FIC: Babylon Faith (11/?)

Shir-shraba

Meldi Tari yawned as he glanced at the sensor screens before him. A whole year Captaining the orbiting station. He supposed it was an honour, but no contact, not with aliens, nor even his own race outside of those crewing the station rankled.

The Hyach were amongst the oldest of the League races, and had been in space longer than even the Abbai, indeed only the Minbari of the younger races had been in space longer. Their civilization was over seven thousand years old and steeped in tradition and a rich history. Rituals covered almost every facet of Hyach life, and had to be carefully followed at all times, often stiflingly so. His people's lives were governed by the numerous Rules of Order and Hyach society led by the Grand

Council of Elders, a group of over a thousand representatives from towns, cities, and regions across Shri-shraba, a government of gerontocracy, where age was the primary

consideration for leadership.

While he was proud of his race's many accomplishments, Tari wasn't like the majority of his people. He actually liked the idea of travelling to other planets, of meeting and getting to know other races. That was why he'd joined the Hyach Galactic Fleet in the first place, a need, a thirst to explore the cosmos and all its wonders.

His boredom evaporated when the screen before him crackled and went black. Brow furrowing, he leant forward and spoke into his desk mike. "Junior Inspector Tili, what are you getting on your sensors."

"Grand Judge Tari, my sensors," his subordinate sounded puzzled rather than worried, "my sensors have gone dead."

"And your back-up?" he queried.

"Nothing but static."

"Huh," Meldi's fingers drummed a nervous tune out on his desk, his unease growing. "Any idea where the static's coming from?"

There was a moment's silence then Tili replied. "I don't know the source, but the static seems strongest in sectors six though eight, starting a million cubits away."

"Thank you," Meldi pursed his lips, "keep your intercom open and stand by." He changed his microphone's station to Engineering. "Junior Inspector Tadi?"

"Yes sir?" the orbiting station's chief of engineering spoke up.

"I assume you're aware of the sensor problems we're having?" Meldi queried. "It couldn't be a fault on the sensors though?"

"No sir," Tadi sounded affronted at the very suggestion. "I've just finished running diagnostics and they're running at 100% optimum efficiency."

Meldi scowled as he struggled to take in what he was being told. What would the great Sheridan do in such a situation? The most important thing he could do was not panic. "Communications, send a level two vigilance down to Ground Support, and Tadi, I want you to send two unmanned sensor probes to Sectors six through eight. Make sure they're cloaked, just in case."

"Yes sir," Tadi replied. "It'll take ten minutes to send them out and another thirty for them to reach the source. We should get the report then unless the static is too bad."

"Good," Meldi nodded. "Then we can use the time to run battle simulations. I want all our masers and spine lasers testing, and our Okath Kat-class fast frigates running close circuit patrol in Alpha formation. Move people!"

"Sir," the Communications Specialist crackled in, "the Anla'Shok are requesting information on our activity."

Meldi glanced up from his desk, his heart skipping at just the mention of the Anla'Shok. Oh to be the first Hyach member of that elite enforcement group, flying from system to system, bringing law and justice to all. He flushed as he realised his subordinate was still waiting for his reply. "Tell them we're having sensor trouble."

"Yes sir," the Communications Specialist said, "and we're receiving requests from Ground Support to expand on our problems."

"Give them everything else we have, and check with Stations Zwei and Drittel, see if they're getting any sensor interference," Meldi ordered.

"Yes sir." A moment later the Communications Specialist returned. "Sir, Station Zwei says its sensors went down just moments ago. The interference is preventing us from getting through to Drittel."

Meldi's heart skipped a beat. Two of his cousins were on Drittel. Telling himself it was just because the station was on Shir-shraba's far side, he forced himself to focus. "Boost the signal, do whatever you need, but get through to Drittel!"

"Yes sir," the Communications Specialist squeaked.

"Tili, how are these drills coming?" he snapped.

"Everything's working sir," Tili replied.

"Thank you," Meldi licked his lips as he turned his mike back on. "Communications, get back in touch with Ground Support, request they scramble a flight of Tachila Kor-class scout carriers to investigate Drittel's condition."

"Yes sir, getting right on it."

Time crawled by, every second seeming to take a cycle to pass. Then his computer console beeped. "S…sir," Tadi stuttered, his Engineering Specialist's voice trembling with terror, "we have the sensor report, well a fragment anyway, all they beamed back before-."

"Show me the footage!"

Ice curdled in his belly as his screen flickered into life, displaying a terrifyingly majestic six-headed dragon, its scales gleaming malignantly and eyes burning through the night's blackness. And then he saw the others, first dozens flapping behind it, then hundreds, and then too many to count.

Red fire blazed from its fanged maws, incinerating the sensor. For a second he stared horror-struck at the screen, then the beeping of his mike spurred him into action. "Sirrrr," Tadi's voice quavered. "What are we going to do?"

Meldi licked his lips as he forced back the primordial terror engulfing him. It could only be the long-ago prophesised Swarm, the end of times nightmare. "Sound a general alert, send the footage to Ground Support and request they scramble our ships, our entire fleet, request assistance from the Anla'Shok, and sound a general request for assistance to any ships passing by in hyperspace."

"Sirrr," Tadi said, "the interference is blocking hyperspace. We're on our own."

Kako Vuxi gloried in his flight, his wings flapping mightily, his brethren hovering his wake. In the battles to come, they would fight beside their underlings but so long had passed since their imprisonment. They'd raged helplessly, but now his people were back.

It was time to feast, and they were so very, very hungry.

He only hoped this cosmos had some challenges for them to savour as they soaked it in blood and incinerated it in hell's fires.

Superintendent Galdi's eyes widened with horror as the sensor reading replayed on his console. Dragging his eyes up, he looked around his hushed bridge and rose. Deciding lying would insult those who'd led for years, he spoke, not bothering to hide either the fear or resolve from his voice. "This isn't a battle we can win or even survive, but we need to buy homeworld time to react to this horde. We fight not for glory or for victory, but for Shir-shraba itself! Flank Crimson, come in from the left! Flank Gold, take the right! We're the centre, hold firm for as long as we can!"

The moment he'd taken his seat, he glanced towards his Helmsman. "Full ahead," he looked towards Weapons Control as Helmsman opened the engines up. "They look to be organic, so we won't be needing our Masers, direct all power from them to our spinal lasers, then when we enter optimum range open up on the nearest. Helmsman, I don't expect you to make it easy for them, evasive action! Operations, all available power into front shields."

Galdi's fingers dug into the arms of his command chair as his ship raced into the hopeless battle, engines screeching as all possible power was forced from them. The stars blurred as their ship reached ever greater speeds, then banked to the left, the nearest winged monstrosity spewing fire at them, flames igniting in airless space. "Sir!" Operations let out a terrified wail. "That caught us on the underside, shields halved."

Galdi nodded. "Direct power from ancillary systems to shielding and weapons," he ordered, his even tone betraying none of his inner terror. All at once the ship's interior darkened as lightning was re-directed. Lasers pulsated from their ship, gouging a pair of smouldering furrows down the nearest beast's left wing, the lasers that could tear through a freighter's bulkhead failing to sever the creature's appendage.

The monster reared back, toothy maw opened in a caw that was lost in space, then lunged forward, his Okath Kat dodging left and right, under its grasping claws, lasers flashing as they attacked. Then one of the creature's claws crashed into the ship's shields, the impact not enough to pierce the forcefield, but more than enough to send them spiralling out of control, and flinging the crew bridge from their stations as sparks exploded from more than one station and supports toppled, slabs falling from the ceiling to dent the floor.

"AHHH!" Galdi screamed as the ship righted. His eyes widened as he dragged himself from the floor where he'd been pitched, eyes alighting on Communications, heart quailing as he noticed the woman's near decapitated state. Climbing back into his chair, he directed his gaze forward in time to watch Weapons fire at the beast they found themselves in front of. Smouldering wounds opened up on the beast, but it continued flying towards them, flapping wings giving the beast a horrific grandeur.

Alarms screeched as sparks flew around the stricken ship's bridge, smoke from several burning consoles filling the air. "Hit it with everything we've got!" Galdi shrieked, blood dripping from his forehead into his eyes. He tried to raise his left arm only for it to fall limply by his side, broken in his earlier fall.

"Sir!" Operations let out a frightened yell, blood soaking the bottom half of his face and the front of his uniform's tunic. "Shields are down to 20%!"

The world seemed to slow at Operations' cry. Galdi could hardly hear the cries of his crew and barely noticed as his ship shook under attack after attack. Galdi shook himself out of his funk and looked ahead. "Head straight for that beast, full ramming speed!"

Flames flared all around them as they charged towards their deaths. Would people remember their sacrifice? Would they remembered in reverence? Or would all their efforts be in vain?

Would this day be the day his race ceased to be?

All these thoughts rushed through Galdi's mind as their ship careered forward.

And then the creature's flames engulfed them, their shields failing as their ship exploded in fire.

Dara Miri stared with horror at the sensors before her. As a Council Elder she was Chief Of Ground Support, the centre of homeworld security, a position of great responsibility and prestige.

A position that allowed her a front row seat to the destruction of her planet.

Wave after wave of Irokai Kam-class battlecruisers, Irokai Kal-class command gunships, Irokai Kar-class strike cruisers, and Urtha Kal-class dreadnoughts backed up by flights of skirmish cruisers and fighter squadrons had flown out to face the invading behemoths. All had fallen back to the planetary surface in pieces, around a half-hundred ships falling for one of theirs. They were a terrible enemy, countless and fierce, their flames ripping through any attempts of defences, their merciless attacks butchering indiscriminately. The monsters even ripped apart the transport convoys the Council of Elders had vainly sent fleeing towards the perceived safety of the hyperspace jumpgates.

And now they were pressing inexorably onto homeworld, their spine-lasers flashing uselessly against the beasts pervading their atmosphere. Perhaps this was Oshi-Ta's judgement for their atrocities towards the Hyach-do. Whatever the truth, their civilisation died today.

Kako Vuxi cawed their victory, wings flapping gleefully as he stared down on the blasted, scarred planet surface. The planet's city domes were shattered, deep furrows ripped through its woodlands, and even its mountains had crumpled before their rage. The once vibrant globe now nothing more than a burnt-out, hollow husk.

Yes, some of the younglings had fallen in this their first battle. But the first of this galaxy's powers was obliterated. And soon the others would follow suit, those amongst their number who fell would be remembered, and those who survived would be gloried before they moved on to the next galaxy.