Chapter 50: Za'Ha'Dum
Many thoughts passed through John Sheridan's mind as they traversed the dark and murky paths of hyperspace. He had come, not as simply an emissary of peace. He had brought his PPG with him, and he'd be ready. In fact, he carried on his person a weapon of great destructive power. A thermal nuclear device that had the power of five atomic bombs in a small cylinder roughly the size of a small grenade. The only thing he found on Kah'Markab he had willingly stolen.
The Markab would be avenged. Kosh had said nothing the entire trip, preferring to knock out the renegade Minbari each time he came to. After the third time, Sheridan was wondering if Kosh was getting a kick out of it. Whatever it was, it did make Sheridan happy. For a time.
Rashok awoke as the shuttle exited hyperspace over the Shadow homeworld of Za'Ha'Dum. He hurried to the console to send out the confirmation codes to the planet down below. It would not do to have his shuttle being blasted out of space. There was no choice now. The Vorlon was coming to his homeworld.
Sheridan looked down at the dead red world before him and sighed. Yes, it looked exactly like what Kosh had shown him. The codes cleared and the shuttle began its descent, heading closer and closer, the planet filling up the entire viewscreen.
Soon, the shuttle landed on a flat platform, red dust being kicked up as the engines as they shut down. A quick scan showed the environment was not breathable, and so Sheridan grabbed a breathing mask and covered his face, but noted that Rashok did not. Perhaps the mask of his helmet had one built in. Or perhaps his anatomy had been changed to suit the Shadows needs. Either way, they soon were outside of the ship and Sheridan could almost feel a sigh of relief from the ship once Kosh was off, following closely to Sheridan.
They soon entered a small hatchway and the door closed behind Sheridan and Kosh once they had stepped inside. Rashok pointed to a small sliding counter.
"This section of the city was built with humans and Minbari in mind," he assured him, "It is safe to take off your mask."
"Why not you then?" Sheridan asked, "Why don't you take your off?"
"What is the saying?" Rashok said with a hint of his voice of humor, "My house, my rules? Come now. And give me your gun."
Sheridan was taking off his mask and when he didn't automatically have his eyeballs sucked from their sockets, he set it down.
"I think I'll keep my gun," he said.
"Please," Rashok snorted, "Do you really think you will be able to fend off a million Shadows? Even the Vorlon cannot fight that many. Give me the gun."
Sheridan hesitantly pulled out his gun and handed it to the man. He was right. There would have been no way for him to fight off that many. Rashok motioned with his hand and the two guests followed him down a short hallway, passing by a couple doors. Rashok then stopped by one door and knocked on the door.
"Come in," a voice from inside called and the door opened, and they stepped inside. The door closed and they were looking at an elderly man. He spotted Kosh and his eyes grew wide.
"What is a Vorlon doing here, Rashok?" the man demanded.
"A thousand apologies," the Minbari bowed his head, "But, he..."
"Kept knocking him out," Sheridan volunteered.
The man scowled at Kosh. "Fine," he said, "Well, my name is Justin. And you would be Captain John J. Sheridan."
"I am," he said, sitting down on a chair that the older man pointed to, "Who are you?"
"Does it really matter?" the old man asked, his full mustache doing nothing to hide his disdain for the question.
"Who are you?" he asked again.
"Who decides how long the workday is?" he said, his eyes flashing, "Who decides school times? Who decides curfew is going to be ten one night and then seven another night. I'm with those guys, only a different department. But I do know of someone who you'll be more than happy to meet I think."
"There's really no one here I really want to see," he responded in a less then short reply.
"Oh," Justin smiled, "I think you'll want to see these two." Turning back towards a door in the back, he called out, "It's alright. He's ready to see you now."
Out from behind the door stepped out the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. And at once his emotions were thrown in turmoil. No...it couldn't be. She was dead! He had seen her dead body!
"Anna?" he breathed.
"Hello John," she smiled, and turning a small baby in her arms to face him said, "I'd like you to meet our son, David."
Delenn awoke in the medlab bed, feeling as if she had been sleeping a long time. While she was extremely tired, she felt oddly refreshed. Much like how air is after a good rainstorm, the nice and crisp smell to the air. She looked around, hoping to see a friendly face.
"Doctor Franklin," she smiled at the dark-skinned man who was sitting against the wall, his head against the wall, his eyes closed.
He started and opening his eyes spotted Delenn and slowly standing up walked over. He began to scan her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Fine Doctor," she said, trying to raise her hand up to touch him, "Have I been away long?"
Franklin smiled and grabbed her hand. "Roughly a month or so," he said, "Not too long a time."
She closed her eyes and nodded. Feeling relieved at having something real she tried to rise. But, she realized that her body just wasn't ready to move yet and gave up. She then looked around and noticed a missing person.
"Where is John?" she asked.
"Lennier has a message to give you," Franklin said slowly and backed away.
Lennier slowly stood up from the corner and approached. He stopped and holding his hands and fingers triangle and handing a small data crystal to her. She looked at it curiously as an oddity. Lennier grabbed her and helping her to her feet, lead her to the viewscreen. She slide the data crystal into the slot and on screen came Sheridan's face.
"Hey Delenn," he said, "If you are seeing this you are well. And that's good. But, by the time you see this, I will be at Za'Ha'Dum."
Sheridan sat looking at the group gathered before him. How...that was the baby he and Delenn was to have. He saw that more clearly than anything he had ever seen. And yet, here was the woman he had married. This couldn't be.
"How...how are you alive?" Sheridan asked, staring at the woman before him. "And, we weren't able to have a child. Why..."
"Do you really think you were the only one who made a pact with the Shadows?" she asked with a smile, "They killed me, yes. Only to bring me back alive. And they made it so I could become pregnant with our child."
"That's one of the things about the Shadows," Justin said, "They are willing to help us if we need it. Now, take your Delenn for example. She gets poisoned by us and yet, the Vorlons didn't do anything. Did they?"
"No," Sheridan admitted, "They didn't. I even asked for their help."
"Have the Vorlons helped at all with your war against us?" Justin asked.
"Yes," he nodded.
"And how is that?"
"They taught me the difference between Truth, Beauty and Love," Sheridan remarked, "And how to fight legends."
Justin laughed. "I'm sorry, but teaching you and getting actively involved are two different things," he said, "Listen, the Shadows believe that chaos is what makes the galaxy stronger. The process of evolution is the process by which the weak are made weaker and the stronger are made strong. We encourage opposition in all things. That's why the Drazi fight it out every five years for domination of the political system. We encourage you to go up to the bully and punch him in the nose."
"But it's better to have the whole playground behind you when you face the bully," Sheridan pointed out.
"That's what the Vorlons would like you to believe," Justin rolled his eyes, "I'm sorry, but I don't know Kosh there. He might be a nice guy and have your interests at heart. I'm not saying he doesn't. But the Vorlons do not accept anyone not towing the line. And if you do, they beat you down. Ah, I see you know what I speak of. We hear a ton about that."
"What has happened to a society when it forced to play by the rules?" Anna asked, holding baby David to her, "Deaths. Inquisitions. Secret police. Lynchings. Public hangings. Suppression of speech. The list goes on and on."
"And so you go around and kick down the anthill every thousand years to shake up things right?" Sheridan nearly rolled his eyes.
"But the anthill is rebuilt ten times stronger," Justin pointed out, "Errors are corrected. Strict obedience does not allow for mistakes, which leads to wisdom."
"And was it wisdom to take everything that made Anna special away?" he suddenly asked, and the group paused, unsure of what to say next.
"What do you mean?" Anna asked.
"They've taken your soul from you," he said, leaning forward and staring into her eyes, "There is not a shred of warmth there. Nothing that was you. My Anna, she's not there anymore. Is she?"
Justin frowned, "It was regrettable, to be sure."
"No," Sheridan said, "It was dangerous. And I will not listen to you. I will destroy you all."
"That's the problem isn't it?" Rashok demanded, "Every time the Shadows try to do good, one like you rises to rally the troops. And they are rallying to you. You are a nexus, you go one way the whole universe wants to follow you. But not this time. You will obey us."
And his hand went to his sword as the door opened behind them Shadows creeping in.
"Believe me, I wanted a life for us Delenn. I wanted the child we saw. But, what is our happiness compared to the lives of millions. Billions even? There is an old saying. 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'."
"We got incoming signals," Naomi called from her station.
"How many?" Takashima asked.
"Thirty ships," she said, gulping, "All Shadow."
Takashima felt a cold dread filling her heart. They weren't coming for peace, that was for sure. "Get Commander Corwin up here!" she ordered, "Activate the defense grid. Sound battle stations. Tell the fleet to form Defensive Pattern Zeta in pre-designated positions."
"But, I will not allow the Shadows to win. The Vorlons want to punish me. That's why I allowed the Shadow agent to heal you. They wouldn't help, despite our roles in their war. But, I go to bring the light of destruction to the dark places of the Shadows."
Sheridan staggered forth, running as fast as he could down the hallway, Kosh following behind. They could hear them rushing after them after they had fought their way through. Sheridan's leg had a great gash through the calf and he briefly noticed the long gashes and tears in the robes of Kosh's encounter-suit.
-Now!-
They both turned, Sheridan firing from his spare PPG and Kosh firing from his eyestalk. Two of their pursuers fell, but Rashok dodged them and went straight for Kosh, both swords being held high. Kosh shot him and Rashok fell, a gaping hole in his chest.
"There is so much I wish we could have done Delenn. I really wanted our family. I wanted the life we could have had. However, Fate is not the kindest of mistresses and has something different in mind for us."
The Bel'reen erupted, the lasers slicing through it, all hands on board perishing. Two of the Heavy Narn cruisers came next, the crews barely registering they were being attacked before they vanished in a fiery cloud of death. The rest of the ships fired furiously, a Shadow ship being knocked aside. But, they were simply overwhelmed, and soon they were running, fighting every step of the way. Zha'Valen'Venni fought back, but soon the lasers were beginning to slice into the station, killing dozens of Anla'Shok, Tak'Cha and Human security with every blast.
Just when all seemed to be going bad, jump points began forming, and out slid the remnant of Lord-General Marrago's Fleet. And on the other side, Kulomani had arrived. And from another part of space, out slid the Vorlon fleet. And boxing in the Shadows from three sides, they swooped in.
"I love you, Delenn. There are no goodbyes. There are only good memories."
Kosh was being overrun by Shadows and Drakh and So'of'da warriors. His encounter-suit was cracking and there was a scream. Sheridan tried to help Kosh but he heard Kosh scream. -Run!- He turned to run and the encounter-suit exploded, the Vorlon released. It seemed to Sheridan that Kosh was drawing a Sword of Light and smiting down Shadows as they attacked. But, before long even in his non-corporeal form he erupted, collapsing the tunnel overhead and burying him and his enemies under heavy rubble.
A light exploded in his mind and he fell to the ground. He quickly recovered and standing up he fled, tears streaming down his face. Kosh was dead. The Vorlon, whom he thought to be invincible was dead. But he was no better off. His arm was broken when a dying Rashok in his last moments had jumped up and attacked him, nearly cutting his arm off with his sword. He was blind in one eye from blood that flowed over it from a cut above it. Several ribs were broken and so were several of his toes and fingers.
But, he saw an opening in the passageway and ran to it. Only to find it was a ledge, with a wall. He turned frantically to run, and saw Anna approaching him. Her and two Shadows. Anna was holding his child in her arms.
"Come on John," she smiled sweetly, "There is nowhere to run. You can't hide. You can only submit. We can be together again. Be a family. Like we always were to be. You have no choice."
"I do have a choice," he said, walking towards her, "And it's this."
"What?" she asked, trying to seduce him.
"My child will not grow up under the Shadows," he said, hitting her hand. As she stumbled back he grabbed his child from her arms and holding her in one arm pulled out the nuclear device. He popped the top and pushed the button. And with a massive flash of light and heat he was somehow thrown back over the edge, but he could no longer see and indeed, he was already dead. And all of Za'Ha'Dum shook.
And thus the Human year 2260 ended. Sheridan and Kosh were overpowered at Za'Ha'Dum. As the nuclear explosion shook the foundations of the planet, the might Shadow fleet that was engaging the Vorlons and younger races not only at the Kah'Markab system but elsewhere recieved the order to return to Za'Ha'Dum. The Younger Races were no so badly bruised that their victory could not be followed up.
The resistance on Centauri Prime continued, every day brining more death and destruction. Vir and his wife had their firstborn son during the same time Sheridan exploded the nuclear device. And G'Kar met the Techno-Mage Galen again as Vir met with Gideon. And Londo Mollari and Malachi prepared their next stage of the resistance.
On Epsilon 2, Lyta Alexander Gordon and Zack Allen began their lives as newly-weds, and Lyta began to discover she was getting more and more powerful. And in her chamber, Talia Winters Bester awoke, activated by the Shadows.
