Hey people, here's an update! I hope you all enjoy and please review!
Also in answer to a review I got a few weeks ago, The Black Star wasn't destroyed in orbit over Earth, it was in fact destroyed by John Sheridan in an asteriod field after the vessel ambushed a patrol. If you don't believe me, YouTube it.
-Spearhead
Delenn sat in meditation, thinking about the last few days. It had started when a strange ship appeared from a different type of jump point than the races they knew utilised and had sent the Grey Council a message in written Minbari. The message had asked for a representative for negotiations. She had been selected and until the next day didn't realise that the negotiations were for peace between her people and Earth.
Everything after that had moved so quickly. All Earth ships had removed themselves from current engagements, retreating to defensive patrols around their colonies, with a clever plan to stage a battle that would result in the 'capture' of Delenn's human family. Of course finding the same person who shared a genetic ancestor with Delenn would take time. She had with her a small purple stone, a gift from the Tau'ri, that would give her the details of the fake battle.
Since her return, she'd informed the rest of the council of her meeting, minus the part about her human genes. She just told them that the Tau'ri had invented a way to end the war that they were all tired of fighting. Her fellow council members had agreed with her and they'd issue the halt order. All Minbari ships had been ordered to hold position until the Rangers located the Humans home world. At least, that's what the council had told the Warrior caste, who weren't happy about it.
Now she was waiting for the message to arrive. She was waiting for news of her extended family. The council had already compiled a fleet of ships manned by trustworthy captains that would follow their orders without question. She hoped for the end of the war, she couldn't wait for all the killing to end and yet, her thoughts kept returning to the fact that a part of her was human.
It may be a very small part, but it was still there, a part of her. She wondered if any of her family knew about their human heritage, although she doubted it. She couldn't help but wonder how it had happened. How had a human, a race who'd only recently in comparison to the Minbari had reached the stars, met and mated with one of her ancestors. Had it been an experiment that was conducted by a radical member of her family? Or had the Vorlons arranged it?
She may never know the truth behind the past, but she knew what she was. She was Minbari, she was grey and she was Delenn.
General Lefcourt sat in his office, gobsmacked by the report that Commander John Sheridan had handed him to read. The Commander currently sat on the other side of the table, waiting for him to finish his reading. He'd received a message three days ago from the Commander, introducing a previously unknown race called the Tau'ri and was then informed that this race had begun to mediate peace talks between the Commander and the Minbari.
The Tau'ri had made the request that all current engagements being fought by the Earth Alliance, to be halted and that the ships should be redirected to defensive patrols around the outer colonies. The President had quickly agreed to the request and appointed the General to handle the situation in her stead. So now he was reading a report that seemed so inconsistent that if he didn't know John Sheridan personally, he'd of thought it was a joke.
He finished reading the last line of text, One of the Tau'ri vessels towed us through a strange version of hyperspace to a jump gate that would take us directly to Earth in a matter of hours, and for the second time since this war had begun, felt hope.
"So, John, this report is accurate?" Lefcourt asked, putting the paper down.
"Yes sir." John nodded.
"They repaired the Lexington in mere hours and one of their officers admitted and I quote 'Built the orbital platform in days'." Lefcourt said, looking at the man in disbelief.
"That's right, sir." Sheridan nodded.
"Amazing." Lefcourt said, unsure of what to actually say.
"Wait until you meet them, sir." John smiled.
"With their technology, we could turn this war around and rebuild our lost infrastructure in weeks." Lefcourt stated, rubbing his chin.
"Yes sir, we could. But I don't think they'll just give us their technology. If the Minbari refuse the peace terms, they may defend us, but they won't go to war with them for us." John informed.
"Why not? They seem to be just as, if not more advanced than the Minbari." Lefcourt asked, sitting forward, intrigued.
"Well sir, when I was among them, I got the feeling that this planet Orban, isn't just a colony. I think it's their new home world. I don't know what happened to their original world, but I think that this planet and the twenty or so ships I saw are all they have." John explained.
"And you think that even with their technology, they won't win against overwhelming numbers." Lefcourt nodded in understanding.
"No sir, but that doesn't mean they won't try." Sheridan smiled.
"Thank you Commander, or should I say, Captain." Lefcourt smiled. John looked at the General for several seconds, confused.
Alison sat in her office looking over several files that were being displayed on her holographic screen. All four documents were of vital importance to her and the continued existence of the Tau'ri as a race.
One of them was a update from the orbital mining facility stating that they'd begun construction of a dozen automated mining ships thanks to the materials provided by the power hungry energy-matter converters located deep within Rivendell.
Another was a report stating that one of the two surviving ZPMs the city was running off had been drained to near depletion due to the near constant use of the energy-matter converters as well as power leakage from the still damaged primary conduit that couldn't be repaired while it was providing the power to the converters.
The next document displayed the progress Doctor Michael Brown, recently released from his white cell by Laura Pierre, was having with the construction of solar extraction satellites that would fuel the construction of new ZPMs once the ZPM fabrication facility was built with the materials from the mining outposts operations.
Then finally, the last report detailed the use of their food stores and how in three months' time, they'd run out. There were two options displayed to resolve the issue, either build some automated food production facilities or use valuable power from their Zero Point Modules to being creating food using the energy-matter converters. However she had three months to make a decision, so it wasn't that concerning.
Sheppard sighed in relief. It was all good news. The material issue was slowly being resolved with the construction of mining vessels and once they were complete, they could stop using the energy-matter converters and shut down the primary conduit for repairs. The power issue would be resolved by the time repairs were complete because of the creation of new Zero Point Modules. By this point, the food supplies would begin to run out, but with new ZPMs and abundant resources from the orbital mining operation, they could easily convert energy into any food they required while constructing automated food production facilities.
Alison couldn't help but smile. It hadn't been this easy on Tollana. Here, they had the equipment, the knowledge and the resources. On Tollana, a world that had slowly crumbled and withered, they had simple power generation and lived in basic accommodation. With a small filtration system that offered small amounts of drinkable water, equipment that seemed to break every few minutes and rationed food supplies, Rivendell was a godsend in comparison. But one thing that was the same when she compared both Tollana and the current situation was manpower.
On Tollana, in the early years, when they lost someone to illness or accident, they'd never gain a replacement. Once that person and their skills were lost, they were gone. She feared the same thing now. They'd already lost a destroyer with all crew members. She didn't want to lose any more lives. They could probably afford a ship or two, even now. But they didn't have enough people. Rivendell could house a hundred thousand people but currently held only forty thousand, while the ships in orbit all together were manned by roughly nine thousand.
That's why when she looked over her left shoulder, at the blank wall, a holographic number appeared displaying the current population of the Tau'ri. It currently showed the numbers '49,550'. If the Tau'ri were going to survive here and continue to exist, they needed to start having children. The thought of having children had never appealed to her, she'd never had the mothering instinct or the desire to give birth. But she couldn't ask everyone else to do it and remain unwilling. These thoughts would no doubt linger with her for several more hours, perhaps even days.
Nayen watched from a high balcony on the surface of Tarellen as members of the Warrior Caste trained in the quad in the centre of the barracks. Some were training with blades, others fighting with their bare hands and a few stood practising the graceful battle routines of the Denn'Bok or Fighting Pike.
Since their arrival, the survivors of the Star Strider had been debriefed half a dozen times by several different, higher ranked members of their caste. At first, it had felt as if their leaders did not believe that there was a force out there that could challenge the might of the Minbari, but now it appeared as though their repeated reports were finally beginning to sink in. While most of the Minbari believed that the resources being funnelled into the Warrior Caste were to be used against the Earthers, Nayen knew differently. The Warrior Caste had always resented the fact that Valen had made them equals with the other two Castes.
"The Religious pray, the Workers build and the Warriors die." A voice said from behind him. That saying was a common motto amongst his Caste and was never to be repeated except to another Warrior.
"Those words ring true." Nayen nodded, continuing to watch the training grounds below. Out of the corner of his eye he saw as the owner of the voice joined him to watch the quad. It was Neroon of the Star Riders, a great warrior and someone who'd fought tirelessly throughout the war. His devotion to the war had recently seen him promoted to Alit of the Crystal End, a fierce warship under the command of Shai Alit Branmer.
"I have come on behalf of Shai Alit Branmer. He has an offer for you and if you are a true warrior, you will take it." Neroon informed.
"Speak and I will listen." Nayen nodded.
"The Shai Alit has been tasked by members of the Grey Council to form a secret fleet of ships that will be officially declared lost when we locate the cowering Earther ships. With these ships presumed destroyed, no one will look for them." Neroon explained.
"And where will they be?" Nayen asked, turning his head to look at the Warrior.
"They'll be hiding in an uninhabited planetary system, waiting for mission details to be sent to them on a secure channel that's currently being set up to look like hyperspace static. These missions will involve attacks on all of the Warrior Castes enemies." Neroon smiled.
"And what does the Shai Alit need from me? The Star Rider was destroyed, I have no ship to offer." Nayen reminded.
"Branmer does not require the lost ship, only the dead crew." Neroon explained.
"I see." Nayen nodded in understanding. It was simple really. A fleet of ghost ships that could be hidden for days, weeks, months and even years, ready to strike at anyone where ever they are at a moment's notice.
"So do you accept?" Neroon queried.
"I accept, however there is one flaw in your plan." Nayen informed.
"And what is this flaw?" Neroon asked, confused.
"If I am dead, you cannot assign me to a new ship that is soon to be destroyed." Nayen informed.
"No, we cannot. But in our last ship report to the Grey Council, we only reported one of the two decommissioned mobile shipyards that currently reside in the silos to the south. It has already been stocked with enough fuel and supplies to last for a year, but we expect a few war freighters to be destroyed by raiders before that time." Neroon smiled.
"I bet you do." Nayen nodded.
And there it is! I've read some of the reviews and I completely agree that I do tend to rush the story. I am sorry for that and I hope this proves that I'm trying to slow it down and get out a better quality of work. Please review!
-Spearhead