30 Worlds: Royal Megaforce Gaiden: "Na'La'For (The Captain's Table)"
by William "Blissey" Raymer
Gaiden (n.-Japanese)-"Side Story," or a story that takes place off of the main track of a chain of events.
Based on the Warner Bros. Domestic Pay-TV, Cable and Network Features series
Babylon 5 and Crusade
Created by J. Michael Straczynski
Concept taken from
Star Trek: The Captain's Table
Concept Developed by John J. Ordover and Dean Wesley Smith
(Published by Pocket Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, Inc.)
"Princess/Queen Scarlett" character and "Scarlett Warrior" concepts taken from the Sofia the First fanfiction series The Scarlet Saga
Written by Ben10Man (f/k/a jakevoronkov1)
First, a note from the author:
"I decided to try something different for this story. In looking for other ways I could tell a story set during the mission to save the thirty worlds, I went through many of the books in my collection and found one that piqued my interest.
The book in question was the omnibus version of 'Star Trek: The Captain's Table.' This series featured the six Star Trek captains extant at the time—Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, Calhoun (from Pocket Books' original Star Trek: New Frontier series) and Pike (from the first Star Trek pilot, 'The Cage'), each encountering a mysterious bar known as the Captain's Table.
This bar, accessible only to captains of any kind of ship in any time period or dimension whether it is a sailing ship or a spaceship, molds itself to the thoughts of each patron. Libations are paid for with a story meant to entertain the other patrons.
I decided to make this story in the style of the Captain's Table novels, but re-telling the events of 30 Worlds: Megaforce, Episode XII: "The Last Hope" from John Sheridan's (Babylon 5) point of view, while adding Lennier's (Sheridan and Delenn's son) descriptions of life aboard the Enterprise (and later, the Ambassador). Please also note that all Chapters whose headings are preceded by "S-" are told from the first-person perspective of John Sheridan, who is telling the story to Cap and the rest of the patrons at the Captain's Table, while all chapters preceded by "L-" are told in the form of letters sent by Lennier to Sheridan.
Read and enjoy.
-William 'Blissey' Raymer"
PROLOGUE
Unaligned World of Babylon 5
Tuzenor, Planet Minbar
Capitol City of the Minbari Federation and the Interstellar Alliance
Earth Date: February 27, 2272
John J. Sheridan, former President of the Interstellar Alliance, approached the coordinates of a drinking establishment unlike any he had ever been to in his years first in EarthForce then as President.
This establishment, known in the warrior caste-dialect of the Minbari language as Na'La'For, was rumored to only be accessible by those who are or had been the commanding officers of ships whether of sea or the stars—thus the name the establishment was known by in the English language of Earth: the Captain's Table.
It had been several weeks since his and wife Delenn's half-human, half-Minbari son, David (also known as Lennier), had left to serve on the DDV Enterprise, the same ship that had saved Earth and the rest of the Interstellar Alliance from the Drakh plague some four years earlier. He missed his son dearly, and wanted to vent—politics be damned.
So he decided to put aside his duties as Anla'Shok'Na (or "Ranger One"), the leader of the mysterious peacekeeping force known as the Rangers, to grab a drink at the mysterious Na'La'For.
The entrance to the place was not far from the headquarters of the Anla'Shok in a complex near the center of Tuzenor, on the base of a statue of the legendary Minbari leader Valen. Sheridan had first heard of Na'La'For from Valen himself, then known as Ambassador Jeffrey Sinclair, during the mission to ensure that space station Babylon 4 made it back to the war between the Shadows and the combined forces of the Minbari and Vorlons over a millennium before.
Before Sheridan and the rest of the mission party returned to Babylon 5 and their own time, Sinclair had told Sheridan, "There is a place you'll visit someday where only those who command can go. Perhaps we'll meet again there."
Then, one day, shortly before departing Babylon 5 for the final battle between his fleet and the forces of rogue Earth President William Clark, he found a strange door in the Zocalo, Babylon 5's primary business sector. It led him to a place where people in Earth Alliance, Centauri, Narn and Minbari uniforms were gathered.
In addition, humans in other uniforms stood, carousing with aliens whose species Sheridan did not recognize. A hearty voice called out, "Welcome, Johnny boy!"
Sheridan turned his head to the bar, where a round-faced man in an Earth Alliance workout ensemble was pouring drinks for a Minbari warrior before he went off to talk to a human in an unfamiliar uniform.
"I'm Cap. Welcome to the Captain's Table," the round-faced man said. "I assume you remember what our departed friend Jeffrey told you on Babylon 4."
"This is the place he told me about," Sheridan said, Sinclair's last words to him becoming clear as he talked. "Exactly," Cap said.
Sheridan smiled, then looked around at the various uniforms worn by the patrons around him. "I don't recognize some of these uniforms or species," Sheridan said.
"That's because they're from other dimensions, Johnny," Cap said. "See that blue-skinned, white-haired one in the red uniform over there?"
Sheridan looked over to the alien that Cap mentioned. "That one is called an Andorian," Cap said. "He's from another dimension." Sheridan turned back to face Cap. "The Captain's Table gathers ship commanders from dimensions near and far to have fun and share stories of their adventures."
Cap gestured to the bar. "We have libations from just as many dimensions," he continued. "The only payment I accept for drinks and snacks here is a story."
"However, I sense that you're not ready yet," Cap said. "No," Sheridan said. "I gotta get to the Agamemnon."
"I understand, Johnny. If you survive, I'll expect you back whenever you can with the story," Cap said. "It's a deal," Sheridan said.
When Sheridan returned to Babylon 5 after defeating Clark's forces and to prepare for his inauguration as president of the Alliance, he made good on his agreement with Cap.
Sheridan reflected on those times as he opened the door at the base of the Valen statue. "Johnny!" Cap said. He was still as young as when Sheridan had first met him.
"Hey, Cap!" Sheridan said. "Pour me your finest brandy." "You know what you have to do, then," Cap said as Sheridan took his place at the bar.
"Of course, I know," Sheridan said. "You remember when I mentioned my son, right?" "Yeah," Cap said with a smile. "Well, my story has to do with David and how I helped him discover his destiny," Sheridan said.
::TBC::
