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"...The object spotted in hyperspace almost a month ago has been considered a threat to humanity by officials in Earth Force."
Flynn walked past the ISN newscast in Downbelow, with PPG raised, on a hunt for Deuce. He had a single-minded determination about him, and probably would've walked past a murder as he searched for the gang that was able to smuggle dust into the station for the past six months without being caught. Last time the security team had been ready for the shipment, but Deuce had done something far worse.
"Hey," someone whispered.
Flynn turned around to see a man standing at a makeshift hut calling Flynn over with his arm.
"What is it?" Flynn asked, annoyed. He didn't waste even a few seconds as he knew Deuce could be getting further away and deeper into hiding with each passing moment.
"I hear you're looking for Deuce," he said. He took a quick glance around the corridor and motioned Flynn to follow him into the rags-for-curtains box.
"What's it to you?"
"Just so you know, he's jumped ship."
"Then where is he?"
"He shoulda arrived on Proxima 3 about an hour and a half ago."
"How could he have got off the station? We have every exit sealed."
"Not every. He picked up a map of the station from a guy who owed him a few credits."
"And how do you know all this?"
"He told me."
"And why are you telling me?"
"I never really liked him."
For the first time in a week, a smile broke through Flynn's concrete face. "Thanks for the help, mate."
* * *
"Chief--" Flynn stopped as he saw Zack in Garibaldi's seat instead of the chief himself. "Hey Zack. Where's the chief?"
"In some meeting with the Captain and Ivanova."
"D'you know how long he'll be?"
"Nope. He doesn't tell me much these days." Zack started wrestling with the collar on his uniform.
"Jesus, is that still giving you trouble? Have you tried the tailors on the Zocalo yet?"
"Yeah, but no matter how it's altered, this bloody thing never fits."
Flynn backed off a bit, "I'll be back in a little while. See you around."
"And you."
Flynn stepped out of Security Central, and bumped into a very anxious looking bald man. "Can I help you?"
The man turned around, "Yes, officer. I was wondering if this station has a commercial telepath, I'm looking to conduct business with some men I don't particularly trust."
"I'm sorry, sir, but our last telepath, Talia Winters, left the station-" Flynn felt dizzy, and fell back against the wall.
"Are you fine?"
"I'll be all right." Flynn regained his composure, and walked on.
* * *
Flynn walked into MedLab, and walked up to a nurse. "Do you know if Doctor Franklin's here?"
"Yes, he just got back from a meeting with Captain Sheridan and Commander Ivanova."
"Thank you." Flynn walked into Franklin's office. It wasn't an office, more of a desk on its own.
Franklin walked over to meet Flynn, "How can I help you, Sergeant?"
"I was just talking to a man about telepaths, and when I mentioned Talia Winters I suddenly got a headache, and a strong emotion."
"It could be a side effect from you dust experience. I know that Mr. Garibaldi liked Talia and that he was distressed about her leaving."
"Thanks, doc. At least that's one of about a million things sorted."
"And what are these other million?"
"Crazy stuff."
"Give me an example."
"Wars from thousands of years ago, first ones, a group called the Rangers, President Santiago was assassinated by his own Vice-President. It's all crazy stuff."
"It sure sounds like it."
"So you don't think there's anything wrong with me, doc?"
"Your headaches should stop in about two or three days. If they don't, then come back and see me again."
"Thanks, doc."
As Flynn left, Franklin hit his link. "Captain, I think we may have a problem."
* * *
Flynn walked into Security Central, please to see Garibaldi back in the seat. "Chief, can I ask you for something?"
Garibaldi was paying more attention to the screen with a list of statistics on them. Probably the crime rate, Flynn thought.
"Yeah, what is it?"
"I'd like permission to borrow a shuttle."
Garibaldi turned to Flynn, "Why?"
"I've been informed that Deuce has escaped to Proxima 3. I wanna go after him."
Garibaldi skeptically stared at Flynn as a response.
"Chief, he hurt me. I hurt you in turn. I know you don't trust me as much as you used to, but--"
"Fine, we'll go."
"We?"
"I need an excuse of get off the station every once in a while."
"Why am I suddenly getting flashbacks of Mars?"
Garibaldi ignored the comment, looked at a piece of paper for a moment.
"Ok. Meet me in cargo bay eight in two hours and we'll get aboard the starliner Asimov. It's on its way to--" Garibaldi's link bleeped. He a small button on it to receive, "Yeah, what is it?"
"Mr. Garibaldi," the voice was undeniably Sheridan's; "we need to talk to you about one of your deputies. Code Seven-R."
"Would you excuse us Sean?"
"Of course chief."
Flynn stepped out of the room. Garibaldi returned to his link, "What is it?"
"It's about Sergeant Flynn."
* * *
"How long until we reach Proxima 3?" Garibaldi asked.
Flynn checked a display on a small clock he had. "Just over an hour left now."
Garibaldi lied back in the hard seat and looked up. "What did you mean when you mentioned Mars?"
"What?"
"Back on the station. Just before we were interrupted."
Flynn fixed his seatbelt so his could get a better angle of view on Garibaldi. "During the war, when we were stationed in Syria Planum. The time that two of our guys were attacked by Mars Resistance, and the two of us went after them."
"Oh, yeah."
There was more silence.
"What's a code Seven-R?"
"A special regulation for ambassadors and dignitaries."
"Never heard of it."
"It's one of the newer regs."
"And poor me still stuck in the past."
"You'll get used to them in time."
"Hope so. I wouldn't want to get kicked off the station for breaking a reg I'd never heard before."
Another batch of silence spread throughout the cabin.
"Chief, is there something wrong between us?"
"What do you mean?"
"Ever since that time with the dust, you haven't really been the same around me as we used to be."
Garibaldi looked down on the armband, "That."
Flynn held onto the band tightly, "This? What's wrong with it?"
"You know how they are back on Earth. I just... know somehow that there's more to that symbol than appears at first. Come on, fifty credits a week just for doing your usual job. I doubt that very much."
"If the Night Watch does get a little weird, then I'll take the band off. But for now, I'm just enjoying those fifty credits."
"And what if you had to choose between us and them?"
"We're all on the side of Earth, aren't we?"
"Yeah, but who would you choose between if there were a split: them or us?"
"You, of course. I'd never turn my back on you guys, and I'd take a PPG round for each and very one of you. Why?"
"I was just asking. I don't trust the Night Watch as far as I could throw a Pak'Ma'Ra with one hand."
"Let's hope we'll never have to bear that."
At the furthest side of the chair from Flynn, Garibaldi hit a button on the link in the palm of his hand to stop it recording.
* * *
Garibaldi and Flynn departed the Asimov with about one hundred and fifty others. Waiting for them was Proxima security chief Rosemary Ambrus, who joined as them left the luggage collection point.
"Hello gentlemen. I never figured you'd be needing to bring suitcases with you, it this an unofficial holiday?"
The woman was in a good mood about something, but Garibaldi struggled to discover what it was. He looked around the dark and dirty place, and could only conclude she'd been promoted and preparing to leave for another position.
"Please follow me, gentlemen," she said in her cheery voice, "we have prepared some accomendations for the two of you."
* * *
"One bed. Just one bed."
Garibaldi looked around the hotel room. It looked like one of those honeymoon suites he'd seen in a vid or two. Beside him, Flynn dropped his suitcase.
"You take it, chief."
"You better believe I'm taking it."
Flynn looked out the window in the main room. I had a brilliant view of the streets, although they weren't much to look at. Garibaldi threw himself onto the king-sized bed. "I'm going to take a little nap. Wake me in about four or five hours."
"OK, Chief." Flynn quietly left the area and, when he heard no noise from Garibaldi, left the room. Garibaldi heard him close the door, and walked over to the main window Flynn had been looking through, and after a few minutes saw the security officer jump into a taxi.
* * *
The bar was full of smoke. Flynn made the sarcastic guess that a smokers' convention was holding a meeting, and continued about his work.
He saw a Narn in the corner, with another Narn guard at each side. Flynn walked up to him. "Mr. Fa'Log, I presume?"
"And who are you?"
"I am Sean... O'Casey. I was wondering if you knew where I could purchase some dust."
"It will cost you."
"You damned Narns will sell anyth--" The two guards moved in on him. "And how much will the information cost?"
"Fifty credits."
Flynn mumbled something inaudibly to the Narn. He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and gave the Narn fifty credits.
Fa'Log handed Flynn a piece of paper with the address on it. If this address didn't hold the position of Deuce, Flynn knew he wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of finding him.
"Thank you," he said as he turned around and left the presence of the three Narn. Garibaldi watched as he left through a back way, then walked up to the Narn. "Where did you send him?"
"Send who?"
"The man who came in before me."
"It is not good for business to give away the locations of my clients."
Garibaldi pulled up his pullover to show the energy cap of his PPG. The two Narn guards moved in on him, but he elbowed both in the stomach and they went crashing to the floor. "Now, where did he go?"
The Narn gave a worried smile.
* * *
Flynn pulled the PPG out of the back of his trousers and another from his shoulder brace. With one in each hand, he silently moved down the corridor, following Deuce's unmistakable voice.
Just before he kicked the door down, Garibaldi slipped up beside Flynn with his own PPG drawn.
"How the hell--?"
"The Narn who gave you the address was very helpful once I convinced him to be."
"We'll go on three."
"Hey," Garibaldi said. "I'm the security chief around here. Now we'll go on three."
"Aye, sir."
"One, two, three!"
The two kicked the door down, but to find the room empty. Flynn walked up to a recording device playing Deuce's voice and hit stop. He saw a note on the table.
He picked it up, and read it aloud: "Suckers!"
A build-up started in the room that Garibaldi recognised as a bomb. He grabbed Flynn and pushed him out of the room before diving himself. A large fireball quickly followed.
"No... no," Flynn said quietly as he lay on the ground. "He got away again."
"Don't worry Sean, we'll get him."
* * *
Flynn walked into the war room on B5 slowly and quietly. Captain Sheridan, Commander Ivanova, Doctor Franklin, Mr. Garibaldi and oddly enough Ambassador Delenn were waiting on him.
"Please sit, Sergeant," Sheridan said.
"Yes, sir." Flynn quickly took a seat beside his chief.
Sheridan hit a button on his link, and the PA for the room only turned on. It played a conversation between Garibaldi and Flynn:
"Yeah, but who would you choose between if there were a split: them or us?"
"You, of course. I'd never turn my back on you guys--"
Sheridan it the button on his link to stop the chat, "Can we trust you to your words, Sergeant Flynn?"
"Yes, sir. Absolutely."
"Then let's get started. I believe you've been having images flicker about in your head since the incident with the Mr. Garibaldi."
"Yes."
"Then we should explain them. We'll start about the Shadows."
"Is this 'The Darkness'?"
"Yes. We'll explain them to you first."
Sheridan notioned to Delenn. She leaned forward in the chair to put her elbows on the table, "There are beings in the galaxy millions of years older than any of our races..."