The Troubles of Intergalactic Diplomacy
Author's note: This crossover is a little strange, but if you like sci-fi and are a Gohan fan, you might like it, regardless of whether you've seen or even heard of Babylon 5.
For those of you who are familiar with B5, Videl is taking the role of Susan Ivanova, and Sharpener and Erasa also have corresponding roles which you will be able to decipher based on the clever subtleness…ahem…of their last names.
Disclaimer: In no way do I claim any sort of ownership over Babylon 5 or DBZ.
"It was the dawn of the third age of mankind, ten years after the Earth-Minbari war, and six years after the defeat of Frieza by the Saiyans. The Babylon project was a dream given form – its goal: to prevent war by creating a place where humans and aliens could work out their differences peacefully. It's a port-of-call, home away from home for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs, and wanderers. Humans and aliens wrapped in two million, five hundred thousand tons of spinning metal, all alone in the night. It can be a dangerous place, but it's our last, best hope for peace.
This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations.
The year is 2258.
The name of the place is Babylon 5."
"Satan, observation deck report."
"Everything is clear, Commander," came the response.
Jeffrey Sinclair nodded. Leaning on the railing, he thought of the past month's struggles and was reminded of how the station would be nothing without such an excellent crew. Videl Satan – ace pilot, superb fighter, and overall the most realistic thinker of the crowd – could always be counted on in emergencies, and Sharpener Garibaldi, the security coordinator, was top-notch when it came to restoring order from chaos.
Chaos. Now that was something he couldn't stand. Chaos was the harbinger of war and destruction, the feeling that drove sentient beings to act like wild animals. The past month, in fact, had been close to chaotic, and had it not been for these two key members of the crew, Babylon 5 would have faced the same fate as the previous four stations – blown up or lost forever.
Currently though, everything was running smoothly. In terms of the station itself, the arrival of the Psy Corps commercial telepath Erasa Winters was helping to ensure order among the business transactions taking place. And, on an intergalactic level, the four ambassadors from thewilling dominant republics – the Centauri, the Narn, the Minbari, and the Vorlon – had arrived and delegations on peace were scheduled to begin.
"Well, I'm retiring for the night then," he mentioned to the lieutenant commander before heading to the doorway. "You should do the same."
"Yeah, yeah," she replied with a wry smile. "Sooner or later I will. Since it's the first day of everything finally in place, though, I promised Garibaldi that I'd accompany him to the ambassadorial district to personally see that Ambassador Kosh was settled in."
"Great idea," Sinclair raised his eyebrows. "I'll see you in the morning then."
As he left, Sharpener Garibaldi entered.
"Evening, Videl. All set?"
She straightened her uniform and followed him back out the door again.
"Absolutely."
They pulled on the oxy-masks before entering the thick atmosphere of Ambassador Kosh's quarters.
"Ambassador Kosh," Videl bowed to the Vorlon hidden by the immense suit. "Under today's improved circumstances, we would like to finally welcome you to Babylon 5."
The returned nod was slow and the voice gravelly.
"Many thanks."
"Please let us remind you, Ambassador," Sharpener continued. "If there is anything else you need, or any changes you want made during your term here, don't hesitate to notify us. Your comfort and safety are our primary concerns."
"Yes. Of course," the ambassador nodded again. "That will be all."
The two humans bowed once again and exited his chamber, the doorway sliding shut behind them.
"Well that was quick," Sharpener muttered.
Videl shrugged her shoulders, carefully eying the Minbari residency as they passed it.
The rest of the walk was silent, until they came to the end of the ambassadorial sector. There they parted ways and headed back to their own quarters.
Plopping down on her bed, Videl's mind flitted on the puzzling topic of the Minbari Federation and the strange narrative Sinclair had once told her:
Sinclair had led the Earth forces into the final battle of the Earth-Minbari war, a battle in which his crew had been obliterated by the Minbari fleet, and Sinclair had lost control of his fighter. He had blacked out, and when he awoke again, he was back on Earth, the day after the battle. He had been told that on the eve of their victory, the Minbari had shockingly surrendered.
The Minbari are definitely a strange lot, she thought to herself before drifting off to sleep. It's nice that Delenn and I have grown to become friends though.
The last of the assembly was filtering into the chamber as Videl entered with them. She received a nod from Commander Sinclair as she took her seat, and glanced up slightly as the Centauri ambassador's voice cut above the other chatter in the room.
"Just like a Narn!Still not here!" his r's rolled with his Scottish-like brogue, and his hair quivered slightly. "Why, in the glorious past days of the Centauri republic, lateness was an inexcusable offe –"
He was cut off as the Narn ambassador G'Kar stalked into the room.
Sinclair took this as his cue to commence the meeting and stood up.
"Thank you all for coming. I regret to say that Ambassador Kosh has declined his invitation to participate in today's delegation, but I hope that will not deter us from making any progress."
Several heads nodded in assent.
"Now the first order of business concerns quarantined trade from the Markab and the Pak'ma'ra."
Sinclair glanced to the side as the door opened, surprised to see Garibaldi enter.
"Sorry to interrupt," he said. "But I need to pull Commander Sinclair away for a moment. The president is on the line, and he says it's urgent."
Sinclair raised an eyebrow.
"I'll be right there," he said. "Ambassador Delenn, would you be so kind as to explain the trade situation to the delegation and begin a discussion on it?"
"Certainly," the Minbari replied, and stood up. Despite her small frame, she held herself with authority.
Videl's eyes followed the commander as he left the room, vaguely wondering what the situation was, before turning her attention back to the delegation.
"So here's the situation," Sinclair paced in his office later that afternoon while Videl and Sharpener waited to hear why the Earth Alliance president had called so urgently.
"Apparently theSaiyans contacted the Alliance."
Videl and Sharpener exchanged a surprised, slightly fearful glance.
"They wish to send an ambassador to Babylon 5 – he will arrive in three days time. This is the job allotment: Sharpener - I did not get the impression that this request was meant as a threat, so it will be your job to alert the community of his arrival, but not alarm them. Videl, I would like as much information on Saiyans as possible, history and otherwise, to be gathered. We certainly wouldn't want to offend our guest by accident. I will take care of securing his quarters in the ambassadorial sector, as well as contacting the Saiyan government to confirm and secure everything."
"I always get the hardest jobs," Sharpener grumbled, crossing his arms.
"You are both dismissed."
They nodded and headed out the door.
End Note: Again, for those unfamiliar with B5, I would suggest googling images of the different characters or races mentioned. You may find it rather…amusing. (If you do this though, please keep in mind that I'm using the season one appearance of Delenn.)