Chapter 13: Dust to Dust
"You are out of your mind," Londo Mollari said, quiet sure of it.
"Risks must be taken if mighty Centauri is to win this war," Main General Mo-Mok pointed out, his voice sounding as if he was speaking behind a fan.
"This will strip our defenses in every single system for a single strike against the Narn homeworld," Mollari waved his hand across the strategic map, the lights illuminating the back side of the maps some of the only light in the dark room. "You cannot simply expect me to go along with this. We task ships in our rear to fight them, that's one thing. But you want over eighty percent of our military to launch this attack? No, General, I will not allow this."
"Emperor Centauri might not agree with you," Mo-Mok said, "He wants war ended. Is not Emperor always right?"
"That's our tradition," the Prime Minister shrugged his shoulders, "But Lord-General Marrago would see the wisdom, or lack of it, yes. He would argue we must not do this. If we are going to do this, why not at least destroy the forces in Centauri space before we go to Narn?"
Mo-Mok's head turned back and forth, it it's weird shaking way. "Prime Minister Mollari not understand or see whole picture," he said, "That's why I ask you onto my ship. Perhaps the Warleader show you."
"Show me what?" Mollari frowned, his instincts screaming at him, "What are you talking about?"
The door slide open to the war chamber, the two Centauri bodyguards collapsing, their heads rolling across the floor. In stepped a Narn, a long bladed curved sword in his hand. Blood glistened off the blade. Behind him stepped in a Narn with a pair of glasses on his face.
"What have you done?" Mollari demanded, scrambling backwards as he reached for his dagger in his coat, "Mo-Mok! What have you done?"
"Centauri mighty," Mo-Mok said, the mist that was always falling from his robes sliding across the floor and rising around Mollari, engulfing him. Mollari collapsed to the floor, trying to breath, but the mists poured into every poor, every slot, every opening in his body. Soon, all he could see was a dark cloud and Mo-Mok's voice singing songs of death and despair. He didn't feel himself go unconscious and Mo-Mok standing there still, his eyes flashing in the dark.
"Narn mightier."
There was two Minbari cruisers gliding through the space over Orion 7, their crews going about their business at a leisurely pace. The first colony transports should be arriving very soon today, and so they should be out, looking sharp with their warships ships there to greet them. The jumpgate began to activate, and the closest of the two cruisers turned towards the gate, gunports open in respect. They were a little early, but nothing they couldn't handle.
Out flew a ship they had never seen before. It looked similar to the human's Omega Class Destroyers, but it was black, with spikes coming out of the side. Much like a Shadow ship.
"This is General Samuel Thompson of Human Remnant Forces," a voice was heard coming at the two cruisers, "We are here to liberate our colony. Withdraw now or you will be destroyed. You have ten seconds to comply."
Who were these fools that thought they could just walk in here as if they owned the place? Both ships had been there when Earth had fallen. They had seen the fortress of humanity cracked. These barbarians would be easy pickings.
The first ship fired at the cruisers' front and the explosion flash across the bow. They turned to leave, but saw to thier surprise the ship still there. The second cruiser closed as well and both ships fired on the cruiser, to no effect. Suddenly, two more ships came out of the jumpgate and together they fired as one, conecntrating fire on a single Minbari cruiser. They had no chance to react, from a combination of arrogance and surprise. The ship was torn apart, the pieces scattering across this part of space.
The second cruiser charged the destroyer, firing everything they had. But little damage was done, and the cruisers swung around and flanked it on three sides. It was destroyed before it got within a thousand meters of the Human cruiser.
Vir looked at the screen at his friend Mayan. She looked dreadful, having taken it upon herself to look into the Selvan situation. She hadn't slept for the past couple days, being among those people.
"As far as I can tell," she said, and he could see she was in a back alleyway, hiding behind boxes and speaking very softly, "They no longer feel honor bound by the treaty they made with your people. They no longer want to be allied with the Centauri."
"Then why are they still allied with us?" Vir asked, "They could leave at anytime, and no one would think any less of them."
"In this part of space you do not go around without allies," Mayan replied, "Or else they'd be set upon by bigger powers. If they broke off relations with the Centauri, they'd be asking for trouble. So, they are currently trying to work out new alliances."
"Do you know ones they are?" he asked, "I realize that there are dozens...well, hundreds...okay thousands of different races they could ally with, but do you have an specifics? Even an idea?"
Mayan looked to the left, as if she had heard something. Vir watched as she looked slowly up and suddenly, with a flash she was gone, her communication device flying against a wall. It was on it's side, and Vir watched as she was lifted up and flung against the wall as if some force had done so. She fell to the ground, but was picked up again and smashed into the wall. Again, and again and again. Vir couldn't see what was attacking her, but he was sure she wasn't throwing herself into the wall.
"Mayan?" he called into the vid, "Mayan? Mayan! What's going on?"
There was a growling he could hear as her body was dropped onto the ground and the screen was picked up off the ground. A shimmering could be seen very faintly, almost to the point he wasn't sure he had seen it. It was coming to a stop and just then the screen shattered in his hands and he dropped the communications device to the ground.
"Curse you, Gideon!" he snapped as the technomage appeared into view, "Why'd you do that?"
"You should be thanking me instead of tearing me apart for saving you from a dreadful threat," Gideon said, standing with his staff in between his two hands.
"What threat?" Vir demanded, "What are you talking about?"
"The creature that killed her is called a Soof'Dar," Gideon informed him, "They are front line soldiers of the enemy. Not overly bright but they have a photographic memory. Even if it had never seen you before, it's mind could be read by the Shadows. And if it had, you wouldn't have to wait long before you'd have Kilgrain assassins shimmering into here."
"Oh..." Vir was lost for words, "I...I didn't know."
"That's the problem isn't it?" Gideon chided, "You never know or think. You are the head of the Conspiracy of Light. You need to be more attentive. If we lose you, it'll be a serious blow to our cause."
Shakiri stood in the Viewing Room of his flagship, the Rashok Talven. He stood over a small moon, the moon of Pilgros Six. He had been waiting and waiting for Kalain to give the go ahead, and finally he had given it. With the Anla'Shok disbanded because of their unwillingness to aid Kalain, he knew they'd been using this moon as a safe haven as they tried to flee the Kilgrain as they were sent by Kalain to kill them.
"All gunports are to begin the destruction of Pilgros Space Station," he ordered. And he watched as the purple lances of energy hit the space station, destroying it in flames and explosion that were sucked out into space. The space station was only the beginning. For an hour they punished the city for colluding the fleeing Anla'Shok. Sixty thousand Minbari and a couple hundred aliens were there. Most were dead within the hour.