Who do you serve?

Who do you trust?

Crusade: Inquisition

Short story by JD Marx

Based on Babylon 5, Crusade,

Legend of the Rangers

created by

J. Michael Straczynski

Author's Note

The question goes, "What Do You Want?". My only answer would be that Crusade was given a fighting chance that it was not given. What Do You Want? A second chance for Crusade. And I know that this will not happen. Yes, Crusade started out on a rough start, but what television show doesn't. The only reason why Crusade did not survive, was because of TNT. They had no experience with science fiction and so, they tried to butcher the show.

I respect JMS for his belief that he would not want a show he didn't believe it, and rather loose a show he did believe in. Crusade had such potential. May be one day JMS will decide to sanction novels to further the Crusade saga along. One can only hope.

Some of the story is based on the un-produced scripts "Value Judgements", "To the Ends of the Earth", and "End of the Line". Value Judgements concentrated on the Excalibur crew finding Alfred Bester. To the Ends of the Earth concentrated on the Excalibur's encounter with a Shadow hybrid vessel. End of the Line concentrated on the origin of the vessel that destroyed the Cerberus and a military faction behind it.

Some details I have based on outlines I happen to come across on the net of what may have happened during Crusade's course. I also recommend reading the Passing of the Techno-Mage trilogy and the Centauri Prime Trilogy as they give a peek as to what happened before, during, and after Crusade.

Read, enjoy, and review. One day I'll finish the story.

JDMarx

1/04/03

-----prologue-----

The Beta shift, or as the crew like to refer to it as, the grave yard shift, had just started, and it was going to be another day on an EarthForce destroyer in the deep of space. But never was another day just a routine day. Everyday was different than the other.

Then the tranquility was sliced by the klaxon of general quarters and everyone rushed to their positions.

Another drill, Ensign Matthew Gideon thought as he was attired in his duty uniform.

"Man your battle stations!" The voice of Captain Morgan announced through the entire ship. "This is no drill!"

As Gideon was turning around to head to security operations, the entire ship shuddered as from an impact.

Another ship, Gideon thought as he ran as everyone else to their assigned stations.

In ten minutes Gideon stepped out of SecOps in security armor and a PPG in his hand. He stepped out of SecOps and placed his field helmet on his head.

As he maintained position around deck 4, his link chirped.

"Gideon," he said as he spoke in the skin tab communication device.

"Report to the bridge, ASAP!" The voice of the ship's XO, Commander Lucas ordered.

"On my way," Gideon responded and ran toward the forward section dodging the other crew like a football player in a game coming down to the last second of the game.

When he rounded the corner to the bridge hatch, he slowed his pace and entered through the open hatch. When he stepped onto the bridge there was a blinding white light and he was floating in zero gravity with a propulsion unit strapped to his back.

Before he could react, the Cerberus' conventional drives ignited and drove forward away from Gideon left behind as the hostile craft began another attack run on his fleeing ship which had formed a jump point.

"No!" Gideon's screamed endlessly as a red beam of intense energy shot out from the front of the black craft which disturbed Gideon down to his soul. There was something about the craft that seemed totally evil.

The Cerberus took the brunt of the attack and erupted in a mass explosion near the jump point where debris was pulled into the energy vortex and released in hyperspace.

The ship vanished, and Gideon floated helpless.

The flotilla of black unmarked flyers flew near him as the sight of them brought him hope.

"--is Ensign Matthew Gideon, of the Earth Alliance Destroyer Cerberus, to unidentified ships. I need your help. My ship has been destroyed. I don't know if you can hear me, I don't know if you can understand me. But--in thirty minutes, I'll be dead and---there will be no one left to speak for the people who died here. You have to help me, you have--" The ships continued onward to their destination as if ignoring Gideon's plea.

"Don't go. Don't-- Don't go..."

The cries of his fellow shipmates echoed in his mind as it muffled his fear of dying. The rage inside him furying as it kept his thoughts off of suffocating. But the thought that paralyzed him was dying alone. Gideon was never afraid to die. It was just a fear to die alone. Dying in vain and dishonorable manner. He had always wanted to go out fighting. And all he could do was plea for the ships to stop before they got out of communication range.

As the cries of his crew echoed in his mind, a shadow passed over him.

When he looked up it was one of the flyers. And a hatch on the bottom of the flyer was open, welcoming him in the safe confines away from the hostile vacuum of space.

Thank you, Gideon thought as he grabbed the frame of the open hatch and pulled himself into the ship.

When the environment was pressurized, he removed his helmet and looked around to examine his surroundings. All he could see was the room was dark, as if concealing the ship.

When he turned his head to the side, a figure was standing beside him. His gruesome burned skin facing him. The eyes burned a way to the bottom of Gideon's soul.

"Captain Morgan," Gideon voice shook.

"Don't let our deaths be silent, Ensign."

"I won't, sir. I swear to you. I'll find out who did this, and make them pay."

At a blink of an eye, Morgan was gone and Gideon was alone.

Until he turned around.

In the middle of the room was a camp fire, and seven cloaked figures standing beside the fire all faced him.

"I'm Ensign Matthew Gideon."

A presence motivated Gideon to turn around and see a robed figure standing in front of him.

"Do not ignore the cries of your destiny," The figure cloaked in a black robe said as he stood still as a statue.

"Who are you?"

"Your destiny awaits," the figure said as in a blink of an eye was gone.

The room remained, but the camp fire and the robed figures were gone.

Your destiny awaits.