Fiona asked, "So when do we get to go back to Babylon 5?"
Reed turned around and said, "Not just yet. President Sheridan says the situation is still too hot."
Fiona said, "We've been in hyperspace for a week."
Reed said, "That's not too unusual."
Fiona said, "I'm having urgent pizza cravings." Reed and the other Human Rangers laughed. The Minbari Rangers politely said nothing. Then they anxiously awaited the incoming transmission from Sheridan. Perhaps now they could return to normal functions.
Sheridan said, "Ah good. I have an assignment for you, and once you're done you can return to Babylon 5. Cargo ships have been reporting strange sightings of bugs in hyperspace."
Fiona said, "Bugs?"
Sheridan said, "I know it sounds strange, but these bugs are reportedly four feet in length, blue colored, have six legs and oversized mandibles. Here's the strange part. They are only attacking ships with telepaths on board but once they attack, they kill everyone. I'll bet anything it's related to a Vorlon super telepath."
Fiona said, "I hate bugs. Why does it have to be bugs? Man!"
Sheridan said, "I'm sending you the coordinates of the last several attacks."
Reed said, "It's a good thing we have the right kind of bait on board."
Fiona sarcastically said, "I'll be sure to remember that."
Sheridan said, "Please keep me informed of your progress. Sheridan out."
At least it was better than hanging out in hyperspace. The Centauri government was highly upset over what happened with Sabetha Dumas. Fiona did not appreciate being the center of such highly charged diplomatic attention. Reed was busy analyzing the coordinates of the bug attacks. He picked a logical course and they were finally underway.
It took only a few hours before they encountered a swarm. These particular bugs were telepathic. Reed ordered battle stations for good measure, and Fiona was already busy at work. There were thousands of the creatures. The ship added to the firepower and it took twenty minutes before the last bug was dead.
Fiona said, "That's the last of them. Where's a chart? Good. This is where they came from. Why does it have to be bugs?"
Reed said, "They were extremely vicious. Did they send back a message to their home world?"
Fiona said, "No. We're going in unannounced and uninvited."
"Good," Reed said.
It took another day before they reached the strange home planet of the bugs. It was a wilderness planet and there was no sign of cities. The dominant species on the planet were various insect life forms. There were several major groupings of colonies. Reed decided they should go to the largest colony.
Fiona said, "It's strange. I can't sense any telepathic activity down there. We'd better get going."
Reed gave his crew some last minute instructions. Fiona and Reed departed in the shuttle. Reed found a clearing to land in but it was half a mile from the major colony. Fiona did not mind walking. They made it to the woods without any problems. As they walked, they saw many gargantuan insects.
The dominant species were the blue bugs they had seen in space. They were some kind of a cross between ants and termites. They had no interest in Fiona or Reed and communicated through sounds and pheromones. They busily preoccupied themselves with spitting acid on trees. Then they converted matter into a liquid paste. Sometimes they rolled up the matter into giant balls, maybe for food, while other times formed it into sheets. They watched as a crew of drones used the paste to repair hives.
"They're the same as the ones in space," Reed said.
Fiona said, "They're not telepathic. Wait a minute. That large hive over there! We want that one. There's telepathic activity inside."
As they approached, they knew trouble was brewing. A series of drones began exiting as if to form a barricade. Fiona said, "We don't have time for this." She telekinetically forced the drones away from the exit. Once inside, they could see the honeycombed structure. Drones went out of their way to avoid the two strangers.
"Come closer so that I may see you," a female voice called.
Fiona and Reed entered a large chamber. Perched on a platform made out of the paste sat a large queen bug. She was at least thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide. She had an extended abdomen. She constantly delivered eggs, which drones carried away.
"I am Dorian, the highest ranking queen of the seven queens," she said. "It is rare for us to receive visitors. Why have you come?"
Reed said, "Strange creatures in hyperspace have been attacking our ships. We believe they come from your world."
Dorian said, "Indeed they do come from my world. They do my bidding."
Reed asked, "Why are you targeting telepaths?"
Dorian replied, "It is why I was adapted. Surely, you know of the Vorlons. They once saved our planet from the Shadows. When they asked me to undergo the change, how could I refuse them?"
Reed asked, "How long have you lived?"
Dorian said, "I am young. I am only fifty-three years of age. I heard the stories passed down from queen to princess of the great Vorlon Realm. They saved us from the terrible Shadows over a thousand years ago. They asked a favor of service and I agreed."
Fiona said, "You agreed to destroy all the Vorlon created telepaths. However, the Vorlons are gone. Why are you doing this now?" She realized that the Vorlons were using these creatures as a form of pestilence.
Dorian said, "They are gone but we are still here. We are obligated to fulfill our part of the agreement. We must destroy all telepaths."
Fiona said, "Not all telepaths were created by the Vorlons."
Dorian said, "That does not matter to me. My new children have a purpose and we crave all telepathic flesh. As we consume it we grow stronger with our telepathic abilities."
Reed said, "Surely you must understand that you will die as soon as you complete this mission."
Dorian said, "I am not like the others altered. Already I control the entire world we live upon. Those foolish queens dared to oppose me but they quickly learned obedience was far more preferable. They envied me for what I had become. They envy my new children that eat flesh. The flesh is good."
Fiona said, "I understand now. You're targeting ships with telepaths, hoping to increase your own powers. Once you're done, you're going to spread across the galaxy and consume all forms of flesh. I can't let you do that."
Dorian thoughtfully said, "I wonder what powers I will assimilate from you." Reed anxiously looked around. The drones were beginning to concentrate inside the queen's chamber.
Fiona said, "Call off your drones or I'll destroy you and this hive. I know this is the only telepathic colony on the planet. I need not have to destroy the other queens. Your princesses haven't matured yet. There will be no one left to fulfill the obligation once I'm done with you."
Dorian shrieked, "IMPUDENCE!"
Fiona grabbed Reed and immediately set fire to Dorian. The drones were confused. They were desperate to save their queen. Fiona held onto Reed as she burst through the top of the hive. The woods were crawling with bugs returning to save the hive.
Reed shouted, "You have to destroy all of them!"
"Take a chill pill," Fiona casually said. She bombarded the hive with massive fireballs. Reed was never so terrified in his life. She said, "They're trying to block me. Dorian's dead." Reed watched as more fireballs began to consume the other hives. Then he watched as certain bugs began to burst into flames.
Reed asked, "What about the other colonies?"
Fiona replied, "We'll have to go and investigate to verify that she was telling the truth. It's time to go."
Fiona had learned how to distinguish the telepathic creatures from the non-telepathic ones. The drones were not able to reproduce but she had to destroy the ones in Dorian's colony. They had feasted on flesh and angered over the loss of their queen. Fiona had no choice but to destroy the nursery chamber that held the five princesses in special maturation cells. They had been destined to colonize new worlds.
Reed was not accustomed to telekinetically flying and he quickly decided he hated it. He saw a mountain burst in volcanic eruption. The trees were violently shaking as the earth quaked.
Fiona said, "Aw hell, we've really got to get out of here." She began flying the two back to the shuttle.
Reed asked, "What's wrong?"
Fiona said, "We've triggered some sort of failsafe mechanism. The whole planet's getting ready to blow."
Reed exclaimed, "What!"
She brought him back to the shuttle and he immediately went to work. Reed immediately took off and ordered the White Star to enter hyperspace the second they were aboard the mother ship. From space, they could see that the entire planet was beginning to tear apart from the inside out. As soon as they docked, the White Star began to shake violently. Reed banged his head and fell unconscious.
"Wake up Captain Reed," Fiona said.
Reed sat up. He was still in the shuttle. He asked, "What happened?"
Fiona said, "The planet's gone. We're not yet in hyperspace. You're needed on the bridge."
"Right," Reed said as he stood.
As the two exited the shuttle, they saw extensive damage. They proceeded to the bridge. All along the way, there was damage. If only they had been a little faster in returning the ship, Reed thought. He received a report from his second in command. The ship survived the planetary explosion but was temporarily unable to fly. Communications were down. Life support was minimal and the hospital was full of wounded.
Fiona said, "I'd better go help the doctor."
"Thank you Colonel," Reed said.
Fiona was able to help a lot of the wounded. She liked having such a positive new talent. Most of her other talents were destructive. She knew that any drones still alive in space would eventually die. Sheridan was going to have to advise the various ships' captains.
Technicians quickly restored communications. Temporarily stranded for a day, another White Star finally arrived to give them a tow. Most captains found humiliation in such an act. Ships felt pride in self-sufficiency. Sheridan pondered the new report. He saw a biblical pattern to the altered Vorlons: plague, famine, and pestilence. Now all that remained was war, and he would have seen the four horsemen of the apocalypse.