Chapter 28: Returning to the Temporal Rift

-The time has come.- Kosh's voice whispered in his mind. -Time to return to the beginning.-

"This is Captain Sinclair," he said through an open channel throughout the station, "Abandon ship. All personnel shall immediately report to shuttles and head to the other station that's just appeared."

The CIC crew looked over at him, frowning at the orders. Hadn't they turned back the Remnant soldiers? Why were they abandoning the station? The sensors were clear.

"That means all of you," he shouted, and they hurried to the doors to leave.

"Zathras!" he called through his link.

"Zathras here," he wasn't sure which one was addressing him, "Temporal flashes are not as stable as should be."

"Forget about that," he retorted, "I need you to go to Sector Blue-14. There you'll see me. Only, he won't be me. I need you to get him off the station. Understand?"

"Zathras understands..." then after a slight pause, "No Zathras does not understand. But Zathras do. We must get off the station."

"Alright," he nodded, and outside he saw a massive ship wrinkle into normal space, like a massive spider. "Garibaldi, I need you and Takashima to gather a few Security. We are about to get visitors."

He turned to leave when a particularly fierce time-flash hit him.

He stood on the top of a mountain, kneeling, weeping. Who knew what it was he wept for. He certainly didn't. But something had happened. Something bad. A shadow feel over him, and he looked up. Even in the bright sunlight, he could feel a heavy weight falling upon him as he prepared to do what needed to be done.

"Ah," he said, in a voice not English, but he understood what he was saying all the same, "Have you come to betray me?"


Lennier clambered onboard the shuttle. The fuels of the shuttle had been empty, so he had been forced to refill the ship. Now, he was sitting down, Delenn already sitting.

"It's about to get-"

Time flash. He stood somewhere, in the throne room of Centauri Prime he believed. His denn'bok was bloody, blood splattered all over the room. A Narn and the Centauri Emperor lay there, hands clenched around each other's throats. And he stood over John Sheridan, blood covering him.

He looked down, feeling a sense of self-loathing as he looked down upon the man. He had to do it, although he didn't want to. He looked up, his eyes pleading.

"Lennier-" he whispered, "Lennier-"

Lennier raised the deen'bok high in the air and screaming a sound swung as hard as he could downwards.


Zathras bustled about. The temporal rift was opening, just like it was supposed to happen. But, no one would believe Zathras. Had he not tried to warn them? But...no. No one believes poor Zathras. He rounded a corner, and spotted the One. But wait...he looked confused. And much younger. He stood staring as he was lost in a time flash.

The temporal flash was over and he collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily. Zathras moved forward.

"You must be getting up," he said, and reaching out with his two cloth-gloved hands grabbed the One who was obviously confused and pulled him up off the ground, "You cannot be being here. The One said this place for big war. We follow the one. But, no one from this time can be with us. Or else, they die. Zathras warned this might happen. Time flashes not so stable as should be. But no one ever listens to poor Zathras."

He carried him along, jabbering about anything and everything. He had to get him to the shuttle bay. No, not the other ones. He mustn't get glimpse of the future. They were reaching a juncture when they ran into it.


There was a shattering of sound, and PPG fire began filling the corridor. There were screams from Shadows chased them down the corridor. Sinclair was in the lead, his long legs carrying his in front. He turned around and fired a blast but kept running, making sure that Catharine was still close behind. Garibaldi also followed, reaching backwards and firing. Laura also came, a couple feet behind the other, blood still streaming from her wound. GROPOS followed close behind, but one collapsed and screamed as a Shadow caught him and slashed down, ripping through his back and pinning him to the ground.

They passed by a juncture, heading for the dockbay. Garibaldi screamed in defiance and turned to look and frowned. What was that? Sinclair? But wait...wasn't he... Oh, what the h-l. He completed his turn and fired again. Just then the other Zathras jumped down from the ceiling and followed after them, holding a circular device.


"What's that?" younger Sinclair asked, blinking as he stared off.

"Uhhhh..." Zathras shrugged, not sure how to explain it, then decided upon, "Do not know...cannot tell...perhaps one day Zathras knows. But until that day, Zathras carry you to shuttle."


Julia Musante ran towards the shuttlebay, hoping to catch a ride with John Sheridan. A voice screamed in her mind to catch him, keep him from leaving. She had to complete the mission. She had to! Or else the Keeper would punish her.

And out from the corner glided Kosh, his eye-stalk blazing. She couldn't see for the brilliance of the light that seemed to sear into her. She raised a hand to block the light.

-You shall not leave.- Kosh said, his voice sounding like the crashing of waves on the shoreline.

"I am a part of this crew," she said angry, "I will not stay here."

-Not you.- he said, swerving his stalk to stare at her shoulder. -It.-

You will not stop us Vorlon. Our Masters want the Starkiller.

-He is not for you.- Kosh retorted.

Then who is he then?

-He is ours.-

You will not stop us!

Kosh's eyestalk blazed white hot and shot forth, hitting her shoulder and slamming her into a wall. She wasn't sure who was screaming louder, her Keeper or herself. The pain seared her but her shoulder began to feel like it was on fire. The Keeper struggled to get free, but it was paralyzed and with a sound like a thunderclap, it exploded.

She slid down to the floor, her legs unable to support her. She looked up at Kosh, whose eyestalk was returning to normal. For once in months, she no longer felt the oppressive commands of the Keeper in her mind. She was free, and her desire for Sheridan slackened to what they would normally be.

"Why?" she asked, her voice shaking.

-You have other uses.- Kosh said.

"Makes me sound like a tool," she muttered.

-Good.-


"I think we lost them," Takashima said, shuddering from the exertion of running so long.

"You have to leave," Sinclair said, standing at the shuttlebay doors, "I'm staying here."

"No way," Garibaldi objected, sweating profusely, "We're all going together."

"I can't," Sinclair shook his head, "You all have to leave. Me, I have to take this station back in time."

"What are you talking about?" Takashima asked.

"Yeah," Catherine agreed, "You can't leave me here."

"You now listen to Zathras," Zathras said, finally having caught up with them, "Zathras is Valen. He will go back in time to win big war."

"No," Catherine shook her head, "You won't go alone."

"There is only time stabilizing devices for Valen and Zathras," he shook his head, "Not for anyone else."

"But-" Catherine protested but Sinclair rested his hand on her shoulder.

"I have to do this," he said, "I have done it before. And I will do it again. I have always done it. If I don't go, then the whole history as we know it changes, and things will be much worse. This is our chance to save history."

Garibaldi stared at him, then nodded slowly. "Alright," he said, reaching out a hand and grabbing Sinclair's hand tightly, "You gota do what you gota do."

Sinclair nodded as his old friend stepped away. Takashima went in for a hug, grabbing him tightly.

"I-" she started, tears filling her eyes.

"I know," he said gently, "There's nothing you need to say."

She backed up and walked off, the GROPOS following her in. And Catherine and Sinclair shared one last goodbye and kiss. But, she was just about to pull back when she started, and he looked down to see a shimmering claw sticking out of her. The others looked at him in shock as he dragged Catherine's dying body, running for it.

"Go!" Sinclair shouted, "Or none of you will make it! Go!"

"You heard the man!" Garibaldi shouted, "Let's go!"

And with that, they flew out of the shuttle bay, joining the last shuttles that entered Zha'Valen'Venni before it took off, fleeing Epsilon 3 with the escorting ships.


The temporal rift was open, and with a push of the button, Babylon 4 began to lurch forward, driving itself towards the rift. He had locked the door, laying Catherine's dead body onto the floor behind him. But, he knew even as they proceeded to go into the past, that what he was doing was right. He felt the changes coming through the rift and he looked down to see Catherin's body disappear. Maybe he'd see her one day.

He stepped towards the chrysalis chamber that Zathras had brought up for him. He opened it and stepped inside, letting it close around him.

"I am like an arrow that has sprung from the bow," he heard Valen's voice, "No doubt, never changing in its course."

"Will I see her?" he asked hoping that Valen would answer.

"Perhaps," Valen said, "One can only hope."

"But it will be enough."


Rashok and Nukeen stepped onto the great station. They limped from wounds, almost uncountable with how many there were. But, they were firm and strong, and had thier pistol pulled out. Strange alien markings. Strange alien boxes. What was this place? And why had they been drawn towards it.

They started as they saw a strange alien creature come out towards them, clicking as he came.

"Good, good," he said, "You are expected. This way."

He motioned them to come forward, but they glanced at each other. What a strange little alien.

"Come," Zathras said, "Come."

They followed him into a great room, and there stood a Minbari, his robes showing no clan or fein. He stood there, flanked on either side by Vorlons in all thier glory.

"Welcome," the man said, holding his arms out, "I welcome you to this place and present as a gift unto you. I am called Valen, and we have much work ahead of us."