Call of Friendship
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
Summary: Five years have after Marcus died, Susan has not been heard from since. But when John needs her, will she come?
Delenn and Lyta sat at the bridge of White Star 1, both women subdued and worried. The allies of the Shadows had been gathering for 6 years now. For weeks they had been seen coming out of hiding. Last week had been the first battle with them, and John Sheridan, President of the Alliance had been captured.
" After John who is next in command of the fleet?" Lyta asked
" In the Last War, who took command of the fleet?
" Susan. But she is Earthforce again."
" After the war, John wanted her to take over the Vice Presidency, setting up a government in which both the president and vice president have to act together to make it work. He had thought that Susan could be the military commander, and take command of the fleet, while he ran the diplomatic area. But Susan refused and went back to Earthforce."
" There is no vice president of the alliance. "
" John said it would be Susan or no one. He votes twice."
" Who else can command the fleet?"
" It was always Susan or John. He always said that Susan was a better tactician then him. She always said he was better than her. Remember the battle of Mars, when she was injured. She outfought a fleet larger in both numbers and size of their ships."
" None of us know how to command the fleet, or what to have them do even if we could make them listen. We are not commanders, or leaders. You are a diplomat, I am a telepath."
" I know, that is why I am going to contact Susan, ask her to come and take the fleet. For John's sake." said Delenn, worry for her husband clear in her voice.
" No one has seen Susan in five years or heard from her."
" That is not exactly true. John contacted her regularly, writing her long letters. She didn't respond much, when we married, when David was born, and she always sends packages for David."
" But will she come? You say John has been asking her for a long time."
" She will come. She is needed. She would not leave John."
Captain Susan Ivanova of the Earth Force Ship Menelaus walked into the quarter which had been her home for the last 5 years. It was late and she was just coming off duty. She knew she was an oddity to the crew. A month before she had become their captain, she had been the second most wanted person in Earthforce. When she came on board, she wore the Alliance Black uniform. She had given up the Earthforce Blue and would not put it back on. No one in Earth Dome had pressed her. They were to relieved to have her. John had wanted her to be his vice and fleet commander but she had had to get away.
For a while now, she had known the allies of the shadows were preparing to attack. She had her contacts, her knowledge of the Shadows. It was said to understand someone you had to fight them, and she had fought enough shadows to understand how their supplicants might think. Besides, John kept her informed. One week ago, upon fighting had began and John had been captured. Delenn had contacted her asking her to take command of the fleet.
She was seriously considering returning. She had to fight the Shadow Allies and she couldn't leave John, but the thought of going back to B5, to the White Star, places she hadn't been since Marcus, frightened her. Marcus, she thought, what would he want. A soft smile came to her lips as she thought of him, she knew exactly what to do now.
All the while, John Sheridan sat in a dark cell. Days passed and he worried what would happen. There was only one person who could pick up the fleet and have a chance, only one person who could save him. He wondered if she would do it for him.