Babylon's Guardian
Chapter 9: Killers of The Past
Recap: Ichigo and company have adjusted to Babylon 5 after two months in the night. Now they get a taste of the war to come, in the form of a monster worse then any Hollow.
"Can we not have something screwy happen every day?"
Ichigo, who was supervising Rukia's Starfury qualification test, (Zeta Squadron was down a pilot, who died while searching for the Explorer-Class EAS Cortez, and needed a replacement) looked at the drifting ancient sleeper vessel known as the USS Copernicus.
Rukia's Aurora, which, if she passed the test would be given a custom paint job, (a pure white version of Ichigo's Black Sun motif was Rukia's choice) flew over the sleeper.
"This is Babylon 5, Ichigo. If you wanted normal-"
"Not normal. Less chaotic."
Before Rukia, his life was normal.
He HATED normal.
Ichigo maneuvered his 'Fury so it would fly under the Copernicus.
"I just have a really bad feeling about this ship."
"You too? I thought I was the only one that felt like that."
"C&C to Starfury team: escort the vessel to docking port, then continue Lieutenant Kuchiki's evaluation." Ichigo turned, and Rukia followed him. "Copy that, Babylon Control. Rukia, stay on my wing. This is your first time in a Starfury, so just follow me."
"Got it."
He couldn't shake the urge to turn on the ancient explorer and fire, but he ignored it long enough for the ship to be safely lodged inside Babylon 5.
Ichigo sharply turned and headed back toward the jumpgate, followed by his Rookie Midget.
Babylon 5: Green Sector
Uryū felt a VERY twisted reiatsu signature enter Babylon 5.
'It feels like Ulquiorra all over again, but...WORSE.'
It wasn't a matter of power, but of...malevolence. Something so evil, you couldn't hope to stop it. He adjusted his Earthforce Navy uniform (AN: Ichigo told Sinclair and he set them up with commissions and back-stories. Sheridan doesn't have a clue as of yet, and until much later, he won't) and cursed the regulations concerning modifications to it.
He preferred wearing something with a cross sewn on it, (he was a very proud Quincy, after all) and Earthforce regulations were against such things.
His link then beeped.
"Ishida."
"Ensign, get up to C&C. It's time for your shift."
Another thing he cursed was Sinclair not giving him the same rank as Kurosaki.
Then again, Earthforce seemed kind of biased toward his family.
'All of them were great leaders in some way. And he led us during our invasions of the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. Perhaps that's why he is a Lieutenant and I am not.'
Babylon 5: Cobra Bays
Rukia was rather giddy.
An odd sight for the rather short shinigami, but Ichigo could see why she was: she had passed her qualification and earned her wings.
"Welcome to the club, Midget."
Again, she playfully kicked him.
Keffer looked at the shinigami in hiding.
"She's a bit short to fly in a 'Fury."
This time, Ichigo's almighty fist met Keffer's rather fragile face.
I hope being an idiot has good dental insurance.
"Come on, Rukia."
She quickly got into her uniform, but before she could put on her jacket, Ichigo took it.
"It's a bit out of date. Let's get to the Quartermaster's Office and get this thing updated."
Babylon 5: Brig
While Uryū and Orihime took the Naval route, Sado took a job with security under Garibaldi.
All the giant had to do was show up during a fight and everyone quickly surrendered.
This also meant he was rather busy breaking up fights.
He was never armed, but he preferred his fists to a weapon and PPGs were rather small.
Garibaldi was busy trying to fine something that he could carry, as he couldn't go around unarmed all the time, if only to comply with regulations.
At the moment, though, he was watching over a Lurker named Amos.
"Incoming. Get to the walls!"
Garibaldi, carrying what looked like an old Mateba Autorevolver and a holster to go with it.
"Chief."
He looked at Amos.
"How long's he been like this?"
"Couple of hours."
"The walls! Get to the walls!"
"Damn Lurkers. We should space all of them!"
Garibaldi took offense to that.
"Hanson."
Hanson walked over to the door.
"Were you in the War?"
'What does the Earth-Minbari War have to do with this?'
"No, I missed it."
Garibaldi looked at Amos.
"He didn't."
That explained a lot.
"How do you know?"
"Incoming!"
"I've had that same dream. Sado, come with me. I got something for ya."
Chad left the cell with his superior, closing the door behind him.
"This is something I got Earthforce R&D to make for you. I told them that your hands were so big that you couldn't hold a PPG, so they came up with this."
Sado looked the weapon over, then saw that while it was a revolver, instead of bullets, it loaded standard PPG caps.
And it fit his massive hand like a glove.
"Thank you, Chief, but I feel wrong carrying this weapon. I feel as though I am betraying my Abuelo's teachings."
Garibaldi blinked.
"Your grandfather?"
Chad nodded.
"Yes. He taught me to be kind above all, to fight only to protect."
Garibaldi smiled.
"My father said the same thing, only he had a few differences. Be yourself, and only use force if you really need to. Bring em in unharmed if you can, hurt em if you can't bring em in without hurting them and kill them only if you have absolutely no choice. I think your grandfather would respect you carrying that around as an absolute last resort. Hell, I pray you never have to pull it out. When you have to take out your weapon, it's a terrible day for everyone."
Chad nodded and understood.
"I believe your father and my Abuelo would have been friends, Chief."
Garibaldi chuckled.
"That they would've, kid. That they would've."
Babylon 5: Quartermaster's Office
Rukia looked at the stylized wings on her jacket's right shoulder, showing that she was a pilot.
"Well, at least I'm out of C&C."
Ichigo, who had brought all of Rukia's jackets to the Quartermaster, (Rukia was a VERY small adult, and it was hard to get uniform jackets in her size to begin with) smirked as he looked her over.
However, all hell was about to break loose, if his link beeping was any sign.
"I never get any time for me and my midget."
He tapped it.
"Shiba. Go."
Uryū's voice filtered through the link.
"Ichigo, we have a MAJOR problem."
"Define problem, Ishida."
"Don Kanonji."
Their code for spiritual issues (Hollows and such) was that idiot's name.
"Right. On my way."
He grabbed Rukia.
"Wha-"
"Ishida called. Spiritual issue."
"Fuck."
Ichigo got them to a transport tube.
"My thoughts exactly."
Babylon 5: Medlab
Orihime looked at the dead body that they pulled in from the Copernicus.
It looked like a mummy, and it was not pretty: he looked like he was screaming.
She could have used her Shin Shun Rikka to bring him back to life, but that was NOT a good idea.
"He weighed 90 pounds at time of death. He should have been 180."
Orihime left the Isolab and vomited, not used to being near dead bodies for extended periods. (gigai didn't count, and anyone that was killed near her she revived almost instantly)
'Maybe joining Dr. Franklin's medical staff wasn't such a good idea.'
Everyone understood what Orihime was going through, so they left her alone.
She wanted to help people, but she couldn't use her powers, or people might start asking questions.
'Maybe I should transfer to the station maintenance teams, instead.'
With Ichigo and Rukia
The couple met Uryū in Brown Sector.
"Problem?"
"Something came in on the ship, Kurosaki, and I've been tracking it ever since I left C&C. I can assume you felt it?"
"Like Ulquiorra, but worse. Not as bad as Aizen, but bad enough."
Uryū looked at Ichigo.
"Aizen?"
"How the hell do you think I got here in the first place, Ishida?"
He popped Kon into his mouth and got out of his body.
"Kon, get the hell out of here."
Kon looked at Ichigo.
"Hey! You never let me out, so-"
"Either you go straight to our quarters or I will CRUSH you. I am not risking my body simply because you want to fight. NOW!"
Kon fearfully saluted and ran off.
Uryū chuckled.
"Effective."
The trio heard a howl quite like a Hollow's, but very different.
The creature that produced it entered their view seconds later.
"Oh, fuck."
The being was as large as Grand Fisher was, had a massive hammer-shaped head and practically exuded evil.
Rukia drew her sword.
"Bankai: Hokkyoku Sode no Shirayuki."
Ichigo followed suit, but since he entered Bankai more often then anyone else, he could do it wordlessly.
Uryū formed his bow.
"Oh, why did I have the idea to look for you?"
"It's your own damn fault."
It charged at them, and Uryū opened fire in turn.
The arrows just bounced off its' hide as it they weren't there.
"Some no Mai: Tsukishiro!"
Rukia trapped it, but it wasn't dead.
"Getsuga Tensho!"
Black and red reiatsu hit the monster, badly hurting it, but not killing it.
"Fuck!"
Uryū looked at Ichigo.
"Any ideas, Kurosaki?"
He put his hand to his face.
"Keep hitting it! It's got to go down eventually!"
Ichigo donned his Hollow mask, unleashing all of his might.
"Getsuga Tensho!"
He fired a Getsuga at the agent of the Shadows, who seemed to absorb it like that Togabito from so long ago.
Even so, the attack hurt it.
Badly.
It retreated, running off at speeds only Ichigo could follow.
And fighting that thing alone was a BAD idea.
"What the hell?! It just kept coming!"
Rukia left Bankai, not having the reserves to keep it up for long periods of time.
"It backed off when Ichigo used that Kuroi Getsuga."
Ichigo removed the mask.
"It was leeching off of our power, but I overloaded it, kind of like an overcharged battery. I hit him again before he vents, he dies."
Ichigo found the ugly bastard with his senses.
"This way! Follow me!"
Babylon 5: Brown 90
Ivanova and Sheridan led a tactical team to hunt the alien down.
"You have a plan?"
Sheridan looked at his XO.
"Let's try not to get killed."
Ivanova scoffed.
"Brilliant."
Ivanova shook her head.
This thing put out a presence so powerful and evil it had to be spiritual.
Their PPGs may have been energy based, but it would take Ichigo and his spiritually gifted friends (AN: This is IVANOVA we're talking about. Her information gathering skills are EVIL) to kill the fucking thing.
The team heard it howl in pain.
'Looks like Ichigo and company are already attacking it.'
Sheridan moved on to find Garibaldi and Amos.
'Well, I'm screwed.'
"GETSUGA TENSHO!"
Ivanova corrected herself.
'WE'RE screwed.'
With Ichigo
Ichigo donned his mask and charged at the monster. It had killed a LOT of people, and now it was going to pay. "GETSUGA TENSHO!" His enhanced Getsuga didn't leave the blade, but as soon as it made contact with the flesh of the being, it went straight in. It overloaded the creature, but didn't kill it.
Now, though, PPG fire could kill it.
And as soon as Sheridan and Garibaldi arrived seconds later, they poured every shot they had into it. Ichigo wisely shunpo'ed the hell out of there before Sheridan could see him.
Too bad he failed and Sheridan saw him leave.
Somehow, the new Captain missed Ichigo's most identifying feature: his hair.
Still, it was something to add to the Sheridan Mystery Collection TM .
Babylon 5: Green 1, Level 5: 1 hour later
"That was the most annoying fight I have even had. And I'm including my bouts with Aizen in that."
Everyone sat in Ichigo's quarters, which was more or less considered the Karakura Substitute Team's GHQ.
"What was that thing, anyways? It was powerful-"
"Not as powerful as you would think. It gives off an aura of pure evil, worse then what Aizen could pull off, but it was only as strong as one of the Espada. Of course, the Espada are still a pain in the ass to beat. What we should be worried about are this thing's masters."
Everyone looked at Ichigo.
"Masters?"
"I've had a few ideas. Aizen couldn't've done what he did with just Kyoka Suigetsu and the Hōgyoku. I think he sided with G'Kar's 'ancient enemy': the Shadows."
Orihime looked at him.
"Shadows?"
"That's what Kosh told me they were called. There's no other name for them. They control Hueco Mundo. And Aizen was in league with the bastards right up until I killed him."
Uryū blinked.
"Fuck."
Ichigo then looked at Uryū.
"I think they did something to force the Quincies into those war with the Soul Society, too. Neither side is completely stupid, and both could have found a way to work together somehow: changing Quincy powers to purify and all that. Instead, they fought a major war. And what's happening with the Narn and Centauri?"
Chad, who had remained silent, spoke at last.
"The same thing."
"That first war was the worst, wasn't it? Maybe the Quincies had direct help from the Shadows during that war-"
"But Yamamoto was too strong, even with the help of the Shadows."
Uryū blinked three times.
"Oh, God. We were manipulated. TWISTED."
"Just like humanity's being twisted by Clark. He's sided with the Shadows: there's no way Earthforce One, a spacecraft that is inspected and maintained better then anything in the Alliance, just explodes like that."
Ichigo had a point.
Something was going on, and none of them were liking it at all.
"Regretting staying?"
"Hell no. I'll go back when we're done. And we're not done."
He scowled as deep as it had ever been.
"Not by a fucking long shot, we aren't."
The Long Dark was a hard episode to adapt to this, but I did it.
Next up is The Coming of Shadows, where we see the Rangers for the first time and a friend of Ichigo's arrives, and it ties into GROPOS as well.
That's right, people: Renji is coming to B5.
I actually pity Garibaldi now.
Bleach Spoiler Alert
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Beep. Beep. BEEEEEEEEPPPPP. WHAT THE FUCK?! (Massive explosion)
First Zangetsu's an oversized katana, then it's a giant Persian dagger, then it's turns into the trench knife from hell.
Now it's TWO swords?! And I KNOW that's Shikai!
Well, at least he keeps both of his spirits. That makes my job a bit easier when the next WSR fic comes round.
Next Time on Babylon's Guardian: The Narn-Centauri War begins, the Rangers are revealed, and all hell breaks loose on Babylon 5 with enough GROPOS to fill a station.
Ja Ne!