chakotay consulted his PADD containing the most important parts of information from the Babylon 5 database.
“A multi-planetary corporation that funds research and archaeological expeditions to explore ancient ruins and uncharted worlds in the interest of salvaging advanced technology from extinct civilizations,” he read out loud.
“That is the official definition anyway,” Garibaldi added grimly.
“In any case, five years ago Interplanetary Expeditions announced that one of their probes out on the Rim had found the ruins of an ancient civilization,” Ivanova continued. “A certain Doctor Chang was putting together a follow-up expedition, and he wanted Anna Sheridan on his team. She jumped at the chance, of course. For a freelancer like her it was the find of a lifetime! What Chang didn't tell most of the crew was where he really got the information,” she looked first at Garibaldi, then at Franklin. “Remember Doctor Kirkish?”
They both nodded, understanding dawning. Ivanova turned back to their allies.
"A few years earlier, IPX had found an alien ship buried beneath the surface of Mars,” she explained. “It was unlike anything they'd ever seen before! As soon as it was exposed to daylight, an automatic beacon on board sent out a coded message. IPX assumed that whoever the ship belonged to would be coming in fast to pick it up, so they moved quickly. They analyzed the ship, took pieces of it for study later, and planted a homing device inside. Three days later, another ship turned up and finished digging it out of the ground. When it left, IPX was able to track it through hyperspace to a world out on the Rim.”
“Z’ha’dum,” Neroon said grimly.
“Well, the official EarthForce destination for the planet is Alpha Omega 3, but otherwise you are right,” Ivanova replied. “Of course they didn't have a name for it at the time. And Chang was under strict orders from EarthForce New Technologies Division to keep this top secret. The IPX ship has landed amid a cluster of ancient pillars inscribed with strange rune-like markings. The crew has begun to explore the area when they picked up an energy source. They were told to check it out. And that's when they found them.”
“The Shadows?” Janeway guessed.
Ivanova nodded. “I’m not entirely sure what happened afterwards. Anna told the captain that there was an accident that killed a crew and destroyed the comm system, so that those of them who survived had no way to tell Earth what happened, but I don’t know if I should believe it.”
“You should not,” Neroon said grimly. “It is a lie, even if she was brainwashed to actually believe it.”
“What is the truth then?” Janeway asked.
“I can only guess, but I believe the Sher’shok Dum have been hibernating since their last defeat,” Neroon replied thoughtfully. “There had to be some kind of automated defence system on or around their planet that reacted to the landing of any alien ship by waking them up; or, at least, a few of them. Once awakened, the Shadows could not allow the humans to leave! Those who would not serve were killed.”
Ivanova gave him a look full of suspicion. “How comes that you know so much about these things? You’re a Warrior. I thought only the Religious Caste was privy to such information.”
“That is true, at least partially,” Neroon admitted. “But my mother was a priestess before she would leave the temple to marry my father. And though my sister - Rastenn’s mother - and I both found our heart calling us to the Warrior Caste, mother insisted on teaching us everything she thought we might need on our chosen path.”
“Including the legends concerning a mythical war that took place one thousand years ago?” Garibaldi shook his head in bewilderment.
Neroon shrugged.
“You should have realized by now that our people are much deeper rooted in tradition than yours,” he replied. “We consider the past as the fundament the present is built on. Besides, the last great war has also brought us Valen - and fundamental changes in our society. That is not something we would easily forget.”
“We always knew the Sher’shok Dum would return one day,” Rastenn said; then he added with a wry grin. “Some of us just find it hard to believe that it is happening in their lifetime.”
The humans returned his grin - who would have expected a Minbari Warrior with a sense of humour?
Neroon, however, had something else on his mind.
“You seem to have some surprising in-depth information about the fate of the Icarus-expedition, Commander,” he said to Ivanova. “May I ask where it comes from?”
“The captain had the foresight of recording his conversation with Anna,” Ivanova replied. “He left me the records as an encoded, time-delayed message. I’ve just found it an hour ago. I can provide you with a copy if you wish.”
“I would like that, yes,” Neroon said slowly. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Ivanova sighed. “So, these are the known facts. The captain left for Z’ha’dum, but I don’t think he’s planning a family reunion. The problem is, we don’t know what he’s planning… unless you do,” she looked at Garibaldi, who shook his head.
“Nope. I don’t know anything, and the captain expressly forbade me to make any educated guesses.”
“But he asked you to do something for him, didn’t he?”
“Yes; and I’m under strict orders not to speak about it to anyone - not even to you. I’m sorry, Susan, I just can’t. And it wouldn’t do you - or anyone else - any good to know it, either.”
Ivanova wasn’t happy about that, but there was nothing she could have done. Orders were orders; and besides, she trusted Sheridan to know what he was doing.
“All right,” she said. “This is the captain’s move, and we are clearly not meant to interfere - even if we could. Which we can’t. So let’s concentrate on the warning we’ve received and the immediate danger threatening the station.”
She turned to Janeway. “Captain, I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t think your ship would be safe, docked to the station as it is.”
Janeway nodded. “We’ve come to the same conclusion. Which is why we decided to move Voyager to the other side of Epsilon 3. We know it won’t be much of a hiding place, but at least we won’t stand out like a sore thumb there - and we can’t really go to anywhere else. Our presence has contaminated your reality already enough.”
“Too bad we don’t have any means to cloak the ship,” Chakotay mused. “But perhaps Seven’s multiphasic shields will provide us with some protection. She might even be able to improve them a little more.”
“I’ll speak to her as soon as we’ve moved the ship,” Janeway promised. “What can you do to protect the station?” she then asked Ivanova.
“Not much,” Ivanova admitted unhappily. “Oh, we will fly more patrols and keep the defensive weapons ready, but beyond that? We don’t have entire fleets to protect us, unfortunately.”
“You have the remaining White Stars,” Marcus reminded her, speaking for the first time since they got together. “And the Minbari cruisers Delenn has ordered here; well, the ones not destroyed in Sector 83.”
“I have good news for you,” Neroon said. “The Moon Shields decided to leave behind their ships - the ones that were too late for the previous battle - under my command. They will do their part, defending the station.”
“It still won’t be enough, though,” Ivanova said pessimistically.
“No,” Neroon agreed. “But I shall do whatever I can to delay the inevitable. And even - how do you humans put it? Oh, yes; even outgunned and outnumbered, I can do a great deal with a dozen warships full of trained Warriors under my command.”
“I honestly hope so,” Ivanova replied glumly. “Or else we are all doomed.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
At the same time somewhat agitated Vir Cotto was escorting his boss to the shuttle that was supposed to take said boss to the Arcati - the regular Centauri transport ship heading home. A plan that made Vir nervous… well, more nervous than usual.
“Londo, are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, for about the fourteenth time on that day.
“No, Vir, I most definitely don’t want to do this,” Londo answered tiredly. “But when one is summoned by the Emperor directly, there is no other choice left than to obey. Besides, I was warned to leave the station if I value my life, wasn’t I?”
“If you take the warning of Mr. Morden’s friend so seriously, then why do you leave me behind?” Vir asked.
Not that it would surprise him, of course. The machinations that had led to the death of Lord Refa - and very nearly to his own - had clearly shown how little Londo truly valued him.
“Because…” Londo sighed. “Because Babylon 5, surrounded by a vast Shadow fleet, is still a great deal safer than the Imperial Court. You would not last a day among all that scheming and backstabbing. Besides, I need somebody here. Somebody I can trust.”
“You don’t trust anyone, Londo, especially not me,” Vir said resignedly.
Londo rolled his eyes. “Oh, I do trust your integrity; you’re probably the only Centauri who possesses some of that. I just don’t trust you with tasks that require a level of duplicity you’ll never be capable of.”
Vir blinked a few times, unsure how to interpret that. “Well, thank you, but…”
“That was not a compliment!” Londo interrupted.
Of course it wasn’t. After all his failures, after all that had gone wrong, he couldn’t really expect a compliment from Londo, of all people. Vir suppressed a sigh and listened with due attention to the last-minute instructions dumped over his head in Londo’s usual condescending manner, and then watched the back of his boss until Londo boarded the shuttle.
From the protected observation gallery of the docking bay both Londo and the shuttle seemed almost frighteningly small and fragile. For a moment he wondered which one of them was in worse danger; but then he realized that Londo was right. Even threatened by a huge Shadow fleet, Babylon 5 was by magnitudes safer than the Imperial Court.
At leas here one could make an educated guess about who the real enemy was.
Once the shuttle had been elevated to the surface and was therefore no longer visible for him, he turned around to return to his duties. Londo left him with a huge pile of paperwork that had to be dealt with. Preferably yesterday. Or the day before.
Heading back towards Green Sector, however, he was intercepted by the Voyager people. More accurately by Tom Paris, Harry Kim and that aggressive female engineer of them, B’Elanna Torres.
“Hello Vir,” as usual, Tom was the one to take initiative. “Glad we’ve managed to catch you in time.”
“In time for what?” Vir asked, a little confused.
“We’ve been looking for you,” Harry said.
Vir blinked in surprise. “You have? Can I help you with something? Londo has good connections to a great number of traders here, not just to the Centauri ones. I’m sure I can get you whatever you need.”
“We don’t need anything,” Tom interrupted. “We just wanted to thank you for the warning before Voyager leaves the station. I doubt anyone else thought of doing so, and you deserve it.”
“You’re leaving?” Vir picked out the really important piece of information at once. “That’s… that’s good. Things can become very dangerous here, very soon. The farther you are from Babylon 5 in the near future, the better for you all.”
“We’re not planning to go very far,” B’Elanna said. “Only…”
Vir raised a hand to stop her. “No, please, don’t tell me! What I don’t know, I can’t give away. We’ve seen how useless I am at keeping secrets when a telepathic scan is involved. You’re my friends; I don’t want to betray you, too.”
“You haven’t betrayed your boss,” Tom pointed out. “He used you to get that piece of information to his enemies. Everybody is useless at keeping secrets when a telepathic scan is involved; save perhaps the Vulcans. Your boss counted on that. And you’ll have to bear the consequences of his duplicity.”
Vir was actually touched. The human - all these three, actually - seemed genuinely angry on his behalf, and that didn’t happen to him frequently.
“I still don’t want to give away your hiding place involuntarily,” he said. “I’m glad Rastenn - or likely his uncle - saw to it that you’d be warned. This is not your war; you shouldn’t get between the fronts. Speaking of which, how is Commander Tuvok doing?”
“No changes,” Tom replied grimly. “He’s still in cryogenic suspension. I never thought I’d miss him, but I do. That Vulcan level-headedness of his is something we could all use right now.”
“Let’s hope he will recover eventually,” Vir said, and he meant it. He owed the oddly powerful alien his sanity and what was left of his health. “Well, I must go now. I hope we get through the upcoming crisis in one piece and see each other again, but if we shouldn’t… it’s been an honour to know you.”
“The feeling is entirely mutual,” Tom said. “You’re a fine guy, Vir. Take care of yourself.”
Both men shook hands with him - an odd human gesture he still couldn’t get used to, not even after three years on Babylon 5 - and B’Elanna even kissed him on the cheek. Then the three returned to the docking bay to board Voyager, while Vir continued on to Green Sector, to deal with the inevitable paperwork, wondering if he’d see his human friends ever again.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
After their return from the meeting with Ivanova, Janeway and Chakotay immediately started the preparations to leave Babylon 5. Personnel was ordered back from their visits on the station, visitors were asked to leave, and the officers from Alpha Shift - basically the senior staff, with the exception of Tuvok - was called to the Bridge.
“Home, sweet home!” Tom Paris declared, taking his customary place in the pilot’s chair.
“Don’t get too attached to it,” Harry grinned at him from his Ops station. “We’re not going far enough to even get your seat warmed up.”
“It’s still flying,” Tom replied. “God, I’ve missed this!”
He let his fingers glide over his console, and the touch controls came dutifully alive. Then he looked back over his shoulder to the command chair.
“Your orders, Captain?”
Janeway smiled involuntarily. After weeks of lying in dock she, too, felt the knowledge that they’d get spaceborne again… liberating.
“Take us to the other side, of Epsilon 3, Lieutenant,” he ordered. “We’ll stay in geosynchronous orbit just high enough above the planet so that we won’t set off the automated defence system. I assume you’ve got the parameters programmed already.”
Tom nodded. “We got them from Commander Ivanova just in time.”
“Good,” Janeway said. “Harry, have you calculated the position for us from where we can keep in radio contact with the station but remain shielded by the planet?”
“Aye, Captain,” Harry rattled down the coordinates for her. “We’ll have to correct our orbit from time to time, but those corrections will be only minimal.”
“We’ve just received from C&C the okay for departure,” Lieutenant Rollins added from Tactical.
“Very well,” Janeway leaned back in the command chair. “Mr. Paris, prepare to leave the dock. Thrusters only.”
“Thrusters only, aye,” Tom moved the ship away from the docking bay with feather-light touches, until they cleared the station entirely. “We’re clear, Captain.”
“Set course for the other side of Epsilon 3,” Janeway ordered. “One quarter impulse. Mr. Rollins, as much as I trust C&C personnel to guide all these ships around us, there are too many smaller objects for my comfort. A collision would be unfortunate; raise shields, just as a precaution.”
Rollins acknowledged the orders and hit the necessary controls.
“We’ve got full shields, Captain,” he reported a moment later.
Janeway nodded and looked at Tom. “Engage.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In the unfathomable depths of Epsilon 3, in the heart of the Great Machine, Draal was slowly recovering his strength. The task of moving Babylon 4 a thousand years back to the past had cost him almost everything he - and the Great Machine - had, and both needed time to regain their strength. But now he almost felt ready to take action again. Almost.
He had not been unaware of the things happening during his… absence of course. The Great Machine had recorded the dramatic events, and the Zathras brothers - now only nine of them - had watched everything in real time. He just had not had the chance to discuss the situation with the Zathrases - until now.
Well… discussing it would be too ambitious a word, to be honest. It was mostly so that the various Zathrases aimed long, confusing monologues at him - sometimes two or three of them at he same time - to describe said events from their own unique (and very peculiar) point of view, and he, with the help of the Great Machine, tried to put together the greater picture from the often controversial details.
He humbly admitted that it was sometimes more than a little burdensome. Despite having merged with the Great Machine, he was still Minbari enough to prefer the clear, spiritual way his own people - especially the Religious Caste - tended to think; and he missed the chance of getting answers to the questions he actually asked. But he was a patient soul, and with the help of the Great Machine he managed to filter out the facts from the chaotic mass of information provided by the Zathrases.
Speaking of his own people… Delenn was causing him increasingly more concern lately. Having watched the key events from the past through the Great Machine, he thought he understood now what motivated his former pupil; why would Delenn choose to undergo her transformation and why would she go as far as breaking up the Grey Council, risking to end Valen’s Peace.
He understood, yes; which didn’t mean he agreed with her. Oh, he would support her case as much as he could; and, thanks to the Great Machine, he could do a lot indeed. Not enough to hold back a Shadow fleet; the defensive weapons of Epsilon 3 didn’t have a long enough range to protect Babylon 5. They had been built to protect the planet. But he could project a hologram of himself to Babylon 5 to offer counsel and knowledge that might prove crucial.
If only Delenn would answer to his attempts to establish contact! But she did not. She had not spoken to anyone since Sheridan’s departure - not even to Lennier. She had been sitting in her quarters, not eating, not sleeping, just re-watching Sheridan’s farewell message with a stony face.
Draal had watched the message with her several times. He thought he understood the man’s reasons for going to Z’ha’dum - he just doubted that the plan Sheridan seemed to have would truly work. At least not so that the man would get off the Shadow homeworld alive.
Unless…
There were still some factors no-one had considered before. One was the small, arrow-shaped ship heading for Z’ha’dum, with the renegade technomage on board. Draal recognized Galen, of course - or rather the Great Machine did. He knew the ship might slip through the Shadow defence grid; but how the mage intended to find Sheridan in the honeycomb of subterranean corridors and get him out in one piece was beyond his imagination.
The female cyborg from the different reality might play some role in it, but he couldn’t even guess how. She was an unknown factor, even for the Great Machine; and unknown factors always meant unknown risks.
“I cannot foresee the possible outcome of this, Zathras,” he said with a sigh. “And that worries me greatly.”
“Zathras knows,” the shaggy alien currently on duty answered seriously. “You rest. Zathras watches and makes reports. And then you do what you must do.”
Author: Soledad
Author’s notes: For disclaimer, rating, etc., see the secondary index page.
Some of the dialogue is quoted from the episode “Z’ha’Dum”, swapped around between characters with slight modifications. As for Draal, I work with the first version of him, the one played by Louis Turenne in the episode “A Voice in the Wilderness”, simply because I found him more dignified and likeable.
The Arcati is canon - a ship waiting to dock to Babylon 5. It was never mentioned where it came from, so I made it a Centauri vessel because, well, I needed one. *g*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PART 27 - 21 December 2260
Doctor Stephen Franklin was not having a good day… to put it mildly. And that for several different reasons.
Learning that Doctor Hobbs had quit service and moved over to Voyager was bad enough. He was still far from his usual form, due to his still healing injury. He could impossibly shoulder his normal workload without help. Having lost a competent co-worker - and one who could work for two if necessary - might prove fatal in a crisis.
And they could count on a crisis coming up - actually on more than just one - in the near future. After all, the war had just begun in earnest.
“You learn what you truly had in a person only when you lose them,” was Doctor Hernandez’ comment when he complained to her about the situation. Clearly, he could not count on any sympathy from her side.
At least she was still there, helping as best as she could - and her best was very good indeed. Still, they would feel the loss of Doctor Hobbs dearly.
And now the second bombshell within the hour. Another departure without warning - and this time with potentially disastrous consequences. Things were spiralling downward very quickly; more quickly than he could keep up, especially after having been away from the MedLabs for quite some time due to his walkabout.
He was relieved to see Ivanova stepping out of a transport tube mere metres away. Perhaps he could get some answer from her. Ivanova usually knew everything that was going on aboard Babylon 5 - more than Sheridan, even.
Which reminded him…
“Susan,” he called out to her, “I just checked the logs! The captain's gone!”
“I know, I just found out about it myself,” Ivanova seemed every bit as agitated as he felt. “I'm running it down now. There must be a reason; and if there is, Garibaldi will know. He spoke to the captain last night.”
Franklin shook his head frantically. “Look, you don't understand! I mean, why did he do it? I… I gave him the report, I know he read it!”
That made Ivanova stop mid-track. “What report?”
“There's…” Franklin searched for the right words, since they were standing in a public place and couldn’t know who might be listening. “There’s a problem with Anna!”
“Dammit, I hate being right!” Ivanova muttered angrily; then she brought her temper back under control. “All right, come to the captain’s office with me and tell me all about it. After that, we’ll have to consult our closest allies about the new situation.”
“You mean the Minbari? I’m sure Delenn already knows.”
“If she knows she probably isn’t in any shape to lead her troops right now,” Ivanova said dryly. “I’ll contact Neroon; I may hate his guts, but he’s our best choice right now. And Captain Janeway. There’s something we don’t know yet… but they do. We must put together the details each of us has to see what could be done to protect the station.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Seven of Nine had to admit that she was impressed by the technology of Galen’s ship. Having made herself familiar with the average technological level of this reality, she found it surprising that such a small vessel could phase in and out of hyperspace, without needing a jumpgate or opening a jump-point. Clearly, the ship worked on a basis of completely different technology than anything she had seen so far.
“It is different,” Galen said. “My brethren have developed our technology through centuries of diligent research; and right now we are heading for the very place the basics of it came from.”
“Z’ha’dum?” Seven said in surprise; not the first surprise since she had met Galen for the first time, and not the most pleasant one. “Your technology comes from Z’ha’dum? It is of Shadow origins?”
“The very basics of it are,” Galen confessed. “The first technomages were created by the Shadows to be used as living weapons; they weren’t even humans but Taratimude - a winged, sentient race as old as the Minbari; they are extinct now. But they realized that they were to become the destructive tools of Chaos, and they rebelled against the Shadows and - led by a mage named Weirden - managed to break free,” he shrugged. “It was a thousand years ago, and we have been walking our own path ever since; until the others decided to go beyond the Rim.”
“What for?”
“The signs of a new, great war were visible for those who knew what to watch out for. The others were afraid that our powers may be used as a weapon by one side or another.”
“Was that a real danger?”
“Perhaps; I cannot tell for sure. We are powerful; but we are not invincible. And there are not many of us left. We may have the power - the technology, if you like - but both sides have the numbers. And in the long run, it is the numbers that count.”
Seven thought about that for a moment.
“But if the Shadows created your kind in the first place, are they not technologically more powerful?” she asked.
Galen nodded. “They are. But I am not planning to launch an all-out attack against Z’ha’dum.”
“That is a relief,” Seven commented dryly. “What are you planning then?”
“My technology is of Shadow origins, therefore the planetary defence system won’t identify it as a hostile intruder,” Galen explained. We can slip through the defence grid… and sit out whatever Sheridan is planning. Then we move in and get him out… hopefully.”
Seven gave him a superior eyebrow.
“You plan is full of uncertainty factors,” she judged.
“It is,” Galen admitted. “Fortunately, I am an improviser and work well under pressure. Now, let us start synchronizing your implants with my ship. The way to Z’ha’dum is not short, but we have a lot of work to do while we are travelling.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ivanova would have preferred a meeting aboard Voyager, where she could have been certain that they wouldn’t be spied upon, but with Sheridan gone, she couldn’t afford leaving C&C. So she asked Janeway and Neroon to meet her in Sheridan’s office and bring their executive officers or whomever they wanted to be in the know.
Janeway came in the company of Chakotay indeed, since he was actually better informed than she, while Neroon brought Rastenn, wanting his nephew and heir to know everything that was there to known. Just in case something happened to him; which, counting on a potential Shadow attack, was a distinct possibility.
Ivanova asked Franklin and Garibaldi to joint the meeting, them currently being the rest of the command staff; and Marcus Cole, as Delenn had gone in seclusion. Somebody had to contribute from the side of the Rangers; even if she would have preferred Delenn. Or even Lennier. But beggars couldn’t be choosers, and so she accepted the necessity of enduring Marcus and his questionable humour.
“I have called for this meeting because we have a new situation at our hands,” she began when everyone was seated.
God, she hated presiding over such meetings! That was the captain’s metier, she preferred to act - with a definite emphasis on act - from the background. Especially as Sheridan delegated such ‘pleasures’ to her often enough.
“Apparently, the captain has left for Z’ha’dum with his wife; and also, we might be facing an all-out Shadow attack, soon,” she continued. I assume the two things are connected in some way, but we don’t know how. Not yet. So, any detail any of us might provide could be vital.”
She looked pointedly at Garibaldi, who had been very tight-lipped about his last conversation with Sheridan. However, it was Neroon who spoke first.
“The connection is obvious. The Sher’shok Dum - the Shadows, as you call them - clearly want something from Sheridan. Either they are trying to win him for their case, using his wife to cajole him over; or they want him out of the way because they know that he is the one holding the Alliance together. If he agrees to defect to their side, Babylon 5 will be assimilated by the Shadow forces. If he refuses, the station will be besieged and most likely destroyed.”
“In either case, Sheridan will be lost for our case,” Garibaldi added.
“Wait a minute!” Janeway interrupted. Could you give us some background first? I don’t understand the role of Mrs. Sheridan in all this.”
Ivanova nodded. “Right. Sorry. I forgot that you’re new to the whole situation. Well the story began about five years ago - I assume you know what Interplanetary Expeditions is?”
Chakotay consulted his PADD containing the most important parts of information from the Babylon 5 database.
“A multi-planetary corporation that funds research and archaeological expeditions to explore ancient ruins and uncharted worlds in the interest of salvaging advanced technology from extinct civilizations,” he read out loud.
“That is the official definition anyway,” Garibaldi added grimly.
“In any case, five years ago Interplanetary Expeditions announced that one of their probes out on the Rim had found the ruins of an ancient civilization,” Ivanova continued. “A certain Doctor Chang was putting together a follow-up expedition, and he wanted Anna Sheridan on his team. She jumped at the chance, of course. For a freelancer like her it was the find of a lifetime! What Chang didn't tell most of the crew was where he really got the information,” she looked first at Garibaldi, then at Franklin. “Remember Doctor Kirkish?”
They both nodded, understanding dawning. Ivanova turned back to their allies.
"A few years earlier, IPX had found an alien ship buried beneath the surface of Mars,” she explained. “It was unlike anything they'd ever seen before! As soon as it was exposed to daylight, an automatic beacon on board sent out a coded message. IPX assumed that whoever the ship belonged to would be coming in fast to pick it up, so they moved quickly. They analyzed the ship, took pieces of it for study later, and planted a homing device inside. Three days later, another ship turned up and finished digging it out of the ground. When it left, IPX was able to track it through hyperspace to a world out on the Rim.”
“Z’ha’dum,” Neroon said grimly.
“Well, the official EarthForce destination for the planet is Alpha Omega 3, but otherwise you are right,” Ivanova replied. “Of course they didn't have a name for it at the time. And Chang was under strict orders from EarthForce New Technologies Division to keep this top secret. The IPX ship has landed amid a cluster of ancient pillars inscribed with strange rune-like markings. The crew has begun to explore the area when they picked up an energy source. They were told to check it out. And that's when they found them.”
“The Shadows?” Janeway guessed.
Ivanova nodded. “I’m not entirely sure what happened afterwards. Anna told the captain that there was an accident that killed a crew and destroyed the comm system, so that those of them who survived had no way to tell Earth what happened, but I don’t know if I should believe it.”
“You should not,” Neroon said grimly. “It is a lie, even if she was brainwashed to actually believe it.”
“What is the truth then?” Janeway asked.
“I can only guess, but I believe the Sher’shok Dum have been hibernating since their last defeat,” Neroon replied thoughtfully. “There had to be some kind of automated defence system on or around their planet that reacted to the landing of any alien ship by waking them up; or, at least, a few of them. Once awakened, the Shadows could not allow the humans to leave! Those who would not serve were killed.”
Ivanova gave him a look full of suspicion. “How comes that you know so much about these things? You’re a Warrior. I thought only the Religious Caste was privy to such information.”
“That is true, at least partially,” Neroon admitted. “But my mother was a priestess before she would leave the temple to marry my father. And though my sister - Rastenn’s mother - and I both found our heart calling us to the Warrior Caste, mother insisted on teaching us everything she thought we might need on our chosen path.”
“Including the legends concerning a mythical war that took place one thousand years ago?” Garibaldi shook his head in bewilderment.
Neroon shrugged.
“You should have realized by now that our people are much deeper rooted in tradition than yours,” he replied. “We consider the past as the fundament the present is built on. Besides, the last great war has also brought us Valen - and fundamental changes in our society. That is not something we would easily forget.”
“We always knew the Sher’shok Dum would return one day,” Rastenn said; then he added with a wry grin. “Some of us just find it hard to believe that it is happening in their lifetime.”
The humans returned his grin - who would have expected a Minbari Warrior with a sense of humour?
Neroon, however, had something else on his mind.
“You seem to have some surprising in-depth information about the fate of the Icarus-expedition, Commander,” he said to Ivanova. “May I ask where it comes from?”
“The captain had the foresight of recording his conversation with Anna,” Ivanova replied. “He left me the records as an encoded, time-delayed message. I’ve just found it an hour ago. I can provide you with a copy if you wish.”
“I would like that, yes,” Neroon said slowly. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Ivanova sighed. “So, these are the known facts. The captain left for Z’ha’dum, but I don’t think he’s planning a family reunion. The problem is, we don’t know what he’s planning… unless you do,” she looked at Garibaldi, who shook his head.
“Nope. I don’t know anything, and the captain expressly forbade me to make any educated guesses.”
“But he asked you to do something for him, didn’t he?”
“Yes; and I’m under strict orders not to speak about it to anyone - not even to you. I’m sorry, Susan, I just can’t. And it wouldn’t do you - or anyone else - any good to know it, either.”
Ivanova wasn’t happy about that, but there was nothing she could have done. Orders were orders; and besides, she trusted Sheridan to know what he was doing.
“All right,” she said. “This is the captain’s move, and we are clearly not meant to interfere - even if we could. Which we can’t. So let’s concentrate on the warning we’ve received and the immediate danger threatening the station.”
She turned to Janeway. “Captain, I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t think your ship would be safe, docked to the station as it is.”
Janeway nodded. “We’ve come to the same conclusion. Which is why we decided to move Voyager to the other side of Epsilon 3. We know it won’t be much of a hiding place, but at least we won’t stand out like a sore thumb there - and we can’t really go to anywhere else. Our presence has contaminated your reality already enough.”
“Too bad we don’t have any means to cloak the ship,” Chakotay mused. “But perhaps Seven’s multiphasic shields will provide us with some protection. She might even be able to improve them a little more.”
“I’ll speak to her as soon as we’ve moved the ship,” Janeway promised. “What can you do to protect the station?” she then asked Ivanova.
“Not much,” Ivanova admitted unhappily. “Oh, we will fly more patrols and keep the defensive weapons ready, but beyond that? We don’t have entire fleets to protect us, unfortunately.”
“You have the remaining White Stars,” Marcus reminded her, speaking for the first time since they got together. “And the Minbari cruisers Delenn has ordered here; well, the ones not destroyed in Sector 83.”
“I have good news for you,” Neroon said. “The Moon Shields decided to leave behind their ships - the ones that were too late for the previous battle - under my command. They will do their part, defending the station.”
“It still won’t be enough, though,” Ivanova said pessimistically.
“No,” Neroon agreed. “But I shall do whatever I can to delay the inevitable. And even - how do you humans put it? Oh, yes; even outgunned and outnumbered, I can do a great deal with a dozen warships full of trained Warriors under my command.”
“I honestly hope so,” Ivanova replied glumly. “Or else we are all doomed.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
At the same time somewhat agitated Vir Cotto was escorting his boss to the shuttle that was supposed to take said boss to the Arcati - the regular Centauri transport ship heading home. A plan that made Vir nervous… well, more nervous than usual.
“Londo, are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, for about the fourteenth time on that day.
“No, Vir, I most definitely don’t want to do this,” Londo answered tiredly. “But when one is summoned by the Emperor directly, there is no other choice left than to obey. Besides, I was warned to leave the station if I value my life, wasn’t I?”
“If you take the warning of Mr. Morden’s friend so seriously, then why do you leave me behind?” Vir asked.
Not that it would surprise him, of course. The machinations that had led to the death of Lord Refa - and very nearly to his own - had clearly shown how little Londo truly valued him.
“Because…” Londo sighed. “Because Babylon 5, surrounded by a vast Shadow fleet, is still a great deal safer than the Imperial Court. You would not last a day among all that scheming and backstabbing. Besides, I need somebody here. Somebody I can trust.”
“You don’t trust anyone, Londo, especially not me,” Vir said resignedly.
Londo rolled his eyes. “Oh, I do trust your integrity; you’re probably the only Centauri who possesses some of that. I just don’t trust you with tasks that require a level of duplicity you’ll never be capable of.”
Vir blinked a few times, unsure how to interpret that. “Well, thank you, but…”
“That was not a compliment!” Londo interrupted.
Of course it wasn’t. After all his failures, after all that had gone wrong, he couldn’t really expect a compliment from Londo, of all people. Vir suppressed a sigh and listened with due attention to the last-minute instructions dumped over his head in Londo’s usual condescending manner, and then watched the back of his boss until Londo boarded the shuttle.
From the protected observation gallery of the docking bay both Londo and the shuttle seemed almost frighteningly small and fragile. For a moment he wondered which one of them was in worse danger; but then he realized that Londo was right. Even threatened by a huge Shadow fleet, Babylon 5 was by magnitudes safer than the Imperial Court.
At leas here one could make an educated guess about who the real enemy was.
Once the shuttle had been elevated to the surface and was therefore no longer visible for him, he turned around to return to his duties. Londo left him with a huge pile of paperwork that had to be dealt with. Preferably yesterday. Or the day before.
Heading back towards Green Sector, however, he was intercepted by the Voyager people. More accurately by Tom Paris, Harry Kim and that aggressive female engineer of them, B’Elanna Torres.
“Hello Vir,” as usual, Tom was the one to take initiative. “Glad we’ve managed to catch you in time.”
“In time for what?” Vir asked, a little confused.
“We’ve been looking for you,” Harry said.
Vir blinked in surprise. “You have? Can I help you with something? Londo has good connections to a great number of traders here, not just to the Centauri ones. I’m sure I can get you whatever you need.”
“We don’t need anything,” Tom interrupted. “We just wanted to thank you for the warning before Voyager leaves the station. I doubt anyone else thought of doing so, and you deserve it.”
“You’re leaving?” Vir picked out the really important piece of information at once. “That’s… that’s good. Things can become very dangerous here, very soon. The farther you are from Babylon 5 in the near future, the better for you all.”
“We’re not planning to go very far,” B’Elanna said. “Only…”
Vir raised a hand to stop her. “No, please, don’t tell me! What I don’t know, I can’t give away. We’ve seen how useless I am at keeping secrets when a telepathic scan is involved. You’re my friends; I don’t want to betray you, too.”
“You haven’t betrayed your boss,” Tom pointed out. “He used you to get that piece of information to his enemies. Everybody is useless at keeping secrets when a telepathic scan is involved; save perhaps the Vulcans. Your boss counted on that. And you’ll have to bear the consequences of his duplicity.”
Vir was actually touched. The human - all these three, actually - seemed genuinely angry on his behalf, and that didn’t happen to him frequently.
“I still don’t want to give away your hiding place involuntarily,” he said. “I’m glad Rastenn - or likely his uncle - saw to it that you’d be warned. This is not your war; you shouldn’t get between the fronts. Speaking of which, how is Commander Tuvok doing?”
“No changes,” Tom replied grimly. “He’s still in cryogenic suspension. I never thought I’d miss him, but I do. That Vulcan level-headedness of his is something we could all use right now.”
“Let’s hope he will recover eventually,” Vir said, and he meant it. He owed the oddly powerful alien his sanity and what was left of his health. “Well, I must go now. I hope we get through the upcoming crisis in one piece and see each other again, but if we shouldn’t… it’s been an honour to know you.”
“The feeling is entirely mutual,” Tom said. “You’re a fine guy, Vir. Take care of yourself.”
Both men shook hands with him - an odd human gesture he still couldn’t get used to, not even after three years on Babylon 5 - and B’Elanna even kissed him on the cheek. Then the three returned to the docking bay to board Voyager, while Vir continued on to Green Sector, to deal with the inevitable paperwork, wondering if he’d see his human friends ever again.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
After their return from the meeting with Ivanova, Janeway and Chakotay immediately started the preparations to leave Babylon 5. Personnel was ordered back from their visits on the station, visitors were asked to leave, and the officers from Alpha Shift - basically the senior staff, with the exception of Tuvok - was called to the Bridge.
“Home, sweet home!” Tom Paris declared, taking his customary place in the pilot’s chair.
“Don’t get too attached to it,” Harry grinned at him from his Ops station. “We’re not going far enough to even get your seat warmed up.”
“It’s still flying,” Tom replied. “God, I’ve missed this!”
He let his fingers glide over his console, and the touch controls came dutifully alive. Then he looked back over his shoulder to the command chair.
“Your orders, Captain?”
Janeway smiled involuntarily. After weeks of lying in dock she, too, felt the knowledge that they’d get spaceborne again… liberating.
“Take us to the other side, of Epsilon 3, Lieutenant,” he ordered. “We’ll stay in geosynchronous orbit just high enough above the planet so that we won’t set off the automated defence system. I assume you’ve got the parameters programmed already.”
Tom nodded. “We got them from Commander Ivanova just in time.”
“Good,” Janeway said. “Harry, have you calculated the position for us from where we can keep in radio contact with the station but remain shielded by the planet?”
“Aye, Captain,” Harry rattled down the coordinates for her. “We’ll have to correct our orbit from time to time, but those corrections will be only minimal.”
“We’ve just received from C&C the okay for departure,” Lieutenant Rollins added from Tactical.
“Very well,” Janeway leaned back in the command chair. “Mr. Paris, prepare to leave the dock. Thrusters only.”
“Thrusters only, aye,” Tom moved the ship away from the docking bay with feather-light touches, until they cleared the station entirely. “We’re clear, Captain.”
“Set course for the other side of Epsilon 3,” Janeway ordered. “One quarter impulse. Mr. Rollins, as much as I trust C&C personnel to guide all these ships around us, there are too many smaller objects for my comfort. A collision would be unfortunate; raise shields, just as a precaution.”
Rollins acknowledged the orders and hit the necessary controls.
“We’ve got full shields, Captain,” he reported a moment later.
Janeway nodded and looked at Tom. “Engage.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In the unfathomable depths of Epsilon 3, in the heart of the Great Machine, Draal was slowly recovering his strength. The task of moving Babylon 4 a thousand years back to the past had cost him almost everything he - and the Great Machine - had, and both needed time to regain their strength. But now he almost felt ready to take action again. Almost.
He had not been unaware of the things happening during his… absence of course. The Great Machine had recorded the dramatic events, and the Zathras brothers - now only nine of them - had watched everything in real time. He just had not had the chance to discuss the situation with the Zathrases - until now.
Well… discussing it would be too ambitious a word, to be honest. It was mostly so that the various Zathrases aimed long, confusing monologues at him - sometimes two or three of them at he same time - to describe said events from their own unique (and very peculiar) point of view, and he, with the help of the Great Machine, tried to put together the greater picture from the often controversial details.
He humbly admitted that it was sometimes more than a little burdensome. Despite having merged with the Great Machine, he was still Minbari enough to prefer the clear, spiritual way his own people - especially the Religious Caste - tended to think; and he missed the chance of getting answers to the questions he actually asked. But he was a patient soul, and with the help of the Great Machine he managed to filter out the facts from the chaotic mass of information provided by the Zathrases.
Speaking of his own people… Delenn was causing him increasingly more concern lately. Having watched the key events from the past through the Great Machine, he thought he understood now what motivated his former pupil; why would Delenn choose to undergo her transformation and why would she go as far as breaking up the Grey Council, risking to end Valen’s Peace.
He understood, yes; which didn’t mean he agreed with her. Oh, he would support her case as much as he could; and, thanks to the Great Machine, he could do a lot indeed. Not enough to hold back a Shadow fleet; the defensive weapons of Epsilon 3 didn’t have a long enough range to protect Babylon 5. They had been built to protect the planet. But he could project a hologram of himself to Babylon 5 to offer counsel and knowledge that might prove crucial.
If only Delenn would answer to his attempts to establish contact! But she did not. She had not spoken to anyone since Sheridan’s departure - not even to Lennier. She had been sitting in her quarters, not eating, not sleeping, just re-watching Sheridan’s farewell message with a stony face.
Draal had watched the message with her several times. He thought he understood the man’s reasons for going to Z’ha’dum - he just doubted that the plan Sheridan seemed to have would truly work. At least not so that the man would get off the Shadow homeworld alive.
Unless…
There were still some factors no-one had considered before. One was the small, arrow-shaped ship heading for Z’ha’dum, with the renegade technomage on board. Draal recognized Galen, of course - or rather the Great Machine did. He knew the ship might slip through the Shadow defence grid; but how the mage intended to find Sheridan in the honeycomb of subterranean corridors and get him out in one piece was beyond his imagination.
The female cyborg from the different reality might play some role in it, but he couldn’t even guess how. She was an unknown factor, even for the Great Machine; and unknown factors always meant unknown risks.
“I cannot foresee the possible outcome of this, Zathras,” he said with a sigh. “And that worries me greatly.”
“Zathras knows,” the shaggy alien currently on duty answered seriously. “You rest. Zathras watches and makes reports. And then you do what you must do.”